ICAM-1-expressing pocket epithelium, LFA-1-expressing T cells in gingival tissue and gingival crevicular fluid as features characterizing inflammatory cell invasion and exudation in adult periodontitis

Activated T lymphocytes constitute a major component of inflammatory cells in the early periodontal lesion, and also appear in the gingival crevicular fluid. In an attempt to clarify the relationship between the ICAM-1 (CD54) expression of pocket epithelium in gingiva and the infiltrating lymphocyte population, we carried out an analysis of CD11a+(LFA-1 alpha), CD25+(IL-2R alpha) and CD4+(Th) cells subjacent to ICAM-1-expressing pocket epithelia and CD11a+CD25+CD4+ cells in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). GCF was collected by crevicular washing from 16 patients with periodontitis (P group) and 3 subjects with healthy gingiva (H group). Peripheral blood (PB) was collected at the same time. Mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll-paque gradient centrifugation from GCF and PB. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to CD11a, CD25, and CD4 were used for three-color flow cytometry. Gingival biopsies were obtained from 7 patients in P group and 3 subjects in H group. Serial cryostat sections (6 microns in thickness) were prepared from each biopsy, on which a double staining was performed. The number of CD11a+CD25+CD4+ cells and the fluorescence intensity of FITC conjugated anti-CD11a were significantly higher in GCF than in PB (p < 0.001 to p < 0.01). CD11a+CD25+CD4+ cells were not detected in GCF in H group. The pocket epithelia expressed CD54 in P group, but not in H group. The number of CD11a+, CD25+ and CD4+ cells infiltrating the connective tissue subjacent to the upper, middle and lower parts of the CD54 positive pocket epithelium (n = 16) was 141 +/- 26, 38 +/- 13, 144 +/- 29 (cells/0.04 mm2), respectively, whereas in the CD54 negative pocket epithelium, it was (n = 5) 9 +/- 2, 3 +/- 1, 8 +/- 3. In P group, the CD11a+CD25+CD4+ cell number in GCF correlated with CD25+, CD11a+ cells in the connective tissue subjacent to the CD54+ pocket epithelium. These results indicate that expression of ICAM-1 in pocket epithelium is relevant to the migration of CD11a, CD25, CD4 positive cells in connective tissue subjacent to the pocket epithelium into the periodontal pocket. Assessing the relationship of our findings and other adhesion molecules would offer important clues to the understanding of T cell migration in affected gingiva.     

Crystallization of mouse lung carbonyl reductase complexed with NADPH and analysis of symmetry of its tetrameric molecule

Mouse lung carbonyl reductase (MLCR), which belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family, is an oxidoreductase involved in the metabolism of biogenic and xenobiotic carbonyl compounds. The crystals of MLCR complexed with its cofactor NADPH belong to a monoclinic space group P2(1) with dimensions a = 79.73 A, b = 105.5 A, c = 60.87 A, and beta = 91.43 degrees. X-ray diffraction data were collected up to 1.8 A resolution using a macromolecule-oriented Weissenberg camera at the Photon Factory synchrotron radiation source. Studies using a self-rotation function revealed the presence of a twofold rotational symmetry relating the subunits. This suggests that the tetrameric MLCR molecule has the 222 point group symmetry.     

Natural frequencies and mode shapes of thin-walled members

An analytical procedure to estimate both the natural frequencies and mode shapes of thin-walled members is presented using the transfer matrix method. The transfer matrix is derived from the differential equations of the plate panel of thin-walled members. The proposed method gives exact natural frequencies and mode shapes of thin-walled members. Thus the vibration phenomenon of such members can be clarified exactly. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.     

A highly sensitive method for the micro-determination of lipid hydroperoxides by potentiometry

A modified method for peroxide value (POV) determination of lipids was developed through the application of potentiometry to conventional POV tests such as the official method of the Japan Oil Chemists’ Society (JOCS). The new method permits a simple and reliable determination of low hydroperoxide levels in the initial stages of lipid autoxidation when only very small amounts of sample are available, even when those levels are measured on less than 10 mg of lipid. Using the present method, hydroperoxide levels as low as 20 nanoequivalents (neq) were determined with reasonable precision. This method is applicable to all lipids tested including oils and fats, free fatty acids, phospholipids, glycolipids and cholesterol esters.     

Transmission performance analysis of Multi-Carrier Modulation in frequency selective fast Rayleigh fading channel

In this paper, we discuss the transmission performance of Multi-Carrier Modulation (MCM) in frequencyselective fast Rayleigh fading channels. First, we optimize the transmission parameters of MCM withM-ary differential phase shift keying/differential detection (DPSK):the guard duration andthe number of sub-carriers for frequency-selective fast Rayleigh fading channels, and then show the bit error rate (BER) performance of the optimizedM-ary DPSK MCM. Next, we propose an MCM with pilot-assistedM-ary quadrature amplitude modulation/coherent detection (QAM), and discuss the BER performance when we reduce the number of pilot signals from the view-point of frequency-time utilization efficiency. Finally, we propose a two-stage frequency offset compensation method.     

Observation of nanostructure by scanning near-field optical microscope with small sphere probe

Step and terrace structure has been observed in an area of 1 μm×1 μm on the cleaved surface of KCl-KBr solid-solution single crystal by scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) with a small sphere probe of 500 nm diameter. Lateral spatial resolution of the SNOM system was estimated to be 20 nm from the observation of step width and the scanning-step interval. Vertical spatial resolution was estimated to be 5-2 nm from the observation of step height and noise level of photomultiplier tube (PMT). With applying a dielectric dipole radiation model to the probe surface, the reason why such a high spatial resolution was obtained in spite of the 500 nm sphere probe, was understood as the effect of the near-field term appeared in the radiation field equations.     

Undrained Shear Strength of Granular Soils with Different Particle Gradations

A series of undrained tests were performed on granular soils consisting of sand and gravel with different particle gradations and different relative densities reconstituted in laboratory. Despite large differences in grading, only a small difference was observed in undrained cyclic shear strength or liquefaction strength defined as the cyclic stress causing 5% double amplitude axial strain for specimens having the same relative density. In a good contrast, undrained monotonic shear strength defined at larger strains after undrained cyclic loading was at least eight times larger for well-graded soils than poorly graded sand despite the same relative density. This indicates that devastating failures with large postliquefaction soil strain are less likely to develop in well-graded granular soils compared to poorly graded sands with the same relative density, although they are almost equally liquefiable. However, if gravelly particles of well-graded materials are crushable such as decomposed granite soils, undrained monotonic strengths are considerably small and almost identical to or lower than that of poorly graded sands.