Anthocyanins,but not Anthocyanidins,from Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) Alleviate Pruritus via Inhibition of Mast Cell Degranulation

Abstract: We have previously reported that bilberry anthocyanins exhibit an anti‐pruritic effect in a mouse model of allergic contact dermatitis. It has been reported that anthocyanins are particularly sensitive to thermal treatment and are easily hydrolyzed to anthocyanidins when exposed to high temperatures. The objective of this study was to compare the anti‐pruritic effect of anthocyanin‐rich quality‐controlled bilberry extract and anthocyanidin‐rich degraded extract using a mouse model of allergic contact dermatitis. BALB/c mice with allergic contact dermatitis induced by 4 weeks of repeated application of 2,4,6‐trinitro‐1‐chlorobenzene (TNCB) were administered Bilberon‐25 orally for 4 weeks after sensitization with TNCB. The effect of Bilberon‐25 on pruritus was evaluated by measurement of scratching behavior. RBL‐2H3 mast cells were used to investigate the effect of Bilberon‐25 on degranulation in 48/80‐stimulated mast cells. Compared with nonheated Bilberon‐25, the proportion of anthocyanins in heated Bilberon‐25 decreased, and the proportion of anthocyanidins was increased in heated‐time dependent manner. Treatment with non‐heated Bilberon‐25 significantly attenuated the TNCB‐induced increase in scratching behavior, whereas treatment with 2 h‐heated Bilberon‐25 did not. Moreover, 300 μg/mL nonheated Bilberon‐25 showed significant inhibition of degranulation in RBL‐2H3 mast cells, whereas 2 h‐heated Bilberon‐25 had no effect at any concentration studied. It is assumed that the inhibitory effect of bilberry anthocyanins on pruritus might be mediated, at least in part, by its inhibitory effect on mast cell degranulation. In conclusion, the anthocyanin‐rich but not anthocyanidin‐rich bilberry extract may be a useful dietary supplement for skin diseases involving pruritic symptoms, such as chronic allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and rhinitis.     

A Water‐Soluble Mechanochromic Luminescent Pyrene Derivative Exhibiting Recovery of the Initial Photoluminescence Color in a High‐Humidity Environment

Switching of the luminescence properties of molecular materials in response to mechanical stimulation is of fundamental interest and also has a range of potential applications. Herein, a water‐soluble mechanochromic luminescent pyrene derivative having two hydrophilic dendrons is reported. This pyrene derivative is the first example of a mechanochromic luminescent organic compound that responds to relative humidity. Mechanical stimulation (grinding) of this pyrene derivative in the solid state results in a change of the photoluminescence from yellow to green. Subsequent exposure to water vapor induces recovery of the initial yellow photoluminescence. The color change is reversible through at least ten cycles. It is also demonstrated that this compound can be applied as a mechano‐sensing material in frictional wear testing for grease, owing to its immiscibility in non‐polar solvents and its non‐crystalline behavior. Transmission electron microscope and atomic force microscope observations of samples prepared from dilute aqueous solutions of the pyrene derivative on suitable substrates, together with dynamic light scattering measurements for the compound in aqueous solution, indicate that this amphiphilic dumbbell‐shaped molecule forms micelles in water.     

An adaptive treadmill-style locomotion interface and its application in 3-D interactive virtual market system

The key issue in this paper is estimating speed of a human. Compared with previous researches on walking speed estimation, we predict the walking intention before gait action. Our proposed hypothesis is that a composite force index is linearly correlated with the intended walking speed. We did two experiments to test the hypothesis. One gives a regression test indicating the intended walking speed has strong linear correlation with the proposed force index; the other tests the linearity by statistical analysis, guaranteeing the tolerance of individual difference. According to the regression and statistics analyses, we built a treadmill-style locomotion interface. Compared with the normal cases of treadmill control, the tested subject does not have to follow the speed of treadmill, but can actively change the speed of treadmill by his/her feet. The designed locomotion interface is applied in a virtual market system. Here the subject walks in a virtual market street with the desired speed. The stereo display based on virtual reality and the ambient sounds of the environment make the subject to have an immersed sense. The layout of shops in the virtual market system is in Japanese style, making the subjects experience much more realistic.     

Laser brazing of a dissimilar joint of austenitic stainless steel and pure copper

In many industries, there are applications that require the joining of stainless steel and copper components; therefore, the welding of dissimilar stainless steel/copper joints is a common process. For this investigation, the optimal brazing conditions and suitable filler metals for laser brazing of stainless steel/copper lap joints were studied. Tensile shear force increases with increases in the laser spot diameter or in the laser irradiation angle, which is associated with increased bonding width; however, as bonding width approaches 2 mm, tensile shear force reaches a saturated value due to fracturing at the HAZ of the Cu base plate. In order to obtain joints with high tensile shear strength, laser brazing was optimized by using Cu–Si-based filler metal under the following conditions: laser power, 4 kW; spot diameter, 3 mm; laser irradiation angle, 80°; irradiation position shift, 0.6 mm; brazing speed, 0.30 m/min; and filler metal feed speed, 0.30 min. Concerning filler metals, it was found that the Ni–Cu type showed relatively large tensile shear force even at high welding speeds in comparison with those of the Cu–Si, Cu, Cu–Ni, Ni–Cu and Ni types, respectively.     

The Complete Loss of p53 Expression Uniquely Predicts Worse Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer

p53 immunohistochemistry is considered an accurate surrogate marker reflecting the underlying TP53 mutation status and has utility in tumor diagnostics. In the present study, 269 primary CRCs were immunohistochemically evaluated for p53 expression to assess its utility in diagnostic pathology and prognostication. p53 expression was wild-type in 59 cases (23%), overexpressed in 143 cases (55%), completely lost in 50 cases (19%), and cytoplasmic in 10 cases (4%). p53 immunoreactivity was associated with tumor size (p = 0.0056), mucus production (p = 0.0015), and mismatch repair (MMR) system status (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, among CRCs with wild-type p53 expression, a significantly higher number of cases had decreased CDX2 than those with p53 overexpression (p = 0.012) or complete p53 loss (p = 0.043). In contrast, among CRCs with p53 overexpression, there were significantly fewer ALCAM-positive cases than p53 wild-type cases (p = 0.0045). However, no significant association was detected between p53 immunoreactivity and the “stem-like” immunophenotype defined by CDX2 downregulation and ALCAM-positivity. Multivariate Cox hazards regression analysis identified tubular-forming histology (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.17, p < 0.0001), younger age (HR = 0.52, p = 0.021), and female sex (HR = 0.55, p = 0.046) as potential favorable factors. The analysis also revealed complete p53 loss (HR = 2.16, p = 0.0087), incomplete resection (HR = 2.65, p = 0.0068), and peritoneal metastasis (HR = 5.32, p < 0.0001) as potential independent risk factors for patients with CRC. The sub-cohort survival analyses classified according to chemotherapy after surgery revealed that CRC patients with wild-type p53 expression tended to have better survival than those with overexpression or complete loss after chemotherapy. Thus, immunohistochemistry for p53 could be used for the prognostication and chemotherapy target selection of patients with CRC.     

关于三峡库区周边坡体岩石特性的考察

岩石强度的载荷速率相关性与岩石的时间相关性特性及粘弹性性质密切相关,而且强度的栽荷速率相关性越大,越容易发生蠕变破坏。对于坡体来说,如果构成坡体的岩石的时间相关性很显著．那么即使在比较低的应力下仅施加一点载荷,也容易发生变形。针对三峡库区周边滑坡多发,采集了组成滑坡坡体的4类主要岩石-泥岩、灰岩、泥质砂岩及砂岩。通过室内岩石力学强度试验,获得了不同岩石的强度特性曲线及表示载荷速率相关性的参数n。利用一个试件通过载荷速率交替变换获得了不同应变速率下的应力-应变曲线,从而根据强度的变化率不仅获得了峰值强度的载荷速率相关性,而且还求得了残余强度的载荷速率相关性。在单轴压缩试验中,残余强度的n值与峰值强度的n值有较大的差异,但在三轴压缩试验中两者的差异却不太明显。而且在气干状态下,不管是峰值强度还是残余强度的n值均随着围压的增加而增加。     

视角系数能否预测景观认知——以东京 文化遗产庭园为例

文化遗产景观正在面临城市化的挑战。为了解游客对城市背景下文化遗产庭园的认知,探索景观形态和游客认知之间的关系,对东京都内6个文化遗产庭园进行了游客认知的调查,并利用球面相机拍摄的全景图计算观测点各景观要素的视角系数。结果发现,天空、庭园、背景建筑的视角系数均与文化遗产庭园的安静感、尺度感、质感、构成感及开阔感显著相关,其中庭园的视角系数是对认知项目最有效的预测因子,并且其预测性不会因为游客国籍或性别的改变而有很大的变化。此外,园外现代建筑的视角系数与庭园的自然感、人工感及历史感均无明显关系。发现将景观认知研究拓展到文化遗产景观的空间形态领域,为文化遗产景观的评价提供了潜在的环境指标,亦是景观评价公众参与的一次实践经验。     

基于自适应提升小波的APD探测信号消噪

雪崩光电二极管(APD)具有高增益、高灵敏度和响应速度快的特点,因而成为空间光通信中的首选信号探测器件.针对空间光通信的脉冲位置调制(PPM)信道,分析了空间光通信系统中雪崩光电二极管探测噪声的特点和类别,在讨论了第二代小波变换基本原理及其特点的基础上,将自适应性引入提升方案中,用先更新后预测的改进提升算法解决自适应性引起的非线性问题,并在阈值处理过程中引入了软硬阈值折衷法来恢复信号.实验仿真结果表明,采用该算法实现的雪崩光电二极管信号去噪,不仅较好地剔除信号中的噪声,而且保留了原始信号中的有效成分,是一种可行的方法.     

Application of laser flash method to penetrative materials for measurement of thermal diffusivity

The theoretical equation for the laser flash method is derived where the penetration and transmission of the input energy into the test piece is taken into account. The thermal diffusivity of penetrative materials and its measurement errors are calculated instantly by fitting the experimental data to this equation by using the method of least squares with an on-line personal computer connected to the laser flash device. The usefulness of this method is shown by comparing it with the conventional method.     

Application of SPRT to an image data sequence for a remote monitoring system

Recently, remote monitoring camera systems have been widely used for security. In such systems, one important function is that the system automatically detects any change in the scenes from the monitoring cameras. In wireless remote monitoring camera systems, the images of the scenes are generally transmitted as compressed data (e.g., JPEG file), because of the capacity of the wireless channel. This article shows the automated detection of the change point in time-series data of compressed JPEG file quantity (Kbytes) from the monitoring camera by applying the sequential probabilistic ratio test (SPRT) and the Chow test, which is well known as a standard method for detecting structural change in time-series data.