Sample records for takaku keisuke sakurada
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Pantelia, Anna
2014-01-01
17 January 2014 - Y. Sakurada Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology signing the Guest book with CERN Director-General R. Heuer and visiting the LHC tunnel at Point 1 with Technology Department Head J.M. Jiménez. Head of International Relations R. Voss present throughout.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hamidi, Nasrollah; Massoudi, Ruhullah
2003-01-01
A useful relationship, ln(T g )=ln(T g,∞ )-m[η] -ν , between intrinsic viscosity and glass transition temperature for a series of homologous polymers was obtained by combining the Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada (MHKS) relation for intrinsic viscosity and molecular mass, and the Fox-Flory equation for glass transition temperature and number-average molecular mass. This relationship was applied to poly(2,6-dimethylphenylmethacrylate) (PDMPh) in a variety of solvents (ideal to good) such as toluene, tetrahydrofuran/water, tetrahydrofuran, and chlorobenzene systems. The parameter α estimated by this procedure in toluene, tetrahydrofuran/water, tetrahydrofuran, and chlorobenzene systems are 0.50 6 , 0.51 1 , 0.56 7 , and 0.67 3 , respectively which are in agreement with those of Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada values by less than 5% differences. The T g,∞ quantity estimated from this equation also is within the standard deviation of that obtained from the Fox-Flory method. The m quantity is increasing as the thermodynamic quality of the solvent improves, therefore, m may be considered as an indicator of coil conformations in a given solvent
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Stemcell Information: SKIP001104 [SKIP Stemcell Database[Archive
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available 0-9 Female ... -- No hiPSC Generation from Peripheral Blood (CD34+) by using non-T medium. 末梢血CD34陽性細胞由来iPS細胞。|T細胞... ... Keisuke Okita 沖田 圭介 Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞研究所 ... Info...rmation Only Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞...nerate integration-free human-induced pluripotent stem cells from cord blood and peripheral blood cells.--Ce
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Viscometric studies of chitosan radiation degradation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rapado, M.; Ceausoglu, I.; Hunkeler, D.
2001-01-01
The paper presents the preliminary results, related to the viscometric studies on chitosan gamma radiation degradation. To follow the effects on the processes of chitosan transformations caused by irradiation in vacuum irradiated solutions changes of viscosity, and viscosity average molecular weight were measured The influence of absorbed dose on the chitosan molecular weight was studied using the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation. Various relationships for the for the determination of the intrinsic viscosity were made vias the Huggins, Kramer and Schulz- Blaschke models. The distinct decrease of intrinsic viscosity indicates that the main change scission was the dominating process
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Fenoradosoa, Taratra André; Laroche, Céline; Delattre, Cedric; Dulong, Virginie; Le Cerf, Didier; Picton, Luc; Michaud, Philippe
2012-07-01
The rheological behavior of a sulfated galactan extracted from Halymenia durvillei, a red seaweed collected in the coastal waters of a small island of Madagascar (Nosy-be in Indian Ocean), was investigated in dilute and semi-dilute solutions. In dilute solution with NaCl at 0.3 M, the polysaccharide adopted a coil conformation whereas, at higher concentrations, the polymer had the behavior of shear-thinning fluid, typical of polymer with high molar mass or semi-rigid conformation. Degradations of this lambda carrageenan-like, using radical depolymerization, and high-pressure homogenization led to several samples of various and controlled molar masses. The measure of their intrinsic viscosities permitted the determination of the relationship of Mark-Houwink-Sakurada.
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Viscometric study of high-cis polybutadiene in toluene solution
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mwllo, Ivana L.; Coutinho, Fernanda M.B.; Delpech, Marcia C.; Albino, Fernanda F.M.
2006-01-01
Viscometric measurements, in toluene solution at 30 deg C, were performed with high-cis polybutadiene synthesized by neodymium based catalyst. Six different equations were used to calculate intrinsic viscosities and viscosimetric constant values: Huggins, Kraemer, Martin and Schulz-Blaschke by graphic extrapolation, and Solomon-Ciuta, Deb-Chanterjee and again Schulz- Blaschke, through a single point determination. The molecular weight of the polymers was also determined applying Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation using the values of intrinsic viscosity obtained by the six equations. The values of intrinsic viscosity and viscosity-average molecular weight obtained by the two methods were compared in order to verify the validity of the single point determination for high-cis polybutadiene. (author)
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Stemcell Information: SKIP000824 [SKIP Stemcell Database[Archive
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available line, derived from fibloblast(JCRB TIG107). TIG107線維芽細胞由来iPS細胞。エピゾーマルベクターによる樹立、導入細胞...and ... No ... Keisuke Okita 沖田 圭介 Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞研究所 ...Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞研究所 Shiny...a Yamanaka 山中伸弥 Information Only Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞研究所... SKIP000824 ... Normal 421C-1 421C-1 ... 81 80-89 Female Japanese Japanese -- No Human iPS cell
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Stemcell Information: SKIP000821 [SKIP Stemcell Database[Archive
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available line, derived from fibloblast(Cell applications Inc. Lot1388). Lot1388線維芽細胞由来iPS細胞。エピゾーマルベクターによる樹立、導入細胞...No ... No ... Keisuke Okita 沖田 圭介 Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞研究所 ...Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞研究所 Shiny...a Yamanaka 山中伸弥 Information Only Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University 京都大学iPS細胞研究所... SKIP000821 ... Normal 404C-2 404C-2 ... 36 30-39 Female ... -- No Human iPS cell
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Benhadjala, W., E-mail: warda.benhadjala@cea.fr [IMS Laboratory - UMR CNRS 5218, University of Bordeaux, 351 Cours de la Libération, 33405 Talence (France); CEA, LETI, Minatec Campus, 38000 Grenoble (France); Gravoueille, M.; Weiss, M. [EDF, Centre d' Expertise et d' Inspection dans les Domaines de la Réalisation et de l' Exploitation (CEIDRE), Chinon, BP 80, 37420 Avoine (France); Bord-Majek, I.; Béchou, L.; Ousten, Y. [IMS Laboratory - UMR CNRS 5218, University of Bordeaux, 351 Cours de la Libération, 33405 Talence (France); Suhir, E. [Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, Portland State University, Oregon 97201 (United States); Buet, M.; Louarn, M.; Rougé, F.; Gaud, V. [Polyrise SAS, 16 Avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac (France)
2015-11-23
Extensive research is being conducted on the development of inorganic/organic nanocomposites for a wide variety of applications in microelectronics, biotechnologies, photonics, adhesives, or optical coatings. High filler contents are usually required to fully optimize the nanocomposites properties. However, numerous studies demonstrated that traditional composite viscosity increases with increasing the filler concentration reducing therefore significantly the material processability. In this work, we synthesized inorganic/organic core-shell nanocomposites with different shell thicknesses. By reducing the shell thickness while maintaining a constant core size, the nanoparticle molecular mass decreases but the nanocomposite filler fraction is correlatively increased. We performed viscosity measurements, which clearly highlighted that intrinsic viscosity of hybrid nanoparticles decreases as the molecular mass decreases, and thus, as the filler fraction increases, as opposed to Einstein predictions about the viscosity of traditional inorganic/polymer two-phase mixtures. This exceptional behavior, modeled by Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation, proves to be a significant breakthrough for the development of industrializable nanocomposites with high filler contents.
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Sayah, Mohamed Yassine; Chabir, Rachida; Benyahia, Hamid; Rodi Kandri, Youssef; Ouazzani Chahdi, Fouad; Touzani, Hanan; Errachidi, Faouzi
2016-01-01
Orange (Citrus sinensis) and grapefruit (Citrus paradise) peels were used as a source of pectin, which was extracted under different conditions. The peels are used under two states: fresh and residual (after essential oil extraction). Organic acid (citric acid) and mineral acid (sulfuric acid) were used in the pectin extraction. The aim of this study is the evaluation the effect of extraction conditions on pectin yield, degree of esterification “DE” and on molecular weight “Mw”. Results showed that the pectin yield was higher using the residual peels. Moreover, both peels allow the obtainment of a high methoxyl pectin with DE >50%. The molecular weight was calculated using Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation which describes its relationship with intrinsic viscosity. This later was determined using four equations; Huggins equation, kramer, Schulz-Blaschke and Martin equation. The molecular weight varied from 1.538 x1005 to 2.47x1005 g/mol for grapefruit pectin and from 1.639 x1005 to 2.471 x1005 g/mol for orange pectin. PMID:27644093
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Monkos, Karol
2013-03-01
The paper presents the results of viscosity determinations on aqueous solutions of human serum albumin (HSA) at isoelectric point over a wide range of concentrations and at temperatures ranging from 5°C to 45°C. On the basis of a modified Arrhenius equation and Mooney's formula some hydrodynamic parameters were obtained. They are compared with those previously obtained for HSA in solutions at neutral pH. The activation energy and entropy of viscous flow and the intrinsic viscosity reach a maximum value, and the effective specific volume, the self-crowding factor and the Huggins coefficient a minimum value in solutions at isoelectric point. Using the dimensionless parameter [η]c, the existence of three ranges of concentrations: diluted, semi-diluted and concentrated, was shown. By applying Lefebvre's relation for the relative viscosity in the semi-dilute regime, the Mark-Houvink-Kuhn-Sakurada (MHKS) exponent was established. The analysis of the results obtained from the three ranges of concentrations showed that both conformation and stiffness of HSA molecules in solutions at isoelectric point and at neutral pH are the same.
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Xu, Xiaoqi; Xue, Changhu; Chang, Yaoguang; Liu, Guanchen
2017-12-15
As a bioactive and functional polysaccharide, sea cucumber fucoidan has received increasing attention. Chain conformation and physicochemical properties of fucoidan extracted from Thelenota ananas (Ta-FUC) was investigated by utilizing HPSEC-MALLS-Visc-RI, microelectrophoresis and steady shear measurements. The conformation parameter α s (0.61±0.02), the Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada exponent α η (0.92±0.01), α h (0.64±0.01) and the Smidsrød-Haug stiffness parameter B (0.036±0.010) consistently manifested that Ta-FUC adopted a semi-flexible coil conformation in NaCl solution. Based on a wormlike cylinder model, stiffness parameters, including persistence length q (13.27±0.80nm) and cylinder diameter d (0.79nm), were calculated. This polysaccharide demonstrated shear-thinning rheological behaviour, and critical concentration from dilute to semidilute concentration regime was determined as 3.6mg/ml. Ta-FUC exhibited as a negative polyelectrolyte in wide pH and ionic strength ranges. These molecular characteristics and physicochemical properties would facilitate further application of Ta-FUC as a functional ingredient in food. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Apparent suppression of MMP-9 activity by GD1a as determined by gelatin zymography.
Hu, Dan; Tan, Xuan; Sato, Toshinori; Yamagata, Sadako; Yamagata, Tatsuya
2006-10-13
Gelatin zymography is widely used to detect and evaluate matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity. MMP-9 transcription was previously shown to be negatively regulated by ganglioside GD1a [D. Hu, Z. Man, T. Xuan, P. Wang, T. Takaku, S. Hyuga, X.S. Yao, T. Sato, S. Yamagata, T. Yamagata, Ganglioside GD1a regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in mouse FBJ cell Lines: GD1a suppression of MMP-9 expression stimulated by PI3K-Akt and p38 though not by the Erk signaling pathway, 2006, submitted for publication.]. Zymography of MMP-9 of FBJ-M5 cells preincubated with GD1a indicated a greater decrease in activity than expected from mRNA suppression. Incubation of conditioned medium containing MMP-9 with GD1a caused MMP-9 activity to decrease. Examination was thus made to confirm that MMP-9 activity is actually suppressed and/or MMP-9 protein undergoes degradation by GD1a. GD1a was found to have no effect on MMP-9 activity and Western blots indicated GD1a not to diminish MMP-9 during electrophoresis under reducing conditions. GD1a appeared to mediate the binding of a portion of MMP-9 with certain molecules, with consequently greater molecular mass on the gel, to cause decrease in the activity of MMP-9 at the site where it would normally appear. Caution should be used in doing gelatin zymography since molecules other than GD1a may similarly work, causing decrease in MMP-9 activity in zymography.
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Size-exclusion chromatography of perfluorosulfonated ionomers.
Mourey, T H; Slater, L A; Galipo, R C; Koestner, R J
2011-08-26
A size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) method in N,N-dimethylformamide containing 0.1 M LiNO(3) is shown to be suitable for the determination of molar mass distributions of three classes of perfluorosulfonated ionomers, including Nafion(®). Autoclaving sample preparation is optimized to prepare molecular solutions free of aggregates, and a solvent exchange method concentrates the autoclaved samples to enable the use of molar-mass-sensitive detection. Calibration curves obtained from light scattering and viscometry detection suggest minor variation in the specific refractive index increment across the molecular size distributions, which introduces inaccuracies in the calculation of local absolute molar masses and intrinsic viscosities. Conformation plots that combine apparent molar masses from light scattering detection with apparent intrinsic viscosities from viscometry detection partially compensate for the variations in refractive index increment. The conformation plots are consistent with compact polymer conformations, and they provide Mark-Houwink-Sakurada constants that can be used to calculate molar mass distributions without molar-mass-sensitive detection. Unperturbed dimensions and characteristic ratios calculated from viscosity-molar mass relationships indicate unusually free rotation of the perfluoroalkane backbones and may suggest limitations to applying two-parameter excluded volume theories for these ionomers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Izumi M
2011-12-01
Full Text Available Manabu Izumi, Shoko Teraoka, Keisuke Yamashita, Kenji Matsumoto, Tomohiro Muronoi, Yoshimitsu Izawa, Chikara Yonekawa, Masaki Ano, Masayuki SuzukawaDepartment of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, JapanAbstract: A 74-year-old man with coronary artery disease was suffering from acute nonobstructive cholecystitis and was admitted to a nearby hospital. Dual antiplatelet (aspirin and ticlopidine therapy was discontinued before preparation for surgical resection of the gall bladder. During his time in hospital he was aware of lumbar pain and weakness in both legs. He was transferred to our hospital for further evaluation and therapy. Diffuse intra-aortic thrombi were revealed by computed tomography with contrast media, and magnetic resonance imaging showed spinal cord infarction. However, computed tomography scans of the descending aorta obtained 4 months before admission exhibited no signs of atherosclerotic plaques or intra-aortic thrombi. Laboratory data suggest that antiphospholipid antibody syndrome might have caused these acute multiple intra-arterial thrombi. By restarting dual antiplatelet therapy and increasing the dose of heparin (from 10,000 IU/day to 15,000 IU/day we successfully managed the patient's clinical condition and symptoms. It is important to understand that stopping antiplatelet therapy may rapidly grow thrombi in patients with a hypercoagulative state.Keywords: intra-aortic thrombus, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, spinal cord infarction
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(V,Nb)-doped half Heusler alloys based on {Ti,Zr,Hf}NiSn with high ZT
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rogl, G.; Sauerschnig, P.; Rykavets, Z.; Romaka, V.V.; Heinrich, P.; Hinterleitner, B.; Grytsiv, A.; Bauer, E.; Rogl, P.
2017-01-01
Half Heusler alloys are among the most promising materials for thermoelectric generators as they can be used in a wide temperature range and their starting materials are abundant and cheap, the latter as long as no hafnium is involved. For Sb-doped Ti 0.5 Zr 0.25 Hf 0.25 NiSn Sakurada and Shutoh in 2008 have published ZT max = 1.5 at 690 K, a value that hitherto was never reproduced independently. In this paper we successfully prepared Ti 0.5 Zr 0.25 Hf 0.25 NiSn with ZT max = 1.5, however, at higher temperature (825 K). As the main goal is to produce hafnium – free half Heusler alloys, we investigated the influence of niobium or vanadium dopants on Ti x Zr 1−x NiSn 0.98 Sb 0.02 , reaching ZTs > 1.2 and thermal-electric conversion efficiencies up to 13.1%. For Hf-free n-type TiNiSn-based half Heusler alloys these values are unsurpassed. In order to further improve our thermoelectric materials our study is completed by electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity data in the low temperature range but also by mechanical properties (elastic moduli, hardness) at room temperature. The electrical properties have been discussed in comparison with DFT calculations.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lancet, D.; Greer, C.A.; Kauer, J.S.; Shepherd, G.M.
1982-01-01
The spatial distribution of odor-induced neuronal activity in the olfactory bulb, the first relay station of the olfactory pathway, is believed to reflect important aspects of chemosensory coding. We report here the application of high-resolution 2-deoxyglucose autoradiography to the mapping of spatial patterns of metabolic activity at the level of single neurons in the olfactory bulb. It was found that glomeruli, which are synaptic complexes containing the first synaptic relay, tend to be uniformly active or inactive during odor exposure. Differential 2-deoxyglucose uptake was also observed in the somata of projection neurons (mitral cells) and interneurons (periglomerular and granule cells). This confirms and extends our previous studies in which odor-specific laminar and focal uptake patterns were revealed by the conventional x-ray film 2-deoxyglucose method due to Sokoloff and colleagues [Sokoloff, L., Reivich, M., Kennedy, C., DesRosiers, M. H., Patlak, C. S., Pettigrew, K. D., Sakurada, O. and Shinohara, M. (1977) J. Neurochem. 28, 897-916]. Based on results obtained by the two methods, it is suggested that the glomerulus as a whole serves as a functional unit of activity. The high-resolution results are interpreted in terms of the well-characterized synaptic organization of the olfactory bulb and also serve to illustrate the capability of the 2-deoxyglucose autoradiographic technique to map metabolic activity in single neurons of the vertebrate central nervous system
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Otávio Bianchi
2012-01-01
Full Text Available Nanocompósitos híbridos de poliestireno (PS e poliedros oligoméricos silsesquioxanos (POSS com diferentes composições e graus de hibridização foram obtidos por processamento reativo no estado fundido utilizando-se peróxido de dicumila (DCP como iniciador, na presença ou não de estireno como agente de transferência de radical. Os materiais foram caracterizados viscosimetricamente por cromatografia de permeação em gel (GPC usando detecção tripla por espalhamento de luz, viscosimetria e índice de refração. As amostras PS/POSS processadas com estireno apresentaram maiores valores de massa molar ponderal média (Mw e menores valores de polidispersão (Mw/Mn, devido ao maior grau de conversão da reação de hibridização do PS-POSS (28-40% e do menor grau de degradação (cisão das cadeias do PS, quando comparadas com amostras PS/POSS processadas sem estireno nas quais o grau de conversão ficou em torno de 24-28%. Para os sistemas PS e PS/POSS em solução com THF, os parâmetros da equação de Mark-Houwink-Sakurada (MHS, α ≅ 0,7 e log K ≅ -3,5 a -3,9 e os valores dos parâmetros de interação polímero-solvente, χij ≅ 0,49, não apresentaram diferenças significativas com relação aos tamanhos moleculares. Por outro lado, essas diferenças de tamanhos moleculares foram caracterizadas por uma função cumulativa da fração mássica de cadeias em função da distância média quadrática entre pontas de cadeia (0½.Polystyrene (PS and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS hybrid nanocomposites with different compositions were obtained by reactive melt processing using dicumyl peroxide (DCP as initiator in the presence or absence of styrene as radical transfer agent. The materials were characterized by viscosimetry by means of gel permeation chromatography (GPC using triple-detector: light scattering, viscometer and refractive index. PS/POSS samples processed with styrene showed higher weight average molecular
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Efficiency calibration of electron spectrometers by the help of standard spectrum
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Toth, J.; Cserny, I.; Varga, D.; Koever, I.; Toekesi, K.
2004-01-01
Complete text of publication follows. For studying thin films and surface nanostructures quantitative analytical applications of electron spectroscopic techniques have a great importance. The most frequently used techniques are XPS, XAES and AES in quantitative surface electron spectroscopy. Applying these techniques changes in the detection efficiency vs. electron kinetic energy change the measured electron peak intensity ratios and in this way the neglect of the energy dependence of the spectrometer efficiency can influence surface atomic concentrations derived. The importance of the precise determination of the atomic concentrations is very crucial, especially in the determination of non-destructive depth profiles by the help of AR-XPS in which small changes in the relative concentrations can change dramatically the concentration depth profiles of a few nanometer depth ranges. In the present study the REELS technique was used to determine the relative detection efficiency by the help of a standard spectrum measured on the surface of fine microcrystalline Cu specimen. The experimental relative efficiency curves vs. electron kinetic energy were compared to the calculated efficiency curve. The efficiency calibration is discussed from the point of view of quantitative XPS, AR- XPS, AES and from the point of view of IMFP determination by XPS. The work was supported by the Hungarian National Science Foundation, OTKAT038016. For the Cu specimen and the standard spectrum the authors are indebted to the Sur- face Analysis Society of Japan, to Dr. Shigeo Tanuma and Professor Keisuke Goto (NIT). (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yamauchi Y
2011-11-01
Full Text Available Yasuyuki Yamauchi, Hiromichi Yagi, Yoshihiko Usui, Keisuke Kimura, Tsuyoshi Agawa, Rintaro Tsukahara, Naoyuki Yamakawa, Hiroshi GotoDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, JapanBackground: Recent research on macular diseases has prompted investigations into the condition of the intersection between the photoreceptor inner and outer segments (IS/OS and the relationship with retinal photoreceptor abnormalities. Although the origin of the IS/OS in optical coherence tomography (OCT images is unclear, it may be related to either the cellular activity of the photoreceptors or the structure of the OS disks. To address this question, we compared the IS/OS status in OCT images of rat retinas before and after euthanasia.Methods: OCT images were taken before and after euthanasia in four eyes of two Brown Norway rats. After the OCT images were taken, the rats were used for histopathological studies to confirm that retinal structures were intact.Results: Before euthanasia, the IS/OS and external limiting membrane (ELM line were clearly identifiable on the OCT images. However, after euthanasia, neither the IS/OS nor the ELM line was evident in three out of four eyes, and a faint IS/OS and an ELM line were identified in one eye. Histopathological analysis did not show any abnormalities in the retina in any of the four eyes.Conclusion: The origin of the IS/OS identified in OCT images is likely related to the biological activities of the photoreceptor cells.Keywords: IS/OS, OCT, histopathology, biological activity
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nabinger Machado, Patricia; Cerchietti, Maria Luciana; Mondino, Angel V.; Smolko, Eduardo E.
2009-01-01
Applications are now being made in various fields of oligosaccharides obtained by the depolymerization of large molecules such as natural alginates, carrageenan, pectin and chitosan. Find use in various disciplines such as crop production, sanitation, pharmacy, cosmetics, etc. Given the diversity of origins of these materials, almost all of marine origin, was the need for universal methods for recognition and composition, then the possible ways to get processed. A centralized program by the IAEA is promoting the use of ionizing radiation for these changes. This paper resents the calculations used to obtain the molecular weight of polysaccharides from determinations of viscosity. It has been found the molecular weight of sodium alginate and kappa-carrageenan irradiated with cobalt-60 gamma rays at doses between 2 and 35 kGy in solid state. We used a capillary Cannon Viscometer Ubbelohde-type and a protocol for standardized calculation procedure for this purpose. Were obtained reading times for passage through the capillary Viscometer, with various concentrations of polymer solutions of virgin material and the irradiated and from there calculated the relative viscosities, specific, inherent, reduced and intrinsic and then using the ratio of Mark-Houwink-SAKURADA calculate the viscosity average molecular weight of the different polymers. The changes found in the molecular weights by radio-depolymerization reach two orders of magnitude in some cases giving oligosaccharides of 8-12 monomer units. It is considered that this depolymerization method is effective and inexpensive compared to enzymatic or chemical methods. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Neomy Zaquen
2015-02-01
Full Text Available A systematic investigation into the chain transfer polymerization of the so-called radical precursor polymerization of poly(p-phenylene vinylene (PPV materials is presented. Polymerizations are characterized by systematic variation of chain transfer agent (CTA concentration and reaction temperature. For the chain transfer constant, a negative activation energy of −12.8 kJ·mol−1 was deduced. Good control over molecular weight is achieved for both the sulfinyl and the dithiocarbamate route (DTC. PPVs with molecular weights ranging from thousands to ten thousands g·mol−1 were obtained. To allow for a meaningful analysis of the CTA influence, Mark–Houwink–Kuhn–Sakurada (MHKS parameters were determined for conjugated MDMO-PPV ([2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy]-1,4-phenylenevinylene to α = 0.809 and k = 0.00002 mL·g−1. Further, high-endgroup fidelity of the CBr4-derived PPVs was proven via chain extension experiments. MDMO-PPV-Br was successfully used as macroinitiator in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP with acrylates and styrene. A more polar PPV counterpart was chain extended by an acrylate in single-electron transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP. In a last step, copper-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC was used to synthesize block copolymer structures. Direct azidation followed by macromolecular conjugation showed only partial success, while the successive chain extension via ATRP followed by CuAAC afforded triblock copolymers of the poly(p-phenylene vinylene-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate-block-poly(ethylene glycol (PPV-b-PtBuA-b-PEG.
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Treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with vitamins E and C: a pilot study
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kawanaka M
2013-03-01
Full Text Available Miwa Kawanaka,1 Ken Nishino,1 Jun Nakamura,1 Mitsuhiko Suehiro,1 Daisuke Goto,1 Noriyo Urata,1 Takahito Oka,1 Hirofumi Kawamoto,1 Hajime Nakamura,2 Junji Yodoi,3 Keisuke Hino,4 Gotaro Yamada11Department of Internal Medicine 2, Kawasaki Hospital, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 2Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Translational Research Center, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, 3Department of Biological Responses, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 4Department of Hepatology and Pancreatology, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, JapanBackground: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH is a common liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis. Oxidative stress is one of the central mechanisms causing hepatocellular injury in the disease. In this study, antioxidant therapy using both vitamins C and E was conducted in patients with NASH.Methods: Vitamin E 300 mg/day and vitamin C 300 mg/day were administered orally to 23 patients with NASH for 12 months. Body mass index was measured during therapy. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, thioredoxin (an oxidative stress marker, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured before treatment and after 12 months in all patients. Ten of the 23 patients underwent liver biopsy before and after treatment.Results: Body mass index remained unchanged during treatment with vitamins C and E. Serum alanine aminotransferase, thioredoxin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were decreased significantly at 12 months compared with pretreatment. Liver biopsies showed improved necroinflammatory activity in eight cases and improved fibrosis staging in 4.Conclusion: Serum alanine aminotransferase, thioredoxin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, and liver histology were clearly improved with vitamin C and E therapy. These findings suggest that combination therapy using these vitamins may be useful in patients with NASH to minimize damage from oxidative stress and slow
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vincenzo Maria De Benedictis
2016-05-01
Full Text Available The Mark–Houwink–Sakurada (MHS equation allows for estimation of rheological properties, if the molecular weight is known along with good understanding of the polymer conformation. The intrinsic viscosity of a polymer solution is related to the polymer molecular weight according to the MHS equation, where the value of the constants is related to the specific solvent and its concentration. However, MHS constants do not account for other characteristics of the polymeric solutions, i.e., Deacetilation Degree (DD when the solute is chitosan. In this paper, the degradation of chitosan in different acidic environments by thermal treatment is addressed. In particular, two different solutions are investigated (used as solvent acetic or hydrochloric acid with different concentrations used for the preparation of chitosan solutions. The samples were treated at different temperatures (4, 30, and 80 °C and time points (3, 6 and 24 h. Rheological, Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC and Thermal Gravimetric Analyses (TGA were performed in order to assess the degradation rate of the polymer backbones. Measured values of molecular weight have been integrated in the simulation of the batch degradation of chitosan solutions for evaluating MHS coefficients to be compared with their corresponding experimental values. Evaluating the relationship between the different parameters used in the preparation of chitosan solutions (e.g., temperature, time, acid type and concentration, and their contribution to the degradation of chitosan backbone, it is important to have a mathematical frame that could account for phenomena involved in polymer degradation that go beyond the solvent-solute combination. Therefore, the goal of the present work is to propose an integration of MHS coefficients for chitosan solutions that contemplate a deacetylation degree for chitosan systems or a more
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Maeda K
2017-11-01
Full Text Available Keisuke Maeda,1,2 Takayuki Koga,3 Junji Akagi4 1Department of Nutrition and Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Tamana Regional Health Medical Center, Kumamoto, 2Palliative Care Center, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, 3Department of Swallowing and Nutritional Therapy, 4Department of Surgery, Tamana Regional Health Medical Center, Tamana, Tamana City, Kumamoto, Japan Background: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation with muscle contraction, administered through the skin of the neck, improves a patient’s swallowing ability. However, the beneficial effects of transcutaneous electrical sensory stimulation (TESS, without muscle contraction, are controversial. We investigated the effect of TESS, using interferential current, in patients undergoing dysphagia rehabilitation. Methods: This double-blind, randomized controlled trial involved 43 patients who were prescribed in-hospital dysphagia rehabilitation for ≥3 weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to the sensory stimulation (SS or sham groups; all received usual rehabilitative care plus 2 weeks of SS or sham intervention. Outcome measures included cough latency times against a 1% citric acid mist, functional oral intake scale (FOIS scores, and oral nutritional intake – each determined after the second and third week following treatment initiation. Results: Mean patient age was 84.3±7.5 years; 58% were women. The SS and sham groups had similar baseline characteristics. Changes in cough latency time at 2 weeks (-14.1±14.0 vs -5.2±14.2 s, p=0.047 and oral nutrition intake at 3 weeks (437±575 vs 138±315 kcal/day, p=0.042 improved more in the SS group than in the sham group. Changes in cough frequency and FOIS scores indicated better outcomes in the SS group, based on substantial effect sizes. Conclusion: TESS, using interferential current through the neck, improved airway defense and nutrition in patients suffering from dysphagia. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm the technique
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Naito K
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Keisuke Naito,1 Kei Yamasaki,1 Kazuhiro Yatera,1 Kentaro Akata,1 Shingo Noguchi,1 Toshinori Kawanami,1 Kazumasa Fukuda,2 Takashi Kido,1 Hiroshi Ishimoto,3 Hiroshi Mukae3 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, 2Department of Microbiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka, 3Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki, Japan Abstract: Pulmonary emphysema is an important radiological finding in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, but bacteriological differences in pneumonia patients according to the severity of emphysematous changes have not been reported. Therefore, we evaluated the bacteriological incidence in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF of pneumonia patients using cultivation and a culture-independent molecular method. Japanese patients with community-acquired pneumonia (83 and healthcare-associated pneumonia (94 between April 2010 and February 2014 were evaluated. The BALF obtained from pneumonia lesions was evaluated by both cultivation and a molecular method. In the molecular method, ~600 base pairs of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes in the BALF were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and clone libraries were constructed. The nucleotide sequences of 96 randomly selected colonies were determined, and a homology search was performed to identify the bacterial species. A qualitative radiological evaluation of pulmonary emphysema based on chest computed tomography (CT images was performed using the Goddard classification. The severity of pulmonary emphysema based on the Goddard classification was none in 47.4% (84/177, mild in 36.2% (64/177, moderate in 10.2% (18/177, and severe in 6.2% (11/177. Using the culture-independent molecular method, Moraxella catarrhalis was significantly more frequently detected in moderate or severe emphysema patients than in patients with no or mild emphysematous changes. The
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jinnin R
2016-12-01
Full Text Available Ran Jinnin,1 Yasumasa Okamoto,1 Koki Takagaki,1 Yoshiko Nishiyama,1 Takanao Yamamura,1 Yuri Okamoto,2 Yoshie Miyake,2 Yoshitake Takebayashi,3 Keisuke Tanaka,4 Yoshinori Sugiura,5 Haruki Shimoda,6 Norito Kawakami,6 Toshi A Furukawa,7 Shigeto Yamawaki1 1Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, 2Health Service Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; 3Risk Analysis Research Center, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo, Japan; 4Graduated School of Education, Joetsu University of Education, Niigata, Japan; 5Graduated School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; 6Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; 7Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan Purpose: Despite its clinical importance, adolescent subthreshold depression remains a largely neglected topic. The aims of this study were to accurately identify the natural course of depressive symptoms and the risk for developing major depressive episode (MDE in late adolescents with subthreshold depression over 1 year.Patients and methods: One hundred and seventy-two participants <20 years of age (mean age: 18.32 years, standard deviation: 0.50, who did not meet the full criteria for an MDE, were selected from 2,494 screened freshmen based on the Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition (BDI-II. We conducted a cohort study of three groups (low-, middle-, and high-symptom groups divided based on BDI-II scores, over a 1 year period with the use of bimonthly assessments. Temporal changes of depressive symptoms were analyzed using linear mixed modeling and growth mixture modeling.Results: First, we found that late adolescents with subthreshold depression (high depressive symptoms were split between the increasing and decreasing depressive symptoms groups, whereas the majority of the less-symptoms group remained
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Effects of laser in situ keratomileusis on mental health-related quality of life
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Tounaka-Fujii K
2016-09-01
Full Text Available Kaoru Tounaka-Fujii,1 Kenya Yuki,2 Kazuno Negishi,2 Ikuko Toda,3 Takayuki Abe,4 Keisuke Kouyama,4 Kazuo Tsubota2 1Health Center, Keio University, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, 3Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic, 4Center for Clinical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan Purpose: The aims of our study were to investigate whether laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK improves health-related quality of life (HRQoL and to identify factors that affect postoperative HRQoL. Materials and methods: A total of 213 Japanese patients who underwent primary LASIK were analyzed in this study. The average age of patients was 35.0±9.4 years. The subjects were asked to answer questions regarding subjective quality of vision, satisfaction, and quality of life (using the Japanese version of 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Version 2 at three time points: before LASIK, 1 month after LASIK, and 6 months after LASIK. Longitudinal changes over 6 months in the outputs of mental component summary (MCS score and the physical component summary (PCS score from the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Version 2 questionnaire were compared between time points using a linear mixed-effects model. Delta MCS and PCS were calculated by subtracting the postoperative score (1 month after LASIK from the preoperative score. Preoperative and postoperative factors associated with a change in the MCS score or PCS score were evaluated via a linear regression model. Results: The preoperative MCS score was 51.0±9.4 and increased to 52.0±9.8 and 51.5±9.6 at 1 month and 6 months after LASIK, respectively, and the trend for the change from baseline in MCS through 6 months was significant (P=0.03. PCS score did not change following LASIK. Delta MCS was significantly negatively associated with preoperative spherical equivalent, axial length, and postoperative quality of vision, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Conclusion
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ueda K
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Keisuke Ueda,1,2 Hiroyuki Sasai,3 Takehiko Tsujimoto,4 Chiaki Sanbongi,1 Shuji Ikegami,1 Hiroyuki Kobayashi,5 Nobuhiko Shioya,6 Satoru Suzuki,7 Yoshio Nakata5 1Food Science and Technology Research Laboratories, Meiji Co., Ltd, Hachiouji, 2Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 3Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 4Faculty of Human Sciences, Shimane University, Matsue, 5Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 6KSO Corporation, Tokyo, 7Shinagawa Season Terrace Health Care Clinic, Tokyo, Japan Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of arginine, alanine, and phenylalanine mixture (A-mix ingestion at 1,500 mg/day in combination with the promotion of physical activity for abdominal fat reduction in overweight adults.Methods: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized trial for 12 weeks combined with a 4-week follow-up period was conducted at a single center in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, between December 2016 and May 2017. Data were analyzed between June and August 2017. The study participants were 200 overweight adults within the age range of 20–64 years. The participants were randomly assigned to the A-mix group (n=100 or a placebo group (n=100 and were administered 500 mL of test beverage containing 1,500 or 0 mg of A-mix, respectively, for 12 weeks. All participants maintained a physically active lifestyle between week 0 and week 12 through monthly sessions of physical activity. The primary outcomes were the 12-week changes in the abdominal total, subcutaneous, and visceral fat areas, as assessed by computed tomography.Results: Of the 200 enrolled participants, 199 (99% accomplished the 12-week intervention and 4-week follow-up period. The per-protocol-based analysis for 194 participants demonstrated that the abdominal total fat area decreased significantly in the A-mix group compared with
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Hijikata, Yasuhiro; Katsuno, Masahisa; Suzuki, Keisuke; Hashizume, Atsushi; Araki, Amane; Yamada, Shinichiro; Inagaki, Tomonori; Ito, Daisuke; Hirakawa, Akihiro; Kinoshita, Fumie; Gosho, Masahiko; Sobue, Gen
2018-03-05
study is currently being analyzed. This is the first clinical trial evaluating creatine therapy in SBMA. Given that creatine serves as an energy source in skeletal muscles, recovery of intramuscular creatine concentration is expected to improve muscle strength. University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000012503; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000014611 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xOlbPkg3). ©Yasuhiro Hijikata, Masahisa Katsuno, Keisuke Suzuki, Atsushi Hashizume, Amane Araki, Shinichiro Yamada, Tomonori Inagaki, Daisuke Ito, Akihiro Hirakawa, Fumie Kinoshita, Masahiko Gosho, Gen Sobue. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 05.03.2018.
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Kaneda, Y.; Kawaguchi, K.; Araki, E.; Matsumoto, H.; Nakamura, T.; Nakano, M.; Kamiya, S.; Ariyoshi, K.; Baba, T.; Ohori, M.; Hori, T.; Takahashi, N.; Kaneko, S.; Donet Research; Development Group
2010-12-01
Yoshiyuki Kaneda Katsuyoshi Kawaguchi*, Eiichiro Araki*, Shou Kaneko*, Hiroyuki Matsumoto*, Takeshi Nakamura*, Masaru Nakano*, Shinichirou Kamiya*, Keisuke Ariyoshi*, Toshitaka Baba*, Michihiro Ohori*, Narumi Takakahashi*, and Takane Hori** * Earthquake and Tsunami Research Project for Disaster Prevention, Leading Project , Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) **Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) DONET (Dense Ocean Floor Network for Earthquakes and Tsunamis) is the real time monitoring system of the Tonankai seismogenic zones around the Nankai trough southwestern Japan. We were starting to develop DONET to perform real time monitoring of crustal activities over there and the advanced early warning system. DONET will provide important and useful data to understand the Nankai trough maga thrust earthquake seismogenic zones and to improve the accuracy of the earthquake recurrence cycle simulation. Details of DONET concept are as follows. 1) Redundancy, Extendable function and advanced maintenance system using the looped cable system, junction boxes and the ROV/AUV. DONET has 20 observatories and incorporated in a double land stations concept. Also, we are developed ROV for the 10km cable extensions and heavy weight operations. 2) Multi kinds of sensors to observe broad band phenomena such as long period tremors, very low frequency earthquakes and strong motions of mega thrust earthquakes over M8: Therefore, sensors such as a broadband seismometer, an accelerometer, a hydrophone, a precise pressure gauge, a differential pressure gauge and a thermometer are equipped with each observatory in DONET. 3) For speedy detections, evaluations and notifications of earthquakes and tsunamis: DONET system will be deployed around the Tonankai seismogenic zone. 4) Provide data of ocean floor crustal deformations derived from pressure sensors: Simultaneously, the development of data
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sasai H
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Hiroyuki Sasai,1–3,* Keisuke Ueda,4,5,* Takehiko Tsujimoto,6,7 Hiroyuki Kobayashi,1 Chiaki Sanbongi,4 Shuji Ikegami,4 Yoshio Nakata1 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 2Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda, Tokyo, 3Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 4Food Science Research Laboratories, Meiji Co., Ltd., Odawara, Kanagawa, 5Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, 6Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 7Faculty of Human Sciences, Shimane University, Matsue, Shimane, Japan *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effective dose of an amino acid mixture comprising arginine, alanine, and phenylalanine combined with physical activity promotion in reducing abdominal fat among overweight adults.Methods: A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, pilot trial was conducted in Mito, Japan, from January through April 2016, and the data were analyzed from May through November 2016. The study participants were 35 overweight adults, aged 20–64 years, with no regular exercise habit. Participants were randomly assigned to high-dose (3,000 mg/d, n=9, medium-dose (1,500 mg/d, n=9, low-dose (750 mg/d, n=8, or placebo (0 mg/d, n=9 groups, and the test beverage containing the amino acid mixture or placebo was administered for 12 weeks. All participants maintained a physically active lifestyle during the study period through monthly physical activity promotion sessions and smartphone-based self-monitoring with wearable trackers. Primary outcomes were changes in abdominal total, subcutaneous, and visceral fat areas, assessed by computed tomography.Results: Of the 35 enrolled participants, 32 completed the 12-week follow-up visit. The intention-to-treat analysis revealed that the changes in abdominal total fat
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yonekawa, Yasuhiro
2012-01-01
The second international meeting on the Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) was held in mid. July 2011 at the children's hospital Zurich by Frau PD Dr.Khan and Prof.Meuli. On this occasion I was asked to give a survey of this disease, so the following points were presented and discussed: Who was the person who discovered this disease. How has the Research Committee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan (RCMHWJ) contributed to clarify the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology and treatments. What is the current situation in foreign countries especially Euroamerican to date on these topics. How the treatment technique developed and who did the initial revascularization procedures for the first. Update of the disease. Established view; discovery of the disease by Tekeuchi and Shimizu in 1955 could have been called somewhat into question as they described neither abnormal vasculature nor transdural anastomosis. Kudo who described ''spontaneous occlusion of the circle of Willis'' more precisely, but seemed to have thought that the occlusion site of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is around the origin of the ophthalmic artery. Suzuki and Takaku who coined the name Moyamoya disease (MMD) in 1969 and described 6 stages of progression on the basis of observation on 20 cases. The RCMHWJ founded in 1977 has contributed to clarifying the epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment and etiology by interdisciplinary cooperative study having some epoch making events especially; by setting the guide lines -diagnostic criteria of the disease at the end of 1970, applying MRI and MR angiography (MRA) at the beginning of 1990 for the diagnosis instead of angiography used until then. By finding and focusing, therefore, on the cases of asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic presentation around the middle of 2000, which have almost doubled or tripled in incidence and/or prevalence and also changed the age distribution with the higher peak for adult cases. Achievements of research for the
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ivana L. Mello
2006-03-01
toluene and cyclohexane solutions, at 30 °C, were carried out on high-cis polybutadiene synthesized with neodymium catalysts. Six different equations were employed to calculate intrinsic viscosity values and viscometric constants: Huggins; Kraemer; Martin and Schulz-Blaschke, by graphic extrapolation; and Solomon-Ciuta; Deb-Chanterjee; and again Schulz-Blaschke, by single point determination. The values obtained for intrinsic viscosity in both solvents and also the molecular weight (in toluene, calculated by applying Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation, were compared in order to verify the validity of single point determination, which was confirmed. Solomon-Ciuta equation seemed to be suitable for toluene solutions whereas the Deb-Chanterjee equation was adequate for cyclohexane solutions. End-to-end distances of polymeric chains were also determined by applying Flory equation. Based on the higher values of intrinsic viscosity and end-to-end distance of polymeric chains for all samples in toluene, the latter was found to be better solvent than cyclohexane for polybutadiene.
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McConaughy, Shawn David
A therapeutic delivery platform has been investigated with the ultimate goal of designing a sustained protein release matrix utilizing an in-situ gelling, acidic polysaccharide derived from the Aloe vera plant. The Aloe vera polysaccharide (AvP) has been examined in order to determine how chemical composition, structure, molecular weight and solution behavior affect gelation and protein/peptide delivery. Correlations are drawn between structural characteristics and solution behavior in order to determine the impact of polymer conformation and solvation on gel formation under conditions designed to simulate nasal applications. Steady state and dynamic rheology, classic and dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, pulse field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and fluorescence spectroscopy have been employed to gain insight into the effects of galacturonic acid content, degree of methylation, entanglement and ionic strength on both solution behavior and the hydrogel state which ultimately governs protein/peptide release. This dissertation is divided into two sections. In the first section, a series of Aloe vera polysaccharides (AvP), from the pectin family have been structurally characterized indicating high galacturonic acid (GalA) content, low degree of methylester substitution (DM), low numbers of rhamnose residues and high molecular weight with respect to pectins extracted from traditional sources. The behavior of AvP was examined utilizing dilute solution, low-shear rheological techniques for specific molecular weight samples at selected conditions of ionic strength. From these dilute aqueous solution studies, the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada (MHS) constants (K and alpha), persistence length (Lp) and inherent chain stiffness (B parameter) were determined, indicating an expanded random coil in aqueous salt solutions. The critical concentration for transition from dilute to concentrated solution, C e, was determined by measuring both the zero shear viscosity and