Physical Relation of Source I to IRc2 in the Orion KL Region

We present mid-infrared narrow-band images of the Orion BN/KL region, and N-band low-resolution spectra of IRc2 and the nearby radio source "I." The distributions of the silicate absorption strength and the color temperature have been revealed with a sub-arcsecond resolution. The detailed structure of the 7.8 micron/12.4 micron color temperature distribution was resolved in the vicinity of IRc2. A mid-infrared counterpart to source I has been detected as a large color temperature peak. The color temperature distribution shows an increasing gradient from IRc2 toward source I, and no dominant temperature peak is seen at IRc2. The spectral energy distribution of IRc2 could be fitted by a two-temperature component model, and the "warmer component" of the infrared emission from IRc2 could be reproduced by scattering of radiation from source I. IRc2 itself is not self-luminous, but is illuminated and heated by an embedded luminous young stellar object located at source I.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures. Minor corrections had been done in the ver.2. Accepted for publication in PAS

逆転写酵素・DNAポリメラーゼを用いたRT-PCRによる増幅反応で確認されたペッパーマイルドモットルウイルス（PMMoV）感染ピーマンの果実種子におけるウイルスの効果的な不活性化方法

A method for efficient inactivation Papper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in harvested seeds of green pepper was examined based on the infectivity on the leaves of Nicotina glutinosa L.(a local host) and a reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based amplification of the viral RNA. The seed homogenates from PMMoV-infected plants produced a large number of necrotic local lesion in N.glutinosa, but soaking the seeds in 10% (w/v) tri-sodium phosphate (Na3PO4) for 20 min or dry sterilization (70C,3h) effectivity eliminated the abundance of PMMoV. However, no necrotic lesion on N.glutinosa or the RT-PCR-basaed amplification was observed with seeds that has been disinfected by Na3PO4 in combination with dry sterilization

Thrombin Stimulates Synthesis of Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor and Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor by Human Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells in Culture

Background/Aims: Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are well-known hematopoietic growth factors. Although recent studies revealed that CSFs are involved in many inflammatory conditions, the local production of CSFs and its regulation in the kidney is not well elucidated. Therefore, using cultured human proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC), we examined the effect of thrombin on CSFs production, since thrombin has been suggested to play an important role in tubulointerstitial injury. Methods: PTEC were incubated with thrombin (0.5–5.0 U/ml) and the effects on the production of macrophage CSF (M-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) and granulocyte CSF (G-CSF) were measured in the cell supernatant by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expressions of mRNA were analyzed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Using argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor, we also examined the specific effect of thrombin. Results: Thrombin 5.0 U/ml significantly stimulated the production of M-CSF (p Conclusion: We demonstrated that thrombin significantly increased the production of CSFs by PTEC. These data suggest that the local production of CSFs in the tubulointerstitium may affect tubulointerstitial lesions in kidney injury

ピーマン(Capsicum annuum L.)に導入されたＬ２抵抗性遺伝子を打破する日本産トバモウイルス系統ペッパーマイルドモットルウイルス(PMMoV)の疫学的調査

To understand the epidemiological aspects of tobamovirus infecting the L resistance genotypes of green pepper, fifteen isolates were collected from geographically different fields and were chracterized by their biological properties. All isolates infected L1 and L2 plants systemically, but were localized in L3 and L4 plants. The symptomatology on several test plants and the reactivity to an antiserum showed that they were identical to that of a Japanese strain of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV-J). The viral infection was also confirmed by a reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with oligonucleotide primers that amplity the coat protein gene of PMMoV-RNA. On the other hand, the RT-PCR allowed us to detect PMMoV in seeds of some commercial cultivars of green pepper. Viruses isolated from the seeds could infect L2 plants systemically. Further analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the predicted coat protein gene revealed that the isolates from the commercial seeds were identical to that of PMMoV-J. These results indicated that the L2 resistance-breaking tobamovirus has prevailed in fields of green pepper in Japan. and that infected seeds may be one of the initial sources of the viral infection

Effects of Prolonged High Phosphorus Diet on Phosphorus and Calcium Balance in Rats

The amount of phosphorus contained in food as food additives is currently increasing and a high intake of phosphorus can cause various diseases. To determine the effects of a prolonged high phosphorus diet, here we investigated the phosphorus and calcium balance and expression of type IIa sodium-dependent phosphate transporter (Npt IIa) in mature rats. Wistar male rats (8-weeks old) were divided into five groups and fed diets containing 0.6% calcium plus 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 or 1.5% phosphorus for 4 weeks. Urinary and fecal phosphorus excretions were significantly increased by the high phosphorus diets (from 0.6 to 1.5%), dependent on the amount of dietary phosphorus. The net absorption of intestinal phosphorus was also significantly increased by high phosphorus diets. As a result, a negative phosphorus balance was observed in rats given the 1.2% or 1.5% phosphorus diets. Serum parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations were increased by high phosphorus diets. In addition, high phosphorus diets decreased the expression of Npt IIa mRNA and protein in the renal brush border membrane. Taken together, these results suggest that diets containing 1.2 or 1.5% phosphorus plus 0.6% calcium have potentially adverse effects on phosphorus homeostasis in mature rat

Isoprene emission characteristics of tall and dwarf bamboos

Considerable isoprene emissions from several bamboo species have been reported. However, bamboos are highly diverse in taxonomy and have different niches or habitats among species, and the present investigation might be insufficient to conclude a representative isoprene emission trait for bamboos. In this study, isoprene flux, leaf mass per area (LMA), photosynthetic rate, and electron transport rate (ETR) observations were conducted for 18 species within five genera of bamboo species, which include different growth types (tall and dwarf) and climates of the region of origin (temperate, warm-temperate, and subtropical). As a result, we observed that dwarf bamboos exhibited very low or no emission; in contrast, tall bamboos demonstrated considerable isoprene emission fluxes mainly in August and September 2019 at temperatures greater than 30 °C. For tall bamboos, isoprene emission fluxes, photosynthetic rate, and ETR in area-based units were correlated with LMA. To exclude the systematic correlation among isoprene emission flux, photosynthetic rate, and ETR, correlations among the observations of mass-based units were also tested, and the results demonstrated significant positive correlations. The distinction in isoprene emission traits between tall and dwarf bamboos was independent of LMA, photosynthetic rate, and ETR, as there was no difference between them. This implies that the distinction in isoprene emission was caused by genetic differences. The low emission of isoprene from the dwarf species is reasonable because dwarf bamboos usually grow in areas with relatively low heat stress and low light where the production of isoprene could be futile due to carbon loss. This study suggests separating the two bamboo types into different functional types of isoprene emissions

Results of Proton Beam Therapy without Concurrent Chemotherapy for Patients with Unresectable Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction:This study was performed retrospectively to evaluate the outcome of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after proton beam therapy (PBT) alone.Methods:The subjects were 57 patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC (stage IIIA/IIIB: 24/33) who received PBT without concurrent chemotherapy. The cohort included 32 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 18 adenocarcinoma, and 7 non-small cell carcinoma. Lymph node metastases were N0 7, N1 5, N2 30, and N3 15. Planned total doses ranged from 50 to 84.5 GyE (median, 74 GyE).Results:Planned treatment was completed in 51 patients (89%). At the time of analysis, 20 patients were alive, and the median follow-up periods were 16.2 months for all patients and 22.2 months for survivors. The median overall survival period was 21.3 months (95% confidence interval: 14.2–28.4 months), and the 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 65.5% (52.9–78.0%) and 39.4% (25.3–53.5%), respectively. Disease progression occurred in 38 patients, and the 1- and 2-year progression-free survival rates were 36.2% (23.1–49.4%) and 24.9% (12.7–37.2%), respectively. Local recurrence was observed in 13 patients, and the 1- and 2-year local control rates were 79.1% (66.8–91.3%) and 64.1% (47.5–80.7%), respectively. Grade ≥3 lung toxicity was seen in six patients, esophageal toxicity occurred at grade ⩽2, and there was no cardiac toxicity.Conclusion:The prognosis of patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC is poor without chemotherapy. Our data suggest that high-dose PBT is beneficial and tolerable for these patients

Preliminary results of proton radiotherapy for pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma: a multi-institutional study in Japan

To evaluate preliminary results of proton radiotherapy (PRT) for pediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). From 1987 to 2014, PRT was conducted as initial radiotherapy in 55 patients (35 males, 20 females, median age 5 years, range 0–19) with RMS at four institutes in Japan. Thirty‐one, 18, and six patients had embryonal, alveolar, and other RMS, respectively. One, 11, 37, and six patients were in IRSG groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively, and the COG risk group was low, intermediate, and high for nine, 39, and seven patients, respectively. The irradiation dose was 36–60 GyE (median: 50.4 GyE). The median follow‐up period was 24.5 months (range: 1.5–320.3). The 1‐ and 2‐year overall survival rates were 91.9% (95% CI: 84.3–99.5%) and 84.8% (95% CI 75.2–94.3%), respectively, and these rates were 100% and 100%, 97.1% and 90.1%, and 57.1% and 42.9% for COG low‐, intermediate‐, and high‐risk groups, respectively. There were 153 adverse events of Grade ≥3, including 141 hematologic toxicities in 48 patients (87%) and 12 radiation‐induced toxicities in nine patients (16%). Proton‐specific toxicity was not observed. PRT has the same treatment effect as photon radiotherapy with tolerable acute radiation‐induced toxicity

Construction of Escherichia coli K-12 in-frame, single-gene knockout mutants: the Keio collection

We have systematically made a set of precisely defined, single-gene deletions of all nonessential genes in Escherichia coli K-12. Open-reading frame coding regions were replaced with a kanamycin cassette flanked by FLP recognition target sites by using a one-step method for inactivation of chromosomal genes and primers designed to create in-frame deletions upon excision of the resistance cassette. Of 4288 genes targeted, mutants were obtained for 3985. To alleviate problems encountered in high-throughput studies, two independent mutants were saved for every deleted gene. These mutants—the ‘Keio collection'—provide a new resource not only for systematic analyses of unknown gene functions and gene regulatory networks but also for genome-wide testing of mutational effects in a common strain background, E. coli K-12 BW25113. We were unable to disrupt 303 genes, including 37 of unknown function, which are candidates for essential genes. Distribution is being handled via GenoBase (http://ecoli.aist-nara.ac.jp/)

Nutritional treatment of a patient with hepatic cirrhosis with the novel low glycemic index liquid food (Inslow)

A sixty-six year-old patient with liver cirrhosis and diabetes was nutritionally treated by administration of the low glycemic index liquid food (Inslow) as a late evening sack (LES) for 6 weeks. The mean energy intake increased from 825±48 kcal/d to 1567±66 kcal/d after the 6-week treatment period. The fasting glucose level did not change, remaining at about 100 mg/dl throughout this period. Interestingly, the amount of insulin administered was reduced from 38 units before treatment to 28 units in the fifth week of treatment without a change in the fasting glucose level. This indicates a marked improvement in insulin sensitivity due to Inslow administration in this patient. In conclusion, the long-term administration of Inslow as an LES may be an effective treatment for cirrhotic patients