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Background: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is characterized by elevated serum IgG4 and tissue infiltration by IgG4-positive plasma cells. The pathogenesis of this disease is not clear. Transcriptome analysis was performed to identify genes over- and under-expressed in patients with IgG4-RD. Method: DNA microarray analysis was performed using RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of two patients with IgG4-RD and four healthy individuals. Genes showing a greater than threefold change in expression in IgG4-RD patients following steroid therapy were identified. Four genes related to innate immunity such as transcobalamin I (TCN1), secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor (SLPI), bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) and lactotransferrin (LTF) were assessed by real-time PCR in 15 IgG4-RD patients and 13 healthy individuals. Result: DNA microarray analysis identified 30 genes showing a greater than threefold change in expression in IgG4-RD patients following steroid therapy. Real-time RT-PCR showed that the levels of mRNAs encoding TCNI and SLPI, except for BPI and LTF, were significantly lower in patients with IgG4-RD than in healthy people. The levels of all four mRNAs in patients with IgG4-RD were significantly increased after steroid treatment. Conclusion: These results indicate that reduction in expression of innate immunity-related genes may participate in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD that steroid treatment may rectify impaired innate immunity as well as acquired immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical observations of the Phoenicid meteor shower were made in North Carolina, USA, with seven video cameras and two digital cameras over a period of about 5 hr between 22:30 UT on 2014 December 1 and 04:00 UT on December 2. Activity of the Phoenicids was confirmed during this period, including the predicted maximum around 00 h UT on December 2. The activity level was not high, considering that 29 Phoenicid meteors and 109 non-Phoenicid meteors were detected. A gentle peak in the activity was recognized between 01:00 UT and 03:00 UT on December 2. The compact radiant of the Phoenicids agreed well with what was predicted. A comparison of the observed and predicted peak times, radiant position, bright meteors' dominance, and radiants' spread revealed that the observed meteors originated from the dust trails formed by comet 289P/Blanpain at the perihelion passage in the early 20th century. This indicates that the parent body of the Phoenicids, comet 289P/Blanpain, was still active as a comet in the early 20th century and provided meteoroids, although its activity level was significantly weaker than that at the beginning of the 19th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A state of a virtual knot diagram D is a disjoint union of circles obtained from D by splicing all real crossings. For each integer n > 0, we denote by sn(D) the number of states of D consisting of n circles. The state number of a virtual knot K is the minimal number of sn(D) for all diagrams D of K and denoted by sn(K). The aim of this paper is to study sn(D) and sn(K). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fascinating clinical entity proposed by Japanese investigators, and includes a wide variety of diseases, formerly diagnosed as Mikulicz's disease (MD), autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), interstitial nephritis, prostatitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, etc. Although all clinicians in every field of medicine may encounter this new disease, a unifying diagnostic criterion has not been established. In 2011, the Japanese IgG4 team, organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan, published comprehensive diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RD. Several problems with these criteria have arisen in clinical practice, however, including the difficulty obtaining biopsy samples from some patients, and the sensitivity and the specificity of techniques used to measure serum IgG4 concentrations. Although serum IgG4 concentration is an important clinical marker for IgG4-RD, its diagnostic utility in differentiating IgG4-RD from other diseases, called IgG4-RD mimickers, remains unclear. This review describes the current optimal approach for the diagnosis of IgG4-RD, based on both comprehensive and organ-specific diagnostic criteria, in patients with diseases such as IgG4- related pancreatitis (AIP), sclerosing cholangitis, and renal, lung and orbital diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The MU radar of RISH (Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University), which is a MST radar (46.5 MHz, 1 MW peak power), has been successfully applied to meteor studies by using its very high versatility. The system has recently renewed with 25 channel digital receivers which significantly improved the sensitivity and precision of interferometer used in meteor observation. The transmission is now synchronized to GPS signals, and two external receiving sites with a ranging capability has additionally been operated in order to determine the trajectories and speeds of meteoroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We make an initial report on polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) observed by Himawari-8, the Japanese Geostationary-Earth-Orbit (GEO) meteorological satellite. Heights of the observed PMCs were estimated to be 80-82km. The PMCs were active only during summertime in both the northern and southern polar regions. These results are concrete evidences of PMCs. PMC observations by Himawari-8 can provide continuous PMC monitoring at every 10 minutes with 3 visible bands from its almost fixed location relative to the Earth, and it would enhance PMC research in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present October Draconid meteor head echo observations with the Shigaraki middle and upper atmosphere (MU)radar in Japan. Prominent activity of 2012 October Draconids occurred on October 8 between 16:20 UT and 17:40 UT. Around the peak time (13-20 h UT), the MU radar recorded 51 Draconid head echoes with precise orbit determinations. The weighted mean geocentric radiant during this time interval was located at right ascension αg = 262.°5 ± 0.°5 and declination δg = +55.°8 ± 0.°3(epoch J2000.0). The weighted mean geocentric velocity was 20.6 ± 0.3 km s-1. Both are in good agreement with model predictions. Although the models predicted no strong visually detectable activity, our head echo observations showed that the peak activity in 2012 was higher than that of the previous outburst in 2011. Based on the distribution of radar cross-section for the Draconid meteor head echoes, the outburst in 2012 was due to meteoroids with lower masses (fainter meteors) than that in 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptin is secreted by adipocytes, the placenta, and the stomach. It not only controls appetite through leptin receptors in the hypothalamus, it also regulates immunity. In the current study, we produced leptin-deficient MRL/Mp-Faslpr mice to investigate the potential role of leptin in autoimmunity. C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice were backcrossed with MRL/Mp-Faslpr mice, which develop human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like lesions. The effects of leptin deficiency on various SLE-like manifestations were investigated in MRL/Mp-Faslpr mice. The regulatory T cell population in the spleen was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the effects of leptin on regulatory T cells and Th17 cells were evaluated in vitro. Compared with leptin-producing MRL/Mp-Faslpr mice, leptin-deficient MRL/Mp-Faslpr mice showed less marked splenomegaly and a particularly low population of CD3+CD4-CD8-B220+ T cells (lpr cells). Their serum concentrations of Abs to dsDNA were lower, and renal histological changes at age 20 wk were ameliorated. Regulatory T cells were increased in the spleens of leptin-deficient MRL/Mp-Faslpr mice. Leptin suppressed regulatory T cells and enhanced Th17 cells in vitro. In conclusion, blockade of leptin signaling may be of therapeutic benefit in patients with SLE and other autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]