Development of High Sensitive X-and γ-Ray Personal Dosimeter Using Photostimulated Luminescent Detector

開始ページ、終了ページ: 冊子体のページ付

Effects of daily quercetin-rich supplementation on cardiometabolic risks in male smokers

Limited information from human studies indicates that dietary quercetin supplementation influences blood lipid profiles, glycemic response, and inflammatory status, collectively termed cardiometabolic risks. We tested the hypothesis that quercetin-rich supplementation, derived from onion peel extract, improves cardiometabolic risk components in healthy male smokers in a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled parallel design. Randomly assigned subjects were instructed to take either the placebo (n = 43) or 100 mg quercetin capsules each day (n = 49) for 10 weeks. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured, and blood lipids, glucose, interleukin-6, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were determined at baseline and after 10 weeks of quercetin supplementation. Quercetin-rich supplementation significantly reduced serum concentrations of total cholesterol (P < 0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.01), whereas these effects were not shown in the placebo group. Furthermore, significant increases were observed in serum concentrations of HDL-cholesterol both in the placebo (P < 0.005) and quercetin-rich supplementation group (P < 0.001); however, changes in HDL-cholesterol were significantly greater in subjects receiving quercetin-rich supplementation than the placebo. Both systolic (P < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01) decreased significantly in the quercetin-rich supplementation group. Glucose concentrations decreased significantly after 10 weeks of quercetin-rich supplementation (P < 0.05). In contrast, no effects of quercetin-rich supplementation were observed for the inflammatory markers-IL-6 and sVCAM-1. Daily quercetin-rich supplementation from onion peel extract improved blood lipid profiles, glucose, and blood pressure, suggesting a beneficial role for quercetin as a preventive measure against cardiovascular risk

Gas6 Downregulation Impaired Cytoplasmic Maturation and Pronuclear Formation Independent to the MPF Activity

Previously, we found that the growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) is more highly expressed in germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes than in metaphase II (MII) oocytes using annealing control primer (ACP)-PCR technology. The current study was undertaken to investigate the role of Gas6 in oocyte maturation and fertilization using RNA interference (RNAi). Interestingly, despite the specific and marked decrease in Gas6 mRNA and protein expression in GVs after Gas6 RNAi, nuclear maturation including spindle structures and chromosome segregation was not affected. The only discernible effect induced by Gas6 RNAi was a change in maturation promoting factor (MPF) activity. After parthenogenetic activation, Gas6 RNAi-treated oocytes at the MII stage had not developed further and arrested at MII (90.0%). After stimulation with Sr2+, Gas6-silenced MII oocytes had markedly reduced Ca2+ oscillation and exhibited no exocytosis of cortical granules. In these oocytes, sperm penetration occurred during fertilization but not pronucleus (PN) formation. By roscovitine and colcemid treatment, we found that the Gas6 knockdown affected cytoplasmic maturation directly, independent to the changed MPF activity. These results strongly suggest that 1) the Gas6 signaling itself is important to the cytoplasmic maturation, but not nuclear maturation, and 2) the decreased Gas6 expression and decreased MPF activity separately or mutually influence sperm head decondensation and PN formation

The motivations for the adoption of management innovation by local governments and its performance effects

This article analyses the economic, political and institutional antecedents and performance effects of the adoption of shared Senior Management Teams (SMTs) – a management innovation (MI) that occurs when a team of senior managers oversees two or more public organizations. Findings from statistical analysis of 201 English local governments and interviews with organizational leaders reveal that shared SMTs are adopted to develop organisational capacity in resource‐challenged, politically risk‐averse governments, and in response to coercive and mimetic institutional pressures. Importantly, sharing SMTs may reduce rather than enhance efficiency and effectiveness due to redundancy costs and the political transaction costs associated with diverting resources away from a high‐performing partner to support their lower‐performing counterpart

Development of High Sensitive X-and γ-Ray Personal Dosimeter Using Photostimulated Luminescent Detector

開始ページ、終了ページ: 冊子体のページ付

Artificial Oocyte: Development and Potential Application

Millions of people around the world suffer from infertility, with the number of infertile couples and individuals increasing every year. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have been widely developed in recent years; however, some patients are unable to benefit from these technologies due to their lack of functional germ cells. Therefore, the development of alternative methods seems necessary. One of these methods is to create artificial oocytes. Oocytes can be generated in vitro from the ovary, fetal gonad, germline stem cells (GSCs), ovarian stem cells, or pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). This approach has raised new hopes in both basic research and medical applications. In this article, we looked at the principle of oocyte development, the landmark studies that enhanced our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern oogenesis in vivo, as well as the mechanisms underlying in vitro generation of functional oocytes from different sources of mouse and human stem cells. In addition, we introduced next-generation ART using somatic cells with artificial oocytes. Finally, we provided an overview of the reproductive application of in vitro oogenesis and its use in human fertility

Modulation of Mechanical Stress Mitigates Anti-Dsg3 Antibody-Induced Dissociation of Cell–Cell Adhesion

It is becoming increasingly clear that mechanical stress in adhesive junctions plays a significant role in dictating the fate of cell–cell attachment under physiological conditions. Targeted disruption of cell–cell junctions leads to multiple pathological conditions, among them the life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The dissociation of cell–cell junctions by autoantibodies is the hallmark of PV, however, the detailed mechanisms that result in tissue destruction remain unclear. Thus far, research and therapy in PV have focused primarily on immune mechanisms upstream of autoantibody binding, while the biophysical aspects of the cell– cell dissociation process leading to acantholysis are less well studied. In work aimed at illuminating the cellular consequences of autoantibody attachment, it is reported that externally applied mechanical stress mitigates antibody-induced monolayer fragmentation and inhibits p38 MAPK phosphorylation activated by anti-Dsg3 antibody. Further, it is demonstrated that mechanical stress applied externally to cell monolayers enhances cell contractility via RhoA activation and promotes the strengthening of cortical actin, which ultimately mitigates antibody-induced cell–cell dissociation. The study elevates understanding of the mechanism of acantholysis in PV and shifts the paradigm of PV disease development from a focus solely on immune pathways to highlight the key role of physical transformations at the target cell

Mandibular Carnassial Tooth Malformations in 6 Dogs—Micro-Computed Tomography and Histology Findings

Objective: To document the clinical, radiographic, and histological characteristics of mandibular first molar teeth with developmental abnormalities previously attributed to dens invaginatus and enamel pearls in dogs. Materials and Methods: Affected mandibular first molar teeth from dogs were evaluated grossly and via intraoral radiography. Endodontically and/or periodontally compromised teeth were extracted and subjected to some combination of micro-computed tomography, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry with anti-amelogenin antibody. Results: Six dogs with developmental abnormalities of mandibular first molar teeth were identified, representing 11 affected teeth. The condition was bilateral in 5 dogs, while in 1 dog, only one mandibular first molar tooth was present. Patient weight ranged from 1.7 to 6 kg (median = 4.09 kg). On intraoral radiographs, root convergence or parallelism was noted in 6 of 11 teeth, and root dilaceration was noted in 3 of 11 teeth. Eight teeth required extraction due to periapical lucencies or periodontitis. On micro-CT, the abnormal teeth were characterized by the presence of abnormal, heterogenous hard tissue with beam attenuation characteristics midway between that of enamel and dentin. Enamel fissures were identified in 4 of 8 teeth, while ectopic radicular enamel was identified in 2 of 8 teeth. The abnormal tissue was traversed by channels measuring 20-40 μm in diameter. Channels communicated with the enamel fissures in 2/8 teeth, the furcation in 2/8 teeth and the pulp in 4/8 teeth. The abnormal tissue was frequently surrounded by disorganized dentin. Histologic features of enamel and dentin were absent from the abnormal tissue and immunohistochemistry to detect amelogenin in the abnormal tissue was negative in all samples. Conclusion: The dental abnormalities described here correspond to a previously unrecognized developmental abnormality involving the mandibular first molar teeth in dogs. The developmental origin of the abnormal tissue could not be ascertained, and further investigations are required to determine the mode of formation, origin of the abnormal tissue, and factors associated with development. These developmental abnormalities more closely resemble molar-incisor malformation, rather than dens invaginatus or enamel pearls as described in humans. The authors propose that affected mandibular first molar teeth simply be referred to as having carnassial tooth malformations