縄文時代の海岸線復元と遺跡動態 : 岡山平野のボーリング調査を踏まえて

瀬戸内沿岸における縄文時代の人間活動を理解するためには、古地形復元と遺跡動態との関連を分析することが重要な視点となる。その第一歩として、同地域で有数の縄文遺跡密集地である岡山平野において、ボーリングコアを採取する調査を実施し、その地質調査から、特に海岸線に現れる環境変化の復元を試みた。その結果、縄文海進のピーク以降も、相対的な海水準変動が海岸線の変化をもたらし、人間活動に影響を与えた可能性が、遺跡動態の検討からも予想されることとなった

A Method for Producing Transgenic Cells Using a Multi-Integrase System on a Human Artificial Chromosome Vector

The production of cells capable of expressing gene(s) of interest is important for a variety of applications in biomedicine and biotechnology, including gene therapy and animal transgenesis. The ability to insert transgenes at a precise location in the genome, using site-specific recombinases such as Cre, FLP, and ΦC31, has major benefits for the efficiency of transgenesis. Recent work on integrases from ΦC31, R4, TP901-1 and Bxb1 phages demonstrated that these recombinases catalyze site-specific recombination in mammalian cells. In the present study, we examined the activities of integrases on site-specific recombination and gene expression in mammalian cells. We designed a human artificial chromosome (HAC) vector containing five recombination sites (ΦC31 attP, R4 attP, TP901-1 attP, Bxb1 attP and FRT; multi-integrase HAC vector) and de novo mammalian codon-optimized integrases. The multi-integrase HAC vector has several functions, including gene integration in a precise locus and avoiding genomic position effects; therefore, it was used as a platform to investigate integrase activities. Integrases carried out site-specific recombination at frequencies ranging from 39.3–96.8%. Additionally, we observed homogenous gene expression in 77.3–87.5% of colonies obtained using the multi-integrase HAC vector. This vector is also transferable to another cell line, and is capable of accepting genes of interest in this environment. These data suggest that integrases have high DNA recombination efficiencies in mammalian cells. The multi-integrase HAC vector enables us to produce transgene-expressing cells efficiently and create platform cell lines for gene expression

Bis(triethyl­ammonium) bis­(μ-pyrazine-2,3-dithiol­ato)bis­(pyrazine-2,3-dithio­lato)diferrate(III) methanol disolvate

In the title compound, (C6H16N)2[Fe2(C4H2N2S2)4]·2CH4O, the [FeIII(pdt)2]− anion (pdt is pyrazine-2,3-dithiol­ate) forms a centrosymmetric dimer supported by two FeIII—S bonds [Fe—S = 2.4787 (4) Å]. In the crystal structure, dimers form a one-dimensional stack along the b axis via π–π stacking inter­actions, the inter­planar separation between adjacent dimers being 3.51 (2) Å. The methanol solvent mol­ecule is involved in two hydrogen bonds in which the hydroxyl group acts as a hydrogen-bond donor to the N atom of a pdt ligand and the O atom acts as an acceptor for the NH group of the triethyl­ammonium cation

siRNA-dependent and -independent post-transcriptional cosuppression of the LTR-retrotransposon MAGGY in the phytopathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

The LTR-retrotransposon MAGGY was introduced into naive genomes of Magnaporthe oryzae with different genetic backgrounds (wild-type, and MoDcl1 [mdl1] and MoDcl2 [mdl2] dicer mutants). The MoDcl2 mutants deficient in MAGGY siRNA biogenesis generally showed greater MAGGY mRNA accumulation and more rapid increase in MAGGY copy number than did the wild-type and MoDcl1 mutants exhibiting normal MAGGY siRNA accumulation, indicating that RNA silencing functioned as an effective defense against the invading element. Interestingly, however, regardless of genetic background, the rate of MAGGY transposition drastically decreased as its copy number in the genome increased. Notably, in the MoDcl2 mutant, copy-number-dependent MAGGY suppression occurred without a reduction in its mRNA accumulation, and therefore by a silencing mechanism distinct from both transcriptional gene silencing and siRNA-mediated RNA silencing. This might imply that some mechanism possibly similar to post-transcriptional cosuppression of Ty1 retrotransposition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which operates regardless of the abundance of target transcript and independent of RNA silencing, would also function in M. oryzae that possesses the RNA silencing machinery

Application of a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Modification System for a Human Artificial Chromosome Vector

Exactly controlled conditional gene expressing systems are crucial for genomic functional research, animal transgenesis and gene therapy. Bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) are optimal for harboring long fragments of genomic DNA or large cDNA up to 300 kb in size. Therefore, BACs are available to produce transgenic cells and animals for the functional studies of genes. However, BAC can insert DNA randomly into the host genome, possibly causing unpredicted expression. We previously developed a human artificial chromosome (HAC) vector from human chromosome 21 using chromosome engineering. The HAC vector has several important characteristics desired for an ideal gene delivery vector, including stable episomal maintenance, and the ability to carry large genomic DNA containing its own regulatory element, thus allowing physiological regulation of the transgene in a manner similar to that of the native chromosome. In this study, we develop a system fusing BAC library and HAC technology together to allow tight control of gene expression. This system enables BAC to be cloned into the defined locus on the HAC vector by the Cre/loxP system. In addition, the genome in the BAC is possible to be engineered freely by the BAC recombineering technology. This system is a highly efficient tool for the rapid generation of stringently controlled gene expression system on the HAC vector

Subzero 24-hr nonfreezing rat heart preservation: A novel preservation method in a variable magnetic field

BACKGROUND: A new supercooling system using a variable magnetic field has been recently developed. Subzero nonfreezing preservation has been believed to be a beneficial method because of the lower metabolic rate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of rat heart preservation in a variable magnetic field without cryoprotectants. METHODS: Rat hearts were perfused ex vivo for 120 min after 24-hr preservation in two groups (n=6 each): (1) conventional storage group, in which the hearts were stored at 4°C, and (2) the subzero group, in which the hearts were preserved at-3°C in a variable magnetic field. RESULTS: Reperfusion cardiac performance after preservation was significantly preserved in the subzero group compared with the conventional group with respect to heart rate, coronary flow, the peak positive dP/dt, and the peak negative dP/dt (P<0.05). Edema after reperfusion was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the adenosine triphosphate level was higher in the subzero group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The rat hearts preserved in a variable magnetic field at-3°C showed better hemodynamic and metabolic performance than those preserved using conventional storage at 4°C. Copyright © 2012 Lippincott Williams &Wilkins

Types of Mountains in the Qur’an: With a Focus on the Relationships between God and Man and Mountain

This paper is a preliminary study to understand the connections between God, man, and nature. A comparative study of Moslem culture and our world leads to a deeper understanding of the relationships between our own natural world, God, and man. Furthermore, we also believe that this understanding can contribute to building harmony between different cultures. In this paper, we focus on mountains in the Qur’an that is the basis of all facets of Moslem’s daily life, classify their features from the perspective of the relationship between God and man, and analyze the relationships between God and man and mountains. The results of our study produced eight types of mountains. We then expressed the schema of each type in a diagram. The diagrams allowed the visualization of the diverse features of the relationships between God, man, and mountains; any of the three could be the subject

Potent Vasodilatory Effect of Fasudil on Radial Artery Graft in Coronary Artery Bypass Operations

Background: The radial artery (RA) is a useful conduit for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) but is susceptible to vasospasm during harvesting. We evaluated the usefulness of fasudil, a Rho kinase inhibitor, in dilating the RA graft and increasing graft free flow (GFF) compared with the conventional graft-dilating agents papaverine and verapamil-nitroglycerin (VG). Methods: Between June 2012 and January 2013, 45 patients with ischemic heart disease who underwent isolated CABG using the RA were enrolled and randomly assigned to fasudil (n = 15), papaverine (n = 15), or VG (n = 15). Fasudil (2.67 mmol/L), papaverine (1.0 mmol/L) mixed with heparinized blood, or VG (30 μmol/L each of verapamil and nitroglycerin) was injected intraluminally into the RA graft after harvesting. Main outcome measures were RA GFF, hemodynamic changes, and histopathologic examination of the RA. Results: In the fasudil group, GFF increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 36.8 ± 20.4 at baseline to 148.0 ± 88.3 mL/min after injection. GFF increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 36.0 ± 19.0 to 72.3 ± 36.7 mL/min in the papaverine group and increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 39.5 ± 23.3 to 64.3 ± 29.9 mL/min in the VG group. The GFF was significantly higher (p = 0.001) in fasudil-treated RA than in papaverine- or VG-treated RA. Histopathologically, RA graft diameter was markedly increased after fasudil injection, and the structure of the multiple elastic lamellae was intact. Blood pressure did not change significantly after drug injection in all groups. Conclusions: Fasudil exhibited a very potent vasodilatory effect on the RA compared with conventional papaverine or VG, resulting in increased GFF. This agent is useful for dilating RA grafts in CABG. © 2013 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons