• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.357-363
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• 2006

Monolithic molecularly imprinted columns were designed and prepared by an in-situ thermal-initiated copolymerization technique for rapid separation of tryptophan and N- CBZ-phenylalanine enantiomers. The influence of polymerization conditions and separation conditions on the specific molecular recognition ability for enantiomers and diastereomers was investigated. The specious molecular recognition was found to be dependent on the stereo structures and the arrangement of functional groups of the imprinted molecule and the cavities in the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). Moreover, hydrogen bonding interactions and hydrophobic interactions played an important role in the retention and separation. Compared to conventional MIP preparation procedures, the present method is very simple, and its macroporous structure has excellent separation properties.

• Rapid Communication in Photoscience
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

Fluorescent receptors have gained much attention because of their usefulness in analysis and clarification of the roles of biomolecules in living systems. Molecular structures of the integrated type including that the receptor itself is fluorescent, and play an important role in having the functionality or selectivity of the fluorescent compounds. These spaced type fluorescent receptors are required to have special molecular design in order to transmit the information of molecular recognition to the fluorescent unit through the spacer unit. Compared with the spaced type fluorescent receptors, number of the integrated type receptors is limited due to the difficult molecular design and synthesis. Modification of alteration of the fluorophore frequently caused deterioration of the fluorescent property. Various spaced type and integrated type fluorescent receptors including switch on-off receptors are introduced in this article.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2016

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that bridge innate and adaptive immune responses, thereby leading to immune activation. DCs have been known to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and nucleic acids via their pattern recognition receptors, which trigger signaling of their maturation and effector functions. Furthermore, DCs take up and process antigens as a form of peptide loaded on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and present them to T cells, which are responsible for the adaptive immune response. Conversely, DCs can also play a role in inducing immune suppression under specific circumstances. From this perspective, the role of DCs is related to tolerance rather than immunity. Immunologists refer to these special DCs as tolerogenic DCs (tolDCs). However, the definition of tolDCs is controversial, and there is limited information on their development and characteristics. In this review, we discuss the current concept of tolDCs, cutting-edge methods for generating tolDCs in vitro, and future applications of tolDCs, including clinical use.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.237-244
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• 2000

It has been reported that plasma membrane activity of the spermatozoa may be susceptible to be influenced by extracellular osmolality and such membranous changes involve infracellular molecular changes, special regard to the structure of membranous lipids, and the accompanying ion-channel of which are closely related with their fluidity of $Ca^{2+}$ and HCO$^{-}_{3}$. It is of common recognition that a certain kind of sterol acceptor player an important to induce lipid fluctuation of the sperm plasma membrane which have been influenced by BSA administration and came in effect to outflow of cholesterol from the spermatozoa and resulted in changes of ionic fluidity to facilitate adenylyl cyclase, and to induce protein tyrosine phosphorylation by increase of cAMP and activation of PKA. Thus it seems likely that an augmentation of the acrosomal reaction is closely related with protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The following experimental results were obtained in the present study; Under the high osmolality conditions, the spermatozoa motility declined significantly and the structural change of the plasma membrane diminished to confirm that the response degrees to the osmolality depended upon the water transfer volume through the plasma membrane and the changes of cellular volume. Those experimental results suggest that a physiological parameter such as low temperature condition played an important role for presentation of spermatozoa and that inducement of spermatozoa activation for reinforcement of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. On the other hand, it seemed likely that the BSA administration as one of sterol accepters might represent a key role also under the high osmolality condition and their result also suggests that osmolality change, special regard to high osmolality condition may play an important role also in the processes of signal transmission.