Renovation of “Earth Port” for Net-Zero Energy Building

A middle-sized office building (floor area : 5,645 m2), nicknamed “Earth Port,” was renovated with the intention of making it a ZEB (“net-zero energy building”) by 2030. As a first step, the following technologies were introduced. (1) Thermal network utilizing both solar heat and waste heat from gas cogeneration system (CGS) and gas engine driven heat pump (GHP) (2) Bright-feeling lighting system and other measures to utilize natural sunlight (3) Integrated power management system The thermal and lighting environments were measured and analyzed to investigate the indoor environment as well as detailed energy consumption data. Questionnaires for occupants were also conducted to know self-estimated productivity. The renovation resulted in a 37% reduction of primary energy consumption and a 45% reduction of CO2 emissions compared with the average for tenant-occupied office buildings (baseline)

The actin family member Arp6 and the histone variant H2A.Z are required for spatial positioning of chromatin in chicken cell nuclei

The spatial organization of chromatin in the nucleus contributes to genome function and is altered during the differentiation of normal and tumorigenic cells. Although nuclear actin-related proteins (Arps) have roles in the local alteration of chromatin structure, it is unclear whether they are involved in the spatial positioning of chromatin. In the interphase nucleus of vertebrate cells, gene-dense and gene-poor chromosome territories (CTs) are located in the center and periphery, respectively. We analyzed chicken DT40 cells in which Arp6 had been knocked out conditionally, and showed that the radial distribution of CTs was impaired in these knockout cells. Arp6 is an essential component of the SRCAP chromatin remodeling complex, which deposits the histone variant H2A.Z into chromatin. The redistribution of CTs was also observed in H2A.Z-deficient cells for gene-rich microchromosomes, but to lesser extent for gene-poor macrochromosomes. These results indicate that Arp6 and H2A.Z contribute to the radial distribution of CTs through different mechanisms. Microarray analysis suggested that the localization of chromatin to the nuclear periphery per se is insufficient for the repression of most genes

The actin family member Arp6 and the histone variant H2A.Z are required for spatial positioning of chromatin in chicken cell nuclei

The spatial organization of chromatin in the nucleus contributes to genome function and is altered during the differentiation of normal and tumorigenic cells. Although nuclear actin-related proteins (Arps) have roles in the local alteration of chromatin structure, it is unclear whether they are involved in the spatial positioning of chromatin. In the interphase nucleus of vertebrate cells, gene-dense and gene-poor chromosome territories (CTs) are located in the center and periphery, respectively. We analyzed chicken DT40 cells in which Arp6 had been knocked out conditionally, and showed that the radial distribution of CTs was impaired in these knockout cells. Arp6 is an essential component of the SRCAP chromatin remodeling complex, which deposits the histone variant H2A.Z into chromatin. The redistribution of CTs was also observed in H2A.Z-deficient cells for gene-rich microchromosomes, but to lesser extent for gene-poor macrochromosomes. These results indicate that Arp6 and H2A.Z contribute to the radial distribution of CTs through different mechanisms. Microarray analysis suggested that the localization of chromatin to the nuclear periphery per se is insufficient for the repression of most genes

Buprenorphine Activates and Opioid Receptor Like-1 Receptors Simultaneously, but the Analgesic Effect Is Mainly Mediated by Receptor Activation in the Rat Formalin Test

ABSTRACT Buprenorphine is a mixed opioid receptor agonist-antagonist. Recently, buprenorphine was reported to act as an agonist to opioid receptor like-1 (ORL1) receptor. In the present study, we examined the role of spinal and supraspinal receptors and spinal and supraspinal ORL1 receptors in producing an analgesic effect by intrathecal (i.t.), intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), or i.p. administration of buprenorphine in the rat formalin test. Male rats were prepared with i.t. catheters or i.c.v. injection cannulas. The paw formalin injection (50 l of 5% formalin) induces biphasic flinching (phase 1, 0 -6 min; phase 2, 10 -60 min) of the injected paw. Buprenorphine, naloxone (a -opioid Buprenorphine is a derivative of the morphine alkaloid thebaine and is used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain Recently, buprenorphine has been reported to act as an agonist at opioid receptor like-1 (ORL1) receptors (BlomsFunke et al., 2000). Moreover, buprenorphine did not produce an analgesic effect in 1 -opioid receptor-deficient mice -Opioid receptors and ORL1 receptors are widely located in the nervous system, and there are not enough data to determine which -opioid receptor plays an important role in producing an analgesic effect of buprenorphine and which ORL1 receptor plays an important role in suppressing an analgesic effect of buprenorphine when buprenorphine is administered systemically. Moreover, it is possible that the analgesic effect of systemically administered buprenorphine can be attributed to the activation of spinal ORL1 receptors. In the present study, we investigated the analgesic effect of intrathecal (i.t.), intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), or i.p. ad

Expression of Membrane-Bound and Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase mRNAs in Embryonic and Adult Retina of the Medaka Fish Oryzias latipes

Localization of mRNAs for four membrane-bound guanylyl cyclases (membrane GCs; OIGC3, OIGC4, OIGC5, and OIGC-R2), three soluble guanylyl cyclase subunits (soluble GC; OIGCS-α1, OIGCS-α2, and OIGCS-β1, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), and cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGK I) was examined in the embryonic and adult retinas of the medaka fish Oryzias latipes by in situ hybridization. All of the membrane GC mRNAs were detected in the photoreceptor cells of the adult and embryonic retinas, but in different parts; the OIGC3 and OIGC5 mRNAs were expressed in the proximal part and the OIGC4 and OIGC-R2 mRNAs were expressed in the outer nuclear layer. The mRNA for nNOS was expressed in a scattered fashion on the inner side of the inner nuclear layer in the adult and embryonic retinas. The mRNAs (OIGCS-α2 and OIGCS-β1) of two soluble GC subunits (α2 and β1) were expressed mainly in the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer of the embryonic retina while the mRNAs of the soluble GCα1 subunit and cGK I were not detected in either the adult or embryonic retina. These results suggest that NO itself and/or the cGMP generated by soluble GC (α2/β1 heterodimer) play a novel role in the neuronal signaling and neuronal development in the medaka fish embryonic retina in addition to the role played by phototransduction through membrane GCs in the adult and embryonic retinas