Commonality and heterogeneity of pacemaker mechanisms in the male reproductive organs.

During emission, the first phase of ejaculation, smooth muscle in organs of the male reproductive tract (MRT) vigorously contract upon sympathetic nerve excitation to expel semen consisting of sperm and seminal plasma. During inter-ejaculation phases, the epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate undergo spontaneous phasic contractions (SPCs), this transporting and maintaining the quality of sperm and seminal plasma. Recent studies have revealed platelet-derived growth factor receptor α-expressing (PDGFRα) subepithelial interstitial cells in seminal vesicles subserve the role of pacemaker cells that electrically drive SPCs in this organ.

[Improved Protective Equipment for NICU Portable Radiography].

We have been developing protective equipment for portable radiography in neonatal intensive care units because the portable radiography's X-ray tube is in close proximity to the head of the nurse who is assisting the patient. Although our initial protective-equipment design was highly effective, there were some concerns that it obstructed the view of the patient and was difficult to handle. To overcome this problem, we have developed two new types of protective device: a narrow-type 0.

[Creation of Protective Equipment for Portable Radiography in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit].

Portable imaging in the NICU requires the assistance of a nurse, and the nurse is in close proximity to the X-ray tube, In all, 64 percent of our nurses thought that additional protective equipment was needed. Therefore, a radiation protection device was created and its usefulness was verified. A protective equipment of 0.

[Usefulness of Radiation Protection Cloths in Fluoroscopy with Clean Areas].

Lowering the dose limit for the lens of the eye incorporated into the Regulation on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards, effective on April 2021, and dose reduction will become more and more important in the field of radiation. Radiation protective cloth is used as a protective equipment in fluoroscopy rooms. Although it is usually used to protect staff from radiation exposure during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, we investigated whether there is a way to use it for procedures in clean areas.

[Comparison of Frontal and Lateral Measurements of Bone Mineral Density of the Lumbar Spine with Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in Spinal Deformity: a Phantom Study].

The bone mineral density (BMD) measurement of the lumbar spine with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has the advantage of being able to detect early changes in BMD, which is usually used for the evaluation of drug therapy. However, DXA is not considered suitable for spinal deformity because it is a two-dimensional measurement. The aims of this study were to compare frontal and lateral measurements with a phantom and to examine the possibility of the evaluation of lumbar spine BMD in spinal deformity.

PDGFRα subepithelial interstitial cells act as a pacemaker to drive smooth muscle of the guinea pig seminal vesicle.

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of the guinea pig seminal vesicle (SV) develop spontaneous phasic contractions, Ca flashes and electrical slow waves in a mucosa-dependent manner, and thus it was envisaged that pacemaker cells reside in the mucosa. Here, we aimed to identify the pacemaker cells in SV mucosa using intracellular microelectrode and fluorescence Ca imaging techniques. Morphological characteristics of the mucosal pacemaker cells were also investigated using focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy tomography and fluorescence immunohistochemistry.

Corrigendum: Purification and Characterisation of Malate Dehydrogenase From sp. PCC 6803: Biochemical Barrier of the Oxidative Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.

Effect of Electrokinetics and Thermodynamic Equilibrium on Low-Salinity Water Flooding for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Sandstone Reservoirs.

Wettability alteration (from oil-wet to mixed- or water-wet condition) is the most prominent mechanism in low-salinity water flooding (LSWF) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in sandstone reservoirs. Although several factors influence the wettability alteration, many efforts have been made to find the main controlling factor. In this study, the influence of interface properties of sandstone/brine and thermodynamic equilibrium of sandstone minerals were evaluated to understand the wettability alteration during LSWF.

Efficient extraction and preservation of thermotolerant phycocyanins from red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

C-Phycocyanin (PC) is a protein used commercially as a natural blue pigment produced by cyanobacteria, cryptophytes, and rhodophytes. Although it is industrially synthesized from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis, PC requires high levels of energy for its extraction, which involves freezing of cells. However, as a protein, PC is easily denatured at extreme temperatures.

Virus database annotations assist in tracing information on patients infected with emerging pathogens.

The global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 has disrupted human social activities. In restarting economic activities, successive outbreaks by new variants are concerning. Here, we evaluated the applicability of public database annotations to estimate the virulence, transmission trends and origins of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Expression of the pacemaker channel HCN4 in excitatory interneurons in the dorsal horn of the murine spinal cord.

In the central nervous system, hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN1-4) channels have been implicated in neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. It has been reported that HCN channels are expressed in the spinal cord, but knowledge about their physiological roles, as well as their distribution profiles, appear to be limited. We generated a transgenic mouse in which the expression of HCN4 can be reversibly knocked down using a genetic tetracycline-dependent switch and conducted genetically validated immunohistochemistry for HCN4.

The phenotypic characteristics and relational database for Vietnamese native pig populations.

Although there are a number of Vietnamese native pig (VnP) populations, some are on the verge of extinction, and therefore adequate management and conservation are necessary. In this study, we conducted a field survey of VnP populations and analyzed interrelationships among their characteristics. We also established a relational database for management of field data on these populations.

A Novel Cytological Model of B-Cell/Macrophage Biphenotypic Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma in -Transgenic Mice.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is one of the most difficult neoplasms in terms of cytopathological research owing to the lack of established cytological murine models. Although HL is believed to be of lymphoid germinal center B-cell origin, HL cells exhibit unique biphenotypic characteristics of B cells and macrophages. B-cell/macrophage biphenotypic cells have also been identified in the spleen of Lyn-deficient mice.

Cancer therapy with major histocompatibility complex-deficient and interferon β-producing myeloid cells derived from allogeneic embryonic stem cells.

We previously established a method to generate myeloid cells with a proliferative capability from pluripotent stem cells and designated them iPS-ML. Human iPS-ML cells share features with physiological macrophages including the capability to infiltrate into cancer tissues. We observed therapeutic effects of human iPS-ML cells expressing interferon β (iPS-ML/interferon (IFN)-β) in xenograft cancer models.

Biochemical characterisation of fumarase C from a unicellular cyanobacterium demonstrating its substrate affinity, altered by an amino acid substitution.

The tricarboxylic acid cycle produces NADH for oxidative phosphorylation and fumarase [EC 4.2.1.

Properties of SK3 channel-expressing PDGFRα (+) cells in the rodent urinary bladder.

Localisation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRα) (+) cells expressing small-conductance Ca-activated K (SK3) channels in the urinary bladder was investigated, while putative roles of SK3 (+) PDGFRα (+) cells in suppressing detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) spontaneous activity were explored. In guinea-pig bladder, immunohistochemistry for SK3 channels, PDGFRα or vimentin was examined, as were the effects of purinergic agonists on spontaneous phasic contractions (SPCs). In bladder of PDGFRα-GFP mice, the effects of purinergic agonists on intracellular Ca signaling in PDGFRα (+) cells or DSM cells in situ and SPCs were investigated.

Mucosa-Dependent, Stretch-Sensitive Spontaneous Activity in Seminal Vesicle.

Seminal vesicles (SVs), a pair of male accessory glands, contract upon sympathetic nerve excitation during ejaculation while developing spontaneous phasic constrictions in the inter-ejaculatory storage phase. Recently, the fundamental role of the mucosa in generating spontaneous activity in SV of the guinea pig has been revealed. Stretching the mucosa-intact but not mucosa-denuded SV smooth muscle evokes spontaneous phasic contractions arising from action potential firing triggered by electrical slow waves and associated Ca flashes.

Synthesis of 4- epi-Parviflorons A, C, and E: Structure-Activity Relationship Study of Antiproliferative Abietane Derivatives.

The first syntheses of 4- epi-parviflorons A, C, and E (4- epi-1-3) were achieved in 12-13 steps from commercially available (-)-abietic acid (5). All synthesized compounds, including intermediates and derivatives, were evaluated for antiproliferative activity against five human tumor cell lines. A structure-activity relationship study revealed no significant difference between Pf E and 4- epi-Pf E, the importance of two oxygen functional groups at C-11 and C-12 for antiproliferative activity, as well as a combination of carbomethoxy at C-4 and a benzoyl ester with electron-drawing group at C-12 or hydroxymethyl at C-4 and an appropriate oxidation state of ring-B/C for triple-negative breast cancer cell selectivity.

High CD169 expression in lymph node macrophages predicts a favorable clinical course in patients with esophageal cancer.

Recent findings indicate CD169-positive lymph node sinus macrophages (LySMs) in the regional lymph nodes (RLNs) play an important role in anti-cancer immunity. In the present study, we investigated the correlation between CD169 expression in RLNs and clinicopathologic factors. Higher CD169 expression in LySMs was significantly associated with longer cancer-specific survival (CSS).

MUC1/KL-6 expression confers an aggressive phenotype upon myeloma cells.

The sialic glycoprotein, MUC1, is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of various types of cancers. KL-6 is one of the surface antigens of MUC1 and also a marker of interstitial pneumonitis. A fraction of patients with myeloma (3.

Evaluation of neurobehavioral impairment in methylmercury-treated KK-Ay mice by dynamic weight-bearing test.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is known to cause neurobehavioral impairment in human and experimental animals. We previously reported that MeHg (5 mg Hg/kg) induced severe neurobehavioral dysfunction in 4-week-old KK-Ay mice, although it is difficult to evaluate quantitatively the neurobehavioral impairment in MeHg-treated KK-Ay mice because of their obesity. The aim of this study was to evaluate MeHg-induced neurobehavioral dysfunction in KK-Ay mice using the dynamic weight-bearing test, which analyzes the animal's weight distribution between the four limbs.

Purification and Characterisation of Malate Dehydrogenase From sp. PCC 6803: Biochemical Barrier of the Oxidative Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle.

Cyanobacteria possess an atypical tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle with various bypasses. Previous studies have suggested that a cyclic flow through the TCA cycle is not essential for cyanobacteria under normal growth conditions. The cyanobacterial TCA cycle is, thus, different from that in other bacteria, and the biochemical properties of enzymes in this TCA cycle are less understood.

The expression of PD-1 ligands and IDO1 by macrophage/microglia in primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Recent progress in anti-tumor immunotherapy has focused on the significance of the tumor microenvironment in tumor progression and resistance to chemo/radio-therapy. Myeloid cells such as macrophages are predominant stromal components in hematological malignancies. In the present study, we investigated the regulation of programmed death-1 (PD-1) ligand expression in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) using PCNSL cell lines and human monocyte-derived macrophages.