Frequent loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 9 in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) affecting chromosome 9p has been shown to occur frequently in head and neck cancer, glioma, mesothelioma, melanoma, lung cancer, and numerous other tumor types. Chromosome 9p is therefore presumed to contain a tumor suppressor gene or genes. Since esophageal cancer shares characteristics with some of the above tumor types, we performed a detailed examination of 60 patients with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus for LOH at loci D9S162, IFNA, D9S171, D9S126, D9S104, D9S165, and D9S163. Multiplex polymerase chain reactions were performed with the inclusion of one radiolabeled nucleotide, and products were electrophoresed on denaturing polyacrylamide gels. Thirty-six of the 60 patients (60%) exhibited LOH at one or more loci on chromosome 9p. Eight of 17 patients (47%) with adenocarcinoma manifested LOH, while 28 of 43 (65%) with squamous cell carcinoma showed LOH. LOH was most frequent at loci D9S171 (19 of 23, or 83%) and D9S165 (24 of 32, or 75%). These data support the hypothesis that a tumor suppressor gene or genes located on this portion of chromosome 9p exert(s) an effect on esophageal cancer development.     

Selection and design of drive modules for robot joint based on dynamic load characteristics

This paper presents the selection and design process of joint motors and gears for robot systems. The velocity, acceleration, and torque profiles of each joint that satisfy a given task are calculated using dynamic and kinematic analysis, and the required motor torque to drive the joint is calculated with respect to the combination of module inertia and gear ratios. Considering energy efficiency, motor parameters, and switching characteristics of the inverter, the correlation between the module inertia and gear ratio for driving joints is investigated, and the final combination is determined by referring to commercial gear data sheets. From the determined motor inertia, various motor designs are possible. To compare the performance and determine the optimal model, performance metrics of drive motors, torque matching, coil temperature, and the motor constant, are proposed and the significance of these figures are discussed.

     

Interactions between Chemesthesis and Taste: Role of TRPA1 and TRPV1

In addition to the sense of taste and olfaction, chemesthesis, the sensation of irritation, pungency, cooling, warmth, or burning elicited by spices and herbs, plays a central role in food consumption. Many plant-derived molecules demonstrate their chemesthetic properties via the opening of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels. TRPA1 and TRPV1 are structurally related thermosensitive cation channels and are often co-expressed in sensory nerve endings. TRPA1 and TRPV1 can also indirectly influence some, but not all, primary taste qualities via the release of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from trigeminal neurons and their subsequent effects on CGRP receptor expressed in Type III taste receptor cells. Here, we will review the effect of some chemesthetic agonists of TRPA1 and TRPV1 and their influence on bitter, sour, and salt taste qualities.     

Efficient and accurate analysis of mitochondrial morphology in a whole cell with a high-voltage electron microscopy

Mitochondria in all eukaryotes are essential organelles responsible for adenosine triphosphate synthesis, calcium homeostasis and steroidogenesis. Because the structure and distribution of mitochondria are highly diverse depending on their function and cellular conditions, it is important to develop a rapid and accurate method to assess their morphology. In this study, we visualize whole mitochondria in cultured cells using high-voltage electron microscopy (HVEM). Compared with conventional transmission electron microscopic approaches, the present method does not require thin sectioning and thus requires less time for image acquisition and processing. Furthermore, compared with fluorescence-based light microscopic approaches, our method provides more accurate size information. Thus, we propose that HVEM is a useful tool for rapid and accurate analysis of mitochondrial morphology and distribution in a cell.     

Umami taste characteristics of water extract of Doenjang, a Korean soybean paste: Low-molecular acidic peptides may be a possible clue to the taste

We investigated the taste characteristics of doenjang water extract (DWE) for component compounds that contribute to its taste. A 1% DWE solution elicited the highest umami taste ratings in a taste profile test. A 3% solution of DWE was used as substitute for 9.4% of monosodium glutamate in a taste soup base, and it masked the bitter taste of hydrolysed animal protein when mixed in solution. DWE was fractionated, based on molecular weights, and fraction IV (F-IV; 1000 > MW ? 500) had the highest peptide contents and elicited the strongest umami taste. The acidic peptide fraction of F-IV elicited the strongest umami taste. The major bound-type amino acids in DWE, F-IV and the acidic peptide fraction were Glu and Asp. These data show that the umami taste characteristics were a result of the low molecular weight acidic peptides naturally produced during the fermentation of soybeans.     

Design concept of multi-band antenna with resonant circuit on PCB

Multi-band operation of an internal antenna for mobile phones is achieved by using a practically simple matching circuit constructed on a PCB. The matching circuit consists of a coplanar waveguide and lumped elements on a PCB. Simulation is conducted to verify the new idea of generating the multi-band operation, and the performance of the antenna is measured     

Electrical loop antenna using stacked patches for 433.92 MHz RFID reader

A novel and compact electrical loop antenna for an RFID reader at 433.92 MHz is proposed. Using modified and stacked patches, in-phase and uniform currents are excited so that an omnidirectional radiation pattern with a /spl phi/-component of the electric field is obtained. The antenna is analysed based on simulated and measured results.     

Atmospheric scanning electron microscopy and its applications for biological specimens

Scanning electron microscopy in ambient conditions (Air‐SEM) was developed recently and has been used mainly for industrial applications. We assessed the potential application of Air‐SEM for the analysis of biological tissues by using rat brain, kidney, human tooth, and bone. Hard tissues prepared by grinding and frozen sections were observed. Basic cytoarchitecture of bone and tooth was identified in the without heavy metal staining. Kidney tissue prepared using routine SEM methodology yielded images comparable to those of field emission (FE)‐SEM. Sharpness was lower than that of FE‐SEM, but foot process of podocytes was observed at high magnification. Air‐SEM observation of semithin sections of kidney samples revealed glomerular basement membrane and podocyte processes, as seen using conventional SEM. Neuronal structures of soma, dendrites, axons, and synapses were clearly observed by Air‐SEM with STEM detector and were comparable to conventional transmission electron microscopy images. Correlative light and electron microscopy observation of zebrafish embryos based on fluorescence microscopy and Air‐SEM indicated the potential for a correlative approach. However, the image quality should be improved before becoming routine use in biomedical research.