Novel aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Jannaschia pagri sp. nov., isolated from seawater around a fish farm.

The genus Jannaschia is one of the representatives of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria, which is a strictly aerobic bacterium, producing a photosynthetic pigment bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a. However, a part of the genus Jannaschia members have not been confirmed the photosynthetic ability. The partly presence of the ability in the genus Jannaschia could suggest the complexity of evolutionary history for anoxygenic photosynthesis in the genus, which is expected as gene loss and/or horizontal gene transfer.

Flavobacterium okayamense sp. nov. isolated from surface seawater.

Strain KK2020170, a Gram-stain negative, yellow colony-forming bacterium, was isolated from surface seawater sampled in Kojima Bay, Okayama, Japan. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene revealed that strain KK2020170 belongs to the genus Flavobacterium, with Flavobacterium haoranii LQY-7 (98.1% similarity) being its closest relative, followed by Flavobacterium sediminis MEBiC07310 (96.

Organic Matter in the Asteroid Ryugu: What We Know So Far.

The Hayabusa2 mission was tasked with returning samples from the C-complex asteroid Ryugu (1999 JU3), in order to shed light on the formation, evolution and composition of such asteroids. One of the main science objectives was to understand whether such bodies could have supplied the organic matter required for the origin of life on Earth. Here, a review of the studies concerning the organic matter within the Ryugu samples is presented.

Spectroscopic and Biophysical Methods to Determine Differential Salt-Uptake by Primitive Membraneless Polyester Microdroplets.

α-Hydroxy acids are prebiotic monomers that undergo dehydration synthesis to form polyester gels, which assemble into membraneless microdroplets upon aqueous rehydration. These microdroplets are proposed as protocells that can segregate and compartmentalize primitive molecules/reactions. Different primitive aqueous environments with a variety of salts could have hosted chemistries that formed polyester microdroplets.

An investigation of the internal morphology of asbestos ferruginous bodies: constraining their role in the onset of malignant mesothelioma.

Background: Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was widely used in the past. However, asbestos inhalation is associated with an aggressive type of cancer known as malignant mesothelioma (MM). After inhalation, an iron-rich coat forms around the asbestos fibres, together the coat and fibre are termed an "asbestos ferruginous body" (AFB).

sp. nov., an aerobic bacteriochlorophyll -containing freshwater bacterium isolated from river epilithic biofilm.

A strictly aerobic bacteriochlorophyll -containing alphaproteobacterium, designated strain S08, was isolated from a biofilm sampled at Tama River in Japan. The non-motile and rod-shaped cells formed pink-beige pigmented colonies on agar plates containing organic compounds and showed absorption maxima at 798 and 866 nm in the near-infrared region, typical for the presence of bacteriochlorophyll . The new bacterial isolate is Gram-negative, oxidase-negative and catalase-positive.

Insights into the formation and evolution of extraterrestrial amino acids from the asteroid Ryugu.

All life on Earth contains amino acids and carbonaceous chondrite meteorites have been suggested as their source at the origin of life on Earth. While many meteoritic amino acids are considered indigenous, deciphering the extent of terrestrial contamination remains an issue. The Ryugu asteroid fragments (JAXA Hayabusa2 mission), represent the most uncontaminated primitive extraterrestrial material available.

Long-term D-Allose Administration Favorably Alters the Intestinal Environment in Aged Male Mice.

D-Allose, a C3 epimer of D-glucose, has potential to improve human health as a functional food. However, its effect on the intestinal environment remains unknown. Aged humans progressively express changes in the gut, some of which deleteriously affect gastrointestinal health.

Nitrogen Incorporation in Potassic and Micro- and Meso-Porous Minerals: Potential Biogeochemical Records and Targets for Mars Sampling.

We measured the N concentrations and isotopic compositions of 44 samples of terrestrial potassic and micro- and meso-porous minerals and a small number of whole-rocks to determine the extent to which N is incorporated and stored during weathering and low-temperature hydrothermal alteration in Mars surface/near-surface environments. The selection of these minerals and other materials was partly guided by the study of altered volcanic glass from Antarctica and Iceland, in which the incorporation of N as NH in phyllosilicates is indicated by correlated concentrations of N and the LILEs (, K, Ba, Rb, Cs), with scatter likely related to the presence of exchanged, occluded/trapped, or encapsulated organic/inorganic N occurring within structural cavities (, in zeolites). The phyllosilicates, zeolites, and sulfates analyzed in this study contain between 0 and 99,120 ppm N and have δN values of -34‰ to +65‰.

On the origin and evolution of the asteroid Ryugu: A comprehensive geochemical perspective.

Presented here are the observations and interpretations from a comprehensive analysis of 16 representative particles returned from the C-type asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission. On average Ryugu particles consist of 50% phyllosilicate matrix, 41% porosity and 9% minor phases, including organic matter. The abundances of 70 elements from the particles are in close agreement with those of CI chondrites.

The Foulage Test: Proof of Concept of a Novel Stepping Test Using a Stabilometer.

Objective In this article, we aimed to describe the Foulage test (FT) and investigate the test-retest reliability of parameters recorded during stepping execution in healthy adults. Materials and methods This was a single-center prospective cohort study conducted at an outpatient clinic. It included five healthy male participants [mean age ± standard deviation (SD): 27 ± 5.

Fecal short-chain fatty acids and obesity in a community-based Japanese population: The DOSANCO Health Study.

In Western populations, fecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are positively correlated with the prevalence of obesity. However, gut microbiota involved in the production of SCFA varies between races. Our purpose was to investigate the associations between fecal SCFAs and the prevalence of obesity in a community-based Japanese population.

Effect of Daikenchuto On Spontaneous Intestinal Tumors in Apc Mice.

Daikenchuto (TU-100) is herbal medicine which predominantly contains ginger, Japanese pepper, and ginseng. We investigated whether TU-100 can affect the composition of gut flora and intestinal tumor development using Apc mice, a murine model of intestinal tumor. Bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing and short-chain fatty acid analysis were performed on faecal samples.

Coprobacter secundus subsp. similis subsp. nov. and Solibaculum mannosilyticum gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from human feces.

An obligately anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain 2CBH44 , was isolated from the fecal sample of a healthy Japanese man. This strain was initially assigned as a novel species of the genus Coprobacter based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities compared with other Coprobacter species. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed strain 2CBH44 had relatively low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (97.

Outcomes of extensive hemilaminectomy with durotomy on dogs with presumptive progressive myelomalacia: a retrospective study on 34 cases.

Background: Progressive myelomalacia (PMM) is a fatal complication of progressive ascending and descending necrosis of the spinal cord after acute spinal cord injury. A recent study suggested that extensive hemilaminectomy with durotomy (EHLD) at the intramedullary T2-hyperintense region which performed immediately after magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) improved the survival rate in dogs with presumptive PMM. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effects of EHLD on halting the progression of PMM in dogs presumptively diagnosed with PMM which had the interval between MRI and surgery.

sp. nov., an anaerobic Gram-negative coccus isolated from the oral cavity of Japanese children.

Two strains of previously unknown Gram-negative cocci, T1-7 and S6-16, were isolated from the oral cavity of healthy Japanese children. The two strains showed atypical phenotypic characteristics of members of the genus , including catalase production. Sequencing of their 16S rRNA genes confirmed that they belong to genus .

gen. nov., sp. nov., a polyphosphate-accumulating bacterium of fam. nov., isolated from surface river water.

Three aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacteria, designated as strains SHINM1, ICHIJ1 and ICHIAU1, were isolated from surface river water (Saitama Prefecture, Japan). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and 40 marker gene sequences revealed that the strains formed a distinct phylogenetic lineage within the order . The three strains shared 100 % 16S rRNA gene similarity.

The Albedo of Ryugu: Evidence for a High Organic Abundance, as Inferred from the Hayabusa2 Touchdown Maneuver.

The Hayabusa2 mission successfully collected samples from the asteroid Ryugu last year and will return these to Earth in December 2020. It is anticipated that the samples will enable the analysis of terrestrially uncontaminated organic matter and minerals. Such analyses are in turn expected to elucidate the evolution of organic matter through Solar System history, including the origination and processing of biogenically important molecules, which could have been utilized by the first organisms on Earth.

Hypervelocity collision and water-rock interaction in space preserved in the Chelyabinsk ordinary chondrite.

A comprehensive geochemical study of the Chelyabinsk meteorite reveals further details regarding its history of impact-related fragmentation and melting, and later aqueous alteration, during its transit toward Earth. We support an ∼30 Ma age obtained by Ar-Ar method (Beard et al., 2014) for the impact-related melting, based on Rb-Sr isotope analyses of a melt domain.

Mesosutterella multiformis gen. nov., sp. nov., a member of the family Sutterellaceae and Sutterella megalosphaeroides sp. nov., isolated from human faeces.

Two novel, obligately anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod or coccoid-shaped bacteria, designated strains 4NBBH2 and 6FBBBH3, were isolated from faecal samples of a healthy Japanese woman and man. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that these strains represent a distinct lineage within the family Sutterellaceae. Strain 4NBBH2 formed a monophyletic branch between the genera Parasutterella and Sutterella, with sequence similarity to Sutterella stercoricanis CCUG 47620 (92.

Automated Deep Learning-Based System to Identify Endothelial Cells Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Deep learning technology is rapidly advancing and is now used to solve complex problems. Here, we used deep learning in convolutional neural networks to establish an automated method to identify endothelial cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), without the need for immunostaining or lineage tracing. Networks were trained to predict whether phase-contrast images contain endothelial cells based on morphology only.

Sprouting as a gardening strategy to obtain superior supplementary food: evidence from a seed-caching marine worm.

Only a handful of non-human animals are known to grow their own food by cultivating high-yield fungal or algal crops as staple food. Here we report an alternative strategy utilized by an omnivorous marine worm, Hediste diversicolor, to supplement its diet: gardening by sprouting seeds. In addition to having many other known feeding modes, we showed using video recordings and manipulative mesocosm experiments that this species can also behave like gardeners by deliberately burying cordgrass seeds in their burrows, which has been previously shown to reduce the loss of seeds to water.