Methamphetamine concentrations in blood and gastric contents in 20 forensic autopsy cases

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Tunable Hollow Optical Waveguide and Its Applications

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Architecture of Artist Commons — Concerning a popular music archive museum and media platform

Artist that could Commons began its architecture as a means of providing an information infrastructure that could serve as a hub to smoothly connect users to artists, music sources, and broadcasts such as information on live performances, via the Internet and other media. Obviously, it is not “things” but “people” that create music. The goal of Artist Commons is to maximize the added value created by the artistʼs talent and appeal. The function of the center of Artist Commons function has become the establishment, issuing of numbers, and management of an Artist ID system As all kinds of music industry groups, including artist management firms, copyright management firms, concert promoters and record firms, participate in Artist Commons, it can quickly produce results by raising progressing discussions concerning specific developments with media platform such as “radiko（” IP simultaneous terrestrial radio services）From the perspective of cultural preservation, Kansai Universityʼs Japanese Popular Music Archive Museum Project is digitizing and creating a database of cultural materials, based on this ID system including music videos from the first half of the 1970s to the present day, based on this ID system. In order to make these materials available to the public and share them, we are aiming to establish a network-style popular music museum in the Takeshiba District CiP that utilizes cutting-edge ITC technology （Contents Innovation Program）, This facility will be is adjacent to a venue intended for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Through these kinds of activities, it is hoped that there will be increasing opportunities for people to encounter Japanʼs diverse popular music which transcends national borders and generations.アーティストの才能と魅力を広く知らしめ、その付加価値を最大化することにより音楽産業振興、音楽文化振興・保全に貢献することを目的としたアーティストコモンズのアーキテクチャーについて述べる。アーティストコモンズの基本的な機能は一意に識別可能なアーティスト ID の発番管理である。アーティスト ID をキーコードにすることにより、放送と音源、ライブチケット販売など様々なサービス連携を可能にする。一方、関西大学で推進している70年代の音楽映像を中心とした日本ポピュラー音楽アーカイブにも、この ID 体系を採用する。そして、公開の場として国家戦略特区に指定されている東京都竹芝地区のコンテンツ集積エリアにネットワーク型のポピュラー音楽ミュージアムを設立することを想定する。こうして、世代、国境を超えて人々が多様性に富む日本のポピュラー音楽に触れる機会が増えることが期待される

Adsorption of Urinary Proteins on the Conventionally Used Urine Collection Tubes: Possible Effects on Urinary Proteome Analysis and Prevention of the Adsorption by Polymer Coating

One possible factor determining recovery of trace amount of protein biomarker candidates during proteome analyses could be adsorption on urine tubes. This issue, however, has not been well addressed so far. Recently, a new technical device of surface coating by poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-co-n-butyl methacrylate (BMA)) (poly(MPC-co-BMA)) has been developed mainly to prevent the adsorption of plasma proteins. We assessed whether conventionally used urine tubes adsorb trace amount of urinary proteins and, if any, whether the surface coating by poly(MPC-co-BMA) can minimize the adsorption. Proteinuric urine samples were kept in poly(MPC-co-BMA)-coated and noncoated urine tubes for 15 min and possibly adsorbed proteins and/or peptides onto urine tubes were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, 2-DE, and the MALDI-TOF MS. It was found that a number of proteins and/or peptides adsorb on the conventionally used urine tubes and that surface coating by poly(MPC-co-BMA) can minimize the adsorption without any significant effects on routine urinalysis test results. Although it remains to be clarified to what extent the protein adsorption can modify the results of urinary proteome analyses, one has to consider this possible adsorption of urinary proteins when searching for trace amounts of protein biomarkers in urine

Methionine Metabolism Regulates Maintenance and Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

SummaryMouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are in a high-flux metabolic state, with a high dependence on threonine catabolism. However, little is known regarding amino acid metabolism in human ESCs/iPSCs. We show that human ESCs/iPSCs require high amounts of methionine (Met) and express high levels of enzymes involved in Met metabolism. Met deprivation results in a rapid decrease in intracellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), triggering the activation of p53-p38 signaling, reducing NANOG expression, and poising human iPSC/ESCs for differentiation, follow by potentiated differentiation into all three germ layers. However, when exposed to prolonged Met deprivation, the cells undergo apoptosis. We also show that human ESCs/iPSCs have regulatory systems to maintain constant intracellular Met and SAM levels. Our findings show that SAM is a key regulator for maintaining undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells and regulating their differentiation

Contribution of renal angiotensin II type I receptor to gene expressions in hypertension-induced renal injury

Contribution of renal angiotensin II type I receptor to gene expressions in hypertension-induced renal injury. Recent evidence indicates that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) plays an important role in renal fibrosis via stimulation of extracellular matrix synthesis. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1 receptor) in hypertension-induced renal injury. Twenty-two-week-old stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP), which had established hypertension and moderate renal damage, were orally given TCV-116, a selective non-peptide AT1 receptor antagonist (0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg/day), enalapril (10 mg/kg/day) or vehicle once a day for 10 weeks. At the end point of the treatment, we examined renal function, the gene expressions of TGF-β1 and extracellular matrix components in the interstitium [collagen types I (COI) and III (COIII), fibronectin (FN)] and the basement membrane (COIV and laminin), and renal microscopic morphology in rats aged 32 weeks. In vehicle-treated 32 week-old SHRSP with renal dysfunction and nephrosclerosis, renal mRNA levels for TGF-β1, COI, COIII, FN, COIV were all several-fold higher than in WKY. Thus, renal TGF-β1 gene expression was enhanced in SHRSP, which may contribute to the increased renal expressions of COI, COIII, FN, COIV in SHRSP. Treatment with TCV-116 (0.1 mg/kg/day) in SHRSP, in spite of no reduction of blood pressure, decreased renal mRNA levels for TGF-β1, COI, COIII, FN, COIV, being accompanied by the significant decrease in urinary protein and albumin excretion, blood urea nitrogen and plasma creatinine. Treatment with TCV-116 (10 mg/kg/day) in SHRSP decreased mRNAs for TGF-β1, COI, COIII, FN and COIV to almost the same levels as WKY, being associated with normalization of urinary protein and albumin excretion and the prevention of nephrosclerosis, as judged by microscopic histological observations. On the other hand, the effects of enalapril (10 mg/kg/day) on the above mentioned mRNA levels, renal function and renal morphology were weaker than those of TCV-116 (10 mg/kg/day) and were as much as TCV-116 (1 mg/kg/day). These results suggest that independently of hypotensive action, AT1 receptor antagonist has a potent renal protective effect by inhibiting the gene expression of renal TGF-β1 and extracellular matrix components

Antitumor studies. Part 1: Design, synthesis, antitumor activity, and AutoDock study of 2-deoxo-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavins and 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides as a new class of antitumor agents

Novel 2-deoxo-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavins and 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides were prepared as a new class of antitumor agents and showed significant antitumor activities against NCI-H 460, HCT 116, A 431, CCRF-HSB-2, and KB cell lines. In vivo investigation, 2-deoxo-10-methyl-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavin exhibited the effective antitumor activity against A 431 human adenocarcinoma cells transplanted subcutaneously into nude mouse. Furthermore, AutoDock study has been done by binding of the flavin analogs into PTK pp60(c-src), where a good correlation between their IC50 and AutoDock binding free energy was exhibited. In particular, 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides exhibited the highest potential binding affinity within the binding pocket of PTK