The development of molecular biology and bioinformatics using next-generation sequencing has dramatically advanced the identification of molecules involved in various diseases and the elucidation of ...their pathogenesis. Consequently, many molecular-targeted therapies have been developed in the medical field. In veterinary medicine, the world’s first molecular-targeted drug for animals, masitinib, was approved in 2008, followed by the multikinase inhibitor toceranib in 2009. Toceranib was originally approved for mast cell tumors in dogs but has also been shown to be effective in other tumors because of its ability to inhibit molecules involved in angiogenesis. Thus, toceranib has achieved great success as a molecular-targeted cancer therapy for dogs. Although there has been no progress in the development and commercialization of new molecular-targeted drugs for the treatment of cancer since the success of toceranib, several clinical trials have recently reported the administration of novel agents in the research stage to dogs with tumors. This review provides an overview of molecular-targeted drugs for canine tumors, particularly transitional cell carcinomas, and presents some of our recent data.
Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are energy efficient, compact, and operate silently. DEAs consist of an elastomer membrane sandwiched between two stretchable electrodes. Optimizing the quality ...of both the elastomer and the stretchable electrodes is essential to improve the DEAs performance. Herein, novel strategies are reported to achieve fast, reliable, and low‐cost fabrication of DEAs. The strategies utilize a soft brush to directly pattern carbon nanotube (CNT) powder on the elastomer membrane and tune the mechanical and surface‐adhesiveness characteristics of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane by altering the mixing ratio of the curing agent and base polymer. A uniaxial engineering tensile test on PDMS indicates that a softer material is formed when less curing agent is used. The softer PDMS has a sticky surface, which allows the CNT powder to be physically bound to the surface. Field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) images prove that the strong CNT network is formed on the surface of the elastomer. The electromechanical investigation also indicates that the electrical conductivity is improved for a stickier PDMS surface. The optimal performance of PDMS 30‐1 in static and cyclic DEA tests shows that the brushing of CNT combined with soft and sticky elastomer membranes can increase the DEA performance.
A novel brushing technique to create stretchable electrodes based on a carbon nanotube (CNT) powder is a simple method that can produce a stable electrical and dynamic performance of dielectric elastomer actuator.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
•DEA appropriate for vibration control at high frequencies is developed.•Appropriate layer of DEA generating effective control force is determined.•Actuator location and shape are optimized by modal ...strain energy of the structure.•The validity of the present method is demonstrated by control experiment.
This study evaluates the basic characteristics of smart structures composed of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) to suppress vibrations. A DEA, which is a lightweight, flexible polymer that can induce high deformations, should realize next-generation actuators. Additionally, DEA can achieve vibration control of structures with complex shapes or curved surfaces. Herein the performance and efficacy of DEAs are evaluated as an actuator for vibration control at high frequencies. First, the appropriate DEA structure is considered. Second, the control system for the smart structure using the DEA is modeled and designed as an actuator. Third, a method to determine DEA's optimum arrangement and shape is discussed by focusing on the structure's strain energy. Finally, a control simulation and a control experiment validate the vibration suppression effects and the efficacy of the DEA.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Although several studies have revealed the role of different lipid mediators in colitis, the comprehensive analysis of their production across different phases of colitis remained unclear. Here, we ...performed the following analysis in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis model using LC-MS/MS. Oral administration of 2% DSS in mice for 4 days resulted in severe intestinal inflammation by day 7, which gradually subsided by day 18. Based on the disease scoring index (assigned on the basis of fecal condition and weight loss), we defined the phases of colitis as induction (days 0–4), acute inflammation (days 4–7), recovery (days 7–9), and late recovery (days 9–18). Across all phases, 58 lipid mediators were detected in the inflamed colon tissue. In the induction phase, the production of n-6 fatty acid-derived prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2 increased by ∼2-fold. In the acute inflammation phase, the production of n-6 fatty acid-derived leukotrienes increased by >10-fold, while that of n-3 fatty acid-derived hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acids and dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids decreased. In the recovery phase, a precursor of protectin D1 (17-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid) increased over 3-fold. These observations suggested dynamic changes in the production of lipid mediators across different phases of the disease and their potential regulation in healing colitis.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The circadian rhythm is a fundamental physiological function for a wide range of organisms. The molecular machinery for generating rhythms has been elucidated over the last few decades. Nevertheless, ...the mechanism for temperature compensation of the oscillation period, which is a prominent property of the circadian rhythm, is still controversial. In this study, we propose a new mechanism through a chemically synthetic approach (i.e., we realized temperature compensation by the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) gels). The BZ gels are prepared by embedding a metal catalyst of the BZ reaction into the gel polymer. We made the body of BZ gels using a temperature-sensitive polymer gel, which enabled temperature compensation of the oscillation by using temperature dependence of volume. Moreover, we constructed a simple mathematical model for the BZ oscillation in temperature-sensitive gels. The model can reproduce temperature compensation of BZ gels, even though all reactions are temperature sensitive according to the Arrhenius rule. Our finding hints that a soft body coupling may be underlying temperature-compensated biological functions, including circadian rhythms.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
(a) Rotated gel with a stator (cylindrical gel). (b) Rotated gel without a stator (conical frustum gel).
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The Marangoni effect has inspired the development of diverse applications such ...as robots, gel motors, and self-propelled droplets. A major challenge for the developed gel motors is the need for stators, which dampen the rotating velocity and reduce the motor lifetime due to frictional forces from the stators. Therefore, we developed a new type of gel without a stator to realize rotating motions, namely, a conical frustum gel. In this work, we initially studied the principle of the rotated gels driven by the Marangoni effect. For comparison, we designed two types of gels: cylindrical and conical frustum gels. Then we devised mathematic models to estimate the generated torques. The two gels were synthesized. Additionally, both the oil and aqueous fluids were prepared. Next, we investigated the influence of a chemical on the moving duration of the gels. The circular motion trajectories of the gels were compared and analyzed. Finally, we researched the angular velocities and driving torques generated by the two gels. This work should contribute to the development of a non-stator gel motor powered by the Marangoni effect.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Although indoor acoustic characteristics should ideally be assessed by measuring the reverberation time using a point sound source, a regular polyhedron loudspeaker, which has multiple loudspeakers ...on a chassis, is typically used. However, such a configuration is not a point sound source if the size of the loudspeaker is large relative to the target sound field. This study investigates a small lightweight loudspeaker using a dielectric elastomer actuator vibrating in the breathing mode (the pulsating mode such as the expansion and contraction of a balloon). Acoustic testing with regard to repeatability, sound pressure, vibration mode profiles, and acoustic radiation patterns indicate that dielectric elastomer loudspeakers may be feasible.
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, bind to two different serine/threonine kinase receptors, and mediate their signals through ...Smad-dependent and Smad-independent pathways. Receptor regulated-Smad (R-Smad) proteins specific for the BMP pathways interact with various proteins, including transcription factor Runx, and transmit specific signals in target cells. The recent development of DNA microarray techniques has allowed us to identify many BMP target genes. BMP signaling is modulated by various molecules, including inhibitory Smads (I-Smads). Moreover, recent findings have revealed that BMP pathways interact with other signaling pathways, and such signaling cross-talk plays pivotal roles in growth and differentiation of target cells.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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