Ecological and Histological Notes on the Luminous Springtail, <em>Lobella</em> sp. (Collembola: Neanuridae), Discovered in Tokyo, Japan

Some species of springtail (Collembola) are luminous, but it is not known whether light emitted by springtail is due to self-luminescence, feeding on luminous fungi, or accidental infection by luminous bacteria. To address this question, we characterized the luminescence of a luminous springtail, Lobella sp. (family Neanuridae) discovered in Tokyo, Japan. The emitted light was yellowish-green (540 nm) and was found to originate from tubercles on the thorax (segments II and III) and abdomen (segments I–VI) using a low-light imaging system. The luminescence persisted for several seconds but showed occasional oscillations in a laboratory environment. We also observed fat bodies containing eosin-positive granules under the integument of the tubercles in the tergum by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining that were not present in a nonluminous springtail (Vitronura sp.). The fat bodies in Lobella sp. are presumably photocytes analogous to the firefly lantern, and the eosin-positive granules are the likely source of bioluminescence, which implies that springtails are self-luminescent

Overexpression of TEAD4 in atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor: New insight to the pathophysiology of an aggressive brain tumor

BackgroundAtypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is a highly malignant embryonal brain tumor that occurs mainly in early childhood. Although most of the tumors are characterized by inactivating mutations of the tumor suppressor gene, SMARCB1, the biological basis of its tumorigenesis and aggressiveness is still unknown.ProcedureWe performed high‐throughput copy number variation analysis of primary cell lines generated from primary and relapsed tumors from one of our patients to identify new genes involved in AT/RT biology. The expression of the identified gene was validated in 29 AT/RT samples by gene expression profiling, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Furthermore, we investigated the function of this gene by mutating it in rhabdoid tumor cells.ResultsTEAD4 amplification was detected in the primary cell lines and its overexpression was confirmed at mRNA and protein levels in an independent cohort of AT/RT samples. TEAD4’s co‐activator, YAP1, and the downstream targets, MYC and CCND1, were also found to be upregulated in AT/RT when compared to medulloblastoma. IHC showed TEAD4 and YAP1 overexpression in all samples. Cell proliferation and migration were significantly reduced in TEAD4‐mutated cells.ConclusionsWe report the overexpression of TEAD4 in AT/RT, which is a key component of Hippo pathway. Recent reports revealed that dysregulation of the Hippo pathway is implicated in tumorigenesis and poor prognosis of several human cancers. Our results suggest that TEAD4 plays a role in the pathophysiology of AT/RT, which represents a new insight into the biology of this aggressive tumor.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137309/1/pbc26398_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137309/2/pbc26398.pd

Screening method for severe sleep-disordered breathing in hypertensive patients without daytime sleepiness

SummaryThe high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in hypertensive patients has been well studied. However, regular screening of SDB in these patients is not performed routinely as the diagnostic procedures are both time-consuming and labour-intensive. Overnight portable device screening is useful, but is sometimes not acceptable for asymptomatic SDB patients. We evaluated the usefulness of daytime 30-min recording with a portable recording device during pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement sessions as a screening method for detection of asymptomatic SDB in hypertensive patients. Eighty-one hypertensive patients underwent 30-min daytime screening session using a Type III portable recording device during PWV measurement. Each screening session was followed by full overnight Level I polysomnography (PSG). The screening session included recordings of airflow (mouth–nose), chest movement, oximetry, and electrocardiography. The correlation coefficient between respiratory disturbance index (RDI) by screening session and apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) by PSG was 0.64. Using AHI ≥30 as diagnostic of severe SDB, 47 of 80 patients had the disorder based on PSG results. Using an RDI cut-off value of 22, the sensitivity and specificity for detection of severe SDB were 86.1% and 64.5%, respectively. Daytime 30-min recording with a portable device for apnea detection during PWV recording is useful for screening of asymptomatic severe SDB in hypertensive patients

Anti-inflammatory therapy by ibudilast, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, in demyelination of twitcher, a genetic demyelination model

BACKGROUND: Twitcher mouse (twi/twi) is an authentic murine model of Krabbe's disease. Accumulation of psychosine, resulting in apoptosis of oligodendrocytes and subsequent demyelination, is a cardinal event to the pathogenesis of this disease. Moreover, recruitment of inflammatory cells plays a significant role in the pathological process in the twi/twi central and peripheral nervous systems. In this study, we investigated the 1) the relationship between tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), pro-inflammatory cytokine, and the progression of this disease and 2) effect of the anti-inflammatory therapy by ibudilast, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. METHODS: We quantified the expression level of TNFα and TNF-receptor mRNA in twi/twi using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The relationship between TNFα expression, apoptosis of oligodendrocytes and demyelination was studied with immunohistochemistry and TUNEL method. We then treated twi/twi with a daily intraperitoneal injection of ibudilast (10 mg/kg), which suppress TNFα production in the brain. RESULTS: We found that TNFα-immunoreactive microglia/macrophages appeared in the twi/twi brain and that the mRNA levels of TNFα and TNF-receptor 1 was increased with the progression of demyelination. The distribution profile of TNFα-immunoreactive microglia/macrophages overlapped that of TUNEL-positive oligodendrocytes in the twi/twi brain. When twi/twi was treated with ibudilast from PND30, the number of oligodendrocytes undergoing apoptosis was markedly reduced and demyelination was milder. Obvious improvement of clinical symptom was noted in two of five. The failure of constant clinical improvement by ibudilast may result from hepatotoxicity and/or the inhibition of proliferation of NG2-positive oligodendrocyte precursors. CONCLUSION: We conclude that anti-inflammatory therapy by a phosphodiesterase inhibitor can be considered as a novel alternative therapy for Krabbe's disease

Reconstruction of a deep burn-afflicted knee joint using a superior medial genicular artery flap

　We herein present a case of an 88-year-old female. The left knee joint was injured by a low-temperature burn due to a heater, and the patient had undergone conservative treatment at a local primary care physician. Since the skin necrosis was spreading, she was referred to our department on the 36th day after the injury. 8×4 cm black necrosis was observed on the left patella, and when debridement was performed, the patella was exposed but the joint was not exposed. For soft tissue defects, it was possible to sufficiently cover the exposed part of the patella with superior medial genicular artery flap. After the procedure, the knee joint did not show any contracture, had good mobility, and the patient was able to walk independently. Knee joint deep burn is often difficult to treat due to joint exposure and gait disorder associated with joint contracture. The superior medial genicular artery flap is considered to be a good indication for patients with advanced complications and the elderly because the procedure is simple

Perineuronal Oligodendrocytes Protect against Neuronal Apoptosis through the Production of Lipocalin-Type Prostaglandin D Synthase in a Genetic Demyelinating Model

The genetic demyelinating mouse "twitcher" is a model of the human globoid cell leukodystrophy, caused by galactosylceramidase (GALC) deficiency. Demyelination in the twitcher brain is secondary to apoptotic death of oligodendrocytes (OLs). Lipocalin-type prostaglandin (PG) D synthase (L-PGDS), a protein expressed in mature OLs, was progressively upregulated in twitcher OLs; whereas expression of OL-associated proteins such as carbonic anhydrase II, myelin basic protein, and myelin-associated glycoprotein was downregulated during demyelination in twitcher brains. The upregulation of L-PGDS was more remarkable in perineuronal OLs than in interfascicular OLs. A larger number of L-PGDS-positive OLs was found in selected fiber tracts of twitcher brains where fewer apoptotic cells were detected. The distribution of L-PGDS-positive OLs was inversely related to the severity of demyelination, as assessed by accumulation of scavenger macrophages. Mice doubly deficient for L-PGDS and GALC disclosed a large number of apoptotic neurons, which were never seen in twitcher brains, in addition to an increased number of apoptotic OLs. A linear positive correlation was observed between the population of L-PGDS-positive OLs in the twitcher brain and the ratio of apoptotic nuclei in the double mutant versus those in the twitcher, suggesting a dose-dependent effect of L-PGDS against apoptosis. These lines of evidence suggest that L-PGDS is an anti-apoptotic molecule protecting neurons and OLs from apoptosis in the twitcher mouse. This is a novel example of OL-neuronal interaction

Carbonaceous aerosol tracers in ice-cores record multi-decadal climate oscillations

Carbonaceous aerosols influence the climate via direct and indirect effects on radiative balance. However, the factors controlling the emissions, transport and role of carbonaceous aerosols in the climate system are highly uncertain. Here we investigate organic tracers in ice cores from Greenland and Kamchatka and find that, throughout the period covered by the records (1550 to 2000 CE), the concentrations and composition of biomass burning-, soil bacterial- and plant wax- tracers correspond to Arctic and regional temperatures as well as the warm season Arctic Oscillation (AO) over multi-decadal time-scales. Specifically, order of magnitude decreases (increases) in abundances of ice-core organic tracers, likely representing significant decreases (increases) in the atmospheric loading of carbonaceous aerosols, occur during colder (warmer) phases in the high latitudinal Northern Hemisphere. This raises questions about causality and possible carbonaceous aerosol feedback mechanisms. Our work opens new avenues for ice core research. Translating concentrations of organic tracers (μg/kg-ice or TOC) from ice-cores, into estimates of the atmospheric loading of carbonaceous aerosols (μg/m(3)) combined with new model constraints on the strength and sign of climate forcing by carbonaceous aerosols should be a priority for future research

Rapid evolution of distinct Helicobacter pylori subpopulations in the Americas

For the last 500 years, the Americas have been a melting pot both for genetically diverse humans and for the pathogenic and commensal organisms associated with them. One such organism is the stomach-dwelling bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is highly prevalent in Latin America where it is a major current public health challenge because of its strong association with gastric cancer. By analyzing the genome sequence of H. pylori isolated in North, Central and South America, we found evidence for admixture between H. pylori of European and African origin throughout the Americas, without substantial input from pre-Columbian (hspAmerind) bacteria. In the US, strains of African and European origin have remained genetically distinct, while in Colombia and Nicaragua, bottlenecks and rampant genetic exchange amongst isolates have led to the formation of national gene pools. We found three outer membrane proteins with atypical levels of Asian ancestry in American strains, as well as alleles that were nearly fixed specifically in South American isolates, suggesting a role for the ethnic makeup of hosts in the colonization of incoming strains. Our results show that new H. pylori subpopulations can rapidly arise, spread and adapt during times of demographic flux, and suggest that differences in transmission ecology between high and low prevalence areas may substantially affect the composition of bacterial populations

High-speed single-molecule imaging reveals signal transduction by induced transbilayer raft phases

Using single-molecule imaging with enhanced time resolutions down to 5 ms, we found that CD59 cluster rafts and GM1 cluster rafts were stably induced in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM), which triggered the activation of Lyn, H-Ras, and ERK and continually recruited Lyn and H-Ras right beneath them in the inner leaflet with dwell lifetimes <0.1 s. The detection was possible due to the enhanced time resolutions employed here. The recruitment depended on the PM cholesterol and saturated alkyl chains of Lyn and H-Ras, whereas it was blocked by the nonraftophilic transmembrane protein moiety and unsaturated alkyl chains linked to the inner-leaflet molecules. Because GM1 cluster rafts recruited Lyn and H-Ras as efficiently as CD59 cluster rafts, and because the protein moieties of Lyn and H-Ras were not required for the recruitment, we conclude that the transbilayer raft phases induced by the outer-leaflet stabilized rafts recruit lipid-anchored signaling molecules by lateral raft-lipid interactions and thus serve as a key signal transduction platform

Work-life conflict, gender-based discrimination, and their associations among professionals in a medical university and affiliated hospitals in Japan: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: To clarify (1) the prevalence and associating factors of work-life conflict (WLC); (2) the details of gender-based discrimination; and (3) the association between WLC and gender-based discrimination among various professionals in a medical university organization. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2017, included all employees working at a public medical university and two affiliated hospitals that lie in provincial cities in Japan. The outcome of interest was time-based WLC in the work-to-family or family-to-work direction, measured with a shortened version of an existing scale. Gender-based discrimination was measured according to a three-point scale. Results: Among the 3,347 employees, complete data sets were available for 2,285 (complete response rate, 68.3%). Of these, approximately 30% of respondents had perceived WLC. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that faculty members, nurses, and employees between 30 and 39 years old had a greater risk of WLC regardless of gender. Men were more likely to perceive gender-based discrimination in the contents of their work and the number of incidental tasks, while women were more likely to perceive discrimination with promotions and evaluation of academic achievements. Both men and women respondents who perceived gender-based discrimination had an increased risk of WLC. Conclusions: When promoting organizational well-being in a medical university, increased attention should be paid to faculty members, nurses and employees between 30 and 39 years old, as they have a greater risk of WLC. Our results also suggest that promoting gender equality is important to help achieve appropriate work-life balance