Metal oxides are widely used in industry and academia. [1,2] As their electron-acceptor or acidic strengths play vital roles in their applications, there needs to be a general scale that can quantitatively compare their relative acidic strengths. Conventionally, calorimetric heat measurements during adsorption of probe molecules, [3] infrared spectroscopic analyses of adsorbed bases or acids, [5,6] application of indicator dyes, [4] and temperature-programmed desorption of the pre-adsorbed bases are standard methods for the analyses of their acidic strengths. [6][7][8] However, these methods are not suitable for a quantitative comparison. Thus, unlike metal ions in solution, [9] no such scales have been available for metal oxides.One of the important types of interaction between adsorbates and metal oxides is the formation of coordinate covalent bonding between adsorbates and the surface metal ions. For instance, in the case of TiO 2 , those compounds that have enediol, [10][11][12][13][14] carboxylate, [15][16][17][18] and nitrile [19,20] groups have been shown to form coordinate covalent bonding with the surface Ti 4+ ions. In this type of interaction, the adsorbateto-metal charge-transfer interaction is often the lowestenergy electronic transition. However, in the case of alizarin (Figure 1 a, inset) on TiO 2 , a theoretical study has suggested that the intramolecular charge-transfer (IMCT) band from the catechol moiety to the entire ring system is the lowestenergy transition. [11] Electronegativity (EN) is one of the most important fundamental properties of an atom, which represents "the power of an atom in a compound to attract electrons to itself". [21,22] Among various EN scales that have been developed, [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Sandersons scale and the associated EN equalization principle [31][32][33][34][35] are successful in calculating the bond energies of various compounds [32][33][34][35][36] , elucidating the acidic and basic properties of zeolites, [37,38] and establishing the relationship between the reactivity and the composition of the zeolite that served as the guideline for the preparation of optimum zeolite catalysts.[39] These methods have also been used for various other purposes. [40][41][42][43][44] However, owing to a lack of experimental data, Sandersons EN scale has not been extended to lanthanides (Ln) during the last five decades, despite the fact that lanthanide-containing compounds are widely used.Herein, we report that the IMCT transition of alizarin is still the lowest-energy transition when it is adsorbed on various metal oxides and sulfides, regardless of the nature of the metal ion. The charge-transfer transition serves as a highly sensitive and accurate probe for the quantitative comparison of the acidic strengths of the metal oxides and sulfides. We also report the factors that govern the surface acidity, which allows us to assign for the first time the important Sandersons EN values of Ln 3+ ions (S Ln 3+) and Ce 4+. To experimentally ver...

PurposeTo identify the prevalence and clinical features of detrusor underactivity (DU) in elderly men and women presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).Materials and MethodsWe reviewed 1,179 patients aged over 65 years who had undergone a urodynamic study for LUTS with no neurological or anatomical conditions. DU was defined as a bladder contractility index <100 and a maximal flow rate (Qmax) ≤12 ml/s combined with a detrusor pressure at Qmax ≤10 cmH2O for men and women, respectively.ResultsOf the patients, 40.2% of men and 13.3% of women were classified as having DU (p<0.001). Types of clinical symptoms were not significantly different between patients with and without DU. In men, whereas the prevalence of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) was constant across the age spectrum, the prevalence of DU and detrusor overactivity (DO) increased with age, and 46.5% of men with DU also had DO or BOO. In women, the prevalence of DU also increased with age, and the trend was more remarkable in women aged over 70 years. DU was accompanied by DO or urodynamic stress urinary incontinence (USUI) in 72.6% of the women with DU. Women with DU were found to have lower cystometric capacity and exhibited a greater incidence of reduced compliance than did women without DU.ConclusionsDU was a common mechanism underlying LUTS in the elderly population, especially in men. One half of the men and three quarters of the women with DU also had other pathologies such as DO, BOO, or USUI.

Metnase, also known as SETMAR, is a SET and transposase fusion protein with an undefined role in mammalian DNA repair. The SET domain is responsible for histone lysine methyltransferase activity at histone 3 K4 and K36, whereas the transposase domain possesses 5-terminal inverted repeat (TIR)-specific DNA binding, DNA looping, and DNA cleavage activities. Although the transposase domain is essential for Metnase function in DNA repair, it is not clear how a protein with sequencespecific DNA binding activity plays a role in DNA repair. Here, we show that human homolog of the ScPSO4/PRP19 (hPso4) forms a stable complex with Metnase on both TIR and non-TIR DNA. The transposase domain essential for Metnase-TIR interaction is not sufficient for its interaction with non-TIR DNA in the presence of hPso4. In vivo, hPso4 is induced and co-localized with Metnase following ionizing radiation treatment. Cells treated with hPso4-siRNA failed to show Metnase localization at DSB sites and Metnase-mediated stimulation of DNA end joining coupled to genomic integration, suggesting that hPso4 is necessary to bring Metnase to the DSB sites for its function(s) in DNA repair.Metnase (SETMAR) is a double strand break (DSB) 2 repair factor that contains two functional domains: a SET (Su(var)3-9, Enhancer-of-zeste, Trithorax) domain of histone lysine methyltransferase activity at histone 3, lysine 4, and lysine 36 (1) associated with chromatin opening (2-5) and a transposase domain containing the DDE motif (1, 6 -8), a conserved acidic motif essential for strand transfer and end joining activities among transposase and retroviral integrase families (9 -13). Deletion of either SET or transposase domain abolished Metnase function in vivo (1), suggesting that both domains are likely required for its role in DSB repair and genomic integration. Although Metnase is not an active transposase, it possesses most transposase functions such as sequence-specific DNA binding (6,11,14), assembly of paired end complexes (14), and DNA cleavage activity (11,14). Unlike other transposases, however, Metnase-mediated DNA cleavage was nonprocessive and occurred in the absence of the TIR sequence (11).Human Pso4 (hPso4) is a human homolog of the protein encoded by the PS04/PRP19 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (15,16). PSO4 gene is essential for cell survival in yeast (15), and cells harboring a mutant Pso4 showed sensitivity to DNA crosslinking agents, suggesting that PSO4 is an essential DNA repair gene in S. cerevisiae (15). Pso4 is a part of the pre-mRNA splicing complex consisting of Pso4, Cdc5L, Plrg1, and Spf27 (17) and has been previously linked to DNA repair through a direct physical interaction between Cdc5L and WRN, the protein deficient in Werner syndrome (18). Human Pso4 contains six successive WD-40 motifs at the C terminus that is known to form a structural interface for the assembly of multiprotein complexes (19) and has been identified as a component of the nuclear matrix (20). Pso4 is also a U-box protein with associated E3 ubiquitin ligase...

Metnase (SETMAR) is a SET and transposase fusion protein that promotes in vivo end joining activity and mediates genomic integration of foreign DNA. Recent studies showed that Metnase retained most of the transposase activities, including 5'-terminal inverted repeat (TIR)-specific binding and assembly of a paired end complex, and cleavage of the 5'-end of the TIR element. Here we show that R432 within the helix-turn-helix motif is critical for sequence-specific recognition, as the R432A mutation abolishes its TIR-specific DNA binding activity. Metnase possesses a unique DNA nicking and/or endonuclease activity that mediates cleavage of duplex DNA in the absence of the TIR sequence. While the HTH motif is essential for the Metnase-TIR interaction, it is not required for its DNA cleavage activity. The DDE-like motif is crucial for its DNA cleavage action as a point mutation at this motif (D483A) abolished its DNA cleavage activity. Together, our results suggest that Metnase's DNA cleavage activity, unlike those of other eukaryotic transposases, is not coupled to its sequence-specific DNA binding.

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) containing various bacterial compounds are released from mainly gram-negative bacteria. Secreted OMVs play important roles in the ability of a bacterium to defend itself, and thus contribute to the survival of bacteria in a community. In this study, we collected OMVs from β-lactam antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli established by conjugation assay and the parental β-lactam antibiotic-susceptible strain, and performed comparative proteomic analysis to examine whether these OMVs carried β-lactam-resistant compounds. We also investigated whether both types of OMVs could protect susceptible cells from β-lactam-induced death and/or directly degrade β-lactam antibiotics. Several proteins that can be involved in degrading β-lactam antibiotics were more abundant in OMVs from β-lactam-resistant E. coli, and thus OMVs from β-lactam resistant E. coli could directly and dose-dependently degrade β-lactam antibiotics and fully rescue β-lactam-susceptible E. coli and other bacterial species from β-lactam antibiotic-induced growth inhibition. Taken together, present study demonstrate that OMVs from β-lactam-resistant E. coli play important roles in survival of antibiotic susceptible bacteria against β-lactam antibiotics. This finding may pave the way for new efforts to combat the current global spread of antibiotic resistances, which is considered to be a significant public health threat.

BackgroundLiriope platyphylla has long been reported as a therapeutic drug for treatment of various human chronic diseases including inflammation, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, obesity, and atopic dermatitis. To investigate the laxative effects of L. platyphylla, alterations in excretion parameters, histological structure, mucin secretion, and related protein levels were investigated in rats with loperamide (Lop)-induced constipation after treatment with aqueous extract of L. platyphylla (AEtLP).MethodsAlterations on constipation phenotypes were measured in rats with Lop-induced constipation after treatment with AEtLP using excretion parameter analysis, histological analysis, RT-PCR, western blot and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis.ResultsThe amounts of stool and urine excretion were significantly higher in the Lop + AEtLP-treated group than in the Lop + vehicle-treated group, whereas food intake and water consumption were maintained at constant levels. AEtLP treatment also induced an increase in villus length, crypt layer, and muscle thickness in the constipation model. Total mucin secretion was higher in the Lop + AEtLP-treated group than in the Lop + vehicle-treated group, although mucin secretion per crypt was very similar among all groups. Furthermore, RT-PCR and western blot revealed a dramatic reduction of key factors level on the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) signaling pathway in the Lop + AEtLP-treated group relative to the Lop + vehicle-treated group. Especially, the accumulation of lipid droplets in enterocytes of crypts following Lop treatment was improved to the level of the No-treated group in response to AEtLP treatment.ConclusionThese results suggest that AEtLP improves constipation induced by Lop treatment through an increase in crypt layer and stimulation of lipid droplet secretions. These data are the first to show that the laxative effects of AEtLP are closely related to the down-regulation of mAchRs and their downstream signals.

BackgroundLignocellulosic biomass is an attractive renewable resource for future liquid transport fuel. Efficient and cost-effective production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass depends on the development of a suitable pretreatment system. The aim of this study is to investigate a new pretreatment method that is highly efficient and effective for downstream biocatalytic hydrolysis of various lignocellulosic biomass materials, which can accelerate bioethanol commercialization.ResultsThe optimal conditions for the hydrogen peroxide–acetic acid (HPAC) pretreatment were 80 °C, 2 h, and an equal volume mixture of H2O2 and CH3COOH. Compared to organo-solvent pretreatment under the same conditions, the HPAC pretreatment was more effective at increasing enzymatic digestibility. After HPAC treatment, the composition of the recovered solid was 74.0 % cellulose, 20.0 % hemicelluloses, and 0.9 % lignin. Notably, 97.2 % of the lignin was removed with HPAC pretreatment. Fermentation of the hydrolyzates by S. cerevisiae resulted in 412 mL ethanol kg−1 of biomass after 24 h, which was equivalent to 85.0 % of the maximum theoretical yield (based on the amount of glucose in the raw material).ConclusionThe newly developed HPAC pretreatment was highly effective for removing lignin from lignocellulosic cell walls, resulting in enhanced enzymatic accessibility of the substrate and more efficient cellulose hydrolysis. This pretreatment produced less amounts of fermentative inhibitory compounds. In addition, HPAC pretreatment enables year-round operations, maximizing utilization of lignocellulosic biomass from various plant sources.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13068-015-0419-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

, and bricks are some of the most commonly encountered building blocks in chemistry and architecture. These building blocks can be grouped into subnanometer (atoms), nanometer (molecules, enzymes, proteins, DNAs, RNAs, and nanoparticles), micrometer (microparticles), and millimeter-to-centimeter (tiles and bricks) building blocks based on their sizes.One of the important applications of building blocks is to organize them as monolayers on various substrates. Selfassembly has been the method of choice for the monolayer assembly of nanometer [1][2][3][4][5] and micrometer [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] building blocks on substrates, whereas direct attachment of building blocks with the hands (referred to as "direct attachment" hereafter) on adhesive-coated substrates is the method for the monolayer assembly of millimeter-to-centimeter building blocks on substrates (floors and walls). Thus, the method for monolayer attachment of building blocks on substrates has to switch from self-assembly to direct attachment at some stage as the size of the building block increases. But what is the upper size limit for self-assembly? What is the lower size limit for direct attachment? At what size regime do both selfassembly and direct attachment work simultaneously for monolayer assembly? In the overlapping region, which method is better in terms of quality of the monolayer?Herein, we report that the upper size limit for selfassembly is % 3 mm, the lower size limit for direct attachment is % 0.5 mm, and direct attachment is superior to self-assembly in the overlapping region ( % 0.5-3 mm) with respect to rate, degree of close packing, uniform orientation of the assembled microcrystals, substrate area, and ecological considerations.We used zeolite microcrystals as model system because they can be produced in fairly uniform sizes and shapes, and their monolayers can be applied as precursors for molecular sieve membranes, [17][18][19][20] low-dielectric materials, [24,26] supramolecular energy-transfer systems, [13][14][15][16]27] nonlinear optical films, [28] anisotropic photoluminescent films, [12] and other advanced materials. [29] Silicalite-1 and ETS-10 (see the Supporting Information) crystals were used in this study. In the case of silicalite-1, crystals with four different sizes were employed. The average sizes and volumes [a b c (volume)] were: 0.3 0.1 0.6 (0