Beam and SKS spectrometers at the K1.8 beam line

High-resolution spectrometers for both incident beams and scattered particles have been constructed at the K1.8 beam line of the Hadron Experimental Facility at J-PARC. A point-to-point optics is realized between the entrance and exit of QQDQQ magnets for the beam spectrometer. Fine-pitch wire chamber trackers and hodoscope counters are installed in the beam spectrometer to accept a high rate beam up to 107 Hz. The superconducting kaon spectrometer for scattered particles was transferred from KEK with modifications to the cryogenic system and detectors. A missing-mass resolution of 1.9 ± 0.1 MeV/c2 (FWHM) was achieved for the ∑ peaks of (π±, K+) reactions on a proton target in the first physics run of E19 in 2010

The <i>tgd5</i> Mutation Affects Plastid Structure and Causes Giant Lipid Droplet Formation in Trichomes of <i>Arabidopsis</i>

Trichomes, epidermal protrusions in terrestrial plants, play diverse roles in plant defense, metabolism, and development. Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant with single-celled and non-glandular trichomes, is a valuable system for studying cell differentiation in plants. However, organelle biology in Arabidopsis trichomes is relatively underexplored. Using light and transmission electron microscopy, we investigated the phenotypes of intracellular structures in Arabidopsis trichomes caused by tgd5 mutations, which are known to disrupt lipid transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum to plastids and have a large impact on chloroplast morphology in pavement and guard cells. Significant phenotypic changes in the plastid structure were observed in tgd5 trichome cells, including the absence of plastoglobuli, the emergence of clusters of electron-dense particles in the stroma, and the possibly cup-shaped morphology of plastids. Additionally, the tgd5 mutations triggered the formation of giant, up to 15 µm in diameter, neutral lipid-containing droplets in the trichome cells, as revealed using histochemical staining with lipophilic dyes. These lipid droplets were substantially larger and more frequent in trichome cells than in other types of cells in tgd5. These findings highlight the role of TGD5 in maintaining plastid structure and implicate the unique activity of lipid metabolism in Arabidopsis trichomes

Anti-Obesity Natural Products Tested in Juvenile Zebrafish Obesogenic Tests and Mouse 3T3-L1 Adipogenesis Assays

(1) Background: The obesity epidemic has been drastically progressing in both children and adults worldwide. Pharmacotherapy is considered necessary for its treatment. However, many anti-obesity drugs have been withdrawn from the market due to their adverse effects. Instead, natural products (NPs) have been studied as a source for drug discovery for obesity, with the goal of limiting the adverse effects. Zebrafish are ideal model animals for in vivo testing of anti-obesity NPs, and disease models of several types of obesity have been developed. However, the evidence for zebrafish as an anti-obesity drug screening model are still limited. (2) Methods: We performed anti-adipogenic testing using the juvenile zebrafish obesogenic test (ZOT) and mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes using the focused NP library containing 38 NPs and compared their results. (3) Results: Seven and eleven NPs reduced lipid accumulation in zebrafish visceral fat tissues and mouse adipocytes, respectively. Of these, five NPs suppressed lipid accumulation in both zebrafish and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We confirmed that these five NPs (globin-digested peptides, green tea extract, red pepper extract, nobiletin, and Moringa leaf powder) exerted anti-obesity effects in diet-induced obese adult zebrafish. (4) Conclusions: ZOT using juvenile fish can be a high-throughput alternative to ZOT using adult zebrafish and can be applied for in vivo screening to discover novel therapeutics for visceral obesity and potentially also other disorders

〈Originals〉The significance of a specific psycho-oncology outpatient service for cancer patients run by psychosomatic medical doctors

[Abstract] Background : The field of psycho-oncology has been developed by psychiatrists in consultationliaison fields, and the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sakai Hospital, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine set up a new outpatient service for cancer patients. The primary aim of this paper is to clarify the role of psychosomatic medical doctors in cancer treatment and clinical practice, and the secondary aim is to clarify the significance of this special outpatient service for cancer patients from the viewpoint of psycho-oncology. Methods : Multiple factors, such as age, sex,cancer site, clinical symptoms, the reason for consultation, psychiatric diagnosis, in which department patients were having physical treatment, whether they were hospitalized and whether patients were taking palliative care therapy, were analyzed. Results : The data of fifty-eight cancer patients, including two family members of cancer patients, were analyzed. The most common psychiatric disorders were major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders and adjustment disorders. The reasons for consultation ranged from psychological support after receiving bad news, before/after surgery and chemotherapy to control delirium. Our psycho-oncological intervention involved a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Conclusions : Psychosomatic medical doctors can play an important role in the field of cancer treatment through psycho-oncological activities. The advantages of a specific outpatient service for psycho-oncology are that it can open the door to patients and their families who belong to other departments/hospitals and it can support cancer patients intensively and efficiently. However, improvements are needed, particularly relating to financing and understaffing