Reduction in BDNF from inefficient precursor conversion influences nest building and promotes depressive-like behavior in mice

Kojima, M.; Otabi, H.; Kumanogoh, H.; Toyoda, A.; Ikawa, M.; Okabe, M.; Mizui, T. Reduction in BDNF from Inefficient Precursor Conversion Influences Nest Building and Promotes Depressive-Like Behavior in Mice. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3984. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms2111398

Combination of Defucosylated AHM plus Lenalidomide

The immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide (Len) has drawn attention to potentiate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)-mediated immunotherapies. We developed the defucosylated version (YB-AHM) of humanized monoclonal antibody against HM1.24 (CD317) overexpressed in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. In this study, we evaluated ADCC by YB-AHM and Len in combination against MM cells and their progenitors. YB-AHM was able to selectively kill via ADCC MM cells in bone marrow samples from patients with MM with low effector/target ratios, which was further enhanced by treatment with Len. Interestingly, Len also up-regulated HM1.24 expression on MM cells in an effector-dependent manner. HM1.24 was found to be highly expressed in a drug-resistant clonogenic ‘‘side population’’ in MM cells; and this combinatory treatment successfully reduced SP fractions in RPMI 8226 and KMS-11 cells in the presence of effector cells, and suppressed a clonogenic potential of MM cells in colony-forming assays. Collectively, the present study suggests that YB-AHM and Len in combination may become an effective therapeutic strategy in MM, warranting further study to target drug-resistant MM clonogenic cells

First Data Release of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program

The Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) is a three-layered imaging survey aimed at addressing some of the most outstanding questions in astronomy today, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy. The survey has been awarded 300 nights of observing time at the Subaru Telescope and it started in March 2014. This paper presents the first public data release of HSC-SSP. This release includes data taken in the first 1.7 years of observations (61.5 nights) and each of the Wide, Deep, and UltraDeep layers covers about 108, 26, and 4 square degrees down to depths of i~26.4, ~26.5, and ~27.0 mag, respectively (5sigma for point sources). All the layers are observed in five broad bands (grizy), and the Deep and UltraDeep layers are observed in narrow bands as well. We achieve an impressive image quality of 0.6 arcsec in the i-band in the Wide layer. We show that we achieve 1-2 per cent PSF photometry (rms) both internally and externally (against Pan-STARRS1), and ~10 mas and 40 mas internal and external astrometric accuracy, respectively. Both the calibrated images and catalogs are made available to the community through dedicated user interfaces and database servers. In addition to the pipeline products, we also provide value-added products such as photometric redshifts and a collection of public spectroscopic redshifts. Detailed descriptions of all the data can be found online. The data release website is https://hsc-release.mtk.nao.ac.jp/.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures, 7 tables, moderate revision, accepted for publication in PAS

The Hyper Suprime-Cam SSP survey: Overview and survey design

Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) is a wide-field imaging camera on the prime focus of the 8.2-m Subaru telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. A team of scientists from Japan, Taiwan, and Princeton University is using HSC to carry out a 300-night multi-band imaging survey of the high-latitude sky. The survey includes three layers: the Wide layer will cover 1400 deg2 in five broad bands (grizy), with a 5 σ point-source depth of r ≈ 26. The Deep layer covers a total of 26 deg2 in four fields, going roughly a magnitude fainter, while the UltraDeep layer goes almost a magnitude fainter still in two pointings of HSC (a total of 3.5 deg2). Here we describe the instrument, the science goals of the survey, and the survey strategy and data processing. This paper serves as an introduction to a special issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, which includes a large number of technical and scientific papers describing results from the early phases of this survey

Adsorption of pentachlorophenol to a humin-like substance-bentonite complex prepared by polycondensation reactions of humic precursors

Humic substances have natural surfactant characteristics and have a relatively high affinity for pentachlorophenol (PCP). However, humic substances cannot be loaded into bentonite (Bent) via intercalation because of their larger size. In the present study, a humin-like substance (HuLS) was prepared by polycondensation reactions of humic precursors, such as glycine and catechol, and the product was loaded into Bent. XRD patterns showed that the basal spacing, calculated from the montmorillonite peak, for the HuLS-Bent complex was larger than that for Bent itself, indicating that the intercalation of HuLS was successful. The adsorption capabilities of PCP were evaluated from adsorption isotherms at pH 4.0, 5.5 and 6.5. At all pH values, the linear adsorption coefficients of PCP, K-d (L kg(-1)), for the HuLS-Bent complex (37 at pH 6.5, 247 at pH 5.5 and 804 at pH 4.0) were significantly larger than those for Bent itself (not determined at pH 6.5,40 at pH 5.5 and 94 at pH 4.0). These results show that the adsorption capabilities of PCP can be enhanced by loading HuLS onto Bent. In addition, the K-d values for Bent and the HuLS-Bent complex were found to be pH-dependent, in that the K-d value decreased with increasing pH. Because of the pK(a) for PCP (4.75), more than 90% of the PCP was present as the anionic form at pH 5.5 and 6.5. In addition, the values for the Zeta potentials for Bent and the HuLS-Bent complex remained negative at pH 2-12 and decreased with increasing pH. It thus appears that electrostatic repulsion between the anionic form of PCP and the adsorbents can affect the adsorption capabilities. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Synthesis and selection of hindered new amine absorbents for CO2 capture

AbstractThis work focuses on synthesizing and selecting hindered new amine absorbents to reduce the regeneration energy cost for CO2 capture. To achieve this target we synthesized seven secondary and two tertiary amine based CO2 absorbents with systematic modification of their chemical structures by an appropriate placement of substituent functional groups especially the alkyl functions (e.g. methyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, secondary butyl etc.), relative to the position of the amino group. Performances evaluations of these new absorbents in aqueous solutions were carried out based on their CO2 absorption rate, absorption capacity and heat of reaction measurements. Particular attention was paid to absorbents with a potential for high absorption rate and low heats of reaction. The results for the synthesized amino alcohols were then compared with conventional absorbents AMP and MDEA which were chosen as the base case for all comparisons. We found three high performance absorbents with advantages of high absorption rate and low heats of reaction compared with AMP and MDEA. Absorbents higher CO2 absorption rate and lower heat energy consumption characteristics will reduce the regeneration energy cost of CO2 during stripping