The current study aimed to investigate the effects of ageing on oral immunity using β-defensin (DEFB) 1/2 as a marker and evaluate the effects of curcumin (CUR) on these processes. The study sample included thirty male C57BL/6J mice divided into three groups based on the treatment method used. The young control (YC) and old control (OC) groups received 0·5 % methylcellulose-400 (CUR vehicle) orally for 5 days, whereas the CUR group of older mice received a CUR solution suspended in 0·5 % methylcellulose-400 (dose: 3·0 mg/kg body). DEFB1/2 and immune indicator levels were measured in the saliva and salivary glands post-treatment. The saliva volume and protein content were significantly reduced in the OC group compared with the YC group. CUR administration restored these parameters, decreased DEFB1 expression in the salivary gland and increased DEFB1/2 secretion and DEFB2 expression. These findings were supported by epigenetic gene regulation and partial cytokine activation from changes in WD40 repeat protein 5, TNF alpha and IL-1beta. CUR can partially restore age-related changes in oral immune responses and promote oral health, thereby preventing frailty in the older population through a nutritional therapeutic pathway.

Hydration behavior of Na-smectite crystals synthesized at a pressure of 5.5 GPa and temperatures of 1400°–1500°C was examined by X-ray powder diffraction at various relative humidities (RH) in the range of 0–100%. The basal spacing of the Na-smectite crystal increased stepwise with increase in RH. The reflections observed were only normal reflections of a single or dual hydration states of smectite. No irrational, intermediate, or asymmetrical reflections were observed. The simple hydration behavior, not known for natural smectite with fine particle sizes and low crystallinity, indicates that the Na-smectite crystals are as perfect as common inorganic crystals with an ordered structure.

Various herbivorous invertebrates in seagrass beds are considered to be generalists in food use and their diets may temporally fluctuate according to the availability of food sources. We assessed whether food sources of herbivorous gastropods vary in a subtropical seagrass bed in Nagura Bay, Ishigaki Island, where coexisting seaweeds grow densely in spring but minimally in summer. Abundant gastropods and their possible food sources were collected in spring and summer of 2013 and 2015, and their stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured. Between the two seasons, each possible food source had similar isotopic values, but all the herbivorous gastropod species in summer were more enriched in 13C than the gastropod samples in spring. The mixing models in SIAR (Stable Isotope Analysis in R) showed that the total contribution rates of seaweeds, i.e. rhodophytes, phaeophytes and chlorophytes, for all herbivorous gastropod species decreased from spring to summer; in contrast, the contribution rate of seagrasses increased. Linear Mixed Models showed that the seasonal variation in δ13C of the herbivorous gastropods was larger than that of the possible food sources, adding further evidence to the seasonal change in food sources of the herbivorous gastropods. This seasonal change in food use appears to correspond to the change in seaweed biomass, suggesting that herbivorous gastropods flexibly change their diets depending on food availability.

We investigate the effect of dopant species and structure on the thermal conductivity of Sb-doped SnO2 (ATO) and Ta-doped SnO2 (TTO) films and compare the results with those of In2O3-, ZnO-, and TiO2-based transparent conductive films. The thermal conductivities (λ) of polycrystalline ATO and TTO films are 4.4–4.9 and 4.7 W m−1 K−1, respectively. The thermal conductivities via phonons (λph) are almost identical for both dopant species (Sb and Ta): 4.3 and 4.5 W m−1 K−1 for Sb and Ta, respectively, on average. These results for λph are larger than that for Sn-doped In2O3 films (3.8 W m−1 K−1) and considerably larger than that for amorphous ATO films (1.0 W m−1 K−1). These facts lead us to conclude that the base-material species (SnO2 or In2O3) and structure (polycrystalline or amorphous) affect the thermophysical properties of ATO and TTO much more than the dopant species.

Properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are very different from bulk gold, in particular, highly dispersed AuNPs exhibit high catalytic activities on metal oxide supports. Catalytic activities of AuNPs are strongly dependent on: (i) size and morphology; (ii) synthesis methods; (iii) nature of the support; (iv) interaction between AuNPs and the support; and (v) oxidation state of AuNPs in the synthesized catalysts. A goal is to maintain the size and to prohibit aggregation of AuNPs, since aggregations deteriorate catalytic activities. Some strong interactions are therefore required between AuNPs and their supports to prevent the movement of AuNPs. SBA-15 is a promising material for the support of AuNPs since it has ordered two-dimensional hexagonal pore channels, uniform pore size ranging from 5 to 30 nm, narrow pore size distribution, thick amorphous walls ranging from 3 to 6 nm, and high surface area. In this study, SBA-15, TiO2-SBA-15 and TiO2-SBA-15-AuNP nanocomposites were synthesized by the sol-gel method and microstructural characterizations were carried out by both X-ray diffraction analysis and electron microscopy.

Wildlife populations on Amami Island, Japan, have been affected by forest clear-felling and the introduction of alien species, in particular the mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus. We used monitoring data collected over 24 years to track changes in the population sizes of five species of mammals and 20 species of birds. We assigned species to the following groups: indigenous, rare, insectivorous, negatively affected by forest clear-cutting, and negatively affected by mongoose invasion. We examined trends in each group at four time points between 1985 and 2010 using two methods: species abundance estimates and the Living Planet Index. We then assessed the usefulness of these methods as tools for conservation planning. Inspecting species individually we identified four main patterns of abundance change: (a) an increase from the first to the last census period, (b) an increase in all periods except 2009–2010, (c) a decrease from 1985–1986 to 2001–2002 but an increase in 2009–2010, and (d) a decrease in all census periods. We observed certain relationships between these patterns and the species groups assigned as above. According to the Living Planet Index the group negatively affected by forest clear-cutting did not show significant recovery and the groups of rare species and species negatively affected by mongoose recovered to c. 40% of the original level after a sharp decline during 1985–2002. The Living Planet Index is a more useful tool for assessing the urgency of particular conservation needs, although limited information on species abundance reduces its representativeness for some groups.

Changes in crystal structure and ferroelectric properties are investigated for (100)/(001)-oriented epitaxial PbTiO3 thin films grown on CaF2 substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. In this work, PbTiO3 films, with thickness ranging from 60 to 2000 nm, presented volume fraction of (001)-oriented c-domain higher than 90%. Hence, the residual strain is smaller compared to films deposited on widely investigated SrTiO3 substrates. Additionally, more than 60 μC/cm2 remnant polarization is obtained for all film thickness ranges, and the estimated spontaneous polarization taking into account c-domain volume fraction is about 80 μC/cm2 regardless of film thickness, in good agreement with reported values for the single crystal.

This study was conducted to review the overall short-term outcome of monoamniotic twins in Japan and to determine the prospective risk of fetal death so as to adequately counsel parents with monoamniotic twins. Study subjects were 101 women with monoamniotic twins who were registered with the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Successive Pregnancy Birth Registry System and who had given birth at ≥22 weeks of gestation during 2002–2009. The gestational week at delivery (mean ± SD) was 31.8 ± 3.7. Fourteen women experienced intrauterine fetal death (IUFD). Short-term outcomes of co-twins born to the 14 women included 8 IUFDs, one early neonatal death within 7 days of life (END), and 5 survivors. Four other women experienced 5 ENDs. Thus, 13.9% (28/202) of infants died perinatally (22 IUFDs and 6 ENDs), 13.9% (14/101) of women experienced IUFD, and 82.2% (83/101) of women experienced neither IUFD nor END. Structural anomalies and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome explained 17.9% (five infants) and 10.7% (three infants) of the 28 perinatal deaths, respectively. The prospective risk of IUFD was 13.9% (14/101) for women who reached gestational week 22−0/7, gradually decreasing thereafter but remaining at between 4.5% and 8.0% between gestational week 30−0/7 and 36−0/7.

Raman scattering spectra and ferroelectric properties of epitaxial tetragonal Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 were investigated for polar axis-oriented thin films with various Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratios and by changing the ratios from 0 to 0.50 at different measurement temperatures. The chosen films in the thickness range of 1–2 μm present the advantage of showing small residual strain. The E (TO) modes were successfully isolated using cross-polarization configurations, while A1 (TO) and B1 modes were activated using parallel polarization configurations. Systematic changes in Raman peak positions were observed with changes in the Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratios at different measurement temperatures. It was found in both cases that the tetragonal distortion (c/a-1) and the value of square of spontaneous polarization (Ps2) linearly increased with increasing ω2[A1(1TO)], where a and c are the lattice parameters of a and c-axes. This indicates that monitoring A1(1TO) mode is efficient as a characterization method of ferroelectricity. It can also be used as a novel nondestructive process check or reliability assessment technique during fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) using piezoelectric materials.

Perfectly (111)-oriented rhombohedral Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 [PZT] films were successfully grown on (111) CaF2 substrates. These films have the polar-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface without non-180o domains. Well saturated polarization (P) –electric field (E) hysteresis loops were observed at various frequencies and temperatures. Temperature dependence of the saturation polarization (Psat.) was in good agreement with the estimated one by Haun et al. using phenomenological approach but did not strongly depend on the measured frequencies. On the other hand, the coercive field (Ec) increased with decreasing temperature and with increasing the measurement frequency.

For conducting effective risk management in long-stay elderly people at a health service facility, we performed an open case-controlled study to evaluate the effect of the intake of probiotic-fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS-fermented milk) on norovirus gastroenteritis occurring in the winter season during the intake period. A total of seventy-seven elderly people (mean age 84 years) were enrolled in the study. During a 1-month period, there was no significant difference in the incidence of norovirus gastroenteritis between the LcS-fermented milk-administered (n 39) and the non-administered (n 38) groups; however, the mean duration of fever of >37°C after the onset of gastroenteritis was 1·5 (sd 1·7) d in the former and 2·9 (sd 2·3) d in the latter group, showing a significant shortening in the former group (P < 0·05). RT-quantitative PCR analysis targeting ribosomal RNA showed both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus to be significantly dominant, whereas Enterobacteriaceae decreased in faecal samples from the administered group (n 10, mean age 83 years), with a significant increase in faecal acetic acid concentration. Continuous intake of LcS-fermented milk could positively contribute to the alleviation of fever caused by norovirus gastroenteritis by correcting the imbalance of the intestinal microflora peculiar to the elderly, although such consumption could not protect them from the disease.

Integration of the III–V channel MISFETs on the Si platform is a potential solution to realize performance improvement and power reduction in the sub-22 nm node and beyond. To take advantage of the high electron mobility of III-Vs, the MIS interfaces of high integrity should be developed. This paper reports how the MIS characteristics vary in response to the changes in the interface composition and structures, and discusses the physics and chemistry behind these observations. We fabricated a wide variety of the high-k/III–V interface structures by employing the state-of-the-art technologies of the epitaxial wafers by MOCVD, surface reconstruction control in the MBE environment, wet/dry surface treatments optimized by utilizing XPS/AES analyses, and deposition of quality dielectrics (Al2O3, HfO2) by ALD and EB evaporation. The MIS characteristics were evaluated in the capacitor and FET structures. The talk will include the following topics: the effects of the cation composition (Al, Ga, In) of the III-V bulk on the MIS characteristics [1], the importance of the anion control (N, S) at the interface to improve the MIS characteristics, and the surface orientation ((100) vs. (111)) as a new parameter in the III-V MIS device design [1]. This work was carried out in the Nanoelectronics Project supported by NEDO/METI. [1] T. Yasuda et al., as discussed at 39th IEEE SISC (San Diego, Dec. 2008).

Crystal structure change with the temperature was investigated for 3 m-thick (100)/(001)-oriented epitaxial PbTiO3 films grown on SrTiO3 substrates. Complex strain-relaxed domain structure labeled as Type III was observed and directly transformed to the cubic phase at about 490°C. This transition temperature and the lattice parameter (a and c- axes) change with the temperature well agreed with the reported data for the PbTiO3 powders. The volume fraction of the (001) orientations, Vc, was almost independent of the temperature up to the phase transition temperature. The tilting angles of the spots in XRD plan view were almost the same with the estimated ones from the lattice parameters and the Vc. This suggests that the angle of the domains identified by the domain structure in Type III. This structure is mainly determined by the tetragonality, (c/a ratio) and the Vc.

Epitaxaially-grown KNbO3 thick films over 8 μm in thickness were successfully grown at 220 °C for 6 h on (100)cSrRuO3//SrTiO3 substrates by a hydrothermal method. Epitaxial SrRuO3 layers grown on (100)cSrTiO3 substrates by sputter method were used as bottom electrode layers. Relative dielectric constant and the dielectric loss were 530 and 0.11, respectively. Clear hysteresis loops originated to the ferreoelectricity were observed and a remanent polarization was 25 μC/cm2 at a maximum applied electric field of 540 kV/cm. In addition, the hydrothermal KNbO3 thick film was able to transmitting and receiving of ultrasonic waves over 50MHz.

We discuss the implications for the cosmic re-ionization from the optical afterglow spectrum of GRB050904 at z = 6.3

Three lipophilic L-glutamide derivatives with chromophoric head group were synthesized, and their photo-responsive properties were investigated in organic solution systems. By comparing their spectral behaviors, it was shown that organogels underwent a light blue to purple luminescence change, which was triggered by thermally induced monomeric-to-excimeric phase transition. This switching, based on self-assembly, is supposed to have special advantages in molecular electronics.

Ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) has been used to prepare biaxially textured templates necessary to realizing high superconducting performance in coated conductors.The IBAD method is characterized by the direct deposition of sharply aligned templates on nontextured metal substrates using fluorite-like oxide films (yttrium-stabilized zirconia, Gd2Zr2O7, etc.).Recent progress in vacuum technology for IBAD has made it possible to reproducibly fabricate long lengths (100 m) of IBAD-GZO templates.Continuous deposition of YBCO films on these templates has been achieved by pulsed laser deposition (PLD).Furthermore, a new approach to improving the texture of IBAD templates was found by using CeO2 films grown by PLD.Trifluoroacetate-based metalorganic deposition has also been used instead of PLD to produce superconducting layers on IBAD buffered tapes, aiming at a low-cost process.This article reviews progress in the research and development of biaxially textured templates produced using IBAD and their subsequent use in fabricating superconducting tapes and wires by means of several processes.

We explain simulation tools in the JASMINE project (JASMINE simulator). The JASMINE project stands at the stage where its basic design will be determined in a few years. Therefore it is very important to simulate the data stream generated by astrometric fields at JASMINE in order to support investigations of error budgets, sampling strategy, data compression, data analysis, scientific performances, etc. We find that new software technologies, such as Object Oriented (OO) methodologies, are ideal tools for the simulation system of JASMINE (the JASMINE simulator). In this article, we explain the framework of the JASMINE simulator.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html