Microalgal cultivation in a solution recovered from the low-temperature catalytic gasification of the microalga

Microalgal cultivation in a solution recovered from the low-temperature catalytic gasification of the microalga itself was studied. The growth of Chlorella vulgaris in 75-300-fold diluted recovered solution containing phosphate, magnesium ions and micro-elements was comparable to that in the standard culture medium. It was suggested that C. vulgaris could use ammonium in the recovered solution as its nitrogen source and at the same time could provide a source of biomass which was recycled via gasification.     

Enzymatic oxidative polymerization of methoxyphenols

Enzymatic oxidative polymerization of methoxyphenols by a fungal laccase was investigated to synthesize polymethoxyphenols, which would be environmentally benign materials because they are degraded by lignin degrading fungi. An industrially produced thermostable laccase from Trametes sp. Ha1 polymerized o-methoxyphenol and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol in McIlvaine buffer (pH 4.5) both with and without organic solvents while the enzyme needed organic solvents to polymerize phenol, alkylphenols, and m- and p-methoxyphenols. The reaction rates correlated with the energies of the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) of the phenols. The poly(o-methoxyphenol) synthesized was soluble in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) while 80% of the poly(2,6-dimethoxyphenol) was insoluble in DMF. The weight-average molecular weight of the poly(o-methoxyphenol) was 7000–11,000. The reaction rate of polymerization in McIlvaine buffer without organic solvents increased until an o-methoxyphenol concentration of 500 mmol dm^?3 although the Michaelis constant calculated from the oxygen consumption rate was 0.4 mmol dm^?3. The o-methoxyphenol and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol would be suitable for production of environmentally benign phenolic resins by enzymatic oxidative polymerization using laccase without formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, or organic solvent.     

Effect of unilateral superior cervical sympathetic ganglionectomy on the contralateral ganglion in rat

The effect of unilateral superior cervical sympathetic ganglionectomy on the contralateral ganglion was investigated in Sprague-Dawley male rats employing histological and morphometrical procedures. Neuronal cells showed cell enlargement and no change in the nuclear size and the cell number. Neuronal hypertrophy was due to innervation by some fibers of the contralateral half of organs which had been innervated by the ipsilateral ganglion.     

Purification and characterization of chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase from the culture medium of a rat chondrosarcoma cell line

Chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase, which transfers sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to position 4 of N-acetylgalactosamine in chondroitin, was purified 1900-fold to apparent homogeneity with 6.1% yield from the serum-free culture medium of rat chondrosarcoma cells by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose CL-6B, Matrex gel red A-agarose, 3',5'-ADP-agarose, and the second heparin-Sepharose CL-6B. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme showed two protein bands. Molecular masses of these protein were 60 and 64 kDa under reducing conditions and 50 and 54 kDa under nonreducing conditions. Both the protein bands coeluted with chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase activity from Toyopearl HW-55 around the position of 50 kDa, indicating that the active form of chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase is a monomer. Dithiothreitol activated the purified chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase. The purified enzyme transferred sulfate to chondroitin and desulfated dermatan sulfate. Chondroitin sulfate A and chondroitin sulfate C were poor acceptors. Chondroitin sulfate E from squid cartilage, dermatan sulfate, heparan sulfate, and completely desulfated N-resulfated heparin hardly served as acceptors of the sulfotransferase. The transfer of sulfate to the desulfated dermatan sulfate occurred preferentially at position 4 of the N-acetylgalactosamine residues flanked with glucuronic acid residues on both reducing and nonreducing sides.     

Allergic granulomatous angiitis associated with cerebral infarction, myo-pericarditis and acute respiratory failure due to eosinophilic pneumonia

We encountered a 23-year-old woman with allergic granulomatous angiitis (AGA) associated with cerebral infarction, myo-pericarditis, and acute respiratory failure due to extended eosinophilic pneumonia. She underwent emergency treatment at our hospital because of right hemiparesis and impaired consciousness. AGA was suspected because the patient had a history of bronchial asthma accompanied by pulmonary infiltrations with eosinophilia, and presented with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, pericardial effusion, diffuse hypokinesis of myocardium, cerebral infarction and marked peripheral eosinophlia. Pulmonary eosinophilia was confirmed by examination of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid. Myocardial tissue biopsy specimens revealed fibrous granulation indicative of myocarditis. The patient responded well to corticosteroid therapy.     

Correlation between voltage holding capability and light emission in a 500 keV electrostatic accelerator utilized for fusion application

Voltage holding capability in a 500 keV electrostatic accelerator with large FRP insulators was examined without the beam acceleration. When high voltage was applied, the light with a broad peak at a wavelength of 420 nm was mostly emitted inside the accelerator even though breakdown did not occur. The voltage holding capability has a strong correlation with the light intensity. Stable voltage holding was realized under the conditions in which light emission was well suppressed.     

Highly conductive SnO2 thin films for flat‐panel displays

Abstract— SnO₂ is considered to be a promising alternative material for indium tin oxide (ITO), which is used for thin‐film transparent electrodes in flat‐panel displays (FPDs) and is facing a serious indium depletion problem. However, annealing processes in the manufacture of plasma‐display panels (PDPs), which are major FPDs, cause high resistivity in SnO₂ films. To obtain lower resistivity after the annealing processes, the relationship between deposition conditions and resistivity and the influences of annealing on resistivity, both theoretically and experimentally, were investigated. As a solution, a method involving the formation of a coating of SiO₂ on SnO₂ is proposed, and a SnO₂ resistivity as low as 6.60 × 10^?5 Ω‐m was obtained after annealing.     

Extracellular matrix production regulation by TGF-beta in corneal endothelial cells

PURPOSE: Production of extracellular matrix (ECM) by corneal endothelial cells is related to physiologic functions and pathologic conditions and is regulated by many cytokines, including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). In this study, the molecular mechanism of ECM production regulation by TGF-beta was investigated in cultured corneal endothelial cells. METHODS: The production of ECM components (laminin and fibronectin) was detected in cultured corneal endothelial cells by western blot analysis. To determine the signal transduction pathways, mutant TGF-beta type I receptor (TbetaR-I) and/or Smad protein family members (intracellular signal transducers in TGF-beta signaling) were overexpressed by transfecting their cDNA into the cultured cells, and the effects on ECM production were observed. RESULTS: The production of laminin and fibronectin was stimulated by treatment with TGF-beta1 or TGF-beta2. After transient transfection of cDNA of the constitutively active (CA) mutant of TbetaR-I, the production of laminin and fibronectin was stimulated even in the absence of TGF-beta. The transfection of the dominant negative mutant of TbetaR-I counteracted the effects of TGF-beta. These results confirm that TGF-beta directly stimulates ECM production from corneal endothelial cells through TbetaR-I. The ECM production stimulation by TGF-beta or CA TbetaR-I was accelerated by the overexpression of Smad2, Smad3, and/or Smad4 and inhibited by that of Smad7. These results show that TGF-beta signals connected to ECM production are regulated by Smad family members, located downstream of TbetaR-I. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that TGF-beta stimulates ECM production from corneal endothelial cells through TbetaR-I and Smad family transducers.     

Pudding-Mold-Type Band as an Origin of the Large Seebeck Coefficient Coexisting with Metallic Conductivity in Carrier-Doped FeAs2 and PtSe2

We theoretically study the thermoelectric properties of electron-doped FeAs₂ and hole-doped PtSe₂ from a band-structure point of view using first-principles band calculations. The band structure of both materials has a peculiar band shape with a flat portion at the top (bottom) of the band, namely the pudding-mold-type band as found in Na _x CoO₂. The pudding-mold-type band has a quasi-one-dimensional nature in FeAs₂ and a quasi-two-dimensional nature in PtSe₂. We study the origins of the pudding-mold-type band and find that the \( d_{z^2} \) orbital in FeAs₂, and not only the p _z but also the p _x and the p _y orbitals in PtSe₂ play an important role in making the pudding-mold-type band. We calculate the Seebeck coefficients by the Boltzmann equation approach using a tight-binding model constructed from first-principles band calculations, finding values close to experimental observations. The present study shows the general efficiency of the pudding-mold-type band. We suggest that an efficient route towards obtaining good thermoelectric materials is to realize ideal pudding-mold-type bands by modification of lattice structures.     

Cloning and characterization of a novel membrane-associated antigenic protein of Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of convective [hemodiafiltration (HDF) or hemofiltration (HF)] versus diffusive treatments [hemodialysis (HD)] on end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patient mortality and dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA) using data from the Lombardy Registry. METHODS: For this purpose, 6, 444 patients (aged 56.4 +/- 15.6 years, females 39.5%, diabetics 10. 6%) who started renal replacement therapy (RRT) on HD, HDF, or HF between 1983 and 1995 were considered. A total of 1,082 patients were treated with HDF or HF (first choice in the case of 188), with a median follow-up of 29.7 months. The median follow-up of the 6,298 patients on HD (first choice in the case of 6256) was 22.4 months. The time of survival on dialysis to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) surgery was evaluated as a hard marker of DRA morbidity. Survival was compared by means of the Cox proportional regression hazards model, using CTS surgery and all deaths as events for morbidity and mortality, respectively. Explanatory covariates were age, gender, and comorbidities; dialysis modality was tested as a time-dependent covariate. RESULTS: The relative risk (RR) for CTS surgery was significantly higher in older patients [RR = 1.04 per year of age on admission to RRT, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 to 1.06; P = 0. 0001], in diabetics (RR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.30 to 5.31; P = 0.0007), and in patients with heart disease (RR = 5.36, 95% CI 2.27 to 12.68 P = 0.0001). Adjusting for age and diabetic status, the RR for CTS surgery was 42% lower in the patients treated with HDF or HF (RR = 0. 58, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.95, P = 0.03). The RR for mortality, adjusted for age, gender, and comorbidities, was 10% lower in patients treated with HDF or HF (RR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.06; P = NS). CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that convective treatments are associated with a nonsignificant trend toward better survival and significantly delay the need for CTS surgery. An older age and the presence of diabetes and heart disease are other important risk factors for CTS surgery. These results could have an important clinical impact given the relevance of DRA in dialysis patient morbidity.