Action Mechanisms of Exosomes Derived from GD3/GD2-Positive Glioma Cells in the Regulation of Phenotypes and Intracellular Signaling: Roles of Integrins.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in intercellular communication in various biological events. In particular, EVs released from cancer cells have attracted special attention. Although it has been reported that cancer-associated glycosphingolipids play important roles in the enhancement of malignant properties of cancer cells, the presence, behavior, and roles of glycosphingolipids in EVs have not been elucidated.

Crucial roles of exosomes secreted from ganglioside GD3/GD2-positive glioma cells in enhancement of the malignant phenotypes and signals of GD3/GD2-negative glioma cells.

Neuroectoderm-derived tumors characteristically express gangliosides such as GD3 and GD2. Many studies have reported that gangliosides GD3/GD2 enhance malignant phenotypes of cancers. Recently, we reported that human gliomas expressing GD3/GD2 exhibited enhanced malignant phenotypes.

[Multicenter Survey on Phantom Entrance Surface Air Kerma of Angiography and IVR in Japan].

Purpose: In DRLs 2020, the entrance surface air kerma (Ka,e) was set to 17 mGy/min as the reference dose rate in fluoroscopy. But, Ka,e in fluoroscopy for different regions and Ka,e in exposure was not set. A multicenter survey was conducted to evaluate Ka,e by each area.

Disordered testosterone transport in mice lacking the ganglioside GM2/GD2 synthase gene.

Genetic disruption of glycosyltransferases has provided clear information on the roles of their reaction products in the body. Our group has studied the function of glycosphingolipids by genetic engineering of glycosyltransferases in cell culture and in mice, which has demonstrated both expected and unexpected results. Among these findings, aspermatogenesis in ganglioside GM2/GD2 synthase knockout mice was one of the most surprising and intriguing results.

Search for Dark Photon Dark Matter in the Mass Range 74-110 μeV with a Cryogenic Millimeter-Wave Receiver.

We search for the dark photon dark matter (DPDM) using a cryogenic millimeter-wave receiver. DPDM has a kinetic coupling with electromagnetic fields with a coupling constant of χ and is converted into ordinary photons at the surface of a metal plate. We search for signal of this conversion in the frequency range 18-26.

Ganglioside GM3 prevents high fat diet-induced hepatosteatosis via attenuated insulin signaling pathway.

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, are widely involved in regulations of signal transductions to control cellular functions. It has been suggested that GM3, the simplest structure among gangliosides, is involved in insulin resistance, whereas it remains unclear whether insulin signaling diminished by GM3 actually aggravates the pathological conditions in metabolic disorders. Moreover, the functional roles of gangliosides in the regulation of insulin signaling have not yet been fully elucidated in liver or hepatocytes despite that it is one of the major insulin-sensitive organs.

Signaling domains of cancer-associated glycolipids.

Immunotherapy of malignant cancers is now becoming one of representative approaches to overcome cancers. To construct strategies for immunotherapy, presence of tumor-specific antigens should be a major promise. A number of cancer specific- or cancer-associated antigens have been reported based on various experimental sets and various animal systems.

Effect of Whey-Derived Lactopeptide β-Lactolin on Memory in Healthy Adults: An Integrated Analysis of Data from Randomized Controlled Trials.

Context: Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of dairy products reduces the risk of dementia and cognitive decline in older individuals. Tryptophan-tyrosine-related β-lactopeptides and their representative β-lactolin of glycine-threonine-tryptophan-tyrosine tetra-peptide have been identified as agents in dairy products, which improve cognitive function as well as memory function via the activation of the dopaminergic system in a mouse model of amnesia. Previous clinical trials have shown that supplementation with β-lactolin improves memory retrieval in healthy older adults.

Ganglioside GD2 Enhances the Malignant Phenotypes of Melanoma Cells by Cooperating with Integrins.

Gangliosides have been considered to modulate cell signals in the microdomain of the cell membrane, lipid/rafts, or glycolipid-enriched microdomain/rafts (GEM/rafts). In particular, cancer-associated gangliosides were reported to enhance the malignant properties of cancer cells. In fact, GD2-positive (GD2+) cells showed increased proliferation, invasion, and adhesion, compared with GD2-negative (GD2-) cells.

Material survey for a millimeter-wave absorber using a 3D-printed mold.

Radio absorptive materials (RAMs) are key elements for receivers in the millimeter-wave range. We previously established a method for production of RAM by using a 3D-printed mold. An advantage of this method is a wide range of choices for absorptive materials to be used.

[Multicenter Evaluation of Cine Angiography and Digital Subtraction Angiography Dose Rate for Various Angiography Programs: Comparison with Fluoroscopic Dose Rate].

We conducted a nationwide multicenter survey of various interventional radiology (IVR) procedures. Data were collected from 385 X-ray systems in 126 institutions, including 432 cine programs and 380 digital subtraction angiography (DSA) programs for diagnostic catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), ablation, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), neurologic IVR, thorax IVR, abdominal IVR, and endovascular therapy (EVT). Fluoroscopic and cine dose rates were 10.

[Multicenter Follow-up Survey on Radiation Dose Levels in Cardiovascular X-ray Apparatus under Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Conditions].

It is important to optimize the exposure dose when conducting interventional radiology, but optimization is difficult for medical centers to achieve independently. In 2005, we administered a questionnaire on the measurement of dose rates and awareness of exposure reduction when performing percutaneous coronary intervention. Ten years later, we conducted a follow-up survey of the same 31 centers to determine the current situation and identify trends.

[Multicenter Survey on Radiation Dose of Cardiac Intervention].

We conducted a nationwide survey of multiple institutions and collected data of various interventional procedures in the field of cardiology. Included in the analysis were 126 institutions, 381 X-ray systems, and 805 protocols. The dose values were compared with the Japanese diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) 2015.

Internal Delensing of Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization B-Modes with the POLARBEAR Experiment.

Using only cosmic microwave background polarization data from the polarbear experiment, we measure B-mode polarization delensing on subdegree scales at more than 5σ significance. We achieve a 14% B-mode power variance reduction, the highest to date for internal delensing, and improve this result to 22% by applying for the first time an iterative maximum a posteriori delensing method. Our analysis demonstrates the capability of internal delensing as a means of improving constraints on inflationary models, paving the way for the optimal analysis of next-generation primordial B-mode experiments.

Aminoglycosides are efficient reagents to induce readthrough of premature termination codon in mutant B4GALNT1 genes found in families of hereditary spastic paraplegia.

The readthrough of premature termination codon (PTC) by ribosome sometimes produces full-length proteins. We previously reported a readthrough of PTC of glycosyltransferase gene B4GALNT1 with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). Here we featured the readthrough of B4GALNT1 of two mutants, M4 and M2 with PTC by immunoblotting and flow cytometry after transfection of B4GALNT1 cDNAs into cells.

Novel Molecular Mechanisms of Gangliosides in the Nervous System Elucidated by Genetic Engineering.

Acidic glycosphingolipids, i.e., gangliosides, are predominantly and consistently expressed in nervous tissues of vertebrates at high levels.

Production method of millimeter-wave absorber with 3D-printed mold.

We established a production method of a millimeter-wave absorber by using a 3D-printed mold. The mold has a periodic pyramid shape, and an absorptive material is filled into the mold. This shape reduces the surface reflection.

The POLARBEAR Fourier transform spectrometer calibrator and spectroscopic characterization of the POLARBEAR instrument.

We describe the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) used for in-field testing of the POLARBEAR receiver, an experiment located in the Atacama Desert of Chile which measures the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization. The POLARBEAR-FTS (PB-FTS) is a Martin-Puplett interferometer designed to couple to the Huan Tran Telescope (HTT) on which the POLARBEAR receiver is installed. The PB-FTS measured the spectral response of the POLARBEAR receiver with signal-to-noise ratio >20 for ∼69% of the focal plane detectors due to three features: a high throughput of 15.

TNFα-signal and cAMP-mediated signals oppositely regulate melanoma- associated ganglioside GD3 synthase gene in human melanocytes.

Analyses of expression and regulation of ganglioside synthases in melanocytes are important to understand roles of gangliosides in melanomagenesis. In this study, we analyzed the expression and regulatory mechanisms of glycosyltransferase genes responsible for ganglioside synthesis in normal melanocytes. We reported previously that culture supernatants of UVB-irradiated keratinocytes induced upregulation of ganglioside GD3 synthase gene in melanocytes, and mainly TNFα was responsible for it.

[Multicenter Survey of the Display Air Kerma and Actual Measured Values in IVR X-ray Apparatus].

Purpose: We conducted a multicenter study to investigate the current status of difference between the actual values at the patient entrance reference point (PERP) and display air kerma.

Methods: We exposure dose and fluoroscopy dose were measured by 32 apparatuses at 32 member institutions of the Japanese Society of Circulation Imaging Technology (CITEC) under unified conditions, and the actual measured values and display air kerma were compared. We entrance doses during fluoroscopy and imaging were measured at the PERP, with focus detector distance (FDD) 110 cm, a copper plate of 3.

New era of research on cancer-associated glycosphingolipids.

Cancer-associated glycosphingolipids have been used as markers for diagnosis and targets for immunotherapy of malignant tumors. Recent progress in the analysis of their implications in the malignant properties of cancer cells revealed that cancer-associated glycosphingolipids are not only tumor markers, but also functional molecules regulating various signals introduced by membrane microdomains, lipid rafts. In particular, a novel approach, enzyme-mediated activation of radical sources combined with mass spectrometry, has enabled us to clarify the mechanisms by which cancer-associated glycosphingolipids regulate cell signals based on the interaction with membrane molecules and formation of molecular complexes on the cell surface.

Elucidation of the enigma of glycosphingolipids in the regulation of inflammation and degeneration - Great progress over the last 70 years.

Since globotetraosylceramide was defined as a major glycosphingolipid in human erythrocytes, various glycolipids have been found in normal cells and diseased organs. However, the implications of their polymorphic structures in the function of individual cells and tissues have not been clarified. Genetic manipulation of glycosphingolipids in cultured cells and experimental animals has enabled us to substantially elucidate their roles.

Differential roles of gangliosides in malignant properties of melanomas.

Ganglioside GD3 is widely expressed in human malignant melanomas, and has been reported to be involved in the increased cell proliferation and invasion. In this study, we established GM3-, GM2-, GM1-, GD3-, or GD2-expressing melanoma cell lines by transfecting cDNAs of glyscosyltransferases, and effects of individual gangliosides on the cell phenotypes and signals were examined. The phenotypes of established ganglioside-expressing cells were quite different, i.