107 research outputs found
Social system, reproduction of helpers and sperm competition in the cooperatively breeding fishes (Julidochromis spp.) in Lake Tanganyika
No full textPrognostic phenotypic and genotypic factors associated with photodynamic therapy response in patients with age-related macular degeneration
No full textTakashi Tsuchihashi,1 Keisuke Mori,1 Kuniko Horie-Inoue,2 Yasushi Okazaki,3 Takuya Awata,4,5 Satoshi Inoue,2 Shin Yoneya1 1Department of Ophthalmology, 2Division of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 3Division of Translational Research, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, 4Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, 5Division of RI Laboratory, Biomedical Research Center, Saitama Medical University, Iruma, Saitama, Japan Background: This study aimed to demonstrate the phenotypic and genotypic factors associated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Methods: The study included 149 patients with exudative AMD treated by PDT. Eight phenotypic factors and ten genotypic factors for three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs800292, rs1061170, rs1410996) in the complement factor H (CFH) gene, rs 11200638-SNP in the high temperature requirement A-1 (HTRA1) gene, two SNPs (rs699947, rs2010963) in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene, and four SNPs (rs12948385, rs12150053, rs9913583, rs1136287) in the pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) gene were evaluated. Results: A significant association with best-corrected visual acuity change was demonstrated in the greatest linear dimension, presence or absence of pigment epithelial detachment, and HTRA1-rs11200638 genotype statistically (P=3.67×10-4, 1.95×10-2, 1.24×10-3, respectively). Best-corrected visual acuity in patients with AA genotype of HTRA1-rs11200638 significantly decreased compared with that in patients with GG genotype (P=1.33×10-3). Logistic regression analyses demonstrated HTRA1-rs11200638 genotype was most strongly associated with best-corrected visual acuity outcome from baseline at 12 months after photodynamic therapy (P=4.60×10-3; odds ratio 2.363; 95% confidence interval 1.303–4.285).Conclusion: The HTRA1-rs11200638 variant showed the most significant association. Therefore, this variant may be used as a prognostic factor to estimate the PDT response with significant predictive power. Keywords: age-related macular degeneration, photodynamic therapy, phenotypic and genotypic factors, high temperature requirement A-1, greatest linear dimension, pigment epithelial detachmen
The dynamics of dissolved organic carbon concentration at the mountainous river in Japan
No full textRetrospective, Observation Study: Quantitative and Qualitative Effect of Ezetimibe and HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors on LDL-Cholesterol: Are There Disappearance Thresholds for Small, Dense LDL and IDL?
No full textVEGF is a modifier of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice and humans and protects motoneurons against ischemic death
No full textVEGF is a modifier of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice and humans and protects motoneurons against ischemic death. Lambrechts D, Storkebaum E, Morimoto M, Del-Favero J, Desmet F, Marklund SL, Wyns S, Thijs V, Andersson J, van Marion I, Al-Chalabi A, Bornes S, Musson R, Hansen V, Beckman L, Adolfsson R, Pall HS, Prats H, Vermeire S, Rutgeerts P, Katayama S, Awata T, Leigh N, Lang-Lazdunski L, Dewerchin M, Shaw C, Moons L, Vlietinck R, Morrison KE, Robberecht W, Van Broeckhoven C, Collen D, Andersen PM, Carmeliet P. The Center for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology and Department of Neurology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, KU Leuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable degenerative disorder of motoneurons. We recently reported that reduced expression of Vegfa causes ALS-like motoneuron degeneration in Vegfa(delta/delta) mice. In a meta-analysis of over 900 individuals from Sweden and over 1,000 individuals from Belgium and England, we now report that subjects homozygous with respect to the haplotypes -2,578A/-1,154A/-634G or -2,578A/-1,154G/-634G in the VEGF promoter/leader sequence had a 1.8 times greater risk of ALS (P = 0.00004). These 'at-risk' haplotypes lowered circulating VEGF levels in vivo and reduced VEGF gene transcription, IRES-mediated VEGF expression and translation of a novel large-VEGF isoform (L-VEGF) in vivo. Moreover, SOD1(G93A) mice crossbred with Vegfa(delta/delta) mice died earlier due to more severe motoneuron degeneration. Vegfa(delta/delta) mice were unusually susceptible to persistent paralysis after spinal cord ischemia, and treatment with Vegfa protected mice against ischemic motoneuron death. These findings indicate that VEGF is a modifier of motoneuron degeneration in human ALS and unveil a therapeutic potential of Vegfa for stressed motoneurons in mice
Seasonal occurrence and sexual maturation of Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) at the northern limits of their distribution
No full textThe distribution of aquatic animals is severely limited by water temperature. However, little is known about migration pattern, over-wintering and reproduction at the northern limits of their distribution. To investigate the sexual maturation of the Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) and its ability to survive during winter at the northern limits of its distribution, we conducted monthly collections at Usujiri in northern Japan and carried out low temperature tolerance experiments. Squids were collected only during four months in autumn and early winter. In autumn, all squids were large and sexually mature, and many egg masses were found on the surface of seagrass, whereas in early winter, only small immature squids were collected. A warm northward-flowing current reached near Usujiri in autumn. These results suggest that squids were transported by the current and some small squids were recruits that hatched at Usujiri. Field data and low temperature tolerance experiments showed that I. paradoxus can not survive in the low seawater temperature that occurs at Usujiri in winter. The migration pattern in I. paradoxus may differ from the major pattern where young fish are passively transported and never reproduce at the northern limits
Humin Assists Reductive Acetogenesis in Absence of Other External Electron Donor
No full textThe utilization of extracellular electron transfer by microorganism is highly engaging for remediation of toxic pollutants under “energy-starved” conditions. Humin, an organo-mineral complex of soil, has been instrumental as an external electron mediator for suitable electron donors in the remediative works of reductive dehalogenation, denitrification, and so forth. Here, we report, for the first time, that humin assists microbial acetogenesis as the extracellular electron donor using the electron acceptor CO 2 . Humin was obtained from Kamajima paddy soil, Japan. The anaerobic acetogenic consortium in mineral medium containing CO 2 / HCO 3 − as the inorganic carbon source used suspended humin as the energy source under mesophilic dark conditions. Retardation of acetogenesis under the CO 2 -deficient conditions demonstrated that humin did not function as the organic carbon source but as electron donor in the CO 2 -reducing acetogenesis. The consortium with humin also achieved anaerobic dechlorination with limited methanogenic activity. Total electron-donating capacity of humin was estimated at about 87 µeeq/g-humin. The metagenomic sequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed the predominance of Firmicutes (71.8 ± 2.5%) in the consortium, and Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae were considered as the CO 2 -reducing acetogens in the consortium. Thus, microbial fixation of CO 2 using humin introduces new insight to the holistic approach for sustainable treatment of contaminants in environment
Anaerobic Dechlorination by a Humin-Dependent Pentachlorophenol-Dechlorinating Consortium under Autotrophic Conditions Induced by Homoacetogenesis
No full textAnoxic aquifers suffer from energy limitations due to the unavailability of organic substrates, as dictated by hydrogen (H2) for various electron-accepting processes. This deficiency often results in the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants, where bioremediation using organic compounds often leads to secondary contamination. This study involves the reductive dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by dechlorinators that do not use H2 directly, but rather through a reduced state of humin—a solid-phase humic substance—as the extracellular electron donor, which requires an organic donor such as formate, lactate, etc. This shortcoming was addressed by the development of an anaerobic mixed culture that was capable of reductively dechlorinating PCP using humin under autotrophic conditions induced by homoacetogenesis. Here, H2 was used for carbon-dioxide fixation to acetate; the acetate produced was used for the reduction of humin; and consequently used for dechlorination through reduced humin. The 16SrRNA gene sequencing analysis showed Dehalobacter and Dehalobacterium as the possible dechlorinators, while Clostridium and Oxobacter were identified as the homoacetogens. Thus, this work contributes to the development of an anaerobic consortium that balanced H2 dependency, where efficiency of humin reduction extends the applicability of anaerobic microbial remediation in aquifers through autotrophy, syntrophy, and reductive dechlorination
An Empirical Study of Electric Power Demand Control by Real-time Feedback of Consumption Levels: Case of Nushima Island Households
No full textAbstractElectric power demand management will play an important role in the creation of smart-energy communities. We are conducting a field experiment on the real-time feedback of electric power consumption via smart meters and tablet PCs with the participation of 51 households on Nushima Island, one of Japan's remote islands. Our estimate of the effect of feedback in reducing power demand by panel data analysis has revealed that such feedback achieves a saving of 7.6 percent in electric power demand
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