Psychological Stress Exacerbates Inflammation of the Ileum via the Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone-Mast Cell Axis in a Mouse Model of Eosinophilic Enteritis

The effects of psychological stress on eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders have not been elucidated. This study investigated the effects of psychological stress in a mouse model of eosinophilic enteritis (EoN). BALB/c mice were treated with ovalbumin (OVA) to create an EoN model and subjected to either water avoidance stress (WAS) or sham stress (SS). Microscopic inflammation, eosinophil and mast cell counts, mRNA expression, and protein levels of type 2 helper T cell (Th2) cytokines in the ileum were compared between groups. We evaluated ex vivo intestinal permeability using an Ussing chamber. A corticotropin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor (CRH-R1) antagonist was administered before WAS, and its effects were analyzed. WAS significantly increased diarrhea occurrence and, eosinophil and mast cell counts, and decreased the villus/crypt ratio compared to those in the SS group. The mRNA expression of CRH, interleukin IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, eotaxin-1, and mast cell tryptase β2 significantly increased, and the protein levels of IL-5, IL-13, and OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) also significantly increased in the WAS group. Moreover, WAS significantly increased the intestinal permeability. The CRH-R1 antagonist significantly inhibited all changes induced by WAS. Psychological stress exacerbated ileal inflammation via the CRH-mast cell axis in an EoN mouse model.     

Beta-1,3 Oligoglucans Specifically Bind to Immune Receptor CD28 and May Enhance T Cell Activation

Beta glucans are known to have immunomodulatory effects that mediated by a variety of mechanisms. In this article, we describe experiments and simulations suggesting that beta-1,3 glucans may promote activation of T cells by a previously unknown mechanism. First, we find that treatment of a T lymphoblast cell line with beta-1,3 oligoglucan significantly increases mRNA levels of T cell activation-associated cytokines, especially in the presence of the agonistic anti-CD3 antibody. This immunostimulatory activity was observed in the absence of dectin-1, a known receptor for beta-1,3 glucans. To clarify the molecular mechanism underlying this activity, we performed a series of molecular dynamics simulations and free-energy calculations to explore the interaction of beta-1,3 oligoglucans with potential immune receptors. While the simulations reveal little association between beta-1,3 oligoglucan and the immune receptor CD3, we find that beta-1,3 oligoglucans bind to CD28 near the region identified as the binding site for its natural ligands CD80 and CD86. Using a rigorous absolute binding free-energy technique, we calculate a dissociation constant in the low millimolar range for binding of 8-mer beta-1,3 oligoglucan to this site on CD28. The simulations show this binding to be specific, as no such association is computed for alpha-1,4 oligoglucan. This study suggests that beta-1,3 glucans bind to CD28 and may stimulate T cell activation collaboratively with T cell receptor activation, thereby stimulating immune function.     

Characterization of bacterial biofilm communities in tertiary treatment processes for wastewater reclamation and reuse

The concern with wastewater reuse as a sustainable water resource in urban areas has been growing. For the reclamation and distribution of wastewater, biofilm development deserves careful attention from the point of view of its promotion (e.g. biofiltration) and inhibition (e.g. clogging and hygiene problems). As the first step to control biofilm development, bacterial biofilm communities in tertiary treatment processes were characterized by using molecular biological methods. The result of clone library analysis showed that Nitrospirae-related (nitrite-oxydizing bacteria) and Acidobacteria-related (probably oligotrophic bacteria) groups were dominant. The ratio of the Nitrospirae-related group to the Acidobacteria-related group was associated with ammonia load, whereas other operational conditions (process, media, temperature, salt) did not clearly affect the phylum-level community or the dominant sequence of nitrifying bacteria. The result of real-time PCR also indicated that high ammonia load promotes the proliferation of nitrite- and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Regarding water supply systems, some researchers also have suggested the dominance of Nitrospirae- and Acidobacteria-related groups in biofilm formed on water distribution pipes. In tertiary wastewater treatment, therefore, it is concluded that oligotrophic and autotrophic bacteria are the dominant groups in biofilm samples because assimilable organic carbon is too poor to proliferate various heterotrophic bacteria.     

碳化硅陶瓷和金属铌及不锈钢的扩散接合

研究了碳化硅陶瓷和金属Ｎｂ的相反应，显微组织结构和Ｎｂ２Ｃ、Ｎｂ５Ｓｉ３Ｃｘ，ＮｂＣ和ＮｂＳｉ２的形成过程，分析了反应相对霎头强度的影响。     

Situational awareness of construction equipment using GPS, wireless and web technologies

Situational awareness refers to the ability by equipment operators to sense their environment with the objective of increasing safety and improving productivity on construction sites. This paper reports on research related to situational awareness of construction equipment using differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), wireless and web-based technologies. In this investigation, the researchers developed and implemented technologies for vehicle tracking, and collision detection. The paper concludes with a summary of these applications, along with a discussion of the limitations of current implementations, and the required augmentation by other technologies.     

An experimental investigation of minimum fluidization velocity at elevated temperatures and pressures

Minimum fluidization data at elevated temperatures and pressures are relatively scarce in the literature. This study was undertaken to provide some new data under these conditions. Minimum fluidization velocities at temperatures up to 800°K and pressures up to 5 MPa were measured for uniformly-sized glass beads with diameters between 0.2 mm and 4 mm in beds ranging in diameter from 30 mm to 50 mm. The experimental results are compared with a number of empirical correlations from the literature to determine the validity of the correlations under these elevated temperature and pressure conditions.     

Hepatorenal reflex plays an important role in natriuresis after high-NaCl food intake in conscious dogs

Responses of renal nerve activity and urinary Na+ and Cl- excretion were examined in chronically instrumented conscious dogs through feedings of boiled rice with or without NaCl. The boiled rice (20 g/kg body wt) without NaCl did not influence plasma Na+ and Cl- concentrations, renal nerve activity, or urinary Na+ excretion but decreased urinary Cl- excretion. On the other hand, boiled rice containing NaCl (0.4 g/kg body wt) increased plasma Na+ (+3.8 +/- 0.7 meq/l) and Cl- (+3.0 +/- 1.5 meq/l) concentrations, then decreased renal nerve activity by 61 +/- 4%, and increased urinary Na+ and Cl- excretions. In dogs with hepatic denervation, a decrease in renal nerve activity, which was observed in intact dogs in response to the high-NaCl food intake, was completely abolished along with significant attenuation of postprandial natriuresis. That is, only 9 +/- 5% of the loaded Na+ and 7 +/- 3% of the loaded Cl- were excreted during 4 consecutive hours in hepatic-denervated dogs, whereas 36 +/- 5% of the loaded Na+ and 36 +/- 4% of the loaded Cl- were excreted in intact dogs. In dogs with renal denervation, postprandial natriuresis was also attenuated. These results indicate that the high-NaCl food intake elicits a decrease in renal nerve activity, the decrease is predominantly mediated by the hepatic nerves, and the decrease in renal nerve activity plays an important role in augmentation of urinary Na+ and Cl- excretion. Thus, the hepatorenal reflex may play an important role in controlling extracellular fluid homeostasis during food intake.     

Bladder tumors: staging with gadolinium-enhanced oblique MR imaging

To clarify the importance of imaging plane in evaluation of invasion by tumor into muscle, 50 patients with bladder tumors underwent examination with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performed with an oblique plane and the early phase of contrast enhancement. After the ideal oblique plane was selected, an oblique T2-weighted image was obtained. Gadopentetate dimeglumine was then administered, and an oblique T1-weighted image was obtained. The staging based on oblique T2-weighted and oblique contrast material-enhanced T1-weighted MR images was then correlated with histopathologic staging. The respective accuracies of oblique contrast-enhanced T1-weighted and oblique T2-weighted images were 78% and 60% for overall staging (P < .05), 90% and 74% for differentiation between (a) stage T1 and lower-stage tumors and (b) stage T2 and higher-stage tumors (P < .05), and 92% and 88% for differentiation between (a) stage T2 and lower-stage tumors and (b) stage T3a and higher-stage tumors (P > .05). Oblique MR imaging performed in conjunction with the early phase of contrast enhancement showed significantly high staging accuracy, especially in differentiation between superficial tumors and tumors with superficial muscle invasion.     

Design of a gadolinia bearing mixed-oxide fuel assembly for pressurized water reactors

A study on neutronics design of a gadolinia (Gd₂O₃) bearing mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assembly (MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly) was performed for the purpose of suppressing the use of fresh lumped burnable poison rods (BPRs). The MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly investigated consists of MOX and UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) fuel rods, which have already been verified through both fabrication and irradiation experiences. In all, 16 UO₂ (10 wt% Gd₂O₃) fuel rods are located at every corner and the peripheral region of the MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly in order to reduce the power peaking of MOX fuel rods due to the thermal neutron inflow, and to reduce the reactivity penalty at the end of cycle (EOC). Since fresh BPRs are not expected to be inserted and UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) fuel rods are located at every corner of the assembly, the number of splits in plutonium (Pu) content can be only two, which is less than three splits required for a standard MOX assembly. Core characteristics of an equilibrium core loaded with MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assemblies are evaluated and it is verified that adoption of the MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly is effective to avoid the use of fresh BPRs with securing both the core safety and cycle length. The simplication of the splits in Pu content is also supposed to be beneficial, since it has the possibility of reduce MOX fuel fabrication costs.     

Preparation and Optical Properties of Transparent Glass-Ceramics Containing Cobalt(ll) Ions

Transparent glass-ceramics containing ZnAl₂O₄:Co²⁺ and LiGa₅O₈:Co²⁺ crystallites have been prepared by heat treatment of glasses in the zinc aluminosilicate and lithium gallate silicate systems, respectively. Crystalline LiGa₅O₈ was already precipitated in an as-prepared specimen, while ZnAl₂O₄:Co²⁺ precipitated from the glass upon heat treatment. The crystallite size varies from about 5 to 20 nm with increasing heat treatment temperature for both systems, and glass-ceramics containing crystallites of less than about 10 nm are transparent. The low-temperature optical absorption and emission spectra are compared with those of single crystals, indicating that almost all of the Co²⁺ ions replace Zn²⁺ ions in the ZnAl₂O₄ system, while some of the Co²⁺ ions are incorporated into the LiGa₃O₈ system, although the amount of Co²⁺ which remains in the glass matrix is rather large in the latter system.