High-Resolution X-ray Imaging Studies of Neutron Stars, Pulsar Wind Nebulae and Supernova Remnants

Supernova remnants serve as nearby laboratories relevant to many areas in Astrophysics, from stellar and galaxy evolution to extreme astrophysics and the formation of the heavy elements in the Universe. The Chandra X-ray mission has enabled a giant leap forward in studying both SNRs and their compact stellar remnants on sub-arcsecond scale. However, such high-resolution imaging studies have been mostly limited to the nearby and/or relatively bright objects. There is no question that we are missing a large population, especially in external galaxies. Within our own Galaxy, we are presented with new fundamental questions related to neutron stars' diversity, kicks, relativistic winds and the way these objects interact with, and impact, their host environments. In this white paper, we highlight some of the breakthroughs to be achieved with future X-ray missions (such as the proposed AXIS probe) equipped with sub-arcsecond imaging resolution and an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity.Comment: Astro2020 Science White Paper. 9 pages, 2 figure

Fatigue behavior and crack initiation of CAD/CAM resin composite molar crowns

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term fatigue behavior using an in vitro step-stress accelerated life test (SSALT), and to determine the crack initiation point using in silico finite element analysis for computer-aided designed and manufactured (CAD/CAM) molar crowns fabricated from three commercial CAD/CAM resin composite blocks: Cerasmart (CS; GC, Tokyo, Japan), Katana Avencia Block (KA; Kuraray Noritake Dental, Niigata, Japan), and Shofu Block HC (HC; Shofu, Kyoto, Japan). Methods: Fifty-one mandibular first molar crowns luted on a resin core die were embedded in acrylic resin and covered with a polyvinyl chloride tube. Single compressive tests were performed for five crowns. SSALT was conducted for 36 crowns using three profiles and reliabilities at 120,000 cycles, and a Weibull analysis was conducted. The maximum principal strain of each CAD/CAM resin composite crown model was analyzed by three-dimensional finite element analysis. Results: Fracture loads of CS and KA (3784 ± 144 N and 3915 ± 313 N) were significantly greater than that of HC (2767 ± 227 N) (p < 0.05). Fracture probabilities at 120,000 cycles were 24.6% (CS), 13.7% (KA), and 14.0% (HC). Maximum principal strain was observed around the mesiolingual cusps of CS and KA and the distobuccal cusp of HC. Significance: CAD/CAM resin composite molar crowns containing nano-fillers with a higher fraction of resin matrix exhibited higher fracture loads and greater longevity, suggesting that these crowns could be used as an alternative to ceramic crowns in terms of fatigue behavior.Yamaguchi S., Kani R., Kawakami K., et al. Fatigue behavior and crack initiation of CAD/CAM resin composite molar crowns. Dental Materials 34, 1578 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dental.2018.07.002

Ethanol Increases NADPH Oxidase-derived Oxidative Stress and Induces Apoptosis in Human Liver Adenocarcinoma Cells (SK-HEP-1)

Alcohol-induced liver injury is linked to oxidative stress and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative stress is an early event in the process of apoptosis. However, it is not completely understood how ethanol-induced oxidative stress induces apoptosis. In contrast, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX) is known to generate ROS in hepatocytes. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether or not ethanol-induced ROS generation stimulates the death receptor or mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis in alcohol dehydrogenase containing human liver adenocarcinoma (SK-HEP-1) cells. Treatment with ethanol increased the generation of ROS and expression of NOX4 mRNA, and also induced mitochondrial dysfunction in SK-HEP-1 cells. Moreover, ethanol induced the activation of caspase-8 and -3 in hepatocytes. These activities were suppressed by pretreatment with N-acetyl-cysteine, an antioxidant, or apocynin, an inhibitor of NOX activity. These results suggested that ethanol induces an increase in NOX-derived ROS generation upstream of caspase-8 activation and in the mitochondria in SK-HEP-1 cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that ethanol increases the generation of ROS and subsequently induces apoptosis using a mechanism involving mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activation in SK-HEP-1 cells

Ethanol-induced Stress Leads to Apoptosls Via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in SK-Hepl Cells

Alcoholic liver disease causes oxidative stress and induces apoptosis during alcohol metabolism. Ethanol causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in hepatocytes, stimulating the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway and/or Ca2+-dependent calpain and caspase-4 activities. However, it is poorly understood whether ethanol-induced oxidative stress directly leads to apoptosis promoted by ER stress-associated pathways. This study investigated this question in human liver adenocarcinoma (SK-Hep1) cells, which were treated with 200 mM ethanol for 5 hours in the presence or absence of the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). We found that treatment with ethanol significantly increased ROS production and cellular apoptosis in the SK-Hep1 cells, and that this response was significantly suppressed by pretreatment with NAC. Furthermore, pretreatment with NAC significantly reduced the observed increases in the mRNA expressions of Bip, Chop, and sXbp-1, and the activity of caspase-3 in ethanol-induced apoptotic cells. However, pretreatment with NAC did not attenuate the transient rise in cytosolic Ca2+ nor the activities of caspase-4 and calpain induced by ethanol. Together, these results revealed that ethanol-induced stress promotes apoptosis not only through mitochondria-mediated pathways, but also via ER stress. The findings further suggested that ethanol-induced oxidative stress and non-oxidative stress both stimulate the pathway regulating ER stress-mediated apoptosis

マウスの胸腺と脾臓におけるIgE転写の比較

1週齢から5週齢BALB/cマウスの抗体遺伝子の転写を,胸腺と脾臓で比較した。調べた抗体のクラスのなかで,IgEの転写量に関しては,胸腺と脾臓で明瞭な差異が認められた。胸腺では,雌雄ともに,IgEは1週齢から転写されていた。脾臓では3週齢までは検出できなかった。雌では,3週齢から4週齢の間で,脾臓でもIgEの転写が検出され始めた。雄では,5週齢まででは,脾臓でIgEの転写は検出できなかった。IgEの転写に関して胸腺と脾臓で明瞭な差異が認められることから,胸腺で抗体遺伝子を転写している細胞は,胸腺内の血管内のBリンパ球ではなく,また,脾臓で分化したBリンパ球が流入したものでもなく,発生段階で流入した幹細胞から胸腺内で分化したリンパ球であると考えられる。Immunoglobulin heavy chain gene transcription was investigated by reverse transcription PCR both in the thymus and in the spleen of BALB/c mice of age 1 to 5 weeks old. A definitive difference in IgE transcriptions was found between in the thymus and in the spleen. IgE transcriptions were demonstrated clearly in the thymus of all mice, while, in the spleen, not detected in 1 to 3 weeks old. Therefore, the cells transcribing antibody genes in the thymus of mouse are neither B lymphocytes in blood vessels, nor invaded B lymphocytes after proliferation and development in the spleen. Those will be specific cells which proliferate and develop in the thymus from stem cells which immigrated at embryonic stage

ユチュウ フルフラール シンキ テイリョウ ホウホウ ノ カイハツ オヨビ ジツヨウカ ヘ ムケタ ケントウ

The furan analysis in insulating oil is one of the general method for the transformer degradation diagnosis. But there is few results applied for the natural ester transformers. Therefore, the new determination method for the furans by using SPME-GC/MS have been studied and estimated

Association between body mass index and cardiovascular disease mortality in east Asians and south Asians: pooled analysis of prospective data from the Asia Cohort Consortium

Objective: To evaluate the association between body mass index and mortality from overall cardiovascular disease and specific subtypes of cardiovascular disease in east and south Asians. Design: Pooled analyses of 20 prospective cohorts in Asia, including data from 835 082 east Asians and 289 815 south Asians. Cohorts were identified through a systematic search of the literature in early 2008, followed by a survey that was sent to each cohort to assess data availability. Setting: General populations in east Asia (China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Korea) and south Asia (India and Bangladesh). Participants: 1 124 897 men and women (mean age 53.4 years at baseline). Main outcome measures: Risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and (in east Asians only) stroke subtypes. Results: 49 184 cardiovascular deaths (40 791 in east Asians and 8393 in south Asians) were identified during a mean follow-up of 9.7 years. East Asians with a body mass index of 25 or above had a raised risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, compared with the reference range of body mass index (values 22.5-24.9; hazard ratio 1.09 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.15), 1.27 (1.20 to 1.35), 1.59 (1.43 to 1.76), 1.74 (1.47 to 2.06), and 1.97 (1.44 to 2.71) for body mass index ranges 25.0-27.4, 27.5-29.9, 30.0-32.4, 32.5-34.9, and 35.0-50.0, respectively). This association was similar for risk of death from coronary heart disease and ischaemic stroke; for haemorrhagic stroke, the risk of death was higher at body mass index values of 27.5 and above. Elevated risk of death from cardiovascular disease was also observed at lower categories of body mass index (hazard ratio 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.39) and 2.16 (1.37 to 3.40) for body mass index ranges 15.0-17.4 and less than 15.0, respectively), compared with the reference range. In south Asians, the association between body mass index and mortality from cardiovascular disease was less pronounced than that in east Asians. South Asians had an increased risk of death observed for coronary heart disease only in individuals with a body mass index greater than 35 (hazard ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.15 to 3.12). Conclusions: Body mass index shows a U shaped association with death from overall cardiovascular disease among east Asians: increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease is observed at lower and higher ranges of body mass index. A high body mass index is a risk factor for mortality from overall cardiovascular disease and for specific diseases, including coronary heart disease, ischaemic stroke, and haemorrhagic stroke in east Asians. Higher body mass index is a weak risk factor for mortality from cardiovascular disease in south Asians

Burden of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Related to Tobacco Smoking among Adults Aged ≥45 Years in Asia: A Pooled Analysis of 21 Cohorts

Background:Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for many diseases. We sought to quantify the burden of tobacco-smoking-related deaths in Asia, in parts of which men's smoking prevalence is among the world's highest.Methods and Findings:We performed pooled analyses of data from 1,049,929 participants in 21 cohorts in Asia to quantify the risks of total and cause-specific mortality associated with tobacco smoking using adjusted hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. We then estimated smoking-related deaths among adults aged ≥45 y in 2004 in Bangladesh, India, mainland China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan-accounting for ∼71% of Asia's total population. An approximately 1.44-fold (95% CI = 1.37-1.51) and 1.48-fold (1.38-1.58) elevated risk of death from any cause was found in male and female ever-smokers, respectively. In 2004, active tobacco smoking accounted for approximately 15.8% (95% CI = 14.3%-17.2%) and 3.3% (2.6%-4.0%) of deaths, respectively, in men and women aged ≥45 y in the seven countries/regions combined, with a total number of estimated deaths of ∼1,575,500 (95% CI = 1,398,000-1,744,700). Among men, approximately 11.4%, 30.5%, and 19.8% of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases, respectively, were attributable to tobacco smoking. Corresponding proportions for East Asian women were 3.7%, 4.6%, and 1.7%, respectively. The strongest association with tobacco smoking was found for lung cancer: A 3- to 4-fold elevated risk, accounting for 60.5% and 16.7% of lung cancer deaths, respectively, in Asian men and East Asian women aged ≥45 y.Conclusions:Tobacco smoking is associated with a substantially elevated risk of mortality, accounting for approximately 2 million deaths in adults aged ≥45 y throughout Asia in 2004. It is likely that smoking-related deaths in Asia will continue to rise over the next few decades if no effective smoking control programs are implemented.Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary. © 2014 Zheng et al

Body Mass Index and Diabetes in Asia: A Cross-Sectional Pooled Analysis of 900,000 Individuals in the Asia Cohort Consortium

10.1371/journal.pone.0019930PLoS ONE66