Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion from pancreatic β‐cells. Inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), have been ...shown to promote insulin resistance, and altered expression of cytokines (adipokines) in obese adipose tissue is thought to be an important link between obesity and insulin resistance. It is also becoming clear that inflammation plays a key role in the development of β‐cell dysfunction. Inflammatory changes, including accumulation of macrophages, have been documented in T2D islets. Moreover, therapeutic inhibition of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) ameliorates β‐cell dysfunction in humans. This review summarizes current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammation within islets and its relation to β‐cell dysfunction in T2D. A particular focus is on the physiological and pathological functions of macrophages within islets.
Mikulicz's disease (MD) has been considered as one manifestation of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Recently, it has also been considered as an IgG(4)-related disorder.
To determine the differences between ...IgG(4)-related disorders including MD and SS.
A study was undertaken to investigate patients with MD and IgG(4)-related disorders registered in Japan and to set up provisional criteria for the new clinical entity IgG(4)-positive multiorgan lymphoproliferative syndrome (IgG(4)+MOLPS). The preliminary diagnostic criteria include raised serum levels of IgG(4) (>135 mg/dl) and infiltration of IgG(4)(+) plasma cells in the tissue (IgG(4)+/IgG+ plasma cells >50%) with fibrosis or sclerosis. The clinical features, laboratory data and pathologies of 64 patients with IgG(4)+MOLPS and 31 patients with typical SS were compared.
The incidence of xerostomia, xerophthalmia and arthralgia, rheumatoid factor and antinuclear, antiSS-A/Ro and antiSS-B/La antibodies was significantly lower in patients with IgG(4)+MOLPS than in those with typical SS. Allergic rhinitis and autoimmune pancreatitis were significantly more frequent and total IgG, IgG(2), IgG(4) and IgE levels were significantly increased in IgG(4)+MOLPS. Histological specimens from patients with IgG(4)+MOLPS revealed marked IgG(4)+ plasma cell infiltration. Many patients with IgG(4)+MOLPS had lymphocytic follicle formation, but lymphoepithelial lesions were rare. Few IgG(4)+ cells were seen in the tissue of patients with typical SS. Thirty-eight patients with IgG(4)+MOLPS treated with glucocorticoids showed marked clinical improvement.
Despite similarities in the involved organs, there are considerable clinical and pathological differences between IgG(4)+MOLPS and SS. Based on the clinical features and good response to glucocorticoids, we propose a new clinical entity: IgG(4)+MOLPS.
Power generation performance and long‐term durability of ammonia‐fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems are investigated with SOFC stacks consisting of 30 planar anode‐supported cells. SOFC ...systems with three different operation modes are employed: direct ammonia, external decomposition and autothermal decomposition. A novel BaO/Ni/Sm2O3/MgO catalyst is newly developed for the external ammonia cracker, whereas a Co‐Ce‐Zr composite oxide catalyst is used for the autothermal ammonia cracker. Initial performance measurement and 1,000 h long‐term durability test of the stacks are conducted. The stack fueled with direct ammonia achieves 1 kW power output with 52% direct current (DC) electrical efficiency; a slight decrease in its performance compared with the stack with the mixture fuel of hydrogen and nitrogen is attributed to the decrease in the stack temperature caused by the endothermic ammonia decomposition reaction. The external ammonia cracker helps to maintain the stack temperature, improving the initial performance of the stack. The stack performance with the autothermal ammonia cracker is also comparable to those with the other operation modes. It is also demonstrated that the stacks fueled with ammonia have excellent stability during the long‐term tests and 57% energy conversion efficiency at ca. 700 W electrical output is achieved with the external ammonia cracker.
To clarify the relationships between the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells and their internal resistances, we applied ac impedance spectroscopy to the analysis of the cells. Impedance and I-V ...measurements of solar cells were carried out for various cell compositions and measurement conditions such as different kinds of conductive glass substrates, two kinds of counter electrodes, calcination temperature, applied bias, and distance between electrodes; in order to separate internal resistances which occur at different interfaces. Impedance spectra of dye-sensitized solar cells showed that their internal resistance consisted of at least five components. It was found that the resistance of a conductive glass substrate appeared as ohmic resistance, and that electron transfer at F-doped SnO2 (FTO)/TiO2, TiO2 MO2, Pt/electrolyte, and TiO2/electrolyte interfaces was identified as the internal resistances determinative to the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells. Internal resistances at FTO/TiO2, Pt/electrolyte and the resistance of conductive glass affected the fill factor. Internal resistances at TiO2/TiO2 and TiO2/electrolyte mainly affected the photocurrent. Particularly, the TiO2/electrolyte was significant as the interface controlling photocurrent of the dye-sensitized solar cell. The impedance stemming from the diffusion of the electrolyte had little effect on the performance of the cells.
We evaluated the efficacy and safety of single-dose fosaprepitant in combination with intravenous granisetron and dexamethasone.
Patients receiving chemotherapy including cisplatin (≥70 mg/m2) were ...eligible. A total of 347 patients (21% had received cisplatin with vomiting) were enrolled in this trial to receive the fosaprepitant regimen (fosaprepitant 150 mg, intravenous, on day 1 in combination with granisetron, 40 &mgr;g/kg, intravenous, on day 1 and dexamethasone, intravenous, on days 1–3) or the control regimen (placebo plus intravenous granisetron and dexamethasone). The primary end point was the percentage of patients who had a complete response (no emesis and no rescue therapy) over the entire treatment course (0–120 h).
The percentage of patients with a complete response was significantly higher in the fosaprepitant group than in the control group (64% versus 47%, P = 0.0015). The fosaprepitant regimen was more effective than the control regimen in both the acute (0–24 h postchemotherapy) phase (94% versus 81%, P = 0.0006) and the delayed (24–120 h postchemotherapy) phase (65% versus 49%, P = 0.0025).
Single-dose fosaprepitant used in combination with granisetron and dexamethasone was well-tolerated and effective in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients receiving highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy, including high-dose cisplatin.
Detailed 3-D structures of Trans-Pacific Asian dust transport occurring during 5–15 May 2007 were investigated using the NASA/CALIOP vertical-resolved measurements and a three-dimensional aerosol ...model (SPRINTARS). Both CALIOP and SPRINTARS dust extinctions showed a good agreement along the way of the transport from the dust source regions across North Pacific into North America. A vertically two-layered dust distribution was observed over the northeastern Pacific and North America. The lower dust layer originated from a dust storm generated in the Gobi Desert on 5 May. It was transported at an altitude of around 4 km MSL and has mixed with Asian anthropogenic air pollutants during the course of transport. The upper dust layer mainly originated from a dust storm that occurred in the Taklimakan Desert 2–3 days after the Gobi dust storm generation. The upper dust cloud was transported in higher altitudes above the major clouds layer during the Trans-Pacific transport. It therefore has remained unmixed with the Asian air pollutants and almost unaffected by wet removal. The decay of its concentration level was small (only one-half after its long-distance transport crossing the Pacific). Our dust budget analysis revealed that the Asian dust flux passing through the longitude plane of 140° E was 2.1 Tg, and one third of that arrived North America. The cases analyzed in this study revealed that, while the Gobi Desert is an important source that can contribute to the long-range dust transport, the Taklimakan Desert appears to be another important source that can contribute to the dust transport occurring particularly at high altitudes.
The ant subfamily Dorylinae consists of the so-called true army ants and their relatives. The latter (= non-army ant doryline genera) was formally known as cerapachyine ants. Among this non-army ant ...doryline genera, the genus
Yunodorylus
is part of a clade likely sister related to the Eastern Hemisphere army ants and has remarkable queen morphology (subdichthadiigyne). They are enigmatic ants, however, because of their limited distribution and rareness. Therefore, their behavior and biology have never been reported. In this study, we collected two colony fragments of
Yunodorylus eguchii
, (Borowiec in Zootaxa 2069(1):43–58, 2009) in Vietnam, and their behavior was observed under laboratory conditions. Both colonies were monogynous and included 300 and 450 workers, but their whole colony size was estimated to be much larger. The caste dimorphism was conspicuous; the head width of queens was notably larger than that of workers. The head width of workers was negatively allometric to their head length; the larger workers have a relatively broader head. The colonies showed phasic reproduction under laboratory-rearing conditions. The duration of an entire reproductive cycle was 56 and 63 days. The queens' abdomen became physogastric during the egg-laying phase. Colony emigration was frequently observed but never occurred while the queen was fully physogastric. The colonies predate on various prey arthropods offered in the laboratory, including ant brood, termites, mealworms, and killed cockroaches. Our results reveal unique biological traits in
Yunodorylus
that shed light on the evolution of the army ant adaptive syndrome.
Effects of the electrolyte of DSCs on impedance spectra were evaluated by changing concentration of redox couple, viscosity, and additives to electrolyte. The relation with current–voltage ...characteristics (
I–
V characteristics) was investigated. In many cases, the impedance component attributed to charge transfer at TiO
2|electrolyte interface demonstrated strong relation with the
I–
V characteristics. The recombination of electrons in TiO
2 with I
3
− in electrolyte was a key factor in determining performance of DSCs. To evaluate the effect of I
3
−, diffusion-limiting current in the electrolyte for various viscosities was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry. When the short circuit current (SCC) was almost equal to the diffusion-limiting current, strong influence of the diffusion coefficient on the impedance spectra was observed: impedance arcs were enlarged as the diffusion coefficient was decreased. On the other hand, when the diffusion-limiting current was larger than the SCC, photo-excitation and electron injection processes became dominating factors in the DSCs performance. The SCC was regulated by the charge recombination process at TiO
2|electrolyte interface, and thus the impedance component
ω
3 was related to the performance in such condition.
Recently, the promising prospect of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) has attracted significant interests. In this work, the effects of temperature, fuel content, and ...total flow rate of anode gas on the performance of Ni/yttria‐stabilized zirconia (Ni/YSZ) anode for ammonia‐fueled SOFCs were investigated. Based on obtained results, the utilization route of ammonia on Ni/YSZ anode was discussed; the results of electrochemical experiments were related with the catalytic decomposition bahavior of ammonia over Ni/YSZ. Moreover, the catalytic activity for ammonia decomposition and anode performance of Ni/samarium‐doped ceria (Ni/SDC) and Ni/yttrium‐doped barium cerate (Ni/BCY) were also investigated. Among these anode materials, Ni/BCY exhibited the highest ammonia decomposition activity and anode performance for ammonia‐fueled SOFCs at intermediate temperatures.
For LED lighting applications, this paper presents a novel light emitting diode (LED) sink driver with high voltage gains. Unlike traditional LED sink drivers, the proposed LED sink driver consists ...of a buck-boost converter and a switched-capacitor (SC) step-up converter with nested topology, where an input voltage is converted twice by cascading these two converter blocks. Therefore, the proposed hybrid topology enables the LED sink driver to achieve not only flexible control of an output voltage but also high voltage gains and few passive components. The characteristics of the proposed LED sink driver are investigated by theoretical analysis, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE) simulations, and breadboard experiments. In the performed simulations, the power efficiency of the proposed driver reaches about 80 % at 500 mW when the duty factor is 0.5. Furthermore, the experiment demonstrates high voltage gains and flexible controllability of an output voltage.
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