Design of an Artificial Peptide Inspired by Transmembrane Mitochondrial Protein for Escorting Exogenous DNA into the Mitochondria to Restore their Functions by Simultaneous Multiple Gene Expression

Mitochondria are vital organelles regulating essential cellular functions. Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) consists of 37 genes, 13 of which encode mitochondrial proteins, and the remaining 24 genes encode two ribosomal RNAs and 22 transfer RNAs needed for the translation of the mtDNA-encoded 13 proteins. However, mtDNA often impairs the expression and function of these genes due to various mutations, ultimately causing mitochondrial dysfunction. To recover from this desperate condition, developing the technology to supply all mitochondrial proteins encoded by mtDNA at once is an urgent task, but there is no established strategy for this purpose. In this study, a simple yet effective mitochondrial gene delivery system is proposed comprising an artificial peptide inspired by a transmembrane mitochondrial membrane protein. The designed mitochondria-targeting peptides presented on the carrier surface effectively guide the encapsulated plasmid to the mitochondria, facilitating mitochondrial uptake and gene expression. The developed system successfully delivers exogenous mtDNA to mtDNA-depleted cells and leads to simultaneous multigene expression, ultimately restoring mitochondrial functions, including the mitochondrial respiration rate. The established multiple gene expression system in each mitochondrion is a game-changing technology that can accelerate the development of mitochondrial engineering technologies as well as clinical applications for mitochondrial diseases.     

XYΘ actuators using piezoelectric and electromagnetic actuators

Microactuators with multiple degrees of freedom, which can provide many benefits in precision engineering, are in demand for industrial applications. We propose two new actuators (Y‐type and Δ‐type) which can move in the x, y, and θ directions. They are combinations of piezoelectric and electromagnetic actuators. The proposed actuators realize high resolution via the piezoelectric actuators. We describe the structure and principle of the proposed actuators, and discuss their feasibility. A resolution of 70 nm in the x direction and of 0.5 μrad in the θ direction was obtained with the Y‐type actuator. A resolution of 90 nm in the x direction and of 0.6 μrad in the θ direction was obtained with the Δ‐type actuator. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 131(4): 44–51, 2000     

Carcinoma of the lung in Okinawa, Japan: with special reference to squamous cell carcinoma and squamous metaplasia

In Okinawa, a subtropical island in southern Japan, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), especially the well-differentiated form, is prevalent, while this form is relatively rare in both the mainland and other countries (e.g. United States of America). More patients with SCC from Okinawa, moreover, were positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (79%), and harbored HPV types 6, 16 and 18, in combination. On the other hand, less than 30% of the mainland patients were positive for HPV DNA by PCR. Those patients who were positive all harbored only one HPV type. Furthermore, in Okinawa, there were a significant number of cases with adenosquamous carcinoma, and they too were positive for HPV DNA. The SCC and the adenocarcinoma cells adjacent to the SCC component in these cases were also positive for HPV DNA, and such adenocarcinoma cells were enlarged in size with relatively wide cytoplasm. The authors postulate that HPV infects adenocarcinoma cells and changes them to enlarged cells, followed by squamous metaplasia. In this report, HPV DNA was transfected to adenocarcinoma cells (cultured cell lines) and this showed that HPV causes squamous metaplasia. In addition, aberrant expression of p53 was demonstrated in a large number of the SCC cases in Okinawa. The enlarged adenocarcinoma cells adjacent to the SCC components in adenosquamous carcinomas also showed aberrant expression of p53. The recent advances in the studies of anti-oncogenes, p53, etc. and oncogenes are outlined. It is to be noted that the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis in the lung have been studied in general, classifying lung tumors into two groups, namely, small cell carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC). However, because human lung cancer is represented by a wide variety of histologic types, molecular genetic studies according to a more detailed histological subclassification is needed.     

Toxicity evaluation of road dust in the runoff process using a benthic ostracod Heterocypris incongruens

Road dust is considered an important source of sediment contamination; however, there are few studies on the toxicity of road dust on benthic organisms. This study evaluates the toxicity of road dust on the benthic ostracod, Heterocypris incongruens, through a 6-day direct exposure experiment. All six road dust samples collected in heavy traffic areas caused high mortality of the ostracod, whereas the road dust collected in a residential area did not show toxicity to the ostracod. After maintaining the mixture of road dust and water for 24 h, the toxicity of the road dust decreased significantly for three of the six samples in the heavy traffic areas, suggesting these road dust samples become less toxic in the surface runoff process. In addition, we conducted the same toxicity test on manipulated road dust using different solid/liquid ratios and holding times to evaluate the change in toxicity caused by the runoff process. Wet road dust that had been separated from a dust-water mixture after a holding time of 1 h or 24 h did not show lethal toxicity, while the water-soluble fraction of the mixture caused high mortality of the ostracod at a solid/liquid ratio of 1:2 and 1:4. However, after a 7-day holding time of the dust-water mixture, the wet road dust and the water-soluble fraction showed lethal toxicity to the ostracod. These results suggest that toxicants of road dust seemed to exist mainly in water soluble fraction eluted off by rain water; however, particle-bound fraction again showed lethal toxicity after 7 days of incubation.     

Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of microbial community structure in landfill leachate

The structures of microbial communities in water samples obtained from a landfill site that had been a source of environmental pollution by emitting hydrogen sulfide were elucidated using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The microbial communities, which consisted of a limited number of major microorganisms, were stable for several months. Microorganisms capable of degrading such chemical compounds as 2-hydroxybenzothiazole and bisphenol A were observed in landfill leachate. Microorganisms responsible for the production of hydrogen sulfide were not the primary microbes detected, even in water samples obtained from the site of gas emission.     

Comparative study of psychiatric morbidity among workers at a paint factory in Nigeria

A fetal lamb model was developed to investigate the capacity of fetal articular cartilage for repair after the creation of a superficial defect. Superficial defects, 100 micrometers deep, were made in the articular cartilage of the trochlear groove in the distal aspect of the femur in eighteen fetal lambs that were halfway through the 145-day gestational period; the contralateral limb was used as a sham control. The wounds were allowed to heal in utero for three, seven, fourteen, twenty-one, or twenty-eight days. Seven days after the injury, the defects were filled with a hypocellular matrix, which stained lightly with safranin O. At twenty-eight days, the staining of the matrix was similar to that of the sham controls and the chondrocyte density and the architectural arrangement of the cell layers had been restored. An inflammatory response was not elicited, and no fibrous scar tissue was observed.     

Functional communication between cardiac ATP-sensitive K+ channel and Na/K ATPase

Insecticide resistance often is blamed for failures of insecticides to control cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché). Yet the genetics and adaptive advantage of resistance traits remain unexamined. Lethal doses of insecticides that kill 50% of the population fluctuate 7-fold within a cat flea strain. Many reports of flea resistance may be attributable to variable mortality from effects of solvents, substrates, humidities, temperatures, colonization, and ages of fleas. Resistance ratios (ratios of lethal doses of a resistant to a susceptible strain) are < 690-fold in fleas; lower than many other arthropods. This, plus strain variability, hinders resistance detection. Relationships between resistance levels, control failures, and health threats are unclear. Insensitive acetylcholinesterase, knockdown recovery, glutathione transferase conjugation, and mixed function oxidase/cytochrome P450 are demonstrated resistance mechanisms in cat fleas. Ecological genetics of resistance in cat fleas probably involves flea transfer among hosts, host movements, refugia, founder effects, and mortality from abiotic factors. Understanding cat flea resistance requires population monitoring before, during, and after insecticide treatments using conventional and rapid molecular bioassays. Sustained insecticide release devices such as flea collars and long-lived insecticide residues for premises possibly contribute to the development of resistance. New systemic and topical insecticides, especially when given prophylactically, may act similarly. Eliminating insecticides prevents insecticide resistance but necessitates application of biorational tactics incorporating mechanical, environmental, and cultural controls. Using high temperatures, low humidities, host grooming and such tactics as decreasing doses, increasing action thresholds, rotating insecticides, and leaving spatial and temporal refugia may suppress cat flea resistance.     

MapReduce scheduling algorithms: a review

Recent trends in big data have shown that the amount of data continues to increase at an exponential rate. This trend has inspired many researchers over the past few years to explore new research direction of studies related to multiple areas of big data. The widespread popularity of big data processing platforms using MapReduce framework is the growing demand to further optimize their performance for various purposes. In particular, enhancing resources and jobs scheduling are becoming critical since they fundamentally determine whether the applications can achieve the performance goals in different use cases. Scheduling plays an important role in big data, mainly in reducing the execution time and cost of processing. This paper aims to survey the research undertaken in the field of scheduling in big data platforms. Moreover, this paper analyzed scheduling in MapReduce on two aspects: taxonomy and performance evaluation. The research progress in MapReduce scheduling algorithms is also discussed. The limitations of existing MapReduce scheduling algorithms and exploit future research opportunities are pointed out in the paper for easy identification by researchers. Our study can serve as the benchmark to expert researchers for proposing a novel MapReduce scheduling algorithm. However, for novice researchers, the study can be used as a starting point.

     

Evaluation of 400 low background 10-in. photo-multiplier tubes for the Double Chooz experiment

The Double Chooz is a reactor neutrino experiment which measures the last unknown neutrino mixing angle θ₁₃. The Double Chooz experiment uses two identical detectors placed at sites far and near from Chooz reactor cores. The detector uses 390 low-background and high performance 10-in. Photo-Multiplier Tubes (PMTs) to detect scintillation light from gadolinium loaded liquid scintillator. In order to test and characterize the PMTs and to tune operation parameter, we developed two types of PMT test system and evaluated 400 PMTs before installation. Those PMTs fulfilled our requirements and half of them were installed in the far detector in 2009 and physics data have been successfully taken since 2011.     

Improved rheology and high-temperature stability of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide using graphene oxide nanosheet

Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) is a polymer that extensively used in chemical industry and hydrocarbon extraction and refinery processes, but suffers a common problem of high-temperature instability. This study improved high-temperature rheological characteristics of HPAM by using novel graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. Stable GO dispersions in aqueous HPAM were formulated, and their dynamic and viscoelastic behaviors were studied. The results showed that the addition of GO significantly increased the viscosities and high-temperature stability of the base polymer fluid, as well as the elastic properties of the dispersion. Spectral data indicated the formation of covalent linkages and electrostatic hydrogen bonding between the GO and the HPAM functional groups, leading to enhanced stability and viscosity that is beneficial for high-temperature oil recovery. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47582.