Successful lung transplantation has been limited by the high incidence of acute graft rejection. There is mounting evidence that the stress response gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and/or its catalytic ...by-product carbon monoxide (CO) confers cytoprotection against tissue and cellular injury. This led us to hypothesize that CO may protect against lung transplant rejection via its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. Orthotopic left lung transplantation was performed in Lewis rat recipients from Brown-Norway rat donors. HO-1 mRNA and protein expression were markedly induced in transplanted rat lungs compared to sham-operated control lungs. Transplanted lungs developed severe intraalveolar hemorrhage, marked infiltration of inflammatory cells, and intravascular coagulation. However, in the presence of CO exposure (500 ppm), the gross anatomy and histology of transplanted lungs showed marked preservation. Furthermore, transplanted lungs displayed increased apoptotic cell death compared with the transplanted lungs of CO-exposed recipients, as assessed by TUNEL and caspase-3 immunostaining. CO exposure inhibited the induction of IL-6 mRNA and protein expression in lung and serum, respectively. Gene array analysis revealed that CO also down-regulated other proinflammatory genes, including MIP-1α and MIF, and growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor, which were up-regulated by transplantation. These data suggest that the anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties of CO confer potent cytoprotection in a rat model of lung transplantation.
A properly functioning immune system is dependent on programmed cell death/apoptosis at virtually every stage of lymphocyte
development and activity. Carbon monoxide (CO), an enzymatic product of ...heme oxyenase-1, has been shown to possess anti-apoptotic
effects in a number of different model systems. The purpose of the present study was to expand on this knowledge to determine
the role of CO in the well established model of Fas/CD95-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells, and to determine the mechanism
by which CO can modulate T-cell apoptosis. Exposure of Jurkat cells to CO resulted in augmentation in Fas/CD95-induced apoptosis,
which correlated with CO-induced up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic protein FADD as well as activation of caspase-8, -9, and
-3 while simultaneously down-regulating the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2. These effects of CO were lost with overexpression
of the small interfering RNA of FADD. CO, as demonstrated previously in endothelial cells, was also anti-apoptotic in Jurkat
cells against tumor necrosis factor and etoposide. We further demonstrate that this pro-apoptotic effect of CO was independent
of reactive oxygen species production and involved inhibition in Fas/CD95-induced activation of the pro-survival ERK MAPK.
We conclude that in contrast to other studies showing the anti-apoptotic effects of CO, Fas/CD95-induced cell death in Jurkat
cells is augmented by exposure to CO and that this occurs in part via inhibition in the activation of ERK MAPK. These data
begin to elucidate specific differences with regard to the effects of CO and cell death pathways and provide important and
valuable insight into potential mechanisms of action.
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem, and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk for HBV infection. Current guidelines strongly recommend immunization ...and screening for high-risk groups. Aims: We evaluated immunization and screening for HBV vaccination, assessed post-vaccination immune status of HCW's and characterized potential risk factors associated with poor immune response. Materials and Methods: From January 2010 to December 2018, we retrospectively analyzed comprehensive health checkup data for a total of 303 HCWs who received an HBV vaccination. After vaccination, HBV surface antibody (anti-HBs) titers were collected and the distribution of immune response types was determined. Risk factors for poor immune responses were identified using logistic regression. Results: A total of 213 HCWs were analyzed after exclusion based on the exclusion criteria. In total, 28 (13.2%) HCWs had anti-HBs titers <100 mIU/mL (hyporesponsive/nonresponsive groups), and 185 (86.8%) had anti-HBs titers ≥100 mIU/mL (hyperresponsive group). Follow-up observations found that 75% (21/28) of the hyporesponsive/nonresponsive groups did not have increased anti-HBs titers or did not maintain an increased response. A multivariate analysis showed that HBV antibody titers at the time of employment were a significant risk factor (OR, 6.12; CI, 1.34-27.93; P = 0.019). Conclusions: More attention should be paid to groups that are hyporesponsive/nonresponsive after vaccination and to those with low anti-HBs titers at the beginning of employment. HCWs can be further protected from HBV if their results are discussed at postvaccination follow-ups.
Summary
The association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and bone mineral density (BMD) and proximal femur bone geometry was examined in the Korean population. A positive relationship ...between skeletal health and 25(OH)D levels was observed. However, there were no significant differences in skeletal health between the groups with 25(OH)D level of 50–75 nmol/L and greater than 75 nmol/L.
Introduction
Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium and phosphate homeostasis and normal mineralization of bone. However, the optimal level of vitamin D for skeletal health has not been clearly established. We analyzed the associations between serum 25(OH)D and BMD and proximal femur bone geometry and determined the optimal 25(OH)D level.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study of 10,062 participants (20–95 years, 4,455 men, 5,607 women) in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES IV) conducted from 2008 to 2009. Participants were divided into groups according to 25(OH)D level (<25, 25–50, 50–75, and
≥
75 nmol/L). BMD and proximal femur geometric indices were measured.
Results
The group with 25(OH)D levels of 50–75 nmol/L had greater bone density values, with the exception of the lumbar spine, and also had greater femur neck cortical thickness, cross-sectional area, and cross-sectional moment of inertia, as well as a lesser buckling ratio than the groups with 25(OH)D level of 25–50 nmol/L and less than 25 nmol/L. However, there were no significant differences in BMD and proximal femur geometry properties between the groups with 50–75 nmol/L and greater than 75 nmol/L of 25(OH)D.
Conclusion
The skeletal outcomes, including BMD and proximal femur geometric indices observed in this study, suggest that serum 25(OH)D levels of 50 to <75 nmol/L are optimal for skeletal health.
With the aid of depth‐resolved confocal microscopy, the optical crosstalk phenomenon in GaN‐based micro‐pixel light‐emitting diodes (μ‐LEDs) on Si substrates are thoroughly investigated and compared ...with its counterpart on sapphire substrate. Noticeable optical crosstalk is invariably present in GaN‐on‐sapphire devices as the thick transparent sapphires beneath the μ‐LEDs serve as optical waveguides to favor lateral propagation of the emitted light, eventually causing unwanted noise signals. μ‐LEDs adopting the GaN‐on‐Si platform can effectively suppress unwanted optical crosstalk and sustain superior performance at different injection currents, which are well‐suited for a wide range of μ‐LED applications.
Light intensity maps illustrating crosstalk performances of GaN‐on‐sapphire μ‐LEDs with backsides coated with (left) Al mirror and (middle) black paint, and (right) GaN‐on‐Si μ‐LED, captured by confocal microscopy.
Carbon monoxide (CO) can confer anti-inflammatory protection in rodent models of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Caveolin-1 exerts a critical role in cellular responses to mechanical stress ...and has been shown to mediate cytoprotective effects of CO in vitro. We sought to determine the role of caveolin-1 in lung susceptibility to VILI in mice. Furthermore, we assessed the role of caveolin-1 in the tissue-protective effects of CO in the VILI model.
Prospective experimental study.
University laboratory.
Wild type (wt) and caveolin-1 deficient (cav-1) mice.
Mice were subjected to tracheostomy and arterial cannulation. Wt and cav-1 mice were ventilated with a tidal volume of 12 mL/kg body weight and a frequency of 80/minute for 5 minutes as control or for 8 hours with air in the absence or presence of CO (250 parts per million). Bronchoalveolar lavage and histology were used to determine lung injury. Lung sections or homogenates were analyzed for caveolin-1 expression by immunohistochemical staining or Western blotting, respectively.
Ventilation led to an increase in bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentration, cell count, neutrophil recruitment, and edema formation, which was prevented in the presence of CO. Although ventilation alone slightly induced caveolin-1 expression in epithelial cells, the application of CO during the ventilation significantly increased the expression of caveolin-1. In comparison with wt mice, mechanical ventilation of cav-1 mice led to a significantly higher degree of lung injury when compared with wt mice. In contrast to its effectiveness in wt mice, CO administration failed to reduce lung-injury markers in cav-1 mice.
Caveolin-1 null mice are more susceptible to VILI. CO executes lung-protective effects during mechanical ventilation that are dependent, in part, on caveolin-1 expression.
Carbon monoxide (CO), an endogenous byproduct of heme metabolism, is produced at high levels in injured tissue via induction of heme-oxygenase-1 activity, where it contributes to the modulation of ...proinflammatory processes. Alone, CO has potent anti-inflammatory effects in models of acute and chronic inflammation. In rodents, inhalation of low concentrations of CO (250 ppm) for 24 hrs protects against postoperative gastrointestinal ileus. The current study determined whether shorter exposures and lower concentrations were equally protective and whether CO treatment would be effective in a large animal species (swine) managed under conditions approximating the clinical setting.
Dosing studies were first performed in rats by exposing them to CO (30-250 ppm) or air by inhalation for 1 or 3 hrs before anesthesia. An effective dosing regimen was then selected for testing in swine. Postoperative ileus in both species was induced by laparotomy and mild compression (running) of the small intestine.
In rats, inhalation of 75 ppm CO for 3 hrs before anesthesia and surgery ameliorated the surgically induced delay in gastrointestinal transit to levels achieved using 250 ppm for 24 hrs. Swine treated with 250 ppm CO for the same time period exhibited significantly improved postoperative intestinal circular muscle contractility in vitro and gastrointestinal transit in vivo. Carboxyhemoglobin concentrations measured after termination of CO exposure averaged 5.8% (baseline, 1.5%). No deleterious effects on heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood chemistries, and serum electrolytes were observed.
These findings demonstrate that inhalation of a low concentration of CO before surgery attenuates postoperative ileus in rodents and, more importantly, in a large animal species without risk to well-being during surgery or perioperatively. Exposures need not be prolonged, with significant benefit occurring with a 3-hr pretreatment.
We report the transfer printing of GaN-based microscale vertical-type light-emitting diodes (μ-VLEDs) using a functional layer and a biomimetic stamp. An oxide-based functional layer is inserted onto ...the structure of a μ-VLED and used to separate the chip from the μ-VLED wafer by absorbing the pulse of a UV pulse laser during pick-up of the transfer printing process. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based biomimetic stamps have been fabricated to mimic the gecko lizard cilia for improved adhesion and repeatability. The biomimetic stamp has an adhesion force of 25.6 N/cm
, which is 12 times the adhesion of a flat stamp; an adhesion force of 10 N/cm
or more was maintained after 100,000 repeated adhesion tests. A flexible 10 × 10 prototype array on a polyimide substrate was fabricated, and its bending test results indicated that the strain effect on the forward voltage and the output power was less than 1%. The stable bending test results of the prototype indicate that μ-VLEDs using biomimetic stamps allow the necessary stability for practical transfer printing.
Abstract
The Sterile Neutrino Search at the J-PARC Spallation Neutron Source (JSNS$^2$) experiment aims to search for sterile neutrino oscillations using a neutrino beam from muon decays at rest. The ...JSNS$^2$ detector contains 17 tons of 0.1$\%$ gadolinium (Gd) loaded liquid scintillator (LS) as a neutrino target. Detector construction was completed in the spring of 2020. A slow control and monitoring system (SCMS) was implemented for reliable control and quick monitoring of the detector operational status and environmental conditions. It issues an alarm if any of the monitored parameters exceed a preset acceptable range. The SCMS monitors the high voltage of the photomultiplier tubes, the LS level in the detector, possible LS overflow and leakage, the temperature and air pressure in the detector, the humidity of the experimental hall, and the LS flow rate during filling and extraction. An initial 10 days of data-taking with a neutrino beam was done following a successful commissioning of the detector and SCMS in 2020 June. In this paper, we present a description of the assembly and installation of the SCMS and its performance.
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