Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of providing information on childbirth and postnatal period to partners of pregnant women.

Introduction: The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the distribution of a booklet providing information to fathers during their partners' pregnancies on fathers' and mothers' postpartum mental health and quality of life (QOL), as well as on fathers' childcare participation and living situations.

Methods And Analysis: This randomised controlled trial will comprise 554 couples consisting of pregnant women due to give birth at an obstetric institution in Aichi Prefecture, Japan and their partners. Participants will be recruited during prenatal check-ups in the third trimester, and those who provide written consent will be allocated randomly to an intervention and a control group.

Molecular cloning of doublesex genes of four cladocera (water flea) species.

Background: The gene doublesex (dsx) is known as a key factor regulating genetic sex determination in many organisms. We previously identified two dsx genes (DapmaDsx1 and DapmaDsx2) from a freshwater branchiopod crustacean, Daphnia magna, which are expressed in males but not in females. D.

Cloning and characterization of a novel mammalian zinc transporter, zinc transporter 5, abundantly expressed in pancreatic beta cells.

Intracellular homeostasis for zinc is achieved through the coordinate regulation of specific transporters engaged in zinc influx, efflux, and intracellular compartmentalization. We have identified a novel mammalian zinc transporter, zinc transporter 5 (ZnT-5), by virtue of its similarity to ZRC1, a zinc transporter of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a member of the cation diffusion facilitator family. Human ZnT-5 (hZnT-5) cDNA encodes a 765-amino acid protein with 15 predicted membrane-spanning domains.