Complete Response of Advanced Invasive Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Lung with Gemcitabine and Pemetrexed

Article信州医学雑誌 64(2): 79-83(2015)journal articl

Outcomes of Surgically Treated Pneumothorax in Patients with Interstitial Pneumonia

Article信州医学雑誌 65(3): 163-170(2017)journal articl

Development of highly efficient sulfur-doped TiO2 photocatalysts hybridized with graphitic carbon nitride

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has attracted much attention as a metal-free semiconductor having visible-light absorption and relatively high chemical stability. In the present study, we hybridized g-C3N4 with sulfur-doped TiO2, which is a visible light-responsive photocatalyst with high oxidation ability, in order to improve photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation. Hybrid photocatalysts were prepared by three methods: agate mortar, sonication, and planetary mill. Activities of the hybrid photocatalysts depended on the mixing method. The sample prepared by a planetary mill showed the highest photocatalytic activity, 4-times higher than that of sulfur-doped TiO2. We concluded that the high activity of the hybridized sample under visible-light irradiation is induced by charge transfer between the two photocatalysts mimicking the Z-scheme in photosynthesis

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) inhibits monocyte–endothelial cell interaction by regulating of RhoA activity

AbstractRecent studies suggest that sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) protects against atherosclerosis. We assessed the effects of S1P on monocyte–endothelial interaction in the presence of inflammatory mediators. Pretreatment of THP-1 cells with S1P abolished Phorbol 12 myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced THP-1 cell adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). S1P inhibited PMA-induced activation of RhoA, but not PKCs. S1P activated p190Rho GTPase activation protein (GAP) only in the presence of PMA, suggesting an inhibitory effect of S1P and PMA to suppress RhoA. In conclusion, S1P inhibited monocyte–endothelial interactions by inhibiting RhoA activity which may explain its anti-atherogenic effects

Nondestructive characterization of Antarctic micrometeorites collected at the Dome Fuji Station by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis

The bulk trace element composition (Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Ni Cu, Zn, Ge, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Mo) of eighty-three Antarctic micrometeorites was nondestructively analyzed using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis (SR-XRF), and these elements were characterized in terms of their abundance ratio relative to Murchison matrix composition. The relationship between heating history and chemical composition is also examined. We found a complementary relationship among I-type, S-type and unmelted AMMs in the micrometeorites\u27 elemental abundance, which is consistent with the hypothesis that I-type and S-type spherules were separated from chondritic meteoroids

Cell-surface display engineering of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae for hemicellulosic-to-ethanol consolidated bioprocesses

The utilization of lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuels and commodity chemicals has appeared as a solution to alleviate the envisioned depletion of fossil resources. Nevertheless, the attainment of economically viable lignocellulosic-based processes requires an effective utilization of the hemicellulosic fraction, which may comprise up to 40% of the total biomass[1]. This represents a major bottleneck, mainly due to the requirement of chemical/enzymatic treatments for the hydrolysis of hemicellulose into fermentable sugars, and the fact that hemicellulose is mainly composed of xylose, a sugar that is not readily consumed by Saccharomyces cerevisiaethe most used organism in industrial biotechnology. In this context, consolidated bioprocessing, which combines saccharolytic and fermentative abilities in a single microorganism/consortium, appears as a solution to decrease environmental and economic costs in lignocellulosic biorefineries. Therefore, in this work, hemicellulolytic enzymes were displayed on the cell surface of robust industrial S. cerevisiae strains with advantageous traits (e.g. thermotolerance and inhibitor tolerance). These strains were also engineered for xylose consumption with both the isomerase and the oxidoreductase pathways, which was previously optimized for fermentation of inhibitor-containing hydrolysates[2]. The combination of these modifications allowed the direct production of 11.1 g/L of ethanol from non-detoxified hemicellulosic liquor obtained by hydrothermal pretreatment of corn cob, representing an ethanol yield of 0.327 g/g of potential xylose/glucose. To the extent of our knowledge, this is the highest ethanol concentration reported from direct conversion of a lignocellulosic-derived hemicellulose by S. cerevisiae without the addition of external hydrolytic catalysts. Additionally, the cell-surface display of hemicellulases presented a fermentative advantage in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of corn cob hemicellulosic fraction, greatly decreasing the necessity for commercial enzymes. These results prove the value of industrial S. cerevisiae strains as hosts for the construction of whole-cell biocatalysts for hemicellulosic-based processes, without the need for expensive exogenous enzymes, chemical catalysts or laborious detoxification steps.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and COMPETE2020(POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684). MIT-Portugal Program (Ph.D. Grant PD/BD/128247/2016 to Joana T. Cunha). BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145- FEDER000004) funded by European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020— Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and MultiBiorefinery project (POCI-01–0145-FEDER-016403).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio