The structural phase transition in SrV6O11

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and specific heat studies establish that strontium hexavanadium undecaoxide, SrV6O11, undergoes a P63/mmc to inversion twinned P63mc structural transition as the temperature is lowered through 322 K. The P63/mmc and P63mc structures have been determined at 353 K and at room temperature, respectively. For the room-temperature structure, seven of the ten unique atoms lie on special positions, and for the 353 K structure all of the seven unique atoms sit on special positions. The P63/mmc to P63mc structural phase transition, accompanied by a magnetic transition, is a common characteristic of AV6O11 compounds, independent of the identity of the A cations

Essential role for proteinase-activated receptor-2 in arthritis

Using physiological, pharmacological, and gene disruption approaches, we demonstrate that proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) plays a pivotal role in mediating chronic inflammation. Using an adjuvant monoarthritis model of chronic inflammation, joint swelling was substantially inhibited in PAR-2-deficient mice, being reduced by more than fourfold compared with wild-type mice, with virtually no histological evidence of joint damage. Mice heterozygous for PAR-2 gene disruption showed an intermediate phenotype. PAR-2 expression, normally limited to endothelial cells in small arterioles, was substantially upregulated 2 weeks after induction of inflammation, both in synovium and in other periarticular tissues. PAR-2 agonists showed potent proinflammatory effects as intra-articular injection of ASKH95, a novel synthetic PAR-2 agonist, induced prolonged joint swelling and synovial hyperemia. Given the absence of the chronic inflammatory response in the PAR-2-deficient mice, our findings demonstrate a key role for PAR-2 in mediating chronic inflammation, thereby identifying a novel and important therapeutic target for the management of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis

Determination of Silver in Natural Water by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry after Preconcentration with Anion Exchange Resin

departmental bulletin pape

Optimizing yield and crop nitrogen response characterization by integrating spectral reflectance and agronomic properties in sugarcane and rice

Nitrogen (N) is one of the most important and limiting nutrients in crop production. The best management practices for N fertilization is always challenging due to its dynamic system in the nature. Remote sensing has emerged as one of the most useful technologies in modern agriculture for non-invasive monitoring of plant N status. The objectives of this research were to 1) determine the effect of water background turbidity and depth on red and red-edge reflectance based prediction models for biomass and grain yield in rice, 2) evaluate agronomic parameters of different sugar cane varieties in response to variable levels of nitrogen supply, and 3) determine the effect of sugarcane varieties on the relationships between spectral reflectance and agronomic parameters. Rice experiments were variety (CL152 and CL261) x N trial established in Crowley, LA in 2011 and 2012. Sugarcane experiments were variety (L 99-226, L 01-283, and HoCP 96-540) x N trial established in St. Gabriel and Jeanerette, LA from 2010 through 2012. Spectral reflectance and agronomic parameters were collected each week for three consecutive weeks beginning two weeks before panicle differentiation in rice and for four consecutive weeks beginning three weeks after N fertilization in sugarcane. There was no significant effect of water background (turbid or clear) on the spectral reflectance at panicle differentiation, one week after panicle differentiation, and at 50 % heading (p \u3c0.05). Water depth slightly influenced the reflectance at red waveband but this effect was not carried over when vegetation indices were computed. Use of red-edge based vegetation indices improved the estimation of biomass and grain yield in rice. The effect of variety on the accuracy of the yield prediction model varied depending on the transformation of reflectance within the red-edge and near infrared bands i.e., into normalized (NDVI) and simple ratio (SR) forms of vegetation indices. This result was associated with the behavior of near infrared wavebands on the geometrical structure of the plant canopy. There were no significant effects of variety on grain yield prediction models using derivative based red-edge indices. Our findings showed that red-edge based NDVI and SR are better predictors of rice grain yield than red-based NDVI and SR. Red-edge based NDVI or SR indices both have potential to predict rice grain yield and rice responsiveness to N fertilization. In sugarcane, the measured agronomic variables at early growth stage, i.e. biomass, tiller number, N content, height and FAI of three sugarcane varieties and their responses to N fertilizer were highly variable across year. The sugar yield response to N determined at harvest had stronger linear relationships with N response of biomass and N content at 4 to 5 weeks after N fertilization compared with N response of height and FAI. There were no differences in leaf spectral reflectance among varieties. In canopy level-spectral reflectance, wavebands at 450-500, 650-700, and 780-830 nm showed high correlation coefficient with agronomic parameters. The vegetation indices which have the potential for predicting biomass N uptake were red and red-edge based simple ratio and normalized difference vegetation index. Varietal effect on the models for estimating biomass and N uptake was significant only when red-based vegetation indices were used (p\u3c0.05). Addition of plant height in the model substantially improved biomass and N uptake estimation while diminishing the effect of variety. Remote sensing technology can be a potential tool to estimate biomass and N uptake in rice and sugarcane. The delivered information from this technology is useful to improve mid-season N management

Characterization of oskar translational activation and the oskar RNA function

Oskar (Osk) protein is required for posterior body patterning and establishment of the germline in Drosophila. Coordination of osk mRNA localization and translational regulation ensures Osk protein expression is confined to the oocyte posterior. Proper expression requires repression of osk RNA during transport and activation upon localization. Once activated, osk mRNA is translated into two protein isoforms, Long and Short Osk. Here I describe an element in the 5’ end of osk mRNA that is highly conserved across multiple Drosophila species and required for osk translational activation. This 5’ element is located in a region that is also protein coding for the longer Osk isoform and assays were designed to disentangle the effects that mutations had on protein and RNA function. The 5’ element is needed for efficient Osk translation, but only in the absence of Long Osk translation from the same transcript, suggesting a redundant role. Although the 5’ element was previously implicated in a posterior-specific relief of repression, here I provide evidence that the 5’ element acts as a general enhancer of translation, independent of localization and repression. In addition to its protein coding role, osk mRNA has a non-coding function. Egg chambers lacking osk mRNA fail to form a karyosome and arrest mid-oogenesis. RNA function depends on the presence of the osk 3’ UTR in the oocyte. Here I demonstrate that osk mRNA influences distribution of regulators. In the absence of osk mRNA these regulators dissociate from ribonucleoproteins in the germ cells and accumulate in the follicle cells. I find that the osk 3’ UTR performs multiple roles contributing to RNA function. Multiple binding sites act to sequester the translational repressor Bruno in one role. Another involves sequences not bound by Bruno near the 3’ end of osk. In contrary to disruption of Bruno sequestration, which requires mutation of multiple binding sites, mutation of a single site was sufficient to disrupt RNA function. However, disruption of either role recapitulates the failure of karyosome formation and the accumulation of regulators in the follicle cells.Cellular and Molecular Biolog

Optimisation of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe urg1 expression system

The ability to study protein function in vivo often relies on systems that regulate the presence and absence of the protein of interest. Two limitations for previously described transcriptional control systems that are used to regulate protein expression in fission yeast are: the time taken for inducing conditions to initiate transcription and the ability to achieve very low basal transcription in the "OFF-state". In previous work, we described a Cre recombination-mediated system that allows the rapid and efficient regulation of any gene of interest by the urg1 promoter, which has a dynamic range of approximately 75-fold and which is induced within 30-60 minutes of uracil addition. In this report we describe easy-to-use and versatile modules that can be exploited to significantly tune down P urg1 "OFF-levels" while maintaining an equivalent dynamic range. We also provide plasmids and tools for combining P urg1 transcriptional control with the auxin degron tag to help maintain a null-like phenotype. We demonstrate the utility of this system by improved regulation of HO-dependent site-specific DSB formation, by the regulation Rtf1-dependent replication fork arrest and by controlling Rhp18(Rad18)-dependent post replication repair

Gene aberration profile of tumors of adolescent and young adult females

博士（医学）福島県立医科大

Community effects in regulation of translation

Certain forms of translational regulation, and translation itself, rely on long-range interactions between proteins bound to the different ends of mRNAs. A widespread assumption is that such interactions occur only in cis, between the two ends of a single transcript. However, certain translational regulatory defects of the Drosophila oskar (osk) mRNA can be rescued in trans. We proposed that inter-transcript interactions, promoted by assembly of the mRNAs in particles, allow regulatory elements to act in trans. Here we confirm predictions of that model and show that disruption of PTB-dependent particle assembly inhibits rescue in trans. Communication between transcripts is not limited to different osk mRNAs, as regulation imposed by cis-acting elements embedded in the osk mRNA spreads to gurken mRNA. We conclude that community effects exist in translational regulation

Data analytics on the board game Go for the discovery of interesting sequences of moves in joseki

Data analytics on the board game Go for the discovery of interesting sequences of moves in josek