Decomposition and ergosterol content of the moss Hylocomium splendens litter under various climatic conditions

We examined the differences in the decomposition rate and fungal biomass in the litter of Hylocomium splendens among forests under different climatic conditions. The samples were collected from one boreal forest in Canada, three subalpine forests on Mt. Fuji and one cool temperate forest on Mt. Tsurugi, Shikoku in Japan. The decomposition rate in the cool temperate forest was much faster than those in the boreal and subalpine forests. Ergosterol, which is a component of fungal cell membranes, was used as an indicator of fungal biomass. Ergosterol was detected not only from brown moss litter but also from green shoots of the moss. In spite of the faster decomposition rate, ergosterol content of the moss litter of the cool temperate forest was about one half of those of the boreal and subalpine forests. The results suggest that the relationship between fungal biomass and decomposition rate differs significantly among forest types

トウテイイ キフク ヲ トモナウ ロボット シエン シュジュツ ニ オケル ミャクハ デンパン ジカン ヲ モチイタ ヒシンシュウテキ シンハクシュツリョウケイ ノ シヨウ ケイケン

Background: Estimated continuous cardiac output（esCCO）is a non-invasive technique for monitoring continuous cardiac output（CCO）that is based on pulse-wave transit time. In this study, we report the use of CCO monitoring for patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery with pneumoperitoneum in a head-down position. Method: Thirteen patients undergoing radical robot-assisted prostatectomy under general anesthesia were enrolled. Intraoperatively, esCCO and arterial pressure-based cardiac output（APCO）were simultaneously recorded. The association between esCCO and APCO was then evaluated using correlation analysis and Bland-Altman analysis. The trending ability of esCCO was evaluated by 4-quadrant plot analysis. Results: The correlation coefficient between esCCO and APCO was 0.54（P < 0.0001）. According to the Bland-Altman plot, the bias and precision values were 1.38 and 0.79 L/min, respectively. The concordance analysis showed the concordance rate of 92.3%. Conclusion: These results indicate that esCCO is capable of tracking hemodynamic changes associated with pneumoperitoneum in the head-down position

Cognitive Dysfunction, MRI Findings and Manganese Levels in Alcoholics

Alcoholic patients have been known to have brain atrophy and cognitive dysfunction. However,recent studies have reported bilateral signal hyperintensities of the globus pallidus on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in liver failure, findings that are typically associated with manganese intoxication. The present study compared brain atrophy on T1-weighted MRI, signal intensity ratios of the globus pallidus on T1-weighted MRI, whole blood manganese levels, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) IQ parameters between alcoholics with and without liver cirrhosis, to investigate cognitive dysfunction, MRI findings and manganese levels in alcoholics. Pallidal hyperintensity was visually identified in 80% of alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis. In addition, a significant correlation was seen between pallidal signal intensity (P.S.I.) ratio and blood manganese level. However, no significant correlations were found between pallidal signal intensity ratio and any of the WAIS-R parameters. These findings suggest that no direct connection exists between cognitive dysfunction and pallidal hyperintensity in alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis. We confirmed that brain MRI in alcoholics could detect pallidal signal hyperintensity, suggesting severe liver dysfunction. In addition to diagnosis, brain MRI is useful for therapeutic psychoeducation to alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis, visualizing the severe liver dysfunction

Platelet Serotonin (5-HT)2A Receptor Binding Sites in Affective Disorders: A Quantitative Receptor Autoradiographic Study with [ 125I ] Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

We used the quantitative receptor autoradiographic method with a radioligand of [ 125I ]lysergic acid diethylamide ([125I]LSD) to quantitate platelet serotonin (5-HT)2A receptors in affective disorders. Specific binding of [125I]LSD to human platelet pellet sections was saturable, and of high affinity and single. Both ketanserin and spiperone, 5-HT2A selective ligands, inhibited [125I]LSD binding to human platelet pellets with high potency (IC50 values of 0.15 and 0.19 nM, respectively), whereas 5-HT and paroxetine, selective 5- HT re-uptake inhibitors, inhibited binding with a very low potency. These data confirmed that binding sites of human platelet pellets specifically labelled by [125I] LSD were 5-HT2A receptors. The number of 5-HT2A receptors (Bmax of [ 125I] LSD binding) of human platelets obtained from drug-free depressed patients was significantly higher than those of healthy volunteers. There were no statistical differences in the number of 5-HT2A receptors between depressed patients with and without suicidal behaviors. The increased number in platelet 5-HT2A receptotrs may indicate a hyperfunction of the central 5-HT2A receptors. The method with human platelets pellet sections we used is simple and sensitive for investigating platelet 5-HT2A receptors, a diagnostic and therapeutic marker in depressive disorders, in the clinical research

Vitamin D Receptor Activation Mitigates the Impact of Uremia on Endothelial Function in the 5/6 Nephrectomized Rats

Endothelial dysfunction increases cardiovascular disease risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study investigates whether VDR activation affects endothelial function in CKD. The 5/6 nephrectomized (NX) rats with experimental chronic renal insufficiency were treated with or without paricalcitol, a VDR activator. Thoracic aortic rings were precontracted with phenylephrine and then treated with acetylcholine or sodium nitroprusside. Uremia significantly affected aortic relaxation (−50.0 ± 7.4% in NX rats versus −96.2 ± 5.3% in SHAM at 30 μM acetylcholine). The endothelial-dependent relaxation was improved to –58.2 ± 6.0%, –77.5 ± 7.3%, and –90.5 ± 4.0% in NX rats treated with paricalcitol at 0.021, 0.042, and 0.083 μg/kg for two weeks, respectively, while paricalcitol at 0.042 μg/kg did not affect blood pressure and heart rate. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) suppression alone did not improve endothelial function since cinacalcet suppressed PTH without affecting endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation. N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester completely abolished the effect of paricalcitol on improving endothelial function. These results demonstrate that VDR activation improves endothelial function in CKD

Light-induced structural changes and the site of O=O bond formation in PSII caught by XFEL

Photosystem II (PSII) is a huge membrane-protein complex consisting of 20 different subunits with a total molecular mass of 350 kDa for a monomer. It catalyses light-driven water oxidation at its catalytic centre, the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). The structure of PSII has been analysed at 1.9 Å resolution by synchrotron radiation X-rays, which revealed that the OEC is a Mn4CaO5 cluster organized in an asymmetric, 'distorted-chair' form. This structure was further analysed with femtosecond X-ray free electron lasers (XFEL), providing the 'radiation damage-free' structure. The mechanism of O=O bond formation, however, remains obscure owing to the lack of intermediate-state structures. Here we describe the structural changes in PSII induced by two-flash illumination at room temperature at a resolution of 2.35 Å using time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography with an XFEL provided by the SPring-8 ångström compact free-electron laser. An isomorphous difference Fourier map between the two-flash and dark-adapted states revealed two areas of apparent changes: around the QB/non-haem iron and the Mn4CaO5 cluster. The changes around the QB/non-haem iron region reflected the electron and proton transfers induced by the two-flash illumination. In the region around the OEC, a water molecule located 3.5 Å from the Mn4CaO5 cluster disappeared from the map upon two-flash illumination. This reduced the distance between another water molecule and the oxygen atom O4, suggesting that proton transfer also occurred. Importantly, the two-flash-minus-dark isomorphous difference Fourier map showed an apparent positive peak around O5, a unique μ4-oxo-bridge located in the quasi-centre of Mn1 and Mn4 (refs 4,5). This suggests the insertion of a new oxygen atom (O6) close to O5, providing an O=O distance of 1.5 Å between these two oxygen atoms. This provides a mechanism for the O=O bond formation consistent with that proposed previousl