23時も過ぎた金曜深夜のラボ、上の階からゴンゴンと怪音が響いている…
。鉄筋の建物の分厚いコンクリートの天井を伝わるほどの音をたてて、いったい階上の人は何する人ぞ…。
。鉄筋の建物の分厚いコンクリートの天井を伝わるほどの音をたてて、いったい階上の人は何する人ぞ…。
・asahi.com：生徒と接触、授業のみ 町田の私立高が「禁止令」 - 社会
# そんな学校、生徒が集まるのか？
・暫定税率切れで作業員解雇 - MSN産経ニュー
# 民主党さん、どう思います？この現状…
・報道発表資料 : 「らくらくホン プレミアム」を発売 | お知らせ | NTTドコモ
# らくらくホン好きな方、如何ですか？
・TG Daily - Apple 's 3G iPhone to be priced from $399
・「iPhone」3Gモデル、より薄型デザインでWWDCにて正式発表か:モバイルチャンネル - CNET Japan
# 3G iPhoneがもうすぐ出ることが既定路線になりつつあるな
・AppleInsider | Apple proposes acoustic separation for iPhone conference calls
# 3G iPhoneが楽しみです
・米国での変死者1日あたり137人、半数以上は銃がらみ 国際ニュース : AFPBB News
# それでもやめようとしない銃社会…
・10KBの巨大メモリ：写真で振り返る、データ・ストレージの歴史 | WIRED VISION
# 10TBじゃないですよ、10KBですよ…10,000Bね
・ブログ閲覧の鍵は「習慣」：読者の行動様式に関する調査結果 | WIRED VISION
# は、確かに習慣化しています
・マルウェア付きMP3プレーヤーにご注意、感染したUSB機器発見が相次ぐ - ITmedia エンタープライズ
# USBメモリーを始めとした外部記憶装置全般を繋ぐ際は十分にご注意を
・IE 8でセキュリティ機能のデフォルト設定が変更に - ITmedia News
# IE8ねぇ…
・つい口に出る「微妙」な日本語：第12回 「オファーが入りまして……」――日本語でしゃべってくれ！ - ITmedia Biz.ID
# 最近の御大はもっとひどくて、バイリンガルで話すといいながらほとんど英語だったりします
・世界初の「フルカラー3Dプリンタ」で何を作る？ - ITmedia News
・3Dプリンター Z Series | 株式会社DICO
# 市販されてたのか！
・かぐやHD映像ネット公開「努力する」 JAXA、DVD品質の映像を公開 - ITmedia News
・かぐや画像ギャラリー
# なぜかQuickTImeで開けないMPEGファイル…
・GDIの脆弱性悪用を狙った悪質画像出現、MS月例パッチ公開直後 - ITmedia News
# まだパッチを当てていない方、お急ぎください
・Mac OS X上で150のアプリを同時に動かす : Gizmodo Japan（ギズモード・ジャパン）
・Vista上で煩悩と同じ数のアプリを同時に動かす（動画） : Gizmodo Japan（ギズモード・ジャパン）
# ま、人間の方が処理しきらないとは思うが…
・スタバの行列が長すぎて…あり得ない遅刻の言い訳トップ10 - 米調査 | 経営 | マイコミジャーナル
# どれが一番笑えます？
・リコール：トヨタが２車種 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
# ノア、ヴォクシーな方、ご確認を
・リコール：マツダが３車種、１７万３００台 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
# デミオ、ベリーサ、アクセラな方、ご確認を
・聖火の妨害「愚か者だ」…北京五輪組織委副会長 : 運営・話題 : ニュース : 北京五輪2008 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
# もう既にリレーになっているのかどうかさえ疑問…
・ 長井さんを撮影したロイターのカメラマン、ピュリツァー賞受賞 | ワールド | Reuters
・asahi.com：倒れる長井さんの写真、ピュリツァー賞に - 国際
・asahi.com：「受賞、ミャンマー抗議に弾み」 長井さん同級生ら歓迎 - 社会
# もう半年も経ったのか…
・asahi.com：５００世帯停電、原因は「おにぎり」 岐阜・各務原 - 社会
# まぁ、たまたまそれがおにぎりだったって話なんですけどね
・夫・妻の携帯番号、覚えていない人は6割 - ITmedia +D モバイル
# か、かみさんの携帯の番号？携帯に登録してあるので覚えていません…
・［WSJ］ Yahoo!、AOLと事業統合で近く合意か - ITmedia News
# 混沌としてきましたなぁ
・MSとNews Corp.、Yahoo!の共同買収で話し合い - ITmedia News
# な、何ぃ？もう訳分かりません
・DS Liteを充電し、PSPは車に積んでおでかけ - ITmedia D Games
# お！このスタンドいいな
・NTT西の顧客情報がWinny流出 業務委託先の富士通子会社社員の自宅PCから - ITmedia News
# ITの仕事をしているのにWinnyなんぞ使っているなんて…
・“無法状態” アキバのホコ天 - ITmedia News
# 「社会規範の溶解」…う～ん、深刻だ…
・BBC、任天堂WiiでiPlayerサービスを提供 - ITmedia News
# 英国のみか…残念
・「MSNのSNS」装う偽サイトが出現 - ITmedia News
# MSNユーザーの方、ご注意ください
・Flash Player新版公開、Vistaハッキングで発覚の脆弱性に対処 - ITmedia News
# Flash Playerのアップデートもお忘れなく
・「Yahoo！動画」でSilverlight採用へ Macで閲覧可能に - ITmedia News
・マイクロソフトのMicrosoft(R) Silverlight(TM)テクノロジをヤフー株式会社が採用することを表明
# GJ!
・接写で見る自然の驚き：読者投票の写真コンテスト | WIRED VISION
# 凄いな
・18歳未満は利用禁止？--グーグルのサービス利用規約を考える:スペシャルレポート - CNET Japan
# え？そうだったの？
・「iPhone SDK」のβ3が公開 - 最新のiPhone OSに対応 | パソコン | マイコミジャーナル
# β3が出ているそうです
・「ポケモンカードゲーム バトルロード スプリング★2008」開催中止のお知らせとお詫び | 重要なお知らせ | ニュース | ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト
# 酷い話だ…
# そんな学校、生徒が集まるのか？
・暫定税率切れで作業員解雇 - MSN産経ニュー
# 民主党さん、どう思います？この現状…
・報道発表資料 : 「らくらくホン プレミアム」を発売 | お知らせ | NTTドコモ
# らくらくホン好きな方、如何ですか？
・TG Daily - Apple 's 3G iPhone to be priced from $399
・「iPhone」3Gモデル、より薄型デザインでWWDCにて正式発表か:モバイルチャンネル - CNET Japan
# 3G iPhoneがもうすぐ出ることが既定路線になりつつあるな
・AppleInsider | Apple proposes acoustic separation for iPhone conference calls
# 3G iPhoneが楽しみです
・米国での変死者1日あたり137人、半数以上は銃がらみ 国際ニュース : AFPBB News
# それでもやめようとしない銃社会…
・10KBの巨大メモリ：写真で振り返る、データ・ストレージの歴史 | WIRED VISION
# 10TBじゃないですよ、10KBですよ…10,000Bね
・ブログ閲覧の鍵は「習慣」：読者の行動様式に関する調査結果 | WIRED VISION
# は、確かに習慣化しています
・マルウェア付きMP3プレーヤーにご注意、感染したUSB機器発見が相次ぐ - ITmedia エンタープライズ
# USBメモリーを始めとした外部記憶装置全般を繋ぐ際は十分にご注意を
・IE 8でセキュリティ機能のデフォルト設定が変更に - ITmedia News
# IE8ねぇ…
・つい口に出る「微妙」な日本語：第12回 「オファーが入りまして……」――日本語でしゃべってくれ！ - ITmedia Biz.ID
# 最近の御大はもっとひどくて、バイリンガルで話すといいながらほとんど英語だったりします
・世界初の「フルカラー3Dプリンタ」で何を作る？ - ITmedia News
・3Dプリンター Z Series | 株式会社DICO
# 市販されてたのか！
・かぐやHD映像ネット公開「努力する」 JAXA、DVD品質の映像を公開 - ITmedia News
・かぐや画像ギャラリー
# なぜかQuickTImeで開けないMPEGファイル…
・GDIの脆弱性悪用を狙った悪質画像出現、MS月例パッチ公開直後 - ITmedia News
# まだパッチを当てていない方、お急ぎください
・Mac OS X上で150のアプリを同時に動かす : Gizmodo Japan（ギズモード・ジャパン）
・Vista上で煩悩と同じ数のアプリを同時に動かす（動画） : Gizmodo Japan（ギズモード・ジャパン）
# ま、人間の方が処理しきらないとは思うが…
・スタバの行列が長すぎて…あり得ない遅刻の言い訳トップ10 - 米調査 | 経営 | マイコミジャーナル
# どれが一番笑えます？
・リコール：トヨタが２車種 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
# ノア、ヴォクシーな方、ご確認を
・リコール：マツダが３車種、１７万３００台 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
# デミオ、ベリーサ、アクセラな方、ご確認を
・聖火の妨害「愚か者だ」…北京五輪組織委副会長 : 運営・話題 : ニュース : 北京五輪2008 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
# もう既にリレーになっているのかどうかさえ疑問…
・ 長井さんを撮影したロイターのカメラマン、ピュリツァー賞受賞 | ワールド | Reuters
・asahi.com：倒れる長井さんの写真、ピュリツァー賞に - 国際
・asahi.com：「受賞、ミャンマー抗議に弾み」 長井さん同級生ら歓迎 - 社会
# もう半年も経ったのか…
・asahi.com：５００世帯停電、原因は「おにぎり」 岐阜・各務原 - 社会
# まぁ、たまたまそれがおにぎりだったって話なんですけどね
・夫・妻の携帯番号、覚えていない人は6割 - ITmedia +D モバイル
# か、かみさんの携帯の番号？携帯に登録してあるので覚えていません…
・［WSJ］ Yahoo!、AOLと事業統合で近く合意か - ITmedia News
# 混沌としてきましたなぁ
・MSとNews Corp.、Yahoo!の共同買収で話し合い - ITmedia News
# な、何ぃ？もう訳分かりません
・DS Liteを充電し、PSPは車に積んでおでかけ - ITmedia D Games
# お！このスタンドいいな
・NTT西の顧客情報がWinny流出 業務委託先の富士通子会社社員の自宅PCから - ITmedia News
# ITの仕事をしているのにWinnyなんぞ使っているなんて…
・“無法状態” アキバのホコ天 - ITmedia News
# 「社会規範の溶解」…う～ん、深刻だ…
・BBC、任天堂WiiでiPlayerサービスを提供 - ITmedia News
# 英国のみか…残念
・「MSNのSNS」装う偽サイトが出現 - ITmedia News
# MSNユーザーの方、ご注意ください
・Flash Player新版公開、Vistaハッキングで発覚の脆弱性に対処 - ITmedia News
# Flash Playerのアップデートもお忘れなく
・「Yahoo！動画」でSilverlight採用へ Macで閲覧可能に - ITmedia News
・マイクロソフトのMicrosoft(R) Silverlight(TM)テクノロジをヤフー株式会社が採用することを表明
# GJ!
・接写で見る自然の驚き：読者投票の写真コンテスト | WIRED VISION
# 凄いな
・18歳未満は利用禁止？--グーグルのサービス利用規約を考える:スペシャルレポート - CNET Japan
# え？そうだったの？
・「iPhone SDK」のβ3が公開 - 最新のiPhone OSに対応 | パソコン | マイコミジャーナル
# β3が出ているそうです
・「ポケモンカードゲーム バトルロード スプリング★2008」開催中止のお知らせとお詫び | 重要なお知らせ | ニュース | ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト
# 酷い話だ…
Yoshikazu Tanaka, Tomoyuki Takeuchi, Stephen W. Lovesey, Kevin S. Knight, Ashish Chainani, Yasutaka Takata, Masaki Oura, Yasunori Senba, Haruhiko Ohashi, Shik Shin.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 145502 (2008) | doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.145502
Enantiomers, or stereoisomers, have crystal structures that are mirror images of each other and are thus handed, like our right and left hands. The physical properties of enantiomers are identical except for optical activity, which rotates linearly polarized light by equal amounts but in opposite directions. While conventional x-ray Bragg diffraction can determine crystal structures, it does not distinguish between right- and left-handed crystals. We show resonant Bragg diffraction using circularly polarized x rays reveals the handedness of crystals by coupling x-ray helicity to a crystal screw axis. The intensity of resonantly allowed reflection of α-quartz is well described by an admixture of a parity-even and a parity-odd process. Our results are of general importance and demonstrate a new method to directly study chiral motifs in structures that include biomaterials, liquid crystals, magnets, multiferroics, etc.# 「円偏光X線」なんて作れるんだ
Hideki Masaki, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Shunichi Takahashi, Masafumi Okumura, Noriko Sakai, Megumi Haga, Katsuya Kominami, Hideyuki Migita, Fiona McDonald, Fumiki Shimada, Kazuhiro Sakurada.
Stem Cell Research, Article in Press | doi:10.1016/j.scr.2008.01.001
Induction of pluripotent stem cells from human fibroblasts has been achieved by the ectopic expression of two different sets of four genes. However, the mechanism of the pluripotent stem cell induction has not been elucidated. Here we identified a marked heterogeneity in colonies generated by the four-gene (Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4) transduction method in human neonatal skin-derived cells. The four-gene transduction gave a higher probability of induction for archetypal pluripotent stem cell marker genes (Nanog, TDGF, and Dnmt3b) than for marker genes that are less specific for pluripotent stem cells (CYP26A1 and TERT) in primary induction culture. This tendency may reflect the molecular mechanism underlying the induction of human skin-derived cells into pluripotent stem cells. Among the colonies induced by the four-gene transduction, small cells with a high nucleus-to–cytoplasm ratio could be established by repeated cloning. Subsequently established cell lines were similar to human embryonic stem cells as well as human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from adult tissue in morphology, gene expression, long-term self-renewal ability, and teratoma formation. Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism array analysis of the human iPS cell line indicates that the induction process did not induce DNA mutation.# 知財戦略がかなり混沌としてくることは確か…儲けようとしなければ、誰もお互いに攻撃できない状況になるんじゃないかと…
# 残念ながら、まだホームページもないようなので詳細分からず…
Atsushi Kuhara, Masatoshi Okumura, Tsubasa Kimata, Yoshinori Tanizawa, Ryo Takano, Koutarou D. Kimura, Hitoshi Inada, Kunihiro Matsumoto, Ikue Mori.
Science, Science Express | DOI: 10.1126/science.1148922
Temperature is an unavoidable environmental cue that affects metabolism and behavior of any creature on earth, yet how animals perceive temperature is poorly understood. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans memorizes temperatures, and this stored information modifies subsequent migration in temperature gradient. We show that the olfactory neuron designated AWC senses temperature. Ca2+ imaging revealed that AWC responds to temperature changes and that response thresholds differ depending on the temperature to which the animal was previously exposed. In the mutant with impairment of a heteromeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) mediated signaling, AWC was hyperresponsive to temperature, whereas the AIY interneuron postsynaptic to AWC was hyporesponsive to temperature. Thus, temperature sensation exhibits a robust influence on a neural circuit controlling a memory-regulated behavior.# 嗅覚と温感が同じ神経情報伝達だとは…
Narihito Nagoshi, Shinsuke Shibata, Yoshiaki Kubota, Masaya Nakamura, Yasuo Nagai, Etsuko Satoh, Satoru Morikawa, Yohei Okada, Yo Mabuchi, Hiroyuki Katoh, Seiji Okada, Keiichi Fukuda, Toshio Suda, Yumi Matsuzaki, Yoshiaki Toyama, Hideyuki Okano.
Cell Stem Cell 2, 392-403 (2008) | doi:10.1016/j.stem.2008.03.005
Although recent reports have described multipotent, self-renewing, neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs), the NCSCs in various adult rodent tissues have not been well characterized or compared. Here we identified NCSCs in the bone marrow (BM), dorsal root ganglia, and whisker pad and prospectively isolated them from adult transgenic mice encoding neural crest-specific P0-Cre/Floxed-EGFP and Wnt1-Cre/Floxed-EGFP. Cultured EGFP-positive cells formed neurosphere-like structures that expressed NCSC genes and could differentiate into neurons, glial cells, and myofibroblasts, but the frequency of the cell types was tissue source dependent. Interestingly, we observed NCSCs in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros region, circulating blood, and liver at the embryonic stage, suggesting that NCSCs migrate through the bloodstream to the BM and providing an explanation for how neural cells are generated from the BM. The identification of NCSCs in accessible adult tissue provides a new potential source for autologous cell therapy after nerve injury or disease.# 「神経堤幹細胞 (Neural Crest-Derived Stem Cells：NCSCs)」…最近、幹細胞だらけで訳が分からなくなってきた
# そうか、パラシュートもでかすぎると開かなかったりするのか
Jill D. Pruetz1, Paco Bertolani.
Current Biology 17, 412-417 (2007) | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2006.12.042
Although tool use is known to occur in species ranging from naked mole rats to owls, chimpanzees are the most accomplished tool users. The modification and use of tools during hunting, however, is still considered to be a uniquely human trait among primates. Here, we report the first account of habitual tool use during vertebrate hunting by nonhumans. At the Fongoli site in Senegal, we observed ten different chimpanzees use tools to hunt prosimian prey in 22 bouts. This includes immature chimpanzees and females, members of age-sex classes not normally characterized by extensive hunting behavior. Chimpanzees made 26 different tools, and we were able to recover and analyze 12 of these. Tool construction entailed up to five steps, including trimming the tool tip to a point. Tools were used in the manner of a spear, rather than a probe or rousing tool. This new information on chimpanzee tool use has important implications for the evolution of tool use and construction for hunting in the earliest hominids, especially given our observations that females and immature chimpanzees exhibited this behavior more frequently than adult males.# ヒトをヒトたらしめるものは何なのか…
# おっそろしく高精細な画像です…ムービーもあります
Anthony C. Little, Robert P. Burriss, Benedict C. Jones, Lisa M. DeBruine, Christine A. Caldwell.
Evolution and Human Behaviour 29, 140-146 (2008) | doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.11.007
In nonhuman animals, mate-choice copying has received much attention, with studies demonstrating that females tend to copy the choices of other females for specific males. Here we show, for both men and women, that pairing with an attractive partner increases the attractiveness of opposite-sex faces for long-term relationship decisions but not short-term decisions. Our study therefore shows social transmission of face preference in humans, which may have important consequences for the evolution of human traits. Our study also highlights the flexibility of human mate choice and suggests that, for humans, learning about nonphysical traits that are important to pair-bonding drives copying-like behavior.# 初対面はやはり重要なんだな
Haruka Wada, Kyoko Masuda, Rumi Satoh, Kiyokazu Kakugawa, Tomokatsu Ikawa, Yoshimoto Katsura, Hiroshi Kawamoto.
Nature 452, 768-772 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature06839
During haematopoiesis, pluripotent haematopoietic stem cells are sequentially restricted to give rise to a variety of lineage-committed progenitors. The classical model of haematopoiesis postulates that, in the first step of differentiation, the stem cell generates common myelo-erythroid progenitors and common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs). However, our previous studies in fetal mice showed that myeloid potential persists even as the lineage branches segregate towards T and B cells. We therefore proposed the 'myeloid-based' model of haematopoiesis, in which the stem cell initially generates common myelo-erythroid progenitors and common myelo-lymphoid progenitors. T-cell and B-cell progenitors subsequently arise from common myelo-lymphoid progenitors through myeloid-T and myeloid-B stages, respectively. However, it has been unclear whether this myeloid-based model is also valid for adult haematopoiesis. Here we provide clonal evidence that the early cell populations in the adult thymus contain progenitors that have lost the potential to generate B cells but retain substantial macrophage potential as well as T-cell, natural killer (NK)-cell and dendritic-cell potential. We also show that such T-cell progenitors can give rise to macrophages in the thymic environment in vivo. Our findings argue against the classical dichotomy model in which T cells are derived from CLPs; instead, they support the validity of the myeloid-based model for both adult and fetal haematopoiesis.# 「学説といえるものを日本から発信することは、非常にまれなこと」…んなこたぁないんじゃないか？
# もう既に、指をくわえて眺めている場合でないことだけは確かです
# この夏は最高気温記録は更新されないかも…
Liesje De Schamphelaire, Leen Van den Bossche, Hai Son Dang, Monica Höfte, Nico Boon, Korneel Rabaey, Willy Verstraete.
ASAP Environ. Sci. Technol., ASAP Article | doi:10.1021/es071938w
Living plants transport substantial amounts of organic material into the soil. This process, called rhizodeposition, provides the substrate for the rhizospheric microbial community. In this study, a laboratory-scale sediment microbial fuel cell, of which the anode is positioned in the rhizosphere of the rice plants, is used to microbially oxidize the plant-derived organics. An electrical current was generated through the in situ oxidation of rhizodeposits from living rice plants. The electrical power output of a sediment microbial fuel cell was found to be a factor 7 higher in the presence of actively growing plants. This process offers the potential of light-driven power generation from living plants in a nondestructive way. Sustainable power productions up to 330 W ha－1 could be attributed to the oxidation of the plant-derived compounds.
# 細菌の未発掘の能力は無限に広がっている…
Brendan Maher.
Nature 452, 674-675 (2008) | doi:10.1038/452674a
In January, Nature launched an informal survey into readers' use of cognition-enhancing drugs. Brendan Maher has waded through the results and found large-scale use and a mix of attitudes towards the drugs.# ちなみに私はやってません
# まぁ、生き延びることは出来ないだろうから大丈夫だとは思うが…きちんとオートクレーブをかけてから捨てましょう
Lyudmila G. Burdelya, Vadim I. Krivokrysenko, Thomas C. Tallant, Evguenia Strom, Anatoly S. Gleiberman, Damodar Gupta, Oleg V. Kurnasov, Farrel L. Fort, Andrei L. Osterman, Joseph A. DiDonato, Elena Feinstein, Andrei V. Gudkov.
Science 320, 226-230 (2008) | DOI: 10.1126/science.1154986
The toxicity of ionizing radiation is associated with massive apoptosis in radiosensitive organs. Here, we investigate whether a drug that activates a signaling mechanism used by tumor cells to suppress apoptosis can protect healthy cells from the harmful effects of radiation. We studied CBLB502, a polypeptide drug derived from Salmonella flagellin that binds to Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) and activates nuclear factor–κB signaling. A single injection of CBLB502 before lethal total-body irradiation protected mice from both gastrointestinal and hematopoietic acute radiation syndromes and resulted in improved survival. CBLB502 injected after irradiation also enhanced survival, but at lower radiation doses. It is noteworthy that the drug did not decrease tumor radiosensitivity in mouse models. CBLB502 also showed radioprotective activity in lethally irradiated rhesus monkeys. Thus, TLR5 agonists could potentially improve the therapeutic index of cancer radiotherapy and serve as biological protectants in radiation emergencies.# CBLB502がToll様受容体に結合してNF-κBシグナルを活性化することで抵抗性を獲得しているらしい
# 日本赤ちゃん学会第8回学術集会で発表されるそうです
# 最近バリへ行ってきた方、ご注意ください
# GMOの時のように不安を煽ってばかりいるのもどうかと思うが…
# 肺も鰓もなく皮膚呼吸だけで生きられるんだ
Makoto Hirai, Meiji Arai, Toshiyuki Mori, Shin-ya Miyagishima, Satoru Kawai, Kiyoshi Kita, Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa, Olle Terenius, Hiroyuki Matsuoka.
Current Biology 18, 1–7 (2008) | doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.03.045
Malaria, which is caused by Plasmodium parasites, is transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes. When gametocytes, the precursor cells of Plasmodium gametes, are transferred to a mosquito, they fertilize and proliferate, which render the mosquito infectious to the next vertebrate host. Although the fertilization of malaria parasites has been considered as a rational target for transmission-blocking vaccines, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that the rodent malaria parasite gene Plasmodium berghei GENERATIVE CELL SPECIFIC 1 (PbGCS1) plays a central role in its gametic interaction. PbGCS1 knockout parasites show male sterility, resulting in unsuccessful fertilization. Because such a male-specific function of GCS1 has been observed in angiosperms, this indicates, for the first time, that parasite sexual reproduction is controlled by a machinery common to flowering plants. Our present findings provide a new viewpoint for understanding the parasitic fertilization system and important clues for novel strategies to attack life-threatening parasites.#
# 何故にニュース記事が徹底的に削除されているのかは全くもって不明
Athiyanathil Sujith, Tamitake Itoh, Hiroko Abe, Abdul Aziz Anas, Kenichi Yoshida, Vasudevanpillai Biju, Mitsuru Ishikawa.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 103901 (2008) | DOI:10.1063/1.2891086
We labeled the living yeast cell surface (Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain W303-1A) by silver nanoparticles which can form nanoaggregates and found to show surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. Blinking of SERS and its polarization dependence reveal that SERS signals are from amplified electromagnetic field at nanometric Ag nanoparticles gaps with single or a few molecules sensitivity. We tentatively assigned SERS spectra from a yeast cell wall to mannoproteins. Nanoaggregate-by-nanoaggregate variations and temporal fluctuations of SERS spectra are discussed in terms of inhomogeneous mannoprotein distribution on a cell wall and possible ways of Ag nanoaggregate adsorption, respectively.# 表面増強ラマン散乱(SERS: Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering)か…憶えとこ
Masahiro Kitano, Michio Nakaya, Takeshi Nakamura, Shigekazu Nagata, Michiyuki Matsuda.
Nature, Advance online publication | doi:10.1038/nature06857
Efficient phagocytosis of apoptotic cells is crucial for tissue homeostasis and the immune response. Rab5 is known as a key regulator of the early endocytic pathway and we have recently shown that Rab5 is also implicated in apoptotic cell engulfment; however, the precise spatio-temporal dynamics of Rab5 activity remain unknown. Here, using a newly developed fluorescence resonance energy transfer biosensor, we describe a change in Rab5 activity during the engulfment of apoptotic thymocytes. Rab5 activity on phagosome membranes began to increase on disassembly of the actin coat encapsulating phagosomes. Rab5 activation was either continuous or repetitive for up to 10 min, but it ended before the collapse of engulfed apoptotic cells. Expression of a dominant-negative mutant of Rab5 delayed this collapse of apoptotic thymocytes, showing a role for Rab5 in phagosome maturation. Disruption of microtubules with nocodazole inhibited Rab5 activation on the phagosome membrane without perturbing the engulfment of apoptotic cells. Furthermore, we found that Gapex-5 is the guanine nucleotide exchange factor essential for Rab5 activation during the engulfment of apoptotic cells. Gapex-5 was bound to a microtubule-tip-associating protein, EB1, whose depletion inhibited Rab5 activation during phagocytosis. We therefore propose a mechanistic model in which the recruitment of Gapex-5 to phagosomes through the microtubule network induces the transient Rab5 activation.# 基質結合による形状変化とタンパク質間相互作用とFRETを旨く組み合わせてます…ワザありですね
# 消防用のホースか…これまた丈夫そうですな
# ゾウリムシとかミドリムシを顕微鏡で初めて見たとき、ワクワクしたよなぁ
# これからもっと桜が早まったら、桃の節句の頃に咲いちゃいそうで…
# ひたひたと忍び寄る新型インフルエンザの脅威…
# なんだかんだいって、ロシアの宇宙技術って凄いよな
# もうちょっと分かりやすい目安にならないですかねぇ
# 日本も早急に海洋を利用した再利用可能なエネルギー開発に着手すべきだと思うんだが…
M. Balooch, S. Habelitz, J.H. Kinney, S.J. Marshall, G.W. Marshall.
Journal of Structural Biology, Article in Press | doi:10.1016/j.jsb.2008.02.010
Dentin and bone derive their mechanical properties from a complex arrangement of collagen type I fibrils reinforced with nanocrystaline apatite mineral in extra- and intrafibrillar compartments. While mechanical properties have been determined for the bulk of the mineralized tissue, information on the mechanics of the individual fibril is limited. Here, atomic force microscopy was used on individual collagen fibrils to study structural and mechanical changes during acid etching. The characteristic 67 nm periodicity of gap-zones was not observed on the mineralized fibril, but became apparent and increasingly pronounced with continuous demineralization. AFM-nanoindentation showed a decrease in modulus from 1.5 GPa to 50 MPa during acid etching of individual collagen fibrils and revealed that the modulus profile followed the axial periodicity. The nanomechanical data, Raman spectroscopy and SAXS support the hypothesis that intrafibrillar mineral etches at a substantially slower rate than the extrafibrillar mineral. These findings are relevant for understanding the biomechanics anddesign principles of calcified tissues derived from collagen matrices.# 歯が再生できたら喜ぶ人は多いな
# 「1つのことにとらわれやすく、内向的で、人付き合いが苦手」…わ、私のことですか？
# 「知ることの利点」には「知ることによるリスク」が伴うことも考慮すべきです
# この手術を執刀した医者も凄いけど、この組み合わせに気付いたこと自体が凄い
# TIFFがダウンロード可能です
# 「篤姫」に触発されましたか？
Simon Cauchemez, Alain-Jacques Valleron, Pierre-Yves Boëlle, Antoine Flahault, Neil M. Ferguson.
Nature 452, 750-754 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature06732
The threat posed by the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus requires public health authorities to prepare for a human pandemic. Although pre-pandemic vaccines and antiviral drugs might significantly reduce illness rates, their stockpiling is too expensive to be practical for many countries. Consequently, alternative control strategies, based on non-pharmaceutical interventions, are a potentially attractive policy option. School closure is the measure most often considered. The high social and economic costs of closing schools for months make it an expensive and therefore controversial policy, and the current absence of quantitative data on the role of schools during influenza epidemics means there is little consensus on the probable effectiveness of school closure in reducing the impact of a pandemic. Here, from the joint analysis of surveillance data and holiday timing in France, we quantify the role of schools in influenza epidemics and predict the effect of school closure during a pandemic. We show that holidays lead to a 20–29% reduction in the rate at which influenza is transmitted to children, but that they have no detectable effect on the contact patterns of adults. Holidays prevent 16–18% of seasonal influenza cases (18–21% in children). By extrapolation, we find that prolonged school closure during a pandemic might reduce the cumulative number of cases by 13–17% (18–23% in children) and peak attack rates by up to 39–45% (47–52% in children). The impact of school closure would be reduced if it proved difficult to maintain low contact rates among children for a prolonged period.# ある意味、幼稚園や小学校ってウィルス繁殖にはもってこいだからな
# 昨日は疲労困憊でエントリーできず…
# 溜まり方が半端じゃありません
Biotechnology Japan | 理研など、シロアリ腸内共生細菌の全ゲノム解読、原生生物を介した多重共生系の機構解明へ進歩
シロアリ腸内共生微生物のゲノム解読に世界で初めて成功 | 独立行政法人 理化学研究所プレスリリース
Complete genome of the uncultured Termite Group 1 bacteria in a single host protist cell.
Yuichi Hongoh, Vineet K. Sharma, Tulika Prakash, Satoko Noda, Todd D. Taylor, Toshiaki Kudo, Yoshiyuki Sakaki, Atsushi Toyoda, Masahira Hattori, Moriya Ohkuma.
PNAS 105, 5555-5560 (2008) | doi:10.1073/pnas.0801389105
# 培養不可能な細菌ゲノムも決められるようになってきました
ドラッグを扱った科学研究5件 | WIRED VISION
An MR-compatible device for delivering smoked marijuana during functional imaging.
Blaise deB. Frederick, Kimberly P. Lindsey, Lisa D. Nickerson, Elizabeth T. Ryan Scott E. Lukas.
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 87, 81-89 (2007) | doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2007.04.006 Synthesis of (-)-Δ9-trans-Tetrahydrocannabinol: Stereocontrol via Mo-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation Reaction.
Barry M. Trost, Kalindi Dogra.
Org. Lett., 9, 861-863 (2007) | doi:10.1021/ol063022k The hallucinogen derived from Salvia divinorum, salvinorin A, has κ-opioid agonist discriminative stimulus effects in rats.
Catherine B. Willmore-Fordham, Daniel M. Krall, Christopher R. McCurdy, David H. Kinder.
Neuropharmacology 53, 481-486 (2007) | doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2007.06.008 Novel, potent THC/anandamide (hybrid) analogs.
Caryl Bourne, Sucharita Roy, Jenny L. Wiley, Billy R. Martin, Brian F. Thomas, Anu Mahadevan, Raj K. Razdan.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 15, 7850-7864 (2007) | doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2007.08.039
asahi.com： サンゴの敵・オニヒトデ本州へ 黒潮に乗り一気に北上 - サイエンス
灘岡研究室 - オニヒトデ幼生広域輸送過程
# 何か対策は立てられないものだろうか…
# 溜まり方が半端じゃありません
Yuichi Hongoh, Vineet K. Sharma, Tulika Prakash, Satoko Noda, Todd D. Taylor, Toshiaki Kudo, Yoshiyuki Sakaki, Atsushi Toyoda, Masahira Hattori, Moriya Ohkuma.
PNAS 105, 5555-5560 (2008) | doi:10.1073/pnas.0801389105
Termites harbor a symbiotic gut microbial community that is responsible for their ability to thrive on recalcitrant plant matter. The community comprises diverse microorganisms, most of which are as yet uncultivable; the detailed symbiotic mechanism remains unclear. Here, we present the first complete genome sequence of a termite gut symbiont―an uncultured bacterium named Rs-D17 belonging to the candidate phylum Termite Group 1 (TG1). TG1 is a dominant group in termite guts, found as intracellular symbionts of various cellulolytic protists, without any physiological information. To acquire the complete genome sequence, we collected Rs-D17 cells from only a single host protist cell to minimize their genomic variation and performed isothermal whole-genome amplification. This strategy enabled us to reconstruct a circular chromosome (1,125,857 bp) encoding 761 putative protein-coding genes. The genome additionally contains 121 pseudogenes assigned to categories, such as cell wall biosynthesis, regulators, transporters, and defense mechanisms. Despite its apparent reductive evolution, the ability to synthesize 15 amino acids and various cofactors is retained, some of these genes having been duplicated. Considering that diverse termite-gut protists harbor TG1 bacteria, we suggest that this bacterial group plays a key role in the gut symbiotic system by stably supplying essential nitrogenous compounds deficient in lignocelluloses to their host protists and the termites. Our results provide a breakthrough to clarify the functions of and the interactions among the individual members of this multilayered symbiotic complex.# 誰が31日付やねん
# 培養不可能な細菌ゲノムも決められるようになってきました
Blaise deB. Frederick, Kimberly P. Lindsey, Lisa D. Nickerson, Elizabeth T. Ryan Scott E. Lukas.
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 87, 81-89 (2007) | doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2007.04.006
Smoking is the preferred method of administration for two of the most frequently abused drugs, marijuana and nicotine. The high temporal and spatial resolution of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) make it a natural choice for studying the neurobiological effects of smoked drugs if the challenges of smoking in a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner can be overcome. We report on a design for an MR-compatible smoking device that can be used for smoking marijuana (or tobacco) during fMRI examinations. Nine volunteers smoked marijuana cigarettes (3.51% Δ9-THC) on two occasions: with and without the device. The device allowed subjects to smoke while they lay in the scanner, while containing all smoke and odors. Plasma Δ9-THC, subjective reports of intoxication, and heart rate increases are reported, and were all similar in individuals smoking marijuana either with or without the device. The use of this device will help advance research studies on smoked drugs including marijuana, tobacco and crack cocaine.
Barry M. Trost, Kalindi Dogra.
Org. Lett., 9, 861-863 (2007) | doi:10.1021/ol063022k
Δ9-THC is synthesized in enantiomericaly pure form, where all of the stereochemistry is derived from the molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation reaction of the extremely sterically congested bis-ortho-substituted cinnamyl carbonate in high regio- and enantioselectivity.
Catherine B. Willmore-Fordham, Daniel M. Krall, Christopher R. McCurdy, David H. Kinder.
Neuropharmacology 53, 481-486 (2007) | doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2007.06.008
Data from clinical and preclinical studies converge implicating the plant-derived hallucinogen salvinorin A as an important pharmacologic tool; this psychoactive compound may expand scientific understandings on mammalian κ-opioid receptor systems. Human salvinorin A effects, consistent with κ-opioid receptor agonism, include antinociception, sedation, dysphoria and distorted perceptions. The experiments reported here measured salvinorin A (1–3 mg/kg, i.p.) discriminative stimulus properties in male Sprague–Dawley rats conditioned to recognize the discriminative stimulus cue generated by the well characterized κ-opioid agonist U-69593 (0.56 mg/kg, i.p.). At three distinct active doses, salvinorin A fully substituted for U-69593 without altering response rates. The lever choice pattern in U-69593 trained animals reverted to vehicle lever responding when a kappa selective antagonist compound, nor-BNI (4.5 nM, i.c.v.) was administered 1 h prior to salvinorin A, yet nor-BNI alone failed to impact the rate or pattern of subject responses. These findings confirm and extend results published after similar drug discrimination tests were performed in rhesus monkeys. The discussion section of this article highlights public concern over salvinorin A misuse and emphasizes several potential pharmacotherapeutic applications for salvinorin A or analogue compounds.
Caryl Bourne, Sucharita Roy, Jenny L. Wiley, Billy R. Martin, Brian F. Thomas, Anu Mahadevan, Raj K. Razdan.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 15, 7850-7864 (2007) | doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2007.08.039
# ドラッグは研究テーマとしてもドラッグです
The structure–activity relationship (SAR) of the end pentyl chain in anandamide (AEA) has been established to be very similar to that of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). In order to broaden our understanding of the structural similarities between AEA and THC, hybrid structures 1–3 were designed. In these hybrids the aromatic ring of THC–DMH was linked to the AEA moiety through an ether linkage with the oxygen of the phenol of THC. Hybrid 1 (O-2220) was found to have very high binding affinity to CB1 receptors (Ki = 8.5 nM), and it is interesting to note that the orientation of the side chain with respect to the oxygen in the phenol is the same as in THCs. To further explore the SAR in this series the terminal carbon of the side chain was modified by adding different substituents. Several such analogs were synthesized and tested for their CB1 and CB2 binding affinities and in vivo activity (tetrad tests). The details of the synthesis and the biological activity of these compounds are described.
# 何か対策は立てられないものだろうか…