We collected and completely sequenced 28,469 full-length complementary DNA clones from Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica cv. Nipponbare. Through homology searches of publicly available sequence data, we assigned tentative protein functions to 21,596 clones (75.86%). Mapping of the cDNA clones to genomic DNA revealed that there are 19,000 to 20,500 transcription units in the rice genome. Protein informatics analysis against the InterPro database revealed the existence of proteins presented in rice but not in Arabidopsis. Sixty-four percent of our cDNAs are homologous to Arabidopsis proteins.

Periodontitis has been implicated as a risk factor for metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerotic vascular diseases, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Although bacteremias from dental plaque and/or elevated circulating inflammatory cytokines emanating from the inflamed gingiva are suspected mechanisms linking periodontitis and these diseases, direct evidence is lacking. We hypothesize that disturbances of the gut microbiota by swallowed bacteria induce a metabolic endotoxemia leading metabolic disorders. To investigate this hypothesis, changes in the gut microbiota, insulin and glucose intolerance, and levels of tissue inflammation were analysed in mice after oral administration of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a representative periodontopathogens. Pyrosequencing revealed that the population belonging to Bacteroidales was significantly elevated in P. gingivalis-administered mice which coincided with increases in insulin resistance and systemic inflammation. In P. gingivalis-administered mice blood endotoxin levels tended to be higher, whereas gene expression of tight junction proteins in the ileum was significantly decreased. These results provide a new paradigm for the interrelationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases.

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The incidence of nephropathy has declined in Japanese patients with type 1 but not in those with type 2 diabetes. In young Japanese patients, because of the higher incidence of nephropathy in type 2 diabetes and the higher prevalence of type 2 than type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is likely the major cause of diabetic nephropathy.

Enhancement of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) infection of feline macrophages was studied using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the FIPV strain 79-1146. Adherent cells recovered from the feline lung and peritoneal cavity phagocytosed fixed red blood cells, and formed Fc-mediated rosettes. Enhancement of virus infection by MAb was investigated by inoculating alveolar macrophages with a mixtures of viral suspension and MAb, and examining the cells for intracellular viral antigen by the immunofluorescence assay and the amount of infectious virus in the supernatant fluid after incubation. The replication of FIPV in macrophages was enhanced by non-neutralizing MAbs recognizing peplomer protein (S) and transmembrane protein (M) of the virus. Even among the MAbs having the ability to neutralize FIPV strain 79-1146, some reversely enhanced virus infection when they were diluted. The enhancement was suppressed by pretreatment of the MAb with protein A. The enhancement was reduced by the use of F(ab')2 fragment of MAb. These results demonstrated antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of FIPV infection in macrophage. The replication of FIPV 79-1146 strain in macrophages from FIPV antibody-positive cats was more enhanced than in those from antibody-negative cats.

The effects of hydrogen on microstructural change and surface originated flaking in rolling contact fatigue were investigated using JIS-SUJ2 bearing steel specimens charged with hydrogen. Under clean lubrication conditions, subsurface originated flaking occurred and the rolling contact fatigue life was reduced and the amounts of the microstructural change called white structure that formed in the specimens increased as the hydrogen content increased. The localized microstructural changes were found in the hydrogen-charged specimens by electron microscope observations. It is supposed that the localization of plasticity was enhanced by hydrogen during the process of rolling contact fatigue. Under contaminated lubrication conditions, which included debris in the lubricating oil, surface originated flaking occurred and the rolling contact fatigue life of the hydrogen-charged specimens became shorter than the uncharged specimens, although white structure was not observed around the flaking. Enhancement of fatigue crack formations due to hydrogen was observed in specimens with artificial dents. It is presumed that hydrogen facilitated the formation of fatigue cracks on the raceway surface.

We have investigated the crystal structure, nuclearand electron-density distributions, electronic structure, and oxygen p er m ea t io n r a t e o f t h r e e K 2 N i F 4 -t y p e o x i d e s o f Pr 2 (Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 ) 0.95 Ga 0.05 O 4+δ , Pr 2 Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 O 4+δ , and Sr 2 Ti 0.9 Co 0.1 O 4−ε , in order to study the role of d 10 Ga 3+ , Jahn− Teller Cu 2+ , and interstitial oxygen O3 in the high oxygen diffusivity of Pr 2 (Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 ) 0.95 Ga 0.05 O 4+δ . The composition Pr 2 (Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 ) 0.95 Ga 0.05 O 4+δ has a larger amount of interstitial oxygen O3 atoms (δ = 0.31 at room temperature (RT)) compared with Pr 2 Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 O 4+δ (δ = 0.19 at RT) and the oxygen deficient Sr 2 Ti 0.9 Co 0.1 O 4−ε (ε = 0.02 at RT). The interstitial O3 atom is stabilized by (1) the substitution of (Ni,Cu) 2+ by higher valence Ga 3+ , (2) static atomic displacements of the apical O2 oxygen, and (3) local relaxation near d 10 Ga 3+ . Nuclear-density distributions of Pr 2 (Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 ) 0.95 Ga 0.05 O 4+δ and Pr 2 Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 O 4+δ at high temperatures have visualized the −O2−O3−O2− diffusional pathway of oxide ions, which indicates an interstitialcy diffusion mechanism. Doping of the Jahn−Teller Cu 2+ in Pr 2 NiO 4+δ stabilizes the high-temperature disordered tetragonal I4/mmm phase and makes the apical O2 atoms more mobile.The apical O2 is more mobile compared to the equatorial O1, because the longer covalent (Ni,Cu,Ga)−O2 bond is weaker than the shorter (Ni,Cu,Ga)−(equatorial O1) one, as evidenced by the experimental and theoretical electron-density analysis. The interstitial O3 is more mobile due to the lower coordination number (CN = 4) compared with the lattice O1 and O2 atoms (CN = 6). It was found that the minimum nuclear density on the O2−O3 pathway ρ N (T) is a useful microscopic parameter for the oxygen diffusivity. The ρ N (T) is regarded as the oxygen probability density at the bottleneck for diffusion. The oxygen permeation rate ρ P (T) increases with an increase of ρ N (T). The activation energy for oxygen diffusion estimated by the plots of log (the normalized oxygen permeation rate ρ P (T)/δ) against T −1 (reciprocal of absolute temperature) is relatively independent of temperature as well as the formation energy of oxygen atoms at the bottleneck from the plots of log(ρ N (T)/δ) against T −1 . These results indicate that the amount of interstitial oxygen δ is proportional to the carrier concentration for the oxide-ion diffusion. Doping of higher-valence Ga 3+ at (Ni,Cu) 2+ site in Pr 2 Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 O 4+δ does not change largely the activation energy for the oxygen permeation and formation energy of oxygen atoms at the bottleneck but increases the amount of excess interstitial oxygen (carrier concentration), which yields the high oxygen permeation rate of 262 μ mol min −1 cm −2 in Pr 2 (Ni 0.75 Cu 0.25 ) 0.95 Ga 0.05 O 4.13 at 900 °C. The present work demonstrates the design concept of interstitial ion conductors through the higher-valence d 10 dopant and Jahn−Teller effect.

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