Metabolic Profiling of the Cerebrospinal Fluid in Pediatric Epilepsy.

To characterize metabolic profiles within the central nervous system in epilepsy, we performed gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS)-based metabolome analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in pediatric patients with and without epilepsy. The CSF samples obtained from 64 patients were analyzed by GC-MS/MS. Multivariate analyses were performed for two age groups, 0-5 years of age and 6-17 years of age, to elucidate the effects of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs on the metabolites. In patients aged 0-5 years (22 patients with epilepsy, 13 without epilepsy), epilepsy patients had reduced 2-ketoglutaric acid and elevated pyridoxamine and tyrosine. In patients aged 6-17 years (12 with epilepsy, 17 without epilepsy), epilepsy patients had reduced 1,5-anhydroglucitol. Valproic acid was associated with elevated 2-aminobutyric acid, 2-ketoisocaproic acid, 4-hydroxyproline, acetylglycine, methionine, N-acetylserine, and serine. Reduced energy metabolism and alteration of vitamin B6 metabolism may play a role in epilepsy in young children. The roles of 1,5-anhydroglucitol in epilepsy in older children and in levetiracetam and zonisamide treatment remain to be explained. Valproic acid influenced the levels of amino acids and related metabolites involved in the metabolism of serine, methionine, and leucine.

Visions of Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Science Fiction: a computational analysis.

Driven by the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and anthropomorphic robotic systems, the various possibilities and risks of such technologies have become a topic of urgent discussion. Although science fiction (SF) works are often cited as references for visions of future developments, this framework of discourse may not be appropriate for serious discussions owing to technical inaccuracies resulting from its reliance on entertainment media. However, these science fiction works could help researchers understand how people might react to new AI and robotic systems. Hence, classifying depictions of artificial intelligence in science fiction may be expected to help researchers to communicate more clearly by identifying science fiction elements to which their works may be similar or dissimilar. In this study, we analyzed depictions of artificial intelligence in SF together with expert critics and writers. First, 115 AI systems described in SF were selected based on three criteria, including diversity of intelligence, social aspects, and extension of human intelligence. Nine elements representing their characteristics were analyzed using clustering and principal component analysis. The results suggest the prevalence of four distinctive categories, including human-like characters, intelligent machines, helpers such as vehicles and equipment, and infrastructure, which may be mapped to a two-dimensional space with axes representing intelligence and humanity. This research contributes to the public relations of AI and robotic technologies by analyzing shared imaginative visions of AI in society based on SF works.

Indole-3-acetic acid synthesized through the indole-3-pyruvate pathway promotes Candida tropicalis biofilm formation.

We previously found that the elevated abundance of the fungus Candida tropicalis is positively correlated with the bacteria Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens in Crohn's disease patients and the three pathogens, when co-cultured, form a robust mixed-species biofilm. The finding suggests that these three pathogens communicate and promote biofilm formation, possibly through secretion of small signaling molecules. To identify candidate signaling molecules, we carried out a metabolomic analysis of the single-species and triple-species cultures of the three pathogens. This analysis identified 15 metabolites that were highly increased in the triple-species culture. One highly induced metabolite was indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which has been shown to induce filamentation of certain fungi. We thus tested the effect of IAA on biofilm formation of C. tropicalis and demonstrated that IAA promotes biofilm formation of C. tropicalis. Then, we carried out isotope tracing experiments using 13C-labeled-tryptophan as a precursor to uncover the biosynthesis pathway of IAA in C. tropicalis. The results indicated that C. tropicalis synthesizes IAA through the indole-3-pyruvate pathway. Further studies using inhibitors of the indole-3-pyruvate pathway are warranted to decipher the mechanisms by which IAA influences biofilm formation.