Sulfur isotope ratios of some Roseki deposits in the Inner Zone of Southwest Japan

Sulfur isotope ratios of pyrite and alunite from 5 Roseki deposits in the Inner Zone of Southwest Japan were determined. The δ34S values of all pyrite samples were in the range from -13.2 to +2.3%, the variation range for each deposit being within 8%. In each deposit δ34S values of alunite were always higher than those of pyrite, which may be interpreted as that alunite was precipirated under more oxidizing conditions than pyrite. Sulfur isotope rations of the Roseki pyrite showed a distribution similar to that of ore sulfur from skarn and vein deposits in the same Zone. This suggests that the origin of sulfur of the Roseki deposits is also host igneous rocks

Dermoscopy for Tick Bite: Reconfirmation of the Usefulness for the Initial Diagnosis

Ticks transmit a variety of infectious diseases. Diagnosis requires verification of a tick's presence. Here, we describe a 61-year-old woman bitten by an eight-legged nymphal Amblyomma testudinarium. We re-emphasize the usefulness of dermoscopy for identifying signs of the bite and determining the species of the biting tick

Cross-talk between IL-6 and TGF-β signaling in hepatoma cells

AbstractInterleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays important roles in the immune system, hematopoiesis, and acute phase reactions. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) also has pleiotropy including the production of acute phase proteins in hepatocytes. To elucidate the cross-talk between IL-6 and TGF-β signaling pathways in hepatic cells, we investigated the effects of TGF-β on IL-6-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) activation in a human hepatoma cell line, Hep3B. IL-6-induced activation of STAT3 activity and STAT3-mediated gene expression were augmented by TGF-β in Hep3B cells. We provide evidence that these activities were due to physical interactions between STAT3 and Sma- and MAD-related protein-3, bridged by p300. These results demonstrate a molecular mechanism of a cross-talk between STAT3 and TGF-β signaling pathways in hepatocytes