Unusual Carbonaceous Dust Distribution in PN G095.2+00.7

We investigate the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features in the young Galactic planetary nebula PN G095.2+00.7 based on mid-infrared observations. The near- to mid-infrared spectra obtained with the AKARI/IRC and the Spitzer/IRS show the PAH features as well as the broad emission feature at 12 {\mu}m usually seen in proto-planetary nebulae (pPNe). The spatially resolved spectra obtained with Subaru/COMICS suggest that the broad emission around 12 {\mu}m is distributed in a shell-like structure, but the unidentified infrared band at 11.3 {\mu}m is selectively enhanced at the southern part of the nebula. The variation can be explained by a difference in the amount of the UV radiation to excite PAHs, and does not necessarily require the chemical processing of dust grains and PAHs. It suggests that the UV self-extinction is important to understand the mid-infrared spectral features. We propose a mechanism which accounts for the evolutionary sequence of the mid-infrared dust features seen in a transition from pPNe to PNe.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Design Proposals for People with Sensory Hypersensitivity Based on Survey and Interview

Although there are many types of designs for people with declining sensory abilities (Baldwin C L., 2002), there are only a few examples of designs for people with sensory hypersensitivity. Therefore, we have tried to develop designs for people with sensory hypersensitivity. We conducted a survey and some interviews on hypersensitivity, and based on this research, we proposed various product designs, service designs, and visual designs for people with sensory hypersensitivity.Art and Design Research for Sustainable Development ; September 22, 2018Conference: Tsukuba Global Science Week 2018Date: September 20-22, 2018Venue: Tsukuba International Congress Center Sponsored: University of Tsukub

Preferential association of hepatitis C virus with CD19+ B cells is mediated by complement system

Extrahepatic disease manifestations are common in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The mechanism of HCV-related lymphoproliferative disorders is not fully understood. Recent studies have found that HCV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from chronically infected patients is mainly associated with CD19+ B cells. To further elucidate this preferential association of HCV with B cells, we used in vitro cultured virus and uninfected PBMCs from healthy blood donors to investigate the necessary serum components that activate the binding of HCV to B cells. First, we found that the active serum components were present not only in HCV carriers, but also in HCV recovered patients and HCV negative healthy blood donors and that the serum components were heat labile. Second, the preferential binding activity of HCV to B cells could be blocked by anti-complement C3 antibodies. In experiments with complement-depleted serum and purified complement proteins, we demonstrated that complement proteins C1, C2, and C3 were required to activate such binding activity. Complement protein C4 was partially involved in this process. Third, using antibodies against cell surface markers, we showed that the binding complex mainly involved CD21 (complement receptor 2), CD19, CD20, and CD81; CD35 (complement receptor 1) was involved but had lower binding activity. Fourth, both anti-CD21 and anti-CD35 antibodies could block the binding of patient-derived HCV to B cells. Fifth, complement also mediated HCV binding to Raji cells, a cultured B cell line derived from Burkitt´s lymphoma.CONCLUSION:In chronic HCV infection, the preferential association of HCV with B cells is mediated by the complement system, mainly through complement receptor 2 (CD21), in conjunction with the CD19 and CD81 complex. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Fil: Wang, Richard. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Baré, Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; Argentina. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: De Giorgi, Valeria. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Matsuura, Kentaro. Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medicine; Japón. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Salam, Kazi Abdus. National Institutes of Health; Estados Unidos. University of Rajshahi; IndiaFil: Grandinetti, Teresa. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Schechterly, Cathy. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Alter, Harvey J.. National Institutes of Health; Estados Unido

用量設定試験における被験者の割り付けの深層強化学習による最適化

東京理科大学2022年

Experimental H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy characterized by plaques and glial- and stellate-type prion protein deposits

Atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has recently been identified in Europe, North America, and Japan. It is classified as H-type and L-type BSE according to the molecular mass of the disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc). To investigate the topographical distribution and deposition patterns of immunolabeled PrPSc, H-type BSE isolate was inoculated intracerebrally into cattle. H-type BSE was successfully transmitted to 3 calves, with incubation periods between 500 and 600 days. Moderate to severe spongiform changes were detected in the cerebral and cerebellar cortices, basal ganglia, thalamus, and brainstem. H-type BSE was characterized by the presence of PrP-immunopositive amyloid plaques in the white matter of the cerebrum, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Moreover, intraglial-type immunolabeled PrPSc was prominent throughout the brain. Stellate-type immunolabeled PrPSc was conspicuous in the gray matter of the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus, but not in the brainstem. In addition, PrPSc accumulation was detected in the peripheral nervous tissues, such as trigeminal ganglia, dorsal root ganglia, optic nerve, retina, and neurohypophysis. Cattle are susceptible to H-type BSE with a shorter incubation period, showing distinct and distinguishable phenotypes of PrPSc accumulation

In vivo imaging of autophagy in a mouse stroke model

Recent studies have suggested that autophagy is involved in a neural death pathway following cerebral ischemia. In vivo detection of autophagy could be important for evaluating ischemic neural cell damage for human stroke patients. Using novel green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) transgenic (Tg) mice, in vivo imaging of autophagy was performed at 1, 3 and 6 d after 60 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Ex vivo imaging of autophagy, testing of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), estern blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) and fluorescent analyses were performed on brain sections following tMCAO. In vivo fluorescent signals were detected above the ischemic hemisphere through the skull bone at 1, 3 and 6 d after tMCAO, with a peak at 1 d. Similar results were obtained with ex vivo fluorescence imaging. western blot analysis revealed maximum LC3-I and LC3-II expression at 1 d after tMCAO and fluorescence immunohistochemistry demonstrated that GFP-LC3-positive cells were primarily neuronal, not astroglial or microglial, cells. The number of GFP-LC3/TUNEL double-positive cells was greater in the peri-ischemic area than in the core. These results provided evidence of in vivo autophagy detection, with a peak at 1 d, in a live animal model following cerebral ischemia. This novel technique could be valuable for monitoring autophagic processes in vivo in live stroke patients, as well as for clarifying the detailed role of autophagy in the ischemic brain, as well as in other neurological diseases

Comparison of Internal Fixations for Distal Clavicular Fractures Based on Loading Tests and Finite Element Analyses

It is difficult to apply strong and stable internal fixation to a fracture of the distal end of the clavicle because it is unstable, the distal clavicle fragment is small, and the fractured region is near the acromioclavicular joint. In this study, to identify a superior internal fixation method for unstable distal clavicular fracture, we compared three types of internal fixation (tension band wiring, scorpion, and LCP clavicle hook plate). Firstly, loading tests were performed, in which fixations were evaluated using bending stiffness and torsional stiffness as indices, followed by finite element analysis to evaluate fixability using the stress and strain as indices. The bending and torsional stiffness were significantly higher in the artificial clavicles fixed with the two types of plate than in that fixed by tension band wiring (P<0.05). No marked stress concentration on the clavicle was noted in the scorpion because the arm plate did not interfere with the acromioclavicular joint, suggesting that favorable shoulder joint function can be achieved. The stability of fixation with the LCP clavicle hook plate and the scorpion was similar, and plate fixations were stronger than fixation by tension band wiring

Intraspecies Prion Transmission Results in Selection of Sheep Scrapie Strains

Background: Sheep scrapie is caused by multiple prion strains, which have been classified on the basis of their biological characteristics in inbred mice. The heterogeneity of natural scrapie prions in individual sheep and in sheep flocks has not been clearly defined. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we intravenously injected 2 sheep (Suffolk and Corriedale) with material from a natural case of sheep scrapie (Suffolk breed). These 3 sheep had identical prion protein (PrP) genotypes. The protease-resistant core of PrP (PrPres) in the experimental Suffolk sheep was similar to that in the original Suffolk sheep. In contrast, PrPres in the Corriedale sheep differed from the original PrPres but resembled the unusual scrapie isolate, CH1641. This unusual PrPres was not detected in the original sheep. The PrPres distributions in the brain and peripheral tissues differed between the 2 breeds of challenged sheep. A transmission study in wild-type and TgBoPrP mice, which overexpressing bovine PrP, led to the selection of different prion strains. The pathological features of prion diseases are thought to depend on the dominantly propagated strain. Conclusions/Significance: Our results indicate that prion strain selection occurs after both inter- and intraspecie

Sulfated Dextrans Enhance In Vitro Amplification of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy PrPSc and Enable Ultrasensitive Detection of Bovine PrPSc

Prions, infectious agents associated with prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, and scrapie in sheep and goats, are primarily comprised of PrP(Sc), a protease-resistant misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein PrP(C). Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) is a highly sensitive technique used to detect minute amounts of scrapie PrP(Sc). However, the current PMCA technique has been unsuccessful in achieving good amplification in cattle. The detailed distribution of PrP(Sc) in BSE-affected cattle therefore remains unknown.We report here that PrP(Sc) derived from BSE-affected cattle can be amplified ultra-efficiently by PMCA in the presence of sulfated dextran compounds. This method is capable of amplifying very small amounts of PrP(Sc) from the saliva, palatine tonsils, lymph nodes, ileocecal region, and muscular tissues of BSE-affected cattle. Individual differences in the distribution of PrP(Sc) in spleen and cerebrospinal fluid samples were observed in terminal-stage animals. However, the presence of PrP(Sc) in blood was not substantiated in the BSE-affected cattle examined.The distribution of PrP(Sc) is not restricted to the nervous system and can spread to peripheral tissues in the terminal disease stage. The finding that PrP(Sc) could be amplified in the saliva of an asymptomatic animal suggests a potential usefulness of this technique for BSE diagnosis. This highly sensitive method also has other practical applications, including safety evaluation or safety assurance of products and byproducts manufactured from bovine source materials