ACCESSORY CELL ABILITY OF LANGERHANS CELLS FOR SUPERANTIGEN IS RESISTANT TO ULTRAVIOLET-B LIGHT

Abstract We examined the effects of ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation on the accessory cell ability of Langerhans cells (LC) to induce a T-cell response to a superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). The ability of LC-enriched epidermal cells (LC-EC) to evoke a T-cell response to SEB was retained at the doses of UVB (up to 40 mJ/ cm²) that profoundly affected the antigen-presenting function of LC-EC for a hapten, trinitrophenyl (TNP), and a protein antigen, conalbumin. Thus, the LC accessory function for superantigens is more resistant to UVB irradiation than that for ordinary antigens. This UVB resistance is presumably due to no requirement of antigen processing for superantigens as chemically fixed or chloroquine-treated LC-EC still retained their ability to induce T-cell responses to SEB. Higher doses of UVB (more than 60 mJ/cm²) reduced the accessory cell ability of LC-EC for SEB up to 50% of control. The addition of monoclonal antibodies against adhesion molecules between LC and T cells to the culture resulted in substantial suppression of the T-cell response to SEB induced by nonirradiated LC-EC, while the U VB-irradiated LC-EC-induced T-cell response was not significantly blocked with these monoclonal antibodies. This suggested that the reduction of LC ability for superantigen by high doses of UVB is at least partly due to impairment of adhesion molecules on LC by UVB irradiation.     

Element-specific hard X-ray micro-magnetometry of magnetic modifications in Co–Pt dots fabricated by ion etching

We developed a micro-magnetometry with a 2.5 μm spatial resolution based on micro X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) technique in order to study magnetic properties of dot arrays for bit-patterned media. This micro-magnetometer was applied to the magnetic characterization of Co–Pt dot arrays fabricated by ion beam etching. As the dot size became small, the intensity of XMCD drastically decreased for dots fabricated by Ga-focused ion beam. This suggested that the dot edges were damaged magnetically by implantation of Ga ions. The damaged width of the dot edge was estimated to be about 13 nm from the decrease in XMCD intensities. This damaged edge width agreed with the ion-implanted area estimated by Monte-Carlo simulation. The less-damaged effect of Ar ion etching was verified by the XMCD measurement of Co–Pt dots with diameter of 20 and 70 nm. It was concluded that ions with inertness, lower energy and smaller atomic number should be used to fabricate dot arrays with an areal density of 1 Tbit/in².     

Deep hole trap level of nitrogen-doped ZnSe grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

We investigated the hole trap level of nitrogen-doped ZnSe grown by a metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy method. The deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) signal and the C-V profile were measured to obtain the trap level, the capture cross section and the trap concentration. A deep hole trap level of about 1 eV from a valence band (labeled TLIS) was extracted from the tail of the DLTS peak. The distributions of the capture cross section and the trap level of the samples for different growth conditions were drawn in a figure to investigate the validity of the resolution of the DLTS signal. The origin of TLIS is thought to be in relation to the ionized acceptor or the charged acceptor-like localized defects.     

Fabrication of Periodic Waveguides Using Organic Crystals and Fluorinated Polyimides for Quasi-Phase-Matched Second-Harmonic Generation

We have developed a new method to fabricate periodic waveguide structures used for quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation, where nonlinear optical organic crystals and fluorinated copolyimides are alternately arranged. Quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation from an organic waveguide device has been demonstrated.     

Sonochemistry of cytochrome c. Evidence for superoxide formation by ultrasound in argon-saturated aqueous solution

Formation of superoxide anion radicals (O₂^·−) induced by 50 kHz ultrasound in argon (Ar)-saturated aqueous solution was studied. Although EPR-spin trapping study with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO;100 mM) revealed the formation of DMPO-adducts of hydroxyl radicals (^·OH) and hydroperoxy radicals (HO₂^·; acid form of O2^·−) in O₂-saturated solution after sonication, no evidence of HO₂^· was found in Ar-saturated solution. When ferricytochrome c (cytochrome c) in Ar-saturated aqueous solution was sonicated, the reduced form of cytochrome c was observed and 80% of its formation was inhibited by the addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Sodium formate enhanced the production of the reduced form of cytochrome c. The % inhibition by SOD for the reduction increased in the order of Xe > Ar > He in accord with the higher temperatures of the cavitation bubbles. These results indicate that the O₂^·− is formed by directly by the sonolysis of water in the absence of O₂ when the temperature of cavitation bubble collapse is sufficiently high.