IL-1 beta enhances neurite regeneration from transected-nerve terminals of adult rat DRG

We clarified the roles of IL-1 beta in peripheral neural regeneration after axotomy in a three-dimensional collagen gel culture system ranging from a single neurone to a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explant with its associated nerve bundles. Application of 30 U/ml IL-1 beta to the culture systems clearly enhanced neural regeneration. This regeneration was evident in transected nerve terminals of DRG explants with or without associated nerve bundles, but not in dissociated single neurones. Neural survival was not affected by IL-1 beta in any of these culture systems. These results suggest that IL-1 beta stimulates surrounding non-neuronal cells to secrete neurotrophic factors, thus enhancing neurite regeneration from transected nerve terminals in cultured adult DRG explants.     

On the merits of ancient Chinese eye acupressure practices

Chinese schoolchildren and adults with strenuous visual tasks routinely perform massage-and-pressure exercises on selected acupressure points around the eyes. This practice, taught by the Jing-Luo school of acupuncture for more than 4000 years, is claimed to prevent and cure myopia and other afflictions thought to result from visual close work. A four-week pilot experiment was carried out with the aim of designing a proper study on the possible short-term benefits of eye acupressure programmes. Questionnaire data revealed that the subjects did experience various eye/vision symptoms as a result of the 90 min experimental task. This could not be verified by the measurements of accommodation precision and critical flicker fusion, nor could any beneficial effects of acupressure be seen over the four experimental weeks.     

Bromine addition and successive amine substitution of mesoporous ethylenesilica: Reaction, characterizations and arsenate adsorption

Bromination and subsequent ethylenediamine substitution of the CC double bond in mesoporous ethylenesilica were carried out to explore the characteristics of this periodic mesoporous organosilica. The structures of the products (BrPMO and EDA–BrPMO, respectively) were analysed by IR, Br K-edge EXAFS and NMR spectroscopies, as well as X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption. We showed (1) that the formulae of the two products that formed were [CHBrSiO_1.5]_0.45[CHSiO_1.5]_0.55 and [NH₂CH₂CH₂NHCHSiO_1.5]_0.05 [CHBrSiO_1.5]_0.40[CHSiO_1.5]_0.55, respectively, (2) that the addition of Br₂ at room temperature occurred on the CC double bonds with disturbing the framework structure, (3) that IR absorption band of CC bonds that reacted with Br₂ is significantly different from that of inactive CC bond, (4) that the length of the C–Br bond was considerably longer than in conventional alkyl bromides, and (5) that a large proportion of the ν(C–Br) band remained at the same position in the IR absorption spectrum after the ethylenediamine (EDA) substitution, while a new ν(C–Br) absorption also appeared. The mechanisms of these reactions are discussed at both the micro and mesoscopic levels.

Arsenate adsorption on EDA–BrPMO, in which the EDA is directly bound to the “surface” of the mesopores, was compared with adsorption on EDA–Pr–PMO, which was prepared by the direct synthesis of 3-chloropropyl-functionalized mesoporous ethanesilica followed by the substitution of Cl with EDA. The strength of the adsorption, as measured with the distribution coefficient, was greater for the former adsorbent than the latter. The origin of this difference was attributed to the distance between amino group and the surface.     

Probabilistic calibration of discrete element simulations using the sequential quasi-Monte Carlo filter

The calibration of discrete element method (DEM) simulations is typically accomplished in a trial-and-error manner. It generally lacks objectivity and is filled with uncertainties. To deal with these issues, the sequential quasi-Monte Carlo (SQMC) filter is employed as a novel approach to calibrating the DEM models of granular materials. Within the sequential Bayesian framework, the posterior probability density functions (PDFs) of micromechanical parameters, conditioned to the experimentally obtained stress–strain behavior of granular soils, are approximated by independent model trajectories. In this work, two different contact laws are employed in DEM simulations and a granular soil specimen is modeled as polydisperse packing using various numbers of spherical grains. Knowing the evolution of physical states of the material, the proposed probabilistic calibration method can recursively update the posterior PDFs in a five-dimensional parameter space based on the Bayes’ rule. Both the identified parameters and posterior PDFs are analyzed to understand the effect of grain configuration and loading conditions. Numerical predictions using parameter sets with the highest posterior probabilities agree well with the experimental results. The advantage of the SQMC filter lies in the estimation of posterior PDFs, from which the robustness of the selected contact laws, the uncertainties of the micromechanical parameters and their interactions are all analyzed. The micro–macro correlations, which are byproducts of the probabilistic calibration, are extracted to provide insights into the multiscale mechanics of dense granular materials.     

An analytical solution for geotextile-wrapped soil based on insights from DEM analysis

This paper presents a novel analytical solution for geotextile-wrapped soil based on a comprehensive numerical analysis conducted using the discrete element method (DEM). By examining the soil–geotextile interface friction, principal stress distribution, and stress–strain relations of the constituent soil and geotextile in the DEM analysis, a complete picture of the mechanical characterization of geotextile-wrapped soil under uniaxial compression is first provided. With these new insights, key assumptions are verified and developed for the proposed analytical solution. In the DEM analysis, a near-failure state line that predicts stress ratios relative to the maximums at failure with respect to deviatoric strain is uniquely identified; dilation rates are found to be related to stress ratios via a single linear correlation regardless of the tensile stiffness of the geotextile. From these new findings, the assumptions on the stress-state evolution and the stress–dilatancy relation are developed accordingly, and the wrapped granular soil can therefore be modeled as a Mohr–Coulomb elastoplastic solid with evolving stress ratio and dilation rate. The development of the proposed analytical model also demonstrates an innovative approach to take advantage of multiscale insights for the analytical modeling of complex geomaterials. The analytical model is validated with the DEM simulation results of geotextile-wrapped soil under uniaxial compression, considering a wide range of geotextile tensile stiffnesses. To further examine the predictive capacity of the analytical model, the stress–strain response under triaxial compression conditions is solved analytically, taking both different confining pressures and geotextile tensile stiffnesses into account. Good agreement is obtained between the analytical and DEM solutions, which suggests that the key assumptions developed in the uniaxial compression conditions also remain valid for triaxial compression conditions.     

Advanced synthesis for monodisperse polymer nanoparticles in aqueous media with sub-millimolar surfactants

Highly monodisperse polystyrene nanoparticles with mean diameters of less than 100 nm are synthesized via aqueous emulsion polymerization using an amphoteric initiator (VA-057) in the presence of sub-millimolar concentrations of anionic surfactant. Since the net charge on the initiator is almost zero at neutral pH, the resultant latex particle size is mainly determined by surfactant adsorption. Polymerizations were performed in the presence of a range of anionic surfactants with differing critical micelle concentrations (CMC) by varying the concentrations of surfactant, initiator and monomer, and also the ionic strength. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), sodium hexadecyl sulfate (SHS), and sodium octadecyl sulfate (SOS) have relatively low CMCs and so enable formation of highly monodisperse nanoparticles at relatively low (sub-millimolar) surfactant concentrations, C_S (i.e. below the CMC in each case). Empirically, it was found that the particle number, N_p, and coefficient of variation of the particle size, C_V, were strongly dependent on the C_S/CMC ratio: N_p increased almost in proportion with the square of this ratio, while the C_V exhibited a minimum at approximately C_S/CMC = 0.20. Higher ionic strength reduced the particle size, which is consistent with the above relationship because the addition of salt lowers the CMCs of ionic surfactants. Polymer latex particles produced using such formulations form highly regular, close-packed colloidal arrays.     

Numerical simulation of critical current performance in Nb3Sn strand subjected to periodic bending deformation

In the ITER Engineering Design Activity (EDA), four NB₃Sn model coils were developed and successfully tested. However, it was revealed that the critical current of the conductor degraded with the increase of electromagnetic force. One of the explanations of this phenomenon is a strand bending caused by enormous electromagnetic force. The authors therefore developed a simulation code using the distributed circuit model to investigate dependency of the critical current performance on the periodic bending deformation. The simulation results were in good agreement with the experiments. The dependence of the critical current on the periodic transverse load, temperature, periodic load pitch, thickness of Ta barrier which prevents Cu stabilizer from being contaminated by Sn, twist pitch of the strand, and RRR of the bronze matrix was investigated using the developed code. The results showed that the critical current degraded less with decreasing the pitch of the transverse load and increasing the Ta barrier thickness. It suggests that the shorter cabling pitch and the larger bending stiffness prevent the critical current degradation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 171(3): 7–15, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20923     

Development of mushrooms for thrombosis prevention by protoplast fusion

With thrombosis a major cause of death in Japan and the Western world, thrombin-inhibitory agents that constrain the formation of fibrin are sought. We screened for basidiomycetes showing anti-thrombin activity and isolated Laetiporus sulphureus. However, it was difficult to cultivate and its form was not satisfactory. We therefore used protoplast fusion between L. sulphureus and the commonly cultivated basidiomycete Hypsizygus marmoreaus to obtain cultivable basidiomycetes that produced an anti-thrombin substance. For the protoplast fusion of L. sulphureus and H. marmoreaus, the protoplast concentration, alternating electric field intensity, dielectrophoresis duration, and field pulse intensity used were of 1 x 10(7) protoplasts/ml, 100 V/cm.1 MHz, 60 s, and 8 kV/cm, respectively. The number of regenerated colonies obtained was 4961, from which 43 strains were selected for electrophoretic analysis. Four of the fusants were found to have a band from each parent in isozyme patterns obtained using their crude extract. The fruiting bodies of the fusants were very similar to those of H. marmoreaus. Crude extract from each of the fusants and from L. sulphureus showed anti-coagulative activity in terms of the thrombin clotting time. We thus obtained improved basidiomycetes that produce an anti-thrombin substance, are easily cultivated, and whose form resembles H. marmoreaus, a commonly used culinary mushroom.     

Changes in microflora of the cloaca and oviduct of hens after intracloacal or intravaginal inoculation with Salmonella enteritidis

Quantitative and qualitative microbiological examination was carried out on cloacal and oviductal contents pre- and postinfection with Salmonella enteritidis (SE) intracloacally or intravaginally. Before inoculation with SE, the means +/- standard deviation (SD) of total bacterial counts, anaerobic bacterial counts, and aerobic bacterial counts in the cloaca were log10 7.7 +/- 0.7, 7.4 +/- 0.2, and 6.9 +/- 0.8 colony-forming units (CFU)/g, respectively. The predominant bacteria were Bacteroidaceae, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli. Before inoculation with SE, the means +/- SD of total bacterial counts, anaerobic bacterial counts, and aerobic bacterial counts in the vagina were log10 5.7 +/- 1.4, 5.5 +/- 1.3, and 3.6 +/- 2.7 CFU/g, respectively. Bacteroidaceae and Lactobacillus were predominant. Following inoculation with SE, only the cloacal population of Lactobacillus in hens inoculated intracloacally was significantly increased compared to that before the inoculation. Other indigenous microflora were stable even after the inoculation. In the uterus, very few bacteria, Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus, were isolated. Five of 20 eggs (25%) from hens inoculated with SE intravaginally were positive for SE, whereas no SE was recovered from 22 eggs in hens inoculated with SE intracloacally. SE was recovered from the uterus after intravaginal inoculation with SE and from the vagina after intracloacal inoculation with SE. Contamination may ascend from the cloaca into the lower parts of the oviduct and subsequently contaminated eggs may occur.     

Sensitive diagnosis of cardiac allograft rejection by detection of cytokine transcription in situ

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric, macrophage-derived cytokine that is elevated in Crohn's disease (CD). Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) is a recently characterized human glycoprotein that is homologous to the 40-kilodalton chain of IL-12 and forms a heterodimer with the 35-kilodalton chain of IL-12. We investigated the expression of EBI3 in colonic mucosa of normal control subjects, patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and patients with CD. METHODS: Colonic tissue was analyzed for messenger RNA (mRNA) expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and for protein expression by immunohistology and Western blotting. RESULTS: EBI3 mRNA was present in intestinal biopsy specimens from healthy subjects and patients with CD but was elevated only in active UC. EBI3 levels in UC specimens correlated with histological scores of activity and T-cell infiltration. EBI3-positive cells that had a shape consistent with that of macrophages were identified in the lamina propria, and protein was detected by Western blotting. CONCLUSIONS: EBI3 is a novel IL-12-related cytokine that is expressed by macrophage-like cells in normal intestine and CD and has enhanced expression in active UC but not in active CD.