Effect of oligo(spiroorthocarbonate)s on the volume shrinkage of epoxides during crosslinking by sulfonium salt‐initiated cationic polymerization of epoxides

Oligo(spiroorthocarbonate)s 1, which were synthesized by the polycondensation of pentaerythritol derivatives with tetraethylorthocarbonate, were employed as comonomers in the cationic polymerization of epoxide initiated by sulfonium salt. In the copolymerization, the spiroorthocarbonate moiety of 1 underwent double ring‐opening reaction, leading to the efficient diminution of the volume shrinkage upon the copolymerization. Thermal properties of the resulting networked polymers were evaluated by TGA

Treatment planning for the layer-stacking irradiation system for three-dimensional conformal heavy-ion radiotherapy

We have upgraded a heavy-ion radiotherapy treatment-planning system to adapt for the layer-stacking irradiation method, which is to conform a variable spread-out Bragg peak to a target volume by means of dynamic control of the conventional beam-modifying devices. The biophysical model, the beam-setup logic, and the dose-calculation algorithm implemented for the layer-stacking method are described and the expected clinical usability is discussed. The layer-stacking method was integrated in perfect accordance with the ongoing conventional treatments so that the established protocols, which are the clinically optimized dose fractionation schemes, will still be valid. On the other hand, a simulation study indicated a substantial improvement of dose distribution with the layer-stacking method though the significance may depend on the size, shape, and location of the tumor. The completed treatment system will provide an option for improved conformal radiotherapy without interfering with the conventional method and we expect a gradual expansion of the clinical cases applicable to the layer-stacking method

Postural instability via a loss of intermittent control in elderly and patients with Parkinson's disease: a model-based and data-driven approach

Postural instability is one of the major symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Here, we assimilated a model of intermittent delay feedback control during quiet standing into postural sway data from healthy young and elderly individuals as well as patients with Parkinson's disease to elucidate the possible mechanisms of instability. Specifically, we estimated the joint probability distribution of a set of parameters in the model using the Bayesian parameter inference such that the model with the inferred parameters can best-fit sway data for each individual. It was expected that the parameter values for three populations would distribute differently in the parameter space depending on their balance capability. Because the intermittent control model is parameterized by a parameter associated with the degree of intermittency in the control, it can represent not only the intermittent model but also the traditional continuous control model with no intermittency. We showed that the inferred parameter values for the three groups of individuals are classified into two major groups in the parameter space: one represents the intermittent control mostly for healthy people and patients with mild postural symptoms and the other the continuous control mostly for some elderly and patients with severe postural symptoms. The results of this study may be interpreted by postulating that increased postural instability in most Parkinson's patients and some elderly persons might be characterized as a dynamical disease

Host range and receptor utilization of canine distemper virus analyzed by recombinant viruses: Involvement of heparin-like molecule in CDV infection

AbstractWe constructed recombinant viruses expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or firefly luciferase from cDNA clones of the canine distemper virus (CDV) (a Japanese field isolate, Yanaka strain). Using these viruses, we examined susceptibilities of different cell lines to CDV infection. The results revealed that the recombinant CDVs can infect a broad range of cell lines. Infectivity inhibition assay using a monoclonal antibody specific to the human SLAM molecule indicated that the infection of B95a cells with these recombinant CDVs is mainly mediated by SLAM but the infection of 293 cell lines with CDV is not, implying the presence of one or more alternative receptors for CDV in non-lymphoid tissue. Infection of 293 cells with the recombinant CDV was inhibited by soluble heparin, and the recombinant virus bound to immobilized heparin. Both F and H proteins of CDV could bind to immobilized heparin. These results suggest that heparin-like molecules are involved in CDV infection

Evaluation of Environmental Contamination and Estimated Radiation Doses for the Return to Residents’ Homes in Kawauchi Village, Fukushima Prefecture

To evaluate the environmental contamination and radiation exposure dose rates due to artificial radionuclides in Kawauchi Village, Fukushima Prefecture, the restricted area within a 30-km radius from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP), the concentrations of artificial radionuclides in soil samples, tree needles, and mushrooms were analyzed by gamma spectrometry. Nine months have passed since samples were collected on December 19 and 20, 2011, 9 months after the FNPP accident, and the prevalent dose-forming artificial radionuclides from all samples were 134Cs and 137Cs. The estimated external effective doses from soil samples were 0.42-7.2 μSv/h (3.7-63.0 mSv/y) within the 20-km radius from FNPP and 0.0011-0.38 μSv/h (0.010-3.3 mSv/y) within the 20-30 km radius from FNPP. The present study revealed that current levels are sufficiently decreasing in Kawauchi Village, especially in areas within the 20- to 30-km radius from FNPP. Thus, residents may return their homes with long-term follow-up of the environmental monitoring and countermeasures such as decontamination and restrictions of the intake of foods for reducing unnecessary exposure. The case of Kawauchi Village will be the first model for the return to residents\u27 homes after the FNPP accident

ヘクソカズラの果実の成分研究 : 新規イリドイドPaederia lactoneの構造

Paederia lactone (1), a new iridoid, was isolated from the fruits of Paederia scandens (LOUR. MERR.) (Rubiaceae). The structure of 1 was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis

A comparative profile of urinary scent signals of two endangered Japanese populations of leopard cat

Two subspecies of mainland leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), Iriomote cats (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis), and Tsushima leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus), are small, endangered felids that are endemic to the Japanese islands, Iriomote-jima and Tsushima, respectively. Both subspecies have an estimated population size of only about 100 individuals each. Therefore, it is crucial to expand our understanding of these subspecies to successfully conserve them. While their morphology, anatomy, ecology, pathology, and genetics are well studied, little is known about their physiology regulated in subspecies-specific manners. This study characterized their urinary volatile and nonvolatile organic compounds, with which individuals express their physiological status and territorial ownership. We found significantly higher levels of 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol and its structural analogs, which are scent signals of domestic cats, in the urinary headspace of Iriomote cats than in that of Tsushima leopard cats. There were no differences in the urinary levels of felinine, an amino acid that acts as a precursor of 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol, suggesting the variation of catalytic activities for decomposing felinine to 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol between subspecies. Both subspecies exhibited physiological proteinuria due to the secretion of carboxylesterase 5A, also known as cauxin, for the production of felinine. In conclusion, while the two endangered Japanese subspecies of mainland leopard cats share similar genetic backgrounds, urinary contents of metabolites vary between the subspecies. We suggest that after the separation into two subspecies, the regulation of the metabolic pathway for 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol production likely evolved differently in each subspecies in response to their specific environments

Unique structure of ozoralizumab, a trivalent anti-TNFα NANOBODY® compound, offers the potential advantage of mitigating the risk of immune complex-induced inflammation

Biologics have become an important component of treatment strategies for a variety of diseases, but the immunogenicity of large immune complexes (ICs) and aggregates of biologics may increase risk of adverse events is a concern for biologics and it remains unclear whether large ICs consisting of intrinsic antigen and therapeutic antibodies are actually involved in acute local inflammation such as injection site reaction (ISR). Ozoralizumab is a trivalent, bispecific NANOBODY® compound that differs structurally from IgGs. Treatment with ozoralizumab has been shown to provide beneficial effects in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) comparable to those obtained with other TNFα inhibitors. Very few ISRs (2%) have been reported after ozoralizumab administration, and the drug has been shown to have acceptable safety and tolerability. In this study, in order to elucidate the mechanism underlying the reduced incidence of ISRs associated with ozoralizumab administration, we investigated the stoichiometry of two TNFα inhibitors (ozoralizumab and adalimumab, an anti-TNFα IgG) ICs and the induction by these drugs of Fcγ receptor (FcγR)-mediated immune responses on neutrophils. Ozoralizumab-TNFα ICs are smaller than adalimumab-TNFα ICs and lack an Fc portion, thus mitigating FcγR-mediated immune responses on neutrophils. We also developed a model of anti-TNFα antibody-TNFα IC-induced subcutaneous inflammation and found that ozoralizumab-TNFα ICs do not induce any significant inflammation at injection sites. The results of our studies suggest that ozoralizumab is a promising candidate for the treatment of RA that entails a lower risk of the IC-mediated immune cell activation that leads to unwanted immune responses

Real-time colour hologram generation based on ray-sampling plane with multi-GPU acceleration

金沢大学理工研究域機械工学系Although electro-holography can reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) motion pictures, its computational cost is too heavy to allow for real-time reconstruction of 3D motion pictures. This study explores accelerating colour hologram generation using light-ray information on a ray-sampling (RS) plane with a graphics processing unit (GPU) to realise a real-time holographic display system. We refer to an image corresponding to light-ray information as an RS image. Colour holograms were generated from three RS images with resolutions of 2,048 × 2,048; 3,072 × 3,072 and 4,096 × 4,096 pixels. The computational results indicate that the generation of the colour holograms using multiple GPUs (NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1080) was approximately 300-500 times faster than those generated using a central processing unit. In addition, the results demonstrate that 3D motion pictures were successfully reconstructed from RS images of 3,072 × 3,072 pixels at approximately 15 frames per second using an electro-holographic reconstruction system in which colour holograms were generated from RS images in real time. © 2018 The Author(s)