Pentoxifylline Attenuates Methionine- and Choline-Deficient-Diet-Induced Steatohepatitis by Suppressing TNF- α

Background. Pentoxifylline (PTX) anti-TNF properties are known to exert hepatoprotective effects in various liver injury models. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PTX has beneficial roles in the development of methionine- and choline-deficient-(MCD-) diet-induced NAFLD SD rats in vivo and TNF-α-induced Hep3B cells in vitro. Methods. SD Rats were classified according to diet (chow or MCD diet) and treatment (normal saline or PTX injection) over a period of 4 weeks: group I (chow + saline, n=4), group II (chow + PTX), group III (MCD + saline), and group IV (MCD + PTX). Hep3B cells were treated with 100 ng/ml TNF-α (24 h) in the absence or presence of PTX (1 mM). Results. PTX attenuated MCD-diet-induced serum ALT levels and hepatic steatosis. In real-time PCR and western blotting analysis, PTX decreased MCD-diet-induced TNF-alpha mRNA expression and proapoptotic unfolded protein response by ER stress (GRP78, p-eIF2, ATF4, IRE1α, CHOP, and p-JNK activation) in vivo. PTX (1 mM) reduced TNF-α-induced activation of GRP78, p-eIF2, ATF4, IRE1α, and CHOP in vitro. Conclusion. PTX has beneficial roles in the development of MCD-diet-induced steatohepatitis through partial suppression of TNF-α and ER stress

Phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity of water and sediment of urban stream in bioassay with Lactuca sativa

The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal influence of the phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity of water and sediment of urban stream on the germination and initial growth of Lactuca sativa. Samples were collected from water and sediment at five sites of the Pântano Stream (Alfenas, Minas Gerais) during the period from October 2010 to July 2011. The concentrations of the metals Cd, Pb and Zn were quantified. Moreover, phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity were tested with samples of water and aqueous extracts of sediments. The evaluated end points were the germination rate, root length, fresh and dry weight, mitotic index and frequency of chromosomal abnormalities. Higher levels of Cd and Pb were verified in water samples collected during the rainy months. Water and sediment showed phytotoxic effect on germination, fresh weight and dry weight of Lactuca sativa. Root length was stimulated and only samples of water reduced the mitotic index. Significant temporal variation related to rainfall was observed only for phytotoxicity tests.Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar a influência espacial e temporal da fitotoxicidade e da citogenotoxicidade da água e do sedimento de córrego urbano quanto às características germinativas e de crescimento inicial de Lactuca sativa. Amostras de água e de sedimento foram coletadas em 5 pontos do Córrego do Pântano (Alfenas, Minas Gerais), no período de outubro de 2010 a julho de 2011 e as concentrações dos metais Cd, Pb e Zn foram quantificadas. Os ensaios de fitotoxicidade e de citogenotoxicidade foram realizados com as amostras de água e extratos aquosos dos sedimentos. Os parâmetros avaliados foram taxa de germinação, comprimento de raízes, biomassa fresca e seca, índice mitótico e a frequência de anormalidades cromossômicas. Constataram-se maiores concentrações de Cd e Pb nas amostras de água coletadas nos meses com a ocorrência de precipitações pluviométricas. Água e sedimento apresentaram efeito fitotóxico sobre germinação, biomassa fresca e seca de Lactuca sativa. O comprimento de raízes foi estimulado e apenas as amostras de água reduziram o índice mitótico. Evidenciou-se, também, variação temporal significativa relacionada com o regime pluviométrico apenas para o teste de fitotoxicidade.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)UNIFAL Instituto de Ciências da NaturezaUNIFAL Instituto de Ciências ExatasUNIFESPUNIFESPSciEL

Fixed Drug Eruption due to Iopromide (Ultravist®)

A 69-year-old male presented with several painful erythematous patches on both palms and trunk several days after receiving iopromide (Ultravist®, Shering, Berlin, Germany). A fixed drug eruption (FDE) due to iopromide was suspected clinically. However, at that time, the patch test with iopromide at the lesion site gave negative results. Three years later, the patient was mistakenly administered iopromide again and patches with vesicles recurred on the same sites as well as on the genitalia. This episode was repeated once again after 1 year. In all episodes, the skin lesion resolved after application of topical steroids. Although a patch test with iopromide was negative in our case, we made a diagnosis of FDE due to iopromide because the skin lesions occurred again at the previously involved area after re-exposure to iopromide. To date, only three cases of FDE caused by non-ionic monomers have been documented in the English literature. Herein, we report on an interesting case of FDE caused by iopromide

Wireless thin film transistor based on micro magnetic induction coupling antenna

A wireless thin film transistor (TFT) structure in which a source/drain or a gate is connected directly to a micro antenna to receive or transmit signals or power can be an important building block, acting as an electrical switch, a rectifier or an amplifier, for various electronics as well as microelectronics, since it allows simple connection with other devices, unlike conventional wire connections. An amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (α-IGZO) TFT with magnetic antenna structure was fabricated and studied for this purpose. To enhance the induction coupling efficiency while maintaining the same small antenna size, a magnetic core structure consisting of Ni and nanowires was formed under the antenna. With the micro-antenna connected to a source/drain or a gate of the TFT, working electrical signals were well controlled. The results demonstrated the device as an alternative solution to existing wire connections which cause a number of problems in various fields such as flexible/wearable devices, body implanted devices, micro/nano robots, and sensors for the 'internet of things' (IoT).1

Assignment of Reference 5’-end 16S rDNA Sequences and Species-Specific Sequence Polymorphisms Improves Species Identification of Nocardia

16S rDNA sequence analysis is the most accurate method for definitive species identification of nocardiae. However, conflicting results can be found due to sequence errors in gene databases. This study tested the feasibility of species identification of Nocardia by partial (5’-end 606-bp) 16S rDNA sequencing, based on sequence comparison with “reference” sequences of well-annotated strains. This new approach was evaluated using 96 American Type Culture Collection (n=6), and clinical (n=90) Nocardia isolates. Nucleotide sequence-based polymorphisms within species were indicative of “sequence types” for that species. Sequences were compared with those in the GenBank, Bioinformatics Bacteria Identification and Ribosomal Database Project databases. Compared with the reference sequence set, all 96 isolates were correctly identified using the criterion of ≥99% sequence similarity. Seventy-eight (81.3%) were speciated by database comparison; alignment with reference sequences resolved the identity of 14 (15%) isolates whose sequences yielded 100% similarity to sequences in GenBank under >1 species designation. Of 90 clinical isolates, the commonest species was Nocardia nova (33.3%) followed by Nocardia cyriacigeorgica (26.7%). Recently-described or uncommon species included Nocardia veterana (4.4%), Nocarida bejingensis (2.2%) and, Nocardia abscessus and Nocardia arthriditis (each n=1). Nocardia asteroides sensu stricto was rare (n=1). There were nine sequence types of N. nova, three of Nocardia brasiliensis with two each of N. cyriacigeorgica and Nocardia farcinica. Thirteen novel sequences were identified. Alignment of sequences with reference sequences facilitated species identification of Nocardia and allowed delineation of sequence types within species, suggesting that such a barcoding approach can be clinically useful for identification of bacteria

Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of YM155 for Inducing Selective Cell Death of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Despite great potential for regenerative medicine, the high tumorigenic potential of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to form undesirable teratoma is an important technical hurdle preventing safe cell therapy. Various small molecules that induce the complete elimination of undifferentiated hPSCs, referred to as “stemotoxics,” have been developed to facilitate tumor-free cell therapy, including the Survivin inhibitor YM155. In the present work, based on the chemical structure of YM155, total 26 analogs were synthesized and tested for stemotoxic activity toward human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced PSCs (iPSCs). We found that a hydrogen bond acceptor in the pyrazine ring of YM155 derivatives is critical for stemotoxic activity, which is completely lost in hESCs lacking SLC35F2, which encodes a solute carrier protein. These results suggest that hydrogen bonding interactions between the nitrogens of the pyrazine ring and the SLC35F2 protein are critical for entry of YM155 into hPSCs, and hence stemotoxic activity

Conical Ground Helical Antenna with Feed-Through Insulator for High-Power Microwave Applications

In this paper, a novel helical antenna for high-power microwave is proposed. The proposed antenna is intended to demonstrate improved power handling capacity without any deterioration in matching characteristics, gain, and axial ratio. The proposed antenna with a long helix structure is investigated in order to achieve high gain and a relatively wide impedance bandwidth. By increasing the distance between the helix and the ground plane, an improved power handling capacity is obtained, and the impedance matching problem caused by the proposed method is addressed with the use of a feed-through insulator. In addition, a conical-shaped ground is used to compensate for the gain reduction by increasing the distance between the helix and the ground plane. As a result, the proposed antenna exhibits a gain exceeding 11 dBi and an axial ratio of less than 2 dB within the frequency range of 0.86–1.09 GHz. In addition, its power handling capacity exceeds 50 MW for a 0.7-ns input pulse length in air conditions

AKAP12 Mediates Barrier Functions of Fibrotic Scars during CNS Repair

The repair process after CNS injury shows a well-organized cascade of three distinct stages: inflammation, new tissue formation, and remodeling. In the new tissue formation stage, various cells migrate and form the fibrotic scar surrounding the lesion site. The fibrotic scar is known as an obstacle for axonal regeneration in the remodeling stage. However, the role of the fibrotic scar in the new tissue formation stage remains largely unknown. We found that the number of A-kinase anchoring protein 12 (AKAP12)-positive cells in the fibrotic scar was increased over time, and the cells formed a structure which traps various immune cells. Furthermore, the AKAP12-positive cells strongly express junction proteins which enable the structure to function as a physical barrier. In in vivo validation, AKAP12 knock-out (KO) mice showed leakage from a lesion, resulting from an impaired structure with the loss of the junction complex. Consistently, focal brain injury in the AKAP12 KO mice led to extended inflammation and more severe tissue damage compared to the wild type (WT) mice. Accordingly, our results suggest that AKAP12-positive cells in the fibrotic scar may restrict excessive inflammation, demonstrating certain mechanisms that could underlie the beneficial actions of the fibrotic scar in the new tissue formation stage during the CNS repair process