Pseudobizionia ponticola gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from seawater.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated MM-14T, was isolated from seawater sampled from the Yellow Sea in the Republic of Korea and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Strain MM-14T grew optimally at 30 °C and in the presence of approximately 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain MM-14T clustered with the type strain of Hanstruepera neustonica. The novel strain exhibited a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value of 96.06 % to the type strain of H. neustonica, but higher 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values (96.13-96.69 %) to the type strains of Bizionia echini, Bizionia hallyeonensis and Bizionia psychrotolerans. Strain MM-14T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified lipid and one unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain MM-14T was 34.6 mol%. The phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic data and other phenotypic properties revealed that strain MM-14T constitutes a new genus and species within the family Flavobacteriaceae of the phylum Bacteroidetes, for which the name Pseudobizionia ponticola gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Pseudobizionia ponticola is MM-14T (=KACC 19434T=KCTC 62139T=NBRC 113019T).

Flavobacterium sediminilitoris sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, facultatively aerobic, motile-by-gliding, non-flagellated and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated YSM-43T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Yeosu on the South Sea in the Republic of Korea. Strain YSM-43T grew optimally at 30 °C and in the presence of 1.0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YSM-43T fell within the clade comprising type strains of Flavobacterium species, clustering with the type strains of Flavobacterium jejuense and Flavobacterium jumunjinense. It exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.20 and 97.15 % to the type strains of F. jejuense and F. jumunjinense, respectively, and of less than 96.59 % to the type strains of the other Flavobacterium species. Strain YSM-43T contained menaquinone-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 1 G and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain YSM-43T was 29.8 mol% and its DNA-DNA relatedness values with type strains of F. jejuense and F. jumunjinense were 13 and 11 %, respectively. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic data, revealed that strain YSM-43T is separate from other recognized species of the genus Flavobacterium. On the basis of the data presented, strain YSM-43T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacteriumsediminilitoris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YSM-43T (=KACC 19435T=KCTC 62142T=NBRC 113020T).

Tenacibaculum insulae sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacterial strain, designated JDTF-31T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Jindo, a South Korean island. Strain JDTF-31T grew optimally at 25 °C and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain JDTF-31T fell within the cluster comprising the type strains of Tenacibaculum species, joining the type strain of Tenacibaculum soleae. The novel strain exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 98.3, 97.8 and 97.1 % to the type strains of T. soleae, Tenacibaculum haliotisand Tenacibaculum ovolyticum, respectively, and of 94.2-96.8 % to the type strains of the other Tenacibaculum species. Strain JDTF-31T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain JDTF-31T were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified lipid and one unidentified aminophospholipid. The DNA G+C content of strain JDTF-31T was 31.3 mol% and its DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of T. soleae, T. haliotis and T. ovolyticum were 16-27 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic data, revealed that strain JDTF-31T is separated from other recognized species of the genus Tenacibaculum. On the basis of the data presented, strain JDTF-31T represents a novel species of the genus Tenacibaculum, for which the name Tenacibaculuminsulae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JDTF-31T (=KCTC 52749T=NBRC 112783T).

Thalassotalea insulae sp. nov., isolated from tidal flat sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile and rod-shaped or ovoid bacterial strain, designated JDTF-40T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Jindo, an island of the Republic of South Korea. Strain JDTF-40T grew optimally at pH 7.0-8.0, at 30 °C and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain JDTF-40T fell within the cluster comprising the type strains of Thalassotalea species. Strain JDTF-40T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 93.8-95.7 % to the type strains of Thalassotalea species. Strain JDTF-40T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain JDTF-40T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified glycolipid and three unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain JDTF-40T was 41.3 mol%. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic distinctiveness, demonstrated that strain JDTF-40T is distinct from recognized species of the genus Thalassotalea. On the basis of the data presented here, strain JDTF-40T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Thalassotalea, for which the name Thalassotalea insulae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JDTF-40T (=KACC 19433T=KCTC 62186T=NBRC 113040T).

Aestuariimonas insulae gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated OITF-44T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Oido, an island of the Republic of Korea. Strain OITF-44T grew optimally at 25 °C and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain OITF-44T formed an independent lineage within the clade comprising the genera Lutimonas, Taeania, Actibacter and Namhaeicola. The novel strain exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 93.9-95.7 % to the type strains of the species of the genera Lutimonas, Taeania, Actibacter and Namhaeicola, and of less than 93.5 % to the type strains of other recognized species. Strain OITF-44T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C16 : 1 H and iso-C16 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain OITF-44T were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified lipid and one unidentified phospholipid. The DNA G+C content of strain OITF-44T was 33.9 mol%. The chemotaxonomic data and other differential phenotypic properties made it reasonable to distinguish strain OITF-44T from the type strains of the type species of the genera Lutimonas, Taeania, Actibacter and Namhaeicola. On the basis of the data presented here, strain OITF-44T is considered to constitute a new genus and species within the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Aestuariimonas insulae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Aestuariimonas insulae is OITF-44T (=KACC 19569T=KCTC 62197T=DSM 105891T=NBRC 113118T).

Aestuariibius insulae gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, DBTF-13T, which was isolated from a tidal flat sediment of the Yellow Sea in South Korea, was characterized taxonomically. Strain DBTF-13T grew optimally at 25-30 °C and pH 7.0-8.0, and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain DBTF-13T formed an evolutionary lineage independent of other genera, including the genera Pseudooctadecabacter and Octadecabacter. Strain DBTF-13T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 96.9 % to the type strain of Pseudooctadecabacter jejudonensis, and of 95.8-96.5 % to the type strains of Octadecabacter species. Strain DBTF-13T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c and C16 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain DBTF-13T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain DBTF-13T was 61.6 mol%. The chemotaxonomic data and other differential phenotypic properties made it reasonable to differentiate strain DBTF-13T from the genera Pseudooctadecabacter and Octadecabacter. On the basis of the data presented, strain DBTF-13T constitutes a new genus and species within the class Alphaproteobacteria, for which the name Aestuariibius insulae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DBTF-13T (=KACC 19432T=NBRC 113038T).

Pseudomaribius aestuariivivens gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, DBTF-15T, was isolated from a tidal flat sediment on the Yellow Sea in South Korea. Strain DBTF-15T grew optimally at 25-30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain DBTF-15T joined the cluster comprising the type strains of species of the genus Palleronia. Strain DBTF-15T exhibited higher 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values to the type strains (96.5-96.7 %) of Maribius pelagius and Maribius salinus than to those (94.6-96.1 %) of the three species of the genus Palleronia. It exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of less than 93.9 % to the type strains of the other recognized species. Strain DBTF-15T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids of strain DBTF-15T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain DBTF-15T was 68.7 mol%. The chemotaxonomic data and other differential phenotypic properties made it possible to distinguish strain DBTF-15T from the genera Maribius and Palleronia. On the basis of the data presented, strain DBTF-15T constitutes a novel genus and species within the class Alphaproteobacteria, for which the name Pseudomaribius aestuariivivens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DBTF-15T (=KACC 19431T=NBRC 113039T).

Pseudopontivivens aestuariicola gen. nov., sp. nov., a Novel Bacterium of the Class Alphaproteobacteria Isolated from a Tidal Flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, OITF-57T, which was isolated from a tidal flat sediment in South Korea, was characterized taxonomically. Strain OITF-57T grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0% (w/v) NaCl. Strain OITF-57T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value (94.2%) to the type strain of Pontivivens insulae forming a cluster in the neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree. In the maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and the phylogenetic tress based on gyrB sequences, strain OITF-57T formed evolutionary lineages independent of those of other taxa. Strain OITF-57T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18:1 ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids of strain OITF-57T were phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G + C content of strain OITF-57T was 66.0 mol%. The chemotaxonomic data and other differential phenotypic properties made it possible to distinguish strain OITF-57T from the genus Pontivivens and other phylogenetically related genera. On the basis of the data presented, strain OITF-57T constitutes a new genus and species within the class Alphaproteobacteria, for which the name Pseudopontivivens aestuariicola gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is OITF-57T (= KACC 19570T = CGMCC 1.13481T).

Paraglaciecola aestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, singly flagellated, aerobic and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain JDTF-33T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Jindo, an island of South Korea. Strain JDTF-33T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, demonstrated that strain JDTF-33T belonged to the genus Paraglaciecola, joining the type strain of the species Paraglaciecola aquimarinawith 97.9 % sequence similarity. Strain JDTF-33T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.1 and 97.0 % to the type strains of Paraglaciecola arctica and Paraglaciecola psychrophila, respectively, and of 96.1-96.6 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Paraglaciecola. Strain JDTF-33T showed DNA-DNA relatedness values of 11-24 % to the type strains of the species P. aquimarina, P. arctica and Paraglaciecola psychrophila. Strain JDTF-33T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and summed feature 3 (C16 : ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain JDTF-33T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content of strain JDTF-33T was 41.7 mol%. Differential phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic and genetic data, demonstrate that strain JDTF-33T is separate from species of the genus Paraglaciecolawith validly published names. On the basis of the data presented, strain JDTF-33T represents a novel species of the genus Paraglaciecola, for which the name Paraglaciecola aestuariivivens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JDTF-33T (=KCTC 52838T=NBRC 112782T).

Paracoccus litorisediminis sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, non-motile and coccoid, ovoid or short rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated GHD-05T, was isolated from a tidal flat on the Yellow Sea in South Korea. Strain GHD-05T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GHD-05T belonged to the genus Paracoccus, clustering with the type strain of Paracoccusaestuariivivens. Strain GHD-05T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.0-99.1 % to the type strains of Paracoccusaestuariivivens, Paracoccuslimosus, Paracoccuslaeviglucosivorans and Paracoccusmarinus, and of 94.2-96.9 % to the type strains of the other Paracoccus species. Strain GHD-05T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids detected in strain GHD-05T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified glycolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain GHD-05T was 64.1 mol% and its DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of P. aestuariivivens, Paracoccuslimosus, P. laeviglucosivorans and P. marinus were 13-32 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain GHD-05T is separated from recognized Paracoccus species. On the basis of the data presented here, strain GHD-05T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccuslitorisediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GHD-05T (=KCTC 52978T=NBRC 112902T).

The TFG-TEC oncoprotein induces transcriptional activation of the human ß-enolase gene via chromatin modification of the promoter region.

Recurrent chromosome translocations are the hallmark of many human cancers. A proportion of human extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas (EMCs) are associated with the characteristic chromosomal translocation t(3;9)(q11-12;q22), which results in the formation of a chimeric protein in which the N-terminal domain of the TRK-fused gene (TFG) is fused to the translocated in extraskeletal chondrosarcoma (TEC; also called CHN, CSMF, MINOR, NOR1, and NR4A3) gene. The oncogenic effect of this translocation may be due to the higher transactivation ability of the TFG-TEC chimeric protein; however, downstream target genes of TFG-TEC have not yet been identified. The results presented here, demonstrate that TFG-TEC activates the human ß-enolase promoter. EMSAs, ChIP assays, and luciferase reporter assays revealed that TFG-TEC upregulates ß-enolase transcription by binding to two NGFI-B response element motifs located upstream of the putative transcription start site. In addition, northern blot, quantitative real-time PCR, and Western blot analyses showed that overexpression of TFG-TEC up-regulated ß-enolase mRNA and protein expression in cultured cell lines. Finally, ChIP analyses revealed that TFG-TEC controls the activity of the endogenous ß-enolase promoter by promoting histone H3 acetylation. Overall, the results presented here indicate that TFG-TEC triggers a regulatory gene hierarchy implicated in cancer cell metabolism. This finding may aid the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human EMCs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Localized surface plasmon resonance-based label-free biosensor for highly sensitive detection of dopamine.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is the phenomenon that is observed on specific metal nanoparticles (NPs) like Au, Ag which can be used for sensitive detection for many kinds of biomaterials. Dopamine (DA) is a typical neurotransmitter considered as indicator of some neural diseases. Due to its small size, it is very difficult to detect DA at low concentrations directly and sensitively with conventional sensing techniques. In this research, we propose a DA detection sensor based on LSPR phenomenon. Electrochemical deposition technique was used to make LSPR substrates, where Au NPs were electrochemically deposited on ITO glasses and these substrates showed optical characteristic of LSPR phenomenon. Different concentrations of DA solution were deposited on antibody immobilized LSPR substrates. With additions of increasing concentrations of DA, LSPR peak intensity was increased linearly. These results could be applied to many fields of clinical trials for diseases caused by small molecules.

Synergistic effect of interleukin-6 and hyaluronic acid on cell migration and ERK activation in human keratinocytes.

Wound healing is initiated and progressed by complex integrated process of cellular, physiologic, and biochemical events, such as inflammation, cell migration and proliferation. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine, and it could regulate the inflammatory response of wound healing process in a timely manner. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an essential component of the extracellular matrix, and contributes significantly to cell proliferation and migration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of IL-6 or/and HA on the cell migration process in human keratinocytes. Combining IL-6 and HA significantly increased the cell migration in scratch based wound healing assay. The phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was significantly increased after 1 hr of IL-6 and HA treatment, but the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was not. We also found that significant increase of the NF-κB translocation from cytoplasm into nucleus after 1 hr of IL-6 or/and HA treatments. This study firstly showed that synergistic effects of combining IL-6 and HA on the cell migration of wound healing by activation of ERK and NF-κB signaling. Further studies might be required to confirm the synergistic effects of HA and IL-6 in the animal model for the development of a novel therapeutic mixture for stimulation of wound healing process.

Hairless plays a role in formation of inner root sheath via regulation of Dlx3 gene.

The Hairless (Hr), a transcription factor, is expressed in the suprabasal cell layer of the interfollicular epidermis and the lower portion of the hair follicle epithelium, where its expression is dependent on the hair cycle. Recently, we reported a new Hr mutant mouse, Hr(Hp), in which the hairless protein (HR) was overexpressed. In this study, we documented abnormal formation of inner root sheath (IRS), suppressed expression of Dlx3, and IRS keratins in the Hr(Hp)/Hr(Hp) skin. We also found that HR down-regulated Dlx3 mRNA expression through suppression of Dlx3 promoter activity. In addition, we showed that Dlx3 regulated the expression of IRS keratins. Our results demonstrate that regulation of Dlx3 by HR affects the IRS keratin expression, thus modulating the formation of IRS of hair follicle.

Single nucleotide deletion mutation of KCNH2 gene is responsible for LQT syndrome in a 3-generation Korean family.

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is characterized by the prolongation of the QT interval in ECG and manifests predisposition to life threatening arrhythmia which often leads to sudden cardiac death. We encountered a 3-generation family with 5 affected family members in which LQTS was inherited in autosomal dominant manner. The LQTS is considered an ion channel disorder in which the type and location of the genetic mutation determines to a large extent the expression of the clinical syndrome. Upon screening of the genomic sequences of cardiac potassium ion channel genes, we found a single nucleotide C deletion mutation in the exon 3 of KCNH2 gene that co-segregates with the LQTS in this family. This mutation presumably resulted in a frameshift mutation, P151fs+15X. This study added a new genetic cause to the pool of mutations that lead to defected potassium ion channels in the heart.

The TFG-TEC fusion gene created by the t(3;9) translocation in human extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas encodes a more potent transcriptional activator than TEC.

The t(3;9)(q11-q12;q22) translocation associated with human extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas results in a chimeric molecule in which the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the TFG (TRK-fused gene) is fused to the TEC (Translocated in Extraskeletal Chondrosarcoma) gene. Little is known about the biological function of TFG-TEC. Because the NTDs of TFG-TEC and TEC are structurally different, and the TFG itself is a cytoplasmic protein, the functional consequences of this fusion in extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas were examined. The results showed that the chimeric gene encoded a nuclear protein that bound DNA with the same sequence specificity as the parental TEC protein. Comparison of the transactivation properties of TFG-TEC and TEC indicated that the former has higher transactivation activity for a known target reporter containing TEC-binding sites. Additional reporter assays for TFG (NTD) showed that the TGF (NTD) of TFG-TEC induced a 12-fold increase in the activation of luciferase from a reporter plasmid containing GAL4 binding sites when fused to the DNA-binding domain of GAL4, indicating that the TFG (NTD) of the TFG-TEC protein has intrinsic transcriptional activation properties. Finally, deletion analysis of the functional domains of TFG (NTD) indicated that the PB1 (Phox and Bem1p) and SPYGQ-rich region of TFG (NTD) were capable of activating transcription and that full integrity of TFG (NTD) was necessary for full transactivation. These results suggest that the oncogenic effect of the t(3;9) translocation may be due to the TFG-TEC chimeric protein and that fusion of the TFG (NTD) to the TEC protein produces a gain-of-function chimeric product.

Poly(rC) binding protein 2 acts as a negative regulator of IRES-mediated translation of Hr mRNA.

During the hair follicle (HF) cycle, HR protein expression is not concordant with the presence of the Hr mRNA transcript, suggesting an elaborate regulation of Hr gene expression. Here we present evidence that the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the Hr gene has internal ribosome entry site (IRES) activity and this activity is regulated by the binding of poly (rC) binding protein 2 (PCBP2) to Hr mRNA. Overexpression and knockdown of PCBP2 resulted in a decrease in Hr 5' UTR IRES activity and an increase in HR protein expression without changing mRNA levels. We also found that this regulation was disrupted in a mutant Hr 5' UTR that has a mutation responsible for Marie Unna hereditary hypotrichosis (MUHH) in both mice and humans. These findings suggest that Hr mRNA expression is regulated at the post-transcriptional level via IRES-mediated translation control through interaction with PCPB2, but not in MUHH.

Structure Shapes Dynamics and Directionality in Diverse Brain Networks: Mathematical Principles and Empirical Confirmation in Three Species.

Identifying how spatially distributed information becomes integrated in the brain is essential to understanding higher cognitive functions. Previous computational and empirical studies suggest a significant influence of brain network structure on brain network function. However, there have been few analytical approaches to explain the role of network structure in shaping regional activities and directionality patterns. In this study, analytical methods are applied to a coupled oscillator model implemented in inhomogeneous networks. We first derive a mathematical principle that explains the emergence of directionality from the underlying brain network structure. We then apply the analytical methods to the anatomical brain networks of human, macaque, and mouse, successfully predicting simulation and empirical electroencephalographic data. The results demonstrate that the global directionality patterns in resting state brain networks can be predicted solely by their unique network structures. This study forms a foundation for a more comprehensive understanding of how neural information is directed and integrated in complex brain networks.

Hydrodynamic assembly of conductive nanomesh of single-walled carbon nanotubes using biological glue.

A hydrodynamic phenomenon is used to assemble a large-scale conductive nanomesh of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with exceptional control of the nanostructure. This is accomplished by a biological material with nanoscale features and a strong binding affinity toward SWNTs. The biological material also presents a unique glue effect for the assembly. Unprecedented material characteristics are observed for the nanomesh.

Noninvasive determination of the optical properties of adult brain: near-infrared spectroscopy approach.

The basic parameters for physiological measurements provided by near-infrared spectroscopy are the local absorption and scattering coefficients. For the adult human head, they have been difficult to measure noninvasively because of the layered structure of the head. The results of measurements of absorption and reduced scattering coefficients through the forehead on 30 adult volunteers using a multidistance frequency domain method are reported. The optode separation distance ranged from 10 to 80 mm and measurements were recorded at 758 and 830 nm. The measured absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the forehead were used to evaluate the hemoglobin content in the scalp and brain as well as cerebral oxygen saturation. We found that cerebral oxygenation was relatively narrowly distributed within the subject group (the standard deviation was about 3% for scalp and 6% for brain, respectively), whereas hemoglobin concentrations had a relatively broader distribution. We found that as the optode distance increased, the absorption coefficients increased and the scattering coefficients decreased, retrieving the optical values of scalp and brain for shorter and longer optode distances, respectively. We present the transition curves of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients as functions of the optode distance. In order to verify the values for each layer, a comparison between the experimental data and a prediction based on the two-layer model of the adult head was carried out. The thicknesses of scalp and skull for the two-layer model were obtained by magnetic resonance imaging of a subject's head. The optical parameters obtained from the two-layer model agreed very well with those measured by the multidistance method.