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Composite powders mixed with yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce) and SiO2 powders were prepared in a tetraethyl orthosilicate solution of an alkali hydrolysis bath. The state of the composite powders varies depending on the reaction conditions: the amount of ammonium water and the reaction time. The photoluminescence property of the composite powder was the same as that of pure YAG powder, while the quantum efficiency varied depending on the morphologies of the composite powders. The quantum efficiency improved for the composite powder with nano-sized silica particles covering the YAG surface.

AIMS To investigate the effect of anagliptin (Ana), a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, on acute ischemia-induced bladder dysfunction in rats. METHODS Eight-week-old female Wistar-ST rats were randomly assigned into four groups: (a) sham; (b) ligation (Lig); (c) Lig + Ana; and (d) Lig + Liraglutide (a glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1] receptor agonist; Lira). Rats in the Lig, Lig + Ana, and Lig + Lira groups underwent ligature of the bilateral internal iliac arteries. Ana was orally administered mixed with the CE-2 diet. Lira was subcutaneously administered once a day. Blood glucose levels, plasma dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) activity, GLP-1 levels, and bladder function were measured in all groups. Bladder blood flow was measured in the sham, Lig, and Lig + Ana groups, 4 weeks postsurgery. RESULTS No differences in blood glucose levels among the groups were observed. DPP-4 activity decreased in the Lig + Ana group (P

Self-injury (SI) can be defined as deliberate harm to one’s own body without conscious suicidal intent. This report describes a case of septicaemia triggered by SI. The patient was a 40 year-old woman, who was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). She was hospitalized in a medical long-term care sanatorium and was recently transferred from a familiar sanatorium. She started to bite herself on the mandibular labial alveolar mucosa; this had never been observed. As the self-biting wound gradually increased and the resultant inflammation spread to surrounding tissues, she was referred to our hospital. During the course of treatment, she suffered from septicaemia secondary to aspiration pneumonia. When a case of SI is encountered, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of progression from local infected foci, such as a self-biting wound to septicaemia, and make appropriate interventions at an early stage without underestimating the seriousness of such a condition.

Background and Aims Dutch tomato cultivars tend to have a greater yield than Japanese cultivars even if they are grown under the same conditions. Factors contributing to the increased yield of the Dutch cultivars were a greater light use efficiency and greater leaf photosynthetic rate. On the other hand, the relationship between tomato yields and anatomical traits is still unclear. The aim of this study is to identify the anatomical traits related to the difference in yield between Dutch and Japanese cultivars. Methods Anatomical properties were compared during different growth stages of Dutch and Japanese tomatoes. Hormone profiles and related gene expression in hypocotyls of Dutch and Japanese cultivars were compared in the hypocotyls of 3- and 4-week-old plants. Key results Dutch cultivars have a more developed secondary xylem than Japanese cultivars, which would allow for greater transport of water, mineral nutrients and phytohormones to the shoots. The areas and ratios of the xylem in the hypocotyls of 3- to 6-week-old plants were larger in the Dutch cultivars. In reciprocal grafts of the Japanese and Dutch cultivars, xylem development at the scion and rootstock depended on the scion cultivar, suggesting that some factors in the scion are responsible for the difference in xylem development. The cytokinin content, especially the level of N6-(Δ 2-isopentenyl) adenine (iP)-type cytokinin, was higher in the Dutch cultivars. This result was supported by the greater expression of Sl-IPT3 (a cytokinin biosynthesis gene) and Sl-RR16/17 (a cytokinin-responsive gene) in the Dutch cultivars. Conclusions These results suggest that iP-type cytokinins, which are locally synthesized in the hypocotyl, contribute to xylem development. The greater xylem development in Dutch cultivars might contribute to the high yield of the tomato.

Successful osseointegration is essential for dental implants. However, the complete molecular mechanism of osseointegration remains to be elucidated. In this study, we focused on the proteoglycan (PG)-rich layer between titanium oxides (TiOx) and bone, and chondroitin-4-sulfate transferase-1 (C4ST-1), which forms the sugar chain in PGs. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) depleted of C4ST-1 were cultured on titanium (Ti) plates, and the interface between hBMSCs and TiOx was analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. Immunotolerance, proliferation, initial adhesion, and calcification of the cells were analyzed in vitro. At 14 days of cultivation, a PG-rich layer was observed between hBMSCs and TiOx. However, the PG-rich layer was reduced in C4ST-1-depleted hBMSCs on TiOx. Real-time RT-PCR showed that conditioned media increased the levels of expression of M1-macrophage markers in human macrophages. However, depletion of C4ST-1 did not affect calcification, cell proliferation, or initial cell adhesion on Ti plates. These results suggested that C4ST-1 in hBMSCs affects their immunotolerance and alters the formation of PG-rich layer formation on TiOx.

The viscoelasticity of polyalphaolefins confined and sheared in a submicron-to-nanometer-sized gap range was measured. A continuous transition from bulk viscosity to confined viscoelasticity was observed in this gap range. The viscosity increased when the gap was less than around 100 nm, whereas the elasticity rapidly increased when the gap was less than 10 nm. The shear rate and temperature dependence of the unique viscoelasticity was also measured in the confined state. The enhanced viscosity decreased as the shear rate and the temperature increased. These findings are expected to improve the basic understanding of hydrodynamic lubrication design in narrow gaps widths.

High-speed power gating (PG) techniques are useful for reducing leakage power of functional units in a CPU core. This paper analyzes trade off of functional units in a MIPS R3000 based processor with three fine-grained PG methods: the cell-based, row-based and ring-based. Compared with the cell-based PG technique, which was used in our previous work - Geyser-1 processor, the row-based and ring-based PG technique achieved much smaller area and less implemental cost with a certain additional delay to wake-up latency. The simulation results with benchmark programs show that all three methods can reduce leakage power by 28∼54% at 25C.