Amino Acid Composition of Amniotic Fluid during the Perinatal Period Reflects Mother's Fat and Carbohydrate Intake.

Dietary content during pregnancy is important because it is necessary for the growth of the fetus. With the assumption that the nutritional status of the fetus can be monitored by measuring amino acid concentrations in the amniotic fluid, we investigated whether the habitual dietary intake of pregnant women affected the composition of the amniotic fluid and the significance of performing amniotic fluid analysis. The subjects were 34 mothers who delivered full-term babies by cesarean section.

Systematics of Crepidostomum species from the Russian Far East and northern Japan, with description of a new species and validation of the genus Stephanophiala.

Current article touched upon the issue of the complicated taxonomic status of some species from the genus Crepidostomum collected from the freshwater fish in the rivers of Primorsky region, Sakhalin, and Hokkaido Islands. Primary morphological analyses showed affiliation of the worms to the species C. farionis (Müller, 1784) Lühe, 1909; C.

A new species of hemiuroidean trematode from Hatcheria macraei (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae) and Heleobia hatcheri (Gastropoda, Cochliopidae) in a Patagonian River.

A new hemiuroidean species, Genarchella pichileufuensis n. sp. (Derogenidae: Halipeginae), was found in the stomach of the siluriform freshwater fish, Hatcheria macraei (Girard, 1855), in the Pichileufu River, Patagonia, Argentina.

Thermoresponsive properties of polymer hydrogels induced by copolymerization of hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers: comprehensive study of monomer sequence and water affinity.

In order to raise the possibility of the practical use of thermoresponsive hydrogels in various fields, it is imperative to achieve on-demand control of responsive behavior especially by using a simple synthetic method with common monomers. To this end, we synthesized various hydrophilic/hydrophobic copolymer hydrogels from common acrylamide derivatives and acrylate monomers via free radical copolymerization, and examined the correlation between the structure and the swelling properties of the obtained gels, specifically from the viewpoint of the monomer sequence in the network chains and the affinity to water molecules. The obtained gels with a hydrophobic acrylamide monomer were shown to exhibit a sharp volume change in water upon heating at suitable monomer compositions.

Implicit rule on the elastic function of a swollen polyacrylamide hydrogel.

A full understanding of the elastic properties of hydrogels under swelling is required for their practical application in the chemical and biomedical engineering fields. This is because hydrogels are expected to retain water during mechanical use in moist atmospheres. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the elastic modulus and the swelling ratio in a specific type of hydrogel (a polyacrylamide gel).

Theoretical and Experimental Evaluation of the Reduction Potential of Straight-Chain Alcohols for the Designed Synthesis of Bimetallic Nanostructures.

Recently, the development of bimetallic nanoparticles with functional properties has been attempted extensively but with limited control over their morphological and structural properties. The reason was the inability to control the kinetics of the reduction reaction in most liquid-phase syntheses. However, the alcohol reduction technique has demonstrated the possibility of controlling the reduction reaction and facilitating the incorporation of other phenomena such as diffusion, etching, and galvanic replacement during nanostructure synthesis.

Characterization of an L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid polymer with comb-like structure isolated from a poly(ε-L-lysine)-producing Streptomyces sp.

Polymers of basic amino acids function as polycationic compounds under physiological conditions and exhibit intriguing biological properties, such as antimicrobial and antiviral activities, immunopotentiating ability, and DNA-binding activity. Poly(ε-L-lysine) (ε-PL) produced by some strains of Streptomyces spp. is a cationic homopolymer of L-lysine linking between ε-amino and α-carboxylic acid functional groups and has been used as a food preservative based on its biocompatibility and biodegradability.

Effects of B-Group Vitamin Administration on Daily Change in Urine 2-Oxo Acids in Young Japanese Women.

B-group vitamins are required in amino acid catabolism, and recent findings suggest that urine 2-oxo acids, catabolites of amino acid, could be functional biomarkers indicating the nutritional status of B-group vitamins. To clarify the relationship between B-group vitamins and urine 2-oxo acids, we investigated the effects of B-group vitamin administration on daily changes in urinary amounts of 2-oxo acids in humans. Twenty-nine young Japanese women collected 24-h urine samples for 8 d, and took B-group vitamins for 7 d beginning on the second day of urine collection.

Determination of thermodynamic and microscopic origins of the Soret effect in sodium silicate melts: Prediction of sign change of the Soret coefficient.

The Soret effect in silicate melts has attracted attention in earth and material sciences, particularly in glass science and engineering, because a compositional change caused by the Soret effect modifies the material properties of silicate melts. We investigated the Soret effect in an NaO-SiO system, which is the most common representative of silicate melts. Our theoretical approach based on the modified Kempers model and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation was validated for 30NaO-70SiO(mol.

Long-term dynamics of a cladoceran community from an early stage of lake formation in Lake Fukami-ike, Japan.

An increase in nutrient levels due to eutrophication has considerable effects on lake ecosystems. Cladocerans are intermediate consumers in lake ecosystems; thus, they are influenced by both the bottom-up and top-down effects that occur as eutrophication progresses. The long-term community succession of cladocerans and the effects cladocerans experience through the various eutrophication stages have rarely been investigated from the perspective of the early-stage cladoceran community assemblage during lake formation.

Selection Criteria for Metal Precursors and Solvents for Targeted Synthesis of Metallic Nanostructures Via Kinetic Control in the Polyol Process.

Development of a technology for the synthesis of monometallic or multimetallic nanoparticles is exceptionally vital for the preparation of novel magnetic, optical. and catalytic functional materials. In this context, the polyol process is a safe and scalable method for preparation of metal nanoparticles with controlled sizes and shapes in large scales.

Hemiuroidean trematodes from freshwater Patagonian fishes: description of a new species, distribution and molecular phylogeny.

A new trematode species, Derogenes lacustris Tsuchida, Flores, Viozzi, Rauque et Urabe n. sp. (Derogenidae: Derogeninae), from freshwater fishes is described using morphological and molecular approaches in Argentinean Patagonia.

In-vacuum active colour sensor and wireless communication across a vacuum-air interface.

In situ sensing with wireless digital-data transfer is a potential processing scheme that works very closely to the location of an event monitored by a sensor and converts the sensor's raw output into digitized and informative small-volume bits, as suggested by recent proposals for edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). Colour perception may be a target of in situ sensor data acquisition; however, in contrast to from other sensing devices, colour sensors that detect visible light signals are usually located away from light-emitting sources, collecting light transmitting through the space and attenuating it in some manner. For example, in a vacuum chamber whose gas pressure is much less than the ambient atmosphere in which the sensors usually work, there are many veiled light sources, such as discharge plasma, for various industrial purposes including nanoscale manufacturing.

Combination therapy of cisplatin with cilastatin enables an increased dose of cisplatin, enhancing its antitumor effect by suppression of nephrotoxicity.

Cisplatin, one of the most active anticancer agents, is widely used in standard chemotherapy for various cancers. Cisplatin is more poorly tolerated than other chemotherapeutic drugs, and the main dose-limiting toxicity of cisplatin is its nephrotoxicity, which is dose-dependent. Although less toxic methods of cisplatin administration have been established, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity remains an unsolved problem.

Chemical composition and in vitro ruminal digestibility of Ludwigia grandiflora.

Ludwigia grandiflora is an amphibious plant that has been designated as a specific alien plant in Japan. Due to the risk of regeneration on land, plants are burned after eradication. Since L.

Arylene-hexaynylene and -octaynylene macrocycles: extending the polyyne chains drives self-association by enhanced dispersion force.

Tetraalkoxyphenanthrylene-hexaynylene and -octaynylene macrocycles, which represent the first examples of isolable arylene-alkynylene macrocycles (AAMs) that contain polyyne chains longer than tetrayne, were synthesized and their self-association behavior was examined. Extending the polyyne chain from diyne to tetrayne, hexayne, and octayne exponentially increased the self-association constant of the macrocycles.

Pillar[6]arene acts as a biosensor for quantitative detection of a vitamin metabolite in crude biological samples.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, and increased cardiovascular risk. Therefore, quick and accurate measurements of specific metabolites are critical for diagnosis; however, detection methods are limited. Here we describe the synthesis of pillar[n]arenes to target 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA), which is one metabolite of vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) produced by the cancer-associated nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT).

[Relations of alcohol consumption and sleep among community-dwelling elderly living in cold region of Russia: a cross-sectional study].

Aim: Alcohol consumption is high in the colder regions of Russia, and it is related to poor sleep quality, mental and physical health problems. Little known on the actual situation, and no appropriate amount of drinking has been shown as a health guidance. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption (in pure alcohol) and sleep among older people living in the Russian Siberian region, and the factors related to alcohol consumption.

Multiarm Star-Crosslinked Hydrogel: Polymer Network with Thermoresponsive Free-End Chains Densely Connected to Crosslinking Points.

Soft tissue in biological system is a hydrogel with elaborate structure exhibiting repeatable dynamic function. In order to approach such sophisticated system, precise construction of a designed network with multi-components is desired. This communication presents a novel hydrogel having highly dense stimuli-responsive free-end chains around crosslinking structure.

The association between subjective health perception and lifestyle factors in Shiga prefecture, Japan: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The Ministry of Health has reported that in Japan, the Shiga prefecture has the highest life expectancy. Subjective health perception is a predictive indicator of mortality. For this study, we examined the association between subjective health perception and multiple lifestyle factors.

Monoradicals and Diradicals of Dibenzofluoreno[3,2-]fluorene Isomers: Mechanisms of Electronic Delocalization.

The preparation of a series of dibenzo- and tetrabenzo-fused fluoreno[3,2-]fluorenes is disclosed, and the diradicaloid properties of these molecules are compared with those of a similar, previously reported series of anthracene-based diradicaloids. Insights on the diradical mode of delocalization tuning by constitutional isomerism of the external naphthalenes has been explored by means of the physical approach (dissection of the electronic properties in terms of electronic repulsion and transfer integral) of diradicals. This study has also been extended to the redox species of the two series of compounds and found that the radical cations have the same stabilization mode by delocalization that the neutral diradicals while the radical anions, contrarily, are stabilized by aromatization of the central core.

The Preventive Effect of Dietary Antioxidants on Cervical Cancer Development.

Cervical cancer results from a continuous process, starting from a normal cervical epithelium after human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and progressing to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), before finally developing into invasive squamous carcinoma (ISC). In recent decades, dietary antioxidants, such as vitamins, have received much attention in relation to cancer prevention. We reviewed the relevant literature to investigate the dietary and nutrient intake on cervical cancer.

Differences in gut microbial patterns associated with salivary biomarkers in young Japanese adults.

Recent evidence suggests that psychological stress is associated with gut microbiota; however, there are no reports of its association with gut microbial structure. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between psychological stress and gut microbial patterns in young Japanese adults. Analysis of fecal microbiota was performed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP).

Curcumin induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells by 14-3-3 protein-mediated activation of Bad.

The anticancer effects of curcumin are based on the induction of apoptosis, but the specific mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. To address this issue, we investigated the effects of curcumin on the intrinsic apoptosis pathway using mitochondria from A549 cells. Curcumin decreased the levels of 14-3-3 proteins, key molecules that inhibit the activation of proapoptotic factors known as BH3-only proteins (e.