Relationship between Expression of Onco-Related miRNAs and the Endoscopic Appearance of Colorectal Tumors

Accumulating data indicates that certain microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are differently expressed in samples of tumors and paired non-tumorous samples taken from the same patients with colorectal tumors. We examined the expression of onco-related miRNAs in 131 sporadic exophytic adenomas or early cancers and in 52 sporadic flat elevated adenomas or early cancers to clarify the relationship between the expression of the miRNAs and the endoscopic morphological appearance of the colorectal tumors. The expression levels of miR-143, -145, and -34a were significantly reduced in most of the exophytic tumors compared with those in the flat elevated ones. In type 2 cancers, the miRNA expression profile was very similar to that of the exophytic tumors. The expression levels of miR-7 and -21 were significantly up-regulated in some flat elevated adenomas compared with those in exophytic adenomas. In contrast, in most of the miR-143 and -145 down-regulated cases of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence and in some of the de novo types of carcinoma, the up-regulation of oncogenic miR-7 and/or -21 contributed to the triggering mechanism leading to the carcinogenetic process. These findings indicated that the expression of onco-related miRNA was associated with the morphological appearance of colorectal tumors.     

采用无偏振片反射式LCD及超低功耗驱动技术制造移动显示器件

我们通过对材料和制备条件的精细化处理,生产出一种在低刷新频率下无闪烁和图像迟滞现象的反射式显示器。该显示器的功耗非常低,且可在宽温度范围内工作,是未来移动显示器件的潜力平台。     

Efficient Assembly of Bridged β‐Ga2O3 Nanowires for Solar‐Blind Photodetection

An increasing number of applications using ultraviolet radiation have renewed interest in ultraviolet photodetector research. Particularly, solar‐blind photodetectors sensitive to only deep UV (<280 nm), have attracted growing attention because of their wide applicability. Among recent advances in UV detection, nanowire (NW)‐based photodetectors seem promising, however, none of the reported devices possesses the required attributes for practical solar‐blind photodetection, namely, an efficient fabrication process, a high solar light rejection ratio, a low photocurrent noise, and a fast response. Herein, the assembly of β‐Ga₂O₃ NWs into high‐performance solar‐blind photodetectors by use of an efficient bridging method is reported. The device is made in a single‐step chemical vapor deposition process and has a high 250‐to‐280‐nm rejection ratio (～2 × 10³), low photocurrent fluctuation (<3%), and a fast decay time (<<20 ms). Further, variations in the synthesis parameters of the NWs induce drastic changes in the photoresponse properties, which suggest a possibility for tuning the performance of the photodetectors. The efficient fabrication method and high performance of the bridged β‐Ga₂O₃ NW photodetectors make them highly suitable for solar‐blind photodetection.     

Impact of fertilizer on a small watershed of Lake Biwa: use of sulfur and strontium isotopes in environmental diagnosis

Sulfur and strontium isotopes (delta(34)S and (87)Sr/(86)Sr) were determined in 39 river water samples collected over three different cultivation periods (April, May, and June), and in several materials used for comparison (fertilizers, detergents, soils, irrigation and agricultural waters), to evaluate the impact of fertilizers on a small agricultural watershed of Lake Biwa, in central Japan. delta(34)S values in river water decreased (from +5.8 to -2.0 per thousand) with increasing SO(4) concentrations (3.8 to 93.2 ppm) from upstream to downstream of the watershed. Comparison of river water S isotopes with those of possible source materials indicates that the enrichment of SO(4) can be attributed to the dissolution of two kinds of fertilizers: (1) compound fertilizers commonly used in this area and (2) ammonium sulfate which is applied on a small scale. In contrast, (87)Sr/(86)Sr values of river water decreased with time from April (avg. 0.71163), through May (avg. 0.71139), to June (avg. 0.71127). The tendency of the sample plots on the (87)Sr/(86)Sr vs. 1/Sr diagram suggests a time-dependent increase in the contribution of soil water to the river, which is partly affected by the Sr-bearing fertilizers. It is suggested that a maximum of 25% of dissolved Sr is derived from these fertilizers, while more than 75% of it is of rock origin. Mass balance calculations permitted us to evaluate the proportion of fertilizer contribution in each river. Combined use of S and Sr isotopes together with concentration data could be a new environmental diagnosis technique for rivers and soils in localized watersheds.     

PACAP-mediated sperm-cumulus cell interaction promotes fertilization

The developing acrosome in spermatids contains pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). However, the role of the acrosomal PACAP remains unclear because it has not been detected in mature spermatids and sperm. We reinvestigated whether the sperm acrosome contains PACAP. An antiserum produced against PACAP reacted to the anterior acrosome in epididymal sperm fixed under mild conditions, suggesting that PACAP acts on oocytes and/or cumulus cells at the site of fertilization. Immunolabeling and RT-PCR demonstrated the presence of PACAP type I receptor, a PACAP-specific receptor, in postovulatory cumulus cells. To investigate the role of PACAP in fertilization, we pretreated cumulus-oocyte complexes with the polypeptide. At a low concentration of sperm, the fertilization rate was significantly enhanced by PACAP in a dose-dependent manner. Sperm penetration through the oocyte investment, cumulus layer, and zona pellucida was also enhanced by PACAP. The enhancement was probably due to an enhancement in sperm motility and the zona-induced acrosome reaction, which were stimulated by a cumulus cell-releasing factor. Indeed, PACAP treatment increased the secretion of progesterone from the cumulus-oocyte complexes. These results strongly suggest that in response to PACAP, cumulus cells release a soluble factor that probably stimulates sperm motility and the acrosome reaction, thereby promoting fertilization.     

Novel transdermal drug delivery system with polyhydroxyalkanoate and starburst polyamidoamine dendrimer

In search of an efficient transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS), a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based system with a polyamidoamine dendrimer was examined. Tamsulosin was used as the model drug. The dendrimer was found to act as the weak enhancer. By adding the dendrimer, the dendrimer-containing PHA matrix achieved the clinically required amount of tamsulosin permeating through the skin model. This is also the first report of the application of PHA and dendrimer to the TDDS.     

Protective effects of galacturonic acid-rich vinegar brewed from Japanese pear in a dextran sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis model

The effects of pear vinegar (PV), which was specially brewed for enhanced galacturonic acid content, on the DSS-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) mouse model were evaluated. PV improved clinical symptoms, colon inflammation, and histological tissue injury in the DSS-induced acute UC mouse model. Moreover, PV suppressed inflammation due to acute UC by suppressing the myeloperoxidase (MPO)-mediated activation of inflammatory cells such as leukocytes and decreasing the serum concentration of IL-6. Our results demonstrated the protective action of PV in the DSS-induced acute UC mouse model. On the other hand, commercial apple vinegar did not show a protective effect in the DSS-induced acute UC mouse model. Our findings indicate that PV may act as a new functional food for inflammatory bowel disease patients.     

Super environment-friendly electrodeposition paint

Super low VOC due to new composition/reaction mechanism can minimize the environmental risk as it does not contain lead and tin, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and endocrine disrupters (EPA/67 items, SPEED’98/JEA/67 items) currently specified as contaminants. New EAD (electrolyzed activate deposition paint) is not the only conventional cure agent or solvent, but also the super low VOC, HAPs materials and endocrine disrupters. The electric energy used by EAD is utilized for the reaction but not for the deposition. EAD consists of two technologies. One is propargyl group change to the allene by using electrodeposition. Propargyl group is stable, but allene group is highly polymerizing. As a result, EAD had high bath stability. The other is sulfonium change to sulfide by using electrodeposition. This sulfonium salt is lost as a result of the electrolytic reduction, and hence can be irreversibly rendered non-conductive. As a result, EAD showed high throwing power.     

Diagnostic technique for degradation of engineering materials by measurement of thermophysical properties

The thermal conductivity of the surface layer of engineering materials changes in the early stages of material degradation due to the appearance of micro‐cracks. A new method for evaluating and assessing the degree of degradation of a material using this change is proposed herein. The influence of the micro‐cracked layer on the temperature response as measured by a thermophysical handy tester was theoretically examined. By defining a thermal degradation parameter, the amount of degradation of various materials was evaluated. In order to verify this theory, fatigue tests using metallic materials were conducted. Comparisons before and after the fatigue tests were then made to establish the correlation between the density of micro‐cracks and the decrease in thermal conductivity. As a result, it was ascertained that a thermal degradation parameter can easily be estimated from a temperature response curve obtained using the tester. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 36(8): 501–512, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20178     

Minimal area for surface reconstruction from cross sections

Surface reconstruction from cross-sectional data is important in a variety of applications. It is usually possible to generate a surface in many ways, but only reasonable ones are acceptable. A surface of minimal area has been considered as one of the most natural optimal criteria for the original tiling method of surface reconstruction from cross sections. In the paper, we consider minimal surfaces for continuous generalization of the tiling approach and in the general situation of reconstruction from cross sections. We show that in these cases the minimal area criterion leads to defective surfaces and is thus unacceptable. Published online: 23 July 2002 Correspondence to: D. Berzin