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Allergic transfusion reactions (ATRs) and febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTRs) are common, although their mechanisms remain unclear. Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated type I hypersensitivity may be involved in the pathogenesis of ATR. A basophil activation test (BAT) may help elucidate this process.The BAT was based on peripheral blood samples from paediatric patients with a haematological or oncological disease and on samples of residual blood products transfused in each case. Dasatinib was used to evaluate whether basophil activation was mediated by an IgE-dependent pathway.Twenty-seven patients with and 19 patients without ATR/FNHTR were included in this study, respectively. The median BAT values associated with ATR- (n = 41) and FNHTR-causing (n = 5) blood products were 22.1% (range = 6.1%-77.0%) and 27.8% (range = 15.2%-47.8%), respectively, which were higher than the median value of 8.5% (range = 1.1%-40.9%) observed in blood products without a transfusion reaction. Dasatinib suppressed basophil activity. BAT values were comparable in patients with ATR regardless of severity. Meanwhile, BAT values analysed with blood products non-causal for ATR/FNHTR were higher in patients with ATR/FNHTR than in those without.The IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity may be involved in the pathogenesis of ATR and FNHTR. BAT analyses may help elucidate the underlying mechanisms and identify patients at risk.

Background Lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH) is a disease considered to be the origin of tumorigenesis of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma, which has characteristic expression in the gastric pyloric mucosa. It is difficult to diagnose by nuclear findings because of lower nuclear atypia. In this study, nuclei of endocervical (EC) and LEGH cells were digitized, and nuclear information was quantified from nuclear images and objectively evaluated using a computer. We examined whether it is possible to distinguish between EC and LEGH cells, which is difficult by human eyes. Methods Signal intensity, morphological features, Otsu thresholding technique and gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features were calculated from nuclei of EC and LEGH cells on cytology microscopic images. Then, discriminant analysis was performed using the significant difference test and linear support vector machine (LSVM). Results GLCM features in LEGH cells were higher than those in EC cells. The nuclei of LEGH cells had a higher frequency of signal value pairs with a larger signal value difference than that of EC cells. Therefore, LEGH cell nuclei are thought to have more chromatin granules, and the chromatin is coarse and granular. Moreover, in the LSVM discriminant analysis, the accuracy of GLCM calculated using these features was 85.4%. Conclusion In this study, GLCM accurately demonstrated the nuclear chromatin distribution and coarseness. Discriminant analysis of EC and LEGH cells using GLCM features is useful.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a potential therapeutic tool for preventing the progression of acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Herein, we investigated the localization and maintenance of engrafted human bone marrow-derived MSCs in rats subjected to a renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and compared the effectiveness of two intravascular injection routes via the renal artery or inferior vena cava. Renal artery injection of MSCs was more effective than intravenous injection at reducing IRI-induced renal fibrosis. Additionally, MSCs injected through the renal artery persisted in injured kidneys for over 21 days, whereas MSCs injected through the inferior vena cava survived for less than 7 days. This difference may be attributed to the antifibrotic effects of MSCs. Interestingly, MSCs injected through the renal artery were localized primarily in glomeruli until day 3 post-IRI, and they decreased in number thereafter. In contrast, the number of MSCs localized in tubular walls, and the interstitium increased gradually until day 21 post-IRI. This localization change may be related to areas of damage caused by IRI because ischemia-induced AKI leads to tubular cell damage. Taken together, these findings suggest renal artery injection of MSCs may be useful for preventing the progression of AKI to CKD.

Background Lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH) was first described by Nucci et al. in 1999 and is believed to be a precancerous lesion of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma and gastric-type adenocarcinoma in the uterine cervix. LEGH lesions do not always exhibit apparent cellular and structural atypia, so are difficult to distinguish from normal endocervical cells (EC cells) with cytological examination. Therefore, we often struggle to make a definite diagnosis of LEGH. Methods We used microscopy images of cytological specimens that were diagnosed as EC cells and LEGH cells. Signal intensity in whole nuclear area and in heterochromatin and euchromatin regions, euchromatin area ratio, and nuclear morphological features were quantified in each cell nucleus of the cases. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine statistical significance. Finally, we performed linear support vector machine (LSVM) modeling as a discriminant analysis using the quantified features. Results Signal intensity in whole nuclear area, and heterochromatin and euchromatin regions of EC cell nuclei were higher than that of the LEGH cell nuclei. Morphologically, EC cell nuclei were larger than LEGH cell nuclei, and nuclei of LEGH cells had irregular nuclear respectively membrane structure and an elongated shape. The LSVM accuracy of 10-fold cross validation and leave-one-case-out cross-validation (LOCOCV) using all measured features were 84.7% to 89.3% and 78.6% to 86.0%, respectively. Conclusions The LVSM analysis using features extracted from signal intensity and morphological analysis was useful for discrimination of EC cells vs LEGH cells. We therefore believe that this image analysis method could be used for early detection of LEGH.

Background:Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) administered for therapeutic purposes can be activated by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secreted from natural killer cells in injured tissues and exert anti-inflammatory effects. These processes may require a substantial period of time, leading to a delayed onset of MSCs therapeutic effects. Here, we investigatedwhetherpretreatment with IFN-γ potentiates the anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activities of MSCs in an injured kidney. Methods:MSCs with or without IFN-γ treatment were injected into rats after ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) or unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of IFN-γ-treated MSCs. In addition, we used conditioned medium obtained from IFN-γ-treated MSCs to investigate fibrotic change in cultured cells induced by transforming growth factor-β1 and phenotypic change of macrophages using THP-1 monocytes.Results:Administration of MSCs treated with IFN-γ strongly ameliorated renal fibrosis and inflammation in rat IRI and UUO models compared with that of untreated MSCs. In vitro experiments demonstrated that IFN-γ treatment enhanced the anti-fibrotic effects of MSCs by inhibiting the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad signaling pathway. Most notably, secretion of prostaglandin E2 from MSCs was significantly increased by treatment with IFN-γ. Increased prostaglandin E2 induced polarization of immunosuppressive CD163-positive macrophages. In addition, knockdown of prostaglandin E synthase weakened the anti-fibrotic effects of MSCs treated with IFN-γ in IRI rats, suggesting the involvement of prostaglandin E2 in the beneficial effects of IFN-γ.Conclusions:Administration of MSCs treated with IFN-γ may represent a promising therapy to prevent the progression of renal fibrosis.

In this study, lithium reaction distributions, dependent on the charge&ndash, discharge rate, were non-destructively visualized for a commercial lithium-ion battery, using the Compton scattering imaging technique. By comparing lithium reaction distributions obtained at two different charge&ndash, discharge speeds, residual lithium ions were detected at the center of the negative electrode in a fully discharged state, at a relatively high-speed discharge rate. Moreover, we confirmed that inhomogeneous reactions were facilitated at a relatively high-speed charge&ndash, discharge rate, in both the negative and positive electrodes. A feature of our technique is that it can be applied to commercially used lithium-ion batteries, because it uses high-energy X-rays with high penetration power. Our technique thus opens a novel analyzing pathway for developing advanced batteries.

In this study, lithium reaction distributions, dependent on charge-discharge rate, were nondestructively visualized for a commercial lithium-ion battery, using the Compton scattering imaging technique. By comparing lithium reaction distributions obtained from two different charge-discharge speeds, residual lithium ions were detected at the center of the negative electrode on a fully discharged state, by relatively high-speed discharge rate. Moreover, we confirmed that inhomogeneous reactions were facilitated on a relatively high-speed charge-discharge rate, in both the negative and positive electrodes. A feature of our technique is that it can be applied to commercially used lithium-ion batteries, because it uses high-energy X-rays with a high penetration power. Our technique thus opens a novel analyzing pathway for developing advanced batteries.

In this study, we have developed multilayer deposition and patterning processes with a resolution of 1 μm that can be used to fabricate all-printed, polymer-based organic field-effect transistors (p-OFETs) on the basis of vacuum-free, solution-processable soft lithography techniques. We have used regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a soluble polymer semiconductor and poly(methylmethacrylate) as soluble polymer gate insulators. We have compared the electrical properties of p-OFETs with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), silver nanoparticles (NPs), and their composites as printed source–drain (S–D) electrodes in order to fabricate vacuum-free, all-printed p-OFETs. The p-OFETs with MWNT S–D electrodes exhibited higher hole mobility and on/off ratios than the devices with Ag NP S–D electrodes owing to better contact at the MWNT/P3HT interface. The high sheet resistance of MWNT electrodes was considerably reduced by mixing with Ag NPs. Both the contact resistance and channel resistance were maintained at low values, resulting in improved electrical properties of p-OFETs.

The temperature dependence of resistivity for thin films of a composite of molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) and silicon (Si) fabricated by radio frequency magnetron sputtering using a target made of a powder mixture of MoSi2 and Si with molar ratio of Si to Mo of 1:X (2.02X2.55) was analyzed. The temperature dependence could be explained by the multiplicative model consisting of a conduction model similar to the Grüneisen-Bloch model, a modified Anderson localization model for 2.02X2.21 and the modified Anderson localization model for 2.39X2.55 over a wide temperature range.

The Immune Algorithm (IA), which is optimum method based the human immune system, is suitable for gaining several solutions at once. This method is similar to Genetic Algorithms (GA), and is hoped to be able to use several local rules of GA. On the other hands, IA may have the demerit that is hard to deal with many parameters. In this paper, we suggest the improved Immune Algorithm. This method is improved by review of Immune System, and uses both secondary response and response control by endocrine system. It's hoped that new added functions affect searching ability. Additionally, the effect may be able to cut one of complex parameters. This method is applied to some simple problems that search the extremum in the functions and traveling salesman problem. As the results, it's able to control one of parameters depending on the searching situation and suggested the potential of cutting parameter. The validity of this method is checked.

It is useful to propose a new algorithm to analyze the complicated optimization problems by imitating the functions of living things. In this study, it is object to propose new optimization method using the microcosm which is model of natural ecosystem. The microcosm in this paper is constituted by considering a bone forming ecosystem that the interaction of each cell is clear and able to be regarded as ecosystem. By combining the proposed microcosm and GA, the optimization problems are analyzed. The problems to search a minimum point in the multiple-peak function, and to search the plane structure of the minimum value subjected to a load are analyzed. Moreover, the validity of design solution is checked for the several design conditions.

Chitinase C from Streptomyces griseus HUT6037, described in 1997, is the first family 19 chitinase found in an organism other than higher plants. In this study, some properties of chitinase C were compared with those of family 18 bacterial chitinases, and the distribution of family 19 chitinases in Streptomyces species was investigated. The specific hydrolysing activity of chitinase C against soluble and insoluble chitinous substrates was markedly higher than those of bacterial family 18 chitinases. Chitinase C exhibited marked antifungal activity, whereas the other bacterial chitinases examined had no antifungal activity. Chitinase C was insensitive to allosamidin, whereas the family 18 bacterial chitinases were sensitive. Taking advantage of this insensitivity to allosamidin, a search was made for family 19 chitinases in various Streptomyces species. Chitinases insensitive to allosamidin were detected in the culture supernatants of all tested Streptomyces species. Southern hybridization analysis using a labelled DNA fragment corresponding to the catalytic domain of chitinase C strongly suggested that these species have genes similar to the chiC gene of S. griseus HUT6037. DNA fragments corresponding to the major part of the catalytic domains were amplified by PCR. The amplified fragments encoded amino acid sequences very similar to that of the corresponding region of chitinase C. Therefore, it was concluded that Streptomyces species generally possess family 19 chitinases which are very similar to chitinase C. Comparison of their amino acid sequences with those of plant family 19 chitinases revealed that Streptomyces family 19 chitinases are class IV type in terms of the presence and positions of deletions of amino acid sequences which are characteristic of plant class IV chitinases.

In organisms other than higher plants, family 19 chitinase was first discovered in Streptomyces griseus HUT6037, and later, the general occurrence of this enzyme in Streptomyces species was demonstrated. In the present study, the distribution of family 19 chitinases in the class Actinobacteria and the phylogenetic relationship of Actinobacteria family 19 chitinases with family 19 chitinases of other organisms were investigated. Forty-nine strains were chosen to cover almost all the suborders of the class Actinobacteria , and chitinase production was examined. Of the 49 strains, 22 formed cleared zones on agar plates containing colloidal chitin and thus appeared to produce chitinases. These 22 chitinase-positive strains were subjected to Southern hybridization analysis by using a labeled DNA fragment corresponding to the catalytic domain of ChiC, and the presence of genes similar to chiC of S. griseus HUT6037 in at least 13 strains was suggested by the results. PCR amplification and sequencing of the DNA fragments corresponding to the major part of the catalytic domains of the family 19 chitinase genes confirmed the presence of family 19 chitinase genes in these 13 strains. The strains possessing family 19 chitinase genes belong to 6 of the 10 suborders in the order Actinomycetales , which account for the greatest part of the Actinobacteria . Phylogenetic analysis suggested that there is a close evolutionary relationship between family 19 chitinases found in Actinobacteria and plant class IV chitinases. The general occurrence of family 19 chitinase genes in Streptomycineae and the high sequence similarity among the genes found in Actinobacteria suggest that the family 19 chitinase gene was first acquired by an ancestor of the Streptomycineae and spread among the Actinobacteria through horizontal gene transfer.

Chitinase C from Streptomyces griseus HUT6037, described in 1997, is the first family 19 chitinase found in an organism other than higher plants. In this study, some properties of chitinase C were compared with those of family 18 bacterial chitinases, and the distribution of family 19 chitinases in Streptomyces species was investigated. The specific hydrolysing activity of chitinase C against soluble and insoluble chitinous substrates was markedly higher than those of bacterial family 18 chitinases. Chitinase C exhibited marked antifungal activity, whereas the other bacterial chitinases examined had no antifungal activity. Chitinase C was insensitive to allosamidin, whereas the family 18 bacterial chitinases were sensitive. Taking advantage of this insensitivity to allosamidin, a search was made for family 19 chitinases in various Streptomyces species. Chitinases insensitive to allosamidin were detected in the culture supernatants of all tested Streptomyces species. Southern hybridization analysis using a labelled DNA fragment corresponding to the catalytic domain of chitinase C strongly suggested that these species have genes similar to the chiC gene of S. griseus HUT6037. DNA fragments corresponding to the major part of the catalytic domains were amplified by PCR. The amplified fragments encoded amino acid sequences very similar to that of the corresponding region of chitinase C. Therefore, it was concluded that Streptomyces species generally possess family 19 chitinases which are very similar to chitinase C. Comparison of their amino acid sequences with those of plant family 19 chitinases revealed that Streptomyces family 19 chitinases are class IV type in terms of the presence and positions of deletions of amino acid sequences which are characteristic of plant class IV chitinases.

In this study, we have developed the multilayer deposition and patterning processes with a resolution of 1 µm for fabricating polymer-based organic field effect transistors (p-OFETs) based on vacuum-free, solution processable softlithography techniques. We have used regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as the soluble polymer semiconductor, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polyimide as the soluble and insoluble polymer gate insulators, respectively. We have used multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as the printed source–drain (S–D) electrodes in order to fabricate vacuum-free, all printed OFETs. The p-OFETs with MWNT S–D electrodes exhibit higher hole mobility and on/off ratio than the devices with vacuum-evaporated Au electrodes, probably owing to the better contact of the electrode interface and damage-free transfer of electrodes onto the gate insulator. The mobility was further improved by the crystallization of the P3HT film after heat treatment prior to the pattern transfer of P3HT.