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: Mast cells are one of the main pro-inflammatory cells, while their knowledge in Helicobacter pylori infection has not been summarized. : We reviewed studies on mast cells in H. pylori infection, and summarized the histological aspects and roles. : The density of mast cells is greater in H. pylori-infected than in non-infected subjects. Increased mast cell density in infected gastritis significantly decreases after eradication. On electron microscopy, mast cells in infected gastric mucosa show degranulation. Some experimental studies demonstrate that mast cells are degranulated with H. pylori-derived products. : Mast cells are actively involved in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-infected gastritis. The possible roles are to initiate and promote the formation of oedema through degranulated and secreted mediators, and to release multiple chemotactic factors, which induce inflammatory cells to infiltrate to the site of oedema, showing acute inflammatory changes. Mast cells also stimulate the degradation of pericellular matrices and the growth of cells in their vicinity, and thereby promote tissue turnover. In chronic H. pylori infection, these reactions continue until the bacteria are eradicated. Mast cells may act both to maintain gastritis and to repair tissue damage in H. pylori-infected chronic gastritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a part of sequential work developing new lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, the solid solution system (1-x)LiTaO3-xCaTiO3, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20, has been investigated. Samples sintered at 1250°C for 5 h in air have resulted in dense and white ceramics with single phase lithium niobate structure. The Curie temperature of LiTaO3 was lowered with increasing CaTaO3 content, accompanying with a feature of diffused phase transition. The ceramics showed clear vibration resonance in radial and thickness modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In lithium niobate single crystals, striae of planar defect lying on nearly ( ) were formed during the Czochralski growth. A stria was a small angle tilt boundary including a set of undissociated edge dislocations with the Burgers vector of a/3[ ], arranged at similar intervals of about . The dislocations extended perpendicular to the growth interface, leaving from the basal plane, presumably for the reduction of their strain energy during the growth. The formation process was discussed in terms of thermal stress at the growth interface during crystallization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Defects related to oxygen and other impurities in piezoelectric langasite (La3Ga5SiO14; LGS) single crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman (VB) method was investigated. The resistivity of an LGS crystal grown in an Ar atmosphere was about one-order higher than that grown in air. However, after annealing in air it decreased to the same level as that of LGS crystal grown in air. The results of optical transmission spectra showed a broad adsorption peak around 500nm, corresponding to 2.5eV of energy level, in LGS crystals grown in air and grown in an Ar atmosphere. Since VB-grown LGS crystal was p-type, excess interstitial oxygen atoms, not oxygen vacancies, operate as an acceptor in the VB-LGS crystal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]