One-Step Synthesis of Copper and Cupric Oxide Particles from the Liquid Phase by X-Ray Radiolysis Using Synchrotron Radiation

The deposition of copper (Cu) and cupric oxide (Cu4O3, Cu2O, and CuO) particles in an aqueous copper sulfate (CuSO4) solution with additive alcohol such as methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and ethylene glycol has been studied by X-ray exposure from synchrotron radiation. An attenuated X-ray radiation time of 5 min allows for the synthesis of Cu, Cu4O3, Cu2O, and CuO nano/microscale particles and their aggregation into clusters. The morphology and composition of the synthesized Cu/cupric oxide particle clusters were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Micro-Raman spectroscopy revealed that the clusters comprised cupric oxide core particles covered with Cu particles. Neither Cu/cupric oxide particles nor their clusters were formed without any alcohol additives. The effect of alcohol additives is attributed to the following sequential steps: photochemical reaction due to X-ray irradiation induces nucleation of the particles accompanying redox reaction and forms a cluster or aggregates by LaMer process and DLVO interactions. The procedure offers a novel route to synthesize the Cu/cupric oxide particles and aggregates. It also provides a novel additive manufacturing process or lithography of composite materials such as metal, oxide, and resin

Autistic Traits and Brain Activation during Face-to-Face Conversations in Typically Developed Adults

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviours. The severity of these characteristics is posited to lie on a continuum that extends into the general population. Brain substrates underlying ASD have been investigated through functional neuroimaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, fMRI has methodological constraints for studying brain mechanisms during social interactions (for example, noise, lying on a gantry during the procedure, etc.). In this study, we investigated whether variations in autism spectrum traits are associated with changes in patterns of brain activation in typically developed adults. We used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a recently developed functional neuroimaging technique that uses near-infrared light, to monitor brain activation in a natural setting that is suitable for studying brain functions during social interactions. METHODOLOGY: We monitored regional cerebral blood volume changes using a 52-channel NIRS apparatus over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and superior temporal sulcus (STS), 2 areas implicated in social cognition and the pathology of ASD, in 28 typically developed participants (14 male and 14 female) during face-to-face conversations. This task was designed to resemble a realistic social situation. We examined the correlations of these changes with autistic traits assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Both the PFC and STS were significantly activated during face-to-face conversations. AQ scores were negatively correlated with regional cerebral blood volume increases in the left STS during face-to-face conversations, especially in males. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate successful monitoring of brain function during realistic social interactions by NIRS as well as lesser brain activation in the left STS during face-to-face conversations in typically developed participants with higher levels of autistic traits

Detection of muscle fatigue by the surface electromyogram and its application

金沢大学理工研究域電子情報学系金沢大学理工研究域電子情報学系The muscle is moved by muscle fiber contraction receiving command from the brain. But, energy that moves muscle is not infinity. If muscle get into energy shortage, no matter how send command from the brain, muscle is not moved. Such a temporary muscular dysfunction is muscle fatigue. If muscle becomes excess fatigue condition, it may decrease work efficiency, or muscle strain. If we are able to measure muscle fatigue objectively, improve work efficiency, or avert muscle strain. Therefore, it is necessity to measure muscle fatigue. It is able to objectively measure with a surface electromyogram(EMG). The feature of muscle fatigue are increase in amplitude and make the transition from high frequency spectrum to low frequency spectrum. We evaluate muscle fatigue Mean Power Frequency (MPF). to evaluates frequency of surface EMG.We assume muscle recovery process is converse phenomenon from muscle fatigue, and it is able to evaluate elevated MPF. The purpose of the present study is to design of system that effective training, or improve work efficiency, or avert muscle strain uses feature of muscular fatigue and muscle recovery process. © 2010 IEEE

High Levels of Copper, Zinc, Iron and Magnesium, but not Calcium, in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Fahr's Disease

Patients with marked calcification of the basal ganglia and cerebellum have traditionally been referred to as having Fahr's disease, but the nomenclature has been criticized for including heterogeneous etiology. We describe 3 patients with idiopathic bilateral striatopallidodentate calcinosis (IBSPDC). The patients were a 24-year-old man with mental deterioration, a 57-year-old man with parkinsonism and dementia, and a 76-year-old woman with dementia and mild parkinsonism. The former 2 patients showed severe calcification of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, and the latter patient showed severe calcification of the cerebellum. We found significantly increased levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and magnesium (Mg), using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the CSF of all these 3 patients. The increased levels of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mg reflect the involvement of metabolism of several metals and/or metal-binding proteins during the progression of IBSPDC. More numerous patients with IBSPDC should be examined in other races to clarify the common mechanism of the disease and to investigate the specific treatment

Endogenous CGRP protects against neointimal hyperplasia following wire-induced vascular injury

信州大学博士（医学）・学位論文・平成25年3月31日授与（甲第942号）・楊 磊Neointimal hyperplasia is the primary lesion underlying atherosclerosis and restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is produced by alternative splicing of the primary transcript of the calcitonin/CGRP gene. Originally identified as a strongly vasodilatory neuropeptide, CGRP is now known to be a pleiotropic peptide widely distributed in various organs and tissues. Our aim was to investigate the possibility that CGRP acts as an endogenous vasoprotective molecule. We compared the effect of CGRP deficiency on neointimal formation after wire-induced vascular injury in wild-type and CGRP knockout (CGRP-/-) mice. We found that neointimal formation after vascular injury was markedly enhanced in CGRP-/- mice, which also showed a higher degree of oxidative stress, as indicated by reduced expression of nitric oxide synthase, increased expression of p47phox, and elevated levels of 4HNE, as well as greater infiltration of macrophages. In addition, CGRP-deficiency led to increased vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation within the neointima. By contrast, bone marrow-derived cells had little or no effect on neointimal formation in CGRP-/- mice. In vitro analysis showed that CGRP-treatment suppressed VSMC proliferation, migration, and ERK1/2 activity. These results clearly demonstrate that endogenous CGRP suppresses the oxidative stress and VSMC proliferation induced by vascular injury. As a vasoprotective molecule, CGRP could be an important therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.ArticleJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR CARDIOLOGY. 59(0):55-66 (2013)journal articl

Strukturierung des Unterrichts anhand der Lehrer:innenfragen. Perspektiven der Jugyo Kenkyu

Analog zum Leipziger Ansatz der qualitativen Unterrichtsforschung stellt das Team der Hiroshima Universität sein spezifisches Vorgehen der Lesson Study vor. Auf der Basis der normativen Lesson Study mit Fokus auf die Gruppenbildung im Klassenzimmer zeigt die Analyse ihre Praxisnähe und moniert ein gewisses Defizit der Untersuchungsmaterialien, die aus dem Kontext der qualitativen Unterrichtsforschung bereitgestellt wurden. Die forschungsmethodologische Differenz zeigt sich darin, dass der Fokus auf die Lehrer:innenfrage im qualitativen Zugang Prozesse der Offenheit und Lenkung und in der Jugyo Kenkyu Strukturen der Gruppenbildung in den Blick rückt. (DIPF/Orig.

Odour-induced analgesia mediated by hypothalamic orexin neurons in mice

Various folk remedies employ certain odorous compounds with analgesic effects. In fact, linalool, a monoterpene alcohol found in lavender extracts, has been found to attenuate pain responses via subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intrathecal, and oral administration. However, the analgesic effects of odorous compounds mediated by olfaction have not been thoroughly examined. We performed behavioural pain tests under odourant vapour exposure in mice. Among six odourant molecules examined, linalool significantly increased the pain threshold and attenuated pain behaviours. Olfactory bulb or epithelium lesion removed these effects, indicating that olfactory sensory input triggered the effects. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that linalool activated hypothalamic orexin neurons, one of the key mediators for pain processing. Formalin tests in orexin neuron-ablated and orexin peptide-deficient mice showed orexinergic transmission was essential for linalool odour-induced analgesia. Together, these findings reveal central analgesic circuits triggered by olfactory input in the mammalian brain and support a potential therapeutic approach for treating pain with linalool odour stimulation

Implicit Function Theorem. Part I

In this article, we formalize in Mizar [1], [3] the existence and uniqueness part of the implicit function theorem. In the first section, some composition properties of Lipschitz continuous linear function are discussed. In the second section, a definition of closed ball and theorems of several properties of open and closed sets in Banach space are described. In the last section, we formalized the existence and uniqueness of continuous implicit function in Banach space using Banach fixed point theorem. We referred to [7], [8], and [2] in this formalization.This study was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP17K00182Nakasho Kazuhisa - Osaka University, Osaka, JapanFuta Yuichi - Tokyo University of Technology, Tokyo, JapanShidama Yasunari - Shinshu University, Nagano, JapanGrzegorz Bancerek, Czesław Bylinski, Adam Grabowski, Artur Korniłowicz, Roman Matuszewski, Adam Naumowicz, Karol Pak, and Josef Urban. Mizar: State-of-the-art and beyond. In Manfred Kerber, Jacques Carette, Cezary Kaliszyk, Florian Rabe, and Volker Sorge, editors, Intelligent Computer Mathematics, volume 9150 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 261-279. Springer International Publishing, 2015. ISBN 978-3-319-20614-1. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-20615-8 17.Bruce K. Driver. Analysis Tools with Applications. Springer, Berlin, 2003.Adam Grabowski, Artur Korniłowicz, and Adam Naumowicz. Four decades of Mizar. Journal of Automated Reasoning, 55(3):191-198, 2015. doi: 10.1007/s10817-015-9345-1.Takaya Nishiyama, Keiji Ohkubo, and Yasunari Shidama. The continuous functions on normed linear spaces. Formalized Mathematics, 12(3):269-275, 2004.Hiroyuki Okazaki, Noboru Endou, and Yasunari Shidama. Cartesian products of family of real linear spaces. Formalized Mathematics, 19(1):51-59, 2011. doi: 10.2478/v10037-011-0009-2.Hideki Sakurai, Hiroyuki Okazaki, and Yasunari Shidama. Banach’s continuous inverse theorem and closed graph theorem. Formalized Mathematics, 20(4):271-274, 2012. doi: 10.2478/v10037-012-0032-y.Laurent Schwartz. Théorie des ensembles et topologie, tome 1. Analyse. Hermann, 1997.Laurent Schwartz. Calcul différentiel, tome 2. Analyse. Hermann, 1997.Google ScholarYasunari Shidama. Banach space of bounded linear operators. Formalized Mathematics, 12(1):39-48, 2004.25426928