Integrated view of the human chromosome X-centric proteome project.

This article introduces how the human chromosome X-centric proteome project is carried out by the Japan Chromosome X Project Consortium. The inactivation of one of two chromosomes in female mammals and accumulation of genes related to neural/immune systems/tumor/testis are characteristic of chromosome X. In this Chromosome X Project, information on proteins translated from genes on chromosome X is collected by both mass spectrometry- and antibody-based proteomics. Information on the following resources is also provided: antibodies to proteins translated and full-length cDNAs transcripted from the chromosome X genes for recombinant proteins. The consortium aims to provide the following tools to search useful antibodies in the literature (Antibody Ranker), to find gene expression sites in microarray databases (Transcript Localizer) and to do advanced MRM analysis (information-based MRM).

Nanoscale-Barrier Formation Induced by Low-Dose Electron-Beam Exposure in Ultrathin MoS2 Transistors.

Utilizing an innovative combination of scanning-probe and spectroscopic techniques, supported by first-principles calculations, we demonstrate how electron-beam exposure of field-effect transistors, implemented from ultrathin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), may cause nanoscale structural modifications that in turn significantly modify the electrical operation of these devices. Quite surprisingly, these modifications are induced by even the relatively low electron doses used in conventional electron-beam lithography, which are found to induce compressive strain in the atomically thin MoS2. Likely arising from sulfur-vacancy formation in the exposed regions, the strain gives rise to a local widening of the MoS2 bandgap, an idea that is supported both by our experiment and by the results of first-principles calculations. A nanoscale potential barrier develops at the boundary between exposed and unexposed regions and may cause extrinsic variations in the resulting electrical characteristics exhibited by the transistor. The widespread use of electron-beam lithography in nanofabrication implies that the presence of such strain must be carefully considered when seeking to harness the potential of atomically thin transistors. At the same time, this work also promises the possibility of exploiting the strain as a means to achieve "bandstructure engineering" in such devices.

Observation of molecular changes of a necrotic tissue from a murine carcinoma by Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy.

PURPOSE: Our purpose is to develop infrared (IR) microspectroscopy as a new optical diagnostic tool to support conventional lightscopic techniques in investigating the viability of carcinoma tissues and to develop its use in the evaluation of the early effects of anticancer therapy by monitoring the IR spectra in the necrotic area. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We evaluated the tissue which amassed for 4 weeks after the isotransplantation of mouse squamous cell carcinoma into the thigh of mice. The borders of the necrotic area of frozen tissue specimens were investigated by Fourier-transform IR microspectroscopy and conventional histological staining. RESULTS: A significantly higher accumulation of cholesterol was observed in the necrotic tissue of a carcinoma. The mechanism of this phenomenon is hitherto unrecognized. We proposed that the accumulated cholesterol may lie extracellularly as a result of the ruptured plasma and internal membranes after the swelling of the necrotic cells brought on by hypoxia. The analysis of the secondary structure of protein revealed that the amounts of beta-sheet increased significantly in striking contrast to the decreasing amounts of alpha-helix in a necrotic area of a carcinoma. It is plausible that this structural conversion of protein was because of lipid-autooxidation products, such as cholesterol oxide but not cholesterol itself, which possesses cell toxicity and could be generated in a necrotic area. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that it will be possible to evaluate the efficacy of the clinical treatment of carcinoma by monitoring subtle biological changes of cholesterol absorbance in the early stage of necrosis because of anticancer treatment.

Treatment of severe mandibular prognathism in combination with maxillary hypoplasia: case report.

We performed a Le Fort I osteotomy and sagittal split ramus osteotomy (Obwegeser-Dal Pont) combined with mandibular anterior segmental osteotomy without tooth extraction for a patient with severe mandibular prognathism accompanied by a hypoplastic maxilla, anterior open bite and normal anterior mandibular vertical dimension. The results of facial appearance and occlusion were excellent. This combined surgical method appears to be satisfactory for treating severe mandibular prognathism with hypoplastic maxilla.