Ordsprog og idiomer

In this article, I focus on the difference between proverbs and idioms which derive from proverbs. Both proverbs and idioms are hard to defi ne, as it is also difficult to categorize a specific expression being either a proverb or an idiom. Fixed form is one feature of proverbs as well as that a proverb appears as a sentence, but today one can easily find variations and/or modifications of proverbs. To see how those idioms which derive from proverbs are used in actual speech, I have collected examples from a number of corpuses. Some of these idioms are truncated and, being quite conventional, used almost only in their reduced form. Some idioms lose the negations which the original proverbs show, but they still carry their original meaning implicated by the proverbs. A proverb, as a whole, is lexicalized and this is why one can use part of the proverb and/or the proverb modified. However, when a part or a component of a proverb becomes strongly lexicalized and no longer connected with its original meaning as a proverb, then such an expression can be regarded as an idiom

<ORIGINAL ARTICLE>Histochemical Localization of Carbonic Anhydrase in the Taste Buds of the Mouse and Goldfish

The activity of carbonic anhydrase in the taste buds of the mouse and goldfish was examined by enzyme histochemistry. An intense reaction of carbonic anhydrase was observed in the middle and basal regions of the taste buds in the mouse circumvallate papillae. Under the electron microscope, the reaction product was found in the cytoplasm of type-I cells which are characterized by the presence of ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum. In other cell types (type-II and type-Ill cells), no reaction was detected. In the fungiform papillae, the reactivity was similar to that in the circumvallate ones; however, only a few cells were positively stained. In the goldfish, the receptor cells, which are characterized by the presence of tubular system, showed strong carbonic anhydrase activity. The results suggest that the activity of carbonic anhydrase, which is usually associated with H^+ or HCOs transport, is present in a specific type of taste bud cells

Effect of amyloid β-peptide on the fluidity of phosphatidylcholine membranes: Uses and limitations of diphenylhexatriene fluorescence anisotropy

AbstractThere is accumulating evidence that peptide-induced perturbations in the order and dynamics of cellular membranes may play a role in the neurotoxicity of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). Several studies have reported that Aβ decreases fluidity of membranes based on an Aβ-induced increase in the fluorescence anisotropy of diphenylhexatriene (DPH). However, the effect of Aβ on the membrane fluidity is still a subject of controversy, because other studies that employed pyrene as a fluorescent probe have shown that Aβ has the opposite effect. To reveal the reason for this discrepancy, we have examined the effect of Aβ on the fluidity of phosphatidylcholine membranes using spectroscopic methods. The fluorescence anisotropy of DPH is dramatically increased on addition of Aβ to DPH-containing phosphatidylcholine membranes. However, Aβ does not affect the Raman spectrum of the membrane, which is sensitive to the packing order of the hydrocarbon chains of lipids. We have also found that circular dichroism (CD) bands of DPH appear during incubation of DPH-containing membranes with Aβ, whereas DPH is an achiral molecule. The observed CD bands of DPH are induced by a chiral environment of Aβ but not by that of the lipids, because positive CD bands appear regardless of the d/l-chirality of phosphatidylcholine. The findings obtained from CD measurements provide evidence that DPH molecules translocate from the membrane to Aβ. The peptide-mediated extraction of DPH from the membrane may cause changes in the fluorescence anisotropy of DPH, even though Aβ does not affect the fluidity of membranes

<ORIGINAL ARTICLE>Stem cells of olfactory cells during embryonic development

胎生期のマウスの嗅上皮と鋤鼻器の嗅細胞の幹細胞についてブロモデオキシウリジン(BrdU)と神経細胞接着分子(NCAM)の抗体を用いた二重染色と電顕により調べた。妊娠マウスにBrdUを投与し1時間後屠殺すると,胎生12日目の嗅上皮と鋤鼻器では上皮全体にBrdU標識細胞が多数みられ,活発に分裂していることが示唆された。これらの細胞は円柱形で,少数のリボゾーム,粗面小胞体を有しNCAM陰性であった。これらの細胞の間にNCAM陽性の嗅細胞が少数みられた。胎生14日目には,円柱形細胞は上皮の基底側に限局するようになった。円柱形細胞のBrdU標識は,BrdU投与24時間後には大部分,上皮中央の嗅細胞層へ移動することから,この円柱形細胞が嗅細胞へ分化することが示唆された。胎生17～19日目には,円柱形細胞は,鋤鼻器ではNCAM陽性の丸い細胞に,嗅上皮では二種類の基底細胞(globose basal cells, basal cells proper)に置き代るようになる。Stem cells of olfactory (receptor) cells in the olfactory epithelium and vomeronasal organ during embryonic development of mice were investigated by double immunostaining using anti-neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and anti-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) antibodies and by electron microscopy. The columnar-shaped cells which were negative for NCAM and located throughout the epithelium on embryonic day (E) 12 and then in the basal region after E 14, were numerously labeled with BrdU, indicating active division, when BrdU was injected 1 hr before sacrifice. These cells are presumed to develop into NCAM-immunoreactive olfactory (receptor) cells of the middle region of the epithelium since numerous labelings appeared in the middle region 24 hrs after injection of BrdU. Evidence of migration of the columnar cells from olfactory epithelium along the axons was observed. On E 17, the columnar cells in the vomeronasal organ became round-shaped, located above the processes of the supporting cells, and were stained with NCAM. On the other hand, the columnar cells in the olfactory epithelium differentiated into round-shaped cells and pyramidal-shaped cells on E 19, which respectively corresponded to globose basal cells and basal cells proper seen in postnatal epithelium, although the round-shaped cells were negative for NCAM. The result suggests that the columnar cells as stem cells of olfactory (recepetor) cells observed in embryonic days differentiate into round-shaped cells in late embryonic days and that cells in the olfactory epithelium mature at a later stage than those in the VNO

U.S. Military Service Members’ Reintegration, Culture, and Spiritual Development

This qualitative study aims to find common themes that may suggest portrayals of former service members’ psychological development and their reintegration. We have found their cognitive dissonance from experiencing two very different cultures: the highly structured collective culture of military life and the individualistic culture of civilian life. Former service members tend to develop and maintain the strong ideology of “service to others” in civilian life as their goal or purpose of life. It became clear to us how they have reached to this ideology when we used our ethnic backgrounds and understandings as Japanese researchers who came from a society where collective well-being is highly valued. We came to the conclusion that the macroscopic as well as spiritual views would be beneficial to incorporate when counselors, support organizations, or health care providers are assisting former service members’ transition into civilian life

Coral Larvae under Ocean Acidification: Survival, Metabolism, and Metamorphosis

Ocean acidification may negatively impact the early life stages of some marine invertebrates including corals. Although reduced growth of juvenile corals in acidified seawater has been reported, coral larvae have been reported to demonstrate some level of tolerance to reduced pH. We hypothesize that the observed tolerance of coral larvae to low pH may be partly explained by reduced metabolic rates in acidified seawater because both calcifying and non-calcifying marine invertebrates could show metabolic depression under reduced pH in order to enhance their survival. In this study, after 3-d and 7-d exposure to three different pH levels (8.0, 7.6, and 7.3), we found that the oxygen consumption of Acropora digitifera larvae tended to be suppressed with reduced pH, although a statistically significant difference was not observed between pH conditions. Larval metamorphosis was also observed, confirming that successful recruitment is impaired when metamorphosis is disrupted, despite larval survival. Results also showed that the metamorphosis rate significantly decreased under acidified seawater conditions after both short (2 h) and long (7 d) term exposure. These results imply that acidified seawater impacts larval physiology, suggesting that suppressed metabolism and metamorphosis may alter the dispersal potential of larvae and subsequently reduce the resilience of coral communities in the near future as the ocean pH decreases

A temporal mechanism that produces neuronal diversity in the Drosophila visual center

AbstractThe brain consists of various types of neurons that are generated from neural stem cells; however, the mechanisms underlying neuronal diversity remain uncertain. A recent study demonstrated that the medulla, the largest component of the Drosophila optic lobe, is a suitable model system for brain development because it shares structural features with the mammalian brain and consists of a moderate number and various types of neurons. The concentric zones in the medulla primordium that are characterized by the expression of four transcription factors, including Homothorax (Hth), Brain-specific homeobox (Bsh), Runt (Run) and Drifter (Drf), correspond to types of medulla neurons. Here, we examine the mechanisms that temporally determine the neuronal types in the medulla primordium. For this purpose, we searched for transcription factors that are transiently expressed in a subset of medulla neuroblasts (NBs, neuronal stem cell-like neural precursor cells) and identified five candidates (Hth, Klumpfuss (Klu), Eyeless (Ey), Sloppy paired (Slp) and Dichaete (D)). The results of genetic experiments at least explain the temporal transition of the transcription factor expression in NBs in the order of Ey, Slp and D. Our results also suggest that expression of Hth, Klu and Ey in NBs trigger the production of Hth/Bsh-, Run- and Drf-positive neurons, respectively. These results suggest that medulla neuron types are specified in a birth order-dependent manner by the action of temporal transcription factors that are sequentially expressed in NBs

Periostin in Allergic Inflammation

ABSTRACTPeriostin, an extracellular matrix protein belonging to the fasciclin family, has been shown to play a critical role in the process of remodeling during tissue/organ development or repair. Periostin functions as a matricellular protein in cell activation by binding to their receptors on cell surface, thereby exerting its biological activities. After we found that periostin is a downstream molecule of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, signature cytokines of type 2 immune responses, we showed that periostin is a component of subepithelial fibrosis in bronchial asthma, the first formal proof that periostin is involved in allergic inflammation. Subsequently, a great deal of evidence has accumulated demonstrating the significance of periostin in allergic inflammation. It is of note that in skin tissues, periostin is critical for amplification and persistence of allergic inflammation by communicating between fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Furthermore, periostin has been applied to development of novel diagnostics or therapeutic agents for allergic diseases. Serum periostin can reflect local production of periostin in inflamed lesions induced by Th2-type immune responses and also can predict the efficacy of Th2 antagonists against bronchial asthma. Blocking the interaction between periostin and its receptor, αv integrin, or down-regulating the periostin expression shows improvement of periostin-induced inflammation in mouse models or in in vitro systems. It is hoped that diagnostics or therapeutic agents targeting periostin will be of practical use in the near future