Janus Kinase Inhibitors Ameliorated Gastrointestinal Amyloidosis and Hypoalbuminemia in Persistent Dermatitis Mouse Model

Malnutrition is not only regarded as a complication of rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease but also that of inflammatory skin disease; however, the mechanisms and efficacy of its treatment have not been elucidated. Using a mouse model of dermatitis, we investigated the pathophysiology of malnutrition in inflammatory skin conditions and efficacy of its treatment. We employed spontaneous skin inflammation mice models overexpressing human caspase-1 in the epidermal keratinocytes. Body weight, nutrition level, and α1-antitrypsin fecal concentration were measured. The gastrointestinal tract was histologically and functionally investigated. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran was forcibly fed on an empty stomach, and plasma FITC-dextran was measured. The treatment efficacy of antibodies against tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-α/β as well as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors was investigated. Compared with wild-type littermates, the inflammatory skin mice models showed a lowered body weight, reduction of serum albumin level, amyloid deposition in the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, and increased α1-antitrypsin fecal concentration. However, the plasma FITC-dextran was unchanged between the dermatitis models and wild-type littermates. The over-produced serum amyloid A1 in the liver was detected in the plasma in the dermatitis model. Antibodies against TNF-α and IL-α/β showed partial effects on amyloid deposition; however, JAK inhibitors improved gastrointestinal amyloidosis with the improvement of skin symptoms. Chronic dermatitis is closely related to secondary amyloidosis in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in hypoalbuminemia. Therefore, active control of skin inflammation is essential for preventing gastrointestinal complications.     

Photoinduced cooperative reorientation in polymer blend films with hydrogen-bonded mesogenic side groups

Thermally enhanced photoinduced cooperative reorientation in hydrogen (H)-bonded polymer blend films was investigated. The films consisted of two kinds polymethacrylates with hexamethylene spacer groups terminated with 4-oxycinnamic acid (P6CA), 4-oxybenzoic acid (P6BA) or 4-(4′-oxyphenyl)benzoic acid (P6PBA) in the side chains. The films were subjected to linearly polarized ultraviolet (LPUV) light and subsequent annealing. Sufficient cooperative in-plane molecular reorientation in P6CA–P6BA blend films was achieved for the first time. In P6CA–P6PBA blend films, however, reorientation was not observed. The molecular weight, as well as the thermal properties of the homopolymers and the degree of photoreaction all played an important role in the cooperative reorientation behavior of the blend films. Finally, uniform alignment control of low-molecular-weight liquid crystals (LCs) on the molecularly reoriented polymer blend films perpendicular to the polarization E of LPUV light was obtained.     

The modification of porous chromato-gel surface for liquid chromatography by poly(4-vinylpyridine) microgels

A porous chromato-gel for liquid chromatography was modified by fixing poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) microgels of homogeneous size on its surface, and the microgels were further quarternized by using iodomethane or bromoacetic acid, in order to vary the chromatographic characters of the original chromato-gel. The character of the porous chromato-gel before and after modification was investigated by the retention volume (Ve) of dextran and pullulan standards with various molecular weights (MW: 2 × 10–2 × 10⁶ g/mol). It was found that a single layer of microgels had been fixed compactly on the surface of the chromato-gel, and the retention volume (Ve) and the limit exclusion molecular weight (LEMW) [the molecular weight where the d(Ve)/d(MW) became maximum] were affected remarkably by the sizes and chemical characters of the fixed microgels. The retention volume and LEMW decreased when the pore size formed by microgels was smaller than the hole size of the chromato-gel, while the reverse result was obtained when the pore size formed by the microgels became larger than the hole size of the chromato-gel. After the microgels were quarternized, the retention volume decreased further. Furthermore, the chromato-gel quarternized by bromoacetic acid showed excellent chromatographic character. This study provided an advantage in that the chromatographic characters of the chromato-gel can be varied and improved easily. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Modeling of fuel performance and metallic fission product release behavior during HTTR normal operating conditions

The computer codes PANAMA and FRESCO developed at the Research Center Jülich have been used for the prediction of fuel performance and fission product release behavior during the normal operation of the Japanese High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor, HTTR. Basis for the calculations was the so-called ‘Standard HTTR Operation Plan’ with a nominal operation time of 660 efpd including a 110 efpd period with enhanced fuel temperatures. Fuel performance model calculations with the PANAMA code have shown that for the temperature distribution given, only a small additional failure fraction is expected. The diffusive release of metallic fission products from the fuel occurs mainly from the central core layers with the maximum temperatures whereas there is little contribution from the upper layer. Silver most easily escapes the fuel. The release data for strontium and cesium also reveal a significant fraction to originate from still intact particles. The comparison with the calculations obtained with the JAERI models has shown a good agreement for the release from the coated particles.     

Microstructure of sputter-deposited strontium titanate films

The origin of a marked difference in a dielectric constant, κ, observed between two types of strontium titanium oxide (STO) films sputter-deposited on platinum layers was investigated using a transmission electron microscopy method. The first type of STO films having a low κ value initially grew as an amorphous phase, followed by the formation of a randomly oriented polycrystalline phase. The second type with a high κ, on the other hand, not only grew as a crystalline phase throughout the entire film thickness, but also exhibited a strong [111] fiber texture. The observed difference in κ between these two types of STO films can thus be explained in terms of the degree of film crystallinity and texture.     

Generation characteristics of 100 kW PV system with various tilt angle and direction arrays

We report analysis about generation data of a 100 kW PV system. The system consists of seven polycrystalline silicon arrays and three thin-film arrays. The rated power of each array is 10 kW. Thin-film is made of tandem structure comprising amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon. For each array, tilt angles are arranged in 10°, 20° or 30°. And directions are facing due south, south-south east 30° and south-south west 30°.We have been analyzing generation data of the system since 2007 to understand the influence of system arrangement. The knowledge we have got until now is below.

(a)

Seasonal annealing occurs in thin-film arrays because thin-film cells contain amorphous silicon. Thus, theoretically, as for reduction of conversion efficiency in high temperature season, reduction of thin-film arrays is smaller than polycrystalline’s. We analyzed the ratio of seasonal generation energy (kWh) by using measured data of the system. Generation energy ratio in summer of thin-film is larger than polycrystalline’s. This is same trend as the theory.

(b)

There is a simulated data of solar irradiation that had been calculated by using meteorological data of 30 years. According to this simulated data, optimum condition of the system is arranged in tilt angle of 28.4° and facing due south. (The system is situated at latitude 33° north.) And simulation data shows that yearly irradiation decreases as tilt angle and direction become far from optimum condition. We analyzed yearly generation energy of each array in the system. Each array’s reduction percentages of generated energy from optimum condition were smaller than simulation value.