中亚热带南部与北部的亮叶水青冈林的比较研究--Ⅰ. 种组成、结构及更新

采用Braun-Blanquet,Fujiwara的植物社会学方法，对分布于中亚热带北部的八大公山及中亚热带南部的南山的亮叶水青冈林进行了植被生态学的比较研究，两个群落被区分．并比较了两群落的种组成、结构及生长更新的特征。     

SMAD4-deficient intestinal tumors recruit CCR1+ myeloid cells that promote invasion

Inactivation of TGF-beta family signaling is implicated in colorectal tumor progression. Using cis-Apc(+/Delta716) Smad4(+/-) mutant mice (referred to as cis-Apc/Smad4), a model of invasive colorectal cancer in which TGF-beta family signaling is blocked, we show here that a new type of immature myeloid cell (iMC) is recruited from the bone marrow to the tumor invasion front. These CD34(+) iMCs express the matrix metalloproteinases MMP9 and MMP2 and the CC-chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1) and migrate toward the CCR1 ligand CCL9. In adenocarcinomas, expression of CCL9 is increased in the tumor epithelium. By deleting Ccr1 in the background of the cis-Apc/Smad4 mutant, we further show that lack of CCR1 prevents accumulation of CD34(+) iMCs at the invasion front and suppresses tumor invasion. These results indicate that loss of transforming growth factor-beta family signaling in tumor epithelium causes accumulation of iMCs that promote tumor invasion.     

Testing homogeneity of Japanese CPI forecasters

This paper investigates whether some forecasters consistently outperform others using Japanese CPI forecast data of 42 forecasters over the past 18 quarters. It finds that the accuracy rankings of 0, 1, 2, and 5‐month forecasts are significantly different from those that might be expected when all forecasters had equal forecasting ability. Moreover, their rankings of the relative forecast levels are also significantly different from a random one. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Periostin in inflammation and allergy

We found for the first time that IL-4 and IL-13, signature type 2 cytokines, are able to induce periostin expression. We and others have subsequently shown that periostin is highly expressed in chronic inflammatory diseases―asthma, atopic dermatitis, eosinophilc chronic sinusitis/chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp, and allergic conjunctivitis—and that periostin plays important roles in the pathogenesis of these diseases. The epithelial/mesenchymal interaction via periostin is important for the onset of allergic inflammation, in which periostin derived from fibroblasts acts on epithelial cells or fibroblasts, activating their NF-κB. Moreover, the immune cell/non-immune cell interaction via periostin may be also involved. Now the significance of periostin has been expanded into other inflammatory or fibrotic diseases such as scleroderma and pulmonary fibrosis. The cross-talk of periostin with TGF-β or pro-inflammatory cytokines is important for the underlying mechanism of these diseases. Because of its pathogenic importance and broad expression, diagnostics or therapeutic drugs can be potentially developed to target periostin as a means of treating these diseases.     

Functional identification of gene cluster for the aniline metabolic pathway mediated by transposable element

A convenient and widely applicable method has been developed to clone aniline metabolic gene cluster in this study. Three positive recombinant plasmids pDA1, pDB2 and pDB11 were cloned from genomic library of aniline degradation strain AD9. The result of aniline dioxygenase （AD） activity and catechol 2,3-oxygenase （C230） activity assay showed that pDA1 and pDB11 contain aniline dioxygenase genes and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase genes, respectively. The sequence analysis of the total 24.7-kb region revealed that this region contains 25 ORFs, of which 17 genes involve metabolism of aniline. In the gene cluster, the first five genes （tadQTA1A2B） and the subsequent gene （tadR1） were predicted to encode a multi-component aniline dioxygenase and a LysR-type regulator, respectively, while the others （tadD1C1D2C2EFGIJKL） were expected to encode metacleavage pathway enzymes for catechol degradation. The gene cluster was surrounded by two IS1071 sequences.     

A frequency-dependent switch from inhibition to excitation in a hippocampal unitary circuit

The hippocampus, a brain structure essential for memory and cognition, is classically represented as a trisynaptic excitatory circuit. Recent findings challenge this view, particularly with regard to the mossy fibre input to CA3, the second synapse in the trisynaptic pathway. Thus, the powerful mossy fibre input to CA3 pyramidal cells might mediate both synaptic excitation and inhibition. Here we show, by recording from connected cell pairs in rat entorhinal-hippocampal slice cultures, that single action potentials in a dentate granule cell evoke a net inhibitory signal in a pyramidal cell. The hyperpolarization is due to disynaptic feedforward inhibition, which overwhelms monosynaptic excitation. Interestingly, this net inhibitory synaptic response changes to an excitatory signal when the frequency of presynaptic action potentials increases. The process responsible for this switch involves the facilitation of monosynaptic excitatory transmission coupled with rapid depression of inhibitory circuits. This ability to immediately switch the polarity of synaptic responses constitutes a novel synaptic mechanism, which might be crucial to the state-dependent processing of information in associative hippocampal networks.     

SWAP-70 is a guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor that mediates signalling of membrane ruffling

Phosphoinositide-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K), activated through growth factor stimulation, generates a lipid second messenger, phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3). PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 is instrumental in signalling pathways that trigger cell activation, cytoskeletal rearrangement, survival and other reactions. However, some targets of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 are yet to be discovered. We demonstrate that SWAP-70, a unique signalling protein, specifically binds PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. On stimulation by growth factors, cytoplasmic SWAP-70, which is dependent on PI(3)K but independent of Ras, moved to cell membrane rearrangements known as ruffles. However, mutant SWAP-70 lacking the ability to bind PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 blocked membrane ruffling induced by epidermal growth factor or platelet-derived growth factor. SWAP-70 shows low homology with Rac-guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), and catalyses PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-dependent guanine nucleotide exchange to Rac. SWAP-70-deficient fibroblasts showed impaired membrane ruffling after stimulation with epidermal growth factor, and failed to activate Rac fully. We conclude that SWAP-70 is a new type of Rac-GEF which, independently of Ras, transduces signals from tyrosine kinase receptors to Rac.     

Manipulation of elementary charge in a silicon charge-coupled device

The ultimate limit in the operation of an electronic device is the manipulation of a single charge. Such a limit has been achieved in single-electron tunnelling devices. However, these devices are based on multiple tunnel barriers and conductive islands, which are complex structures to fabricate. Here we demonstrate another type of device that can also manipulate elementary charge, but which is more suitable for large-scale integration. The device consists of two closely packed silicon wire-MOSFETs, which are commonly used building blocks of electronic circuits. We have developed a scheme to generate and store holes in the channels of either of these MOSFETs. Subsequently, holes can be transferred between the two MOSFETs at the level of an elementary charge, and their exact position can be monitored. This single-charge transfer device, which is operated at 25 K, is in effect a charge-coupled device. This is also the first realization of a silicon-based device that manipulates elementary charge.