Anti-Allergic Activity of Fucoidan Can Be Enhanced by Coexistence with Quercetin

In recent years, the incidence of type I hypersensitivity including hay fever has been increasing year by year in Japan. Our previous study using mice showed that only oral, but not intraperitoneal, administration of fucoidan extracted from seaweed (Saccharina japonica) suppressed type I hypersensitivity by secretion of galectin-9, which has a high affinity for IgE in the blood. However, the amount of seaweed required to achieve this activity is quite high (12 g dry weight per person per day). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to search for food ingredients in vegetables that enhance type I hypersensitivity suppression effect when consumed together with fucoidan. As a result, the enhanced effect was observed in extracts from Welsh onions and onions among vegetables. When we compared the polyphenols in the vegetables that showed activity with those that did not, flavonols such as quercetin and kaempferol were found as candidates. When quercetin or kaempferol (100 μg each) were orally administered at the same time, even at amounts where fucoidan alone showed no anti-allergic activity, anti-allergic effects were observed. More interestingly, when both flavonols were combined and administered simultaneously at half the amount of each of the above flavonols (50 μg), while the fucoidan amount remained the same, a similar effect was observed as when each flavonol (100 μg) was administered alone. The simultaneous intake of fucoidan and vegetables containing high contents of quercetin or kaempferol may reduce fucoidan intake while maintaining the allergy suppression effect, suggesting the importance of food combination.     

Targeting Folate Metabolism Is Selectively Cytotoxic to Glioma Stem Cells and Effectively Cooperates with Differentiation Therapy to Eliminate Tumor-Initiating Cells in Glioma Xenografts

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the deadliest of all human cancers. Developing therapies targeting GBM cancer stem cells or glioma stem cells (GSCs), which are deemed responsible for the malignancy of GBM due to their therapy resistance and tumor-initiating capacity, is considered key to improving the dismal prognosis of GBM patients. In this study, we found that folate antagonists, such as methotrexate (MTX) and pemetrexed, are selectively cytotoxic to GSCs, but not to their differentiated counterparts, normal fibroblasts, or neural stem cells in vitro, and that the high sensitivity of GCSs to anti-folates may be due to the increased expression of RFC-1/SLC19A1, the reduced folate carrier that transports MTX into cells, in GSCs. Of note, in an in vivo serial transplantation model, MTX alone failed to exhibit anti-GSC effects but promoted the anti-GSC effects of CEP1347, an inducer of GSC differentiation. This suggests that folate metabolism, which plays an essential role specifically in GSCs, is a promising target of anti-GSC therapy, and that the combination of cytotoxic and differentiation therapies may be a novel and promising approach to effectively eliminate cancer stem cells.     

Development of a technique for in situ high temperature TEM observation of catalysts in a highly moisturized air atmosphere

To clarify the influence of moisture on the structural changes of heated nano materials, in situ high temperature transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been carried out using a conventional analytical TEM combined with a gas injection-specimen heating holder. Air with high moisture content, above 94% relative humidity (RH), from a humidifier was directly injected onto the heated platinum catalyst dispersed on carbon black (Pt/CB), and the morphological changes of the specimens were observed at high magnification dynamically. The result of the experiment was compared with a result obtained from an experiment using air with a low moisture content, 34% RH. Active movement of the Pt particles, leading agglomeration and grain growth, occurred prior to degradation of the CB support at high moisture content. In contrast, the degradation of the CB support leading agglomeration and grain growth of the Pt particles occurred before the displacement of the Pt particles on the CB supports in a low humidity environment.     

Preparation and characterization of complex gel of type I collagen and aluminosilicate containing imogolite nanofibers

Complex gel materials of Type I collagen and aluminosilicate containing imogolite nanofibers were prepared as opaque gel by mixing an acidic fine dispersion of aluminosilicate with an acidic solution of collagen. The product was stained blue by Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB), indicating that the gel contained collagen. A white sponge was obtained after lyophilization of the complex gel. Elemental analysis revealed that the complex contains C, H, N, Al, and Si atoms; and the compositional ratio of aluminosilicate/collagen (w/w) was calculated as 0.75 for the complex gel when aluminosilicate was mixed with an equal quantity of collagen. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation showed that aluminosilicate nanofibers were homogeneously distributed in the collagen matrix. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curve of the complex was not a simple summation of each components, and especially, the weight loss step corresponding to detachment of the adsorbed water observed in aluminosilicate became difficult to distinguish, suggesting that the adsorbed water was removed in the complexation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Identification of the Specific Interactors of the Human Lariat RNA Debranching Enzyme 1 Protein

In eukaryotes, pre-mRNA splicing is an essential step for gene expression. We have been analyzing post-splicing intron turnover steps in higher eukaryotes. Here, we report protein interaction between human Debranching enzyme 1 (hDbr1) and several factors found in the Intron Large (IL) complex, which is an intermediate complex of the intron degradation pathway. The hDbr1 protein specifically interacts with xeroderma pigmentosum, complementeation group A (XPA)-binding protein 2 (Xab2). We also attempted to identify specific interactors of hDbr1. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments followed by mass spectrometry analysis identified a novel protein as one of the specific interactors of hDbr1. This protein is well conserved among many species and shows the highest similarity to yeast Drn1, so it is designated as human Dbr1 associated ribonuclease 1 (hDrn1). hDrn1 directly interacts with hDbr1 through protein–protein interaction. Furthermore, hDrn1 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, as hDbr1 protein does. These findings suggest that hDrn1 has roles in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, which are highly likely to involve hDbr1.     

REX-J: Japanese referring expression corpus of situated dialogs

Identifying objects in conversation is a fundamental human capability necessary to achieve efficient collaboration on any real world task. Hence the deepening of our understanding of human referential behaviour is indispensable for the creation of systems that collaborate with humans in a meaningful way. We present the construction of REX-J, a multi-modal Japanese corpus of referring expressions in situated dialogs, based on the collaborative task of solving the Tangram puzzle. This corpus contains 24 dialogs with over 4?h of recordings and over 1,400 referring expressions. We outline the characteristics of the collected data and point out the important differences from previous corpora. The corpus records extra-linguistic information during the interaction (e.g. the position of pieces, the actions on the pieces) in synchronization with the participants’ utterances. This in turn allows us to discuss the importance of creating a unified model of linguistic and extra-linguistic information from a new perspective. Demonstrating the potential uses of this corpus, we present the analysis of a specific type of referring expression (“action-mentioning expression”) as well as the results of research into the generation of demonstrative pronouns. Furthermore, we discuss some perspectives on potential uses of this corpus as well as our planned future work, underlining how it is a valuable addition to the existing databases in the community for the study and modeling of referring expressions in situated dialog.     

Carbon-supported hafnium oxynitride as cathode catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Highly stable carbon-supported hafnium oxynitride (HfO_xN_y-C) was synthesized by heating carbon-supported hafnium oxide, prepared using an impregnation method, under NH₃ gas in various conditions. X-ray diffraction patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and field-emission transmission electron microscope images confirmed that HfO_xN_y nanoparticles were dispersed onto commercial carbon black, Vulcan XC-72. The stability of HfO_xN_y-C in 0.1 mol dm⁻³ H₂SO₄ at 303 K was evaluated by measuring the mass ratio of dissolved hafnium to immersed HfO_xN_y-C using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. It saturated at a low level of 0.8–4.0 mg g⁻¹ with increasing immersion time up to ∼24 h. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and rate were evaluated by obtaining cyclic voltammograms and rotating disk electrode voltammograms, respectively. The HfO_xN_y-C exhibited higher ORR activity and a lower Tafel slope than NH₃-treated C under identical conditions, demonstrating that HfO_xN_y is active toward ORR. The ORR activity most depended on the heating temperature. The ORR rate increased with increasing the heating time at 1223 K which could be due to the increased y in HfO_xN_y-C. The maximum onset potential for ORR was 0.78 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode, which is 0.18 V lower than that of carbon-supported platinum.     

Immunolocalization of epimorphin in skin

We have employed deuterium NMR techniques to determine the dynamics of trimethoprim (TMP) in a binary complex with dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) or in a ternary complex with DHFR and cofactor NADP+ in the fully hydrated state. TMP was deuterated at the following positions: (2',6'-D2)TMP, (3'-Ome-D3)TMP and (3',4'-Ome-D6)TMP. Dynamics of TMP were deduced from lineshape simulation and relaxation measurements of the deuterium NMR powder spectra of the three samples obtained at various temperatures. The results showed that in the polycrystalline state the TMP molecule is very rigid. The only detectable motion is the methyl group rotation at a rate of 10(10) s-1 at 25 degrees C, as determined from simulation of the partially relaxed powder patterns. When bound to DHFR a residual deuterium quadrupole splitting of 140 kHz was observed for (2',6'-D2)TMP at temperatures up to 30 degrees C, suggesting that the benzyl ring in the bound state is also very rigid. In contrast, in the binary complex with DHFR the methoxyl groups of TMP undergo librational motion of 10(7) s-1 about the C3-O bond at an amplitude of 54 degrees for the meta methoxyl group and about the C4-O bond at an amplitude of 70 degrees and similar rate for the para methoxyl group at 30 degrees C. The presence of the cofactor, NADP+, appears to tighten up the binding pocket such that the motion freedom of TMP is more restricted. The rigidity of TMP in a protein complex as revealed by our deuterium NMR results is in accord with the tight binding of TMP to DHFR.     

Magnetic-Pole Flip by Millimeter Wave

In the era of Big Data and the Internet of Things, data archiving is a key technology. From this viewpoint, magnetic recordings are drawing attention because they guarantee long-term data storage. To archive an enormous amount of data, further increase of the recording density is necessary. Herein a new magnetic recording methodology, “focused-millimeter-wave-assisted magnetic recording (F-MIMR),” is proposed. To test this methodology, magnetic films based on epsilon iron oxide nanoparticles are prepared and a focused-millimeter-wave generator is constructed using terahertz (THz) light. Irradiating the focused millimeter wave to epsilon iron oxide instantly switches its magnetic pole direction. The spin dynamics of F-MIMR are also calculated using the stochastic Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert model considering all of the spins in an epsilon iron oxide nanoparticle. In F-MIMR, the heat-up effect of the recording media is expected to be suppressed. Thus, F-MIMR can be applied to high-density magnetic recordings.