α-Tocopheryl succinate stabilizes the structure of tumor vessels by inhibiting angiopoietin-2 expression

α-Tocopheryl succinate (TS) is a tocopherol derivative and has multifaceted anti-cancer effects; TS not only causes cancer cell-specific apoptosis but also inhibits tumor angiogenesis. Although TS has the potential to be used as a well-tolerated anti-angiogenic drug, it is still unclear which step of the angiogenic process is inhibited by TS. Here, we show that TS inhibits the expression of angiopoietin (Ang)-2, which induces destabilization of vascular structure in the initial steps of the angiogenic process. In mouse melanoma cells, TS treatment decreased mRNA and extracellular protein levels of Ang-2; however, the mRNA level of Ang-1, which stabilizes the vascular structure, remained unchanged. Furthermore, aorta ring and Matrigel plug angiogenesis assays indicated that the conditioned medium from TS-treated cells (CM-TS) inhibited neovascularization and blood leakage from the existing blood vessels, respectively. Following immunohistochemical staining of the vessels treated with CM-TS, imaging studies showed that the vascular endothelial cells were highly packed with pericytes. In conclusion, we found that TS inhibits Ang-2 expression and, consequently, stabilizes the vascular structure during the initial step of tumor angiogenesis

Dry swing training with a light bat increases bat speed

Baseball training usually includes dry swing training to improve batting ability. However, no consensus has been reached on the relationship between bat weight and the increase in post-dry swing training bat speed. We hypothesized that dry swing training with a light bat would increase post dry swing training bat speed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of dry swing training with a light bat on post dry swing training bat speed by comparing a light bat group with a heavy bat group. A total of 34 healthy male students from a university baseball team were randomly divided into a light bat group (n = 17) and a heavy bat group (n = 17). Subjects performed 100 dry swings per day, twice a week for eight weeks. The light bat group performed dry swing training with a 10.6 oz bat and the heavy bat group with a 38.8 oz bat. Bat speed and muscle power were measured before and after the intervention. There was no interaction between the intervention and post dry swing training bat speed, knee extension strength, shoulder horizontal flexion, or hand grip strength. There was a main effect of the intervention on post dry swing training bat speed and shoulder horizontal flexion. Bat speed increased in both groups, but without significant group differences in intervention effects. Since light bat loads in this study were very low, dry swing training with a light bat may be more effective and less strenuous

High productivity of eicosapentaenoic acid and fucoxanthin by a marine diatom chaetoceros gracilis in a semi-continuous culture

Significantly high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and fucoxanthin contents with high production rate were achieved in semi continuous culture of marine diatom. Effects of dilution rate on the production of biomass and high value biocompounds such as EPA and fucoxanthin were evaluated in semi-continuous cultures of Chaetoceros gracilis under high light condition. Cellular dry weight increased at lower dilution rate and higher light intensity conditions, and cell size strongly affected EPA and fucoxanthin contents. The smaller microalgae cells showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) value of 17.1 mg g-dw−1 fucoxanthin and 41.5% EPA content per total fatty acid compared to those observed in the larger cells. Chaetoceros gracilis can accumulate relatively higher EPA and fucoxanthin than those reported previously. In addition, maintenance of small cell size by supplying sufficient nutrients and light energy can be the key for the increase production of valuable biocompounds in C. gracilis

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Effects of Three-Dimensional Culture of Mouse Calvaria-Derived Osteoblastic Cells in a Collagen Gel with a Multichannel Structure on the Morphogenesis Behaviors of Engineered Bone Tissues

Bone has a complex hierarchical structure that contributes to its superior mechanical properties. Therefore, reproducing the complex hierarchical structure of bone tissue is a promising strategy to construct functional engineered bone tissues. In this study, we aimed to reproduce this complex hierarchical structure by developing a method for the three-dimensional culture of MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells in a collagen gel with a multichannel structure (MCCG), which mimics the parallel arrangement of Haversian canals in bone tissue. MCCG was homogeneously calcified via the biomineralization properties of MC3T3-E1s. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that MCCG could support the growth and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells in the deeper parts of the engineered bone tissue and that the cells formed a toroidal structure on the channel surface and a network-like structure in the gel matrix region. Furthermore, quasi-quantitative measurement of osteocalcin and dentin matrix protein 1 expression indicated the coexistence of two types of cells with different morphologies and differentiation phenotypes. Thus, three-dimensional culture of MC3T3-E1 cells in MCCG yielded engineered tissues mimicking the hierarchical structures of bone tissues. Engineered bone tissues with a biomimetic hierarchical structure could be used as a model system for investigating bone metabolism and evaluating the efficacy of novel drugs

Unusual Redox Behavior of Rh/AlPO₄ and Its Impact on Three-Way Catalysis

The influence of the redox behavior of Rh/AlPO₄ on automotive three-way catalysis (TWC) was studied to correlate catalytic activity with thermal stability and metal–support interactions. Compared with a reference Rh/Al₂O₃ catalyst, Rh/AlPO₄ exhibited a much higher stability against thermal aging under an oxidizing atmosphere; further deactivation was induced by a high-temperature reduction treatment. In situ X-ray absorption fine structure experiments revealed a higher reducibility of Rh oxide (RhO_<i>x</i>) to Rh, and the metal showed a higher tolerance to reoxidation when supported on AlPO₄ compared with Al₂O₃. This unusual redox behavior is associated with an Rh–O–P interfacial linkage, which is preserved under oxidizing and reducing atmospheres. Another effect of the Rh–O–P interfacial linkage was observed for the metallic Rh with an electron-deficient character. This leads to the decreasing back-donation from Rh <i>d</i>-orbitals to the antibonding π* orbital of chemisorbed CO or NO, which is a possible reason for the deactivation by high-temperature reduction treatments. On the other hand, surface acid sites on AlPO₄ promoted oxidative adsorption of C₃H₆ as aldehyde, which showed a higher reactivity toward O₂, as well as NO, compared with carboxylate adsorbed on Al₂O₃. A precise control of the acid–base character of the metal phosphate supports is therefore a key to enhance the catalytic performance of supported Rh catalysts for TWC applications

Rhodium Nanoparticle Anchoring on AlPO₄ for Efficient Catalyst Sintering Suppression

Rhodium catalysts exhibited higher dispersion with tridymite-type AlPO₄ supports than with Al₂O₃ during thermal aging at 900 °C under an oxidizing atmosphere. The local structural analysis via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure, and infrared spectroscopy suggested that the sintering of AlPO₄-supported Rh nanoparticles was significantly suppressed because of anchoring via a Rh–O–P linkage at the interface between the metal and support. Most of the AlPO₄ surface was terminated by phosphate P–OH groups, which were converted into a Rh–O–P linkage when Rh oxide (RhO_<i>x</i>) was loaded. This interaction enables the thin planar RhO_<i>x</i> nanoparticles to establish close and stable contact with the AlPO₄ surface. It differs from Rh–O–Al bonding in the oxide-supported catalyst Rh/Al₂O₃, which causes undesired solid reactions that yield deactivated phases. The Rh–O–P interfacial linkage was preserved under oxidizing and reducing atmospheres, which contrasts with conventional metal oxide supports that only present the anchoring effect under an oxidizing atmosphere. These experimental results agree with a density functional theory optimized coherent interface RhO_<i>x</i>/AlPO₄ model

Interannual variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface seawater at adjacent seas of the Japanese archipelago

http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/mirai/mr19-03c/ehttp://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/mirai/mr20-01/

Tuning the Electron Density of Rh Supported on Metal Phosphates for Three-Way Catalysis

The automotive three-way catalysis (TWC) performance of Rh supported on alkaline-earth and rare-earth phosphates was studied in comparison to that of Rh on aluminum phosphate (AlPO₄). The anchoring of Rh via interfacial Rh–O–P bonding in Rh/AlPO₄ leads to efficient Rh sintering suppression. However, the electron-withdrawing nature of the phosphate affords electron-deficient Rh, which has a negative impact on its catalytic activity under a reducing atmosphere due to a decrease in back-donation from the Rh <i>d</i>-orbitals to the antibonding π* orbitals of adsorbed CO and NO molecules. Notably, the extent of this electron deficiency could successfully be reduced by replacing AlPO₄ with alkaline-earth or rare-earth phosphates, and the Rh oxide formed on these phosphate supports was readily reduced to metallic Rh. This behavior is in complete contrast to that of corresponding metal oxide supports, because the higher basicity of these supports yields Rh oxides that are more difficult to reduce. Among the phosphate-supported catalysts investigated in the present study, Rh/LaPO₄ demonstrated the highest TWC performance after thermal aging under both oxidizing and reducing atmospheres. The effect of the higher basicity of LaPO₄ compared to that of AlPO₄ is most obvious in its improved catalytic activity for elementary CO–O₂, CO–H₂O, and CO–NO reactions. Importantly, this improvement is achieved while maintaining the activity toward C₃H₆ as an advanced feature of phosphate supports