Purpose Pulse wave velocity (PWV), an indicator of vascular stiffness, increases with age and is increasingly recognized as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although many ...mechanical and chemical factors underlie the stiffness of the elastic artery, genetic risk factors related to age-dependent increases in PWV in apparently healthy people are largely unknown. The transcription factor nuclear factor E2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which is activated by unidirectional vascular pulsatile shear stress or oxidative stress, regulates vascular redox homeostasis. Previous reports have shown that a SNP in the NRF2 gene regulatory region (-617C>A; hereafter called SNP-617) affects NRF2 gene expression such that the minor A allele confers lower gene expression compared to the C allele, and it is associated with various diseases, including CVD. We aimed to investigate whether SNP-617 affects vascular stiffness with aging in apparently healthy people. Methods Analyzing wide-ranging data obtained from a public health survey performed in Japan, we evaluated whether SNP-617 affected brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) in never-smoking healthy subjects (n = 642). We also evaluated the effects of SNP-617 on other cardiovascular and blood test measurements. Results We have shown that not only AA carriers (n = 55) but also CA carriers (n = 247) show arterial stiffness compared to CC carriers (n = 340). Furthermore, SNP-617 also affected blood pressure indexes such as systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure but not the ankle brachial pressure index, an indicator of atherosclerosis. Multivariate analysis showed that SNP-617 accelerates the incremental ratio of baPWV with age. Conclusions This study is the first to show that SNP-617 affects the age-dependent increase in vascular stiffness. Our results indicate that low NRF2 activity induces premature vascular aging and could be targeted for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases associated with aging.
Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis primarily affecting young children, with an unclear etiology. We investigated the link between maternal heavy metal exposure and KD incidence in ...children using the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a large-scale nationwide prospective cohort with approximately 100,000 mother-child pairs. Maternal blood samples collected during the second/third trimester were analyzed for heavy metals mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), divided into four quartiles based on concentration levels. KD incidence within the first year of life was tracked via questionnaire. Among 85,378 mother-child pairs, 316 children (0.37%) under one year were diagnosed with KD. Compared with the lowest concentration group (Q1), the highest (Q4) showed odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for Hg, 1.29 (0.82-2.03); Cd, 0.99 (0.63-1.58); Pb, 0.84 (0.52-1.34); Se, 1.17 (0.70-1.94); Mn, 0.70 (0.44-1.11), indicating no concentration-dependent increase. Sensitivity analyses with logarithmic transformation and extended outcomes up to age 3 yielded similar results. No significant association was found between maternal heavy metal levels and KD incidence, suggesting that heavy metal exposure does not increase KD risk.
The reductive solvents for Cu sinter paste were successfully de veloped. The solvents generate reductive gas by heating, andtemperature of reducing gas’s generation from the solvents can be ...controlled. Designing the stability and sinterability of Cu pastecan be modified by the selection of solvents. The Cu paste using reductive solvents can sinter at 180℃ for 5 min in N2 atmosphere,and the sintered body’s electrical resistivity is very low（11μΩ・cm）. The factor of sinterability is expected to be obtained bygeneration of Cu nano particles in Cu paste with solvents. The Cu paste using reductive solvents can be applied to bonding materials.The Cu paste can make Cu-Cu joints by void-less and crack-less sinter layer by pressure sintering process.
Carbon (C) and boron nitride (BN) fullerene materials (clusters, onions, intercalation, nanopolyhedra, nanotubes and nanocapsules) were synthesized by polymer pyrolysis, chemical reaction, ...arc-melting and electron-beam irradiation. Atomic structure and formation mechanism were investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Fullerene clusters and atomic clouds (atom hopping) were formed on the surface of the C and BN fullerene materials. They provided angular and spherical nanocage structures which consist of four-, five-, six-, and seven-membered ring bonding. Detection possibility of doping atoms in metallofullerene was discussed. Included clusters showed some crystallographic relationship with {001} layers of C and BN fullerene materials, and a structure model was proposed. Photoluminescence and magnetic properties of C and BN nanocapsules were measured, which showed higher energy shift of luminescence and superparamagnetism. The present work indicates that the new C and BN fullerene materials with various atomic structure and properties can be produced by various synthesis methods, and a guideline for designing the C and BN fullerene materials is summarized.
Although several methods, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescent assay, and Western blotting, have been used for the diagnosis of viral infections, ...none of them is ideal in terms of cost-effectiveness, speed, and accuracy. Currently, the rate of outbreak of emerging viruses is increasing and therefore the development and establishment of analytical methods for such viral infections are becoming more important. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a fast, multicomponent assay that enables non-invasive, non-destructive analysis. Recently, the diagnosis of viral infections using NIR spectroscopy has been attempted. In this review, the potential of the NIR method in the medical and virological fields is discussed.
Considerable information on the functions of prion protein (PrP) has been accumulated. One experimental approach is the use of PrP gene-knockout mice and derived cell lines. This approach has ...contributed to elucidating the functions of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)), such as its anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic roles. This review will introduce the recent advances in prion biology made possible by the availability of these tools.
A large quantity of boron nitride (BN) nanocapsules with cobalt nanoparticles were fabricated by nitridation of boron and cobalt nanoparticles with a H
2/NH
3 gas mixture. High-resolution electron ...microscopy showed that cobalt nanoparticles were encapsulated by boron nitride layers with thickness of ∼5 nm. Magnetization and photoluminescence measurements of the BN nanocapsules showed ferromagnetism and luminescence at 3.8 eV, which would be due to separation of Co nanoparticles by the BN layers. The present work indicates that the nitridation of boron particles with catalytic metal is a useful fabrication method for mass production of BN nanocapsules at low temperatures compared to the ordinary arc discharge method.
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