Persistent magnetic coherence in magnets

When excited, the magnetization in a magnet precesses around the field in an anticlockwise manner on a timescale governed by viscous magnetization damping, after which any information carried by the initial actuation seems to be lost. This damping appears to be a fundamental bottleneck for the use of magnets in information processing. However, here we demonstrate the recall of the magnetization-precession phase after times that exceed the damping timescale by two orders of magnitude using dedicated two-colour microwave pump-probe experiments for a Y3Fe5O12 microstructured film. Time-resolved magnetization state tomography confirms the persistent magnetic coherence by revealing a double-exponential decay of magnetization correlation. We attribute persistent magnetic coherence to a feedback effect, that is, coherent coupling of the uniform precession with long-lived excitations at the minima of the spin-wave dispersion relation. Our finding liberates magnetic systems from the strong damping in nanostructures that has limited their use in coherent information storage and processing.

Synthesis of ω-Chloroalkyl Aryl Ketones via C-C Bond Cleavage of tert-Cycloalkanols with Tetramethylammonium Hypochlorite

An oxidative C-C bond cleavage of tert-cycloalkanols with tetramethylammonium hypochlorite (TMAOCl) has been developed. TMAOCl is easy to prepare from tetramethylammonium hydroxide, and the combination of TMAOCl and AcOH effectively promoted the C-C bond cleavage in a two-phase system without additional phase-transfer reagents. Unstrained tert-cycloalkanols were transformed into ω-chloroalkyl aryl ketones in moderate to excellent yields under metal-free and mild reaction conditions.

Indocyanine green lymphography in the congenital chylothorax and chylous ascites

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of congenital chylothorax and ascites ranges from spontaneous resolution to death, but no established examination exists to predict the prognosis. We aimed to develop a clinically useful method to evaluate lymphatic abnormalities using indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography in infants with congenital chylothorax and ascites.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated infants with congenital chylothorax and chylous ascites who underwent ICG lymphography in our hospital between 2012 and 2022. The ICG lymphography findings was evaluated. We defined the dermal backflow in the trunk as the lymphatic flow from the end of the limb back through the lymphatic vessels on the surface of the trunk. The association between the dermal backflow in the trunk and clinical outcomes, as follows, are investigated: the duration of the drainage period, the duration of endotracheal intubation, and the length of hospital stay.

RESULTS

Twenty infants had a dermal backflow in the trunk, and ten did not. Clinical outcomes in infants with and without dermal backflow in the trunk were as follows (median): the duration of the drainage period (20 vs. 0 days, p = 0.001), the duration of endotracheal intubation (12 vs. 2 days, p = 0.04), and the length of hospital stay (62 vs. 41 days, p = 0.04), respectively. In multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for gestational age, the duration of the drainage period was correlated with the dermal backflow in the trunk [exp(B) = 2.62; p = 0.003].

CONCLUSIONS

The dermal backflow in the trunk in ICG lymphography was useful in predicting the clinical course of congenital chylothorax and ascites.

(3+2) Cycloaddition of Heteroaromatic N-Ylides with Sulfenes

A (3+2) cycloaddition of heteroaromatic N-ylides with sulfenes, which are generated in situ from sulfonyl chlorides, has been developed. A variety of ylides were transformed into the corresponding sulfone-embedded N-fused heterocycles in high yields. Hexafluoroisopropyl mesylate was demonstrated to be a suitable reactant for quinolinium ylides. Furthermore, this cycloaddition could be performed with an ylide prepared by a Cu-catalyzed ylide transfer reaction in a one-pot manner, extending the substrate scope to an unisolable ylide.

Sensing chemical-induced DNA damage using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-deletion yeast-reporter strains

Microorganism-based genotoxicity assessments are vital for evaluating potential chemical-induced DNA damage. In this study, we developed both chromosomally integrated and single-copy plasmid-based reporter assays in budding yeast using a RNR3 promoter-driven luciferase gene. These assays were designed to compare the response to genotoxic chemicals with a pre-established multicopy plasmid-based assay. Despite exhibiting the lowest luciferase activity, the chromosomally integrated reporter assay showed the highest fold induction (i.e., the ratio of luciferase activity in the presence and absence of the chemical) compared with the established plasmid-based assay. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated mutants with single- or double-gene deletions, affecting major DNA repair pathways or cell permeability. This enabled us to evaluate reporter gene responses to genotoxicants in a single-copy plasmid-based assay. Elevated background activities were observed in several mutants, such as mag1Δ cells, even without exposure to chemicals. However, substantial luciferase induction was detected in single-deletion mutants following exposure to specific chemicals, including mag1Δ, mms2Δ, and rad59Δ cells treated with methyl methanesulfonate; rad59Δ cells exposed to camptothecin; and mms2Δ and rad10Δ cells treated with mitomycin C (MMC) and cisplatin (CDDP). Notably, mms2Δ/rad10Δ cells treated with MMC or CDDP exhibited significantly enhanced luciferase induction compared with the parent single-deletion mutants, suggesting that postreplication and for nucleotide excision repair processes predominantly contribute to repairing DNA crosslinks. Overall, our findings demonstrate the utility of yeast-based reporter assays employing strains with multiple-deletion mutations in DNA repair genes. These assays serve as valuable tools for investigating DNA repair mechanisms and assessing chemical-induced DNA damage. KEY POINTS: • Responses to genotoxic chemicals were investigated in three types of reporter yeast. • Yeast strains with single- and double-deletions of DNA repair genes were tested. • Two DNA repair pathways predominantly contributed to DNA crosslink repair in yeast.

Energy dissipation of a sphere rolling up a granular slope: Slip and deformation of the granular surface

We experimentally investigate the dynamics of a sphere rolling up a granular slope. During the rolling-up motion, the sphere experiences slipping and penetration (groove formation) on the surface of the granular layer. The former relates to the stuck motion of the rolling sphere, and the latter causes energy dissipation due to the deformation of the granular surface. To characterize these phenomena, we measured the motion of a sphere rolling up a granular slope of angle α. The initial velocity v_{0}, initial angular velocity ω_{0}, angle of slope α, and density of the sphere ρ_{s} were varied. As a result, the penetration depth can be scaled solely by the density ratio between the sphere and granular layer. By considering the rotational equation of motion, we estimate the friction due to the slips. Besides, by considering energy conservation, we define and estimate the friction due to groove formation. Moreover, the translational friction is proportional to the penetration depth. Using these results, we can quantitatively predict the sphere's motion including stuck behavior.

Pan-tissue scaling of stiffness versus fibrillar collagen reflects contractility-driven strain that inhibits fibril degradation

Polymer network properties such as stiffness often exhibit characteristic power laws in polymer density and other parameters. However, it remains unclear whether diverse animal tissues, composed of many distinct polymers, exhibit such scaling. Here, we examined many diverse tissues from adult mouse and embryonic chick to determine if stiffness ( E tissue ) follows a power law in relation to the most abundant animal protein, Collagen-I, even with molecular perturbations. We quantified fibrillar collagen in intact tissue by second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging and from tissue extracts by mass spectrometry (MS), and collagenase-mediated decreases were also tracked. Pan-tissue power laws for tissue stiffness versus Collagen-I levels measured by SHG or MS exhibit sub-linear scaling that aligns with results from cellularized gels of Collagen-I but not acellular gels. Inhibition of cellular myosin-II based contraction fits the scaling, and combination with inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) show collagenase activity is strain - not stress- suppressed in tissues, consistent with past studies of gels and fibrils. Beating embryonic hearts and tendons, which differ in both collagen levels and stiffness by >1000-fold, similarly suppressed collagenases at physiological strains of ∼5%, with fiber-orientation regulating degradation. Scaling of E tissue based on 'use-it-or-lose-it' kinetics provides insight into scaling of organ size, microgravity effects, and regeneration processes while suggesting contractility-driven therapeutics.

Measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters from the T2K experiment using 3.6×1021 protons on target

The T2K experiment presents new measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters using 19.7 ( 16.3 ) × 10 20 protons on target (POT) in (anti-)neutrino mode at the far detector (FD). Compared to the previous analysis, an additional 4.7 × 10 20 POT neutrino data was collected at the FD. Significant improvements were made to the analysis methodology, with the near-detector analysis introducing new selections and using more than double the data. Additionally, this is the first T2K oscillation analysis to use NA61/SHINE data on a replica of the T2K target to tune the neutrino flux model, and the neutrino interaction model was improved to include new nuclear effects and calculations. Frequentist and Bayesian analyses are presented, including results on sin 2 θ 13 and the impact of priors on the δ CP measurement. Both analyses prefer the normal mass ordering and upper octant of sin 2 θ 23 with a nearly maximally CP-violating phase. Assuming the normal ordering and using the constraint on sin 2 θ 13 from reactors, sin 2 θ 23 = 0 . 561 - 0.032 + 0.021 using Feldman-Cousins corrected intervals, and Δ m 32 2 = 2 . 494 - 0.058 + 0.041 × 10 - 3 eV 2 using constant Δ χ 2 intervals. The CP-violating phase is constrained to δ CP = - 1 . 97 - 0.70 + 0.97 using Feldman-Cousins corrected intervals, and δ CP = 0 , π is excluded at more than 90% confidence level. A Jarlskog invariant of zero is excluded at more than 2 σ credible level using a flat prior in δ CP , and just below 2 σ using a flat prior in sin δ CP . When the external constraint on sin 2 θ 13 is removed, sin 2 θ 13 = 28 . 0 - 6.5 + 2.8 × 10 - 3 , in agreement with measurements from reactor experiments. These results are consistent with previous T2K analyses.

Noxious chemical discrimination by Tribolium castaneum TRPA1 channel in the HEK293 cell expression system

Nociception is the sensory perception of noxious chemical stimuli. Repellent behavior to avoid noxious stimuli is indispensable for survival, and this mechanism has been evolutionarily conserved across a wide range of species, from mammals to insects. The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel is one of the most conserved noxious chemical sensors. Here, we describe the heterologous stable expression of Tribolium castaneum TRPA1 (TcTRPA1) in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells. The intracellular Ca2+ influx was measured when two compounds, citronellal and l-menthol, derived from plant essential oils, were applied in vitro using a fluorescence assay. The analysis revealed that citronellal evoked Ca2+ influx dose-dependently for TcTRPA1, whereas l-menthol did not. In combination with our present and previous results of the avoidance-behavioral assay at the organism level, we suggest that TcTRPA1 discriminates between these two toxic compounds, and diversification in the chemical nociception selectivity has occurred in TRPA1 channel among insect taxa.

Hyphal Growth in Trichosporon asahii Is Accelerated by the Addition of Magnesium

Fungal dimorphism involves two morphologies: a unicellular yeast cell and a multicellular hyphal form. Invasion of hyphae into human cells causes severe opportunistic infections. The transition between yeast and hyphal forms is associated with the virulence of fungi; however, the mechanism is poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to identify factors that induce hyphal growth of Trichosporon asahii, a dimorphic basidiomycete that causes trichosporonosis. T. asahii showed poor growth and formed small cells containing large lipid droplets and fragmented mitochondria when cultivated for 16 h in a nutrient-deficient liquid medium. However, these phenotypes were suppressed via the addition of yeast nitrogen base. When T. asahii cells were cultivated in the presence of different compounds present in the yeast nitrogen base, we found that magnesium sulfate was a key factor for inducing cell elongation, and its addition dramatically restored hyphal growth in T. asahii. In T. asahii hyphae, vacuoles were enlarged, the size of lipid droplets was decreased, and mitochondria were distributed throughout the cell cytoplasm and adjacent to the cell walls. Additionally, hyphal growth was disrupted due to treatment with an actin inhibitor. The actin inhibitor latrunculin A disrupted the mitochondrial distribution even in hyphal cells. Furthermore, magnesium sulfate treatment accelerated hyphal growth in T. asahii for 72 h when the cells were cultivated in a nutrient-deficient liquid medium. Collectively, our results suggest that an increase in magnesium levels triggers the transition from the yeast to hyphal form in T. asahii. These findings will support studies on the pathogenesis of fungi and aid in developing treatments. IMPORTANCE Understanding the mechanism underlying fungal dimorphism is crucial to discern its invasion into human cells. Invasion is caused by the hyphal form rather than the yeast form; therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism of transition from the yeast to hyphal form. To study the transition mechanism, we utilized Trichosporon asahii, a dimorphic basidiomycete that causes severe trichosporonosis since there are fewer studies on T. asahii than on ascomycetes. This study suggests that an increase in Mg2+, the most abundant mineral in living cells, triggers growth of filamentous hyphae and increases the distribution of mitochondria throughout the cell cytoplasm and adjacent to the cell walls in T. asahii. Understanding the mechanism of hyphal growth triggered by Mg2+ increase will provide a model system to explore fungal pathogenicity in the future.

Disordering two-dimensional magnet-particle configurations using bidispersity

In various types of many-particle systems, bidispersity is frequently used to avoid spontaneous ordering in particle configurations. In this study, the relation between bidispersity and disorder degree of particle configurations is investigated. By using magnetic dipole-dipole interaction, magnet particles are dispersed in a two-dimensional cell without any physical contact between them. In this magnetic system, bidispersity is introduced by mixing large and small magnets. Then, the particle system is compressed to produce a uniform particle configuration. The compressed particle configuration is analyzed by using Voronoi tessellation for evaluating the disorder degree, which strongly depends on bidispersity. Specifically, the standard deviation and skewness of the Voronoi cell area distribution are measured. As a result, we find that the peak of standard deviation is observed when the numbers of large and small particles are almost identical. Although the skewness shows a non-monotonic behavior, a zero skewness state (symmetric distribution) can be achieved when the numbers of large and small particles are identical. In this ideally random (disordered) state, the ratio between pentagonal, hexagonal, and heptagonal Voronoi cells becomes roughly identical, while hexagons are dominant under monodisperse (ordered) conditions. The relation between Voronoi cell analysis and the global bond orientational order parameter is also discussed.

Oxidative C–N Bond Cleavage of Cyclic Amines with Ammonium Hypochlorite

An oxidative C–N bond cleavage of cyclic amines has been developed under metal-free conditions, providing N-Cl-ω-amino acids in moderate to excellent yields. The reactions successfully proceed by using tetramethylammonium hypochlorite (TMAOCl) as an oxidant even on a gram scale. The Hofmann–Löffler–Freytag-type reaction of N-Cl-ω-amino acids to form cyclic amino acids are also demonstrated.

Formation and evolution of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu: Direct evidence from returned samples

Samples of the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu were brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We analyzed 17 Ryugu samples measuring 1 to 8 millimeters. Carbon dioxide-bearing water inclusions are present within a pyrrhotite crystal, indicating that Ryugu's parent asteroid formed in the outer Solar System. The samples contain low abundances of materials that formed at high temperatures, such as chondrules and calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions. The samples are rich in phyllosilicates and carbonates, which formed through aqueous alteration reactions at low temperature, high pH, and water/rock ratios of <1 (by mass). Less altered fragments contain olivine, pyroxene, amorphous silicates, calcite, and phosphide. Numerical simulations, based on the mineralogical and physical properties of the samples, indicate that Ryugu's parent body formed ~2 million years after the beginning of Solar System formation.

Replacement of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) indigenous root endophytes and rhizosphere bacterial communities via inoculation with a synthetic bacterial community of dominant nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Biofertilizers containing high-density plant growth-promoting bacteria are gaining interest as a sustainable solution to environmental problems caused by eutrophication. However, owing to the limitations of current investigative techniques, the selected microorganisms are not always preferred by the host plant, preventing recruitment into the native microbiota or failing to induce plant growth-promoting effects. To address this, five nitrogen-fixing bacteria previously isolated from water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) plants and showing dominant abundance of 1% or more in the water yam microbiota were selected for analysis of their plant growth-promoting activities when used as a synthetic bacterial inoculant. Water yam cv. A-19 plants were inoculated twice at 10 and 12 weeks after planting under greenhouse conditions. Bacterial communities in root, rhizosphere, and bulk soil samples were characterized using high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Compared with non-inoculated plants, all bacterial communities were significantly altered by inoculation, mainly at the genus level. The inoculation effects were apparently found in the root communities at 16 weeks after planting, with all inoculated genera showing dominance (in the top 35 genera) compared with the control samples. However, no significant differences in any of the growth parameters or nitrogen contents were observed between treatments. At 20 weeks after planting, the dominance of Stenotrophomonas in the inoculated roots decreased, indicating a decline in the inoculation effects. Interestingly, only the Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium clade was dominant (>1% relative abundance) across all samples, suggesting that bacteria related to this clade are essential core bacteria for water yam growth. This is the first report on addition of a synthetic nitrogen-fixing bacterial community in water yam plants showing that native bacterial communities can be replaced by a synthetic bacterial community, with declining in the effects of Stenotrophomonas on the modified communities several weeks after inoculation.

Risk Factors for Infusion Reactions in Patients with Breast Cancer Administered Trastuzumab Therapy

Trastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) that is indicated for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The administration of biologics, such as trastuzumab, frequently causes infusion reactions (IRs) with fever and chills. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors for IRs in trastuzumab therapy. Between March 2013 and July 2022, 227 patients with breast cancer who started trastuzumab therapy were included in this study. The severity of IRs was graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Version 5.0. The incidence of IRs in trastuzumab therapy was 27.3% (62/227). Dexamethasone administration was significantly different between the IR and non-IR groups in patients receiving trastuzumab therapy (univariate analysis, p < 0.001; multivariate analysis, p = 0.0002). Without dexamethasone, the severity of IRs in the pertuzumab combination group (Grade 1, 8/65; Grade 2, 23/65) was significantly higher than that in the non-pertuzumab group (Grade 1, 9/37; Grade 2, 3/37; p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the risk of IRs is significantly higher in patients not premedicated with dexamethasone in trastuzumab therapy and that the concomitant use of pertuzumab without dexamethasone increases the severity of IRs caused by trastuzumab.

Incidence and risk factors of infusion reactions in patients with breast cancer administered trastuzumab plus pertuzumab-based regimen

PURPOSE

Pertuzumab (Per) is a humanized monoclonal antibody used in combination with trastuzumab (Tra) in the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. The administration of biologics, such as Tra and Per, frequently causes infusion reactions (IRs) with fever and chills. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of and risk factors for IRs in Tra + Per combination therapy.

METHODS

Between March 2013 and December 2019, 64 patients with breast cancer who started Tra + Per combination therapy were included in the study. The severity of IRs was graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0.

RESULTS

The incidence of IRs in the Tra + Per combination therapy was 48.4% (31/64). The severity of IRs in the Tra + Per combination therapy was Grade 1 (9 patients) and Grade 2 (22 patients). Lymphocyte counts were significantly different between the IR and non-IR groups in patients receiving Tra + Per combination therapy (univariate analysis, p = 0.006; multivariate analysis, p = 0.050). ROC curve analysis found the cutoff value of lymphocyte counts were 1.60 (× 10³/µL). The incidence of IRs in the lymphocyte counts ≥ 1.60 group was significantly higher than that in the lymphocyte counts < 1.60 group (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our study indicates that the severity of IRs in most patients is moderate or less and the risk of IRs is higher in patients with higher lymphocyte counts (≥ 1.60 × 10³/µL).

Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Sulfonylative Desymmetrization of Glycerol

Glycerol is the main side product in the biodiesel manufacturing process, and the development of glycerol valorization methods would indirectly contribute the sustainable biodiesel production and decarbonization. Transformation of glycerol to optically active C3 units would be one of the attractive routes for glycerol valorization. We herein present the asymmetric sulfonylative desymmetrization of glycerol by using a CuCN/(R,R)-PhBOX catalyst system to provide an optically active monosulfonylated glycerol in high efficiency. A high degree of enantioselectivity was achieved with a commercially available chiral ligand and an inexpensive carbonate base. The optically active monosulfonylated glycerol was successfully transformed into a C3 unit attached with differentially protected three hydroxy moieties. In addition, the synthetic utility of the present reaction was also demonstrated by the transformation of the monosulfonylated glycerol into an optically active synthetic ceramide, sphingolipid E.

Prediction of difficulty in cryoballoon ablation with a 3D deep learning model using polygonal mesh representation

Background

Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is a useful treatment for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Some cases, however, are difficult to treat and may require multiple freezing procedures and/or touch-up ablation. Although several predictors of CBA difficulty have been reported, no report has been able to assess the spatial location and morphology of the left atrium (LA) and pulmonary veins (PVs). A polygonal mesh is a collection of vertices, edges, and faces that defines the shape of a polyhedral object, and is able to represent a spatial location with a small amount of information. We hypothesized that a deep learning model that learns mesh representation datasets could more accurately detect the CBA difficulty and that we could establish a novel evaluation method in CBA.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to create a model to predict CBA difficulty with a 3D deep learning model using polygonal mesh representation.

Methods and results

All the 140 patients who underwent CBA for drug-resistant atrial fibrillation between January 2015 and January 2022 were included. A 28-mm cryoballoon (Arctic Front Advance, Medtronic) was used in all cases. We defined CBA difficulty as requiring a touch-up ablation procedure to create complete PVI. We converted the volume data in DICOM format of the computed tomography images of PVs and LA to obj file format (shown in Figure 1), which supports the definition of the geometry for object surfaces using polygonal meshes. Next, we developed a deep learning model that could learn polygonal meshes and classify whether the CBA required touch-up ablation or not. Only a training dataset is used to train the deep learning model, and finally, a test dataset is used to evaluate the model metrics. The accuracy, area under the ROC curve, recall, precision, and f1-score of the deep learning model using the test dataset was 86.5%, 87.7%, 66.7%, 75.0%, 70.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

We developed a 3D deep learning model that can detect a difficulty in CBA using polygonal mesh representation. By predicting difficult cases in advance, we will be able to develop strategies to increase the success rate.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Long-term follow-up of a patient with autosomal dominant lower extremity-predominant spinal muscular atrophy-2 due to a BICD2 variant

INTRODUCTION

Bicaudal D homolog 2 (BICD2) is a causative gene of autosomal-dominant lower extremity-predominant spinal muscular atrophy-2 (SMA-LED2). The severity of SMA-LED2 varies widely, ranging from cases in which patients are able to walk to cases in which severe joint contractures lead to respiratory failure. In this study, we report the long-term course of a case of SMA-LED2 in comparison with previous reports.

CASE REPORT

The patient was a 19-year-old woman. She had knee and hip dislocations with contractures, femoral fracture, and talipes calcaneovalgus since birth, and was diagnosed with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. Intense respiratory support was not needed during the neonatal period. She had aspiration pneumonia repeatedly, necessitating NICU admission until 8 months of age. She achieved head control at 9 months of age and was able to sit at 2 years of age; however, she could not walk. Tube feeding was required until 3 years of age. At present, she can eat orally, move around with a wheelchair, and write words by herself. She needs non-invasive positive pressure ventilation during sleep because of a restrictive respiratory disorder during adolescence. Exome analysis identified a de novo heterozygous missense variant (c.2320G>A; p.Glu774Lys) in BICD2.

CONCLUSION

Patients with SMA-LED2 may have a relatively better prognosis in terms of social activities in comparison with the dysfunction in the neonatal period. Moreover, it is important to periodically evaluate respiratory function in patients with SMA-LED2 because respiratory dysfunction may occur during adolescence.

Electrochemical formal homocoupling of sec-alcohols

Electrochemical pinacol coupling of carbonyl compounds in an undivided cell with a sacrificial anode would be a promising approach toward synthetically valuable vic-1,2-diol scaffolds without using low-valent metal reductants. However, sacrificial anodes produce an equimolar amount of metal waste, which may be a major issue in terms of sustainable chemistry. Herein, we report a sacrificial anode-free electrochemical protocol for the synthesis of pinacol-type vic-1,2-diols from sec-alcohols, namely benzyl alcohol derivatives and ethyl lactate. The corresponding vic-1,2-diols are obtained in moderate to good yields, and good to high levels of stereoselectivity are observed for sec-benzyl alcohol derivatives. The present transformations smoothly proceed in a simple undivided cell under constant current conditions without the use of external chemical oxidants/reductants, and transition-metal catalysts.

Organocatalytic Synthesis of Phenols from Diaryliodonium Salts with Water under Metal-Free Conditions

The metal-free synthesis of phenols from diaryliodonium salts with water was developed by using N-benzylpyridin-2-one as an organocatalyst. In this process, sterically congested, functionalized, and heterocycle-containing iodonium salts were smoothly converted to the desired products, and the clofibrate and mecloqualone derivatives were also synthesized in high yields. In addition, the gram-scale experiment was successfully carried out with 10 mmol of a sterically congested substrate.

OP0110 CELL-TYPE-SPECIFIC TRANSCRIPTOME ARCHITECTURE UNDERLYING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EXACERBATION OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with unknown etiology involving multiple immune cells and has diverse clinical phenotypes. This heterogeneous nature has hampered a better understanding of SLE pathogenesis and the development of effective therapeutic agents. While recent single-cell RNA sequencing studies of SLE identified several important cell subpopulations, they were limited by sparse expression information at single-cell level and small sample sizes.

Objectives

This study aimed to elucidate the dysregulated gene expression pattern linked to multiple clinical statuses of SLE with a fine cellular resolution and higher sensitivity. We also attempted to resolve a complex interaction between risk variants and the transcriptome dysregulation seen in SLE patients.

Methods

We conducted a large-scale bulk transcriptome study of 6,386 RNA-sequencing data including 27 purified immune cell types in peripheral blood from 136 SLE and 89 healthy donors in the Immune Cell Gene Expression Atlas from the University of Tokyo (ImmuNexUT) cohort1. At enrollment, SLE patients had diverse clinical manifestations (disease activity, organ involvement and treatment profiles) and 22 patients were re-evaluated after belimumab treatment.

Results

We first profiled two distinct cell-type-specific transcriptomic signatures: disease-state and disease-activity signatures, reflecting disease establishment and exacerbation, respectively.

After confirming the high replicability of both signatures in independent cohorts, we identified candidates of biological processes unique to each signature: e.g., upregulated E2F transcriptional activity in Th1, CD8+ memory T-lineage and NK cells, and dynamic increase of IL21 and CXCL13 in Th1 cells in an active phase of SLE. Pathway analysis highlighted the importance of immunometabolic process for SLE (e.g., oxidative phosphorylation) in cell-type-specific resolution.

Moreover, we demonstrated cell-type-specific contributions to diverse organ involvement, e.g., Th1 for mucocutaneous, monocyte-lineage cells for musculoskeletal, neutrophil-lineage cells for renal activity, respectively.

We also observed the strong associations of disease-activity signatures with treatment effect: (i) belimumab suppressed activity signatures from B-lineage cells, especially in good responders and (ii) mycophenolate mofetil substantially suppressed activity signatures from plasmablast, Th1, and central memory CD8 cells.

However, through stratified LD score regression using large-scale SLE-GWASs, we revealed that disease-activity signatures were less enriched around SLE risk variants than disease-state signatures. Consistent with this result, the directions of SLE risk alleles’ expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) effects were significantly concordant with the directions of disease-state signatures, but not with those of activity signatures. These findings suggested that the current genetic case-control studies may not well capture clinically vital biology linked to drug target discovery for SLE. Meanwhile, we also detected some examples of activity signatures that might contribute to the disease risk by modulating risk allele’s eQTL effects.

Figure 1.

Conclusion

We identified comprehensive gene signatures reflecting the establishment and exacerbation of SLE, which provide essential foundations for future genomic, genetic, and clinical studies.

References

[1]Ota, M. et al. Dynamic landscape of immune cell-specific gene regulation in immune-mediated diseases. Cell 2021;184:3006-21.e17.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports; and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) (JP21tm0424221 and JP21zf0127004).

Disclosure of Interests

Masahiro Nakano: None declared, Mineto Ota Grant/research support from: Mineto Ota belongs to the Social Cooperation Program, Department of functional genomics and immunological diseases, supported by Chugai Pharmaceutical., Yusuke Takeshima Grant/research support from: Yusuke Takeshima belonged to the Social Cooperation Program, Department of functional genomics and immunological diseases, supported by Chugai Pharmaceutical., Yukiko Iwasaki: None declared, Hiroaki Hatano: None declared, Yasuo Nagafuchi Grant/research support from: Yasuo Nagafuchi belongs to the Social Cooperation Program, Department of functional genomics and immunological diseases, supported by Chugai Pharmaceutical., Kwangwoo Kim: None declared, So-Young Bang: None declared, Hye Soon Lee: None declared, Hirofumi Shoda: None declared, Xuejun Zhang: None declared, Sang-Cheol Bae: None declared, Chikashi Terao: None declared, Kazuhiko Yamamoto: None declared, Tomohisa Okamura Grant/research support from: Tomohisa Okamura belongs to the Social Cooperation Program, Department of functional genomics and immunological diseases, supported by Chugai Pharmaceutical., Kazuyoshi Ishigaki: None declared, Keishi Fujio Speakers bureau: Keishi Fujio receives speaker fees from Chugai Pharmaceutical., Consultant of: Keishi Fujio receives consulting honoraria from Chugai Pharmaceutical., Grant/research support from: Keishi Fujio receives research support from Chugai Pharmaceutical.

Comparison of the Antiemetic Effect of Aprepitant/granisetron and Palonosetron Combined with Dexamethasone in Gynecological Cancer Patients Treated with Paclitaxel and Carboplatin Combination Regimen

A triple antiemetic therapy combining aprepitant (APR) with conventional double antiemetic therapy, including 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonist (5-HT₃-RA) and dexamethasone (DEX), is recommended for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting induced by a carboplatin (CBDCA) regimen. However, consensus on the additive effects of APR for gynecological patients on a combined regimen of paclitaxel and CBDCA (TC regimen) has yet to be reached. This retrospective study investigated the antiemetic effects of palonosetron and DEX (PD therapy) and granisetron and DEX with APR (GDA therapy) in patients with gynecologic cancer and who underwent their first TC regimen cycle between April 2017 and March 2020 at the Gunma University Hospital Outpatient Chemotherapy Center. The results showed that the complete response rate of the 92 patients who underwent PD therapy (PD group) and the 46 patients who underwent GDA therapy (GDA group) were both 80.4% (p = 1.000), and the complete control rates of the PD and GDA groups were 78.3% and 80.4%, respectively (p = 0.828), resulting in no significant difference. Furthermore, we observed no significant difference between the PD and GDA groups in the incidence of grade ≥2 nausea, vomiting, and anorexia (nausea: 7.6% vs. 0%, p = 0.095; vomiting: 4.3% vs. 0%, p = 0.301; and anorexia: 9.8% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.164). Concerning adverse events, compared to the PD group, the GDA group showed significantly higher incidence of grade ≥2 malaise (7.6% vs. 19.6%, p = 0.039). Given the lack of difference in the antiemetic effects of PD and GDA therapies, antiemetic therapy should be selected carefully for individual patients by accounting for the incidence of adverse reactions and interactions with APR.

Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Oxidative Desymmetrization of 2-Substituted 1,2,3-Triols

Asymmetric oxidative desymmetrization of 2-substituted glycerols has been achieved by using a new chiral bisoxazoline ligand/copper catalyst system with 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin and MeOH. The present transformation smoothly proceeds with readily accessible 2-(hetero)aryl- and alkyl-substituted glycerols and provides straightforward access toward various glycerate derivatives in good to high yields with high enantioselectivities. The synthetic utility of the present protocol was demonstrated by the transformation of the optically active glycerol into a glyceraldehyde derivative.

High-precision measurement of the W boson mass with the CDF II detector

The mass of the W boson, a mediator of the weak force between elementary particles, is tightly constrained by the symmetries of the standard model of particle physics. The Higgs boson was the last missing component of the model. After observation of the Higgs boson, a measurement of the W boson mass provides a stringent test of the model. We measure the W boson mass, M_W, using data corresponding to 8.8 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected in proton-antiproton collisions at a 1.96 tera-electron volt center-of-mass energy with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. A sample of approximately 4 million W boson candidates is used to obtain [Formula: see text], the precision of which exceeds that of all previous measurements combined (stat, statistical uncertainty; syst, systematic uncertainty; MeV, mega-electron volts; c, speed of light in a vacuum). This measurement is in significant tension with the standard model expectation.

Path Integral Policy Improvement With Population Adaptation

Path integral policy improvement (PI²) is known to be an efficient reinforcement learning algorithm, particularly, if the target system is a high-dimensional dynamical system. However, PI², and its existing extensions, have adjustable parameters, on which the efficiency depends significantly. This article proposes an extension of PI² that adjusts all of the critical parameters automatically. Motion acquisition tasks for three different types of simulated legged robots were performed to test the efficacy of the proposed algorithm. The results show that the proposed method cannot only eliminate the burden on the user to set the parameters appropriately but also improve the optimization performance significantly. For one of the acquired motions, a real robot experiment was conducted to show the validity of the motion.

Bacterial Community of Water Yam (<i>Dioscorea alata</i> L.) cv. A-19

The bacterial community of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) cv. A-19 is vital because it may promote plant growth without the need for fertilization. However, the influence of fertilization practices on the composition and proportion of the bacterial community of water yam cv. A-19 has not yet been extensively examined. Therefore, we herein investigated the diversity and composition of the bacterial community of water yam cv. A-19 cultivated with and without chemical fertilization using amplicon community profiling based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. No significant difference was detected in the growth of plants cultivated with or without chemical fertilization. Alpha diversity indices were significantly dependent on each compartment, and a decrease was observed in indices from the belowground (rhizosphere and root) to aboveground compartments (stem and leaf). The bacterial composition of each compartment was clustered into three groups: bulk soil, rhizosphere and root, and stem and leaf. Chemical fertilization did not significantly influence the diversity or composition of the water yam cv. A-19 bacterial community. It remained robust in plants cultivated with chemical fertilization. The amplicon community profiling of bacterial communities also revealed the dominance of two bacterial clades, the Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium clade and Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia clade, with and without chemical fertilization. This is the first study to characterize the bacterial community of water yam cv. A-19 cultivated with and without chemical fertilization.

Nickel-Catalyzed Hydrodeoxygenation of Aryl Sulfamates with Alcohols as Mild Reducing Agents

The nickel-catalyzed hydrodeoxygenation of aryl sulfamates has been developed with alcohols as mild reductants. A variety of functional groups and heterocycles were tolerated in this reaction system to give the desired products in high yields. In addition, the gram-scale process and stepwise cine-substitution were also achieved with high efficiency.

Identification and molecular characterization of propionylcholinesterase, a novel pseudocholinesterase in rice

Cholinesterase is consisting of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and pseudocholinesterase in vertebrates and invertebrates. AChE gene has been identified in several plant species, while pseudocholinesterase gene has not yet been found in any plant species. In this study, we report that the AChE gene paralog encodes propionylcholinesterase (PChE), a pseudocholinesterase in rice. PChE was found to be located adjacent to AChE (Os07g0586200) on rice chromosome 7 and designated as Os07g0586100. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed a close relationship between rice AChE and PChE. PChE-overexpressing rice had higher hydrolytic activity toward propionylthiocholine than acetylthiocholine and showed extremely low activity against butyrylthiocholine. Therefore, the PChE gene product was characterized as a propionylcholinesterase, a pseudocholinesterase. The rice PChE displayed lower sensitivity to the cholinesterase inhibitor, neostigmine bromide, than electric eel, maize, and rice AChEs. The recombinant PChE functions as a 171 kDa homotetramer. PChE was expressed during the later developmental stage, and it was found be localized in the extracellular spaces of the rice leaf tissue. These results suggest that the rice plant possesses PChE, which functions in the extracellular spaces at a later developmental stage. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first direct evidence and molecular characterization of PChE in plants.