Construction of heterotypic cell sheets by magnetic force-based 3-D coculture of HepG2 and NIH3T3 cells

Heterotypic 3-D coculture is essential to mimic tissues and organs, because cell-cell interaction between various types of cells is believed to be important for the activation of cellular functions. In this study, magnetic force was applied to construct a 3-D coculture system of HepG2 and NIH3T3 cells as a model of hepatocytes and mesenchymal cells. Magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs) were used to label target cells. NIH3T3 cells labeled with MCLs were seeded onto ultralow-attachment plates, whose surface is composed of a covalently bound hydrogel layer that is hydrophilic and neutrally charged. When a magnet was placed under the plate, cells accumulated on the bottom of the well. After a 24-h incubation period, the cells formed a multilayered cell sheet, which contained the major mesenchymal extracellular matrix (ECM) components (fibronectin and type I collagen), suggesting that the use of stromal NIH3T3 cells gave sufficient strength to cell sheets. Both NIH3T3 and HepG2 cells were labeled with MCLs, and cocultured by two methods: NIH3T3 cell sheets were constructed and HepG2 cells were subsequently seeded onto NIH3T3 cell sheets, and then allowed to form layered cell sheets by applying magnetic force; or NIH3T3 and HepG2 cells were mixed and then allowed to form mixed cell sheets by applying magnetic force. These heterotypic multilayered cell sheets were successfully constructed and an enhanced albumin secretion by HepG2 cells was observed. These results suggest that the new tissue engineering technique using magnetite nanoparticles and magnetic force, to which we refer to as magnetic force-based tissue engineering (Mag-TE), is a promising approach to construct multilayered cell sheets consisting of heterotypic cocultured cells.     

Oxygen Uptake and Release Mechanism of Lithium Manganese Ferrite in the Low Temperature Range of 573–773 K

Oxygen uptake and release of (Li,Mn) ferrite [LMF; (Li_0.60Mn_1.20Fe_1.20)_1−δO₄; δ= 0.007 to 0.033] was investigated concerning the relations between redox reactions of ferrite and cation migration. Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry showed that some of the Li⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions migrated from the A sites to the B sites of the spinel-type structure and Mn⁴⁺ ions migrated from the B sites to the A sites during oxygen uptake at 573 K. The cation-deficient LMF formed by the oxygen uptake released oxygen molecules in He gas only at 660 K. The cation migration during the oxygen release was in the opposite direction of the movement during oxygen uptake at 573 K.     

固溶处理对添加Si的Cu-10Ni-8Sn合金胞状沉淀的影响

利用定量金相的方法,研究了固溶-退火条件(温度和时间)对添加0.2%Si的Cu-10Ni-8Sn合金450℃时效时晶界处胞状物的形核与长大的影响.在450℃时效过程中,基体的硬度几乎不受固溶-退火条件的影响.然而,时效过程中固溶-退火条件对胞状物的形核与长大的影响却非常显著.当固溶-退火温度或时间增加时,Si对于胞状沉淀的抑制作用下降.随固溶-退火温度或者时间的增加,淬火态样品中存在于基体晶粒和晶界上的Ni31Si12相颗粒被粗化.因此,可以认为,经较高温度或较长时间固溶-退火的样品时效时,Ni31Si12相颗粒占据胞状物在晶界上的形核位置并抑制胞状物前沿界面迁移的作用降低了.     

Quantitative determination of lipids and their constituents by the Chromarod TLC-FID system

The methanolysis products of neutral sphingolipid and archaebacterial neutral glycolipid were separated on Chromarods S-II (silica gel) with a double developing system. The lipid constituents separated on the rods were scanned automatically with a hydrogen flame ionization detector (Iatroscan). The molar ratios of the constituents determined by this system were very close to the theoretical values of the lipid.     

Calculation of crystallite modulus of native cellulose

Summary A crystallite modulus of native cellulose along the chain axis has been calculated based on the X-ray analysed molecular conformation and the force constants used in the vibrational analysis. The calculated values are 172.9 GPa and 70.8 GPa for the cases with and without the intramolecular hydrogen bondings taken into account, respectively. The intramolecular hydrogen bondings have been found to play an important role on the determination of crystallite modulus and the chain deformation mechanism, based on the calculation of the strain energy distribution to the internal coordinates such as bond lengths, bond angles, and so on.     

Simulation of the primary process in photosynthetic reaction centre by monolayer with charge separation triad and antenna molecules

Simulation of photoelectric conversion in the photosynthetic reaction centre by a monomolecular layer assembly was successfully attained by using a newly synthesized linear A-S-D triad as a charge separation unit and an antenna pigment for light harvesting. The synthetic amphiphilic triad molecule has three functional moieties within a molecule, i.e. a hydrophilic electron acceptor viologen (A), a hydrophobic sensitizer perylene (S) and a hydrophobic electron donor ferrocene (D) moiety. The amphiphilic antenna molecule has a light-harvesting pyrene (H) moiety in the middle of the alkyl chain of fatty acid. Because of overlap of the emission spectrum of the antenna pyrene and the absorption spectrum of the sensitizer perylene moiety of the triad, light energies harvested by the antenna molecules were efficiently transferred to the sensitizer moiety of the triad and finally converted to electrical energies via multistep electron transfer across the monolayer through the charge separation unit of the triad molecule in the highly oriented monolayer assembly.     

Selective Cation Exchange in Substituted Tobermorites

Selective cation exchange in tobermorites with three levels of Al³⁺ and Na⁺ substitution for Si⁴⁺ has been investigated. The cation exchange selectivity for a tobermorite with 2 mol% Al³⁺ and 0 mol% Na⁺ substitution increased as follows: Mg²⁺ > Ba²⁺ > Sr²⁺. Cation exchange in the above tobermorite is postulated to take place mainly from edge and planar surface sites and apparently from interlayer Ca²⁺ sites. Tobermorites with 10 and 15 mol% Al³⁺ (and Na⁺) substitution have additional Na⁺ exchange sites in the interlayers and show the following selectivity: Ba²⁺ > Sr²⁺ > Mg²⁺. The cation exchange selectivity in the substituted tobermorites can be explained by the hydrated radii of cations and the steric limitations of the ion exchange cavity in tobermorite; the latter was determined by ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These basic selective cation exchange studies of substituted tobermorites are of relevance in nuclear waste treatment and disposal.     

Effects of citrate ions on the formation of ferric oxide hydroxide particles

The effects of citrate ions on the formation of - and -FeOOH particles were investigated using various techniques. The formation and crystallization of both particles were inhibited by citrate ions, and their particle sizes decreased with increase in the concentration of these ions. Finally, aggregated amorphous particles were formed. The effects of citrate ions appeared to be more significant for -FeOOH than for -FeOOH. This difference could be explained by the pH dependence of the affinity of citrate ions to Fe³⁺ ions. The amorphous -FeOOH particles prepared in the presence of > 10 mol% citrate ions selectively adsorbed water molecules.     

Adsorbed Atoms and Molecules Destined for a Reaction

The idea of an activation complex is popular for explaining reaction rates, but the characteristics of reactions and catalysis may not be explained in this way. A predestined state for each reaction composed of surface atoms and adsorbed species is responsible for these features. Two single Sn atoms trapped in adjacent half-unit cells of an Si(111) 7 × 7 surface is an example of a predestined state. An isolated Sn atom in a half-unit cell does not migrate to other half-unit cells at room temperature, but when two single Sn atoms are in adjacent half-unit cells they undergo rapid combination to form an Sn₂ dimer. In addition, these two single Sn atoms replace the center Si adatoms and an Si₄ cluster is formed. The spatial distribution of molecules desorbing from surfaces may reflect the predestined states for the desorption processes. The spatial distribution in the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of NO on Pd(110) and Pd(211) surfaces and that in the temperature-programmed reaction (TPR) of NO + H₂ were studied. N₂ desorbing from Pd(110) by the recombination of N atoms obeys cos⁶ – cos⁷ but the N₂ produced by a catalytic reaction of NO with H₂ obeys cos. In contrast, the N₂ desorbing with NO at 490 K in the TPD of Pd(110) shows a sharp off-normal distribution expressed by cos⁴⁶( – 38). The adsorption of NO on Pd(211) predominantly occurs on the (111) terrace but the spatial distribution suggests that the predestined states for the reaction and desorption are formed on both the (111) terrace and (100) step surfaces.