Aluminum Silicate Nanotube Coating of Siloxane-Poly(lactic acid)-Vaterite Composite Fibermats for Bone Regeneration

In our earlier work, a flexible fibermat consisting of a biodegradable composite with soluble silicate species, which has been reported to enhance bone formation, was prepared successfully using poly(L-lactic acid) and siloxane-containing calcium carbonate particles by electrospinning. The fibermat showed enhanced bone formation in an in vivo test. In the present work, to improve the hydrophilicity of skeletal fibers in a fibermat, they were coated with nanotubular aluminum silicate crystals, which have a hydrophilic surface that has excellent affinity to body fluids and a high surface area advantageous for pronounced protein adsorption. The nanotubes were coated easily on the fiber surface using an electrophoretic method. In a conventional contact angle test, a drop of water rapidly penetrated into the nanotube-coated fibermat. The culture test using murine osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1) showed that the cell attachment to the nanotube-coated fibermat at an early stage after seeding was enhanced in comparison with that to the noncoated one. This approach may provide a new method of improving the surface of polymer-based biomaterials

Uncoupling protein 3 attenuates generation of reactive oxygen species by interacting with thioredoxin 2 in the mitochondrial intermembrane space

Katsuya Hirasaka1*, Edward M Mills2, Shohei Kohno1, Tomoki Abe1, Chika Ikeda1, Tasuku Maeda1, Shigetada Kondo1, Ayako Maita1, Yuushi Okumura1 and Takeshi Nikawa1 Author Affiliations 1 Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan 2 Division of Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USAPoster presentation Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is primarily expressed in the inner membrane of skeletal muscle mitochondria. It has been proposed that UCP3 reduces production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage. However, the mechanisms by which UCP3 attenuates ROS production are not well understood. Here we report that UCP3 interacts with the non-processed form of thioredoxin 2 (Trx2), a redox protein that is localized in mitochondria, but not processed Trx2, which is involved in cellular responses to ROS. The hydrophilic sequences within the N-terminal tail of UCP3, which faces the intermembrane space, are necessary for binding to Trx2. In addition, Trx2 directly associated with UCP3 through a mitochondrial targeting signaling sequence, was processed in the intermembrane space, and thereby allowing redox reactions. A bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis demonstrated that the interaction of these proteins occurs in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Furthermore, increased UCP3 expression significantly attenuated ROS production in isolated mitochondrial without effects on membrane potential, however this effect is lost by Trx2 knock down. These results suggest that UCP3 binds to Trx2 in the mitochondrial intermembrane space and attenuates ROS production.Pharmac

Preparation and Rheological Characterization of Imogolite Hydrogels

Imogolite, one of the aluminium silicates, has a nanotube structure and has been known to form gel under alkaline condition. Imogolite nanotubes were synthesized in an acidic solution with various tube lengths by controlling the aging time from 1 d to 14 d. The length of the nanotubes grew from 100 nm to several μm as the aging time. Pure imogolite hydrogels were prepared by applying a salting-out method and centrifugation from its dispersed solutions with various tube lengths and solution pH. Imogolite hydrogel can be classified as the physically cross-linked one; the structure of the gel network is considered to be the entanglements and hydrogen bonding among nanotubes. The theoretical water contents of the prepared hydrogels were calculated as ∼99.7% in average. Gelation percentage significantly increased as the length of imogolite nanotubes. Whereas hydrogel prepared from 4 d aging sample showed the highest storage modulus of ∼970 Pa, it was found that the hydrogel could be prepared in the pH range from 6 to 10. The gel strength reached the highest value of 1000 Pa when the gel was prepared from the imogolite dispersed solution of pH 8. It could be explained by the surface charge variation of the imogolite

Direct observation of the washboard noise of a driven vortex lattice in a high-temperature superconductor, Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy

We studied the conduction noise spectrum in the vortex state of a high-temperature superconductor, Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy, subject to a uniform driving force. Two characteristic features, a broadband noise (BBN) and a narrow-band noise (NBN), were observed in the vortex-solid phase. The origin of the large BBN was determined to be plastic motion of the vortices, whereas the NBN was found to originate from the washboard modulation of the translational velocity of the driven vortices. We believe this to be the first observation ofComment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Physiological myocardial 18F-FDG uptake pattern in oncologic PET/CT: comparison with findings in cardiac sarcoidosis

Objective(s): Physiological myocardial 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake in oncologic positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is commonly observed with multiple variations under clinical fasting conditions. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate physiological myocardial 18F-FDG uptake pattern by comparing with the results in cardiac sarcoidosis.Methods: A total of 174 examinations in 174 patients without cardiac disease and 27 examinations in 17 patients with cardiac sarcoidosis were performed. The polar map images generated from 18F-FDG PET/CT data were visually assessed as “basal-ring,” “focal,” and “focal on diffuse” patterns. Semi-quantitative analysis was also performed using the regional relative 18F-FDG uptake (% uptake).Results: On visual analysis, the “focal on diffuse” pattern was the most common in both examinations (43% and 59%, respectively). The physiological % uptake in the lateral and basal septal walls tended to be higher. Subgroup analysis showed significantly higher uptake in the mid-wall and left circumflex territory. In cardiac sarcoidosis patients, there was a significant difference only between segments 2 and 15 (p=0.04). No significant differences were observed between the base-mid-apical territory and coronary artery branch territory.Conclusion: High 18F-FDG uptake in the basal septal walls is likely to be observed as both physiological uptake in patients without cardiac disease and pathological uptake in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis

Multicentre multiobserver study of diffusion-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease: a reliability and agreement study

Objectives: To assess the utility of the display standardisation of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and to compare the effectiveness of DWI and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). Design: A reliability and agreement study. Setting: Thirteen MRI observers comprising eight neurologists and five radiologists at two universities in Japan. Participants: Data of 1.5-Tesla DWI and FLAIR were obtained from 29 patients with sCJD and 13 controls. Outcome measures: Standardisation of DWI display was performed utilising b0 imaging. The observers participated in standardised DWI, variable DWI (the display adjustment was observer dependent) and FLAIR sessions. The observers independently assessed each MRI for CJD-related lesions, that is, hyperintensity in the cerebral cortex or striatum, using a continuous rating scale. Performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). Results: The mean AUC values were 0.84 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.87) for standardised DWI, 0.85 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.88) for variable DWI and 0.68 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.72) for FLAIR, demonstrating the superiority of DWI (p<0.05). There was a trend for higher intraclass correlations of standardised DWI (0.74, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.83) and variable DWI (0.72, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.81) than that of FLAIR (0.63, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.74), although the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Standardised DWI is as reliable as variable DWI, and the two DWI displays are superior to FLAIR for the diagnosis of sCJD. The authors propose that hyperintensity in the cerebral cortex or striatum on 1.5-Tesla DWI but not FLAIR can be a reliable diagnostic marker for sCJD

Reliability of DWI and FLAIR for diagnosis of sporadic CJD

Objectives: To assess the utility of the display standardisation of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and to compare the effectiveness of DWI and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldte–Jakob disease (sCJD). Design: A reliability and agreement study. Setting: Thirteen MRI observers comprising eight neurologists and five radiologists at two universities in Japan. Participants: Data of 1.5-Tesla DWI and FLAIR were obtained from 29 patients with sCJD and 13 controls. Outcome measures: Standardisation of DWI display was performed utilising b0 imaging. The observers participated in standardised DWI, variable DWI (the display adjustment was observer dependent) and FLAIR sessions. The observers independently assessed each MRI for CJD-related lesions, that is, hyperintensity in the cerebral cortex or striatum, using a continuous rating scale. Performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). Results: The mean AUC values were 0.84 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.87) for standardised DWI, 0.85 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.88) for variable DWI and 0.68 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.72) for FLAIR, demonstrating the superiority of DWI (p<0.05). There was a trend for higher intraclass correlations of standardised DWI (0.74, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.83) and variable DWI (0.72, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.81) than that of FLAIR (0.63, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.74), although the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Standardised DWI is as reliable as variable DWI, and the two DWI displays are superior to FLAIR for the diagnosis of sCJD. The authors propose that hyperintensity in the cerebral cortex or striatum on 1.5-Tesla DWI but not FLAIR can be a reliable diagnostic marker for sCJD

A novel PI3K inhibitor iMDK suppresses non-small cell lung Cancer cooperatively with A MEK inhibitor

The PI3K–AKT pathway is expected to be a therapeutic target for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. We previously reported that a novel PI3K inhibitor iMDK suppressed NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo without harming normal cells and mice. Unexpectedly, iMDK activated the MAPK pathway, including ERK, in the NSCLC cells. Since iMDK did not eradicate such NSCLC cells completely, it is possible that the activated MAPK pathway confers resistance to the NSCLC cells against cell death induced by iMDK. In the present study, we assessed whether suppressing of iMDK-mediated activation of the MAPK pathway would enhance anti-tumorigenic activity of iMDK. PD0325901, a MAPK inhibitor, suppressed the MAPK pathway induced by iMDK and cooperatively inhibited cell viability and colony formation of NSCLC cells by inducing apoptosis in vitro. HUVEC tube formation, representing angiogenic processes in vitro, was also cooperatively inhibited by the combinatorial treatment of iMDK and PD0325901. The combinatorial treatment of iMDK with PD0325901 cooperatively suppressed tumor growth and tumor-associated angiogenesis in a lung cancer xenograft model in vivo. Here, we demonstrate a novel treatment strategy using iMDK and PD0325901 to eradicate NSCLC

Low-grade B-cell lymphoma presenting primarily in the bone marrow

Cases of low-grade B-cell lymphoma presenting primarily in the bone marrow are rare, and its clinicopathology remains unclear. We retrospectively examined patients with low-grade B-cell lymphoma presenting primarily in the bone marrow. Fourteen patients met the inclusion criteria, including 5 with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL), 3 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, 2 with follicular lymphoma (FL), and 4 with low-grade B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (LGBCL-NOS). The median age was 69.5 years (range, 42-89 years), and a slight male predominance was noted (9 men and 5 women, 1.8: 1). Immunohistochemically, all cases were positive for CD20. One case was positive for CD138. Both cases of FL were positive for CD10 and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), and immunoglobulin heavy locus (IgH)/B-cell lymphoma 2 rearrangement was observed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The myeloid differentiation primary response gene (88) leucine to proline mutation was observed in 3 of 5 LPL, 1 of 2 FL, and 2 of 4 LGBCL-NOS patients. Paraproteinemia was observed in 10 patients; IgM and IgG paraproteinemia were observed in 6 and 3 patients, respectively. In this patient series, 3 patients had died at a median follow-up of 36.5 months; the cause of death of 1 LPL patient was malignant lymphoma itself. Thus, low-grade B-cell lymphoma presenting primarily in the bone marrow has various subtypes, and approximately one-third of the patients had LGBCL-NOS. The immunophenotypic features and myeloid differentiation primary response gene (88) leucine to proline mutation data of LGBCL-NOS suggested that some cases present with characteristics similar to those of LPL or marginal zone lymphoma

The electronic state of vortices in YBa2Cu3Oy investigated by complex surface impedance measurement

The electromagnetic response to microwaves in the mixed state of YBa2Cu3Oy(YBCO) was measured in order to investigate the electronic state inside and outside the vortex core. The magnetic-field dependence of the complex surface impedance at low temperatures was in good agreement with a general vortex dynamics description assuming that the field-independent viscous damping force and the linear restoring force were acting on the vortices. In other words, both real and imaginary parts of the complex resistivity, \rho_1, and \rho_2, were linear in B. This is explained by theories for d-wave superconductors. Using analysis based on the Coffey-Clem description of the complex penetration depth, we estimated that the vortex viscosity \eta at 10 K was (4 \sim 5) \times 10^{-7} Ns/m^2. This value corresponds to \omega_0 \tau \sim 0.3 - 0.5, where \omega_0 and \tau are the minimal gap frequency and the quasiparticle lifetime in the vortex core, respectively. These results suggest that the vortex core in YBCO is in the moderately clean regime. Investigation of the moderately clean vortex core in high-temperature superconductors is significant because physically new effects may be expected due to d-wave characteristics and to the quantum nature of cuprate superconductors. The behavior of Z_s as a function of B across the first order transition (FOT) of the vortex lattice was also investigated. Unlike Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy (BSCCO), no distinct anomaly was observed around the FOT in YBCO. Our results suggest that the rapid increase of X_s due to the change of superfluid density at the FOT would be observed only in highly anisotropic two-dimensional vortex systems like BSCCO. We discuss these results in terms of the difference of the interlayer coupling and the energy scale between the two materials.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. B, one reference adde