Study of the Structure–Activity Relationship of an Anti-Dormant Mycobacterial Substance 3-(Phenethylamino)Demethyl(oxy)aaptamine to Create a Probe Molecule for Detecting Its Target Protein

The current tuberculosis treatment regimen is long and complex, and its failure leads to relapse and emergence of drug resistance. One of the major reasons underlying the extended chemotherapeutic regimen is the ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to attain a dormant state. Therefore, the identification of new lead compounds with chemical structures different from those of conventional anti-tuberculosis drugs is essential. The compound 3-(phenethylamino)demethyl(oxy)aaptamine (PDOA, 1), isolated from marine sponge of Aaptos sp., is known as an anti-dormant mycobacterial substance, and has been reported to be effective against the drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. However, its target protein still remains unclear. This study aims to clarify the structure–activity relationship of 1 using 15 synthetic analogues, in order to prepare a probe molecule for detecting the target protein of 1. We succeeded in creating the compound 15 with a photoaffinity group that retained antimicrobial activity, which proved to be a suitable probe molecule for identifying the target protein of 1.     

A survey of canine echinococcosis in Gobi Altai Province of Mongolia by coproantigen detection

Few studies have been carried out for the prevalence of canine echinococcosis in Mongolia. This study was designed to elucidate a preliminary information of the prevalence from feces collected in the field. Sixty-seven fecal samples from dogs and 2 red foxes in Altai town were collected and examined for Echinococcus coproantigen and eggs. Coproantigen detection was performed by a sandwich ELISA using a monoclonal antibody EmA9 raised against Echinococcus multilocularis somatic antigen. Of the dog samples examined, 17 (25.4%) were positive by the ELISA. One out of two foxes was positive, too. Taeniid egg-positive feces were recognized in 12 dog feces. Only 6 samples were both coproantigen and egg positive. Eggs of Ancylostoma sp., Trichuris sp.; and Capillaria sp.; were also registered.     

Dose dependency of prednisolone on the establishment of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in an alternative definitive host, Mongolian gerbil

This study revealed the dose dependency of prednisolone tertiary-butylacetate (PTBA) treatment on the establishment of Echinococcus multilocularis in the small intestine of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) and that some of the physiological parameters of host were correlated with the doses of PTBA and establishment of the worm. Twenty Mongolian gerbils were divided into 5 groups, according to the doses of PTBA; 0 mg, 0.5 mg, 2 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg per head. All animals were injected intraperitoneally with PTBA every other day from 6 days before to 6 days after infection. Doses of PTBA and the number of worms recovered at 7 days post-infection showed a positive correlation (r = 0.929, P < 0.0001). The increase of total protein (TP) and the decrease of the percentage of lymphocytes in the peripheral leukocytes were dependent on doses of PTBA (TP: r = 0.811, P < 0.0001, percentage of lymphocyte: r = -0.92, P < 0.0001). The TP and the percentage of lymphocyte also correlated with the number of worms recovered (TP: r = 0.617, P = 0.0049; percentage of lymphocyte: r = -0.800, P < 0.0001).     

Is experience on a farm an effective approach to understanding animal products and the management of dairy farming?

The understanding of animal products and dairy farming is important for the promotion of dairy farming. Thus, to examine the effects of farm experience on the understanding of animal products and the management of dairy farming, the interaction between students and dairy cows was investigated in groups of first‐year veterinary nursing students in 2011 and 2012 (n = 201). These students included 181 women and 20 men. Nine items about dairy cows were presented in a questionnaire. The survey was performed before and after praxis on the educational farm attached to the authors' university. After praxis on the farm, increases occurred in the number of positive responses to the items involving the price of milk, dairy farming and the taste of milk. For these items, a significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between the scores obtained before and after training. The results of the study suggested that farm experience is useful for improving the understanding of animal products and dairy farming.     

A New Approach for Characterization of Single Raindrops

To determine the characteristics of single raindrops as a function of their size, the collodion film method was newly applied to the sampling of single raindrops. Sampling of single raindrops was performed at a height of 20 m above ground level of the Kyoto University building located in Uji, Japan during rain events from September to November 1999. It was possible to get successfully replicas of raindrop by collodion film method. And we tried to analyze the elemental components of the nuclei and pollutants that were incorporated into the developing raindrop. To the analysis of single raindrops, Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) was applied. Several elements including S in single raindrops were detected by PIXE. The concentrations of every element increased with decreasing drop diameter. Furthermore, to acquire more detailed information such as inner-structure and mixing state in single raindrops, micro-PIXE analysis was performed. The nucleation centers of single raindrops were successfully analyzed by micro-PIXE. Ca, S and Fe were apparently detected by scanning beam of 1 ～ 2 µm diameter and about 70 pA beam current.     

Discovery of a Jupiter/Saturn analog with gravitational microlensing

Searches for extrasolar planets have uncovered an astonishing diversity of planetary systems, yet the frequency of solar system analogs remains unknown. The gravitational microlensing planet search method is potentially sensitive to multiple-planet systems containing analogs of all the solar system planets except Mercury. We report the detection of a multiple-planet system with microlensing. We identify two planets with masses of approximately 0.71 and approximately 0.27 times the mass of Jupiter and orbital separations of approximately 2.3 and approximately 4.6 astronomical units orbiting a primary star of mass approximately 0.50 solar mass at a distance of approximately 1.5 kiloparsecs. This system resembles a scaled version of our solar system in that the mass ratio, separation ratio, and equilibrium temperatures of the planets are similar to those of Jupiter and Saturn. These planets could not have been detected with other techniques; their discovery from only six confirmed microlensing planet detections suggests that solar system analogs may be common.     

High-density electron anions in a nanoporous single crystal: [Ca24Al28O64]4+(4e-)

We removed approximately 100% of clathrated oxygen ions from the crystallographic cages in a single crystal of 12CaO.7Al2O3, leading to the formation of high-density (approximately 2 x 10(21) cm-3) electrons highly localized in the cages. The resulting electron forms a structure that we interpret as an F+ center and migrates throughout the crystal by hopping to a neighboring cage with conductivity approximately 100 siemens per centimeter, demonstrating that the encaged electron behaves as an anion. The electron anions couple antiferromagnetically with each other, forming a diamagnetic pair or singlet bipolaron. The resulting [Ca24Al28O64]4+(4e-) may be regarded as a thermally and chemically stable single crystalline "electride."     

Anxiety change through electroencephalographic alpha feedback seen only in high anxiety subjects

Subjects who were either high or low in trait anxiety used alpha feedback to increase and to decrease their electroencephalographic alpha activity. The alpha changes were tightly linked to anxiety changes, but only in high anxiety subjects (for whom anxiety was reduced in proportion to alpha increases, and was increased in proportion to alpha suppression). Low trait-anxiety subjects were superior at both enhancement and suppression training, but their alpha changes were not related to anxiety changes. In both groups, anxiety changes were generally unrelated to either resting levels or changes in frontalis electromyograms and respiration rate. These results suggest that long-term alpha feedback training (at least 5 hours) may be useful in anxiety therapy.