Hitomi (ASTRO-H) X-ray Astronomy Satellite

The Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission is the sixth Japanese x-ray astronomy satellite developed by a large international collaboration, including Japan, USA, Canada, and Europe. The mission aimed to provide the highest energy resolution ever achieved at E  >  2  keV, using a microcalorimeter instrument, and to cover a wide energy range spanning four decades in energy from soft x-rays to gamma rays. After a successful launch on February 17, 2016, the spacecraft lost its function on March 26, 2016, but the commissioning phase for about a month provided valuable information on the onboard instruments and the spacecraft system, including astrophysical results obtained from first light observations. The paper describes the Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission, its capabilities, the initial operation, and the instruments/spacecraft performances confirmed during the commissioning operations for about a month

Technical Change and Industrial Dynamics as Evolutionary Processes

Technical Change and Industrial Dynamics as Evolutionary Processes

RUNX transcription factors potentially control E-selectin expression in the bone marrow vascular niche in mice

骨髄微少環境を制御する新手法で白血病の延命効果を確認 --白血病治療に新しいコンセプトを提示--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2018-04-06.Although the function of Runt-related (RUNX) transcription factors has been well characterized in leukemogenesis and regarded as an ideal target in antileukemia strategies, the effect of RUNX-inhibition therapy on bone marrow niche cells andr its impact on the engraftment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells have largely been unknown. Here, we provide evidence suggesting the possible involvement of RUNX transcription factors in the transactivation of E-selectin, a member of selectin family of cell adhesion molecules, on the vascular endothelial cells of the mice bone marrow niche. In our experiments, gene switch-mediated silencing of RUNX downregulated E-selectin expression in the vascular niche and negatively controlled the engraftment of AML cells in the bone marrow, extending the overall survival of leukemic mice. Our work identified the novel role of RUNX family genes in the vascular niche and showed that the vascular niche, a home for AML cells, could be strategically targeted with RUNX-silencing antileukemia therapies. Considering the excellent efficacy of RUNX-inhibition therapy on AML cells themselves as we have previously reported, this strategy potentially targets AML cells both directly and indirectly, thus providing a better chance of cure for poor-prognostic AML patients

Small molecule amyloid disrupters demonstrate therapeutic efficacy for transthyretin amyloidosis

The escalating global trend of an aging population has brought attention to the rising prevalence of late-onset amyloid disorders. Among them, transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) presents a growing medical challenge, particularly in the elderly. Herein we report the first therapeutic efficacy of a small molecule catalyst that selectively disrupts and neutralizes the intrinsic toxicity of aggregated transthyretin via photooxygenation. The established conditions demonstrated improved motility defect severity within the ATTR model C. elegans, the singularly acknowledged experimental modality recapitulating the clinical manifestation of ATTR. The approach was applicable to photooxygenation of cardiac amyloid fibrils extracted from an ATTR patient. In silico analysis provided a molecular rationale for the reactivity performance of the optimized catalyst, key to bridging the gap between in vivo applicability and therapeutic efficacy