MoSe2-Sensitized Water Splitting Assisted by C60-Dendrons on the Basal Surface.

We propose a new class of H2 evolution photocatalyst containing TMD not as a co-catalyst, but as a photosensitizer: MoSe2/C60-dendron nanohybrids, assisted by 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH) as a sacrificial donor and Pt nanoparticles as co-catalysts. The 2D/0D mixed-dimensional heterojunction formed by MoSe2 and C60 is highly effective in generating mobile carriers under visible and NIR light irradiation.  This process involves electron extraction from the exciton in MoSe2 to C60, followed by electron transfer to Pt nanoparticles via MV2+, leading to H2 production from water.  Even NIR light, such as 800 nm light corresponding to the A-exciton absorption of MoSe2, can facilitate water splitting.  The EQY of the H2 evolution reaction was estimated to be 0.0027%.

BNCT pancreatic cancer treatment strategy with glucose-conjugated boron drug.

Multidisciplinary therapy centered on radical surgery for resectable pancreatic cancer is expected to prolong prognosis, but relies on CA19-9 biomarker levels to determine treatment strategy. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a chemoradiotherapy using tumor hyperaccumulator boron drugs and neutron irradiation. The purpose of this study is to investigate novel boron drug agents for BNCT for pancreatic cancer. Bioinformatics was used to evaluate the uptake of current boron amino acid (BPA) drugs for BNCT into pancreatic cancer. The expression of the amino acid transporter LAT1, a BPA uptake transporter, was low in pancreatic cancer and even lower in high CA19-9 pancreatic cancer. In contrast, the glucose transporter was high in high CA19-9 pancreatic cancers and inversely correlated with LAT1 expression. Considering the low EPR effect in pancreatic cancer, we synthesized a small molecule Glucose-BSH, which is boron BSH bound to glucose, and confirmed its specific uptake in pancreatic cancer. uptake of Glucose-BSH was confirmed in an environment compatible with the tumor microenvironment. The therapeutic efficacy and safety of Glucose-BSH by therapeutic neutron irradiation were confirmed with BNCT. We report Glucose-BSH boron drug discovery study of a Precision Medicine BNCT with application to high CA19-9 pancreatic cancer.

Revisiting the baby schema by a geometric morphometric analysis of infant facial characteristics across great apes.

Infants across species are thought to exhibit specific facial features (termed the "baby schema", such as a relatively bigger forehead and eyes, and protruding cheeks), with an adaptive function to induce caretaking behaviour from adults. There is abundant empirical evidence for this in humans, but, surprisingly, the existence of a baby schema in non-human animals has not been scientifically demonstrated. We investigated which facial characteristics are shared across infants in five species of great apes: humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, mountain gorillas, and Bornean orangutans. We analysed eight adult and infant faces for each species (80 images in total) using geometric morphometric analysis and machine learning. We found two principal components characterizing infant faces consistently observed across species. These included (1) relatively bigger eyes located lower in the face, (2) a rounder and vertically shorter face shape, and (3) an inverted triangular face shape. While these features are shared, human infant faces are unique in that the second characteristic (round face shape) is more pronounced, whereas the third (inverted triangular face shape) is less pronounced than other species. We also found some infantile features only found in some species. We discuss future directions to investigate the baby schema using an evolutionary approach.

The origin and distribution of 'Kokubu'-type splice-site mutations of the MLO genes in tobacco varieties.

The Japanese domestic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivar 'Kokubu' shows high powdery mildew resistance that is controlled by splice-site mutations of two MILDEW LOCUS O genes, NtMLO1 and NtMLO2. We investigated the existence of the same NtMLO1/2 splice mutations in the genomes of various tobacco varieties cultivated in Japan and other countries. In total, 14 Japanese domestic cultivars, which were mainly distributed in Kagoshima, had splice-site mutations in both NtMLO1 and NtMLO2. In addition, tobacco cultivars containing only the NtMLO1 splice-site mutation were found in various tobacco production areas in Japan, but no cultivars with only the NtMLO2 splice-site mutation were detected. Moreover, the NtMLO1 splice-site mutation was detected in native Asian, Oriental and cigar tobacco varieties. Consequently, we speculate that these powdery mildew-resistant tobacco cultivars were generated relative recently in the Kagoshima area when a spontaneous mutation occurred at the NtMLO2 splice site in a cultivar already containing the NtMLO1 splice-site mutation and that the NtMLO1 splice-site mutation occurred during the early period of tobacco seed dissemination from the Americas to Asia and Japan.

Hot Electron Extraction in SWCNT/TiO2 for Photocatalytic H2 Evolution from Water.

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/TiO2 hybrids were synthesized using 1,10-bis(decyloxy)decane-core PAMAM dendrimer as a molecular glue. Upon photoirradiation of a water dispersion of SWCNT/TiO2 hybrids with visible light (λ > 422 nm), the hydrogen evolution reaction proceeded at a rate of 0.95 mmol/h·g in the presence of a sacrificial agent (1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide, BNAH). External quantum yields (EQYs) of the hydrogen production reaction photosensitized by (6,5), (7,5), and (8,3) tubes were estimated to be 5.5%, 3.6%, and 2.2%, respectively, using monochromatic lights corresponding to their E22 absorptions (570 nm, 650 nm, and 680 nm). This order of EQYs (i.e., (6,5) > (7,5) > (8,3)SWCNTs) exhibited the dependence on the C2 energy level of SWCNT for EQY and proved the hot electron extraction pathway.

Comparative analysis of sperm motility in liquid and seminal coagulum portions between Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).

Coagulum in the semen of some primates plays different roles, depending on the species. In the present study, we examined sperm motility in the coagulum and liquid portions of semen collected from captive individuals from two great ape species: two adult Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) (n = 27) and three adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) (n = 14). The results revealed that orangutan sperm remained motile for significantly longer in the coagulum than in the liquid portion (> 18 h). By contrast, chimpanzee sperm motility did not differ significantly over time between the two portions of the semen, although motility was slightly higher in the liquid portion than in the coagulum. The evolution of the seminal coagulum is thought to be related to postcopulatory sperm competition; however, functions of seminal coagulum have not been completely elucidated. Our data from the orangutan semen suggest that in this species, seminal coagulum may strengthen own-sperm survival. This report is the first to provide evidence for this distinctive function of the seminal coagulum. This unique property of orangutan seminal coagulum might be attributable to their reproductive traits, e.g., difficulty in predicting ovulation due to a lack of genital swelling during estrus. The orangutan is a Critically Endangered species, and captive breeding, including artificial insemination (AI), is expected. However, worldwide, only one case of orangutan AI has been successful. Our findings may contribute to an understanding of their basic semen characteristics and help improve the AI method.

DNA marker development by the allele-specific detection of powdery mildew resistance loci derived from Japanese domestic tobacco cultivar 'Kokubu'.

Japanese domestic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivar 'Kokubu' shows high powdery mildew resistance controlled by recessive alleles at two loci, and these alleles have been widely used as a resource for powdery mildew resistance in tobacco breeding. However, the introduction of this trait by conventional breeding takes much work because of the requirement for test crosses with the parental strains and inoculation tests using active fungi to confirm the introduction of two recessive alleles during back-crossing. Recently, we found that powdery mildew resistance in 'Kokubu' is caused by splice site mutations of two MILDEW LOCUS O genes, NtMLO1 and NtMLO2. Here, we report DNA markers that detect mutations of the NtMLO1/2 genes based on the cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) or allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) methods. These markers can be used as co-dominant markers that detect heterozygotes of the NtMLO genes at the seedling stage in back-crossed progenies, and will contribute to the simplification of breeding.

Disproportionation-induced solid-state fluorescence in 6,13-dihydropentacenes.

The thermally and photolytically induced disproportionation of 6,13-dihydropentacene derivatives into tetrahydropentacenes and pentacenes results in unique solid-state fluorescence. The fluorescence thereby depends on the molecular structure and the molecular arrangement in the solid state.

Blood lipid-related low-frequency variants in LDLR and PCSK9 are associated with onset age and risk of myocardial infarction in Japanese.

Recent studies have revealed the importance of rare variants in myocardial infarction (MI) susceptibility in European populations. Because genetic architectures vary in different populations, we investigated how they contribute to MI susceptibility in Japanese subjects. We performed targeted sequencing of 36 coronary artery disease risk genes, identified by genome-wide association studies, in 9,956 cases and 8,373 controls. Gene-based association tests identified significant enrichment of rare variants in LDLR and PCSK9 in MI cases. We identified 52 (novel 22) LDLR variants predicted to be damaging. Carriers of these variants showed a higher risk of MI (carriers/non-carriers 89/9867 in cases, 17/8356 controls, OR = 4.4, P = 7.2 × 10-10), higher LDL-cholesterol levels and younger age of onset for MI. With respect to PCSK9, E32K carriers showed higher LDL-cholesterol levels and younger age of onset for MI, whereas R93C carriers had lower LDL-cholesterol levels. A significant correlation between LDL-cholesterol levels and onset age of MI was observed in these variant carriers. In good agreement with previous studies in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia, our study in the Japanese general population showed that rare variants in LDLR and PCSK9 were associated with the onset age of MI by altering LDL-cholesterol levels.

Enhanced Photosensitized Hydrogen Production by Encapsulation of Ferrocenyl Dyes into Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Dye-encapsulated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were employed for the construction of a coaxial three-component dye/SWCNT/C60 heterojunction. Despite the larger diameter (∼1.4 nm) of the SWCNTs relative to that set by Flavel's rule (0.95 nm), the photoinduced electron transfer from dye-encapsulated SWCNTs to C60 proceeded smoothly, resulting in the photosensitized evolution of H2 from H2O using a ferrocenyl-based photosensitizer, which was confirmed by the action spectra.

Reproductive success of two male morphs in a free-ranging population of Bornean orangutans.

The reproductive success of male primates is not always associated with dominance status. For example, even though male orangutans exhibit intra-sexual dimorphism and clear dominance relationships exist among males, previous studies have reported that both morphs are able to sire offspring. The present study aimed to compare the reproductive success of two male morphs, and to determine whether unflanged males sired offspring in a free-ranging population of Bornean orangutans, using 12 microsatellite loci to determine the paternity of eight infants. A single flanged male sired most of the offspring from parous females, and an unflanged male sired a firstborn. This is consistent with our observation that the dominant flanged male showed little interest in nulliparous females, whereas the unflanged males frequently mated with them. This suggests that the dominant flanged male monopolizes the fertilization of parous females and that unflanged males take advantage of any mating opportunities that arise in the absence of the flanged male, even though the conception probability of nulliparous females is relatively low.

Photo-induced H2 evolution from water via the dissociation of excitons in water-dispersible single-walled carbon nanotube sensitizers.

To observe a clear-cut example of the formation of mobile carriers from excitons on semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) surrounded by a medium with a high dielectric constant, water-dispersible s-SWCNT nanocomposites were fabricated by physical modifications using poly(amidoamine) dendrimers that contain an aliphatic core. The evolution of H2 from water using these s-SWCNT/dendrimer nanocomposites as photosensitizers under irradiation with visible light demonstrated a photo-induced electron transfer from the s-SWCNTs to the co-catalysts.

SWCNT Photocatalyst for Hydrogen Production from Water upon Photoexcitation of (8, 3) SWCNT at 680-nm Light.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are potentially strong optical absorbers with tunable absorption bands depending on their chiral indices (n, m). Their application for solar energy conversion is difficult because of the large binding energy (>100 meV) of electron-hole pairs, known as excitons, produced by optical absorption. Recent development of photovoltaic devices based on SWCNTs as light-absorbing components have shown that the creation of heterojunctions by pairing chirality-controlled SWCNTs with C60 is the key for high power conversion efficiency. In contrast to thin film devices, photocatalytic reactions in a dispersion/solution system triggered by the photoexcitation of SWCNTs have never been reported due to the difficulty of the construction of a well-ordered surface on SWCNTs. Here, we show a clear-cut example of a SWCNT photocatalyst producing H2 from water. Self-organization of a fullerodendron on the SWCNT core affords water-dispersible coaxial nanowires possessing SWCNT/C60 heterojunctions, of which a dendron shell can act as support of a co-catalyst for H2 evolution. Because the band offset between the LUMO levels of (8, 3)SWCNT and C60 satisfactorily exceeds the exciton binding energy to allow efficient exciton dissociation, the (8, 3)SWCNT/fullerodendron coaxial photocatalyst shows H2-evolving activity (QY = 0.015) upon 680-nm illumination, which is E22 absorption of (8, 3) SWCNT.

A genome-wide association study identifies PLCL2 and AP3D1-DOT1L-SF3A2 as new susceptibility loci for myocardial infarction in Japanese.

Despite considerable progress in preventive and therapeutic strategies, myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world. A total of 55 susceptibility genes have been identified mostly in European genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Nevertheless, large-scale GWAS from other population could possibly find additional susceptibility loci. To identify as many MI susceptibility loci as possible, we performed a large-scale genomic analysis in Japanese population. To identify MI susceptibility loci in Japanese, we conducted a GWAS using 1666 cases and 3198 controls using the Illumina Human610-Quad BeadChip and HumanHap550v3 Genotyping BeadChip. We performed replication studies using a total of 11,412 cases and 28,397 controls in the Japanese population. Our study identified two novel susceptibility loci for MI: PLCL2 on chromosome 3p24.3 (rs4618210:A>G, P = 2.60 × 10(-9), odds ratio (OR) = 0.91) and AP3D1-DOT1L-SF3A2 on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs3803915:A>C, P = 3.84 × 10(-9), OR = 0.89). Besides, a total of 14 previously reported MI susceptibility loci were replicated in our study. In particular, we validated a strong association on chromosome 12q24 (rs3782886:A>G: P = 1.14 × 10(-14), OR = 1.46). Following pathway analysis using 265 genes related to MI or coronary artery disease, we found that these loci might be involved in the pathogenesis of MI via the promotion of atherosclerosis. In the present large-scale genomic analysis, we identified PLCL2 and AP3D1-DOT1L-SF3A2 as new susceptibility loci for MI in the Japanese population. Our findings will add novel findings for MI susceptibility loci.

A convenient route to synthetic analogues of the oxidized form of high-potential iron-sulfur proteins.

An amide-bound [Fe4S4](3+) cluster, [Fe4S4{N(SiMe3)2}4](-) (1), was found to serve as a convenient precursor for synthetic analogues of the oxidized form of high-potential iron-sulfur proteins. Treatment of 1 with 4 equiv of bulky thiols led to replacement of the amide ligands with thiolates, giving rise to a series of [Fe4S4(SR)4](-) clusters (R = Dmp (2a), Tbt (2b), Eind (2c), Dxp (2d), Dpp (2e); Dmp = 2,6-di(mesityl)phenyl, Tbt = 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl, Eind = 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl, Dxp = 2,6-di(m-xylyl)phenyl, Dpp = 2,6-diphenylphenyl). These clusters were characterized by the mass spectrum, the EPR spectrum, and X-ray crystallography. The redox potentials of the [Fe4S4](3+/2+) couple, -0.82 V (2a), -0.86 V (2b), -0.84 V (2c), -0.74 V (2d), and -0.63 V (2e) vs Ag/Ag(+) in THF, are significantly more negative than that of [Fe4S4(SPh)4](-/2-) (-0.21 V).

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance and pattern recognition analysis of liver extracts from rats under different anesthetics.

BACKGROUND: Although general anesthesia is widely used in the surgical arena, the mechanisms by which general anesthetics act remain unclear. We previously described alterations in gene expression ratios in hepatic tissue taken from rats treated with anesthetics. Consequently, it is considered that anesthetics influence liver metabolism. Thus, the goal of this study was to use pattern recognition analysis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra to visualize changes in liver metabolic phenotypes in response to widely used intravenous anesthetics (propofol and dexmedetomidine) and inhalational anesthetics (sevoflurane and isoflurane). METHODS: Rats were randomized into 13 groups (n = 6 in each group), and each group received one of following agents: propofol, dexmedetomidine, sevoflurane, isoflurane, or no anesthetic (control group). The liver was directly removed from rats immediately after or 24 h or 48 h after a 6-h period of anesthesia. Hydrophilic compounds were extracted from the liver and were analyzed with proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All spectral data were processed and analyzed by principal component analysis for comparison of metabolite profiles. RESULTS: Data were visualized by plotting principal component (PC) scores. In the plots, each point represents an individual sample. Each group was clustered separately on the plots, and the PC scores of the propofol group were clearly distinct from those of the control group and other anesthetic groups. The difference in PC scores was more pronounced immediately after completion of anesthesia when compared with 24 or 48 h after completion of anesthesia. Although the effect of intravenous anesthetics on the liver dissipated over time, the effect of inhalational anesthetics persisted. CONCLUSIONS: Propofol, dexmedetomidine, sevoflurane and isoflurane exert different effects on liver metabolism. In particular, liver metabolism was markedly altered after exposure to propofol. The effect of anesthesia on the liver under propofol or dexmedetomidine resolved rapidly when compared with the effect under sevoflurane or isoflurane.

Factors affecting reproduction in rehabilitant female orangutans: young age at first birth and short inter-birth interval.

This study investigated the reproductive parameters of free-ranging rehabilitant female orangutans. We aimed to assess the factors that influence these parameters and provide information that could assist with the management of orangutan reintroduction programs. We analyzed the birth records of free-ranging female rehabilitants at Bukit Lawang, Bukit Tigapuluh, Sepilok, Camp Leakey, Kaja Island, Sungai Wain, and Meratus and compared them with reproductive parameters reported in wild and zoo populations. Females' ages at first birth were 10.6-14.7 years, significantly earlier than those of wild and zoo orangutans. Computed inter-birth intervals (IBIs) calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method were 65.1-90.1 months; the values for Camp Leakey and Bukit Lawang rehabilitants were significantly shorter than those reported for wild Sumatran orangutans. Infant mortality rates were 18-61%; the values for Bukit Lawang and Sepilok were significantly higher than those reported for wild Sumatran and zoo orangutans. In rehabilitants, young ages at first birth and shorter IBIs may result from the high energy intake enabled by provisioning, although the possibility exists that they reflect underestimations of age on arrival at rehabilitation centers. The observed high infant mortality rate may reflect poor mothering skills due to human rearing and/or increased disease transmission. This study demonstrates that accelerated reproductive rates (younger age at first birth and shorter IBI) are common in provisioned rehabilitant females on both Sumatra and Borneo.