Lipid Rafts: Keys to Sperm Maturation, Fertilization, and Early Embryogenesis

Cell membranes are composed of many different lipids and protein receptors, which are important for regulating intracellular functions and cell signaling. To orchestrate these activities, the cell membrane is compartmentalized into microdomains that are stably or transiently formed. These compartments are called “lipid rafts”. In gamete cells that lack gene transcription, distribution of lipids and proteins on these lipid rafts is focused during changes in their structure and functions such as starting flagella movement and membrane fusion. In this paper, we describe the role of lipid rafts in gamete maturation, fertilization, and early embryogenesis

Cycloaddition Reactions of 1-Aza- and 1,3-Diazaazulenium 1-Methylides

2-Chloro-, 2-methoxy-, and 2-amino-1-azaazulenium 1-methylides and 1,3-diazaazulenium 1-methylide were generated by the treatment of the corresponding 1-trimethylsilylmethyl-1-azaazulenium triflates and 1-trimethylsilylmethyl-1,3-diazaazulenium triflate with CsF; the triflates were prepared from the corresponding 1-azaazulenes and 1,3-diazaazulene with trimethylsilylmethyl triflate. The 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of the 2-chloro-1-azazaazulenium 1-methylide, prepared in situ, with acetylenic esters gave 2a-azabenz[cd]azulene derivatives and 3a-azacyclopenta[a]naphthalene derivatives as major products, whereas 2-piperizino-1-azaazulenium 1-methylide underwent extended dipolar cycloaddition with acetylenic esters and afforded 9b-azacyclopent[a]azulene derivatives as major products

Invasive non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae infection due to endometritis associated with adenomyosis

Background The widespread administration of the Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine has led to the predominance of non-typable H. influenzae (NTHi). However, the occurrence of invasive NTHi infection based on gynecologic diseases is still rare. Case presentation A 51-year-old Japanese woman with a history of adenomyoma presented with fever. Blood cultures and a vaginal discharge culture were positive with NTHi. With the high uptake in the uterus with 67Ga scintigraphy, she was diagnosed with invasive NTHi infection. In addition to antibiotic administrations, a total hysterectomy was performed. The pathological analysis found microabscess formations in adenomyosis. Conclusions Although NTHi bacteremia consequent to a microabscess in adenomyosis is rare, this case emphasizes the need to consider the uterus as a potential source of infection in patients with underlying gynecological diseases, including an invasive NTHi infection with no known primary focus.

<Original Papers>Newly identified sigma factors of RNA Polymerase from deep-sea bacterium Shewanella violacea

Two genes for alternative a factors, σ^ and σ^, classified in the extracytoplasmic function a family for RNA polymerases, were identified in the deep-sea piezophilic bacterium Shewanella violacea DSS12. Amino acid alignments revealed that the domains for transcriptional functions are were comparatively conserved compared with E. coli σ^E in both proteins. Core-binding analysis suggests suggested that both proteins function as a factors in this piezophilic bacterium

The Local Reaction Rate in Round-Jet Diffusion Flames

A combustion model for turbulent diffusion flames is estimated frequently through the comparison of the simulated result with the experimental one. Usually, profiles of time-averaged concentration and temperature are used in that comparison, because the local reaction rate cannot be directly measured. However, since their profiles are also influenced largely by transport phenomena, it is difficult to estimate the combustion model properly with this method. Therefore, it is desirable to calculate the local reaction rate from experimental results and compare it with the simulated one. In the present study, from this point of view, the local reaction rate was tried to obtain by numerical calculation using measured values for a hydrogen jet diffusion flame. Then, it was suggested through the comparison of the obtained result with the simulated one that the method proposed here can provide reliable values for the local reaction rate.・rights：日本機械学会・rights：本文データは学協会の許諾に基づきCiNiiから複製したものである・relation：isVersionOf：http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110002981414