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Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass is expected to contribute to the realization of a carbon–neutral, sustainable society. In our previous work, a charcoal-supported Pt catalyst was found to be more active than other charcoal-supported metal catalysts (Rh, Pd, and Ru) for the conversion of Japanese cedar to aromatic monomers in supercritical water (yield = 17.4%). Here, we examined the effects of different support materials (i.e., active carbon, alumina, zirconia, and titania) to improve the aromatic monomer yield obtained using Pt catalysts. All of the Pt-based catalysts promoted aromatic monomer production from lignocellulosic biomass. Among them, the titania-supported Pt catalyst (Pt/TiO2) was found to afford the greatest yield (36.2%). Reusability testing revealed that the aromatic monomer yield obtained with Pt/TiO2 was greater than 25% at the fourth recycle.

The core 1 structure is the major constituent of mucin-type O-glycans, which are added via glycosylation—a posttranslational modification present on membrane-bound and secretory proteins. Core 1 β1,3-galactosyltransferase (C1galt1), an enzyme that synthesizes the core 1 structure, requires Cosmc, a C1galt1-specific molecular chaperone, for its enzymatic activity. Since Cosmc-knockout mice exhibit embryonic lethality, the biological role of core 1-derived O-glycans in the adult stage is not fully understood. We generated ubiquitous and inducible CAGCre-ERTM/Cosmc-knockout (iCAG-Cos) mice to investigate the physiological function of core 1-derived O-glycans. The iCAG-Cos mice exhibited a global loss of core 1-derived O-glycans, high mortality, and showed a drastic reduction in weights of the thymus, adipose tissue, and pancreas 10 days after Cosmc deletion. They also exhibited leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, severe acute pancreatitis, and atrophy of white and brown adipose tissue, as well as spontaneous gastric ulcers and severe renal dysfunction, which were considered the causes underlying the high mortality of the iCAG-Cos mice. Serological analysis indicated the iCAG-Cos mice have lower blood glucose and total blood protein levels and higher triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol levels than the controls. These data demonstrate the importance of core 1-derived O-glycans for homeostatic maintenance in adult mice.

The core 1 structure is the major constituent of mucin-type

How T follicular (Tfh) cells contribute to many different B-cell class-switching events during T-cell-dependent immune responses has been unclear. Diseases with polarized isotype switching offer a unique opportunity for the exploration of Tfh subsets. Secondary and tertiary lymphoid organs in patients with elevated tissue expression levels of IgE (Kimura disease, KD) and those of IgGWe sought to identify disease-specific Tfh cell subsets in secondary and tertiary lymphoid organs expressing IL-10 or IL-13 and thus identify different cellular drivers of class switching in 2 distinct types of fibrotic disorders: allergic fibrosis (driven by type 2 immune cells) and inflammatory fibrosis (driven by cytotoxic T lymphocytes).Single-cell RNA sequencing, in situ sequencing, and multicolor immunofluorescence analysis were used to investigate B cells, Tfh cells, and infiltrating type 2 cells in lesion tissues from patients with KD or IgGInfiltrating Tfh cells in tertiary lymphoid organs from IgGOur analysis revealed a novel subset of IL-10

The Cover Feature shows the conversion of furfuryl alcohol, which can be obtained from biomass, to 1,2‐pentanediol. 1,2‐Pentanediol is used as an antimicrobial agent and as a moisturizing ingredient in cosmetics. We found that hydrogenolysis of furfuryl alcohol over Ru/MgO at 463 K in water afforded 1,2‐pentanediol with 42% selectivity. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Aritomo Yamaguchi et al.[Image: see text]

An esterase, 3,4-dihydrocoumarin hydrolase, was directly immobilized into silica microcapsules. The hydrolysis reaction of 3,4-dihydrocoumarin by a macroporous silica microcapsule immobilizing the ...

Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone-forming tumor and characterized by its limited growth potential, not exceeding 2 cm. The radiological hallmark of this tumor is a nidus, which is a small round area of relative radiolucency. Osteoid osteoma can involve any bone but is most commonly found in long bones and is extremely rare in the head and neck region. This disease characteristically presents with dull pain, worse at night, and sometimes relieved with NSAIDs. A 24-year-old Japanese woman presented with spontaneous pain and tenderness on the lingual side of her mandibular second molar on the right side. The patient reported that her pain had gradually increased, becoming more continuous and severe and no longer responding to NSAIDs. An initial panoramic radiograph revealed an oval, internally non-uniform, somewhat obscure boundaries in the right mandible. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a sclerotic lesion with a delineated central calcified nidus surrounded by a radiolucent band. The interior of the nidus was a non-uniform, irregularly shaped area of high absorption. The nidus was removed with intralesional curettage under general anesthesia. The histopathology of the specimen consisted of actively proliferating osteoblasts mixed with an interlacing network of immature bone and osteoid trabeculae. Immunohistochemistry revealed that hardly detected osteoblasts or fibrous stromal cells with intense nuclear immunoreactivity for p16 and/or murine double minute 2 (mdm2). We thus distinguished the tumor from Low-grade central osteosarcoma (LGCO) with immunohistochemical findings. The histopathological diagnosis was thus osteoid osteoma.

The depletion of phosphorus as essential fertilizer is becoming a serious problem. This paper reports the controlled release of phosphate using silica microcapsules to contribute the efficient use ...

Hydrogenolysis of the furan rings of furfural and furfuryl alcohol, which can be obtained from biomass, has attracted attention as a method for obtaining valuable chemicals such as 1,2‐pentanediol. In this study, we examined the hydrogenolysis of furfuryl alcohol to 1,2‐pentanediol over Pd/C, Pt/C, Rh/C, and various supported Ru catalysts in several solvents. In particular, we investigated the effects of combinations of solvents and supports on the reaction outcome. Of all the tested combinations, Ru/MgO in water gave the best selectivity for 1,2‐pentanediol: with this catalyst, 42 % selectivity for 1,2‐pentanediol was achieved upon hydrogenolysis of furfuryl alcohol for 1 h at 463 K. In contrast, reaction in water in the presence of Ru/Al2O3 afforded cyclopentanone and cyclopentanol by means of hydrogenation and rearrangement reactions., The hydrogenolysis of furfuryl alcohol to 1,2‐pentanediol over Pd/C, Pt/C, Rh/C, and various supported Ru catalysts in several solvents has been investigated. In particular, we investigated the effects of combinations of solvents and supports on the reaction outcome. The highest selectivity was obtained when the reaction was carried out with Ru/MgO catalyst in water.

We present here the second complete genome of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacterium, Candidatus (Ca.) Brocadia pituitae, along with those of a nitrite oxidizer and two incomplete denitrifiers from the anammox bacterial community (ABC) metagenome. Although NO2− reduction to NO is considered to be the first step in anammox, Ca. B. pituitae lacks nitrite reductase genes (nirK and nirS) responsible for this reaction. Comparative genomics of Ca. B. pituitae with Ca. Kuenenia stuttgartiensis and six other anammox bacteria with nearly complete genomes revealed that their core genome structure contains 1,152 syntenic orthologues. But nitrite reductase genes were absent from the core, whereas two other Brocadia species possess nirK and these genes were horizontally acquired from multiple lineages. In contrast, at least five paralogous hydroxylamine oxidoreductase genes containing candidate ones (hao2 and hao3) encoding another nitrite reductase were observed in the core. Indeed, these two genes were also significantly expressed in Ca. B. pituitae as in other anammox bacteria. Because many nirS and nirK genes have been detected in the ABC metagenome, Ca. B. pituitae presumably utilises not only NO supplied by the ABC members but also NO and/or NH2OH by self-production for anammox metabolism.

Under the Japanese drug regulatory system, post-marketing studies (PMS) must be in compliance with Good Post-marketing Study Practice (GPSP). The GPSP Ordinance lacks standards for the ethical conduct of PMSs; although only post-marketing clinical trials are subject to Good Clinical Practice. We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey on the ethical conduct of PMSs in collaboration with the Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists and pharmacists belonging to the Society. 1819 hospitals around Japan answered the questionnaire, of which 503 hospitals had conducted company-sponsored PMSs in 2015. 40.2% of the hospitals had obtained informed consent from participating patients in at least one PMS conducted in 2015, the majority of which was in written form. The first and second most frequent reasons for seeking informed consent in PMSs were to meet protocol requirements, followed by the requirement to meet institutional standard operational procedures and the request of the ethical review board of the hospital. Ethical review of PMSs was conducted in 251 hospitals. Despite a lack of standards for informed consent and ethical review in PMSs, a considerable number of study sites employed informed consent and ethical review for PMSs. While company policies and protocols are likely to be major determinants of the ethical conduct of PMSs, the governmental regulatory agency should also play a significant role in implementing a standardized ethical code for the conduct of PMSs.

The aromatic amines tyramine and β-phenylethylamine are abundant in fermented foods. Recently, a family of human trace amine-associated receptors (hTAARs) was discovered that responds to these compounds. This study examined the expression of hTAAR genes in five human organs. Among them, the stomach expressed hTAAR1 and hTAAR9. Interestingly, more hTAAR1 was expressed in the pylorus than in the other stomach regions. The CRE-SEAP reporter assay revealed that only hTAAR1 functioned as a Gs-coupled receptor in response to tyramine and β-phenylethylamine stimulation. The β-phenylethylamine-mediated hTAAR1 activity could be potentiated using 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. These data suggest that tyramine and β-phenylethylamine in fermented foods act at hTAAR1 as agonists in the pylorus of stomach.

A very simple and facile one-pot method for the synthesis of pyrimidine derivatives is presented. In this method, 2-aryl-pyrimidine derivatives were prepared by the reaction of ketene N,S-acetal 1 with commercially available aryl aldehydes by heating under solvent and catalyst-free conditions. The synthesized pyrimidine derivatives showed blue-green fluorescence in solid state.

Supercritical water gasification of ethanol production residue from eucalyptus powder was studied over a graphite-supported 5 wt% ruthenium catalyst (Ru/G) in a batch reaction system. The complete gasification of 0.1 g of the residue proceeded over 0.05 g of Ru/G at 673 K in supercritical water with 0.5 g cm −3 water density. The gasification behavior of the residue from eucalyptus was compared with that from Japanese cedar to evaluate the potential of fuel gas production from bioethanol production residue. The gasification profiles (gaseous yield and selectivity) of the resides were well reproduced by the linear combination of those of woody biomass fractions (lignin and cellulose).

Rationale Kimura disease (KD) is a rare, chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by subcutaneous granuloma in the head and neck region, as well as increased eosinophil counts and high serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. Kimura disease is suspected to be an IgE-mediated disease, associated with an allergic response, in which antigen-specific B cells are stimulated to undergo specific IgE class switching with disease-specific CD4+ T (Th) cells help. Thus, exploration of the Th cells in affected tissues with KD is a highly promising field of the investigation. However, there have been no reports with direct evidence to implicate Th cells in affected lesions with KD. Here we quantitatively demonstrate that CD4+ GATA3+ T cells and interleukin (IL)-4+ IgE+ c-kit+ mast cells prominently infiltrate in affected lesion with KD. Patient concerns A 56-year-old Japanese man who exhibited painless swelling in the left parotid region. Diagnoses Diagnosis of KD was made based on characteristic histopathologic findings, in conjunction with peripheral eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE levels. Interventions The patient underwent corticosteroid therapy and had been followed for 2 years. Outcomes We report a rare case of KD of the parotid region in a 56-year-old man, followed by corticosteroid therapy for 2 years. The mass decreased in size and skin itchiness decreased after therapy. He was discharged without any complications. Furthermore, we quantitatively demonstrate the dominance of CD4+ GATA3+ T cells in affected tissues of KD and detect IL-4+ IgE+ c-kit+ mast cells in lesions by multicolor staining approaches. Lessons The findings from this case suggest that peripheral blood eosinophilia might serve as a marker of recurrent disease, long-term follow-up is necessary due to the possibility of recurrent. Interactions among expanded IgE+ B cells, CD4+ GATA3+ T cells, eosinophils, and activated mast cells might play a critical role in the pathogenesis of KD.

With the goal of contributing to the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, we investigated the conversion of Japanese cedar and bagasse into aromatic monomers over charcoal-supported metal catalysts in supercritical water. Over Ru/C, Japanese cedar was converted into gaseous products such as methane and carbon dioxide. Pd/C, Pt/C, and Rh/C were active for the conversion of Japanese cedar into aromatic monomers, and the monomer yields over these catalysts decreased in the order Pt/C > Rh/C > Pd/C when the conversion reaction was carried out at 673 K for 1 h. Bagasse, an herbaceous biomass, could also be converted into aromatic monomers by reaction over Pt/C, Rh/C, or Pd/C at 673 K for 1 h. Catalyst reusability experiments revealed that the activities of Pt/C and Rh/C for Japanese cedar conversion increased with reuse, up until the third reuse.

Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) was decomposed into terephthalic acid (TPA) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) in high-temperature liquid water above 498 K. THF was obtained by the dehydration of the mon...

Supercritical water gasification of residue from ethanol production from Japanese cedar was studied using a graphite-supported ruthenium (Ru/G) catalyst having 5 wt % ruthenium metal loading using a batch reaction system. The complete gasification of 0.1 g of residue, which contained 72% lignin, proceeded over 0.05 g of Ru/G in water at 673 K and 0.5 g cm–3 water density. The final composition of gaseous products was 55% methane, 40% carbon dioxide, 4% hydrogen, and

A very simple and facile one-pot method for the synthesis of pyrimidine derivatives is presented. In this method, 2-aryl-pyrimidine derivatives were prepared by the reaction of ketene N,S-acetal 1 with commercially available aryl aldehydes by heating under solvent and catalyst-free conditions. The synthesized pyrimidine derivatives showed blue-green fluorescence in solid state.

Arylacetaldehydes were successfully synthesized by the anti-Markovnikov Wacker-type oxidation of vinylarenes using 1 atm O2 as a terminal oxidant under mild conditions. Electron-deficient alkenes, such as maleic anhydride and maleimides, were effective additives and would operate as ligands to stabilize the Pd(0) species during the reaction.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction to purify samples of model hydrocarbons (tetralin, decalin, and tetradecane) containing various aromatic sulfur compounds (benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, and 4,6-dimethydibenzothiophene) was studied. The influence of extraction temperature and pressure was investigated for the extraction from a tetralin–dibenzothiophene system in the range of 293–353 K and 8–15 MPa, and it was found that the amount of tetralin extracted increased with an increase in carbon dioxide density, while the separation factor decreased with an increase in carbon dioxide density. High recovery and high separation factor values for the tetralin–dibenzothiophene system were obtained under 10 MPa at 313 K. Higher separation factor was obtained for tetralin than decalin and tetradecane, containing 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene than that containing dibenzothiophene.

Human α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), a major carrier of many basic drugs in circulation, consists of at least two genetic variants, namely A and F1*S variant. Interestingly, the variants of AGP have different drug-binding properties. The purpose of this study was to identify the amino acid residues that are responsible for the selectivity of drug binding to genetic variants of AGP using site-directed mutagenesis. First, we screened amino acid residues in the region proximal to position 100 that are involved in binding of warfarin and dipyridamole, which are F1*S-specific ligands, and of propafenone, which is an A-specific ligand, using ultrafiltration. In the F1*S variant, His97, His100, and Trp122 were involved in either warfarin- or dipyridamole-binding, while Glu92, His100, and Trp122 participated in the binding of propafenone in the A variant. Exchange of the residue at position 92 between AGP variants reversed the relative strength of propafenone binding to the two variants, but had a markedly different effect on binding of warfarin and dipyridamole. These findings indicate that the amino acid residue at position 92 plays a significant role in drug-binding selectivity in AGP variants, especially for drugs that preferentially bind to the A variant. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:4316–4326, 2009

New 2-pyrone derivatives, dialkyl 3-cyano-6-phenyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-ylmalonates and alkyl 3-cyano-6-phenyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-ylacetates, which were easily prepared by the reaction of 6-aryl-4-methyl-sulfanyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles with active methylene compounds in the presence of potassium carbonate, show fluorescence emission radiation. The light-emitting region of dimethyl 3-cyano-6-(4-N,N-dimethylamino)styryl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-ylmalonate (7h) was 620 nm in dichloromethane, making this compound a typical red fluorescent compound. Methyl 8-hydroxy-6-methyl-1-oxo-3-phenyl-1H-pyrano-[3,4-c]pyridine-5-carboxylate deriv-atives also showed fluorescence in the solid state. This is the first example of fluorescence in fused 2-pyrone derivatives.

Arylacetaldehydes were successfully synthesized by the anti-Markovnikov Wacker-type oxidation of vinylarenes using 1 atm O2 as a terminal oxidant under mild conditions. Electron-deficient alkenes, such as maleic anhydride and maleimides, were effective additives and would operate as ligands to stabilize the Pd(0) species during the reaction.

2,5-Diketopiperazines (DKPs), also called cyclic dipeptides, have been known to occur in various foods. Recently, DKPs have attracted attentions as bioactive components. There were some reports on analytical methods for DKPs, but the number of analyzed DKPs was only a part of all DKPs and the quantitative performance was not studied in detail. In this study, we selected 31 kinds of DKPs and developed a quantitative and simultaneous analytical method using LC-MS/MS. This method was applied to DKPs determination in Pu-erh tea, post-fermentation tea, and 18 kinds of DKPs were determined at concentration of 0.0017–0.11 ppm. As a result of spiked test, it was concluded that the developed method using LC-MS/MS was useful for estimating DKPs concentration in tea.

A graphite-supported ruthenium metal catalyst was highly active for catalytic gasification of organosolv lignin in supercritical water at 673 K because of the easy accessibility of the reaction int...

New 2-pyrone derivatives, dialkyl 3-cyano-6-phenyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-ylmalonates and alkyl 3-cyano-6-phenyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-ylacetates, which were easily prepared by the reaction of 6-aryl-4-methyl-sulfanyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles with active methylene compounds in the presence of potassium carbonate, show fluorescence emission radiation. The light-emitting region of dimethyl 3-cyano-6-(4-N,N-dimethylamino)styryl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-ylmalonate (7h) was 620 nm in dichloromethane, making this compound a typical red fluorescent compound. Methyl 8-hydroxy-6-methyl-1-oxo-3-phenyl-1H-pyrano-[3,4-c]pyridine-5-carboxylate deriv-atives also showed fluorescence in the solid state. This is the first example of fluorescence in fused 2-pyrone derivatives.

2H-Pyrone derivatives were synthesized through the reaction of aryl acetyl compounds with ketene dithioacetals in the presence of sodium hydroxide, and they showed very strong fluorescence in the solid state. The light-emitting region of these 2H-pyrones is 447-630 nm in the solid states.

Fluorescent dyes, 6-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-4methylthio- and 6-[2-(4-N,N-disubstituted aniinophenyl)vinyl]-4-methylthio-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles (3a-d) were synthesized by the reaction of 4-dimethylaminoacetophenone (la) and 4-aminobenzalacetone derivatives (1b-d) with ketene dithioacetal (2) in the presence of sodium hydroxide in dimethylsulfoxide at room temperature. These 2-pyrone derivatives (3a-d) showed orange and red fluoresecence (F max : 607, 699, 705, 645 nm) in dichloromethane solution. The preparation and fluorescence 4-amino-2H-pyrone derivatives is also described.