Double strand break repair by capture of retrotransposon sequences and reverse-transcribed spliced mRNA sequences in mouse zygotes

Ono, R., Ishii, M., Fujihara, Y. et al. Double strand break repair by capture of retrotransposon sequences and reverse-transcribed spliced mRNA sequences in mouse zygotes. Sci Rep 5, 12281 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep1228

Effects of Clenbuterol, a β2-Adrenergic Agonist, on Sizes of Masseter, Temporalis, Digastric, and Tongue muscles

We compared the hypertrophic effects of clenbuterol, a β2-adrenergic agonist, on the masseter, digastric, and temporalis with those on the tongue, tibialis anterior, soleus, diaphragm, and heart. The weights of masseter, digastric and temporalis in the clenbuterol group were 36 ~ 56% greater than those in the control group, whereas those of the tibialis anterior, diaphragm, and heart weights in the clenbuterol group were 9 ~ 33% greater than those in the control group. No significant difference in the weights of the soleus and tongue was found between the control and clenbuterol groups. Taken together with our present and previously reported results, it is suggested that the hypertrophic effects of clenbuterol on the masseter, digastric, and temporalis are greater than those on the limb, trunk, and heart

Separation of dissolved Kr from a water sample by means of a hollow fiber membrane

We investigated extraction of the krypton (Kr) radioisotope 85Kr from groundwater having an ultra-low concentration with a Kr extraction system using an external inflow type hollow fiber membrane. Our aim was to develop a system able to effectively extract Kr isotopes from a large volume of groundwater (104 L) in field studies for measurement of 85Kr radioactivity. Before testing our Kr extraction system in the field, we determined experimentally the conditions necessary for effective extraction of Kr isotopes from groundwater. We investigated the efficiency of Kr extraction from water by extracting trace amounts of Kr in the laboratory. With our system, we were able to extract 99% of Kr and O2 dissolved in water at water temperatures ranging from 11 to 29 °C and with a flow rate of less than 24 L/min, confirming that the separation efficiency of the system was sufficient for extraction of Kr isotopes from groundwater. We then used our method to extract 85Kr from groundwater at sites at Kyoto University in Osaka and on the Kumamoto Plain in central Kyushu, Japan. We showed that this technique for extracting 85Kr from the groundwater can be an effective tool for investigating the residence time of young groundwater

An Approach of Teaching Method about Cooking Practice with Problem-Solving Method in Elementary School Home Economics : Through the Analyzing of Teaching Method with Pupils' Realization to Self Change and Improvement

学校教育における食育の重要性が提唱される中で, 小学校家庭科の食生活学習は重要な位置を占めている。本報では, 問題解決的な学習を取り入れ, 児童が自分の成長と変容を実感して生活実践につなぐことができるような「段取りを考える調理学習」を提案した。本時は, 一食分の献立の出来上がりを想定して, 作業の順番, 班員の分担, 時間配分, 効率や安全を考慮した準備作業の必要性などについて主体的に考えさせる実践であった。これまでの学習や体験に基づいて自分で作業過程をイメージしたり, 班で話し合ったり, 栄養指導教諭の話を聞いたりすることによって, 思考が広がり深まっている様子がみられた。作業過程をメタ認知するこのような学習の機会は, 広範で複雑な生活事象を学習対象とする家庭科学習には不可欠である。限られた時間で児童が多様な視点から調理作業の要素や流れについて考えることができたことは大きな成果であった。調理作業全体の流れを把握して, その中で自分の役割が分かり, その役割がこなせること, また周囲の状況を踏まえた上で行動できることが, 自分の成長と変容を実感し, 調理学習を生活実践につなぐ上で重要であることも示唆された

Disruption of Mouse CD46 Causes an Accelerated Spontaneous Acrosome Reaction in Sperm

Human membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46) is a ubiquitously expressed protein known to protect cells from complement attack. Interestingly, when we examined the expression of mouse CD46, which we recently cloned, the message was found only in testis and the protein was found on the inner acrosomal membrane of sperm. In order to elucidate the function of CD46, we produced mice carrying a null mutation in the CD46 gene by using homologous recombination. Despite the absence of CD46, the mice were healthy and both sexes were fertile. However, to our surprise, the fertilizing ability of males appeared to be facilitated by disruption of the CD46 gene, as the average number of pups born from CD46(−/−) males was significantly greater than that of wild-type males. It was also revealed that the incidence of the spontaneous acrosome reaction doubled in CD46(−/−) sperm compared to that in wild-type sperm. It was assumed that this increase caused the heightened fertilizing ability found in CD46(−/−) sperm. These data suggest that CD46 may have some role in regulating sperm acrosome reaction