Characteristics of methane destruction using a pulsed corona discharge at atmospheric pressure

Abstract Experiments are performed to improve a pulsed corona discharge system for methane destruction at atmospheric pressure. The corona discharge is energized by 6-12 µs wide voltage pulses (0.3-7 kV) at a repetition frequency of 1.050 kHz. The characteristic of methane destruction is observed by a mass spectrometer. We have found that methane destruction depends on the parameters such as: pulse width, input pulse voltage, repetition frequency, discharge current and discharge time. The effects of argon gas on methane destruction were also observed. The structural geometry of the soot, resulting from discharge process, is observed by transmission electron microscope. The main aim of this study is to show that the discharge could help as for the production of hydrogen and carbon nanotubes

Restoration of E-cadherin expression by selective Cox-2 inhibition and the clinical relevance of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) accompanied by the downregulation of E-cadherin has been thought to promote metastasis. Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) is presumed to contribute to cancer progression through its multifaceted function, and recently its inverse relationship with E-cadherin was suggested. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether selective Cox-2 inhibitors restore the expression of E-cadherin in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells, and to examine the possible correlations of the expression levels of EMT-related molecules with clinicopathological factors in HNSCC. METHODS: We used quantitative real-time PCR to examine the effects of three selective Cox-2 inhibitors, i.e., celecoxib, NS-398, and SC-791 on the gene expressions of E-cadherin (CDH-1) and its transcriptional repressors (SIP1, Snail, Twist) in the human HNSCC cell lines HSC-2 and HSC-4. To evaluate the changes in E-cadherin expression on the cell surface, we used a flowcytometer and immunofluorescent staining in addition to Western blotting. We evaluated and statistically analyzed the clinicopathological factors and mRNA expressions of Cox-2, CDH-1 and its repressors in surgical specimens of 40 patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). RESULTS: The selective Cox-2 inhibitors upregulated the E-cadherin expression on the cell surface of the HNSCC cells through the downregulation of its transcriptional repressors. The extent of this effect depended on the baseline expression levels of both E-cadherin and Cox-2 in each cell line. A univariate analysis showed that higher Cox-2 mRNA expression (p = 0.037), lower CDH-1 mRNA expression (p = 0.020), and advanced T-classification (p = 0.036) were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis in TSCC. A multivariate logistic regression revealed that lower CDH-1 mRNA expression was the independent risk factor affecting lymph node metastasis (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the appropriately selective administration of certain Cox-2 inhibitors may have an anti-metastatic effect through suppression of the EMT by restoring E-cadherin expression. In addition, the downregulation of CDH-1 resulting from the EMT may be closely involved in lymph node metastasis in TSCC

Transformed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma from marginal zone lymphoma in the anterior mediastinum: A case report and review of the literature

Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) arising from the anterior mediastinum is rare. In the majority of reported cases, the tumor was incidentally discovered, reflecting its indolent clinical features. We present a 38-year-old woman who had no medical history, and presented with a bulky anterior mediastinal tumor complicated by life-threatening compression of the vasculature and bronchi. Biopsy specimens of the neoplasm suggested transformed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) from MZL. To our best knowledge, this is the first case report of anterior mediastinum MZL associated with an aggressive clinical course and life-threatening complications likely due to transformation to DLBCL

An open-label, phase 1 study evaluating safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of linifanib (ABT-869) in Japanese patients with solid tumors

PURPOSE: This phase 1 study assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of linifanib in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors. METHODS: Patients were assigned to one of four sequential cohorts (0.05, 0.10, 0.20, or 0.25 mg/kg) of oral, once-daily linifanib on a 21-day cycle. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed per common terminology criteria for adverse events v3.0; tumor responses were assessed by response evaluation criteria in solid tumors. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were enrolled. Eleven (61%) received ≥3 prior therapies. Dose-limiting toxicities were Grade 3 ALT increase (0.10 mg/kg linifanib) and Grade 1 T-wave inversion (0.25 mg/kg linifanib) requiring dose interruption for >7 days and discontinuation on day 29. The most common linifanib-related AE was hypertension. Other significant treatment-related AEs included proteinuria, fatigue, and palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia. Linifanib pharmacokinetics were dose-proportional across 0.10–0.25 mg/kg. Two patients (11.1%) had confirmed partial responses, 12 had a best response of stable disease (11 had stable disease for ≥12 weeks), and four patients were not evaluable due to incomplete data. Four patients (lung cancer, breast cancer, thymic cancer, sarcoma) have continued linifanib for ≥48 weeks (range, 48–96+ weeks). CONCLUSION: Linifanib was well tolerated with promising preliminary clinical activity in Japanese patients. Later-phase global studies examining linifanib efficacy will include Japanese patients

Proteomic Identification of Protein Targets for 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2 in Neuronal Plasma Membrane

15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) is one of factors contributed to the neurotoxicity of amyloid β (Aβ), a causative protein of Alzheimer's disease. Type 2 receptor for prostaglandin D2 (DP2) and peroxysome-proliferator activated receptorγ (PPARγ) are identified as the membrane receptor and the nuclear receptor for 15d-PGJ2, respectively. Previously, we reported that the cytotoxicity of 15d-PGJ2 was independent of DP2 and PPARγ, and suggested that 15d-PGJ2 induced apoptosis through the novel specific binding sites of 15d-PGJ2 different from DP2 and PPARγ. To relate the cytotoxicity of 15d-PGJ2 to amyloidoses, we performed binding assay [3H]15d-PGJ2 and specified targets for 15d-PGJ2 associated with cytotoxicity. In the various cell lines, there was a close correlation between the susceptibilities to 15d-PGJ2 and fibrillar Aβ. Specific binding sites of [3H]15d-PGJ2 were detected in rat cortical neurons and human bronchial smooth muscle cells. When the binding assay was performed in subcellular fractions of neurons, the specific binding sites of [3H]15d-PGJ2 were detected in plasma membrane, nuclear and cytosol, but not in microsome. A proteomic approach was used to identify protein targets for 15d-PGJ2 in the plasma membrane. By using biotinylated 15d-PGJ2, eleven proteins were identified as biotin-positive spots and classified into three different functional proteins: glycolytic enzymes (Enolase2, pyruvate kinase M1 (PKM1) and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)), molecular chaperones (heat shock protein 8 and T-complex protein 1 subunit α), cytoskeletal proteins (Actin β, F-actin-capping protein, Tubulin β and Internexin α). GAPDH, PKM1 and Tubulin β are Aβ-interacting proteins. Thus, the present study suggested that 15d-PGJ2 plays an important role in amyloidoses not only in the central nervous system but also in the peripheral tissues

Kansai University Library 100th anniversary

目次 【序文】記念誌の刊行にあたって（図書館長　内田慶市）図書館創設100周年によせて（学長　楠見晴重）記念誌の編集について【第1部　この20年を振り返って】高槻図書室開館（広瀬雅子）…3阪神・淡路大震災（高橋真澄）…8図書館システムの変遷（徳岡久実・濱生快彦）…12図書館ビジョン7項目の制定（濱生快彦）…20図書館におけるアウトソーシング（高橋真澄）…26電子展示（濱生快彦）…36市民利用開始（広瀬雅子）…41図書館ウェブサイト（濱生快彦）…442010プロジェクトによる新図書館（高橋真澄・田中恵美）…48図書館リニューアル工事（新谷大二郎）…60図書館の現在と未来（堀口和弘）…68【第2部　図書館に想う】関西大学図書館創設100周年に寄せて（市川訓敏）…79図書館の思い出、図書館への思い（北川勝彦）…85図書館在職時の思い出（柴田真一）…91数々の貴重書（田中登）…95関西大学図書館100周年にあたって : 私の夢想する図書館（内田慶市）…100【第3部　図書館の文庫・コレクション】文庫・コレクションの紹介（鵜飼香織）…111【第4部　資料編】図書館年譜（明治19.3 ～平成26.7）…119サービスに係る統計（総合図書館）…146サービスに係る統計（高槻図書室・ミューズ大学図書館・堺キャンパス図書館）…148蔵書数の推移…149図書費執行額の推移…150展示一覧…152他大学図書館との協定一覧…160【「図書館コラム」】新人時代の思い出（高松和美）…11エレベーターにまつわる話（吉田有輝）…19泣き別れたり、親子になったり（嶋田有理香）…35貴重なのは本だけ？貴重書担当のつぶやき（大上良樹）…40会長校のころ（金東瀅）…46『コアラ博士』にまつわるあれこれ（松本和剛）…57広報誌『KULione 』誕生秘話（白髪友賀）…59本と夢を運んだテレリフト（芝谷秀司）…66LOUIS VUITTON（加藤博之）…7