Transcriptome Analysis and Identification of a Transcriptional Regulatory Network in the Response to H2O2.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a common signal molecule initiating transcriptional responses to all the known biotic and abiotic stresses of land plants. However, the degree of involvement of H2O2 in these stress responses has not yet been well studied. Here we identify time-dependent transcriptome profiles stimulated by H2O2 application in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. Promoter prediction based on transcriptome data suggests strong crosstalk among high light, heat, and wounding stress responses in terms of environmental stresses and between the abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) responses in terms of phytohormone signaling. Quantitative analysis revealed that ABA accumulation is induced by H2O2 but SA is not, suggesting that the implied crosstalk with ABA is achieved through ABA accumulation while the crosstalk with SA is different. We identified potential direct regulatory pairs between regulator transcription factor (TF) proteins and their regulated TF genes based on the time-course transcriptome analysis for the H2O2 response, in vivo regulation of the regulated TF by the regulator TF identified by expression analysis of mutants and overexpressors, and in vitro binding of the regulator TF protein to the target TF promoter. These analyses enabled the establishment of part of the transcriptional regulatory network for the H2O2 response composed of 15 regulatory pairs of TFs, including five pairs previously reported. This regulatory network is suggested to be involved in a wide range of biotic and abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis.

[Competencies required for occupational health professionals in disaster management based on their personal experiences of workplaces damaged by the Kumamoto earthquakes].

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify the competencies required for occupational health professionals in disaster management based on their personal experiences of workplaces damaged by the Kumamoto earthquakes. METHODS: This study adopted a qualitative descriptive design using semi-structured interviews. The study participants included eight occupational health professionals who had been engaged in occupational health practice at workplaces affected by the Kumamoto earthquakes and subsequently employed at the same workplace. Data analyses were performed using a qualitative data analysis method. The researcher read transcripts of the interviews verbatim and extracted subcategories and categories, seeking points of commonality among homogeneous and heterogeneous elements while identifying content related to the competencies of the professionals during a disaster. RESULTS: Nine categories and 29 subcategories were extracted. The following competencies were identified as skills required for occupational health professionals when a disaster occurred: "perceiving the essentials of the situation through a comprehensive understanding of the health impacts caused by disasters," "prioritizing tasks while appropriately understanding a situation that is changing over time," "starting from what one can do while ensuring one's own health and safety," "continuing occupational health practice by devising efficient approaches while flexibly responding to the situation," "creating an environment that enables each occupational health team member to fulfill their role," and "adjusting the positions of occupational health departments within organizations to utilize networks." The following competencies were identified as skills required for occupational health professionals' disaster response and preparedness: "having the essential personal qualities of occupational health professionals," "establishing relationships of trust with employees and companies," and "linking one's experience of a disaster to future occupational health practice." CONCLUSIONS: The competencies required for occupational health professionals in disaster management are disaster response and preparedness. Moreover, these aspects in disaster response and preparedness suggest that occupational health professionals are required to have strategic and creative thinking skills including organizational approaches such as boosting networking in the workplace and establishing employer-employee relationships based on multifaceted assessment and situational flexibility.

An unnatural base pair for incorporating amino acid analogs into proteins.

An unnatural base pair of 2-amino-6-(2-thienyl)purine (denoted by s) and pyridin-2-one (denoted by y) was developed to expand the genetic code. The ribonucleoside triphosphate of y was site-specifically incorporated into RNA, opposite s in a template, by T7 RNA polymerase. This transcription was coupled with translation in an Escherichia coli cell-free system. The yAG codon in the transcribed ras mRNA was recognized by the CUs anticodon of a yeast tyrosine transfer RNA (tRNA) variant, which had been enzymatically aminoacylated with an unnatural amino acid, 3-chlorotyrosine. Site-specific incorporation of 3-chlorotyrosine into the Ras protein was demonstrated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of the products. This coupled transcription-translation system will permit the efficient synthesis of proteins with a tyrosine analog at the desired position.

[A review of assessment of fitness for work and adjustments for health and safety at worksites overseas].

OBJECTIVE: In this research, we reviewed studies about assessment of fitness for work and adjustments for health and safety at worksites overseas. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed (1980-2010) using keywords related to fitness for work. The collected studies are discussed with respect to the country, timing of medical examinations, health problems of workers, occupations, categories of health level in workers, criteria for assessment of fitness for work, and the decision-making process related to accommodations at work. RESULTS: Seventy articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria. They focused on two key points related to assessing fitness for work: 1) safety and risk to workers themselves, to other workers and the public, and 2) ability to perform in potentially dangerous situations, such as those encountered by the military and firemen. Employers were required to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled or sick workers. The following steps were taken to make accommodation decisions: 1) analysis of job requirements; 2) worker analysis, including evaluation of work limitations or risks related to disabilities or illness; 3) choice of necessary adjustments at work, based on reasonable accommodations decided during talks between the disabled or sick workers and employers, including feasibility, effectiveness, and costs of such adjustments; 4) judgment of fitness for work based on steps 1 to 3, and opinions of specialists in various fields. CONCLUSION: In this investigation, we could not find any clear criteria for judgments about fitness for work or numerical criteria for adjustments at worksites after medical examinations of employees. However, we confirmed the following. Assessing fitness for work should be based on a comparison of workers' health with the risks and demands of the job. In addition, doctors should have the ability to offer opinions on adjustments at worksites. The employer's obligation to provide reasonable accommodations is attracting more attention in Japan. To make adjustments for health and safety at worksites for all workers, the procedures and important issues must be determined as well as criteria of judgments or numerical criteria. Moreover, doctors should provide opinions about adjustments at worksites. Therefore, they need more training in assessing fitness for work.

[Qualitative research of contexts of occupational physician's advice].

OBJECTIVES: No consistent procedure has been established for advice given by occupational physicians concerning scope of disease, criteria of diagnosis and laboratory data, and basis of judgment. The aim of this study was to identify practice-based contexts of occupational physician's advice. METHODS: We interviewed 6 occupational physicians, and held focus group discussions (FGD) involving 19 occupational physicians, academic researchers, and clinical doctors. Scripts of the interview and FGD were coded to identify the contexts of occupational physician's advice. Additionally, to assure the generalizability of the proposed contexts of occupational physician's advice, we also conducted a survey to collect cases of advice, for which the fitness of the proposed contexts was confirmed. RESULTS: Four contexts of occupational physician's advice were identified from interviews and FGD, and an additional context was detected through the occupational physician's survey, namely Type 1, work potentially affects a worker's health; Type 2, risk management and prevention of accidents relating to disease; Type 3, recommendation to visit a doctor (referral); Type 4, communication to the head of the department/supervisor; and Type 5, fit for work with appropriate adjustment of work environment and/or conditions. All 48 cases collected could be classified into one or more of these five contexts. DISCUSSION: This study clarified that several contexts exist for occupational physician's advice in practice. The five proposed contexts reveal different responsibilities and judgments between occupational physician, worker, and employer. Understanding the contexts of occupational physician's advice is important for enhancing consensus-building between stakeholders.