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Introduction: It is critical to develop accurate and universally available biomarkers for dementia diseases to appropriately deal with the dementia problems under world-wide rapid increasing of patients with dementia. In this sense, electroencephalography (EEG) has been utilized as a promising examination to screen and assist in diagnosing dementia, with advantages of sensitiveness to neural functions, inexpensiveness, and high availability. Moreover, the algorithm-based deep learning can expand EEG applicability, yielding accurate and automatic classification easily applied even in general hospitals without any research specialist. Methods: We utilized a novel deep neural network, with which high accuracy of discrimination was archived in neurological disorders in the previous study. Based on this network, we analyzed EEG data of healthy volunteers (HVs, N = 55), patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD, N = 101), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, N = 75), and idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH, N = 60) to evaluate the discriminative accuracy of these diseases. Results: High discriminative accuracies were archived between HV and patients with dementia, yielding 81.7% (vs. AD), 93.9% (vs. DLB), 93.1% (vs. iNPH), and 87.7% (vs. AD, DLB, and iNPH). Conclusion: This study revealed that the EEG data of patients with dementia were successfully discriminated from HVs based on a novel deep learning algorithm, which could be useful for automatic screening and assisting diagnosis of dementia diseases.

Rolling two-dimensional (2D) materials into 1D nanotubes allows for greater functionality. Boron-nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) can serve as insulating 1D templates for the coaxial growth of guest nanotubes, without interfering with property characterization. However, their application as 1D templates has been greatly hindered by their poor dispersibility, inevitably resulting in the formation of thick bundles. Here we present the facile preparation of well-dispersed BNNT templates via surfactant dispersions and synthesis of 1D van der Waals heterostructures based on the BNNTs. Comprehensive microscopic analyses show the isolation of clean, high-quality BNNTs. Statistical analyses revealed that small-diameter double-walled BNNTs are highly enriched by chemical peeling of BN sidewalls through the sonication process. We further demonstrate that the isolated BNNTs can template the coaxial growth of carbon and MoS

Hydrophobins are small amphiphilic proteins that are conserved in filamentous fungi. They localized on the conidial surface to make it hydrophobic, which contributes to conidial dispersal in air, and help fungi to infect plants and mammals and to degrade polymers. Hydrophobins self-assemble and undergo structural transition from the amorphous state to the rodlet (rod-like multimeric structure) state. However, it remains unclear whether the amorphous or rodlet state is biologically functional and what external factors regulate state transition. In this study, we analyzed the self-assembly of hydrophobin RolA of Aspergillus oryzae in detail and identified factors regulating this process. Using atomic force microscopy, we observed RolA rodlet formation over time, and determined “rodlet elongation rate” and “rodlet formation frequency.” Changes in these kinetic parameters in response to pH and salt concentration suggest that RolA rodlet formation is regulated by the strength of ionic interactions between RolA molecules.

The ability to anticipate the sensory consequences of our actions (i.e., action–effects) is known to be important for intentional action initiation and control. Learned action–effects can select the responses that previously have been associated with them. What has been largely unexplored is how learned action–effect associations can aid action selection for effects that have not previously associated with an action but are similar to learned effects. In two studies, we aimed to show that when presented new, unknown action–effects, participants select the responses that have previously been associated with similar action–effects. In the first study (n = 27), action–effect similarity was operationalized via stimuli belonging to the same or different categories as the previously learned action–effects. In the second study (n = 31), action–effect similarity was realized via stimuli that require comparable motor responses in real life. Participants first learned that specific responses are followed by specific visual effect stimuli. In the test phase, learned effect stimuli, new but similar effect stimuli and new but dissimilar effect stimuli were presented ahead of the response. The findings revealed that both learned effect stimuli and new similar effect stimuli affected response times, whereas new dissimilar effects did not. When a learned or a new similar effect was followed by a learned response, compared to an unlearned response, the responses were faster. We interpret these findings in terms of action–effect learning. The action–effect once bound to an action is used to select an action if a similar effect for which no action has been learned yet is presented. However, it is noteworthy that, due to our design, other explanations for the found transfer are conceivable. We address these limitations in the General Discussion.

In all-solid-state batteries (ASSB), increasing the thickness of electrodes is essential for increasing the energy density. However, this limits the C-rate performance, particularly for electrodes with a large volume fraction of active materials (AMs), transport of ions in the electrode is hindered, leading to poor utilization of AMs in ASSBs. To accelerate the development of ASSBs, it is highly desirable to develop analytical methods for understanding the utilization of AMs in thick electrodes. In this paper, we propose a novel impedance analysis method using the transmission line model (TLM) for estimating the utilization of AMs in an electrode in terms of effective electrode thickness. In the TLM model, electrode thickness is treated as a variable instead of a fixed parameter in the conventional sequence. Hence, the modified C-rate performance considering the TLM-calculated thickness exhibits an identical trend regardless of the actual electrode thickness, suggesting the calculated electrode thickness reflects the effective electrode thickness. This indicates effective utilization of AMs for electrochemical reactions. We also demonstrate the versatility of this method by using different electrode specifications.

Embodied cognition claims that how we move our body is central for experience. Exploring dimensions of bodily engagement should, therefore, also be central for engaging art. However, little attention has been paid to the actual ways viewers move in front of art and how this impacts experiences. We aim to close this gap, using a new paradigm in a gallery-like setting in which we tracked movements of participants that engaged an abstract artwork. Guided by a literature review, we relate objective movement factors and subjective body awareness to mobile viewing behavior, art experience, and expertise. We also—for the first time—define shared movement patterns employing principal component/cluster analysis and relate these to experience outcomes, noting, for example, that moving more/more dynamically related to more reported insight. As a proof-of-concept paper, we hope to support a more embodied, enactive understanding of art engagements, and provide practical guidelines for future research.

Embodied cognition claims that the way we move our body is central for experience. Exploring dimensions of bodily engagement should therefore also be central for understanding the experience of viewing and evaluating art. However, in both laboratory and in more ecologically-valid gallery studies, little attention has been paid to the actual ways viewers move in front of art—where they stand, how they approach or shift positions—and how this impacts their experiences. This paper aims to close this gap by demonstrating a new paradigm in a gallery-like setting, in which we tracked movements of participants that engaged an abstract artwork via infrared cameras. We also captured their viewing behavior via mobile eye tracking and collected self-reported art appraisals, cognitive and emotional phenomenal factors, as well as subjective awareness of their bodies and physical engagement. Via correlational analysis, based on a theoretical review of past literature and arguments regarding compelling movement aspects, we consider the relation of a broad range of objective and subjective movement aspects to reported art experiences. We also—for the first time—define basic, shared patterns of global movement that could be related to different art appraisals and emotional experiences employing a bottom-up statistical analysis using principal component and cluster analyses. As a proof-of-concept paper we identify the importance and explanatory advantages of our approach both for a more embodied, enactive understanding of art engagements, and as a practical guideline for future empirical aesthetics, art, and museum research.

The basidiomycetous yeast Pseudozyma antarctica, which has multiple auxotrophic markers, was constructed, without inserting a foreign gene, as the host strain for the introduction of multiple useful genes. P. antarctica was more resistant to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation than the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a Paura3 mutant (C867T) was obtained after 3 min of UV exposure. A uracil-auxotrophic marker (URA3) recycling system developed in ascomycetous yeasts and fungi was applied to the P. antarctica Paura3 strain. The PaLYS12 and PaADE2 loci were disrupted via site-directed homologous recombination of PaURA3 (pop-in), followed by the removal of PaURA3 (pop-out). In the obtained double auxotrophic strain (Palys12Δ, Paura3), PaADE2 was further disrupted, and PaURA3 was removed to obtain the triple auxotrophic strain PGB800 (Paura3, Palys12Δ, Paade2Δ). The whole-genome sequence of the PGB800 strain did not contain foreign genes used for genetic manipulation and disrupted PaADE2 and PaLYS12 and removed PaURA3, as planned.

Hydrophobins are small secreted amphipathic proteins ubiquitous among filamentous fungi. Hydrophobin RolA produced by Aspergillus oryzae attaches to solid surfaces, recruits polyesterase CutL1, and thus promotes hydrolysis of polyesters. Because the N-terminal region of RolA is involved in the interaction with CutL1, the orientation of RolA on the solid surface is important. However, the kinetic properties of RolA adsorption to solid surfaces with various chemical properties remain unclear, and RolA structures assembled after the attachment to surfaces are unknown. Using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), we analyzed the kinetic properties of RolA adsorption to the surfaces of QCM electrodes that had been chemically modified to become hydrophobic or charged. We also observed the assembled RolA structures on the surfaces by atomic force microscopy and performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of RolA adsorption to self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-modified surfaces. The RolA-surface interaction was considerably affected by the zeta potential of RolA, which was affected by pH. The interactions of RolA with the surface seemed to be involved in the self-assembly of RolA. Three types of self-assembled structures of RolA were observed: spherical, rod-like, and mesh-like. The kinetics of RolA adsorption and the structures formed depended on the amount of RolA adsorbed, chemical properties of the electrode surface, and the pH of the buffer. Adsorption of RolA to solid surfaces seemed to depend mainly on its hydrophobic interaction with the surfaces; this was supported by MD simulations, which suggested that hydrophobic Cys–Cys loops of RolA attached to all SAM-modified surfaces at all pH values. IMPORTANCE The adsorption kinetics of hydrophobins to solid surfaces and self-assembled structures formed by hydrophobin molecules have been studied mostly independently. In this report, we combined the kinetic analysis of hydrophobin RolA adsorption onto solid surfaces and observation of RolA self-assembly on these surfaces. Since RolA, whose isoelectric point is close to pH 4.0, showed higher affinity to the solid surfaces at pH 4.0 than at pH 7.0 or 10.0, the affinity of RolA to these surfaces depends mainly on hydrophobic interactions. Our combined analyses suggest that not only the adsorbed amount of RolA but also the chemical properties of the solid surfaces and the zeta potential of RolA affect the self-assembled RolA structures formed on these surfaces.

The direct electron transfer between human cytoglobin (Cygb) and the electrode surface, which would allow manipulating the oxidation states of the heme iron in Cygb, was first observed by immobilizing Cygb on a nanoporous gold (NPG) electrode via a carboxy-terminated alkanethiol. The voltammetric performances of the wild type and mutated Cygb-immobilized NPG electrodes were evaluated in the absence or presence of potential substrates. The obtained results demonstrated that the usefulness of the proposed method in understanding the function of Cygb in molecular basis.

Hydrophobins are small, amphipathic proteins secreted by filamentous fungi. Hydrophobin RolA, which is produced by Aspergillus oryzae, attaches to solid surfaces, recruits the polyesterase CutL1, and consequently promotes hydrolysis of polyesters. Because this interaction requires the N-terminal, positively charged residue of RolA to be exposed on the solid surface, the orientation of RolA on the solid surface is important for recruitment. However, the process by which RolA forms the self-assembled structure at the interface remains unclear. Using the Langmuir–Blodgett technique, we analyzed the process by which RolA forms a self-assembled structure at the air–water interface and observed the structures on the hydrophobic or hydrophilic SiO2 substrates via atomic force microscopy. We found that RolA formed self-assembled films in two steps during phase transitions. We observed different assembled structures of RolA on hydrophilic and hydrophobic SiO2 substrates.

Background: Developing accurate and universally available biomarkers for dementia diseases is demanded under world-wide rapid increasing of patients with dementia. Electroencephalogram (EEG) offers promising examinations due to their inexpensiveness, high availability, and sensitiveness to neural functions. EEG applicability can be expanded by deep-learning.Methods: We analyzed EEG signals based on novel deep neural network in healthy volunteers (HV, N=55), patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD, N=101), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, N=75), and idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH, N=60) to evaluate the discriminative accuracy of these diseases.Results: High discriminative accuracies were archived between HV and patients with dementia, yielding 81.7 %(vs AD), 93.9% (vs DLB), and 93.1% (vs iNPH).Conclusions: This study revealed that the EEG data of patients with dementia were successfully discriminated from healthy volunteers based on deep learning and could produce a new purpose of EEG measurement in screening for dementia diseases.

The basidiomycetous yeast, Pseudozyma antarctica, has the ability to express industrially beneficial biodegradable plastic-degrading enzyme (PaE) and glycolipids. In this study, we developed a highly efficient gene-targeting method in P. antarctica using a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing approach. Transformation of protoplast cells was achieved by incubation with a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex prepared by mixing the Cas9 protein with a single-guide RNA together with donor DNA (dDNA) containing a selectable marker in vitro. The PaE gene was selected as the targeted locus for gene disruption and gene-disrupted colonies were readily detected by their ability to degrade polybutylene succinate-co-adipate on solid media. The accuracy of the gene conversion event was confirmed by colony PCR. An increase in the RNP mix increased both transformation and gene disruption efficiencies. Examining the effect of the homology arm length of the dDNA revealed that dDNA with homology arms longer than 0.1 kb induced efficient homologous recombination in our system. Furthermore, this system was successful in another targeted locus, PaADE2. Following the creation of RNP-induced double-strand break of the chromosomal DNA, dDNA could be inserted into the target locus even in the absence of homology arms.

Temporal binding refers to the subjective compression of the temporal interval between a voluntary action and its external sensory consequences. While empirical evidence and theoretical accounts have indicated the potential linkage between temporal binding and action outcome prediction mechanisms, several questions regarding the underlying processes and the fundamental nature of temporal binding remain unanswered. Based on the sophisticated classification of predictive processes proposed by Hughes et al. (2013), we conducted a systematic, quantitative review of the binding effect as measured with two representative procedures, i.e., Libet clock procedure and interval estimation procedure. Although both procedures were designed to measure the same phenomenon, we revealed a larger effect size and higher sensitivity to perceptual moderators in binding observed with the clock procedure than with the interval estimation. Moreover, in the former, we observed different characteristics for the two perceptual shifts that comprise temporal binding. Action shifts depended more on whether one can control outcome onsets with voluntary actions. In contrast, outcome shifts depended more on the degree to which participants could predict, rather than control, the action outcome onset. These results indicate that action shift occurs based on the activation of learned action–outcome associations by planning and executing actions, while outcome shift occurs based on comparing predicted and observed outcomes. By understanding the nature of each experimental procedure and each shift, future research can use optimal methods depending on the goal. We discuss, as an example, the implications for the underlying disorders of agency in schizophrenia.

The basidiomycetous yeast Pseudozyma antarctica GB-4(0) esterase (PaE) is a promising candidate for accelerating degradation of used biodegradable plastics (BPs). To increase safety and reduce costs associated with the use of PaE, we constructed a self-cloning strain with high-PaE productivity. A Lys12 gene (PaLYS12)-deleted lysine auxotroph strain GB4-(0)-L1 was obtained from GB-4(0) by ultraviolet mutagenesis and nystatin enrichment. Subsequently, the PaE gene (PaCLE1) expression cassette consisting of GB-4(0)-derived PaCLE1, under the control of a xylose-inducible xylanase promoter with PaLYS12, was randomly introduced into the GB4-(0)-L1 genome. A PaE high-producing strain, PGB474, was selected from among the transformants by high throughput double-screening based on its ability to degrade emulsified polybutylene succinate-co-adipate. Quantitative PCR revealed that four copies of the PaE gene expression cassette were introduced into the PGB474 genome. PGB474 produced 2.0 g/L of PaE by xylose-fed-batch cultivation using a 3-L jar fermentor for 72 h. Pseudozyma antarctica self-cloning strain that produces a high volume of biodegradable plastic degrading enzyme was constructed and selected by high throughput screening.

Sense of agency is a feeling of control over one’s actions to cause sensory events in one’s environment. While previous studies investigated the role of action choice and emotional valence of action outcome in forming implicit agency, the results were not consistent and the relationship between these factors remains unclear. We manipulated both action alternatives available and emotional valences of sounds (either positive or negative) as action outcomes and measured the resultant intentional binding effects in two experiments that differed in predictability of outcome valence. When participants could not predict the valence of action outcomes, they showed stronger sense of agency for negative outcomes determined by their free choice (Experiment 1). Conversely, when participants’ actions caused only outcomes with specific valence, this interaction was not observed (Experiment 2). These findings imply that the implicit processes of agency reflect an integrative context-dependent cognition of consequence of action choice, prior to explicit attribution judgments.

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which may be due to the modulation of neuroinflammation or the impairment of interstitial fluid bulk flow system in the central nervous system. Here, we show an age-dependent impairment of several behavioral outcomes in 5xFAD AQP4 null mice. Twenty-four-hour video recordings and computational analyses of their movement revealed that the nighttime motion of AQP4-deficient 5xFAD mice was progressively reduced between 20 and 36 weeks of age, with a sharp deterioration occurring between 30 and 32 weeks. This reduction in nighttime motion was accompanied by motor dysfunction and epileptiform neuronal activities, demonstrated by increased abnormal spikes by electroencephalography. In addition, all AQP4-deficient 5xFAD mice exhibited convulsions at least once during the period of the analysis. Interestingly, despite such obvious phenotypes, parenchymal amyloid β (Aβ) deposition, reactive astrocytosis, and activated microgliosis surrounding amyloid plaques were unchanged in the AQP4-deficient 5xFAD mice relative to 5xFAD mice. Taken together, our data indicate that AQP4 deficiency greatly accelerates an age-dependent deterioration of neuronal function in 5xFAD mice associated with epileptiform neuronal activity without significantly altering Aβ deposition or neuroinflammation in this mouse model. We therefore propose that there exists another pathophysiological phase in AD which follows amyloid plaque deposition and neuroinflammation and is sensitive to AQP4 deficiency.

Attractiveness is an important facial attribute, which could largely influence individuals' impressions or social relationship. Lately, numerous studies have examined the morphological facial features driving attractiveness. Notably, most of the studies have postulated the “ground-truth”, universal standards of facial attractiveness. However, in fact, it is well-reported that there are inter-individual differences in attractiveness judgments. These individual differences may be derived from individual preferences for certain morphological features in the faces. Nevertheless, there has been no direct empirical study to investigate the variances in the evaluation of facial attractiveness. In this study, we examined the quantitative relationships between morphological facial features and the judgments of attractiveness ratings for the faces. We found that the variances in attractiveness ratings could be partly predicted by some traditional machine learning, and that the sharpness of face outlines and morphological features representing the smile expression could have impacts on the amounts of the variances.

Hydrophobins are small, amphipathic proteins secreted by filamentous fungi. Hydrophobin RolA, which is produced by

Biodegradable plastics must be sufficiently stable to maintain functionality during use but need to be able to degrade rapidly after use. We previously reported that treatment with an enzyme named PaE, secreted by the basidiomycete yeast Pseudozyma antarctica can speed up this degradation. To facilitate the production of large quantities of PaE, here, we aimed to elucidate the optimal conditions of ethanol treatment for sterilization of the culture supernatant and for concentration and stabilization of PaE. The results showed that Pseudozyma antarctica completely lost its proliferating ability when incubated in ≥20% (v/v) ethanol. When the ethanol concentration was raised to 90% (v/v), PaE formed a precipitate; however, its activity was restored completely when the precipitate was dissolved in water. To reduce ethanol use, PaE was successfully concentrated and recovered by sequential ammonium sulfate precipitation and ethanol precipitation steps. Over 90% of the activity in the original culture supernatant was recovered and the specific activity was increased 3.4-fold. By preparing the enzyme solution at a final concentration of 20% (v/v) ethanol, about 60% of the initial activity was maintained at ambient temperature for over 6 months without growth of microbes. We conclude that ethanol treatment is effective for sterilization, concentration, and stabilization of PaE, and that concentrating PaE by sequential ammonium sulfate precipitation and ethanol precipitation substantially increases the PaE purity and decreases ethanol use.

Hydrophobins are amphipathic secretory proteins with eight conserved cysteine residues and are ubiquitous among filamentous fungi. In the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, the hydrophobin RolA and the polyesterase CutL1 are co-expressed when the sole available carbon source is the biodegradable polyester polybutylene succinate-co-adipate (PBSA). RolA promotes the degradation of PBSA by attaching to the particle surface, changing its structure and interacting with CutL1 to concentrate CutL1 on the PBSA surface. We previously reported that positively charged residues in RolA and negatively charged residues in CutL1 are cooperatively involved in the ionic interaction between RolA and CutL1. We also reported that hydrophobin RodA of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans, which was obtained via an A. oryzae expression system, interacted via ionic interactions with CutL1. In the present study, phylogenetic and alignment analyses revealed that the N-terminal regions of several RolA orthologs contained positively charged residues and that the corresponding negatively charged residues on the surface of CutL1 that were essential for the RolA-CutL1 interaction were highly conserved in several CutL1 orthologs. A PBSA microparticle degradation assay, a pull-down assay using a dispersion of Teflon particles, and a kinetic analysis using a quartz crystal microbalance revealed that recombinant A. nidulans RodA interacted via ionic interactions with two recombinant A. nidulans cutinases. Together, these results imply that ionic interactions between hydrophobins and cutinases may be common among aspergilli and other filamentous fungi.

Recent increases in air pollution have raised concerns about its adverse effects on human health. Sacran is a natural polysaccharide isolated from a cyanobacterium. We previously reported that sacran improves skin conditions because of its effects as an artificial barrier against external stimuli, which suggested that sacran might protect the skin against air pollutants. The goal of this study was to characterize the potential of sacran to protect human skin against damage from air pollutants and to compare sacran with hyaluronic acid (HA). Sacran that was topically applied on the skin stayed on the surface or in the stratum corneum. Sacran-treated filters had a shielding effect against benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and aldehyde compounds contained in tobacco smoke. Sacran suppressed the upregulation of cytochrome P4501A1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is a xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme induced by BaP, and other responses against tobacco smoke in HaCaT keratinocytes. Furthermore, topical application of a serum containing 0.04% sacran on the skin reduced levels of carbonylated proteins in corneocytes of tobacco smokers. Sacran showed superior effects in every characteristic measured, compared with HA. We conclude that sacran ameliorates the oxidative stress initiated by tobacco smoke by shielding the skin surface and protects human skin.

The basidiomycetous yeast

Atopic dermatitis is a skin disease characterized by inflammation, pruritus, and chronic or relapsing eczematous lesions. Recently, ampholytic polysaccharide sacran has attracted a particular focus of attention as a novel biomaterial. In the present study, we investigated the effect of sacran solution on atopic dermatitis in the clinical study. Almost all of the average scores for atopic dermatitis symptoms of each patient treated with sacran solutions were improved. In addition, the scores of sleep disorder and itching were also significantly ameliorated by the sacran treatment for 4 weeks, compared with those of initial states. In immatured dermal skin model stimulated with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB), the sacran treatment markedly down-regulated inflammatory cytokine and chemokine mRNA levels such as MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 mRNAs, compared with that of DNFB alone. Furthermore, a sacran solution significantly suppressed the mRNA expression of TNF-α and COX-2 in RAW264.7 cells, a murine macrophage-like cell line, stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). In RBL-2H3 cells, a rat basophilic leukemia cell line, a sacran solution significantly lowered β-hexosaminidase release, indicating the suppression of allergic response. These results suggest that a sacran solution may have the potential to improve atopic dermatitis through the impairment of production of inflammatory cytokine and chemokine mRNA.

Background: Superficial Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma (BEA) arising from short-segment Barrett's esophagus (SSBE) is visualized as a reddish lesion located on the right or anterior side wall of the esophagogastric mucosal junction (EGJ) and showing an elevated macroscopic appearance under conventional white light endoscopy (WLE). However, because the form and color are variable, misdiagnosis as reflux esophagitis or SSBE is frequent under WLE. The aim of this study is to clarify conventional WLE features of small superficial BEA. Summary: We retrospectively analyzed 30 lesions ≤20 mm in diameter in 30 patients who underwent endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection at Toranomon Hospital between 2002 and 2014. Mean age of patients with small superficial BEA arising from SSBE was 64.3 ± 11.2 years, and mean tumor size was 12.0 ± 4.8 mm. Small superficial BEA fell into the following 4 categories based on WLE features: EGJ polyp type, 43.3% (13 of 30 lesions); triangular SSBE type, 43.3% (13 of 30 lesions); cardiac erosion type, 10.0% (3 of 30 lesions); and unclassified or mixed type, 3.4% (1 of 30 lesions). EGJ polyp-type tumors were located on the right or anterior side wall of the EGJ, and no tumors showed invasion to the submucosal layer. On the other hand, triangular SSBE-type tumors were located anywhere in the EGJ, and 38.5% showed submucosal invasion (5 of 13 lesions). Key Messages: We consider this classification significantly contributes to the detection of small superficial BEA arising from SSBE under WLE.

We describe a method to quickly evaluate soil esterase activity using p‑nitrophenyl valerate as the substrate. Unwanted coloration of the control samples was suppressed by cooling. Esterase activity can be evaluated using arbitrary amounts of soil. Sample dispensation was simplified and the number of examinations per soil sample reduced.

A linear sampling method for an elastic half-space is developed to reconstruct fluctuations in the wavefield. The starting point of the formulation is the near-field equation that was also used by Baganas et al. (2006). Instead of examining the norm of the solution of the near-field equation, we define a solvability index in order to obtain the spatial distribution of the amplitude of the solvability index and thus describe the location of the fluctuations. A numerical method for the evaluation of the index is also provided for a simplified algorithm; this method is based on a projection theorem for a Hilbert space and a singular value decomposition. Numerical calculations were performed, and the results validated the efficiency of the proposed method for reconstructing the fluctuations of a wavefield.

Hydrophobins are amphipathic proteins secreted by filamentous fungi. When the industrial fungus Aspergillus oryzae is grown in a liquid medium containing the polyester polybutylene succinate co-adipate (PBSA), it produces RolA, a hydrophobin, and CutL1, a PBSA-degrading cutinase. Secreted RolA attaches to the surface of the PBSA particles and recruits CutL1, which then condenses on the particles and stimulates the hydrolysis of PBSA. Here, we identified amino acid residues that are required for the RolA-CutL1 interaction by using site-directed mutagenesis. We quantitatively analyzed kinetic profiles of the interactions between RolA variants and CutL1 variants by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The QCM analyses revealed that Asp142, Asp171 and Glu31, located on the hydrophilic molecular surface of CutL1, and His32 and Lys34, located in the N-terminus of RolA, play crucial roles in the RolA-CutL1 interaction via ionic interactions. RolA immobilized on a QCM electrode strongly interacted with CutL1 (K(D) = 6.5 nM); however, RolA with CutL1 variants, or RolA variants with CutL1, showed markedly larger KD values, particularly in the interaction between the double variant RolA-H32S/K34S and the triple variant CutL1-E31S/D142S/D171S (K(D) = 78.0 nM). We discuss a molecular prototype model of hydrophobin-based enzyme recruitment at the solid-water interface.