ジェラード・マンリー・ホプキンズと空想の詩学

内容の要約広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(文学)Doctor of Philosophydoctora

Midazolam suppresses interleukin-1β-induced interleukin-6 release from rat glial cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) expression levels are low in normal human brain, but their levels increase in inflammation, brain injury, neurodegenerative states and gliomas. It has been reported that PBR functions as an immunomodulator. The mechanisms of action of midazolam, a benzodiazepine, in the immune system in the CNS remain to be fully elucidated. We previously reported that interleukin (IL)-1β stimulates IL-6 synthesis from rat C6 glioma cells and that IL-1β induces phosphorylation of inhibitory kappa B (IκB), p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-<it>Jun </it>N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3. It has been shown that p38 MAP kinase is involved in IL-1β-induced IL-6 release from these cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of midazolam on IL-1β-induced IL-6 release from C6 cells, and the mechanisms of this effect.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cultured C6 cells were stimulated by IL-1β. IL-6 release from C6 cells was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and phosphorylation of IκB, the MAP kinase superfamily, and STAT3 was analyzed by Western blotting.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Midazolam, but not propofol, inhibited IL-1β-stimulated IL-6 release from C6 cells. The IL-1β-stimulated levels of IL-6 were suppressed by wedelolactone (an inhibitor of IκB kinase), SP600125 (an inhibitor of SAPK/JNK), and JAK inhibitor I (an inhibitor of JAK 1, 2 and 3). However, IL-6 levels were not affected by PD98059 (an inhibitor of MEK1/2). Midazolam markedly suppressed IL-1β-stimulated STAT3 phosphorylation without affecting the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase, SAPK/JNK or IκB.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results strongly suggest that midazolam inhibits IL-1β-induced IL-6 release in rat C6 glioma cells via suppression of STAT3 activation. Midazolam may affect immune system function in the CNS.</p

J.E.ミレイ ト ファンシー・ピクチャー ハイ・アート ショウヒ コマーシャリズム

19世紀イギリスの画家ジョン・エヴァレット・ミレイによる感傷的な幼児の肖像画は「ファンシー・ピクチャー」と呼ばれ、大変需要が高かった。特に例に挙げられるのは、Cherry Ripe と広告にもなったBubbles である。ファンシー・ピクチャーは実人生を描くのではなく、道徳的意味合いを含まない空想を描いた。ヴィクトリア朝の大衆は広告や複製画でミレイのファンシー・ピクチャーに大いに慣れ親しみ、Bubbles やCherry Ripe といった絵が印刷された商品や複製画を購入して消費に参入した。ミレイのファンシー・ピクチャーの中で、もっともコマーシャリズムや消費と関連しているのがBubbles であり、ハイ・アートとして製作されたミレイの作品が、本人の意図と関係なく、広告にされてしまった。この件を巡り、ハイ・アートとロー・アートの関係について議論がなされたことについて、ハイ・アート、消費、コマーシャリズムの関連について論じている

G.M.ホプキンズノソネットニオケルタイリツノトウゴウ

This article discusses the theme of the unity of opposites in content and form seen in the sonnets of Gerard Manley Hopkins. It focuses on the three phases of his sonnets: the Bright Sonnets (1877), the Dark Sonnets (1885), and a sonnet written after the Dark Sonnets. In the Bright Sonnets, "God\u27s Grandeur" expresses praise for God. Sound patterns connect different senses. The tone of the first quatrain is luminous and expresses praise for God, but the tone changes. In the octave, the world charged with the grandeur of God and the one damaged by men show contrasts. In "The Windhover: To Christ our Lord" the poet is inspired by the attitude of "Falcon" as "the Windhover." It also symbolizes Christ as the title shows. Hopkins\u27 enthusiasm as a poet in the octave and his calmness to control it as a priest in the sestet are barely balanced. The bird is described as "dapple-dawn -dawn Falcon." Three words are connected by alliteration, and "dapple" symbolizes God who unites all creatures into the whole. Dapple is clearly expressed in "Pied Beauty" and manifests the ideal world for Hopkins. The sestet shows the beauty of dappled things, and the quatrain unites them. Though the sonnet has unity in itself, it deviates from normal sonnet form and is written as a "curtal sonnet." Hopkins more often experiments with sonnet from in the Dark Sonnets and the sonnets afterwards. Contrary to the Bright Sonnets, the Dark Sonnets describes the world without the control of God. Darkness is a trait of the Dark Sonnets, where man\u27s self is detached from God. After the Dark Sonnets, Hopkins wrote a sonnet called "That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire and of the comfort of the Resurrection" (1888). In this sonnet, man\u27s self becomes immortal to be united with Christ

Heterogeneous circulating miRNA profiles of PBMAH

ObjectivePrimary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH), a rare cause of Cushing syndrome, is often diagnosed as a bilateral adrenal incidentaloma with subclinical cortisol production. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are a characteristic of adrenocortical adenomas, but miRNA expression in PBMAH has not been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the circulating miRNA expression in patients with PBMAH and compare them with those in patients with non-functioning adrenocortical adenoma (NFA) and cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenoma (CPA).MethodsmiRNA profiling of plasma samples from four, five, and five patients with NFA, CPA, and PBMAH, respectively, was performed. Selected miRNA expressions were validated using quantitative RT-PCR.ResultsPBMAH samples showed distinct miRNA expression signatures on hierarchical clustering while NFA and CPA samples were separately clustered. PBMAH was distinguished from the adenoma group of NFA and CPA by 135 differentially expressed miRNAs. Hsa-miR-1180-3p, hsa-miR-4732-5p, and hsa-let-7b-5p were differentially expressed between PBMAH and adenoma (P = 0.019, 0.006, and 0.003, respectively). Furthermore, PBMAH could be classified into two subtypes based on miRNA profiling: subtype 1 with a similar profile to those of adenoma and subtype 2 with a distinct profile. Hsa-miR-631, hsa-miR-513b-5p, hsa-miR-6805-5p, and hsa-miR-548av-5p/548k were differentially expressed between PBMAH subtype 2 and adenoma (P = 0.027, 0.027, 0.027, and 1.53E-04, respectively), but not between PBMAH, as a whole, and adenoma.ConclusionCirculating miRNA signature was identified specific for PBMAH. The existence of subtype-based miRNA profiles may be associated with the pathophysiological heterogeneity of PBMAH

Complete Genomic Structure of the Bloom-forming Toxic Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-843

The nucleotide sequence of the complete genome of a cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-843, was determined. The genome of M. aeruginosa is a single, circular chromosome of 5 842 795 base pairs (bp) in length, with an average GC content of 42.3%. The chromosome comprises 6312 putative protein-encoding genes, two sets of rRNA genes, 42 tRNA genes representing 41 tRNA species, and genes for tmRNA, the B subunit of RNase P, SRP RNA, and 6Sa RNA. Forty-five percent of the putative protein-encoding sequences showed sequence similarity to genes of known function, 32% were similar to hypothetical genes, and the remaining 23% had no apparent similarity to reported genes. A total of 688 kb of the genome, equivalent to 11.8% of the entire genome, were composed of both insertion sequences and miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements. This is indicative of a plasticity of the M. aeruginosa genome, through a mechanism that involves homologous recombination mediated by repetitive DNA elements. In addition to known gene clusters related to the synthesis of microcystin and cyanopeptolin, novel gene clusters that may be involved in the synthesis and modification of toxic small polypeptides were identified. Compared with other cyanobacteria, a relatively small number of genes for two component systems and a large number of genes for restriction-modification systems were notable characteristics of the M. aeruginosa genome

Evidence for an Essential Deglycosylation-Independent Activity of PNGase in Drosophila melanogaster

BACKGROUND: Peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase) is an enzyme which releases N-linked glycans from glycopeptides/glycoproteins. This enzyme plays a role in the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway in yeast and mice, but the biological importance of this activity remains unknown. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we characterized the ortholog of cytoplasmic PNGases, PNGase-like (Pngl), in Drosophila melanogaster. Pngl was found to have a molecular weight of approximately 74K and was mainly localized in the cytosol. Pngl lacks a CXXC motif that is critical for enzymatic activity in other species and accordingly did not appear to possess PNGase activity, though it still retains carbohydrate-binding activity. We generated microdeletions in the Pngl locus in order to investigate the functional importance of this protein in vivo. Elimination of Pngl led to a serious developmental delay or arrest during the larval and pupal stages, and surviving mutant adult males and females were frequently sterile. Most importantly, these phenotypes were rescued by ubiquitous expression of Pngl, clearly indicating that those phenotypic consequences were indeed due to the lack of functional Pngl. Interestingly, a putative "catalytic-inactive" mutant could not rescue the growth-delay phenotype, indicating that a biochemical activity of this protein is important for its biological function. CONCLUSION: Pngl was shown to be inevitable for the proper developmental transition and the biochemical properties other than deglycosylation activity is important for its biological function