Tunable Faraday rotation of ferromagnet thin film in whole visible region coupled with aluminum plasmonic arrays

To date, the plasmonic nanostructure utilized for magneto-optical (MO) enhancement has been limited to noble metals with resulted enhancement in the green-red part of visible spectrum. In this study, we fabricated a diffractive hexagonal array composed of Al nanoparticles (NPs) with a thin 7.5 nm ferromagnetic film and pushed the enhanced Faraday rotation (FR) into the blue to green range of the visible light. The freedom and ability to control the working spectral region in the whole visible range from 400 to 800 nm were also demonstrated by changing the lattice constant and the dielectric environment of plasmonic nanostructures. Particularly, in the blue range we obtained the maximum FR 0.57° at 410 nm with a broad boosting region around 0.5° from 400 to 500 nm. Moreover, the largest FR 1.66° was shown at 638 nm by tuning the dielectric environment into a higher refractive index medium. The results of our investigation demonstrate the potential of Al-based magnetoplasmonic effect and offer opportunities to push the MO spectral response out of visible range into the ultraviolet-blue range

Optical Responses of Localized and Extended Modes in a Mesoporous Layer on Plasmonic Array to Isopropanol Vapor

Mesoporous silica features open and accessible pores that can intake substances from the outside. The combination of mesoporous silica with plasmonic nanostructures represents an interesting platform for an optical sensor based on the dependence of plasmonic modes on the refractive index of the medium in which metallic nanoparticles are embedded. However, so far only a limited number of plasmonic nanostructures are combined with mesoporous silica, including random dispersion of metallic nanoparticles and fl at metallic thin fi lms. In this study, we make a mesoporous silica layer on an aluminum nanocylinder array. Such plasmonic arrangements support both localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) and extended modes which are the result of the hybridization of LSPRs and photonic modes extending into the mesoporous layer. We investigate in situ optical re fl ectance of this system under controlled pressure of isopropanol vapor. Upon exposure, the capillary condensation in the mesopores results in a gradual spectral shift of the re fl ectance. Our analysis demonstrates that such shifts depend largely on the nature of the modes; that is, the extended modes show larger shifts compared to localized ones. Our materials represent a useful platform for the fi eld of environmental sensingEspaña MINECO grant MAT2017-88584-R

Best Thermoelectric Efficiency of Ever-Explored Materials

A thermoelectric device is a heat engine that directly converts heat into electricity. Many materials with a high figure of merit ZT have been discovered in anticipation of a high thermoelectric efficiency. However, there has been a lack of investigations on efficiency-based material evaluation, and little is known about the achievable limit of thermoelectric efficiency. Here, we report the highest thermoelectric efficiency using 13,353 published materials. The thermoelectric device efficiencies of 808,610 configurations are calculated under various heat-source temperatures (T_h) when the cold-side temperature is 300 K, solving one-dimensional thermoelectric integral equations with temperature-dependent thermoelectric properties. For infinite-cascade devices, a thermoelectric efficiency larger than 33% (~1/3) is achievable when T_h exceeds 1400 K. For single-stage devices, the best efficiency of 17.1% (~1/6) is possible when T_h is 860 K. Leg segmentation can overcome this limit, delivering a very high efficiency of 24% (~1/4) when T_h is 1100 K.Comment: 32 pages (main+table+figure captions+figures), 7 additional pages for 6 high resolution figures, Supporting Data file is not public ye

Effects of Cinnamomi Cortex on the production of allergic and inflammatory mediators in RBL-2H3 and RAW264 cells

桂皮（ケイヒ）は日本薬局方に収載される生薬で，抗アレルギーや解熱鎮痛炎症薬とみなされる漢方処方に配剤される．我々はケイヒの抗アレルギー作用および抗炎症作用について調査し，活性成分の同定を行った．ケイヒを70%メタノールで抽出し（Cin70M），シリカゲルカラムクロマトグラフィー（CC）およびオクタデシルシリルCCを用いて成分を分離した．分離した画分はin vitroでの実験としてラット好塩基球性白血病細胞株（RBL-2H3）およびマウスマクロファージ細胞株（RAW264）を用い，それらが産生するサイトカインmRNAの発現率によって抗アレルギーおよび抗炎症活性を示す画分を明らかにした．また，抗アレルギー作用においては，RBL-2H3の脱顆粒率を測定するために細胞培養液中のβ - ヘキソサミニダーゼも測定した．Cin70Mとシンナムアルデヒド（CNMA）はRBL-2H3細胞における脱顆粒およびインターロイキンのmRNA発現を阻害した．CNMAは300μMで脱顆粒を抑制し，その抑制作用はポジティブコントロールとして用いたケトチフェンより僅かに強かった．同様にCin70MとCNMA はRAW264が産生した一酸化窒素（NO）および炎症性サイトカインmRNA発現を抑制した．特にNO産生についてはCNMA 100μMで10μMのデキサメタゾンと同等の抑制作用を示した．ケイヒの特徴である甘い味と芳香は明らかにした活性成分の一つであるCNMAに由来する．今回の結果から，アレルギー疾患や炎症性疾患の患者に対し，ケイヒを含む漢方薬が処方された際には甘い味と芳香が強いケイヒを選んだ方が良いことが示された．Cinnamomi Cortex (cinnamon bark) is a major crude drug. In Japan, it is used in Kampo medicine to treatallergic and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we examined the anti-allergic and anti-inflammatoryeffects of Cinnamomi Cortex and attempted to identify its active components. Cinnamomi Cortex wasextracted with 70% methanol (Cin70M) and separated into fractions via silica gel column chromatography(CC) or octadecylsilan (ODS) CC. In order to select fractions that have anti-allergic and anti-inflammatoryactivities, we evaluated the ability of the fractions to inhibit the expression of cytokine genes in vitro byusing a rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cell line and mouse macrophage (RAW264) cell line. Geneexpression levels were assessed in both cell lines by using semi-quantitative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the RBL-2H3 degranulation ratio was quantified via ???? -hexosaminidase assay. Cin70M and cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) inhibited degranulation and the mRNAexpression of interleukins in RBL-2H3 cells. CNMA inhibited degranulation at 300 ????M, and its inhibitoryeffects were slightly stronger than those of ketotifen which is a typical anti-allergic drug. In RAW264 cells,nitric oxide (NO) production and the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines were reduced byCin70M and CNMA. In the NO production assay, 100 ????M CNMA was found to significantly decrease NOproduction from activated RAW264 cells, and its activity was the same as that of 10 ????M dexamethasone.The taste and scent of Cinnamomi Cortex were both attributed to CNMA. The results of the presentstudy indicate that it is more beneficial for patients with allergic and/or inflammatory diseases to useCinnamomi Cortex with a strong taste and scent

Drug retention rates and relevant risk factors for drug discontinuation due to adverse events in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving anticytokine therapy with different target molecules

Objective: To compare reasons for discontinuation and drug retention rates per reason among anticytokine therapies, infliximab, etanercept and tocilizumab, and the risk of discontinuation of biological agents due to adverse events (AE) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method: This prospective cohort study included Japanese RA patients who started infliximab (n=412, 636.0 patientyears (PY)), etanercept (n=442, 765.3 PY), or tocilizumab (n=168, 206.5 PY) as the first biological therapy after their enrolment in the Registry of Japanese Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients for Long-term Safety (REAL) database. Drug retention rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. To compare risks of drug discontinuation due to AE for patients treated with these biological agents, the Cox proportional hazard model was applied. Results: The authors found significant differences among the three therapeutic groups in demography, clinical status, comorbidities and usage of concomitant drugs. Development of AE was the most frequent reason for discontinuation of biological agents in the etanercept and tocilizumab groups, and the second most frequent reason in the infliximab group. Discontinuation due to good control was observed most frequently in the infliximab group. Compared with etanercept, the use of infliximab (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.14 to 2.51) and tocilizumab (HR 1.98; 95% CI 1.04 to 3.76) was significantly associated with a higher risk of discontinuation of biological agents due to AE. Conclusions: Reasons for discontinuation are significantly different among biological agents. The use of infliximab and tocilizumab was significantly associated with treatment discontinuation due to AE compared with etanercept

Genetic Ablation of PLA2G6 in Mice Leads to Cerebellar Atrophy Characterized by Purkinje Cell Loss and Glial Cell Activation

Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) is a progressive, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by axonal dystrophy, abnormal iron deposition and cerebellar atrophy. This disease was recently mapped to PLA2G6, which encodes group VI Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2 or iPLA2β). Here we show that genetic ablation of PLA2G6 in mice (iPLA2β-/-) leads to the development of cerebellar atrophy by the age of 13 months. Atrophied cerebella exhibited significant loss of Purkinje cells, as well as reactive astrogliosis, the activation of microglial cells, and the pronounced up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Moreover, glial cell activation and the elevation in TNF-α and IL-1β expression occurred before apparent cerebellar atrophy. Our findings indicate that the absence of PLA2G6 causes neuroinflammation and Purkinje cell loss and ultimately leads to cerebellar atrophy. Our study suggests that iPLA2β-/- mice are a valuable model for cerebellar atrophy in INAD and that early anti-inflammatory therapy may help slow the progression of cerebellar atrophy in this deadly neurodegenerative disease

Molecular Toxicology of Substances Released from Resin–Based Dental Restorative Materials

Resin-based dental restorative materials are extensively used today in dentistry. However, significant concerns still remain regarding their biocompatibility. For this reason, significant scientific effort has been focused on the determination of the molecular toxicology of substances released by these biomaterials, using several tools for risk assessment, including exposure assessment, hazard identification and dose-response analysis. These studies have shown that substances released by these materials can cause significant cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, leading to irreversible disturbance of basic cellular functions. The aim of this article is to review current knowledge related to dental composites’ molecular toxicology and to give implications for possible improvements concerning their biocompatibility