Dietary protein modulates the effect of CLA on lipid metabolism in rats

The effect of the interaction of CLA and type of dietary protein on lipid metabolism was studied in male rats by feeding diets containing casein (CAS) or soy protein (SOY) as dietary protein and either linoleic acid (LA, a control FA) or graded levels of CLA at 0,0.1, 0.5, and 1.0% for 28 d. CLA reduced the weight of perirenal adipose tissue in a dose-dependent manner, but the magnitude of the reduction was greater when rats were fed SOY. Feeding SOY resulted in a significant reduction of the concentrations of serum total and HDL cholesterol, TG, glucose, and insulin irrespective of dietary CLA. The concentration of serum leptin tended to be lower on the SOY diet free of CLA than in the corresponding CAS diet, but it fell with an increasing dietary level of CLA in the CAS groups. In contrast, serum leptin tended to increase when CLA was added to SOY diets. The concentration of serum adiponectin was higher in the CAS than in the SOY groups, and it tended to increase in response to dietary CLA levels in the CAS-fed rats, whereas CLA showed no effect in SOY-fed rats. The activity of liver mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase was higher in the SOY than in the CAS groups, but it tended to increase with an increasing dietary level of CLA in both protein groups. Although the body fat-reducing activity of CLA was more effective when the protein source was SOY, rats fed CAS appeared to be more susceptible to CLA than in those fed SOY with respect to cytokines examined. These results suggest that the type of dietary protein may modify the antiobesity activity of CLA.     

Structure of decrystallized cotton in fabrics prepared by alkali and acrylonitrile treatments

The crystalline structure of decrystallized cotton, prepared by partial cyanoethylation with the use of sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and acrylonitrile, was examined by x-ray and IR data, in connection with such fabric properties as moisture regain. It was found that the moisture regain of the cotton fabric first increased, passed through a maximum at about 6 mole-% of cyanoethylation, and then slightly decreased with increasing degree of cyanoethylation. The increase of moisture regain in the region of the lower degree of cyanoethylation was well related to the decrease in the crystallinity of cotton. The x-ray diffraction studies revealed that the distension and disorder of the unit cell occurred primarily in the direction perpendicular to the (101) crystal plane as cyanoethylation proceeded.     

Organic solvent tolerance of Escherichia coli is independent of OmpF levels in the membrane

The organic solvent tolerance of Escherichia coli was measured under conditions in which OmpF levels were controlled by various means as follows: alteration of NaCl concentration in the medium, transformation with a stress-responsive gene (marA, robA, or soxS), or disruption of the ompF gene. It was shown that solvent tolerance of E. coli did not depend upon OmpF levels in the membrane.     

Natural convection and radiation heat transfer in a vertical porous layer with a hexagonal honeycomb core (Part 2: heat transfer experiment)

Combined natural convection and radiation heat transfer characteristics in a vertical porous layer with a hexagonal honeycomb core were investigated experimentally. The temperature distributions on the honeycomb core wall and the combined heat transfer rates through the porous layer were measured. The measurements of the heat transfer were accomplished using the guarded hot plate method. The honeycomb core wall was made of paper and large-mesh foamed resins were inserted into the honeycomb enclosures. The measurements were performed by varying the radiation parameters between 0.5 and 0.65, varying the temperature ratios between 0.01 and 0.1, and varying the Darcy-Rayleigh numbers between 5 and 80, and for a fixed aspect ratio H/L = 1. The experimental results for Nusselt numbers agreed well with our available numerical results. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 28(4): 295–306, 1999     

Targeting Epigenetic Regulators for Endometrial Cancer Therapy: Its Molecular Biology and Potential Clinical Applications

Endometrial cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed gynecological malignancies worldwide. However, its prognosis in advanced stages is poor, and there are only few available treatment options when it recurs. Epigenetic changes in gene function, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA, have been studied for the last two decades. Epigenetic dysregulation is often reported in the development and progression of various cancers. Recently, epigenetic changes in endometrial cancer have also been discussed. In this review, we give the main points of the role of DNA methylation and histone modification in endometrial cancer, the diagnostic tools to determine these modifications, and inhibitors targeting epigenetic regulators that are currently in preclinical studies and clinical trials.     

Poiseuille Number Correlations for Gas Slip Flow in Micro-Tubes

Fundamental research in fluid flow characteristics in micro-tubes are required for designing microfluidic systems. In this study, Poiseuille number, the product of friction factor and Reynolds number (f · Re) for quasi-fully developed micro-tube flows, was obtained for slip flow regime. The numerical methodology was based on the Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method and the uncertainties of the results were assessed based on the grid convergence index (GCI). The numerical model was validated with the available experimental and numerical results. The compressible momentum and energy equations were solved for a wide range of Reynolds and Mach numbers with two thermal boundary conditions: constant wall temperature (CWT), and constant heat flux (CHF), respectively. The slip boundary conditions and their numerical implementation are appropriately documented. The tube diameter ranged from 3 to 10 μm and the tube aspect ratio was 200. The stagnation pressure was chosen in such a way that the exit Mach number ranged from 0.1–1.0. The outlet pressure was fixed at the atmospheric condition. It was found that for the case of compressible and slip flows, f · Re correlations are functions of the Mach and Knudsen numbers, and are different from the values obtained from the expression, 64/(1 + 8 Kn), available for the incompressible slip flow regime. The f · Re correlations obtained here are applicable to both no-slip and slip conditions, and for both incompressible and compressible flows. The results are in excellent agreement with the available experimental data.     

Simulation of Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids Using Dissipative Particle Dynamics

The effective thermal conductivity of Al₂O₃/water and CuO/water nanofluids were modeled by numerically solving steady heat flow in one-dimensional microchannels. This was accomplished by using energy conserving dissipative particle dynamics (DPDe).The effects of the interfacial thermal resistance and the Brownian motion of nanoparticles were incorporated in the model by modifying the conductive interaction parameter in the energy equation. The results were presented in the form of the thermal conductivity of nanofluids as functions of particle volume fraction and temperature, and were compared with the available experimental and analytical results. The present model agreed well with the experimental results for Al₂O₃/water nanofluid, whilethere were discrepancies between the model and the results for CuO/water nanofluid.     

The influence of forest management on landscape structure in the cool-temperate forest region of central Japan

Comprehension of historical changes in landscape and forest management will provide valuable insights into current ecosystems and biodiversity and will support future management decisions and conservation strategies. This study clarified changes in the forest landscape of the cool-temperate forest region of central Japan from 1947 to 1997. We used a geographic information system to reconstruct past forest landscapes at four times (1947, 1962, 1975, and 1997) based on interpretation of aerial photographs and landscape metrics calculated using the FRAGSTATS software for spatial pattern analysis. Our results showed that secondary forests, the dominant land use in 1947, decreased greatly in area and became more fragmented, whereas coniferous plantations, which occupied approximately 20% of the total land area in 1947, became the dominant land use (almost 40% of the total land) by 1997. The young coniferous plantations have been established at increasing elevations over time and were mainly created by conversion of secondary forest until 1975. The number of young coniferous plantations and their patch spacing depended on the type of forest management. In the study area, landscape structure changed in response to changes in management of national forests, especially the expansion of afforestation in the 1950s and 1960s and changes in harvesting systems.