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The acidic property of sulfated zirconia, a so-called solid superacid catalyst, was precisely determined by ammonia temperature-programmed desorption with water vapor treatment and theoretical analysis. The desorption peak from the zirconia support was removed by water vapor treatment, and the generation of two types of acid sites was clarified. One kind of acid site is a Lewis type generated on a submonolayer species of the sulfate covering the surface; the surface concentration of the acid site was 0.5 atoms nm^-2, and the adsorption heat of ammonia was ca. 200 kJ mol^-1. This corresponds to −19 of the H0 function, demonstrating superacidity. The other type of acid sites generated by loading excess sulfate possessed a high concentration (maximum, 2 nm^-2), an adsorption heat of ca. 160 kJ mol^-1, an H0 of −12, and Brønsted nature. The former was active for the Friedel−Crafts-type alkylation of benzene with benzyl chloride in the liquid phase, and the latter was active for the skeletal isomerization of butane in gas phase.

Ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) with water vapor treatment method was applied to MFI-type ferrisilicate, and theoretical analysis was carried out to determine the acid amount and strength exactly. At the low iron content where isomorphous substitution of iron into the silicate matrix was predominant, a quite strong acid site with 150−180 kJ mol^-1 adsorption heat of ammonia, which was stronger than that on aluminosilicate, was observed. The determined acidic property was in good agreement with microcalorimetry. Therefore, it is concluded that the isomorphous substitution of iron into the MFI structure generates a stronger acid site than that by aluminum.

Even though 20K human growth hormone (20K-hGH) has 3–10% binding affinity for the rat liver and adipose tissue microsomes as compared to 22K-hGH, it was also reported that 20K-hGH has the same potency as 22K-hGH in the hypophysectomized rat weight gain assay. In order to investigate the reason why such controversial data exist, we have studied 20K- and 22K-hGH using the rat GH receptor extracellular domain (rGHR-ECD) and full-length rGHR. When we examined the complex formation of rGHR-ECD with 20K- and 22K-hGH in gel filtration assay, 20K-hGH formed no complex while 22K-hGH formed a 1:1 complex. Next, rGHR cDNA was introduced into Ba/F3 cells and CHO-K1 cells, and stable transfectants (Ba/F3-rGHR and CHO-rGHR) were established. In the proliferation of Ba/F3-rGHR cells, 20K-hGH had 10-fold lower activity than 22K-hGH, which is consistent with their affinities for rGHR. But surprisingly, in the Spi2.1 gene promoter activation in CHO-rGHR cells, 20K- and 22K-hGH had the same activity, which was found not only in stable CHO-rGHR clones but also in CHO-K1 cells transiently expressing rGHR. In conclusion, these results indicate that cellular activities of 20K- and 22K-hGH do not necessarily correlate with their binding affinities for rGHR.

It has recently been shown that 20 kDa human growth hormone (hGH) forms the 1:2 hGH:hGH receptor (hGHR) complex and expresses full agonistic activity, although it hardly forms the 1:1 GH:GHR complex as compared with 22 kDa hGH. To clarify this mechanism, we analyzed the mode of receptor dimerization of 20 kDa hGH using the intact form and mutants. Complex formation analysis between hGHR extracellular domain (hGHBP) and either site1 mutant (K157A) or site2 mutant (G105R) by gel-filtration showed that the site1 mutant apparently formed no 1:1 complex and that the site2 mutant formed only the 1:1 complex. Cell proliferation analysis revealed that the activity curve (vs ligand concentration) of 20 kDa hGH showed a bell-shaped pattern. This indicates that the receptor dimerization of 20 kDa hGH proceeds in a sequential manner. Based on this sequential binding we have produced a mathematical model for receptor dimerization as a function of [hGH], [hGHBP], K(d) values for the first hGHBP binding (K(d1)) and the second hGHBP binding (K(d2)). The result of 20 kDa hGH binding to (S201C) hGHBP immobilized on biosensor tip showed that the K(d1) value was 1. 6x10(-8) M. Adopting this value as a constant in the function described above, we have obtained calculative hGHR dimerization curves vs hGH concentration. Since the K(d2) value could not be experimentally determined, the curves were simulatively obtained with varied K(d2) values. The simulated curve pattern coincided with the experimental result of the cell proliferation in Ba/F3-hGHR when the value 2.5x10(-10) M was adopted as K(d2). In conclusion, although the affinity of 20 kDa hGH for the first hGHR binding is reduced to one-tenth, that for the second binding is increased ten-fold in comparison with those of 22 kDa hGH, indicating that 20 kDa hGH can be an effective hGH isoform in the presence of hGHBP.

By using differential mRNA display to monitor the molecular alterations associated with adaptation of euryhaline eels to different salinities, we identified a cDNA fragment strongly induced in seawater eel gills. Cloning of a full-length cDNA and its expression in COS-7 cells indicated that the clone codes for an inward rectifier K+ channel (eKir) of 372 amino acid residues, which has two transmembrane segments and a typical pore-forming region (H5). Only low sequence similarities are present, except the H5 region, compared with other members of the inward rectifier K+ channel family (Kir). Consistent with this divergence in the amino acid sequence, a phylogenetic analysis indicated early divergence and independent evolution of eKir from other members; it is only distantly related to the Kir5.0 subfamily members. RNase protection analysis showed that eKir is highly expressed in the seawater eel gill, kidney, and posterior intestine but very weakly in freshwater eels. Immunohistochemistry of gill sections revealed dense localization of eKir in the chloride cells. Immunoelectron microscopy indicated that eKir is mainly present in the microtubular system in the chloride cell. This location and its salt-inducible nature suggest that the eKir channel cloned here is a novel member of the Kir5.0 subfamily of the Kir family and is implicated in osmoregulation.

The benzaldehyde-ammonia titration (BAT) method clarified that the tungsta impregnated on zirconia formed a monolayer and almost completely covered the surface with ca. 4 W nm^-2. Generation of acidity on the monolayer was shown by the water vapor treatment method of ammonia TPD (temperature-programmed desorption). Strength of the acid site was calculated according to the theoretical equation to be ca. 130 kJ mol^-1 in adsorption heat of ammonia, which does not correspond to superacidity. The generated acid site was active for skeletal isomerization of butane.

Salmon pituitary glands contain two structurally distinct α-subunit proteins (α1 and α2) of glycoprotein hormones: the α2-subunit is common to all salmon gonadotropins (GTH I and GTH II), whereas the α1-subunit is present in only some GTH I molecules. GTH I is predominant in the pituitary gland and plasma during gametogenesis of salmon, but the roles of the 2 GTHs in gametogenesis remain unclear. To understand the roles of GTH I, it is important to clarify patterns of α1- and α2-subunit production with sexual maturity. Thus, we produced antisera that recognized the α1- or α2-subunit, and then immunohistochemically examined the production sites of these subunits in the trout pituitary gland during ovarian development. In all pituitary glands examined, the immunoreactivity of both the α1- and α2-subunits was strong in the GTH II-producing cells, although salmon GTH II, both α1- and IIβ-subunits, has not been detected. However, GTH I-producing cells showed a less dense immunoreactivity for α1- and α2-subunits, whereas the Iβ-subunit was abundant. On the other hand, TSH cells, reacted with α2 but not with α1.

Improvement in human reliability is of great concern in modern high technology systems. Efforts in the nuclear industry, mostly in Japan were surveyed and classified into improvement in human work situations and that in man-machine systems. In the former, human error prone situations were investigated using training simulators and from actual near-misses and incidents in real operating plants. The results have been used to improve operator training and other work situations.

Residual stresses in chemically deposited pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN) crucibles caused by thermal expansion anisotropy during cooling immediately following deposition are analysed. The calculations reveal that radial tension and combined tangential tension and compression exist in the crucible. The maximum stresses increase with an increase in the thickness of the crucible. Furthermore, while the outer wall of the crucible always shrinks upon cooling, the inner wall may expand, due to the residual stress states, resulting in a negative effective thermal expansion coefficient in the tangential direction. The influence of the PBN attachment to the mandrel on which it is deposited is also considered. Specifically, the radial tensile stress in the crucible is shown to increase due to this attachment, which in turn, enhances the delamination of the crucible.

Abstract: We performed five reconstructions by bone transport in patients with bone sarcoma: three osteosarcomas, one Ewing’s sarcoma and one chondrosarcoma. Four sacromas were in the distal femur and one in the shaft of the tibia. Four patients received multidrug chemotherapy. The average length of the skeletal defect after tumour resection was 17 (range 10–25) cm. All patients underwent double elongation from both proximal and distal sites of the bone defect. The average follow-up period was 48 (range 40–66) months, and the average duration of external fixation was 32 months (range 579–1340 days). In one case, bone formation was satisfactory, but in the other cases, it was poor and slow. The average treatment index was 95 (range 53–191) days per 1 cm of elongation. In one case, the bone fragment disappeared during the bone transport. In one case, the end of the bone protruded from the skin, and osteomyelitis set in. This patient underwent above-knee amputation due to failure of infection control. Three patients suffered talipes equinus. One patient died of pulmonary metastasis. Two patients had fair and three had poor function. This method is not recommended for patients with bone sarcoma who may have a poor prognosis, as it has an unacceptably high complication rate.

Salmon gonadotropin (GTH II) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone (a and IIß subunits), serving as a maturational GTH, and is produced in a specific gonadotropic cell-type (GTH II-cells) containing small granules and large globules. In trout GTH II-cells, double immunolabeling for the a- and IIß-subunits shows that colocalization of the a- and IIß-immunolabeling is confined to the small granules, indicating storage of functional GTH II. On the other hand, a-immunolabeling is absent in the large globules, even though IIß labeling is abundant throughout the period of seasonal gametogenesis. The a-specific antiserum recognizes the intact a-subunit as well as the reduced and deglycosylated a-subunits by immunoblotting. These results indicate that an accumulation of the IIß-subunit is specifically generated in the large globules of these cells. In fact, with sexual maturity, the quantity of IIß-subunits becomes elevated in the trout pituitary due to a marked increase in GTH II-cells containing many large globules. However, the derivation and function of the large globules and the fate of their contained IIß-subunits remains unknown.

The effects of diffusion and dilution on the concentration of gaseous components have been studied by a model consisting of unlit cigarettes differing in paper porosity and length, and a standard gas mixture. Results are as follows: The difference in the concentration of gaseous components between the front and butt end of the cigarette during the puff increases with cigarette length and paper porosity, and also depends on the diffusion coefficient of respective components through the cigarette paper. These changes could be explained mainly by the diffusion loss through the paper in the case of the cigarette with ordinary paper, but by both dilution with air through the paper and diffusion loss in the case of the cigarette with perforated paper. Subsequently, the levels of gaseous components such as carbon monoxide in the exit stream become lower in the Iatter cigarette. In addition, the following equation, which can fully account for these changes, has been derived:

Studies were carried out on the resistance in vitro of Cryptococcus neoformans to the oral antifungal drugs itraconazole and ketoconazole. None of the six sensitive strains tested developed resistance to itraconazole or ketoconazole by serial transfer on Sabouraud's glucose agar plates containing increasing concentrations of either drug. One mutant resistant to itraconazole, and one mutant resistant to ketoconazole, were isolated from the progenies of yeast cells surviving after treatment with a mutagenic substance, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. These mutants were capable of growing in the presence of high concentrations of the drugs to which they were resistant. The itraconazole- and ketoconazole-resistant mutants obtained by mutagenesis were compared morphologically and biologically. The itraconazole-resistant mutant was characterized by the formation of very rough colonies which varied in size and shape, production of a large number of cell clusters, complete loss of capsule formation, and major degenerative changes in the cells, while in the ketoconazole-resistant mutant these changes were less pronounced and no cell clusters were formed. The acquisition of resistance was more stable in the itraconazole-resistant mutant than in the ketoconazole-resistant mutant. Both mutants showed partial cross-resistance and complete loss of virulence for mice.

The effect of a number of compaction parameters on the pore size distribution in silicon nitride powder compacts has been investigated by mercury porosimetry. The powder was compacted in a uniaxial die and the parameters of interest included uniaxial load, loading rate, polymer additives and stress relaxation. The use of a low-viscosity polymer solution as a lubricant, the allowance of stress relaxation following loading and heat treatment above the glass transition temperature of the polymer lead to a more uniform pore size distribution in the green samples. The more uniform green samples, in turn, showed a more uniform pore size distribution after initial stage sintering. The potential of the present techniques for improving the microstructural uniformity in ceramic bodies is discussed.

In an effort to rapidly identify coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), a clinical comparison was conducted with the AutoMicrobic system Gram-Positive Identification Card (GPI) (Vitek Systems, Inc.), the API Staph-Ident (Analytab Products), and the conventional methods of W. E. Kloos and K. H. Schleifer (W. E. Kloos and K. H. Schleifer, J. Clin. Microbiol. 1:82-88, 1975). CNS isolates tested included 157 from blood and 33 from urine in pure culture at greater than 10(5) CFU/ml. S. epidermidis accounted for 79.6 and 60.6% of the isolates from blood and urine, respectively. S. saprophyticus was the next most frequent urine isolate (27.4%). Other CNS species were isolated from blood and urine specimens with frequencies of less than 5%. Overall, the GPI correctly identified 158 (83.2%) of the 190 CNS, whereas the Staph-Ident identified 124 (65.3%) without further testing. This resulted in the GPI and Staph-Ident correctly identifying 95.9 and 74.5% of the S. epidermidis and 100 and 33% of the S. saprophyticus, respectively. The GPI misidentified 8 (47%) of the S. hominis and S. warneri isolates as S. saprophyticus, indicating the need for novobiocin testing. These data suggest that the GPI is a more definitive method for the rapid identification of S. epidermidis than the Staph-Ident and that both systems require additional testing to identify S. saprophyticus.

It has been found in a Mg Ga-Al-Zn alloy that an icosahedral phase produced by melt-spinning transforms to the 1/1 cubic approximant of the icosahedral phase at 653 K and successively to the 2/1 cubic approximant at around 668 K upon heating. Structural relations of the two approximant phases to the icosahedral phase are discussed, in the framework of the projection scheme, on the basis of X-ray diffraction data.Electrical resistivities have been measured from 4·2 K to 280 K for single-phase samples of the icosahedral and approximant phases. The icosahedral phase and the 2/1 approximant one show similar behaviour, in which the resisitivity is ∼ 120 μω2 cm at 4-2 K and the temperature coefficient is negative. In contrast, the 1/1 approximant phase shows a relatively smali resistivity value of ∼ 60 μω cm at 4-2 K and a positive temperature coefficient. Changes in the resistivity accompanied by the phase transformations have been confirmed by measuring the resistivity upon heating the melt-spun sample up to above the transformation temperatures.

Abstract: Three patients with malignant bone tumors of the proximal femur underwent implantation of an endoprosthesis with reconstruction of the joint capsule and hip abductors using artificial mesh.

Abstracts are not published in this journal

Studies were carried out on the resistance in vitro of Cryptococcus neoformans to the oral antifungal drugs itraconazole and ketoconazole. None of the six sensitive strains tested developed resistance to itraconazole or ketoconazole by serial transfer on Sabouraud's glucose agar plates containing increasing concentrations of either drug. One mutant resistant to itraconazole, and one mutant resistant to ketoconazole, were isolated from the progenies of yeast cells surviving after treatment with a mutagenic substance, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. These mutants were capable of growing in the presence of high concentrations of the drugs to which they were resistant. The itraconazole- and ketoconazole-resistant mutants obtained by mutagenesis were compared morphologically and biologically. The itraconazole-resistant mutant was characterized by the formation of very rough colonies which varied in size and shape, production of a large number of cell clusters, complete loss of capsule formation, and major degenerative changes in the cells, while in the ketoconazole-resistant mutant these changes were less pronounced and no cell clusters were formed. The acquisition of resistance was more stable in the itraconazole-resistant mutant than in the ketoconazole-resistant mutant. Both mutants showed partial cross-resistance and complete loss of virulence for mice.