Detection of transgenic and endogenous plant DNA in blood and organs of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fed a diet formulated with genetically modified soybean meal

Anxiety regarding the fate of ingested transgenic DNA in farmed fish fed genetically modified (GM) soybean meal (SBM) has been raised with regard to human consumption. The objective of this study was to detect possibility of gene transfer of transgenic and endogenous DNA fragments in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) blood and organs after consumption of a GM SBM diet. Nile tilapias with an average weight of 75.0 g were fed diets containing 48% GM or non-GM SBM for 21 days. During this period, a GM SBM diet was fed to fish for 12 days, and then switched to feed with non-GM SBM for 9 days for determining the residual span of the transferred cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter fragment. Blood, spleen, liver, intestine, kidney, and muscle tissues were taken (n = 10) every three days during the feeding period. Total DNA was extracted from the samples and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for determining the presence of a 108-bp fragment of the CaMV 35S promoter and a 144-bp fragment of the soybean chloroplast-specific DNA. Low-copy chloroplast-specific DNA fragment was detected in all organ and tissue samples and the majority of intestinal samples of fish fed GM SBM diet. Similarly, a low number and faint signals of the CaMV 35S promoter fragments were detected in all organ samples except muscle of fish fed the GM SBM diet, while none were detected 3 days after changing to a non-GM SBM diet. A very low frequency of transmittance to muscle and organs of fish was confirmed. It is recognized that the low copy number of transgenic DNA in the GM SBM diet is a challenge to their detection in tissues. These results suggested that transgenic DNA would be processed in the gastrointestinal tract in a similar manner with conventional plant DNA

Effect of Paracoccus sp. and their Genetically Modified on Skin Coloration of Red Sea Bream

Astaxanthin (Asx) content in the skin of red sea bream was observed in a feeding trial with two Asx sources: marine bacteria (Paracoccus sp.) and Asx concentrated marine bacteria modified genetically (GM marine bacteria). Four semi purified diets were prepared and contained two levels of marine bacteria (15 and 30 mg Asx/kg), 30 mg Asx/kg of GM marine bacteria and control diet without additional Asx. The diets were fed to fourteen fish of red sea bream (initial weight 128.5 g) which were randomly distributed in each 60-l glass tank. Asx content in the skin of fish fed on non-GM marine bacteria diets were higher than that of fish fed on GM marine bacteria.  Additionally, Asx accumulation in the skin of fish fed on diet of non-GM marine bacteria containing 15 mg Asx/kg diet was higher than those fish fed on diet supplemented with 30 mg Asx/kg of GM marine bacteria. The results showed that by adding the supplement of Asx derived from marine bacteria (Paracoccus sp.) to the red sea bream diets might enhance the skin coloration of red sea bream and the other carotenoids contained in marine bacteria might also enhance the coloration

Design of a variable-stiffness robotic hand using pneumatic soft rubber actuators

In recent years, Japanese society has been ageing, engendering a labor shortage of young workers. Robots are therefore expected to be useful in performing tasks such as day-to-day support for elderly people. In particular, robots that are intended for use in the field of medical care and welfare are expected to be safe when operating in a human environment because they often come into contact with people. Furthermore, robots must perform various tasks such as regrasping, grasping of soft objects, and tasks using frictional force. Given these demands and circumstances, a tendon-driven robot hand with a stiffness changing finger has been developed. The finger surface stiffness can be altered by adjusting the input pressure depending on the task. Additionally, the coefficient of static friction can be altered by changing the surface stiffness merely by adjusting the input air pressure. This report describes the basic structure, driving mechanism, and basic properties of the proposed robot hand

Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Suppression of CPB2 Expression Caused by Persistent Hepatitis C Virus RNA Replication

The mechanisms of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated hepatocarcinogenesis and disease progression are unclear. We previously observed that the expression level of carboxypeptidase B2 (CPB2) gene was remarkably suppressed by persistent HCV RNA replication in human hepatoma cell line Li23-derived cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that the CPB2 expression in patients with chronic hepatitis C was inversely correlated with several risk factors of hepatic fibrosis or steatosis, although ectopic CPB2 expression did not suppress the expression of fibrogenic or lipogenic genes. The suppressed CPB2 expression was restored by treatment with 5-azacytidine. To clarify the mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we analyzed the CPB2 promoter, and the results revealed that (1) hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 (HNF1), especially HNF1α, was essential for the CPB2 promoter, and (2) CPB2 promoter was not methylated by persistent HCV RNA replication. The expression levels of HNF1α and HNF1β were also not changed by persistent HCV RNA replication. These results suggest the existence of 5-azacytidine-inducible or -reducible unknown factor(s) that can control the CPB2 expression. To evaluate this idea we performed a microarray analysis, and several gene candidates corresponding to the suggested factor(s) were identified

Truly chiral phonons in {\alpha}-HgS

Chirality is a manifestation of the asymmetry inherent in nature. It has been defined as the symmetry breaking of the parity of static objects, and the definition was extended to dynamic motion such that true and false chiralities were distinguished. Recently, rotating, yet not propagating, atomic motions were predicted and observed in two-dimensional materials, and they were referred to as "chiral phonons" . A natural development would be the discovery of truly chiral phonons that propagate while rotating in three-dimensional materials. Here, we used circularly polarised Raman scattering and first-principles calculations to identify truly chiral phonons in chiral bulk crystals. This approach enabled us to determine the chirality of a crystal in a non-contact and non-destructive manner. In addition, we demonstrated that the law of the conservation of pseudo-angular momentum holds between circularly polarised photons and chiral phonons. These findings are expected to help develop ways for transferring the pseudo-angular momentum from photons to electron spins via the propagating chiral phonons in opto-phononic-spintronic devices

Computed tomography findings of intersigmoid hernia

Purpose: To evaluate the computed tomography findings of intersigmoid hernias. Material and methods: Between April 2010 and March 2018, 7 patients who were surgically diagnosed with intersigmoid hernia in 3 institutions were enrolled in this study. Two radiologists evaluated imaging findings for the herniated small bowel, the distance between the occlusion point and bifurcation of the left common iliac artery, and the anatomic relationship with adjacent organs. Results: All patients were male, and their mean age (standard deviation, range) was 61.0 (13.5, 36-85) years. The mean size of the bowel loops was 5.2 (1.3, 4.0-8.3) cm in the caudal direction, 3.6 (0.8, 2.5-5.1) cm in the lateral, and 3.4 (0.6, 2.5-4.7) cm in the anterior-posterior direction. The volume was 37.9 (27.8, 15.6-103.0) cm3 approximated by an ellipse, and 24.0 (17.7, 9.9-65.6) cm3 approximated by a truncated cone. The obstruction point was located 3.6 (0.6, 2.8-4.7) cm inferior to the bifurcation of the left common iliac artery. In all cases, the small bowel ran under the point at which the inferior mesenteric vessels bifurcated to the superior rectal vessels and the sigmoid vessels and formed a sac-like appearance between the left psoas muscle and the sigmoid colon. The ureter ran dorsal to the point of the bowel stenosis, and the left gonadal vein ran outside the small bowel loops. Conclusions: All cases showed common imaging findings, which may be characteristic of men's intersigmoid hernia. In addition, the fossa's position was lower, and the size was larger than in the previous study, which may be a risk factor

Clinical Validation of a Multiplex Kit for RAS Mutations in Colorectal Cancer: Results of the RASKET (RAS KEy Testing) Prospective, Multicenter Study

AbstractBackgroundRAS (KRAS and NRAS) testing is required to predict anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) treatment efficacy in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Although direct sequencing (DS) with manual microdissection (MMD) is widely used, a diagnostic kit providing rapid detections of RAS mutations would be clinically beneficial. We evaluated the MEBGENTM RASKET KIT (RASKET KIT), a multiplex assay using PCR-reverse sequence specific oligonucleotide and xMAP® technology to concurrently detect exon 2, 3, and 4 RAS mutations in a short turnaround time (4.5h/96-specimens).MethodsFormalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues were obtained from 308 consenting patients with histologically-confirmed CRC at six hospitals in Japan. For the RASKET KIT, we used only 50–100ng DNA from each FFPE specimen not processed by MMD. The primary endpoint was the concordance rate between RAS mutations identified with the RASKET KIT and two reference assays (DS with MMD and TheraScreen® K-RAS Mutation Kit). As the secondary endpoints, we evaluated the concordance rate between DS and the RASKET KIT for RAS mutations in the wild-type KRAS exon 2 population and the genotyping performance of the RASKET KIT compared with DS.FindingsAmong 307 analyzable specimens, the reference assays detected 140 (45.6%, 140/307) RAS mutations: 111 KRAS exon 2 and 29 other (minor) RAS mutations. The RASKET KIT detected 143 (46.6%, 143/307) mutations: 114 KRAS exon 2 and 29 minor RAS mutations. The between-method concordance rate was 96.7% (297/307) (95% CI: 94.1–98.4%). Minor RAS mutations were detected in 15.7% (30/191) of the wild-type KRAS exon 2 population (n=191); the concordance rate was 98.4% (188/191) (95% CI: 95.5–99.7%). The concordance rate of RAS genotyping was 100% (139/139) (95% CI: 97–100%).InterpretationThe RASKET KIT provides rapid and precise detections of RAS mutations and consequently, quicker and more effective anti-EGFR therapy for CRC (Study ID: UMIN000011784).FundingMedical & Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd. (MBL). MBL had roles in study design, data collection, data analysis, and writing of the report for the study

ICP-AESによる魚体と飼料中カドミウム定量に及ぼすマイクロ波分解条件の影響

東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋生物資源学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学