Mutation Analysis of Radioresistant Early-Stage Cervical Cancer

Radiotherapy is a definitive treatment for early-stage cervical cancer; however, a subset of this disease recurs locally, necessitating establishment of predictive biomarkers and treatment strategies. To address this issue, we performed gene panel-based sequencing of 18 stage IB cervical cancers treated with definitive radiotherapy, including two cases of local recurrence, followed by in vitro and in silico analyses. Simultaneous mutations in KRAS and SMAD4 (KRAS^mt/SMAD4^mt) were detected only in a local recurrence case, indicating potential association of this mutation signature with radioresistance. In isogenic cell-based experiments, a combination of activating KRAS mutation and SMAD4 deficiency led to X-ray resistance, whereas either of these factors alone did not. Analysis of genomic data from 55,308 cancers showed a significant trend toward co-occurrence of mutations in KRAS and SMAD4. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia dataset suggested upregulation of the pathways involved in epithelial mesenchymal transition and inflammatory responses in KRAS^mt/SMAD4^mt cancer cells. Notably, irradiation with therapeutic carbon ions led to robust killing of X-ray-resistant KRAS^mt/SMAD4^mt cancer cells. These data indicate that the KRAS^mt/SMAD4^mt signature is a potential predictor of radioresistance, and that carbon ion radiotherapy is a potential option to treat early-stage cervical cancers with the KRAS^mt/SMAD4^mt signature.     

Synthesis,properties, and biodegradability of three-branched copolyamide (4/6)

Previous studies on polyamide 4, excellent properties, functionalities, and biodegradation in natural condition have been shown. In this study, three-branched (star-shaped) copolyamides constituted of polyamide 4 and polyamide 6 constitutional unit were synthesized by anionic ring-opening copolymerization of 2-pyrrolidone with ε-caprolactam. The thermal and mechanical properties and the biodegradability of the obtained copolyamides have been systematically investigated. The weight-average molecular weight of the copolyamides was as high as tens of thousands (M_w 10–80 × 10³ g/mol). The composition of the copolyamides was approximately in accord with the monomer feed ratio, thereby being controllable. The thermal and mechanical properties changed readily as the composition was varied (T_m 146–266°C, ΔH_m 10–70 J/g, T_d 278–369°C, tensile strength 28–64 MPa, elongation at break 80–750%). The copolyamide having 2-pyrrolidone unit of 96–51 mol% exhibited biodegradability by an activated sludge. The biodegradation of the copolyamide proceeded uniformly without disproportion in constitutional unit.     

Detection of Leuconostoc strains at a meat processing plant using polymerase chain reaction

To simplify the labor-intensive conventional routine testing of samples to detect Leuconostoc at a meat processing plant, we developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers specific for Leuconostoc from 16S rRNA gene sequences. These primers did not detect other common lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lact. sake, Lact. fermentum, Lact. acidophilus and Weissella viridescens. PCR with this primer detected all Leuconostoc species tested (Leu. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, Leu. pseudomesenteroides, Leu. carnosum, Leu. lactic, Leu. citreum, Leu. amelibiosum, Leu. gelidum), except for Leu. fallax, and no other lactic acid bacteria on agarose gel electrophoresis. The method could identify areas contaminated with Leuconostoc in a large-scale industrial meat processing plant. Of 69 samples analyzed, 34 were positive for Leuconostoc according to the conventional culture method (isolation of LAB producing dextran) and PCR, whereas 29 were negative according to both. Six samples were culture-negative but positive by PCR. No false negative results were generated by PCR. The method is rapid and simple, is useful for routinely monitoring areas contaminated with Leuconostoc in meat processing plants, and could help to prevent the spoilage of meat products.     

Combined efficacy of nisin and pediocin with sodium lactate, citric acid, phytic acid, and potassium sorbate and EDTA in reducing the Listeria monocytogenes population of inoculated fresh-cut produce

The inability of chlorine to completely inactivate human bacterial pathogens on whole and fresh-cut produce suggests a need for other antimicrobial washing treatments. Nisin (50 microg/ml) and pediocin (100 AU/ml) individually or in combination with sodium lactate (2%), potassium sorbate (0.02%), phytic acid (0.02%), and citric acid (10 mM) were tested as possible sanitizer treatments for reducing the population of Listeria monocytogenes on cabbage, broccoli, and mung bean sprouts. Cabbage, broccoli, and mung bean sprouts were inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes at 4.61, 4.34, and 4.67 log CFU/g, respectively. Inoculated produce was left at room temperature (25 degrees C) for up to 4 h before antimicrobial treatment. Washing treatments were applied to inoculated produce for 1 min, and surviving bacterial populations were determined. When tested alone, all compounds resulted in 2.20- to 4.35-log reductions of L. monocytogenes on mung bean, cabbage, and broccoli, respectively. The combination treatments nisin-phytic acid and nisin-pediocin-phytic acid caused significant (P < 0.05) reductions of L. monocytogenes on cabbage and broccoli but not on mung bean sprouts. Pediocin treatment alone or in combination with any of the organic acid tested was more effective in reducing L. monocytogenes populations than the nisin treatment alone. Although none of the combination treatments completely eliminated the pathogen on the produce, the results suggest that some of the treatments evaluated in this study can be used to improve the microbial safety of fresh-cut cabbage, broccoli, and mung bean sprouts.     

Deterioration of diacylglycerol‐ and triacylglycerol‐rich oils during frying of potatoes

The stabilities of a commercial diacylglycerol‐rich oil (DAG) and a salad oil (TAG) that had been prepared from a mixture of rapeseed and soybean oils were compared while frying potatoes at 180 °C for 3 h. The representative chemical and physical characteristics of the oils were assessed before and after frying, together with the amount of volatile aldehydes in the exhaust of frying. Among the deterioration indications, the carbonyl value, polymer content, and residual polyunsaturated fatty acid content were similar and not significantly different between the TAG and DAG. On the other hand, the characteristics relating to free fatty acids, i.e. the acid value and emission of chemiluminescence at 100 °C, were greater and the smoke and flash points were lower in the DAG than in the TAG. An irritating odor was generated from the DAG after 1 h of frying and got stronger as frying continued. These results suggested that DAG more easily forms free fatty acids under frying conditions than TAG.     

Activation of Mast-Cell-Derived Chymase in the Lacrimal Glands of Patients with IgG4-Related Ophthalmic Disease

The purpose of this present study was to investigate the distribution and expression of chymase in the lacrimal glands (LGs) of patients afflicted with IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD). LGs from patients with severe canalicular obstruction were considered the control group. Toluidine blue staining confirmed a significant increase in the number of mast cells in the LGs obtained from the IgG4-ROD patients. In addition, immunostaining of serial sections from the LGs showed a significant increase in the number of chymase-positive cells and tryptase-positive cells in the IgG4-ROD LGs compared to the normal control LGs. The mRNA expression of chymase, tryptase, TGF-β1, and collagen-I tended to increase in the IgG4-ROD LGs. Immunostaining of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) showed that myofibroblasts were the main cellular components in severely fibrotic regions of LGs in patients with IgG4-ROD. Linear regression analyses on the number of mast cells, chymase-positive cells, and tryptase-positive cells revealed significant positive correlations between those respective cells. Our findings suggest that chymase may play a role in the fibrotic disorder of IgG4-ROD LGs through the regulation of TGF-β1 activation and collagen-I deposition, and that it may be a therapeutic target for patients afflicted with IgG4-ROD.     

Preparation of Fe-based monodisperse spherical particles with fully glassy phase

In this study, we prepared monodisperse spherical particles of a desired diameter using [(Fe_0.5Co_0.5)_0.75B_0.2Si_0.05]₉₆Nb₄ alloy; the particles were prepared by using an atomization process developed by us. The particles have perfect sphericity and narrow size distribution along with a homogeneous composition. The phase transitions of particles from the fully glassy phase to the crystalline phase via mixed phase structures occurred as the particle diameter was increased; the particles produced in the fully glassy phase in an argon atmosphere had a diameter of less than 300 μm. This allowed the estimation of the intrinsic critical cooling rate for the particles with a fully glassy phase, R_c:R_c varied in the range of 700-900 K/s and depended only on the initial temperature of the alloy melt.     

Component-based robot system design for grasping tasks

The paper presents a robot system design with highly reusable components for a component-based robot system for manipulation tasks. The robot system is designed based on the analysis of manipulation tasks using a unified modeling language use case diagram. For a service robot with locomotion and manipulation mechanisms, reusability of robot system components is improved by adopting the proposed design. Our structure consists of scenario, task, robot information management server, data analyzer, sensor hardware controller, skill, and motion hardware controller on a component-based robot system. Based on the proposed robot system, we implemented a component-based robot system and subsequently realized a grasping motion by a service robot.     

Denatured-jacalin derivatives with selective recognition for O-linked glycosides (ST,T, Tn,and STn Type) on IgA1 hinge region

Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) concentration in the plasma of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) as the cause of renal failure is higher than that in the plasma of normal controls. IgA1 with abnormal sugars is considered to deposit in the glomerular mesangium, aggravating nephritis in IgAN. Jacalin is a lectin that recognizes sugars on IgA1. However, its selective-recognition for normal-type (ST type, NeuAc-α(2,3)-Gal-β(1,3)-GalNAc) and abnormal-type (T type, Gal-β(1,3)-GalNAc; Tn type, GalNAc; STn type, NeuAc-α(2,6)-GalNAc) sugars α-O-linked to serine/threonine in IgA1 is weak. Therefore, jacalin cannot be used for recognizing specific sugar types on IgA1. We attempted to develop a new recognition method for specific sugar types on IgA1 by utilizing the multirecognition capability of jacalin. Its binding abilities were regulated by heat denaturation with suitable template sugar (galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine). Further, we successfully prepared denatured-jacalin derivatives, which recognized ST-/T-type sugars on IgA1, by sugar-immobilized affinity chromatography. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of denatured-jacalin derivatives, showed the ratios of abnormal sugars on IgA1 in the plasma of IgAN patients and normal controls to be approximately 60% and 20%, respectively. The results proved that profiling of sugar types in IgAN can successfully be performed by solely using jacalin derivatives.     

Synergistic effect of Pt or Pd and perovskite oxide for water gas shift reaction

The water gas shift (WGS) reaction over Pt and Pd catalysts supported on various perovskite oxides has been investigated at 573 K without catalyst pretreatment. The Pt and Pd catalysts on LaCoO₃ support showed high catalytic activity. Interaction between Pt or Pd and the support is considered to promote the WGS reaction: Pt/LaCoO₃ had high initial activity but deactivated immediately; Pd/LaCoO₃ was less active than Pt/LaCoO₃, but had superior stability. Catalysts were characterized using XRD, STEM, XPS, and H₂-temperature programmed reduction (TPR). Results of this study showed that reduction of the support decreased the CO conversion on Pt/LaCoO₃. On the other hand, Pd/LaCoO₃ showed stable activity for the WGS reaction. Therefore, Pd was added to Pt/LaCoO₃ for stabilizing the catalyst activity, and 0.5 wt.% Pd/1 wt.% Pt/LaCoO₃ catalyst showed higher activity and stability.