First-principle study of spin transport property in L10L1_0-FePd(001)/graphene heterojunction

In our previous work, we synthesized a metal/2D material heterointerface consisting of $L1_0$-ordered iron-palladium (FePd) and graphene (Gr) called FePd(001)/Gr. This system has been explored by both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations. In this study, we focus on a heterojunction composed of FePd and multilayer graphene referred to as FePd(001)/$m$-Gr/FePd(001), where $m$ represents the number of graphene layers. We perform first-principles calculations to predict their spin-dependent transport properties. The quantitative calculations of spin-resolved conductance and magnetoresistance (MR) ratio (150-200%) suggest that the proposed structure can function as a magnetic tunnel junction in spintronics applications. We also find that an increase in $m$ not only reduces conductance but also changes transport properties from the tunneling behavior to the graphite $\pi$-band-like behavior. Furthermore, we examine the impact of lateral displacements (sliding) at the interface and find that the spin transport properties remain robust despite these changes; this is the advantage of two-dimensional material hetero-interfaces over traditional insulating barrier layers such as MgO.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure

Prognostic value of metastin expression in human pancreatic cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>KiSS-1 </it>was identified as a metastasis-suppressing gene in melanoma cells. The <it>KiSS-1 </it>gene product (metastin) was isolated from human placenta as the ligand of GPR54, a G-protein-coupled receptor. The role of metastin and GPR54 in tumor progression is not fully understood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We investigated the clinical significance of metastin and GPR54 expression in pancreatic cancer. We evaluated immunohistochemical expression of metastin and GPR54 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues obtained from 53 consecutive patients who underwent resection between July 2003 and May 2007 at Kyoto University Hospital. In 23 consecutive patients, the plasma metastin level was measured before surgery by enzyme immunoassay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Strong immunohistochemical expression of metastin was detected in 13 tumors (24.5%), while strong expression of GPR54 was detected in 30 tumors (56.6%). Tumors that were negative for both metastin and GPR54 expression were significantly larger than tumors that were positive for either metastin or GPR54 (p = 0.047). Recurrence was less frequent in patients who had metastin-positive tumors compared with those who had metastin-negative tumors (38.5% versus 70.0%, p = 0.04). Strong expression of metastin and GPR54 was significantly correlated with longer survival (p = 0.02). Metastin expression by pancreatic cancer was an independent prognostic factor for longer survival (hazard ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–4.7; p = 0.03), and the patients with a high plasma metastin level (n = 6) did not die after surgical resection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Strong expression of metastin and GPR54 by pancreatic cancer is associated with longer survival. Metastin expression is an independent prognostic factor for the survival of pancreatic cancer patients. The plasma metastin level could become a noninvasive prognostic factor for the assessment of pancreatic cancer.</p

Flame retardance-donated lignocellulose nanofibers (LCNFs) by the Mannich reaction with (amino-1,3,5-triazinyl)phosphoramidates and their properties

Nitrogen/phosphorus-containing melamines (NPCM), a durable flame-retardant, were prepared by the successive treatment of ArOH (Ar = BrnC6H5−n, n = 0, 1, 2, and 3) with POCl3 and melamine monomer. The prepared flame-retardants were grafted through the CH2 unit to lignocellulose nanofibers (LCNFs) by the Mannich reaction. The resulting three-component products were characterized using FT-IR (ATR) and EA. The thermal behavior of the NPCM-treated LCNF fabric samples was determined using TGA and DSC analyses, and their flammability resistances were evaluated by measuring their Limited Oxygen Index (LOI) and the UL-94V test. A multitude of flame retardant elements in the fabric samples increased the LOI values as much as 45 from 20 of the untreated LCNFs. Moreover, the morphology of both the NPCM-treated LCNFs and their burnt fabrics was studied with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The heat release lowering effect of the LCNF fabric against the water-based paint was observed with a cone calorimeter. Furthermore, the mechanical properties represented as the tensile strength of the NPCM-treated LCNF fabrics revealed that the increase of the NPCM content in the PP-composites led to an increased bending strength with enhancing the flame-retardance

Suppression of acute rejection by administration of prostaglandin E2 receptor subtype 4 agonist in rat organ transplantation models.

[Background] Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor subtype 4 (EP4) signaling is known to modulate the inflammation process. Several studies have demonstrated the potential utility of EP4-selective agonists for the management of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we assessed the immunosuppressive efficacy of a selective EP4 agonist in experimental rat organ transplantation models. [Methods] We continuously injected a selective EP4 agonist (CAY10580) by subcutaneous insertion of infuser pumps into recipient rats that underwent heterotopic heart and small bowel transplantation. [Results] The administration of EP4 agonist significantly delayed cardiac allograft survival and delayed the onset of rejection in both the cardiac and intestinal allografts. Expression of proinflammatory cytokines of interferon-gamma was suppressed by the treatment compared with the vehicle-treated group. Furthermore, the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1, a known intracellular regulation factor of IFN-gamma, was also down-regulated compared with the control group. [Conclusions] These results suggest that selective EP4 agonists represent a novel class of immune-modulator drugs that could be useful for the management of acute allogeneic rejection

Preoperative intramuscular adipose tissue content is a novel prognostic predictor after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

[Background] Sarcopenia has been shown to be an independent predictor of lower disease-free and overall survival in various kinds of diseases. The quality of skeletal muscle has recently attracted much attention as a new parameter of sarcopenia. [Methods] We performed a retrospective analysis of 477 patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between April 2005 and August 2014. The quality of skeletal muscle was evaluated by intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC) using preoperative computed tomography (CT) imaging. The impact of IMAC on outcomes after hepatectomy for HCC was analyzed. [Results] Patients with high IMAC showed older age, higher body mass index, higher indocyanine green retention test at 15 min, and more operative blood loss. The overall and recurrence-free survival rates were significantly lower in patients with high IMAC than in patients with normal IMAC (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0012, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that high IMAC was the significant risk factor for death (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.942; P < 0.0001) and for HCC recurrence (HR = 1.529; P = 0.0007) after hepatectomy. [Conclusions] Preoperative quality of skeletal muscle was closely correlated with postoperative mortality and HCC recurrence. IMAC could be incorporated into new selection criteria for hepatectomy for HCC

Supporting Information

Supporting Information of First-principle study of spin transport property in $L1_0$-FePd/Graphene heterojunction.</p

Impact of preoperative quality as well as quantity of skeletal muscle on survival after resection of pancreatic cancer.

[Background]Skeletal muscle depletion, referred to as sarcopenia, is predictive of mortality in patients undergoing digestive operations. The impact of muscle quality on outcomes, however, is unclear. This retrospective study investigated the impact of preoperative skeletal muscle quantity and quality on survival in patients undergoing resection of pancreatic cancer. [Methods]We investigated 230 patients who underwent resection of pancreatic cancer between 2004 and 2013. The quantity and quality of skeletal muscle, indicated by psoas muscle mass index (PMI) and intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC), were measured in preoperative computed tomography images. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared according to PMI and IMAC, and prognostic factors after pancreatic resection were assessed.[Results]The OS and RFS rates in patients with low PMI were lesser than in those with normal/high PMI (P < .001, P < .001), with a mean survival time of 17.7 and 33.2 months, respectively. The OS and RFS rates in patients with high IMAC also were less than in those with normal/low IMAC (P < .001, P = .003) (mean survival time = 21.5 and 56.5 months, respectively). Low PMI (low muscle mass) and high IMAC (low muscle quality) were independent prognostic factors of poor OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.999, P < .001; HR = 2.527, P < .001) and RFS (HR = 1.607, P = .007; HR = 1.640, P = .004), respectively. [Conclusion]Preoperative sarcopenia, indicating low quality and quantity of skeletal muscle, is closely related to mortality after resection of pancreatic cancer

Effectiveness of Sirolimus in Combination with Cyclosporine against Chronic Rejection in a Pediatric Liver Transplant Patient

The patient is a 3-year-old boy who received living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for hepatoblastoma, with his mother as the donor. Oral tacrolimus was started at a dose of 0.3 mg every 12 h from day 1, with the dosage adjusted on the basis of trough concentrations. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), and total bilirubin (T-bil) were 110 U/L, 182 U/L, and 12.6 mg/dL, respectively, when chronic rejection (CR) was pathologically diagnosed. Then, sirolimus at a dose of 1.0 mg/d was added to the tacrolimus-based regimen. The T-bil level rapidly decreased to 5.4 mg/dL, without changes in AST and ALT. Because the intracellular receptor of sirolimus and tacrolimus is FK506-binding protein 12, we switched tacrolimus to cyclosporine at a dose of 60 mg/d to avoid competitive inhibition between these 2 drugs. The target trough concentration of sirolimus and cyclosporine was set to around 15 ng/mL and 180 ng/mL, respectively. The concentration/dose ratio of sirolimus was significantly correlated with the blood cyclosporine level (r=0.5293, p<0.05), suggesting the pharmacokinetic interaction between these 2 drugs. Thereafter, the levels of AST and ALT as well as the T-bil were successfully decreased to 73 U/L, 83 U/L, and 3.0 mg/dL, respectively. These results suggest that sirolimus therapy in combination with cyclosporine may be an effective treatment against CR after liver transplantation