Human Polymerase δ-Interacting Protein 2 (PolDIP2) Inhibits the Formation of Human Tau Oligomers and Fibrils

A central characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies is the accumulation of aggregated and misfolded Tau deposits in the brain. Tau-targeting therapies for AD have been unsuccessful in patients to date. Here we show that human polymerase δ-interacting protein 2 (PolDIP2) interacts with Tau. With a set of complementary methods, including thioflavin-T-based aggregation kinetic assays, Tau oligomer-specific dot-blot analysis, and single oligomer/fibril analysis by atomic force microscopy, we demonstrate that PolDIP2 inhibits Tau aggregation and amyloid fibril growth in vitro. The identification of PolDIP2 as a potential regulator of cellular Tau aggregation should be considered for future Tau-targeting therapeutics.     

Prediction of corrosion products of iron at a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in Japan

Estimation of the volumetric expansion ratio due to the corrosion of metals is an essential part of the safety assessment of low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities in Japan, because such volumetric expansion can disrupt the barrier function of these facilities. In the present study, the corrosion products of iron were predicted from potential–pH diagrams and the results of a synthesis test, and the volumetric expansion ratios of the corrosion products were evaluated. Under a basic set of conditions expected at a disposal facility over a storage period of a thousand to tens of thousands of years, Fe₃O₄, Fe₂O₃, and FeOOH were predicted as the major stable corrosion products of iron. The maximum volumetric expansion ratio determined from the true density of these products was 2.9, and the maximum volumetric expansion ratio, assuming the generation of voids in the corrosion products, was 3.7, which is the Pilling–Bedworth ratio of Fe(OH)₂. The volumetric expansion ratio may increase in the presence of carbonate ions in a long-term environment with a reduced pH.     

Remote detection of radioactive hotspot using a Compton camera mounted on a moving multi-copter drone above a contaminated area in Fukushima

ABSTRACT

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc., suffered a meltdown as a result of a large tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011. To proceed with environmental recovery, a radiation distribution map that indicates the distribution of radioactive substances is extremely important to establish detailed decontamination plans. We developed a remote radiation imaging system comprising a lightweight Compton camera mounted on a multi-copter drone to measure the distribution of radioactive substances remotely. The proposed system can perform radiation imaging using the Compton camera while flying and moving. In addition, the distribution of radioactive substances can be visualized three-dimensionally by drawing the radiation images captured by the Compton camera on a three-dimensional (3D) topography model acquired by a 3D-LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system. We conducted a survey of radioactive hotspots in difficult-to-return zones in the coastal area of Fukushima, Japan. The drone system realized 3D visualization of several hotspots. Such remote technology would be useful for monitoring the difficult-to-return zone as well as for monitoring the distribution of radioactive substances inside the FDNPS site where decommissioning work is ongoing.     

Following control approach based on model predictive control for wheeled inverted pendulum robot

Personal robots, which are seen as tools that will be needed to support our aging society, will be expected to support the comfortable lifestyles of healthy young people as well as the elderly. However, excessive and premature robot support may adversely impact the physical abilities of their human owner/operators. In this paper, the authors propose a personal robot equipped with wheeled inverted pendulum control that can carry baggage and follow the human being. Since such robots could remove the drudgery associated with carrying luggage, their use could also encourage people to go outside and walk briskly, which could contribute to improved health management. This paper proposes a novel control approach for a robot following the human being. The proposed approach employs a model predictive control that facilitates consideration of several types of upper and lower level constraints a personal robot would require. The effectiveness of our proposed approach was then verified in experiments using a prototype personal robot.     

Stress relaxation and hysteresis of nanocomposite gel investigated by SAXS and SANS measurement

The stress relaxation phenomena of nanocomposite gel (NC gels) after uniaxial elongation was investigated by time-resolved small-angle scattering techniques of neutrons and X-rays. Nanocomposite gels consist of clay platelets and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). It was found that clay oriented instantly and polymer chains were elongated along the stretching direction by elongation, followed by gradual process of peeling-off of adsorbed polymer chains on the clay platelets. When the specimen was held in the deformed state, stress relaxation was observed. This was mainly ascribed to peeling-off of polymer chains. When the strain of the specimen was removed, the polymer chains tended to be adsorbed again to the surface of the clay platelets. The deformation mechanism of NC gels is discussed on the emphasis of the peeling-off and peeling-on process of polymer chains.     

Anti-allergic effect of lactic acid bacteria isolated from seed mash used for brewing sake is not dependent on the total IgE levels

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in fermented foods have attracted considerable attention recently as treatment options for allergic diseases, the incidence of which has been increasing worldwide. Five strains of LAB isolated from kimoto, the traditional seed mash used for brewing sake, were screened for the ability to suppress IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction. Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus sakei, the normal microflora in kimoto, significantly suppressed the reaction, but the contaminant Lactobacillus curvatus did not. Next, we examined the effect of L.?sakei LK-117 on atopic dermatitis in the NC/Nga mouse model. LK-117 supplementation significantly reduced the development of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in a manner independent of the IgE plasma levels. In the in vitro intestinal model constructed using the human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2 and murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7, treatment with L.?sakei LK-117, but not L.?curvatus, significantly upregulated TNF-α production from RAW264.7 cells. This result indicated that L.?sakei on the apical side affected the macrophages on the basolateral side, and this organism may have the ability to improve allergy symptoms mediated by the intestinal immune system.     

Lack of endoplasmic reticulum 1,2-α-mannosidase activity that trims N-glycan Man9GlcNAc2 to Man8GlcNAc2 isomer B in a manE gene disruptant of Aspergillus oryzae

The gene manE, encoding a probable class I endoplasmic reticulum 1,2-α-mannosidases (ER-Man), was identified from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae due to similarity to orthologs. It removes a single mannose residue from Man(9)GlcNAc(2), generating Man(8)GlcNAc(2) isomer B. Disruption of manE caused drastic decreases in ER-Man activity in A. oryzae microsomes.     

Scene extraction system for video clips using attached comment interval and pointing region

A method was developed to enable users of video sharing websites to easily retrieve video scenes relevant to their interests. The system analyzes both text and non-text aspects of a user’s comment and then retrieves and displays relevant scenes along with attached comments. The text analysis works in tandem with non-text features, namely, the selected area and temporal duration associated with user comments. In this way, our system supports a better-organized retrieval of scenes that have been commented on with a higher degree of relevancy than conventional methods, such as using matching keywords. We describe our method and the relation between the scenes and discuss a prototype system.