Boronic acid‐based thin films that show saccharide‐responsive multicolor changes

A novel saccharide sensor that displays a distinct color change resembling a “traffic signal” was developed. By copolymerizing boronic acid and amine monomers on a glass plate, a boronic acid‐containing thin film was obtained. Anionic blue and yellow dyes were adsorbed on the thin film, and the film was immersed in aqueous saccharide solutions containing a cationic red dye. With increase in the saccharide concentration in the solution, the thin film changes color from green to red via yellow. The observed distinct changes in color were attributed to a stepwise release and binding of dyes. The sensitivity of the saccharide sensor was dependent on the monomer composition of the thin film and increased with increasing the boronic acid content. The pH of the saccharide solution was another key factor affecting the sensing behavior, and glucose‐responsive color changes were significantly enhanced at pH 7.8. By optimizing these conditions, significant color changes in response to glucose were achieved. Saccharide selectivity was found to be in the following order: fructose > glucose > galactose = mannose > sucrose. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42679.     

Glass-Ceramics and Solid-State Lighting

Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) doped with Ce³⁺ ion is known as an excellent phosphor for light-emitting diode (LED), usually used as a powder form dispersed in organic resins. We have developed translucent glass-ceramics (GC) of YAG: Ce³⁺ microcrystals in 2004. The GC sheet with half millimeter thick can work efficiently to make identical emission spectra with conventional white LED when combined with a blue LED. This report reviews the development history of the GC materials and impact for all inorganic solution for solid-state lighting.     

Seismic stability of embankments subjected to pre-deformation due to foundation consolidation

It has been reported that the major cause of earthquake damage to embankments on level ground surfaces is liquefaction of foundation soil. A few case histories, however, suggest that river levees resting on non-liquefiable foundation soil have been severely damaged if the foundation soil is highly compressible, such as thick soft clay and peat deposits. A large number of such river levees were severely damaged by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake. A detailed inspection of the dissected damaged levees revealed that the base of the levees subsided in a bowl shape due to foundation consolidation. The liquefaction of a saturated zone, formed at the embankment base, is considered the prime cause of the damage. The deformation of the levees, due to the foundation consolidation which may have resulted in a reduction in stress and the degradation of soil density, is surmised to have contributed as an underlying mechanism. In this study, a series of centrifuge tests is conducted to experimentally verify the effects of the thickness of the saturated zone in embankments and of the foundation consolidation on the seismic damage to embankments. It is found that the thickness of the saturated zone in embankments and the drainage boundary conditions of the zone have a significant effect on the deformation of the embankments during shaking. For an embankment on a soft clay deposit, horizontal tensile strain as high as 6% was observed at the zone above the embankment base and horizontal stress was approximately half that of the embankment on stiff foundation soil. Crest settlement and the deformation of the embankment during shaking were larger for the embankment subjected to deformation due to foundation consolidation.     

Organic–inorganic nanomatrix structure and properties of related naturally occurring rubbery macromolecules

The outstanding mechanical properties of soft materials i.e. natural rubber are partly due to the organic–inorganic nanomatrix structure because numerous organic microparticles are dispersed in a small amount of an inorganic nanomatrix composed of inorganic nanoparticles and organic macromolecules. Here we form an organic–inorganic nanomatrix using graft-copolymerization of a vinyl monomer with an inorganic oxide precursor onto natural rubber particles with an average diameter of 1 μm dispersed in water. The inorganic oxide precursor is converted into inorganic oxide nanoparticles through hydrolysis and condensation, forming chemical linkages between natural rubber microparticles and inorganic oxide nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that the organic–inorganic nanomatrix is densely filled with inorganic oxide nanoparticles and the natural rubber microparticles are dispersed in the nanomatrix. This nanomatrix composite realizes both energetic elasticity and entropic elasticity of a soft material, opening a novel field of building block chemistry with respect to a pair of organic microparticles and inorganic nanoparticles.     

A Moment Method of the Log-Normal Size Distribution with the Critical Size Limit in the Free-Molecular Regime

The present work proposes new formulations of the moment in the free-molecular size regime involving (1) boundary equations at the critical size for evaporation, condensation, and nucleation, and (2) b coefficient functions for coagulation that are improved by two parameters (standard deviation and nondimensional critical size). Using these formulations based on the error function, the critical particle size is readily introduced into the log-normal moment method for applications in general aerosol dynamics. In the situation that the particle size distribution is located near the critical size, the proposed moment method (which considers the critical size limit) improves predictions of total particle number and particle volume concentrations as compared with previously well-used log-normal moment methods for sizes ranging from 0 to ∞. However, as the size distribution approaches to the continuum size regime, the influence of the critical size becomes smaller. Thus, the new formulations are expected to improve microphysical parameterization in the free-molecular regime in aerosol-transport models.

Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Mouse Gastric Epithelial Cells Resist CagA Delivery by the Helicobacter pylori Type IV Secretion System

The initial step in bacterial infection is adherence of the bacterium to the target cell surface. Helicobacter pylori exploits the interaction of bacterial adhesin protein HopQ with human epithelial CEACAMs (CEACAM1, 5, and 6) to stably adhere to gastric epithelial cells, which is necessary for delivery of the H. pylori CagA oncoprotein into the epithelial cells via a type IV secretion system. In contrast to human CEACAMs, however, HopQ does not interact with Ceacam1 (mouse CEACAM1) in vitro or in CHO cells ectopically expressing Ceacam1. Since the mouse genome lacks Ceacam5 and Ceacam6, no significant HopQ–Ceacam interaction may occur in mouse gastric epithelial cells. Here, we found that the mouse stomach has a much lower expression level of Ceacam1 than the expression level of CEACAM1 in the human stomach. Consistently, mouse gastric epithelial cells resist CagA delivery by cagA-positive H. pylori, and the delivery is restored by ectopic expression of human CEACAM1 or CEACAM5 in mouse gastric epithelial cells. Thus, despite the fact that mice are routinely used for H. pylori infection studies, a low expression level of Ceacam1 in the mouse stomach together with the loss or greatly reduced interaction of HopQ with Ceacams make the mouse an inappropriate model for studying the role of H. pylori-delivered CagA in gastric pathogenesis, including the development of gastric cancer.     

Therapeutic Targets and Emerging Treatments in Advanced Chondrosarcoma

Simple SummaryChondrosarcomas develop chemoresistance to standard anticancer drugs, making it difficult to control unresectable or metastatic chondrosarcomas. To improve the clinical outcomes of chondrosarcoma, new treatment approaches, such as molecule-targeting agents and immunotherapy, are needed. Recent research has revealed promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for chondrosarcoma. In addition, several molecule-targeting agents have shown favorable antitumor activities in several clinical studies in patients with advanced sarcomas, including chondrosarcoma. This review summarizes recent basic studies on biomarkers and therapeutic targets and recent clinical studies on treating chondrosarcomas.AbstractDue to resistance to standard anticancer agents, it is difficult to control the disease progression in patients with metastatic or unresectable chondrosarcoma. Novel therapeutic approaches, such as molecule-targeting drugs and immunotherapy, are required to improve clinical outcomes in patients with advanced chondrosarcoma. Recent studies have suggested several promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for chondrosarcoma, including IDH1/2 and COL2A1. Several molecule-targeting agents and immunotherapies have shown favorable antitumor activity in clinical studies in patients with advanced chondrosarcomas. This review summarizes recent basic studies on biomarkers and molecular targets and recent clinical studies on the treatment of chondrosarcomas.     

Fine-tuned,molecular-composite,organosilica membranes for highly efficient propylene/propane separation via suitable pore size

Fine-tuned, molecular-composite, organosilica membranes were fabricated via the co-condensation of organosilica precursors bis(triethoxysilyl)acetylene (BTESA) and bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTESB). Fourier transform infrared and UV–vis spectra confirmed the co-condensation behaviors of BTESA and BTESB. The evolution of the network structure indicated that the incorporated BTESB decreased the membrane pore size, which was determined by a modified gas translation model according to the steric effect of the phenyl groups. The incorporation of BTESB to BTESA finely tuned the membrane structure and endowed the resultant composite membrane with improved separation properties. The BTESAB 9:1 membrane (molar ratio of BTESA/BTESB was 9:1) exhibited high C₃H₆ permeance at 4.5 × 10⁻⁸ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ Pa⁻¹ and a C₃H₆/C₃H₈ permeance ratio of 33 at 50°C. One of the most important developments of this study involved clearly defining the relationship between membrane pore size and C₃H₆/C₃H₈ separation performance for organosilica membranes in single and binary separation systems.