Discordant prolongation of the refractory period and repolarization time by a class III agent, E4031, in the healing phase of myocardial infarction

One hundred and ninety-eight adolescents and their mothers (N = 189) and fathers (N = 136) participated in a 4-year longitudinal study. Adolescent problem behaviour was assessed by the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). In addition, parental stress and marital adjustment were determined. Results showed that mothers and fathers showed high agreement, especially about their daughters, whereas parents and adolescents showed little agreement. Agreement was higher for internalising than for externalising behaviours. In general, adolescents reported more symptomatology than their parents did. However, mothers' ratings of their children's behaviours were significantly correlated with adolescents' self-ratings, but fathers' ratings were not. Statistical tests of correlations showed that mothers experiencing stress caused by marital problems perceived more problem behaviours in their children. Fathers' perceptions were relatively unaffected by personal adjustment. However, poor marital adjustment perceived by both parents showed a significant negative relation to adolescent externalising problem behaviour.     

Development of smart composite structures with small-diameter fiber Bragg grating sensors for damage detection: Quantitative evaluation of delamination length in CFRP laminates using Lamb wave sensing

The authors and Hitachi Cable, Ltd. have recently developed small-diameter optical fiber and its fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for embedment inside a lamina of composite laminates without strength reduction. The outside diameters of the cladding and polyimide coating are 40 and 52 μm, respectively. First, a brief summary is presented for applications of small-diameter FBG sensors to damage monitoring in composite structures. Then, we propose a new damage detection system for quantitative evaluation of delamination length in CFRP laminates using Lamb wave sensing. In this system, a piezo-ceramic actuator generates Lamb waves in a CFRP laminate. After the waves propagate in the laminate, transmitted waves are received by an FBG sensor attached on or embedded in the laminate using a newly developed high-speed optical wavelength interrogation system. This system was applied to detect interlaminar delamination in CFRP cross-ply laminates. When the Lamb waves passed through the delamination, the amplitude decreased and a new wave mode appeared. These phenomena could be well simulated using a finite element analysis. From the changes in the amplitude ratio and the arrival time of the new mode depending on the delamination length, it was found that this system could evaluate the delamination length quantitatively. Furthermore, small-diameter FBG sensors were embedded in a double-lap type coupon specimen, and the debonding progress could be evaluated using the wavelet transform.     

Soluble factors from rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells stimulated cooperatively the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells

Culture media from rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3) induced the neurite outgrowth of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, a model system for neuronal differentiation. The extension of the neurite outgrowth was dependent on the culture time of RBL-2H3 cells in the DMEM medium. The DMEM medium conditioned by RBL-2H3 cells for 48 h induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells significantly. The neurite extension was much higher than that by medium containing 1 ng/ml nerve growth factor (NGF) but was rather lower than that by medium containing 10 or 50 ng/ml NGF. The neurite extension by 50 ng/ml NGF was completely suppressed by excess anti-NGF antibody (1-1.5 microg/ml), while the extension by culture medium conditioned by RBL-2H3 cells for 48 h was not completely suppressed in the presence of the same amount of anti-NGF antibody. The neurite extension by the culture medium of RBL-2H3 cells was also suppressed by anti-interleukin (IL)-6 antibody (1 microg/ml), although IL-6 itself (20 units) could scarcely induce the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. This suggests that IL-6 in the culture medium of RBL-2H3 cells could be effective in inducing the neurite extension in cooperation with NGF. In the presence of an excess of both anti-NGF and anti-IL-6 antibodies, the culture medium of RBL-2H3 cells induced the neurite extension of PC12 cells. This suggests that the action of the various factors from RBL-2H3 cells may be synergistic as far as the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells is concerned.     

Simple and comprehensive two-dimensional reversed-phase HPLC using monolithic silica columns

Simple and comprehensive two-dimensional (2D)-HPLC was studied in a reversed-phase mode using monolithic silica columns for second-dimension (2nd-D) separation. Every fraction from the first column, 15 cm long (4.6-mm i.d.), packed with fluoroalkylsilyl-bonded (FR) silica particles, was subjected to the separation in the 2nd-D using one or two octadecylsilylated (C(18)) monolithic silica columns (4.6-mm i.d., 3 cm). Monolithic silica columns in the 2nd-D were eluted at a flow rate of up to 10 mL/min with separation time of 30 s that meets the fractionation every 15-30 s at the first dimension (1st-D) operated at a flow rate of 0.4-0.8 mL/min. Three cases were studied. (1) In the simplest scheme of 2D-HPLC, effluent of the 1st-D was directly loaded into an injector loop of 2nd-D HPLC for 28 s, and 2 s was allowed for injection. (2) Two six-port valves each having a sample loop were used to hold the effluent of the 1st-D alternately for 30 s for one 2nd-D column to effect comprehensive 2D-HPLC without the loss of 1st-D effluent. (3) Two monolithic silica columns were used for 2nd-D by using a switching valve and two sets of 2nd-D chromatographs separating each fraction of the 1st-D effluent with the two 2nd-D columns alternately. In this case, two columns of the same stationary phase (C(18)) or different phases, C(18) and (pentabromobenzyloxy)propylsilyl-bonded (PBB), could be employed at the 2nd-D, although the latter needed two complementary runs. The systems produced peak capacity of approximately 1000 in approximately 60 min in cases 1 and 2 and in approximately 30 min in case 3. The three stationary phases, FR, C(18), and PBB, showed widely different selectivity from each other, making 2D separations possible. The simple and comprehensive 2D-HPLC utilizes the stability and high efficiency at high linear velocities of monolithic silica columns.     

Mercuric chloride induces increases in both cytoplasmic and nuclear free calcium ions through a protein phosphorylation-linked mechanism

The mechanism of the lymphocyte stimulatory action of sulfhydryl group-reactive mercuric ions was studied with respect to its potential ability to induce a protein tyrosine phosphorylation-linked signal for mobilization of free Ca2+ into cytoplasm and nucleus of the cell. Exposure of human leukamic T cell line (Jurkat) cells to high (1 mM) and low (0.01 mM) concentrations of HgCl2 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple proteins in a concentration-dependent manner. Confocal microscopy directly visualized the time course localization of Ca2+ inside the cells after exposure to HgCl2. The onset and level of Ca2+ mobilization following HgCl2 exposure were in parallel to those of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Interestingly, by either concentration of HgCl2, Ca2+ was mobilized in both cytoplasm and nucleus almost simultaneously, and the level of Ca2+ mobilization in the nucleus was more than that in the cytoplasm. All the HgCl2-mediated Ca2+ mobilization was prevented by addition of protein kinase inhibitor staurosporin prior to HgCl2. These results suggest that heavy metal stress triggers a protein tyrosine phosphorylation-linked signal that leads to a nuclear event-dominant Ca2+ mobilization.     

同质外延CVD金刚石膜的室温边发射

利用高功率微波等离子体化学气相沉积方法及合适的预处理方法成功地合成了无生长丘的高品质金刚石膜，阴极荧光（CL）结果表明在本工作的同质外延金刚石膜中，边发射在室温下也是主峰之一。详细研究了室温下有异常粒子和无异常粒子的样品的CL谱和CL扫描图，发现边发射主要产生于无异常粒子区域。而大多数异常粒子主要对位于425nm的BandA发射起作用，因此抑制异常粒子的形成对提高同质外延金刚石摸的质量非常重要。     

Structure and expression of bombyxin E1 gene: a novel family gene that encodes bombyxin-IV, an insect insulin-related neurosecretory peptide

Comparison was made of the ability of two dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists, nitrendipine and felodipine, to prevent a range of signs of ethanol withdrawal. The increases in handling-induced behavior seen in mice during withdrawal from chronic ethanol treatment were prevented by administration of nitrendipine, 50 mg/kg, but not by, felodipine, 10 mg/kg, a dose that caused a similar displacement of dihydropyridine binding in central nervous system tissue, in vivo and in vitro. A higher dose of felodipine, 20 mg/kg, also had no effects. Nitrendipine, but not felodipine, prevented audiogenic seizures during the withdrawal phase. Similarly, nitrendipine prevented both the decrease in thresholds for N-methyl-DL-aspartate seizures and the increase in thresholds for convulsions due to 4-aminopyridine, which were seen during the withdrawal period, while felodipine did not alter either of these changes. Withdrawal from the ethanol chronic treatment increased the thresholds to seizures produced by intravenous aminophylline; this change was also prevented by nitrendipine. The significance of this increase in thresholds was lost after felodipine administration. In naive mice (not treated with ethanol) the doses of nitrendipine and felodipine used in the withdrawal studies were tested against the effects of convulsant drugs. Both dihydropyridines increased, to similar extents, the thresholds for seizures produced by bicuculline, pentylenetetrazol, and by N-methyl-DL-aspartate. The thresholds for aminophylline were unaltered by either dihydropyridine. In contrast, the thresholds for seizures due to 4-aminopyridine in the naive animals were not changed by felodipine, but were increased by nitrendipine. The results suggest that changes in potassium, as well as calcium, may possibly be involved in some of the stages of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome.     

Synthesis and improved electron field emission characteristics of Au-coated nano-carbon needle films

Nano-carbon needle films (NCNFs) coated with a 5-nm Au layer were prepared on p-type Si (100) substrates by means of quartz-tube type microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MWPCVD) at different total gas pressures and an electron beam (EB) method. The NCNF deposited at the total gas pressure of 60 Torr had better field emission (FE) characteristics due to the dense structure of carbon sheets, good direction and high density of carbon needles. The FE properties were obviously improved due to depositing Au thin layer on NCNFs. The FE current density at a macroscopic electric field, E, of 10 V/μm was increased from 68.2 mA/cm² to 154.6 mA/cm² and the threshold field was decreased from 2.4 V/μm to 2.1 V/μm for the Au-coated NCNF deposited at the total gas pressure of 60 Torr. The three-region E model was employed to reasonably explain the FE data.     

Tuning the pKa of the antihistaminic drug chlorpheniramine maleate by supramolecular interactions with water-soluble polymers

The interaction of the pharmacologically important chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM) with polyanions containing sulfonate groups such as poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), poly(sodium vinylsulfonate) (PVS), and the more hydrophobic poly(sodium 2-(N-acrylamido)-2-methyl-propanesulfonate) (PAMPS) has been studied by ¹H NMR. It was found that the pK_a of the low-molecular weight molecule (LMWM) may be modified by its interaction with the polyanions, changing from 3 to 5, due to electric charge compensation. Interestingly, the interaction of CPM with PSS produces changes in CPM resonances, such as a general broadening and upfield shifts of the signals, and NOE effects between the LMWM and the water-soluble polymer (WSP) that indicate the presence of π-π interactions.     

Digital copy milling—autonomous milling process control without an NC program

Conventional NC machine tools do not generally allow the change of cutting conditions such as depth of cut and stepover during machining operations, once they are given machining commands as NC programs. For that reason, the NC programs must be prepared adequately and verified in advance, which requires extensive time and effort. It is therefore necessary to develop functions to generate the cutter path autonomously and control the cutting conditions adaptively during machining to optimize the cutting process, maintain stable cutting, and avoid cutting trouble. This paper proposes a new architecture to realize autonomous control of the cutting process without using NC programs. A technique called digital copy milling is developed to control the NC machine tool in real time. The digital copy milling system can generate tool paths in real time, based on the principle of copy milling. In addition, a new control strategy is developed to control the cutting conditions adaptively. A prototype of an autonomous controller was implemented in a three-axis control machining center. Thereafter, experimental milling tests were carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed system. The cutter paths were generated autonomously by the digital copy milling system. Results show that the cutting depth and stepover can be changed during milling tests. Cutting conditions were controlled adaptively.