Polymeric ferroelectric and oxide semiconductor-based fully transparent memristor cell

Applied Physics A - Employment of the memristor for the next-generation large-area electronics can be expected to release various devices with interesting functions. In this article, for the first...     

Tumor-homing poly-siRNA/glycol chitosan self-cross-linked nanoparticles for systemic siRNA delivery in cancer treatment

The condensed version: Thiolated glycol chitosan can form stable nanoparticles with polymerized siRNAs through charge-charge interactions and self-cross-linking (see scheme). This poly-siRNA/glycol chitosan nanoparticles (psi-TGC) provided sufficient in?vivo stability for systemic delivery of siRNAs. Knockdown of tumor proteins by psi-TGC resulted in a reduction in tumor size and vascularization.     

Application of gamma irradiation for inhibition of food allergy

This study was carried out to evaluate the application of food irradiation technology as a method for reducing food allergy. Milk β-lactoglobulin, chicken egg albumin, and shrimp tropomyosin were used as model food allergens for experiments on allergenic and molecular properties by gamma irradiation. The amount of intact allergens in an irradiated solution was reduced by gamma irradiation depending upon the dose. These results showed that epitopes on the allergens were structurally altered by radiation treatment and that the irradiation technology can be applied to reduce allergenicity of allergic foods.     

Raman spectroscopy of combinatory anticancer drug release from gold nanoparticles inside a single leukemia cell

Combinatory anticancer drug release from gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in K562 human myeloid leukemia cells was performed using Raman spectroscopy. We fabricated the anticancer drug of imatinib as a BCR‐ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor on AuNP surfaces along with a transferrin (Tf)‐targeting moiety to treat the leukemia cells. DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan was also assembled to monitor its fluorescence onto AuNPs. The linker group of 4‐carboxylic benzoic acid was used to conjugate to targeting the Tf protein. Our Raman data indicated that the drug molecules were not detached in the cell culture media but released after treatment with glutathione (2 mM). Intracellular distribution and release of the anticancer drug–AuNP conjugates in K562 cells were examined by both fluorescence microscopy and dark‐field microscopy with surface‐enhanced Raman scattering. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of Cosolvent Concentration on Phase Behavior for the Poly(isodecyl acrylate) in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide,Propane, Propylene,Butane, 1‐Butene and Dimethyl Ether

High pressure phase behavior data of mixtures of poly(isodecyl acrylate) [P(IDA)] in supercritical carbon dioxide, dimethyl ether (DME), propane, propylene, butane and 1‐butene have been studied. The phase behaviors for these binary and ternary systems are shown for temperatures below ca. 200°C and pressures up to ca. 1920 bar. The location of the P(IDA)+CO₂ cloud‐point curve shifts to lower temperatures and pressures when isodecyl acrylate (IDA) or DME is added to the P(IDA)+CO₂ solution. High pressure phase behaviors for IDA in supercritical carbon dioxide were also performed for temperature ranging from 40–120°C and pressures from 38–217 bar. The experimental results in this work are modeled using the Peng‐Robinson equation of state.     

Enhancing pre-service teachers’ fraction knowledge through open approach instruction

This study explores whether using the open approach instruction in teaching mathematics has a positive effect for enhancing pre-service teachers’ fraction knowledge. The test consisted of 32 items that were designed to examine pre-service teachers’ procedural and conceptual knowledge of fractions before and after receiving open approach instruction. The study was undertaken among students in four mathematics content and methods courses for the Elementary School Education program in a mid-western public university. The findings show that most of the teachers achieved improved learning outcomes through the open approach instruction.     

Numerical Modeling and Simulation of a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Polarizer

A numerical model based on Berreman’s 4 × 4 matrix approach was developed and used for computational simulation of a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) polarizer. Explicit expressions of the 4 × 4 propagation matrices for several optical films, which constitute a CLC polarizer, were presented. Numerical simulations for optical properties of a CLC layer, a linear polarizer and a CLC polarizer were executed, and the simulated results were found to be in fairly good agreement with measured results.     

Development of SRAO 3MM SIS Receiver

We have developed a 3 mm band receiver for SRAO. The receiver employs an Nb-based SIS junction in the mixer and operates at 85–115 GHz with single polarization. The receiver noise temperature is 40–50 K in DSB. It is equipped with an MPI-type filter for single-side band observations. We present the design, construction, and test results for individual components of the receiver optics, heterodyne system, and cryogenics. The receiver has been installed on the 6 m SRAO telescope and tested toward astronomical sources. The beam-measurement experiment suggests that the edge taper is smaller than the designed 12 dB.     

Monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension correlates with upregulation of connective tissue growth factor expression in the lung

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by structural and functional changes in the lung including proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and excessive collagen synthesis. Although connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is known to promote cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, and extracellular matrix production in various tissues, studies on the role of CTGF in pulmonary hypertension have been limited. Here, we examined CTGF expression in the lung tissues of male Sprague Dawley rats treated with monocrotaline (MCT, 60 microg/kg), a pneumotoxic agent known to induce PH in animals. Establishment of PH was verified by the significantly increased right ventricular systolic pressure and right ventricle/left ventricle weight ratio in the MCT-treated rats. Histological examination of the lung revealed profound muscular hypertrophy in the media of pulmonary artery and arterioles in MCT-treated group. Lung parenchyma, vein, and bronchiole did not appear to be affected. RT-PCR analysis of the lung tissue at 5 weeks indicated significantly increased expression of CTGF in the MCT-treated group. In situ hybridization studies also confirmed abundant CTGF mRNA expression in VSMCs of the arteries and arterioles, clustered pneumocytes, and infiltrated macrophages. Interestingly, CTGF mRNA was not detected in VSMCs of vein or bronchiole. In saline-injected control, basal expression of CTGF was seen in bronchial epithelial cells, alveolar lining cells, and endothelial cells. Taken together, our results suggest that CTGF upregulation in arterial VSMC of the lung might be important in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Antagonizing the role of CTGF could thus be one of the potential approaches for the treatment of PH.     

Elliptic equations with BMO coefficients in Lipschitz domains

In this paper, we study inhomogeneous Dirichlet problems for elliptic equations in divergence form. Optimal regularity requirements on the coefficients and domains for the estimates are obtained. The principal coefficients are supposed to be in the John-Nirenberg space with small BMO semi-norms. The domain is supposed to have Lipschitz boundary with small Lipschitz constant. These conditions for the theory do not just weaken the requirements on the coefficients; they also lead to a more general geometric condition on the domain.