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Presents information on a study which carried out electron spin resonance experiments on semiconducting Beta-iron silicide single crystals grown by a chemical vapor transport technique. Background of the study; Methodology of the study; Results and discussion.

Evaluates the effect of the annealing temperature on the optical and crystalline properties of ytterbium implanted InP. Indication of photoluminescence measurements; Crystalline properties near the surface; Spectra of selectively excited photoluminescence.

Abstract: Objective: For motor activities, visual information is crucial for organizing a movement with respect to a given situation. The present study investigates how cognitive information processing is associated with this visuomotor process. Methods: Brain dynamics in executing two perceptual-motor tasks were examined in terms of event-related synchronization (ERS) and event-related desynchronization (ERD) of EEG. Those tasks were (1) reaching toward and grasping a visual object with a pinch grip, and (2) matching the pinch grip size with respect to the perceived object size. Results: According to the aperture size in the task execution, both the tasks were affected by the perceived object size inducing the Ebbinghaus illusion. The alpha-ERD patterns were associated with the movement execution and appeared to be identical in both the tasks, whilst the gamma-ERS appeared only for the grasping motion. Conclusions: These results suggest that cognitive processing was involved not only in the matching task but also in the grasping task. These ERD/ERS patterns are thought to reflect the similarity and difference in the perceptual-motor processes between the two tasks. Significance: The analysis of ERD/ERS can provide insight on the qualitative feature in a visuomotor process associated with the involvement of cognitive processing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract The expression of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and urocortin in hypothalamic magnocellular neurones increases in response to osmotic challenge. To gain a better understanding of the physiological roles of CRF and urocortin in fluid homeostasis, CRF, urocortin and CRF type 1 receptor (CRFR-1) gene expression was examined in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal system usingin situ and double-label in situ hybridization following chronic salt loading. CRFR-1 expression was further examined by immunohistochemistry and receptor binding. Ingestion of hypertonic saline by Sprague-Dawley rats for 7 days induced CRF mRNA exclusively in the oxytocin neurones of the magnocellular paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the supraoptic nucleus (SON), but induced CRFR-1 mRNA in both oxytocin and vasopressin-containing magnocellular neurones. Hypertonic saline treatment also increased urocortin mRNA expression in the PVN and the SON. In the SON, urocortin was localized to vasopressin and oxytocin neurones but was rarely seen in CRF-positive cells. Changes in CRFR-1 mRNA expression in magnocellular neurones by hypertonic saline treatment were accompanied by changes in CRFR-1 protein levels and receptor binding. Hypertonic saline treatment increased CRFR-1-like immunoreactivity in the magnocellular PVN and SON, and decreased it in the parvocellular PVN. CRF receptor binding in the PVN and SON was also increased in response to osmotic stimulation. Finally, hypertonic saline treatment increased CRFR-1 mRNA, CRFR-1-like immunoreactivity and CRF receptor binding in the intermediate pituitary. These results demonstrate that the increase in the expression of CRF and urocortin message in magnocellular neurones induced by salt loading is accompanied by an increase in CRF receptor levels and binding in the hypothalamus and intermediate pituitary. Thus, CRF and urocortin may exert modulatory effects locally within magnocellular neurones as well as at the pituitary gland in response to osmotic stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In rats, acute stress substantially increases corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) type 1 receptor (CRFR-1) mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and osmotic stimulation induces both CRF and CRFR-1 mRNA in magnocellular PVN and supraoptic nucleus (SON). However, these phenomena have not been analysed in other species. We compared CRF and CRFR-1 expression in rat and mouse hypothalamus. Male C57BL/6 mice and Wistar rats were exposed to acute restraint stress for 3 h, or to hypertonic saline ingestion for 7 days. Restraint stress increased CRF and c-fos mRNA expression in both rat and mouse PVN. CRFR-1 mRNA was barely detectable in controls, whereas restraint stress substantially increased CRFR-1 mRNA in rat PVN, but not in mouse. Hypertonic saline ingestion induced CRF mRNA in magnocellular PVN and SON of the rat, but did not alter CRF mRNA levels in mouse hypothalamus. CRFR-1 mRNA was also induced in magnocellular PVN and SON of the rat in response to osmotic stimulation, but not in mouse. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that CRFR-1-like immunoreactivity (ir) was distributed within parvocellular and magnocellular PVN of mouse and rat. CRFR-1-ir in rat PVN was increased by acute stress and osmotic stimulation. By contrast, these treatments did not alter CRFR-1-ir in mouse PVN. Combined immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization revealed that CRFR-1-ir was most frequently colocalized to CRF in mouse PVN, whereas only a small percentage of oxytocin and vasopressin-producing cells coexpressed CRFR-1-ir. These results indicate that (i) by contrast to rats, neither acute stress nor osmotic stimulation induces CRFR-1 mRNA expression in the mouse PVN; (ii) osmotic stimulation does not alter CRF mRNA expression in parvocellular and magnocellular neurones of mouse PVN; and (iii) acute stress increases c-fos and CRF mRNA to a similar degree in mouse and rat PVN. Thus, differences may exist between mouse and rat in the regulation of CRF and CRFR-1 gene expression in hypothalamus following stress and osmotic stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photocatalytic hydrogen generation from aqueous methanol solution using TiO2photocatalyst was investigated with the aid of simultaneous metal deposition. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with pure TiO2was very small. The simultaneous deposition for various metals was therefore evaluated. As a result, the additions of Au and Cu ions were effective for the improvement of photocatalytic hydrogen production. Methanol concentration and metal ion concentration were optimized for the system. The optimal methanol concentrations were 90 and 80 vol% in the case of addition of Au and Cu ions, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the photocatalytic hydrogen production using TiO2photocatalyst with the aid of simultaneous Cu and Au deposition were approximately 25 and 120 times larger than those obtained with bare TiO2. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Patients with adult growth hormone deficiency exhibit visceral fat accumulation, which gives rise to a cluster of metabolic disorders such as impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia. Plasma growth hormone levels are lower in obese patients with metabolic syndrome than in healthy subjects. Here we examined the hypothesis that exogenous growth hormone administration regulates function of adipose tissue to improve glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese mice. Twelve-week-old obese male C57BL/6 J mice received bovine growth hormone daily for 6 weeks. In epididymal fat, growth hormone treatment antagonized diet-induced changes in the gene expression of adiponectin, leptin, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and significantly increased the gene expression of interleukin-10 and CD206. Growth hormone also suppressed the accumulation of oxidative stress marker, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, in the epididymal fat and enhanced the gene expression of anti-oxidant enzymes. Moreover, growth hormone significantly restored glucose tolerance in obese mice. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, growth hormone prevented the decline in adiponectin gene expression in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. These results suggest that growth hormone administration ameliorates glucose intolerance in obese mice presumably by decreasing adipose mass, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation in the visceral fat. Supporting Information for this article is available online at http://www.thieme-connect.de/ products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present a sol–gel derived coating optical fiber sensors for measurement of critical micelle concentration of surfactants. A sol–gel process for making porous silica and coat the fiber core with sensing material is described. CMC detection is based on an adsorption effect in sample solution mainly of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate. Three different particles size of sol–gel porous cladding were tested. Test results show that the sensitivity of the small particle size porous sol–gel cladding optical fiber is higher than that of large particle size sol–gel cladding one. It was also found that measurement of CMC point using this method is very accurate and cost effective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Previously, we explored the histopathologic characteristics of medullary ray injury (MRI) inducing interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) to determine its etiologies, which include calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) toxicity and urologic complications. However, we did not examine the effects of these etiologies on long-term kidney allograft prognosis, because biopsy timing differed among cases. Aim We examined the influence of early MRI on kidney allograft prognosis using protocol biopsies taken within a 3-month time frame. Methods We defined early MRI as tubular degeneration with interstitial edema or mild fibrosis localized to the medullary ray. We divided 53 protocol biopsies into 2 groups, with and without early MRI. Early MRI+ cases with isometric vacuolization were classified as CNI toxicity; those with Tamm-Horsfall protein in the interstitium and a thyroidlike appearance were classified as urinary tract system abnormalities; remaining cases were classified as “others.” We compared changes in serum levels of creatinine (sCr) over 3 years and fibrosis extent at 1 year. Results The sCr levels were significantly higher in the MRI+ group than the MRI− group at 3 years ( P = .024). Examining the 3 MRI+ subgroups, only the MRI+ urinary tract system abnormalities group had significantly high sCr levels compared to the MRI− group ( P = .019). The MRI+ group showed significant signs of IF/TA at 1 year. Conclusions Early MRI after kidney transplantation was significantly more likely to develop IF/TA at 1 year and had higher sCr levels at 3 years. In such cases, intervention might preserve graft function over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]