Comet 9P/Tempel 1: Interpretation with the Deep Impact Results

According to our common understandings, the original surface of a short-period comet nucleus has been lost by sublimation processes during its close approaches to the Sun. Sublimation results in the formation of a dust mantle on the retreated surface and in chemical differentiation of ices over tens or hundreds of meters below the mantle. In the course of NASA's Deep Impact mission, optical and infrared imaging observations of the ejecta plume were conducted by several researchers, but their interpretations of the data came as a big surprise: (1) The nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel 1 is free of a dust mantle, but maintains its pristine crust of submicron-sized carbonaceous grains; (2) Primordial materials are accessible already at a depth of several tens of cm with abundant silicate grains of submicrometer sizes. In this study, we demonstrate that a standard model of cometary nuclei explains well available observational data: (1) A dust mantle with a thickness of ~1-2 m builds up on the surface, where compact aggregates larger than tens of micrometers dominate; (2) Large fluffy aggregates are embedded in chemically differentiated layers as well as in the deepest part of the nucleus with primordial materials. We conclude that the Deep Impact results do not need any peculiar view of a comet nucleus.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, 1 table. ApJ letters, 673, L199-20

Chemical Characterization of Flour Fractions from Five Yam (Dioscorea alata) Cultivars in Indonesia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of particle size on  the  chemical properties  of yam flour  in five  cultivars, yellow/YY, orange/OY, light purple/LPY, purple/PY, and dark purple/DPY. With a mesh sieve, three  flour fractions  were separated according to particle size:  small (128.6-139.7 µm), medium (228.7-257.9 µm), and large (475.4-596.3 µm). The content of moisture (6.81-11.26 %db) and lipids (4.48-9.85 %db) decreased with the increase of particle size, while proteins (4.48-9.85 %db) and carbohydrates (78.12-83.76 %db) were not influenced by particle size. Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and chlorogenic acid were used as standard to investigate the total phenolic compounds  in  the  yam  flour,  and  high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to investigate the anthocyanin and carotene contents. It was found that there was no size influence on the content of phenolics (0.27-2.82%db), anthocyanin (2.25-15.27  mg/100g db) in LPY, PY, DPY  or  carotene (23.75-132.12 mg/100g db) in YY, OY. The differences in chemical composition were due to differences in particle size and heat treatment, but may also have been caused by the different composition of the milling process

Chemical Characterization of Flour Fractions From Five Yam (Dioscorea Alata) Cultivars in Indonesia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of particle size on the chemical properties of yam flour in five cultivars, yellow/YY, orange/OY, light purple/LPY, purple/PY, and dark purple/DPY. With a mesh sieve, three flour fractions were separated according to particle size: small (128.6-139.7 µm), medium (228.7-257.9 µm), and large (475.4-596.3 µm). The content of moisture (6.81-11.26 %db) and lipids (4.48-9.85 %db) decreased with the increase of particle size, while proteins (4.48-9.85 %db) and carbohydrates (78.12-83.76 %db) were not influenced by particle size. Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and chlorogenic acid were used as standard to investigate the total phenolic compounds in the yam flour, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to investigate the anthocyanin and carotene contents. It was found that there was no size influence on the content of phenolics (0.27-2.82%db), anthocyanin (2.25-15.27 mg/100g db) in LPY, PY, DPY or carotene (23.75-132.12 mg/100g db) in YY, OY. The differences in chemical composition were due to differences in particle size and heat treatment, but may also have been caused by the different composition of the milling process

Spectral Type and Geometric Albedo of (98943) 2001 CC21, the Hayabusa2# Mission Target

We conducted optical polarimetry and near-infrared spectroscopy of JAXA's Hayabusa2# mission target, (98943) 2001 CC21, in early 2023. Our new observations indicated that this asteroid has a polarimetric inversion angle of ~21 deg, absorption bands around 0.9 and 1.9 um, and a geometric albedo of 0.285 +- 0.083. All these features are consistent with those of S-type but inconsistent with L-type. Based on this evidence, we conclude that JAXA's Hayabusa2# spacecraft will explore an S-type asteroid with albedo and size (0.42-0.56 km when we assume the absolute magnitude of 18.6) similar to (25143) Itokawa.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to MNRAS Letter on 2023 April

On-line microdevice for stress proteomics

The handing of the cells or tissues is essential for proteomics research or drug screening, where labor is not avoidable. The steps of cell wash, protein extraction, protein denaturing are complicated procedures in conventional method using centrifugation and pipetting in the laboratory. This is the bottle-neck for proteome research. To solve these problems, we propose to utilize the nanotechnology, which will improve the proteomics methodology. Utilizing the nanotechnology, we developed a novel microseparation system, where centrifugation and pipetting are needless. This system has a nanostructured microdevice, by which the cell handling, protein extraction, and antibody assay can be performed. Since cell transfer is needless, all cells are corrected without any loss during the cell-pretreatment procedures, which allowed high reproducibility and enabled the detection of low amount of protein expression. Utilizing the microdevice, we analyzed the stress induced proteins. We further succeeded the screening of food that was useful for immunity and found that an extraction from seaweed promoted the apoptosis of T-lymphoblastic cells. Here, we present an on-line microdevice for stress proteomics

Pneumococcal polyarticular septic arthritis after a single infusion of infliximab in a rheumatoid arthritis patient: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>We present a case of <it>Streptococcus pneumoniae </it>polyarticular septic arthritis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis receiving a single infusion of infliximab.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 38-year-old Japanese man with a 5-year history of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis had previously received sulphasalazine and methotrexate therapies and was on regular low-dose prednisolone therapy. Despite these treatments, his disease activity remained high and infliximab was introduced in addition to methotrexate, prednisolone, and folic acid. However, he was admitted to hospital with a fever of 40.6°C, chills, and polyarthralgia eight days after the first infusion of infliximab. His joints were swollen, painful, and warm. Laboratory data showed marked acute inflammation. He was diagnosed with bacterial septic polyarthritis, and emergency surgical joint lavage and drainage was performed at the knees along with needle aspiration and lavage of the ankles and right wrist. He was then given intravenous antibiotic therapy for 31 days. He made a good recovery and was discharged on day 37.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We believe this is the first reported case of severe pneumococcal septic arthritis requiring hospitalization in a patient treated with infliximab. <it>S. pneumonia </it>is now a well-recognized but uncommon cause of polyarticular septic arthritis that can lead to cessation of therapy, as in our patient's case.</p

Por Secretion System-Dependent Secretion and Glycosylation of Porphyromonas gingivalis Hemin-Binding Protein 35

The anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major pathogen in severe forms of periodontal disease and refractory periapical perodontitis. We have recently found that P. gingivalis has a novel secretion system named the Por secretion system (PorSS), which is responsible for secretion of major extracellular proteinases, Arg-gingipains (Rgps) and Lys-gingipain. These proteinases contain conserved C-terminal domains (CTDs) in their C-termini. Hemin-binding protein 35 (HBP35), which is one of the outer membrane proteins of P. gingivalis and contributes to its haem utilization, also contains a CTD, suggesting that HBP35 is translocated to the cell surface via the PorSS. In this study, immunoblot analysis of P. gingivalis mutants deficient in the PorSS or in the biosynthesis of anionic polysaccharide-lipopolysaccharide (A-LPS) revealed that HBP35 is translocated to the cell surface via the PorSS and is glycosylated with A-LPS. From deletion analysis with a GFP-CTD[HBP35] green fluorescent protein fusion, the C-terminal 22 amino acid residues of CTD[HBP35] were found to be required for cell surface translocation and glycosylation. The GFP-CTD fusion study also revealed that the CTDs of CPG70, peptidylarginine deiminase, P27 and RgpB play roles in PorSS-dependent translocation and glycosylation. However, CTD-region peptides were not found in samples of glycosylated HBP35 protein by peptide map fingerprinting analysis, and antibodies against CTD-regions peptides did not react with glycosylated HBP35 protein. These results suggest both that the CTD region functions as a recognition signal for the PorSS and that glycosylation of CTD proteins occurs after removal of the CTD region. Rabbits were used for making antisera against bacterial proteins in this study

Complications Associated With Spine Surgery in Patients Aged 80 Years or Older: Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition (JASA) Multicenter Study

Study Design:Retrospective study of registry data.Objectives:Aging of society and recent advances in surgical techniques and general anesthesia have increased the demand for spinal surgery in elderly patients. Many complications have been described in elderly patients, but a multicenter study of perioperative complications in spinal surgery in patients aged 80 years or older has not been reported. Therefore, the goal of the study was to analyze complications associated with spine surgery in patients aged 80 years or older with cervical, thoracic, or lumbar lesions.Methods:A multicenter study was performed in patients aged 80 years or older who underwent 262 spinal surgeries at 35 facilities. The frequency and severity of complications were examined for perioperative complications, including intraoperative and postoperative complications, and for major postoperative complications that were potentially life threatening, required reoperation in the perioperative period, or left a permanent injury.Results:Perioperative complications occurred in 75 of the 262 surgeries (29%) and 33 were major complications (13%). In multivariate logistic regression, age over 85 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.007, P = 0.025) and estimated blood loss ≥500 g (HR = 3.076, P = .004) were significantly associated with perioperative complications, and an operative time ≥180 min (HR = 2.78, P = .007) was significantly associated with major complications.Conclusions:Elderly patients aged 80 years or older with comorbidities are at higher risk for complications. Increased surgical invasion, and particularly a long operative time, can cause serious complications that may be life threatening. Therefore, careful decisions are required with regard to the surgical indication and procedure in elderly patients