Effects of information provision on willingness to pay for conservation of alpine plants in Japan.

Information provision is essential for obtaining the cooperation of the general public for the conservation of unfamiliar ecosystems towards a sustainable (e.g. carbon-neutral and nature-positive) society. The purpose of this study is to identify effective ways of raising public awareness for ecosystem conservation. We explored the interaction between the manner of information provision (i.e. the medium through which and how much information is provided) and the personal attributes (e.g. environmental attitude) of the recipients on their willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation using Japanese alpine plants as the subject. Discrete choice experiments using an online survey were conducted with public citizens aged 20-69 years across Japan, and data from 8457 respondents were analysed. The data analysis was performed in two steps: 1) estimating individual WTP and 2) exploring factors affecting WTP. The results demonstrated that individual WTP was 135,798 ± 82,840 (mean ± standard deviation) JPY per person for a lifetime. The WTP increased when information was provided in the form of short texts and graphics for those proactive about nature conservation, but increased more when video information was provided to those reactive about nature conservation. The study shows that ecosystem conservation groups need to adapt the amount and format of information for target audiences (e.g. Generation Z youth, who are more sustainability-oriented and prefer to accomplish more in less time).

Effect of Carbonate Source on the Dehydrofluorination Process in Polyvinylidene Fluoride/Alkali Metal Carbonate Composites.

In this paper, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies were applied to analyze compositional and structural variations of the generated activated carbon (AC), as induced by changing carbonate source in three different types of systems, PVDF/M2CO3 (M = Li, Na, and K). According to the variations of I D/I G and sp2/sp3 ratios, a strong dependence of the AC structure on the type and content of the initial carbonate was found, determined by practical dehydrofluorination reactions associated with oxygen incorporation in AC and side reactions, because of the property variation induced by the difference in the cation of the carbonate sources. This procedure clarified the process of PVDF dehydrofluorination and the formation of activated carbon, which helps to optimize the material performance of the percolative composite for flexible energy storage applications.

Uphill Accumulation of Ionic Species into a Lipid Vesicle by the Concentration Gradient of Counter Ions.

The "uphill (against the concentration gradient)" accumulation of a hydrophobic cation (rhodamine 6G, R6G+) into the inner phase of a giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) was realized with the concentration gradient of the counter anion (X- = ClO4-, BF4-, or Br-) in the presence of phosphate buffer (P-, pH = 7) in the inner and outer phase of the GUV and detected as the increase of the R6G+ fluorescence intensity in the inner phase using a confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscope. The addition of X- in the outer phase of the GUV caused the accumulation of R6G+ in the inner phase. The degree and kinetics of the accumulation were dependent on the concentration and type of X-; e.g., the inner concentration of R6G+ reached 2.5 times that in the outer phase of GUV after adding 10 mM ClO4-. The accumulation was theoretically simulated by assuming the distribution of ion pairs (R6G+ and X-, R6G+, and P-) between the aqueous phase and the lipid bilayer membrane (ion pair distribution model) and the transmembrane fluxes of R6G+, X- and P-. The theoretical simulation rationalized the accumulation degree and kinetics of the experimental results. The accumulation of the target cation by the concentration gradient of the counter anion demonstrated in this study can be an effective method for the preparation of liposomal drugs.

Distribution of ion pairs into a bilayer lipid membrane and its effect on the ionic permeability.

This work reports the distribution constant of a target ion and a counter-ion between an aqueous phase and an artificial bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) and its influence to the ionic permeability through a BLM. A theoretical formula for ionic permeability through a BLM based on the distribution of the target ion and the counter-ion is also proposed and validated by analyzing the flux of a fluorescent cation [rhodamine 6G (R6G+)] through the BLM in the presence of counter-ions (X- = Br-, BF4-, and ClO4-). The transmembrane flux was evaluated by simultaneous measurement of the transmembrane current density and the transmembrane fluorescence intensity as a function of the membrane potential. The distribution constant of R6G+ and X- between the aqueous and BLM phases was determined by a liposome-extraction method. The measured ionic permeability exhibited non-linear dependent on the aqueous concentration of R6G+ or X-, but proportional to the concentration of R6G+ and X- inside the BLM evaluated from the distribution constant of R6G+ and X-. The proportionality demonstrates that the distribution of cations and anions between the aqueous and BLM phases dominates the flux of ion transport through the BLM. The proposed formula can express the dependence of the transmembrane current on the membrane potential and the concentrations of R6G+ and X- in the aqueous phase.

[Elements that cancer peer supporters working in Japanese hospitals consider to be important in helping them perform their role].

Objectives　The purpose of this study was to identify elements that cancer peer supporters working in Japanese hospitals consider to be important in helping them perform their role.Methods　A qualitative inductive research was conducted. Introductions to potential participants were obtained from a patient association that agreed to help with the study. Interviews were conducted from July through October 2014, using an interview guide, with cancer peer supporters who consented to participate in the study. Elements they perceived as important to the performance of their role were inductively identified from interview transcripts. The analysis consisted of coding phrases in the text and organizing the codes generated into categories and subcategories.Results　The study participants consisted of 10 cancer peer supporters (2 men, 8 women), in the age range of 40 to 70 years, who provided private counseling and worked in cancer support groups in hospitals. The analysis generated 129 codes, 11 subcategories, and 5 categories. These 5 categories were: [1.Help service users determine their own paths by listening to and accepting what they say with a non-judgmental attitude]; [2.Offer a perspective distinct from that of the medical staff]; [3.Think of ways to achieve a good balance between one's personal life and cancer peer support work while maintaining a stable state of mind]; [4.Ensure that one maintains the necessary knowledge and skills, and continually improve oneself]; and [5.Build relationships of trust with medical staff and the hospital].Conclusion　Category [1] and category [2] were behaviors regarded as important when interacting with users. They were "matters regarded as important during the practice of cancer peer support working for users," and comprised the core of matters that were regarded as important. Next, as for matters regarded as important in relation to the supporters themselves, the categories were [3] and [4]. These were "matters regarded as important for continuity and qualitative improvement of cancer peer support working." Areas that call for improvement in relation to this are preparation of support systems and learning environments. Another matter regarded as important was category [5]. This was a "matter regarded as important to smoothen and facilitate cancer peer support working." Placing importance on relationships of trust with medical staff and hospitals could be considered a distinctive characteristic of cancer peer supporters working at hospitals.

Dynamic behavior analysis of ion transport through a bilayer lipid membrane by an electrochemical method combined with fluorometry.

To examine the transport of an ionic substance through a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM), an electrochemical method combined with fluorometry was proposed. In this method, the transport of a fluorescent ion through the BLM was detected both as the transmembrane current and the dynamic change of fluorescence intensity synchronizing scanning membrane potential. The fluorescence intensity was measured in the local area close to the planar BLM by utilizing a confocal fluorescence microscope. The electrochemical method combined with fluorometry makes it possible to analyze only the transport of a target fluorescent ion in distinction from the transport of other coexisting ions. With the proposed electrochemical method, the ion transport caused by both a hydrophobic fluorescent cation (rhodamine 6G+, R6G+) and a relatively hydrophobic anion (BF4-) was examined. The electrochemical method combined with fluorometry characterized the transmembrane current as the transport of R6G+. Membrane conductance for the R6G+ transport increased proportionally to the concentrations of R6G+ and BF4- distributed in the hydrocarbon medium of the BLM which were estimated by extraction experiments with liposomes. These results show that the distribution of a cation and an anion from the aqueous phase in the BLM predominantly controls the membrane conductance for ion transport through the BLM.

Reactivation of intraabdominal tuberculous lymphadenopathy after drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Owing to effective treatments and sanitary improvements, the incidence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) has decreased. However, approximately one-quarter of the world's population is thought to have LTBI, and the reactivation of tuberculosis (TB) sometimes occurs in immunocompromised hosts. A 54-year-old man presented with a fever. The patient had past histories of alcoholic and hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). He was treated with drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) for HCC three times, beginning 10 months before his current visit. A computed tomography scan showed enlarged intraabdominal lymph nodes with calcification, and the interferon-gamma release assay for TB infection was positive. The patient was diagnosed with tuberculous reactivation. Anti-TB therapy was administered to the patient, after which we restarted TACE and the TB infection remains controlled. In this case, we presumed that DEB-TACE is associated with the reactivation of TB infection and that anthracycline increases the risk of reactivating TB infection. In summary, we experienced a case of TB reactivation during the clinical course of a patient with HCC who was treated with DEB-TACE. When patients with HCC are treated with TACE, their symptoms, laboratory data, and imaging results should be monitored when latent TB infections are suspected.

Ion sensing with thread-based potentiometric electrodes.

Potentiometric sensing of ions with ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) is a powerful technique for selective and sensitive measurement of ions in complex matrices. The application of ISEs is generally limited to laboratory settings, because most commercially available ISEs and reference electrodes are large, delicate, and expensive, and are not suitable for point-of-use or point-of-care measurements. This work utilizes cotton thread as a substrate for fabrication of robust and miniaturized ISEs that are suitable for point-of-care or point-of-use applications. Thread-based ISEs selective for Cl-, K+, Na+, and Ca2+ were developed. The cation-selective ISEs were fabricated by coating the thread with a surfactant-free conductive ink (made of carbon black) and then coating the tip of the conductive thread with the ion-selective membrane. The Cl- ISE was fabricated by coating the thread with an Ag/AgCl ink. These sensors exhibited slopes (of electrical potential vs. log concentration of target ion), close to the theoretically-expected values, over four orders of magnitude in concentrations of ions. Because thread is mechanically strong, the thread-based electrodes can be used in multiple-use applications as well as single-use applications. Multiple thread-based sensors can be easily bundled together to fabricate a customized sensor for multiplexed ion-sensing. These electrodes require volumes of sample as low as 200 µL. The application of thread-based ISEs is demonstrated in the analysis of ions in soil, food, and dietary supplements (Cl- in soil/water slurry, K+ and Na+ in coconut water, and Ca2+ in a calcium supplement), and in detection of physiological electrolytes (K+ and Na+ in blood serum and urine, with sufficient accuracy for clinical diagnostics).

[Support that cancer peer supporters working at medical institutions currently receive and the support they actually need].

Objectives　This research aims to ascertain the kinds of support cancer peer supporters at medical institutions currently receive and the support they actually need.Methods　Participants in the study were ten cancer peer supporters who were recommended by a patient association and who agreed to participate in the study. Using a qualitative descriptive method, interviews were conducted using an interview guide from July to October 2014. Codes were extracted from the interview transcript and divided into categories and subcategories. Accuracy was ensured by checking the data with the participants. The study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Committee of Mejiro University.Results　Research participants consisted of two men and eight women aged forty to seventy years, who were private counselors, telephone counselors, or members of cancer salons at hospitals. Four categories were generated on the basis of the support that cancer peer supporters are currently receiving: mutual learning and support among peer supporters, learning and encouragement from patients, self-improvement in peer supporters, and cooperation with hospitals and the government. Seven categories were generated on the basis of the support that cancer peer supporters need: opportunities for peer supporters to learn from and support each other, further studies on cancer peer support, reliable and up-to-date information, society's understanding and cooperation regarding cancer, financial support for support activities and patient associations, improvement of cancer peer support system, and quality assurance of peer supporter training courses.Conclusion　Cancer peer supporters were supporting each other, gaining encouragement from patients, improving themselves, and gaining support from others. However, they also needed additional assistance such as opportunities for supporters to learn from and support each other and reliable and up-to-date information. Moreover, peer supporters needed advice and emotional support from hospital staff as they experienced difficulties during consultation. Various other types of support were needed, such as society's understanding and cooperation regarding cancer, financial support for support activities and patient associations, institutionalization of peer supporter placement in hospitals, and quality assurance of peer supporter training courses. Overall, support for cancer peer supporters is still not sufficient; thus, further help is necessary.

Kinetic Switching of the Concentration/Separation Behavior of Microdroplets.

This work demonstrates that the solute concentration inside 100 micrometer-sized aqueous microdroplets can be controlled by adjusting the time required for the aqueous nanometer-sized droplets (nanodroplet) or reverse micelles to pass over the surface of the microdroplet. The kinetics of molecular transport between the microdroplets and the nanodroplets was investigated by utilizing a microdroplet array, and on the basis of these results, a control over the concentration selectivity of the contents of the microdroplet was achieved. This method is operationally simple and can be potentially applied as a pretreatment method for microanalytical systems that require high-density microdroplet arrays. This method can also be utilized for parallel small sample analyses such as single cell analysis.

Distribution and Adsorption of Ionic Species into a Liposome Membrane and Their Dependence upon the Species and Concentration of a Coexisting Counterion.

The distribution of ions into a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) and their adsorption on the BLM are investigated by extracting a hydrophobic cation, rhodamine 6G (R6G+), into a liposome through the dialysis membrane method. R6G+ distribution mainly depends upon the concentration of the coexisting anion and its species (Cl-, Br-, BF4-, ClO4-, and picrate). On the other hand, R6G+ adsorption on the BLM surface follows the Langmuir adsorption model and is independent of the coexisting anion in the aqueous phase. We propose an extraction model of ionic species into the BLM, to explain the dependence of extraction of ionic species upon the coexisting anion. In this model, an ion is distributed with a coexisting counterion into the BLM and then forms an ion pair in the BLM. Here, the ion adsorption equilibrium on the BLM surface is independent of the species and concentration of the coexisting counterion under the same ionic strength. On the basis of this model, we estimate the distribution constant of R6G+ and anion (KD), the ion-pair formation constant in the BLM (Kip), and the R6G+ adsorption constant on the BLM surface (Kad). Even for an ultrathin membrane system, such as a BLM, R6G+ is distributed with a coexisting counterion and the distribution equilibrium of the ionic species at the water-BLM interface is analyzable similar to that at the water-organic solvent interface.

Pex11mediates peroxisomal proliferation by promoting deformation of the lipid membrane.

Pex11p family proteins are key players in peroxisomal fission, but their molecular mechanisms remains mostly unknown. In the present study, overexpression of Pex11pß caused substantial vesiculation of peroxisomes in mammalian cells. This vesicle formation was dependent on dynamin-like protein 1 (DLP1) and mitochondrial fission factor (Mff), as knockdown of these proteins diminished peroxisomal fission after Pex11pß overexpression. The fission-deficient peroxisomes exhibited an elongated morphology, and peroxisomal marker proteins, such as Pex14p or matrix proteins harboring peroxisomal targeting signal 1, were discernible in a segmented staining pattern, like beads on a string. Endogenous Pex11pß was also distributed a striped pattern, but which was not coincide with Pex14p and PTS1 matrix proteins. Altered morphology of the lipid membrane was observed when recombinant Pex11p proteins were introduced into proteo-liposomes. Constriction of proteo-liposomes was observed under confocal microscopy and electron microscopy, and the reconstituted Pex11pß protein localized to the membrane constriction site. Introducing point mutations into the N-terminal amphiphathic helix of Pex11pß strongly reduced peroxisomal fission, and decreased the oligomer formation. These results suggest that Pex11p contributes to the morphogenesis of the peroxisomal membrane, which is required for subsequent fission by DLP1.

Improved thin-layer electrolysis cell for ion transfer at the liquid|liquid interface using a conducting polymer-coated electrode.

This article reviews the development of a thin-layer electrolysis cell with both a thin aqueous phase and a thin organic phase for ion transfer at the liquid|liquid interface for the absolute determination of a redox-inactive ion. In particular, an improvement of the cell performance by using a conducting polymer-coated electrode in the organic phase is discussed. The applicability of the thin-layer electrolysis cell to the absolute determination of redox-inactive ions using the flow-injection method or stripping method is also described.

Mff functions with Pex11pß and DLP1 in peroxisomal fission.

PEROXISOMAL DIVISION COMPRISES THREE STEPS: elongation, constriction, and fission. Translocation of dynamin-like protein 1 (DLP1), a member of the large GTPase family, from the cytosol to peroxisomes is a prerequisite for membrane fission; however, the molecular machinery for peroxisomal targeting of DLP1 remains unclear. This study investigated whether mitochondrial fission factor (Mff), which targets DLP1 to mitochondria, may also recruit DLP1 to peroxisomes. Results show that endogenous Mff is localized to peroxisomes, especially at the membrane-constricted regions of elongated peroxisomes, in addition to mitochondria. Knockdown of MFF abrogates the fission stage of peroxisomal division and is associated with failure to recruit DLP1 to peroxisomes, while ectopic expression of MFF increases the peroxisomal targeting of DLP1. Co-expression of MFF and PEX11ß, the latter being a key player in peroxisomal elongation, increases peroxisome abundance. Overexpression of MFF also increases the interaction between DLP1 and Pex11pß, which knockdown of MFF, but not Fis1, abolishes. Moreover, results show that Pex11pß interacts with Mff in a DLP1-dependent manner. In conclusion, Mff contributes to the peroxisomal targeting of DLP1 and plays a key role in the fission of the peroxisomal membrane by acting in concert with Pex11pß and DLP1.

Stabilization of actin bundles by a dynamin 1/cortactin ring complex is necessary for growth cone filopodia.

Dynamin GTPase, a key molecule in endocytosis, mechanically severs the invaginated membrane upon GTP hydrolysis. Dynamin functions also in regulating actin cytoskeleton, but the mechanisms are yet to be defined. Here we show that dynamin 1, a neuronal isoform of dynamin, and cortactin form ring complexes, which twine around F-actin bundles and stabilize them. By negative-staining EM, dynamin 1-cortactin complexes appeared as "open" or "closed" rings depending on guanine nucleotide conditions. By pyrene actin assembly assay, dynamin 1 stimulated actin assembly in mouse brain cytosol. In vitro incubation of F-actin with both dynamin 1 and cortactin led to the formation of long and thick actin bundles, on which dynamin 1 and cortactin were periodically colocalized in puncta. A depolymerization assay revealed that dynamin 1 and cortactin increased the stability of actin bundles, most prominently in the presence of GTP. In rat cortical neurons and human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, both dynamin 1 and cortactin localized on actin filaments and the bundles at growth cone filopodia as revealed by immunoelectron microscopy. In SH-SY5Y cell, acute inhibition of dynamin 1 by application of dynamin inhibitor led to growth cone collapse. Cortactin knockdown also reduced growth cone filopodia. Together, our results strongly suggest that dynamin 1 and cortactin ring complex mechanically stabilizes F-actin bundles in growth cone filopodia. Thus, the GTPase-dependent mechanochemical enzyme property of dynamin is commonly used both in endocytosis and regulation of F-actin bundles by a dynamin 1-cortactin complex.

DoBISCUIT: a database of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters.

This article introduces DoBISCUIT (Database of BIoSynthesis clusters CUrated and InTegrated, http://www.bio.nite.go.jp/pks/), a literature-based, manually curated database of gene clusters for secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Bacterial secondary metabolites often show pharmacologically important activities and can serve as lead compounds and/or candidates for drug development. Biosynthesis of each secondary metabolite is catalyzed by a number of enzymes, usually encoded by a gene cluster. Although many scientific papers describe such gene clusters, the gene information is not always described in a comprehensive manner and the related information is rarely integrated. DoBISCUIT integrates the latest literature information and provides standardized gene/module/domain descriptions related to the gene clusters.