Microdialysis-integrated HPLC system with dual-electrode detection using track-etched membrane electrodes for in vivo monitoring of dopamine dynamics.

A capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with a dual-electrode detector utilizing track-etched membrane electrodes (TEMEs) was combined with a microdialysis sampling setup. The electrochemical detector benefits from the high electrolysis efficiency of TEMEs, allowing for calibration-free coulometric detection and simplifying data analysis to determine the dopamine recovery through a dialysis probe. Additionally, this system was used for in vivo monitoring of dopamine in the right striatum of a mouse brain.

Self-Folding Macromolecular Drug Carrier for Cancer Imaging and Therapy.

Nano-sized contrast agents (NCAs) hold potential for highly specific tumor contrast enhancement during magnetic resonance imaging. Given the quantity of contrast agents loaded into a single nano-carrier and the anticipated relaxation effects, the current molecular design approaches its limits. In this study, a novel molecular mechanism to augment the relaxation of NCAs is introduced and demonstrated.

Feasibility study of direct CT lymphangiography in mice: comparison with interstitial CT/MR lymphangiography.

Objectives: To establish a CT lymphangiography method in mice via direct lymph node puncture.

Methods: We injected healthy mice (n = 8) with 50 µl of water-soluble iodine contrast agent (iomeprol; iodine concentration, 350 mg/mL) subcutaneously into the left-rear foot pad (interstitial injection) and 20 µl of the same contrast agent directly into the popliteal lymph node (direct puncture) 2 days later. Additionally, we performed interstitial MR lymphangiography on eight mice as a control group.

MRI Contrasting Agent Based on Mn-MOF-74 Nanoparticles with Coordinatively Unsaturated Sites.

Purpose: The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrasting agents (CAs) that are safer and have a higher relaxivity than Gd(III)-based agents is a significant research topic. Herein, we propose the use of a Mn-based metal organic framework (MOF), Mn-MOF-74, characterized by a safe paramagnetic center, a coordinatively unsaturated site (CUS) for aquation, and a long rotational correlation time, endowing high relaxivity. Furthermore, biocompatibility and delivery to the tumor are generally expected for MOFs that are obtainable in the nanometer size range.

Regulation of CD28 binding to SH2 domains of Grb2 and PI3K by trisubstituted carboranes for T-cell activation.

Binding of adaptor molecules, such as growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), to the cytoplasmic region of CD28 is critical for T-cell activation. The Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of Grb2 and PI3K interact with the cytoplasmic region, including phosphorylated Tyr, of CD28. We found that trisubstituted carboranes efficiently increased the proliferation of T cells obtained from C57BL/6 mice.

Simple and Rapid Endotoxin Recognition Using a Dipicolylamine-Modified Fluorescent Probe with Picomolar-Order Sensitivity.

Endotoxin is a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that is found in the outer membrane of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. Due to its high toxicity, the allowable endotoxin limit for water for injection is set at a very low value. Conventional methods for endotoxin detection are time-consuming and expensive and have low reproducibility.

Interdomain interactions in Grb2 revealed by the conformational stability and CD28 binding analysis.

Growth-factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) is an adaptor protein involved in signal transduction. The protein contains a central SH2 domain with N-terminal and C-terminal SH3 domains. We analyzed the SH3 involvement in Grb2 binding to the cytoplasmic region of CD28 receptor, using Grb2 and its SH3-deletion mutants, Grb2_nSH3del and Grb2_cSH3del, as the monomer state.

Molecular interactions of the CTLA-4 cytoplasmic region with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase SH2 domains.

During T-cell regulation, T-cell receptors and CD28 lead to signaling activation, while T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is known to lead to downregulation, similar to programmed cell death-1 (PD-1). In the cytoplasmic tails of CD28 and CTLA-4, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) binds to the consensus sequence including phosphotyrosine via SH2 domains, N- and C-terminal SH2 domains (nSH2 and cSH2), of its regulatory subunit, p85. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of a CTLA-4-derived phosphopeptide in complex with a Cys-substituted mutant of cSH2, C656S/C659V/C670L, at a 1.

High-resolution bathymetry by deep-learning-based image superresolution.

Seafloor mapping to create bathymetric charts of the oceans is important for various applications. However, making high-resolution bathymetric charts requires measuring underwater depths at many points in sea areas, and thus, is time-consuming and costly. In this work, treating gridded bathymetric data as digital images, we employ the image-processing technique known as superresolution to enhance the resolution of bathymetric charts by estimating high-resolution images from low-resolution ones.

Track-etched membrane-based dual-electrode coulometric detector for microbore/capillary high-performance liquid chromatography.

The electrochemical flow cell containing track-etched microporous membrane electrodes was applied to a dual-electrode coulometric detector for microbore/capillary HPLC with a small injection volume and low eluent flow rate. The proposed flow cell with a 0.1-mm diameter inlet channel gave a detection volume of 0.

Photometric Stereo in Participating Media Using an Analytical Solution for Shape-Dependent Forward Scatter.

Images captured in participating media such as murky water, fog, or smoke are degraded by scattered light. Thus, the use of traditional three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques in such environments is difficult. In this paper, we propose a photometric stereo method for participating media.

[Long-term administration of brentuximab vedotin in a patient with primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma with peripheral blood involvement with leukemic change].

We report a case of long-term administration of brentuximab vedotin (BV) for primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pc-ALCL) with leukemic change. A 67-year-old man with lymphadenopathy was admitted to our hospital. Six years ago, he was diagnosed with pc-ALCL at another hospital, and complete remission was achieved with radiation therapy.

Variational Bayesian Approach to Multiframe Image Restoration.

Image restoration is a fundamental problem in the field of image processing. The key objective of image restoration is to recover clean images from images degraded by noise and blur. Recently, a family of new statistical techniques called variational Bayes (VB) has been introduced to image restoration, which enables us to automatically tune parameters that control restoration.

Determination of ultra-trace mercury(II) by flow-injection/anodic stripping voltammetry using a track-etched microporous membrane electrode.

A new flow-injection/anodic stripping voltammetry has been demonstrated to assess ultra-trace mercury(II) using track-etched microporous membrane electrodes. The electrodes were prepared by the sputtering of gold or platinum onto both sides of a membrane filter with a smooth flat surface and with cylindrical pores having uniform diameter. The deposition of mercury from a mercury(II) solution was performed while the sample solution flowed through the membrane electrodes.

A dual-electrode flow sensor fabricated using track-etched microporous membranes.

A new dual-electrode flow sensor has been fabricated by piling the microporous membrane electrodes which have 7-10μm thickness. The electrode was prepared by sputtering of platinum onto both sides of the membrane filter which contain a smooth flat surface as well as cylindrical pores with uniform diameters. The electrolysis is performed when the sample solution flows through the membrane electrode, and a generated analyte on the first working electrode is instantaneously transported to the surface of second working electrode which is located at the downstream of the first one.

Graphic and movie illustrations of human prenatal development and their application to embryological education based on the human embryo specimens in the Kyoto collection.

Morphogenesis in the developing embryo takes place in three dimensions, and in addition, the dimension of time is another important factor in development. Therefore, the presentation of sequential morphological changes occurring in the embryo (4D visualization) is essential for understanding the complex morphogenetic events and the underlying mechanisms. Until recently, 3D visualization of embryonic structures was possible only by reconstruction from serial histological sections, which was tedious and time-consuming.

[Developmental changes in the Collis horizontal reaction analyzed using a three-dimensional video motion analysis system. II. Examination of upper-limb movement during the Collis horizontal reaction].

At four months old, infants of 72% challenged with the Collis horizontal reaction touch the floor with the back of their free hand. As the infants grow older, the ratio of infants that open their free hand and perform a support reaction increases from 0% to 100%. At nine months old, all infants perform this support reaction with their free hand palm-side down.

[Developmental changes in the Collis horizontal reaction analyzed using a three-dimensional video motion analysis system. I. Examination of techniques for inducing Collis horizontal reaction].

We used a three-dimensional video motion analysis system to evaluate techniques for inducing the Collis horizontal reaction in 46 infants (total 217 times) from 1-9 months old. Additionally, we examined the safety of different techniques for inducing the Collis horizontal reaction in 20 infants (total 66 times), from 1-3 months old, 40 times by holding the shoulder joint and 26 times by not holding the shoulder joint. Regardless of who performed the examination, the average height that induced the reaction increased from 24.

Calmodulin physically interacts with the erythropoietin receptor and enhances Jak2-mediated signaling.

Stimulation of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) induces a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+ level as well as activation of the Jak2 tyrosine kinase to stimulate various downstream signaling pathways. Here, we demonstrate that the universal Ca2+ receptor calmodulin (CaM) binds EpoR in a Ca2+-dependent manner in vitro. Binding studies using various EpoR mutants in hematopoietic cells showed that CaM binds the membrane-proximal 65-amino-acid cytoplasmic region (amino acids 258-312) of EpoR that is critical for activation of Jak2-mediated EpoR signaling.

Reactive oxygen species generated by hematopoietic cytokines play roles in activation of receptor-mediated signaling and in cell cycle progression.

Hematopoietic cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-3 and erythropoietin (Epo), regulate hematopoiesis by stimulating their receptors coupled with the Jak2 tyrosine kinase to induce receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and activate mainly the STAT5, PI3K/Akt, and Ras/MEK/ERK signaling pathways. Here we demonstrate that IL-3 or Epo induces a rapid and transient (peaking at 30 min) as well as late progressive increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a hematopoietic progenitor model cell line, 32Dcl3, and its subclone expressing the Epo receptor (EpoR), 32D/EpoR-Wt. The cytokine-induced ROS generation was not affected in 32Dcl3 cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA.

Adsorption of divalent transition metal ions with a chelating agent on octadecyl silica gel.

This investigation looked at the extraction ability of divalent transition metal ions onto an octadecyl silica gel (C18g) with a 4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butadione (TTA) chelating agent. A method of retaining TTA onto C18g (TTA-C18g) was developed in order to adsorb the metal ions. The difference in the half-adsorption and half-extraction pH values between transition metals Ni2+-Co2+ was found to be 0.

Applicability of a computer-assisted image analysis system for the evaluation of gingival status in subjects from Asian and Caucasian backgrounds.

We have recently developed a computer program to allow the automatic evaluation of the degree of gingival inflammation. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficiency of our system, which consisted of a digital camera, computer and our original program, in a sample population of various ethnic backgrounds. Digital images of frontal views of maxillary incisors were taken for 141 subjects and then subjected to computer-assisted analysis to determine the degree of redness (colorimetric assessment) and swelling (morphometric assessment) and was compared with the visual assessment of the PMA gingival score.

[Developmental change of Moro reflex studied with a three-dimensional motion analysis system].

We evaluated developmental change of the reaction time of the Moro reflex from birth to three months of age using a three-dimensional motion analysis system (ToMoCo-VM:Tousou system). The reaction time was the shortest in one-month-old babies and became successively prolonged in two and three-month-old babies, showing a U-shaped pattern. The three phase of the Moro reflex, as defined by McGraw, changed with advancing age.