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Several studies are conducted to explain the various effects of film thickness on the structural, as well as the magnetic properties of the single crystalline Ba([Fe.sub.0.2][Zr.sub.0.8])[O.sub.3]-[delta] thin films on (001)SrTi[O.sub.3] substrates. A decrease in the number of Fe ions is shown to lead to a significant decrease in the magnetization of the films.

Ba([Fe.sub.0.2][Zr.sub.0.8])[O.sub.3-[delta]] (BFZO) films are prepared on Si(001) substrates by using SrTi[O.sub.3] (STO) buffer layers by using pulsed laser-beam deposition method. The results of the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis using soft x-ray radiation have shown that the relative amount of the [Fe.sup.4+] ions is increased for the STO-buffered BFZO films rather than for the BFZO films directly deposited on Si substrates.

The epitaxially grown Ba(Fe0.2Zr0.8)O3-δ (BFZO) films with various thicknesses ranging from 30 to 170 nm were successfully synthesized on (001)SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by a pulsed laser-beam deposition method. The results of x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that all the films exhibited the epitaxial relationship of (100)BFZO‖ (100)STO and [100]BFZO‖ [100]STO. In addition, 0.7% expansion of the a-axis lattice constant in the films with over 100 nm thickness was measured. Although all the BFZO films showed ferromagnetic and dielectric natures even at room temperature, the magnetization values were found to be significantly dependent upon the film thickness. The magnetization values of the films with a thickness over 100 nm films were fairly decreased rather than those of the smaller thickness films. In accordance with the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement, the decrease in the magnetization was mainly ascribed to the decreased number of the tetravalent Fe ions, which was caused by the relaxation of the misfit strain between the film and substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba(Fe0.2Zr0.8)O3-δ (BFZO) films were synthesized on Si(001) substrates using SrTiO3 (STO) buffer layers by pulsed laser-beam deposition method. The results of the x-ray diffraction revealed that the STO buffer layers and the BFZO films had polycrystalline nature. The STO-buffered BFZO films showed ferromagnetic hysteresis loops at room temperature, and their saturation magnetization was 3.3 times as large as that of the BFZO films directly deposited on Si(001) substrates. The STO-buffered BFZO films partially grew epitaxially on the STO buffer layers with orientation relationships. The results of the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis using soft x-ray radiation indicated that the relative amount of the Fe4+ ions fairly increased for the STO-buffered BFZO films rather than for the BFZO films directly deposited on Si substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-1 ,4-Mannobiose (MNB) supplementation has been shown to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis infection in broilers by improving Salmonella Enteritidis clearance and increasing IgA production. This study examined in detail the gut immunomodulatory activity of MNB using microarray and real-time quantitative PCR analysis. One-day-old chicks were orally administered 0.1% (wt/wt) MNB 3 times a week for 28 d. Control birds received vehicle alone. Body weights and fecal IgA levels were monitored weekly. On d 28, spleen and bursa of Fabricius were removed and weights were recorded; samples of ileum, jejunum, cecum, spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius were collected for histological examination; and ileum samples were collected for RNA extraction. No significant difference in BW or organ weights was observed between MNB-treated and untreated control birds, and no histological abnormalities were observed in any of the tissues examined. The MNB-treated chickens had significantly higher levels of fecal IgA over all 4 wk when compared with control birds. Microarray and reverse transcription PCR analy sis revealed the upregulation of several genes involved in immune responses, including those involved in antigen I recognition, processing and presentation (MHC class I and II), interferon-related genes, and genes involved in host defense. These results provide insight into the mechanism of action of dietary MNB in the intestine and confirm that MNB acts as a potent immune-modulating agent, exerting combined effects on the intestinal immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurotrophins play an important role in the control of the hair growth cycle. Therefore, neurotrophin receptor antagonists have therapeutic potential for the treatment of hair growth disorders. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Panax ginseng, a medicinal plant commonly used to treat alopecia, on the binding of neurotrophins to their receptors. In addition, we isolated and characterized the bioactive compounds of P. ginseng extracts. P. ginseng hexane extracts strongly inhibited brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-TrkB and β-nerve growth factor (β-NGF)-p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) binding. Furthermore, we identified the following 6 polyacetylene compounds as the bioactive components in P. ginseng hexane extract: panaxynol (1), panaxydol (2), panaxydol chlorohydrin (3), 1,8-heptadecadiene-4,6-diyne-3,10-diol (4), panaxytriol (5), and dihydropanaxacol (6). In particular, compounds 4, 5, and 6 significantly inhibited BDNF-TrkB binding in a dose-dependent manner. To identify the structural component mediating the inhibitory effect, we investigated the effects of the hydroxyl moiety in these compounds. We found that the inhibitory effect of panaxytriol (5) was strong, whereas the inhibitory effect of Ac-panaxytriol (7) was relatively weak. Our findings suggest that P. ginseng-derived polyacetylenes with a hydroxyl moiety might provide therapeutic benefits to patients with hair growth disorders such as alopecia by inhibiting the binding of neurotrophins to their receptors. Although saponins have been proposed to be the primary mediators of the effects of P. ginseng on hair growth, this study revealed that polyacetylene compounds exert similar effects.

Objective: The objective of this study was to define the validity, reliability, and assessment sensitivity of the Japanese version of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2 (SF-MPQ-2-J)., Design: This is a cross-sectional study., Patients and Methods: The original SF-MPQ-2 was translated into Japanese to create the SF-MPQ-2-J, and the cross-cultural equivalence of assessment tool for Japanese patients was validated. The reliability of the SF-MPQ-2-J was assessed using internal consistency, reliability coefficients (Cronbach's α), and reproducibility coefficients (intraclass correlation coefficient) obtained using 234 patients with chronic pain. SF-MPQ-2-J validity was assessed based on associations identified between total and subscale scores compared with other assessment methods. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also performed to test the theoretical structure of the SF-MPQ-2-J., Results: The internal consistencies calculated included continuous pain, α=0.893; intermittent pain, α=0.875; predominantly neuropathic pain, α=0.917; affective descriptors, α=0.857; and total score, α=0.907. The reproducibility coefficients calculated included continuous pain, ρ=0.81; intermittent pain, ρ=0.78; predominantly neuropathic pain, ρ=0.85; affective descriptors, ρ=0.75; and total score, ρ=0.83. The CFA showed that the model fit of the readily interpretable subscales was acceptable, and the goodness of fit index value was 0.917. In addition, the mean predominantly neuropathic pain subscale score was found to be significantly higher for patients with neuropathic pain vs non-neuropathic pain., Conclusion: These findings suggest that the reliability and validity of the SF-MPQ-2-J are excellent, and the SF-MPQ-2-J represents a cross-cultural equivalent to SF-MPQ-2. Consequently, the latter is suitable for research and clinical use, and for discriminating neuropathic pain from non-neuropathic pain., (Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

We evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of mannanase-hydrolyzed copra meal (MNB), including β-1,4-mannobiose (67.8%), in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced porcine model of intestinal inflammation. In the DSS-positive control (POS) and MNB treatment (MCM) groups, DSS was first administered to piglets via intragastric catheter for 5 days, followed by 5 days administration of saline or MCM. A negative control group (NEG) received a saline alternative to DSS and MNB. Inflammation was assessed by clinical signs, morphological and histological measurements, gut permeability and neutrophil infiltration. Local production of TNF-α and IL-6 were analyzed by ELISA, colonic and ileal inflammatory gene expressions were assessed by real time RT-PCR, and CD4+CD25+ cell populations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Crypt elongation and muscle thickness, D-mannitol gut permeation, colonic expression of the inflammatory mediators TNF-α and IL-6 and myeloperoxidase activity were significantly lower in the MCM group than in that of POS group. The mRNA levels of ileal IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α were significantly lower following MCM treatment than with POS treatment.MNB exerts anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, suggesting that MNB is a novel therapeutic that may provide relief to human and animals suffering from intestinal inflammation.

Background: Nutritional prebiotic supplementation represents an attractive approach for interventions of allergy. In this study, the potential therapeutic effect of β-1, 4 mannobiose (MNB) in a murine model of cedar pollinosis was investigated., Methods: Groups of Balb/c mice were intranasally sensitized to Japanese cedar pollen extract, and subsequently administered with low or high dose MNB. Both intraperitoneal and intranasal challenges were performed to monitor for clinical signs. Frequency of sneezing was recorded. Serum, spleen and Peyer's patches were collected for various biomarker analyses. Anti-allergic activity of MNB using RBL-2H3 cells was also evaluated., Results: Significant decrease in sneezing frequency, histamine, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17A and increase in TGF-β and IL-10 concentration were exhibited by the MNB-treated mice. However, Cry j1 and Cry j 2-specific IgE activity remained unaltered. The high dose MNB treatment increased total IgA activity and IL-10, TGF-β and FoxP3 and decreased IL-4, IL-17A, and RORγT mRNA expression. Inhibition of activation of RBL-2H3 cells was observed via decrease in histamine, intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and FcεRI mRNA expression., Conclusions: We demonstrated the immunomodulatory effects of MNB and conclude that MNB is a potential therapeutic molecular nutritional supplement candidate for treatment of pollen allergy.

Background: Dietary supplementation with unique prebiotic nondigestible carbohydrates has been shown to suppress allergy. In the present study, the prophylactic efficacy of a disaccharide β-1, 4 mannobiose (MNB) in a BALB/C mouse model of intranasally-induced pollen allergy was characterized., Methods: Balb/c mice were pretreated with MNB orally and sensitized with pollen extract intraperitoneally and intranasally and challenged with histamine and crude pollen extract. Outcomes were measured as clinical signs, antibody isotypes, cytokine gene and protein expression patterns., Results: The MNB-treated mice had lower sneezing frequency as compared to the positive control mice (P < 0.05). The low dose MNB-treated mice had less histamine (P < 0.05). However, the Cry j1 and Cry j 2-specific IgE, IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a antibody activity did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). The MNB-treated mice had increased IFN-γ (P < 0.05), and decreased IL-4 (P < 0.05). Mice in the high dose group had increased IL-10 (P < 0.05). However, TGF-β and IL-17 concentration did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). Both total and Cry j1 and Cry j 2-specific IgA were increased in the high dose group. Real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that IL-4 and IL-17 mRNA expression were lower in MNB-treated mice (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: This work provides insights into using MNB as a potential prebiotic immunomodulator via decreased clinical signs, improved type1/type 2 balance, and IgA production, thus validating the potential use of MNB as a prophylactic prebiotic candidate to attenuate allergic response.

β-1,4-Mannobiose (MNB) has been shown to exert prebiotic activity and modulate mucosal gene expression. In this study, the immune-modulating effect of MNB in healthy and endotoxemic mice and its role in Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/4-mediated macrophage activation were investigated. Mice were supplemented daily with MNB (0, 5, 10, or 25 mg/kg) for 14 d. To examine the effect of MNB during endotoxemia, mice were supplemented with or without MNB (25 mg/kg) for 14 d, followed by challenge with intraperitoneal LPS or saline. MNB induced expression of both T helper (Th) 1- and Th2-type cytokines in the ileum (P < 0.05) and increased fecal IgA production and splenic NK cell activity (P < 0.05) in healthy mice. In endotoxemic mice, MNB reduced the expression of Tnfa, Il-6, iNos (P < 0.05), and Il-10 (P < 0.05), and reduced LPS-induced weight loss but increased Ifng, Il-12p40, Il-5, and Ifna expression (P < 0.05) and NK cell activity relative to positive control (LPS) mice. Treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with MNB induced TNF-α and IL-6 secretion (P < 0.05), and this effect was abrogated by inhibiting TLR4, but not TLR2, signaling. Pretreatment of RAW 264.7 cells with MNB induced tolerance to TLR2 and TLR4 agonists, reducing TNF-α production (P < 0.05) upon secondary stimulation with LPS or lipoteichoic acid. These results indicate that MNB can modulate intestinal and systemic immune responses in healthy and endotoxemic mice and prevent LPS-induced immune suppression, as well as directly stimulating innate immune mechanisms in vitro as a TLR4 agonist.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has mitogenic, motogenic, and morphogenic activities in epithelial cells. Induction of HGF production may be involved in organ regeneration, wound healing and embryogenesis. In this study, we examined the effects of caffeic acid derivatives including 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (1) and acteoside (2) on HGF production in Neonatal Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts (NHDF). Both 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (1) and acteoside (2) significantly induced HGF production dose-dependent manner. To know the important substructure for HGF production activity, we next investigated the effect of the partial structure of these caffeic acid derivatives. From the results, caffeic acid (3) showed strong activity on the promotion of HGF production, while hydroxytyrosol (4) and quinic acid (5) didn't show any activity. Our findings suggest that the caffeoyl moiety of caffeic acid derivatives is essential for accelerated production of HGF. The compound which has the caffeoyl moiety may be useful for the treatment of some intractable organ disease.

The intestinal absorption of β-1,4-mannobiose by rats was investigated. Mannobiose was detected in the portal vein plasma by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry after its administration to rats. The presence of mannobiose in the rat plasma was confirmed by an experiment using β-mannosidase. These results indicate that mannobiose was directly absorbed through the intestines even without being hydrolyzed.

Salmonella spp. is one of the major causes of food-borne illness in humans, and Salmonella enteritidis (SE) infection in commercial poultry is a world-wide problem. Here we have investigated the in vitro immune-modulating effects of β 1-4 mannobiose (MNB), which was previously found to prevent SE infection in vivo in chickens, using chicken macrophage (MQ-MCSU) cells. Treatment of MQ-NCSU cells with MNB dose-dependently increased both phagocytic activity and Salmonella-killing activity of macrophages, with the highest reduction in SE viability observed at a concentration of 40 μg/ml at 48 h post-infection. Likewise, both hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and nitric oxide (NO) production were increased in a dose-dependent manner by MNB. Gene expression analysis of MNB-treated macrophages revealed significant increases in the expression of iNOS, NOX-1, IFN-γ, NRAMP1, and LITAF, genes critical for host defense and antimicrobial activity, when compared to untreated cells. This data confirms that MNB possesses potent innate immune-modulating activities and can up-regulate antibacterial defenses in chicken macrophages., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)