Water-Solubilization of P(V) and Sb(V) Porphyrins and Their Photobiological Application

Porphyrins have been widely utilized as biochemical and biological functional chromophores which can operate under visible-light irradiation. Water-soluble porphyrins have been used as the drug for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photodynamic inactivation (PDI). Although usual water-solubilization of porphyrins has been achieved by an introduction of an ionic group such as ammonium, pyridinium, sulfonate, phosphonium, or carboxyl to porphyrin ring, we proposed the preparation of water-soluble P and Sb porphyrins by modification of axial ligands. Alkyl (type A), ethylenedioxy (type E), pyridinium (type P), and glucosyl groups (type G) were introduced to axial ligands of Sb and P porphyrins to achieve water-solubilization of Sb porphyrin and P porphyrins. Here, we review their water-soluble P and Sb porphyrins from the standpoints of preparation, bioaffinity, and photosensitized inactivation

The Lectures on the Development of Teaching Plans and Teaching Materials Tried in the Science Education Class in Master's Course, Okayama University

岡山大学大学院教育学研究科の理科教育専攻の講義として、教材開発・授業案開発をテーマとした新しい講義を試みたのでその報告を行う。本講義は、理科教育講座に所属する大学院生、理科教育講座の大学教員、附属学校の理科関係の教諭が三者協働で進めることが特徴である。課題設定、教材開発を含めた実践準備および実践を院生チームを組み遂行させ、さらに経験や専門性の異なる人材と論議を重ねて活動を進めることを通じ、将来、協働で学校現場の課題提案・解決を行うことのできる能力を養うことを目標とした。This is a report of the new type of lectures on the development of teaching plans and teaching materials attempted in the science class in the Master's Course, Okayama University. The lectures were conducted in collaboration of the graduate students and the academic staffs in the science education course, and the science teachers of the attached school of Okayama University. The graduate students were grouped into two teams of five or six people, assigned to decide on themes, prepare and practice the development of teaching plans and teaching materials. They conducted their activities discussing problems with people of different experience and specialty, thus developing the ability to jointly propose and solve problems at schools in future

Targeting Notch-1 positive acute leukemia cells by novel fucose-bound liposomes carrying daunorubicin

Complete remission by induction therapy in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) can be achieved due to improvements in supportive and optimized therapy. However, more than 20% of patients will still need to undergo salvage therapy, and most will have a poor prognosis. Determining the specificity of drugs to leukemia cells is important since this will maximize the dose of chemotherapeutic agents that can be administered to AML patients. In turn, this would be expected to lead to reduced drug toxicity and its increased efficacy. We targeted Notch-1 positive AML cells utilizing fucose-bound liposomes, since activation of Notch-1 is required for O-fucosylation. Herein, we report that intravenously injected, L-fucose-bound liposomes containing daunorubicin can be successfully delivered to AML cells that express fucosylated antigens. This resulted in efficient tumor growth inhibition in tumor-bearing mice and decreased proliferation of AML patient-derived leukemia cells. Thus, biological targeting by fucose-bound liposomes that takes advantage of the intrinsic characteristics of AML cells could be a promising new strategy for Notch-1 positive-AML treatment

Diel vertical migration, population structure and life cycle of the copepod Scolecithricella minor (Calanoida: Scolecitrichidae) in Toyama Bay, southern Japan Sea

The seasonal population structure (copepodite-2 stage through adults) and diel vertical migration pattern of Scolecithricella minor in Toyama Bay, southern Japan Sea, were investigated. Eggs and nauplii were reared in the laboratory at three different temperatures (0.5, 5 and 10°C) as a basis to estimate generation length. Most copepodite stages occurred throughout the year; young copepodites (C2 to C5) were most abundant in May-October, while adults were most abundant in March-August. Reproduction continued throughout the year, with a peak in April-August. All copepodite stages were consistently distributed at 100-400 m depth. Limited nocturnal ascent was seen in adults, but not always for younger copepodites. Based on habitat temperature, development times of eggs and nauplii expressed as a function of temperature, and assumed proportion of these developmental times in one life cycle of calanoid copepods, the generation length of S. minor was estimated to be 44-76d. Using this estimated generation length range as a guide, the sequential development of five cohorts was identified. An additional two extra cohorts, which were not clearly traceable, are considered to have occurred for a total of 7 cohorts per year for S. minor in Toyama Bay. The present data on the vertical distribution of S. minor are compared with those reported from other regions for the same species. Since S. minor is considered to be a typical detritus feeder, trophic-type-related sequences in major reproduction seasons are discussed by comparing the data of other calanoid copepods reported from Toyama Bay

Descriptions of the copepodid stages of the mesopelagic copepod, Gaetanus variabilis (Brodsky, 1950) (Calanoida, Aetideidae) from the Japan Sea

Based on specimens collected from the Japan Sea, all copepodid stages of the mesopelagic copepod, Gaetanus variabilis are described and illustrated. Among the family Aetideidae, the development of the body segmentation and of the segmentation of the swimming legs in G. variabilis is more similar to that in Gaetanus kruppii than to that in Aetideopsis armata, Chiridius gracilis, or Euchirella messinensis. A sharp, spine-like crest on the frontal dorsal surface of the cephalothorax is a characteristic feature of copepodid stages II-IV of G. variabilis. This frontal crest of G. variabilis, lost in copepodid stages V-VI, is considered as “convergent morphology”, relative to G. kruppii. Nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene confirmed that copepodid stages II and III with frontal crest and copepodid stage VI without frontal crest are the same species: Gaetanus variabilis. In the adult male, the mandible, maxillule, and maxilla degenerate, whence no feeding takes place: a phenomenon commonly seen in aetideid copepods