Simple evaluation of aortic arch calcification by chest radiography in hemodialysis patients

Vascular calcification is associated with a poor prognosis in dialysis patients. It can be assessed with computed tomography but simple inoffice techniques may provide useful information. We compared the results obtained with a simple noninvasive technique with those obtained using multidetector computed tomography for aortic arch calcification volume (AoACV) in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. The enrolled study subjects were 63 (32 men and 31 women) maintenance HD patients. Calcification of the aortic arch was semiquantitatively estimated with a AoAC score (AoACS) on plain chest radiology. The AoACV was increased, with a mean value of 6.6 ranging from 0% to 36.5%. The coefficient of intraobserver variation was less than 2.5%. Aortic arch calcification score was highly correlated with AoACV (r=0.635, P<0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed age (F value=12.62, P<0.001) and pulse pressure (F value=4.54, P=0.037) to be significant independent determinants of AoACS. In conclusion, a simple measurement of AoACS may be useful for inoffice imaging to choose a therapeutic regimen in HD patients.     

Adsorption properties of amphiphilic polyoxyalkylenated dimethylpolysiloxane derivatives on keratin

Adsorption properties of two types of dimethylpolysiloxane backbone derivatives, perfluoroalkyl polyoxyethylenated dimethylpolysiloxane (FPD) and polyoxyethylenated dimethylpolysiloxane (PD), onto keratin surfaces were investigated. Both polymers are amphiphilic, since they possess hydrophilic polyoxyethylene groups. FPD contains a perfluoroalkyl group that provides both water-and oil-repellent properties, whereas PD lacks these groups. Adsorption properties of these polymers onto keratin surfaces are considered a good index to evaluate these compounds as nonionics used in hair-coating agents, since keratin is a major component of hair. FPD was more likely to be adsorbed and less likely to be eliminated from the keratin surface than PD. Once FPD had been adsorbed onto the keratin surface, it was very slowly washed from the surface when it was immersed in stationary water, whereas PD polymers were quickly washed from the keratin surface. Even in running water, rapid elimination of FPD was not observed. The strong resistance to loss of FPD after washing with a large quantity of water may be due to the water-repellent nature of the perfluoroalkyl groups. As a comparison, FPD adsorption onto a glass surface was also investigated. The affinity to the glass surface was found to be less than to the keratin surface.     

Treatment of nonylphenol with laccase in a rotating reactor

The effects of operation conditions on reaction rate in the enzymatic oxidative treatment of nonylphenol with laccase in a rotating reactor were studied. Sea sand that adsorbed nonylphenol was used as a polluted soil model. Nonylphenol concentration decreased with laccase treatment five times faster at 40 degrees C than at 10 degrees C and the apparent activation energy of the enzyme reaction was 39 kJ mol(-1), which was in the range of the values reported for similar laccase reactions. Reaction rate increased when the angle of the axis of the rotating reactor from the vertical line increased and when the speed of revolution was increased to 10 rpm at different volumes of the enzyme solution. Thus, mixing is important for the oxidation of nonylphenol with laccase. The nonylphenol released from the sand into the enzyme solution in the initial stage of the treatment was easily oxidized. However, the nonylphenol adsorbed on the sand reacted slowly. Reaction rate increased nearly proportional to the square root of enzyme concentration, which suggests that the nonylphenol radical reacted with unoxidized nonylphenol (nonenzymatic propagation) during the enzymatic oxidative treatment. The dependence of reaction rate on the nonylphenol concentration was similar to the Michaelis-Menten type. The residual estrogenic activity of the treated sand was measured by medaka vitellogenin assay. The estrogenic activity decreased to 1/6-1/90 after 24 h of the treatment.     

Detailed Structure and Pathophysiological Roles of the IgA-Albumin Complex in Multiple Myeloma

Immunoglobulin A (IgA)-albumin complexes may be associated with pathophysiology of multiple myeloma, although the etiology is not clear. Detailed structural analyses of these protein–protein complexes may contribute to our understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease. We analyzed the structure of the IgA-albumin complex using various electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and in silico techniques. The data based on the electrophoresis and mass spectrometry showed that IgA in the sera of patients was dimeric, linked via the J chain. Only dimeric IgA can bind to albumin molecules leading to IgA-albumin complexes, although both monomeric and dimeric forms of IgA were present in the sera. Molecular interaction analyses in silico implied that dimeric IgA and albumin interacted not only via disulfide bond formation, but also via noncovalent bonds. Disulfide bonds were predicted between Cys34 of albumin and Cys311 of IgA, resulting in an oxidized form of albumin. Furthermore, complex formation prolongs the half-life of IgA molecules in the IgA-albumin complex, leading to excessive glycation of IgA molecules and affects the accumulation of IgA in serum. These findings may demonstrate why complications such as hyperviscosity syndrome occur more often in patients with IgA dimer producing multiple myeloma.     

Atmospheric formation of hydroxynitropyrenes from a photochemical reaction of particle-associated 1-nitropyrene

The formation of hydroxynitropyrene (OHNP) via a photochemical reaction of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) was demonstrated using a UV irradiation system. The photoreaction of 1-NP in methanol gave products that were hydroxy-substituted at position 1 and mononitro-substituted at positions 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 [1-hydroxy-x-nitropyrenes (1-OH-x-NPs); x = 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8]. 1-OH-2-NP and 1-OH-5-NP have been identified in ambient airborne particles for the first time. On the contrary, these two OHNP isomers were not found in standard reference materials (SRM) 1650b and SRM 1975, which are typical samples of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs). The concentrations of the other OHNP isomers in the DEP samples were much lower than the concentration of 1-NP, which is a representative nitro-derivative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that is emitted directly from combustion sources. On the other hand, significantly higher concentration ratios of ∑OHNP (=1-OH-3-NP + 1-OH-6-NP + 1-OH-8-NP) to 1-NP were observed in ambient airborne particles than in the DEP samples. In ambient airborne particles, the mean ∑OHNP/1-NP concentration ratio of 1.4 was 35 times higher than that in SRM 1650b and 470 times higher than that in SRM 1975. The diurnal concentration of 1-NP, which was observed at a typical residential area in Osaka, Japan, increased early in the morning and late in the evening, suggesting that automotive emissions contributed to the occurrence of 1-NP. The OHNP concentrations also rose in the morning, and variations of OHNP concentrations similar to those of 1-NP were observed during the daytime. However, the concentrations of OHNPs did not increase in the evening rush hour, and were low at night, i.e., in the absence of sunlight. These results support the idea that atmospheric OHNPs are predominantly formed via secondary formation processes; i.e., photochemical reactions of 1-NP are expected to have a significant effect on the occurrence of OHNPs in the atmosphere.     

Improved Methods for the Fatty Acid Analysis of Blood Lipid Classes

Two improved methods have been developed for preparation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) from major O-ester lipid classes in blood, i.e., cholesterol ester, triacylglycerol, and glycerophospholipids. The methods involve simple operations, and use neither harmful solvents such as chloroform or benzene nor highly reactive volatile reagents such as acetyl chloride. The FAME synthesis reaction proceeds under mild temperature conditions. The methods include (1) extraction of lipids from 0.2 ml of blood with 0.2 ml of tert-butyl methyl ether and 0.1 ml of methanol, (2) separation of the total lipids into lipid classes using a solid-phase extraction column or thin-layer chromatography, and (3) methanolysis of each lipid class at room temperature or at 45 °C. In all the operations, solvent concentration is performed only once prior to gas–liquid chromatography (GC). No noticeable differences in composition determined by GC have been found between FAME prepared by the present methods and those prepared by a conventional method involving lipid extraction with chloroform/methanol. The mild reaction and simplified procedures of the present methods enabled safe and reproducible analysis of the fatty acid compositions of the major ester-lipid classes in blood.     

Preliminary evaluation of input devices for furniture layout systems employing augmented reality

This letter compares the table‐top control board system with the system of laying markers on a real floor for furniture layout systems, employing augmented reality. In a furniture arrangement experiment followed by subjective evaluation, the control board obtained better evaluation than when laying markers on a real floor. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.