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Background and Objective: Tomato seeds are edible seeds unconsciously ingested with the fruit. However, there are few reports regarding the constituents and biological activities of tomato seed extract (TSE). Recently, we found that saponins are major constituents of TSE including lycoperoside H. Previous reports have described that several plant-derived saponins improve skin diseases such as wounds and microangiopathy. Therefore, to discover the effect of TSE on the skin condition, we conducted a clinical trial of TSE (Tomato Seed Extract-P) standardized with lycoperoside H when orally ingested. Methods: The study was performed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. TSE (200 mg daily) containing 1 mg of lycoperoside H was used as the active sample. We enrolled 44 Japanese women who have concerns about facial elasticity and relatively low facial skin elasticity. All subjects were randomly allocated into either the active group (n = 22) or the placebo group (n = 22) using a computerized random-number generator. Capsules containing either the active sample or a placebo were administered for 8 weeks between October 12, 2020, and January 16, 2021. Facial elasticity, specifically the R7 value, was evaluated as the primary outcome. The remaining facial R parameters, upper arm R parameters, and other skin parameters including epidermal moisture, trans epidermal water loss, dermal parameters, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) parameters were measured at 0, 4, and 8 weeks of ingestion. Blood, urine, and body parameters were also evaluated for safety. Results: Forty-three subjects completed the trial, and the per protocol set comprised 21 subjects in the TSE group and 22 subjects in the placebo group. After ingesting TSE for 8 weeks, the R7 value was significantly higher in the TSE group compared to the placebo group. Furthermore, the change in R7 values from the baseline at 4 and 8 weeks were also higher in the TSE group. Among the secondary outcomes, facial elasticity parameters including R2, R5, R1, and R4 at 4 weeks and facial R5, R1, and R4 and upper arm R2 at 8 weeks were higher in the TSE group. In addition, plasma pentosidine significantly decreased in the TSE group after 8 weeks of ingestion. There were no significant differences in moisture, DermaLab® parameters and AGEs parameters except plasma pentosidine. Laboratory tests revealed no abnormalities suggesting adverse effects of TSE. Conclusions: TSE (200 mg/day) standardized with lycoperoside H improved the facial elasticity parameters. Thus, daily ingestion of TSE was suggested to be beneficial for maintaining the facial skin elasticity. However, the relationship between the reduction of pentosidine and skin elasticity by TSE ingestion should be clarified through further studies. Trial Registration: UMIN-CTR: UMIN000041881. Foundation: Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., Ltd.

This study investigated the effects of proanthocyanidins derived from Acacia (Acacia mearnsii) bark extract in healthy Japanese adult subjects experiencing uncomfortable skin symptoms. All subjects were randomly allocated into two groups (n = 33 each) using a computerized random-number generator. The subjects received either Acacia bark extract tablets or placebo for 8 weeks. Evaluations included water content in the stratum corneum, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), Skindex-16, dermatology life quality index (DLQI), visual analog scale for desire to scratch, and blood tests. At 4 weeks, the symptom/feeling score of DLQI, subjective symptoms related to uncomfortable skin, and the desire to scratch were significantly reduced in the intervention group than in the placebo group. At 8 weeks, the intervention group exhibited significantly lower TEWL on facial skin than that in the placebo group. In conclusion, the intake of Acacia bark extract tablets reduced TEWL and improved dry and uncomfortable skin.

The introduction of high-speed automotive Ethernet to in-vehicle networks has been accelerated by the increase of communication volume resulting from the spread of advanced driving assist systems (ADAS) including autonomous driving. To ensure safety, in-vehicle network products require communication reliability even under severe conditions associated with extreme heat and noise, and therefore electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance is one of the important factors. However, conventional trial EMC countermeasures require a lot of efforts and development costs to ensure EMC performance. We have developed a simulation technology to efficiently verify the EMC performance of automotive Ethernet communication systems under various conditions by constructing the physical layer model of a communication system composed of connectors, wire harnesses, and electronic control units.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptation with practice of postural control while standing on a rocker board. Thirteen healthy young adults participated. The participants were asked to stand in a sagittal plane on a rocker board with a semicircular base as steadily as possible for as long as they could. With practice, the duration of maintaining postural balance increased significantly and postural stability improved (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the distances between center of pressure and the projection of center of mass decreased (P < 0.05), although joint motion of the lower extremities did not change (P > 0.05). This observation would be the consequence of a highly redundant human locomotor system. With practice, the central nervous system was able to shift the center of pressure position close to the accurate center of mass position.

[Purpose] This study investigated the characteristics of postural control following postural disturbance in elite athletes. [Subjects] Ten elite ski jumpers and ten control subjects participated in this study. [Methods] Subjects were required to maintain balance without stepping following unexpected horizontal surface perturbation in a forward or backward direction. [Results] A lower and reproducible peak magnitude of the center of mass velocity was shown in the athlete group compared to the control group. Cross-correlation analyses showed longer time lags at the moment of peak correlation coefficient between trunk flexor and extensor muscle activities, and shorter time lags and higher correlations between ankle flexor and extensor muscle activities were shown in the athlete group than in the control group. [Conclusion] The elite ski jumpers showed superior balance performance following surface perturbations, more reciprocal patterns in agonist-antagonist pairs of proximal postural muscles, and more co-contraction patterns in distal postural muscles during automatic postural responses than control individuals. This strategy may be useful in sports requiring effective balance recovery in environments with a dynamically changing surface, as well as in rehabilitation.

Juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna (PBT), Thunnus orientalis, aged 30 or more days post hatching (≥ 5 cm total length) are at high risk of mortality through contact or collision with tank walls. In this study, survival rates of PBT reared under three tank wall treatments (polka dot pattern, lattice pattern, and dark-green single color (control) were investigated. White tape was attached to the tank's surface to form either a polka dot or a lattice pattern. Fish were then reared in the tanks for 9 days. Fish survival rates in the lattice patterned and polka-dot patterned tanks were higher than that in the control tank. Bone and parasphenoid injury rates in the control group were significantly higher than those in the polka dot and lattice patterned treatment groups. The plasma cortisol content of juvenile PBT reared in the control group was higher than for fish reared in patterned tanks. These results suggest that juvenile PBT mortality from contact or collision with tank walls was reduced when wall visibility was improved by creating patterns on the tank walls.

We developed a possible method to determine both coefficients of piezoelectricity (d) and electrostriction (M) at the same time by a waveform analysis of current and vibration velocity in the resonance state. The waveforms of the current and vibration velocity were theoretically described using the equations of motion and piezoelectric constitutive equations, considering the dissipation effect. The dissipation factor of the d coefficient and M coefficient is dielectric loss tangent tan δ. The waveforms measured in all of the ceramics, such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O(3) (PZT), Pb(Mg,Nb)O(3) (PMN), and 0.8Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb2/3)O(3)-0.2PbTiO(3) (PMN-PT), were well fitted with the calculated waveform. This fitting produced both the d and M coefficients, which agreed with those determined via the conventional methods. Moreover, the respective contributions of both piezoelectricity and electrostriction to the d value determined in the resonance-antiresonance method were clarified.

An antiferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) with dimeric molecules which take a bent molecular structure may show the nematic (N) phase. However, it has not been obvious yet why the antiferroelectric chiral SmC (SmC* A ) and N phases may coexist in the phase sequences of the dimeric AFLC. In this study, the molecular alignment structure of both liquid-crystalline phases has been researched in detail with a polarized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). In 8PY11OCB, the directors of both mesogenic moieties are oriented to the rubbing direction due to high thermal motion in the N and SmA phases, that is the molecular shape is almost rod like. In the SmC A phase, a herringbone alignment of the mesogenic moieties appears because the bent molecular structure becomes stable due to lower thermal motion. In the case of OBnCB, we obtain also almost the same results and discussion.

Emergence of large circular dichroism (CD) was found in liquid crystal twin dimers with azo linkages, nOAZmAZOn. The compounds with even m are of rod-shape and show the SmA phase, whereas those with odd m are of bent-shape and show the SmCA and BX phases. Right- and left-circular polarized light (CPL) irradiation in the crystal and BX phases induces positive and negative CD, respectively. However, large CD with the opposite sign is induced by decreasing temperature from SmCA to BX under CPL irradiation. Two different mechanisms were discussed.

We have prepared a series of dimeric compounds, mOAM5AMOm, which comprise two Schiff's base mesogens. These compounds formed three types of fluid smectic liquid crystals. When the alkoxy tail length is short (m=4 and 6), the alkoxy tail groups mix randomly with the alkyl spacer groups, resulting in the SmCAs phase. The compounds with m longer than 14 form the SmCAb phase with a bilayer character, in which the spacer and tail groups segregate from each other and consequently two mesogenic layers (so-called bilayer) are included within a repeat unit. In such a bilayer association of twin dimers, spontaneous polarization appears in each bilayer. In this SmCAb phase, furthermore, the molecules are tilted to the layer so that chirality is spontaneously formed in addition to ferroelectricity. The structure was identified as SmCAPA type. The compounds with intermediate m of 8–12 formed the frustrated SmCAf phase with a density modulation (frustration) along the layer. On cooling from the smectic phases, crystallization takes place for mOAM5AMOm with m=4–8, while the chiral Crblue phase with the TGB-like helical structure was clearly identified with m=14–18. The structure and properties of these exotic phases in twin dimers are described in detail.

Recently, a frequency-domain adaptive filter design method for active noise control has been proposed based on the so-called least mean square algorithm. However, this method does not sufficiently exploit the degree of freedom of the step parameter of the recursive rule in the case where a priori information on an uncertain plant is available. This paper proposes a design method of the step parameter such that noise cancellation is guaranteed against the plant uncertainty. The design problem of the step parameter is reduced to a semidefinite programming problem which is efficiently solvable. Experimental results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The layer and molecular orientational structures have been investigated by X-ray microbeam diffraction and optical birefringence measurements in the frustrated smectic phase of a bent-shaped molecule with two mesogens linked by an alkylene spacer. In the X-ray microbeam measurement, only one diffraction peak indicating (002) was observed in a thin homogeneous cell without an electric field, while two other peaks corresponding to (101) and (10text-decoration:underline'1) also appear by applying the field. Moreover, it was also found that the birefringence under an applied field is larger than that without the field. These results led to the conclusion that molecules reorient due to dielectric anisotropy keeping the frustrated structure.

Twin dimers, mOAM5AMOm, form characteristic smectic phases, single-layer SmCAs and antiferroelectric bilayer SmCAb phases. Structural transformation from SmCAs to SmCAb was examined in two series of binary mixtures of 8OAM5AMO8/4OAM5AMO4 and 8OAM5AMO8/16OAM5AMO16. In this transformation, the frustrated SmCAf with density modulation along the layer is formed and the size of modulation increases from 50 to 250 A with variations in mixture contents from an edge near SmCAs to another edge near SmCAb. From polymorphisms shown by some mixtures, it was found that SmCAs and SmCAb are located at high-temperature and low-temperature edges, respectively, and that the SmCAf phase is set between them.

Using in situ hybridization techniques and RNase protection assays, type II collagen mRNA was transiently detected in the epidermis of chick embryonic skins during days 9 – 15 after fertilization, with a maximum expression at day 11. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that deposition of type II collagen was also transiently localized at the subepidermal region during days 10-15. Type II collagen gene and gene product concomitantly started to decline preferentially at the region where feather buds were being formed on day 12, and thereafter diminished at the region between feather buds. Using immunohistochemical methods, type II collagen was also detected in human fetal scalp skin at 17-23 fetal weeks at the subepidermal region, excluding the region beneath the hair follicles. These results indicate that the lack of type II collagen expression is related to the development of feather and hair at a certain stage of chick embryonic and human fetal skin development.

A 55-year-old man developed multiple erythematous skin lesions after surgery for acoustic neurinoma. Necrosis and detachment of the epidermis developed and a diagnosis of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) was made. Progressive dyspnea was evident two days after the onset of the skin lesions. Chest X-ray revealed diffuse interstitial shadows in both lung fields. On bronchoscopic examination, erosion, vesicle formation, necrosis and desquamation of the epidermis were seen in the tracheobronchial mucosa. Therapy, including prednisolone, improved the skin lesions as well as the chest X-ray and bronchoscopic findings. Tracheobronchial and pulmonary lesions were followed before, during and after treatment of TEN.

The mesomorphic behavior and phase structure were examined in the mixture of two kinds of dimeric compounds, alpha,omega-bis(4-alkoxyanilinebenzylidene-4'-carbonyloxy)pentane (mOAM5AMOm), by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, polarization switching, and second-harmonic generation measurements. One compound is 4OAM5AMO4 with a short terminal alkyl chain that forms a single-layer smectic phase (SmCAs) with a random mixing of spacer and tail groups. Another compound is 16OAM5AMO16 with a long terminal alkyl chain that forms a chiral, anticlinic, and antiferroelectric bilayer phase (SmCAb) with the bent molecules tilted to the bilayer. By mixing these two compounds, the SmCAs phase of 4OAM5AMO4 is easily destabilized, leading to the wide content region of the bilayer phases. In the bilayer regime, three other smectic phases are newly induced. Two of them are antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phases in which the molecules lie perpendicularly with respect to the layer. The other shows no polar response to an external electric field and behaves like a smectic A. The new appearance of these bilayer phases is discussed as a mixing effect of long and short tail groups.

The layer structures in bent-shaped liquid crystal dimers mOAM5AMOm (m=6-16) have been investigated by x-ray microbeam diffraction. These liquid crystal molecules have two rodlike mesogens connected with an odd-numbered alkylene spacer and form a bent shape. In these compounds it is found that the structure changes from the single (m=6) to frustrated-layer structures (m=8, 10, and 12) and switchable frustrated-layer structures (m=14 and 16) with increasing terminal chain length. An anticlinic antiferroelectric structure is suggested in the compound with m=16, based on the different electric-field-induced reorientation behavior from those in the other dimers.

Kaposi’s sarcoma occurring in a 78-year-old woman, with the absence of the human immunodeficiency virus infection, was correctly diagnosed by immunohistochemistry using anti-human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) antibody (PA1-73N) for the first time. The patient suffered from chronic respiratory failure and was treated with a low dose of steroids for 2.5 years. After her medication dosage was increased for the exacerbation of the respiratory failure, multiple skin tumors in her feet and legs suddenly developed. Histopathologically, skin tumors were suspected as Kaposi’s sarcoma at the first biopsy and reactive angiomatosis at the second biopsy. Polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, however, revealed the presence of HHV8 DNA fragment and positive staining in the majority of spindle cells in the skin tumors. Serological examination confirmed the positivity of anti-HHV8 antibodies. HHV8 infection and steroid-induced immunosuppression, as well as environmental factors played a role in the development of Kaposi’s sarcoma in this patient, because she was born in Okinawa, which is a well-known endemic area of Kaposi’s sarcoma in Japan. As her general condition improved, the skin lesions regressed without any specific treatment, and disappeared completely 8 months later, in which regression may be associated with evidence of numerous CD8 cell infiltration in the second biopsy tissues. No recurrence was observed during the following 6 month follow up.

Elastin mRNA levels were measured in cultured skin fibroblasts derived from upper, middle and lower dermal layers. The elastin mRNA levels were highest in the fibroblasts from the upper dermal layer and lowest in the lower dermal fibroblasts. Modulation of elastin expression by basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor beta 1 in the dermal fibroblasts was also studied. Basic fibroblasts growth factor downregulated elasin expression in the upper dermal fibroblasts but did not significantly change elastin expression in the middle and lower dermal fibroblasts. Upregulation of elastin expression by transforming growth factor beta 1 was greater in the upper dermal fibroblasts than in the middle and lower dermal fibroblasts. Platelet-derived growth factor induced no significant changes in the three types of dermal fibroblasts. The results suggest that the differential responses of elastin expression to potent modulators may be at least partially responsible for the abnormal elastin metabolism specifically observed in the upper dermal layer.

Background: Reticular erythematous mucinosis (REM) syndrome is characterized by an accumulation of mucin in the dermis. Objective: To elucidate the mechanism of mucin deposition, the response of REM syndrome fibroblasts to various exogenous factors was studied. Method: REM and control fibroblasts were treated with potent modulators including tumor necrosis factor-α, basic fibroblast growth factor, interferon-γ, transforming growth factor-β1 and interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and -4. Results: IL-1β failed to stimulate glycosaminoglycan synthesis in REM fibroblasts whereas it stimulated glycosaminoglycan synthesis up to 6-fold in control fibroblasts. The stimulation of glycosaminoglycan was caused largely by a comparable increase in hyaluronic acid. Conclusion: These results suggest that the patient fibroblasts exhibit an abnormal response to stimulation by exogenous IL-1β and that IL-1β may be involved in the abnormal hyaluronic acid metabolism in REM syndrome.

We report a case of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) in a band-like arrangement. The patient had a white atrophic plaque on the left breast which showed the typical histological features of LSA. One month later, the patient had developed multiple, brown-colored plaques from the right breast to the right upper arm following the distribution of the peripheral nerve. These plaques showed the mild histological changes indicative of LSA. This band-like arrangement of LSA appears to be unique.

Levels of type VI collagen mRNAs were determined in cultured skin fibroblasts derived from the upper, middle, and lower layers. The level of alpha 1 (VI) collagen mRNA was the highest in the fibroblasts from the upper layer. In contrast, alpha 2 (VI) collagen mRNA level in the fibroblasts from the lower layer predominated over those in the upper and middle layers. The level of alpha 3 (VI) collagen mRNA was the same in the three dermal layers. When the fibroblasts from the upper layer were passaged successively, the alpha 1 (VI) collagen mRNA level declined and alpha 2 (VI) collagen mRNA level increased to those of the lower dermal fibroblasts. These results indicate that alpha 1 (VI) and alpha 2 (VI) collagen expressions in skin fibroblast cultures are heterogeneous and that successive passages of the upper dermal fibroblasts may result in transition of the phenotype of alpha 1 (VI) and alpha 2 (VI) expression to that of lower dermal fibroblasts. The modulation of the expression of alpha 1 (VI) and alpha 2 (VI) chains presumably reflects the process of cellular aging in vitro and should be a useful biochemical marker in studies of cell aging.

We report a case of the linear type of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA). The patient had linear atrophic lesions from the left upper back to the left hand. Histological findings obtained from the upper back were those of typical LSA. Histology of the forearm showed mild changes suggestive of LSA. There were no histological features suggesting any association with localized scleroderma in either specimen. The relation between LSA and localized scleroderma is unclear at present. This case suggests that there is a linear form in LSA as already recognized in localized scleroderma.

Decorin mRNA levels, the content of decorin and the synthesis of dermatan sulphate in skin fibroblasts from patients with systemic and localized scleroderma were investigated. Approximately a 2.2-fold increase in decorin mRNA levels, was found by Northern blot analysis in localized scleroderma, but no significant changes were found in systemic scleroderma. Decorin, as measured by an immunoblot assay, was increased 2.6-fold in fibroblast cultures from localized scleroderma but not in those from systemic scleroderma. In contrast, the synthesis of dermatan sulphate was similar in both conditions. These results indicate that altered decorin gene expression causes abnormal proteoglycan metabolism in localized scleroderma.

We present a 66-year-old man with a solitary piloleiomyoma on the forehead. The lesion had unusual clinical features; it was a crusted and dome-shaped nodule, which exhibited rapid growth. Histology revealed the typical features of piloleiomyoma. The unusual clinical features may have been due to its unique location, in which the downward growth of the tumor was prevented by the underlying frontal bone.