Approach from physicochemical aspects in membrane filtration

In membrane filtration, solution environment factors such as pH and solvent density are important in controlling the filtration rate and the rejection of the particles and/or the macromolecules. The filtration rate and the rejection in membrane filtration have been investigated from physicochemical aspects. It was shown that the properties of the filter cake formed on the membrane surface play a vital role in determining the filtration rate in mem-brane filtration. It was clearly demonstrated that such filtration behaviors as the filtration rate and the rejection are highly dependent on the electrical nature of the particles and/or the macromolecules. Furthermore, it was shown that the solvent density ρ has a large effect on the steady filtration rate in upward ultrafiltration.     

Effects of heated seats in vehicles on thermal comfort during the initial warm-up period

Eight subjects participated in a subjective experiment of eight conditions to investigate the effects of heated seats in vehicles on skin temperature, thermal sensation and thermal comfort during the initial warm-up period. The experimental conditions were designed as a combination of air temperature in the test room (5, 10, 15, or 20 °C) and heated seat (on/off). The heated seat was effective for improving thermal comfort during the initial warm-up period when air temperature was lower than 15 °C. Use of heated seats prevented decreases in or increased toe skin temperature. Heated seats also increased foot thermal sensation at 15 and 20 °C. Optimal thermal sensation in contact with the seat was higher when air temperature was lower. Optimal skin temperature in contact with the seat back was higher than that with the seat cushion. Moreover, these optimal skin temperatures were higher when air temperature was lower.     

Association of Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Progression—Comparative Microarray Gene Expression Analysis

The role of the ligamentum flavum (LF) in the pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is not well understood. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we investigated the degrees of LF hypertrophy in 18 patients without scoliosis and on the convex and concave sides of the apex of the curvature in 22 patients with AIS. Next, gene expression was compared among neutral vertebral LF and LF on the convex and concave sides of the apex of the curvature in patients with AIS. Histological and microarray analyses of the LF were compared among neutral vertebrae (control) and the LF on the apex of the curvatures. The mean area of LF in the without scoliosis, apical concave, and convex with scoliosis groups was 10.5, 13.5, and 20.3 mm², respectively. There were significant differences among the three groups (p < 0.05). Histological analysis showed that the ratio of fibers (Collagen/Elastic) was significantly increased on the convex side compared to the concave side (p < 0.05). Microarray analysis showed that ERC2 and MAFB showed significantly increased gene expression on the convex side compared with those of the concave side and the neutral vertebral LF cells. These genes were significantly associated with increased expression of collagen by LF cells (p < 0.05). LF hypertrophy was identified in scoliosis patients, and the convex side was significantly more hypertrophic than that of the concave side. ERC2 and MAFB genes were associated with LF hypertrophy in patients with AIS. These phenomena are likely to be associated with the progression of scoliosis.     

Direct Reprogramming and Induction of Human Dermal Fibroblasts to Differentiate into iPS-Derived Nucleus Pulposus-like Cells in 3D Culture

Intervertebral disc (IVD) diseases are common spinal disorders that cause neck or back pain in the presence or absence of an underlying neurological disorder. IVD diseases develop on the basis of degeneration, and there are no established treatments for degeneration. IVD diseases may therefore represent a candidate for the application of regenerative medicine, potentially employing normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) induced to differentiate into nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Here, we used a three-dimensional culture system to demonstrate that ectopic expression of MYC, KLF4, NOTO, SOX5, SOX6, and SOX9 in NHDFs generated NP-like cells, detected using Safranin-O staining. Quantitative PCR, microarray analysis, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting revealed that the induced NP cells exhibited a fully differentiated phenotype. These findings may significantly contribute to the development of effective strategies for treating IVD diseases.     

Proposal for a benchmark model of a laminated iron core and a large‐scale and highly accurate magnetic analysis

This paper describes a benchmark model proposed for the clarification of the characteristic of various methods for modeling the laminated iron core. In order to obtain a reference solution of the benchmark model, a large‐scale nonlinear magnetostatic field analysis with a mesh fine enough to represent the microscopic structure of the laminated iron core is carried out by using the hybrid finite element–boundary element (FE‐BE) method combined with the fast multipole method (FMM) based on diagonal forms for translation operators. The computational costs and accuracy of two kinds of homogenization methods are discussed, comparing them with the reference solution. As a consequence, it is verified that the homogenization methods can analyze magnetic fields in laminated iron core within acceptable computational costs. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 170(1): 26–35, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20809     

Ionic liquid enables simple and rapid sample preparation of human culturing cells for scanning electron microscope analysis

Ionic liquid is a kind of salt that stays in a molten state even at room temperature. It does not vaporize at all in vacuum and facilitates electrical conductivity to the sample surfaces for observations with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In this study, we used an ionic liquid in SEM for the first time to observe fixed human culture cells. The condition for the cell culture using wrapping sheets and SEM settings were varied to elucidate the optimized protocol. Compared to samples prepared by the conventional way, the ionic liquid‐treatment of samples gave SEM images of the cellular ultra structures in more detail, enabling observation of microvilli that made bridges between separated cells. In addition, the ionic liquid treatment is less time consuming as well as less laborious compared with the conventional way that includes dehydration, drying, and conductivity treatments. Totally, we concluded the ionic liquid is a useful reagent for SEM sample preparation. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Frequency dependence of of MOS capacitors

The frequency dependence of ΔV/Δ(C⁻²) of an MOS capacitor, which plays an important role in determining the semiconductor doping profile, is studied theoretically and experimentally. Useful expressions relating the measurable quantities to the doping profile are derived systematically. It is shown how interface states and majority carriers influence the frequency dependence of ΔV/Δ(C⁻²) and give rise to errors in profile determinations. The techniques of measuring the various types of the frequency dependence of ΔV/Δ(C⁻²) are also described.     

An experimental evaluation of spatial distribution for deeply penetrating protons in carbon material

The peak profile of the 4.8-MeV resonance by the ¹²C(p,p)¹²C reaction in backscattering geometry has been analyzed to examine two kinds of stragglings of proton, i.e. the depth straggling in the incoming path and the energy loss straggling in the outgoing path. The analysis, which is combined with existing theoretical treatments for the stopping process and the energy loss straggling, has made it possible to deduce the penetration depth and its spread at the resonance position in carbon materials. The present method, as a new tool for direct inspection of ion beams inside target material, is explained in detail.     

Monomer arrangement in HSP90 dimer as determined by decoration with N and C-terminal region specific antibodies

Electron microscopy using the low-angle rotary shadowing replica method showed that the HSP90 dimer consists of four globular domains aligning in a tandem fashion. When decorated with two monoclonal antibodies against epitopes mapped on the N-terminal region of HSP90, these antibodies bound to both ends of the HSP90 dimer. A C-terminal region specific antibody was shown to bind to the side of HSP90. These results support a model for HSP90 dimer whereby two HSP90 monomers are arranged in an antiparallel fashion and dimerize through the C-terminal domain. Treatment of HSP90 at elevated temperatures or with ATP at room temperature, though not with ADP, induces molecular transformation of the linear HSP90 dimer into an O-ring-shaped structure.     

Determination of the amounts of free arachidonic acid in resident and activated rabbit alveolar macrophages by fluorometric high performance liquid chromatography

An improved method of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed for the separation and quantitation of low levels of free fatty acids as they occur in mammalian tissues. The fatty acid analysis is based on the esterification of the carboxylic group with 9-anthryldiazomethane (ADAM). HPLC separation and fluorescence measurement of fatty acid ADAM esters allow the determination of pmole amounts of fatty acids. The amounts of free fatty acids of resident and activated alveolar macrophages were determined by the fluorometric HPLC method. There were approximately 2 μg/10⁶ cells of free fatty acids. In resident macrophages, free 20∶4 was a minor component (0.8% of total free fatty acids), while significant amounts of 20∶4 were found in the total glycerophospholipids, representing 16.6% of the total fatty acids. A marked increase in amounts of 20∶4 (8 times) occurred in activated macrophages stimulated for 1 hr with opsonized zymosan. Small but significant increases (1.5 times) also occurred in other fatty acids. These results show that the release reaction of fatty acids was not selective for 20∶4 in alveolar macrophages after the challenge with opsonized zymosan.