著者

Kazuhide INOUE

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.93, no.4, pp.174-182, 2017-04-11 (Released:2017-04-11)

参考文献数

53

被引用文献数

35

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Nerve injury often causes debilitating chronic pain, referred to as neuropathic pain, which is refractory to currently available analgesics including morphine. Many reports indicate that activated spinal microglia evoke neuropathic pain. The P2X4 receptor (P2X4R), a subtype of ionotropic ATP receptors, is upregulated in spinal microglia after nerve injury by several factors, including CC chemokine receptor CCR2, the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin in the spinal cord, interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) and IRF5. Inhibition of P2X4R function suppresses neuropathic pain, indicating that microglial P2X4R play a key role in evoking neuropathic pain.

著者

Takanori NAKANO

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.92, no.6, pp.167-184, 2016-06-10 (Released:2016-06-10)

参考文献数

56

被引用文献数

31

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The ratios of stable isotopes of certain elements in rocks and minerals have strong regional characteristics that are reflected in atmospheric components, in water, and in the living organisms that form Earth’s surface environment as well as in agricultural and fishery products. Geologically derived stable isotope ratios can be used as a tracer for the source of many kinds of substances, with current geochemical techniques allowing the precise determination of numerous stable isotope ratios in both natural and manmade objects. This review presents examples of the use of stable isotopes as tracers within diverse dynamic ecosystems, focusing on Sr isotopes but also including examples of Nd and Pb isotopic analysis, and reviewing the potential of this technique for a wide range of environmental research, including determining the geographic origin of food and archeological materials.

著者

Takaaki KAJITA

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.86, no.4, pp.303-321, 2010 (Released:2010-04-19)

参考文献数

39

被引用文献数

2 14 2

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Neutrino oscillation was discovered through studies of neutrinos produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the atmosphere. These neutrinos are called atmospheric neutrinos. They are produced as decay products in hadronic showers resulting from collisions of cosmic rays with nuclei in the atmosphere. Electron-neutrinos and muon-neutrinos are produced mainly by the decay chain of charged pions to muons to electrons. Atmospheric neutrino experiments observed zenith-angle and energy dependent deficit of muon-neutrino events. Neutrino oscillations between muon-neutrinos and tau-neutrinos explain these data well. Neutrino oscillations imply that neutrinos have small but non-zero masses. The small neutrino masses have profound implications to our understanding of elementary particle physics and the Universe. This article discusses the experimental discovery of neutrino oscillations.(Communicated by Masatoshi KOSHIBA, M.J.A.)

著者

Kuniteru MATSUMARU

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.57, no.4, pp.115-118, 1981 (Released:2006-10-06)

参考文献数

10

被引用文献数

3 5

著者

Konrad SANDHOFF

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.88, no.10, pp.554-582, 2012-12-11 (Released:2012-12-11)

参考文献数

261

被引用文献数

10 32

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Analysis of lipid storage in postmortem brains of patients with amaurotic idiocy led to the recognition of five lysosomal ganglioside storage diseases and identification of their inherited metabolic blocks. Purification of lysosomal acid sphingomyelinase and ceramidase and analysis of their gene structures were the prerequisites for the clarification of Niemann-Pick and Farber disease. For lipid catabolism, intraendosomal vesicles are formed during the endocytotic pathway. They are subjected to lipid sorting processes and were identified as luminal platforms for cellular lipid and membrane degradation. Lipid binding glycoproteins solubilize lipids from these cholesterol poor membranes and present them to water-soluble hydrolases for digestion. Biosynthesis and intracellular trafficking of lysosomal hydrolases (hexosaminidases, acid sphingomyelinase and ceramidase) and lipid binding and transfer proteins (GM2 activator, saposins) were analyzed to identify the molecular and metabolic basis of several sphingolipidoses. Studies on the biosynthesis of glycosphingolipids yielded the scheme of Combinatorial Ganglioside Biosynthesis involving promiscuous glycosyltransferases. Their defects in mutagenized mice impair brain development and function.(Communicated by Kunihiko SUZUKI, M.J.A.)

著者

Kunio IWATSUKI

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.84, no.8, pp.275-286, 2008-10-30 (Released:2008-10-15)

参考文献数

28

被引用文献数

2 10

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The history of the Red List of Japanese vascular plants is briefly reviewed for editing and research. Especially on the results of recent monitoring, the present status of information and conservation activities on the endangered plants in Japan is discussed and the dynamics of the Japanese flora are taken up, in relation to basic research on plant biodiversity on the Japanese Archipelago. The figures of endangered plants are not very variable during the past quarter of a century, but we can surmise that the conservation of threatened species in Japan has been promoted to some extent. Based on the results of such a study, proposals are made to contribute to the sustainable use of plant biodiversity on the Japanese Archipelago under a global conspectus.(Communicated by Satohiko SASAKI, M.J.A.)

著者

Hiroshi SHINOKUBO

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.90, no.1, pp.1-11, 2014-01-10 (Released:2014-01-31)

参考文献数

98

被引用文献数

12 30

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Borylated functional π-systems are useful building blocks to enable efficient synthesis of novel molecular architectures with beautiful structures, intriguing properties and unique functions. Introduction of boronic ester substituents to a variety of extended π-systems can be achieved through either iridium-catalyzed direct C–H borylation or the two-step procedure via electrophilic halogenation followed by palladium-catalyzed borylation. This review article focuses on our recent progress on borylation of large π-conjugated systems such as porphyrins, perylene bisimides, hexabenzocoronenes and dipyrrins.

著者

Takashi ITO Mineo KUMAZAWA Yozo HAMANO Takafumi MATSUI Kooiti MASUDA

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.69, no.9, pp.233-237, 1993 (Released:2006-10-13)

参考文献数

7

被引用文献数

3 5

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Solar insolation variation due to the gravitational perturbation among the planetary bodies in the solar system, so called the Milankovitch cycle, is widely believed as a major cause of the climatic change such as the glacial-interglacial cycles in Quaternary, and its typical frequencies are supposed to be constant during Quaternary. However, the periods of these cycles must have been largely changed following to the dynamical evolution of the earth-moon system. We have studied the relation between the frequencies of the Milankovitch cycles and the rotation rate of the earth on the basis of theoretical and computational analysis of the earth-moon system. Our conclusion is that this cyclicity which can be recorded in the sediments are mutually related well as a function of the dynamical ellipticity and the absolute age. This fact implies that we can establish the standard time scale for measuring the relative age, in other words, the lap time clock or the chronometer for decoding the whole history of the earth, by comparing the stripes in BIF and other sediments of Archean or Proterozoic with a set of theoretical Milankovitch cycle and tidal cycle frequencies.

著者

Akira KOBATA

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.89, no.3, pp.97-117, 2013-03-11 (Released:2013-03-11)

参考文献数

110

被引用文献数

4 34

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Many glycosidases, which work as useful reagents for the studies of structures and functions of free and conjugated oligosaccharides, have been found and thoroughly purified. These enzymes are classified into exo- and endoglycosidases by their glycon specificities. Their usefulness and limits as reagents are explained in detail in this review.Endoglycosidases, which were originally found in the culture fluid of bacteria and in the extracts of plants, are now widely found in the mammals including humans. The physiological roles of these enzymes are discussed in relation to the oligosaccharides accumulated in the urine of patients with exoglycosidase deficiencies. Furthermore, PNGase is found to play important roles in the ER-associated degradation pathway of glycoproteins.Recent studies of the glycosidases in Bifidobacteria have revealed that GNB/LNB pathway, which uniquely exist in this bacteria, works for the expression of Bifidus factor activity of human milk oligosaccharides, an important topic in the baby nutrition. This interesting field will be introduced in detail in one section of this article.(Communicated by Kunihiko SUZUKI, M.J.A.)

著者

Yasuo SUZUKI Noriyuki MIYOSHI Mamoru ISEMURA

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.88, no.3, pp.88-101, 2012-03-09 (Released:2012-03-09)

参考文献数

103

被引用文献数

20 106

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Green tea is manufactured from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis Theaceae and has been regarded to possess anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral effects. Many of the beneficial effects of green tea are related to the activities of (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major component of green tea catechins. For about 20 years, we have engaged in studies to reveal the biological activities and action mechanisms of green tea and EGCG. This review summarizes several lines of evidence to indicate the health-promoting properties of green tea mainly based on our own experimental findings.(Communicated by Takao SEKIYA, M.J.A.)

著者

Toshitaka GAMO Kei OKAMURA Kyohiko MITSUZAWA Kenichi ASAKAWA

出版者

The Japan Academy

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.83, no.7, pp.199-204, 2007-07-30 (Released:2007-11-02)

参考文献数

29

被引用文献数

5 9

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We successfully deployed an in situ automatic chemical analyzer sensitive to manganese (Mn) in seawater for a period of 81 days for the first time on the deep seafloor of Sagami Bay along a convergent plate boundary south of Japan. The in situ Mn analyzer (GAMOS-IV) was connected to a submarine cable as a means to supply power and to relay real time data. During the observation period from April 5 till June 25, 2006, the amount of measured Mn was seen to increase abruptly up to 10 times that of the background level only on April 21, probably triggered by a M5.8 earthquake which occurred ∼7 km south-southwest of the observation site. This study demonstrates the suitability of submarine cables for the long-term geochemical monitoring of deep sea environments.(Communicated by Taroh MATSUNO, M.J.A.)

著者

Toshio ASANO Tetsuya KOJIMA Tetsuro MATSUZAWA Kisou KUBOTA Kiyoko MUROFUSHI

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.58, no.5, pp.118-122, 1982 (Released:2006-10-10)

参考文献数

10

被引用文献数

16 42

著者

Isao YAMAMOTO Hironobu FUJIWARA Masashi KAMOGAWA Atsushi IYONO Valeri KROUMOV Takashi AZAKAMI

出版者

日本学士院

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.85, no.10, pp.485-490, 2009 (Released:2009-12-14)

参考文献数

7

被引用文献数

2 2

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Temporal correlation between atmospheric anomalies and earthquakes has recently been verified statistically through measuring VHF FM radio waves transmitted beyond the line-of-sight. In order to locate the sources of such atmospheric anomalies, we developed a VHF interferometer system (bistatic-radar type) capable of finding the arrival direction of FM radio waves scattered possibly by earthquake-related atmospheric anomalies. In general, frequency modulation of FM radio waves produces ambiguity of arrival direction. However, our system, employing high-sampling rates of the order of kHz, can precisely measure the arrival direction of FM radio waves by stacking received signals.(Communicated by Seiya UYEDA, M.J.A.)

著者

Suzuki Masashi

出版者

The Japan Academy

雑誌

Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.79, no.9, pp.274-289, 2003

被引用文献数

1 25

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Feast/famine regulatory proteins (FFRPs) include a diverse family of transcription factors of archaea and eubacteria. The best characterized among FFRPs is <i>E. coli</i> Lrp (the leucine-responsive regulatory protein). A full length FFRP is composed of an N-terminal DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal assembly domain. The C-domain is involved in formation of a dimer, and higher structures (e.g. a disk composed of 4 dimers, a chromatin-like cylinder) are further assembled. A pair of DNA-binding domains in an FFRP dimer bind the DNA site N<SUB>A</SUB>N<SUB>B</SUB>N<SUB>C</SUB>N<SUB>D</SUB>N<SUB>E</SUB>TTT<U>N</U><SUB>E</SUB><U>N</U><SUB>D</SUB><U>N</U><SUB>C</SUB><U>N</U><SUB>B</SUB><U>N</U><SUB>A</SUB>, where N<SUB>A</SUB> and <U>N</U><SUB>A</SUB>, e.g., are bases complementary to each other, and N<SUB>E</SUB> is either A or T. Such 13 bp sequences repeat with insertions of 7-8 or ∼18 basepairs in promoters regulated by FFRPs. Ligands of the size of amino acids (e.g. leucine, asparagine) signal metabolic or environmental changes directly to FFRPs by binding at the interface formed between dimers. This interaction alters the assembly form, and thus the overall DNA-binding specificity. In this way, Lrp regulates a large number of genes differently in <i>E. coli</i>. In <i>Pyrococcus</i> sp. OT3, 14 FFRPs possibly regulate many of the ∼1, 500 genes coded. It is widely believed that the common ancestor of all organisms first differentiated to archaea and eubacteria. Thus, global (i.e. genome wide) regulation by FFRPs can be the prototype of highly differentiated transcription regulatory systems found in organisms nowadays.<BR><BR>(Communicated by Masanori OTSUKA, M. J. A., Nov. 12, 2003)