Beneficial Effects of Supplementation of the Rare Sugar “D‐allulose” Against Hepatic Steatosis and Severe Obesity in Lepob/Lepob Mice

A rare sugar, D‐allulose (also called D‐psicose), has recently been applied as a food supplement in view of controlling diabetes and obesity in Japan. D‐allulose has been proven to have unique effects against hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in a number of studies using several species of rats and mice. However, the antiobesity effects of D‐allulose have not yet been assessed in Lep^ob/Lep^ob (ob/ob) mice. Therefore, this study explored the dietary supplemental effects of this sugar in leptin‐deficient ob/ob mice. Consequently, the subchronic ingestion of D‐allulose in ob/ob mice for 15 wk significantly decreased the body and liver weights, and the loss of body weight was involved in the reduction of the total fat mass, including abdominal visceral fat, and not fat‐free body mass, including muscle. Furthermore, D‐allulose improved hepatic steatosis, as evaluated using hepatic histological studies and MRI. In the normal mice, none of these parameters were influenced by the single or long‐term ingestion of D‐allulose. These results indicate that dietary supplementation of D‐allulose especially influences postprandial hyperglycemia and obesity‐related hepatic steatosis, without exercise therapy or dietary restriction. Therefore, D‐allulose may be useful as a supplement for preventing and improving obesity and obesity‐related disorders.     

Atomic-scale cellular model and profile simulation of Si etching: Formation of surface roughness and residue

Formation mechanisms for profile anomalies such as surface roughness and residue have been investigated numerically and experimentally for Si etching in Cl₂/O₂ plasmas. The numerical simulation employed an atomic-scale cellular model (ASCeM) based on the Monte Carlo algorithm, which reproduced the feature profile evolution experimentally observed during etching at increased O₂ concentrations. A comparison between simulation and experiment indicated that the local surface oxidation induces surface roughness at the bottom of the feature during etching; then, synergistic effects between surface oxidation and ion scattering in microstructural features on roughened surfaces increase the surface roughness, which in turn causes a number of significant residues or micropillars on bottom surfaces of the feature. In practice, in roughened microstructural features, geometrical shadowing effects for neutral oxygen suppress the surface oxidation at the local feature bottom, where the energetic ion incidence is increased owing to ion scattering on sidewalls of the local feature.     

Staphylococcus aureus Infection-Related Glomerulonephritis with Dominant IgA Deposition

Since 1995, when we reported the case of a patient with glomerulonephritis with IgA deposition that occurred after a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, many reports of MRSA infection-associated glomerulonephritis have accumulated. This disease is being systematized as Staphylococcus infection-associated glomerulonephritis (SAGN) in light of the apparent cause of infection, and as immunoglobulin A-dominant deposition infection-related glomerulonephritis (IgA-IRGN) in light of its histopathology. This glomerulonephritis usually presents as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis or acute kidney injury with various degrees of proteinuria and microscopic hematuria along with an ongoing infection. Its renal pathology has shown several types of mesangial and/or endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis with various degrees of crescent formation and tubulointerstitial nephritis. IgA, IgG, and C₃ staining in the mesangium and along the glomerular capillary walls have been observed on immunofluorescence examinations. A marked activation of T cells, an increase in specific variable regions of the T-cell receptor β-chain-positive cells, hypercytokinemia, and increased polyclonal immune complexes have also been observed in this glomerulonephritis. In the development of this disease, staphylococcal enterotoxin may be involved as a superantigen, but further investigations are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying this disease. Here, we review 336 cases of IgA-IRGN and 218 cases of SAGN.     

Determination of hyoscyamine and scopolamine in serum and urine of humans by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A simple method was developed for the analysis of hyoscyamine and scopolamine in human serum and urine using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Hyoscyamine and scopolamine in serum and urine were cleaned up with an Oasis HLB cartridge and a PSA cartridge. The LC separation was carried out on an ODS column, using linear gradient elution with 5 mmol/L IPCC-MS3-methanol as the mobile phase. The mass spectral acquisition was done in the positive ion mode by applying selected reaction monitoring (SRM). The recoveries of hyoscyamine and scopolamine were 86.0-105% from human serum and urine fortified at 0.2 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL. The detection limits of hyoscyamine and scopolamine were 0.02 ng/mL. Four serum and three urine samples of humans poisoned by eating Datura innoxia Mill. were analyzed by this method. Hyoscyamine and scopolamine were detected at the levels of 0.45-3.5 ng/mL in all serum samples and 170-670 ng/mL in all urine samples.     

Direct ethanol production from barley beta-glucan by sake yeast displaying Aspergillus oryzae beta-glucosidase and endoglucanase

Three beta-glucosidase- and two endoglucanase-encoding genes were cloned from Aspergillus oryzae, and their gene products were displayed on the cell surface of the sake yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae GRI-117-UK. GRI-117-UK/pUDB7 displaying beta-glucosidase AO090009000356 showed the highest activity against various substrates and efficiently produced ethanol from cellobiose. On the other hand, GRI-117-UK/pUDCB displaying endoglucanase AO090010000314 efficiently degraded barley beta-glucan to glucose and smaller cellooligosaccharides. GRI-117-UK/pUDB7CB codisplaying both beta-glucosidase AO090009000356 and endoglucanase AO090010000314 was constructed. When direct ethanol fermentation from 20 g/l barley beta-glucan as a model substrate was performed with the codisplaying strain, the ethanol concentration reached 7.94 g/l after 24 h of fermentation. The conversion ratio of ethanol from beta-glucan was 69.6% of the theoretical ethanol concentration produced from 20 g/l barley beta-glucan. These results showed that sake yeast displaying A. oryzae cellulolytic enzymes can be used to produce ethanol from cellulosic materials. Our constructs have higher ethanol production potential than the laboratory constructs previously reported.     

Modeling of ion-bombardment damage on Si surfaces for in-line analysis

Structures and mechanism of ion-bombardment damage on silicon wafers exposed to plasma were investigated comprehensively. By using molecular dynamics simulations high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and composition analysis by high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, features such as gradual transition from the SiO₂ surface to the Si substrate and interface roughness were addressed. On the basis of these findings, the optical model that addresses the characteristics of plasma-damaged Si surfaces is given for ellipsometric analysis. The proposed model includes an interface layer modeled as a mixture of SiO₂ and Si phases. A part of the interface layer could not be removed by wet-etching, signifying the distinct features of the interface layer that are difficult to remove. The proposed model is anticipated to be practical for in-line monitoring of plasma-induced damage.     

Railgun pellet injection system for fusion experimental devices

A railgun pellet injection system has been developed for fusion experimental devices. Using a low electric energy railgun system, hydrogen pellet acceleration tests have been conducted to investigate the application of the electromagnetic railgun system for high speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. In the system, the pellet is pre-accelerated before railgun acceleration. A laser beam is used to induce plasma armature. The ignited plasma armature is accelerated by an electromagnetic force that accelerates the pellet. Under the same operational conditions, the energy conversion coefficient for the dummy pellets was around 0.4%, while that for the hydrogen pellets was around 0.12%. The highest hydrogen pellet velocity was 1.4 km s⁻¹ using a 1 m long railgun. Based on the findings, it is estimated that the hydrogen pellet has the potential to be accelerated to 5 km s⁻¹ using a 3 m long railgun.     

Switching characteristics of a triggered vacuum gap employing a trigger electrode in the respective main electrodes

Both switching time and minimum firing voltage of a triggered vacuum gap employing a trigger electrode in the cathode and anode (double triggered vacuum gap) were measured. The double triggered vacuum gap was operated below 100 V independent of the high voltage main electrode polarity (positive or negative). This minimum firing voltage was lower than that of the conventional triggered vacuum gap. The switching time is approximately 0.5 μs in the range 3 to 18 kV. The conventional triggered vacuum gap has a trigger electrode that is placed at the center of the grounded main electrode. The polarity of the main electrode affected switching time characteristics. A trigger electrode was added to the high voltage main electrode. The double triggered vacuum gap was only slightly influenced by the polarity of the high voltage main electrode when both main electrodes were triggered at the same time.     

Mice lacking GFAP are hypersensitive to traumatic cerebrospinal injury

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an intermediate filament protein expressed primarily in astrocytes. We have tested whether GFAP protects against mechanical stress by inducing percussive head injury in GFAP-null mice with a weight drop device. When mice were positioned on a foam bed which allowed head movement at impact, all 14 wild-type mice tested survived, but 12 of 15 GFAP-null mice died within a few minutes. The cause of death appeared to be upper cervical spinal cord injury resulting in respiratory arrest. When the foam bed was replaced by a firm support, both GFAP-null and wild-type mice survived. These results indicate that mice lacking GFAP are hypersensitive to cervical spinal cord injury caused by sudden acceleration of the head.     

Indene Compounds Synthetically Derived from Vitamin D Have Selective Antibacterial Action on Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori infects the human stomach and is closely linked with the development of gastric cancer. When detected, this pathogen can be eradicated from the human stomach using wide‐spectrum antibiotics. However, year by year, H. pylori strains resistant to the antibacterial action of antibiotics have been increasing. The development of new antibacterial substances effective against drug‐resistant H. pylori is urgently required. Our group has recently identified extremely selective bactericidal effects against H. pylori in (1R,3aR,7aR)‐1‐[(1R)‐1,5‐dimethylhexyl]octahydro‐7a‐methyl‐4H‐inden‐4‐one (VDP1) (otherwise known as Grundmann's ketone), an indene compound derived from the decomposition of vitamin D₃ and proposed the antibacterial mechanism whereby VDP1 induces the bacteriolysis by interacting at least with PtdEtn (dimyristoyl‐phosphatidylethanolamine [di‐14:0 PtdEtn]) retaining two 14:0 fatty acids of the membrane lipid constituents. In this study, we synthesized new indene compounds ((1R,3aR,7aR)‐1‐((2R,E)‐5,6‐dimethylhept‐3‐en‐2‐yl)‐7a‐methyloctahydro‐4H‐inden‐4‐one [VD2‐1], (1R,3aR,7aR)‐1‐((S)‐1‐hydroxypropan‐2‐yl)‐7a‐methyloctahydro‐1H‐inden‐4‐ol [VD2‐2], and (1R,3aR,7aR)‐7a‐methyl‐1‐((R)‐6‐methylheptan‐2‐yl)octahydro‐1H‐inden‐4‐ol [VD3‐1]) using either vitamin D₂ or vitamin D₃ as materials. VD2‐1 and VD3‐1 selectively disrupted the di‐14:0 PtdEtn vesicles without destructing the vesicles of PtdEtn (dipalmitoyl‐phosphatidylethanolamine) retaining two 16:0 fatty acids. In contrast, VD2‐2, an indene compound lacking an alkyl group, had no influence on the structural stability of both PtdEtn vesicles. In addition, VD2‐1 and VD3‐1 exerted extremely selective bactericidal action against H. pylori without affecting the viability of commonplace bacteria. Meanwhile, VD2‐2 almost forfeited the bactericidal effects on H. pylori. These results suggest that the alkyl group of the indene compounds has a crucial conformation to interact with di‐14:0 PtdEtn of H. pylori membrane lipid constituents whereby the bacteriolysis is ultimately induced.