In Situ PD-L1 Expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Induced by Heterogeneous Mechanisms among Patients

The expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is controlled by complex mechanisms. The elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of PD-L1 expression is important for the exploration of new insights into PD-1 blockade therapy. Detailed mechanisms of the in situ expression of PD-L1 in tissues of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) have not yet been clarified. We examined the mechanisms of PD-L1 expression focusing on the phosphorylation of downstream molecules of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) signaling in vitro and in vivo by immunoblotting and multi-fluorescence immunohistochemistry (MF-IHC), respectively. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that PD-L1 expression in OSCC cell lines is upregulated by EGF via the EGF receptor (EGFR)/PI3K/AKT pathway, the EGFR/STAT1 pathway, and the EGFR/MEK/ERK pathway, and by IFN-γ via the JAK2/STAT1 pathway. MF-IHC demonstrated that STAT1 and EGFR phosphorylation was frequently shown in PD-L1-positive cases and STAT1 phosphorylation was correlated with lymphocyte infiltration and EGFR phosphorylation. Moreover, the phosphorylation pattern of the related molecules in PD-L1-positive cells differed among the cases investigated. These findings indicate that PD-L1 expression mechanisms differ depending on the tissue environment and suggest that the examination of the tissue environment and molecular alterations of cancer cells affecting PD-L1 expression make it necessary for each patient to choose the appropriate combination drugs for PD-1 blockade cancer treatment.     

Modelling Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Using Mice and Zebrafish

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two debilitating neurodevelopmental disorders. The former is associated with social impairments whereas the latter is associated with inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. There is recent evidence that both disorders are somehow related and that genes may play a large role in these disorders. Despite mounting human and animal research, the neurological pathways underlying ASD and ADHD are still not well understood. Scientists investigate neurodevelopmental disorders by using animal models that have high similarities in genetics and behaviours with humans. Mice have been utilized in neuroscience research as an excellent animal model for a long time; however, the zebrafish has attracted much attention recently, with an increasingly large number of studies using this model. In this review, we first discuss ASD and ADHD aetiology from a general point of view to their characteristics and treatments. We also compare mice and zebrafish for their similarities and discuss their advantages and limitations in neuroscience. Finally, we summarize the most recent and existing research on zebrafish and mouse models of ASD and ADHD. We believe that this review will serve as a unique document providing interesting information to date about these models, thus facilitating research on ASD and ADHD.     

耐热/耐磨烧结合金发展趋势

粉末冶金的一个特殊优势是合金设计自由度高,因此,烧结合金广泛用于耐热与耐磨零件.主要产品对象是气门导管、阀座圈(VSI)及发动机排气系统的零件.近年来,为回应环境问题,发动机的使用性能在不断提高,这些零件的使用环境随之越益严苛,因此,就日益要求改进材料的耐磨性与其它性能.论述了近年来耐热／耐磨烧结材料的技术发展趋势,特...     

Area day-ahead photovoltaic power prediction by just-in-time modeling with meso-scale ensemble prediction system

Photovoltaics (PV) output prediction, which is indispensable for power system operation, can affects demand and supply adjustment adversely when large prediction error occurs. Thus, the reduction of large error as well as average error is required in PV power prediction. In 2019, the operation of the Meso-scale Ensemble Prediction System (MEPS) of numerical weather prediction started from the JapanMeteorological Agency, and the amount of forecasting information would be potentially useful for the improvement of PV power prediction. However, very few studies on inputting multiple meteorological elements of the MEPS have been reported. In this paper, we newly develop the prediction model for an area day-ahead PV power output composed of Just-In-Time Modeling (JIT Modeling) with multiple elements of theMEPS. The developed method achieves precise forecasts with low computational load by both selecting meteorological elements valid for improving prediction accuracy and adequately devising the structure of JIT Modeling. Some numerical examples demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed method are also presented. In particular, the proposed method reduces large error significantly.     

Real-time supply-demand schedule update and operation for generators and battery energy storage system based on forecasted and actual photovoltaic power outputs

The photovoltaic (PV) power output might be frequently curtailed to maintain electricity supply-demand balance in future power systems. In our previous study, we proposed a new method for updating the battery energy storage system (BESS) charge/discharge and the generator unit commitment (UC) schedules based on the forecasted and actual PV power outputs. The forecast dataset was updated every 3 h (eight times a day). Although the simulation results showed that the proposed method could reduce the supply-demand imbalances, it was not clear whether the forecasted or actual values made contributions. Therefore, in this study, we propose and evaluate a real-time scheduling and operation method using the forecasted and actual PV power outputs assuming that the forecasted dataset is updated only once a day. Numerical simulations of supply-demand operations are conducted on the power system model of the Kanto area of Japan for one year. The results show that the previous study method has a slight advantage over proposed method in terms of curtailed PV energy and operational cost of thermal generators reduction, but the difference is very small, indicating that the contribution of the actual PV power outputs is greater than that of the forecasted PV power outputs.     

Intercalation on Transition Metal Trichalcogenides via a Quasi-Amorphous Phase with 1D Order

Intercalation into 1D transition metal trichalcogenides (TMTs) in which fibers are bonded by a weak van der Waals force can be expected to create various intercalation compounds and develop unique physical properties according to the combination of the host materials and guest ions. However, structural changes via intercalation into 1D TMTs are not as simple as those in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and are still not understood comprehensively. ZrTe₃: a typical compound with a 1D trigonal prismatic structure, belongs to TMTs. Herein, through the Ag introduction to ZrTe₃ via solid-state intercalation, a novel crystal phase with a 1D octahedral structure and a quasi-amorphous (QA) phase during the structural transition are discovered; the QA phase is a novel state of matter in which long-range order is lost while retaining 1D order. Based on the Ag concentration, the transport properties are flexibly modulated from superconductivity to semiconductivity. Density functional theory calculations indicate the attraction between Ag ions and the pair diffusion due to their attraction. Furthermore, judging the attraction or repulsion between guest ions predicts whether to induce a QA phase or simple lattice expansion like the intercalation into 2D TMDs.     

The Effect of Environmental Temperature on Distribution of Unit Chains of Rice Amylopectin

The effects of environmental temperature during the early development of seeds on the structural characteristics of the endosperm starch were investigated using near‐isogenic lines of rice plants (Taichung 65, waxy), grown under temperature controlled conditions. High performance gel permeation chromatography (HPLC) demonstrated that Pseudomonas isoamylase‐debranched amylopectins of rice plants grown at lower temperature (25°C) contain increased amounts of short chains and decreased amounts of long chains as compared with amylopectins obtained from rice plants grown at higher temperature (30°C). By high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC‐PAD) of isoamylase‐debranched amylopectins it was detected that the amount of unit chains with degree of polymerization (DP) 6 and 11‐13, in the amylopectin of rice plants grown at lower temperature (25°C) had significantly increased and the amount of unit chains with DP 8, 22‐24 and 29 had significantly decreased, as compared with the amylopectin of rice plants grown at higher temperature (30°C). It was confirmed that the environmental temperature between 5 and 10 d after pollination strongly influenced the structure characteristics of the endosperm starch of rice plants.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Aromatic Trifluoromethylation via Group Transfer from Fluoral Derivatives

Starting from a readily available fluoral derivative, catalytic aromatic trifluoromethylation has been successfully achieved. A small amount of copper(I) iodide‐phenanthroline complex catalyzed the cross‐coupling reactions of aryl/heteroaryl iodides with the O‐silylated hemiaminal of fluoral (trifluoroacetaldehyde) to provide trifluoromethylated arenes in moderate to high yields.