Multi-layered flyer accelerated by laser induced shock waves

Copyright 2000 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in Physics of Plasmas, 7(2), 676-680, 2000 and may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.87385

Levels and Concentration Ratios of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Serum and Breast Milk in Japanese Mothers

Blood and/or breast milk have been used to assess human exposure to various environmental contaminants. Few studies have been available to compare the concentrations in one matrix with those in another. The goals of this study were to determine the current levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Japanese women, with analysis of the effects of lifestyle and dietary habits on these levels, and to develop a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) with which to predict the ratio of serum concentration to breast milk concentration. We measured PBDEs and PCBs in 89 paired samples of serum and breast milk collected in four regions of Japan in 2005. The geometric means of the total concentrations of PBDE (13 congeners) in milk and serum were 1.56 and 2.89 ng/g lipid, respectively, whereas those of total PCBs (15 congeners) were 63.9 and 37.5 ng/g lipid, respectively. The major determinant of total PBDE concentration in serum and milk was the geographic area within Japan, whereas nursing duration was the major determinant of PCB concentration. BDE-209 was the most predominant PBDE congener in serum but not in milk. The excretion of BDE 209 in milk was lower than that of BDE 47 and BDE 153. QSAR analysis revealed that two parameters, calculated octanol/water partition and number of hydrogen-bond acceptors, were significant descriptors. During the first weeks of lactation, the predicted partitioning of PBDE and PCB congeners from serum to milk agreed with the observed values. However, the prediction became weaker after 10 weeks of nursing

Significant association of RNF213 p.R4810K, a moyamoya susceptibility variant, with coronary artery disease

Background The genetic architecture of coronary artery disease has not been fully elucidated, especially in Asian countries. Moyamoya disease is a progressive cerebrovascular disease that is reported to be complicated by coronary artery disease. Because most Japanese patients with moyamoya disease carry the p.R4810K variant of the ring finger 213 gene (RNF213), this may also be a risk factor for coronary artery disease; however, this possibility has never been tested. Methods and results We genotyped the RNF213 p.R4810K variant in 956 coronary artery disease patients and 716 controls and tested the association between p.R4810K and coronary artery disease. We also validated the association in an independent population of 311 coronary artery disease patients and 494 controls. In the replication study, the p.R4810K genotypes were imputed from genome-wide genotyping data based on the 1000 Genomes Project. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to adjust for well-known risk factors such as dyslipidemia and smoking habits. In the primary study population, the frequency of the minor variant allele was significantly higher in patients with coronary artery disease than in controls (2.04% vs. 0.98%), with an odds ratio of 2.11 (p = 0.017). Under a dominant model, after adjustment for risk factors, the association remained significant, with an odds ratio of 2.90 (95% confidence interval: 1.37-6.61; p = 0.005). In the replication study, the association was significant after adjustment for age and sex (odds ratio = 4.99; 95% confidence interval: 1.16-21.53; p = 0.031), although it did not reach statistical significance when further adjusted for risk factors (odds ratio = 3.82; 95% confidence interval: 0.87-16.77; p = 0.076). Conclusions The RNF213 p.R4810K variant appears to be significantly associated with coronary artery disease in the Japanese population

GCKR mutations in Japanese families with clustered type 2 diabetes.

[Objective]:The aim was to investigate the genetic background of familial clustering of type 2 diabetes. [Subjects and methods]:We recruited Japanese families with a 3-generation history of diabetes. Genome-wide linkage analysis was performed assuming an autosomal dominant model. Genes in the linkage region were computationally prioritized using Endeavour. We sequenced the candidate genes, and the frequencies of detected nucleotide changes were then examined in normoglycemic controls. [Results]:To exclude known genetic factors, we sequenced 6 maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) genes in 10 familial cases. Because we detected a MODY3 mutation HNF1A R583G in one case, we excluded this case from further investigation. Linkage analysis revealed a significant linkage region on 2p25-22 (LOD score = 3.47) for 4 families. The 23.6-Mb linkage region contained 106 genes. Those genes were scored by computational prioritization. Eleven genes, i.e., top 10% of 106 genes, were selected and considered primary candidates. Considering their functions, we eliminated 3 well characterized genes and finally sequenced 8 genes. GCKR ranked highly in the computational prioritization. Mutations (minor allele frequency less than 1%) in exons and the promoter of GCKR were found in index cases of the families (3 of 18 alleles) more frequently than in controls (0 of 36 alleles, P = 0.033). In one pedigree with 9 affected members, the mutation GCKR g.6859C>G was concordant with affection status. No mutation in other 7 genes that ranked highly in the prioritization was concordant with affection status in families. [Conclusions]:We propose that GCKR is a susceptibility gene in Japanese families with clustered diabetes. The family based approach seems to be complementary with a large population study