Game Theoretic Approach to the Stabilization of Heterogeneous Multiagent Systems Using Subsidy

We consider a multiagent system consisting of selfish and heterogeneous agents. Its behavior is modeled by multipopulation replicator dynamics, where payoff functions of populations are different from each other. In general, there exist several equilibrium points in the replicator dynamics. In order to stabilize a desirable equilibrium point, we introduce a controller called a government which controls the behaviors of agents by offering them subsidies. In previous work, it is assumed that the government determines the subsidies based on the populations the agents belong to. In general, however, the government cannot identify the members of each population. In this paper, we assume that the government observes the action of each agent and determines the subsidies based on the observed action profile. Then, we model the controlled behaviors of the agents using replicator dynamics with feedback. We derive a stabilization condition of the target equilibrium point in the replicator dynamics.Comment: 6 pages, IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 201

AMDORAP: Non-targeted metabolic profiling based on high-resolution LC-MS

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) utilizing the high-resolution power of an orbitrap is an important analytical technique for both metabolomics and proteomics. Most important feature of the orbitrap is excellent mass accuracy. Thus, it is necessary to convert raw data to accurate and reliable <it>m/z </it>values for metabolic fingerprinting by high-resolution LC-MS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study, we developed a novel, easy-to-use and straightforward <it>m/z </it>detection method, AMDORAP. For assessing the performance, we used real biological samples, <it>Bacillus subtilis </it>strains 168 and MGB874, in the positive mode by LC-orbitrap. For 14 identified compounds by measuring the authentic compounds, we compared obtained <it>m/z </it>values with other LC-MS processing tools. The errors by AMDORAP were distributed within ±3 ppm and showed the best performance in <it>m/z </it>value accuracy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our method can detect <it>m/z </it>values of biological samples much more accurately than other LC-MS analysis tools. AMDORAP allows us to address the relationships between biological effects and cellular metabolites based on accurate <it>m/z </it>values. Obtaining the accurate <it>m/z </it>values from raw data should be indispensable as a starting point for comparative LC-orbitrap analysis. AMDORAP is freely available under an open-source license at <url>http://amdorap.sourceforge.net/</url>.</p

Combined theoretical and experimental approaches for development of squaraine dyes with small energy barrier for electron injection

A series of far-red sensitizing squaraine dyes has been systematically designed and synthesized in order to correlate the theoretically calculated values with their corresponding experimental parameters. Efforts have been directed towards determining the minimum thermodynamic energy barrier for the electron injection in the nanoporous TiO2 by logical molecular design. Theoretical calculations using Gaussian program package were performed for ground and excited states in both of the isolated gaseous state as well as in solution including the solvent effect using a self-consistent reaction field polarizable continuum model (PCM). Implementation of the PCM model or use of LSDA functional under TD-DFT calculations gives much better results for energetics as well as absorption maximum for all of the sensitizers used in this work. Newly designed symmetrical squaraine dye SQ-5 exhibits a minimum energy barrier of 0.16 eV for electron injection and shows photon harvesting behavior in far-red region with external photoconversion efficiency of 2.02% under simulated solar irradiation

Next generation equencing analysis to identify modifier gene candidates conferring pollen-parts self-compatibility in sweet cherry ‘Cristobalina’ (abstract)

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Parametric Optimization of Experimental Conditions for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells based on Far-red Sensitive Squaraine Dye

A far-red sensitive unsymmetrical squaraine dye SQ-41 has been synthesized and subjected to the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells by varying the various parameters in order attain optimum photoconversion efficiency (η). It has been demonstrated that an optimum ratio of dye to coadsorber, thickness of mesoporous TiO2 layer, redox electrolyte and surface treatment are necessary to enhance overall external η. In the case of surface treatment, it has been shown to exhibit pronounced device performance when both of the FTO as well mesoporous TiO2 surfaces were treated with aqueous TiCl4. In spite of very high molar extinction coefficient of dye SQ-41, 10-12 µm thickness of mesoporous TiO2 was found to be necessary to attain the maximum η.India-Japan Expert Group Meeting on Biomolecular Electronics & Organic Nanotechnology for Environment Preservation (IJEGMBE 2015), December 23-26, 2015, Fukuoka, Japa

A human transporter protein that mediates the final excretion step for toxic organic cations

In mammals, toxic electrolytes of endogenous and exogenous origin are excreted through the urine and bile. Before excretion, these compounds cross numerous cellular membranes in a transporter-mediated manner. However, the protein transporters involved in the final excretion step are poorly understood. Here, we show that MATE1, a human and mouse orthologue of the multidrug and toxin extrusion (MATE) family conferring multidrug resistance on bacteria, is primarily expressed in the kidney and liver, where it is localized to the luminal membranes of the urinary tubules and bile canaliculi. When expressed in HEK293 cells, MATE1 mediates H+-coupled electroneutral exchange of tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP). Its substrate specificity is similar to those of renal and hepatic H+-coupled organic cations (OCs) export. Thus, MATE1 appears to be the long searched for polyspecific OC exporter that directly transports toxic OCs into urine and bile.</p

Investigation of the minimum driving force for dye regeneration utilizing model squaraine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Combined theoretical and experimental approaches were implemented to design model far-red sensitive unsymmetrical squaraine dyes in order to estimate the minimum energy barrier required for dye regeneration. Our logical molecular design indicated that it is possible to have a fine control on the energetics within 0.2 eV only by the judicious selection of substituents and alkyl chain length keeping the main π-molecular framework the same. The utilization of the LSDA functional under TD-DFT calculations offered an effective and economical computational method for the reliable prediction of the energetics as well as the absorption maximum of the sensitizers. Among the designed dyes under investigation, SQ-75 exhibited the best photovoltaic performance, having a short-circuit current density of 10.92 mA cm−2, open circuit voltage of 0.57 V and a fill factor of 0.67, leading to a photoconversion efficiency of 4.25% despite having photon harvesting mainly in the far-red region. The best photon harvesting by SQ-75, even with an energy difference of only 0.12 eV between the energy of its highest occupied molecular orbital and redox energy level I−/I3− electrolyte, corroborates the possibility for dye regeneration with such a small driving force

AIRE illuminates the feature of medullary thymic epithelial cells in thymic carcinoma

Despite the clear distinction between cortical (cTECs) and medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) in physiology, the cell of origin of thymic carcinomas (TCs) and other thymic epithelial tumors remained enigmatic. We addressed this issue by focusing on AIRE, an mTEC-specific transcriptional regulator that is required for immunological self-tolerance. We found that a large proportion of TCs expressed AIRE with typical nuclear dot morphology by immunohistochemistry. AIRE expression in TCs was supported by the RNA-seq data in the TCGA-THYM database. Furthermore, our bioinformatics approach to the recent single-cell RNA-seq data on human thymi has revealed that TCs hold molecular characteristics of multiple mTEC subpopulations. In contrast, TCs lacked the gene signatures for cTECs. We propose that TCs are tumors derived from mTECs

An interplay of NOX1-derived ROS and oxygen determines the spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal efficiency under hypoxia

酸素による活性酸素制御が精子形成に果たす役割を解明 --活性酸素制御の破綻が男性不妊を引き起こす--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-01-15.Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by NADPH1 oxidase 1 (NOX1) are thought to drive spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) self-renewal through feed-forward production of ROS by the ROS-BCL6B-NOX1 pathway. Here we report the critical role of oxygen on ROS-induced self-renewal. Cultured SSCs proliferated poorly and lacked BCL6B expression under hypoxia despite increase in mitochondria-derived ROS. Due to lack of ROS amplification under hypoxia, NOX1-derived ROS were significantly reduced, and Nox1-deficient SSCs proliferated poorly under hypoxia but normally under normoxia. NOX1-derived ROS also influenced hypoxic response in vivo because Nox1-deficient undifferentiated spermatogonia showed significantly reduced expression of HIF1A, a master transcription factor for hypoxic response. Hypoxia-induced poor proliferation occurred despite activation of MYC and suppression of CDKN1A by HIF1A, whose deficiency exacerbated self-renewal efficiency. Impaired proliferation of Nox1- or Hif1a-deficient SSCs under hypoxia was rescued by Cdkn1a depletion. Consistent with these observations, Cdkn1a-deficient SSCs proliferated actively only under hypoxia but not under normoxia. On the other hand, chemical suppression of mitochondria-derived ROS or Top1mt mitochondria-specific topoisomerase deficiency did not influence SSC fate, suggesting that NOX1-derived ROS play a more important role in SSCs than mitochondria-derived ROS. These results underscore the importance of ROS origin and oxygen tension on SSC self-renewal