Screening African rice (Oryza glaberrima) for tolerance to abiotic stresses: I. Fe toxicity

Iron (Fe) toxicity is recognized as one of the most widely spread soil constraints for rice production especially in West Africa. Oryza glaberrima the cultivated rice species that originated from West Africa is well-adapted to its growing ecologies. The aim of this study was to identify the promising O. glaberrima accessions tolerant to Fe toxicity from the 2106 accessions held at the AfricaRice gene bank. The screenings were conducted over a four-year period and involved evaluating the entries under Fe-toxic field conditions in West Africa, selecting good yielding accessions and repeating the testing with newly selected lines. Three accessions (TOG 7206, TOG 6218-B and TOG 7250-A) were higher yielding than O. sativa checks under stress but with similar yields under control conditions. These accessions yielded over 300 g/m² under both Fe toxicity and control conditions. In conclusion, these materials could be used as donors in breeding programs for developing high yielding rice varieties suited to Fe toxicity affected areas in West Africa.

Efficacy and safety of anti-CD20 antibody rituximab for patients with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective

We examined the efficacy and safety of rituximab in patients with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

The study enrolled 63 SLE patients who were treated with rituximab between 2002 and 2015. The participants underwent a battery of tests before treatment and at one year. Treatment ranged from two to four times at 500 or 1000 mg.

Results

Baseline characteristics were males:females = 6:57, age 33.9 years, and disease duration 87.2 months. The primary endpoint: The rate of major clinical response (MCR) was 60% while the partial clinical response (PCR) was 25%. Thirty of 36 (83%) patients with lupus nephritis (WHO II: 2, III: 5, IV: 22, V: 4, IV+V: 2, not assessed: 1) and 22 of 24 patients (92%) with neuropsychiatric SLE, who could be followed at one year, showed changes from BILAG A or B score to C or D score at one year. Multivariate analysis identified high anti-dsDNA antibody and shorter disease duration as significant determinants of MCR at one year. Repeat examination was conducted at five years. Primary failure was recorded in 8.8% and secondary failure in 32.4% (time to relapse: 24.4 months). Rituximab was well tolerated although 65 adverse events, mostly infections, were recorded within one year.

Conclusion

Rituximab is potentially efficacious for the treatment of patients with refractory SLE.

A case of refractory lupus nephritis complicated by psoriasis vulgaris that was controlled with secukinumab

It has been reported that T helper 17 cells are involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, but there is no report on interleukin-17-targeted therapy. We report a case of a 62-year-old female who presented with psoriasis vulgaris and refractory lupus nephritis. Because her conditions were resistant to conventional treatment, and flow cytometry confirmed the proliferation of activated T helper 17 cells in peripheral blood, and examination of a renal biopsy tissue sample confirmed infiltration of numerous interleukin-17-positive lymphocytes to the renal interstitium, administration of the anti-interleukin-17A antibody secukinumab was initiated. After starting secukinumab the clinical and biological features were improved.

Chemical Events in Oligo(3-methoxythiophene) Coating Solutions and Their Effect on the Goldlike Coating Film Properties

Metal-free, metal-like lustrous films may find applications in a variety of fields, and a study of the factors affecting their stability is highly desirable. In particular, chemical events occurring in the coating solutions might affect the supramolecular organization of the films and therefore the metal-like luster. Herein, the chemical events occurring in acetonitrile and nitromethane coating solutions of oligo(3-methoxythiophene) and their effect on the optical properties of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis absorption, and viscosity measurements. In acetonitrile, the oligomers underwent gradual dedoping with time, but only small changes in viscosity were observed. The solution was applied to a glass plate to yield a dark brown film, which turned into a goldlike lustrous film by rubbing. In nitromethane, the supramolecular structure of the oligomers changed with time from the nonaggregated state to π-dimers and then to π-stacks, and the viscosity increased. The properties of the goldlike films prepared from this solution were greatly affected by this chemical event. Remarkably, the π-dimer solution provided the film with the highest specular reflectance, yellowness, greenness, brightness, and crystallinity.

Evaluation of ozonated water using ASTM E1174 for standardized testing of handwash formulations for healthcare personnel

Removal of bacteria by handwashing with ozonated water was evaluated using the ASTM E1174 standard test method. Thirty healthy volunteers were assigned randomly to three groups: ozonated water, antimicrobial soap and water, and non-antimicrobial soap and water. A 3 log₁₀ cfu reduction was achieved by washing hands with ozonated water or antimicrobial soap and water. However, ozonated water was not significantly superior to non-antimicrobial soap and water. Ozonated water may remove bacteria from the hands to at least a similar extent as that by non-antimicrobial soap and water in the absence of visible dirt or body fluid contamination.

Next-generation sequencing for patients with non-obstructive azoospermia: implications for significant roles of monogenic/oligogenic mutations

Azoospermia affects up to 1% of adult men. Non-obstructive azoospermia is a multifactorial disorder whose molecular basis remains largely unknown. To date, mutations in several genes and multiple submicroscopic copy-number variations (CNVs) have been identified in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. The aim of this study was to clarify the contribution of nucleotide substitutions in known causative genes and submicroscopic CNVs in the genome to the development of non-obstructive azoospermia. To this end, we conducted sequence analysis of 25 known disease-associated genes using next-generation sequencing and genome-wide copy-number analysis using array-based comparative genomic hybridization. We studied 40 Japanese patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia. Functional significance of molecular alterations was assessed by in silico analyses. As a result, we identified four putative pathogenic mutations, four rare polymorphisms possibly associated with disease risk, and four probable neutral variants in 10 patients. These sequence alterations included a heterozygous splice site mutation in SOHLH1 and a hemizygous missense substitution in TEX11, which have been reported as causes of non-obstructive azoospermia. Copy-number analysis detected five X chromosomal or autosomal CNVs of unknown clinical significance, in addition to one known pathogenic Y chromosomal microduplication. Five patients carried multiple molecular alterations. The results indicate that monogenic and oligogenic mutations, including those in SOHLH1 and TEX11, account for more than 10% of cases of idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia. Furthermore, this study suggests possible contributions of substitutions in various genes as well as submicroscopic CNVs on the X chromosome and autosomes to non-obstructive azoospermia, which require further validation.

Improvement and tuning of the performance of light-healable polymers by variation of the monomer content

High-performing crosslinked epoxy coatings that possess room temperature self-healing ability by the use of a newly synthesised dynamic diamine crosslinker.

Distribution of 137Cs on components in urban area four years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Distribution of ¹³⁷Cs on components in urban areas such as roofs and roads is crucial for evaluating the behavior of radiocesium and ambient dose rates in the area. This study evaluated relative ¹³⁷Cs inventories, which are defined as the relative values of ¹³⁷Cs inventory on each component to that on a nearby permeable plane field, for 11 buildings in the evacuation zone about four years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The average relative inventory of paved ground accounted for 0.18 of that on permeable plane fields. Other components showed small average values of less than 0.1, indicating rapid removal of radiocesium from urban areas even without decontamination. The differences in the relative inventories on roads and roofs with those in the case of Europe suggest that human activity and component materials largely affect the reduction of radiocesium in urban area.

Regulation of the Sar1 GTPase Cycle Is Necessary for Large Cargo Secretion from the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Proteins synthesized within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are transported to the Golgi via coat protein complex II (COPII)-coated vesicles. The formation of COPII-coated vesicles is regulated by the GTPase cycle of Sar1. Activated Sar1 is recruited to ER membranes and forms a pre-budding complex with cargoes and the inner-coat complex. The outer-coat complex then stimulates Sar1 inactivation and completes vesicle formation. The mechanisms of forming transport carriers are well-conserved among species; however, in mammalian cells, several cargo molecules such as collagen, and chylomicrons are too large to be accommodated in conventional COPII-coated vesicles. Thus, special cargo-receptor complexes are required for their export from the ER. cTAGE5/TANGO1 complexes and their isoforms have been identified as cargo receptors for these macromolecules. Recent reports suggest that the cTAGE5/TANGO1 complex interacts with the GEF and the GAP of Sar1 and tightly regulates its GTPase cycle to accomplish large cargo secretion.

Remodeling of ER-exit sites initiates a membrane supply pathway for autophagosome biogenesis

Autophagosomes are double-membrane vesicles generated during autophagy. Biogenesis of the autophagosome requires membrane acquisition from intracellular compartments, the mechanisms of which are unclear. We previously found that a relocation of COPII machinery to the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) generates ERGIC-derived COPII vesicles which serve as a membrane precursor for the lipidation of LC3, a key membrane component of the autophagosome. Here we employed super-resolution microscopy to show that starvation induces the enlargement of ER-exit sites (ERES) positive for the COPII activator, SEC12, and the remodeled ERES patches along the ERGIC A SEC12 binding protein, CTAGE5, is required for the enlargement of ERES, SEC12 relocation to the ERGIC, and modulates autophagosome biogenesis. Moreover, FIP200, a subunit of the ULK protein kinase complex, facilitates the starvation-induced enlargement of ERES independent of the other subunits of this complex and associates via its C-terminal domain with SEC12. Our data indicate a pathway wherein FIP200 and CTAGE5 facilitate starvation-induced remodeling of the ERES, a prerequisite for the production of COPII vesicles budded from the ERGIC that contribute to autophagosome formation.

Identification of ecdysteroidogenic enzyme genes and their expression during pupal diapause in the cabbage armyworm, Mamestra brassicae

In this study, we identified ecdysteroidogenic enzymes in the cabbage armyworm, Mamestra brassicae, and demonstrated reduced expression of these genes during diapause. Some insects employ a temporary developmental arrest, diapause, to survive in severe environments. The titres of the moulting hormone ecdysteroid were reduced in diapause pupae of M. brassicae; therefore, ecdysteroidogenesis might be suppressed by a diapause-specific mechanism. To clarify expression changes of ecdysteroidogenic enzyme genes during diapause in M. brassicae, we first identified the genes for seven ecdysteroidogenic enzymes: Neverland, Non-molting glossy (Nm-g), CYP307A1 (Spook), CYP306A1 (Phantom), CYP302A1 (Disembodied), CYP315A1 (Shadow) and CYP314A1 (Shade). Enzymatic assays using heterologous expression in Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cells and analysis of mRNA distribution indicated that the identified genes were ecdysteroidogenic enzymes of M. brassicae. Expression levels of these ecdysteroidogenic enzyme genes were compared between prothoracic glands in different pupal stages throughout diapause. Immediately after pupation, diapause-destined pupae showed similar expression levels of ecdysteroidogenic enzyme genes to those of nondiapause pupae. All of these genes showed reduced gene expression after diapause initiation. Expression was immediately increased in diapause-destined pupae at the postdiapause quiescence phase. These results indicate that reduced expression of ecdysteroidogenic enzyme genes suppresses ecdysteroidogenesis and maintains developmental arrest during diapause.

Towards a unified model of neutrino-nucleus reactions for neutrino oscillation experiments

A precise description of neutrino-nucleus reactions will play a key role in addressing fundamental questions such as the leptonic CP violation and the neutrino mass hierarchy through analyzing data from next-generation neutrino oscillation experiments. The neutrino energy relevant to the neutrino-nucleus reactions spans a broad range and, accordingly, the dominant reaction mechanism varies across the energy region from quasi-elastic scattering through nucleon resonance excitations to deep inelastic scattering. This corresponds to transitions of the effective degree of freedom for theoretical description from nucleons through meson-baryon to quarks. The main purpose of this review is to report our recent efforts towards a unified description of the neutrino-nucleus reactions over the wide energy range; recent overall progress in the field is also sketched. Starting with an overview of the current status of neutrino-nucleus scattering experiments, we formulate the cross section to be commonly used for the reactions over all the energy regions. A description of the neutrino-nucleon reactions follows and, in particular, a dynamical coupled-channels model for meson productions in and beyond the [Formula: see text](1232) region is discussed in detail. We then discuss the neutrino-nucleus reactions, putting emphasis on our theoretical approaches. We start the discussion with electroweak processes in few-nucleon systems studied with the correlated Gaussian method. Then we describe quasi-elastic scattering with nuclear spectral functions, and meson productions with a [Formula: see text]-hole model. Nuclear modifications of the parton distribution functions determined through a global analysis are also discussed. Finally, we discuss issues to be addressed for future developments.

TANGO1 recruits Sec16 to coordinately organize ER exit sites for efficient secretion

Mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit sites export a variety of cargo molecules including oversized cargoes such as collagens. However, the mechanisms of their assembly and organization are not fully understood. TANGO1L is characterized as a collagen receptor, but the function of TANGO1S remains to be investigated. Here, we show that direct interaction between both isoforms of TANGO1 and Sec16 is not only important for their correct localization but also critical for the organization of ER exit sites. The depletion of TANGO1 disassembles COPII components as well as membrane-bound ER-resident complexes, resulting in fewer functional ER exit sites and delayed secretion. The ectopically expressed TANGO1 C-terminal domain responsible for Sec16 binding in mitochondria is capable of recruiting Sec16 and other COPII components. Moreover, TANGO1 recruits membrane-bound macromolecular complexes consisting of cTAGE5 and Sec12 to the ER exit sites. These data suggest that mammalian ER exit sites are organized by TANGO1 acting as a scaffold, in cooperation with Sec16 for efficient secretion.