Osaka University “Trackies 2000”

This is the team description of Osaka University "Trackies" for RoboCup2000. The hardware and software architecture are presented

Self-Sufficient Bioethanol Production System Using a Lignin-Derived Adsorbent of Fermentation Inhibitors

We have developed a new self-sufficient bioethanol producing system that suppresses the inhibition of fermentation by thermally processed residual lignin in a separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and one-pot simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF). The new fermentation process incorporates detoxification with the lignin-derived adsorbent; thus, needs no purchased adsorbent, produces no waste adsorbent and relieves wastewater treatment load. Eucalyptus globulus wood was pretreated by microwave (MW)-assisted hydrothermolysis in aqueous maleic acid and separated into soluble and insoluble fractions. The insoluble fraction was hydrolyzed with cellulolytic enzymes, and the residual lignin was separated. We found that thermal processing of the lignin under a normoxic atmosphere efficiently adsorbed fermentation inhibitors without affecting monosaccharide concentration by enzymatic saccharification. The processing was achieved at 250–350 °C, which are much lower temperatures for wood charcoal production and resulted in higher yields of the adsorbent. The residual lignin formed after SSCF was also converted to the selective adsorbent. Using the lignin-derived adsorbent and genetically engineered Zymomonas mobiliz, bioethanol was produced at 54 g/L from the pretreated biomass mash by one-pot SSCF processes coupled with prehydrolysis. The lignin-derived adsorbent is recyclable and potentially applicable to a wide range of fermentation processes of lignocellulosics

The Creation of School Education Bringing up a Student Carrying Tomorrow (4) : Training and The Valuation of "the Ability of Self-expression and Communication"

The purpose of this study is to show how develop and evaluate the students' "ability of self-expression and communication", which was described by the project members in "Compulsory Subjects", "Optional Subjects", and "Integrated Study". We remark on two points: the development of internal representation and awareness of others. The results were that we reached a definition of "the ability of self-expression and communication" and we saw an increase in the awareness of others in students who had been perceived to have low awareness at the beginning of the program

Long-term safety and efficacy of alogliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, in patients with type 2 diabetes: a 3-year prospective, controlled, observational study (J-BRAND Registry)

Introduction Given an increasing use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors to treat patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the real-world setting, we conducted a prospective observational study (Japan-based Clinical Research Network for Diabetes Registry: J-BRAND Registry) to elucidate the safety and efficacy profile of long-term usage of alogliptin.Research design and methods We registered 5969 patients from April 2012 through September 2014, who started receiving alogliptin (group A) or other classes of oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs; group B), and were followed for 3 years at 239 sites nationwide. Safety was the primary outcome. Symptomatic hypoglycemia, pancreatitis, skin disorders of non-extrinsic origin, severe infections, and cancer were collected as major adverse events (AEs). Efficacy assessment was the secondary outcome and included changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin and urinary albumin.Results Of the registered, 5150 (group A: 3395 and group B: 1755) and 5096 (3358 and 1738) were included for safety and efficacy analysis, respectively. Group A patients mostly (>90%) continued to use alogliptin. In group B, biguanides were the primary agents, while DPP-4 inhibitors were added in up to ~36% of patients. The overall incidence of AEs was similar between the two groups (42.7% vs 42.2%). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the incidence of cancer was significantly higher in group A than in group B (7.4% vs 4.8%, p=0.040), while no significant incidence difference was observed in the individual cancer. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the imbalanced patient distribution (more elderly patients in group A than in group B), but not alogliptin usage per se, contributed to cancer development. The incidence of other major AE categories was with no between-group difference. Between-group difference was not detected, either, in the incidence of microvascular and macrovascular complications. HbA1c and fasting glucose decreased significantly at the 0.5-year visit and nearly plateaued thereafter in both groups.Conclusions Alogliptin as a representative of DPP-4 inhibitors was safe and durably efficacious when used alone or with other OHAs for patients with type 2 diabetes in the real world setting