Fetal Cerebellar Growth Curves Based on Biomathematics in Normally Developing Japanese Fetuses and Fetuses with Trisomy 18

We used biomathematics to describe and compare cerebellar growth in normally developing and trisomy 18 Japanese fetuses. This retrospective study included 407 singleton pregnancies with fetuses at 14-39 weeks of gestation and 33 fetuses with trisomy 18 at 17-35 weeks. We used ultrasonography to measure fetal transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD) and anteroposterior cerebellar diameter (APCD). We hypothesized that cerebellar growth is proportional to cerebellar length at any given time point. We determined the formula L(t) ≒Keat+r, where e is Napier’s number, t is time, L is cerebellar length, and a, K, and r are constants. We then obtained regression functions for each TCD and APCD in all fetuses. The regression equations for TCD and APCD values in normal fetuses, expressed as exponential functions, were TCD(t)=27.85e0.02788t−28.62 (mm) (adjusted R2=0.997), and APCD(t)=324.29e0.00286t−322.62 (mm) (adjusted R2=0.995). These functions indicated that TCD and APCD grew at constant rates of 2.788%/week and 0.286%/week, respectively, throughout gestation. TCD (0.0153%/week) and APCD (0.000430%/week) grew more slowly in trisomy 18 fetuses. This study demonstrates the potential of biomathematics in clinical research and may aid in biological understanding of fetal cerebellar growth

An Analysis of Post-text Tasks in High School English Communication Textbooks : Focusing on Reading-based Questions Enhancing Skill Integration

The goal of this short article is to analyze post-text tasks in Japanese senior high school English textbooks focusing on activities following the main texts to promote skill integration. Compared with the heightened interests in a series of textbook studies focusing on main texts, very little attention has been paid to the roles of post-text tasks in English textbooks. For this study, three senior high school English textbooks authorized by the Japanese Government were selected and their post-reading tasks were analyzed from the viewpoints of skill integration. As a result, it was found that relatively few tasks were available for skill integration in the analyzed textbooks and one advanced level textbook introduced some activities enhancing output of the learners’ own ideas and opinions

Interaction between lung cancer cells and astrocytes via specific inflammatory cytokines in the microenvironment of brain metastasis

The incidence of brain metastasis is increasing, however, little is known about molecular mechanism responsible for lung cancer-derived brain metastasis and their development in the brain. In the present study, brain pathology was examined in an experimental model system of brain metastasis as well as in human brain with lung cancer metastasis. In an experimental model, after 3–6 weeks of intracardiac inoculation of human lung cancer-derived (HARA-B) cells in nude mice, wide range of brain metastases were observed. The brain sections showed significant increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes around metastatic lesions. To elucidate the role of astrocytes in lung cancer proliferation, the interaction between primary cultured mouse astrocytes and HARA-B cells was analyzed in vitro. Co-cultures and insert-cultures demonstrated that astrocytes were activated by tumor cell-oriented factors; macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Activated astrocytes produced interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 β (IL-1β), which in turn promoted tumor cell proliferation. Semi-quantitative immunocytochemistry showed that increased expression of receptors for IL-6 and its subunits gp130 on HARA-B cells. Receptors for TNF-α and IL-1β were also detected on HARA-B cells but down-regulated after co-culture with astrocytes. Insert-culture with astrocytes also stimulated the proliferation of other lung cancer-derived cell lines (PC-9, QG56, and EBC-1). These results suggest that tumor cells and astrocytes stimulate each other and these mutual relationships may be important to understand how lung cancer cells metastasize and develop in the brain

〈全文〉 方言の形成過程解明のための全国方言調査 : 「事前研究」報告書

国立国語研究所国立国語研究所国立国語研究所国立国語研究所群馬県立女子大学広島大学大阪大学秋田大学神戸女子大学滋賀大

The Constrained Maximal Expression Level Owing to Haploidy Shapes Gene Content on the Mammalian X Chromosome.

X chromosomes are unusual in many regards, not least of which is their nonrandom gene content. The causes of this bias are commonly discussed in the context of sexual antagonism and the avoidance of activity in the male germline. Here, we examine the notion that, at least in some taxa, functionally biased gene content may more profoundly be shaped by limits imposed on gene expression owing to haploid expression of the X chromosome. Notably, if the X, as in primates, is transcribed at rates comparable to the ancestral rate (per promoter) prior to the X chromosome formation, then the X is not a tolerable environment for genes with very high maximal net levels of expression, owing to transcriptional traffic jams. We test this hypothesis using The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) and data from the Functional Annotation of the Mammalian Genome (FANTOM5) project. As predicted, the maximal expression of human X-linked genes is much lower than that of genes on autosomes: on average, maximal expression is three times lower on the X chromosome than on autosomes. Similarly, autosome-to-X retroposition events are associated with lower maximal expression of retrogenes on the X than seen for X-to-autosome retrogenes on autosomes. Also as expected, X-linked genes have a lesser degree of increase in gene expression than autosomal ones (compared to the human/Chimpanzee common ancestor) if highly expressed, but not if lowly expressed. The traffic jam model also explains the known lower breadth of expression for genes on the X (and the Z of birds), as genes with broad expression are, on average, those with high maximal expression. As then further predicted, highly expressed tissue-specific genes are also rare on the X and broadly expressed genes on the X tend to be lowly expressed, both indicating that the trend is shaped by the maximal expression level not the breadth of expression per se. Importantly, a limit to the maximal expression level explains biased tissue of expression profiles of X-linked genes. Tissues whose tissue-specific genes are very highly expressed (e.g., secretory tissues, tissues abundant in structural proteins) are also tissues in which gene expression is relatively rare on the X chromosome. These trends cannot be fully accounted for in terms of alternative models of biased expression. In conclusion, the notion that it is hard for genes on the Therian X to be highly expressed, owing to transcriptional traffic jams, provides a simple yet robustly supported rationale of many peculiar features of X's gene content, gene expression, and evolution

Control of Water Environment of Plants using Waste Biomass

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 7 (2005): Control of Water Environment of Plants using Waste Biomass by Osamu Kitani, Kingshuk Roy, Mizuho Yoshida, and Ryosuke End

プロピレンからアクロレインへの部分酸化触媒であるシリカ担持ビスマス–モリブデン複合酸化物へのセリウムの添加効果

The effect of Ce addition to a Bi–Mo complex oxide catalyst supported on SiO2 was examined on the partial oxidation of propylene to acrolein. The catalyst consisted of an oxygen-supply phase in which the lattice oxygen in Mo-oxide was doped with transition metals such as Fe, Ni and Co and was supported by SiO2 and a catalytic-active phase that involved hydrogen abstraction from a reactant in the Bi-center of Bi–Mo oxide, which was supported by the oxygen-supply phase. In the present study, Ce was added to the oxygen-supply phase to enhance its redox nature. Ce addition was advantageous particularly under oxygen-rich conditions in the feed stream. For example, at P(C3H8) = 10.1 kPa and P(O2) = 15.5 kPa at 623 K, the yield of acrolein was slightly enhanced from 57.6 % with 0 % Ce doping to 65.3 % with 20 % Ce doping at 6 h on-stream. However, under more oxygen-rich conditions at P(C3H8) = 10.1 kPa and P(O2) = 31.0 kPa at 623 K, the yield of acrolein was approximately doubled from 27.7 % with 0 % Ce doping to 61.8 % with 20 % Ce doping at 6 h on-stream. Analysis using XPS of the previously used catalysts for the reaction in the absence of gaseous oxygen confirmed the unique redox behavior between the catalytic-active phase and the oxygen-supply phase as the lattice oxygen in the catalytic-active phase was replenished from the oxygen-supply phase to maintain the surface properties of the catalytic-active phase. The XPS results and the remarkable effect of Ce addition to the oxygen-supply phase under oxygen-rich conditions confirmed the validity of the concept of the catalyst preparation consisting of an oxygen-supply phase and a catalytic-active phase.SiO2に担持されたBi–Mo複合酸化物触媒へのCe添加の効果を，プロピレンのアクロレインへの部分酸化について検討した。本研究で検討した触媒は二つの相で構成されおり，SiO2に担持されたMo-酸化物にFe，Ni，Coを導入した格子酸素に対する酸素供給相，およびその周りに担持した反応物からの水素引き抜きを行うBiサイトを持つBi–Mo酸化物の触媒活性相の2相である。本研究では，酸素供給相の酸化還元性を高めるために，酸素供給相にCeを添加した。Ce添加による良好な結果は，酸素リッチの原料ガスを用いた際に観測された。たとえば，P(C3H8)＝10.1 kPa，P(O2)＝15.5 kPa，T＝623 K，通塔時間6時間において，Ceの添加率を0 %から20 %に増加させても，アクロレインの収率は57.6 %から65.3 %へわずかに増加しただけであった。一方，同条件で，P(O2)＝31.0 kPaとした酸素リッチの条件では，Ceの添加率を0 %から20 %に増加させると，アクロレインの収率は27.7 %から61.8 %へと約2倍増加した。原料ガス中に酸素を加えずに反応を繰り返した後の触媒のXPS分析により，触媒活性相と酸素供給相の間のユニークな酸化還元挙動が確認され，触媒活性相の格子酸素は酸素供給相から補充されて，触媒活性相表面の状態が維持されることが明らかになった。これらのXPSによる結果と，酸素リッチ状態での酸素供給相へのCe添加の触媒活性への顕著な効果に基づいて，酸素供給相と触媒活性相からなる触媒調製方法の概念が正しいことを明らかにした