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Despite being rich in dietary fibers, wheat bran is scarcely used as a food source because these dietary fibers have adverse effects on the texture. In this study, bran was atomized using a wet-type grinder (WG) to improve its physicochemical properties. The WG treatment improved the dispersion ability and viscosity of bran. Bread was then prepared by replacing 5% wheat flour with either WG-treated or WG-untreated bran. The WG-treated bread had a higher specific loaf volume and lower crumb hardness than the WG-untreated bran bread. The analysis of the enzymatic digestion of starch indicated a 20% decrease in rapidly digestible starch in WG-treated bran compared to untreated bran bread.

Abstract Background This descriptive study was conducted to examine the changes in the symptom frequency in patients with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) without medical intervention, in order to determine the association of RBD symptom frequency with disease duration. Methods Data were collected from 70 consecutive RBD patients who visited the Sleep Clinic in Shiga University of Medical Science. RBD symptom frequencies at the first visit to the clinic were quantified based on the reports by the patients and their family members. For quality assurance, patients living alone or those with cognitive decline were excluded. Finally, 50 patients with family-confirmed symptom history were enrolled. The symptom frequencies were converted to a unit that reflects the estimated number of nights in a year affected by RBD (NAR). Using NAR, we observed the relation between RBD symptom frequency and the disease duration. Results Of the 50 patients, 41 were male and 9 were female, consistent with the male-dominant nature of this disease. The mean age at RBD onset was 62.2 ± 9.1 years, and the mean disease duration at the time of visit was 6.0 ± 4.9 years. The median symptom frequency was 50 NAR, with a 1st quantile value of 24 NAR and a 3rd quantile value of 115 NAR. When RBD symptom frequency was plotted against disease duration, we found that the frequency was lowest in the first 2 years of RBD (median, 18; range, 2–29 NAR), and higher frequencies were found in 2-year bin groups from 2 to 8 years after RBD onset (median, 60; range, 50–150 NAR). Intriguingly, after 8 years of RBD, the frequency returned to a level comparable to that in the first 2 years of RBD (median, 50; range, 12–100 NAR). Conclusions There was no association between RBD symptom frequency and disease duration. RBD clinical symptoms could be less prominent when neural damage becomes severe. Therefore, a natural decrease in RBD symptom frequency may be indicative of progression of neurodegeneration.

Abstract Background The present study investigates changes in spontaneous reporting (SR) compliance and ADR patterns following adoption of a new hospital SR system, and multiple interventions designed for its improvement use under modified drug administration guidelines. Methods In total, 1389 ADR cases were reviewed. Cases were divided into two groups, cases from period 1 (n = 557, from January 2006 to June 2011) under the old SR system and cases in period 2 (n = 832, from July 2011 to December 2016) under the new SR system with multiple interventions to improve physician SR compliance. General information, drug information, and clinical manifestations were investigated and compared between periods. Results Interventions for improved clinician training, education on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), and economic incentives substantially improved SR adherence. We also found that changing drug usage patterns (based on the new drug administration guidelines) greatly influenced ADR occurrence and type. Conclusions We found the SR compliance can be improved by multifaceted interventions. Drug usage patterns also influence ADR occurrence, so programs tailored for rational use are essential. These results could lead to further improvements in the SR system for ADRs in China, and provide guidance for establishing better methods of pharmacovigilance.

We review the most commonly used theoretical methods and models for the mechanical properties of soft biomaterials, which include phenomenological hyperelastic and viscoelastic models, structural biphasic and network models, and the structural alteration theory. We emphasize basic concepts and recent developments. In consideration of the current progress and needs of mechanobiology, we introduce methods and models for tackling micromechanical problems and their applications to cell biology. Finally, the challenges and perspectives in this field are discussed.

Abstract Background Mesothelioma is resistant to conventional treatments and is often defective in p53 pathways. We then examined anti-tumor effects of metformin, an agent for type 2 diabetes, and combinatory effects of metformin and nutlin-3a, an inhibitor for ubiquitin-mediated p53 degradation, on human mesothelioma. Methods We examined the effects with a colorimetric assay and cell cycle analyses, and investigated molecular events in cells treated with metformin and/or nutlin-3a with Western blot analyses. An involvement of p53 was tested with siRNA for p53. Results Metformin suppressed cell growth of 9 kinds of mesothelioma including immortalized cells of mesothelium origin irrespective of the p53 functional status, whereas susceptibility to nutlin-3a was partly dependent on the p53 genotype. We investigated combinatory effects of metformin and nutlin-3a on, nutlin-3a sensitive MSTO-211H and NCI-H28 cells and insensitive EHMES-10 cells, all of which had the wild-type p53 gene. Knockdown of p53 expression with the siRNA demonstrated that susceptibility of MSTO-211H and NCI-H28 cells to nutlin-3a was p53-dependent, whereas that of EHMES-10 cells was not. Nevertheless, all the cells treated with both agents produced additive or synergistic growth inhibitory effects. Cell cycle analyses also showed that the combination increased sub-G1 fractions greater than metformin or nutlin-3a alone in MSTO-211H and EHMES-10 cells. Western blot analyses showed that metformin inhibited downstream pathways of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) but did not activate the p53 pathways, whereas nutlin-3a phosphorylated p53 and suppressed mTOR pathways. Cleaved caspase-3 and conversion of LC3A/B were also detected but it was dependent on cells and treatments. The combination of both agents in MSTO-211H cells rather suppressed the p53 pathways that were activated by nutrin-3a treatments, whereas the combination rather augmented the p53 actions in NCI-H28 and EHMES-10 cells. Conclusion These data collectively indicated a possible interactions between mTOR and p53 pathways, and the combinatory effects were attributable to differential mechanisms induced by a cross-talk between the pathways.

Five researchers reported on their studies to quantify and objectify traditional medicine at the symposium “Verification of Traditional Chinese Medicine” during the 2016 annual meeting of the Japan Traditional Chinese Medicine Association. Takao Namiki reported on a methodology to quantify tongue diagnosis. Tetsuhiro Yoshino presented work on predictive prescribing two Kampo formulas for dysmenorrhea, Tangkuei and Peony Powder (Danggui Shaoyao San) and Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill (Guizhi Fuling Wan). Koh Iwasaki presented work on validation of a questionnaire for assessing qi stagnation and Mitsuyuki Takamura reported on application of the questionnaire to evaluate the efficacy of Pinellia and Magnolia Bark Decoction (Banxia Houpo Tang). Kaoru Sakatani presented research on near-infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for wei bing, a concept of pre-symptomatic state in traditional Chinese medicine.

The fluid borne-vibration generated from a hydraulic pump is known to be one of drawbacks in hydraulic systems. In order to decrease the noise and vibration effectively, the simulation tool to predict the pressure ripple at an arbitrary point in the hydraulic circuit must be used at a design stage. Therefore, accurate mathematical models for hydraulic components is required for such simulation. In this research, the target is set to develop a precise mathematical model for the source impedance characteristics of an axial piston pump. In the past research, the simple approximation models have been already developed to be able to express the source impedance characteristics. These models need the parameter identification for the dimension of discharge passageway by the experimental acquired source impedance. Hence, the models can not be used as a design purpose. In this report, the theoretical investigations which consider shapes and dimensions of a discharge passageway inside the pump, as well as the pump chambers with discharge process, are conducted and compared with the experimental results. It was found that the source impedance of axial piston pump can be modeled by the distributed parameter pipe model which takes into account all pump chambers connecting the discharge port.

Laparoscopic surgery for patients with a horseshoe kidney is challenging because of the location, aberrant vasculature, and difficulty with division of the isthmus with adequate hemostasis. We herein report performance of a laparoscopic heminephrectomy for left ureteral cancer in a patient with a horseshoe kidney under guidance from near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging using indocyanine green (ICG). A 62-year-old male was referred to our hospital for treatment of left ureteral cancer associated with a horseshoe kidney. We performed a laparoscopic left nephroureterectomy and bladder resection in June 2017. During the operation, the NIRF imaging system was used to evaluate the border of the kidney parenchyma isthmus after ligation of the left kidney vasculature supply. Interestingly, the dominant region of the right kidney showed strong ICG fluorescence as compared to the left kidney region. With the assistance of ICG-based NIRF imaging, isthmus division was performed with monopolar scissors and adequate hemostasis was obtained by electrocautery coagulation. This is the first report of use of an ICG-based NIRF imaging system and this novel approach can help to demarcate the left moiety isthmus from right one with more certainty.

A 70-year-old man with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with simultaneous right oculomotor nerve palsy and right facial nerve palsy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed no abnormality. Coexistent Sjögren’s syndrome was diagnosed on the basis of anti-SS-A antibody positivity, salivary gland scintigraphy, and histological findings on minor salivary gland biopsy. As there was no obvious cause of multiple cranial neuropathies, we supposed that the palsies were induced by either of the underlying diseases. The patient was treated with a high-dose of prednisolone and intravenous cyclophosphamide, and both palsies recovered almost completely within two weeks.

We report an extremely rare case of an alpha-fetoprotein- (AFP-) producing female primary urethral adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation (NED). The patient was a 65-year-old woman with a 2-year history of urinary frequency and voiding difficulty. Enhanced computed tomography showed an approximately 3.0×5.0-cm mass around the proximal urethra and bladder neck. Of examined tumor markers, serum AFP was elevated (48.3 ng/mL), while others including carcinoembryonic antigen were within a normal range. Transurethral resection of the tumor led to a diagnosis of carcinosarcoma of the urethra, with a radical cystourethrectomy and ileal conduit formation subsequently performed. The pathological assessment was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in the urethra. Immunostaining showed tumor cells strongly positive for AFP. In addition, some cancer cells were positive for CD56, chromogranin A, and synaptophysin, indicating focal NED. The tumor was finally diagnosed as an AFP-producing urethral adenocarcinoma with NED. Serum AFP was immediately normalized after surgery and no sign of tumor recurrence has been noted 2 years postoperatively.

Okara, a by-product of tofu or soymilk, is rich in dietary fibers (DFs) that are mostly insoluble. A wet-type grinder (WG) system was used to produce nanocellulose (NC). We hypothesized that the WG system would increase the dispersion performance and viscosity of okara. These properties of WG-treated okara improve the gel-forming ability of soybean proteins. Here, the suspensions of 2 wt% okara were treated with WG for different passages (1, 3, and 5 times). The particle size distribution (PSD) and viscosity of WG-treated okara decreased and increased, respectively, with different passages. The five-time WG-treated okara homogeneously dispersed in water after 24 h, whereas untreated okara did not. The breaking stress, strain, and water holding capacity of soybean protein isolate (SPI) gels increased upon the addition of WG-treated okara. This effect increased as the number of WG treatments increased. The breaking stress and strain of SPI gels to which different concentrations of the five-time WG-treated okara were added also increased with increasing concentrations of WG-treated okara. These results suggest that NC technology can improve the physicochemical properties of okara and are useful in the development of protein gel-based foods.

We previously observed an inverse correlation between stroke and urinary 3-hydroxypropyl mercapturic acid (3-HPMA), an acrolein-glutathione metabolite, through its measurement by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). However, the cost of equipment for LC-MS/MS and its maintenance fee is very expensive and a cost-efficient method is required. In this study, we have developed a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system to measure 3-HPMA using a chicken antibody recognizing 3-HPMA-conjugated chicken albumin as antigen. Linearity to measure 3-HPMA was obtained from 0 to 10 μM, indicating that this ELISA system is useful for measurement of urine 3-HPMA. It was confirmed that 3-HPMA in urine of stroke patients decreased significantly compared with that of control subjects using the ELISA system. Using the ELISA kit, it became possible to evaluate the risk of brain stroke by not only plasma but also by urine. These results confirm that shortage of glutathione to detoxify acrolein is one of the major causes of stroke incidence. Our method contributes to maintenance of quality of life (QOL) of the elderly.

Gas-solid mineralization of atmospheric CO _2 using naturally abundant surface rocks under ambient conditions and without thermochemical treatment was analyzed for application in Japan. Based on an empirically-verified theoretical framework, a tiered greenhouse containing finely ground rocks was designed with low-speed induced airflow to realize CO _2 mineralization reactions over 1 year. Negative CO _2 emissions were calculated accounting for CO _2 emissions from energy generation, materials production, and removal of vegetation and soil. Under practicable operating conditions, negative emissions using crystalline surface rocks in Japan can reach ∼7.6 Gt-CO _2 /y achieved across 726 sites. The average energy requirement was calculated to be 1.5 GJ t ^−1 -CO _2 with an average land requirement of 1.1 km ^2 per Mt-CO _2 annual removal capacity. Carbon debt is paid off after 60 d of operation.

Our objective was to assess the effects of subtle increases in serum progesterone concentration (1.0-2.0 ng/ml) on the outcome of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), particularly on the quality of embryos, during the follicular phase of cycles stimulated with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG). A total of 97 patients underwent 116 cycles of IVF and were stimulated with a combination of HMG and GnRHa. They were divided into two groups: those with a subtle progesterone rise and those with no progesterone rise. The two groups were compared with respect to serum oestradiol, progesterone, immunoreactive luteinizing hormone (I-LH), bioactive LH (B-LH), and results of IVF. The groups did not differ significantly in mean age or in total dose of HMG received. On the day that human chorionic gonadotrophin was administered, concentrations of oestradiol and progesterone were significantly higher in the subtle progesterone rise cycles than in the no progesterone rise cycles. In the no progesterone rise cycles, the percentages for embryos beyond the 4-cell stage, grade 1 embryos, and implantation rates were significantly higher than those in subtle progesterone rise cycles. The combination of GnRHa and HMG eliminated any significant rise in serum I-LH or B-LH concentration during the follicular phase, but did not suppress the subtle rise in progesterone. These results confirm our previous finding that a subtle progesterone rise adversely affects the outcome of IVF. It is also suggested that a reduction in embryo quality may influence the lower rate of implantation in subtle progesterone rise cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and application of concepts is a critical component of cognition. Although concepts can be formed on the basis of simple perceptual or semantic features, conceptual representations can also capitalize on similarities across feature relationships. By representing these types of higher-order relationships, concepts can simplify the learning problem and facilitate decisions. Despite this, little is known about the neural mechanisms that support the construction and deployment of these kinds of higher-order concepts during learning. To address this question, we combined a carefully designed associative learning task with computational model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants were scanned as they learned and made decisions about sixteen pairs of cues and associated outcomes. Associations were structured such that individual cues shared feature relationships, operationalized as shared patterns of cue pair-outcome associations. In order to capture the large number of possible conceptual representational structures that participants might employ and to evaluate how conceptual representations are used during learning, we leveraged a well-specified Bayesian computational model of category learning [1]. Behavioral and model-based results revealed that participants who displayed a tendency to link experiences in memory benefitted from faster learning rates, suggesting that the use of the conceptual structure in the task facilitated decisions about cue pair-outcome associations. Model-based fMRI analyses revealed that trial-by-trial integration of cue information into higher-order conceptual representations was supported by an anterior temporal (AT) network of regions previously implicated in representing complex conjunctions of features and meaning-based information.

Background: Prevalence of fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant Escherichia coli has been recently increasing worldwide. We analyzed the incidence and characteristics of acute bacterial prostatitis after transrectal ultrasound-guided needle prostate biopsy (TRUSP-Bx) with prophylactic tazobactam/piperacillin (TAZ/PIPC) treatment as an alternative regimen. Methods: A total of 391 patients who underwent TRUSP-Bx were included in the study. All patients received intravenous TAZ/PIPC (4.5 g) 30 minutes before and 6 hours after TRUSP-Bx. Results: Acute bacterial prostatitis developed in six patients (1.5%); the frequency of its occurrence was significantly higher in patients in whom rectal disinfection was not performed (P

This paper presents a novel method for high-resolutions imaging of band-gap energies of semiconductors. When electron-hole pairs are generated in a semiconductor irradiated with a laser, they induce electronic strains in the semiconductor. The electronic strains can be detected and imaged by a scanning probe microscope. The electron-hole-pair generation depends on the band-gap and photon energies. When there are variations in band-gap energies in a sample, strains could be detected in regions having narrower gaps than the irradiated photon energy, and so their distributions can be imaged. The threshold of electron-hole-pair generation can be varied by changing the irradiated photon energies. Consequently, we can quantitatively image the band-gap energy distributions of semiconductors.

Generally, industrial vehicles such as agricultural machines and construction machinery use hydraulic systems for heavy-load work. Also the work often continues for a long time in a certain area. Consequently, noise exposure of the surrounding environment is increased. Thus noise regulations are established in several countries. The noise emitted from the hydraulic system has a significant contribution to the over-all of the noise in an industrial vehicle. Recently, the choice of power sources in industrial vehicles has tended to shift from internal combustion engines to electric motors. Consequently, the contribution of noise emitted from the internal combustion engine will decrease and the contribution of noise emitted from a hydraulic system will become relatively prominent in the future. It is, therefore, more than ever important to take care of the noise generated by the hydraulic system of the industrial vehicles. It is known that speed of sound in hydraulic oil has an effect on pressure ripples which can be source of noise. Therefore, it is important to understand behavior of the speed of sound reasonably in design of quiet hydraulic systems. However, relationship between operating conditions and the speed of sound has not been revealed up to now. In this study, the speed of sound has been investigated at the operating conditions that are oil temperature, loading pressure, volume ratio of entrained air to the hydraulic oil and type of the oil for typical agricultural machines and construction machinery.

It is known that fluid-borne noise emitted from a hydraulic system often causes severe discomfort of the operator. It is also known that the noise can change as the system warms up. The temporal change in steady operation can be a factor for misperception of mechanical failure, because noise can play an important role as a signal that indicates abnormal operation. It is therefore important to understand the behavior of hydraulic pressure ripples that are a source of hydraulic noise in steady operation, and how they change in relation to the operating time. This study has investigated the influence of oil temperature changing over time on pressure ripples in a hydraulic line in steady operation. Variables that can change in steady operation have been considered using mathematical models of the pressure ripples. The consideration has shown that, when there is no air-entrainment from an outer system, the change over time is caused solely by the change of the hydraulic oil temperature. Physical properties of the oil and speed of sound in the oil have been defined as temperature-related variables in the mathematical models. The physical properties that are used in the mathematical models have been obtained directly from the manufacturer. In contrast, the speed of sound in the oil has to be obtained using theoretical approaches. The behaviors of the hydraulic pressure ripples in three simple hydraulic systems have been investigated using mathematical models that took into account the thermal properties. Each hydraulic system consists of a hydraulic pump, a straight pipe and a termination condition that is one of the following typical three types: non-reflection, valve and volume. The mathematical models have shown distinct behaviors resulting from the change in the oil temperature. The behaviors have been verified experimentally.

The present study tested the clinical efficiency (item grouping, internal consistency of the subscales, construct validity, and clinical feasibility) of a widely used pain assessment system, the Mandarin version of the American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R-C), in Chinese patients. We also attempted to investigate the current quality of pain management provided in orthopedic inpatient units in China and provide baseline data. First, we investigated the test-retest reliability of APS-POQ-R-C. In total, 236 orthopedic patients were evaluated. Our results showed that APS-POQ-R-C has satisfactory internal consistency and construct validity, although some items are not appropriate for orthopedic patients. Test-retest reliability outcomes indicated that APS-POQ-R-C is a satisfactory battery with acceptable validity and reliability, and is therefore recommended for pain management in future studies.

In the present study, we have explored the genetic relationships between red junglefowls and domestic chickens in Southeast Asia by using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. We genotyped 475 individuals from 17 populations of red junglefowls (4 subspecies, n＝39), native chickens (10 populations, n＝346) and commercial breeds (3 breeds, n＝90) using PCR-RFLP for the 98 autosomal SNP markers. The genotyping results showed that average heterozygosity was 0.225±0.077 for red junglefowl, 0.272±0.009 for native chickens, and 0.211±0.037 for commercial breeds of chickens. The resultant neighbor-joining (NJ) tree with three distinct clusters corresponds to red junglefowls, native chickens and commercial breeds. The subspecies of red junglefowl was clustered into one clade and more closely related to native chickens than the commercial lines. Furthermore, the results of the population structure analysis suggested that the 17 populations appear to be derived from 11 genetic populations (K＝11). Among the domestic chickens, the NJ tree and genetic structure analysis revealed that Thailand native chickens was the most ancestral group of all chickens. These findings provide molecular evidence supporting the theory that the original domestication event occurred in Thailand. They also provide additional clustering information to classify red junglefowls and domestic chickens.

The vibration and noise caused by pressure pulsation, referred to as fluid-borne vibration or fluid-borne noise, are some of the most detrimental problems in hydraulic systems. A Helmholtz silencer with multiple degrees of freedom was proposed to attenuate several harmonic frequencies generated in the hydraulic systems. The silencer consists of a cylindrical vessel with several chokes inside the vessel. The final goal of this research project is the development of a multiple-degree-of-freedom type of Helmholtz silencer that can be applied to hydraulic pump systems operated at different speeds. The aim of this report is to establish the design criteria of the silencer specifications. In particular, the effects of the diameter and length of the choke and the cylindrical volume on attenuation performance were analytically and experimentally investigated.

The effect of near-fault ground displacement is a significant factor when structures straddle a fault, because the fault produces both static step-like deformations and dynamic pulse-like ground motions. It has been observed that the static displacements measured up to 10 m and strong ground motion velocity pulses exceed 100 cm/s. As there is no concrete method for the seismic design of near-fault structures based on earthquake-induced fault displacement, the numerical simulation of near-fault ground motions is of great significance. In this paper, we describe a hybrid method combining stochastic and theoretical Green’s functions for synthesizing near-fault ground motions. Our approach considers the complete waveforms (far-, intermediate-, and near-field terms) of both the dynamic and static terms. To demonstrate the hybrid method, two simple examples of strike-slip and dip-slip fault models are simulated. The results exhibited dynamic displacement with the fling-step of near-fault movement. Furthermore, the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan is also simulated, and the results showed good agreement with the observed recordings. Thus, the proposed method is a useful tool for evaluating near-fault ground motions for designing bridges and other structures.

Sugar production is the main industry in Tanegashima, Japan. Whilst the sugar mill recycles sugarcane bagasse as a fuel, it concurrently generates large amounts of unused 200 °C heat during operation. Raw sugar is shipped to a refinery in Osaka for the final stages of production, which uses a city gas boiler to continuously generate a large quantity of 150 °C heat. However, factories in Tanegashima need a continuous supply of process steam at temperatures of up to 120 °C. To resolve this spatial and seasonal mismatch of heat, we propose a thermal energy storage and transport system using a zeolite adsorption/regeneration cycle. A process flow diagram of the sugar mill has been developed, and the amount of available heat, the potential storage capacity, and the transportable amount of heat have been calculated. Two scenarios were analyzed, in which the stored heat is shipped to Osaka, or used on the island. This was achieved by calculating the rate-based storage capacity of zeolite, based upon an adsorption and regeneration test. The transportable quantity of zeolite determines the feasibility of using waste heat. In the first case, transport of heat to the sugar refinery in Osaka has little possibility of being implemented. In the second case, transport of heat to a liquor factory in Tanegashima can potentially reduce its usage of heavy oil by 83 %, equivalent to 33 kL/year.

We recently reported that the over-expression of skin fibroblast-derived neutral endopeptidase (NEP) plays a pivotal role in impairing the three-dimensional architecture of dermal elastic fibers during the biological mechanism of ultraviolet (UV)-induced skin wrinkling. In that process, a UVB-associated epithelial-mesenchymal cytokine interaction as well as a direct UVA-induced cellular stimulation are associated with the up-regulation of NEP in human fibroblasts. In this study, we characterized the mode of action of ubiquinol10 which may abrogate the up-regulation of NEP by dermal fibroblasts, resulting in a reported in vivo anti-wrinkling action, and compared that with 3 other anti-oxidants, astaxanthin (AX), riboflavin (RF) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Post-irradiation treatment with all 4 of those anti-oxidants elicited an interrupting effect on the UVB-associated epithelial-mesenchymal cytokine interaction leading to the up-regulation of NEP in human fibroblasts but with different modes of action. While AX mainly served as an inhibitor of the secretion of wrinkle-inducing cytokines, such as interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulatory factor (GM-CSF) in UVB-exposed epidermal keratinocytes, ubiquinol10, RF and FMN predominantly interrupted the IL-1α and GM-CSF-stimulated expression of NEP in dermal fibroblasts. On the other hand, as for the UVA-associated mechanism, similar to the abrogating effects reported for AX and FMN, ubiquinol10 but not RF had the potential to abrogate the increased expression of NEP and matrix-metalloproteinase-1 in UVA-exposed human fibroblasts. Our findings strongly support the in vivo anti-wrinkling effects of ubiquinol10 and AX on human and animal skin and provide convincing proof of the UV-induced wrinkling mechanism that essentially focuses on the over-expression of NEP by dermal fibroblasts as an intrinsic causative factor.

Native chickens in Myanmar and Thailand have been being domesticated for generations and yielded a wide variety of chickens. The objective of the research is to analyze the genetic variation and relationships of native chicken populations in Myanmar and Thailand. A total number of 249 genomic DNA samples from a total nine populations including the commercial lines, were genotyped using 98 autosomal SNP markers. The average heterozygosity of each population was in the range of 0.181-0.262. The neighbor-joining trees constructed by pair-wise FST estimates corresponded that the native chickens in Myanmar and Thailand were at a distance from the commercial chickens. The STRUCTURE analysis revealed that the nine chicken populations used in this study might be derived from six genetic populations (K=6). The AMOVA showed significant value of FST with 79-90% of the total genetic variation found within populations. The FCT value was significant but accounted for only 4.45% of the total variability among countries. Finally, the mantel test for Isolation by Distance result (r=0.5964; P

Yoshiaki Kiuchi1, Masahide Yanagi1, Takao Nakamura21Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Otemae Hospital, Osaka, JapanPurpose: To compare the effectiveness of standard revision surgery using mitomycin C (MMC) with revision using amniotic membrane transplantation and MMC for elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) after trabeculectomy.Patients and methods: A retrospective, nonrandomized comparative study of 36 eyes of 36 patients with a failed trabeculectomy. Patients were divided into two groups, ie, a nonamnion-transplanted group and an amnion-transplanted group. The amniotic membrane was placed on the scleral flap under the conjunctiva in the amnion-transplanted group. Both groups recovered filtration of aqueous humor from the surgical site with the adjunctive use of MMC. The changes in IOP and cumulative survival rate were compared for the two groups. Success was defined as a 30% reduction in IOP from the preoperative IOP and maintenance below 21 mmHg with or without the use of antiglaucomatous agents.Results: The mean preoperative IOP was not significantly different in the two groups. The mean postoperative IOP in the nonamnion group, 12.1 ± 5.5 mmHg, was significantly lower than the IOP in the amnion group, 16.0 ± 3.7 mmHg. Survival curves in the two groups did not reach significantly different levels.Conclusions: Conventional surgical bleb revision with MMC can significantly reduce the elevated IOP associated with a failed filtration bleb. The use of an amniotic membrane transplant did not improve the surgical outcome in our cases.Keywords: filtration bleb revision, amniotic membrane, mitomycin C, filtering surgery

In fluid power systems, a Helmholtz type hydraulic silencer is often utilized in order to attenuate pressure pulsations, which are detrimental to the system because of the vibration and noise that they generate. The silencer has the important feature that it is effective within a narrow band range around the resonance frequency. Therefore, it is very useful to be able to predict the attenuation characteristics by means of a mathematical model. Previous research has shown that there are noticeable discrepancies between the experimental values and calculated results when the ratio of the volume length L to diameter D is comparatively small. In this paper, a novel distributed parameter model was proposed in order to examine these discrepancies. The mathematical model was derived by taking into account the elastic deformation on the upper and lower vessel walls of a Helmholtz silencer with a flat volume. The analysis revealed that the resonance frequency of the silencer is reduced by a reduction in the volume length or by a reduction in the cover thickness. The reason for this is the reduction of the effective bulk modulus. In addition, experimental work was conducted to examine the attenuation characteristics under various conditions. The experimental results were found to correspond to the mathematical model qualitatively.

Recently, highly efficient small heat transport devices have been required. In particular, pulsating heat pipes (PHP) have come to draw a lot of attention. The contribution of sensible heat transport and latent heat transport in oscillating working fluid, which plays an important role in heat transport performance of PHP, has not been clarified enough experimentally yet. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of sensible heat transport and latent heat transport experimentally by making liquid column oscillate sinusoidally in the channel. The channel was initially evacuated, and ethanol was charged to form a liquid column, which is called single component system. In addition, the ethanol was charged in the channel with air in the gas phase at atmospheric pressure, which is called two components system. The effective thermal conductivity of latent heat transport is determined by the difference between the effective thermal conductivity in single component system and that in two component system. In two components system, that is sensible heat transport, the effective thermal conductivity decreases monotonically as oscillation center moves to cooling section under the same amplitude, because residence time of liquid column at heating section decreases. On the other hand, in latent heat transport, the effective thermal conductivity increases as oscillation center moves to cooling section under the same amplitude, because liquid film at cooling section becomes longer. In addition, numerical analysis was conducted for sensible heat transport in oscillating working fluid. The comparison of the numerical results with the experimental results indicates that liquid film at the tip of liquid column would enhance sensible heat transport.

Abstract Although lumbar drainage (LD) is widely used in skull base surgery (SBS), no cases with intracranial hypotension (IH) following LD-assisted SBS have been reported, and skull base surgeons lack awareness of this potentially life-threatening condition. We report two cases of IH after LD-assisted SBS, a spheno-orbital meningioma and an osteosarcoma in the orbit. Despite a minimal amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage and early LD removal, severe postural headache and even a deteriorating consciousness level were observed in the early postoperative course. Neuroimages demonstrated epidural fluid collections, severe midline shift, and tonsillar sag compatible with IH. Epidural blood patch (EBP) immediately and completely reversed the clinical and radiologic findings in both patients. IH should be included in the differential diagnosis of postural headache after LD-assisted SBS that can be managed successfully with EBP. Persistent leakage of CSF at the LD-inserted site leads to IH. Broad dural dissection and wide removal of bony structure may be involved in the midline shift. EBP should be performed soon after conservative management fails. Further reports will determine the risk factors for IH development following LD-assisted SBS.

Pressure pulsation is caused by the flow ripples from a positive displacement hydraulic pump. It transmits throughout fluid power equipment and causes unwanted excitation of the mechanical parts. In many practical applications, a Helmholtz type hydraulic silencer may be used to attenuate such pulsation. It is the preferred solution on account of its simple structure and high attenuation performance. However the distinctive drawback of this silencer is that it is effective only within a narrow range of the attenuating frequency. Therefore, the silencer is only suitable for use in the hydraulic systems running at constant pump rotational speeds. The purpose of this research is to develop a novel silencer for hydraulic systems that have a fixed displacement pump driven under variable speed. Firstly, a mechanism for adjusting the resonant frequency has been pro-posed. This works by changing the volume of the silencer. Secondly, a prototype of the novel silencer was designed using a new distributed parameter system model, in which the vessel volume was modelled as an annular fluid line. Finally, the at-tenuation characteristics of the prototype silencer were verified by measuring the transmission loss and insertion loss under various conditions, and comparing them with the calculated results.