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Dysfunction of primary cilia leads to genetic disorder, ciliopathies, which shows various malformations in many vital organs such as brain. Multiple tongue deformities including cleft, hamartoma and ankyloglossia are also seen in ciliopathies, which yield difficulties in fundamental functions such as mastication and vocalization. Here, we found these tongue anomalies in mice with mutation of ciliary protein. Abnormal cranial neural crest-derived cells (CNCC) failed to evoke Hh signal for differentiation of mesoderm-derived cells into myoblasts, which resulted in abnormal differentiation of mesoderm-derived cells into adipocytes. The ectopic adipose subsequently arrested migration of other mesoderm-derived cells and CNCC. Some aberrant CNCC abnormally differentiated into osteoblasts due to the lack of Hh signal, which migrated into tongue to form ectopic bone. Ankyloglossia was caused by aberrant cell migration due to lack of non-canonical Wnt signaling. In addition to ciliopathies, these tongue anomalies are often observed as non-familial condition in human. We found that these tongue deformities could be reproduced in wild-type mice by simple mechanical manipulations in CNCC to disturb cellular processes which were disrupted in mutant mice. Thus, tongue development requires coordinated multiple cellular processes (cell-cell contact, migration and differentiation). Our results provide hints for possible future treatment in ciliopathies.

Increasing severity and frequency of drought is predicted for large portions of the terrestrial biosphere, with major impacts already documented in wet tropical forests. Using a 4-year rainfall exclusion experiment in the Daintree Rainforest in northeast Australia, we examined canopy tree responses to reduced precipitation and soil water availability by quantifying seasonal changes in plant hydraulic and carbon traits for 11 tree species between control and drought treatments. Even with reduced soil volumetric water content in the upper 1m of soil in the drought treatment, we found no significant difference between treatments for predawn and midday leaf water potential, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, foliar stable carbon isotope composition, leaf mass per area, turgor loss point, xylem vessel anatomy, or leaf and stem nonstructural carbohydrates. While empirical measurements of aboveground traits revealed homeostatic maintenance of plant water status and traits in response to reduced soil moisture, modeled belowground dynamics revealed that trees in the drought treatment shifted the depth from which water was acquired to deeper soil layers. These findings reveal that belowground acclimation of tree water uptake depth may buffer tropical rainforests from more severe droughts that may arise in future with climate change.

The claustrum coordinates the activities of individual cortical areas through abundant reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex. Although these excitatory connections have been extensively investigated in three subregions of the claustrum-core region and dorsal and ventral shell regions-the contribution of GABAergic neurons to the circuitry in each subregion remains unclear. Here, we examined the distribution of GABAergic neurons and their dendritic and axonal arborizations in each subregion. Combining in situ hybridization with immunofluorescence histochemistry showed that approximately 10% of neuronal nuclei-positive cells expressed glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 mRNA across the claustral subregions. Approximately 20%, 30%, and 10% of GABAergic neurons were immunoreactive for parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SOM), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, respectively, in each subregion, and these neurochemical markers showed little overlap with each other. We then reconstructed PV and SOM neurons labeled with adeno-associated virus vectors. The dendrites and axons of PV and SOM neurons were preferentially localized to their respective subregions where their cell bodies were located. Furthermore, the axons were preferentially extended in a rostrocaudal direction, whereas the dendrites were relatively isotropic. The present findings suggest that claustral PV and SOM neurons might execute information processing separately within the core and shell regions.

Phosphorus (P) limitation is pervasive in tropical forests. Here the authors analyse the dependence of photosynthesis on leaf N and P in tropical forests, and show that incorporating leaf P constraints in a terrestrial biosphere model enhances its predictive power. Tropical forests take up more carbon (C) from the atmosphere per annum by photosynthesis than any other type of vegetation. Phosphorus (P) limitations to C uptake are paramount for tropical and subtropical forests around the globe. Yet the generality of photosynthesis-P relationships underlying these limitations are in question, and hence are not represented well in terrestrial biosphere models. Here we demonstrate the dependence of photosynthesis and underlying processes on both leaf N and P concentrations. The regulation of photosynthetic capacity by P was similar across four continents. Implementing P constraints in the ORCHIDEE-CNP model, gross photosynthesis was reduced by 36% across the tropics and subtropics relative to traditional N constraints and unlimiting leaf P. Our results provide a quantitative relationship for the P dependence for photosynthesis for the front-end of global terrestrial C models that is consistent with canopy leaf measurements.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has long been considered a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the molecular links between T2DM and AD remain obscure. Here, we reported that serum-/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) is activated by administering a chronic high-fat diet (HFD), which increases the risk of T2DM, and thus promotes Tau pathology via the phosphorylation of tau at Ser214 and the activation of a key tau kinase, namely, GSK-3ß, forming SGK1-GSK-3ß-tau complex. SGK1 was activated under conditions of elevated glucocorticoid and hyperglycemia associated with HFD, but not of fatty acid–mediated insulin resistance. Elevated expression of SGK1 in the mouse hippocampus led to neurodegeneration and impairments in learning and memory. Upregulation and activation of SGK1, SGK1-GSK-3ß-tau complex were also observed in the hippocampi of AD cases. Our results suggest that SGK1 is a key modifier of tau pathology in AD, linking AD to corticosteroid effects and T2DM.

The comprehensiveness of teacher professional identity (TPI) studies conducted by African and Asian researchers highlights the importance of valid TPI indicators across Africa and Asia. Questionnaire TPI indicators are important to obtain valid direct comparisons between teachers in Africa and Asia. The process of developing a questionnaire served as an avenue for researchers from Asian and African regions to learn about TPI pointers from each other. This study used the Delphi technique to achieve consensus on valid TPI indicators across African and Asian regions. Fourteen researchers from the Asia-Africa University Dialogue Network for Educational Development (AAD) were selected using purposive sampling. TPI in this study is defined as a multifaceted concept comprising contextual and personal factors that differ across national borders. The indicators in the questionnaire represented personal, social and institutional factors perceived by teachers and outlined in the literature. In the Delphi study process, the researchers used three rounds to validate the initial 40-item TPI questionnaire. Subsequent analysis of the results indicated high importance and consensus among experts. Owing to its standardized procedure, the TPI questionnaire makes it possible to collect and compare the TPI dimensions from the different socio-economic contexts in which teachers work in Africa and Asia. The findings of this study guide African and Asian researchers on the common understanding of TPI characteristics prevalent across African and Asian regions. Research protocols for fostering quality research toward addressing challenges faced by the teacher education sector in African and Asian countries is also implied.

Tyramide signal amplification (TSA) is a highly sensitive method for histochemical analysis. Previously, we reported a TSA system, BT-GO, for bright-filed imaging. Here, we develop FT-GO (Fluorochromized Tyramide-Glucose Oxidase) as a multiplex fluorescent TSA system. FT-GO involves peroxidase-catalyzed deposition of FT with hydrogen peroxide produced in enzymatic reaction between glucose and glucose oxidase. We showed that FT-GO enhanced immunofluorescence signals while maintaining low background signals. Compared with indirect immunofluorescence detections, FT-GO demonstrated a more widespread distribution of monoaminergic projection systems in mouse and marmoset brains. For multiplex labeling with FT-GO, we quenched Ab-conjugated peroxidase using sodium azide. We applied FT-GO to multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization, and succeeded in labeling neocortical interneuron subtypes by coupling with immunofluorescence. FT-GO immunofluorescence further increased the detectability of an adeno-associated virus tracer. Given its simplicity and a staining with a high signal-to-noise ratio, FT-GO would provide a versatile platform for histochemical analysis.

Aims: Anthropogenic climate change is predicted to increase mean temperatures and rainfall seasonality. How tropical rainforest species will respond to this climate change remains uncertain. Here, we analysed the effects of a 4-year experimental throughfall exclusion (TFE) on an Australian endemic palm (Normambya normanbyi) in the Daintree rainforest of North Queensland, Australia. We aimed to understand the impact of a simulated reduction in rainfall on the species' physiological processes and fruiting phenology. Methods: We examined the fruiting phenology and ecophysiology of this locally abundant palm to determine the ecological responses of the species to drought. Soil water availability was reduced overall by similar to 30% under a TFE experiment, established in May 2015. We monitored monthly fruiting activity for 8 years in total (2009-2018), including 4 years prior to the onset of the TFE. In the most recent year of the study, we measured physiological parameters including photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and carbon stable isotopes (delta C-13, an integrated measure of water use efficiency) from young and mature leaves in both the dry and wet seasons. Important Findings: We determined that the monthly fruiting activity of all palms was primarily driven by photoperiod, mean solar radiation and mean temperature. However, individuals exposed to lower soil moisture in the TFE decreased significantly in fruiting activity, photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance. We found that these measures of physiological performance were affected by the TFE, season and the interaction of the two. Recovery of fruiting activity in the TFE palms was observed in 2018, when there was an increase in shallow soil moisture compared with previous years in the treatment. Our findings suggest that palms, such as the N. normanbyi, will be sensitive to future climate change with long-term monitoring recommended to determine population-scale impacts. 摘要 据预测，人为气候变化将季节性地增加平均温度和降雨。热带雨林物种将如何应对这种气候变化仍不确定。本研究分析了对澳大利亚昆士兰北部丹特里雨林的一种澳大利亚特有棕榈(Normambya normanbyi)进行4年降雨实验的影响，目的是了解模拟降雨减少对物种生理 过程和果实物候的影响。我们考察了这种本地丰富的棕榈的果实物候和生理生态学特性，以确定该物种对干旱的生态响应。2015年5月，通过排涝实验，降低了约30%的土壤水分有效性。我们总共监测了8年(2009–2018年)的月度果实活性，包括排涝实验开始之前的4年。在最近几年的研究中，我们测量了干、湿两季幼嫩和成熟叶片的光合速率、气孔导度和碳稳定同位素等生理参数。研究结果表明，所有棕榈树的月度果实活性主要受光周期、平均太阳辐射和平均温度的驱动。然而，暴露于较低土壤水分的植株，其果实活性、光合速率和气孔导度均显著下降。我们还发现这些生理表现受到排涝实验、季节以及两者的相互作用的影响。2018年观察到排涝实验的棕榈的果实活力有所恢复，土壤浅层水分也有所增加(与前几年相比)。我们的研究结果表明，像N. normanbyi 这样的棕榈树对未来的气候变化非常敏感，建议对其进行长期监测，以确定其对种群规模的影响。

Objective The study aims to examine the association between overtime-working environment (OWE) and individual psychological distress among Japanese workers. Methods Data of 7786 workers from 101 companies in Japan were analyzed. Psychological distress was assessed through a 29-item questionnaire. The OWE was evaluated by calculating the proportion of workers whose monthly overtime was 45 hours or more in a workplace. Multilevel logistic regression was used. Results As 10% increase in the OWE was associated with a 16% higher risk of individual psychological distress after adjustment of individual covariates, including overtime working hours. Cross-level interaction showed that the risk was varied depending on individual overtime working hours. Conclusions OWE was associated with the psychological distress of workers. It is necessary to create a non-OWE at workplaces to prevent psychological distress for workers.

The ciliopathies are a wide spectrum of human diseases, which are caused by perturbations in the function of primary cilia. Tooth enamel anomalies are often seen in ciliopathy patients; however, the role of primary cilia in enamel formation remains unclear.We examined mice with epithelial conditional deletion of the ciliary protein, Ift88, (Ift88Ift88Findings in the present study indicate that the function of the primary cilia via Ift88 is critical for the secretory stage of amelogenesis through involving Shh signaling.

Road‐infrastructure projects are expanding rapidly worldwide while penetrating into previously undisturbed forests. In Sumatra, Indonesia, a planned 88‐km‐long mining road for transporting coal would imperil the Harapan Forest, the island's largest surviving tract of lowland rainforest. Such roads often lead to increased forest encroachment and illegal logging, fires, poaching, and mining. To evaluate the potential impact of the proposed road, we first manually mapped all existing roads inside and around the Harapan Forest using remote‐sensing imagery. We then calculated the expected increase in forest loss from three proposed mining‐road routes using a metric based on travel‐time mapping. Finally, we used least‐cost‐path analyses to identify new routes for the road that would minimize forest disruption and road‐construction costs. We found that road density inside and nearby the Harapan Forest is already 3–4 times higher than official data sources indicate. Based on our analyses, each of the three proposed mining‐road routes would lead to 3,000–4,300 ha of additional forest loss from human encroachment plus another 424 ha lost from road construction itself. We propose new routes for the mining road that would result in up to 3,321 ha less forest loss with markedly lower construction costs than any other planned route. We recommend approaches such as ours, using least‐cost‐path analysis, to minimize the environmental and financial costs of major development projects.

Summary The mammalian brain is organized over sizes that span several orders of magnitude, from synapses to the entire brain. Thus, a technique to visualize neural circuits across multiple spatial scales (multi-scale neuronal imaging) is vital for deciphering brain-wide connectivity. Here, we developed this technique by coupling successive light microscopy/electron microscopy (LM/EM) imaging with a glutaraldehyde-resistant tissue clearing method, ScaleSF. Our multi-scale neuronal imaging incorporates (1) brain-wide macroscopic observation, (2) mesoscopic circuit mapping, (3) microscopic subcellular imaging, and (4) EM imaging of nanoscopic structures, allowing seamless integration of structural information from the brain to synapses. We applied this technique to three neural circuits of two different species, mouse striatofugal, mouse callosal, and marmoset corticostriatal projection systems, and succeeded in simultaneous interrogation of their circuit structure and synaptic connectivity in a targeted way. Our multi-scale neuronal imaging will significantly advance the understanding of brain-wide connectivity by expanding the scales of objects., Graphical abstract, Highlights • Successive light microscopy/electron microscopy in optically cleared tissues • Multi-scale neuronal imaging from the entire brain to individual synapses • Simultaneous interrogation of neural circuit structure and synaptic connectivity • Zooming-in to scarce synaptic contacts with the successive imaging, Imaging anatomy; Optical imaging; Neuroscience; Cell biology

Climate change scenarios predict increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]), temperatures and droughts in tropical regions. Individually, the effects of these climate factors on plants are well established, whereas experiments on the interactive effects of a combination of factors are rare. Moreover, how these environmental factors will affect tree species along a wet to dry gradient (e.g., along tropical forest–savanna transitions) remains to be investigated. We hypothesized that under the simulated environmental conditions, plant growth, physiological performance and survivorship would vary in a manner consistent with the species’ positions of origin along this gradient. In a glasshouse experiment, we raised seedlings of three Eucalyptus species, each occurring naturally in a wet forest, savanna and forest–savanna ecotone, respectively. We evaluated the effect of drought, elevated temperature (4 °C above ambient glasshouse temperature of 22 °C) and elevated temperature in combination with elevated [CO2] (400 ppm [CO2] above ambient of 400 ppm), on seedling growth, survivorship and physiological responses (photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency). Elevated temperature under ambient [CO2] had little effect on growth, biomass and plant performance of well-watered seedlings, but hastened mortality in drought-affected seedlings, affecting the forest and ecotone more strongly than the savanna species. In contrast, elevated [CO2] in combination with elevated temperatures delayed the appearance of drought stress symptoms and enhanced survivorship in drought-affected seedlings, with the savanna species surviving the longest, followed by the ecotone and forest species. Elevated [CO2] in combination with elevated temperatures also enhanced growth and biomass and photosynthesis in well-watered seedlings of all species, but modified shoot:root biomass partitioning and stomatal conductance differentially across species. Our study highlights the need for a better understand of the interactive effects of elevated [CO2], temperature and drought on plants and the potential to upscale these insights for understanding biome changes.

Background Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is an inherited disorder characterized by defective mineralization of the bone and teeth that is also associated with a deficiency of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Patients with HPP exhibit a broad range of symptoms including stillbirth with an unmineralized skeleton, premature exfoliation and dental caries in childhood, and pseudo-fractures in adulthood. The broad clinical spectrum of HPP is attributed to various mutations in the ALPL gene, which encodes tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying the genotypic and phenotypic relationship of HPP remain unclear. Highlight The expression of HPP-related TNSALP mutants in mammalian cells allows us to determine for the effects of mutations on the properties of TNSALP, which could contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between structure and function of TNSALP. Conclusion Molecular characterization of TNSALP mutants helps establish the etiology and onset of HPP.

The island of New Guinea harbours one of the world’s largest tracts of intact tropical forest, with 41% of its land area in Indonesian Papua (Papua and Papua Barat Provinces). Within Papua, the advent of a 4000-km ‘development corridor’ reflects a national agenda promoting primary-resource extraction and economic integration. Papua, a resource frontier containing vast forest and mineral resources, increasingly exhibits new conservation and development dynamics suggestive of the earlier frontier development phases of other Indonesian regions. Local environmental and social considerations have been discounted in the headlong rush to establish the corridor and secure access to natural resources. Peatland and forest conversion are increasingly extensive within the epicentres of economic development. Deforestation frontiers are emerging along parts of the expanding development corridor, including within the Lorentz World Heritage Site. Customary land rights for Papua’s indigenous people remain an afterthought to resource development, fomenting conditions contrary to conservation and sustainable development. A centralised development agenda within Indonesia underlies virtually all of these changes. We recommend specific actions to address the environmental, economic, and socio-political challenges of frontier development along the Papuan corridor.

The mammalian brain is organized over sizes that span several orders of magnitude, from synapses to the entire brain. Thus, a technique to visualize neural circuits across multiple spatial scales (multi-scale neuronal imaging) is vital for deciphering brain-wide connectivity. Here, we developed this technique by coupling successive light microscope/electron microscope (LM/EM) imaging with an ultrastructurally-preserved tissue clearing method, ScaleSF. Our multi-scale neuronal imaging incorporates 1) brain-wide macroscopic observation, 2) mesoscopic circuit mapping, 3) microscopic subcellular imaging, and 4) EM imaging of nanoscopic structures, allowing seamless integration of structural information from the brain to synapses. We applied the technique to three neural circuits of two different species, mouse striatofugal, mouse callosal, and marmoset corticostriatal projection systems, and succeeded in the simultaneous interrogation of their circuit structure and synaptic connectivity in a targeted way. Our multi-scale neuronal imaging will significantly advance the understanding of brain-wide connectivity by expanding the scales of objects.

Summary We developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based technique to label mouse neostriatal neurons comprising direct and indirect pathways with different fluorescent proteins and analyze their axonal projections. The AAV vector expresses GFP or RFP in the presence or absence of Cre recombinase and should be useful for labeling two cell populations exclusively dependent on its expression. Here, we describe the AAV vector design, stereotaxic injection of the AAV vector, and a highly sensitive immunoperoxidase method for axon visualization. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Okamoto et al. (2020)., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Exclusive labeling of two groups of neurons with different fluorescent proteins • Detailed protocols from stereotaxic virus injection to immunostaining methods • A signal enhancement method via peroxidase activity, BT-GO reaction • Significant improvement in a signal-to-noise ratio by the cost-effective reaction, We developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based technique to label mouse neostriatal neurons comprising direct and indirect pathways with different fluorescent proteins and analyze their axonal projections. The AAV vector expresses GFP or RFP in the presence or absence of Cre recombinase and should be useful for labeling two cell populations exclusively dependent on its expression. Here, we describe the AAV vector design, stereotaxic injection of the AAV vector, and a highly sensitive immunoperoxidase method for axon visualization.

Objective Double-strand (ds) DNA-enveloped viruses can cause oral infection. Our aim is to investigate whether oral mucosal cells participate in immune response against cytosolic dsDNA invasion. Methods We examined the response to transfected herpes simplex virus (HSV) dsDNA via intracellular receptors in oral keratinocytes (RT7) and fibroblasts (GT1), and the effect of TNF-α on those responses. Results Transfected dsDNA increased CXCL10 expression via NF-κB activation in both cell types, while those responses were inhibited by knockdown of RIG-I, an RNA sensor. Although IFI16, a DNA sensor, was expressed in the nuclei of both types, its knockdown decreased transfected dsDNA-induced CXCL10 expression in GT1 but not RT7 cells. IFI16 in GT1 cells was translocated into cytoplasm from nuclei, which was attributed to immune response to cytosolic dsDNA. TNF-α enhanced transfected dsDNA-induced CXCL10, and knockdown of IFI16 decreased TNF- α and dsDNA-driven CXCL10 expression in both RT7 and GT1 cells. Finally, the combination of TNF-α and transfected dsDNA resulted in translocation of IFI16 from nuclei to cytoplasm in RT7 cells. Conclusion RIG-I and IFI16 in oral mucosal cells may play important roles in host immune response against DNA viral infection, while TNF-α contributes to development of an antiviral system via those intracellular receptors.

Type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has long been considered a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the molecular links between T2DM and AD remain obscure. Here, we reported that serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase1 (SGK1) is activated by administering a chronic high-fat diet (HFD), which increases the risk of T2DM, and thus promotes Tau pathology via the phosphorylation of tau at Ser214 and the activation of a key tau kinase, namely, GSK-3ß, forming SGK1-GSK-3ß-tau complex. SGK1 was activated under conditions of elevated glucocorticoid and hyperglycemia associated with HFD, but not of fatty acid-mediated insulin resistance. Elevated expression of SGK1 in the mouse hippocampus led to neurodegeneration and impairments in learning and memory. Upregulation and activation of SGK1, SGK1-GSK-3ß-tau complex were also observed in the hippocampi of AD cases. Our results suggest that SGK1 is a key modifier of tau pathology in AD, linking AD to corticosteroid effects and T2DM.

This paper describes a sheet type transformable plate ware. Transformable robots are robots that can change their shapes to adapt to various environmental changes. Although many transformable robots have been reported in the past, the main objectives of previous studies are often related to mobility for adapting to various environments. Not many studies have focused on the concept of their practical applications. We propose herein a concept of a transformable plate ware that not only has mobility but also has practical applications in our daily life. To achieve the functions, we pay attention to sheet-type transformable robots, which can transform their shape from a two-dimensional (2D) sheet to a three-dimensional (3D) structure. They can form several structures like origami, a Japanese paper art. Some prototypes have been developed to show our scenario.

Specific criteria are important for conducting evaluations and determining donor stances on Official Development Assistance (ODA), as well as for...

The necessity to create national to global-scale biodiversity monitoring systems as part of assessing progress toward biodiversity agendas presents a challenge for signatory countries. This is a brief review of ongoing Brazilian national initiatives that would allow the construction of a general biomonitoring network scheme in protected areas; with additional focus on linking independent monitoring schemes. We discuss some key aspects needed to include monitoring schemes under a single framework that will lead to better evaluation of pressure–state–response indicators for managing biodiversity at several scales; and we point out the potential of embracing citizen science and participatory monitoring to quantify some aspects within those schemes. © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Ciência Ecológica e Conservação

Lignocellulosic biomass conversion inhibitors such as vanillin, furfural, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) inhibit the growth of and fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A high concentration of each fermentation inhibitor represses translation and increases non-translated mRNAs. We previously reported that the mRNAs of ADH7 and BDH2, which encode putative NADPH- and NADH-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases, respectively, were efficiently translated even with translation repression in response to severe vanillin stress. However, the combined effects of these fermentation inhibitors on the expression of ADH7 and BDH2 remain unclear. We herein demonstrated that exposure to a combined stress of vanillin, furfural, and HMF repressed translation. The protein synthesis of Adh7, but not Bdh2 was significantly induced under combined stress conditions, even though the mRNA levels of ADH7 and BDH2 were up-regulated. Additionally, adh7Δ cells were more sensitive to the combined stress than wild-type and bdh2Δ cells. These results suggest that induction of the ADH7 expression plays a role in the tolerance to the combined stress of vanillin, furfural, and HMF. Furthermore, we succeeded in improving yeast tolerance to the combined stress by controlling the expression of ALD6 with the ADH7 promoter. Our results demonstrate that the ADH7 promoter can overcome the pronounced translation repression caused by the combined stress of vanillin, furfural, and HMF, and also suggest a new gene engineering strategy to breed robust and optimized yeasts for bioethanol production from a lignocellulosic biomass.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α and interferon (IFN)‑γ, are inflammatory cytokines in the synovial fluid of patients with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). However, it remains unknown whether they participate in the regulation of various chemokine expression levels associated with TMD. The effects of TNF‑α and IFN‑γ on the expression of several different inflammatory chemokines, including interleukin (IL)‑8, C‑X‑C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)1, C‑C motif chemokine ligand (CCL)20, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 in synovial fibroblasts obtained from the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) were examined. The results demonstrated that TNF‑α increased the mRNA levels of all examined chemokines in synovial fibroblasts obtained from the TMJ. IFN‑γ treatment alone increased the mRNA expression levels of CXCR3 chemokines, including CXCL10, while they were significantly enhanced when administered in combination with TNF‑α compared with either treatment alone. However, the combination of IFN‑γ and TNF‑α resulted in lower mRNA expression levels of IL‑8 and CXCL1 as compared with those induced by TNF‑α alone. The nuclear factor‑κB inhibitor, Bay 11‑7082, decreased the TNF‑α‑mediated expression of IL‑8 and CXCL10 in the absence, and presence of IFN‑γ. In addition, the JAK2 inhibitor, AG490, decreased CXCL10 expression when administered with TNF‑α and IFN‑γ. Finally, the decrease in TNF‑α‑induced IL‑8 caused by IFN‑γ was recovered by AG490. The results of the present study suggest that TNF‑α and IFN‑γ function in a cooperative manner to regulate inflammatory chemokine expression in synovial fibroblasts, which may contribute to the pathological condition of the TMJ.

When users control robots with low degrees of freedom such as cleaning robot or wheel robot, a game pad and joy-stick are often used. In contrast, when users control humanoid robots, they often use the pre-set behavior patterns and operate them by playing the patterns because humanoid robots have many degrees of freedom and have difficulty in being controlled by such controllers. The pre-set postures are generally determined one by one. The process is not suitable for tele-operation as it is time-consuming and cannot be real-time. In this study, we pay attention to marionette that can achieve complicated operation by the finger-tip motion, and investigate the usefulness of marionette-like operation of humanoid robot using globe type interface.

Bivariate relationships between plant tissue nutrient concentration have largely been studied across broad environmental scales regardless of their covariation with soil and climate. Comparing leaf and branch wood concentrations of C, Ca, K, Mg, N, Na, and P for trees growing in tropical forests in Amazonia and Australia we found that the concentrations of most elements varied with sampling location, but with foliar and branch woody tissues varying from site to site in different ways. Using a Mixed Effect Model (MEM) approach it was further found that relationships between branch and leaf concentrations within individual plots differed in terms of both slope and/or significance to the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates for most elements. Specifically, using MEM we found that within plots only K and Mg were correlated across organs, but with the K cross-organ intercept estimates varying significantly between sites. MEM analyses further showed that within-plot wood density variations were also negatively related to wood K and Na, suggesting a potentially important role for these cations in water transport and/or storage in woody tissues. The OLS method could not detect significant correlations in any of the above cases. By contrast, although Ca, N, and P leaf and wood tissue concentrations showed similar patterns when individual elements were compared across sites, MEM analyses suggested no consistent association within sites. Thus, for all these three elements, strong within-tree scaling relationships were inferred when data were analyzed across sites using OLS, even though there was no relationship within individual sites. Thus (as for Ca, N, and P) not only can a pooling of data across sites result in trait (co)variations attributable to the environment potentially being incorrectly attributed solely to the species and/or individual (the so-called "ecological fallacy"), but in some cases (as was found here for K and Na) the opposite can also sometimes occur with significant within-site covariations being obscured by large site-site variations. We refer to the latter phenomenon as "environmental obfuscation."

High rates of land conversion and land use change have vastly increased the proportion of secondary forest in the lowland tropics relative to mature forest. As secondary forests recover following abandonment, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) must be present in sufficient quantities to sustain high rates of net primary production and to replenish the nutrients lost during land use prior to secondary forest establishment. Biogeochemical theory and results from individual studies suggest that N can recuperate during secondary forest recovery, especially relative to P. Here, we synthesized 23 metrics of N and P in soil and plants from 45 secondary forest chronosequences located in the wet tropics to empirically explore (1) whether there is a consistent change in nutrients and nutrient cycling processes during secondary succession in the biome; (2) which metrics of N and P in soil and plants recuperate most consistently; (3) if the recuperation of nutrients during succession approaches similar nutrient concentrations and fluxes as those in mature forest in ~100 yr following the initiation of succession; and (4) whether site characteristics, including disturbance history, climate, and soil order are significantly related to nutrient recuperation. During secondary forest succession, nine metrics of N and/or P cycling changed consistently and substantially. In most sites, N concentrations and fluxes in both plants and soil increased during secondary succession, and total P concentrations increased in surface soil. Changes in nutrient concentrations and nutrient cycling processes during secondary succession were similar whether mature forest was included or excluded from the analysis, indicating that nutrient recuperation in secondary forest leads to biogeochemical conditions that are similar to those of mature forest. Further, of the N and P metrics that recuperated, only soil total P and foliar δ15 N were strongly influenced by site characteristics like climate, soils, or disturbance history. Predictable nutrient recuperation across a diverse and productive ecosystem may support future forest growth and could provide a means to quantify successful restoration of ecosystem function in secondary tropical forest beyond biomass or species composition.

Introduction Oxidative stress is one of the main mediators of progression of chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is the transcription factor of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes and related proteins which play an important role in cellular defense. Long-time hemodialysis (HD) therapy (8 hours) has been considered to be more beneficial compared to normal HD therapy (4 hours). We investigated oxidative response related to Nrf2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of long-time HD and normal HD patients. Methods Eight adult long-time HD therapy patients (44.5 ± 3.0 years) and 10 normal HD therapy patients (68.1 ± 2.7 years) were enrolled. PBMCs were isolated and processed for expression of Nrf2 and its related genes by qRT-PCR. Plasma indoxyl sulfate, amino acids, and body constituents were measured. Findings Plasma indoxyl sulfate was significantly low after long-time HD therapy compare to that of normal HD therapy. Although, skeletal muscle mass, lean body mass, mineral and protein were significantly decreased 2 months in normal HD patients, those in long-time HD patients were significantly increased after 2 months. Almost of amino acids were significantly decreased after HD therapy in both HD therapies. Plasma amino acids were significantly low in long-time HD patients compared to normal HD patients. In PBMCs, the expression of Nrf2 was significantly decreased and hemooxygenase-1 expression was significantly increased in long-time HD compared to normal HD. Conclusion These observations indicate the beneficial effects of in long-time HD in improving oxidative stress in patients.