Soil Improvement Method Using Low Strength Pile with Permeability

In order to reduce differential settlement and prevent heaving of surrounding ground due to fill loading, a new method using low strength pile with permeability has been devised. The pile material have been composed of hydraulic granulated slag and 12-20% cement of slag. After the design method having been presented on basis of model loading test result, soil improvement have been put to practical use with sand drain method. As a result, it have been confirmed that this method has been effective for reduction settlement, prevention heaving and same drainage as sand drain method

Spaceflight: Immune Effects and Nutritional Countermeasure

Microgravity is predicted to be a significant challenge to immune system during space travel. Consequences of weakened immune responses range from increased disease susceptibility to neoplastic growth. Degree of immune dysfunction is considered proportional to duration of stay in spaceflights. As a result of these risks, there is major concern over potential health risk for space travels that ultimately result in serious and considerable loss of mission objectives. Therefore, here is a need to explore the immune effects of spaceflight and its countermeasures. Several attempts have been made to develop effective measure to alleviate or prevent immune dysfunction due to microgravity. Among them, immunonutritional model has been shown to effectively modulate and upregulate immune system. This is further supported by our experiments demonstrating that supplementation of nutritional substrates like nucleotide and mushroom extracts active hexose-correlated compound (AHCC) effective in maintaining or restoring immunity in microgravity analog models

Comparison of Effects on Gene Expression Activity of Low-Molecular-Weight Lychee Fruit Polyphenol (Oligonol®), Adenosine, and Minoxidil in Human Dermal Papilla Cells

Background: Oligonol® (OLG) is a functional food product and ingredient for cosmetics derived from a lychee fruit polyphenol. It has been reported to act on the skin as an anti-inflammatory and prevent UVB-induced skin damage.Aim: In this study, with the aim of exploring new functionalities of OLG on the scalp, we investigated the effect of OLG on human dermal papilla cells by comparing with adenosine and minoxidil at the genetic level.Method: OLG, adenosine, and minoxidil were applied to human dermal papilla cell lines for 24 h, after which VEGF, FGF-7, WNT5a, and WNT10a mRNA expressions were measured by real-time PCR analysis. Additionally, using DNA microarrays, we investigated the effect on 205 inflammation-related genes.Result: Consequently, in human dermal papilla cell lines, FGF-7 and WNT10a mRNA expression were observed in 100 µg/mL OLG-supplemented cells. The results of the DNA microarray analysis showed that 10 genes were suppressed by OLG.Conclusions: OLG may be expected to affect function of human dermal papilla cell by regulating the expression of genes related to cell proliferation and inflammation

AHCC Activation and Selection of Human Lymphocytes via Genotypic and Phenotypic Changes to an Adherent Cell Type: A Possible Novel Mechanism of T Cell Activation

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) is a fermented mushroom extract and immune supplement that has been used to treat a wide range of health conditions. It helps in augmentation of the natural immune response and affects immune cell activation and outcomes. The goal of this project was to study and understand the role and mechanisms of AHCC supplementation in the prevention of immunosuppression through T cell activation. The method described here involves “in vitro” culturing of lymphocytes, exposing them to different concentrations of AHCC (0 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL, 250 μg/mL, and 500 μg/mL) at 0 hours. Interestingly, clumping and aggregation of the cells were seen between 24 and 72 hours of incubation. The cells lay down extracellular matrix, which become adherent, and phenotypical changes from small rounded lymphocytes to large macrophage-like, spindle shaped, elongated, fibroblast-like cells even beyond 360 hours were observed. These are probably translated from genotypic changes in the cells since the cells propagate for at least 3 to 6 generations (present observations). RNA isolated was subjected to gene array analysis. We hypothesize that cell adhesion is an activation and survival pathway in lymphocytes and this could be the mechanism of AHCC activation in human lymphocytes

Hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects of Orostachys japonicus A. Berger extracts in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects of two dietary dosages (0.1% and 0.5%) of water and 80% ethanol extracts from hot-air dried Orostachys japonicus A. Berger were evaluated in the serum and organ tissues of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The STZ-induced diabetic groups supplemented with the O. japonicus extracts showed significantly higher body weight compared to a diabetic control group at the end of experiment. The extracts exhibited substantial hypoglycemic effects by significant reductions of fasting blood glucose levels at all time points tested compared to the initial stage before treatment of the extracts. Declines of serum and hepatic triglyceride levels were greater than declines of total cholesterol in the groups treated with the 0.5% O. japonicus extract (DBW2 and DBE2) when compared to the DBC group. Hepatic glycogen content was higher in the groups treated with O. japonicus extract, while lipid peroxide content was decreased in these treated groups compared to the DBC group. Hepatic antioxidant activity was significantly increased in the groups supplemented with the O. japonicus ethanol extract. The hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects of the O. japonicus ethanol extract were significantly greater than the effects of the water extract. Based on this study, it seems that O. japonicus ethanol extract, due to its higher phenolic and flavonoid components than the water extract, may control blood glucose and alleviate hyperlipidemia in diabetes

Data for: Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) leaf extract metabolomic analysis by CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS.

This dataset consists of metabolomic analysis results of compounds name and relative area law data from the Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) leaf extract. The Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) plant belongs to the Gramineae family (Graminaeae) and the genus Sasa (Sasa). It is widely distributed throughout the northern part of Japan. The metabolomic analysis such as qualitative comprehensive analysis was performed on substances that had the same peak intensity as the components added in advance as internal standard substances (1,200 substances in the annotation list) via CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS

Data for: Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) extract metabolomic analysis by CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS.

This dataset consists of metabolomic analysis results of compounds name and relative area law data from the Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) extract. The Reishi mushroom has been used as a substance for Chinese herbal medicines. We studied the comprehensive analysis of components contained in Reishi mushroom by metabolomic analysis. The metabolomic analysis such as qualitative comprehensive analysis was performed on substances that had the same peak intensity as the components added in advance as internal standard substances (1,200 substances in the annotation list) via CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS

Data for: Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) leaf extract metabolomic analysis by CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS.

This dataset consists of metabolomic analysis results of compounds name and relative area law data from the Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) leaf extract. The Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) plant belongs to the Gramineae family (Graminaeae) and the genus Sasa (Sasa). It is widely distributed throughout the northern part of Japan. The metabolomic analysis such as qualitative comprehensive analysis was performed on substances that had the same peak intensity as the components added in advance as internal standard substances (1,200 substances in the annotation list) via CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS

Data for: Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) leaf extract metabolomic analysis by CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS.

This dataset consists of metabolomic analysis results of compounds name and relative area law data from the Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) leaf extract. The Kumasasa (Sasa senanensis) plant belongs to the Gramineae family (Graminaeae) and the genus Sasa (Sasa). It is widely distributed throughout the northern part of Japan. The metabolomic analysis such as qualitative comprehensive analysis was performed on substances that had the same peak intensity as the components added in advance as internal standard substances (1,200 substances in the annotation list) via CE-TOFMS and LC-TOFMS

Effects of 3 months continuous intake of supplement containing Pantoea agglomerans LPS to maintain normal bloodstream in adults: Parallel double‐blind randomized controlled study

In this study, the effects on the maintenance of normal bloodstream by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were investigated in the parallel‐group randomized double‐blind study using supplement containing Pantoea agglomerans LPS (201.5 μg/tablet as LPS). Screening was previously performed in the implementation of the study. Adult males and females with normal value to borderline (healthy subjects) in the hematologic parameters, for which reference values were given, were chosen in this study. The period of ingestion of the supplement was 3 months. As the result, a significant decrease in the rate of change (the ratio when the baseline was 1) of HbA1c, which is a glycative stress marker, was found in the group which ingested LPS supplement after 3 months. Also, a significant increase in the number of fingertip capillary vessels was found compared with the control group. From these results, the effects of the maintenance of bloodstream by ingestion of LPS were shown