Constraints from Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

We examine the constraints from the recent HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW double beta decay experiment. It leads us to the almost degenerate or inverse hierarchy neutrino mass scenario. In this scenario, we obtain possible upper bounds for the Majorana CP violating phase in the lepton sector by incorporating the data from the neutrino oscillation, the single beta decay experiments, and from the astrophysical observation. We also predict the neutrino mass that may be measurable in the future beta decay experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

One-Step Generation of Multiple Gene-Edited Pigs by Electroporation of the CRISPR/Cas9 System into Zygotes to Reduce Xenoantigen Biosynthesis

Xenoantigens cause hyperacute rejection and limit the success of interspecific xenografts. Therefore, genes involved in xenoantigen biosynthesis, such as GGTA1, CMAH, and B4GALNT2, are key targets to improve the outcomes of xenotransplantation. In this study, we introduced a CRISPR/Cas9 system simultaneously targeting GGTA1, CMAH, and B4GALNT2 into in vitro-fertilized zygotes using electroporation for the one-step generation of multiple gene-edited pigs without xenoantigens. First, we optimized the combination of guide RNAs (gRNAs) targeting GGTA1 and CMAH with respect to gene editing efficiency in zygotes, and transferred electroporated embryos with the optimized gRNAs and Cas9 into recipient gilts. Next, we optimized the Cas9 protein concentration with respect to the gene editing efficiency when GGTA1, CMAH, and B4GALNT2 were targeted simultaneously, and generated gene-edited pigs using the optimized conditions. We achieved the one-step generation of GGTA1/CMAH double-edited pigs and GGTA1/CMAH/B4GALNT2 triple-edited pigs. Immunohistological analyses demonstrated the downregulation of xenoantigens; however, these multiple gene-edited pigs were genetic mosaics that failed to knock out some xenoantigens. Although mosaicism should be resolved, the electroporation technique could become a primary method for the one-step generation of multiple gene modifications in pigs aimed at improving pig-to-human xenotransplantation

Efficient generation of GGTA1-deficient pigs by electroporation of the CRISPR/Cas9 system into in vitro-fertilized zygotes

Background: Xenoantigens are a major source of concern with regard to the success of interspecific xenografts. GGTA1 encodes α1,3-galactosyltransferase, which is essential for the biosynthesis of galactosyl-alpha 1,3-galactose, the major xenoantigen causing hyperacute rejection. GGTA1-modified pigs, therefore, are promising donors for pig-to-human xenotransplantation. In this study, we developed a method for the introduction of the CRISPR/Cas9 system into in vitro-fertilized porcine zygotes via electroporation to generate GGTA1-modified pigs. Results: We designed five guide RNAs (gRNAs) targeting distinct sites in GGTA1. After the introduction of the Cas9 protein with each gRNA via electroporation, the gene editing efficiency in blastocysts developed from zygotes was evaluated. The gRNA with the highest gene editing efficiency was used to generate GGTA1-edited pigs. Six piglets were delivered from two recipient gilts after the transfer of electroporated zygotes with the Cas9/gRNA complex. Deep sequencing analysis revealed that five out of six piglets carried a biallelic mutation in the targeted region of GGTA1, with no off-target events. Furthermore, staining with isolectin B4 confirmed deficient GGTA1 function in GGTA1 biallelic mutant piglets. Conclusions: We established GGTA1-modified pigs with high efficiency by introducing a CRISPR/Cas9 system into zygotes via electroporation. Multiple gene modifications, including knock-ins of human genes, in porcine zygotes via electroporation may further improve the application of the technique in pig-to-human xenotransplantation

Low sulfur isotopic signatures (δ^<34>S) of macrozoobenthos from a brackish lagoon: contribution of microbially reduced sulfides

Stable sulfur isotope ratios (δ^S) of infaunal bivalves (Macoma contabulata, Nuttallia olivacea, and Ruditapes philippinarum) and polychaetes (Hediste spp.; consisted of H. atoka and H. diadroma) collected from two stations in the Gamo Lagoon (Japan) were determined to assess trophic pathways in highly reductive, estuarine soft-bottom habitats. The stations were characterized by distinctive sediment characteristics (Station A, sandy sediment with low sulfide content; Station B, muddy and sulfide-rich sediment). Soft tissues of the consumers exhibited much more depleted δ^S values (+3.2 to +12.1‰) than those of dissolved sulfate in the water column (+20.6 to +20.8‰). The value for each species was 1.6 to 5.3‰ lower at Station B than at Station A. These results suggest the assimilation of sulfides in the sediment (δ^S; -23.2 to -22.7‰) via microbial trophic pathways. In this lagoon, benthic microalgae and/or other microbes in the sediment are the most probable ^S-depleted food source for the consumers. Interspecies variations in δ^S values are explained by the different dietary contribution of the ^S-depleted diets versus ^S-enriched phytoplankton and are closely related to different feeding habits (i.e., surface-deposit feeding, facultative suspension feeding, and obligatory suspension feeding).論文Articl

General Formulation for Proton Decay Rate in Minimal Supersymmetric SO(10) GUT

We make an explicit formulation for the proton decay rate in the minimal renormalizable supersymmetric (SUSY) SO(10) model. In this model, the Higgs fields consist of ${\bf 10}$ and ${\bf \bar{126}}$ SO(10) representations in the Yukawa interactions with matter and of ${\bf 10}$, ${\bf \bar{126}}$, ${\bf 126}$, and ${\bf 210}$ representations in the Higgs potential. We present all the mass matrices for the Higgs fields contained in this minimal SUSY SO(10) model. Finally, we discuss the threshold effects of these Higgs fields on the gauge coupling unification.Comment: 32 pages, typos are corrected, a few references and comments to the papers arXiv:hep-ph/0204097 and arXiv:hep-ph/0402122 are adde

Participatory art activities increase aalivary oxytocin secretion of ASD children

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs in 1 in 160 children worldwide. Individuals with ASD tend to be unique in the way that they comprehend themselves and others, as well as in the way that they interact and socialize, which can lead to challenges with social adaptation. There is currently no medication to improve the social deficit of children with ASD, and consequently, behavioral and complementary/alternative intervention plays an important role. In the present pilot study, we focused on the neuroendocrinological response to participatory art activities, which are known to have a positive effect on emotion, self-expression, sociability, and physical wellbeing. We collected saliva from 12 children with ASD and eight typically developed (TD) children before and after a visual art-based participatory art workshop to measure the levels of oxytocin, a neuropeptide involved in a wide range of social behaviors. We demonstrated that the rate of increase in salivary oxytocin following art activities in ASD children was significantly higher than that in TD children. In contrast, the change rate of salivary cortisol after participatory art activities was similar between the two groups. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of participatory art activities may be partially mediated by oxytocin release, and may have therapeutic potential for disorders involving social dysfunction

Spatial shifts in food sources for macrozoobenthos in an estuarine ecosystem: carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes.

Abstract Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope (d 13 C and d 15 N, respectively) analyses were made on estuarine macrozoobenthos in order to examine the relationships between their feeding habits (feeding mode and food selectivity) and the spatial shifts in food sources from upstream to downstream in an estuary. The d 13 C values of two ocypodid crabs were similar to those of benthic diatoms, indicating that they use their specialized mouth parts to selectively feed on benthic diatoms. The d 13 C values of a gastropod and another ocypodid crab at the site furthest downstream were higher than values at an upstream site, suggesting that these unselective deposit feeders shift from feeding mainly on benthic diatoms downstream to feeding on sediment organic matter (SOM) upstream. The d 13 C values of deposit feeding polychaetes were not significantly different among sampling sites, indicating that they feed mainly on SOM at all sites. These results show that species-and site-specific feeding habits must be considered when evaluating the roles of macrozoobenthos in regulating estuarine material flows

Benchmarks for identification of ordinary differential equations from time series data

Motivation: In recent years, the biological literature has seen a significant increase of reported methods for identifying both structure and parameters of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) from time series data. A natural way to evaluate the performance of such methods is to try them on a sufficient number of realistic test cases. However, weak practices in specifying identification problems and lack of commonly accepted benchmark problems makes it difficult to evaluate and compare different methods