[Effective Techniques to Reduce Radiation Exposure to Medical Staff during Assist of X-ray Computed Tomography Examination].

Medical staffs like radiological technologists, doctors, and nurses are at an increased risk of exposure to radiation while assisting the patient in a position or monitor contrast medium injection during computed tomography (CT). However, methods to protect medical staff from radiation exposure and protocols for using radiological protection equipment have not been standardized and differ among hospitals. In this study, the distribution of scattered X-rays in a CT room was measured by placing electronic personal dosimeters in locations where medical staff stands beside the CT scanner gantry while assisting the patient and the exposure dose was measured.

DNA-duplex linker for AFM-SELEX of DNA aptamer against human serum albumin.

DNA-duplex interactions in thymines and adenins are used as a linker for the novel methodology of Atomic Force Microscope-Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXpotential enrichment (AFM-SELEX). This study used the hydrogen bonds in 10 mer of both thymines (T10) and adenines (A10). Initially, the interactive force in T10-A10 was measured by AFM, which returned an average interactive force of approximately 350pN.

The mapping of yeast's G-protein coupled receptor with an atomic force microscope.

An atomic force microscope (AFM) can measure the adhesion force between a sample and a cantilever while simultaneously applying a rupture force during the imaging of a sample. An AFM should be useful in targeting specific proteins on a cell surface. The present study proposes the use of an AFM to measure the adhesion force between targeting receptors and their ligands, and to map the targeting receptors.

Structural evaluation of the DNA aptamer for ATP DH25.42 by AFM.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can dynamically detect the adhesion or affinity force between a sample surface and a cantilever. This feature could be used to analyze bio-molecular interactions between a DNA aptamer and a target molecule. In this study, the binding force between adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the anti-ATP DNA aptamer DH25.

Cell-SELEX based selection and characterization of DNA aptamer recognizing human hepatocarcinoma.

Single-stranded DNA aptamers recognizing human hepatocarcinoma were isolated by means of a systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment using whole cells as targets (cell-SELEX). After 11 rounds of cell-SELEX procedure using human hepatoma HepG2 cells as targets and human normal hepatocyte cells as counterparts, 12 independent DNA aptamer candidate sequences were obtained. The specific interaction between selected DNA aptamers and targeted cell was confirmed.

Development of a novel aptamer-based sensing system using atomic force microscopy.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can dynamically detect the adhesion or affinity force between a sample surface and a cantilever. This feature is useful as a detection method using aptamers--single-strand DNA that recognizes its target with very high affinity. The present study proposes a novel DNA aptamer-based sensing system using AFM.

Construction of protein-modified TiO2 nanoparticles for use with ultrasound irradiation in a novel cell injuring method.

Recently, our group discovered an alternative titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) activation method that uses ultrasound irradiation (US/TiO(2)) instead of ultraviolet irradiation. The pre-S1/S2 protein from hepatitis B virus, which recognizes liver cells, was immobilized to the surface of TiO(2) nanoparticles using an amino-coupling method. The ability of the protein-modified TiO(2) nanoparticles to recognize liver cells was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance analysis and immuno-staining analyses.

Selection of DNA aptamers using atomic force microscopy.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can detect the adhesion or affinity force between a sample surface and cantilever, dynamically. This feature is useful as a method for the selection of aptamers that bind to their targets with very high affinity. Therefore, we propose the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by an EXponential enrichment (SELEX) method using AFM to obtain aptamers that have a strong affinity for target molecules.

Selection of a DNA aptamer that binds 8-OHdG using GMP-agarose.

DNA aptamers, which bind specific molecule, such as 8-OHdG, with high affinity were investigated using an in vitro selection strategy called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). However, 8-OHdG was difficult to immobilize on a carrier for SELEX. Therefore, a DNA aptamer binding to 8-OHdG was selected using GMP-agarose as an analogue from a library of about 4(60) random ssDNA sources.