Oxygen saturation of skin reflects blood flow and stagnation

Skin is the largest organ of human body which can easily be observed non-invasively, but objective assessment of skin status is difficult. Therefore, we have focused on the oxygen saturation, and proposed the iterative optical path-length matrix method (OPLM) for estimating oxygen saturation of skin. Oxygen saturation of skin may help finding pre-disease state. In Kampo medicine (Japanese traditional herbal medicine), inspection of skin and tongue is one of the principal methods for diagnosis of the state. Kampo medicine contains a number of concepts which are useful for preventive medicine. The Oketsu status is a pathological concept in Kampo medicine, primarily denoting blood stasis/stagnation. In this study, we focused on oxygen saturation of skin as an objective index of skin properties, and studied correlation with the blood flow and the Oketsu score. First, we acquired Oketsu score of the patients, and measured oxygen saturation, hemoglobin concentration and blood flow of the patients at two locations: fingertip of the right first finger and dorsal surface of the right hand. Then, correlation among the values was calculated. As the result, the oxygen saturation showed large correlation with the blood flow and the Oketsu score at dorsal surface of hand. The oxygen saturation of skin will reflect systemic blood flow and Oketsu status, and it would help objective diagnosis by measuring skin color spectrum.     

Structural study of nanometer-sized iron crystallites in single crystalline iron–mgo composite films

Single crystalline composite films of iron and MgO are prepared by a simultaneous vacuum deposition technique. The structures of the composite films, especially of the iron crystallites embedded, are studied by high-resolution electron microscopy and nanometer-area electron diffraction. The α-iron (b.c.c.) crystallites of 1 nm in size are epitaxially embedded in single crystalline MgO films, the orientation being (011 )[100]_Fe/(001)[100]_Mgo and (001)[11 0]_Fe//(001)[100]_Mgo. A heat treatment of the as-grown films at 500–1,000°C brings about a phase transformation of the crystallites from α-iron to γ-iron (f.c.c.), followed by a grain growth of α-iron and finally the growth of the spinel, MgFe₂O₄. The γ-iron crystallites transformed are circular plates and have strains at the periphery to accommodate the surrounding MgO-matrix. The magnetic property of the composite films is also reported.     

Isolation and characterization of murine hepatocytes following collagenase infusion into left ventricle of heart

A method for obtaining mouse hepatocytes by infusing collagenase solution into the left ventricle was established. This technique was shown to be equivalent to the intra-portal infusion method and more practical, especially in postnatal mice with a small body size.     

Modeling of mass transfer and initiation of hygroscopically induced cracks in rice grains in a thermally controlled soaking condition: With dependency of diffusion coefficient to moisture content and temperature – A 3D finite element approach

Rice grains develop cracks and eventually break during soaking. Since published simulation studies on hygroscopic swelling induced cracking were scarce, the present study attempts to model the mass transfer of moisture and hygroscopic swelling of rice grains using principles of finite element analysis performed in three dimensions (3D). Ultimately, to understand the crack formation in response to the existence of tensile and compressive stresses caused by moisture gradient in the grain during soaking. An empirical equation was developed to establish dependency of the diffusion coefficient of rice to both moisture content and temperature. Using a 3D replica of short grain japonica rice, the modeling was carried out using existing laws of diffusion and was validated using experimental data. Results showed that the rate of moisture diffusion and hygroscopic swelling were found to increase with increase in soaking temperature. The internal stress, however, was found to decrease with increase in soaking temperature. The simulated moisture content and increase in volume of rice grain were favorably in agreement with experimental results. Highly stressed sites that are prone to breakage have been clearly identified.     

Vitellogenesis-related ovary cathepsin D from Xenopus laevis: purification and properties in comparison with liver cathepsin D

Cathepsin D was purified from ovaries of Xenopus laevis by both QAE-cellulose and pepstatin-Sepharose chromatography and then characterized and compared with Xenopus liver cathepsin D. Ovary cathepsin D appeared predominantly as a 43-kilodalton (kDa) molecular mass, as revealed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, whereas the liver enzyme was obtained exclusively as a 36-kDa protein. The purified 43-kDa ovary enzyme cleaved vitellogenin limitedly to produce yolk proteins at pH 5.6. The specific activity of ovary cathepsin D was five to six times lower than that of the liver enzyme, as measured by hemoglobin-hydrolysis at pH 3, but the ovary enzyme was shown to be superior to the liver enzyme in terms of vitellogenin-cleaving activity, as examined at pH 5.6. Ovarian enzyme preparations contained variable amounts of 36-kDa species; this form was considered to be an autolytic product of the 43-kDa form arising during purification, because it was not detected in oocyte extracts but was generated by incubation of the purified 43-kDa enzyme alone in an acid solution. The conversion of the 43-kDa form by hepatic factors was accompanied by a marked increase in hemoglobin-hydrolytic activity.     

Interfacial properties of polyelectrolyte-cellulose systems. IV. Electrokinetic properties of carboxymethylcellulose fibers with adsorbed multilayers of cationic polyelectrolyte

Zeta potential measurements by the streaming current method were performed on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) with and without irreversibly adsorbed multilayers of cationic polyelectrolyte. Factors affecting the electrokinetic properties such as the amount of adsorbed polymer, polymer molecular weights (M_n 50,000 and 200,000), ionic strength (10^?5 ～ 10^?2M KCl), and pH of the streaming medium (KCl solutions) were examined. The negative zeta potential of CMC decreased to the point of monolayer formation and increased from that point to the saturated multilayer formation. The polarity of the zeta potential was negative throughout every adsorption stage. The negative zeta potential increase was attributed to: (a) binding of anions (Cl^? and OH^?) to the outermost layer of the multilayer from KCl solutions and (b) change in chemical potentials of counterions in a diffuse double layer due to expansion of the double layer in the presence of the adsorbed multilayer on CMC. The results suggest that the carboxyl groups under the monolayer are undetectable electrokinetically; however, the negative charge, due to unneutralized carboxyl groups under the monolayer, appears to cause further adsorption forming a saturated multilayer. When the effect of unneutralized carboxyls of CMC are shielded at higher levels of adsorption, the outermost layer of the multilayer becomes a potential-determining layer.     

Summary of Recent Research Accomplishment Onboard the International Space Station—Within the United States Orbital Segment

November 20, 2010, marked a significant milestone in the annals of human endeavors in space since it was the twelfth anniversary of one of the most challenging and complex construction projects ever attempted by humans away from our planet: The construction of the International Space Stations. On November 20, 1998, the Zarya Control Module was launched. With this simple, almost unnoticed launch in the science community, the construction of a continuously staffed research platform, in Low Earth Orbit, was underway. This paper discusses the research that was performed by many occupants of this research platform during the year celebrating its twelfth anniversary. The main objectives of this paper are fourfold: (1) to discuss the integrated manner in which science planning/replanning and prioritization during the execution phase of an increment is carried out across the United States Orbital Segment since that segment is made of four independent space agencies; (2) to discuss and summarize the research that was performed during increments 16 and 17 (October 2007 to October 2008). The discussion for these two increments is primarily focused on the main objectives of each investigation and its associated hypotheses that were investigated. Whenever available and approved, preliminary research results are also discussed for each of the investigations performed during these two increments; (3) to compare the planned research portfolio for these two increments versus what was actually accomplished during the execution phase in order to discuss the challenges associated with planning and performing research in a space laboratory located over 240 miles up in space, away from the ground support team; (4) to briefly touch on the research portfolio of increments 18 and 19/20 as the International Space Station begins its next decade in Low Earth Orbit.     

A Method of Study of Radioactive Tracer Kinetics

This paper presents an approach to the problem of estimating the number of exponential functions and the pertinent parameters in the output of a radioactive tracer kinetic process. In particular, application of a criterion called an information theoretical criterion (AIC) for the estimation of the number of exponential functions is proposed; AIC was introduced by Akaike for the estimation of the order of linear dynamical systems and has been successfully applied for statistical model identification in a wide range of fields. Also, the maximum likelihood method was applied in order to evaluate AIC and to estimate decay constants and coefficients.