Targeted Disruption in the MouseHoxc-4Locus Results in Axial Skeleton Homeosis and Malformation of the Xiphoid Process

AbstractHoxc-4is a mouse homeobox gene located at the 3′ end of theHoxCcluster. Of theHoxCgenes,Hoxc-4is expressed in the most anterior regions of the central nervous system and prevertebral column. To investigate its role in mouse development, we have generatedHoxc-4mutant mice by gene targeting. Mice homozygous for theHoxc-4mutation are viable and fertile. Analysis of the skeletal system of homozygous mutants revealed various abnormalities in the cervical and thoracic regions. The most frequent abnormality was a partial posterior homeotic transformation of the seventh cervical vertebra. Less frequently, anterior transformations of the third and eighth thoracic vertebrae were observed. Furthermore, the xiphoid process of the sternum was malformed such that it had an aperture or a fissure. AlthoughHoxc-4is expressed abundantly in the central nervous system, no obvious defects were observed. These results suggest thatHoxc-4is required for specifying cervical and thoracic vertebral identity

CAXII Is a Sero-Diagnostic Marker for Lung Cancer

To develop sero-diagnostic markers for lung cancer, we generated monoclonal antibodies using pulmonary adenocarcinoma (AD)-derived A549 cells as antigens by employing the random immunization method. Hybridoma supernatants were immunohistochemically screened for antibodies with AMeX-fixed and paraffin-embedded A549 cell preparations. Positive clones were monocloned twice through limiting dilutions. From the obtained monoclonal antibodies, we selected an antibody designated as KU-Lu-5 which showed intense membrane staining of A549 cells. Based on immunoprecipitation and MADLI TOF/TOF-MS analysis, this antibody was recognized as carbonic anhydrase XII (CAXII). To evaluate the utility of this antibody as a sero-diagnostic marker for lung cancer, we performed dot blot analysis with a training set consisting of sera from 70 lung cancer patients and 30 healthy controls. The CAXII expression levels were significantly higher in lung cancer patients than in healthy controls in the training set (P<0.0001), and the area under the curve of ROC was 0.794, with 70.0% specificity and 82.9% sensitivity. In lung cancers, expression levels of CAXII were significantly higher in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) than with AD (P = 0.035). Furthermore, CAXII was significantly higher in well- and moderately differentiated SCCs than in poorly differentiated ones (P = 0.027). To further confirm the utility of serum CAXII levels as a sero-diagnostic marker, an additional set consisting of sera from 26 lung cancer patients and 30 healthy controls was also investigated by dot blot analysis as a validation study. Serum CAXII levels were also significantly higher in lung cancer patients than in healthy controls in the validation set (P = 0.030). Thus, the serum CAXII levels should be applicable markers discriminating lung cancer patients from healthy controls. To our knowledge, this is the first report providing evidence that CAXII may be a novel sero-diagnostic marker for lung cancer

Paleoclimate and ecology of Cretaceous continental ecosystems of Japan inferred from the stable oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of vertebrate bioapatite

International audienceWe investigated the environmental conditions that prevailed in continental ecosystems recorded in sedimentary deposits of Japan during the Cretaceous through the analysis of oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of phosphate (δ 18 O p) and apatite-bound carbonate (δ 18 O c and δ 13 C c) of vertebrate teeth and bones. Local surface water δ 18 O w values were calculated using known phosphate-water isotope fractionation equations. Anomalously low δ 18 O w values of local waters strongly suggest a significant contribution of high-altitude precipitation from nearby mountains to local surface waters. Mean air temperatures were estimated using a global meteoric water δ 18 O mw value-Mean Annual Air Temperature relationship, and compared to surface water temperatures estimated from fish apatite δ 18 O p values. Local mean annual precipitations (MAP) were estimated using the known relationship existing between MAP and C 3 plant δ 13 C p value, the latter being calculated using apatite-diet 13 C-enrichment applied to plant-eating sauropod and ornithopod dinosaur δ 13 C c values. Reconstructed environmental conditions suggest that climate changed from cool temperate to warm temperate, being relatively cold and dry during the Late Hauterivian and Barremian to warmer and seasonally more humid during the Aptian and Albian, and even warmer during the Cenomanian-Coniacian. Proposed thermal evolution during the Early Cretaceous is compatible with the absence of thermophilic taxa such as crocodylomorphs before the Aptian in the fossil record of Japan

工作物マニピュレーションによるバリ取り作業の自動化: 作業環境に基づくロボット動作経路の自動生成

金沢大学理工研究域機械工学系本研究はプレス加工において工作物に生じるバリの除去作業において、産業用ロボットに工作物を把持させ、マテリアルハンドリングとバリの除去加工を同時に行うためのロボット動作経路を生成し、作業の自動化を目的とするものである。ロボット周辺の環境は、搬入テーブル、搬出テーブル、工具、手先効果器から構成され、ロボットの動作経路はこれらの情報と工作物のCADデータから生成し、作業環境に適したロボット動作を実現する。出版者照会後に全文公