Alterations in the enzyme activity and protein contents of protein disulfide isomerase in rat tissues during fasting and refeeding

Elevated level of cellular lipid peroxidation can increase the incidence of vascular disease. The mechanism by which ketosis causes accelerated cellular damage and vascular disease in diabetes is not known. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that elevated levels of ketone bodies increase lipid peroxidation in endothelial cells. Human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured for 24 h at 37 degrees C with ketone bodies (acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate). Acetoacetate, but not beta-hydroxybutyrate, caused an increase in lipid peroxidation and growth inhibition in cultured HUVEC. To determine whether ketone bodies generate oxygen radicals, studies using cell-free buffered solution were performed. They showed a significant superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitable reduction of cytochrome C by acetoacetate, but not by beta-hydroxybutyrate, suggesting the generation of superoxide anion radicals by acetoacetate. Additional studies show that Fe2+ potentiates oxygen radical generation by acetoacetate. Thus, elevated levels of ketone body acetoacetate can generate oxygen radicals and cause lipid peroxidation in endothelial cells, providing a possible mechanism for the increased incidence of vascular disease in diabetes.     

Diurnal variation in serum remnant-like lipoproteins, platelet aggregation and fibrinolysis in healthy volunteers

The linkage of cobalamin and folate deficiency to psychiatric illness has been studied and debated since these vitamins were first discovered in the 1940s. The clinical relevance of these deficiencies remains the subject of investigation and scholarly discussion. This article reviews case reports and studies derived from a MEDLINE search for English-language articles related to folate, cobalamin, and psychiatric illness. Emphasis is given to clinical research and recent developments. Preclinical evidence for direct effects of folate and cobalamin on brain functioning is compelling, and numerous associations of their deficiencies to psychiatric illness are evident. These vitamin deficiencies may typically present initially with psychiatric symptoms, but any direct causal relationship to specific neuropsychiatric illnesses are not well defined. The relationship of these vitamins in dementia is significant, but they may only rarely be a cause of truly reversible dementia. Folate deficiency appears most tightly connected with depressive disorders, and cobalamin deficiency with psychosis. Contrary to intuition, vitamin deficiencies appear to occur infrequently with eating disorders. Other diagnoses have been investigated much less extensively. The diagnosis and management of these deficiencies in the context of neuropsychiatric illness is still a matter of discussion. The quality of clinical research in this area is improving, but there are many unanswered questions that affect clinical practice. Clinicians should remain vigilant to the possibility of deficiencies of folate and cobalamin in diverse psychiatric populations. Normal hematological indices do not rule out the deficiencies. Further study is needed to refine the detection and clinical management of these vitamin deficiencies in psychiatric populations.     

Comparison of susceptibility to apoptosis induced by rhTNF-alpha and cycloheximide between human circulating and exudated neutrophils

OBJECTIVE: Peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radical, reactive oxidants produced during reperfusion, are potent triggers of DNA single strand breakage. DNA injury triggers the activation of the nuclear enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase (PARS), which contributes to cellular energetic depletion. Using 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of PARS, we investigated the role of PARS in the pathogenesis of myocardial reperfusion injury in a rat model. METHODS AND RESULTS: Occlusion of the left main coronary artery (one hour) followed by reperfusion (one hour) in the anesthetized rat caused severe cardiac necrosis, neutrophil infiltration, and increased plasma creatine phosphokinase activity. There was significant peroxynitrite production during reperfusion, as indicated by a massive increase in nitrotyrosine in the necrotic myocardium. Reperfusion was also associated with a significant loss of myocardial ATP. In vivo administration of the PARS inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide (10 mg/kg i.v.) to rats subjected to myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, reduced myocardial infarct size and blunted the increase in plasma creatine phosphokinase activity and myeloperoxidase activity in infarcted hearts. In addition, 3-aminobenzamide partially preserved the myocardial ATP levels. In vitro, pharmacological inhibition of PARS also ameliorated peroxynitrite-induced cytotoxicity in rat cardiac myocytes and human endothelial cells. CONCLUSION: 3-aminobenzamide has significant protective effects in myocardial reperfusion injury. We hypothesize that activation of PARS activation plays a role in the pathophysiology of acute myocardial infarction.     

Melting of a vertical ice cylinder inside a rotating cylindrical cavity filled with binary aqueous solution

The melting of a vertical ice cylinder into a homogeneous calcium chloride aqueous solution inside a rotating cylindrical cavity with several rotating speeds is considered experimentally. The melting mass and temperature are measured on four initial conditions of the solution and four rotating speeds of the cavity. The temperature of the liquid layer becomes uniform by the mixing effect resulting from cavity rotation and it enhances the melting rate of the ice cylinder. As the cavity‐rotating speed increases, the melting rate increases. The dimensionless melting mass is related to the Fourier number and the rotating Reynolds number in each initial condition, therefore an experimental equation that is able to quantitatively calculate the dimensionless melting mass is presented. It is seen that the melting Nusselt numbers increase again in the middle of the melting process. The ice cylinder continues to melt in spite of the small temperature difference between the ice cylinder and the solution. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 37(6): 359–373, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20211     

New types of magnetic domain structure in orthoferrite

Mutual interaction of domains in bubble materials causes new types of domain structure. These structures, which are observed in an orthoferrite platelet, are classified into five categories: 1) periodic bubble domains in the valleys of a wavy wall; 2) coexistence of positive and negative bubbles on both sides of a wavy wall; 3) bubbles within a ring domain; 4) concentric ring domains; and 5) coexistence of positive and negative bubbles. Experimental observations by means of magnetooptical effect were performed to investigate the stabilities, controllabilities, and physical properties of the domains. The domain structures 3), 4), 5) are stable even in zero bias field and the structures 1), 2), 3), 5) can be transferred without changing the configuration.     

Advanced evaluation of thermal ratchetting of FBR components

A new prediction method for the thermal ratchetting of a cylinder subjected to an axially moving temperature distribution is proposed in this paper. This ratchetting is quite different from the conventional Bree-type ratchetting, and an advanced evaluation method has been required in the structural design of FBR components. The proposed method considers the work hardening of actual materials for FBR components. Firstly the basic scheme of the prediction method is shown, and secondly the application procedure to the actual design is shown. Predicted results by using this method coincide well with experimental results, when compared with the case by using the previous method.     

Submicrometre X-ray printing with X-ray masks delineated by high-voltage electron-beam writing

High-voltage electron-beam writing has been successfully utilised to fabricate high-resolution and high-accuracy X-ray masks with vertical-wall gold patterns which have made it possible to print a ? ?m resist pattern without any pattern size variation across steps.     

Analysis of thermal residual stress in a thick-walled ring of duralcan-base Al-SiC functionally graded material

A ring-cutting test and an elastic theory were applied to evaluate the macroscopic residual stress in a thick-walled ring made of Al-SiC functionally graded material (FGM). The FGM ring specimens, with outer diameter 90 mm, radial thickness approximately 8.4 to 10 mm, and width 30 mm, were fabricated by the centrifugal casting method from an ingot of Duralcan F3D.20S of Al-20 vol pct SiC master composite. Because of a difference in centrifugal forces of SiC particles and of molten aluminum alloy, the rings had a graded composition of SiC particles in the radial direction. The volume fractions of SiC particles in each ring specimen varied in the range of 0 to 43 vol pct from the inner to the outer surface of the ring, depending on the applied mold spin speed. A ring diametral compression test was performed to validate an analytical formula based on the curved beam theory that can account for the graded properties of the material. Excellent agreement between the theory and the experiment was found. The residual stress was found to be generated by a cooling of Δt=140 K, which was from half the melting point corresponding stress-free condition to the ambient temperature. The hoop residual stresses in the FGM ring varied in the range of −50 to +35 MPa and from tension at the inner surface to compression at the outer surface because of the graded composition. With an increase in wall thickness and/or composition gradation, the residual stresses were found to increase.     

A study of benzylphenols as antioxidants

A series of benzylphenols has been evaluated as antioxidants for paraffin wax at 160 C. Introduction of the benzyl group to thepara- and/or ortho-positions to the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring was shown to improve antioxidative activities of phenols. Excellent activities have been observed with benzylpyrocatechols and benzyl-resorcinol. Antioxidant activities of benzylphenol compounds increased with the decrease of¹³C NMR chemical shifts (δ) of the ipsocarbon of the OH substituent.