Combination of genetic analysis and ancient literature survey reveals the diverge nee of traditional Brassica rapa varieties from Kyoto, Japan

Since ancient times,humans have bred several plants that we rely on today.However,little is known about the divergence of most of these plants.In the present study,we investigated the divergence of Mibuna(Brassica rapa L.subsp.nipposinica L.H.Bailey),a traditional leafy vegetable in Kyoto(Japan),by combining genetic analysis and a survey of ancient literature.Mibuna is considered to have been bred 200 years ago from Mizuna,another traditional leafy vegetable in Kyoto.Mibuna has simple spatulate leaves,whereas Mizuna has characteristic serrated leaves.The quantitative trait loci(QTL)and gene expression analyses suggested that the downregulation of BrTCP15 expression contributed to the change in the leaf shape from serrated to simple spatulate.Interestingly,the SNP analysis indicated that the genomic region containing the BrTCP15 locus was transferred to Mibuna by introgression.Furthermore,we conducted a survey of ancient literature to reveal the divergence of Mibuna and found that hybridization between Mizuna and a simple-leaved turnip might have occurred in the past.Indeed,the genomic analysis of multiple turnip cultivars showed that one of the cultivars,Murasakihime,has almost the same sequence in the BrTCP15 region as Mibuna.These results suggest that the hybridization between Mizuna and turnip has resulted in the establishment of Mibuna.

Molecular Phylogeny Determined Using Chloroplast DNA Inferred a New Phylogenetic Relationship of <i>Rorippa aquatica</i>(Eaton) EJ Palmer &Steyermark (Brassicaceae)—Lake Cress

North American lake cress, Rorippa aquatica (Eaton) EJ Palmer & Steyermark (Brassicaceae), is listed as an endangered or threatened species. Lake cress shows heterophyllic changes in leaf form in response to the surrounding environment. Therefore, this species has received considerable attention from ecological and morphological perspectives. However, its phylogenetic position and taxonomic status have long been a subject of debate. To analyze the phylogenetic relationship of lake cress, we investigated chloroplast DNA sequences from 17 plant species. The results of phylogenetic reconstruction performed using trnL intron, trnG (GCC)-trnM (CAU), and psbC-trnS (UGA) indicated that lake cress is a member of Rorippa. Moreover, we found that the chromosome number of lake cress is 2n = 30. This result indicated that lake cress might have originated from aneuploidy of triploid species or via intergeneric crossing. Taken together, our results suggest an affinity between lake cress and Rorippa at the molecular level, indicating that lake cress should be treated as Rorippa aquatica (Eaton) EJ Palmer & Steyermark.

A NOTE ON THE UNIQUENESS AND THE NON-DEGENERACY OF POSITIVE RADIAL SOLUTIONS FOR SEMILINEAR ELLIPTIC PROBLEMS AND ITS APPLICATION

In this paper, we are concerned with the uniqueness and the non-degeneracy of positive radial solutions for a class of semilinear elliptic equations. Using detailed ODE anal- ysis, we extend previous results to cases where nonlinear terms may have sublinear growth. As an application, we obtain the uniqueness and the non-degeneracy of ground states for modified SchrSdinger equations.

Optical-transition Probability of Tm^(3+) Ions in Tm^(3+)/Er^(3+):YVO_4 Crystal

The polarized absorption spectra of Tm3+/Er3+:YVO4 crystal were measured at room temperature. Based on the Judd-Ofelt theory, the spectral parameters were obtained: the intensity parameters Wl of Tm3+ in Tm/Er:YVO4 crystal: W2 = 10.69×10-20, W4 = 0.604×10-20, W6 = 2.05×10-20 cm2 for the (100) face and W2 = 10.43×10-20, W4 = 0.13×10-20, W6 = 1.83×10-20 cm2 for the (001) face. Based on these values, the oscillator strength, radioactive lifetime and fluorescence branch ratio were calculated for Tm3+ in Tm/Er:YVO4 crystal.

The ATPase activity of molecular chaperone HSP60 is inhibited by immunosuppressant mizoribine

The molecular chaperone HSP60 is a chaperonin homolog of GroEL. We had previously shown that the immunosuppressant mizoribine is bound directly to HSP60 and inhibited its chaperone activity. However, the inhibitory mechanisms of HSP60 by mizoribine have not yet been fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the influence of mizoribine on a folding cycle of HSP60 and co-chaperone HSP10. Our results showed that mizoribine inhibited the folding cycle of HSP60/HSP10. The ATPase activity of HSP60/HSP10 was decreased in the presence of mizoribine and the dissociation of HSP10 from HSP-60 was also decreased by mizoribine. The same functions of GroEL and/or GroES were slightly affected by mizoribine. Based on our findings, we discuss the inhibitory mechanisms of HSP60 by mizoribine.

Effect of Hot Water Extract from Agaricus Blazei Murill on Chemotaxis of Neutrophils

Hot water extract from the edible Brazilian mushroom, Agaricus Blazei Murill (ABM), is used for both traditional and alternative medicine. ABM is reported to stimulate anti-tumor, anti-infection, and immune activity. However, there are few reports of how ABM affects neutrophils. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effect of hot water ABM extract on neutrophil migration, phagocytosis, and reactive oxygen species production using neutrophils from guinea pig. Migratory direction and velocity as indicators of chemotactic activity of neutrophils were significantly (p 0.001) increased at concentration of 50 and 100 mg/ml in ABM extract compared with control. Phagocytic activity of neutrophil was significantly (p 0.01) increased at concentration of 5 mg/ml in ABM extract compared with control. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS: H2O2 or ) by neutrophils was significantly (p 0.01) increased at concentration of 5 mg/ml in ABM extract compared with control. These results suggest that enhancement in neutrophil chemotactic activity, phagocytic activity and ROS production are mechanisms by which ABM extract inhibits bacterial infection in the skin and dermatitis.

Theta Activity in the Regio Inferior of the Temporal Hippocampus by Odor Stimulation in Anesthetized Pigs

We examined theta activity in the temporal hippocampus of ure-thane-chloralose-anesthetized pigs by stimulation with two chemical odors, beta-phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA;rose-like odor) and n-amyl acetate (banana-like odor). Neural activity was recorded in the neural cell layer nearby fimbria of the temporal hippocampus in three of six animals. Odor stimulation with PEA at a low concentration (10-4 w/w;100 ppm) significantly increased power of the low-frequency theta band (type-2;4 - 6 Hz) for the middle 10 s (w (3, 6, 2.5%) >2.56). The PEA odor at a higher concentration (10-3 w/w;1000 ppm), however, showed a tendency for gradual increase in?the low-frequency theta but the response was insignificant compared with the control. On the other hand, odor stimulation with n-amyl acetate (10-4 w/w;100 ppm) caused no apparent increase or a tendency for decrease in power of the low-frequency theta. Thus, the type-2 theta response in the temporal hippocampus to the PEA odor contrasted strikingly with that to the n-amylacetate in the ure-thane-chloralose-anesthetized pigs. The response of the type-2 theta rhythm in the temporal hippocampus may underlie the difference in emotional sensation and cognition of PEA from n-amyl acetate in the pig.

The Aesthetics of Nature in Deleuze＇s Philosophy

In Critique of Pure Reason （1996）, Immanuel Kant says that the term ＂aesthetic＂ means ＂the science of the laws of sensibility＂ and suggests giving up usage of it to indicate ＂the critique of taste＂ which executes the criticism of the beautiful. It is well known that Gilles Deleuze was inspired by all genres of the arts, namely movies, paintings, music, and so on. However, this paper argues that what is more essential for Deleuzian philosophy is aesthetics as a science of sensibility. What motivated Deleuze, especially from the 1950s to the 1960s, seems to have consisted in discovering the weaknesses of the Kantian aesthetic in order to take it apart. In fact, one of the main themes in Difference and Repetition （1994） was to free ＂sensibility＂ itself from Kant＇s philosophical system. This theme subsisted in his writing even after the 1970s, and led him to develop a ＂natural philosophy＂ of sorts. This is because the supposition that ＂the sensibility itself＂ is independent from any human faculties gave him an opportunity to carefully consider the multiplicity and productivity of Nature itself. Finally, Deleuze created his own ＂ethology＂ that would capture the increasingly interrelated movements within Nature produced by heterogeneous elements. This paper describes the process of Deleuzian thought as outlined above, surveying his view of Kantian philosophy and the development of his natural philosophy as ＂the aesthetics of Nature.＂

Alveolar macrophage functions and DNA damage in cigarette smoke-exposed mice

Alveolar macrophages (AM) are known to play an essential role in lung defense through their ability to remove the foreign matters reaching the lung alveoli. Cigarette smoke (CS) is a critical risk factor for many lung diseases. CS is inhaled into the lung by respiretion and affects AM. It has been previously reported that CS induces inhibition of cytokine production, cell surface receptor expression and antigen presentation in AM. However, the relationship of immune suppression and DNA damage caused by CS in AM is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated AM immune function and DNA damage in CS-exposed mice. Mice were exposed to CS of 20 cigarettes/day during 10 days using a HambrugⅡsmoking machine. After exposure, AM were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage. The number of AM was significantly increased in CS-exposed mice compared with non-CS-exposed mice. Phagocytic activity of AM was significantly inhibited by CS exposure. Percentage of CD11b-, CD14-, Toll-like receptor (TLR)2- or TLR4-positive cells was significantly decreased in CS-exposed mice compared with non-CS-exposed mice. Interleukin-1β mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated AM was significantly inhibited by CS exposure. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (, H2O2) production of AM was significantly increased, and DNA damage was induced by CS exposure. These results suggest that impaired immune functions by CS exposure may be related to DNA damage via excessive ROS induced by CS. These alterations of AM caused by CS could be associated with infection and development of pulmonary diseases.

Differences in the Histopathology and Cytokine Expression Pattern between Chronological Aging and Photoaging of Hairless Mice Skin

Skin photoaging is a complex, multifactorial process resulting in functional and structural changes of the skin, and different phenotypes from chronological skin aging are well-recognized. Ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated hairless mice have been used as a skin photoaging animal model. However, differences in morphology and gene expression patterns between UV-induced and chronological skin changes in this mouse model have not been fully elucidated. Here we investigated differences in histopathology and cytokine expression between UV-irradiated and non-irradiated aged hairless mice to clarify the factor(s) that differentiate photoaging from chronological skin aging phenotypes. Eight-week-old HR-1 hairless mice were divided into UV-irradiated (UV-irradiated mice) and non-irradiated (control mice) groups. Irradiation was performed three times per week for 10 weeks. In addition, 30-week-old HR-1 hairless mice were reared until 70 weeks of age without UV irradiation (aged mice). Histopathologies revealed that the flattening of dermal-epidermal junctions and epidermal thickening were observed only in UV-irradiated mice. Decreases in fine elastic fibers just beneath the epidermis, the thickening of elastic fibers in the reticular dermis, and the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans were more prominent in UV-irradiated mice as compared to non-irradiated aged mice. Quantitative PCR analyses revealed that UV-irradiated mice showed an increase in the expression of IFN-γ. In contrast, aged mice exhibited proportional up-regulation of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio, an indicator for the balance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, was significantly higher in UV-irradiated mice as compared to control and non-irradiated aged mice. An elevated IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio was also observed in aged senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 1 (SAMP1) mice, a spontaneous skin photoaging model we recently reported. Thus, an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines might be a key factor to differentiate photoaged skin from chronologically-aged skin.

Study on Characteristics of Gold Powder with Round Shape for Maki-e

Maki-e is a traditional Japanese decorative technique that uses the natural lacquer Urushi and metal powders. Currently, there exist only two companies that manufacture metal powder for the purpose of Maki-e, and this research focuses on comparing the material characteristics of the gold powders with round shape manufactured by them. EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analysis, image analysis of particle shape before and after Maki-e processing, and color analysis of samples after Maki-e processing were carried out in this research. The study revealed that current gold powders with round shape had almost the same content ratio regardless of the manufacturing company and the powder diameter. In addition, spherical shape and irregular shape were observed in any gold powders, and the aggregates were observed in powder with increasing the powder diameter, while the shape of the aggregates differed with manufacturing companies. Therefore, it was indicated that the aggregates in the powder made by Asano Co., Ltd. had an influence on the particle diameter and its deviation after Maki-e processing. Moreover, the powder in Urushi resin has an influence on the Maki-e appearance because there is a color difference in polished powder, powder in Urushi resin, and Urushi resin.

Quest for Potentials in the Quintessence Scenario

The time evolution of the equation of state w for quintessence scenario with a scalar field as dark energy is studied up to the third derivative (d3w/da3) with respect to the scale factor a, in order to predict the future observations and specify the scalar potential parameters with the observables. The third derivative of w for general potential V is derived and applied to several types of potentials. They are the inverse power-law (V = M4 + α/Qα), the exponential , the mixed , the cosine and the Gaussian types , which are prototypical potentials for the freezing and thawing models. If the parameter number for a potential form is n, it is necessary to find at least for n + 2 independent observations to identify the potential for0m and the evolution of the scalar field (Q and ). Such observations would be the values of ΩQ, w, dw/da, ???, and dwn/dan. From these specific potentials, we can predict the n + 1 and higher derivative of w;dwn + 1/dan + 1, ???. Since four of the above mentioned potentials have two parameters, it is necessary to calculate the third derivative of w for them to estimate the predict values. If they are tested observationally, it will be under- stood whether the dark energy could be described by the scalar field with this potential. At least it will satisfy the necessary conditions. Numerical analysis for d3w/da3 is made under some specified parameters in the investigated potentials, except the mixed one. It becomes possible to distinguish the potentials by the accurate observing dw/da and d2w/da2 in some parameters.

An Earth-mass planet in a time of COVID-19:KMT-2020-BLG-0414Lb

We report the discovery of KMT-2020-BLG-0414 Lb,with a planet-to-host mass ratio q2=0.9-1.2×10-5=3-4 q⊕at 1σ,which is the lowest mass-ratio microlensing planet to date.Together with two other recent discoveries(4?q/q⊕?6),it fills out the previous empty sector at the bottom of the triangular(log s,log q)diagram,where s is the planet-host separation in units of the angular Einstein radiusθE.Hence,these discoveries call into question the existence,or at least the strength,of the break in the mass-ratio function that was previously suggested to account for the paucity of very low-q planets.Due to the extreme magnification of the event,Amax~1450 for the underlying single-lens event,its light curve revealed a second companion with q3~0.05 and|log s3|~1,i.e.,a factor~10 closer to or farther from the host in projection.The measurements of the microlens parallaxπE and the angular Einstein radiusθE allow estimates of the host,planet and second companion masses,(M1,M2,M3)~(0.3 M⊙,1.0 M⊕,17 MJ),the planet and second companion projected separations,(a⊥,2,a⊥,3)~(1.5,0.15 or 15)au,and system distance DL~1 kpc.The lens could account for most or all of the blended light(I~19.3)and so can be studied immediately with high-resolution photometric and spectroscopic observations that can further clarify the nature of the system.The planet was found as part of a new program of high-cadence follow-up observations of high-magnification events.The detection of this planet,despite the considerable difficulties imposed by COVID-19(two KMT sites and OGLE were shut down),illustrates the potential utility of this program.

A Hopf Type Classification Theorem for Isovariant Maps from Free G-manifolds to Representation Spheres

An isovariant map is an equivariant map preserving the isotropy subgroups. In this paper, we develop an isovariant version of the Hopf classification theorem; namely, an isovariant homotopy classification result of G-isovariant maps from free G-manifolds to representation spheres under a certain dimensional condition, the so-called Borsuk-Ulam inequality. In order to prove it, we use equivariant obstruction theory and the multidegree of an isovariant map.

Temperature effect on emission spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the ~4I_(13/2) state of Er^(3+)-doped Gd_2SiO_5 crystal

By measuring the emission spectra and the fluorescence lifetime of the ^4I13/2 state of Er^3＋ ions in Gd2SiO5 crystal at different temperatures, the effects of temperature on the spectra and the lifetime of the ^4I13/2 state are investigated. When the temperature increases, the emission line width for the ^4I13/2 →^4I15/2 transition is broadened, and the main emission lines at 1 596, 1 609, and 1 644 nm shifte toward shorter wavelengths. The measured lifetime of the ^4I13/2 state decreases from 13.2 to 8.4 ms with temperature increase from 13 to 300 K, which is mainly due to the temperature dependence of multiphonon relaxation between the ^4I13/2 and ^4I15/2 states and the changing population distribution among the Stark levels within the ^4I13/2 state. The experimental results imply that low temperature condition is better for the -l.6μm laser output.

Highly Efficient Hybrid White Tandem Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with MoO3 Layer

Electroluminescence （EL） characteristics have been studied for a hybrid tandem white organic light emitting diode （OLED） with a blue emitting fluorescent EL1 unit based on BCzVBi and a yellow emitting phosphorescent EL2 unit based on （fbi）2Ir（acac）, where a MoO3 layer is inserted between EL1 and EL2 units as charge generation layer （CGL）. Maximum current and power efficiencies of 68.1 cd/A and 29.2 lm/W were obtained, respectively, while the current and power efficiencies at luminance of 1000 cd/m2 were 68.0 cd/A and 24.6 lm/W. The yellow emission appears from about 4.5 V firstly, while the blue emission starts to appear from about 5.4 V. It was found that charge generation from CGL of MoO3/NPB bilayer occurred at high voltages of above 5.4 V but not at low voltages below 5.2 V.

Investigation of emission properties of Tm^(3+) :Y_2O_3 transparent ceramic

A transparent and emitting ceramic of Y203 doped with 6% Tm3＋ ions is fabricated by vacuum sintering with ZrO2. Absorption, photoluminescence （PL）, and PL excitation （PLE） spectra are investigated in a spectral range of 200 to 2 100 nm at various temperatures between 296 and 12 K. Intense emission band appears at 450 to 465 nm in the visible range. Near-infrared emission bands are observed at 1 200 to 1 300 nm and 1400 to 1 550 nm, with intense peaks at 1270, 1450, and 1 523 nm. The luminescence mechanisms and potential applications of the emissions are discussed with the help of Judd-Ofelt theory and PLE spectra.

Measurement of the integrated luminosity of the Phase 2 data of the Belle Ⅱ experiment

From April to July 2018,a data sample at the peak energy of the T(4 S) resonance was collected with the Belle Ⅱ detector at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider.This is the first data sample of the Belle Ⅱ experiment.Using Bhabha and digamma events,we measure the integrated luminosity of the data sample to be(496.3±0.3±3.0) pb-1,where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.This work provides a basis for future luminosity measurements at Belle Ⅱ.