Ehime University

To implement greenhouse environmental controls that maximize profit, it is necessary to monitor photosynthesis of plants. While some methods estimate canopy photosynthesis based on light-response curve of single leaf (EST), real-time photosynthesis and transpiration monitoring system that is an open-chamber system for whole plants can be used for measurement of canopy photosynthesis (MEAS). In this study, we compared the results obtained by the two methods on the same tomato plants under water stress to clarify the characteristics of these two methods for practical monitoring of canopy photosynthesis in a greenhouse. In MEAS, the canopy net photosynthesis rate in the first week after stress treatment (S1W) was 25% of that in the pre-stress treatment (NS). The canopy net photosynthetic rate in MEAS was positively proportional to total conductance with almost constant slope regardless of the periods. On the other hand, in EST, the canopy net photosynthetic rate at S1W was 68% of that at NS. It was not as much reduction as observed in MEAS. Since EST used in this study only incorporated the response of total conductance in a plant condition assumed to be the absence of water stress, it was inferred that EST overestimated total conductance and canopy photosynthesis of plants under water stress. Based on these results, we believe that at a minimum, total conductance measurement is necessary to monitor the canopy net photosynthetic rate under greenhouse conditions.

Stable neutral metal radicaloid complexes have been synthesized from a modified tetrapyrrolic pigment, bilatriene, with iridium(I) and rhodium(I) cyclooctadiene (COD) synthons. The bilatriene skeleton contains α‐linked conjugated pyrrole units, whereas an N‐confused analogue used in this work possesses β‐linked pyrrole moieties at the terminal, demonstrating a unique metal binding capability. Unprecedentedly, the metal‐COD cations are accommodated at the outer nitrogen sites, which induced the formation of open‐shell metal‐radicaloid species. The resulting compounds are highly stable under ambient conditions and demonstrated facile redox conversion to afford the corresponding cation and anion species. Furthermore, the radicaloid complexes showed a distinct second near‐infrared absorption (NIR‐II) capability extending up to 1500 nm along with high photostability. These features emphasized that the complexes can be potential NIR‐II light‐responsible photothermal and photoacoustic imaging contrast agents based on the metal‐radicaloid dye platform.

Context.— A correlation between the morphology of ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSOCs) and BRCA mutations has been previously reported. Objective.— To investigate, beyond BRCA, the association between the morphology of HGSOC and the presence of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). Design.— We reviewed 522 of 806 cases of HGSOC from the PAOLA-1 clinical trial, including 163 cases with tumor BRCA mutation, 345 cases without tumor BRCA mutation, and 14 cases with inconclusive BRCA tests. Regarding HRD status (myChoice HRD Plus assay), 269 cases (52%) were positive (HRD+), 198 (38%) negative (HRD−), and 55 (10%) inconclusive. Morphologic analysis included tumor architecture (with more than 25% of solid, pseudoendometrioid, and transitional patterns defining a SET architecture), tumor-infiltrating intraepithelial lymphocytes (ieTILs), and tumor stromal lymphocytes (sTILs). Results.— SET architecture (51% versus 40%, P = .02), high number of ieTILs (16% versus 8%, P = .007) and more than 10% of sTILs (27% versus 18%, P = .02) were associated with tumor BRCA mutation, mostly for tumors with a BRCA1 mutation. These criteria were also associated with HRD status: 54% versus 33% (P < .001) for SET architecture, 14% versus 6% (P = .008) for high number of ieTILs, and 27% versus 15% (P = .003) for more than 10% of sTILs. SET architecture was also significantly associated with HRD+ tumors without tumor BRCA mutation (P < .001) when compared with HRD− tumors. The combination of these 3 criteria showed high specificity (0.99; 95% CI, 0.97–0.99) but low sensitivity (0.07; 95% CI, 0.04–0.10). Conclusions.— The morphology of HGSOC correlates with HRD status and BRCA status but cannot substitute for molecular analysis in daily practice.

To investigate the surgical safety and benefits of using the BirdView camera system with a wide field of view in robotic surgery for rectal cancer in a prospective clinical study. This study included 20 consecutive patients who underwent robotic surgery at our institution between the years 2022 and 2023. The primary endpoint was perioperative safety, which was defined as the occurrence of adverse events, including other organ injuries and malfunctions, caused by the BirdView camera system. There were no injuries to any other organs caused by the console surgeon or assistant forceps during surgery. Surgical adverse events occurred in five cases (atelectasis, paralytic ileus, and anastomotic leakage) during the postoperative course. There were no cases of device failure or damage to the surrounding organs, including peritoneal heat damage. We believe that the BirdView system could be valuable in improving the safety of robotic surgery by enabling the observation of blind spots, thus preventing harm to other organs.

With the recent rapid digitization, records and communication processes are shifting from paper media to electronic devices. However, even today, paper media are still widely used for official documents such as contracts and resumes. Ballpoint pens are generally utilized for preparation of important and official documents. Characters written with a ballpoint pen can not be erased with a normal eraser when corrections are needed. There are several erasing methods for ballpoint pens, but all of them are not applicable to erasing written for official documents because they can erase the characters at any time. Thus, in this research, we attempted to develop a high performance paper having a unique function to be capable of erasing the ink for a certain of time and keeping it from erasing after a certain period of time.

Unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) motifs are often found in bacteria and viruses, but are rare in mammals. In mammals, CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) stimulate the innate immune system via toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). However, TLR9 is absent in birds; instead, TLR21 serves as the receptor for CpG ODN. While CpG ODN induce behavioral and physiological changes in mammals, there is limited research on their effects on behavioral and physiological parameters in birds. The aim of the present study was to determine whether intraperitoneal injection of K3, a synthetic class B CpG ODN, affected food intake, voluntary activity, cloacal temperature, blood constituents, and feed passage from the crop in chicks (Gallus gallus). Additionally, the effects of K3 (GC), which contains GpC motifs instead of CpG motifs, were investigated to determine the importance of these CpG motifs. Intraperitoneal injection of K3 significantly increased the mRNA expression of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and interferon-γ in the spleen. These changes were not observed with K3 (GC) administration. Intraperitoneal injection of K3 significantly decreased food intake but did not affect voluntary activity. K3 also significantly increased cloacal temperature, tended to increase plasma glucose and corticosterone concentrations and significantly decreased feed passage from the crop. In contrast, K3 (GC) showed no effects on these parameters. These results demonstrate that class B CpG ODN is associated with anorexia, hyperthermia, and reduced feed passage through the digestive tract in chicks during bacterial and viral infections.

Exploring diversity and community composition patterns across evolutionary and functionally diverse organisms is critical for understanding the general processes that shape biodiversity in response to environmental changes. Knowledge of multi-trophic relationships offers valuable insights to support the effective assessment and management of freshwater ecosystems. In this study, we conducted a cross-taxa assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates and microorganisms using metabarcoding-based surveys to evaluate habitat restoration in a dam-impacted river. We found no correlation between the α-diversity of the benthic macroinvertebrate and microbial communities. This suggests that factors influencing the α-diversity of different trophic groups might operate independently or through different mechanisms, even within the same habitat. In contrast, we observed positively correlated β-diversity patterns between the two benthic communities influenced by dam fragmentation and gravel bar restoration. This suggests that environmental heterogeneity between sites may have a common influence on the patterns of pairwise dissimilarities in the benthic communities, even though they have significant differences in key traits, e.g., species composition, functional roles, or trophic level. Additionally, phylogenetic structure analysis revealed a greater dam impact on benthic macroinvertebrates than microbial communities. Benthic microorganisms consistently formed phylogenetically clustered communities regardless of dam impact, while the macroinvertebrates shifted from competitive exclusion to environmental filtering in response to dam fragmentation. Our cross-taxa assessment further explained the relationships among benthic communities and their associations with environmental factors in a river ecosystem undergoing habitat restoration. Our study highlights the significant implications of evaluating different biological communities across trophic levels for river restoration strategies and ecosystem assessment.

The syntheses of stereoisomers of butane, butanediol, γ-butyrolactone, tri-substituted tetrahydrofuran (7,9′-epoxy), furofuran, tetra-substituted tetrahydrofuran (7,7′-epoxy and 7,8′-epoxy-8,7′-neolignan), benzylidene, coumarin, indan, and pyran type lignans were achieved. All the stereoisomers of the butane type lignans showed larvicidal activity and anti-phytopathogenic fungal activity. The γ-butyrolactone lignan showed stereospecific cytotoxicity against insect cells. Stereo/enantiospecific plant growth inhibitory activity was observed in tri-substituted tetrahydrofuran, tetra-substituted tetrahydrofuran (7,7′-epoxy), coumarin, and pyran type lignans. The furofuran lignan both inhibited and promoted growth in plants. Stereo/enantiospecific anti-phytopathogenic fungal activity was observed in tetra-substituted tetrahydrofuran (7,7′-epoxy) and E-benzylidene lignans.

Purpose Brain iron deficiency is known to cause dopaminergic dysfunction in people with restless legs syndrome. Considering the role that dopamine plays in the wake-promoting system, we speculated that iron deficiency may contribute to the development of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Therefore, we conducted the present study to examine the association between iron intake and EDS in the general population. Methods We collected data from the participants of the Toon Health Study from 2009 to 2017 (N = 2405) and conducted a cross-sectional analysis. EDS was defined as an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score ≥ 11. Participants were divided into four groups according to quartiles of estimated iron intake from their responses to the Food Frequency Questionnaire. We used sex, age, body mass index, and sleep duration as adjustment variables. Results The mean age of the participants was 57.9 years, and 64.2% were women. Compared to the highest quartile of iron intake, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for EDS of the lowest quartile was 1.38 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–1.83, p for trend = 0.03). When the analysis was restricted to participants with a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score < 6, the odds ratio was 1.57 (95% CI: 1.06–2.31, p for trend = 0.04). Conclusions Significant inverse associations were observed between iron intake and EDS. This tendency was also observed in participants without substantial subjective sleep disturbance (i.e., PSQI score < 6), suggesting that iron deficiency may play a role in the wake-promoting system independently of sleep disturbances.

Herein, a scope of meso‐substituents for the synthesis of 5,15‐dioxaporphyrins (DOPs), a novel antiaromatic porphyrinoid, was investigated. DOPs with various types of aryl substituents were synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of nickel bis(α,α’‐dibromodipyrrin) complexes bearing corresponding meso‐aryl substituents and subsequent intramolecular annulation reaction of β‐hydroxy‐substituted intermediates. Using a copper dipyrrin complex instead of nickel complexes, a copper complex of DOP was synthesized for the first time. The meso‐substituents did not significantly alter the antiaromaticity of DOPs but affected crystal packing diagrams and oxidation behaviors; DOPs with less sterically hindering para‐substituted phenyl or 2‐thienyl substituents formed mutual stacking in the crystal structures, whereas the covalently β‐β linked dimer species was generated during the electrochemical oxidation of those kinds of DOPs.

The invertebrate indices for assessing water quality have not been widely developed in tropical regions where invertebrate diversity is generally high and severe water quality degradation is ongoing. We compared the applicability of six existing invertebrate indices using the dataset from 23 Indonesian streams and developed a new index by modifying an existing one using Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN). Analyses using general linear models (GLMs) revealed that among the six existing indices, the biological monitoring working party (BMWP)-based scoring system for Thailand streams (BMWP THAI) exhibited the strongest negative relationship with phosphate (PO4-P) concentration, a proxy for stream water quality. Based on the results of TITAN, five taxa were added to develop a modified invertebrate index, namely BMWP IDN, by assigning taxon scores in accordance with the responses to the water quality gradient. The relationship between the BMWP IDN and PO4-P concentration was found to be stronger than any of the existing invertebrate indices, indicating the superiority of the new index. Therefore, the extraction of uncovered sensitive taxa was important for modifying the existing index, and this study can contribute to improving the invertebrate index for assessing water quality of Indonesian streams.

A 75‐year‐old man presented with hematochezia. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer (stage 1) 1 month previously and had undergone gold marker injection and hydrogel spacer insertion 3 weeks previously to prepare for radiotherapy. Hydrogel spacer insertion is a safe procedure that can prevent the side effects of radiotherapy for prostate cancer. A computed tomography evaluation identified a low‐density area that extended from the prostate to the rectal wall. Magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen revealed the hydrogel spacer between the anterior rectal wall and prostate. A colonoscopy revealed an approximately 2 cm ulcer in the rectum. The patient was diagnosed with a rectal ulcer with bleeding caused by hydrogel spacer insertion. Conservative follow‐up was performed, and his condition improved over time. Radiotherapy for prostate cancer was initiated 4 months after hydrogel spacer insertion. The patient has not experienced any abdominal symptoms such as bloody stools since that time. Because the incidence of prostate cancer is increasing, the number of such cases is likely to increase in the future.

The effect of oxygen addition on the microstructure formation during cooling from the β phase in the Ti-Nb alloy was investigated. The alloy ingots of Ti-(13∼20) at％Nb-(0∼3) at％O were arc-melted. They were homogenized at 1200℃ for 3.6 ks and then hot-rolled at 850℃ into 1.5 mm thick sheets. The disk specimen of 3 mm diameter was heated up to β phase field at 1000℃ in the differential thermal analysis apparatus. And then specimen was cooled to room temperature at a cooling rate of 20℃/min. The β → α transformation was accelerated by the oxygen addition in Ti-(13∼15) at％Nb alloys. On the other hand, the oxygen addition promoted β → isothermal ωi transformation in Ti-(16∼20) at％Nb alloys. The promoting effect increased up to 1.5％ oxygen, but the effect weakened by adding more than 1.5 at％ oxygen in Ti-(18, 20) at％Nb alloys. The addition of oxygen over 3.0 at％O might suppress the β → ωi transformation in Ti-20at％Nb alloy. Mater. Trans. 64 (2023) 71-77に掲載．文献[19]を追加． Fullsize Image

Recent progress in C1 polymerization affording C（sp³） main chain polymers is described. Fluorinated phenyldiazomethanes and trifluoromethyldiazomethane, which are relatively stable diazo compouds have been found to be polymerized in a controlled manner yielding fluoropolymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution. Transition metal-initiated C1 polymerization of diazoacetate has been established as an effective method for preparing C-C main chain polymers bearing an alkoxycarbonyl substituent on each main chain carbon atom. While Rh-based initiators can polymerize diazoacetate in a syndiospecific manner, giving high molecular weight polymers, Pd-based initiators are effective for polymerizing diazoacetate with a variety of ester substituents in a non-stereoselective manner. In particular, we have established that the presence of an η³-type anionic ligand such as a π-allyl group on the Pd center is highly important for the initiators to be highly active. In addition, we have found that Pd complexes having naphthoquinone and arylmaleimide can be utilized as a highly active initiator for diazoacetate in conjunction with NaBPh4.

Delphinidin, a plant anthocyanidin, suppresses disuse muscle atrophy in mice. However, its effect on muscle fiber type shift is unclear. To examine whether delphinidin affects skeletal muscle fiber type, differentiated C2C12 cells were treated with delphinidin. Results revealed that delphinidin upregulated the mRNA expression of myosin heavy chain type I (MyHCI), troponin C1, troponin I1, and MyHCIIx and increased slow MyHC protein level in C2C12 myotubes. Delphinidin also enhanced succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activities and suppressed lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibition attenuated delphinidin-induced MyHCI upregulation and MyHCIIb downregulation. We investigated the effect of delphinidin on the upstream factors involved in AMPK activation. Delphinidin increased liver kinase B1 (LKB1) phosphorylation and nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 2 (CaMKK2) protein levels. In conclusion, delphinidin induced muscle fiber type conversion from fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscles through the AMPK signaling pathway.

Debris dam removal serves as a conservation strategy to enhance landscape connectivity. However, we still do not know the joint effects of debris dam removal and seasonality on riverine species. Using multi-year data in a monsoonal stream, we examined the response of macroinvertebrate communities to the removal of one debris dam using a Before-After-Control-Impact design (BACI). We found that the debris dam removal did not affect organic matter quantity, invertebrate abundance and diversity, and community structure, except for the abundance of invertebrate filter-feeders. On the other hand, seasonality influences nearly all of the ecological metrics which suggests that seasonality can override debris dam removal as the main driver of these ecological metrics. Moreover, extreme flooding during the wet season affects the abundance of invertebrates, suggesting that the seasonal life cycle of invertebrates after recovering from the dry season, may not fully compensate for the impact of extreme flooding. Evaluating the ecological impacts of debris dam removal in monsoonal areas with dynamic weather conditions could benefit the decision-making of using debris dam removal as conservation practices by restoring freshwater habitat with minimal impact on riverine species (e.g., macroinvertebrates) as far as freshwater ecosystem, especially with the occurrence of extreme floods.

Despite its broad application in in vitro studies, the application of targeted protein degradation (TPD) to animal models faces considerable challenges. Here, we develop inducible and cell-type specific TPD systems in mice using two degron systems: Oryza sativa TIR1F74G (OsTIR1)-auxin-inducible degron 2 (AID2) and human cereblon (hCRBN)-SALL4 degron (S4D). Efficient degradation of Satb1Venus protein by these systems recapitulates phenotypes observed in the Satb1-deficient mice. These TPD are successfully applied in both the fetal and neonatal stages. The OsTIR1-AID2 system proves to be effective for membrane proteins such as PD-1, emulating the effects of the anti-PD-1 antibody. Degradation of Bcl11b reveals a role of Bcl11b which was not characterized by the Cre-loxP system. Collectively, in vivo TPD technologies developed in this study enable inducible, temporal, and cell type-specific depletion of target proteins with high efficacy in mice. These technologies have a wide range of applications in the diverse fields of biological and medical research.

Non-denaturing electrophoresis separates proteins while preserving their functions, such as enzyme activity and antigen-antibody interactions. Non-denaturing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE), which separates proteins on the basis of isoelectric point and molecular size, separates biological proteins with high resolution, making this technique suitable for analyzing the functions of various proteins and their complexes. In this paper, I describe protein function analyses facilitated by non-denaturing 2DE providing the following examples: 1) Construction of a non-denaturing 2DE map that annotates enzyme activity information and its application; 2) Analysis of target proteins using antibodies separated and immobilized by non-denaturing 2DE; 3) Separation and elution of protein complexes using non-denaturing electrophoresis and functional analyses of the complexes; 4) Construction of a non-denaturing electrophoresis system for separating and analyzing various kinds of biological proteins. I will also discuss the necessity and possibility of non-denaturing electrophoresis for analyses of functions including protein-protein interactions.

The 11 March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake generated a massive tsunami that triggered an extraordinary release of floating transoceanic marine debris. That floating debris subsequently landed on coastlines from Midway Atoll to the Hawaiʻian Islands and from south central Alaska to central California of North America. Two species of Caprella (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) were collected from a large concrete fisheries dock (approximately 20 m length) that was part of the floating debris, on Agate Beach, near Newport, Oregon, USA, on 5 June 2012. The caprellids recovered from the dock are identified as Caprella cristibrachium Mayer, 1903 and C. mutica Schurin, 1935. Caprella cristibrachium had not been observed previously outside of the Bering Sea to the Far East Asia. The robust body somites and short antennae and basis of gnathopod 2 make C. cristibrachium suitable for attaching the filamentous macroalgae and/or marine invertebrates on the large tsunami fishing dock. Caprella mutica, originally recorded from the Far East Asia, was previously introduced to Oregon, to other cold-water areas between northern California and Alaska, the eastern and western North Atlantic and to the southern hemisphere.