Thermal Studies of Some Minerals, No. 3.: On Thermal Transformation of Antigorite in Air

The pulverized specimens of antigorite were subjected to the thermal treatments at various temperatures up to 1000°C in the air, and the effects of dehydration together with recrystallization were pursued by means of DTA, TGA, X-ray diffraction, infrared absorption spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The results obtained evidently suggest that emergence of the shoulder-like endothermic and exothermic peakes on the DTA curve is ascribed to destruction of the super-lattice structure of the original antigorite and production of the "mosaic olivine" during dehydration respectively and that under electron microscopic observation the recrystallized olivines with various shapes showing the specific relationships to orientation of the original mineral, controlled by the position, are discernible

Meson mixing amplitudes in asymmetric nuclear matter

Using a purely hadronic model, we study the charge-symmetry-breaking $\rho$-$\omega$, $\sigma$-$\delta$, $\sigma$-$\rho$ and $\delta$-$\omega$ mixing amplitudes in isospin asymmetric nuclear matter. The basic assumption of the model is that the mixing amplitude is generated by nucleon and anti-nucleon loops and hence driven entirely by the difference between proton and neutron Fermi momenta and the proton-neutron mass difference. We find that the behavior of the mixing amplitude is very complicated in the spacelike region and quite sensitive to the proton fraction of nuclear medium and nuclear density. In particular, in neutron rich nuclei (like Pb) and/or neutron stars the mixing amplitudes become about 10 $\sim$ 100 times as large as those in typical mirror nuclei.Comment: 13 pages, 9 ps figure

Trans-complemented hepatitis C virus particles as a versatile tool for study of virus assembly and infection

AbstractIn this study, we compared the entry processes of trans-complemented hepatitis C virus particles (HCVtcp), cell culture-produced HCV (HCVcc) and HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp). Anti-CD81 antibody reduced the entry of HCVtcp and HCVcc to almost background levels, and that of HCVpp by approximately 50%. Apolipoprotein E-dependent infection was observed with HCVtcp and HCVcc, but not with HCVpp, suggesting that the HCVtcp system is more relevant as a model of HCV infection than HCVpp. We improved the productivity of HCVtcp by introducing adapted mutations and by deleting sequences not required for replication from the subgenomic replicon construct. Furthermore, blind passage of the HCVtcp in packaging cells resulted in a novel mutation in the NS3 region, N1586D, which contributed to assembly of infectious virus. These results demonstrate that our plasmid-based system for efficient production of HCVtcp is beneficial for studying HCV life cycles, particularly in viral assembly and infection

Impact of postoperative complications after primary tumor resection on survival in patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

[Aims] Primary tumor resection for patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer can prevent tumor-related complications but may cause postoperative complications. Postoperative complications delay the administration of chemotherapy and can lead to the spread of malignancy. However, the impact of postoperative complications after primary tumor resection on survival in patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how postoperative complications after primary tumor resection affect survival in this patient group. [Methods] We reviewed data on 966 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer who underwent palliative primary tumor resection between January 2006 and December 2007. We examined the association between major complications (National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 grade 3 or more) and overall survival using Cox proportional hazard model and explored risk factors associated with major complications using multivariable logistic regression analysis. [Results] Ninety-three patients (9.6%) had major complications. The 2-year overall survival rate was 32.7% in the group with major complications and 50.3% in the group with no major complications. Patients with major complications had a significantly poorer prognosis than those without major complications (hazard ratio: 1.62; 95% confidence interval: 1.21-2.18; P < .01). Male, rectal tumor, and open surgery were identified to be risk factors for major complications. [Conclusions] Postoperative complications after primary tumor resection was associated with decreased long-term survival in patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer

Ultrasensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein using large gold nanoparticle-enhanced surface plasmon resonance

The COVID-19 pandemic has created urgent demand for rapid detection of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Herein, we report highly sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N protein) using nanoparticle-enhanced surface plasmon resonance (SPR) techniques. A crucial plasmonic role in significantly enhancing the limit of detection (LOD) is revealed for exceptionally large gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with diameters of hundreds of nm. SPR enhanced by these large nanoparticles lowered the LOD of SARS-CoV-2 N protein to 85 fM, resulting in the highest SPR detection sensitivity ever obtained for SARS-CoV-2 N protein

Mixed alkali-ion transport and storage in atomic-disordered honeycomb layered NaKNi2TeO6

Honeycomb layered oxides constitute an emerging class of materials that show interesting physicochemical and electrochemical properties. However, the development of these materials is still limited. Here, we report the combined use of alkali atoms (Na and K) to produce a mixed-alkali honeycomb layered oxide material, namely, NaKNi2TeO6. Via transmission electron microscopy measurements, we reveal the local atomic structural disorders characterised by aperiodic stacking and incoherency in the alternating arrangement of Na and K atoms. We also investigate the possibility of mixed electrochemical transport and storage of Na+ and K+ ions in NaKNi2TeO6. In particular, we report an average discharge cell voltage of about 4 V and a specific capacity of around 80 mAh g–1 at low specific currents (i.e., &lt; 10 mA g–1) when a NaKNi2TeO6-based positive electrode is combined with a room-temperature NaK liquid alloy negative electrode using an ionic liquid-based electrolyte solution. These results represent a step towards the use of tailored cathode active materials for “dendrite-free” electrochemical energy storage systems exploiting room-temperature liquid alkali metal alloy materials

Diacylglycerol oil for the metabolic syndrome

Excess adiposity has been shown to play a crucial role in the development of the metabolic syndrome. The elevated fasting and postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoprotein levels is the central lipid abnormality observed in the metabolic syndrome. Recent studies have indicated that diacylglycerol (DAG) is effective for fasting and postprandial hyperlipidemia and preventing excess adiposity by increasing postprandial energy expenditure. We will here discuss the mechanisms of DAG-mediated improvements in hyperlipidemia and in postprandial energy expenditure, and effects of DAG oil on lipid/glucose metabolism and on body fat. Further, the therapeutic application of DAG for the metabolic syndrome will be considered