Vitamin D Affects Neuronal Peptides in Neurodegenerative Disease: Differences of V-D2 and V-D3 for Affinity to Amyloid-β and Scrapie Prion Protein In Vitro

The misfolding of neuronal peptides such as Aβ40/42 in Alzheimer’s disease and cellular prion protein in scrapie induce abnormal aggregation of the peptides in the brain. The seeding of peptides’ oligomers from monomers is the initial step to form molten-globule states before abnormal aggregation. Therefore, compounds targeting the step are useful to clarify the mechanisms underlying aggregation of the proteins and Vitamin D derivatives, which can interact with both Aβ40 and cellular prion protein; however they show different effects in the oligomerization step of the proteins. We discuss the different effects of Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 in the interaction with these peptides in brain

Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells on Autologous Feeders

BACKGROUND: For therapeutic usage of induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells, to accomplish xeno-free culture is critical. Previous reports have shown that human embryonic stem (ES) cells can be maintained in feeder-free condition. However, absence of feeder cells can be a hostile environment for pluripotent cells and often results in karyotype abnormalities. Instead of animal feeders, human fibroblasts can be used as feeder cells of human ES cells. However, one still has to be concerned about the existence of unidentified pathogens, such as viruses and prions in these non-autologous feeders. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This report demonstrates that human induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells can be established and maintained on isogenic parental feeder cells. We tested four independent human skin fibroblasts for the potential to maintain self-renewal of iPS cells. All the fibroblasts tested, as well as their conditioned medium, were capable of maintaining the undifferentiated state and normal karyotypes of iPS cells. Furthermore, human iPS cells can be generated on isogenic parental fibroblasts as feeders. These iPS cells carried on proliferation over 19 passages with undifferentiated morphologies. They expressed undifferentiated pluripotent cell markers, and could differentiate into all three germ layers via embryoid body and teratoma formation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that autologous fibroblasts can be not only a source for iPS cells but also be feeder layers. Our results provide a possibility to solve the dilemma by using isogenic fibroblasts as feeder layers of iPS cells. This is an important step toward the establishment of clinical grade iPS cells

Huggable Communication Medium Maintains Level of Trust during Conversation Game

There have been several attempts in recent years to develop a remote communication device using sensory modalities other than speech that would induce a user’s positive experience with his/her conversation partner. Specifically, Hugvie is a human-shaped pillow as well as a remote communication device enabling users to combine a hugging experience with telecommunication to improve the quality of remote communication.The present research is based on the hypothesis that using Hugvie maintains users’level of trust toward their conversation partners in situations prone to suspicion. Thelevel of trust felt toward other remote game players was compared between participants using Hugvie and those using a basic communication device while playing a modified version of Werewolf, a conversation-based game, designed to evaluate trust. Although there are always winners and losers in the regular version of Werewolf, the rules were modified to generate a possible scenario in which no enemy was present among the players and all players would win if they trusted each other. We examined the effect of using Hugvie while playing Werewolf on players’ level of trust toward each other and our results demonstrated that in those using Hugvie, the level of trust toward other players was maintained

マウス破骨細胞形成における抗微生物ペプチド Cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide （CRAMP）の役割）

Cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP) not only kills bacteria but also binds to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to neutralize its activity. CRAMP is highly expressed in bone marrow and its expression is reported to be up-regulated by inflammatory and infectious stimuli. Here, we examined the role of CRAMP in murine osteoclastogenesis. Osteoclasts were formed in co-cultures of osteoblasts and bone marrow cells in response to 1a,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1a,25(OH)2D3], prostaglandin E2(PGE2), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands such as LPS and flagellin through the induction of receptor activator of nuclear factor-jB ligand(RANKL) expression in osteoblasts. CRAMP inhibited the osteoclastogenesis in co-cultures treated with LPS and flagellin, but not in those treated with 1a,25(OH)2D3 or PGE2. Although bone marrow macrophages(BMMs) highly expressed formyl peptide receptor 2 (a receptor of CRAMP), CRAMP showed no inhibitory effect on osteoclastogenesis in BMM cultures treated with RANKL. CRAMP suppressed both LPS- and flagellin-induced RANKL expression in osteoblasts and tumour necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) expression in BMMs, suggesting that CRAMP neutralizes the actions of LPS and flagellin. LPS and flagellin enhanced the expression of CRAMP mRNA in osteoblasts. Extracellularly added CRAMP suppressed LPS- and flagellin-induced CRAMP expression. These results suggest that the production of CRAMP promoted by LPS and flagellin is inhibited by CRAMP released by osteoblasts through a feedback regulation. Even though CRAMP itself has no effect on osteoclastogenesis in mice, we propose that CRAMP is an osteoblast-derived protector in bacterial infection-induced osteoclastic bone resorption.2013博士（歯学）松本歯科大

新生児の睡眠中の心拍変動周波数スペクトルと自律神経活動の関係

INTRODUCTION: We analyzed the frequency spectrum of two neonatal sleep stages, namely active sleep and quiet sleep, and the relationship between these sleep stages and autonomic nervous activity in 74 newborns and 16 adults as a comparison. METHOD: Active and quiet sleep were differentiated by electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns, eye movements, and respiratory wave patterns; autonomic activity was analyzed using the RR interval of simultaneously recorded electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. Power values (LFa, absolute low frequency; HFa, absolute high frequency), LFa/HFa ratio, and the values of LFn (normalized low frequency) and HFn (normalized high frequency) were obtained. Synchronicity between the power value of HFa and the LFa/HFa ratio during active and quiet sleep was also examined by a new method of chronological demonstration of the power values of HFa and LFa/HFa. RESULTS: We found that LFa, HFa and the LFa/HFa ratio during active sleep were significantly higher than those during quiet sleep in newborns; in adults, on the other hand, the LFa/HFa ratio during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, considered as active sleep, was significantly higher than that during non-REM sleep, considered as quiet sleep, and HFa values during REM sleep were significantly lower than those during non-REM sleep. LFn during quiet sleep in newborns was significantly lower than that during active sleep. Conversely, HFn during quiet sleep was significantly higher than that during active sleep. Analysis of the four classes of gestational age groups at birth indicated that autonomic nervous activity in a few preterm newborns did not reach the level seen in full-term newborns. Furthermore, the power value of HFa and the LFa/HFa ratio exhibited reverse synchronicity. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the autonomic patterns in active and quiet sleep of newborns are different from those in REM and non-REM sleep of adults and may be develop to the autonomic patterns in adults, and that parasympathetic activity is dominant during quiet sleep as compared to active sleep from the results of LFn and HFn in newborns. In addition, in some preterm infants, delayed development of the autonomic nervous system can be determined by classifying the autonomic nervous activity pattern of sleep stages.博士（医学）・乙第1418号・平成30年3月15日© 2017 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Space Environment Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Seed Germination and Growth

An initial limited set of tests of germination rate and seed growth in a controlled environment have identified statistically significant differences between control samples and seed flown in a Russian LEO research flight. Most significantly, average seed germination of space borne seeds was 2 days less than the 6 days for the control seeds. Modification of the seed coat leading to enhanced rate of water uptake, as a result of radiation from the space environment or abrasion due to launch vibrations, is hypothesized to cause early germination. High school students will conduct growth tests on seeds exposed to simulated space environments. The effects of ionizing radiation up to 1 kGy are being studied using a biological exposure test chamber designed by Tsukuba students used in the USU MPG Space Survivability Test (SST) chamber. The SST is a test facility designed to mimic space environments to test environmental-induced modifications to small satellites, or in this case, biological samples. Additional seeds will be exposed to a vibration profile on a shaker table designed to simulate the extreme conditions during flight. Understanding observed space environment effects are important in design of long duration missions, such as to Mars, where food growth is essential. * Supported by USU STARS! GEAR UP partnership. # Partially funded by Japan Student Services Organizatio