82 research outputs found
Right ventricular abnormalities assessed by myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography using technetium-99m sestamibi/tetrofosmin in right ventricle-originated ventricular tachyarrhythmias
AbstractOBJECTIVESWe sought to determine whether right ventricular (RV) perfusion imaging with technetium-99m (Tc-99m) sestamibi or tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography has diagnostic benefit for RV-originated ventricular tachyarrhythmias (RVT).BACKGROUNDIdentification of RV abnormalities is clinically important to establish RVT etiology.METHODSForty-seven patients with RVT (23 with idiopathic and 24 with organic RVT due to arrhythmogenic RV or dilated cardiomyopathy, cardiac sarcoidosis or myocarditis) were compared to 25 control subjects. Right ventricular uptake score, as assessed by modified tomographic imaging, and regional RV count relative to peak left ventricular (LV) count (RV/LV count ratio) were compared with RV regional and global function.RESULTSRegional RV uptake score correlated well with the RV/LV count ratio, and segmental abnormality was more frequently (p = 0.001) detected in the organic RVT group (22 [92%] of 24 patients) than in the idiopathic RVT group (4 [17%] of 23 patients) or the control group (8 [32%] of 25 patients). The total RV score (8.4 ± 3.8) in the organic RVT group was significantly lower than that in the idiopathic RVT group (15.6 ± 1.6) or the control group (15.1 ± 1.8). The total RV score correlated with RV EF (r = 0.702, p < 0.001). A total RV score <12 differentiated the organic RVT group from the other two groups, with a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 100%. The asynergic RV regions had a significantly lower RV/LV count ratio and RV score as compared with the nonasynergic regions and were identified by RV assessment, with a sensitivity of 76.1% and a specificity of 76.6%.CONCLUSIONSRight ventricular perfusion tomography using a Tc-99m–labeled tracer is clinically useful for the noninvasive detection of RV myocardial damage in patients with RVT and for differentiating organic from idiopathic RVT
Subaru Deep Survey V. A Census of Lyman Break Galaxies at z=4 and 5 in the Subaru Deep Fields: Photometric Properties
(abridged) We investigate photometric properties of Lyman Break Galaxies
(LBGs) at z=3.5-5.2 based on large samples of 2,600 LBGs detected in deep
(i'~27) and wide-field (1,200 arcmin^2) images taken in the Subaru Deep Field
(SDF) and the Subaru/XMM Deep Field (SXDF). The selection criteria for the LBG
samples are examined with 85 spectroscopically identified objects and by Monte
Carlo simulations. We find in the luminosity functions of LBGs (i) that the
number density of bright galaxies (M_{1700}<-22; corresponding to
SFR_{corr}>100 Msolar yr^{-1}) decreases significantly from z=4 to 5 and (ii)
that the faint-end slope of the luminosity function may become steeper towards
higher redshifts. We estimate dust extinction of z=4 LBGs with M<M^* from UV
slopes, and obtain E(B-V)=0.15+/-0.03 as the mean value. The dust extinction
remains constant with apparent luminosity, but increases with intrinsic
luminosity. We find no evolution in dust extinction between LBGs at z=3 and 4.
We investigate the evolution of UV-luminosity density at 1700A, rho, and find
that rho does not significantly change from z=3 to z=5, i.e.,
rho(z=4)/rho(z=3)=1.0+/-0.2 and rho(z=5)/rho(z=3)=0.8+/-0.4, thus the cosmic
star-formation rate (SFR) density remains constant. We find that the stellar
mass density estimated from the cosmic SFR is consistent with those derived
directly from the stellar mass function at z=0-1, but exceeds those at z~3 by a
factor of 3. We find that the ratio of the UV-luminosity density of Ly-a
emitters (LAEs) to that of LBGs is ~60% at z=5, and thus about a half of the
star formation at z=5 probably occurs in LAEs. We obtain a constraint on the
escape fraction of UV-ionizing photons produced by LBGs, f_{esc}>~0.13.Comment: 41 pages, 22 figures, ApJ in press. Paper with high resolution
figures is available at
http://hikari.astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~ouchi/work/astroph/SDS_V_VI/SDS_V.pdf
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MTMR4, a phosphoinositide-specific 3\u27-phosphatase, regulates TFEB activity and the endocytic and autophagic pathways.
金沢大学医薬保健研究域医学系Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P) is the predominant phosphoinositide species in early endosomes and autophagosomes, in which PI(3)P dictates traffic of these organelles. Phosphoinositide levels are tightly regulated by lipid-kinases and -phosphatases; however, a phosphatase that converts PI(3)P back to phosphatidylinositol in the endosomal and autophagosomal compartments is not fully understood. We investigated the subcellular distribution and functions of myotubularin-related protein-4 (MTMR4), which is distinct among other MTMRs in that it possesses a PI(3)P-binding FYVE domain, in lung alveolar epithelium-derived A549 cells. MTMR4 was localized mainly in late endosomes and autophagosomes. MTMR4 knockdown markedly suppressed the motility, fusion, and fission of PI(3)P-enriched structures, resulting in decreases in late endosomes, autophagosomes, and lysosomes, and enlargement of PI(3)P-enriched early and late endosomes. In amino acid- and serum-starved cells, MTMR4 knockdown decreased both autophagosomes and autolysosomes and markedly increased PI(3)P-containing autophagosomes and late endosomes, suggesting that the fusion with lysosomes of autophagosomes and late endosomes might be impaired. Notably, MTMR4 knockdown inhibited the nuclear translocation of starvation stress responsive transcription factor-EB (TFEB) with reduced expression of lysosome-related genes in starved cells. These findings indicate that MTMR4 is essential for the integrity of endocytic and autophagic pathways. © 2018 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.Embargo Period 12 month
INSIG2 gene rs7566605 polymorphism is associated with severe obesity in Japanese
The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7566605 in the upstream region of the insulin-induced gene 2 (INSIG2) is associated with the obesity phenotype in many Caucasian populations. In Japanese, this association with the obesity phenotype is not clear. To investigate the relationship between rs7566605 and obesity in Japanese, we genotyped rs7566605 from severely obese subjects [n = 908, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2] and normal-weight control subjects (n = 1495, BMI < 25 kg/m2). A case–control association analysis revealed that rs7566605 was significantly associated with obesity in Japanese. The P value in the minor allele recessive mode was 0.00020, and the odds ratio (OR) adjusted for gender and age was 1.61 [95% confidential interval (CI) = 1.24–2.09]. Obesity-associated phenotypes, which included the level of BMI, plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and blood pressure, were not associated with the rs7566605 genotype. Thus, rs7566605 in the upstream region of the INSIG2 gene was found to be associated with obesity, i.e., severe obesity, in Japanese
Soft X-ray angle-resolved photoemission with micro-positioning techniques for metallic V 2
Carbazolyl-Substituted [OSSO]-Type Zirconium(IV) Complex as a Precatalyst for the Oligomerization and Polymerization of α-Olefins
The dibenzyl zirconium(IV) complex (4) incorporating with a carbazolyl(Cbz)-substituted [OSSO]-type bis(phenolate) ligand was synthesized. Upon activation with dried modified methylaluminoxane (dMMAO), precatalyst 4 at relatively low catalyst loadings was found to promote the 1,2-regioselective oligomerization of 1-hexene to produce the corresponding vinylidene-ended oligomers with moderate turnover frequencies (TOFs) up to 2080 h−1. The 13C NMR analysis of the resulting oligomers revealed the formation of dimer-enriched oligo(1-hexene)s in 39–62% distributions. The precatalyst 4 with dried methylaluminoxane (dMAO) also exhibited good performance in the polymerization of styrene yielding isotactic polystyrenes ([mm] > 99%) with quite large molecular weights (Mw < 508,100 g mol−1) and relatively high catalytic activity (up to 2810 g mmol(4)−1 h−1)
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