Improved microcirculatory effect of D-allose on hepatic ischemia reperfusion following partial hepatectomy in cirrhotic rat liver

D-allose, one of the rare sugars produced from D-psicose, has been shown to be effective against reperfusion injury after ischemia and partial hepatectomy in cirrhotic rat liver by improving remnant liver blood flow and survival rates, and decreasing liver enzyme levels and liver tissue injury levels. These findings demand further study of the clinical implications of this sugar in view to the advancing fields of liver surgery and transplantation.     

Differential scanning calorimetry of porcine adipose tissues

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used for the direct analysis of melting properties in porcine subcutaneous, intermuscular, and kidney leaf adipose tissue by heating at a constant ratio of +5 °C/min from 4 to 90 °C. Melting curves for adipose tissues as well as fat extracted from the associated tissues by chloroform–methanol were generated using DSC. Major peaks in DSC curves were similar among types of adipose tissue but the temperatures of the melting peak and conclusion point differed among types of adipose tissues. From the visual appearance of fat samples it appeared that the major DSC peak corresponded to phase transition of the fat. The direct DSC analysis of porcine adipose tissues may be useful to determine melting properties.     

Supplementation effect of ectoine on thermostability of phytase

In this study, we elucidated the supplementation effect of compatible solutes on the thermostability of phytase, designated as PHYA II, which was encoded by the phytase gene phyA I (GeneBank AY013315) from Aspergillus ficuum As3.324 and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. When PHYA II in acetate buffer was heated at 90 degrees C for 15 min, more than 80% of the residual activity was retained by adding the cyclic amino acid ectoine, a representative compatible solute. Furthermore, the presence of ectoine led to an increase in the relative hydrolytic rate of sodium phytate by 15.7% with heating at 80 degrees C for 15 min. Among the compatible solutes examined, ectoine was confirmed to be the most efficient thermoprotectant for PHYA II.     

Application of a quick-freezing and deep-etching method to pathological diagnosis: a case of elastofibroma

A case of elastofibroma in a middle-aged Japanese woman was examined by the quick-freezing and deep-etching (QF-DE) method, as well as by immunohistochemistry and conventional electron microscopy. The slowly growing tumor developed at the right scapular region and was composed of fibrous connective tissue with unique elastic materials called elastofibroma fibers. A normal elastic fiber consists of a central core and peripheral zone, in which the latter has small aggregates of 10 nm microfibrils. By the QF-DE method, globular structures consisting of numerous fibrils (5-20 nm in width) were observed between the collagen bundles. We could confirm that they were microfibril-rich peripheral zones of elastofibroma fibers by comparing the replica membrane and conventional electron microscopy. One of the characteristics of elastofibroma fibers is that they are assumed to contain numerous microfibrils. Immunohistochemically, spindle tumor cells showed positive immunoreaction for vimentin, whereas alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, S-100 protein and CD34 showed negative immunoreaction. By conventional electron microscopy, the tumor cell had thin cytoplasmic processes, pinocytotic vesicles and prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum. Abundant intracytoplasmic filaments were observed in some tumor cells. Thick lamina-like structures along with their inner nuclear membrane were often observed in the tumor cell nuclei. The whole image of the tumor cell was considered to be a periosteal-derived cell, which would produce numerous microfibrils in the peripheral zone of elastofibroma fibers. This study indicated that the QF-DE method could be applied to the pathological diagnosis and analysis of pathomechanism, even for surgical specimens obtained from a patient.     

Clinical applications of the quick-freezing and deep-etching method to human diabetic nephropathy

Mesangial expansion and glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening were not different between normoalbuminuric (NA) and microalbuminuric (MA) type 2 diabetic patients. The quick-freezing and deep-etching (QF-DE) method allows us to examine three-dimensional ultrastructures of human renal glomeruli in vivo at high resolution. In the present study, the QF-DE method was applied to the renal biopsy from 6 type 2 diabetic patients without definable renal diseases other than diabetic nephropathy. Four patients were NA and the other two were MA. Three control specimens were normal parts in surgically resected kidneys of renal cell carcinoma. Replica membranes were prepared by the QF-DE method as previously described. By the QF-DE method, both GBM middle layer and mesangial matrix (MM) were composed of polygonal meshwork structures. The mesh pores of GBM and MM were more enlarged in size and irregular in shape in NA diabetic patients than those of the controls, and these ultrastructural changes became more obvious in MA patients. The diameters of mesh pores in the diabetic patients were significantly larger than those in the control subjects. In conclusion, the QF-DE method could be applied to needle renal biopsy and the present study has firstly clarified the difference of ultrastructural changes between NA and MA type 2 diabetic patients, which had not been disclosed by the conventional electron microscopy, were revealed by the QF-DE method.     

Multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in meat samples

A multiplex PCR method was developed for simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in meat samples. DNA detection sensitivity for this method was 10(3) CFU/ml for each pathogen. When this protocol was used for the detection of each of the above pathogenic bacteria in spiked pork samples, 1 cell per 25 g of inoculated sample could be detected within 30 h. In the samples of naturally contaminated meat, Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7 were detected over the same time period. Excellent agreement was obtained for the results of multiplex PCR and the conventional culture method, which suggests that the multiplex PCR is a reliable and useful method for rapid screening of meat products for Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7 contamination.     

An OTFT‐driven rollable OLED display

Abstract— An 80‐μm‐thick rollable AMOLED display driven by an OTFT is reported. The display was developed so as to be rollable in one direction with an integrated OTFT gate driver circuit. It was successfully operated by an originally developed organic semiconductor, a peri‐xanthenoxanthene derivative. The display retained its initial electrical properties and picture quality even after being subjected to 1000 cycles of a roll‐up‐and‐release test with a radius of 4 mm.     

Chaotic oscillations of a shallow cylindrical shell with a concentrated mass under periodic excitation

This paper presents effects of a concentrated mass on chaotic oscillations of a shallow cylindrical shell under gravity and periodic acceleration. The rectangular shell is simply supported and is elastically in-plane constrained. Assuming mode functions, the Donnell equation with inertia force is reduced to non-linear coupled differential equations by the Galerkin method. The chaotic response is calculated numerically and is examined by the maximum Lyapunov exponent. Dominant chaotic responses are generated within restricted frequency regions of sub-harmonic resonance of 1/2 order. As the concentrated mass increases, the chaotic response is shifted to the lower frequency region. The increment of the concentrated mass decreases the maximum Lyapunov exponent.     

一株耐盐菌EC51的生长特性及其系统发育分析

从大连市普兰店盐场盐池底部的淤泥中筛选出一株耐盐菌EC51,研究了分离菌株的形态和生长特性,该菌株为革兰氏阳性杆状菌.以其16S rDNA 序列相似性为基础构建系统发育树.结果表明,EC51与Bacillus Pumilus的相似性达到99%.耐盐菌EC51的渗透压补偿溶质（Ectoine）生成情况实验表明,用含2 mol/L NaCl的肉汤培养基,在30 ℃条件下培养48 h,诱导生成Ectoine为197.8 mg/L.     

A Nano-Emulsion Containing Ceramide-like Lipo-Amino Acid Cholesteryl Derivatives Improves Skin Symptoms in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis by Ameliorating the Water-Holding Function

Because ceramide-like lipo-amino acid cholesteryl derivatives can exert a bound water-holding function due to their lamellae-forming properties, in this study, we determined if topical application of those derivatives to atopic dry skin would elicit an ameliorative effect on skin symptoms, at least on its water-holding function. In this clinical study, daily treatment with a nano-emulsion containing 10% phytosteryl/octyldodecyl lauroyl glutamate (POLG) significantly (p < 0.0001) improved skin symptoms, including dryness/scaling, itchiness and stimulus sensations, in the non-lesional skin of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) at 3 and at 6 weeks compared with week 0. Those significant improvements in skin symptoms were accompanied by a significantly enhanced water content (conductance) and a significant improvement of roughness (SESC) and smoothness (SESM) values measured using a Visioscan at 3 and 6 weeks. Those effects appeared concomitant with a significantly increased corneocyte size, a significantly down-regulated degree of thick abrasions, and a significant impairment of the corneocyte lipid envelope at 6 weeks. Thus, our clinical study suggests, for the first time, that topical application of the POLG nano-emulsion has the distinct potential to ameliorate atopic dry skin symptoms, particularly scaling and itchiness, in the skin of patients with AD. Those effects result from alleviation of the disrupted water-holding function probably due to the increased supply of lamellae structures into the stratum corneum despite the failure to improve barrier function.