A miniaturized electron probe X-ray microanalyzer (EPMA) with a small chamber including the electron source and the sample stage was realized using a pyroelectric crystal as an electron source. The ...EPMA we propose is the smallest reported so far. Performance of the EPMA was evaluated by investigating energy of obtained continuous X-rays and lower detection limits of transition metals (titanium, iron, and nickel). End point energy (Duane-Hunt limit) of continuous X-rays of 45 keV was obtained. However, it is expected that the EPMA can analyze characteristic X-rays with energy less than 20 keV. The EPMA was able to measure titanium, iron, and nickel wires whose projected areas were more than 0.03 mm2.
Systemic osteosclerotic lesions are frequently caused by multiple bone metastases or systemic metabolic disorders. However, bone metastasis from gastric cancer is rare. Herein, we describe such a ...case, with radiographic and clinical findings resembling Paget's disease. The patient was an 80-year-old Japanese woman with a history of early gastric cancer, treated by partial gastrectomy 2 years prior. The patient sought medical care for chronic low back pain. On imaging, systemic sclerotic lesions were observed throughout the spine and pelvis, with an increase in bone mineral density from 0.86 g/cm
(2 years prior) to 1.38g/cm
(current visit) in the lumbar spine. Elevated serum levels of osteoblastic and osteolytic markers were identified. A bone biopsy was used to confirm the diagnosis of metastatic gastric cancer. The patient was treated with TS-1 and denosumab, with normalization of abnormal metabolic markers and alleviation of the back pain. Bone metastasis is reported in only 10% of cases of gastric cancer and, thus, is relatively rare. Therefore, our case of gastric cancer recurrence presenting with mixed osteoblastic and osteolytic bone lesions similar to Paget's disease is relevant to the report. Bone biopsy is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.
Selection of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines with high cardiac differentiation potential is important for regenerative therapy and drug screening. We aimed to identify biomarkers ...for predicting cardiac differentiation potential of hiPSC lines by comparing the gene expression profiles of six undifferentiated hiPSC lines with different cardiac differentiation capabilities. We used three platforms of gene expression analysis, namely, cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE), mRNA array, and microRNA array to efficiently screen biomarkers related to cardiac differentiation of hiPSCs. Statistical analysis revealed candidate biomarker genes with significant correlation between the gene expression levels in the undifferentiated hiPSCs and their cardiac differentiation potential. Of the candidate genes, PF4 was validated as a biomarker expressed in undifferentiated hiPSCs with high potential for cardiac differentiation in 13 additional hiPSC lines. Our observations suggest that PF4 may be a useful biomarker for selecting hiPSC lines appropriate for the generation of cardiomyocytes.
Complex Loci in human and mouse genomes Engström, Pär G; Suzuki, Harukazu; Ninomiya, Noriko ...
PLoS genetics,
04/2006, Letnik:
2, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Mammalian genomes harbor a larger than expected number of complex loci, in which multiple genes are coupled by shared transcribed regions in antisense orientation and/or by bidirectional core ...promoters. To determine the incidence, functional significance, and evolutionary context of mammalian complex loci, we identified and characterized 5,248 cis-antisense pairs, 1,638 bidirectional promoters, and 1,153 chains of multiple cis-antisense and/or bidirectionally promoted pairs from 36,606 mouse transcriptional units (TUs), along with 6,141 cis-antisense pairs, 2,113 bidirectional promoters, and 1,480 chains from 42,887 human TUs. In both human and mouse, 25% of TUs resided in cis-antisense pairs, only 17% of which were conserved between the two organisms, indicating frequent species specificity of antisense gene arrangements. A sampling approach indicated that over 40% of all TUs might actually be in cis-antisense pairs, and that only a minority of these arrangements are likely to be conserved between human and mouse. Bidirectional promoters were characterized by variable transcriptional start sites and an identifiable midpoint at which overall sequence composition changed strand and the direction of transcriptional initiation switched. In microarray data covering a wide range of mouse tissues, genes in cis-antisense and bidirectionally promoted arrangement showed a higher probability of being coordinately expressed than random pairs of genes. In a case study on homeotic loci, we observed extensive transcription of nonconserved sequences on the noncoding strand, implying that the presence rather than the sequence of these transcripts is of functional importance. Complex loci are ubiquitous, host numerous nonconserved gene structures and lineage-specific exonification events, and may have a cis-regulatory impact on the member genes.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Finding and characterizing mRNAs, their transcription start sites (TSS), and their associated promoters is a major focus in post-genome biology. Mammalian cells have at least 5-10 magnitudes more TSS ...than previously believed, and deeper sequencing is necessary to detect all active promoters in a given tissue. Here, we present a new method for high-throughput sequencing of 5' cDNA tags-DeepCAGE: merging the Cap Analysis of Gene Expression method with ultra-high-throughput sequence technology. We apply DeepCAGE to characterize 1.4 million sequenced TSS from mouse hippocampus and reveal a wealth of novel core promoters that are preferentially used in hippocampus: This is the most comprehensive promoter data set for any tissue to date. Using these data, we present evidence indicating a key role for the Arnt2 transcription factor in hippocampus gene regulation. DeepCAGE can also detect promoters used only in a small subset of cells within the complex tissue.
Bottled water named “Purifie” produced by Organo Corporation, Japan, is examined for portable-type total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometer. “Purifie” is a 500 mL bottled water. ...“Purifie” is used for a light-weight (7 kg) portable TXRF spectrometer with an X-ray tube (625 mW) and a Si-PIN detector. This spectrometer is designed for field analysis. Ultrapure water for LC/MS analysis is compared as a reference. The concentrations of K and Ca in the two water samples are determined at ppb level by an internal standard method. The results show that the “Purifie” bottled water is satisfactorily usable for portable TXRF spectrometer in the field.
The present paper is a summary of documents submitted to Wakayama District Court related to Wakayama Arsenic Curry Murder Incident in 1998. Problems of prosecutor's document against the Kawai's ...forensic reports are pointed out: Data fabrications in the prosecutor's forensic reports written by Profs. Nakai and Yamauchi, as well as their false testimonies in the trial. The injustice in the document of prosecutor, Mr. Yamaguchi, has been revealed out.
The de Broglie wavelength and a scattering angle of a recoil electron in a polarizer were calculated based on the wave picture of Compton scattering. The de Broglie wave of the recoil electron ...changes its wavelength so as to move to the direction of 45 degrees to the incident X-rays. The recoil electron in the polarizer satisfies 45-degrees Bragg diffraction condition with respect to any wavelength of the incident X-rays. Therefore, The de Broglie wave of the recoil electron can be regarded as a “Bragg crystal” with a variable lattice spacing, which can generate highly polarized continuous white X-rays without changing the optics.
Short proteins play key roles in cell signalling and other processes, but their abundance in the mammalian proteome is unknown. Current catalogues of mammalian proteins exhibit an artefactual ...discontinuity at a length of 100 aa, so that protein abundance peaks just above this length and falls off sharply below it. To clarify the abundance of short proteins, we identify proteins in the FANTOM collection of mouse cDNAs by analysing synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions with the computer program CRITICA. This analysis confirms that there is no real discontinuity at length 100. Roughly 10% of mouse proteins are shorter than 100 aa, although the majority of these are variants of proteins longer than 100 aa. We identify many novel short proteins, including a "dark matter" subset containing ones that lack detectable homology to other known proteins. Translation assays confirm that some of these novel proteins can be translated and localised to the secretory pathway.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Full-length complementary DNAs (cDNAs) are essential for the correct annotation of genomic sequences and for the functional analysis of genes and their products. We isolated 155,144 RIKEN Arabidopsis ...full-length (RAFL) cDNA clones. The 3′-end expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of 155,144 RAFL cDNAs were clustered into 14,668 nonredundant cDNA groups, about 60% of predicted genes. We also obtained 5′ ESTs from 14,034 nonredundant cDNA groups and constructed a promoter database. The sequence database of the RAFL cDNAs is useful for promoter analysis and correct annotation of predicted transcription units and gene products. Furthermore, the full-length cDNAs are useful resources for analyses of the expression profiles, functions, and structures of plant proteins.
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