Pathophysiological Roles of Actin-Binding Scaffold Protein,Ezrin

Ezrin is one of the members of the ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) family of proteins. It was originally discovered as an actin-binding protein in the microvilli structure about forty years ago. Since then, it has been revealed as a key protein with functions in a variety of fields including cell migration, survival, and signal transduction, as well as functioning as a structural component. Ezrin acts as a cross-linker of membrane proteins or phospholipids in the plasma membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. It also functions as a platform for signaling molecules at the cell surface. Moreover, ezrin is regarded as an important target protein in cancer diagnosis and therapy because it is a key protein involved in cancer progression and metastasis, and its high expression is linked to poor survival in many cancers. Small molecule inhibitors of ezrin have been developed and investigated as candidate molecules that suppress cancer metastasis. Here, we wish to comprehensively review the roles of ezrin from the pathophysiological points of view.     

Characterization and hydrogen sorption behaviors of FeNiCr-carbon composites derived from Fe,Ni and Cr-containing polyacrylonitrile fibers prepared by electrospinning method

In order to enhance hydrogen storage capacity of carbonaceous materials through metal modification, FeNiCr-carbon composites were prepared by calcination of Fe, Ni and Cr-containing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers fabricated by electrospinning method. Fe (III), Ni (II) and Cr (III) acetylacetonates (M (acac)_n) were selected as metal sources. Increase of specific surface area and formation of micropores were observed on heat decomposition of M (acac)_n particularly through introduction of steam. Maximal hydrogen content, 1.62 mass%, was obtained at 77 K under 0.8 MPa of hydrogen for a FeNiCr-carbon composite, which contained about 15.5 mass% of metals and had specific surface area of 501 m² g^?1. The hydrogen content exceeded the hydrogen physisorption limit, 2.34 mass% per 1000 m² g^?1, which was calculated on the basis of the commensurate–incommensurate transition with an enhancing factor ρ of 1.126. After hydrogenation at 653 K, no hydrogen desorption peaks were observed for FeNiCr powders derived from M (acac)_n, and one peak at 828 K for a carbonaceous sample prepared from unmodified PAN fibers. From the most promising FeNiCr-carbon composite, another peak was recorded at 752 K in addition to the peak at 828 K. The former would be originated from hydrogen on novel sorption sites additionally created on the composite formation.     

Corrosion resistance of structural materials in high-temperature aqueous sulfuric acids in thermochemical water-splitting iodine–sulfur process

Very harsh environments exist in the iodine–sulfur process for hydrogen production. Structural materials for sulfuric acid vaporizers and concentrators are exposed to high-temperature corrosive environments. Immersion tests were carried out to evaluate the corrosion resistance of ceramics and to evaluate corrosion-resistant metals exposed to environments of aqueous sulfuric acids at temperatures of 320, 380, and 460 °C, and pressure of 2 MPa. The aqueous sulfuric acid concentrations for the temperatures were 75, 85, and 95 wt%, respectively. Ceramic specimens of silicon carbides (SiC), silicon-impregnated silicon carbides (Si–SiC), and silicon nitrides (Si₃N₄) showed excellent corrosion resistance from weight loss measurements after exposure to 75, 85, and 95 wt% sulfuric acid. High-silicon irons with silicon content of 20 wt% showed a fair measure of corrosion resistance. However, evidence of crack formation was detected via microscopy. Silicon enriched steels severely suffered from uniform corrosion with a corrosion rate in 95 wt% sulfuric acid of approximately 1 g m⁻² h⁻¹. Among the tested materials, the ceramics SiC, Si–SiC, and Si₃N₄ were found to be suitable candidates for structural materials in direct contact with the considered environments.     

Evaluation of effects of windows installed with near-infrared rays retro-reflective film on thermal environment in outdoor spaces using CFD analysis coupled with radiant computation

Recently, windows with low-e double-glazing or heat-shading films often have been installed to the exterior surfaces of buildings to reduce the cooling load of the buildings. These windows specularly reflect solar radiation into pedestrian spaces. It has been pointed out that the increase in the incident solar radiation reflected at the windows degrades the thermal comfort levels of pedestrians. The installation of near-infrared rays retro-reflective film to window surfaces may both reduce the cooling load of the building and reduce the impacts on the thermal environment in outdoor spaces. Hence, it is expected that the installation of this film will counteract this problem and have positive effects. To assess the feasibility of installing retro-reflective materials to the exterior surfaces of the building walls and ground forming part of a city block, for improving the thermal environment in outdoor spaces, computational methods could serve as a powerful tool for analyzing the radiant environment in urban and building spaces. In this paper, a computational method is outlined for considering the directional reflections from the exterior surfaces of building walls and windows. The method is used to estimate the effects on the outdoor thermal comfort of pedestrians in the summer season.     

Resinification Behavior of Regenerated Feather Keratin Powder

A preliminary study was performed on the resinification behavior of regenerated feather keratin powder by changing the sintering conditions, and the thermal and mechanical properties for the obtained resin were investigated. It was confirmed that the molding at 140°C was enough to complete the resinification. The resin obtained was amorphous and its glass transition temperature could be raised to 93°C. In addition, the hardness of the resin could be increased from 20–25 HV to 90 HV by leaving the as-sintered compact resin in ambient air at room temperature for 133 days. Crosslinking agents that work even at room temperature seem to be synthesized during the molding.     

Effects of phosphorus content on generation and growth of cracks in nickel–phosphorus platings owing to thermal cycling

We observed crack generation and structural changes in electroless nickel–phosphorus (Ni–P) plating layers formed on copper-metalized silicon nitride substrates both during thermal cycling from ? 40 to 250 °C and during storage (not cycling) at 250 °C in order to investigate the effect of the phosphorus contents on crack generation and growth in the Ni–P platings. The used platings contained phosphorus at three different contents: 2.1 wt% [Ni–P(low)], 6.5 wt% [Ni–P(med)], and 10.9 wt% [Ni–P(high)]. The generation time and the amount of cracks were strongly dependent on their phosphorus contents. More cracks appeared after thermal cycling than after storage at 250 °C. In Ni–P(low), cracks were generated after 200 thermal cycles, whereas no cracks were observed even after 250 h of storage at 250 °C. In Ni–P(med) and Ni–P(high), both during thermal cycling and storage at 250 °C, cracks formed during or after crystallization of the amorphous layers. These results suggest that the primary factors affecting the generation of cracks in electroless Ni–P platings are crystallization of the Ni–P platings and repeated changes in thermal stress.     

Perspective of mixed matrix membranes for carbon capture

Polymeric membrane-based gas separation has found wide applications in industry, such as carbon capture, hydrogen recovery, natural gas sweetening, as well as oxygen enrichment. Commercial gas separation membranes are required to have high gas permeability and selectivity, while being cost-effective to process. Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) have a composite structure that consists of polymers and fillers, therefore featuring the advantages of both materials. Much effort has been made to improve the gas separation performance of MMMs as well as general membrane properties, such as mechanical strength and thermal stability. This perspective describes potential use of MMMs for carbon capture applications, explores their limitations in fabrication and methods to overcome them, and addresses their performance under industry gas conditions.