BALNEOLOGICAL STUDIES USING RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES (3)

By using labelled sodium sulfate or calcium sulfate (sulfate containing S(35)) the transition of sulfate ion into the body across the skin was investigated soon after taking a bath in sodium sulfate or calcium sulfate solution under varing conditions. Mice were used for experiments. The percutaneous absorption of sulfate ion proved to decrease gradually in the course of serial baths in sodium sulfate solntion and was accelerated by making a fresh burn on the skin of the bathed animals, but it showed a tendency to decrease as the wound became more and more healed. The application of basic dye to the skin (e.g. 1% methylenblue or 1% fuchsin solution) increased the transition of sulfate ion into the test animal. Little difference was proved between the bath in sodium sulfate and calcium sulfate solution with respect to the penetration of sulfate ion. Passage of sulfate ion from the bath water through the skin was a little promoted by the use of sodium sulfate solution than by the use of calcium sulfate solution

How will the combining of the elevation of rail lines with urban redevelopment reduce the north–south (east–west) disparity in the city? A case study of Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe conurbation, Japan

Aoki T., Yoshida H., Yokota T., et al. How will the combining of the elevation of rail lines with urban redevelopment reduce the north–south (east–west) disparity in the city? A case study of Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe conurbation, Japan. Research in Transportation Business and Management 56, 101149 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2024.101149.Railroads are generally the primary public transportation system connecting the region. However, when a railway crosses a city, it divides it into north-south (east-west), creating the front and rear sides of the city. In Japan, grade separation projects elevate the existing railway lines. The primary purpose is to relieve traffic congestion caused by railroad crossings. However, integrating the north–south axis has also been highlighted. In addition, creating a new centrality to station spheres in mature cities will be an essential guideline for the future formation of an urban structure centered on station spheres by transit-oriented development. This study focused on 12 cases in which an elevated railway line in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe conurbation of Japan was combined with an urban redevelopment project. We investigated changes in land use and land prices in the surrounding area. The study results confirmed that the disparity between the front and rear sides tended to shrink. In addition, based on the station's characteristics and area to be redeveloped, a policy for more effective integrated redevelopment and elevation projects was identified. The findings of this study will assist in reorganizing cities into a more sustainable urban structure by eliminating urban fragmentation centered on railway stations

Analysis of A-Type and B-Type Highly Polymeric Proanthocyanidins and Their Biological Activities as Nutraceuticals

Proanthocyanidins have a series of heteroflavan-3-ols, (+)-catechin/(−)-epicatechin units, which are linked through a single B-type linkage and a doubly linked A-type linkage. Recently, we have performed the structural characterization of seed shells of the Japanese horse chestnut and fruits of blueberry and cranberry. The molecular sizes of them were higher in the order of blueberry > cranberry > seed shells of the Japanese horse chestnut between the respective fractions. For the analysis of terminal and extension units in those proanthocyanidins, the isolated fractions were subjected to the thiolytic cleavage of the B-type linkages using 1-dodecanethiol, and the resulting degradation products were identified by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. These analyses provided fast and good resolution of the degradation products and revealed higher proportions of A-type linkages compared with B-type linkages in both isolated fractions in the order of the seed shells > cranberry > blueberry. Moreover, the isolated fractions with higher molecular sizes and those more abundant in the proportions of A-type linkages were found to be more effective in the inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity. The results suggest that A-type highly polymeric proanthocyanidins are promising for the attenuation of lipid digestion as dietary supplements

Characterization of the novel protein P9TLDR (temporal lobe down-regulated) with a brain-site-specific gene expression modality in Alzheimer’s disease brain

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is an aging-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by irreversible loss of higher cognitive functions. The disease is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). In the current study we isolated from an intra-cerebral brain-site-specific (AD temporal lobe vs. AD occipital lobe) polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-select cDNA suppression subtractive hybridization (PCR-cDNA-SSH) expression analysis the novel gene P9TLDR, potentially a microtubule-associated protein involved in neuronal migration, with an altered expression pattern: down-regulated in the temporal lobe cortex of early stage AD brains. In an in vitro AD-related cell model, amyloid-β peptide (Aβ)-treated neurons, reduced P9TLDR expression correlated with increased tau protein phosphorylation. In conclusion, interference with the P9TLDR signalling pathways might be a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AD