The Association of Cholesterol Uptake and Synthesis with Histology and Genotype in Cortisol-Producing Adenoma (CPA)

Cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) is composed of clear and compact cells. Clear cells are lipid abundant, and compact ones lipid poor but associated with higher production of steroid hormones. PRKACA mutation (PRKACA mt) in CPA patients was reported to be associated with more pronounced clinical manifestation of Cushing’s syndrome. In this study, we examined the association of histological features and genotypes with cholesterol uptake receptors and synthetic enzymes in 40 CPA cases, and with the quantitative results obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis in 33 cases to explore their biological and clinical significance. Both cholesterol uptake receptors and synthetic enzymes were more abundant in compact cells. GC-MS analysis demonstrated that the percentage of compact cells was inversely correlated with the concentrations of cholesterol and cholesterol esters, and positively with the activity of cholesterol biosynthesis from cholesterol esters. In addition, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which catalyzes cholesterol biosynthesis from cholesterol esters, tended to be more abundant in compact cells of PRKACA mt CPAs. These results demonstrated that both cholesterol uptake and biosynthesis were more pronounced in compact cells in CPA. In addition, more pronounced HSL expression in compact cells of PRKACA mt CPA could contribute to their more pronounced clinical manifestation.     

Effect of polyethyleneimine-fatty acid complex type dispersant structure on the overall processing chain of Si3N4 ceramics using multicomponent non-aqueous slurries

The effect of fatty acid structure of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-fatty acid complex, which was designed as a polymer dispersant for multi-component non-aqueous slurries, on the overall processing chain of Si₃N₄ ceramics involving slurry stabilization, spray drying, compaction, and liquid sintering was investigated using PEI-oleic acid (PEI-OA) and PEI-isostearic (PEI-ISA) complexes. Si₃N₄-Y₂O₃-Al₂O₃-AlN-TiO₂/toluene slurries were selected as a real model for Si₃N₄-based multicomponent slurries. It was observed that both PEI-OA and PEI-ISA can stabilize Si₃N₄-Y₂O₃-Al₂O₃-AlN-TiO₂/toluene slurries; however, the PEI-ISA system tended to have slightly higher slurry viscosity, which was suspected to be due to the interactions between protruded PEI segments among short ISA chains. The spray-dried granules from PEI-ISA-stabilized slurry were observed to have filled structures with higher surface roughness whereas those prepared from PEI-OA-stabilized slurry were observed to have hollow-structured granules. The granules prepared from PEI-OA slurry had improved flow and compaction properties with higher relative density of green compacts compared with those prepared from PEI-ISA-stabilized slurry, whereas the relative density and microstructural homogeneity of S₃N₄ ceramics sintered at 1600?°C for 2?h were observed to be higher for the PEI-ISA system. It is suspected that PEI-OA effectively improved the dispersion stability of multicomponent slurries and flow/compaction properties of granules; however, the inhomogeneous microstructures of green compacts induced by the hollow-structured granules had an adverse effect on the sintering of Si₃N₄ ceramics.     

Quantitative Elemental Analysis of a Single Cell by Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry in Fast Time-Resolved Analysis Mode

The elemental composition of a single yeast, green alga, or red blood cell (RBC) was precisely determined by using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operating in fast time-resolved analysis (TRA) mode. The technique is known as single-cell (SC)-ICP-MS. Phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium, zinc, and iron were detected in the three types of cell. The elemental composition of yeast and green alga obtained by SC-ICP-MS was consistent with results obtained from conventional ICP-MS measurements following acid digestion of the cells. Slight differences were found in the measured values between SC-ICP-MS and the conventional ICP-MS results for RBC. However, the SC-ICP-MS results for S and Fe in RBC were closer to the estimated values for these elements that were calculated from the level of hemoglobin in RBCs. The data suggest that SC-ICP-MS is suitable for the analysis of various cell types, namely, fungus, plant, and animal cells.     

Spray Pyrolysis of Fe3O4–BaTiO3 Composite Particles

Fe₃O₄–BaTiO₃ composite particles were successfully prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. A mixture of iron(III) nitrate, barium acetate and titanium tetrachloride aqueous solution were atomized into the mist, and the mist was dried and pyrolyzed in N₂ (90%) and H₂ (10%) atmosphere. Fe₃O₄–BaTiO₃ composite particle was obtained between 900° and 950°C while the coexistence of FeO was detected at 1000°C. Transmission electron microscope observation revealed that the composite particle is consisted of nanocrystalline having primary particle size of 35 nm. Lattice parameter of the Fe₃O₄–BaTiO₃ nanocomposite particle was 0.8404 nm that is larger than that of pure Fe₃O₄. Coercivity of the nanocomposite particle (390 Oe) was much larger than that of pure Fe₃O₄ (140 Oe). These results suggest that slight diffusion of Ba into Fe₃O₄ occurred.     

Improved selectivity in discriminating handedness and diameter of single-walled carbon nanotubes with N-substituted 3,6-carbazolylene-bridged chiral diporphyrin nanotweezers

Chiral diporphyrin nanotweezers 1 consisting of two chiral porphyrins with N-substituted 3,6-carbazolylene in between have been studied for the separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). As compared to the analogous nanotweezers 2 without an N-substitutent, nanotweezers 1 with the N-octylcarbazolylene spacer exhibit much higher extraction ability and better selectivity for SWNTs. A narrower diameter range of SWNTs, from 0.88 to 0.92 nm, was selectively extracted with nanotweezers 1. In addition, only (7,6)-SWNTs of 0.90 nm diameter were optically enriched through extraction with 1, while SWNTs extracted with 2 showed lower optical purity of (7,6)-SWNTs. These enhanced extraction and discrimination abilities of 1 can be attributed to the formation of a more stable SWNT complex of 1 than of 2 in methanol.     

Detection of cytochrome P450 substrates by using a small-molecule droplet array on an NADH-immobilized solid surface

Seeing below the surface: A small-molecule droplet array platform on an NADH-immobilized solid surface and a biotinylated acetophenone derivative were developed to identify the substrate candidates for soluble P450 enzymes of interest. This methodology is thought to be easily applicable to other class I P450 systems, including those that use NADPH as cofactor.     

Frictional properties of diamond-like carbon, glassy carbon and nitrides with femtosecond-laser-induced nanostructure

This paper reports macro and micro frictional properties of DLC, TiN, CrN films and GC substrate of which surfaces are nanostructured with femtosecond (fs) laser pulses. The friction coefficient μ of the nanostructured surface was measured at a usual load with a ball-on-disk friction test machine. The results have shown that carbon materials of DLC and GC provide lower values of μ than TiN and CrN, and μ of DLC and TiN measured with a hardened steel ball decreases with an increase of the laser pulse energy. On the other hand, μ of nanostructured surfaces of thin films monotonously increases with an increase in laser pulse energy, which was measured with a micro-scratch test at an ultralight load of 1.5 mN utilizing a diamond tip. The friction coefficient of the GC substrate irradiated at a low fluence around the ablation threshold has shown a lower value than that of the non-irradiated surface.     

Transmission electron microscope observation of organic–inorganic hybrid thin active layers of light-emitting diodes

Low-resistivity indium tin oxide [ITO] film was successfully deposited on oxygen plasma-treated polyethylene terephthalate [PET] surfaces at room temperature. X-ray diffraction [XRD] measurements demonstrated that the film deposited on the PET surface that had not been treated with oxygen plasma had an amorphous structure. In contrast, after the low-power oxygen plasma treatment of the PET surface, the ITO film deposited on the PET surface had a poly-crystalline structure due to interactions between electric dipoles on the PET surface and electric dipoles in the ITO film. The minimum resistivity of the poly-crystalline ITO was about 3.6 times lower than that of the amorphous ITO film. In addition, we found that the resistivity of ITO film is proportional to the intensity of the (400) line in the film's XRD spectra.