•Polysulfide inhibits H2O2-induced TRPA1 activation.•Cysteine modification and Ca2+/calmodulin signaling is involved in the inhibitory effect of polysulfide.•Nocifensive behavior of H2O2 is ...suppressed by polysulfide.
Polysulfide (PS), an endogenous sulfur compound, generated by oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, has a stimulatory action on the nociceptive TRPA1 channel. TRPA1 is also activated by reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced during inflammation. Here, we examined the effect of PS on H2O2-induced responses in native and heterologously expressed TRPA1 using a cell-based calcium assay. We also carried out behavioral experiments in vivo. In mouse sensory neurons, H2O2 elicited early TRPA1-dependent and late TRPA1-independent increases of Ca2+i. The former was suppressed by the pretreatment with PS. In cells heterologously expressed TRPA1, PS suppressed Ca2+i responses to H2O2. Simultaneous measurement of Ca2+i and the intracellular PS level revealed that scavenging effect of PS was not related to the inhibitory effect. Removal of extracellular Ca2+, a calmodulin inhibitor and dithiothreitol attenuated the inhibitory effect of PS. Pretreatment with PS diminished nociceptive behaviors induced by H2O2. The present data suggest that PS suppresses oxidative stress-induced TRPA1 activation due to cysteine modification and Ca2+/calmodulin signaling. Thus, endogenous sulfurs may have regulatory roles in nociception via functional changes in TRPA1 under inflammatory conditions.
Functional
Bacteria and
Archaea community structures of a full-scale anaerobic sludge digester were investigated by using a full-cycle 16S rRNA approach followed by microautoradiography ...(MAR)–fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique and micromanipulation. FISH analysis with a comprehensive set of 16S and 23S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes based on 16S rRNA clone libraries revealed that the Gram-positive bacteria represented by probe HGC69A-hybridized
Actinobacteria (8.5±1.4% of total 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-stained cells) and probe LGC354-hybridized
Firmicutes (3.8±0.8%) were the major phylogenetic bacterial phyla, followed by
Bacteroidetes (4.0±1.2%) and
Chloroflexi (3.7±0.8%). The probe MX825-hybridized
Methanosaeta (7.6±0.8%) was the most abundant archaeal group, followed by
Methanomicrobiales (2.8±0.6%) and
Methanobacteriaceae (2.7±0.4%). The functional community structures (diversity and relative abundance) of major trophic groups were quantitatively analyzed by MAR–FISH. The results revealed that glucose-degrading microbial community had higher abundance (ca. 10.6±4.9% of total DAPI-stained cells) and diversity (at least seven phylogenetic groups) as compared with fatty acid-utilizing microbial communities, which were more specialized to a few phylogenetic groups. Despite the dominance of
Betaproteobacteria, members of
Chloroflexi,
Smithella,
Syntrophomonas and
Methanosaeta groups dominated the
14Cglucose-,
14Cpropionate-,
14Cbutyrate- and
14Cacetate-utilizing microorganism community, and accounted for 27.7±4.3%, 29.6±7.0%, 34.5±7.6% and 18.2±9.5%, respectively. In spite of low abundance (ca. 1%), the hitherto unknown metabolic functions of
Spirochaeta and candidate phylum of TM7 as well as
Synergistes were found to be glucose and acetate utilization, respectively.
A critical step toward understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is to identify both genetic and environmental risk factors. A number of rare copy number variants (CNVs) have emerged as robust ...genetic risk factors for ASD, but not all CNV carriers exhibit ASD and the severity of ASD symptoms varies among CNV carriers. Although evidence exists that various environmental factors modulate symptomatic severity, the precise mechanisms by which these factors determine the ultimate severity of ASD are still poorly understood. Here, using a mouse heterozygous for Tbx1 (a gene encoded in 22q11.2 CNV), we demonstrate that a genetically triggered neonatal phenotype in vocalization generates a negative environmental loop in pup-mother social communication. Wild-type pups used individually diverse sequences of simple and complicated call types, but heterozygous pups used individually invariable call sequences with less complicated call types. When played back, representative wild-type call sequences elicited maternal approach, but heterozygous call sequences were ineffective. When the representative wild-type call sequences were randomized, they were ineffective in eliciting vigorous maternal approach behavior. These data demonstrate that an ASD risk gene alters the neonatal call sequence of its carriers and this pup phenotype in turn diminishes maternal care through atypical social communication. Thus, an ASD risk gene induces, through atypical neonatal call sequences, less than optimal maternal care as a negative neonatal environmental factor.
For the reduction of transformer noise and efficient use of energy, we developed a domain-refined highly grain-oriented silicon steel with a linearly grooved surface by an electrolytic etching ...method. The steel showed very low iron loss even after a high-temperature annealing process, such as stress relief annealing, while magnetic flux density at 800 A/m, which is one of the very fundamental evaluation criteria for grain-oriented silicon steel, was lower than that without grooves. In light of our previous study, steels with a low flux density are disadvantageous for lowering transformer noise, but there have been no reports on the detailed noise property of this grooved grain-oriented silicon steel. In this paper, we investigated transformer noise as well as the transformer loss for the first time by fabricating three model transformers, each of which comprised one of the following grain-oriented electrical steels: grooved grain-oriented silicon steel having flux density of 1.90 T at 800 A/m, non-grooved grain-oriented silicon steel having flux density of 1.93 T at 800 A/m, and non-grooved grain-oriented silicon steel having flux density of 1.90 T at 800 A/m. As a result, transformer loss exhibited a tendency similar to the loss of a single sheet, and the grooved grain-oriented silicon steel showed the lowest loss. As for noise, even with the lower flux density, the grooved grain-oriented silicon steel showed a very low noise level equivalent to that of the non-grooved grain-oriented silicon steel with the high flux density, while the non-grooved grain-oriented silicon steel with the low flux density showed the largest noise level. From the results of magnetostriction measurements and dynamic domain observation by a newly developed method, it was found that the grooves had little influence on the generation of magnetic domains, which increased magnetostriction and transformer noise. Thus, we confirmed that low noise and low loss properties of the transformer were both realized by the application of the grooved silicon steel.
Emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) during biological wastewater treatment is of growing concern since N2O is a major stratospheric ozone-depleting substance and an important greenhouse gas. The emission ...of N2O from a lab-scale granular sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for partial nitrification (PN) treating synthetic wastewater without organic carbon was therefore determined in this study, because PN process is known to produce more N2O than conventional nitrification processes. The average N2O emission rate from the SBR was 0.32 ± 0.17 mg-N L−1 h−1, corresponding to the average emission of N2O of 0.8 ± 0.4% of the incoming nitrogen load (1.5 ± 0.8% of the converted NH4+). Analysis of dynamic concentration profiles during one cycle of the SBR operation demonstrated that N2O concentration in off-gas was the highest just after starting aeration whereas N2O concentration in effluent was gradually increased in the initial 40 min of the aeration period and was decreased thereafter. Isotopomer analysis was conducted to identify the main N2O production pathway in the reactor during one cycle. The hydroxylamine (NH2OH) oxidation pathway accounted for 65% of the total N2O production in the initial phase during one cycle, whereas contribution of the NO2− reduction pathway to N2O production was comparable with that of the NH2OH oxidation pathway in the latter phase. In addition, spatial distributions of bacteria and their activities in single microbial granules taken from the reactor were determined with microsensors and by in situ hybridization. Partial nitrification occurred mainly in the oxic surface layer of the granules and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were abundant in this layer. N2O production was also found mainly in the oxic surface layer. Based on these results, although N2O was produced mainly via NH2OH oxidation pathway in the autotrophic partial nitrification reactor, N2O production mechanisms were complex and could involve multiple N2O production pathways.
•A lab-scale autotrophic SBR for partial nitrification was operated.•Average N2O emission factor was 0.8%.•NH2OH oxidation was the main N2O production pathway in initial 60 min.•AOB were abundant in the oxic surface layer of the granules.•Partial nitrification and N2O production occurred mainly in the outer 300 μm.
An antenna system that forms a high-gain tilted beam is discussed. This system is composed of a single-feed antenna with a wide beam and two parasitic loop-based plates, P l and P u (two-plate ...system), where the widths of the strip loops differ. The electromagnetic wave from the fed patch experiences a phase shift through P l and P u . It is predicted that the two-plate system creates a tilted beam whose tilt angle is larger than a conventional one-plate system (where plate P u is absent). Full-wave analysis finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) analysis confirms this prediction using a patch antenna as the fed antenna. In addition to radiation pattern analysis, the gain and VSWR are investigated. Subsequently, the two-plate system is successfully applied to the formation of a tilted dual beam.
There have been few studies that have reported the influence of kidney transplantation on the quality of life (QOL) of patients of preemptive kidney transplantation (PKT) and nonpreemptive kidney ...transplantation (NPKT).
Fifty patients of PKT and 49 patients of NPKT were employed as study subjects. A questionnaire survey using Short Form 36 and Kidney Disease QOL on patients' physical and psychological QOL was performed for these patients prior to transplantation and 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year after transplantation.
The analysis of results has revealed that transplantation clearly has improved the physical and psychological QOL in patients with end-stage renal disease. For the items regarding physical burdens incurred by the transplantation, patient QOL deteriorated on a single occasion 1 month after the transplantation while it was improved 1 year after the transplantation. For the items regarding psychological burdens, the mental condition of the patients was improved overall without deterioration over time. Concerning the “Effect of Kidney Disease” and “Burden of Kidney Disease,” QOL was significantly better in PKT than NPKT at baseline before transplantation, although the significant difference gradually decreased 1 month and 3 months after the transplantation and disappeared after 1 year.
Transplantation certainly improved the QOL of patients with end-stage renal disease. Before transplantation, PKT was clearly better than NPKT in the QOL items associated with “Burden of Kidney Disease.” This indicated that patients of PKT have improved QOL compared to patients of NPKT, and that the overall awareness of kidney disease is decreased. A postoperative gap in mental and bodies was observed especially in PKT, however, could be overcome by nursing interventions.
To ensure long-term reliability of transformers, it is important to identify the degradation characteristics of insulating oil in long-term operations, which are the dominant factors of the ...transformer dielectric strengths. Analysis on aged field insulating oil was conducted to identify how insulating oil in transformers changes and deteriorates with increasing age and what are the impacts on the electrical characteristics such as breakdown voltages. Insulating oil samples were collected from a total of 98 transformers, varying significantly with six manufacturers, manufacture years of 1956 to 1999, and voltage classes of 66 kV to 500 kV. Electrical, physical and chemical characteristics were obtained, and the impact of increasing age and the relationships among characteristics were evaluated. The characteristics found to deteriorate with increasing age were volume resistivities, dielectric loss tangents, interfacial tensions, and total acid values. These characteristics can be used as effective indexes for trend monitoring to identify aging statuses and detect abnormalities at an early stage. The physical characteristics (kinetic viscosities, densities, and flash points) showed different tendencies depending on the oil type and age. Since the physical characteristics depend on the compositions of insulating oil, the possible causes for this result are that the compositions of insulating oil were different between oil types and that the compositions varied in accordance with increasing age. Furthermore, the correlations between characteristics were evaluated. As a result, a correlation was found between volume resistivities and total acid values, and good correlations were found between interfacial tensions and volume resistivities and total acid values. Interfacial tensions, which change with a higher rate than total acid values, can be possibly used as an effective index for insulating oil degradation.
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