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Propagating cascade reactions based on two proteases are promising for obtaining high signal amplification. However, in many cases, biosensors that use cascade reactions do not have low detection limits because of the inherent slowness of proteolytic reactions. Here, we report a sensitive electrochemical immunosensor using a high-signal-amplification method that combines a propagating cascade reaction and a redox cycling reaction. The cascade reaction uses ecarin and prothrombin: the ecarin label proteolytically converts inactive prothrombin into active thrombin, which then proteolytically liberates electroactive p-aminophenol (AP) from an AP-conjugated peptide. The liberated AP is electrochemically oxidized to p-benzoquinone imine (QI), regenerated by the reduction of QI by NADH, and then electrochemically reoxidized. This electrochemical-chemical (EC) redox cycling reaction significantly increases the electrochemical signal. The developed immunosensor is also compared with an immunosensor that uses only a propagating cascade reaction and an immunosensor that uses a single proteolytic reaction and an EC redox cycling reaction. The detection limits for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) obtained using the three immunosensors are 3 pg/mL, 2 ng/mL, and 4 ng/mL, respectively, indicating that the newly developed immunosensor is more sensitive than the other two. The measured concentrations of TSH in clinical serum are found to agree well with those determined using a commercial instrument.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based electrochemical immunoassays are considered promising techniques for point-of-care clinical diagnostics, but the necessary addition of unstable H2O2 in the enzymatic system may hinder their practical application. Although glucose oxidase (GOx) has been widely explored for in situ generation of H2O2 in HRP-based immunoassay, the GOx-catalyzed reduction of oxidized peroxidase substrate may limit the immunosensing performance. Here, we report a sensitive electrochemical immunosensor based on a choline oxidase (ChOx)-HRP cascade reaction. In this design, ChOx catalyzes the oxidation of choline, during which H2O2 is generated in situ and thus oxidizes acetaminophen (APAP) in the presence of HRP. The electrochemical behavior of APAP in the ChOx-HRP cascade was compared with that of the commonly used GOx-HRP cascade, which confirmed that ChOx could be a superior preceding enzyme for sensitive immunoassay based on the bienzymatic cascade. The developed ChOx-HRP cascade was also further explored for a sandwich-type electrochemical immunoassay of parathyroid hormone in artificial and clinical serum. The calculated detection limit was ~3 pg/mL, indicating that the ChOx-HRP cascade is especially promising for highly sensitive electrochemical immunoassays when APAP is used as the peroxidase substrate.

The hormone estradiol (17β-estradiol, E2) plays an important role in sexual development and serves as an important diagnostic biomarker of various clinical conditions. Particularly, the serum E2 concentration is very low (10 pg/mL) in prepubertal girls. Accordingly, many efforts to develop a sensitive method of detection and quantification of E2 in human serum have been made. Nonetheless, current clinical detection methods are insufficient for accurate assessment of E2 at low concentrations (10 pg/mL). Thus, there is an urgent need for new technologies with efficient and sensitive detection of E2 for use in routine clinical diagnostics. In this study, we introduce a new E2 assay technique using a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based detection method. The SERS-based assay was performed with 30 blood samples to assess its clinical feasibility, and the results were compared with data obtained using the ARCHITECT chemiluminescence immunoassay. Whereas the commercial assay system was unable to quantify serum levels of E2 lower than 10 pg/mL, the limit of detection of E2 using the novel SERS-based assay described in this study was 0.65 pg/mL. Thus, the proposed SERS-based assay has a strong potential to be a valuable tool in the early diagnosis of precocious puberty due to its excellent analytical sensitivity.

Barnyard millet Miryang 3 [Echinochloa esculenta (A. Braun)] grains have recently been acknowledged for beneficial health properties due to phenolic ingredients and dietary fiber. This study has been con-ducted on the anti-diabetic activity of barnyard millet Miryang 3 which shows the strongest anti-in-flammatory activity among barnyard millet inhabiting in South Korea. When 80% ethanol (EtOH) ex-tract of barnyard millet Miryang 3 grains were orally administered into db/db diabetic mice for 8 weeks (600 mg/kg/day), the glucose level in blood following fasting appeared to be improved com-pared to the control group. The results of glucose tolerance test and blood lipid profile assay were similar to those of the metformin-administered positive control group. In addition, the level of body weight increase (8.54±2.24) was lower than the level of metformin-administered group (10.36±3.15); however, there was no subtle difference with negative and positive control groups in terms of food efficiency rates. In addition, total cholesterol levels of the 80% EtOH extract-administered group (160.7±7.6) were significantly reduced compared to the diabetic control group (229.3±47.8) and metfor-min-administered group (176.0±25.6). Consequently, these results show that barnyard millet grains al-leviates many of the diabetic symptoms in vivo non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and suggest that barnyard millet grains can be applicable in developing new functional food materials.

Phenolic compounds such as isoflavones contribute to the antioxidant properties of soybean. This study investigated differences in the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of ten soybean cultivars grown in two different locations in Korea. We observed a wide range of variation in total isoflavone and phenolic content by location and cultivar. The total isoflavone content of cultivars grown at Pyeongchang (sub-highland) was significantly higher than that in cultivars grown at Gangneung (lowland). In contrast, the total phenolic content of cultivars grown at Gangneung was greater than that of cultivars grown at Pyeongchang. The radical scavenging activity of DPPH was similar to that of the total phenolic content rather than that of the total isoflavone content. These results suggest that antioxidant activity of soybean was associated with phenolic compounds rather than isoflavones. To identify the individual antioxidant components, we used an on-line HPLC-ABTS + -based assay system, ESI/MS, and NMR. The results showed that the strongest antioxidant activity was linked to epicatechin.

In order to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of five selected cereal grains－proso millet, hwanggeumchal sorghum, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and adlay－the inhibitory activities of 80% ethanol (EtOH) extracts obtained from the individual grains on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) generation were investigated in RAW264.7 cells. The EtOH extract of barnyard millet (Echinochloa crus-galli var. frumentacea) grains exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than that of the other grains. When the EtOH extract of barnyard millet grains was sequentially fractionated with n-hexane, methylene chloride (MC), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol, the majority of the anti-inflammatory activity was detected in the MC fraction, followed by the EtOAc fraction. Pretreatment with the MC fraction caused downregulation of the expression levels of iNOS- and COX-2-specific transcripts and proteins, as well as proinflammatory cytokine gene transcripts (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, the MC fraction could suppress not only the LPS-induced nuclear translocation of cytosolic NF-kB, but also the LPS-induced activation of MAPKs, such as ERK, JNK, and p38MAPK. Further analysis of the MC fraction by HPLC identified kaempferol, biochanin A, and formononetin as the major phenolic components. Both kaempferol and biochanin A, but not formononetin, could exert anti-inflammatory effect at the same concentrations as those of the MC fraction. Consequently, these results indicate that kaempferol and biochanin A are among the most effective anti-inflammatory phenolic components in barnyard millet grains. This finding suggests that barnyard millet grains and the MC extract enriched in kaempferol and biochanin A could be beneficial functional food sources that have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Background The prognostic value of the tumor burden characterized by the metabolic tumor volume (MTV) remains under investigation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and MTV according to metabolic volume threshold as measured by positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT), and other clinical factors, in patients with NPC. Methods This study was a retrospective chart review. We evaluated the association of SUVmax, MTV2.5, MTV3.0, and other clinical factors with overall survival (OS) using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. (MTV2.5 and MTV3.0 are the volume of hypermetabolic tissue within the regions of gross tumor volumes with a SUV value greater than the threshold values of 2.5 and 3.0, respectively.) Results Higher MTV2.5 of 31.45 cm3 and MTV3.0 of 23.01 cm3 were associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.028; p = 0.029), although no significant relationship was found between SUVmax and OS. Interestingly, MTV3.0 was associated with OS in both the differentiated and undifferentiated groups, although MTV2.5 was only associated with OS in the undifferentiated group. Among the clinical parameters, only radiotherapy was associated with longer OS (HR = 12.124; p < 0.001). Conclusion The MTV and radiotherapy could be prognostic values associated with OS. Particularly, MTV2.5 and MTV3.0 might be valuable metabolic parameters for predicting long-term survival in patients with NPC. Furthermore, MTV3.0 may be more useful because it can be applied irrespective of pathologic subtype.

The bacterial flagellar hook is a tubular helical structure made by the polymerization of multiple copies of a protein, FlgE. Here we report the structure of the hook from Campylobacter jejuni by cryo-electron microscopy at a resolution of 3.5 Å. On the basis of this structure, we show that the hook is stabilized by intricate inter-molecular interactions between FlgE molecules. Extra domains in FlgE, found only in Campylobacter and in related bacteria, bring more stability and robustness to the hook. Functional experiments suggest that Campylobacter requires an unusually strong hook to swim without its flagella being torn off. This structure reveals details of the quaternary organization of the hook that consists of 11 protofilaments. Previous study of the flagellar filament of Campylobacter by electron microscopy showed its quaternary structure made of seven protofilaments. Therefore, this study puts in evidence the difference between the quaternary structures of a bacterial filament and its hook., The bacterial flagellar hook is made up of many copies of the protein FlgE. Here, the authors report the full structure of the hook from Campylobacter jejuni and show that its overall structure is different from that of the previously published filament.

A periplasmic flagellar chaperone protein, FlgA, is required for P-ring assembly in bacterial flagella of taxa such as Salmonella enterica or Escherichia coli. The mechanism of chaperone-mediated P-ring formation is poorly understood. Here we present the open and closed crystal structures of FlgA from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, grown under different crystallization conditions. An intramolecular disulfide cross-linked form of FlgA caused a dominant negative effect on motility of the wild-type strain. Pull-down experiments support a specific protein-protein interaction between FlgI, the P-ring component protein, and the C-terminal domain of FlgA. Surface plasmon resonance and limited-proteolysis indicate that flexibility of the domain is reduced in the covalently closed form. These results show that the structural flexibility of the C-terminal domain of FlgA, which is related to the structural difference between the two crystal forms, is intrinsically associated with its molecular chaperone function in P-ring assembly.

This study was performed to investigate differences of antioxidant activity, the content of free amino acids including GABA(gama-amino butyric acid) among mungbean cultivars grown in Highland area (Jinbu) and to compare those between seeds and sprouts. In DPPH (diphenyl picrydrazyl) radical scavenging activity, 'Jangan' mungbean activity was more higher than that of other cultivars. The content of total phenolic compounds of mungbean ranged from 1,186 to 1,493 ㎍/g in seed and 2,321 to 2,783 ㎍/g in sprout. Among amino acids of seeds, the content of glutamic acid was highest in 'Soseon' mungbean, and contents of almost amino acids increased during sprouting of seeds. The content of GABA that are known as a material having high functional effects on human body was also analyzed. When the relatively high content of GABA was observed in seeds of almost mungbean grown in highland, and their contents rapidly increased after sprouting from seeds. As a result of this experiment, it is expected that mungbean will be developed to a good alternative crop having high value as functional food materials in highland area of Korea.

Background The DiaPlexQ™ STI6 Detection Kit (DiaPlexQ; Solgent Co., Ltd., Daejeon, South Korea) is a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the detection of the following sexually transmitted disease (STD) pathogens: Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma hominis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Mycoplasma genitalium. We compared the performance of the DiaPlexQ assay with the GeneFinder™ STD I (CT/NG/UU) and STD II (MG/MH/TV) Multiplex Real-time PCR Kits (GeneFinder; Infopia Co., Ltd., Anyang, South Korea). Methods We evaluated the performance of the DiaPlexQ assay in comparison to that of GeneFinder using 1106 clinical specimens (542 genital swabs and 564 urine samples). The analytical performance of the DiaPlexQ assay, including the limit of detection (LOD) and analytical specificity, was evaluated using reference strains. Results The positive percent agreement, negative percent agreement, and kappa value between the two assays were 96.6%-99.4%, 98.2%-99.8%, and 0.93%-0.99%, respectively. No cross-reactivity was observed in a collection of 41 different microorganisms and the LOD of the DiaPlexQ assay ranged from 1 to 10 copies/reaction for each microorganism. Conclusion The DiaPlexQ assay showed comparable performance to that of the GeneFinder assay so that it can be used for the screening and diagnosis of non-viral curable STD pathogens.

Autotransporter proteins are virulence factors associated with a wide variety of diseases caused by pathogenic gram-negative bacteria, and they play a variety of roles in pathogenesis including disabling host defences and mediating colonization. Pertactin, a key component of the whooping cough vaccine, is an autotransporter protein. A large sub-family of the autotransporters carries a trypsin-like protease domain, but these enzymes have different substrates and functions. The unique export process which defines the autotransporter family involves the polypeptide chain C-terminus forming a barrel structure in the bacterial outer membrane, but the role of this barrel in secreting of the N-terminal 'passenger' domain remains very unclear. There are now four published crystal structures of passenger proteins or fragments of them. We have compared these models to catalogue common features and to help predict the structures and functions of other autotransporter proteins such as SepA, which is involved in the pathogenicity of Shigella.

Inorganic–organic hybrid nanoporous materials were prepared by the co-condensation of 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTSE) with 1,3-bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTSB) or 4,4′-bis(triethoxysilyl)-1,1′-biphenyl (BTSP). The nanoporous materials had broad pore-size distribution in the range of mesopore and macropore. The nanoporous materials prepared by co-condensation of BTSE with more than 30 wt% of BTSP showed an enhanced removal capability of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air compared to that prepared with BTSE only, probably due to the affirmative interaction between VOCs and aromatic ring in the nanoporous materials. The VOC generation from polypropylene/talc composite (PPF) was reduced to around half when three part of these inorganic–organic hybrid nanoporous material was added per 100 part of PPF during the melt compounding process as an additive, which suggests a new application of nanoporous material.

We assessed the clinical feasibility of conducting immunoassays based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in the early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An autoantibody against citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) was used as a biomarker, magnetic beads conjugated with CCP were used as substrates, and the SERS nanotags were comprised of anti-human IgG-conjugated hollow gold nanospheres (HGNs). We were able to determine the anti-CCP serum levels successfully by observing the distinctive Raman intensities corresponding to the SERS nanotags. At high concentrations of anti-CCP (25 U/mL), the results obtained from the SERS assay confirmed those obtained via an ELISA-based assay. Nevertheless, quantitation via our SERS-based assay is significantly more accurate at low concentrations (25 U/mL). In this study, we compared the results of an anti-CCP assay of 74 clinical blood samples obtained from the SERS-based assay to that of a commercial ELISA kit. The results of the anti-CCP-positive group (n = 31,25 U/mL) revealed a good correlation between the ELISA and SERS-based assays. However, in the anti-CCP-negative group (n = 43,25 U/mL), the SERS-based assay was shown to be more reproducible. Accordingly, we suggest that SERS-based assays are novel and potentially useful tools in the early diagnosis of RA.

This paper describes the design and implementation of a differential electromagnetic transducer (DET), with similar frequency characteristics to those of a normal middle ear, for use in an implantable middle ear hearing device (IMEHD). To obtain the maximal electromagnetic force within the limited cavity dimensions of the middle ear, the length and thickness of the coil and magnet are, respectively, determined through an electromagnetic analysis using a finite element analysis (FEA) program. In addition, a dynamic analysis simulation is performed to examine the frequency vibration characteristics. The DETs designed according to the simulation results are implemented using micro-machining technology, then the frequency vibration displacements are measured in experiments and the results compared to those for a normal middle ear. Finally, the feasibility of the DET is investigated and verified through in vitro experiments using the ossicular chain from a human cadaver.

In this paper, the voice signal processing module has been designed using the micro processor for the use of fully implantable middle ear devices (F-IMEHD). The voice signal processing module for F-IMEHD should be designed to compensate for the hearing loss of hearing impaired person and have the flexibility for compensating various hearing threshold level. So, the voice signal processing module has been designed and implemented to present the various frequency characteristics using the low-power micro processor, MSP430F169. The different voice signal path to the inner ear entrance was considered so that two voice signal would be combined in-phase using an all pass filter with a constant time-delay to improve the vibration of the ossicles.

An infrared (IR) transcutaneous remote control was designed for use in the totally implantable middle ear system. Considering the IR reflection, absorption and scattering effect of the skin, the required IR radiant intensity is calculated. After we have implemented the designed control, the transcutaneous operation experiment was carried out using a porcine skin.

To evaluate the antitumor effects of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with a solution of an anticancer drug (Paclitaxel; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ) and iodized oil (Lipiodol; Laboratoire Gurerbet, Aulnay-Sous-Bois, France) (hereafter, the solution), as well as intratumor concentration and hepatotoxicity, in experimentally induced liver tumor.VX2 carcinoma was grown in livers of 30 rabbits. In 18 rabbits, TACE was performed with the high-dose solution (4 mg anticancer drug and 0.4 mL iodized oil, n = 6), the low-dose solution (1 mg anticancer drug and 0.4 mL iodized oil, n = 6), or iodized oil alone (0.4 mL, n = 6) in a control group. One week later, the growth ratio and residual viable proportion of the tumors were calculated on the basis of findings at spiral computed tomography and histopathologic examination. Hepatic and hematologic toxicities were evaluated by means of biochemical analysis. Differences between the three groups were statistically assessed with the Kruskal-Wallace and Mann-Whitney U tests. The remaining 12 animals were treated with the high-dose solution and serially sacrificed for clarification of chronologic change of concentration of the anticancer drug in liver tissues.Growth ratios and residual viable proportions of the tumors were significantly lower in the solution groups (high dose, 3.3% +/- 6.2 [mean +/- SD] and 2.8% +/- 3.6, respectively; low dose, 18.7% +/- 7.4 and 12.7% +/- 6.1, respectively) than in the control group (68.3% +/- 12.7 and 31.1% +/- 8.8, respectively) (P.05). Hepatotoxicity was transient in all but one rabbit, which died 2 days after TACE with substantial biochemical changes. The anticancer drug accumulated in tumor where the concentration peaked at day 3 and returned to levels comparable to those for normal hepatic parenchyma at 7 days after TACE.TACE with the Paclitaxel-Lipiodol solution has dose-dependent antitumor effects without major toxicities in VX2 liver tumor.

PURPOSE: Lesion volume is often used as an end point in clinical trials of oncology therapy. We sought to compare the common method of using orthogonal diameters to estimate lesion volume (the diameter method) with a computer-assisted planimetric technique (the perimeter method). METHODS: Radiologists reviewed 825 magnetic resonance imaging studies from 219 patients with glioblastoma multiforme. Each study had lesion volume independently estimated via the diameter and perimeter methods. Cystic areas were subtracted out or excluded from the outlined lesion. Inter- and intrareader variability was measured by using multiple readings on 48 cases. Where serial studies were available in noncystic cases, a mock response analysis was used. RESULTS: The perimeter method had a reduced interreader and intrareader variability compared with the diameter method (using SD of differences): intrareader, 1.76 mL v 7.38 mL (P < .001); interreader, 2.51 mL v 9.07 mL (P < .001) for perimeter and diameter results, respectively. Of the 121 noncystic cases, 23 had serial data. In six (26.1%) of those 23, a classification difference occurred when the perimeter method was used versus the diameter method. CONCLUSION: Variability of measurements was reduced with the computer-assisted perimeter method compared with the diameter method, which suggests that changes in volume can be detected more accurately with the perimeter method. The differences between these techniques seem large enough to have an impact on grading the response to therapy.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) affecting the ethmoid sinus and epiglottis is uncommon. Furthermore, synchronous NHLs involving the ethmoid sinus and epiglottis are extremely rare and have not been reported previously. This article reports synchronous, primary, diffuse, large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) arising in the ethmoid sinus and epiglottis, which was successfully treated by immunochemotherapy. A careful examination of the head and neck is necessary to determine the existence of multiple synchronous primary tumors, because primary synchronous occurrence of DLBCL in the head and neck is unusual and can impact the prognosis adversely. Laryngoscope, 2013

The Streptomyces butyrolactone autoregulator receptor protein (BarA) is a DNA-binding protein that regulates the biosynthesis of the antibiotic virginiamycin. In this study, BarA from S. virginiae was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Crystals of purified protein have been grown that diffracted to beyond 3.0 A resolution at 100 K using synchrotron radiation. The protein crystals belonged to the hexagonal space group P6(5)22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 128.0, c = 286.2 A. With four molecules per asymmetric unit, the crystal volume per unit protein mass (V(M)) was 3.2 A(3) Da(-1) and the solvent content was 62%.

− Seven phenolic compounds including p-coumaric acid (1), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (3), vanillic acid (4), luteolin (5), acacetin (6), and tricin (7), were isolated from the methylene chloride and ethyl acetate fractions of Echinochloa utilis grains. Compounds (1 4, 6) were isolated for the first time from this plant. These compounds were tested for inhibitory activities against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. Compounds 5 and 6 displayed significant inhibitory effects, with IC50 values of 27.9 ± 2.6 and 14.0 ± 1.1 μM, respectively. The results suggested that E. utilis ethanolic extract may be used as a potential source of anti-inflammatory agents and functional foods for the treatment of allergic diseases.

A differential electromagnetic transducer (DET), which has similar frequency characteristics to those of the normal middle ear, has been designed and implemented for an implantable middle ear (IME). In order to optimize the DET characteristics that are practically determined by the electromagnetically forced vibration, a finite element analysis (FEA) simulation is carried out. The designed DET according to the simulation results is implemented using micro-machining technology. The vibrating displacement of the DET is about 200 nm in the range of 0.1 to 1.5 kHz when 1.5 mA/sub rms/ current is applied to the coil.

In this paper the miniaturized microphone unit that can be utilized to the implantable middle car and inner ear is designed and implemented. The implantable microphone unit that planed to set up in the center of the pinna has been designed to ensure the necessary dynamic range and to improve the sensitivity of microphone unit. In addition to, the microphone unit is miniaturized and its biocompatibility of human body is considered. The microphone unit is composed of a minimized electric microphone, a titanium case which has 5.3 mm diameter and 3.7 mm height, a SUS316L vibrating membrane of 10 /spl mu/m thickness which is touched with a hypodermic tissue and adopted for the less attenuation of microphone sensitivity. Through the experiments of the fabricated microphone unit, it is verified that the implemented microphone unit operates up to the bandwidth of 5 kHz without declining of sensitivity in the 6 mm hypodermic tissue.

Primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global reduction in cerebral cortical volume. The microcephalic brain has a volume comparable to that of early hominids, raising the possibility that some MCPH genes may have been evolutionary targets in the expansion of the cerebral cortex in mammals and especially primates. Mutations in ASPM, which encodes the human homologue of a fly protein essential for spindle function, are the most common known cause of MCPH. Here we have isolated large genomic clones containing the complete ASPM gene, including promoter regions and introns, from chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and rhesus macaque by transformation-associated recombination cloning in yeast. We have sequenced these clones and show that whereas much of the sequence of ASPM is substantially conserved among primates, specific segments are subject to high Ka/Ks ratios (nonsynonymous/synonymous DNA changes) consistent with strong positive selection for evolutionary change. The ASPM gene sequence shows accelerated evolution in the African hominoid clade, and this precedes hominid brain expansion by several million years. Gorilla and human lineages show particularly accelerated evolution in the IQ domain of ASPM. Moreover, ASPM regions under positive selection in primates are also the most highly diverged regions between primates and nonprimate mammals. We report the first direct application of TAR cloning technology to the study of human evolution. Our data suggest that evolutionary selection of specific segments of the ASPM sequence strongly relates to differences in cerebral cortical size., Mutation of the ASPM gene is associated with abnormally small brain size. Comparison of the ASPM gene from several primate species suggests it as a target of evolutionary selection for increased brain size

We investigated the combined moisturizing effect of liposomal serine and a cosmeceutical base selected in this study. Serine is a major amino acid consisting of natural moisturizing factors and keratin, and the hydroxyl group of serine can actively interact with water molecules. Therefore, we hypothesized that serine efficiently delivered to the stratum corneum (SC) of the skin would enhance the moisturizing capability of the skin. We prepared four different cosmeceutical bases (hydrogel, oil-in-water (O/W) essence, O/W cream, and water-in-oil (W/O) cream); their moisturizing abilities were then assessed using a Corneometer®. The hydrogel was selected as the optimum base for skin moisturization based on the area under the moisture content change-time curves (AUMCC) values used as a parameter for the water hold capacity of the skin. Liposomal serine prepared by a reverse-phase evaporation method was then incorporated in the hydrogel. The liposomal serine-incorporated hydrogel (serine level=1%) showed an approximately 1.62~1.77 times greater moisturizing effect on the skin than those of hydrogel, hydrogel with serine (1%), and hydrogel with blank liposome. However, the AUMCC values were not dependent on the level of serine in liposomal serine-loaded hydrogels. Together, the delivery of serine to the SC of the skin is a promising strategy for moisturizing the skin. This study is expected to be an important step in developing highly effective moisturizing cosmeceutical products.

A new type of implantable middle ear hearing aid, which consists of an external loop coil, a small magnet and simple external device, is proposed. The internal device of the new type consists of only a small magnet. The external device doesn't have to be positioned behind the ear or ear canal. Also, it is excellent from a cosmetic viewpoint, because the external device can be hidden within upper garment and collar of clothes. The can be bigger than conventional type a, which means it has longer battery life. Therefore, the battery doesn't need to be changed very frequently. The surgical operation is easier than conventional type. Only a small magnet is transplanted in the middle ear. Gap calibration of the transducer isn't necessary. We investigate the performance of the proposed implantable middle ear hearing aid. We found that the proposed device is appropriate for mild and severe hearing impaired persons.

In this paper, the pressure monitoring telemetry system has been designed and implemented for an accurate pressure measure-ment inside the gastrointestinal tract with minimizing pain and inconvenience. The system is composed of a miniaturized pres-sure measurement capsule and an external receiver. The per-formance of the telemetry capsule for monitoring pressure in the gastrointestinal tract is demonstrated by the results of animal in-vivo experiments.