An electron-microscopic study on lipogenesis

With the purpose to elucidate morphologically the site where fat synthesis takes place in the cell, electron-microscopic observation has been conducted on the interscapular brown fat tissue of mice at various periods of carbohydrate introduction after starvation. By starving mice, the depot lipids in the brown fat have been discharged almost completely, and the carbohydrate introduction has caused the biosynthesis of lipids from carbohydrtates in the same tissue. Observations on the tissues proved that the lipogenesis in the brown fat tissue cells takes place in the ground substance keeping the intimate correlation with the endoplasmic reticulum but not in the mitochondria.</p

Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development Associated with Chronic Hepatitis by Anti-Fas Ligand Antibody Therapy

A persistent immune response to hepatitis viruses is a well-recognized risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the molecular and cellular basis for the procarcinogenic potential of the immune response is not well defined. Here, using a unique animal model of chronic hepatitis that induces hepatocellular carcinogenesis, we demonstrate that neutralization of the activity of Fas ligand prevented hepatocyte apoptosis, proliferation, liver inflammation, and the eventual development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The results indicate that Fas ligand is involved not only in direct hepatocyte killing but also in the process of inflammation and hepatocellular carcinogenesis in chronic hepatitis. This is the first demonstration that amelioration of chronic inflammation by some treatment actually caused reduction of cancer development

Biome-specific distribution of Ni-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenases

Ni-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (Ni-CODH) plays an important role in the CO/CO₂-based carbon and energy metabolism of microbiomes. Ni-CODH is classified into distinct phylogenetic clades, A–G, with possibly distinct cellular roles. However, the types of Ni-CODH clade used by organisms in different microbiomes are unknown. Here, we conducted a metagenomic survey of a protein database to determine the relationship between the phylogeny and biome distribution of Ni-CODHs. Clustering and phylogenetic analyses showed that the metagenome assembly-derived Ni-CODH sequences were distributed in ~ 60% Ni-CODH clusters and in all Ni-CODH clades. We also identified a novel Ni-CODH clade, clade H. Biome mapping on the Ni-CODH phylogenetic tree revealed that Ni-CODHs of almost all the clades were found in natural aquatic environmental and engineered samples, whereas those of specific subclades were found only in host-associated samples. These results are comparable with our finding that the diversity in the phylum-level taxonomy of host-associated Ni-CODH owners is statistically different from those of the other biomes. Our findings suggest that while Ni-CODH is a ubiquitous enzyme produced across diverse microbiomes, its distribution in each clade is biased and mainly affected by the distinct composition of microbiomes

Verification of Thermal Comfort of Combined Convection-Radiation Air Conditioning System using Building Structure

Combined Convection-Radiation Air Conditioning System using Building Structure combines the advantages of TABS and convection air conditioning. In ordinary TABS, pipes are buried in the frame, but here pipes are laid on the lower (ceiling) surface of the floor slab. Also, jets from a Convection-enhancing Spot fan are sprayed toward the ceiling surface, promoting convection on the frame surface. This airflow promotes timely heat dissipation stored in the frame, and a micro-airflow environment can be formed in the living area. This paper aimed to verify thermal comfort and proper operation. Subjects were given simulated work of low to high metabolic rate, and were asked to report the thermal sensation and comfort in a micro-airflow environment. It was confirmed that comfort could be maintained even at a temperature higher than the general air-conditioning temperature, and an appropriate operating method according to the metabolic rate was elucidated.publishedVersio

ARGOT: Accelerated radiative transfer on grids using oct-tree

We present two types of numerical prescriptions that accelerate the radiative transfer calculation around point sources within a three-dimensional Cartesian grid by using the oct-tree structure for the distribution of radiation sources. In one prescription, distant radiation sources are grouped as a bright extended source when the group's angular size, $\theta_{\rm s}$, is smaller than a critical value, $\theta_{\rm crit}$, and radiative transfer is solved on supermeshes whose angular sizes are similar to that of the group of sources. The supermesh structure is constructed by coarse-graining the mesh structure. With this method, the computational time scales with $N_{\rm m} \log(N_{\rm m}) \log(N_{\rm s})$ where $N_{\rm m}$ and $N_{\rm s}$ are the number of meshes and that of radiation sources, respectively. While this method is very efficient, it inevitably overestimates the optical depth when a group of sources acts as an extended powerful radiation source and affects distant meshes. In the other prescription, a distant group of sources is treated as a bright point source ignoring the spatial extent of the group and the radiative transfer is solved on the meshes rather than the supermeshes. This prescription is simply a grid-based version of {\scriptsize START} by Hasegawa & Umemura and yields better results in general with slightly more computational cost ($\propto N_{\rm m}^{4/3} \log(N_{\rm s})$) than the supermesh prescription. Our methods can easily be implemented to any grid-based hydrodynamic codes and are well-suited to the adaptive mesh refinement methods.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, submitted to MNRAS. Revised according to referee's comment

エリスロポエチンによる腸管に対する抗炎症、組織再生効果

Background. The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Since patients usually need long-term treatment and suffer from reduced quality of life, there is a need to develop new therapeutic strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of erythropoietin (EPO) for the treatment of IBD. Methods. Murine colitis was induced by 3.0% Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS). Recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) was given to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects on intestinal inflammation. The effect of rhEPO on human colon epithelial cells was also evaluated. Immunohistochemical analysis of EPO receptor was performed in human IBD tissues. Results. While about 62% of control mice with severe colitis induced by 5-day DSS died, 85% of mice treated with rhEPO survived. Histological analysis confirmed that EPO treatment reduced the colonic inflammation. Furthermore, EPO treatment significantly downregulated the local expressions of IFN-γ, TNF-α and E-selectin in the colon, suggesting that the effect was associated with inhibiting local immune activation. In a 4-day DSS-induced colitis model, rhEPO significantly improved the recovery of body weight loss compared to controls. Furthermore, proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression was significantly upregulated in the colon tissue from mice treated with rhEPO compared to controls. In addition, rhEPO increased the growth of cultured human colon epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, EPO-receptor expression was confirmed in human IBD colon tissues. Conclusion. Three major functions of EPO, hematopoiesis, anti-inflammation and regeneration, may produce significant effects on intestinal inflammation, therefore suggesting that rhEPO might be useful for IBD.博士（医学）・乙第1364号・平成27年7月31日© Informa UK Limited, an Informa Group CompanyThe definitive version is available at " http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00365521.2015.1020861

Peritumoral radiomics features on preoperative thin-slice CT images can predict the spread through air spaces of lung adenocarcinoma

The spread through air spaces (STAS) is recognized as a negative prognostic factor in patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. The present study aimed to develop a machine learning model for the prediction of STAS using peritumoral radiomics features extracted from preoperative CT imaging. A total of 339 patients who underwent lobectomy or limited resection for lung adenocarcinoma were included. The patients were randomly divided (3:2) into training and test cohorts. Two prediction models were created using the training cohort: a conventional model based on the tumor consolidation/tumor (C/T) ratio and a machine learning model based on peritumoral radiomics features. The areas under the curve for the two models in the testing cohort were 0.70 and 0.76, respectively ( = 0.045). The cumulative incidence of recurrence (CIR) was significantly higher in the STAS high-risk group when using the radiomics model than that in the low-risk group (44% vs. 4% at 5 years;  = 0.002) in patients who underwent limited resection in the testing cohort. In contrast, the 5-year CIR was not significantly different among patients who underwent lobectomy (17% vs. 11%;  = 0.469). In conclusion, the machine learning model for STAS prediction based on peritumoral radiomics features performed better than the C/T ratio model

MALIGNANT FIBROUS HISTIOCYTOMA OF THE LUNG : A Case Report and Immunohistochemical Examination of the Case

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) arising in the lung of an autopsy case, a 52-year-old man, is reported with immunohistochemical findings. In most areas, a storiform patterns with fibroblast-like cells and histiocyte-like cells were noted. Extensive carcinoma invasion and multiple metastases were found in many organs such as mediastinum, heart, aorta, left pleural cavity, abdominal wall, omentum, peritomeum, liver, intestine, adrenal and kidneys. The tumor was mainly composed of spindle cells and had storiform and herring-bone patterns. immunohistochemically, these tumor cells were demonstrated to possess vimentin, alpha-l-antitrypsin, alpha-l-antichymotrypsin and lysozyme