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In this data article, we provide information on the recovery rate and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the external morphology of zircon grains separated from two rock samples (AS3 and TEMORA 2) using both mechanical and electrical pulverization systems. The data in this article are related to the research article entitled "New insight into disturbance of U-Pb and trace-element systems in hydrothermally altered zircon via SHRIMP analyses of zircon from the Duluth Gabbro" (Takehara et al., 2018) [1]. Zircons from these two rock samples are widely used as reference materials for U-Pb dating by micro-beam techniques. Rock samples with nearly equal weights were pulverized by both methods, and the recovered zircon grains were then concentrated using conventional mineral-separation methods. Weights of the products at each step in the mineral separation process were measured, and finally the recovery rates of the heavy and non-magnetic minerals, including zircon, were calculated.

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare type of ectopic pregnancy. It is becoming more common, but it can lead to uterine rupture and severe hemorrhage. Here, we report a case of a 37-year-old woman with CSP complicated with pseudoaneurysm. The pseudoaneurysm emerged following focal injection of methotrexate (MTX) and potassium chloride with systemic MTX treatment. Due to a risk of sudden bleeding, uterine artery embolization (UAE) was recommended, but the patient hoped to avoid this if possible. Because the serum human chorionic gonadotropin level and the gestational sac were still persistent, dilation and curettage were performed with interventional radiologists on standby. Severe hemorrhage occurred and continued during the procedure, which necessitated emergent UAE. We reviewed six CSP case reports with vascular abnormalities, and all of them necessitated UAE, surgical excision, or hysterectomy. In the case of CSP combined with pseudoaneurysm, treatment should be planned carefully considering the risk of massive hemorrhage.

Study Objective: To evaluate hysteroscopic transcervical resection (TCR) for atypical polypoid adenomyoma of the uterus (APA)., Design: Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2)., Setting: Single tertiary hospital., Patients: Women who underwent TCR for APA at Kawasaki Municipal Hospital between 2003 and 2015., Interventions: Clinical records were obtained., Measurements and Main Results: Thirty-five patients with APA were evaluated. The median patient age was 35 years (range, 23-43 years), and the median tumor diameter was 22 mm (range, 9-51 mm). The median duration of observation after the first TCR was 34.0 months (range, 4.2-133.7 months). In 19 patients, the tumor recurred after the first TCR. A second TCR was performed in 13 patients, 11 of whom experienced recurrence. A third TCR was performed in 7 patients, all 7 of whom experienced recurrence. A fourth TCR was performed in 4 patients, 3 of whom experienced recurrence. The recurrence rate after the second TCR was higher than that after the first TCR (71.4%-84.6% vs 54.3%; p < .01, t test). The median disease-free interval was 12.4 months after the first TCR, 15.3 months after the second TCR, 10.5 months after the third TCR, and 10.9 months after the fourth TCR. Seven patients progressed to endometrial cancer; however, there was no mortality. Six of the 35 patients conceived, and 4 had a normal spontaneous delivery., Conclusion: Owing to disease-free intervals that follow treatment, TCR is a promising treatment modality as a fertility-preserving option for patients with APA under careful observation. Twenty percent of patients with APA develop cancer; however, the present study showed no mortality., (Copyright © 2017 American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Previous studies of microbial communities in deep-sea hydrothermal ferric deposits have demonstrated that members of Zetaproteobacteria play significant ecological roles in biogeochemical iron-cycling. However, the ecophysiological characteristics and interaction between other microbial members in the habitat still remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated microbial communities in a core sample obtained from shallow hydrothermal iron-oxyhydroxide deposits at Nagahama Bay of Satsuma Iwo-Jima, Japan. Scanning electron microscopic observation showed numerous helical stalk structures, suggesting the occurrence of iron-oxidizing bacteria. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated the co-occurrence of iron-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria and iron-reducing bacteria such as the genera Deferrisoma and Desulfobulbus with strong correlations on the sequence abundance. CARD-FISH indicated that the numbers of Zetaproteobacteria were not always consistent to the frequency of stalk structures. In the stalk-abundant layers with relatively small numbers of Zetaproteobacteria cells, accumulation of polyphosphate was observed inside Zetaproteobacteria cells, whereas no polyphosphate grains were observed in the topmost layers with fewer stalks and abundant Zetaproteobacteria cells. These results suggest that Zetaproteobacteria store intracellular polyphosphates during active iron oxidation that contributes to the mineralogical growth and biogeochemical iron cycling.

Licorice flavonoid oil (LFO) is a new functional food ingredient consisting of hydrophobic licorice polyphenols in medium-chain triglycerides. Recent studies reported that LFO prevented and ameliorated diet-induced obesity via the regulation of lipid metabolism-related gene expression in the livers of mice and rats, while it reduced body weight in overweight human subjects by reducing total body fat. However, the direct effects of LFO on energy metabolism have not been studied in human subjects. Therefore, we investigated the effects of ingestion of LFO on energy metabolism, including fat oxidation, by measuring body surface temperature under resting conditions and respiratory gas analysis under exercise conditions in healthy humans. We showed that ingestion of a single 600 mg dose of LFO elevated body trunk skin temperature when measured in a slightly cooled air-conditioned room, and increased oxygen consumption and decreased the respiratory exchange ratio as measured by respiratory gas analysis during 40% Vo2max exercise with a cycle ergometer. Furthermore, repeated ingestion of 300 mg of LFO for 8 d decreased respiratory exchange during the recovery period following 40 min of 30% Vo2max exercise on a treadmill. These results suggest that LFO enhances fat oxidation in humans during light exercise.

Visually induced illusory self-motion perception is termed vection. We measured vection strength in participants wearing either wooden or iron clogs together with or without a weight-jacket (four conditions). We hypothesized that the heavier items would inhibit vection more because they make locomotion difficult. Results partially showed that the iron clogs could inhibit vection. We concluded that cognition of the fact that the heavier iron clogs made locomotion difficult might function as an inhibitor of vection, suggesting that cognition can alter vection strength.

Previous studies have indicated cross cultural differences in conscious processes, such that Asians have a global preference and Westerners a more analytical one. We investigated whether these biases also apply to unconscious knowledge. In Experiment 1, Japanese and UK participants memorized strings of large (global) letters made out of small (local) letters. The strings constituted one sequence of letters at a global level and a different sequence at a local level. Implicit learning occurred at the global and not the local level for the Japanese but equally at both levels for the English. In Experiment 2, the Japanese preference for global over local processing persisted even when structure existed only at the local but not global level. In Experiment 3, Japanese and UK participants were asked to attend to just one of the levels, global or local. Now the cultural groups performed similarly, indicating that the bias largely reflects preference rather than ability (although the data left room for residual ability differences). In Experiment 4, the greater global advantage of Japanese rather English was confirmed for strings made of Japanese kana rather than Roman letters. That is, the cultural difference is not due to familiarity of the sequence elements. In sum, we show for the first time that cultural biases strongly affect the type of unconscious knowledge people acquire., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Seven different types of thio- and/or amine-modified cellulose resin materials were synthesized and their mercury (II) ion adsorption properties determined. All seven resins showed good mercury (II) adsorption capability in the more neutral pH regions. However, the o-benzenedithiol- and o-aminothiophenol-modified cellulosic resins were found to be very effective in removing mercury (II) ions from strongly acidic media. For example, 93.5-100% mercury (II) ion recoveries from very acid aqueous solutions (nitric acid concentration ranged from 0.1 to 2.0 mol/L) were obtained using the o-benzenedithiol-modified resin while recoveries ranged from ca. 50% to 60% for the o-aminothiophenol-modified resin. An adsorption capacity of 23 mg (as Hg atoms) per gram of resin was observed for the o-benzenedithiol-modified cellulose in the presence of 1.0 mol/L nitric acid. This same resin shows very good selectivity for mercury (II) as only ruthenium (II) also somewhat adsorbed onto it out of 14 other metal ions studied (Ag(+), Al(3+), As(3+), Co(2+), Cd(2+), Cr(3+), Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Mn(2+), Ni(2+), Pt(2+), Pb(2+), Ru(2+), and Zn(2+))., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

New 2-aminobenzamide-type histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors were synthesized. They feature a sulfur-containing bicyclic arylmethyl moiety-a surface recognition domain introduced to increase in cellular uptake-and a substituted tert-amino group which affects physicochemical properties such as aqueous solubility. Compound 22 with a (2-hydroxyethyl)(4-(thiophen-2-yl)benzyl)amino group reduced the volume of human colon cancer HCT116 xenografts in nude mice to T/C 67% by oral administration at 45mg/kg, which was comparable to the rate (T/C 62%) for a positive control, MS-275. Western blot analyses as well as cell cycle and TUNEL assays by flow cytometry suggested that the two compounds inhibited the growth of cancer cells via similar mechanisms.

We analyzed cryptophyte nucleomorph 18S rRNA gene sequences retained in natural Myrionecta rubra cells and plastid 16S rRNA gene and psbA sequences retained in natural cells of several Dinophysis species collected from Japanese coastal waters. A total of 715 nucleomorph sequences obtained from 134 M. rubra cells and 564 plastid 16S rRNA gene and 355 psbA sequences from 71 Dinophysis cells were determined. Almost all sequences in M. rubra and Dinophysis spp. were identical to those of Teleaulax amphioxeia, suggesting that M. rubra in Japanese coastal waters preferentially ingest T. amphioxeia. The remaining sequences were closely related to those of Geminigera cryophila and Teleaulax acuta. Interestingly, 37 plastid 16S rRNA gene sequences, which were different from T. amphioxeia and amplified from Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis norvegica cells, were identical to the sequence of a D. acuminata cell found in the Greenland Sea, suggesting that a widely distributed and unknown cryptophyte species is also preyed upon by M. rubra and subsequently sequestered by Dinophysis. To confirm the reliability of molecular identification of the cryptophyte Teleaulax species detected from M. rubra and Dinophysis cells, the nucleomorph and plastid genes of Teleaulax species isolated from seawaters were also analyzed. Of 19 isolates, 16 and 3 clonal strains were identified as T. amphioxeia and T. acuta, respectively, and no sequence variation was confirmed within species. T. amphioxeia is probably the primary source of prey for M. rubra in Japanese coastal waters. An unknown cryptophyte may serve as an additional source, depending on localities and seasons.

To investigate the role of selective attention in artificial grammar (AG) learning, participants were presented with "GLOCAL" strings-that is, chains of compound global and local letters. The global and local levels instantiated different grammars. The results of this experiment revealed that participants learned only the grammar for the level to which they attended. The participants were not even able to choose presented but unattended strings themselves. These results show that selective attention plays a critical role in AG learning.

Infrared rays from sunlight permeate the earth's atmosphere, yet little is known about their interactions with living organisms. To learn whether they affect cell structure and function, we tested the ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena thermophila. These unicellular eukaryotes aggregate in swarms near the surface of freshwater habitats, where direct and diffuse solar radiation impinge upon the water-air interface. We report that populations irradiated in laboratory cultures grew and mated normally, but major changes occurred in cell physiology during the stationary phase. Early on, there were significant reductions in chromatin body size and the antibody reactivity of methyl groups on lysine residues 4 and 9 in histone H3. Later, when cells began to starve, messenger RNAs for key proteins related to chromatin structure, intermediary metabolism and cellular motility increased from two- to nearly nine-fold. Metabolic activity, swimming speed and linearity of motion also increased, and spindle shaped cells with a caudal cilium appeared. Our findings suggest that infrared radiation enhances differentiation towards a dispersal cell-like phenotype in saturated populations of Tetrahymena thermophila.

Discrepancies have been recognized in the identification of Pasteurella pneumotropica between testing laboratories. To determine the causes of the differences and to propose a reliable identification procedure for P. pneumotropica, a working group was organized and 69 isolates identified or suspected as P. pneumotropica were collected from 8 laboratories in Japan. These isolates were examined by colony morphology, Gram-staining, the slide agglutination test using two antisera (ATCC35149 and MaR), two commercially available biochemical test kits (ID test, API20NE) and two primer sets of PCR tests (Wang PCR, CIEA PCR). The 69 isolates and two reference strains were divided into 10 groups by test results. No single procedure for P. pneumotropica identification was found. Among tested isolates, large differences were not observed by colony morphology and Gram-straining except for colony colors that depended on their biotypes. Sixty-eight out of 69 isolates were positive by the slide agglutination test using two antisera except for one isolate that tested with one antiserum. The ID test identified 61 out of 69 isolates as P. pneumotropica and there was no large difference from the results of CIEA PCR. From these results, we recommend the combination of colony observation, Gram-straining, the slide agglutination tests with two antisera and biochemical test using the ID test for practical and reliable identification of this organism.

Blue flowers generally contain 3',5'-hydroxylated anthocyanins (delphinidin derivatives) as pigments, which are formed only in the presence of flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylases (F3'5'H). Heterologous expression of a F3'5'H gene therefore provides an opportunity to produce novel blue flowers for a number of ornamental plants missing blue flowering varieties. However, our previous study indicated difficulties in obtaining good accumulation of delphinidin derivatives in plants expressing F3'5'H. Here we report the isolation of a putative F3'5'H cDNA (Ka1) from canterbury bells (Campanula medium) and its expression in tobacco. Surprisingly, compared with other F3'5'H cDNAs, Ka1 encoded a protein with a unique primary structure that conferred high competence in the accumulation of delphinidin derivatives (up to 99% of total anthocyanins) and produced novel purple flowers. These results suggest that, among F3'5' H cDNAs, Ka1 is the best genetic resource for the creation of fine blue flowers by genetic engineering.

Flavonoid-3',5'-hydroxylase (F3'5'H), a member of the cytochrome P450 family, is the key enzyme in the synthesis of 3', 5'-hydroxylated anthocyanins, which are generally required for blue or purple flowers. A full-length cDNA, TG1, was isolated from prairie gentian by heterologous hybridization with a petunia cDNA, AK14, which encodes F3'5'H. To investigate the in vivo function of TG1 and AK14, they were subcloned into a plant expression vector and expressed under the control of the CaMV35S promoter in transgenic tobacco or petunia, both of which originally lack the enzyme. Transgenic petunia plants had a dramatic change in flower color from pink to magenta with a high content of 3',5'-hydroxylated anthocyanins. In contrast, transgenic tobacco plants had minimal color change with at most 35% 3',5'-hydroxylated anthocyanin content. These results indicate that the products of TG1 and AK14 have F3'5'H activity in planta and that interspecific gene transfer alters anthocyanin pigment synthesis. The difference in apparent F3'5'H activity between tobacco and petunia is discussed.

To evaluate possible therapeutic benefits of irradiation with far-infrared rays (FIR) on breast cancer, we examined combined effects of the chronic exposure to FIR at ambient temperature (26.5-27.5 degrees C) and the whole-body hyperthermia induced by FIR (WBH) (35-41 degrees C) on the growth of spontaneous mammary tumours of mice. A high mammary tumour strain of SHN virgin mice born on the normal rack or FIR rack were maintained on the respective racks until mammary tumour appearance. When the mammary tumour size reached approximately 7 mm, some mice in each group received no further treatment (Control and FIR groups, respectively) and the remaining mice received 3 hours of WBH each of 5 consecutive days (C + WBH and FIR + WBH groups, respectively). There was little difference between the control and FIR groups in the tumour growth over 10 days of examination. On the other hand, the tumour growth was inhibited significantly in both C + WBH and FIR + WBH groups and the degree of inhibition was similar. The data confirmed that the chronic exposure to FIR at ambient temperature has little effect on the growth of spontaneous mammary tumours in mice. WBH with FIR, however, strongly inhibited the tumour growth without deleterious side-effects, while chronic FIR irradiation itself again had little effect in this process. This WBH regimen may serve as a useful animal model for long-term studies of a noninvasive treatment of breast cancer.

To evaluate the effect of irradiation of far infrared rays (FIR), the growth of spontaneous mammary tumours of SHN mice was compared among 3 groups: the control was kept until the end of experiment on the normal rack in the absence of FIR and Experimental group I was constantly exposed to FIR. Experimental group Il was raised as the control followed by movement to the FIR rack after mammary tumour appearance. While there was little difference between the control and Experimental group I in mammary tumour growth for 16 days, Experimental group II was significantly lower than the control in this parameter. Furthermore, the percentage of rapidly growing tumours showing greater than 200% of growth rate was apparently lower in Experimental group II. Associated with this, epidermal growth factor receptor expression in mammary tumours, anterior pituitary weight and serum leptin level were significantly decreased in Experimental group II. The findings suggest that whole-body FIR irradiation at ambient temperature could be a possible way of a hyperthermic therapy for tumours.

In most ectotherms, environmental temperature has differential effects on growth and differentiation. For example, amphibian size at maturity decreases with increasing temperature. To address how radiant heat in the form of far-infrared radiation (FIR) may affect development of the aquatic ectotherm Xenopus laevis, we continuously irradiated swimming larvae as they developed into young adults. Here we report evidence that FIR promotes growth of these organisms in an aqueous environment.

An intramuscular preparation of imipenem/cilastatin (IPM/CS, 500 mg/500 mg) was administered to 59 patients with complicated urinary tract infections (UTI; cystitis and pyelonephritis) to evaluate its efficacy and safety. The obtained results are summarized as follows: In patients with cystitis, evaluations based on daily frequencies of administration were also performed. 1) According to the treating doctors, the drug showed an overall efficacy rate of 80% (45/56 patients). The efficacy rate was 89% in patients with cystitis treated by a u.i.d. regimen. Among patients treated by a b.i.d. regimen, the efficacy rate was 67% for cystitis cases and 84% for pyelonephritis cases. 2) When clinical efficacy was assessed according to the criteria for UTI drug efficacy evaluation, the drug was 'markedly effective' in 14 patients, 'effective' in 23, and ineffective in 11 patients, for an efficacy rate of 77% (37/48 patients). 3) The microbiological eradication rate was 88% (59/67 strains). The rate was 95% (20/21 strains) for Gram-positive bacteria and 85% (39/46 strains) for Gram-negative bacteria. The efficacy for Enterobacter faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 100% and 73%, respectively. 4) As side effects, pain at the injection site was reported by one patient and abnormal laboratory test values were observed in 2 patients. All of these reactions were mild and resolved shortly after the completion of treatment. Based on these findings, it is concluded that this intramuscular preparation of IPM/CS is effective for treating complicated urinary tract infections.

We have developed an Agrobacterium -mediated transformation system for commercial Begonia species. The leaf explants of Begonia semperflorens, Begonia x hiemalis and B. tuberhybrida were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 harboring a binary vector pBI121 which contains rolA, B and C genes of an agropine type Ri plasmid (pRiA4b). Kanamycin resistant shoots of B. tuberhybrida were obtained on MS agar medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l NAA, 0.5 mg/l BA, 500 mg/l claforan and 100 mg/l kanamycin. These shoots exhibited GUS activity and Southern analysis showed a single copy insertion into the genome. When the transgenic plants were transferred to soil, they displayed the phenotype specific to the transgenic plants by A. rhizogenes such as dwarfness, delay of flowering, and wrinkled leaves and petals.

High serum IgE rheumatoid factor (RF) levels (greater than 100 ng/ml) were found using solid phase sandwich ELISA in 11 of 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis having significant extraarticular symptoms (rheumatoid vasculitis) and only in 23 of 142 usual rheumatoid patients without such symptoms (p less than 0.01). A significant influence of other classes of RF and non-RF IgE on the ELISA for IgE RF was not observed in sera with levels of IgE RF over 50 ng/ml. The levels of IgE RF were not closely correlated with those of other classes of RF and total IgE. This study suggests that IgE RF might be one of the factors necessary to produce extraarticular rheumatoid vasculitis.

Lipo-PGE1 is a drug preparation of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) incorporated in lipid microspheres similar in properties to liposomes. A randomized, single-blind, cross-over study comparing free PGE1 (PGE1 cyclodextrine, PGE1CD) with lipo-PGE1 was performed. Twenty patients with peripheral vascular diseases and diabetic neuropathy entered the trial. The first seven days' treatment was either 5 micrograms/day of lipo-PGE1 or 40 micrograms/day of PGE1CD, followed by a seven-day wash-out period; then cross-over was performed for another week's administration. Improvements were achieved by both PGE1 preparations. The comparison between lipo-PGE1 and PGE1CD showed that the former was significantly superior, both in final global improvement (p less than 0.01) and in terms of patients' preference (p less than 0.01); lipo-PGE1 also produced fewer side-effects. This study suggests that lipo-PGE1 is a very valuable agent for the treatment of peripheral vascular disorders and diabetic neuropathy.

The nucleotide sequence of a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) chromosomal DNA segment(t3-ars) capable of replication in yeast (ars: autonomously replicating sequences) is presented. The subcloned region (618 bp) contained 11 bp consensus (5' A/TTTTATPuTTTA/T 3') essential for several yeast ars, and 73% A and T. Unique 70 bp repetitive sequences resided next to this sequence. Thirty-two bp AT repeats were also seen in the neighbourhood of the repetitive sequence. The hybrid plasmid containing t3-ars was mitotically stabilized by the help of yeast centromere (CEN4).