Pretreatment of polyamide monofilament with hydrochloric acid improves sensitivity of three-dimensional microarray, Bio-Strand

A single-nucleotide-polymorphism-typing method using a novel three-dimensional DNA microarray, Bio-Strand, is promising because it is rapid, inexpensive and easily automated. It has been developed with the intent to overcome the drawbacks of conventional DNA microarrays, which use flat surfaces and impermeable materials such as glass slides; Bio-Strand as a novel DNA microarray, with its permeability, has a significantly improved stability compared with conventional DNA microarrays that use impermeable materials. In this study, we have developed a simple method of pretreating a polyamide monofilament to increase its surface area and to make it permeable, which makes Bio-Strand more sensitive and stable, allowing it to be adapted for clinical diagnostic applications. The fluorescence signal obtained with a nylon 6 monofilament pretreated under optimal conditions (hydrolysis by 5 M HCl/ethanol followed by washing with 50% ethanol and 100% ethanol) was significantly stronger than that obtained with an untreated monofilament.     

Mechanism of Ca2+ increase in myoblasts derived from chicken embryos

The mechanism of intracellular calcium ions (Ca(2+)) increase in chicken myoblasts was studied using histological, immunohistochemical, immunoblotting and Ca(2+) imaging techniques. Mononuclear myoblasts at embryonic day 12 (E12) contained myofibrils in the peripheral cytoplasm, and the sarcoplasmic reticulum was observed in the cytoplasm. Several Ca(2+)-related receptors, namely acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs), were detected in the tissue as early as E12. Western blotting analyses detected one band corresponding to RyR subtype 3 (RyR3) at E12 and two bands corresponding to RyR1 and RyR3 after E13. Ca(2+) imaging of mononuclear myoblasts in vitro revealed an intense Ca(2+)-increase response to ACh stimulation, and this effect was abolished after EGTA addition to the culture medium. Nifedipine treatment also led to a lack of Ca(2+) increase in response to ACh stimulation, while ryanodine treatment led to a weak Ca(2+)-increase response. On the other hand, multinuclear myoblasts showed a Ca(2+)-increase response to ACh stimulation in the presence of not only EGTA but also nifedipine, although ryanodine treatment led to a lack of Ca(2+) increase. These results suggest that the mechanism of Ca(2+) increase in mononuclear myoblasts involves extracellular Ca(2+) entry through DHPRs, which is amplified by Ca(2+) release from the cytoplasmic Ca(2+) store, while multinuclear myoblasts mainly depend on Ca(2+) release from the cytoplasmic Ca(2+) store.     

Surface durability of powder-forged roller treated by shot peening

To investigate the influence of shot peening on the surface durability of powder-forged rollers, the case-hardened powder-forged rollers with a forging density of 7.5 g/cm³ treated by the single shot peening and the double shot peening were fatigue-tested under a sliding-rolling contact condition. The surface roughness, the surface hardness and the surface compressive residual stress of the rollers were increased by the shot peening. In addition, the pores near the roller surface were deformed by the shot peening. The failure mode of all the test rollers was spalling due to subsurface cracking. The fatigue lives of all the test rollers were improved by the shot peening, and that of the test roller S08, which was shot-peened with the hardest steel shots in this experimental range, was especially improved. The surface durability of the test roller S08 was also most improved by the shot peening. Cracks became difficult to occur and propagate under the roller surface since the pores near the roller surface were deformed by the stronger shot peening. In this study, double shot peening, which generally restrains the increase in surface roughness, was not particularly effective for the improvement in the surface durability of the powder-forged rollers, because the influence of tangential force on fatigue was not always great in a case of subsurface cracking.     

Influence of ion assistance on LaF3 films deposited by molybdenum boat evaporation

LaF3 thin films at 193 nm were deposited by the molybdenum boat evaporation with ion-assisted deposition (IAD). Various optical characteristics, stress, and microstructures that formed under different ion-beam voltages of IAD deposition were investigated. The relation between these properties is also discussed. LaF3 films deposited with IAD exhibited small rough surfaces and large optical loss at 193 nm. The largest value of optical loss for films at 193 nm, which were prepared at an ion-beam voltage of 400 V, was 1.55% and the extinction coefficient was smaller than 0.0015. Microstructures and crystalline structures of films were influenced and changed by the ion-assisted deposition process. Tensile stress value of films increased as the ion-beam voltage rose. Refractive index, related to the packing density and microstructures, also increased as the ion-beam voltage rose.     

晶粒尺寸对（TiB2＋TiC）/Ni3Al复合材料循环氧化性能的影响（英文）

采用放电等离子烧结法制备（TiB2＋TiC）/Ni3Al复合材料。在950°C下烧结的（TiB2＋TiC）/Ni3Al复合材料的组织比在1050°C下烧结的（TiB2＋TiC）/Ni3Al复合材料的组织更细小。对烧结温度分别为950°C和1050°C的复合材料在900°C下进行循环氧化性能测试。结果表明,在950°C下烧结的复合材料的循环氧化质量损失要小于在1050°C下烧结的复合材料的。晶粒细化有助于在氧化过程汇总的选择性氧化,使得连续的TiO2和Al2O3氧化膜得以在复合材料表面形成,从而提高复合材料的抗氧化性能。     

Physician-received scatter radiation with angiography systems used for interventional radiology: comparison among many X-ray systems

Radiation protection for interventional radiology (IR) physicians is very important. Current IR X-ray systems tend to use flat-panel detectors (FPDs) rather than image intensifiers (IIs). The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that there is no difference in physician-received scatter radiation (PRSR) between FPD systems and II systems. This study examined 20 X-ray systems in 15 cardiac catheterisation laboratories (11 used a FPD and 9 used an II). The PRSR with digital cineangiography and fluoroscopy were compared among the 20 X-ray systems using a phantom and a solid-state-detector electronic pocket dosemeter. The maximum PRSR exceeded the minimum PRSR by ~12-fold for cineangiography and ~9-fold for fluoroscopy. For both fluoroscopy and digital cineangiography, the PRSR had a statistically significant positive correlation with the entrance surface dose (fluoroscopy, r = 0.87; cineangiography, r = 0.86). There was no statistically significant difference between the average PRSR of FPDs and IIs during either digital cineangiography or fluoroscopy. There is a wide range of PRSR among the radiography systems evaluated. The PRSR correlated well with the entrance surface dose of the phantom in 20 X-ray units used for IR. Hence, decreasing the dose to the patient will also decrease the dose to staff.     

Amorphous nanosilicas induce consumptive coagulopathy after systemic exposure

We previously reported that well-dispersed amorphous nanosilicas with particle size 70 nm (nSP70) penetrate skin and produce systemic exposure after topical application. These findings underscore the need to examine biological effects after systemic exposure to nanosilicas. The present study was designed to examine the biological effects. BALB/c mice were intravenously injected with amorphous nanosilicas of sizes 70, 100, 300, 1000 nm and then assessed for survival, blood biochemistry, and coagulation. As a result, injection of nSP70 caused fatal toxicity, liver damage, and platelet depletion, suggesting that nSP70 caused consumptive coagulopathy. Additionally, nSP70 exerts procoagulant activity in vitro associated with an increase in specific surface area, which increases as diameter reduces. In contrast, nSP70-mediated procoagulant activity was absent in factor XII-deficient plasma. Collectively, we revealed that interaction between nSP70 and intrinsic coagulation factors such as factor XII, were deeply related to nSP70-induced harmful effects. In other words, it is suggested that if interaction between nSP70 and coagulation factors can be suppressed, nSP70-induced harmful effects may be avoided. These results would provide useful information for ensuring the safety of nanomaterials (NMs) and open new frontiers in biological fields by the use of NMs.     

Dietary Tuna Dark Muscle Protein Attenuates Hepatic Steatosis and Increases Serum High‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Obese Type‐2 Diabetic/Obese KK‐Ay Mice

Tuna muscle consists of light and dark muscle in approximately equal proportions. However, besides for the light muscle of tuna, cod, sardine, and salmon, few researches have assessed the health‐promoting functions of fish protein. Therefore, we evaluated the mechanisms underlying the alteration of lipid storage and cholesterol metabolism following the intake of tuna dark muscle protein (TDMP) by obese type‐2 diabetic/obese mice. Four‐week‐old male KK‐A^y mice were separated into 2 dietary groups, with one group receiving a casein‐based diet and the other receiving a diet with the substitution of part of the protein (50%, w/w) by TDMP (TDMP diet) for 4 wk. The TDMP diet significantly increased the content of serum high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, partly due to the reduction of the expression of scavenger receptor class B member 1 in epididymal white adipose tissue. In addition, dietary TDMP decreased the content of hepatic triacylglycerol, which could be due to the enhancement of carnitine palmitoyltransferase‐2 activity through the activation of the expression of the peroxisome proliferative activated receptor‐α in the liver. These results suggest that TDMP could have the potential to prevent the development of obesity‐related diseases by suppressing the storage of hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol.     

Porcine hemoglobin promotes lipid excretion to feces more strongly than globin protein in rats

In an effort to clarify whether the lipid-lowering effect of hemoglobin is due to globin protein or heme, this study investigated the effects of dietary porcine hemoglobin (PH) and porcine globin (PG) on lipids contents of serum, liver, and feces in rats. Five-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into 3 dietary groups of 7 rats each, with one group receiving a control diet and the other groups receiving diets containing 1.25% (w/w) PH or 1.18% (w/w) PG for 4 weeks. The PH diet decreased triacylglycerol content in serum and cholesterol in serum and liver, whereas the PG diet reduced triacylglycerol content in serum and cholesterol in liver. Fecal lipid excretion in the PH group was significantly higher than in the PG group. Therefore, PH affected lipid excretion to feces due to globin protein as well as heme.     

Synthesis of Various Water-Soluble C60 Derivatives and Their Superoxide-Quenching Activity

Abstract

In order to examine the utility of fullerene as a medicinal application, we evaluated the reaction between fullerene derivatives and active oxygen species in vitro. This paper describes the synthesis of various water-soluble C₆₀ derivatives (cationic and anionic) and evaluation of their superoxide (O₂ ^?) quenching activity. Cationic C₆₀ derivatives showed fairly high efficiency.