Search

Ulcerative colitis is caused by various external factors and is an inflammatory disease that causes decreased intestinal function. Tenebrio molitor larvae contain more than 30 % fat, and the fat component consists of 45 % oleic acid, 20 % linoleic acid and 20 % polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this study, after administering Tenebrio molitor larva oil (TMLO) in a dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model, the pathological findings and inflammatory markers of colitis were analysed to assess whether a colitis mitigation effect was achieved. In the TMLO-administered group, the colon length increased, the spleen weight decreased, and the body weight increased compared with that in the DSS group. In addition, the disease activity index level decreased, the mRNA expression level of inflammatory cytokines in the colon decreased, and the myeloperoxidase activity level significantly decreased. Also, the activity of the NF-κB pathway involved in the regulation of the inflammatory response was lower in the TMLO group than in the DSS group. Taken together, these results suggest that TMLO suppresses occurrence of acute ulcerative colitis in the DSS mouse model. Therefore, TMLO has the potential to be developed as a health food for the prevention and treatment of ulcerative colitis.

IntroductionThe purpose was to quantify physical performance in men and women during British Army Junior Entry (Army-JE), British Army Standard Entry (Army-SE) and Royal Air Force (RAF) basic training (BT).DesignProspective longitudinal study.Methods381 participants ((339 men and 42 women) n=141 Army-JE, n=132 Army-SE, n=108 RAF) completed a 2 km run, medicine ball throw (MBT) and isometric mid-thigh pull (MTP), pre-BT and post-BT. To examine changes in pre-BT to post-BT physical test performance, for each course, paired Student t-test and Wilcoxon test were applied to normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively, with effect sizes reported as Cohen’s D and with rank biserial correlations, respectively. A one-way between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) (or Welch ANOVA for non-normally distributed data) compared performance between quartiles based on test performance pre-BT. Where the main tests statistic, p value and effect sizes identified likely effect of quartile, post hoc comparisons were made using Games-Howell tests with Tukey’s p value. Data are presented as mean±SD, with statistical significance set at pResultsDuring BT, 2 km run time improved by 13±46 s (−2.1%±8.1%), 30±64 s (−4.8%±12.3%) and 24±27 s (−4.5%±5.1%) for Army-JE, Army-SE and RAF, respectively (all pConclusionsChanges in physical performance were observed for the three fitness tests following the different BT courses, and recruits with the lowest strength and aerobic fitness experienced greatest improvements.

We introduce a novel transformation-induced plasticity mechanism, i.e., a martensitic transformation from fcc phase to bcc phase, in medium-entropy alloys (MEAs). A VCrFeCoNi MEA system is designed by thermodynamic calculations in consideration of phase stability between bcc and fcc phases. The resultantly formed bcc martensite favorably contributes to the transformation-induced plasticity, thereby leading to a significant enhancement in both strength and ductility as well as strain hardening. We reveal the microstructural evolutions according to the Co-Ni balance and their contributions to a mechanical response. The Co-Ni balance plays a leading role in phase stability and consequently tunes the cryogenic-temperature strength-ductility balance. The main difference from recently-reported metastable high-entropy dual-phase alloys is the formation of bcc martensite as a daughter phase, which shows significant effects on strain hardening. The hcp phase in the present MEA mostly acts as a nucleation site for the bcc martensite. Our findings demonstrate that the fcc to bcc transformation can be an attractive route to a new MEA design strategy for improving cryogenic strength-ductility.

International audience; There is a growing need for evaluation tools allowing the quantification of the outcome after voice surgeries. Since the end of the 1990s, multiple unfruitful attempts have been made to reach a consensus, including the Dejonckere protocol for the European Laryngological Society in 2001. This suggested to perform objective and quantifiable measures in the following domains: perception, acoustic, aerodynamic, self-evaluation by the patient and videolaryngostroboscopy. But in a PubMed® search with the keywords “Voice Assessment” and “Voice Outcome” since 2001 retrieving 452 articles, only 33 of them were using methods taking into account the first four dimensions proposed by Dejonckere. To elaborate a new and simpler protocol, we chose to focus on unilateral vocal fold paralyses (UVFP), which represents a homogeneous disease in terms of physiology. This protocol was elaborated on the basis of a review of the literature and of the database and experience of the IFOS panel members. In summary, our group recommends the use and implementation of the ELS “basic protocol” with some minor modifications. Voice audio recordings are an indispensable prerequisite, and may even have medico-legal implications. We recommend the systematic use of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Perceptual analysis must be performed by using Hirano's GRB scale and voice breathiness has to be prioritized. Currently, acoustic analysis remains optional given the lack of data to support clinical usefulness. Aerodynamic studies should include at a minimum an evaluation of the Maximum Phonation Time, calculated in seconds following multiple trials in order to obtain a recording representing the patient's best possible glottis closure.

Aim To investigate the computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with stage IE/IIE extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) arising in the nasal cavity and to evaluate whether imaging findings revealed by CT have prognostic value. Materials and methods The CT findings of 62 patients diagnosed with IE/IIE ENKTL arising in the nasal cavity were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging findings were investigated, and evaluated imaging findings were analysed for the prognostic value of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results Of the 62 patients, 21 (34%) presented with a superficial infiltrative, 38 (61%) with a mass forming, and three (5%) with a combined pattern. Of all imaging findings, local invasiveness (n = 26, 42%), including bony destruction, erosion, or soft-tissue involvement, was the only independent prognostic factor for OS [p = 0.008; hazard ratio (HR): 3.85; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.42–10.44] and DFS (p = 0.001; HR: 4.25; 95% CI: 1.72–10.47). In a subgroup analysis of 36 cases with no local invasiveness, a superficial infiltrative pattern in one nasal cavity was a positive prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.028) and DFS (p = 0.008). Conclusion Imaging findings at CT provided clinically useful predictions for treatment outcomes. Local invasiveness revealed by CT findings was a strong prognostic factor for poor OS and DFS. In addition, in patients with no local invasiveness, a superficial infiltrative pattern in one nasal cavity predicted favourable OS and DFS.

RATIONALE Desorption-and-ionization induced by neutral cluster impact is a soft and matrix-free method, which leads to the formation of free ions of oligopeptides and smaller proteins without fragmentation. As a prerequisite for its successful application in bioanalytics, especially with respect to sensitivity, the ionization efficiency, i.e., the ion-to-neutral ratio of the desorbing molecules, was determined. METHODS Neutral SO2 clusters of 103 to 104 molecules in size were seeded in a pulsed He beam and used to desorb and ionize oligopeptides by means of cluster surface impact. The samples were prepared by drop casting a well-defined amount of substance on the substrate surface; the desorbing ions were identified by means of time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the ion current leaving the surface was determined for positive ions, which predominate in the investigated oligopeptides. RESULTS For angiotensin II, bradykinin (1-7), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (34-39), the number of ions desorbed from the respective samples was compared with the amount of substance applied on the substrate. Assuming that all biomolecules were desorbed during the experiment, the ion-to-neutral ratio or ionization efficiency η was determined. For the tested molecules, values of η between 0.5% and 3% were observed; the substrate material and the total amount of substance applied were shown to have a minor effect on the results. CONCLUSIONS The ion-to-neutral ratio in desorption/ionization of oligopeptides induced by neutral cluster impact was determined to be of the order of 10−3 to 10−2. The soft and matrix-free nature of the method in combination with this value of η might be interesting for applications in bioanalytics. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Although pathologically activated ABL1 fusion kinases represent well-validated therapeutic targets, tumor genomic sequencing has identified numerous point mutations in the ABL1 proto-oncogene of unclear significance. Here we describe ten novel ABL1 1b point mutations, including two from clinical isolates, that cause constitutive kinase activation and cellular transformation. All mutants retained sensitivity to ATP-competitive tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Several substitutions cluster near the myristoyl-binding pocket, the target of ABL001, a novel clinically active allosteric kinase inhibitor that mimics the autoinhibitory myristoyl group, and likely activate the kinase by relieving physiologic autoinhibition. In addition, several mutations activate the kinase and confer resistance to allosteric inhibition despite a lack of proximity to this region. We demonstrate that BCR-ABL1 and ABL1 1b point mutations can co-exist in a proportion of clinical cases as a consequence of the chromosome 9 breakpoint location. Collectively, our findings support clinical investigation of ATP-competitive TKIs in malignancies harboring ABL1 point mutations, and sequencing of BCR-ABL1 and ABL1 1b in patients with acquired resistance to allosteric ABL1 inhibitors.

Seasonality in hydrology is closely related to regional water management and planning. There is a strong consensus that global warming will likely increase streamflow seasonality in snow-dominated regions due to decreasing snowfall and earlier snowmelt, resulting in wetter winters and drier summers. However, impacts to seasonality remain unclear in rain-dominated regions with extreme seasonality in streamflow, including South Korea. This study investigated potential changes in seasonal streamflow due to climate change and associated uncertainties based on multi-model projections. Seasonal flow changes were projected using the combination of 13 atmosphere–ocean general circulation model simulations and three semi-distributed hydrologic models under three different future greenhouse gas emission scenarios for two future periods (2020s and 2080s). Our results show that streamflow seasonality is likely to be aggravated due to increases in wet season flow (July through September) and decreases in dry season flow (October through March). In South Korea, dry season flow supports water supply and ecosystem services, and wet season flow is related to flood risk. Therefore, these potential changes in streamflow seasonality could bring water management challenges to the Korean water resources system, especially decreases in water availability and increases in flood risk. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gastrointestinal glutathione peroxidase (GI-GPx) is an antioxidant enzyme that has been known to be restricted to the gastrointestinal tract in rodents. In an effort to determine the expression pattern of GI-GPx mRNA during organogenesis, quantitative real-time PCR and in situ hybridization for GI-GPx mRNA were conducted in whole embryos or each developing organ of mice. GI-GPx mRNA was expressed more abundantly in the extraembryonic tissues, including placenta than in embryos on embryonic days (EDs) 7.5-18.5 (P < 0.05). When compared with the expression levels of cytosolic GPx (cGPx) mRNA, GI-GPx mRNA levels were low in the embryos, but relatively high in the extraembryonic tissues (P < 0.05). According to the results of whole mount in situ hybridizations, GI-GPx mRNA was principally expressed in the ectoplacental cone, neural tube and fold, and primitive heart at EDs 7.5-8.5. At EDs 9.5-12.5, GI-GPx mRNA was abundantly expressed in nervous tissues such as the telencephalon, mesencephalon and dorsal neural tube and was also detected in the forelimb and hindlimb at EDs 10.5-12.5. In the sectioned embryos after ED 13.5, GI-GPx mRNA levels were high in the cerebral cortex, metanephric corpuscle, pancreatic ducts, surface epithelia of the skin, inner ear, and nasal conchae, gastrointestinal tract, liver, urinary bladder, airway passages of lung, and whisker follicles. These findings indicate that GI-GPx is not only spatiotemporally expressed in a variety of embryonic organs during organogenesis but also may perform a mutual compensatory role with the cGPx in the protection of embryos and extraembryonic tissues against the reactive oxygen species generated in ontogenetic periods.

Histologic changes were observed in shell, hepatopancreas, gut and gill tissues of crawfish Procambarus clarkii maintained in aquaria containing various levels of dissolved calcium (16, 86, 192 and 300 ppm), temperature (15, 21 and 27°C) and ammonia (

Water, which is treated in an dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) apparatus at atmospheric pressure, has some characteristics similar to ozone water. Since a ceramic electrode is used as the upper electrode and the water electrode is used as the lower electrode in the DBD system, the plasma discharge is directly in contact with the water surface. The air layer located between the two electrodes is subject to a high voltage discharge and various gases, such as ozone, oxides of nitrogen, etc, are produced by the discharge. These discharge produced gases react physically and chemically with the water electrode and change the characteristics of the water. This DBD treated water has strong sterilizing and oxidizing ability. The oxidizing ability, which is measured by the iodometry method, is about 60∼80 mg/l and pH value is about 2.8∼3, i.e., the DBD treated water is subacid. In addition, this treated water can be used to process fruits, vegetables, and flowers so as to allow them to be stored fresh for a long time. In addition the DBD process can effectively eliminate minerals like Fe and Mn in water.

In the analysis of non-linear porous solids, it is commonplace to employ a spherical unit cell owing to the simplicity it affords. The macroscopic constitutive response of the material is then predicted based upon either uniform traction or linear displacement/velocity boundary conditions applied to the outer surface of the cell. In this investigation, we carry out a careful computational analysis of the effect of these two types of boundary conditions on the macroscopic response of the (idealized) porous solid and in particular, we explore the sensitivity of the predicted response to the macroscopic stress, void volume fraction and material non-linearity. The numerical results are then used as a basis for establishing an approximate constitutive model that is expressed in a compact, explicit form. The study is carried out in the context of an incompressible, isotropic power-law viscous matrix material, and the computational analysis is focused on axisymmetric deformation of the unit cell. While the macroscopic strain-rate potential is found to exhibit a dependence on the third invariant of the macroscopic stress deviator, this dependence is slight (particularly for the linear displacement/velocity boundary condition) and, toward developing an approximate strain-rate potential applicable to general macroscopic stress states, a simple averaging scheme is employed to suppress the role of this quantity. Guided by the numerical results as well as by various previously proposed constitutive relations, an approximate generalized elliptic form for the macroscopic strain-rate potential is then proposed. The constitutive potential which is ultimately developed involves a fairly simple dependence upon the void volume fraction and the properties of the matrix material, yet it gives rise to predictions that agree well with the detailed unit cell calculations over the full range of properties and macroscopic stress states considered.

Composites made of thin layers can be found in many engineering applications. One of the most crucial issues for the design of such applications is the heat convection required to ensure the safety of the device subjected to the most severe temperature under operation. The finite element method, although popular for engineering analysis, is not generally an ideal numerical tool for analysis of ultra-thin media. As an effective alternative, the boundary element method may be applied for the analysis. This article deals with the heat convection of thin anisotropic layers by the boundary element method. At the end, some benchmark examples are investigated as illustrations of the veracity and applicability of the scheme.

A chemical wet etching technique is presented to form a nano-roughened surface with triangle-like morphology on n-side-up AlGaInP-based LEDs fabricated by adopting adhesive layer bonding scheme. A simple and commonly used H3PO4-based solution was applied for chemical wet etching. The morphology of nano-roughened surfaces is analyzed by the atomic force microscope (AFM) and significantly related to the enhancement factor of the LED output power. The output power shows 80% increase after optimizing the nano-roughened morphology of n-side surface, as compared to the ordinary flat surface LED.

Background: Asthma in the elderly (aged 65years old) is a significant concern with high morbidity, but the pathophysiology remains unclear particularly in late-onset asthma. Recent studies suggest staphylococcal enterotoxin IgE (SE-IgE) sensitization to be a risk factor for asthma in general populations; however, the associations have not been examined in late-onset elderly asthma. Objective: We aimed to examine the associations of SE-IgE sensitization with late-onset asthma in the elderly, using a database of elderly asthma cohort study. Methods: A total of 249 elderly patients with asthma and 98 controls were analysed. At baseline, patients were assessed for demographics, atopy, induced sputum profiles and comorbidities including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Serum total IgE and SE-IgE levels were measured. Asthma severity was assessed on the basis of asthma outcomes during a 12-month follow-up period. Results: At baseline, serum SE-IgE concentrations were significantly higher in patients with asthma than in controls [median 0.16 (interquartile range 0.04-0.53) vs. 0.10 (0.01-0.19), P

An n-side-up AlGaInP-based LED operating at a wavelength of 630 nm with a stripe-patterned omni-directional reflector (ODR) was fabricated by adopting the adhesive-layer bonding scheme. It is demonstrated that the periodic and geometrical shape of the stripe-patterned array improves the light extraction efficiency by increasing the extraction of guided light. Compared to the conventional ODR LED, the stripe-patterned ODR LED significantly enhanced the output power and with only a slightly higher forward voltage. This improvement was analysed by the scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) and the optimized dimension of stripe patterns was also calculated on the basis of a Monte Carlo ray tracing simulation. According to the above analysis, the increase of light extraction could not only be attributed to the geometrical shape of the stripe patterns that redirect the trapped light towards the top-escaping cone of the LED surface but also to the repetitive stripe-patterned array of diffracting elements that effectively diffract the guided light outside the LED surface. Moreover, the optimized dimension of the stripe pattern is 3 µ mw ide, 2µm deep and spaced 3 µm apart, which coincides with experimental results. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)

InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells near ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated on a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) with parallel stripe along the 〈 1 1 ¯ 0 0 〉 sapphire direction by using low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The forward- and reverse-bias electrical characteristics of the stripe PSS LEDs are, respectively, similar and better than those of conventional LEDs on sapphire substrate. The output power of the epoxy package of stripe PSS LED was 20% higher than that of the conventional LEDs. The enhancement of output power is due not only to the reduction of dislocation density but also to the release of the guided light in LEDs by the geometric shape of the stripe PSS, according to the ray-tracing analysis.

HANBIT is a magnetic mirror confinement device. Recent physics experiments have been mainly focused on identifying discharge characteristics and on getting stable plasma production and operation modes, by using a 500 kW slot antenna system at a fixed RF frequency of 3.5 MHz and varying discharge conditions such as fueling rate, RF power, and B-field intensity in central cell. Two distinct operation modes are found to be very sensitive to the RF power as well as the ratio of the RF frequency to the ion cyclotron frequency. A MHD interchange mode of m = -1 is clearly observed and the stabilizing mechanism can be explained by the sideband coupling theory.

Photodecomposition of NO on the well-dispersed Pt/TiO2 catalyst under UV irradiation was studied by in situ DRIFT (Diffuse-Reflectance Infrared Fourier-Transform) spectroscopy. 2 wt% Pt/TiO2 catalyst was prepared by photochemical deposition method. The photocatalytic activity of Pt/TiO2 is highly dependent on its pretreatment. Although the catalyst exhibited a highly adsorption capability to NO after hydrogen reduction or thermal evacuation at 500°C, no evidence upon NO decomposition was observed under UV irradiation. While reducing the catalyst at 300°C in the hydrogen flow, it not only exhibited an intense NO adsorption but also conducted a direct decomposition of NO to N2 and O2 under UV irradiation. The hydrogen reduction at 200°C led to a weaker NO adsorption. During UV irradiation, the IR peaks of NO fully disappeared and N2O was formed. It is concluded that the photochemical prepared Pt/TiO2 catalyst after activating at mild reduction conditions is highly active for NO photodecomposition. The effective oxidation states of the active components, the surface structure and the reaction mechanisms will be discussed.

Summary Background Although asthma is a common cause of morbidity in adults, relatively few objectively measured population studies of asthma prevalence in adult populations have been conducted. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of asthma, based on both a questionnaire and methacholine bronchial provocation test, and to determine the risk factors of asthma prevalence in an adult population. Methods A total of 2467 adults, who were randomly selected from metropolitan urban, non-metropolitan urban and rural areas, responded to the modified ISAAC questionnaire, and underwent methacholine bronchial provocation tests and skin prick tests to locally common aeroallergens. Results The prevalence of current asthma based on the questionnaire and the methacholine challenge was 2.0% in adults younger than 40, 3.8% in 40- to 54-year-olds, 7.7% in 55- to 64-year-olds and 12.7% in those aged 65 or higher. For subjects of 55–64 years, active smoking was found to be significantly related with the prevalence of current asthma and bronchial hyper-responsiveness, although smoking was positively associated with percentage predictive value of forced expiratory volume of 1 s (FEV1). Conclusion The prevalence of current asthma is common among the elderly, and active smoking may play an important role in the development of asthma and bronchial hyper-responsiveness among the elderly.

The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) had started the 10 GeV PAL-XFEL project from 2011. The PAL-XFEL needs a highly stable electron beam. The very stable beam voltage of a klystron- modulator is essential to provide the stable acceleration field for an electron beam. Thus, the modulator system for the XFEL requires less than 50 ppm PFN voltage stability. To get this high stability on the modulator system, the inverter type HVPS is a pivot component. And the modulator needs lower noise and smart. We discuss the measurement of the stability and the test results of the pulse modulator system.

In this paper, intermediate modeling of polycrystalline plasticity is proposed for rigid viscoplatic large deformations. This approach is based on the use of a bicrystal as the elementary local element representing the polycrystal. The local homogenization is obtained by considering the bicrystal volume-averaging and the jump conditions at the assumed planar interface between the two crystals. Two interaction laws based on Taylor and Sachs type assumptions are proposed. These bicrystal-based averaging schemes are different from the classical Taylor and Sachs models since they allow for stresses and strains to vary from one single crystal to the other. We simulate uniaxial tension and compression as well as plane strain compression tests. Results in terms of stress-strain curves are shown in comparison to those of the pure Taylor and Sachs models. We also show results for texture evolution and discuss their comparison with the experimental measurements.

The first phase of the HANBIT project that started in 1996, is ending this year. The goal of the first phase is to establish a decent experimental facility based on the HANBIT mirror device and to ...

Background A recent investigation has suggested that citrus red mite (Panonychus citri, CRM) is a common sensitizing allergen among children living around citrus farms. Objective A cross-sectional survey was performed to evaluate the bronchial responsiveness to methacholine in CRM-sensitive children without asthmatic symptoms. Subjects and methods A total of 375 children living around citrus farms were enrolled in this study. There were 201 boys and 174 girls with a mean age of 12.5 (range 7–16) years. Each subject was evaluated by a questionnaire, a skin prick test with 13 common inhalant allergens including CRM, and a methacholine bronchial provocation test (MBPT). Results Positive rate of MBPT (PC20-methacholine

Further results of a new set-up for storing ions generated in an external ion source and trapped in a quadrupole ion trap in combination with a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ReTOF) are presented. As a result of this set-up, jet-cooled molecules are introduced as neutrals into the external ion source and ionized by multiphoton absorption processes. A selected mass range of the generated ions can be accelerated into the ion trap to be stored without any buffer gas. The ions are not dispersed for a time duration of several milliseconds in the ion trap, but remain coherent in space and kinetic energy and move in narrow ion clouds describing Lissajous trajectories. The advantage of the external ion source and its influences on the parameters of both the external ion source and the ion trap will be discussed with respect to the signals obtained and compared with SIMION calculations.

The evolution of an isolated elliptical–cylindrical void contained in a power-law viscous matrix is investigated. For linearly viscous solids, the void evolves through a sequence of (rotating) ellipses, and Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method is applied to exactly determine the history of shape, orientation and volume of the void as a function of time or remote strain. For non-linearly viscous matrix materials, the void evolution is idealized as proceeding through a sequence of elliptical shapes, and a numerical procedure developed by Lee and Mear (Lee, B.J., Mear, M.E., 1992. Mechanics of Materials 13, 337) is utilized to simulate finite deformations of the void. Detailed studies are presented first for the growth and collapse of initially circular voids, after which the role of initial void shape is investigated by considering the evolution of initially elliptical voids. Results are also presented for the evolution of the void volume fraction for solids containing a dilute concentration of randomly oriented elliptical voids. The findings of the study have relevance to modeling ductile fracture as well as to modeling the final stages of the densification of powder metal compacts.

An n-side-up AlGaInP-based light-emitting diode (LED) with a stripe-patterned omni-directional reflector (ODR) was fabricated by adopting the adhesive-layer bonding scheme. Comparing to the conventional ODR LED, the stripe-patterned ODR LED significantly enhanced the output power with an only slight higher forward voltage. This improvement was analyzed by the scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) and could be attributable to the geometrical shape of stripe patterns that redirects the guided light towards to the escaping cone of the LED surface. The optimized dimension of stripe patterns was also calculated by simply modeling a LED dice with a stripe-patterned ODR structure, according to optical ray-tracing method.

Since TCR-mediated stimulation induces T cells to become sensitive to Fas-mediated activation-induced cell death (Fas-AICD), we examined whether anergized and CD28-costimulated T cell clones were equally sensitive to Fas-AICD. Here, we show that TCR signal in the presence or absence of CD28 costimulation induced equivalent expression of Fas and Fas ligand. Although anergized cells expressed Fas and Fas ligand, they were resistant to Fas-AICD. Induction of anergy resulted in up-regulation and persistent expression of moderate amounts of bcl-xL and bax and absence of induction of bad. In contrast, CD28-costimulated cells that also expressed Fas and Fas ligand were initially resistant to Fas-AICD but became susceptible after 72 h of culture. Although Fas-mediated apoptosis was the major mechanism of AICD, the IL-1beta-converting enzyme-like protease inhibitor zVAD-FMK totally abrogated DNA fragmentation but not cell death, suggesting that additional Fas-independent apoptotic mechanisms were also operative. Resistance to apoptotic cell death was temporally associated with a dramatic increase of bcl-xL and the presence of bcl-xL:bax heterodimers. Subsequent sensitivity to AICD was associated with down-regulation of bcl-xL, induction of bad, and the displacement of bax from bcl-xL:bax heterodimers. Although induced following CD28 costimulation, bcl-2 did not protect against AICD. Therefore, besides its role in promotion of viability, prevention of anergy, and clonal expansion, CD28 costimulation also has a central role in the induction of subsequent AICD by up-regulating apoptotic mediators.

Summary This study was performed to examine whether capsaicin, the main pungent ingredient of red peppers, exerts protective effects against testicular injuries induced by transient scrotal hyperthermia. Capsaicin (0.33 mg kg−1) was administered subcutaneously to mice one hour before heat stress (HS) in a 43°C water bath for 20 min. After 7 days, mice exposed to HS showed low testicular weight, severe vacuolisation of seminiferous tubules followed by loss of spermatogenic cells, and appearance of multinucleated giant cells and remarkable TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells, as well as weak immunoreactivity of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) in spermatogenic cells. Levels of lipid peroxidation and heat shock 70-kDa protein 1 (Hsp72) and BCL2-associated X protein (Bax) mRNA were greatly increased, but PHGPx, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) mRNAs were significantly diminished in the testes by HS. However, capsaicin pre-treatment significantly suppressed the spermatogenic cell death, oxidative stress (levels of MDA, PHGPx immunoreactivity, and Hsp72, PHGPx, and MnSOD mRNA) and apoptosis (levels of TUNEL-positive cells, and Bcl-xL and Bax mRNA) in testes by HS. These suggest that capsaicin has a protective effect against spermatogenic cell death induced by scrotal hyperthermia through its antioxidative and anti-apoptotic activities.

Allergic rhinitis is now considered an inflammatory disorder where many leukocyte types, including eosinophils and T-lymphocytes, accumulate in increased numbers. Along with mast cells and other cells, they release a wide variety of mediators, cytokines, and granule constituents that can directly cause inflammation or activate the local vascular endothelium to further enhance the recruitment of leukocytes through the expression and function of adhesion molecules. While the understanding of the importance of leukocyte and endothelial adhesion molecules is still at a very early stage, recent evidence has already begun to implicate these cell surface molecules in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases such as rhinitis and asthma. Additional studies, including the use of adhesion molecule antagonists when available, will clarify the importance of these structures in the pathophysiology of these disorders.

Two types of neutral beam sources have been developed in order to measure plasma parameters on the Hanbit mirror device. The first source is a diagnostic neutral beam (DNB) which consists of a hydr...

Desorption-and-ionization induced by neutral cluster impact is a soft and matrix-free method, which leads to the formation of free ions of oligopeptides and smaller proteins without fragmentation. As a prerequisite for its successful application in bioanalytics, especially with respect to sensitivity, the ionization efficiency, i.e., the ion-to-neutral ratio of the desorbing molecules, was determined.Neutral SO2 clusters of 10(3) to 10(4) molecules in size were seeded in a pulsed He beam and used to desorb and ionize oligopeptides by means of cluster surface impact. The samples were prepared by drop casting a well-defined amount of substance on the substrate surface; the desorbing ions were identified by means of time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the ion current leaving the surface was determined for positive ions, which predominate in the investigated oligopeptides.For angiotensin II, bradykinin (1-7), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (34-39), the number of ions desorbed from the respective samples was compared with the amount of substance applied on the substrate. Assuming that all biomolecules were desorbed during the experiment, the ion-to-neutral ratio or ionization efficiency η was determined. For the tested molecules, values of η between 0.5% and 3% were observed; the substrate material and the total amount of substance applied were shown to have a minor effect on the results.The ion-to-neutral ratio in desorption/ionization of oligopeptides induced by neutral cluster impact was determined to be of the order of 10(-3) to 10(-2). The soft and matrix-free nature of the method in combination with this value of η might be interesting for applications in bioanalytics.

Spark gaps are widely used switches for the development of high power pulser systems because of their simplicity and fast switching capability. We have already developed a pulser system using a single microplasma-assisted spark gap to generate short electrical pulses at the load with a repetition rate of 1 MHz. The single spark gap pulser system undergoes a few drawbacks such as low breakdown voltage and charging efficiency etc. The breakthrough of this problem is achieved by a parallel operation of two similar spark gaps in the pulser system by reducing the repetition rate, thereby increasing the voltage recovery of each spark gap. The operation of the pulser system with optimized charging circuit and spark gap parameters exhibited improved breakdown voltage and charging efficiency. Finally, the pulser system is extended for the parallel operation of four spark gaps system.

From 2011, the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) had started the 10 GeV PAL-XFEL project. The PAL-XFEL needs a highly stable electron beam. The very stable beam voltage of a klystron- modulator is essential to provide the stable acceleration field for an electron beam[1]. Thus, the modulator system for the XFEL requires less than 50 ppm PFN voltage stability. To get this high stability on the modulator system, the inverter type HVPS is a pivot component. The requested specification of the inverter power supply is being developed the 50 kV, 5 kJ/sec 1 sets and 30 kJ/sec 4 sets at the PAL. In this paper, we will discuss the development and the test results of the inverter power supply for pulse modulator system for obtaining machine stability.

Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1), a member of the Nkx family of transcription factors required for basal forebrain morphogenesis, functions in the postnatal hypothalamus as a transcriptional regulator of genes encoding neuromodulators and hypophysiotrophic peptides. One of these peptides is gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). In the present study, we show that Ttf1 mRNA abundance varies in a diurnal and melatonin-dependent fashion in the preoptic area of the rat, with maximal Ttf1 expression attained during the dark phase of the light/dark cycle, preceding the nocturnal peak in GnRH mRNA content. GnRH promoter activity oscillates in a circadian manner in GT1-7 cells, and this pattern is enhanced by TTF1 and blunted by small interfering RNA-mediated Ttf1 gene silencing. TTF1 transactivates GnRH transcription by binding to two sites in the GnRH promoter. Rat GnRH neurones in situ contain key proteins components of the positive (BMAL1, CLOCK) and negative (PER1) limbs of the circadian oscillator, and these proteins repress Ttf1 promoter activity in vitro. By contrast, Ttf1 transcription is activated by CRY1, a clock component required for circadian rhythmicity. In turn, TTF1 represses transcription of Rev-erbα, a heme receptor that controls circadian transcription within the positive limb of the circadian oscillator. These findings suggest that TTF1 is a component of the molecular machinery controlling circadian oscillations in GnRH gene transcription.