Superelastic behavior of single crystallineNi48Fe20Co5Ga27micro-pillars nearaustenite–martensite critical point

Micro-pillars oriented in austenite along [100], [110], and [111] crystallographic directions were fabricated on the corresponding edges of a single crystalline plate of the Ni48Fe20Co5Ga27 magnetic shape memory alloy exhibiting martensitic transformation (MT) at 150 K. Superelastic behavior of pillars, due to micro-compression-induced MT, was investigated at different temperatures from 298 K to 373 K. At room temperature, Young's moduli of the [100], [110], and [111] pillars in austenite are equal to 5.3 GPa, 7.9 GPa, and 9.9 GPa, respectively, resulting in the linear dependences of the elastic strain reaching up to the record-breaking value of 10%. On increasing temperature, the stress-strain dependencies exhibit changes that are interpreted in terms of the critical behavior on approaching to the end points on the martensite-austenite stress-temperature phase diagrams.This work was supported by JST CREST, Grant No. JPMJCR1433, Japan, and the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) (JSPS KAKENHI Grant No. 26220907), as well as by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovations and Universities (Project No. RTI2018-094683-B-C53-54) and by the Basque Government Department of Education (Project No. IT1245-19). Editoria

Cardiac stem cells possess growth factor-receptor systems that after activation regenerate the infarcted myocardium, improving ventricular function and long-term survival.

Cardiac stem cells and early committed cells (CSCs-ECCs) express c-Met and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptors and synthesize and secrete the corresponding ligands, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and IGF-1. HGF mobilizes CSCs-ECCs and IGF-1 promotes their survival and proliferation. Therefore, HGF and IGF-1 were injected in the hearts of infarcted mice to favor, respectively, the translocation of CSCs-ECCs from the surrounding myocardium to the dead tissue and the viability and growth of these cells within the damaged area. To facilitate migration and homing of CSCs-ECCs to the infarct, a growth factor gradient was introduced between the site of storage of primitive cells in the atria and the region bordering the infarct. The newly-formed myocardium contained arterioles, capillaries, and functionally competent myocytes that with time increased in size, improving ventricular performance at healing and long thereafter. The volume of regenerated myocytes was 2200 m3 at 16 days after treatment and reached 5100 m3 at 4 months. In this interval, nearly 20% of myocytes reached the adult phenotype, varying in size from 10 000 to 20 000 m3. Moreover, there were 4313 arterioles and 15548 capillaries/mm2 myocardium at 16 days, and 316 arterioles and 39056 capillaries at 4 months. Myocardial regeneration induced increased survival and rescued animals with infarcts that were up to 86% of the ventricle, which are commonly fatal. In conclusion, the heart has an endogenous reserve of CSCs-ECCs that can be activated to reconstitute dead myocardium and recover cardiac function

Measurement of tau polarization in e+ e- annihilation at sqrt{s}=58 GeV

The polarization of tau leptons in the reaction e+ e- --> tau+ tau- has been measured using a e+e- collider, TRISTAN, at the center-of-mass energy of 58 GeV. From the kinematical distributions of daughter particles in tau --> e nu nu-bar, mu nu nu-bar, rho nu or pi(K) nu decays, the average polarization of tau- and its forward-backward asymmetry have been evaluated to be 0.012 +- 0.058 and 0.029 +- 0.057, respectively.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Miniature Pneumatic Curling Rubber Actuator Generating Bidirectional Motion with One Air-Supply Tube

Soft actuators driven by pneumatic pressure are promising actuators for mechanical systems in medical, biological, agriculture, welfare fields and so on, because they can ensure high safety for fragile objects from their low mechanical impedance. In this study, a new rubber pneumatic actuator made from silicone rubber was developed. Composed of one chamber and one air-supply tube, it can generate curling motion in two directions by using positive and negative pneumatic pressure. The rubber actuator, for generating bidirectional motion, was designed to achieve an efficient shape by nonlinear finite element method analysis, and was fabricated by a molding and rubber bonding process using excimer light. The fabricated actuator was able to generate curling motion in two directions successfully. The displacement and force characteristics of the actuator were measured by using a motion capture system and a load cell. As an example application of the actuator, a robotic soft hand with three actuators was constructed and its effectiveness was confirmed by experiments

Amyloid-Mediated Sequestration of Essential Proteins Contributes to Mutant Huntingtin Toxicity in Yeast

BACKGROUND: Polyglutamine expansion is responsible for several neurodegenerative disorders, among which Huntington disease is the most well-known. Studies in the yeast model demonstrated that both aggregation and toxicity of a huntingtin (htt) protein with an expanded polyglutamine region strictly depend on the presence of the prion form of Rnq1 protein ([PIN+]), which has a glutamine/asparagine-rich domain. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we showed that aggregation and toxicity of mutant htt depended on [PIN+] only quantitatively: the presence of [PIN+] elevated the toxicity and the levels of htt detergent-insoluble polymers. In cells lacking [PIN+], toxicity of mutant htt was due to the polymerization and inactivation of the essential glutamine/asparagine-rich Sup35 protein and related inactivation of another essential protein, Sup45, most probably via its sequestration into Sup35 aggregates. However, inhibition of growth of [PIN+] cells depended on Sup35/Sup45 depletion only partially, suggesting that there are other sources of mutant htt toxicity in yeast. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained data suggest that induced polymerization of essential glutamine/asparagine-rich proteins and related sequestration of other proteins which interact with these polymers represent an essential source of htt toxicity

901-2 Randomized, Double-Blind Multicenter Trial of a Novel Modified t-PA, E6010 by i.v. Bolus Injection in Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) – Comparison with Native t-PA

E6010 is a novel modified t-PA, in which cysteine 84 in the epidermal growth factor domain has been replaced by serine. This is the first modified t-PA to be effective by i.v. bolus injection, and it has a prolonged half-life (Tα1/2 > 20 min) compared to native t-PA.A randomized, double-blind multicenter trial of i.v. bolus injection of E601 0, 27,500 EU/kg, compared with native t-PA (cell culture), 14,400,000 IU has been performed in the treatment of AMI of ≤ 6 hr duration and total occlusion of the infarct-related arteries. Angiograms were used to evaluate the patency of infarct-related arteries at 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after the administration.Result% Recanalization Rate (TIMI grade 2 or 3)15min.30min.45min60min.E6010n = 9736.561.973.779.4native t-PAn = 10213.732.449.564.7The time to reperfusion with E601 0 was shorter than that with native t-PA. Coronary recanalization at 30 and 60 minutes after administration was obtained in 61.9% and 79.4% of the case with E6010 and in 32.4% and 64.7% of the case with native t-PA, and the difference between both were statistically significant. No fatal bleeding complications were observed in E601 0.4 patients (3.8%) in E6010 and 3 patients (2.8%) in native t-PA died during 48 days post treatment hospitalization.Discussion and ConclusionNative t-PA is required to be administered over period of 1 hr with 10% of the total dose administered as an i.v. bolus and the remainder infused i.v. over 1 hr. Our present results indicate that E601 0 can be easily administered by i.v. bolus injection taking 2–3 minutes and it exerts a valuable thrombolytic effects, namely a high rate and early recanalization of infarct-related arterie

Ghrelin as a novel locally produced relaxing peptide of the iris sphincter and dilator muscles

Ghrelin is a recently described acylated peptide, which works as a somatosecretagogue and has described effects on the smooth, skeletal and cardiac muscle. We examined the production and effects of ghrelin on relaxation of the iris muscles. Contractile effects of 1-5 human ghrelin (frGhr, 10(-9)-6 x 10(-5)M) and 1-5 human des-octanoyl-ghrelin (d-frGhr; 10(-9)-6 x 10(-5)M) were tested on iris rabbit sphincter (n=11 frGhr; n=7 d-frGhr), dilator (n=6 frGhr; n=6 d-frGhr) and rat sphincter (n=6 frGhr; n=8 d-frGhr) precontracted muscles. On rabbit sphincter the effect of frGhr was also tested in presence of: i) L-NA (10(-5)M; n=7); ii) indomethacin (10(-5)M; n=7); iii) DLys(3)GHRP6 (10(-4)M; n=6); and iv) apamin+carybdotoxin (10(-6)M; n=6). Furthermore, on rabbit dilator the effect of frGhr was tested in presence of DLys(3)GHRP6 (10(-4)M; n=7). Finally, ghrelin mRNA production was assessed by "in situ" hybridization in Wistar rat eyes (n=8). In all muscles, frGhr promoted a concentration-dependent relaxation, maximal at 6 x 10(-5)M, 1.5-3 min after its addition, decreasing tension by 34.1+/-12.1%, 25.8+/-4.8% and 52.1+/-10.3% in the rabbit sphincter, dilator and rat sphincter, respectively. In the rabbit sphincter the relaxing effects of frGhr were: (i) enhanced in presence of DLys(3)GHRP6 (118.1+/-21.1%); (ii) blunted by indomethacin; and (iii) not altered by apamin+carybdotoxin (36.4+/-14.4%) or L-NA (52.4+/-11.4%). Relaxing effects of d-frGhr in rabbit (43.3+/-5.2%) and rat (77.1+/-15.3%) sphincter muscles were similar to those of frGhr. In rabbit dilator muscle, d-frGhr did not significantly alter active tension and the relaxing effect of frGhr was blunted by GHSR-1a blockage. Ghrelin mRNA was identified in iris posterior epithelium. In conclusion, ghrelin is a novel, locally produced, relaxing agent of iris dilator and sphincter muscles, an effect that is mediated by GHSR-1a in the former, but not in the latter. Furthermore, in the sphincter it seems to be mediated by prostaglandins, but not by NO or K(Ca) channels.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (nr. POCI/SAU-FCF/60803/2004) through Cardiovascular R&D Unit (FCT nr. 51/94). Authors are sincerely grateful to RS. Moura (SFRH/BPD/15408/2005), Development Unit, Health and Life Sciences Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal for her excellent contribution in the in-situ hybridization techniques

Ocean observations in support of studies and forecasts of tropical and extratropical cyclones

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Domingues, R., Kuwano-Yoshida, A., Chardon-Maldonado, P., Todd, R. E., Halliwell, G., Kim, H., Lin, I., Sato, K., Narazaki, T., Shay, L. K., Miles, T., Glenn, S., Zhang, J. A., Jayne, S. R., Centurioni, L., Le Henaff, M., Foltz, G. R., Bringas, F., Ali, M. M., DiMarco, S. F., Hosoda, S., Fukuoka, T., LaCour, B., Mehra, A., Sanabia, E. R., Gyakum, J. R., Dong, J., Knaff, J. A., & Goni, G. Ocean observations in support of studies and forecasts of tropical and extratropical cyclones. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, (2019): 446, doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00446.Over the past decade, measurements from the climate-oriented ocean observing system have been key to advancing the understanding of extreme weather events that originate and intensify over the ocean, such as tropical cyclones (TCs) and extratropical bomb cyclones (ECs). In order to foster further advancements to predict and better understand these extreme weather events, a need for a dedicated observing system component specifically to support studies and forecasts of TCs and ECs has been identified, but such a system has not yet been implemented. New technologies, pilot networks, targeted deployments of instruments, and state-of-the art coupled numerical models have enabled advances in research and forecast capabilities and illustrate a potential framework for future development. Here, applications and key results made possible by the different ocean observing efforts in support of studies and forecasts of TCs and ECs, as well as recent advances in observing technologies and strategies are reviewed. Then a vision and specific recommendations for the next decade are discussed.This study was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Numbers: JP17K19093, JP16K12591, and JP16H01846)

In vitro epigenetic reprogramming of human cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells into functionally competent cardiovascular precursors

Adult human cardiac mesenchymal-like stromal cells (CStC) represent a relatively accessible cell type useful for therapy. In this light, their conversion into cardiovascular precursors represents a potential successful strategy for cardiac repair. The aim of the present work was to reprogram CStC into functionally competent cardiovascular precursors using epigenetically active small molecules. CStC were exposed to low serum (5% FBS) in the presence of 5 \ub5M all-trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA), 5 \ub5M Phenyl Butyrate (PB), and 200 \ub5M diethylenetriamine/nitric oxide (DETA/NO), to create a novel epigenetically active cocktail (EpiC). Upon treatment the expression of markers typical of cardiac resident stem cells such as c-Kit and MDR-1 were up-regulated, together with the expression of a number of cardiovascular-associated genes including KDR, GATA6, Nkx2.5, GATA4, HCN4, NaV1.5, and \u3b1-MHC. In addition, profiling analysis revealed that a significant number of microRNA involved in cardiomyocyte biology and cell differentiation/proliferation, including miR 133a, 210 and 34a, were up-regulated. Remarkably, almost 45% of EpiC-treated cells exhibited a TTX-sensitive sodium current and, to a lower extent in a few cells, also the pacemaker I(f) current. Mechanistically, the exposure to EpiC treatment introduced global histone modifications, characterized by increased levels of H3K4Me3 and H4K16Ac, as well as reduced H4K20Me3 and H3s10P, a pattern compatible with reduced proliferation and chromatin relaxation. Consistently, ChIP experiments performed with H3K4me3 or H3s10P histone modifications revealed the presence of a specific EpiC-dependent pattern in c-Kit, MDR-1, and Nkx2.5 promoter regions, possibly contributing to their modified expression. Taken together, these data indicate that CStC may be epigenetically reprogrammed to acquire molecular and biological properties associated with competent cardiovascular precursors