PP4 inhibition sensitizes ovarian cancer to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity via STAT1 activation and inflammatory signaling.

Background: Increased infiltration of T cells into ovarian tumors has been repeatedly shown to be predictive of enhanced patient survival. However, despite the evidence of an active immune response in ovarian cancer (OC), the frequency of responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy in OC is much lower than other cancer types. Recent studies have highlighted that deficiencies in the DNA damage response (DDR) can drive increased genomic instability and tumor immunogenicity, which leads to enhanced responses to ICB.

Neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation in the postnatal frontal cortex in Down syndrome.

Although Down syndrome (DS), the most common developmental genetic cause of intellectual disability, displays proliferation and migration deficits in the prenatal frontal cortex (FC), a knowledge gap exists on the effects of trisomy 21 upon postnatal cortical development. Here, we examined cortical neurogenesis and differentiation in the FC supragranular (SG, II/III) and infragranular (IG, V/VI) layers applying antibodies to doublecortin (DCX), non-phosphorylated heavy-molecular neurofilament protein (NHF, SMI-32), calbindin D-28K (Calb), calretinin (Calr), and parvalbumin (Parv), as well as β-amyloid (APP/Aβ and Aβ) and phospho-tau (CP13 and PHF-1) in autopsy tissue from age-matched DS and neurotypical (NTD) subjects ranging from 28-weeks (wk)-gestation to 3 years of age. Thionin, which stains Nissl substance, revealed disorganized cortical cellular lamination including a delayed appearance of pyramidal cells until 44 wk of age in DS compared to 28 wk in NTD.

Postnatal Cytoarchitecture and Neurochemical Hippocampal Dysfunction in Down Syndrome.

Although the prenatal hippocampus displays deficits in cellular proliferation/migration and volume, which are later associated with memory deficits, little is known about the effects of trisomy 21 on postnatal hippocampal cellular development in Down syndrome (DS). We examined postnatal hippocampal neuronal profiles from autopsies of DS and neurotypical (NTD) neonates born at 38-weeks'-gestation up to children 3 years of age using antibodies against non-phosphorylated (SMI-32) and phosphorylated (SMI-34) neurofilament, calbindin D- (Calb), calretinin (Calr), parvalbumin (Parv), doublecortin (DCX) and Ki-67, as well as amyloid precursor protein (APP), amyloid beta (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau). Although the distribution of SMI-32-immunoreactive (-ir) hippocampal neurons was similar at all ages in both groups, pyramidal cell apical and basal dendrites were intensely stained in NTD cases.

Identification of novel norovirus polymerase genotypes from pediatric fecal samples collected between the year 1997 and 2000 in Japan.

We analyzed 46 pediatric fecal samples collected between the years 1997 and 2000 to retrospectively evaluate the norovirus strains circulating during that era and to identify possible re-emergence patterns. From the tested fecal samples, we detected GII.1, GII.

Virus Particle Detection by Convolutional Neural Network in Transmission Electron Microscopy Images.

A new computational method for the detection of virus particles in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images is presented. Our approach is to use a convolutional neural network that transforms a TEM image to a probabilistic map that indicates where virus particles exist in the image. Our proposed approach automatically and simultaneously learns both discriminative features and classifier for virus particle detection by machine learning, in contrast to existing methods that are based on handcrafted features that yield many false positives and require several postprocessing steps.

Pepper mild mottle virus as a process indicator at drinking water treatment plants employing coagulation-sedimentation, rapid sand filtration, ozonation, and biological activated carbon treatments in Japan.

To assess the potential of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) as a viral process indicator, its reduction through coagulation-sedimentation (CS) and rapid sand filtration (RSF) were compared with those of Escherichia coli, previously used viral indicators, and norovirus genotype II (NoV GII; enteric virus reference pathogen) in a bench-scale experiment. PMMoV log reductions in CS (1.96 ± 0.

Chlorine inactivation of human norovirus, murine norovirus and poliovirus in drinking water.

Aims: To evaluate the reduction of human norovirus (HuNoV) by chlorine disinfection under typical drinking water treatment conditions.

Methods And Results: HuNoV, murine norovirus (MNV) and poliovirus type 1 (PV1) were inoculated into treated water before chlorination, collected from a drinking water treatment plant, and bench-scale free chlorine disinfection experiments were performed for two initial free chlorine concentrations, 0.1 and 0.

Recovery of human norovirus from water by virus concentration methods.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of virus concentration methods to detect human norovirus (HuNoV) in water. One conventional virus concentration method using an electropositive filter (1MDS-method) and two methods developed by our research group using an electronegative filter (Mg-method and Al-method) were subjected to recovery tests of the HuNoV strain GII.4, which was obtained from a diarrhea patient, and poliovirus (PV) type 1 inoculated into 5 kinds of water samples.

Development of sample storage methods for detecting enteric viruses in environmental water.

In a field survey of enteric viruses, water samples collected sometimes need to be stored for a long duration before analysis is performed. The aim of this study was to develop an appropriate sample storage method for detecting viruses in environmental water. Three types of sample storage methods were evaluated using MilliQ water, pond water, and treated sewage inoculated with poliovirus and norovirus: (i) storage followed by the full concentration procedure, (ii) filtration and storage followed by the remaining concentration procedure, and (iii) the full concentration procedure before storage.

Short-step chemical synthesis of DNA by use of MMTrS group for protection of 5'-hydroxyl group.

4-methoxytrithylthio (MMTrS) group was applied for the appropriately protected four canonical nucleosides. We prepared the phosphoroamidite units by use of these nucleosides and developed the synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides without any acidic treatment. Moreover, the new DNA synthesis protocol was applied to an automated DNA synthesizer for the synthesis of longer oligodeoxynucleotides.

Synthesis of branched oligonucleotides with three different sequences using an oxidatively removable tritylthio group.

We synthesized a three-way branched oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) 30-mer using a new branch unit with acid-labile DMTr and oxidatively cleavable TrS groups as orthogonal protecting groups. The branched ODN was successfully synthesized using 5-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1H-tetrazole and (2R,8aS)-(+)-(camphorylsulfonyl)oxaziridine as the activator of phosphoramidite units and the oxidizing reagent, respectively. We also found that the TrS group was orthogonal to the Lev, TBDMS, and Fmoc groups.

cis-Tetrahydrofuran-3,4-diol structure as a key skeleton of new protecting groups removable by self-cyclization under oxidative conditions.

A variety of carbonate-type acyl groups having a cis-tetrahydrofuran-3,4-diol (1,4-anhydroerythritol) backbone structure and a TrS or MMTrS group have been examined as new "protected" protecting groups of the 5'-hydroxyl group of nucleosides. These acyl groups were designed in a manner where they could be deprotected by I(2)-promoted removal of the TrS or MMTrS group followed by self-cyclization involving an intramolecular attack of the once-generated neighboring hydroxyl group on the acyl carbon. It turned out that these acyl groups could be introduced into the 5'-hydroxyl group of a 3'-O-protected thymidine derivative by use of the corresponding acyl imidazolides or 4-nitrophenyl esters as well as by reaction with carbonyldiimidazole or 4-nitrophenyl chloroformate.

A new protecting group for the 5'-hydroxyl group having O-S single bond oxidatively cleavable under mild conditions.

We developed a new protecting group, ie., cis-[4-[[(4-methoxytrityl)sulfenyl]oxy]tetrahydrofuran-3-yl]oxycarbonyl (MTFOC), which could be removed under neutral conditions involving the oxidative removal of the MMTrS group followed by the self-cyclization of the resulting intermediate. The introduction of the protecting group into the 5-hydroxyl group of a thymidine derivative and its deprotection were studied.

A new protecting group for 5'-hydroxyl function of nucleotides in oligonucleotide synthesis without acid treatment utilizing unique properties of tritylthio group.

New protecting groups having a 2-aminomethylbezoyl skeleton, in which the reactive amino functions were blocked further by a tritylthio-type protecting group, were developed for the protection of the 5'-hydroxyl function of nucleosides during the oligonucleotide synthesis. These benzoate-type protecting groups were designed to be removed via an intramolecular cyclization following the removal of the tritylthio-type protecting group under mild oxidative conditions using diluted aqueous iodine solution. The new protecting groups would enable us to synthesize oligonucleotides without using any acid treatment.

Application of an automated specimen search system installed in a transmission electron microscope for the detection of caliciviruses in clinical specimens.

To evaluate the performance of an automated specimen search system in the detection of caliciviruses such as Norwalk-like viruses and Sapporo-like viruses, a suitable negative staining method was developed and the viruses were examined using the system installed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Clear images of the viruses were obtained by staining with 2% uranyl acetate at pH 4.0 as compared with 2% phosphotungstic acid staining at any pH.

Characterization of Norwalk virus GI specific monoclonal antibodies generated against Escherichia coli expressed capsid protein and the reactivity of two broadly reactive monoclonal antibodies generated against GII capsid towards GI recombinant fragments.

Background: Norwalk virus causes outbreaks of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. The virus capsid is composed of a single 60 kDa protein. In a previous study, the capsid protein of recombinant Norwalk virus genogroup II was expressed in an E.

Nucleotide sequence analysis and development of consensus primers of RT-PCR for detection of Norwalk-like viruses prevailing in Japan.

A total of 177 different nucleotide sequences of the RNA polymerase region of Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) genomes, collected via a nation-wide survey project in Japan between 1989 and 1998, were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) employing various primer pairs. The nucleotide sequences of different strains showed great diversity, with a range of 57 to 100% identities among strains. The strains could be classified into five clusters: Norwalk (NV), Snow Mountain agent/Bristol virus (SMA/BV), Toronto virus/Mexico virus (TV/MX), and Japan specific cluster 1 and 2 (JP-1 and JP-2).

[Detection of astrovirus RNA from sewage works, seawater and native oysters samples in Chiba City, Japan using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction].

Through a year from April, 1999 to March, 2000, 20 samples, which consisted of raw sewage (2), chlorine-treated sewage (2), seawater (10) and naturally grown oysters (6), were collected monthly both from the sewage works at Mihama-ku, Chiba City and at a yacht harbor in Chiba City Bay, Japan. Astrovirus RNA were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and was typed by direct sequencing. Astrovirus positive products were detected from 9 samples (raw sewage; 1/2, chlorine-treated sewage; 2/2, seawater; 5/10 and oysters; 1/6) collected in April, 1999.

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies generated against Norwalk virus GII capsid protein expressed in Escherichia coli.

The Norwalk virus (NV) causes outbreaks of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. The virus capsid is composed of a single 60 kDa protein. The capsid protein of NV36 (genogroup II, Mexico virus type) was expressed in an Escherichia coli system and ten monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were generated against it.