Uniaxial negative thermal expansion in an orthorhombic superconductor CoZr3

We investigated the temperature evolution of crystal structure of orthorhombic CoZr3, which is a superconductor with a transition temperature of 4.3 K, by synchrotron and laboratory (CuK{\alpha}) X-ray diffraction. Uniaxial negative thermal expansion along the c-axis, which is similar to that observed in tetragonal CoZr2, has been observed at a wide temperature range of T = 90-800 K in CoZr3, while a-and b-axis exhibit positive thermal expansion.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, supplemental material

Antitumor studies. Part 1: Design, synthesis, antitumor activity, and AutoDock study of 2-deoxo-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavins and 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides as a new class of antitumor agents

Novel 2-deoxo-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavins and 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides were prepared as a new class of antitumor agents and showed significant antitumor activities against NCI-H 460, HCT 116, A 431, CCRF-HSB-2, and KB cell lines. In vivo investigation, 2-deoxo-10-methyl-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavin exhibited the effective antitumor activity against A 431 human adenocarcinoma cells transplanted subcutaneously into nude mouse. Furthermore, AutoDock study has been done by binding of the flavin analogs into PTK pp60(c-src), where a good correlation between their IC50 and AutoDock binding free energy was exhibited. In particular, 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides exhibited the highest potential binding affinity within the binding pocket of PTK

Cetylpyridinium chloride at sublethal levels increases the susceptibility of rat thymic lymphocytes to oxidative stress

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is an antimicrobial agent used in many personal care products, with subsequent release into the environment. Since CPC is found at low concentrations in river and municipal wastewater, its influence on wildlife is of concern. Therefore, in this study, we used flow cytometry to examine the effects of sublethal concentrations of CPC on rat thymic lymphocytes in order to characterize the cellular actions of CPC at low concentrations in the presence and absence of H2O2-induced oxidative stress. CPC treatment increased the population of living cells with phosphatidylserine exposed on the outer surface of their plasma membranes (a marker of early stage apoptosis), elevated intracellular Zn2+ levels, and decreased the cellular content of nonprotein thiols. CPC also potentiated the cytotoxicity of H2O2. Our results suggest that, even at environmentally relevant sublethal concentrations, CPC exerts cytotoxic effects under oxidative stress conditions by increasing intracellular Zn2+ concentration and decreasing the cellular content of nonprotein thiols. These findings indicate that, under some in vitro conditions, CPC is bioactive at environmentally relevant concentrations. Therefore, CPC release from personal care products into the environment may need to be regulated to avoid its adverse effects on wildlife

Development and validation of questionnaires for eating‐related distress among advanced cancer patients and families

Background: Eating‐related distress (ERD) is one type of psychosocial distress among advanced cancer patients and family caregivers. Its alleviation is a key issue in palliative care; however, there is no validated tool for measuring ERD. Methods: The purpose of this study was to validate tools for evaluating ERD among patients and family caregivers. The study consisted of a development and validation/retest phase. In the development phase, we made preliminary questionnaires for patients and family caregivers. After face validity and content validity, we performed an exploratory factor analysis and discussed the final adoption of items. In the validation/retest phase, we examined factor validity with an exploratory factor analysis. We calculated Pearson's correlation coefficients between the questionnaire for patients, the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy Anorexia Cachexia Subscale (FAACT ACS) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire‐Cachexia 24 (EORTC QLQ‐CAX24) and Pearson's correlation coefficients between the questionnaire for family caregivers and the Caregiver Quality of Life Index‐Cancer (CQOLC) for concurrent validity. We calculated Cronbach's alpha coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for internal consistency and test–retest reliability. We performed the Mann–Whitney U test between the questionnaires and cancer cachexia based on criteria from the international consensus for known‐group validity. Results: In the development phase, 162 pairs of patients and family caregivers were asked to participate, and 144 patients and 106 family caregivers responded. In the validation/retest phase, 333 pairs of patients and family caregivers were asked to participate, and 234 patients and 152 family caregivers responded. Overall, 183 patients and 112 family caregivers did the retest. Seven conceptual groups were extracted for the ERD among patients and family caregivers, respectively. Patient factors 1–7 correlated with FAACT ACS (r = −0.63, −0.43, −0.55, −0.40, −0.38, −0.54, −0.38, respectively) and EORTC QLQ‐CAX24 (r = 0.58, 0.40, 0.60, 0.49, 0.38, 0.59, 0.42, respectively). Family factors 1–7 correlated with CQOLC (r = −0.34, −0.30, −0.37, −0.37, −0.46, −0.42, −0.40, respectively). The values of Cronbach's alpha and ICC of each factor and all factors of patients ranged from 0.84 to 0.96 and 0.67 to 0.83, respectively. Those of each factor and all factors of family caregivers ranged from 0.84 to 0.96 and 0.63 to 0.84, respectively. The cachexia group of patients had significantly higher scores than the non‐cachexia group for each factor and all factors. Conclusions: Newly developed tools for measuring ERD experienced by advanced cancer patients and family caregivers have been validated

Effect of trehalose supplementation in milk replacer on the incidence of diarrhea and fecal microbiota in preweaned calves

Trehalose, a nonreducing disaccharide consisting of D-glucose with alpha,alpha-1,1 linkage, was evaluated as a functional material to improve the gut environment in preweaned calves. In experiment 1, 173 calves were divided into two groups; the trehalose group was fed trehalose at 30 g/animal/d with milk replacer during the suckling period, and the control group was fed nonsupplemented milk replacer. Medication frequency was lower in the trehalose group (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, calves (n = 20) were divided into two groups (control group [n = 10] and trehalose group [n =10] based on their body weight and reared under the same feeding regimens as in experiment 1. Fresh feces were collected from individual animals at the beginning of the trial (average age 11 d), 3 wk after trehalose feeding (experimental day 22), and 1 d before weaning, and the fecal score was recorded daily. Fecal samples were analyzed for fermentation parameters and microbiota. The fecal score was significantly lower in the trehalose group than in the control group in the early stage (at an age of 14 to 18 d; P < 0.05) of the suckling period. Calves fed trehalose tended to have a higher proportion of fecal butyrate on day 22 than calves in the control group (P = 0.08). Population sizes of Clostridium spp. were significantly lower (P = 0.036), whereas those of Dialister spp. and Eubacterium spp. tended to be higher in the feces of calves in the trehalose group on day 22 (P = 0.060 and P = 0.083). These observations indicate that trehalose feeding modulated the gut environment and partially contributed to the reduction in medication frequency observed in experiment 1

Cigarette smoking impairs Na+-K+-ATPase activity in the human coronary microcirculation

The extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) has been proposed to link cardiac metabolism with coronary perfusion and arrhythmogenesis, particularly during ischemia. Several animal studies have also supported K+ as an EDHF that activates Na+-K+-ATPase and/or inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels. Therefore, we examined the vascular reactivity of human coronary arterioles (HCAs) to small elevations in [K+]o, the influence of risk factors for coronary disease, and the role of K+ as an EDHF. Changes in the internal diameter of HCAs were recorded with videomicroscopy. Most vessels dilated to increases in [K+]o with a maximal dilation of 55 ± 6% primarily at 12.5–20.0 mM KCl (n = 38, average: 16 ± 1 mM). Ouabain, a Na+-K+-ATPase inhibitor, alone reduced the dilation, and the addition of Ba2+, a Kir channel blocker, abolished the remaining dilation, whereas neither endothelial denudation nor Ba2+ alone reduced the dilation. Multivariate analysis revealed that cigarette smoking was the only risk factor associated with impaired dilation to K+. Ouabain significantly reduced the vasodilation in HCAs from subjects without cigarette smoking but not in those with smoking. Cigarette smoking downregulated the expression of the Na+-K+-ATPase catalytic α1-subunit but not Kir2.1 in the vessels. Ouabain abolished the dilation in endothelium-denuded vessels to a same extent to that with the combination of ouabain and Ba2+ in endothelium-intact vessels, whereas neither ouabain nor ouabain plus Ba2+ reduced EDHF-mediated dilations to bradykinin and ADP. A rise in [K+]o dilates HCAs primarily via the activation of Na+-K+-ATPase in vascular smooth muscle cells with a considerable contribution of Kir channels in the endothelium, indicating that [K+]o may modify coronary microvascular resistance in humans. Na+-K+-ATPase activity is impaired in subjects who smoke, possibly contributing to dysregulation of the coronary microcirculation, excess ischemia, and arrhythmogenesis in those subjects. K+ does not likely serve as an EDHF in the human coronary arteriolar dilation to bradykinin and ADP

Dynamics of Actin Stress Fibers and Focal Adhesions during Slow Migration in Swiss 3T3 Fibroblasts: Intracellular Mechanism of Cell Turning

To understand the mechanism regulating the spontaneous change in polarity that leads to cell turning, we quantitatively analyzed the dynamics of focal adhesions (FAs) coupling with the self-assembling actin cytoskeletal structure in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Fluorescent images were acquired from cells expressing GFP-actin and RFP-zyxin by laser confocal microscopy. On the basis of the maximum area, duration, and relocation distance of FAs extracted from the RFP-zyxin images, the cells could be divided into 3 regions: the front region, intermediate lateral region, and rear region. In the intermediate lateral region, FAs appeared close to the leading edge and were stabilized gradually as its area increased. Simultaneously, bundled actin stress fibers (SFs) were observed vertically from the positions of these FAs, and they connected to the other SFs parallel to the leading edge. Finally, these connecting SFs fused to form a single SF with matured FAs at both ends. This change in SF organization with cell retraction in the first cycle of migration followed by a newly formed protrusion in the next cycle is assumed to lead to cell turning in migrating Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts