Capability of Utilizing CYP3A5 Polymorphisms to Predict Therapeutic Dosage of Tacrolimus at Early Stage Post-Renal Transplantation

While CYP3A5 polymorphisms are used to predict the initial dosage of tacrolimus therapy, the predictive capability of genetic information for dosing at early stage post-renal transplantation is unknown. We investigated the influence of polymorphisms over time. An initial oral dose of modified-release once-daily tacrolimus formulation (0.20 mg/kg) was administered to 50 Japanese renal transplant patients every 24 h. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis for tacrolimus dosing was performed each week to determine the effect of patient clinical characteristics. The dose-adjusted trough concentration was approximately 70% higher for patients with the CYP3A5*3/*3 than patients with the CYP3A5*1 allele before the second pre-transplantation tacrolimus dose (0.97 (0.78–1.17) vs. 0.59 (0.45–0.87) ng/mL/mg; p < 0.001). The contribution of genetic factors (CYP3A5*1 or *3) for tacrolimus dosing showed increased variation from Day 14 to Day 28 after transplantation: 7.2%, 18.4% and 19.5% on Days 14, 21 and 28, respectively. The influence of CYP3A5 polymorphisms on the tacrolimus maintenance dosage became evident after Day 14 post-transplantation, although the tacrolimus dosage was determined based only on patient body weight for the first three days after surgery. Tacrolimus dosage starting with the initial administration should be individualized using the CYP3A5 genotype information.     

Development of Endothelial Cell Networks in 3D Tissues by Combination of Melt Electrospinning Writing with Cell‐Accumulation Technology

A remaining challenge in tissue engineering approaches is the in vitro vascularization of engineered constructs or tissues. Current approaches in engineered vascularized constructs are often limited in the control of initial vascular network geometry, which is crucial to ensure full functionality of these constructs with regard to cell survival, metabolic activity, and potential differentiation ability. Herein, the combination of 3D‐printed poly‐ε‐caprolactone scaffolds via melt electrospinning writing with the cell‐accumulation technique to enable the formation and control of capillary‐like network structures is reported. The cell‐accumulation technique is already proven itself to be a powerful tool in obtaining thick (50 µm) tissues and its main advantage is the rapid production of tissues and its ease of performance. However, the applied combination yields tissue thicknesses that are doubled, which is of outstanding importance for an improved handling of the scaffolds and the generation of clinically relevant sample volumes. Moreover, a correlation of increasing vascular endothelial growth factor secretion to hypoxic conditions with increasing pore sizes and an assessment of the formation of neovascular like structures are included.     

聚乙烯醇/聚二甲基二乙烯氯化铵阴离子自立交换膜的制备与性能

以5种不同聚乙烯醇/聚二甲基二乙烯氯化铵配比制备了用于电透析脱盐的阴离子自立交换膜,并考察3种不同热处理温度对膜含水率、膜电荷密度、真实迁移数及膜面电阻的影响。实验结果表明:膜的含水率随聚二甲基二乙烯氯化铵含量CPC的增加而增加,随热处理温度的增加而降低;在CPC为30 wt%,热处理温度为180℃时,阴离子交换膜的膜面电阻最低,为3.04Ωcm2;在CPC为30 wt%,热处理温度为180℃时,阴离子交换膜的真实迁移数达到0.99;在CPC为20 wt%,热处理温度为180℃时,阴离子交换膜的膜电荷密度值为1.14 mol dm-3。     

来自世博会的收获

1970年代初开始的世博会给日本建筑界带来了无数创作的机会和合作的场所，笔者通过讲述亲身的经历，介绍其所参加的世博会中的项目，并且记录了由作品阐述的自身想法，由合作创造的全新灵感和由参与总结的难得收获。作者也提出了对2010年上海世博会的看法和建议。     

Study on the generation of perfluorooctane sulfonate from the aqueous film-forming foam

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (C(8)HF(17)SO(3)) and perfluorooctane acid (C(8)HF(15)O(2)) are artificial chemicals and have been used all over the world, mainly as water repellent agents, fluorochemical surfactants, coating agents, etc. However, perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctane acid are environmental contaminants because of their stability, bio-accumulativeness, and long-term persistence in the ecological environment. At the present day, they are diffused all over the world. Lately, this diffusion is viewed with suspicion and there is a movement towards their restriction, even if the environmental fate of them is still under investigation. Fluorochemical surfactants are key compounds in the aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations. AFFFs are used for massive conflagration such as industrial fire and petroleum fire because of their efficient fire control. On the other hand, a lot of AFFFs are used in case of massive conflagration and most of them enter ocean and groundwater. Actually, perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctane sulfonate related substances were detected from the fire-fighting facility of US forces. Therefore, there is the possibility of generating perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctane sulfonate related substances from fluorochemical surfactants in the AFFFs. In this study, activated sludge added AFFF were analyzed for perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctane acid with time. And the perfluorooctane sulfonate was directly detected after 2 days using LC-MS. This shows that AFFF can be decomposed perfluorooctane sulfonate by microorganisms easily. However, perfluorooctane sulfonate would not decompose at all. Additionally, activated sludge added N-polyoxyethylene-N-propyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide which is one of the fluorochemical surfactants used in the AFFF was analyzed for perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctane acid with time and the perfluorooctane sulfonate was detected too.     

Robust Eigenvector Algorithms for Blind Deconvolution of MIMO Linear Systems

This paper presents eigenvector algorithms (EVAs) for blind deconvolution of multiple-input, multiple-output infinite impulse response channels (convolutive mixtures). An attractive feature of one of the proposed EVAs is that it is insensitive to Gaussian noises which are added to the outputs of the channels; hence, the proposed EVA is referred to as a "robust" eigenvector algorithm. Simulation results show the validity of the proposed EVAs.     

Littrow-type external-cavity blue laser for holographic data storage

An external-cavity laser with a wavelength of 405 nm and an output of 80 mW has been developed for holographic data storage. The laser has three states: the first is a perfect single mode, whose coherent length is 14 m; the second is a three-mode state with a coherent length of 3 mm; and the third is a six-mode state with a coherent length of 0.3 mm. The first and second states are available for angular-multiplexing recording; all states are available for coaxial multiplexing recording. Due to its short wavelength, the recording density is higher than that of a 532 nm laser.     

Tunable blue laser compensates for thermal expansion of the medium in holographic data storage

A tunable laser optical source equipped with wavelength and mode-hop monitors was developed to compensate for thermal expansion of the medium in holographic data storage. The laser's tunable range is 402-409 nm, and supplying 90 mA of laser diode current provides an output power greater than 40 mW. The aberration of output light is less than 0.05 lambdarms. The temperature range within which the laser can compensate for thermal expansion of the medium is estimated based on the tunable range, which is +/-13.5 degrees C for glass substrates and +/-17.5 degrees C for amorphous polyolefin substrates.     

Long-chain polyamines (LCPAs) from marine sponge: possible implication in spicule formation

Two distinct marine organisms, diatoms and sponges, deposit dissolved silicates to construct highly architectural and species-specific body supports. Several factors such as proteins, long-chain polyamines (LCPAs), or polypeptides modified with LCPAs are known to be involved in this process. The LCPAs contained in the silica walls of diatoms are thought to play pivotal roles in the silica deposition. In sponges, however, a protein called silicatein and several other proteins have been reported to be the factors involved in the silica deposition. However, no other factors involved in this process have been reported. We have identified the LCPAs from the marine sponge Axinyssa aculeata and present here some evidence that sponge-derived LCPAs can deposit silica and that the LCPA derivatives are associated with spicules. The results indicate a common chemistry between sponges and diatoms, the two major players in the biological circulation of silicon in the marine environment. A wide variety of organisms are known to utilize silica in their biological processes. Polyamines or other functional molecules might be involved, in combination with proteins, in their biosilicification process.     

铽-聚N-乙烯基乙酰胺-1,10-菲罗啉三元配合物的光学性能

以N乙烯基乙酰胺(NVA)为原料通过自由基聚合反应合成了N乙烯基乙酰胺(PNVA),在乙醇溶液中合成了铽聚N乙烯基乙酰胺1,10菲罗啉(TbPNVAphen)的三元稀土高分子配合物。利用FTIR、UV-vis和荧光光谱对三元配合物进行了结构表征。荧光光谱表明,配合物的最佳激发波长为304nm;在此波长激发下,配合物在490nm和546nm处发出较强铽的特征荧光,荧光强度分别为846.853和2086.798,分别比TbPNVA配合物增强了1310%和1290%。