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Background and Objective Currently, cells for transplantation in regenerative medicine are derived from either autologous or allogeneic tissue. The former has the drawbacks that the quality of donor cells may depend on the condition of the patient, while the quantity of the cells may also be limited. To solve these problems, we investigated the potential of allogeneic cardiac mesenchymal progenitors (CMPs) derived from postmortem hearts, which may be immunologically privileged similar to bone marrow–derived mesenchymal progenitors. Materials and Methods We examined whether viable CMPs could be isolated from C57/B6 murine cardiac tissues harvested at 24 hours postmortem. After 2- to 3-week propagation with a high dose of basic fibroblast growth factor, we performed cellular characteristics analyses, which included proliferation and differentiation property flow cytometry and microarray analyses. Results Postmortem CMPs had a longer lag phase after seeding than CMPs obtained from living tissues, but otherwise had similar characteristics in all the analyses. In addition, global gene expression analysis by microarray showed that cells derived from postmortem and living tissues had similar characteristics. Conclusion These results indicate that allogeneic postmortem CMPs have potential for cell transplantation because they circumvent the issue of both the quality and quantity of donor cells.

When a potential is applied to a liquid silicate slag, bubbles of oxygen can be produced. Under certain conditions, these bubbles can be observed to redissolve in the liquid slag. This occurs under isothermal conditions when the potential is eliminated and under a thermal gradient during the application of a potential. There are two potential reasons for this observation: molecular solubility or the depolymerization of chains of silicate ions. Both hypotheses are discussed with the suggestion that depolymerization of chains of silicate ions may be responsible for the observed bubble dissolution behavior.

Any polar-ordered material with a spatially uniform polarization field is internally frustrated: The symmetry-required local preference for polarization is to be nonuniform, i.e., to be locally bouquet-like or “splayed.” However, it is impossible to achieve splay of a preferred sign everywhere in space unless appropriate defects are introduced into the field. Typically, in materials like ferroelectric crystals or liquid crystals, such defects are not thermally stable, so that the local preference is globally frustrated and the polarization field remains uniform. Here, we report a class of fluid polar smectic liquid crystals in which local splay prevails in the form of periodic supermolecular-scale polarization modulation stripes coupled to layer undulation waves. The polar domains are locally chiral, and organized into patterns of alternating handedness and polarity. The fluid-layer undulations enable an extraordinary menagerie of filament and planar structures that identify such phases.

The methane reforming process combined with metal–oxide reduction was examined on iron-based oxides of Ni(II)–, Zn(II)–, and Co(II)–ferrites, for the purpose of converting solar high-temperature heat to chemical fuels of CO-rich syngas and reduced metal oxide as storage and transport of solar energy. It was found that the Ni(II)-doping effectively improves the reactivity of magnetite as an oxidant for methane reforming. A two-step cyclic steam reforming of methane, which produces CO-rich syngas and hydrogen uncontaminated with carbon oxides alternately in the separate steps, was successfully demonstrated by using a ZrO 2 -supported Ni(II)–ferrite (Ni 0.39 Fe 2.61 O 4 /ZrO 2 ) as a working material in the temperature range of 1073–1173 K. The produced CO-rich syngas had the H 2 /CO ratio that was more suitable for methanol production than that produced by a conventional single-step steam reforming. This syngas production using the Ni 0.39 Fe 2.61 O 4 /ZrO 2 as an oxidant was also demonstrated under direct irradiation by a solar-simulated, high-flux visible light in laboratory-scale fixed bed system. The directly-irradiated Ni 0.39 Fe 2.61 O 4 /ZrO 2 particles acted simultaneously as good radiant absorbers and reactive chemical reactants to yield more than 90% of methane conversion to a 2:1 molar mixture of CO and H 2 under flux irradiation of 500 kW m −2 in the residence time less than 1 s.

Dietary capsaicin consumed by rats over several days induces cystatin-like substances in submandibular saliva. Yet the physiological role of these salivary proteins has not been thoroughly investigated. Salivary cystatins in the rat submandibular glands are known to be induced by chronic treatment with the sympathetic beta-agonist, isoproterenol. In the present study, the possible roles of the salivary proteins on food intake were examined by comparing consumption of a capsaicin-adulterated (0.05%) diet in rats with and without isoproterenol pretreatment (0.1 and 5.0 mg/kg, 5 days). Electrophoretic analysis performed prior to feeding trials revealed that the group pretreated with 5 mg/kg isoproterenol had large amounts of cystatin in the saliva compared with the group pretreated with 0.1 mg/kg isoproterenol and control group. The group treated with 5 mg/kg isoproterenol showed greater consumption of the capsaicin-adulterated diet than the other groups until the 3rd day of trials. Bilateral removal of the submandibular and sublingual glands neutralized the effects of isoproterenol. Induction of salivary cystatins by isoproterenol treatment was not mimicked by systemic and intragastric administration of capsaicin. These results suggest that cystatins are included in the salivary proteins induced by capsaicin and that they contribute to enhanced ingestion of the capsaicin diet. Induction of salivary cystatins may be triggered by irritation of the oral mucosa by capsaicin.

The type XL cross-axis coil planet centrifuge (CPC) was successfully utilized for purification of cholinesterase (ChE) from human serum by countercurrent chromatography (CCC). Aqueous-aqueous polymer phase systems composed of polyethylene glycol-potassium phosphate buffers were tested at various pHs, ranging from 6.8 to 9.2 for the distribution ratios (D) of ChE, human serum albumin, α- and γ-globulins. The CCC separation was performed with optimized polymer phase systems in two different coiled columns. The best purification was achieved with 16.0% PEG 600–12.5% potassium phosphate at pH 9.2, by eluting the lower phase at 0.5 mL/min through the small capacity column in which ChE was purified directly from human serum within 2h. The ChE fractions confirmed by the enzymatic activity were free of serum proteins by SDS PAGE analysis.

Magnesite, siderite and dolomite are characteristic alteration minerals occurring in Miocene hanging wall rocks of dacitic composition which host the Kuroko orebodies. These carbonates generally occur in a more stratigraphically upper horizon than chlorite alteration zone surrounding the orebodies. The Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios of the carbonates decrease from the central alteration zone to marginal zone. The Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios of carbonates and chlorite positively correlate. The δ18O and δ13C values of magnesite, siderite and dolomite positively correlate with each other and lie between the igneous and marine carbonate values. The petrographic, isotopic and fluid inclusion characteristics and thermochemical modelling calculations indicate that magnesite and dolomite formed in the central zone close to the orebodies due to the interaction of hydrothermal solutions with the biogenic marine carbonates. Calcite formed further from the orebodies from hydrothermal fluids which did not contain a biogenic marine carbon component. The compositional and textural relationships indicate that superimposed alterations (chlorite alteration and carbonate alteration) occurred in hanging wall rocks. The mode of occurrences and the Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios of magnesite and dolomite occurring in hanging wallrocks are useful in the exploration for concealed volcanogenic massive sulfide-sulfate deposits.

Pyrite and abundant calcite occur in a sandstone pipe collected from the eastern Nankai Trough. Electron microprobe analysis of the pyrite indicates that it contains appreciable amounts of manganese (up to 1.5 MnS 2 mole %). The present data and previous analytical data on pyrite indicate that manganese content of anoxic sedimentary pyrite is high but of hydrothermal pyrite very low. In the pyrite studied here, isomorphous substitution of manganese occurs. Stable isotope data on calcite coexisting with the pyrite as well as chemical data on the advecting fluids indicate that the advecting fluids are characterized by reducing conditions, high concentrations of methane, hydrogen sulfide and manganese and high Mn/Fe ratios. These characteristics could be responsible for the high manganese content of pyrite. Adsorption of manganese by a precursor (iron sulfide) may also be an important factor. The present study demonstrates that the manganese content of pyrite is potentially a useful indicator of sedimentary and diagenetic processes and of the geological characteristics of ancient terrestrial sedimentary rocks.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), in the form of either GLP-1-(7-36)amide or GLP-1-(7-37), has been shown to potently stimulate insulin release in a glucose-dependent manner and is suggested to be a physiological incretin. To explore the mechanisms by which GLP-1-(7-36)amide stimulates insulin release, we investigated its action on the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in single rat pancreatic beta-cells by the dual wavelength microfluorometry with fura-2. In the presence of 8.3 mM glucose, GLP-1-(7-36)amide at a concentration as low as 3 x 10(-12) M produced a rapid transient increase in [Ca2+]i in some of the single beta-cells. GLP-1-(7-36)amide at 10(-11) M or more evoked the [Ca2+]i response in the majority of beta-cells. In the presence of 2.8 mM glucose, GLP-1-(7-36)amide was without effect. The [Ca2+]i response to GLP-1-(7-36)amide was completely and reversibly inhibited under Ca(2+)-free conditions and by 1 microM nitrendipine, a blocker of L-type Ca2+ channels. Elevation of cAMP in beta-cells by either 10 microM forskolin, an activator of adenylyl cyclase, or 5 mM (bu)2cAMP (db-cAMP) produced an increase in [Ca2+]i similar to that caused by GLP-1-(7-36)amide. The db-cAMP-induced increase in [Ca2+]i was also completely blocked by nitrendipine. In the continuous presence of GLP-1-(7-36)amide and after the transient [Ca2+]i increase it elicited, db-cAMP failed to evoke the [Ca2+]i response. It is concluded that GLP-1-(7-36)amide at physiological concentrations and a rise in cAMP increase [Ca2+]i in pancreatic beta-cells by enhancing the activity of L-type Ca2+ channels in the beta-cell plasma membrane. It is suggested that the cAMP-operative mechanism is involved in the GLP-1-(7-36)amide action to increase [Ca2+]i in beta-cells.

Elastic recoil detection and Rutherford backscattering were adapted to a stoichiometric study of thin Ta2O5 films deposited on Si substrates by means of the reactive sputtering (SP) and chemical‐vapor‐deposition (CVD) method. Before annealing the samples it was observed that (i) the atomic ratio of oxygen to tantalum in the SP films agreed with 5/2 within the experimental accuracy and (ii) the CVD films have less oxygen content than the other samples. The specimens were annealed for 30 min under the following three conditions: (a) in dry oxygen ambient at 800 °C; (b) in ozone atmosphere under ultraviolet irradiation (UV ozone) at 300 °C; and (c) two‐step treatment of (a) after the (b) process. Each oxidizing process has shown a certain positive effect on the thin CVD samples. Among them, the two‐step treatment has proven to be very effective to restore the stoichiometry of 5/2 in the CVD films. Additionally the thickness of contaminant carbon films on the surface of the samples has been reduced by anneali...

A capacitor fabrication technique is developed to obtain an extremely thin Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/ film with an effective SiO/sub 2/ film thickness of 2.8 nm (equivalent to 12 fF/ mu m/sup 2/) for use in a low-power 64-Mb DRAM. A two-step annealing process is used after deposition of the Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/ film by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The first step is ozone (O/sub 3/) annealing with ultraviolet light irradiation, which is the most effective means of reducing leakage current. A model for explaining the effectiveness of the UV-O/sub 3/ annealing treatment is proposed. Excited oxygen atoms in the singlet state (/sup 1/D), which are generated selectively in the ozone gas irradiated by a mercury lamp, repair the oxygen vacancies existing in the as-deposited CVD-Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/ film, resulting in a marked reduction of the film's leakage current. The second step is dry-O/sub 2/ annealing, which reduces the defect density of initial breakdown. Sufficient capacitance can be obtained while maintaining a low leakage current and sufficient step coverage for a 1.5-V supply-voltage 64-Mb DRAM having a high-aspect three-dimensional memory cell. >

Closely similar but nonidentical NH2-terminal amino acid sequences have been reported for a protein or proteins in human neutrophils whose bioactivities is/are diverse (as a serine protease, antibiotic, and Wegener's granulomatosis autoantigen) but that share(s) several features: localization in the azurophil granules, a molecular mass of approximately 29 kD, reactivity with diisopropylfluorophosphate, and the ability to degrade elastin. We previously purified one such entity, termed p29b. Using a monospecific antibody, we have cloned from human bone marrow a cDNA encoding the complete p29b protein in its mature form, along with pre- and pro-sequences. The predicted amino acid sequence agrees closely with the NH2-terminal sequence obtained previously from purified p29b, as well as with sequences newly obtained from CNBr fragments. The primary structure is highly homologous to elastase, cathepsin G, T cell granzymes, and other serine proteases, and shares both the catalytic triad and substrate binding pocket of elastase. Hybridization of the full-length cDNA with restriction enzyme digests of human genomic DNA revealed only one fragment. This suggests that the closely related species described previously are the same, and can be subsumed by the term used for the first-described activity, proteinase 3. Proteinase 3 is more abundant in neutrophils than elastase and has a similar proteolytic profile and specific activity. Thus, proteinase 3 may share the role previously attributed to neutrophil elastase in tissue damage, and has the potential to function as an antimicrobial agent.

The paper demonstrates that H atoms diffused into the CVD tunnel oxide degrade the endurance of split-gate type flash EEPROMs. The authors observed that F-N stress application generates high trap densities at the tunnel-oxide/FG interface as well as negative charges in the tunnel oxide. The density of FN-induced traps and charges was found to strongly depend on the liner nitride (SiN) film quality. Nuclear reaction analysis revealed a difference in H permeability between LPCVD-SiN and plasma SiN liner films, allowing us to correlate H atoms and the endurance degradation.

Science of Synthesis: Houben-Weyl Methods of Molecular Transformations is the entirely new edition of the acclaimed reference series Houben-Weyl, the standard synthetic chemistry resource since 1909. This new edition is published in English and will comprise 48 volumes published between the years 2000 and 2008. Science of Synthesis is a quality reference work developed by a highly esteemed editorial board to provide a comprehensive and critical selection of reliable organic and organometallic synthetic methods. This unique resource is designed to be the first point of reference when searching for a synthesis strategy. Contains the expertise of presently 400 leading chemists worldwide. Critically evaluates the preparative applicability and significance of the synthetic methods. Discusses relevant background information and provides detailed experimental procedures