Infrared spectroscopy characterization of normal and lung cancer cells originated from epithelium

The vibrational spectral differences of normal and lung cancer cells were studied for the development of effective cancer cell screening by means of attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy. The phosphate monoester symmetric stretching νs(PO32-) band intensity at ~970 cm-1 and the phosphodiester symmetric stretching νs(PO2-) band intensity at ~1,085 cm-1 in nucleic acids and phospholipids appeared to be significantly strengthened in lung cancer cells with respect to the other vibrational bands compared to normal cells. This finding suggests that more extensive phosphorylation occur in cancer cells. These results demonstrate that lung cancer cells may be prescreened using infrared spectroscopy tools

Role of Inn1 and its interactions with Hof1 and Cyk3 in promoting cleavage furrow and septum formation in S. cerevisiae

Cytokinesis requires coordination of actomyosin ring (AMR) contraction with rearrangements of the plasma membrane and extracellular matrix. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, new membrane, the chitin synthase Chs2 (which forms the primary septum [PS]), and the protein Inn1 are all delivered to the division site upon mitotic exit even when the AMR is absent. Inn1 is essential for PS formation but not for Chs2 localization. The Inn1 C-terminal region is necessary for localization, and distinct PXXP motifs in this region mediate functionally important interactions with SH3 domains in the cytokinesis proteins Hof1 (an F-BAR protein) and Cyk3 (whose overexpression can restore PS formation in inn1Δ cells). The Inn1 N terminus resembles C2 domains but does not appear to bind phospholipids; nonetheless, when overexpressed or fused to Hof1, it can provide Inn1 function even in the absence of the AMR. Thus, Inn1 and Cyk3 appear to cooperate in activating Chs2 for PS formation, which allows coordination of AMR contraction with ingression of the cleavage furrow

Effects of tele-rehabilitation mental practice on balancing performance of patients with hemiplegia

Study aim: The purpose of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of tele-rehabilitation mental practice (TRMP) on balanc­ing performance for patients with hemiplegia. Material and methods: This study included five stroke patients, and all participants were trained to help to recover balancing performance. TRMP was applied for a total of 15 training sessions for 3 weeks, and pre- and post-intervention evaluations were carried out during this study. The Berg Balance Scale was used to confirm the balance ability, the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale to confirm the falls efficacy, and the Wii program to confirm the right and left weight distribution ratio. Results: As a result of this study, we could not confirm a significant difference between pre- and post-intervention balance ca­pacity and fall efficacy. However, weight distribution showed a significant difference after the intervention. Conclusion: TRMP may be applied in novel balance training for stroke patients

Inactivation of Mitotic Kinase Triggers Translocation of MEN Components to Mother-Daughter Neck in Yeast

Chromosome segregation, mitotic exit, and cytokinesis are executed in this order during mitosis. Although a scheme coordinating sister chromatid separation and initiation of mitotic exit has been proposed, the mechanism that temporally links the onset of cytokinesis to mitotic exit is not known. Exit from mitosis is regulated by the mitotic exit network (MEN), which includes a GTPase (Tem1) and various kinases (Cdc15, Cdc5, Dbf2, and Dbf20). Here, we show that Dbf2 and Dbf20 functions are necessary for the execution of cytokinesis. Relocalization of these proteins from spindle pole bodies to mother daughter neck seems to be necessary for this role because cdc15-2 mutant cells, though capable of exiting mitosis at semipermissive temperature, are unable to localize Dbf2 (and Dbf20) to the “neck” and fail to undergo cytokinesis. These cells can assemble and constrict the actomyosin ring normally but are incapable of forming a septum, suggesting that MEN components are critical for the initiation of septum formation. Interestingly, the spindle pole body to neck translocation of Dbf2 and Dbf20 is triggered by the inactivation of mitotic kinase. The requirement of kinase inactivation for translocation of MEN components to the division site thus provides a mechanism that renders mitotic exit a prerequisite for cytokinesis

Experimental Evaluation of the Ability of an Auxiliary Heating Device to Reduce the Condensation Risk around Built-in Wardrobes of Apartment Buildings in Winter

Recently, there has been an increase in the condensation and mould problems of apartment buildings in Korea owing to the high insulation and high air-tightness performance of buildings, which increase energy savings. Condensation is generally found in winter on furniture back panels and adjacent surfaces of the wall, floor, and ceiling. These problems are related to the weather conditions and indoor room conditions in winter. To solve these problems, an auxiliary heating device that can be installed was developed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate condensation risk in the condensation vulnerable areas around built-in furniture of apartment buildings by installing an auxiliary heating device. The experimental results reveal that condensation risk can be reduced by comparing the thermal environment around the built-in furniture with and without installation of an auxiliary heating device in winter. Furthermore, they reveal that it is possible to increase the surface temperature of vulnerable areas around built-in wardrobe by applying an auxiliary heating device to minimize condensation problems by using a minimum device

A silyliumylidene cation stabilized by an amidinate ligand and 4-dimethylaminopyridine

The synthesis and reactivity of a silyliumylidene cation stabilized by an amidinate ligand and 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) are described. The reaction of the amidinate silicon(I) dimer [LSi:]2 (1; L=PhC(NtBu)2) with one equivalent of N-trimethylsilyl-4-dimethylaminopyridinium triflate [4-NMe2C5H4NSiMe3]OTf and two equivalents of DMAP in THF afforded [LSi(DMAP)]OTf (2). The ambiphilic character of 2 is demonstrated from its reactivity. Treatment of 2 with 1 in THF afforded the disilylenylsilylium triflate [L′2(L)Si]OTf (3; L′=LSi:) with the displacement of DMAP. The reaction of 2 with [K{HB(iBu)3}] and elemental sulfur in THF afforded the silylsilylene [LSiSi(H){(NtBu)2C(H)Ph}] (4) and the base-stabilized silanethionium triflate [LSi(S)DMAP]OTf (5), respectively. Compounds 2, 3, and 5 have been characterized by X-ray crystallography

Characteristics of Deep Groundwater Flow and Temperature in the Tertiary Pohang Area, South Korea

The geothermal characteristics of specific areas on Earth can be identified using geophysical and lithological logs based on deep boreholes, such as those more than 1000 m in depth. Based on the combined analyses of geophysical logs (temperature, caliper, electrical conductivity (EC), and natural gamma-ray logs) and lithological logs, as well as 1D steady-state heat transfer model, the deep groundwater flow and temperature were characterized in four deep boreholes (BH-1–BH-4) roughly 2000 m deep in the area of Heunghae-eup, Pohang, South Korea. The estimated thermal gradients from the temperature profiles are as follows: 22.37–30.77 °C/km for BH-1, 35.67–64.52 °C/km for BH-2, 40.85–46.44 °C/km for BH-3, and 33.33–35.71 °C/km for BH-4. According to the geophysical logs and lithology profiles, the groundwater mainly flows into and out of the boreholes through the basic dyke, rhyolite, and sandstone/mudstone. Evidently, the groundwater flows moving through the fractures and faults induce nonlinear temperature changes. The upward and downward groundwater flows passing through fractures and faults can be estimated using a 1D steady-state heat-transfer equation, by considering a fracture angle based on the lithological and geophysical profiles. To determine the direction (up/down) and rate of groundwater flow, the values for the parameter β were estimated as follows: −1.95 to 5.40 for BH-1, −13.48 to 4.87 for BH-2, −1.76 for BH-3, and −3.39 to 14.15 for BH-4

Enhancement of the field-effect mobility of poly(3-hexylthiophene)/functionalized carbon nanotube hybrid transistors

With the aim of enhancing the field-effect mobility of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) field-effect transistors (FETs), we added functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to the P3HT solution prior to film formation. The nanotubes were found to be homogeneously dispersed in the P3HT films because of their functional groups. We found that at the appropriate CNT concentration (up to 10 wt% CNT), the P3HT FETs have a high field-effect mobility of 0.04 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is an improvement by a factor of more than 10. This remarkable increase in the field-effect mobility over that of the pristine P3HT film is due to the high conductivity of the CNTs which act as conducting bridges between the crystalline regions of the P3HT film, and the reduction in the hole-injection barrier due to the low work function of CNTs, which results in more efficient carrier injection.close353