Citrus sudachi Peel Extract Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Promotes the Differentiation of Keratinocytes through Inhibition of the EGFR–ERK Signaling Pathway

Citrus sudachi is a well-known fruit in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, and its peels are rich in phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds. Although it is expected that the extract of the C. sudachi peel elicits various beneficial physiological activities, the effect on the skin has not been investigated. In this study, we report that the aqueous extract from the peel of C. sudachi suppresses cell proliferation of the immortalized human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT, and primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes. The extract of C. sudachi peel suppressed epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced EGF receptor activation and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 activation, which suggests that the extract exerts its inhibitory effect through inhibition of both the EGF receptor (EGFR) and its downstream molecules. Additionally, the extract of C. sudachi peel potentiated calcium-induced keratinocyte differentiation. These results suggest that the extract of C. sudachi peel may have beneficial effects against skin diseases that are characterized by hyperproliferation of epidermal keratinocytes, such as those seen in psoriasis and in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Improved Excitation Mode Selectivity Of High- TCSuperconducting Terahertz Emitters

Using our recent design of thermally managed sandwich device structures, we studied the radiation frequency characteristics of three such devices of the same rectangular dimensions made from the same single crystal of the high-Tc superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, and all three devices exhibit similar characteristics. Their observed radiation intensities appear to be enhanced at many transverse magnetic TMn,m cavity mode frequencies, possibly including some higher TM0,m modes with waves solely along the rectangular length, none of which have previously been reported. In addition, the temperature dependences of the radiation frequencies correspond strongly to the temperature dependences of the maximum bias voltages applied to the devices. The excitations of many cavity modes higher in frequency than that of the usually observed TM1,0 mode and the high reproducibility of the radiation frequency characteristics both appear to originate from the reduction in the Joule self-heating of the thermally managed sandwich structures. The information provided here should aid in the design of future devices to obtain the desired emission frequency ranges

Carob pod polyphenols suppress the differentiation of adipocytes through posttranscriptional regulation of C/EBPβ.

Obesity is a major risk factor for various chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer; hence, there is an urgent need for an effective strategy to prevent this disorder. Currently, the anti-obesity effects of food ingredients are drawing attention. Therefore, we focused on carob, which has high antioxidant capacity and various physiological effects, and examined its anti-obesity effect. Carob is cultivated in the Mediterranean region, and its roasted powder is used as a substitute for cocoa powder. We investigated the effect of carob pod polyphenols (CPPs) on suppressing increases in adipose tissue weight and adipocyte hypertrophy in high fat diet-induced obesity model mice, and the mechanism by which CPPs inhibit the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes in vitro. In an in vivo experimental system, we revealed that CPPs significantly suppressed the increase in adipose tissue weight and adipocyte hypertrophy. Moreover, in an in vitro experimental system, CPPs acted at the early stage of differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and suppressed cell proliferation because of differentiation induction. They also suppressed the expression of transcription factors involved in adipocyte differentiation, thereby reducing triacylglycerol synthesis ability and triglycerol (TG) accumulation. Notably, CPPs regulated CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)β, which is expressed at the early stage of differentiation, at the posttranscriptional level. These results demonstrate that CPPs suppress the differentiation of adipocytes through the posttranscriptional regulation of C/EBPβ and may serve as an effective anti-obesity compound

Study of radiation characteristics of intrinsic josephson junction terahertz emitters with different thickness of bi₂sr₂cacu₂o_8+δ crystals

The radiation intensity from the intrinsic Josephson junction high-Tc superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ terahertz emitters (Bi2212-THz emitters) is one of the most important characteristics for application uses of the device. In principle, it would be expected to be improved with increasing the number of intrinsic Josephson junctions N in the emitters. In order to further improve the device characteristics, we have developed a stand alone type of mesa structures (SAMs) of Bi2212 crystals. Here, we understood the radiation characteristics of our SAMs more deeply, after we studied the radiation characteristics from three SAMs (S1, S2, and S3) with different thicknesses. Compar-ing radiation characteristics of the SAMs in which the number of intrinsic Josephson junctions are N ∼ 1300 (S1), 2300 (S2), and 3100 (S3), respectively, the radiation intensity, frequency as well as the characteristics of the device working bath temperature are well understood. The strongest radiation of the order of few tens of microwatt was observed from the thickest SAM of S3. We discussed this feature through the N2-relationship and the radiation efficiency of a patch antenna. The thinner SAM of S1 can generate higher radiation frequencies than the thicker one of S3 due to the difference of the applied voltage per junctions limited by the heat-removal performance of the device structures. The observed features in this study are worthwhile designing Bi2212-THz emitters with better emission characteristics for many applications.QID/Taminiau LabQuTec

Flux-Mediated Topochemical Growth of Platelet-Shaped Perovskite LiNbO₃ Single Crystals from Layered Potassium Niobate Crystals

Well-defined, platelet-shaped LiNbO₃ single crystals were prepared by a flux-mediated topochemical reaction from platelet K₄Nb₆O₁₇ crystals with a mixture of LiNO₃ solute and alkali metal nitrate (LiNO₃, NaNO₃, and KNO₃) fluxes at 600 °C. Crystallographic structural characterizations revealed that the LiNbO₃ crystals inherited the K₄Nb₆O₁₇ crystal shape with well-developed {012} faces. The topochemical reaction in molten KNO₃ promoted smooth surface formation, in contrast to LiNO₃ and NaNO₃, which formed rough surfaces. We further found that the dissolution and deposition reaction occurs repeatedly in the vicinity of the LiNbO₃ crystal and KNO₃ flux interface. It is considered that the KNO₃ flux hybridized with the LiNO₃ solute provides a moderate solubility and dissolution rate suitable for crystal growth. We also achieved reed-shaped LiNbO₃ crystal growth by applying the same technique to the KNb₃O₈ crystal template

A deep learning-based automated diagnosis system for SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging

Abstract Images obtained from single-photon emission computed tomography for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI SPECT) contain noises and artifacts, making cardiovascular disease diagnosis difficult. We developed a deep learning-based diagnosis support system using MPI SPECT images. Single-center datasets of MPI SPECT images (n = 5443) were obtained and labeled as healthy or coronary artery disease based on diagnosis reports. Three axes of four-dimensional datasets, resting, and stress conditions of three-dimensional reconstruction data, were reconstructed, and an AI model was trained to classify them. The trained convolutional neural network showed high performance [area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC curve: approximately 0.91; area under the recall precision curve: 0.87]. Additionally, using unsupervised learning and the Grad-CAM method, diseased lesions were successfully visualized. The AI-based automated diagnosis system had the highest performance (88%), followed by cardiologists with AI-guided diagnosis (80%) and cardiologists alone (65%). Furthermore, diagnosis time was shorter for AI-guided diagnosis (12 min) than for cardiologists alone (31 min). Our high-quality deep learning-based diagnosis support system may benefit cardiologists by improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing working hours