Apolipophorin-III Mediates Antiplasmodial Epithelial Responses in Anopheles gambiae (G3) Mosquitoes

Apolipophorin-III (ApoLp-III) is known to play an important role in lipid transport and innate immunity in lepidopteran insects. However, there is no evidence of involvement of ApoLp-IIIs in the immune responses of dipteran insects such as Drosophila and mosquitoes.We report the molecular and functional characterization of An. gambiae apolipophorin-III (AgApoLp-III). Mosquito ApoLp-IIIs have diverged extensively from those of lepidopteran insects; however, the predicted tertiary structure of AgApoLp-III is similar to that of Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm). We found that AgApoLp-III mRNA expression is strongly induced in the midgut of An. gambiae (G3 strain) mosquitoes in response to Plasmodium berghei infection. Furthermore, immunofluorescence stainings revealed that high levels of AgApoLp-III protein accumulate in the cytoplasm of Plasmodium-invaded cells and AgApoLp-III silencing increases the intensity of P. berghei infection by five fold.There are broad differences in the midgut epithelial responses to Plasmodium invasion between An. gambiae strains. In the G3 strain of An. gambiae AgApoLp-III participates in midgut epithelial defense responses that limit Plasmodium infection

The decline in dental caries among Korean children aged 8 and 12 years from 2000 to 2012 focusing SiC Index and DMFT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence and severity of dental caries among Korean children aged 8 and 12 years over a period of 12 years by determining the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) and the Significant Caries index (SiC index). METHODS: Stratified cluster-sampled data from the National Oral Health Survey conducted from 2000 to 2012 were analysed. In 2000, 2006, and 2012, a total of 2397, 2650, and 9601 children aged 8 and 12 years were examined, respectively. The children’s oral health status, including the number of DMFT and fissures sealed teeth, was examined and recorded. The SiC index was calculated according to the child’s residential district. RESULTS: Over the 12-year period, the percentages of caries-free children aged 8 and 12 years increased from 26.0 to 42.7 % and from 53.4 to 69.6 %, respectively. The percentages of children aged 8 and 12 years with sealed teeth in 2012 were 62.1 and 62.5 %, respectively, more than triple the rates in 2000. The mean DMFT values of children aged 8 and 12 years decreased from1.04 to 0.67 and from 2.86 to 1.84, respectively. The SiC index of children aged 8 and 12 years also decreased from 2.73 to 1.97 and from 6.13 to 4.51, respectively. The rate of reduction in DMFT among 8- and 12-year-old children in the second 6 years of the observation period was lower than that in the first 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: A remarkable decline in dental caries of 8- and 12-year-old Korean children was observed over the 12-year study period. The mean DMFT values and SiC index of children aged 8 and 12 years decreased. The reduction rate between 2000 and 2006 was higher than that between 2006 and 2012

Unique charge/discharge properties of carbon materials with different structures

The electrochemical properties of isotropic and anisotropic carbon fibers were studied using the two-electrode method in a 1 M LiPF6 electrolyte solution dissolved in a 1:1 volume mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). Isotropic carbon fiber had a larger irreversible capacity than that of the other carbon fibers and might have many sites for the electrolyte decompositon and residual lithium ions. Active carbon fibers prepared from isotropic carbon fibers by steam gasiformation at 850 degrees C showed large specific surface areas. After steam gasiformation, the active carbon fibers changed into a more crystalline state and had electrochemical characteritics similar to the anisotropic carbon fibers. Impedance profiles of the carbon fibers were fitted by equivalent analogs of a three-resistance-capacitance (RC) circuit in series and the thickness of passivation layers in the carbon fibers was calculated.clos

Extracellular ATP mediates necrotic cell swelling in SN4741 dopaminergic neurons through P2X(7) receptors

Extracellular ATP has recently been identified as an important regulator of cell death in response to pathological insults. When SN4741 cells, which are dopaminergic neurons derived from the substantia nigra of transgenic mouse embryos, are exposed to ATP, cell death occurs. This cell death is associated with prominent cell swelling, loss of ER integrity, the formation of many large cytoplasmic vacuoles, and subsequent cytolysis and DNA release. In addition, the cleavage of caspase-3, a hallmark of apoptosis, is induced by ATP treatment. However, caspase inhibitors do not overcome ATP-induced cell death, indicating that both necrosis and apoptosis are associated with ATP-induced cell death and suggesting that a necrotic event might override the apoptotic process. In this study we also found that P2X(7) receptors (P2X(7)Rs) are abundantly expressed in SN4741 cells, and both ATP-induced swelling and cell death are reversed by pretreatment with the P2X(7)Rs antagonist, KN62, or by knock-down of P2X(7)Rs with small interfering RNAs. Therefore, extracellular ATP release from injured tissues may act as an accelerating factor in necrotic SN4741 dopaminergic cell death via P2X(7)Rs.X1149Nsciescopu

Anomalous Superconducting-Gap Structure of Slightly Overdoped Ba(Fe1-xCox)(2)As-2

We observed the anisotropic superconducting-gap (SC-gap) structure of a slightly overdoped superconductor, Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 (x = 0.1), using three-dimensional (3D) angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Two hole Fermi surfaces (FSs) observed at the Brillouin zone center and an inner electron FS at the zone corner showed a nearly isotropic SC gap in 3D momentum space. However, the outer electron FS showed an anisotropic SC gap with nodes or gap minima around the M and A points. The different anisotropies obtained the SC gap between the outer and inner electron FSs cannot be expected from all theoretical predictions with spin fluctuation, orbital fluctuation, and both competition. Our results provide a new insight into the SC mechanisms of iron pnictide superconductors. © 2014 The Physical Society of Japan.

Evidence of charge-density waves in the optical properties of SmNiC2

In this study, we have measured the optical reflectivity spectra of low-dimensional SmNiC2 (TC=18.5 K and TCDW=151 K) in the terahertz to ultraviolet frequency range at various temperatures. The optical conductivity spectra were transformed from the reflectivity data using the Kramers-Kronig relation. The optical conductivity of the normal state is well described by the Drude-Lorentz model assuming two bands. In nonmagnetic states below TCDW, two clean gaps opening on top of the Drude response are observed at around 500 and 750 cm-1. In the ferromagnetic state, the higher-side gap opening remains at the same frequency but the lower-side gap opening disappears, instead an additional absorption due to magnon gap formation is observed at around 70 cm-1. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dimensional crossover of charge density wave and thermoelectric properties in CeTe2-xSbx single crystals

We have measured the electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient of CeTe2-xSbx(x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5) single crystals from 100 K to 300 K along the ab-plane, and we calculated their electronic structures and Fermi surfaces by using the density functional theory approach. The band structures of CeTe2show the 2-dimensional (2D) Fermi surface nesting behavior, which induce the charge density wave (CDW). In addition, there is a 3-dimensional (3D) electron Fermi surface hindering the perfect CDW gap opening. By hole doping with the substitution of Sb at the Te-site, the 3D-like Fermi surface disappears and the 2D perfect CDW gap opening enhances the power factor up to x = 0.1. With further hole doping, the Fermi surfaces become 3-dimensional structure with heavy hole bands. The enhancement of the power factor is observed near the dimensional crossover of CDW, at x = 0.1, where the CDW gap is maximized. Here we show the strong relationship between the dimensionality of CDW and high thermoelectric power factor. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.