Input and output budgets of radiocesium concerning the forest floor in the mountain forest of Fukushima released from the TEPCO's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident

AbstractEstimations of radiocesium input and output concerning the forest floor within a mountain forest region have been conducted in the north and central part of the Abukuma Mountains of Fukushima, northeast Japan, after a 2–3 year period following the TEPCO Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident. The radiocesium input and output associated with surface washoff, throughfall, stemflow, and litterfall processes at experimental plots installed on the forest floor of evergreen Japanese cedars and deciduous Konara oaks have been monitored. Despite the high output potential in the mountainous forest of Fukushima, the results at both monitoring locations show the radiocesium input to be 4–50 times higher than the output during the summer monsoon in Fukushima. These results indicate that the radiocesium tends to be preserved in the forest ecosystem due to extremely low output ratios (0.05%–0.19%). Thus, the associated fluxes throughout the circulation process are key issues for the projecting the environmental fate of the radiocesium levels, along with the subsequent reconstruction of life emphasized within the setting

Molecular characterization of buckwheat major immunoglobulin E-reactive proteins in allergic patients

ABSTRACTBuckwheat extract was analyzed by immunoblotting experiments using sera from nine allergic and three non-allergic individuals. Major IgE-reactive bands were 73, 70, 62, 58 and 54kDa under non-reducing conditions and were detected in allergic subjects, but not in non-allergic ones. Under reducing conditions, the 73, 70, 62 and 58kDa bands split to 56 and 24, 52 and 24, 45 and 24, and 43 and 24kDa, respectively. The 24kDa molecule was the most prominent band recognized with IgE as well as IgG or IgA. The FA02 cDNA clone, encoding the α and β subunits of the legumin-like storage protein, was isolated from a cDNA library made of immature buckwheat seeds. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA clone is substantially identical to the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 24kDa molecule, which may be identical to that of BW24KD reported by Urisu et al. Consistent with these results, the translation product of the cDNA encoding the putative β subunit was strongly recognized with serum IgE, IgG and IgA from buckwheat-allergic patients. These results suggested that the 24kDa molecule may be the β subunit of the legumin-like storage molecule of buckwheat

心臓血管外科領域におけるゼラチンシートの止血効果、癒着防止効果の検討

BACKGROUND:The bi1ayer gelatin sealing sheet was developed as a safe, effective, easy-to-handle and low-cost hemostatic agent. OBJECTIVE:To examine the feasibility of gelatin sealing sheets using a canine aterial hemorrhage mode1. METHODS:In vivo degradation of gelatin sealing sheets was examined by implanting subcutaneously in rats. For the hemostatic and anti-adhesion efficacy investigations, femoral arteries of dogs were pricked with syringe needle to make as mall hole, and a gelatin(i.e. experimental group) or fibrin glue sealing sheet (i.e. control group) was applied on the hole to stop bleeding (n=8). After discontinuation of the bleeding, the skin incisions were closed and re-examined 4 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS:From the degradation study, 4h thermally treated gelatin sheet which degraded within 3 weeks in vivo was chosen for the further hemostatic study. In all cases of gelatin and fibrin glue sealing sheets, bleeding from the needle hole on canine femoral arteries was effectively stopped. Postoperative adhesions and inflammation at the site in the experimental group were significantly less than those in the control group (P<0.01 for adhesion scores). CONCLUSIONS:The gelatin sealing sheet was found to be as effective as the fibrin glue sealing sheet as a surgical hemostatic agent, and more effective in preventing postoperative adhesions.博士（医学）・甲第632号・平成27年3月16日Copyright ©2015 IOS Pres

Crystal structure of the anion exchanger domain of human erythrocyte band 3

Anion exchanger 1 (AE1), also known as band 3 or SLC4A1, plays a key role in the removal of carbon dioxide from tissues by facilitating the exchange of chloride and bicarbonate across the plasma membrane of erythrocytes. An isoform of AE1 is also present in the kidney. Specific mutations in human AE1 cause several types of hereditary hemolytic anemias and/or distal renal tubular acidosis. Here we report the crystal structure of the band 3 anion exchanger domain (AE1CTD) at 3.5 angstroms. The structure is locked in an outward-facing open conformation by an inhibitor. Comparing this structure with a substrate-bound structure of the uracil transporter UraA in an inward-facing conformation allowed us to identify the anion-binding position in the AE1CTD, and to propose a possible transport mechanism that could explain why selected mutations lead to disease

Expression and Functional Evaluation of Recombinant Anti-receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Ligand Monoclonal Antibody Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana

Denosumab, an anti-receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand antibody (anti-RANKL), is a fully human monoclonal antibody (mAb) available for the treatment of osteoporosis. In the present study, an anti-RANKL mAb was transiently expressed using the geminiviral expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana, and the functional activity of the plant-produced mAb was determined. The highest expression level of the plant-produced mAb was found at 8 days post-infiltration, and it was estimated to be 0.5 mg/g leaf fresh weight. The recombinant mAb from the plant crude extracts was purified by using Protein A affinity column chromatography. The plant-produced mAb demonstrated good in vitro affinity binding with human RANKL, as determined by RANKL-ELISA binding. The function of the plant-produced mAb was evaluated in vitro. CD14-positive cells isolated from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured in vitro in the presence of human RANKL and macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) to stimulate osteoclastogenesis. The results demonstrated that plant-produced mAb could significantly decrease the number of osteoclasts compared to commercial denosumab. These results demonstrated that the plant-produced mAb has the potential to inhibit osteoclast differentiation and that it could be considered for osteoporosis treatment

Synthesis and antimalarial activity of calothrixins A and B, and their N-alkyl derivatives.

We synthesized calothrixin B using our developed biomimetic method and derived N-alkyl-calothrixins A and B. The in vitro antimalarial activity of the calothrixin derivatives, including calothrixins A and B, against the Plasmodium falciparum FCR-3 strain was evaluated. All test compounds exhibited antimalarial activity over a concentration range of 6.4×10(-6)-1.2×10(-7) M.We synthesized calothrixin B using our developed biomimetic method and derived N-alkyl-calothrixins A and B. The in vitro antimalarial activity of the calothrixin derivatives, including calothrixins A and B, against the Plasmodium falciparum FCR-3 strain was evaluated. All test compounds exhibited antimalarial activity over a concentration range of 6.4×10(-6)-1.2×10(-7) M

National Examination Measures in the Field of Cognitive Disorder : Analysis of Issue of National Examination for the Past Ten Years of Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Speech-Language-Hearing Therapist

[目的]理学療法士(以下PT)・作業療法士(以下OT)・言語聴覚士(以下ST)の国家試験問題過去10年分から,高次脳機能障害分野に関する問題を分析し,国家試験対策の方法を検討することが目的である.[方法] 2002年から2011年のPT ・ OT ・STの過去10年分の国家試験問題から,高次脳機能障害分野の問題を抽出し,総出題数と最頻値,五肢選択形式,問題の深さ(Taxonomy),高次脳機能障害の分類について分析した.[結果]総出題数はPT41問・ OT70問・ST190問であり,最頻値はPT3問・ OT8問・ST20問であった.問題の深さに関しては,想起レベルがPT27問(66%)・ OT41問(59%)・ ST154問(81%)と最も多く、出題形式は五肢択一形式(以下Aタイプ)がPT31問(76%)・ OT55問(79%)・ST150問(79%)と出題される頻度が高かった.高次脳機能障害の出題分野については, STでは失語症に関する問題が120問(63%)と多かった.[結語]問題の傾向としてはAタイプ,想起レベルが多く,語句の意味や定義について正しい知識を身につけることが,国家試験対策の基本となることが再確認された

Long-term follow-up of production of IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among patients with COVID-19

The patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） produce IgM and IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 （SARS-CoV-2）. However, the frequency and duration of antibody production still need to be fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the duration of antibody production after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were monitored over twelve months for the production of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies, and the characteristics of these patients were examined. Forty-five patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were enrolled, and thirty-four patients were followed up until they tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies or up to twelve months after the date of a negative SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction （PCR） result. The positivity rates of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies were 27.3％ and 68.2％ when SARS-CoV-2 PCR was negative, 20.6％ and 70.6％ after one month, 8.8％ and 52.9％ after three months, and 0.0％ and 14.7％ after six months, respectively. Moreover, we compared patients with milder conditions who did not require oxygen administration with those with severe conditions which required oxygen administration. The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies was significantly higher in patients with severe conditions than in those with milder conditions on the date of a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR result and after one month and three months, but not after six months. Patients with more severe COVID-19 produced more SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Moreover, it is suggested that the duration of IgG antibody production is independent of COVID-19 severity