MAP kinase cascades regulating axon regeneration in C. elegans

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades are activated by diverse stimuli such as growth factors, cytokines, neurotransmitters and various types of cellular stress. Our evolving understanding of these signal cascades has been facilitated by genetic analyses and physiological characterization in model organisms such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetic and biochemical studies in C. elegans have shed light on the physiological roles of MAPK cascades in the control of cell fate decision, neuronal function and immunity. Recently it was demonstrated that MAPK signaling is also important for axon regeneration in C. elegans, and the use of C. elegans as a model system has significantly advanced our understanding of the largely conserved molecular mechanisms underlying axon regeneration. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role and regulation of MAPK signaling in C. elegans axon regeneration.     

Finite Element Error Analysis Approach for Three-Dimensional Incompressible Viscous Fluid Flow Analysis

In our previous research, the modified Galerkin method was proposed as one of the most efficient methods for the analyses of convection-diffusion problems and two-dimensional viscous fluid flow problems. In this modified Galerkin method, the inertia term is considered explicitly, so only the symmetrical matrixes appear. Then an artificial viscosity is introduced through an error analysis approach to improve its accuracy and stability. In this paper, we proposed a new finite element formulation for three-dimensional incompressible viscous fluid flow analysis. This formulation (‘MS’ algorithm and ‘MSR’ algorithm) is based on the modified Galerkin method coupled with the Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations. The cubic cavity flow problems were investigated for the Reynolds number of 400, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,200 using non-uniform meshes. Finally, we confirmed the effectiveness of our proposed method through the comparison with other research works.     

Shape Identification for Fluid-Structure Interaction Problem Using Improved Bubble Element

Numerical solutions for identification of the shape of a circular cylinder are addressed in this paper. The Sakawa-Shindo method is used to minimize the algorithm. A unified computational approach for simulation of flow and shape identification is presented. As a numerical approach for spatial discretization, mixed interpolation by the bubble and linear elements is used for the velocity and pressure fields, respectively.     

Sigma trans promotion effect in transition metal complexes: a manifestation of the composite nature of binding energy

It is well known that intra-fragment electronic reorganization is one among several important components of the binding energy (bond dissociation energy) for two fragments forming an adduct. An interesting manifestation of this notion is proposed: a counterintuitive trend in binding energies that shall be commonly observed for a series of particular open shell transition metal containing complexes binding a small molecule at an empty coordination site. The prediction is that stronger σ interaction between the metal and the ligand trans to the empty site will result in a larger magnitude of binding energy and, possibly, a lower substrate coordination barrier. This trend, which we call the ‘trans promotion effect’ (TPE), is exemplified with a case study of dinitrogen binding by tri- and four-coordinated Mo(III) complexes. It is demonstrated that a trans amine ligand significantly increases the magnitude of dinitrogen binding energy. Orbital analysis and decomposition of the binding energy show that substrate coordination is favoured by stronger interaction of Mo with the trans ligand due to the d_z2 orbital of Mo that is occupied in the complex but vacant in the dinitrogen adduct.     

Duality for hypergeometric functions and invariant Gauss-Manin systems

We present some basic identities for hypergeometric functions associatedwith the integrals of Euler type. We give a geometrical proof for formulaesuch as the identity between the single and double integrals expressingAppell's hypergeometric series F1 (a, b, b' c; x, y).     

Ibuprofen-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex Formation using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) processing was performed with mixtures of cyclodextrins (CDs) and ibuprofen (IBP) to create inclusion complexes of ibuprofen and CD. Mixtures of IBP and trimethyl-β-CD showed new powder X-ray diffraction peaks after SC-CO₂ processing, although samples after processing with β-CD showed identical X-ray diffraction patterns with the physical mixture. The differential scanning calorimetry curves of samples after processing with trimethyl-β-CD showed no fusion peak of IBP and a new melting peak at around 185 °C. The physicochemical properties are similar to the co-precipitated samples of IBP and trimethyl-β-CD. Therefore, inclusion complex between IBP and trimethyl-β-CD was successfully prepared using SC-CO₂ technique. No inclusion formation was found when nitrogen was used as the supercritical fluid. Complexation of IBP and CD would not occur only on a high-pressure condition. The solubility of cyclodextrin into SC-CO₂ might play an important role in the formation of the inclusion complex.     

Ionizing radiation-induced XRCC4 phosphorylation is mediated through ATM in addition to DNA-PK

XRCC4 (X-ray cross-complementation group 4) is a protein associated with DNA ligase IV, which is thought to join two DNA ends at the final step of DNA double-strand break repair through non-homologous end-joining. It has been shown that, in response to irradiation or treatment with DNA damaging agents, XRCC4 undergoes phosphorylation, requiring DNA-PK. Here we explored possible role of ATM, which is structurally related to DNA-PK, in the regulation of XRCC4. The radiosensitizing effects of DNA-PK inhibitor and/or ATM inhibitor were dependent on XRCC4. DNA-PK inhibitor and ATM inhibitor did not affect the ionizing radiation-induced chromatin recruitment of XRCC4. Ionizing radiation-induced phosphorylation of XRCC4 in the chromatin-bound fraction was largely inhibited by DNA-PK inhibitor but further diminished by the combination with ATM inhibitor. The present results indicated that XRCC4 phosphorylation is mediated through ATM as well as DNA-PK, although DNA-PK plays the major role. We would propose a possible model that DNA-PK and ATM acts in parallel upstream of XRCC4, regulating through phosphorylation.