Polyamine impact on physiology of early stages of reef-building corals-insights from rearing experiments and RNA-Seq analysis.

Polyamines are involved in various functions related to the cellular-level responses. To assess effects of polyamines on marine organisms, rearing experiments and comprehensive gene expression analyses were conducted on Acropora digitifera and Acropora sp.1, representative reef-building corals along the west-central coast of Okinawa, Japan, to evaluate effects of putrescine.

Landscape of evolutionary arms races between transposable elements and KRAB-ZFP family.

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile parasitic sequences that have expanded within the host genome. It has been hypothesized that host organisms have expanded the Krüppel-associated box-containing zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs), which epigenetically suppress TEs, to counteract disorderly TE transpositions. This process is referred to as the evolutionary arms race.

Graphene Bilayer as a Template for Manufacturing Novel Encapsulated 2D Materials.

Bilayer graphene (BLG) has recently been used as a tool to stabilize encapsulated single sheets of various layered materials and tune their properties. It was also discovered that the protecting action of graphene sheets makes it possible to synthesize completely new two-dimensional materials (2DMs) inside the BLG by intercalating various atoms and molecules. In comparison to the bulk graphite, BLG allows for easier intercalation and a much larger increase in the interlayer separation of the sheets.

Clear zone formation in microdroplets for high-throughput screening for lactic acid bacteria.

Droplet microfluidic-based technology is a powerful tool for biotechnology, and it is also expected that it will be applied to culturing and screening methods. Using this technology, a new high-throughput screening method for lactic acid bacteria was developed. In this study, the conventional culture of lactic acid bacteria that form clear zones on an agar medium was reproduced in water-in-oil droplets, and only the droplets in which lactic acid bacteria grew were collected one by one.

Clemastine enhances exercise-induced motor improvement in hypoxic ischemic rats.

Neonatal hypoxic ischemia (HI) occurs owing to reduced cerebral oxygen levels and perfusion during the perinatal period. Brain injury after HI triggers neurological manifestations such as motor impairment, and the improvement of impaired brain function remains challenging. Recent studies suggest that cortical myelination plays a role in motor learning, but its involvement in motor improvement after HI injury is not well understood.

Numerical evidence for the existence of three different stable liquid water structures as indicated by local order parameter.

Structures of liquid water are controversial not only in supercooled polyamorphism but also in stable bulk liquids in the high temperature and pressure range. Several experimental studies in bulk liquid have assumed the existence of three different liquid water structures. If indeed the three liquid water structures are different, they should be clearly distinguished by some measure other than density that characterizes the difference in structural order.

Circularly Polarized Light-Induced Chiral Growth of Achiral Plasmonic Nanoparticles Dispersed in a Solution.

Plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) with chiral geometries have wide applications from chiral molecular sensing to enantioselective catalysis. The synthesis of chiral plasmonic nanoparticles using circularly polarized light (CPL) has attracted a considerable amount of attention because it eliminates the need for chiral molecules. However, NPs need to be immobilized on a solid substrate during synthesis.

Comparison of Neurogenesis Promotion Effects between Cinnamoylquinic Acids in Neural Stem Cells from Adult Mice Brains.

Caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) and feruloylquinic acids (FQAs), as cinnamoylquinic acids, have neurogenesis promotion effects. We studied for the first time the neurogenesis-enhancing effect of 3,4,5-tri-feruloylquinic acid (TFQA) compared to 3,4,5-tri-caffeoylquinic acid (TCQA), which has a similar structure, and explored their different cellular and molecular mechanisms in neural stem cells (NSCs) of mice brains. After 2 weeks of incubation, we first assessed the number and size of NSCs in TCQA and TFQA treatments.

Determination of Calcium Isotopes Using Inductive Coupled Plasma-Tandem Mass Spectrometry with Ozone-Induced Oxidation.

In this study, we propose a new method for determination of calcium (Ca) isotopes using inductive coupled plasma-tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS). The most abundant isotope of Ca, Ca, has a spectrum identical with that of argon (Ar), which is often used as the carrier gas in ICP-MS analysis. The detection capability for Ca is thus significantly reduced in the presence of Ar.

Direct protein delivery into intact Arabidopsis cells for genome engineering.

Intracellular delivery of biomolecules is a prerequisite for genetic techniques such as recombinant engineering and genome editing. Realizing the full potential of this technology requires the development of safe and effective methods for delivering protein tools into cells. In this study, we demonstrated the spontaneous internalization of exogenous proteins into intact cells and root tissue of whole plants of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Direct Measurement of the Diffusion Coefficient of Adhesives from Moisture Distribution in Adhesive Layers Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

In this study, we used near-infrared spectroscopy to measure the moisture penetration in epoxy adhesives and investigated the difference in the diffusion coefficients between the bulk and the adhesive layer. Moisture diffusion was evaluated under 100% RH and water immersion conditions. First, the effects of the curing agents and additives on moisture diffusion in the bulk were gravimetrically evaluated using epoxy-coated quartz glass plates.

Do Stainless-Steel Pins Coated with Fibroblast Growth Factor-Calcium Phosphatase Composite Layers Have Anti-Infective Effects?

The most problematic complication of external fixation is infection at the pin insertion site. Technology that improves the adhesion of the external fixation pin to the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and bone may prevent infection at the pin site. The purpose of this study is to formulate a calcium phosphate-fibroblast growth factor (Cp-FGF) coating on a stainless-steel external fixation pin and to verify its effectiveness in reducing infection at the pin site and its possible influence on bone fixation in animal experiments.

Random epigenetic inactivation of the X-chromosomal HaMSter gene causes sex ratio distortion in persimmon.

In contrast to the recent progress in the genome sequencing of plant sex chromosomes, the functional contribution of the genes in sex chromosomes remains little known. They were classically thought to be related to sexual dimorphism, which is beneficial to male or female functions, including segregation ratios. Here we focused on the functional evolution of the sex ratio distortion-related locus Half Male Sterile/Inviable (HaMSter), which is located in the short sex-linked region in diploid persimmon (Diospyros lotus).

Optical-stimulated luminescence properties of undoped and Eu-doped LiCl transparent ceramics synthesized by spark plasma sintering method.

The undoped and Eu-doped LiCl transparent ceramics were synthesized, and their photoluminescence (PL) and optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties were evaluated. The PL properties of the undoped sample revealed as emission band due to a defect center. Additionally, the Eu-doped samples exhibited an emission band due to the 5d-4f transitions of Eu ions.

Spontaneous Heterointerface Modulation by a Methylammonium Tetrafluoroborate Additive for a Narrow-Bandgap FAPbI Photoabsorber in Perovskite Solar Cells.

Over the past decade, the photovoltaic (PV) performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been considerably improved with the development of perovskite photoabsorbers. Among these, formamidinium-lead-iodide (FAPbI) is a promising photoabsorber owing to its narrow bandgap and is mainly used in n-i-p-structured PSCs. The property modulation of FAPbI photoabsorbers while retaining their narrow bandgap is imperative for further development of PSCs.

Photoluminescence decay of mobile carriers influenced by imperfect quenching at particle surfaces with subdiffusive spread.

We recently presented a quantitative model to explain the particle-size dependence of photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields and revealed that exciton quenching is not diffusion controlled, but limited by surface reactions. However, the exciton decay kinetics has not been analyzed yet using our theoretical model. Here, we study kinetic aspects of the model and show that it should be extended to take into account subdiffusion rather than normal diffusion to maintain consistency with the observed complex decay kinetics; we also show that the PL decay kinetics is nonexponential even when the PL quenching is limited by surface reactions under subdiffusion.

Elucidation of d-allulose recognition mechanism in ketose 3-epimerase.

d-Allulose is a low-calorie sweetener with multiple nutritional functions that can be produced through d-fructose isomerization by ketose 3-epimerase (KEase). l-Ribulose 3-epimerase from Arthrobacterglobiformis (AgLRE) is one of the most important enzymes that produce d-allulose; however, its substrate recognition mechanism is unknown. In this study, the crystal structures of AgLRE and its complex with d-allulose and d-fructose were determined.

Synthesis of a natural core substrate with lignin-xylan cross-linkage for unveiling the productive kinetic parameters of glucuronoyl esterase.

Lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) present a considerable hurdle to the economic utilization of lignocellulosic biomass. Glucuronoyl esterase (GE) is an LCC-degrading enzyme that catalyzes the cleavage of the cross-linkages between lignin and xylan in LCCs. Benzyl-d-glucuronate (Bn-GlcA), a commercially available substrate, is widely used to evaluate GE activity assays.

Magnification calibration of X-ray 3D microscopy using micro-line structures.

X-ray microscopy using computed tomography (CT) is an excellent three-dimensional imaging instrument. Three-dimensional X-ray microscopy (3DXRM) is a nondestructive imaging technique used to inspect internal and external structures in units of submicrometers or less. The 3DXRM, although attractive, is mostly used as an observation instrument and is limited as a measurement system in quantitative evaluation and quality control.