Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Contributes to Differentiation of Monocyte-Derived Tumor-Associated Macrophages via PAI-1 and IL-8 Production

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, as well as anti-tumor immune suppression. Recent studies have shown that tumors enhance the recruitment and differentiation of TAMs, but the detailed mechanisms have not been clarified. We thus examined the influence of cancer cells on the differentiation of monocytes to TAM subsets, including CD163⁺, CD204⁺, and CD206⁺ cells, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and a cytokine array. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of OSCC cells (HSC-2, SQUU-A, and SQUU-B cells) on the differentiation of purified CD14⁺ cells to TAM subsets. The localization patterns of CD163⁺, CD204⁺, and CD206⁺ in OSCC sections were quite different. The expression of CD206 on CD14⁺ cells was significantly increased after the co-culture with OSCC cell lines, while the expressions of CD163 and CD204 on CD14⁺ cells showed no change. High concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were detected in the conditioned medium of OSCC cell lines. PAI-1 and IL-8 stimulated CD14⁺ cells to express CD206. Moreover, there were positive correlations among the numbers of CD206⁺, PAI-1⁺, and IL-8⁺ cells in OSCC sections. These results suggest that PAI-1 and IL-8 produced by OSCC contribute to the differentiation of monocytes to CD206⁺ TAMs.     

Phase evolution and <110>-orientation mechanism in RTGG-processed BaTiO3 ceramics with electrical properties

The <110>-oriented BaTiO₃ ceramics were fabricated using BaCO₃ matrix and H_1.08Ti_1.73O₄.nH₂O (HTO) template particles, and the mechanism of BaTiO₃ phase formation was investigated. The dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties were also investigated. The transformation of the HTO phase into the TiO₂ bronze or TiO₂ (B) phase was observed at 600°C, where the BaTiO₃ nucleation was accompanied by the formation of a Ba₂TiO₄ phase. The TiO₂ phase reacted with the Ba₂TiO₄ phase at 800°C to give a BaTiO₃ phase, whereas its reaction with the BaTiO₃ resulted in the formation of BaTi₂O₅ phase that got decomposed into BaTiO₃ and Ba₆Ti₁₇O₄₀ phase at sintering temperature ≥1300°C. Sintering with samples’ embedding in BaTiO₃ powders prevented the formation of the Ba₆Ti₁₇O₄₀ secondary phase. The crystallographic orientation along the <110> direction (F₁₁₀) was developed by the epitaxial grain growth mechanism. In addition to the contribution of the grain-size increment for enhancing the F₁₁₀, the preservation of the platelike structure was also found to have a significant impact. The ceramics prepared by the embedded sintering (grain size ≈12.4 µm and F₁₁₀ = 83%) exhibited the room-temperature dielectric constant of 1708 and piezoelectric strain constant of 445 pm/V, which are higher than those of the BaTiO₃ ceramics with randomly oriented grains.     

Profiling and Imaging of Phospholipids in Brains of Abcd1‐Deficient Mice

ABCD1 is a gene responsible for X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X‐ALD), and is critical for the transport of very long‐chain fatty acids (VLCFA) into peroxisomes and subsequent β‐oxidation. VLCFA‐containing lipids accumulate in X‐ALD patients, although the effect of ABCD1‐deficiency on each lipid species in the central nervous system has not been fully characterized. In this study, each phospholipid and lysophospholipid species in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains were profiled by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Among the phospholipid and lysophospholipid species that are significantly more enriched in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains, VLCFA were present in 75, 15, 5, 4, and 1 species of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine, respectively. Most VLCFA were incorporated at the sn‐1 position of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Among the phospholipid species that are significantly less enriched in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains, odd‐numbered saturated or mono‐unsaturated fatty acyl moieties are contained in all phosphatidylcholine species. In addition, a number of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine species contained highly unsaturated fatty acyl moieties. Intriguingly, 44:1 phosphatidylcholine with VLCFA was mainly distributed in the gray matter, such as the cortex, but not in the white matter in the cerebrum and cerebellum. These results show that ABCD1‐deficiency causes metabolic alternation of long‐chain fatty acids and VLCFA. Moreover, our results imply a molecular mechanism for the incorporation of saturated or monounsaturated VLCFA into the sn‐1 position of phospholipids, and also indicate that the distribution of phospholipids with VLCFA may correlate with the development of X‐ALD.     

The control performance improvement of the optical disk system by correction pulse control

This paper proposes a control system which improves OPU (Optical Pick Up) control performance in an optical disk system. This system can be realized by adding a correction pulse control block which is based on a position error signal onto a conventional position control loop composed of the PID control rule. Using this function, the position error resulting from a physical distortion and acceleration disturbance to the disk can be decreased sharply. Furthermore, this system can decrease the deviation caused by the shock disturbance which cannot be controlled by the PID control rule. In addition, it becomes possible to decrease the overshoot in the impulse response sharply, and realize stable capture of a target position. Since this system can be created with a simple algorithm, it is possible to use it in a wide range of applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 160(2): 53–67, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience. wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20570     

In vitro selection of aptamers that bind to ribosome-inactivating toxins

Ribosome-inactivating proteins, such as ricin, pepocin and gypsophilin, catalyze the hydrolysis of a single N-glycosidic bond at a specific position in rRNAs. Aptamers targeting pepocin were selected from a random sequence RNA pool that spanned 30 positions. After 8 rounds, the anti-pepocin aptamers were sequenced and a conserved hairpin motif was identified. Interestingly, the selected motif is quite different from the toxin-binding domains of rRNAs.     

Nanosecond and femtosecond mass spectroscopic analysis of a molecular beam produced by the spray-jet technique

The spray-jet molecular beam apparatus enabled us to produce a molecular beam of non-volatile molecules under high vacuum from a sprayed mist of sample solutions. The apparatus has been used in spectroscopic studies and as a means of molecular beam deposition. We analyzed the molecular beam, consisting of non-volatile, solvent, and carrier-gas molecules, by using femtosecond- and nanosecond- laser mass spectroscopy. The information thus obtained provided insight into the molecular beam produced by the spray-jet technique.     

Effects of gastrin on the histamine-secretory and proliferative activity of cultured carcinoid cells derived from the stomach of the rodent Mastomys natalensis

In order to estimate the distribution of Salmonella including Salmonella enteritidis (SE) and SE-antibodies in commercial layer hen flocks in Hokkaido, the northern prefecture of Japan, a survey of spent layer hens was performed, from August 1996 to January 1997. From the three spent hen processing plants, samples of intestines and sera were collected from 740 birds presented for slaughter from 37 flocks of 22 layer hen farms. Intestines from each birds were cultured for Salmonella including Salmonella enteritidis. Serum from each bird was examined for SE-antibody with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Salmonella (any serotype) and Salmonella enteritidis were isolated from 50 (6.8%) and three (0.4%) of 740 birds, respectively, and SE-antibody positive values were recorded from seven birds (0.9%). SE-antibody positive birds did not always indicate isolation of Salmonella enteritidis, however SE-antibody positive hens were demonstrated only from Salmonella enteritidis positive flocks. Salmonellae were isolated from the birds of ten layer hen farms, all of these hens were raised in houses without windows and with automatic feeders. No isolations of salmonella were made from birds raised in houses with windows. From the windowless houses, Salmonellae were isolated from 46 (21.8%) of 260 birds in houses with four to six cages piled up vertically, and from six (2.5%) of 240 samples from the houses with four to five cages piled in a slanting manner.     

Theoretical study of molecular rectification in porphyrin dimer

Carrying out theoretical calculations using the density functional method for nonequilibrium electron transport, we investigated the electric conductibility of a porphyrin dimer coupled to gold electrodes by thiolate bonds. A porphyrin with four electron-donating amino groups in the dimer is connected to a porphyrin with four electron-withdrawing cyano groups by a dimethylene bridge. The calculations demonstrated that this dimer allows more flow of electrons from the first porphyrin (donor) to the second porphyrin (acceptor) than in the opposite direction. This means that the porphyrin dimer has favorable rectifier characteristics that are accounted for by the mechanism of not Aviram and Ratner [Chem. Phys. Lett. 29 (1974) 277] but of Stokbro, et al. [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125 (2003) 3674].     

Low-dose N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester treatment improves survival rate and decreases myocardial injury in a murine model of viral myocarditis induced by coxsackievirus B3

Recent reports demonstrated the expression of inducible-type NO synthase in the heart of viral myocarditis. Since NO has multiple biological actions, a substantial amount of NO produced in the diseased heart may act either as a cytotoxic or as a cytoprotective molecule in the process of myocarditis. In the present study, we examined the effect of inhibition of NO synthesis on the mortality and the extent of myocardial injury in a murine model of coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis. We fed the infected mice drinking water containing a relatively low concentration (0.37 mmol/L) of N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) for 14 days after virus inoculation. This dose of L-NAME did not change virus titers in the heart. However, L-NAME-fed mice showed a significant reduction in mortality compared with those fed normal drinking water (nontreated mice). On the contrary, mice given a higher concentration of L-NAME (3.7 mmol/L) exhibited increased mortality. In addition, mice fed a low concentration of L-NAME showed reductions in the severity of heart failure and in the area of myocardial necrosis. Although systemic blood pressure was reduced in nontreated mice, in mice fed a low concentration of L-NAME, it was maintained at a level similar to that in uninfected control mice, L-NAME-treated mice also exhibited a reduction in the degree of inflammatory cell infiltration associated with decreased production of tissue prostaglandin E2 levels in the heart compared with nontreated mice. Therefore, NO is likely to be involved in the pathogenic mechanisms of myocardial injury and resultant cardiac dysfunction in a murine model of coxsackievirus B3-induced viral myocarditis.     

Transient stability considering dynamic load in bulk power system with high DG penetration

Transient stability may be seriously affected when a large number of distributed generators (DG) stop simultaneously during voltage sag. It is necessary to analyze accurately the dynamics of bulk power systems with high DG penetration. In this paper, transient stability is studied by analyzing power‐angle curves of generators while considering load dynamics and model order reduction at lower voltages. Based on the analysis, a decrease in the load internal resistance after voltage sag causes transient instability of generators. The phenomenon is confirmed through simulation using a one‐machine and one‐load model. This paper also suggests that the simulation results might be misled by traditional bulk power system modeling such as using the static load model and ignoring impedance at lower voltages. As for the numerical simulation, a large level of DG stoppage leads to transient step out in a bulk power system, and the stability is greatly improved by DG voltage regulation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 162(2): 20– 29, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20608