1,083 results match your criteria: "SOKENDAI The Graduate University for Advanced Studies.[Affiliation]"

Seasonal changes are more robust and dynamic at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes, and animals sense seasonal changes in the environment and alter their physiology and behavior to better adapt to harsh winter conditions. However, the genetic basis for sensing seasonal changes, including the photoperiod and temperature, remains unclear. Medaka (Oryzias latipes species complex), widely distributed from subtropical to cool-temperate regions throughout the Japanese archipelago, provides an excellent model to tackle this subject.

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The chytrid fungus (Bd) is a major threat to amphibians, yet there are no reports of major disease impacts in East Asian frogs. Genetic variation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been associated with resistance to Bd in frogs from East Asia and worldwide. Using transcriptomic data collated from 11 Japanese frog species (one individual per species), we isolated MHC class I and IIb sequences and validated using molecular cloning.

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Zonisamide (ZNS; 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-methanesulfonamide) was initially developed and is commonly used as an anticonvulsant drug. However, it has also shown its beneficial effects on Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. Recent clinical studies have suggested that ZNS can also have beneficial effects on L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), which is a major side effect of long-term L-DOPA treatments for PD.

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Design of allosteric sites into rotary motor V-ATPase by restoring lost function of pseudo-active sites.

Nat Chem

November 2023

Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Okazaki, Japan.

Allostery produces concerted functions of protein complexes by orchestrating the cooperative work between the constituent subunits. Here we describe an approach to create artificial allosteric sites in protein complexes. Certain protein complexes contain subunits with pseudo-active sites, which are believed to have lost functions during evolution.

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New solid compounds AGaOH (A = Sr, Ba; ∼0.15, ∼0.3), which are the first oxyhydrides containing gallium ions, have been synthesized by high-pressure synthesis.

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Synchrotron radiation, emitted by relativistic electrons traveling in a magnetic field, has poor temporal coherence. However, recent research has proved that time-domain interferometry experiments, which were thought to be enabled by only lasers of excellent temporal coherence, can be implemented with synchrotron radiation using a tandem undulator. The radiation generated by the tandem undulator comprises pairs of light wave packets, and the longitudinal coherence within a light wave packet pair is used to achieve time-domain interferometry.

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Spatial and temporal diversity of positive selection on shared haplotypes at the PSCA locus among worldwide human populations.

Heredity (Edinb)

August 2023

Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, School of Advanced Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan.

Selection on standing genetic variation is important for rapid local genetic adaptation when the environment changes. We report that, for the prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) gene, different populations have different target haplotypes, even though haplotypes are shared among populations. The C-C-A haplotype, whereby the first C is located at rs2294008 of PSCA and is a low risk allele for gastric cancer, has become a target of positive selection in Asia.

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Single-Molecule Magnetoluminescence from a Spatially Confined Persistent Diradical Emitter.

J Am Chem Soc

June 2023

Department of Life and Coordination-Complex Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.

Article Synopsis
  • - Luminescent radicals are new materials with unique light-emitting properties due to their open-shell electronic structure, which allows them to have functions not present in traditional closed-shell molecules.
  • - One exciting function is magnetoluminescence (ML), where the radical's luminescence is influenced by a magnetic field, making it significant for spin photonics.
  • - This study demonstrates that a covalently linked luminescent radical dimer can exhibit ML as a distinct property, which could help understand the mechanisms behind ML and guide the creation of new ML-active radicals through synthetic chemistry.
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Generation of pulsatile ERK activity in mouse embryonic stem cells is regulated by Raf activity.

Sci Rep

June 2023

Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-Cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan.

Article Synopsis
  • The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is crucial for regulating cell functions like proliferation and differentiation, and is activated by fibroblast growth factors.
  • Researchers developed a specific ESC line expressing a biosensor to track ERK activity in real-time, revealing that ERK activity displays pulsatile patterns.
  • The study identified two groups of embryonic stem cells: those with frequent ERK activity pulses and those with no detectable pulses, and found that the Raf protein significantly influences the pulse pattern of ERK activity.
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There have been several records in the last 60 years for East Antarctica for Doyère, 1840 sensu lato, now considered a species complex. During the 56th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition summer operation (2014-2015), a new tardigrade species in the genus Doyère, 1840 was found in an ice-free Innhovde area along Lützow-Holm Bay, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. The new species has aberrant claws with four to seven points on each secondary claw branch, which distinguishes it from other species.

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We report the whole-genome sequences of three psychrotolerant strains, TUM20983, TUM20984, and TUM20985, isolated from Antarctic soils. Taxonomic analyses indicate that these strains are putative new species. These genome sequences may provide insight into the cold adaptation mechanisms of spp.

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Cross-pinacol coupling of two different carbonyl compounds was achieved through successive one-electron transfer processes under photocatalytic conditions. In the reaction, an umpoled anionic carbinol synthon was generated in situ to react nucleophilically with a second electrophilic carbonyl compound. It was revealed that a CO additive promoted the photocatalytic generation of the carbinol synthon to suppress undesired radical dimerization.

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Injury to mature neurons induces downregulated KCC2 expression and activity, resulting in elevated intracellular [Cl] and depolarized GABAergic signaling. This phenotype mirrors immature neurons wherein GABA-evoked depolarizations facilitate neuronal circuit maturation. Thus, injury-induced KCC2 downregulation is broadly speculated to similarly facilitate neuronal circuit repair.

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Overexpression of LHCSR and PsbS enhance light tolerance in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

J Photochem Photobiol B

July 2023

Division of Environmental Photobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Japan. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) is a protective mechanism in plants and algae that helps manage excess light energy to avoid damage to photosystem II (PSII).
  • The det1-2 phot mutant in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been found to overexpress photoprotective proteins (LHCSR1, LHCSR3, PsbS), leading to a stronger NPQ response and enhanced growth in high light conditions that would harm wild-type cells.
  • The study shows that the increased levels of these proteins in the mutant help manage light energy effectively, resulting in a lower excitation pressure on PSII and enabling survival in extreme light environments.
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Indirect reciprocity is a mechanism that explains large-scale cooperation in humans. In indirect reciprocity, individuals use reputations to choose whether or not to cooperate with a partner and update others' reputations. A major question is how the rules to choose their actions and the rules to update reputations evolve.

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Quantum neuronal sensing of quantum many-body states on a 61-qubit programmable superconducting processor.

Sci Bull (Beijing)

May 2023

Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Science and CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Shanghai 201315, China; Hefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230088, China. Electronic address:

Classifying many-body quantum states with distinct properties and phases of matter is one of the most fundamental tasks in quantum many-body physics. However, due to the exponential complexity that emerges from the enormous numbers of interacting particles, classifying large-scale quantum states has been extremely challenging for classical approaches. Here, we propose a new approach called quantum neuronal sensing.

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We present a new realization of the time-domain double-slit experiment with photoelectrons, demonstrating that spontaneous radiation from a bunch of relativistic electrons can be used to control the quantum interference of single-particles. The double-slit arrangement is realized by a pair of light wave packets with attosecond-controlled spacing, which is naturally included in the spontaneous radiation from two undulators in series. Photoelectrons emitted from helium atoms are observed in the energy-domain under the condition of detecting them one by one, and the stochastic buildup of the quantum interference pattern on a detector plane is recorded.

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Single-cell RNA sequencing of intestinal immune cells in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.

Pediatr Surg Int

April 2023

Division of Mucosal Immunology, Research Center for Systems Immunology, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.

Article Synopsis
  • Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) leads to serious intestinal damage in newborns, and the study explored the immune response involved in this condition through single-cell RNA sequencing.* -
  • Researchers analyzed immune cells from the intestines of four neonates who had intestinal perforations, revealing similar immune cell types to those found in healthy newborns, but with distinct gene expressions linked to inflammation.* -
  • The findings indicate that neonates with NEC show heightened inflammatory responses, particularly through T cells, which could enhance our understanding of NEC's underlying mechanisms and potential treatments.*
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Optimal inference of molecular interaction dynamics in FRET microscopy.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

April 2023

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511.

Intensity-based time-lapse fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy has been a major tool for investigating cellular processes, converting otherwise unobservable molecular interactions into fluorescence time series. However, inferring the molecular interaction dynamics from the observables remains a challenging inverse problem, particularly when measurement noise and photobleaching are nonnegligible-a common situation in single-cell analysis. The conventional approach is to process the time-series data algebraically, but such methods inevitably accumulate the measurement noise and reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), limiting the scope of FRET microscopy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Variations in seed size and number in plants are linked to different reproductive strategies and are influenced by environmental factors related to maternal resources.
  • The wild rice Oryza rufipogon utilizes a mechanism involving the gene FT-like 9 (FTL9) to sense maternal resources, which helps coordinate grain size and number.
  • When resources are plentiful, FTL9 promotes a higher number of smaller seeds, aiding survival in variable environments; however, a common loss-of-function allele for FTL9 is found in both wild and cultivated rice, reshaping the understanding of rice domestication.
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Determinants of Microbial-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter Diversity in Antarctic Lakes.

Environ Sci Technol

April 2023

Research Group for Marine Geochemistry (ICBM-MPI Bridging Group), Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, Oldenburg 26129, Germany.

Identifying drivers of the molecular composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is essential to understand the global carbon cycle, but an unambiguous interpretation of observed patterns is challenging due to the presence of confounding factors that affect the DOM composition. Here, we show, by combining ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, that the DOM molecular composition varies considerably among 43 lakes in East Antarctica that are isolated from terrestrial inputs and human influence. The DOM composition in these lakes is primarily driven by differences in the degree of photodegradation, sulfurization, and pH.

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Contagious yawning in African painted dogs.

Anim Cogn

July 2023

Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan.

Contagious yawning (CY), which is yawning elicited by sensing another yawning, has been observed only in social species and is considered linked to high sociality. Although this idea-the social communication hypothesis-is supported by previous studies, investigating the occurrence of CY in various species remains necessary. We investigated the occurrence of CY in one of the most social canine species, the African painted dog (Lycaon pictus).

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Operando time-resolved soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (TR-SXAS) is an effective method to reveal the photochemical processes of metal complexes in solutions. In this study, we have developed the TR-SXAS measurement system for observing various photochemical reactions in solutions by the combination of laser pump pulses with soft x-ray probe pulses from the synchrotron radiation. For the evaluation of the developed TR-SXAS system, we have measured nitrogen K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectra of aqueous iron phenanthroline solutions during a photoinduced spin transition process.

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