The subtropical North Pacific has been historically considered as a stable and homogenous oligotrophic marine ecosystem. The consistently low phytoplankton biomass has been attributed to a close ...balance between phytoplankton growth and grazing mortality. However, phytoplankton summer blooms were frequently observed in the central North Pacific near the Hawaiian Islands. To determine whether this is a result of unbalanced phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing, we conducted a trans-Pacific cruise through the subtropical North Pacific. The growth and microzooplankton grazing mortality rates of the phytoplankton community and specific groups in the surface layer (10 m), were examined by dilution experiments. Positive phytoplankton net growth rates (0.34 ± 0.29 day
−1
) were observed under the depletion of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, < 40 nM) throughout the study area. However, considering the grazing of micro- and mesozooplankton collectively, the phytoplankton growth was largely consumed (net growth rate of 0.08 ± 0.15 day
−1
), except in the central North Pacific (net growth rate of 0.42 ± 0.11 day
−1
). Phytoplankton biomass accumulation in this area was also demonstrated by the satellite-observed Chl
a
, although this was just sustained for a few days. The high phytoplankton growth rate in the central North Pacific (0.84 ± 0.26 day
−1
) was a result of the dominant
Prochlorococcus
, which contributed 88% of the community Chl
a
. The weak response of
Prochlorococcus
growth to ammonium addition indicates their growth (1.14 ± 0.55 day
−1
) was not limited by the ambient DIN and was likely a result of their advantage of utilizing various dissolved organic nitrogen.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The recent emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria requires the development of new antibiotics or new agents capable of enhancing antibiotic activity. This study evaluated the antibacterial ...activity of lysozyme-chitosan oligosaccharide conjugates (LYZOX) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which should resolve the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bactericidal tests showed that LYZOX killed 50% more P. aeruginosa (NBRC 13275), A. baumannii and MRSA than the control treatment after 60 min. In addition, LYZOX was shown to inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa (NBRC 13275 and PAO1), A. baumannii and MRSA better than its components. To elucidate the antibacterial mechanism of LYZOX, we performed cell membrane integrity assays, N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine assays, 2-nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside assays and confocal laser scanning microscopy. These results showed that LYZOX affected bacterial cell walls and increased the permeability of the outer membrane and the plasma membrane. Furthermore, each type of bacteria treated with LYZOX was observed by electron microscopy. Electron micrographs revealed that these bacteria had the morphological features of both lysozyme-treated and chitosan oligosaccharide-treated bacteria and that LYZOX destroyed bacterial cell walls, which caused the release of intracellular contents from cells. An acquired drug resistance test revealed that these bacteria were not able to acquire resistance to LYZOX. The hemolytic toxicity test demonstrated the low hemolytic activity of LYZOX. In conclusion, LYZOX exhibited antibacterial activity and low drug resistance in the presence of P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii and MRSA and showed low hemolytic toxicity. LYZOX affected bacterial membranes, leading to membrane disruption and the release of intracellular contents and consequent bacterial cell death. LYZOX may serve as a novel candidate drug that could be used for the control of refractory infections.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Protruding lesions of the small bowel vary in wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) images, and their automatic detection may be difficult. We aimed to develop and test a deep learning–based system to ...automatically detect protruding lesions of various types in WCE images.
We trained a deep convolutional neural network (CNN), using 30,584 WCE images of protruding lesions from 292 patients. We evaluated CNN performance by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity, using an independent set of 17,507 test images from 93 patients, including 7507 images of protruding lesions from 73 patients.
The developed CNN analyzed 17,507 images in 530.462 seconds. The AUC for detection of protruding lesions was 0.911 (95% confidence interval Cl, 0.9069–0.9155). The sensitivity and specificity of the CNN were 90.7% (95% CI, 90.0%–91.4%) and 79.8% (95% CI, 79.0%–80.6%), respectively, at the optimal cut-off value of 0.317 for probability score. In a subgroup analysis of the category of protruding lesions, the sensitivities were 86.5%, 92.0%, 95.8%, 77.0%, and 94.4% for the detection of polyps, nodules, epithelial tumors, submucosal tumors, and venous structures, respectively. In individual patient analyses (n = 73), the detection rate of protruding lesions was 98.6%.
We developed and tested a new computer-aided system based on a CNN to automatically detect various protruding lesions in WCE images. Patient-level analyses with larger cohorts and efforts to achieve better diagnostic performance are necessary in further studies.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
(+)-7-
iso
-Jasmonoyl-
l
-isoleucine (JA-Ile) is a lipid-derived phytohormone implicated in plant development, reproduction, and defense in response to pathogens and herbivorous insects. All ...these effects are instigated by the perception of JA-Ile by the COI1-JAZ co-receptor in the plant body, which in
Arabidopsis thaliana
is profoundly influenced by the short JAZ degron sequence (V/L)P(Q/I)AR(R/K) of the JAZ protein. Here, we report that
Sl
JAZ-
Sl
COI1, the COI1-JAZ co-receptor found in the tomato plant, relies on the extended JAZ degron sequence (V/L)P(Q/I)AR(R/K)XSLX instead of the canonical JAZ degron. This finding illuminates our understanding of the mechanism of ligand perception by JA-Ile in this plant, and will inform both efforts to improve it by genetic modification of the
Sl
COI1-
Sl
JAZ co-receptor, and the development of the synthetic agonists/antagonists.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Gallotannins are phenolic natural products containing galloyl moieties connected to polyhydric alcohol cores, e.g., D-glucose. Some gallotannins are reported to have antidiabetic properties, such as ...α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In this study, fourteen unnatural gallotannin derivatives with 1,5-anhydroalditol and inositol as the cyclic polyol cores were synthesized to investigate how their structures affected antioxidative and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Tannic acid demonstrated the most potent antioxidative activity (EC50 = 2.84 μM), with potency increasing proportionally to the number of galloyl moieties. Synthetic inositol derivatives outperformed 1,5-anhydroalditol derivatives in rat α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Pentagalloyl glucose, a natural compound, demonstrated the highest activity (IC50 = 0.336 μM).
•Turbo cornutus concentrated dietary algal lipids in the viscera (17–40 times).•T. cornutus concentrated 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid; ARA) in the viscera from algae.•T. cornutus viscera may effectively ...serve as a source of ARA for infant formulas.•T. cornutus biosynthesized 22:5n-3 (n-3 DPA) in the foot phospholipids.•T. cornutus foot muscle is a healthful marine food containing high levels of n-3 DPA.
Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine were major components in the foot lipids of the turban shell Turbo cornutus, while triacylglycerol was the major one in its viscera, which demonstrate the high level of lipid in all specimens. The major polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the major lipid classes of T. cornutus were 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid; ARA), 20:5n-3 (ecosapentaenoic acid; EPA), 22:4n-6, and 22:5n-3 (docosapentaenoic acid; n-3 DPA), with very low levels of 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid; DHA). The unusual high levels of ARA, 22:4n-6, and n-3 DPA found in both the triacylglycerols and phospholipids of all specimens suggest the influence of dietary algae on its tissue lipids. In the polar lipids, the total PUFA content was consistently high, with n-6 PUFA compensating for the fluctuation in the total n-3 PUFA levels. T. cornutus concentrated high levels of ARA in the visceral lipids from the dietary algae whose lipid content were very low. The viscera may effectively serve as a source of ARA for infant formulas. High levels of ARA, EPA, and n-3 DPA in the phospholipids of T. cornutus were observed. T. cornutus is a healthful marine food containing high levels of n-3 DPA.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The neutral and polar lipids of the Galatheidae vent crab,
Shinkaia crosnieri
, with its eggs were studied to assess its lipid physiology and trophic relationship at hydrothermal vents. The vent crab ...obtained many of its lipids from
Bathymodiolus
mussels and chemosynthetic microorganisms which live on a mat of long, silky setae on the crab body as exosymbionts. In all lipid classes, the major monounsaturated fatty acids were 16:1n-7 and 18:1n-7, which originate from bacteria. The major polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the triacylglycerols were 16:2n-4, 18:2n-4, 18:2n-7, 18:3n-4,7,10, and 16:2n-3, while those of the crab polar lipids were 16:2n-4, 18:2n-4, 18:3n-4,7,10, 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid), 20:5n-3 (icosapentaenoic acid), and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid) in the phosphatidylethanolamine, and 16:2n-4, 18:2n-4, and 18:3n-4,7,10, with noticeable levels of 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3, and 22:6n-3 in the phosphatidylcholine. In the crab and its eggs, TAG and phospholipid PUFA consisted primarily of n-4 family (n-4 and n-7) methylene-interrupted PUFA with n-3 and n-6 PUFA. The unique fatty acid composition mix of n-3, n-4, and n-6 PUFA in
S. crosnieri
lipids suggests the vent crab utilizing chemosynthetic bacteria, which produce both unusual n-4 and normal n-3 and n-6 PUFA. Such unique fatty acid composition differs from that reported for other common marine animals, which depend on organic matter derived from phytoplankton lipids.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and Aim
To examine whether our convolutional neural network (CNN) system based on deep learning can reduce the reading time of endoscopists without oversight of abnormalities in the ...capsule‐endoscopy reading process.
Methods
Twenty videos of the entire small‐bowel capsule endoscopy procedure were prepared, each of which included 0–5 lesions of small‐bowel mucosal breaks (erosions or ulcerations). At another institute, two reading processes were compared: (A) endoscopist‐alone readings and (B) endoscopist readings after the first screening by the proposed CNN. In process B, endoscopists read only images detected by CNN. Two experts and four trainees independently read 20 videos each (10 for process A and 10 for process B). Outcomes were reading time and detection rate of mucosal breaks by endoscopists. Gold standard was findings at the original institute by two experts.
Results
Mean reading time of small‐bowel sections by endoscopists was significantly shorter during process B (expert, 3.1 min; trainee, 5.2 min) compared to process A (expert, 12.2 min; trainee, 20.7 min) (P < 0.001). For 37 mucosal breaks, detection rate by endoscopists did not significantly decrease in process B (expert, 87%; trainee, 55%) compared to process A (expert, 84%; trainee, 47%). Experts detected all eight large lesions (>5 mm), but trainees could not, even when supported by the CNN.
Conclusions
Our CNN‐based system for capsule endoscopy videos reduced the reading time of endoscopists without decreasing the detection rate of mucosal breaks. However, the reading level of endoscopists should be considered when using the system.
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DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Osteoblast adherence to bone surfaces is important for remodeling bone tissue. This study demonstrates that deficiency of TG-interacting factor 1 (Tgif1) in osteoblasts results in altered cell ...morphology, reduced adherence to collagen type I-coated surfaces, and impaired migration capacity. Tgif1 is essential for osteoblasts to adapt a regular cell morphology and to efficiently adhere and migrate on collagen type I-rich matrices in vitro. Furthermore, Tgif1 acts as a transcriptional repressor of p21-activated kinase 3 (
), an important regulator of focal adhesion formation and osteoblast spreading. Absence of Tgif1 leads to increased
expression, which impairs osteoblast spreading. Additionally, Tgif1 is implicated in osteoblast recruitment and activation of bone surfaces in the context of bone regeneration and in response to parathyroid hormone 1-34 (PTH 1-34) treatment in vivo in mice. These findings provide important novel insights in the regulation of the cytoskeletal architecture of osteoblasts.
Obesity elevates the risk of cardiovascular disease and has been strongly associated with increases in the incidence of many metabolic diseases. Therefore, prevention of obesity leads to the ...prevention of metabolic diseases. In light of this, substances that exert anti-obesity effects are crucial for the prevention of obesity. Indirubin, a 3,2′ bisindole isomer of indigo, is the active component of the traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of chronic myelocytic leukemia. In particular, indirubin-3′-oxime (1) was shown to inhibit the differentiation of adipocytes. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of nine indirubin-3′-oxime derivatives against lipid accumulation during differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. Among the compounds tested, 5-methoxyindirubin-3′-oxime (2) and 6-bromoindirubin-3′-oxime (7) at 5 µM exhibited significantly stronger inhibitory activity than indirubin-3′-oxime (1). Furthermore, 5-methoxyindirubin-3′-oxime (2) and 6-bromoindirubin-3′-oxime (7) markedly suppressed the expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α, peroxisome proliferator activator γ2, and adipocyte protein 2, both of which are key adipogenic regulators at the intermediate stage of adipocyte differentiation. Our results demonstrate that 5-methoxyindirubin-3′-oxime (2) and 6-bromoindirubin-3′-oxime (7) significantly down-regulated lipid accumulation during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells, suggesting their potential as novel therapeutic drugs against the development of obesity.
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