A New Method for the Evaluation of Vaccine Safety Based on Comprehensive Gene Expression Analysis

For the past 50 years, quality control and safety tests have been used to evaluate vaccine safety. However, conventional animal safety tests need to be improved in several aspects. For example, the number of test animals used needs to be reduced and the test period shortened. It is, therefore, necessary to develop a new vaccine evaluation system. In this review, we show that gene expression patterns are well correlated to biological responses in vaccinated rats. Our findings and methods using experimental biology and genome science provide an important means of assessment for vaccine toxicity

Enhanced Performance of Sn4P3 Electrode Cycled in Ionic Liquid Electrolyte at Intermediate Temperature as Na‐Ion Battery Anode

Charge-discharge performances of Sn4P3 anodes for Na‐ion battery were evaluated in an ionic liquid electrolyte using N‐methyl‐N‐propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide at intermediate temperatures of 60 and 90 oC. At these temperatures, the anode showed extra capacities based on the full sodiation of Sn in a potential range below 0.2 V vs. Na+/Na because its slow kinetics was improved by elevating operation temperature. Under the current density of 0.1 A g-1 (0.08 C), the Sn4P3 anode at 60 oC exhibited a large capacity of 750 mA h g-1 at the 120th cycle and high Coulombic efficiencies above 99% after the 5th cycle. On the other hand, the efficiency degraded at 90 oC by the electrolyte decomposition. At 60 oC, the anode attained an excellent rate performance with capacity of 250 mA h g-1 even at 3 A g-1 (2.65 C). These results demonstrated the promising operation at intermediate temperature at around 60 oC for Sn4P3 anode in ionic liquid electrolyte

Structural variations in parotid glands induced by radiation therapy in patients with oral carcinoma observed on contrast-enhanced computed tomography

Background: Xerostomia is one of the commonest radiation-induced complications in patients with head and neck carcinoma. The aim of this study was to assess structural variations in parotid glands induced by radiation therapy in patients with oral carcinoma with contras-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). Material/Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 41 patients with oral carcinoma who underwent CECT for head and neck malignancies before and after radiotherapy. We analyzed the relationship between parotid density variations, parotid volume change, as seen on CECT, and the mean radiation dose applied to the parotid glands in patients with oral carcinoma immediately after radiotherapy, and 2 and 3 years later. Results: Immediately after radiotherapy, high-density changes on contrast-enhanced CT were observed in 70.5% of the irradiated parotids. Low-density changes due to fat degeneration were seen in 46.2% and 72.2% of the irradiated parotids 2 and 3 years after radiotherapy, respectively. The mean dose applied to the parotids with the low-density changes and without such changes 3 years after radiotherapy was 46.0 Gy and 27.7 Gy, respectively (p=0.049). Furthermore, parotid shrinkage was observed in 63.6% of the irradiated parotids. Conclusions: This study suggests that the structural variations in parotid glands induced by radiotherapy included high-density changes that were observed immediately after radiotherapy and low-density changes that were seen at late follow-up. This study should be useful for clinicians in the assessment of radiation-induced injuries in the parotids with respect to early prediction of xerostomia

Electrochemical performance of Sn4P3 negative electrode for Na-ion batteries in ether-substituted ionic liquid electrolyte

We have previously disclosed that the ionic-liquid electrolyte sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (NaFSA)/1-methyl-1-propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (Py13-FSA) can significantly improve the cycling stability of Sn4P3 negative electrodes for Na-ion batteries (NIBs). However, the strong electrostatic interaction between Na+ and FSA− in the electrolyte leads to high viscosity and low conductivity. In this study, we have tried to improve the conductivity of the electrolyte and enhance the rate capability of the Sn4P3 electrode by introducing an ether group in the side-chain of the ionic liquid cation to reduce said electrostatic interaction. Ether-substituted ionic liquid 1-methoxymethyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (PyMOM)-FSA showed higher conductivity than Py13-FSA and the Sn4P3 electrode exhibited a higher rate capability. The differential capacity vs. potential plots suggest that the reaction between Na+ and Sn or P is promoted in the ether-substituted ionic liquid electrolyte. These results demonstrate that introduction of an ether moiety is an effective approach to improve the rate capability of the Sn4P3 electrode in NIBs

Multidimensional background examination of young underweight Japanese women: focusing on their dieting experiences

IntroductionThis study examines the background of underweight young women in Japan from multiple perspectives, focusing on whether they have ever dieted.MethodsA screening survey was administered to 5,905 underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) women aged 18–29 years, who could report their birth weight recorded in their mother-child handbook. Valid responses were obtained from 400 underweight and 189 normal-weight women. The survey collected data regarding height, weight (BMI), body image and perception of weight, dieting experience, exercise habits from elementary school age onwards, and current eating habits. Additionally, five standardized questionnaires were used (EAT-26, eHEALTH, SATAQ-3 JS, TIPI-J, and RSES). The primary analysis was a comparative analysis (t-test/χ2)—with the presence or absence of underweight and diet experience as independent variables, and each questionnaire as a dependent variable.ResultsThe screening survey revealed that approximately 24% of the total population was underweight, with a low mean BMI. Of the respondents, more than half reported their body image as skinny and a small percentage as obese. Compared with the non-diet-experienced group (NDG), the diet-experienced group (DG) had a significantly higher proportion of past to current exercise habits. There was a significantly higher percentage of disagreement responses from the DG for weight and food gain than for the NDG. The NDG weighed significantly less than the DG in terms of birth weight, and lost weight easier than the DG. Additionally, the NDG was significantly more likely to agree with increasing weight and food intake. The NDG’s exercise habits were below 40% from elementary school age to the present, predominantly owing to a dislike for exercise and a lack of opportunity to implement it. In the standardized questionnaire, the DG was significantly higher for EAT-26, eHEALTH, SATAQ-3 JS, and Conscientiousness (TIPI-J), whereas the NDG was only significantly higher for Openness (TIPI-J).DiscussionThe results suggest the need for different health education programs for underweight women who desire to lose weight and experience dieting and for those who do not. This study’s results are reflected in the development of sports opportunities optimized for each individual, and in the development of measures to ensure adequate nutritional intake

Non-destructive high-throughput measurement of elastic-viscous properties of maize using a novel ultra-micro sensor array and numerical validation

振動工学と農学の融合により、倒れにくい飼料トウモロコシの迅速選抜手法を開発. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-04-27.Maize is the world's most produced cereal crop, and the selection of maize cultivars with a high stem elastic modulus is an effective method to prevent cereal crop lodging. We developed an ultra-compact sensor array inspired by earthquake engineering and proposed a method for the high-throughput evaluation of the elastic modulus of maize cultivars. A natural vibration analysis based on the obtained Young’s modulus using finite element analysis (FEA) was performed and compared with the experimental results, which showed that the estimated Young’s modulus is representative of the individual Young’s modulus. FEA also showed the hotspot where the stalk was most deformed when the corn was vibrated by wind. The six tested cultivars were divided into two phenotypic groups based on the position and number of hotspots. In this study, we proposed a non-destructive high-throughput phenotyping technique for estimating the modulus of elasticity of maize stalks and successfully visualized which parts of the stalks should be improved for specific cultivars to prevent lodging

Dose-dependent effects of fat

Humans have a high preference for fat, and its excessive intake leads to obesity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dose-dependent fat intake on biological responses and postprandial appetite sensation in healthy adult subjects. Age and body mass index were 29 ± 1 years and 21.1 ± 0.4 kg/m2, respectively. We conducted a randomized, crossover trial and measured laboratory data and appetite sensation via the visual analog scale. Each participant was provided with four different test meals. They consisted of common, basic foods and contained 75g liquid glucose and 4 slices of crackers to which 0 g butter (control), 10 g butter (B10), 20 g butter (B20), and 40 g butter (B40) were added, respectively. The results indicated that single ingestion of butter did not influence laboratory values of glucose, insulin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), total bile acids, or high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP). Regarding postprandial appetite sensation, appetite ratings for fullness were the highest after the B40 meal (p < 0.05) ; however, satisfaction ratings were not significantly different after the ingestion of this meal. Ratings were significantly different after the B20 meal. In conclusion, healthy adult subjects experienced fullness and satisfaction after ingesting 20-40 g of butter