Masaca's Blog 2

独り言・日記・愚痴・戯言・備忘録・・・。なんとでもお呼び下され(笑)。

AirMac Express→Extreme

2008-06-28 14:08:57 | Weblog
今朝、起きてすぐに我が家のiMacにログインすると…ネットが繋がらない…。

iMac側をいろいろと調べてみるが、異常はない模様…。じゃぁ…と我が家の無線LANベースステーションであるAirMac Expressを見てみると…ランプがついてない。正常に動いていたら点いている筈のいつもの緑色のランプが消えている…。異常があるとオレンジになるはずだが、それどころか全くランプが消えている…。仕方がないので、いったん接続を外して別のコンセントに差し込むも全く無反応…。そう、このAirMac Expressがとうとういかれてしまったようです。

我が家にネット環境が来てから、iMac、仕事場から持ち帰るPowerBook G4、MacBook、Nintendo DS、DS Lite、そしてWiiまで、全てのネット環境を供給してきたAirMac Expressが逝ってしまったのです。何年働いてくれたのでしょうか。本来はモバイル用なのに、TVの上という温度や埃などが劣悪な環境で、常時働いてくれました。

しかし、感傷に浸っている場合ではありません。我が家のネットが全て断絶状態です。さすがにこれだけ使い慣れると、ネットが繋がらない環境というのはかなり不便です。仕方がないので、近所のヤマダ電機で代替機を買ってくることにしました。ちょうど今日は、先週受けてきた血液検査の結果を聞きに行くのといつもの頚椎リハビリがあるので、そのついでにと、いつもより早く、病院の開院前に行って並んでしまいました。で、両方の病院の診察・リハビリが終わってみると…早過ぎ…。まだヤマダ電機が開店していません。仕方なく、先にいつもの週末の買い物を先に済ませてきまして、その後でようやくヤマダ電機へ。せっかくの買い替えなので、きちんとした設置型のAirMac Extreme Base Stationを購入してきました。

さて、買ってきたはいいのですが、無線環境を全て設定し直すというのはかなり面倒…。しかも、我が家のiMacはTV付近にあるルータからはかなりはなれた隣の部屋にあるので、そう簡単に有線接続することは出来ません。この場合、いったんネット非接続状態でAirMac Extreme Base StationをiMacに有線接続して設定し、その後、iMacから外してルータに接続させるということをせねばなりません。仕方なく意を決して新品のAirMac Extreme Base StationをiMacに接続しました。すると…なんと！iMacが勝手にAirMac Extremeを認識してAirMacユーティリティを立ち上げてくれるではありませんか！しかも、そのまま設定を進めようとすると、以前のAirMac Expressの設定をそのまま使用するかどうか聞いてきてくれるじゃないですか！迷わずにそのまま使用することにして、その後のネットに繋がっていないせいで生じる問題を素通りし、設定完了！iMacから接続を解除し、ルータに接続し直して電源を入れますと…難なくiMacのネット接続が回復しました。

で、改めてAirMac Extreme Base Stationの設定を確認すると、セキュリティが全くの解除状態…。これじゃぁ、そこら中から無線を使われてしまうので、MACアドレス登録による制御を設定し直しました。以前登録してあった各機器のMACアドレスまでは登録してはくれなかったようです。けど、今現在、繋ぐ予定のあるのは、iMacとWii、それに二台のNintendo DSだけなので、とっととMACアドレスを入力して設定完了。MACアドレスを登録していない機器は接続しない設定にしました。これで大丈夫な筈です。

てことで、朝からちょっとだけ慌てましたが、なんとかネット環境が途切れる時間を最小限にして復帰できましてございます。あぁ、よかったよかった。
Apple Store（Japan） Apple Store（Japan）

Science News | June 27(3), 2008

2008-06-27 22:31:47 | Science News
  • 時事ドットコム：最も原始的な両生類化石＝３億８０００万年前、ラトビアで－欧州チーム
  • Ventastega curonica and the origin of tetrapod morphology.
    Per E. Ahlberg, Jennifer A. Clack, Erivns Lukševics, Henning Blom, Ivars Zupinš.
    Nature 453, 1199-1204 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature06991
    The gap in our understanding of the evolutionary transition from fish to tetrapod is beginning to close thanks to the discovery of new intermediate forms such as Tiktaalik roseae. Here we narrow it further by presenting the skull, exceptionally preserved braincase, shoulder girdle and partial pelvis of Ventastega curonica from the Late Devonian of Latvia, a transitional intermediate form between the 'elpistostegids' Panderichthys and Tiktaalik and the Devonian tetrapods (limbed vertebrates) Acanthostega and Ichthyostega. Ventastega is the most primitive Devonian tetrapod represented by extensive remains, and casts light on a part of the phylogeny otherwise only represented by fragmentary taxa: it illuminates the origin of principal tetrapod structures and the extent of morphological diversity among the transitional forms.
    　# 日本の最古は2億4千万年前…世界最古は3億8千万年前…何なんだ、この1億2千万年の差は…
  • 地中海のサメ、過去２００年で９７％以上減少 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • NEW SCIENTIFIC STUDY SHOWS WORRYING DECLINE IN THE MED'S TOP PREDATORS - LENFEST OCEAN PROGRAM (PDF)
  • SHARK DECLINES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA - LENFEST OCEAN PROGRAM RESEARCH SERIES
  • Loss of Large Predatory Sharks from the Mediterranean Sea.
    FRANCESCO FERRETTI, RANSOM A. MYERS, FABRIZIO SERENA, HEIKE K. LOTZE.
    Conservation Biology, OnlineEarly Articles | doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.00938.x
    Evidence for severe declines in large predatory fishes is increasing around the world. Because of its long history of intense fishing, the Mediterranean Sea offers a unique perspective on fish population declines over historical timescales. We used a diverse set of records dating back to the early 19th and mid 20th century to reconstruct long-term population trends of large predatory sharks in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. We compiled 9 time series of abundance indices from commercial and recreational fishery landings, scientific surveys, and sighting records. Generalized linear models were used to extract instantaneous rates of change from each data set, and a meta-analysis was conducted to compare population trends. Only 5 of the 20 species we considered had sufficient records for analysis. Hammerhead (Sphyrna spp.), blue (Prionace glauca), mackerel (Isurus oxyrinchus and Lamna nasus), and thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus) declined between 96 and 99.99% relative to their former abundance. According to World Conservation Union (IUCN) criteria, these species would be considered critically endangered. So far, the lack of quantitative population assessments has impeded shark conservation in the Mediterranean Sea. Our study fills this critical information gap, suggesting that current levels of exploitation put large sharks at risk of extinction in the Mediterranean Sea. Possible ecosystem effects of these losses involve a disruption of top-down control and a release of midlevel consumers.
    　# 97～99%も減ったって？…じゃぁ、元々どれだけいたんだって話だわな
    　# ちゅうかさぁ、この論文探すのにエライ苦労したがな…なんと、記事をベタコピーしただけのエントリーの多いことか…
  • ｉＰＳ細胞：京大と理研連携　科技会議が推進策 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# まぁ、理研神戸はほとんど京大のために建ったようなものだからな…
  • 燃料電池：家庭用の名称「エネファーム」に統一 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# 「エネファーム」…変換したらさっそく「絵寝ファーム」になったがな
    　# 「エコジョーズ」みたいな名前で何かと勘違いしそう…
  • 文科省：主要断層帯、再調査へ　「未知・無警戒」探る - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# 断層って、調べても調べても調べきらないような気がするのは気のせいですか？
  • カルシウム摂取量と腰椎骨折との関連について　-- 概要 --
  • Calcium intake and the 10-year incidence of self-reported vertebral fractures in women and men: The Japan Public Health Centre-based Prospective Study.
    Kazutoshi Nakamura, Norie Kurahashi, Junko Ishihara, Manami Inoue, Shoichiro Tsugane, the Japan Public Health Centre-based Prospective Study Group.
    British Journal of Nutrition, First View article | doi:10.1017/S0007114508993533
    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of low Ca intake on the 10-year incidence of vertebral fractures in cohorts I and II of the Japan Public Health Centre-based Prospective Study. The baseline studies were conducted in 1990–1994, with the follow-up studies conducted after 10 years. We analysed 33 970 subjects aged 40–59 years in cohort I and 41 664 subjects aged 40–69 years in cohort II. At baseline, the intake of Ca was assessed as a predictor, using validated FFQ. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate a summary relative risk (RR) for the two cohort studies. The 10-year cumulative incidences of self-reported vertebral fractures were 0·38 % for cohort I and 0·56 % for cohort II. In women, lower Ca intake was associated with a higher incidence of vertebral fractures (P for trend = 0·001), with the lowest quartile of Ca intake having a significantly higher incidence (0·89/1000 persons per year or RR 2·10 (95 % CI 1·25, 3·55)) than that (0·42/1000 persons per year) of the highest. In addition, the RR calculated using energy-adjusted Ca intake (by the residual method) as an outcome was 1·92 (95 % CI 1·28, 2·88). However, no such association was observed in men. An increase of Ca intake should be considered as a preventive strategy for vertebral fractures in peri- and post-menopausal women with a low Ca intake.
    　# ま、いつも通り、女性はカルシウムをたくさん摂りましょうって話です
  • アフリカの熱帯魚：右利きは左利きを好む　異型交配で確認 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • Evidence of disassortative mating in a Tanganyikan cichlid fish and its role in the maintenance of intrapopulation dimorphism.
    Tetsumi Takahashi, Michio Hori.
    Biology Letters, FirstCite | doi:10.1098/rsbl.2008.0244
    Morphological dimorphism in the mouth-opening direction (‘lefty’ versus ‘righty’) has been documented in several fish species. It has been suggested that this deflection is heritable in a Mendelian one-locus, two-allele fashion. Several population models have demonstrated that lateral dimorphism is maintained by negative frequency-dependent selection, resulting from interactions between predator and prey species. However, other mechanisms for the maintenance of lateral dimorphism have not yet been tested. Here, we found that the scale-eating cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis exhibited disassortative mating, in which reproductive pairings between lefties and righties occurred at higher than expected frequency (p<0.001). A previous study reported that a lefty–righty pairing produces a 1:1 ratio of lefty:righty young, suggesting that disassortative mating contributes to the maintenance of lateral dimorphism. A combination of disassortative mating and negative frequency-dependent selection may stabilize lateral dimorphism more than would a single mechanism.
    　# 右利き・左利きに遺伝的背景があるんだろうか？
  • 卵子を使わず万能細胞をつくる | Japanese JoongAngIlbo | 中央日報
    　# 韓国でiPS細胞…世界３番目…「韓国動物繁殖学会学術大会および第４回韓日共同シンポジウムで発表」…
    　# 「すでに国内外特許を出願」？…「米日研究チームが適用した方法よりも優れた方法を使い、幹細胞抽出効率は５倍以上に高まった」…
    　# ベクターが新しいってことなのか？…けど、基本的に特許は成立せんわな
  • バイオテクノロジー：実用化へ新戦略まとめる…官民会議 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# 政府がカタカナ語を多用すると安っぽく感じるのは気のせいですか？
  • 2008年6月25日「『目に見える研究拠点』のすべり出しは」　サイエンスポータルレビュー　科学技術 全て伝えます SciencePortal
    　# 形を変えようが何だろうが、出てくる問題点はいつも似たり寄ったり…つまり、根本的には何も解決していないってことだよね
  • 2008年6月27日「震源断層の長さ30キロ 地震動重力加速度の4倍超」　サイエンスポータル編集ニュース　科学技術 全て伝えます サイエンスポータル / SciencePortal
  • 平成２０年（２００８年）岩手・宮城内陸地震に関する情報
    　# 「1G＝重力加速度980ガル」？…ほほぉ、1 Gal = 1 cm/s2 = 0.01 m/s2だったのね

    • Science News | June 27(2), 2008

    2008-06-27 22:31:37 | Science News
  • Biotechnology Japan | 海外重要発表、米Medical College of Georgia、HLA-Gダイマーが、免疫応答を制御すると発表
  • Modulation of dendritic cell differentiation by HLA-G and ILT4 requires the IL-6―STAT3 signaling pathway.
    Siyuan Liang, Vladimir Ristich, Hisashi Arase, Jean Dausset, Edgardo D. Carosella, Anatolij Horuzsko.
    PNAS 105, 8357-8362 (2008) | doi:10.1073/pnas.0803341105
    The expression of Ig-like transcript (ILT) inhibitory receptors is a characteristic of tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs). However, the mechanisms of modulation of DCs via ILT receptors remain poorly defined. HLA-G is a preferential ligand for several ILTs. Recently, we demonstrated that triggering of ILT4 by HLA-G1 inhibits maturation of human monocyte-derived conventional DCs and murine DCs from ILT4 transgenic mice, resulting in diminished expression of MHC class II molecules, CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules, and prolongation of skin allograft survival. Different isoforms of HLA-G have diverse effects on the efficiency to induce ILT-mediated signaling. In this work, we show that HLA-G1 tetrameric complex and HLA-G5 dimer, but not HLA-G5 monomer, induce strong ILT-mediated signaling. We determined that the arrest of maturation of ILT4-positive DCs by HLA-G ligands involves the IL-6 signaling pathway and STAT3 activation. Ligation of ILT4 with HLA-G on DCs results in recruitment of SHP-1 and SHP-2 protein tyrosine phosphatases. We propose a model where SHP-2 and the IL-6–STAT3 signaling pathway play critical roles in the modulation of DC differentiation by ILT4 and HLA-G.
    　# HLA-G1は四量体、HLA-G5は二量体でILT媒介シグナリングを強く誘導するそうな
  • Biotechnology Japan | 岡崎統合バイオサイエンスセンターの岡村康司教授ら、細胞のイオン透過を解析、単一サブユニットで機能する電位依存性プロトンチャンネルは2量体で発現
  • Multimeric nature of voltage-gated proton channels.
    Hans P. Koch, Tatsuki Kurokawa, Yoshifumi Okochi, Mari Sasaki, Yasushi Okamura, H. Peter Larsson.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Early Edition | doi:10.1073/pnas.0801553105
    Voltage-gated potassium channels are comprised of four subunits, and each subunit has a pore domain and a voltage-sensing domain (VSD). The four pore domains assemble to form one single central pore, and the four individual VSDs control the gate of the pore. Recently, a family of voltage-gated proton channels, such as HV or voltage sensor only protein (VSOP), was discovered that contain a single VSD but no pore domain. It has been assumed that VSOP channels are monomeric and contain a single VSD that functions as both the VSD and the pore domain. It remains unclear, however, how a protein that contains only a VSD and no pore domain can conduct ions. Using fluorescence measurements and immunoprecipitation techniques, we show here that VSOP channels are expressed as multimeric channels. Further, FRET experiments on constructs with covalently linked subunits show that VSOP channels are dimers. Truncation of the cytoplasmic regions of VSOP reduced the dimerization, suggesting that the dimerization is caused mainly by cytoplasmic protein–protein interactions. However, these N terminus- and C terminus-deleted channels displayed large proton currents. Therefore, we conclude that even though VSOP channels are expressed mainly as dimers in the cell membrane, single VSOP subunits could function independently as proton channels.
    　# 一瞬、YOさんと見間違えた…
    　# 「VSOP」＝「voltage sensor only protein」って、絶対狙ってるよね
  • 時事ドットコム：火星北半球に大楕円クレーター＝冥王星程度の天体衝突か－米研究チーム
  • 初期の火星に天体衝突　英科学誌に３論文 - MSN産経ニュース
  • The Borealis basin and the origin of the martian crustal dichotomy.
    Jeffrey C. Andrews-Hanna, Maria T. Zuber, W. Bruce Banerdt.
    Nature 453, 1212-1215 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07011
    The most prominent feature on the surface of Mars is the near-hemispheric dichotomy between the southern highlands and northern lowlands. The root of this dichotomy is a change in crustal thickness along an apparently irregular boundary, which can be traced around the planet, except where it is presumably buried beneath the Tharsis volcanic rise. The isostatic compensation of these distinct provinces and the ancient population of impact craters buried beneath the young lowlands surface suggest that the dichotomy is one of the most ancient features on the planet. However, the origin of this dichotomy has remained uncertain, with little evidence to distinguish between the suggested causes: a giant impact or mantle convection/overturn. Here we use the gravity and topography of Mars to constrain the location of the dichotomy boundary beneath Tharsis, taking advantage of the different modes of compensation for Tharsis and the dichotomy to separate their effects. We find that the dichotomy boundary along its entire path around the planet is accurately fitted by an ellipse measuring approximately 10,600 by 8,500 km, centred at 67° N, 208° E. We suggest that the elliptical nature of the crustal dichotomy is most simply explained by a giant impact, representing the largest such structure thus far identified in the Solar System.
  • Mega-impact formation of the Mars hemispheric dichotomy.
    Margarita M. Marinova, Oded Aharonson, Erik Asphaug.
    Nature 453, 1216-1219 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07070
    The Mars hemispheric dichotomy is expressed as a dramatic difference in elevation, crustal thickness and crater density between the southern highlands and northern lowlands (which cover ∼42% of the surface). Despite the prominence of the dichotomy, its origin has remained enigmatic and models for its formation largely untested. Endogenic degree-1 convection models with north–south asymmetry are incomplete in that they are restricted to simulating only mantle dynamics and they neglect crustal evolution, whereas exogenic multiple impact events are statistically unlikely to concentrate in one hemisphere. A single mega-impact of the requisite size has not previously been modelled. However, it has been hypothesized that such an event could obliterate the evidence of its occurrence by completely covering the surface with melt or catastrophically disrupting the planet. Here we present a set of single-impact initial conditions by which a large impactor can produce features consistent with the observed dichotomy's crustal structure and persistence. Using three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, large variations are predicted in post-impact states depending on impact energy, velocity and, importantly, impact angle, with trends more pronounced or unseen in commonly studied smaller impacts. For impact energies of ∼(3–6) × 1029 J, at low impact velocities (6–10 km s-1) and oblique impact angles (30–60°), the resulting crustal removal boundary is similar in size and ellipticity to the observed characteristics of the lowlands basin. Under these conditions, the melt distribution is largely contained within the area of impact and thus does not erase the evidence of the impact's occurrence. The antiquity of the dichotomy is consistent with the contemporaneous presence of impactors of diameter 1,600–2,700 km in Mars-crossing orbits, and the impact angle is consistent with the expected distribution.
  • Implications of an impact origin for the martian hemispheric dichotomy.
    F. Nimmo, S. D. Hart, D. G. Korycansky, C. B. Agnor.
    Nature 453, 1220-1223 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07025
    The observation that one hemisphere of Mars is lower and has a thinner crust than the other (the 'martian hemispheric dichotomy') has been a puzzle for 30 years. The dichotomy may have arisen as a result of internal mechanisms such as convection. Alternatively, it may have been caused by one or several giant impacts, but quantitative tests of the impact hypothesis have not been published. Here we use a high-resolution, two-dimensional, axially symmetric hydrocode to model vertical impacts over a range of parameters appropriate to early Mars. We propose that the impact model, in addition to excavating a crustal cavity of the correct size, explains two other observations. First, crustal disruption at the impact antipode is probably responsible for the observed antipodal decline in magnetic field strength. Second, the impact-generated melt forming the northern lowlands crust is predicted to derive from a deep, depleted mantle source. This prediction is consistent with characteristics of martian shergottite meteorites and suggests a dichotomy formation time ∼100 Myr after martian accretion, comparable to that of the Moon-forming impact on Earth.
    　# 何と巨大な衝突…

    • Science News | June 27(1), 2008

    2008-06-27 22:31:25 | Science News
  • 過度の携帯電話利用が若者の睡眠に影響――研究者が報告 - ITmedia News
  • Excessive mobile phone use affects sleep in teens
  • Teens & Sleep Loss - Sleep Education.com
    　# 携帯電話の使いすぎはよろしくないと…これって若者に限った話じゃないと思うんだが…
  • プラズマで飛ぶ空飛ぶ円盤、米研究者が設計 - ITmedia News
  • University of Florida News - University of Florida professor designs plasma-propelled flying saucer
    　# 特許出願かぁ…大変なんだよなぁ…
  • GenomeWeb News: Children's Oncology Group to Use Helicos Sequencing Tech for Sarcoma Study
  • Helicos Biosciences Corporation - Helicos BioSciences Announces Collaboration with Children's Oncology Group to Elucidate Genomic Signatures in Ewing's Sarcoma
    　# 第三世代シーケンサーはもう既に動き始めています
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：オゾン層回復→南極は温暖化？　国際グループ予測 - サイエンス
  • The Impact of Stratospheric Ozone Recovery on the Southern Hemisphere Westerly Jet.
    S.-W. Son, L. M. Polvani, D. W. Waugh, H. Akiyoshi, R. Garcia, D. Kinnison, S. Pawson, E. Rozanov, T. G. Shepherd, K. Shibata.
    Science 320, 1486-1489 (2008) | DOI: 10.1126/science.1155939
    In the past several decades, the tropospheric westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere have been observed to accelerate on the poleward side of the surface wind maximum. This has been attributed to the combined anthropogenic effects of increasing greenhouse gases and decreasing stratospheric ozone and is predicted to continue by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC/AR4) models. In this paper, the predictions of the Chemistry-Climate Model Validation (CCMVal) models are examined: Unlike the AR4 models, the CCMVal models have a fully interactive stratospheric chemistry. Owing to the expected disappearance of the ozone hole in the first half of the 21st century, the CCMVal models predict that the tropospheric westerlies in Southern Hemisphere summer will be decelerated, on the poleward side, in contrast with the prediction of most IPCC/AR4 models.
    　# オゾンホールによる紫外線増加という一面だけを見ていてはいけないということですね…
    　# ねぇ、科学記事って、古くても見つけたものを適当に書けばいいの？
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：「きぼう」いっぱい 宇宙飛行士の応募、過去最多 - サイエンス
  • ３２１倍の狭き門、宇宙飛行士募集に過去最多の９６３人 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • ＪＡＸＡ：宇宙飛行士応募、過去最高の９６３人　シャトル効果？ - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# ある意味、応募できるだけでも羨ましく思える自分は、それだけ歳をとってしまったということか…
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：人工ブラックホール、地球は無事か　学者「心配ご無用」 - サイエンス
  • Earth Will Survive After All, Physicists Say - NYTimes.com
  • The safety of the LHC
    　# 仮に大丈夫じゃなかったとしたら、ミニブラックホールが出来た瞬間に地球上の全てがそこに吸い込まれるんだろうか
  • 早大と東京農工大が共同大学院創設…「先端健康科学」を研究 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • 早稲田大学｜これまでの記事｜プレスリリース｜東京農工大学との大学間交流に関する包括協定ならびに共同大学院創設について
    　# 「先端健康科学」って何だ？…なんか「健康」に関係していれば何でもアリみたいです
  • 学芸員養成、履修増加へ　博物館機能の強化狙う　文科省 - MSN産経ニュース
    　# 学芸員って、資格を取るまではいいけど、就職先ってあるの？
  • 万能細胞の推進策決定へ - MSN産経ニュース
    　# 面白い研究課題も国策化した途端に何だかなぁって思えるのは何故だ？
  • 残飯や廃プラスチックなどを使う小型「ゴミ発電機」、米軍基地で稼働中 | WIRED VISION
  • Tactical biorefineries go to Iraq | Cleantech.com
    　# 効率云々を考えて文句を言っているよりも、まずやってみることの方が重要なんだよな
  • Biotechnology Japan | 記者発表、独立行政法人 理化学研究所、蛍光タンパク質「ドロンパ」のフォトクロミズムの分子機構を解明へ
  • Biotechnology Japan | 理研など、蛍光たんぱく質Dronpaのフォトクロミズム機構解明、発色団の可動性が蛍光効率を決定
  • 蛍光タンパク質「ドロンパ」のフォトクロミズムの分子機構を解明へ | 独立行政法人 理化学研究所プレスリリース
  • Light-dependent regulation of structural flexibility in a photochromic fluorescent protein.
    Hideaki Mizuno, Tapas Kumar Mal, Markus Wälchli, Akihiro Kikuchi, Takashi Fukano, Ryoko Ando, Jeyaraman Jeyakanthan, Junichiro Taka, Yoshitsugu Shiro, Mitsuhiko Ikura, Atsushi Miyawaki.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Early Edition | doi:10.1073/pnas.0709599105
    The structural basis for the photochromism in the fluorescent protein Dronpa is poorly understood, because the crystal structures of the bright state of the protein did not provide an answer to the mechanism of the photochromism, and structural determination of the dark state has been elusive. We performed NMR analyses of Dronpa in solution at ambient temperatures to find structural flexibility of the protein in the dark state. Light-induced changes in interactions between the chromophore and β-barrel are responsible for switching between the two states. In the bright state, the apex of the chromophore tethers to the barrel by a hydrogen bond, and an imidazole ring protruding from the barrel stabilizes the plane of the chromophore. These interactions are disrupted by strong illumination with blue light, and the chromophore, together with a part of the β-barrel, becomes flexible, leading to a nonradiative decay process.
    　 # さすが宮脇先生…あいかわらずいい仕事してます
  • Biotechnology Japan | Boston小児病院、Massachusetts総合病院など、心臓の発生にかかわる新たな前駆細胞を発見
  • Epicardial progenitors contribute to the cardiomyocyte lineage in the developing heart.
    Bin Zhou, Qing Ma, Satish Rajagopal, Sean M. Wu, Ibrahim Domian, José Rivera-Feliciano, Dawei Jiang, Alexander von Gise, Sadakatsu Ikeda, Kenneth R. Chien, William T. Pu.
    Nature, Advance online publication | doi:10.1038/nature07060
    The heart is formed from cardiogenic progenitors expressing the transcription factors Nkx2-5 and Isl1. These multipotent progenitors give rise to cardiomyocyte, smooth muscle and endothelial cells, the major lineages of the mature heart. Here we identify a novel cardiogenic precursor marked by expression of the transcription factor Wt1 and located within the epicardium―an epithelial sheet overlying the heart. During normal murine heart development, a subset of these Wt1+ precursors differentiated into fully functional cardiomyocytes. Wt1+ proepicardial cells arose from progenitors that express Nkx2-5 and Isl1, suggesting that they share a developmental origin with multipotent Nkx2-5+ and Isl1+ progenitors. These results identify Wt1+ epicardial cells as previously unrecognized cardiomyocyte progenitors, and lay the foundation for future efforts to harness the cardiogenic potential of these progenitors for cardiac regeneration and repair.
    　# 転写因子Wt1がキーのようです

    • 再び海外出張…

    2008-06-25 21:13:58 | Laboratory
    再び海外出張に行くことになりました。今度は米国東側のボストンです。いや、正確にはケンブリッジかしら？

    今回は、前回のような無茶振りな出張命令ではなく、業務上必要と自ら判断しての出張なので、数百倍ストレスが少ないのですが、人の都合を無視した出発日時決定とか、頑なに一人で行かせようとするなどの、あいかわらずの御大の嫌がらせとしか思えないような仕打ちをなんとか受け流しております。また、一緒に行くのがむさんの旦那であるしんさんでして、これまた前回のような御大同伴とは数千倍もストレスが少ない出張となっております。

    今回の出張の目的は、このあとに控えている長期出張に備えた事前視察です。いったい全体、本当に仕事が出来るのか、どんなところなのか、生活できるのか、といった本当に基本的なところを調べることが目的です。ただ、ボストンというのは、聞くところによると米国内の出張先でもかなり恵まれたところらしいのですが、如何せん、長期出張となりますと、ずっとホテル暮らしというわけにもいきませんので、アパートなんぞ探してこないといけないかもしれないということでして、しん＆むさん夫妻に至っては娘さんの預け先まで考えねばならんとのことでして、どっちかというと生活基盤の視察といった方が正しいのかもしれません。

    # 御大なんか保育施設まで私一人に探させようとしてたんだから…意味わからへんっちゅうの
    # さすがにそればっかりは責任持てませんって…

    なので、今回も三泊五日という短期滞在になりまして、やっぱり時差ボケが解消することなく帰ってくることになりそうです。出発は7月13日の日曜日…。さて、どうなることやら…。

    Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 更新プログラム

    2008-06-25 08:55:34 | Software
    Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 更新プログラムがMicrosoft AutoUpdate経由で出ています。
    Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 更新プログラム
    この更新プログラムは、Office 2004 の脆弱性と安定性を改善し、Office 2008 for Mac や Office 2007 for Windows で作成されたファイルとの互換性も向上させます。Open XML File Format Converter for Mac をインストールしている場合、この更新プログラムによって Office 2004 for Mac で Open XML Format 形式のファイルを扱うことができるようになります。

    必要システム
    この更新プログラムをインストールするには、以下のシステム要件を満たしている必要があります。

    オペレーティング システム : 日本語版 Mac OS X 10.2.8 以降。ソフトウェア・アップデートから入手できる最新版の Mac OS X のご利用をお勧めします。Spotlight をご利用いただくには、日本語版 Mac OS X 10.4 以降が、シンクサービスをご利用いただくには、日本語版 Mac OS X 10.4.3 以降が必要です。
    注意 お使いのコンピュータの情報を確認するには、[アップル] メニューの [この Mac について] をクリックし、[詳しい情報] をクリックします。

    追加情報
    この更新プログラムによる改善点、変更されたファイル一覧などの情報については、Microsoft の Web サイトを参照してください。

    さらに詳しい技術情報が必要な場合は、サポート情報をご利用下さい。


    Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.1 更新プログラム

    2008-06-25 07:36:23 | Software
    Microsoft Office 2008 12.1.1 UpdateがMicrosoft AutoUpdate経由で出ています。
    Offcie 2008 2.1.1 Update　153.8 MB
    この更新プログラムは、Office 2008の脆弱性と安定性を改善します。

    この更新プログラムに関する詳細については、以下のマイクロソフトのサポート情報を参照してください:
    http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119963

    さらに詳しい技術情報、またはダウンロード可能な更新プログラムを入手するには、Microsoft の Web サイトを参照してください。


    被剥奪自監督小組織

    2008-06-24 21:34:06 | Short piece
    今夜、御大から電話があって、TH君らが頑張っているチームの監督をASさんに代われと指示が来た。今までに色々と目的に合致したチームを作り上げては剥奪されてきたが、未だにそうされるときは得も言われぬ虚脱感に苛まれる…。しかも、さぁこれからだ、という頃に必ず…。虚しいものだ…。きっと、今始まろうとしているプロジェクトも同じ運命を辿るに違いない…。しかし、あれで部下がついてくるとでも思っているんだろうか。

    # ただ、そうやって人が苦労して立ち上げたシステムに、あぐらをかいて後釜に座る輩を見るのはさらに虚しい…
    # もちろん、あぐらをかかずにフル活用してくれればそれはそれで嬉しいのだが…

    Science News | June 24(3), 2008

    2008-06-24 21:26:18 | Science News
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：「世紀の花」一度きりの開花　つくば市の実験植物園 - サイエンス
    　# この写真はベタな合成写真なのか、それとも本物なのか…
  • asahi.com：難病研究予算「４倍の１００億円に」　厚労相が意向表明 - 政治
  • 難病：７疾患を追加指定　ＨＡＭや魚鱗癬など　厚労省 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# 研究が進むことを祈ります
  • 新型インフル「研究センター」新設を提言…与党チーム : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
    　# あえて国立感染症研究所内に特化したセンターを設置する意味が分からん…
  • 駒の湯温泉の土石流、以前の地滑り地形が再崩壊 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • 岩手・宮城内陸地震：地滑りのメカニズム　山を崩した、火山灰と地下水 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# 要は、起こるべくして起きた地滑りってことね

  • 岩手内陸部の地震確率が上昇、産業技術総合研が解析 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
    　# ただねぇ、元々大規模地震の確率が低かったところで起きちゃったからねぇ…説得力が…
  • 総合科学技術会議：革新的技術費に百数十億円拠出－－予算方針 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# 「次代の技術育成に重要な基礎研究を充実させるため『大挑戦研究枠』」ってのが気になる…
  • タミフル：影響あるとの結論出ず－－厚労省作業部会 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# インフルエンザ自身でも同様の症状が現れているんだから、原因の切り分けはかなり難しいわな
  • 京都賞：カープ氏ら３人受賞 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • The Scientist : NewsBlog : Anthony Pawson wins Kyoto Prize [20th June 2008]
  • GenomeWeb News: Pawson Named Kyoto Prize Winner in Basic Sciences
    　# おめでとうございます
  • かはくトランプ：生き物の進化をトランプに－－国立科学博物館 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
    　# 欲しいな、これ…
  • アスベスト：中皮腫死亡リスク、工場から２．２キロでも　奈良県立医大教授らが指摘 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • Mapping the Risk of Mesothelioma due to Neighborhood Asbestos Exposure.
    Norio Kurumatani, Shinji Kumagai.
    Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Articles in Press | doi:10.1164/rccm.200801-063OC
    Rationale: Little is known about neighborhood exposure to asbestos and mesothelioma risk among residents around an industrial source of asbestos. Objectives: To investigate the magnitude of the risk among residents by asbestos exposure levels and to determine the range of the area affected by asbestos. Methods: We calculated standardized mortality ratios of mesothelioma from 1995 to 2006 among the estimated population at risk that lived around a former large asbestos cement pipe plant in Amagasaki City, Japan between 1957 and 1975, the time when the plant had used crocidolite and chrysotile. Distance between the plant and homes and asbestos relative concentrations obtained by diffusion equations involving meteorological conditions were used as asbestos exposure levels among residents. Main results: We identified 73 mesothelioma deaths in 35 men and 38 women as having no occupational exposure to asbestos. Among persons who had lived within a 300-meter radius from the plant, the standardized mortality ratio of mesothelioma was 13.9 (95% C.I.: 5.6- 28.7) in men and 41.1 (95% C.I.: 15.2- 90.1) in women. When the study area was divided into five regions by relative asbestos concentration, standardized mortality ratios of mesothelioma declined, for both sexes, in a linear dose-dependent manner with the concentration. The regions with a significantly elevated standardized mortality ratio reached 2,200 meters from the plant in the same direction toward which the wind predominantly blew. Conclusions: Neighborhood exposure to asbestos can pose a serious risk to residents across a wide area.
    　# 風下に当たるところはハイリスクってことね…
  • 男性の肺がん死亡率がものすごい勢いで上昇している件
  • 厚生労働省：平成１９年　人口動態統計月報年計（概数）の概況：3. 死亡
    　# それでも吸い続けますか？タバコ…
  • GenomeWeb News: Illumina Announces First Japanese Certified Service Provider
  • 三菱化学安全科学研究所　ニュース　2008.06　イルミナ CSPro認定取得のお知らせ
  • Investor Relations .::. illumina, inc. .::. News Release .::. Illumina Announces Mitsubishi Chemical Safety Institute as Japan's First Certified Genetic Analysis Service Provider
  • プレスリリース：三菱化学安全科学研究所が日本で初めてイルミナ受託サービスCSPro認証プログラム獲得(080620) | イルミナ株式会社
    　# すみません…解散する三菱化学生命科学研究所は知っていたんですが、こういう研究所があることは知りませんでした
  • Homepage : Nature Publishing Group Language Editing
    　# これは何ですか？Natureに出したきゃ、必ずここを通してからにしろよっていう何かの警告ですか？
  • GenomeWeb News: Invitrogen Deal to Acquire ABI Leads to Mass Speculation About Mass Spec Business
  • The Scientist : NewsBlog : Invitrogen starts AB integration [20th June 2008]
    　# 徐々にInvitrogenがABを買った影響が出始めているようです
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：じゃまな脂肪で再生医療　幹細胞実験、動物で成功 - サイエンス
    　# どこかで発表したんじゃないのかなぁ…
  • 日本最古の四足動物　宮城の無人島　２.４億年前の両生類化石 (1/2ページ) - MSN産経ニュース
  • 日本最古、宮城県の無人島「唐島」で両生類の化石発見 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞） (6/27追加)
    　# 「７月４日から仙台市で開かれる日本古生物学会で発表」だそうです
    　# 「海岸でテント暮らしをしながら、漁船に乗せてもらって唐島に通い、約２カ月かけて“大物”を見つけた」…粘り勝ちですね
  • 東京新聞:不毛の海　スラグで黒々　藻場再生実験が好調　北海道:科学(TOKYO Web)
    　# やっぱし東京新聞の科学記事は質が高いぞ
  • 東京新聞:＜サイエンスリポート＞コロナが熱いのはなぜか:科学(TOKYO Web)
    　# 面白いんだが、やっぱり参考文献くらいは載せて欲しいな
  • クジラの個体数は回復していない、専門家らが指摘　国際ニュース : AFPBB News
    　# 「クジラは精神的に疲れている」…何だか突然非科学的な主張をし出すのが、反捕鯨の方々…

    • Science News | June 24(2), 2008

    2008-06-24 21:26:07 | Science News
  • 「脳の左右対称性で性的指向がわかる」：脳スキャナーを利用した研究 | WIRED VISION
  • PET and MRI show differences in cerebral asymmetry and functional connectivity between homo- and heterosexual subjects.
    Ivanka Savic, Per Lindström.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Early Edition | doi:10.1073/pnas.0801566105
    Cerebral responses to putative pheromones and objects of sexual attraction were recently found to differ between homo- and heterosexual subjects. Although this observation may merely mirror perceptional differences, it raises the intriguing question as to whether certain sexually dimorphic features in the brain may differ between individuals of the same sex but different sexual orientation. We addressed this issue by studying hemispheric asymmetry and functional connectivity, two parameters that in previous publications have shown specific sex differences. Ninety subjects [25 heterosexual men (HeM) and women (HeW), and 20 homosexual men (HoM) and women (HoW)] were investigated with magnetic resonance volumetry of cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres. Fifty of them also participated in PET measurements of cerebral blood flow, used for analyses of functional connections from the right and left amygdalae. HeM and HoW showed a rightward cerebral asymmetry, whereas volumes of the cerebral hemispheres were symmetrical in HoM and HeW. No cerebellar asymmetries were found. Homosexual subjects also showed sex-atypical amygdala connections. In HoM, as in HeW, the connections were more widespread from the left amygdala; in HoW and HeM, on the other hand, from the right amygdala. Furthermore, in HoM and HeW the connections were primarily displayed with the contralateral amygdala and the anterior cingulate, in HeM and HoW with the caudate, putamen, and the prefrontal cortex. The present study shows sex-atypical cerebral asymmetry and functional connections in homosexual subjects. The results cannot be primarily ascribed to learned effects, and they suggest a linkage to neurobiological entities.
    　# 脳の非対称が男性愛を引き起こすのか、それとも男性愛の結果として脳の非対称が起きたのか？
    　# 第二次性徴前の子供ではどうなんだろうか？

  • GenomeWeb News: Patterns of Gene Expression Differ in Male and Female Primate Brains
  • An Evolutionarily Conserved Sexual Signature in the Primate Brain.
    Björn Reinius, Peter Saetre, Jennifer A. Leonard, Ran Blekhman, Roxana Merino-Martinez, Yoav Gilad, Elena Jazin.
    PLoS Genet 4, e1000100 (2008) | doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000100
    The question of a potential biological sexual signature in the human brain is a heavily disputed subject. In order to provide further insight into this issue, we used an evolutionary approach to identify genes with sex differences in brain expression level among primates. We reasoned that expression patterns important to uphold key male and female characteristics may be conserved during evolution. We selected cortex for our studies because this specific brain region is responsible for many higher behavioral functions. We compared gene expression profiles in the occipital cortex of male and female humans (Homo sapiens, a great ape) and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis, an old world monkey), two catarrhine species that show abundant morphological sexual dimorphism, as well as in common marmosets (Callithrix Jacchus, a new world monkey) which are relatively sexually monomorphic. We identified hundreds of genes with sex-biased expression patterns in humans and macaques, while fewer than ten were differentially expressed between the sexes in marmosets. In primates, a general rule is that many of the morphological and behavioral sexual dimorphisms seen in polygamous species, such as macaques, are typically less pronounced in monogamous species such as the marmosets. Our observations suggest that this correlation may also be reflected in the extent of sex-biased gene expression in the brain. We identified 85 genes with common sex-biased expression, in both human and macaque and 2 genes, X inactivation-specific transcript (XIST) and Heat shock factor binding protein 1 (HSBP1), that were consistently sex-biased in the female direction in human, macaque, and marmoset. These observations imply a conserved signature of sexual gene expression dimorphism in cortex of primates. Further, we found that the coding region of female-biased genes is more evolutionarily constrained compared to the coding region of both male-biased and non sex-biased brain expressed genes. We found genes with conserved sexual gene expression dimorphism in the occipital cortex of humans, cynomolgus macaques, and common marmosets. Genes within sexual expression profiles may underlie important functional differences between the sexes, with possible importance during primate evolution.
    　# こっちでは、霊長類では男女の脳で遺伝子発現パターンまで違うなんてことになってます…
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：「宇宙人探せ」全国一斉作戦　各地の公開天文台 - サイエンス
    　# こういうのって継続的にやらないと見つからないんじゃないの？
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：火星に氷「やっぱりあった」　ＮＡＳＡなど、写真分析で - サイエンス
  • 火星の北極近くに氷か、日光浴びて蒸発…探査機が撮影 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • 「火星の氷」初めて直接確認の可能性高まる : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • 火星探査機：ＮＡＳＡ「氷に間違いない」　白い塊消える - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • 「火星で氷を発見」：読者の様々な疑問とその回答 | WIRED VISION
  • NASA - NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Confirms Frozen Water
    　# 世紀の大発見！…のはずなんだが、盛り上がりに欠けるな…やっぱし液体の水の映像がないとなぁ…
    　# 水を含む資料の顕微鏡写真に期待
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：寄生虫の治療薬、Ｃ型肝炎にも効果　エジプトで臨床試験 - サイエンス
    　# 「イタリアで開かれた欧州肝臓学会で発表」だそうです
    　# 「ニタゾキサニドがＣ型肝炎ウイルスに効く理由ははっきりしていない」…要は、何故か知らんが効くらしいってことね
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：ミカン果汁で脳の老化防止？　静岡県立大などマウス実験 - サイエンス
    　# 「日本基礎老化学会で発表」だそうな
    　# ミカン果汁のコントロールとして水だけでいいのかとか、カロリー摂取量を合わせたのかとか…
    　# アスコルビン酸のみの摂取群はないのかとか…ツッコミ甲斐があることは確か…
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：宇宙の目でサンゴ分布図作成へ　衛星「だいち」活用 - サイエンス
    　# 珊瑚の白化をどのくらいの精度で観測出来るんだろう
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：ｉＰＳ細胞、作製効率１００倍に　米教授がマウスで成功 - サイエンス
  • Biotechnology Japan | Harvard大のMeltonら、iPS細胞作製でヒストンデアセチラーゼの阻害剤であるバルプロ酸はc-Mycの代替として効率高い (6/27追加)
  • Induction of pluripotent stem cells by defined factors is greatly improved by small-molecule compounds.
    Danwei Huangfu, René Maehr, Wenjun Guo, Astrid Eijkelenboom, Melinda Snitow, Alice E Chen, Douglas A Melton.
    Nature Biotechnology, Advance online publication | doi:10.1038/nbt1418
    Reprogramming of mouse and human somatic cells can be achieved by ectopic expression of transcription factors, but with low efficiencies. We report that DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors improve reprogramming efficiency. In particular, valproic acid (VPA), an HDAC inhibitor, improves reprogramming efficiency by more than 100-fold, using Oct4-GFP as a reporter. VPA also enables efficient induction of pluripotent stem cells without introduction of the oncogene c-Myc.
    　# つまりヒストンの脱アセチル化によってヘテロクロマチン構造をとることで発現が抑制される遺伝子がキーになっているということ？

    • Science News | June 24(1), 2008

    2008-06-24 21:25:51 | Science News
    # 何だか異様に疲れが溜まる一方な今日この頃…
  • Biotechnology Japan | 記者発表、産業技術総合研究所、高純度半導体カーボンナノチューブを用いた高性能トランジスタを作製
  • 産総研：プレス・リリース　高純度半導体カーボンナノチューブを用いた高性能トランジスタを作製
  • Semiconductor-enriched single wall carbon nanotube networks applied to field effect transistors.
    N. Izard, S. Kazaoui, K. Hata, T. Okazaki, T. Saito, S. Iijima, N. Minami.
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 243112 (2008) | DOI:10.1063/1.2939560
    Substantial progress on field effect transistors (FETs) consisting of semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) without detectable traces of metallic nanotubes and impurities is reported. Nearly perfect removal of metallic nanotubes is confirmed by optical absorption, Raman measurements, and electrical measurements. This outstanding result was made possible in particular by ultracentrifugation (150  000  g) of solutions prepared from SWNT powders using polyfluorene as an extracting agent in toluene. Such s-SWNTs processable solutions were applied to realize FET, embodying randomly or preferentially oriented nanotube networks prepared by spin coating or dielectrophoresis. Devices exhibit stable p-type semiconductor behavior in air with very promising characteristics. The on-off current ratio is 105, the on-current level is around 10  µA, and the estimated hole mobility is larger than 2  cm2/V  s.
    　# やっと見つけた…
    　# カーボンナノチューブがどんどん実用化に向けて進んでいく…
  • 過剰な恐怖の「ブレーキ役」解明　群馬大がマウス実験 - MSN産経ニュース
  • 恐怖記憶：ブレーキかけるたんぱく質を特定　群馬大チーム - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • Inducible cAMP Early Repressor Acts as a Negative Regulator for Kindling Epileptogenesis and Long-Term Fear Memory.
    Nobuhiko Kojima, Gilyana Borlikova, Toshiro Sakamoto, Kazuyuki Yamada, Toshio Ikeda, Shigeyoshi Itohara, Hiroaki Niki, Shogo Endo.
    The Journal of Neuroscience 28, 6459-6472 (2008) | doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0412-08.2008
    Long-lasting neuronal plasticity as well as long-term memory (LTM) requires de novo synthesis of proteins through dynamic regulation of gene expression. cAMP-responsive element (CRE)-mediated gene transcription occurs in an activity-dependent manner and plays a pivotal role in neuronal plasticity and LTM in a variety of species. To study the physiological role of inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), a CRE-mediated gene transcription repressor, in neuronal plasticity and LTM, we generated two types of ICER mutant mice: ICER-overexpressing (OE) mice and ICER-specific knock-out (KO) mice. Both ICER-OE and ICER-KO mice show no apparent abnormalities in their development and reproduction. A comprehensive battery of behavioral tests revealed no robust changes in locomotor activity, sensory and motor functions, and emotional responses in the mutant mice. However, long-term conditioned fear memory was attenuated in ICER-OE mice and enhanced in ICER-KO mice without concurrent changes in short-term fear memory. Furthermore, ICER-OE mice exhibited retardation of kindling development, whereas ICER-KO mice exhibited acceleration of kindling. These results strongly suggest that ICER negatively regulates the neuronal processes required for long-term fear memory and neuronal plasticity underlying kindling epileptogenesis, possibly through suppression of CRE-mediated gene transcription.

    　# 「米神経科学誌」って、どれだけあると思ってるんだ？…産経に至っては「米専門誌」…分かるか！
    　# 「ICER」＝「inducible cAMP early repressor」だそうな
    　# CREを介した遺伝子発現調節因子は他にないのかな？
  • 2008年6月18日「水深10,350メートルの海底下堆積物採取」　サイエンスポータル編集ニュース　科学技術 全て伝えます サイエンスポータル / SciencePortal
  • 大深度小型無人探査機「ABISMO」が世界で初めてマリアナ海溝水深1万m超の海洋～海底面～海底下の連続的試料採取に成功＜プレスリリース＜JAMSTECについて＜独立行政法人海洋研究開発機構
    　# 水深10,000 mの海底って、凄く興味をそそられるのは私だけ？
  • Hydrogen sulphide release to surface waters at the Precambrian/Cambrian boundary.
    Martin Wille, Thomas F. Nägler, Bernd Lehmann, Stefan Schröder, Jan D. Kramers.
    Nature 453, 767-769 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07072
    Animal-like multicellular fossils appeared towards the end of the Precambrian, followed by a rapid increase in the abundance and diversity of fossils during the Early Cambrian period, an event also known as the 'Cambrian explosion'. Changes in the environmental conditions at the Precambrian/Cambrian transition (about 542 Myr ago) have been suggested as a possible explanation for this event, but are still a matter of debate. Here we report molybdenum isotope signatures of black shales from two stratigraphically correlated sample sets with a depositional age of around 542 Myr. We find a transient molybdenum isotope signal immediately after the Precambrian/Cambrian transition. Using a box model of the oceanic molybdenum cycle, we find that intense upwelling of hydrogen sulphide-rich deep ocean water best explains the observed Early Cambrian molybdenum isotope signal. Our findings suggest that the Early Cambrian animal radiation may have been triggered by a major change in ocean circulation, terminating a long period during which the Proterozoic ocean was stratified, with sulphidic deep water.
    　# 「カンブリア爆発」って、なんで起きたんだろうか…いや、今はどうしてそういう進化の加速が起きないんだろうか？
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：黄砂に乗ってカビや細菌、日本に飛来か　金沢大調査 - サイエンス
    　# こちらとは別の発表…「中国・ウルムチであった国際会議で発表」だそうな…何学会やねん
    　# やっぱし、黄砂は危ないって…
  • 5つの「スーパーアース」発見　写真3枚　国際ニュース : AFPBB News
    　# 「フランス・ナント（Nantes）で行われた天文学会議」で発表だそうです
    　# 地球より大きい地球型惑星って、自ずと重力も異なるから気体組成から変わってくるんじゃないかという素朴な疑問…
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：温暖化、１万年以上前にも　グリーンランドの氷を解析 - サイエンス
  • 地球温暖化：最終氷期のグリーンランド、３年で気温１０度上昇 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • High-Resolution Greenland Ice Core Data Show Abrupt Climate Change Happens in Few Years.
    J. P. Steffensen, K. K. Andersen, M. Bigler, H. B. Clausen, D. Dahl-Jensen, H. Fischer, K. Goto-Azuma, M. Hansson, S. J. Johnsen, J. Jouzel, V. Masson-Delmotte, T. Popp, S. O. Rasmussen, R. Rothlisberger, U. Ruth, B. Stauffer, M.-L. Siggaard-Andersen, A. E. Sveinbjörnsdóttir, A. Svensson, J. W. C. White.
    Science, Science Express | DOI: 10.1126/science.1157707
    The last two abrupt warmings at the onset of our present warm interglacial period, interrupted by the Younger Dryas cooling event, are investigated in high temporal resolution from the Greenland NGRIP ice core. The deuterium excess, a proxy of Greenland precipitation moisture source, switches mode within 1 to 3 years over these transitions and initiates a more gradual change (50 years) of the Greenland air temperature as recorded by water stable isotopes. The onsets of both abrupt Greenland warmings are slightly preceded by decreasing Greenland dust deposition, reflecting wetting of Asian deserts. A northern shift of the ITCZ could be the trigger of these abrupt shifts of northern hemisphere atmospheric circulation resulting in 2 to 4K changes in Greenland moisture source temperature from one year to the next.
    　# さ、3年間で10℃上昇って凄くない？

    • Safari 3.1.2 for Windows

    2008-06-23 07:30:57 | Apple
    Safari 3.1.2 for Windowsが出ているそうです。以下、Apple Product Securityからのメールを引用。
    APPLE-SA-2008-06-19 Safari v3.1.2 for Windows

    Safari v3.1.2 for Windows is now available and addresses the following issues:

    Safari
    CVE-ID: CVE-2008-1573
    Available for: Windows XP or Vista
    Impact: Viewing a maliciously crafted BMP or GIF image may lead to information disclosure
    Description: An out-of-bounds memory read may occur in the handling of BMP and GIF images, which may lead to the disclosure of memory contents. This update addresses the issue by performing additional validation of BMP and GIF images. This issue is addressed in systems running Mac OS X v10.5.3, and in Mac OS X v10.4.11 with Security Update 2008-003. Credit to Gynvael Coldwind of Hispasec for reporting this issue.

    Safari
    CVE-ID: CVE-2008-2540
    Available for: Windows XP or Vista
    Impact: Saving untrusted files to the Windows desktop may lead to the execution of arbitrary code
    Description: An issue exists in how the Windows desktop handles executables. Saving an untrusted file to the Windows desktop may trigger the issue, and lead to the execution of arbitrary code. Web browsers are a means by which files may be saved to the desktop. To help mitigate this issue, the Safari browser has been updated to prompt the user prior to saving a download file. Also, the default download location is changed to the user's Downloads folder on Windows Vista, and to the user's Documents folder on Windows XP. This issue does not exist on systems running Mac OS X. Additional information is available from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/953818.mspx which credits Aviv Raff with reporting the issue.

    Safari
    CVE-ID: CVE-2008-2306
    Available for: Windows XP or Vista
    Impact: Visiting a malicious website which is in a trusted Internet Explorer zone may lead to the automatic execution of arbitrary code
    Description: If a website is in an Internet Explorer 7 zone with the "Launching applications and unsafe files" setting set to "Enable", or if a website is in the Internet Explorer 6 "Local intranet" or "Trusted sites" zone, Safari will automatically launch executable files that are downloaded from the site. This update addresses the issue by not automatically launching downloaded executable files, and by prompting the user before downloading a file if the "always prompt" setting is enabled. This issue does not exist on systems running Mac OS X. Credit to Will Dormann of CERT/CC for reporting this issue.

    WebKit
    CVE-ID: CVE-2008-2307
    Available for: Windows XP or Vista
    Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
    Description: A memory corruption issue exists in WebKit's handling of JavaScript arrays. Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This update addresses the issue through improved bounds checking. Credit to James Urquhart for reporting this issue.

    Safari v3.1.2 for Windows is available via the Apple Software Update application, or Apple's Safari download site at: http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

    Safari for Windows XP or Vista
    The download file is named: "SafariSetup.exe"
    Its SHA-1 digest is: c63db818658532d3ff2762378b0b7b7e6aace0d6

    Safari+QuickTime for Windows XP or Vista
    The file is named: "SafariQuickTimeSetup.exe"
    Its SHA-1 digest is: 22ebca0a88b5814e22f015daea1be27489e6e7be

    Information will also be posted to the Apple Security Updates web site: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222


    快適火狐三

    2008-06-19 20:56:42 | Short piece
    難なくギネスにも載りそうな程、もの凄い勢いでダウンロードされたFirefox 3だが、実際、かなり快適。見た目もMac OS Xに合うようになったし、何より早いし新機能が便利。しばらくしたらデフォルトになるかも…。敢えて難をいうならGoogle Browser Syncが未対応なことくらい…。

    Science News | June 19(3), 2008

    2008-06-19 20:45:08 | Science News
  • チンパンジーの雌、交尾の際は静か＝英研究者ら | 世界のこぼれ話 | Reuters
  • Female Chimpanzees Use Copulation Calls Flexibly to Prevent Social Competition.
    Simon W. Townsend, Tobias Deschner, Klaus Zuberbühler.
    PLoS ONE 3, e2431 (2008) | doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002431
    The adaptive function of copulation calls in female primates has been debated for years. One influential idea is that copulation calls are a sexually selected trait, which enables females to advertise their receptive state to males. Male-male competition ensues and females benefit by getting better mating partners and higher quality offspring. We analysed the copulation calling behaviour of wild female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Budongo Forest, Uganda, but found no support for the male-male competition hypothesis. Hormone analysis showed that the calling behaviour of copulating females was unrelated to their fertile period and likelihood of conception. Instead, females called significantly more while with high-ranking males, but suppressed their calls if high-ranking females were nearby. Copulation calling may therefore be one potential strategy employed by female chimpanzees to advertise receptivity to high-ranked males, confuse paternity and secure future support from these socially important individuals. Competition between females can be dangerously high in wild chimpanzees, and our results indicate that females use their copulation calls strategically to minimise the risks associated with such competition.
    　# 性行動は子孫繁栄のための生存戦略に直結するのか…
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：脊椎動物の祖先はナメクジウオ　「ホヤ」との論争に決着 - サイエンス
  • ヒトなど脊椎動物、祖先はナメクジウオの仲間…ゲノム解読で : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • 脊椎動物：祖先はナメクジウオ　ヒトと遺伝子６割共通 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • GenomeWeb News: New Genome Sequence Provides Clues About Vertebrate Evolution
  • Evolutionary biology: The amphioxus unleashed.
    Henry Gee.
    Nature 453, 999-1000 (2008) | doi:10.1038/453999a
    The genome sequence of a species of amphioxus, an iconic organism in the history of evolutionary biology, opens up a fresh vista on the comparative investigation of chordates and vertebrates.
  • The amphioxus genome and the evolution of the chordate karyotype.
    Nicholas H. Putnam, Thomas Butts, David E. K. Ferrier, Rebecca F. Furlong, Uffe Hellsten, Takeshi Kawashima, Marc Robinson-Rechavi, Eiichi Shoguchi, Astrid Terry, Jr-Kai Yu, E`lia Benito-Gutiérrez, Inna Dubchak, Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez, Jeremy J. Gibson-Brown, Igor V. Grigoriev, Amy C. Horton, Pieter J. de Jong, Jerzy Jurka, Vladimir V. Kapitonov, Yuji Kohara, Yoko Kuroki, Erika Lindquist, Susan Lucas, Kazutoyo Osoegawa, Len A. Pennacchio, Asaf A. Salamov, Yutaka Satou, Tatjana Sauka-Spengler, Jeremy Schmutz, Tadasu Shin-I, Atsushi Toyoda, Marianne Bronner-Fraser, Asao Fujiyama, Linda Z. Holland, Peter W. H. Holland, Nori Satoh, Daniel S. Rokhsar.
    Nature 453, 1064-1071 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature06967
    Lancelets ('amphioxus') are the modern survivors of an ancient chordate lineage, with a fossil record dating back to the Cambrian period. Here we describe the structure and gene content of the highly polymorphic ∼520-megabase genome of the Florida lancelet Branchiostoma floridae, and analyse it in the context of chordate evolution. Whole-genome comparisons illuminate the murky relationships among the three chordate groups (tunicates, lancelets and vertebrates), and allow not only reconstruction of the gene complement of the last common chordate ancestor but also partial reconstruction of its genomic organization, as well as a description of two genome-wide duplications and subsequent reorganizations in the vertebrate lineage. These genome-scale events shaped the vertebrate genome and provided additional genetic variation for exploitation during vertebrate evolution.
    　# NHKスペシャルでアノマロカリスから逃げるピカイアを思い出してしまった…
  • asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：慢性骨髄性白血病、根治へ治療法を開発　ハーバード大 - サイエンス
  • がん：制御遺伝子発見　日米伊チーム - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • PML targeting eradicates quiescent leukaemia-initiating cells.
    Keisuke Ito, Rosa Bernardi, Alessandro Morotti, Sahoko Matsuoka, Giuseppe Saglio, Yasuo Ikeda, Jacalyn Rosenblatt, David E. Avigan, Julie Teruya-Feldstein, Pier Paolo Pandolfi.
    Nature 453, 1072-1078 (2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07016
    The existence of a small population of 'cancer-initiating cells' responsible for tumour maintenance has been firmly demonstrated in leukaemia. This concept is currently being tested in solid tumours. Leukaemia-initiating cells, particularly those that are in a quiescent state, are thought to be resistant to chemotherapy and targeted therapies, resulting in disease relapse. Chronic myeloid leukaemia is a paradigmatic haematopoietic stem cell disease in which the leukaemia-initiating-cell pool is not eradicated by current therapy, leading to disease relapse on drug discontinuation. Here we define the critical role of the promyelocytic leukaemia protein (PML) tumour suppressor in haematopoietic stem cell maintenance, and present a new therapeutic approach for targeting quiescent leukaemia-initiating cells and possibly cancer-initiating cells by pharmacological inhibition of PML.
    　# 抗ガン剤と亜ヒ酸の組み合わせが有効だなんて、分子生物学的に調べなきゃ出てこない発想だよな
  • 政府懇談会が提言、低炭素社会へ国民的取り組み求める : 環境 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
    　# なんか「低炭素社会」という言葉に違和感を覚えるのは気のせいかい？
  • 環境問題解決に大型研究施設の共有へ…Ｇ８科学技術相会合 : 環境 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
    　# ここでいう環境問題解決に使うという大型研究施設って具体的に何なんですか？
  • 岩手・宮城地震、震央から１１ｋｍの地点で２・１ｍ隆起 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • 「駒の湯温泉」襲った土砂崩落、東京ドーム１・２杯分に : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
    　# 地震関連です
  • 光で細胞表面の受容体の動きを観察　京大が新手法 - MSN産経ニュース
  • お好みの蛍光色素で薬物受容体を瞬時に標識：創薬研究への応用 – 京都大学
  • Coiled-Coil Tag－Probe System for Quick Labeling of Membrane Receptors in Living Cells.
    Yoshiaki Yano, Akiko Yano, Shinya Oishi, Yukihiko Sugimoto, Gozoh Tsujimoto, Nobutaka Fujii, Katsumi Matsuzaki.
    ACS Chem. Biol., ASAP Article | doi:10.1021/cb8000556
    The specific labeling of proteins in living cells using a genetically encodable tag and a small synthetic probe targeting the tag has been craved as an alternative to widely used larger fluorescent proteins. We describe a rapid method with a small tag (21 amino acids) for the fluorescence labeling of cell-surface receptors using a high affinity coiled-coil formation without metals or enzymes. The peptide probes K3 (KIAALKE)3 and K4 (KIAALKE)4 labeled with a fluorophore specifically stained the surface-exposed tag sequence E3 (EIAALEK)3 attached to the N-terminus of the mouse-derived prosta-glandin EP3β receptor in living cells (Kd = 64 and 6 nM for K3 and K4, respectively). The labeling was quick (<1 min), nontoxic, and available even in culture medium without affecting receptor function. As an application of this tractable method, the agonist-induced internalization of the human-derived β-adrenergic receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor was successfully visualized.
    　# 受容体じゃないところを標識したい場合はどうするんですかねぇ？

    • Science News | June 19(2), 2008

    2008-06-19 20:44:58 | Science News
  • Daily Scan: Starbucks Is Gonna Love This
  • Observatory - Just Smelling the Coffee Can Wake Up Genes - NYTimes.com
  • Effects of Coffee Bean Aroma on the Rat Brain Stressed by Sleep Deprivation: A Selected Transcript- and 2D Gel-Based Proteome Analysis.
    Han-Seok Seo, Misato Hirano, Junko Shibato, Randeep Rakwal, In Kyeong Hwang, Yoshinori Masuo.
    J. Agric. Food Chem. 56, 4665–4673 (2008) | doi:10.1021/jf8001137
    The aim of this study was 2-fold: (i) to demonstrate influences of roasted coffee bean aroma on rat brain functions by using the transcriptomics and proteomics approaches and (ii) to evaluate the impact of roasted coffee bean aroma on stress induced by sleep deprivation. The aroma of the roasted coffee beans was administered to four groups of adult male Wistar rats: 1, control group; 2, 24 h sleep deprivation-induced stress group (the stress group); 3, coffee aroma-exposed group without stress (the coffee group); and 4, the stress with coffee aroma group (the stress with coffee group). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of some known genes responsive to aroma or stress was performed using total RNA from these four groups. A total of 17 selected genes of the coffee were differently expressed over the control. Additionally, the expression levels of 13 genes were different between the stress group and the stress with coffee group: Up-regulation was found for 11 genes, and down-regulation was seen for two genes in the stress with coffee group. We also looked to changes in protein profiles in these four samples using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis; 25 differently expressed gel spots were detected on 2D gels stained by silver nitrate. Out of these, a total of nine proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Identified proteins belonged to five functional categories: antioxidant; protein fate; cell rescue, defense, and virulence; cellular communication/signal transduction mechanism; and energy metabolism. Among the differentially expressed genes and proteins between the stress and the stress with coffee group, NGFR, trkC, GIR, thiol-specific antioxidant protein, and heat shock 70 kDa protein 5 are known to have antioxidant or antistress functions. In conclusion, the roasted coffee bean aroma changes the mRNA and protein expression levels of the rat brain, providing for the first time clues to the potential antioxidant or stress relaxation activities of the coffee bean aroma.
    　# コーヒーは飲まなくても香りをかぐだけで効果があるんだそうな…けど、香ったら飲みたくなるよね
  • GenomeWeb News: Diet, Exercise Affect Prostate Gene Expression
  • Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention.
    Dean Ornish, Mark Jesus M. Magbanua, Gerdi Weidner, Vivian Weinberg, Colleen Kemp, Christopher Green, Michael D. Mattie, Ruth Marlin, Jeff Simko, Katsuto Shinohara, Christopher M. Haqq, Peter R. Carroll.
    PNAS 105, 8369-8374 (2008) | doi:10.1073/pnas.0803080105
    Epidemiological and prospective studies indicate that comprehensive lifestyle changes may modify the progression of prostate cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms by which improvements in diet and lifestyle might affect the prostate microenvironment are poorly understood. We conducted a pilot study to examine changes in prostate gene expression in a unique population of men with low-risk prostate cancer who declined immediate surgery, hormonal therapy, or radiation and participated in an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention while undergoing careful surveillance for tumor progression. Consistent with previous studies, significant improvements in weight, abdominal obesity, blood pressure, and lipid profile were observed (all P <0.05), and surveillance of low-risk patients was safe. Gene expression profiles were obtained from 30 participants, pairing RNA samples from control prostate needle biopsy taken before intervention to RNA from the same patient's 3-month postintervention biopsy. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate array observations for selected transcripts. Two-class paired analysis of global gene expression using significance analysis of microarrays detected 48 up-regulated and 453 down-regulated transcripts after the intervention. Pathway analysis identified significant modulation of biological processes that have critical roles in tumorigenesis, including protein metabolism and modification, intracellular protein traffic, and protein phosphorylation (all P < 0.05). Intensive nutrition and lifestyle changes may modulate gene expression in the prostate. Understanding the prostate molecular response to comprehensive lifestyle changes may strengthen efforts to develop effective prevention and treatment. Larger clinical trials are warranted to confirm the results of this pilot study.
    　# 前立腺における遺伝子発現にもダイエットや運動が影響するらしい…
    　# 前立腺に不安のある方、生活を見直しては如何でしょう？
  • ProteoMonitor: ABI Plans to Shutter Edman Sequencing Business, But Some Customers Complain
    　# 購読していないので情報が断片しかありませんが…
    　# Invitrogenとの合併のニュースのあとに早速物騒なニュースが出てきています
    　# ABIがエドマン分解式N末シーケンサーから撤退するなんて想像だに出来ない…
  • 科学技術貢献の「藤原賞」に京大・柏原氏と早大・竜田氏 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
    　# おめでとうございます
  • タミフル服用、心臓への影響認められず…厚労省作業部会 : 科学 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
  • タミフル：服用「異常行動出ず」…臨床試験の結果報告 - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
  • タミフル臨床試験、異常行動と因果関係出ず　厚労省ＷＧ見解 - MSN産経ニュース
    　# 産経は論外としても、読売と毎日でほぼ同じ内容の記事なれど、見出しによってこれだけ印象が異なるとは…
  • 緑内障　人間ドック、見落とす危険 (1/2ページ) - MSN産経ニュース
    　# 明らかに遺伝的バックグラウンドがあるんだから、そろそろ定期検査を受けた方がいいのかもしれないな＞自分
  • Daily Scan: Case in Point
  • Discovering Biology in a Digital World : Some people never learn: the genetics of learning from our mistakes
  • Genetically Determined Differences in Learning from Errors.
    Tilmann A. Klein, Jane Neumann, Martin Reuter, Jürgen Hennig, D. Yves von Cramon, Markus Ullsperger.
    Science 318, 1642-1645 (2008) | DOI: 10.1126/science.1145044
    The role of dopamine in monitoring negative action outcomes and feedback-based learning was tested in a neuroimaging study in humans grouped according to the dopamine D2 receptor gene polymorphism DRD2-TAQ-IA. In a probabilistic learning task, A1-allele carriers with reduced dopamine D2 receptor densities learned to avoid actions with negative consequences less efficiently. Their posterior medial frontal cortex (pMFC), involved in feedback monitoring, responded less to negative feedback than others' did. Dynamically changing interactions between pMFC and hippocampus found to underlie feedback-based learning were reduced in A1-allele carriers. This demonstrates that learning from errors requires dopaminergic signaling. Dopamine D2 receptor reduction seems to decrease sensitivity to negative action consequences, which may explain an increased risk of developing addictive behaviors in A1-allele carriers.
    　# 失敗から学ぶか学ばないかも遺伝的背景によるとは…