Preparation of Ionic Silsesquioxanes with Regular Structures and Their Hybridization

This paper deals with our recent studies on the preparation of ionic silsesquioxanes (SQs) with regular structures. Cationic ladder-like polySQs (PSQs) with hexagonally stacked structures were successfully prepared by the sol-gel reactions of amino group-containing organotrialkoxysilanes in strong acid aqueous solutions. Self-organization of an ion pair (a salt) prepared from the amino group in the organotrialkoxysilane and an acid is the key factor for the formation of such regular structures of the PSQs. It is also reported that the control of the conformational structure of the PSQs was performed by the introduction of the chiral moieties. In addition, we investigated the correlation between the of acid-catalysts and the structures of SQs prepared by the hydrolytic condensation of amino group-containing organotrialkoxysilane, that is, the use of the superacid aqueous solution resulted in the formation of cage-like octaSQ, while the ladder-like PSQs with hexagonally stacked structures were formed from the strong acid aqueous solutions under the same reaction conditions. Furthermore, anion-exchange behaviors of the cationic ladder-like PSQ were investigated with various organic and inorganic compounds, such as anionic surfactants, a polymer, and layered clay minerals, to obtain the functional hybrid materials

Cell type-dependent gene regulation by Staufen2 in conjunction with Upf1

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Staufen2 (Stau2), a double-stranded RNA-binding protein, is a component of neuronal RNA granules, which are dendritic mRNA transport machines. Although Stau2 is thought to be involved in the dendritic targeting of several mRNAs in neurons, the mechanism whereby Stau2 regulates these mRNAs is unknown. To elucidate the functions of Stau2, we screened for novel binding partners by affinity purification of GST-tagged Stau2 from 293F cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three RNA helicases, RNA helicase A, Upf1 and Mov10, were identified in Stau2-containing complexes. We focused our studies on Upf1, a key player in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Stau2 was found to bind directly to Upf1 in an RNA-independent manner <it>in vitro</it>. Tethering Stau2 to the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of a reporter gene had little effect on its expression in HeLa cells. In contrast, when the same tethering assay was performed in 293F cells, we observed an increase in reporter protein levels. This upregulation of protein expression by Stau2 turned out to be dependent on Upf1. Moreover, we found that in 293F cells, Stau2 upregulates the reporter mRNA level in an Upf1-independent manner.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results indicate that the recruitment of Stau2 alone or in combination with Upf1 differentially affects the fate of mRNAs. Moreover, the results suggest that Stau2-mediated fate determination could be executed in a cell type-specific manner.</p

血中ヘモグロビン濃度及び血中乳酸濃度に対する鉄摂取の影響

ヘモグロビン（Hb）の構成要素である鉄は、ヒトにとって不可欠な栄養素である。Hb は全身に酸素を供給する役割を担っており、鉄の摂取不足は、結果として筋肉への酸素供給の不足を引き起こす。一方、長距離走者のトレーニング効果を評価する生理的指標として血中乳酸濃度が主に用いられているが、鉄の摂取状況と安静時血中乳酸濃度の関係はほとんど明らかとなってない。そこで本研究では鉄欠乏、あるいは鉄過剰食を２週間与えた発育期ラットを用いて、Hb 濃度及び血中乳酸濃度に対する鉄摂取の影響を検討した。鉄欠乏群の体重変化は対照群と比し、小さくなる傾向がみられた。実験最終日の肝臓重量は有意（p＜０.０５）に低下し、腎臓、精巣も低下傾向を示した。一方、心臓重量は有意（p＜０.０１）に増加し、心肥大が認められた。欠乏群の Hb 濃度は経日的に減少し、実験最終日には貧血状態を示した。また、血中乳酸濃度は対照群に比較して約２.５倍の上昇が認められた。逆に、過剰群では Hb 濃度は６日目より著しく上昇し、血中乳酸濃度は低下傾向を示した。以上より、長距離走者における鉄の摂取不足は血中乳酸濃度の上昇をきたすため、身体持久力の低下を引き起こす可能性が大きく、身体能力を維持する上で日常の食生活における十分な鉄の摂取が不可欠であることが示唆された

Transient improvement of urticaria induces poor adherence as assessed by Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8.

Poor adherence to medication is a major public health challenge. Here, we aimed to determine the adherence to oral and topical medications and to analyze underlying associated factors using the translated Japanese version of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 regarding urticaria treatment. Web-based questionnaires were performed for 3096 registered dermatological patients, along with a subanalysis of 751 registered urticaria patients in this study. The adherence to oral medication was significantly associated with the frequency of hospital visits. Variables that affected the adherence to topical medication included age and experience of drug effectiveness. The rate of responses that "It felt like the symptoms had improved" varied significantly among the dermatological diseases treated with oral medications. Dermatologists should be aware that adherence to the treatment of urticaria is quite low. Regular visits and active education for patients with urticaria are mandatory in order to achieve a good therapeutic outcome by increasing the adherence

Bipolar localization of putative photoreceptor protein for phototaxis in thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus

Funding Information: This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for scientific research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan (no. 11640653 to K.M.).We identified an open reading frame from a database of the entire genome of Synechococcus elongatus, the product of which was very similar to pixJ1, which was proposed as photoreceptor gene for phototaxis in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 [Yoshihara et al. (2000) Plant Cell Physiol. 41: 1299]. The mRNA of S. elongatus pixJ (SepixJ) was expressed in vivo as a part of the product of an operon. SePixJ was detected exclusively in the membrane fraction after cell fractionation. Immunogold labeling of SePixJ in ultra-thin sections indicated that it existed only in both ends of the rod-shaped cell; probably bound with the cytoplasmic membrane.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Handheld magnetic probe with permanent magnet and Hall sensor for identifying sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients

Abstract The newly developed radioisotope-free technique based on magnetic nanoparticle detection using a magnetic probe is a promising method for sentinel lymph node biopsy. In this study, a novel handheld magnetic probe with a permanent magnet and magnetic sensor is developed to detect the sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients. An outstanding feature of the probe is the precise positioning of the sensor at the magnetic null point of the magnet, leading to highly sensitive measurements unaffected by the strong ambient magnetic fields of the magnet. Numerical and experimental results show that the longitudinal detection length is approximately 10 mm, for 140 μg of iron. Clinical tests were performed, for the first time, using magnetic and blue dye tracers—without radioisotopes—in breast cancer patients to demonstrate the performance of the probe. The nodes were identified through transcutaneous and ex-vivo measurements, and the iron accumulation in the nodes was quantitatively revealed. These results show that the handheld magnetic probe is useful in sentinel lymph node biopsy and that magnetic techniques are widely being accepted as future standard methods in medical institutions lacking nuclear medicine facilities

Amphiphilic γ-cyclodextrin–fullerene complexes with photodynamic activity

Amphiphilic γ-cyclodextrin–fullerene 2 : 1 complexes (CLFCH complexes) were prepared by high-speed vibration milling of lipophilic tail-grafted γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD), hydrophilic tail-grafted γ-CD and fullerene C₆₀. The transamidation of γ-CD–fullerene complexes having two amino groups with lipophilic and hydrophilic activated esters also afforded amphiphilic CLFCH complexes. Self-assemblies consisting of amphiphilic CLFCH complexes efficiently generated singlet oxygen under photoirradiation. Under visible light irradiation conditions, CLFCH complexes bearing a vitamin E moiety as a lipophilic tail showed high photodynamic activity toward cancer cells

One-Year Period Prevalence of Oral Aphthous Ulcers and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Behçet&apos;s Disease

The aim of this study was to investigate the 1-year period prevalence of oral aphthous ulcers (OAUs) and their association with oral health-related quality of life (OHQOL) in patients with Behçet&apos;s disease (BD) and in the general population. In this cross-sectional study, 675 patients with Behçet&apos;s disease (BD group) and 1,097 males and females in the Japanese general population (control group) completed both questionnaires on their OAU status during the prior year and the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). In the BD group, 84% of patients reported experiencing an OAU during the previous year, and the mean number of OAUs/year was 13. In the control group, 31% of individuals experienced an OAU during the previous year, and the mean number of OAUs/year was one. Multivariate analysis indicated that both BD patients (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 4.8-8.0) and controls (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.0-3.5) who had OAUs at least twice per year were more likely to have GOHAI scores below the norm than were controls who had fewer than two OAUs per year. The association between HLA-B * 51 and OAUs remains unknown. The presence of OAUs has a negative effect on the OHQOL of patients with BD