Effect of surface properties of silica nanoparticles on their cytotoxicity and cellular distribution in murine macrophages

Surface properties are often hypothesized to be important factors in the development of safer forms of nanomaterials (NMs). However, the results obtained from studying the cellular responses to NMs are often contradictory. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the surface properties of silica nanoparticles and their cytotoxicity against a murine macrophage cell line (RAW264.7). The surface of the silica nanoparticles was either unmodified (nSP70) or modified with amine (nSP70-N) or carboxyl groups (nSP70-C). First, the properties of the silica nanoparticles were characterized. RAW264.7 cells were then exposed to nSP70, nSP70-N, or nSP70-C, and any cytotoxic effects were monitored by analyzing DNA synthesis. The results of this study show that nSP70-N and nSP70-C have a smaller effect on DNA synthesis activity by comparison to unmodified nSP70. Analysis of the intracellular localization of the silica nanoparticles revealed that nSP70 had penetrated into the nucleus, whereas nSP70-N and nSP70-C showed no nuclear localization. These results suggest that intracellular localization is a critical factor underlying the cytotoxicity of these silica nanoparticles. Thus, the surface properties of silica nanoparticles play an important role in determining their safety. Our results suggest that optimization of the surface characteristics of silica nanoparticles will contribute to the development of safer forms of NMs.     

PRESSURE-MOLE FRACTION PHASE DIAGRAMS FOR CO 2 -PURE WATER SYSTEM UNDER TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES CORRESPONDING TO OCEAN WATERS AT DEPTH TO 3000 M

Pressure-mole fraction phase diagrams for the CO 2 -water system at temperatures between 278.15 and 298.15 K and pressures up to 30 MPa, which correspond to those of ocean waters at depths to 3000 m, are developed based on the literature data and experimental results obtained by the authors. The resultant phase diagrams can serve as a basis for analyzing the phase behavior of liquid CO 2 and CO 2 hydrate disposed of in the ocean as a means to mitigate global warming.     

A novel gas sensor from crystalline polymer-grafted carbon black: responsibility of electric resistance of composite from crystalline polymer-grafted carbon black against solvent vapor

Summary Crystalline polymers, such as poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA), and polyethylene (PE), were successfully grafted onto carbon black surface by direct condensation of terminal groups of these polymers with carboxyl groups on the surface using N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide as a condensing agent. The electric resistance of a composite prepared from these crystalline polymer-grafted carbon black drastically increased to 10⁴–10⁵ times of initial resistance in good solvent vapor of grafted polymer and returned to initial resistance when it was transferred into dry air. However, the change of electric resistance of the composite hardly observed in poor solvent vapor. These results suggest that these composite can be applied as a novel gas sensor. Received: 18 February 1999/Accepted: 25 March 1999     

Emission characteristics of NOx and unburned carbon in fly ash on high-ash coal combustion

Three coal sources, two high-ash coals from South Africa and one bituminous coal from Australia, were evaluated at a pulverized coal combustion test furnace. These combustion trials were carried out on different blending ratios with the two South African coal sources. The NOx emission characteristics of these high-ash coals are similar with those of bituminous coals. The combustion efficiencies on the high-ash coals are lower than those of bituminous coals. The high-ash coals do not affect bituminous coal combustion on the blending combustion.     

Typing of verotoxins by DNA colony hybridization with poly- and oligonucleotide probes, a bead-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and polymerase chain reaction

To identify the type of Verotoxins (VT) produced by Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC), a sensitive bead-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction with common and specific primers to various VTs (VT1, VT2, VT2vha, VT2vhb, and VT2vp1) were developed. Together with colony hybridization tests with oligo- and polynucleotide probes, these methods were applied to VTEC isolates to type the VT produced. The toxin types of 26 of 37 strains were identified, but the reaction profiles in assays of the remaining 11 strains suggested the existence of new VT2 variants. The application of these identification procedures may be useful as a tool for clinical and epidemiological studies of VTEC infection.     

Retroperitoneal malignant mesenchymoma: imaging findings in five cases

This study documented the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the proliferation and differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. During proliferation, preadipocytes were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), 100 g/L fetal bovine serum (FBS), 0. 584 g/L L-glutamine and 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/L CLA. Proliferation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes was measured directly by cell counting and indirectly by radiolabeled thymidine incorporation into DNA at 96 h postinoculation. Conjugated linoleic acid was not cytotoxic during proliferation or differentiation. The 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/L CLA treatments inhibited proliferation by 8, 12, 31 and 36%, respectively (all P < 0.05). Treatment with 10 mg/L CLA or 10 mg/L linoleic acid (cis-9,12) reduced the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA by 56 and 35%, respectively, suggesting that some portion of the effect of CLA on preadipocyte proliferation was nonspecific. After the initiation of differentiation, preadipocytes were cultured in DMEM, 100 g/L FBS, 0.584 g/L L-glutamine, 1.7 micromol/L insulin and 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/L CLA. Radiolabeled glucose incorporation into cellular lipids was increased from 7.4 to 11.1, 11.1, 17.4 and 22.5 nmol/(h.10(6 )cells) (all P < 0.05) by 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/L CLA, respectively. A media concentration of 10 mg/L CLA increased total cellular CLA (from 0 to 0.16 +/- 0.01 micromol/10(6 )cells), palmitic acid (from 0.47 to 1.10 +/- 0.03 micromol/10(6 )cells) and palmitoleic acid (from 0.24 to 0.81 +/- 0.03 micromol/10(6 )cells) (means +/- pooled SEM; all P < 0.05). Conjugated linoleic acid had no effect on arachidonic acid content, but decreased its proportion (g arachidonic acid/100 g total fatty acids) by >50% (P < 0.05). These data indicate that CLA inhibited proliferation and promoted de novo lipogenesis and lipid filling in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, suggesting that CLA may reduce overall fat accumulation in growing animals by inhibiting stromal vascular preadipocyte hyperplasia.     

Generalized Stochastic Sampling Method for Visualization and Investigation of Implicit Surfaces

Recently we proposed the stochastic sampling method (SSM), which can numerically generate sample points on complicated implicit surfaces quickly and uniformly. In this paper we generalize the method in two aspects: (1) We introduce two kinds of boundary conditions, so that we can sample a finite part of an open surface spreading infinitely. (2) We generalize the stochastic differential equation used in the SSM, so that its solutions can satisfy plural constraint conditions simultaneously. The first generalization enables us to visualize cut views of open surfaces. The second generalization enables us to visualize intersections of static and moving implicit surfaces, which leads to detailed investigation of intersections and other interesting applications such as visualization of contour maps.     

An endoscopic follow-up study of the development of diffuse antral vascular ectasia

AIMS: Chromogranin-A (CG), a cytoplasmic glycoprotein, is one of the markers most frequently used to identify the presence of neuroendocrine cells in the human gastrointestinal tract. Several authors have identified a subgroup of colorectal cancer patients with a sever prognosis whose tumors contained neuroendocrine CG-positive cells. In the present study, CG expression in 100 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma treated from January 1983 to December 1988 with potentially curative surgery was analyzed and correlated with other prognostic factors and 5-year survival rate. METHODS: Samples tested immunohistochemically for CG were divided into three groups: I) negative; II) less than 1 CG-positive cell/mm2; III) more than 1 CG-positive cell/mm2. RESULTS: Of 100 patients with primary colorectal adenocarcinoma, 79% had tumors comprised of CG-negative cells, 17% had rare CG-positive cells, and 4% of cases could be classified in group III. No significant relation between CG expression and location of primary tumor, bowel wall infiltration, stage of disease or tumor grade according to Broders and Jass was observed. The 5-year survival was 53% and 52% for CG-positive and CG-negative lesions, respectively. Survival of patients with Dukes-Kirklin stage C and D was comparable in patients with CG-positive (33.3%) and CG-negative (30%) tumors. CONCLUSIONS: CG expression cannot, at present, be recommended as a marker to identify prognostic subgroups in colorectal cancer patients.     

屈曲约束支撑在古北财富中心高层钢结构中的应用研究

古北财富中心主楼结构方案综合考虑结构抗震性能、建筑的功能、设备的布置及经济性后,采用屈曲约束支撑-钢框架结构体系。柱网为9.2m×9.2m,9.2m×(14-17.8)m,结构特点为大柱距、核芯区偏心布置。支撑布置的范围由于受到建筑立面和设备的限制,只能集中在楼梯和电梯间周围。工程选择普通支撑框架和屈曲约束支撑框架两种结构方案,从抗震性能、建筑功能及经济性等方面进行了综合比较。最后就屈曲约束支撑框架在工程中的应用作了进一步阐述。     

Synergistic enhancement of small and large intestinal carcinogenesis by combined treatment of rats with five heterocyclic amines in a medium-term multi-organ bioassay

The carcinogenic potential of five heterocyclic amines in combination was analyzed using a medium-term multi-organ bioassay. Male F344 rats were initially treated with five known carcinogens (diethylnitrosamine, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and 2,2'-dihydroxy-di-n-propylnitrosamine) over a 4 week period to induce preneoplastic changes in a variety of organs (wide spectrum initiation) and then given the five heterocyclic amines, all having the intestines as a target of their carcinogenicity, individually or in combination in the diet for a further 24 weeks. In the small and large intestines, simultaneous administration of five heterocyclic amines at doses 1/5 or 1/25 of those used in reported carcinogenicity studies resulted in higher incidences and multiplicities of adenocarcinomas than expected from the five individual effects, although the differences were not statistically significant. A synergistic effect based on the additive model was most evident (P < 0.141) with multiplicity data for carcinoma in the small intestine at the 1/25 dose. A similar trend was observed for Zymbal gland (P < 0.077), but not other carcinoma induction. Thus the results suggested that synergism depends on the carcinogenic organotropism of individual agents as well as the doses applied in combination.