Immunohistochemical and lectin histochemical studies on the developing olfactory organs of fetal camel

Little is known about the development of the olfactory organs of camel. In this study, prenatal development and neuronal differentiation of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the olfactory epithelium (OE) of the one‐humped camel were studied by immunohistochemistry and lectin histochemistry. A neuronal marker, protein gene product (PGP) 9.5, but not a marker of fully differentiated olfactory receptor cells, olfactory marker protein, intensely labeled the olfactory receptor cells of the VNO and OE at 395 mm, 510 mm, and 530 mm fetal ages, indicating that the olfactory receptor cells are differentiated, but not fully matured both in the VNO and the OE. In 187 mm and 190 mm fetuses, PGP 9.5 yielded faint immunoreactive signals in the VNO, but not in the OE, although the presence of olfactory receptor cells were demonstrated in both tissues by intense WGA and LEL stainings. We conclude that the camel VNO and OE bear differentiated, but still immature receptor cells; in addition, the onset of neuronal differentiation seems to be somewhat earlier in the VNO than in the OE till half of the prenatal life. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:613–619, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Wnt16 Signaling Is Required for IL-1β-Induced Matrix Metalloproteinase-13-Regulated Proliferation of Human Stem Cell-Derived Osteoblastic Cells

We established a differentiation method for homogeneous α7 integrin-positive human skeletal muscle stem cell (α7⁺hSMSC)-derived osteoblast-like (α7⁺hSMSC-OB) cells, and found that interleukin (IL)-1β induces matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13-regulated proliferation of these cells. These data suggest that MMP-13 plays a potentially unique physiological role in the regeneration of osteoblast-like cells. Here, we examined whether up-regulation of MMP-13 activity by IL-1β was mediated by Wingless/int1 (Wnt) signaling and increased the proliferation of osteoblast-like cells. IL-1β increased the mRNA and protein levels of Wnt16 and the Wnt receptor Lrp5/Fzd2. Exogenous Wnt16 was found to increase MMP-13 mRNA, protein and activity, and interestingly, the proliferation rate of these cells. Treatment with small interfering RNAs against Wnt16 and Lrp5 suppressed the IL-1β-induced increase in cell proliferation. We revealed that a unique signaling cascade IL-1β→Wnt16→Lrp5→MMP-13, was intimately involved in the proliferation of osteoblast-like cells, and suggest that IL-1β-induced MMP-13 expression and changes in cell proliferation are regulated by Wnt16.     

Photoluminescence properties of La2O3 methane coupling catalysts

La₂O₃ catalysts prepared at 923 K (La₂O₃-LT) and 1073 K (La₂O₃-HT) exhibit different photoluminescence properties due to notably different concentrations of ions in position of low coordination at the surface or coordinatively unsaturated surface sites (cus). The catalyst which exhibits the higher yields of photoluminescence due to the higher concentration of cus corresponds to the one which gives the higher C₂₊ selectivity in the oxidative methane coupling reaction. On leave of absence from Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, URA 1106-CNRS, 75252 Paris Cedex, France.     

Low water absorption and pyroplastic deformation of alumina-strengthened porcelain with petalite and Gairome clay

The pyroplastic deformation (PD) of porcelain is a key issue for reducing production loss. In this study, material design to realize both a low water absorption (WA) and low PD in alumina-strengthened porcelain, which have a trade-off relationship, was proposed. In this porcelain material design, a rigid microstructure composed of entangled needle-like mullite crystals is formed by the addition of Gairome clay, which has the positive effect of suppressing PD but negatively affects densification. This was balanced by the controlling the amount and viscosity of the liquid phase in the porcelain fired at elevated temperatures with optimized quantities of added petalite and Gairome clay to obtain a low WA and low PD. As a result, a WA below 0.5% and PD index below 1.5 × 10⁻⁶ mm⁻¹ in a wide firing temperature range from 1194 to 1384°C were obtained for porcelain containing Amakusa clay at 37.8 mass%, Gairome clay at 17.0 mass%, petalite at 13.7 mass%, and alumina at 31.5 mass%.     

Some Structural Characteristics of Starches of Maize Having a Specific Genetic Background

Distribution of starch components of maize (Zea mays L.) and their properties were investigated by gel filtration after debranching and by exhaustive hydrolysis of starch-granules with glucoamylase. Based on the results, relationship between genotypes and properties of starch components were discussed. The sugary-1 (su₁), sugary-2 (su₂), and dull (du) mutants produced high amylose maize, while amylopectin of su₂ was normal type and those of su₁ and du were novel type. In the double-mutant combinations, the waxy (wx) gene decreased amylose content. Starches of du su₁ or du su₂ possessed greatest amount of amylose among starches examined. Contents of amylose, intermediate fraction (Fr.) and longer branches of amylopectin increased in most cases when the amylose-extender (ae) gene was introduced. Starches of ae possessed longer average chain-lengths of amylopectin than that of normal. In ae du starches, however, elongation of the amylopectin chain and increase of the intermediate Fr. did not occur. Exhaustive degradation of starch-granules by glucoamylase showed that ae starches were more resistant to amylase.