FcRY is a key molecule controlling maternal blood IgY transfer to yolks during egg development in avian species.

Maternal immunoglobulin transfer plays a key role in conferring passive immunity to neonates. Maternal blood immunoglobulin Y (IgY) in avian species is transported to newly-hatched chicks in two steps: 1) IgY is transported from the maternal circulation to the yolk of maturing oocytes, 2) the IgY deposited in yolk is transported to the circulation of the embryo via the yolk sac membrane. An IgY-Fc receptor, FcRY, is involved in the second step, but the mechanism of the first step is still unclear.

Estimation of Sound Transmission Loss in Nanofiber Nonwoven Fabrics: Comparison of Conventional Models and the Simplified Limp Frame Model.

Although the sound absorption coefficients of conventional and nanofiber nonwoven fabrics (NF-NWFs) have been the subject of many previous studies, few studies have considered the estimation of transmission loss. Reported herein is an experimental and theoretical study into estimating the transmission loss of NF-NWFs using four estimation models, i.e.

Establishment of Pancreatic β-Cell-Specific Gene Knockout System Based on CRISPR-Cas9 Technology With AAV8-Mediated gRNA Delivery.

The Cre-loxP system provides valuable resources to analyze the importance of tissue-specific gene knockout (KO), including pancreatic β-cells associated with the pathogenesis of diabetes. However, it is expensive and time consuming to generate transgenic mice harboring floxed genes of interest and cross them with cell-specific Cre expression mice. We establish a βCas9 system with mice expressing Cas9 in pancreatic β-cells and adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8)-mediated guide RNA (gRNA) delivery based on CRISPR-Cas9 technology to overcome those shortcomings.

Diffusion-weighted imaging-gadolinium enhancement mismatch sign in diffuse midline glioma.

Background: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG), H3 K27M-mutant including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a disease with dismal prognosis. We focused on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and gadolinium enhanced T1WI (Gd), especially high intensity on DWI at non-enhanced lesion, i.e.

Fluorosilane Activation by Pd/Ni→Si-F→Lewis Acid Interaction: An Entry to Catalytic Sila-Negishi Coupling.

A new mode of bond activation involving M→Z interactions is disclosed. Coordination to transition metals as σ-acceptor ligands was found to enable the activation of fluorosilanes, opening the way to the first transition-metal-catalyzed Si-F bond activation. Using phosphines as directing groups, sila-Negishi couplings were developed by combining Pd and Ni complexes with external Lewis acids such as MgBr.

Presence of intrinsically disordered proteins can inhibit the nucleation phase of amyloid fibril formation of Aβ(1-42) in amino acid sequence independent manner.

The molecular shield effect was studied for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that do not adopt compact and stable protein folds. IDPs are found among many stress-responsive gene products and cryoprotective- and drought-protective proteins. We recently reported that some fragments of human genome-derived IDPs are cryoprotective for cellular enzymes, despite a lack of relevant amino acid sequence motifs.

The presence of females induces elevated cortisol levels in an alpha male: Experimental evidence in chimpanzees.

Objectives: In group-living primates, it has been reported that the alpha male exhibits high concentrations of cortisol and testosterone in the context of mating competition. We investigated how the presence of females affected salivary cortisol and testosterone levels in males from a small captive group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Specifically, we assessed whether the presence of females resulted in a rapid increase in salivary cortisol and testosterone levels in the alpha male.

Generation and characterization of a human-mouse chimeric high-affinity antibody that detects the DYKDDDDK FLAG peptide.

DYKDDDDK peptide (FLAG) is a useful tool for investigating the function and localization of proteins whose antibodies (Abs) are not available. We recently established a high-affinity monoclonal antibody (mAb) for FLAG (clone 2H8). The 2H8 Ab is highly sensitive for detecting FLAG-tagged proteins by flowcytometry and immunoprecipitation, but it can yield nonspecific signals in immunohistochemistry of mouse tissues because it is of mouse origin.

Shape and spatial working memory capacities are mostly independent.

Whether visual working memory (WM) consists of a common storage resource or of multiple subsystems has been a controversial issue. Logie (1995) suggested that it can be divided into visual (for color, shape, objects, etc.) and spatial WM (for location).

Motivation enhances visual working memory capacity through the modulation of central cognitive processes.

Motivation is well known to enhance working memory (WM) capacity, but the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. The WM process can be divided into encoding, maintenance, and retrieval, and in a change detection visual WM paradigm, the encoding and retrieval processes can be subdivided into perceptual and central processing. To clarify which of these segments are most influenced by motivation, we measured ERPs in a change detection task with differential monetary rewards.

Fearful faces grab attention in the absence of late affective cortical responses.

Previous studies utilizing the N2pc, an ERP correlate of attentional focusing, demonstrated that fearful faces grab attention regardless of their relevance to the current task. We tested whether this apparent automaticity was susceptible to high concurrent task demand, which is known to suppress other cortical and subcortical emotional evaluations. Our data revealed that the affective attentional capture occurred even under high task load, by which the late cortical affective activity (the LPP modulation) was entirely suppressed.

Task confusion after switching revealed by reductions of error-related ERP components.

While response delays after task switching have been widely used as an index to investigate the limits of cognitive flexibility, little is known about their counterpart in error rates. It has been hypothesized that at least some postswitching errors are not caused by simple response errors but by task confusion, which refers to the establishment and execution of an incorrect task set. The aim of the current study is to provide evidence for this hypothesis.

Reactivation of lymphocryptovirus (Epstein-Barr virus chimpanzee) and dominance in chimpanzees.

Nine male chimpanzees originally reared in solitary cages were set up to form a group. Plasma viral load of the lymphocryptovirus (LCV) of chimpanzee [Epstein-Barr virus chimpanzee (EBVcmp)] was measured by real-time PCR. In the group formation (Form) period, the first-ranking male showed an imminent increase in plasma EBVcmp load compared with 1 week before (pre-Form) and 3 months after (post-Form) group formation.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection of a minute intramucosal adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus.

A 73-year-old man with short segmental Barrett's esophagus underwent esophagoscopy, and a slightly depressed, discolored lesion was found on the anterior wall of the lower esophagus. Under a provisional diagnosis of differentiated adenocarcinoma without local lymph node metastasis, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was carried out. En bloc resection with tumor-free lateral/basal margins was accomplished without complication.

Validation of salivary cortisol and testosterone assays in chimpanzees by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Owing to its high temporal sensitivity, saliva has distinct advantages for measuring steroids, compared with other noninvasive samples such as urine and feces. Here, we report the validity of assaying salivary cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in captive male chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes. For both the C and T concentrations, we found positive relationships between saliva and plasma.

Salivary alpha-amylase levels and temporal discounting for primary reward under a simulated life-threatening condition.

Objectives: This study was aimed to examine the relationships between salivary alpha-amylase (sAA, a non-invasive biological marker of adrenergic activities) levels and hyperbolic discounting for primary reward under simulated life-threatening condition, which is of interest in psychoneuroendocrinology and neuroeconomics of visceral influences on behavior.

Methods: We assessed degrees to which delayed primary reward (i.e.

Social evaluation-induced amylase elevation and economic decision-making in the dictator game in humans.

Objective: Little is known regarding the relationship between social evaluation-induced neuroendocrine responses and generosity in game-theoretic situations. Previous studies demonstrated that reputation formation plays a pivotal role in prosocial behavior. This study aimed to examine the relationships between a social evaluation-induced salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) response and generosity in the dictator game.

A hyperbolic decay of subjective probability of obtaining delayed rewards.

Background: Hyperbolic discounting of delayed and probabilistic outcomes has drawn attention in psychopharmacology and neuroeconomics. Sozou's evolutionary theory proposed that hyperbolic delay discounting may be totally attributable to aversion to a decrease in subjective probability of obtaining delayed rewards (SP) which follows a hyperbolic decay function. However, to date, no empirical study examined the hypothesis, although this investigation is important for elucidating the roles of impatience, precaution, and uncertainty aversion in delay discounting processes.

Salivary alpha-amylase levels and hyperbolic discounting in male humans.

Objective: Little is known regarding the role of the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system in self-control and impulsivity in intertemporal choice (delay discounting), although the roles of dopaminergic and serotonergic systems have been extensively examined. This study was aimed to examine the relationships between salivary alpha-amylase (sAA, a non-invasive biological marker of adrenergic/SAM activities) levels and hyperbolic discounting, which is of interest in psychoneuroendocrinology and neuroeconomics.

Methods: We assessed degrees to which delayed monetary gains were discounted (hyperbolic discount rates) in healthy male students.

Anxiety, reactivity, and social stress-induced cortisol elevation in humans.

Objectives: Traditionally, it has been hypothesized that highly anxious/emotionally reactive subjects may have exaggerated social stress response. We examined the relationship between self-reported anxiety, emotional reactivity, and social stress response.

Methods: We investigated the relationship between personality scales of trait-state anxiety, subjective autonomic reactivity, and salivary cortisol levels before and after social stress exposure (Trier Social Stress Test) in 20 men.

Interpersonal trust and social stress-induced cortisol elevation.

A neuroendocrine correlate of interpersonal trust is relatively unknown. We investigated the relationship between an interpersonal trust-related personality (General Trust Scale) and cortisol elevation induced by social stress in 20 men. Spearman's rank order correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between social stress-induced cortisol elevation and General Trust Scale.

Social stress-induced cortisol elevation acutely impairs social memory in humans.

Although stress is known to affect the memory process, little has been elucidated regarding its effect on social memory. In this study, 30 subjects' social memory (face-name association memory) performance was tested. Twenty subjects were exposed to social stress with a subsequent test of social memory, while the remaining ten subjects served as controls.