Microstructural Changes During Plastic Deformation and Corrosion Properties of Biomedical Co-20Cr-15W-10Ni Alloy Heat-Treated at 873 K

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - Microstructural changes were observed during the plastic deformation of ASTM F90 Co-20Cr-15W-10Ni (mass pct) alloy heat-treated at...     

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.     

Therapy makeup improves quality of life of patients with skin diseases – covering foundations created by integration of medical and beauty care for severe skin color problems

IFSCC Magazine , 11 (2008) (1) 11–18
In collaboration with medical institutions, we have been providing makeup guidance to people with facial skin color problems under the name >>therapy makeup«. The aim of therapy makeup is to reduce the anxiety and tension associated with the appearance of people with skin color problems and to provide psychological support, thereby helping them live more normal lives. Ota's nevus (blue birthmarks) and port-wine stain (red birthmarks) the leading causes of abnormal skin coloration. We have already developed covering foundations for Ota's nevus and port-wine stain using a light-filtering technology. Another common cause of abnormal skin coloration is vitiligo (white patches). Vitiligo cannot be adequately covered by conventional cosmetic foundations. Therefore, we developed a new covering foundation for vitiligo based on optical characteristics. Moreover, the effects of makeup on the psychology of patients with vitiligo were objectively evaluated using psychometrically established quality of life indices. It was demonstrated that makeup helped to alleviate the psychological anxiety and tension of patients, resulting in improvement of social relationships and self-esteem.
The integration of medical care and beauty care enables therapy makeup to improve quality of life of patients with skin color disorders.     

Direct Enantioselective Three‐Component Kabachnik–Fields Reaction Catalyzed by Chiral Bis(imidazoline)‐Zinc(II) Catalysts

A direct three‐component reaction of aldehydes, amines and diaryl phosphites was catalyzed by a zinc(II) complex of 1,3‐bis(imidazolin‐2‐ly)pyridine (pybim) giving the corresponding α‐aminophosphonates in good yield with good enantioselectivity. The reaction was applied to a wide variety of aromatic aldehydes to give products with excellent yields (up to 99%) and enantiomeric excesses (up to 93% ee).     

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Decarboxylative Addition of Malonic Acids Half Thioesters to Isatins

The organocatalytic enantioselective decarboxylative addition of malonic acids half thioesters to isatins using a squaramide catalyst afforded the products with high enantioselectivity. These products are key intermediates in the synthesis of 3‐substituted 3‐hydroxy‐2‐oxindole derivatives. The first enantioselective synthesis of (−)‐flustraminol B has been accomplished.     

Purification and characterization of enzyme responsible for N-myristoylation of octapeptide in aqueous solution without ATP and coenzyme a from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The enzyme that catalyzes N-acyl linkage between myristic acid and the NH(2)-terminal glycine residue of the octapeptide Gly-Asn-Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala-Arg-Arg-NH(2) in aqueous solution without ATP and coenzyme A was found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The enzyme was purified from cell-free crude extract using DEAE-Cellulose, Sephadex G-200, CM-Sephadex C-50, and hydroxyapatite column chromatographies, and then purified approximately 1900-fold with about 1.5% recovery of enzyme activity from the crude extract. Finally, the purified enzyme showed a main band on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue. The band corresponded to a molecular mass of approximately 60 kDa. The K(m)s of the purified enzyme for the substrate myristic acid and the octapeptide were 0.36 and 2.6 mM, respectively. When myristoyl-CoA instead of myristic acid was used as the substrate for the enzyme reaction, myristoyl octapeptide could be synthesized as observed in the case of myristic acid. The K(m) of myristoyl-CoA was 0.17 mM.     

Electro-optic multimode interference device using organic materials

We present experimental results verifying the optical robustness of a 1 x 1 multimode interference (MMI) device that is directly butt coupled with optical fibers at 70 degrees C for 1050 h and discuss the gradual increase of polarization dependent loss. Based on this structure, an electro-optic (EO) MMI waveguide device that can control the output optical power by using an electrode structure located directly on top of the multimode is presented. As a proof of principle, we demonstrate the switching operation of the EO-MMI device using commercially available chromophore as the active EO material.     

Structural and morphological changes of monolayers of a block copolymer with dendron and perfluoroalkyl side chains by mixing a perfluorooctadecanoic acid

Hybrid Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of a perfluorooctadecanoic acid mixed with a rigid block copolymer, poly(3,5-bis(3,5-bis(benzyloxy)benzyloxy)benzyl methacrylate-randommethacrylic acid)-block-poly(2-perfluorooctylethyl acrylate), which is composed of benzyloxy dendron side chains and perfluorinated side chains, were prepared and characterized by surface pressure-surface area isotherms, atomic force microscopic images and neutron and X-ray reflectometries. The two-dimensionally phase-separated structures of monolayer films and their morphologies with plateau and terrace were confirmed. The monolayers were separated into a dendron layer, a perfluorinated layer, and a carboxyl layer. The layer formation is originated not only in the intermolecular interaction between a perfluorooctadecanoic acid and a block copolymer but also in the geometry of the molecules. Especially, the amphiphilicity of perfluorinated surfactant plays a role to the ordered array of the block copolymers.     

Room-temperature miscibility gap in LixFePO4

The rechargeable lithium-ion cell is an advanced energy-storage system. However, high cost, safety hazards, and chemical instability prohibit its use in large-scale applications. An alternative cathode material, LiFePO(4), solves these problems, but has a kinetic problem involving strong electron/hole localization. One reason for this is believed to be the limited carrier density in the fixed monovalent Fe(3+)PO(4)/LiFe(2+)PO(4) two-phase electrode reaction in LixFePO4. Here, we provide experimental evidence that LixFePO4, at room temperature, can be described as a mixture of the Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) mixed-valent intermediate LialphaFePO4 and Li1-betaFePO4 phases. Using powder neutron diffraction, the site occupancy numbers for lithium in each phase were refined to be alpha=0.05 and 1-beta=0.89. The corresponding solid solution ranges outside the miscibility gap (0相似文献   

Measuring cosmic-ray exposure in aircraft using real-time personal dosemeters

Aircrew exposure to radiation was measured on several long-haul flights using two small commercial electronic personal dosemeters: one was a photon dosemeter, the NRF20; the other was a neutron dosemeter, the NRY21-both manufactured by Fuji Electric Systems Co. Ltd. for radiation protection at nuclear facilities. Non-neutron doses were measured using the photon dosemeter, and neutron doses were measured using the neutron dosemeter. The measured non-neutron doses at commercial aviation altitudes agree with the EPCARD (European Program Package for the Calculation of Aviation Route Doses) dose calculation within a difference of 8 %. However, the recorded neutron doses were 5-15 times larger than the EPCARD calculation. These over-measurements are dependent on cut-off rigidities.