Hokkaido University

About: Hokkaido University is a education organization based out in Sapporo, Hokkaidô, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Population. The organization has 53925 authors who have published 115403 publications receiving 2651647 citations. The organization is also known as: Hokudai & Hokkaidō daigaku.

Differences in CT perfusion maps generated by different commercial software: quantitative analysis by using identical source data of acute stroke patients.

Abstract: The abnormal area and relative values of CT perfusion imaging were significantly different among commercially available software packages provided by CT manufacturers.

Mechanical stimulation and solid seeding trigger single-crystal-to-single-crystal molecular domino transformations

Abstract: Numerous studies have focused on the mechanical control of solid structures and phase changes in molecular crystals. However, the molecular-level understanding of how macroscopic forces affect the molecules in a solid remains incomplete. Here we report that a small mechanical stimulus or solid seeding can trigger a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation from a kinetically isolated polymorph of phenyl(phenyl isocyanide)gold(I) exhibiting blue photoluminescence to a thermodynamically stable polymorph exhibiting yellow emission without the need for heating or solvent. The phase transformation initiates at the location of the mechanical stimulation or seed crystal, extends to adjacent crystals, and can be readily monitored visually by the accompanying photoluminescent colour change from blue to yellow. The transformation was characterized using single crystal X-ray analysis. Our results suggest that the transformation proceeds through self-replication, causing the complex to behave as 'molecular dominoes'.

EB virus-encoded RNAs are recognized by RIG-I and activate signaling to induce type I IFN.

Abstract: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) are nonpolyadenylated, untranslated RNAs, exist most abundantly in latently EBV-infected cells, and are expected to show secondary structures with many short stem–loops. Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) is a cytosolic protein that detects viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) inside the cell and initiates signaling pathways leading to the induction of protective cellular genes, including type I interferons (IFNs). We investigated whether EBERs were recognized by RIG-I as dsRNA. Transfection of RIG-I plasmid induced IFNs and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) in EBV-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells, but not in their EBV-negative counterparts or EBER-knockout EBV-infected BL cells. Transfection of EBER plasmid or in vitro-synthesized EBERs induced expression of type I IFNs and ISGs in RIG-I-expressing, EBV-negative BL cells, but not in RIG-I-minus counterparts. EBERs activated RIG-I's substrates, NF-κB and IFN regulatory factor 3, which were necessary for type I IFN activation. It was also shown that EBERs co-precipitated with RIG-I. These results indicate that EBERs are recognized by RIG-I and activate signaling to induce type I IFN in EBV-infected cells.