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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global public health issue, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is a potential therapeutic target in T2DM. Several synthetic anti-DPP-4 medications can be used to treat T2DM. However, because of adverse effects, there is an unmet demand for the development of safe and effective medications. Natural medicines are receiving greater interest due to the inherent safety of natural compounds. Glycyrrhiza uralensis (licorice) is widely consumed and used as medicine. In this study, we investigated the abilities of a crude water extract (CWE) of G. uralensis and two of its constituents (licochalcone A (LicA) and licochalcone B (LicB)) to inhibit the enzymatic activity of DPP-4 in silico and in vitro. In silico studies showed that LicA and LicB bind tightly to the catalytic site of DPP-4 and have 11 amino acid residue interactions in common with the control inhibitor sitagliptin. Protein-protein interactions studies of LicA-DPP4 and LicB-DPP4 complexes with GLP1 and GIP reduced the DPP-4 to GLP1 and GIP interactions, indicated that these constituents might reduce the degradations of GLP1 and GIP. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations revealed that LicA and LicB stably bound to DPP-4 enzyme. Furthermore, DPP-4 enzyme assay showed the CWE of G. uralensis, LicA, and LicB concentration-dependently inhibited DPP-4; LicA and LicB had an estimated IC50 values of 347.93 and 797.84 μM, respectively. LicA and LicB inhibited DPP-4 at high concentrations, suggesting that these compounds could be used as functional food ingredients to manage T2DM.

Overexposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation induces photoaging that is characterized by the formation of wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. To understand the mechanism of action of probiotics and prebiotics in skin protection against photoaging, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with the probiotic, Bifidobacterium longum, and prebiotic, galacto-oligosaccharide, on UVB-induced photoaging in hairless mice. We measured short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels, antioxidant enzyme activity, and inflammatory signaling protein levels to elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying the effects of the dietary supplements B. longum and galacto-oligosaccharide. We observed that dietary supplementation with B. longum and galacto-oligosaccharide, individually and in combination, exerted protective effects against UVB-induced photoaging, showing anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. In particular, supplementation with the combination of B. longum and galacto-oligosaccharide showed stronger protective effects than supplementation with the probiotic or prebiotic alone. In addition, the serum levels of SCFAs and acetate were increased following dietary supplementation with B. longum and galacto-oligosaccharide, especially in combination. Therefore, we suggest that the combination of B. longum and galacto-oligosaccharide may potentially be used as a functional food to protect UVB-induced photoaging.

Failure of bone mass maintenance in spite of functional loading is an important contributor to osteoporosis and related fractures. While the link between sex steroids and the osteogenic response to loading is well established, the underlying mechanisms are unknown, hampering clinical relevance. Androgens inhibit mechanoresponsiveness in male mice, but the cell type mediating this effect remains unidentified. To evaluate the role of neuronal sex steroid receptor signaling in the male bone's adaptive capacity, we subjected adult male mice with an extrahypothalamic neuron-specific knockout of the androgen receptor (N-ARKO) or the estrogen receptor alpha (N-ERαKO) to in vivo mechanical stimulation of the tibia. Loading increased cortical thickness in the control animals mainly through periosteal expansion, as total cross-sectional tissue area and cortical bone area but not medullary area were higher in the loaded than the unloaded tibia. Trabecular bone volume fraction also increased upon loading in the control group, mostly due to trabecular thickening. N-ARKO and N-ERαKO males displayed a loading response at both the cortical and trabecular bone compartments that was not different from their control littermates. In conclusion, we show that the presence of androgen receptor or estrogen receptor alpha in extrahypothalamic neurons is dispensable for the osteogenic response to mechanical loading in male mice. ispartof: ENDOCRINOLOGY vol:163 issue:7 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Sexually dimorphic bone structure emerges largely during puberty. Sex steroids are critical for peak bone mass acquisition in both genders. In particular, the biphasic effects of estrogens mediate the skeletal sexual dimorphism. However, so far the stimulatory vs inhibitory actions of estrogens on bone mass are not fully explained by direct effects on bone cells. Recently, it has become evident that there is possible neuroendocrine action of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) on the skeleton. Based on these considerations, we hypothesized that neuronal ERα-signaling may contribute to the skeletal growth during puberty. Here, we generated mice with tamoxifen-inducible Thy1-Cre mediated ERα inactivation during late puberty specifically in extrahypothalamic neurons (N-ERαKO). Inactivation of neuronal ERα did not alter the body weight in males, whereas N-ERαKO females exhibited a higher body weight and increased body and bone length compared to their control littermates at 16 weeks of age. Ex vivo microCT analysis showed increased radial bone expansion of the midshaft femur in female N-ERαKO along with higher serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 as well as IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3. Furthermore, the 3-point bending test revealed increased bone strength in female N-ERαKO. In contrast, inactivation of neuronal ERα had no major effect on bone growth in males. In conclusion, we demonstrate that central ERα-signaling limits longitudinal bone growth and radial bone expansion specifically in females potentially by interacting with the GH/IGF-1 axis. ispartof: FASEB JOURNAL vol:34 issue:5 pages:7118-7126 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Objective Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are almost twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) as those without. However, traditional CVD risks have been shown to underperform in RA patients; thus, we aimed to identify new surrogate risk factors to better reflect their atherosclerotic burden. Methods A total of 380 RA patients with carotid atherosclerosis data were analyzed in this prospective cohort study. The primary outcome was carotid plaque progression over the 3-year follow-up period. Risk parameters assessed for the progression of carotid plaque were categorized as demographics, traditional CVD risks, RA-related risks, and bone parameters. Results The progression of carotid plaque was associated with the level of rheumatoid factor (p = 0.025), serum C-terminal telopeptide of type-I collagen (CTX-I) (p = 0.014), and femur and distal radius bone mass density (BMD) (p = 0.007 and 0.004, respectively), as well as traditional CVD risk factors. In multivariable analyses, the bone parameters of serum CTX-I and distal radius BMD proved to be independent predictors of the progression of carotid plaque along with hyperlipidemia, smoking, and baseline carotid plaque (all, p Conclusion High serum CTX-I and lower radius BMD, reflecting high bone turnover, were independent risk factors for the progression of carotid plaque in RA patients, implicating the direct or indirect role of bone metabolism on the atherosclerotic burden.

Testosterone (T) is the principal circulating androgen in men. T can be converted to the more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 5a-reductase enzymes and to oestradiol (E2) by the aromatase enzyme. Growing evidence suggests that not only androgen-, but also oestrogen-mediated pathways are important in male physiology. In this chapter, we will discuss sex steroid metabolism and transport in the circulation and the molecular mechanisms of sex steroid actions via the androgen and oestrogen receptor. Furthermore, we will review androgen and oestrogen actions throughout the male lifespan and the differential effects of T, DHT, and E2 in adult male physiology.

Overexposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation induces photoaging that is characterized by the formation of wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. To understand the mechanism of action of probiotics and prebiotics in skin protection against photoaging, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with the probiotic

A thin-film memory device is proposed herein, based on quantum dots (QDs) with bi-stable characteristics under a positive voltage bias. The synthesized QDs had a CdSe/ZnS core/shell structure. The charge confinement effect within the QDs in the charge-storage layer was enhanced by adding (poly(9-vinylcarbazole)) (PVK). As the PVK concentration increases, the on/off ratio of the device increases. Noise was also reduced and stable I-V characteristics were demonstrated. Each thin film was fabricated by a spin-coating method, among solution process methods. The on/off ratio of the fabricated device was found to be maximum 378 × 103 at 1.5 wt% PVK concentration. The initial on/off state was maintained even when a negative voltage (commonly used for the “erase” function) was applied. In addition, the write voltage of the fabricated device using the conductive polymer poly-TPD was reduced from 2.8 to 1.7 V. By optimizing PVK concentration and forming the poly-TPD thin film, the fabricated memory device had an on/off ratio of about 4 × 103 at 0.5 V and the stored current maintained the initial value even after 200 h. Even with a single write process, the initially formed high state is maintained for more than 200 h, and it is possible to read repeatedly.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of organic carbon sources, cultivation methods, and environmental factors on growth and lipid content of Pavlova lutheri for biodiesel production. In the 250-mL flask bioreactors, P. lutheri was cultivated in the modified artificial seawater (ASW) medium containing glucose, glycerol, sodium acetate, or sucrose as an organic carbon substrate. The effects of different growth conditions (phototrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic) and environmental factors such as photoperiod, light intensity, and salinity were evaluated. Growth of P. lutheri was inhibited under heterotrophy but was enhanced in mixotrophy as compared to phototrophy. Biomass and lipid content of P. lutheri were significantly (p

Background: We aimed to compare the reliability of bone scintigraphy (BS) and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)–derived parameters in the detection of active arthritis in 28-joint areas and evaluate the reliability of joint counts between BS and clinical assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: We enrolled 106 patients (67 in the development group and 39 in the validation groups) with active RA who underwent BS, 18F-FDG PET/computed tomography (CT), and clinical evaluation of disease activity. We compared the results of BS-derived joint assessment with those of PET-derived and clinical joint assessments. Subsequently we developed a disease activity score (DAS) using BS-positive joints and validated it in an independent group.Results: The number of BS-positive joints in 28-joint areas significantly correlated with the swollen /tender joint counts (SJC/TJC) and PET-derived joint counts. A BS uptake score of 2 (strong positive) was significantly more sensitive compared with a BS uptake score of 1 (weak positive) in detecting a PET-positive joint among the 28-joints. After conducting multivariate analyses including erythrocyte sediment rate (ESR) and patient global assessment (PGA) in addition to BS-derived parameters, BS/DAS was obtained as follows: 0.056 × number of BS-positive joints in 28 joints + 0.012 × ESR + 0.030 × PGA. A significant correlation between BS/DAS and DAS28-ESR was confirmed in the validation group. Conclusion: Strong positive uptake of BS is sensitive and reproducible for the detection of active joints, and can complement the clinical assessment of disease activity in RA.

Testosterone (T) reduces male fat mass, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive, limiting its clinical relevance in hypogonadism-associated obesity. Here, we subjected chemically castrated high-fat diet-induced adult obese male mice to supplementation with T or the nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for 20 weeks. Both hormones increased lean mass, thereby indirectly increasing oxygen consumption and energy expenditure. In addition, T but not DHT decreased fat mass and increased ambulatory activity, indicating a role for aromatization into estrogens. Investigation of the pattern of aromatase expression in various murine tissues revealed the absence of Cyp19a1 expression in adipose tissue while high levels were observed in brain and gonads. In obese hypogonadal male mice with extrahypothalamic neuronal estrogen receptor alpha deletion (N-ERαKO), T still increased lean mass but was unable to decrease fat mass. The stimulatory effect of T on ambulatory activity was also abolished in N-ERαKO males. In conclusion, our work demonstrates that the fat-burning action of T is dependent on aromatization into estrogens and is at least partially mediated by the stimulation of physical activity via extrahypothalamic ERα signaling. In contrast, the increase in lean mass upon T supplementation is mediated through the androgen receptor and indirectly leads to an increase in energy expenditure, which might also contribute to the fat-burning effects of T. ispartof: ENDOCRINOLOGY vol:162 issue:6 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Sex steroids are critical for skeletal development and maturation during puberty as well as for skeletal maintenance during adult life. However, the exact time during puberty when sex steroids have the highest impact as well as the ability of bone to recover from transient sex steroid deficiency is unclear. Surgical castration is a common technique to study sex steroid effects in rodents, but it is irreversible, invasive, and associated with metabolic and behavioral alterations. Here, we used a low dose (LD) or a high dose (HD) of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist to either temporarily or persistently suppress sex steroid action in male mice, respectively. The LD group, a model for delayed puberty, did not show changes in linear growth or body composition, but displayed reduced trabecular bone volume during puberty, which fully caught up at adult age. In contrast, the HD group, representing complete pubertal suppression, showed a phenotype reminiscent of that observed in surgically castrated rodents. Indeed, HD animals exhibited severely impaired cortical and trabecular bone acquisition, decreased body weight and lean mass, and increased fat mass. In conclusion, we developed a rodent model of chemical castration that can be used as an alternative to surgical castration. Moreover, the transient nature of the intervention enables to study the effects of delayed puberty and reversibility of sex steroid deficiency.

Renal calcium and phosphate handling is an important contributor to mineral homeostasis and bone health and the androgen receptor (AR) is highly expressed in the kidney. We investigated the short term effects of androgen deprivation on renal calcium and phosphate reabsorption, independent of their effects on bone. Two weeks following orchidectomy (ORX) of adult mice, bone loss occurred along with hypercalciuria, which was similarly prevented by testosterone and dihydrotestosterone supplementation. Treatment with bisphosphonates prior to ORX also inhibited hypercalciuria, indicating that the calcium flux originated from the bone. Renal calcium and phosphate transporter expression was increased post-ORX, independent of bisphosphonates. Furthermore, an- drogen deprivation appeared to stimulate local synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D3. When bisphosphonate-treated mice were fed a low calcium diet, bone resorption was no longer blocked and secondary hyperparathyroidism de- veloped, which was more pronounced in ORX mice than sham-operated mice. In conclusion, this study shows that androgen deprivation increased renal calcium and phosphate transporter expression, independent of bone, and underlines the importance of adequate intestinal calcium supply in circumstances of androgen deprivation and bisphosphonate treatment.

Alternative sugars containing isomaltulose were investigated to confirm the hypothesis that isomaltulose ingestion affects endurance capacity due to slow rates of hydrolysis and absorption rate at the intestine. A swimming time of the control group tends to decrease, but the group administrated with low glycemic index (GI) sweeteners tend to increase gradually. Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) and inverted sugar (IS), contained isomaltulose, groups showed a significant difference of change in blood glucose and lactic acid level than control group (p < .05). Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and serum lactate dehydrogenases (LDH) of PAL100 were significantly lower than that of the control group (p < .05). IS showed a significant difference in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) compared to Con and PAL20 (20% isomaltulose) group (p < .05). Consuming FOS seems to increase an endurance capacity since fructose and FOS based in isomaltulose contained syrup showed low absorption rate and GI level. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Sugar is a major energy source for exercise, but it causes excessive intake because of the short duration of sweetness, which causes diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and skin aging. An alternative sugar complex containing isomatulose was found to be a sugar substitute for athletic performance. Athletic performance is not just for athletes or active people. In general, elderly people with low muscle mass have low mobility. Alternative sugars can be a good source of supplements to help them perform smoothly with less intake. Therefore, an endurance test with alternative sugars is and important study for energy supplements industry.

Calcium and phosphate are vital for the organism and constitute essential components of the skeleton. Serum levels are tightly hormonally regulated and maintained by exchange with three major sources: the intestines, the kidney and the bone. The effects of sex steroids on the bone have been extensively studied and it is well known that sex steroid deficiency induces bone loss, indirectly influencing renal calcium and phosphate homeostasis. However, it is unknown whether sex steroids also directly regulate renal calcium and phosphate handling, hereby potentially indirectly impacting on bone. The presence of androgen receptors (AR) and estrogen receptors (ER) in both human and rodent kidney, although their exact localization within the kidney remains debated, supports direct effects. Estrogens stimulate renal calcium reabsorption as well as phosphate excretion, while the effects of androgens are less clear. Many of the studies performed with regard to renal calcium and/or phosphate homeostasis do not correct for the calcium and phosphate fluxes from the bone and intestines, which complicates the differentiation between the direct effects of sex steroids on renal calcium and phosphate handling and the indirect effects via the bone and intestines. The objective of this study is to review the literature and current insight of the role of sex steroids in calcium and phosphate handling in the kidney.

Easy shapeable highly porous and robust three dimensional (3D) nano-carbon architectures (3D NCA) are crucial for the practical applications of electrochemical energy storage devices. Here, a facile easy shapeable nitrogen-doped graphene coated 3D NCA exhibiting an ultra-high specific surface area, remarkable robustness, and excellent aqueous wettability is reported. A 3D single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) hydrogel composed of isolated SWCNTs is first prepared, and then a thin polydopamine (pDA) layer is uniformly coated onto the fabricated 3D SWCNT hydrogel via an in situ polymerization of dopamine. A nitrogen-doped graphene-coated 3D NCA is obtained via pyrolysis of the pDA-coated 3D NCA. By decorating this highly porous nitrogen-doped 3D NCA onto helical micro carbon fibers, a highly stretchable (∼100% strain) wire-type supercapacitor (WTSC) is fabricated. The areal specific power and energy density of the WTSC are determined to be 2.59 mW cm−2 and 1.1 μWh cm−2, respectively. These values are remarkably larger than those previously reported WTSCs. Moreover, our WTSC maintains more than 91% of its capacitance after 10,000 stretch-release cycles at tensile strains of up to 50%. The combination of the easy shapeable, robust and highly porous nitrogen-doped 3D NCA paves a new way for the development of high-performance wearable textile-based energy devices.

Health of human intestine has deteriorated due to excessive stress and western diet. In this study, Vigna angularis was fermented by Bacillus subtilis KCCM11965P in order to develop prebiotic resource for improving bowel movement. The contents of ash and crude protein were 3.35±0.04% and 21.1±0.19% respectively. Vigna angularis extract (1, 3, 5%) were incubated with 3% (v/v) Bacillus subtilis KCCM 11965P for 0, 24, 48, and 72 h. Total bacterial numbers showed that the combination of 3% powdered seeds and 72 h incubation time was optimum condition for this experiment. Total polyphenol content increased from 0.18±0.010 mg/mL in pre-incubation to 0.23±0.007 mg/mL in post-incubation with the condition mentioned above. DPPH radical scavenging activity also increased from 36.1±6.0% to 63.6±5.2%. Analysis of protease activity showed 2.69±0.003 unit/mL in combination of 5% powdered seeds and 72 h incubation time. Amylase activity increased from 1.0±0.1 unit/mL in pre-incubation to 26.0±0.2 unit/mL in post-incubation. The analysis of free amino acids after incubation with Bacillus subtilis KCCM 11965P showed that leucine increased from 5.22 mg/L to 67.59 mg/L and tyrosine, one of non-essential amino acid also increased 10.08 mg/L to 259.35 mg/L by incubation with 5% powdered seeds. Most of organic acid were reduced by incubation for 72 h. These results suggest that Vigna angularis could be utilized most as a prebiotic resources.

Background This study constructed a partial-least-square path-modeling (PLS-PM) model and found the pathway by which the postsurgical vertical dimension (VD) affects the extent of the final mandibular setback on the B point at the posttreatment stage for the skeletal class III surgery-first approach (SFA). Methods This study re-analyzed the data from the retrospective study by Lee et al. on 40 patients with skeletal class III bimaxillary SFA. Variables were obtained from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-generated cephalograms. Authors investigated all variables at each time point to build a PLS-PM model to verify the effect of the VD on the final setback of the mandible. Results From PLS-PM, an increase in VD10 was found to decrease the absolute value of the final setback amount of the mandible, which reflects the postsurgical physiological responses to both surgery and orthodontic treatment, which, in turn, can be interpreted as an increase in postoperative mandibular changes. Conclusions To resolve the issue of collinear cephalometric data, the present study adopted PLS-PM to assess the orthodontic treatment. From PLS-PM, it was able to summarize the effect of increased postsurgery occlusal vertical dimension on the increased changeability of the B point position at the posttreatment stage.

In this study, the gene encoding α-glucosidase from Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum JCM1217 (BLAG) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The amino acid sequence alignment demonstrated that BLAG belongs to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 13. The optimal temperature for enzyme activity was 75°C; about 80% of the catalytic activity was lost at 50°C, which is very unusual for enzymes from the Bifidobacterium genus. In the presence of 5mM of Co2+ and Ca2+, enzyme activity was reduced to 47% and 48%, respectively. Furthermore, BLAG lost catalytic activity following the addition of 5mM of Fe2+ ion. The BLAG enzyme was able to hydrolyze α-1,2, α-1,3, α-1,4, and α-1,6 glycosidic O-linkages and liberated glucose from the non-reducing end of substrates. The kinetic study revealed that among the maltooligosaccharides, BLAG showed the highest kcat/Km value to maltotriose (G3), and had relatively low kcat/Km values on long-chain maltooligosaccharides. This is the first report describing the production of a thermophilic α-glucosidase from the Bifidobacterium genus.

Structurally controlled zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) were synthesized for ultraviolet (UV) sensing. Concentrations of the zinc precursor and base were controlled to characterize the effects of seeding and growth reaction concentration on the ZnO nanostructures. By increasing the growth concentration, high aspect ratio (maximum 27.3) ZnO NRs were obtained. In addition, we confirmed that the seeding solution concentration was another important factor for ZnO NR synthesis. The formation of ZnO crystal structures was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the structure was well matched to the wurtzite ZnO crystal structure. The morphologies of the crystal structures, including their diameter and length, were determined from field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The optoelectronic properties were characterized by measuring the photocurrent values during UV sensing. The measured current of the ZnO NRs with a high aspect ratio was 58.5 times higher than that of the ZnO nanoparticles when the applied potential was 10 V and the UV intensity was 840 μW cm−2. To fabricate a wireless smartphone-connected UV sensor platform, a lithium-ion battery, a circuit including a Bluetooth module, a smartphone application, and a developed ZnO NR UV sensor were developed and integrated together. Based on the linear relationship between the photocurrent and UV intensity, the UV irradiation was confirmed in real time on the smartphone screen.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine, by statistical shape analysis of original and mirrored skeletal landmarks, the optimal landmark-based midsagittal reference plane for evaluation of facial asymmetry. Methods The study sample comprised 69 patients with facial asymmetry (36 men, 33 women; mean age, 23.0 ± 4.1 years). All landmarks were obtained with cone-beam computed tomography using a 3-dimensional coordinate system. For identifying the landmark-based midsagittal reference plane, the 3 landmarks nearest to the symmetric midsagittal reference plane were selected by ordinary and generalized Procrustes analyses. To verify the 3-landmark-based midsagittal reference plane's compatibility with the symmetric midsagittal reference plane, asymmetry measurements were calculated and tested for each. Results The 3 nearest landmarks (nasion, anterior nasal spine, and posterior nasal spine) were selected for the 3-landmark-based midsagittal reference plane. The averages of the sums of the squared Euclidean distance and the squared Procrustes distance differences between the 2 configurations and shapes fabricated by the symmetric and landmark-based midsagittal reference planes, respectively, were calculated as 0.121 ± 0.241 mm and 1.69 × 10 −6 ± 3.25 × 10 −6 . The testing results for the symmetric and landmark-based midsagittal reference planes were almost the same. Conclusion The results indicated that a 3-dimensional midsagittal reference plane constructed of nasion, anterior nasal spine, and posterior nasal spine could be a valuable tool for the evaluation of patients with facial asymmetry.

Electronic Materials Convergency Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Jinju 52851, Korea (Received October 7, 2015; Revised November 23, 2015; Accepted November 24, 2015)Abstract: This paper describes the development of a piezoelectric level switch, which aims to effectively monitor the level status in high ambient temperatures. In order to adjust the impedance near the resonant frequency and temperature characteristics, the effect of the case and backing layer materials on its performance was analyzed using the finite element method (FEM). The suggested prototype new level switch has three heat-sink plates attached to SUS bar of 230 mm long, and case of PEEK which contains PZT sensing part. To illustrate the validity of this level switch, 10 samples are prepared and investigated the sensing performance through the high and low temperature ambient.Keywords: Level switch, High temperature, FEM (finite element method), Piezoelectric transducer 레벨 스위치는 액체면의 높이가 일정한 레벨이 되었을 때에 신호를 출력하는 스위치로서, 레벨 게이지(센서)가 레벨의 연속측정에 사용되는데 대하여, 레벨의 상하한을 관리하는 목적에 사용되며, 정밀도보다도 신뢰성이나 안정성이 중요하다 [1]. 기존의 초음파식 레벨 스위치는 2개로 구성된 압전 소자(piezoelectric element) 및 구동회로로 구성되며, 한쪽의 압전 소자의 진동에 의해 발생된 음향파의 반대 압전 소자로의 전달 변화에 따라 매질의 유무를 검출하는 비교적 간단한 원리를 사용하며, 일반적으로 액체가 있을 경우 전달이 용이한 반면, 공기인 경우 전달이 되지 않는다.

Multi-level three-state resistive memory devices were fabricated using CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). Poly-vinyl carbazole (PVK) was added to the synthesized CdSe/ZnS QDs with a core/shell structure to form a stronger charge storage layer in the QDs. The use of PVK enables the design-stage control of the state current and write voltage, along with improvement of the on/off ratio. All thin films were fabricated by the solution spin coating method. Additional quantum wells can be produced using ZnO NPs, which enables the multistate functionality. We optimized the process conditions with respect to PVK and ZnO NPs, and confirmed that the PVK concentration was optimized at 2.5 wt%. In addition, the optimized memory device had an on/off ratio of 1.43 × 106 at 0.5 V, the write voltages were 2.2 V and 3.5 V, and the current values in the 0, 1 and 2 states were 4.7 × 10−9 mA, 2.1 × 10−5 mA, 1.0 × 10−1 mA, respectively. The fabricated device demonstrated high stability and reliability through 20 repeat cycles, and displayed a retention time of 80 h.

Clinical joint count assessment is important for detecting synovitis but its reliability is a subject of controversy. This study was undertaken to assess the correlation of positron emission tomography (PET)-derived parameters in 68 joints with disease activity and to compare the reliability of joint counts between PET with computed tomography (CT) and clinical assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).We enrolled 91 patients with active RA (69 in a development group and 22 in a validation group) who underwent concurrentThe number of PET-positive joints (of 28 and 68 joints) was significantly correlated with the swollen joint count (SJC) and tender joint count (TJC) and the DAS in 28 joints using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR). Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of PET for the affected joint counts were excellent. Interobserver reliability between nuclear medicine physicians and rheumatologists was good for the SJC and TJC in both 28 joints and 68 joints. After multivariate analyses, including ESR and patient's global assessment of disease activity (PtGA) in addition to PET-derived parameters, the PET/DAS was derived as (0.063 × number of PET-positive joints in 28 joints) + (0.011 × ESR) + (0.030 × PtGA). A significant correlation between the PET/DAS and the DAS28-ESR was confirmed in the validation group (P0.001).PET-CT could serve as a sensitive and reliable method in the evaluation of disease activity in RA patients, and may be applicable as a research tool, particularly in clinical trials.

In this study,α-glucanotransferase fromBacteroides thetaiotaomicronwas expressed inEscherichia coliand characterized. Conserved amino-acid sequence alignment showed thatBacteroides thetaiotaomicron α-glucanotransferase (BtαGTase) belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 77. The enzyme exhibited optimal catalytic activity at 60°C and pH 3.0. BtαGTase catalyzed transglycosylation reactions that produced only glycosyl or maltosyl transfer products, which are preferable for the generation of transglycosylated products with high yield. The 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) glycosylation product G1-DNJ was generated using BtαGTase, and the inhibitory effect of G1-DNJ was analyzed. A kinetic study of inhibition revealed that G1-DNJ inhibitedα-glucosidase to a greater extent than did DNJ but did not show any inhibitory effects towardsα-amylase, suggesting that G1-DNJ is a potential candidate for the prevention of diabetes.

In order to study the semi-conductive characteristics of carbon black-filled ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) compositefilm, which is used for measuring occlusal force, composite samples with volume ratios of carbon black to EPDM ranging from 30%to 70% were prepared. The process of making a composite film consists of two steps, which involve the preparation of a slurry com-position and the fabrication of a thin film using solution casting and a lamination process. To prepare the slurry composition, we dis-persed carbon black nanoparticles into an organic solvent before mixing with an EPDM solution in toluene. The mechanical andelectrical properties of the resulting carbon black-filled EPDM film were then investigated, and the results showed that the electricalresistance of a film decreases with the increase in the carbon black content. Furthermore, improved elastic recovery was observed aftercross-linking the EPDM.Keywords: Carbon black, EPDM, Solution process, Electrical resistance, Elastic recovery