Candidate Biomarkers for Genetic and Clinicopathological Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer

The recent increase in the frequency of endometrial cancer has emphasized the need for accurate diagnosis and improved treatment. The current diagnosis is still based on conventional pathological indicators, such as clinical stage, tumor differentiation, invasion depth and vascular invasion. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying endometrial cancer have gradually been determined, due to developments in molecular biology, leading to the possibility of new methods of diagnosis and treatment planning. New candidate biomarkers for endometrial cancer include those for molecular epigenetic mutations, such as microRNAs. These biomarkers may permit earlier detection of endometrial cancer and prediction of outcomes and are likely to contribute to future personalized therapy for endometrial cancer.     

Reinvestigation of the Oxidative Folding Pathways of Hen Egg White Lysozyme: Switching of the Major Pathways by Temperature Control

It has been well established that in the oxidative folding of hen egg white lysozyme (HEL), which has four SS linkages in the native state (N), three des intermediates, i.e., des[76–94], des[64–80], and des [6–127], are populated at 20 °C and N is dominantly formed by the oxidation of des[64–80] and des[6–127]. To elucidate the temperature effects, the oxidative folding pathways of HEL were reinvestigated at 5–45 °C in the presence of 2 M urea at pH 8.0 by using a selenoxide reagent, DHS^ox. When reduced HEL was reacted with 1–4 equivalents of DHS^ox, 1S, 2S, 3S, and 4S intermediate ensembles with 1–4 SS linkages, respectively, were produced within 1 min. After the oxidation, 3S was slowly converted to the des intermediates with formation of the native structures through SS rearrangement. At 5 °C, des[76–94] was populated in the largest amount, but the oxidation to N was slower than that of des[64–80] and des[6–127]. At 35 °C, on the other hand, des[64–80] and des[6–127] were no longer stable, and only des[76–94] was populated. The results suggested that the major folding pathways of HEL can be switched from one to the other by temperature control.     

Disparities of indoor temperature in winter: A cross-sectional analysis of the Nationwide Smart Wellness Housing Survey in Japan

The WHO Housing and health guidelines recommend a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C to prevent cold-related diseases. In Japan, indoor temperatures appear lower than in Euro-American countries because of low insulation standards and use of partial intermittent heating. This study investigated the actual status of indoor temperatures in Japan and the common characteristics of residents who live in cold homes. We conducted a nationwide real-world survey on indoor temperature for 2 weeks in winter. Cross-sectional analyses involving 2190 houses showed that average living room, changing room, and bedroom temperatures were 16.8°C, 13.0°C, and 12.8°C, respectively. Comparison of average living room temperature between prefectures revealed a maximum difference of 6.7°C (Hokkaido: 19.8°C, Kagawa: 13.1°C). Compared to the high-income group, the odds ratio for living room temperature falling below 18°C was 1.38 (95% CI: 1.04-1.84) and 2.07 (95% CI: 1.28-3.33) for the middle- and low-income groups. The odds ratio was 1.96 (95% CI: 1.19-3.22) for single-person households, compared to households living with housemates. Furthermore, lower room temperature was correlated with local heating device use and a larger amount of clothes. These results will be useful in the development of prevention strategies for residents who live in cold homes.     

Regio‐ and Stereochemical Controlled Koenigs–Knorr‐Type Monoglycosylation of Secondary Hydroxy Groups in Carbohydrates Utilizing the High Site Recognition Ability of Organotin Catalysts

The catalytic regio‐ and stereoselective monoglycosylation of carbohydrates using organotin catalysts is demonstrated. The one‐step reaction affords various oligosaccharides linked at the secondary hydroxy group in high chemical yield and good regio‐ and stereoselectivities. The regioselectivity of the glycosylation is shown to depend on the spatial arrangement of the hydroxy groups in the carbohydrates.

     

Thermal hydraulic analysis compared with tests of full-scale concrete casks

To develop a thermal analysis method for the concrete cask, numerical calculation based on thermal hydraulic phenomena was performed. In the present calculation model, calculation area was divided into two parts. One is inside of the canister and the other is outside of the canister. These two parts were combined at the surface of the canister. In the model of the outside, k– turbulence model was adopted for air flow region. Comparing calculation results with test results, it was found that the analysis method was valid for normal and accident conditions of the storage.     

Simultaneous Oxidization of NOx and SO2 by a New Non-thermal Plasma Reactor Enhanced by Catalyst and Additive

The non-thermal plasma as one of the most promising technologies for removing NOx and SO2 has attrm~ted much attention. In this study, a new plasma reactor combined with catalyst and additive was developed to effectively oxidize and remove NOx and SO2 in the flue gas. The experimental results showed that TiO2 could improve the oxidation efficiency of SO2 in the case of applying plasma while having a negative effect on the oxidation process of NO and NOx. With the addition of NH3, the oxidation rates of NOx, NO and SO2 were slightly increased. However, the effect of adding NH3 on NOx oxidation was negative when the temperature was above 200℃.     

Study on Specific Heat of Water Adsorbed in Zeolite Using DSC

In this study, the specific heat of water included in an adsorbent was analyzed by a differential scanning calorimeter in the temperature range from ?50 °C to 50 °C. Zeolites with pore sizes of 3 Å and 9 Å were employed as adsorbents, and the measurement was performed with various water mass fractions in zeolites. In this article, the water was defined as being composed of adsorbed water and free water that is not adsorbed in zeolite. As a result, the specific heat of the dry zeolite increased with temperature. The specific heat of the adsorbed water was measured by a special experimental procedure to establish the experimental accuracy. It was found that the specific heat of the adsorbed water had values in the range from (3 to 5) J · g^?1 · K^?1.     

Intrinsic microwave dielectric loss of lanthanum aluminate

The intrinsic dielectric properties of LaAlO? were investigated to understand the microwave properties of several materials containing LaAlO?. In this study, LaAlO? single crystals were prepared by the Czochralski method. The temperature dependence of the dielectric properties and neutron inelastic scattering of the single crystals were measured. From these data, the intrinsic dielectric properties were evaluated and it was found that the dielectric loss of the LaAlO? includes two types of dielectric loss. One is a phonon absorption-related loss and the other is a component of the loss arising from Debye- type orientation polarization. The latter affects the room temperature dielectric loss in materials containing LaAlO?. The present study suggests that avoiding this polarization loss is an important goal in decreasing the total dielectric loss.     

Development of novel thermoelectric materials by reduction of lattice thermal conductivity

Thermal conductivity is one of the key parameters in the figure of merit of thermoelectric materials. Over the past decade, most progress in thermoelectric materials has been made by reducing their thermal conductivity while preserving their electrical properties. The phonon scattering mechanisms involved in these strategies are reviewed here and divided into three groups, including (i) disorder or distortion of unit cells, (ii) resonant scattering by localized rattling atoms and (iii) interface scattering. In addition, we propose construction of a ‘natural superlattice’ in thermoelectric materials by intercalating an MX layer into the van der Waals gap of a layered TX₂ structure which has a general formula of (MX)_1+x(TX₂)_n (M=Pb, Bi, Sn, Sb or a rare earth element; T=Ti, V, Cr, Nb or Ta; X=S or Se and n=1, 2, 3). We demonstrate that one of the intercalation compounds (SnS)_1.2(TiS₂)₂ has better thermoelectric properties compared with pure TiS₂ in the direction parallel to the layers, as the electron mobility is maintained while the phonon transport is significantly suppressed owing to the reduction in the transverse phonon velocities.