Parallel processing for multiplication modulo by means of phase modulation

We apply optical parallel processing to operations for multiplication modulo, which is one of the key components of a factorization algorithm. With this method, optical phase modulation provides the results of modulo operations. We construct a prototype system based on a Michelson interferometer with a photodetector array. Mirrors are set at both object and reference arms to generate interference fringes. A mirror in the object arm is tilted slightly, whereas the reference arm is set perpendicular to the optical axis. The tilt angle is determined by parameters for the target modulo operations. The presented system can achieve massive data processing in parallel with only simple implementation. We present our experimental results to verify the usefulness of our method.     

Eicosapentaenoic Acid Supplementation for Chronic Hepatitis C Patients During Combination Therapy of Pegylated Interferon α-2b and Ribavirin

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (1.8 g/day) was administered to 12 chronic hepatitis C patients receiving combination therapy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) α-2b and ribavirin for 48 weeks (EPA group). Twelve patients were not administered EPA (control group). All patients also received vitamin E and C (300, 600 mg/day, respectively) during the therapy. Serum alanine aminotransferase improved to a normal level in 8 of 12 patients from the EPA group and 6 of 12 patients from the control group after 12 weeks. Lymphocyte counts decreased significantly after 8 weeks in the control group, but not the EPA group. T-helper (Th) 1 decreased after 4 weeks in the control group, but not in the EPA group (two-way ANOVA; P < 0.05). Th1/Th2 ratios were elevated in 9 of 12 patients in the EPA group, and 3 out of 12 in the control group (P < 0.05) after 8 weeks. After 12 weeks, the arachidonic acid/EPA molar ratio of erythrocyte membrane phospholipid correlated negatively with the leukocyte count (n = 24, r = −0.439, P < 0.05) and the neutrophil count (n = 24, r = −0.671, P < 0.02). The hemoglobin level improved after 48 weeks compared with 24 weeks in only the EPA group. These findings suggest that EPA supplementation may be useful in therapy for chronic hepatitis C.     

Image reconstruction for thin observation module by bound optics by using the iterative backprojection method

A method for reconstructing high-spatial-resolution images in an imaging system known as thin observation module by bound optics (TOMBO) is reported. We investigate a novel procedure combining a pixel-rearrangement method and iterative backprojection (IBP). Pixel rearrangement has been used until now in TOMBO, and IBP is a digital superresolution technique. We verify the effectiveness of the combined procedure with simulated and experimental results.     

Rapid enumeration of low numbers of moulds in tea based drinks using an automated system

Aseptically prepared cold drinks based on tea have become popular worldwide. Contamination of these drinks with harmful microbes is a potential health problem because such drinks are kept free from preservatives to maximize aroma and flavour. Heat-tolerant conidia and ascospores of fungi can survive pasteurization, and need to be detected as quickly as possible. We were able to rapidly and accurately detect low numbers of conidia and ascospores in tea-based drinks using fluorescent staining followed by an automated counting system. Conidia or ascospores were inoculated into green tea and oolong tea, and samples were immediately filtered through nitrocellulose membranes (pore size: 0.8 μm) to concentrate fungal propagules. These were transferred onto potato dextrose agar and incubated for 23 h at 28 °C. Fungi germinating on the membranes were fluorescently stained for 30 min. The stained mycelia were counted selectively within 90 s using an automated counting system (MGS-10LD; Chuo Electric Works, Osaka, Japan). Very low numbers (1 CFU/100 ml) of conidia or ascospores could be rapidly counted, in contrast to traditional labour intensive techniques. All tested mould strains were detected within 24 h while conventional plate counting required 72 h for colony enumeration. Counts of slow-growing fungi (Cladosporium cladosporioides) obtained by automated counting and by conventional plate counting were close (r² = 0.986). Our combination of methods enables counting of both fast- and slow-growing fungi, and should be useful for microbiological quality control of tea-based and also other drinks.     

Levetiracetam Suppresses the Infiltration of Neutrophils and Monocytes and Downregulates Many Inflammatory Cytokines during Epileptogenesis in Pilocarpine-Induced Status Epilepticus Mice

Acute brain inflammation after status epilepticus (SE) is involved in blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and brain edema, which cause the development of post-SE symptomatic epilepsy. Using pilocarpine-induced SE mice, we previously reported that treatment with levetiracetam (LEV) after SE suppresses increased expression levels of proinflammatory mediators during epileptogenesis and prevents the development of spontaneous recurrent seizures. However, it remains unclear how LEV suppresses neuroinflammation after SE. In this study, we demonstrated that LEV suppressed the infiltration of CD11b⁺CD45^high cells into the brain after SE. CD11b⁺CD45^high cells appeared in the hippocampus between 1 and 4 days after SE and contained Ly6G⁺Ly6C⁺ and Ly6G⁻Ly6C⁺ cells. Ly6G⁺Ly6C⁺ cells expressed higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNFα suggesting that these cells were inflammatory neutrophils. Depletion of peripheral Ly6G⁺Ly6C⁺ cells prior to SE by anti-Ly6G antibody (NIMP-R14) treatment completely suppressed the infiltration of Ly6G⁺Ly6C⁺ cells into the brain. Proteome analysis revealed the downregulation of a variety of inflammatory cytokines, which exhibited increased expression in the post-SE hippocampus. These results suggest that Ly6G⁺Ly6C⁺ neutrophils are involved in the induction of acute brain inflammation after SE. The proteome expression profile of the hippocampus treated with LEV after SE was similar to that after NIMP-R14 treatment. Therefore, LEV may prevent acute brain inflammation after SE by suppressing inflammatory neutrophil infiltration.     

Self-Assembling Properties and Recovery Effects on Damaged Skin Cells of Chemically Synthesized Mannosylerythritol Lipids

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), which are one of the representative sugar-based biosurfactants (BSs) produced by microorganisms, have attracted much attention in various fields in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) era. However, they are inseparable mixtures with respect to the chain length of the fatty acids. In this study, self-assembling properties and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of recovery effects on damaged skin cells using chemically synthesized MELs were investigated. It was revealed, for the first time, that synthetic and homogeneous MELs exhibited significant self-assembling properties to form droplets or giant vesicles. In addition, a small difference in the length of the fatty acid chains of the MELs significantly affected their recovery effects on the damaged skin cells. MELs with medium or longer length alkyl chains exhibited much higher recovery effects than that of C18-ceramide NP.     

Challenges Based on Antiplasmodial and Antiviral Activities of 7-Chloro-4-aminoquinoline Derivatives

We report the structural functionalization of the terminal amino group of N¹-(7-chloroquinolin-4-yl) butane-1,4-diamine, leading to a series of 7-chloro-4-aminoquinoline derivatives, and their evaluation as potent anti-malarial and anti-viral agents. Some compounds exhibited promising anti-malarial effects against the Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 (chloroquine-sensitive) and Dd2 (chloroquine-resistant) strains. In addition, these compounds were assayed in vitro against influenza A virus (IAV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Compound 5 h , bearing an N-mesityl thiourea group, displayed pronounced anti-infectious effects against malaria, IAV, and SARS-CoV-2. These results provide new insights into drug discovery for the prevention or treatment of malaria and virus co-infection.