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Extracellular ATP is known to promote Th17 cell differentiation in the intestinal lamina propria by stimulating CD70+CD11clow dendritic cells (DCs) via P2X receptors (P2XRs). Recent studies have also shown that Th17 cells enhance antitumor immunity by directly promoting proliferation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). These finding led us to test a P2XR agonist, αβ-methylene ATP (αβ-ATP), as a mucosal vaccine adjuvant to promote CTL responses through Th17 induction. We demonstrated that (i) CD70+CD11clow DCs were present in the nasal lamina propria and expressed P2X1R, P2X2R and P2X4R; (ii) CD70+CD11clow DCs isolated from the nasal lamina propria enhanced Th17 cell differentiation of cocultured splenic CD4+ T cells upon stimulation with αβ-ATP; (iii) mice intranasally immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) and αβ-ATP had increased OVA-specific Th17 cells and CTLs in the nasal lamina propria and regional lymph nodes; (iv) mice intranasally immunized with OVA and αβ-ATP also had elevated resistance to E.G7-OVA tumor growth compared with those intranasally immunized with OVA alone; (v) suramin, a broad-range inhibitor of P2 receptors, suppressed the increases of OVA-specific Th17 cells and CTLs in mice intranasally immunized with OVA and αβ-ATP; and (vi) suramin also abrogated the enhanced antitumor immunity of mice intranasally immunized with OVA and αβ-ATP against E.G7-OVA. Collectively, αβ-ATP may be a promising mucosal adjuvant that promotes antigen-specific CTL responses via CD70+CD11clow DC-mediated Th17 induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, air pollution due to atmospheric particulate matter has been a serious problem, especially at roadsides in megacity areas. However, it is difficult to widely cover roadside areas with a limited number of air pollution monitoring stations. Therefore we focused on a biomonitoring technique by using leaves of roadside trees. We sampled leaves of ginkgo ( G. biloba) along major arteria roads in Osaka City, which is the third largest city in Japan. The particles retained on the surfaces of the sampled leaves were removed by ultrasonic cleaning in ethanol solution. The ethanol solution including particles was suctioned by an aspirator and particles were collected on a PTFE filter. Elements collected on the filter were quantified by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis. It was found that the mass of traffic-related elements on the surfaces of sampled leaves correlated with the traffic density of large vehicles and the distance from the end of roadside to the sampling point. The ratios of mass of road dust-related elements on sampled leaves were almost similar to those of the road dust profile data. These results suggest the biomonitoring technique is an effective method to assess roadside air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The spacing and thickness of tin (Sn) latticeworks, formed in oscillatory electrodeposition, were tuned through modulation of the oscillation by changing the applied current density (j ap) and the concentration of Sn(II) ions (C Sn) in the electrolyte. When the j ap was made higher or the C Sn was made lower, the time of transition from the negative-side to positive-side potential (t 1) of the oscillation became longer and the lattice spacing (d) of the latticework was enlarged. The modulation by the j ap change was especially interesting because it was simple and produced, e.g., a latticework with different spacings. The tuning of the latticework by the oscillation modulation was understood within the framework of our previously proposed model for the formation of latticeworks by oscillatory electrodeposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The coupling of spatiotemporal reaction waves was investigated by the use of current oscillations of an NDR type, appearing in H2O2 reduction on platinum (Pt) electrodes. For two Pt-ring working electrodes located side by side, the oscillatory coupling gave rise to various synchronized waves, such as spatially homogeneous waves (HW’s) in an in-phase mode, HW’s in an anti-phase mode, and a standing wave or a traveling wave synchronized with a HW, depending on the applied potential and the relative position of the reference electrode. The results are explained in terms of a combination of positive local coupling and negative global coupling effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]