Search

During mammalian oogenesis, intercellular communication between oocytes and the surrounding follicle cells through gap junction channels is crucial for oocyte development and maturation. The channel properties of gap junctions may be affected by the composition or combination of connexins, the expression of which is regulated by gonadotropins and other factors. Thus, identification and expression analysis of connexin genes in oocytes and follicle cells will help us to better understand how oogenesis and folliculogenesis are regulated in a species-specific manner in mammals. We previously reported the spatiotemporal expression of multiple connexin genes in porcine follicle cells. Here, we searched for connexin genes specifically expressed in porcine oocytes that may be involved in the formation of gap junctions between oocytes and follicle cells. To achieve this, we constructed an oocyte-specific cDNA library to identify which connexin genes are expressed in these cells and found that gap junction protein, alpha 10, which encodes connexin-60, and a porcine ortholog of mouse gap junction protein, gamma 1 encoding connexin-45, are the major connexins expressed in porcine oocytes during folliculogenesis. Immunostaining and in situ hybridization of sectioned porcine ovaries confirmed oocyte expression of these genes at 3 different stages of ovary development. Furthermore, their gap junction channel activity was assessed using a heterologous cell system. However, gap junction protein, alpha 4, which encodes connexin-37 and is expressed in the oocytes of several other mammals, was undetectable. We demonstrate that there is diversity in the connexin genes expressed in mammalian oocytes, and hence in the gap junctions connecting oocytes and cumulus cells.

AbstractBackground/Aims: To study the influence of our artificial liver support (ALS) on intracranial pressure (ICP) and to evaluate the significance of ICP monitoring in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) patients treated with ALS. Methods:ICP was measured in 13 consecutive FHF patients treated with ALS. Maximum value in ICP every day was employed as ICPmax of the day. We analyzed the correlation: (a) between ICPmax and consciousness level; (b) between ICP and colloid osmotic pressure (COP), and (c) between ICP and PaCO2. Results: ICP in 11 patients of 13 was controlled <20 mm Hg through our ALS. A significant positive correlation between ICPmax and consciousness level was found (p < 0.01). Although there was a significantly negative correlation between ICP and COP (p < 0.001), there was no correlation between ICP and PaCO2. Conclusions:We conclude that our ALS does not have any adverse effects on ICP and that ICP monitoring is one of the inevitable monitorings in the management of FHF.Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

The 9,9,10,10-tetramethyl- and 9,9,10,10-tetra-tert-butyl-9,10-dihydro-9,10-distannaanthracenes have been synthesized and characterized. The X-ray crystallographic analysis of 9,10-dihydro-9,10-distannaanthracenes showed that the central tricyclic framework of the tetramethyl derivative has a butterfly conformation with a dihedral angle of 143°, while the central six-membered ring of the tetra-tert-butyl derivative has a planar structure. The synthesis and structure of a novel tribenzostannepin are also described.

The xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein (XPA) plays a central role in nucleotide excision repair (NER). To identify proteins that bind to XPA, we screened a HeLa cDNA library using the yeast two-hybrid system. Here we report a novel cytoplasmic GTP-binding protein, designated XPA binding protein 1 (XAB1). The deduced amino acid sequence of XAB1 consisted of 374 residues with a molecular weight of 41 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.65. Sequence analysis revealed that XAB1 has four sequence motifs G1-G4 of the GTP-binding protein family in the N-terminal half. XAB1 also contains an acidic region in the C-terminal portion. Northern blot analysis showed that XAB1 mRNA is expressed ubiquitously, and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that XAB1 is localized mainly in the cytoplasm. Consistent with the GTP-binding motif, purified recombinant XAB1 protein has intrinsic GTPase activity. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we elucidated that XAB1 binds to the N-terminal region of XPA. The deletion of five amino acids, residues 30-34 of XPA, required for nuclear localization of XPA abolished the interaction with XAB1. These results suggest that XAB1 is a novel cytoplasmic GTPase involved in nuclear localization of XPA.

Peripheral blood specimens were obtained from 22 patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1) positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) (16 in chronic phase, 2 in an accelerated phase, and 4 in blast crisis). Studies were performed to determine the frequency of the presence of the Ph1 chromosome in cells of lymphoid lineages. Rosetted (E+) lymphocytes (T lymphocytes) from nine patients in chronic phase and one patient in blast crisis were stimulated with T cell growth factor interleukin 2 (IL-2) and/or phytohemagglutinin (PHA). All ten patients had sufficient T lymphocyte metaphases for analysis and of a total of 461 metaphases examined, only one contained the Ph1 chromosome. Nucleated cells of density less than 1.077 g/mL were infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Following infection, cell lines were established from individual colonies attached to egg albumin- coated Lab-Tek slide chambers (clonal cell lines) or from suspension culture in 96-well tissue culture cluster dishes (nonclonal cell lines). Cell surface and intracellular marker analysis confirmed the B lymphocyte phenotype of all the cell lines examined. B lymphoblastoid cell lines were established from 16 of the 22 patients. All lines from 12 patients were Ph1-negative. From two chronic phase patients, both Ph1-positive and Ph1-negative lines were established. From one patient in an accelerated phase, only Ph1-positive lines were established. From another patient in blast crisis (of myeloblastic phenotype), only Ph1- positive lines were established initially; however, five months later, after the patient had been treated with mitoxantrone, only Ph1-negative lines were derived from this patient. Based on these results, it appears that most B cells and mature T cells in most CML patients are Ph1-negative, but that about 25% of patients have predominantly Ph1- positive B cells or a mixture of Ph1-positive and Ph1-negative B cells that are capable of growing as established cell lines after transformation with EBV.

Abstract: Dense plate of cobalt sulfide was oxidized in a mixed O2-N2 gas stream at 873 to 1123 K. Atomic fraction of sulfur of the sulfide was between 0.505 and 0.525, and the partial pressure of oxygen in the gas stream was varied between 5.05 x 103 and 2.02 x 104 Pa. At lower temperature, cobalt diffused from the interior of sulfide to the surface due to the lower sulfur activity, and a dense oxide layer was formed without the evolution of SO2 gas. The oxidation rate was controlled by the diffusion of cobalt in the sulfide in the initial few minutes, and it was controlled by the diffusion of cobalt through the oxide layer in the subsequent oxidation. At higher temperature, the oxidation of cobalt sulfide proceeded accompanying the evolution of SO2 gas due to the higher sulfur activity, and a porous oxide was formed. The oxidation rate was determined by the mass transfer of oxygen through the gas boundary film and the oxide layer.

An oscillation phenomenon in SnO2-based sensors, incorporating hydrophobic silica, has been noticeable when they are exposed to CO gas in air. Its waveform is a stable saw-tooth for sensors with 2 wt.% silica. Sensors with more than 5 wt.% silica, however, exhibit an oscillation with a complex wave when they are heated at higher temperature than 200°C and exposed to an appropriate high CO gas concentration. The dependences of critical conditions to be complex upon the sensor temperature, the gas concentration, and the silica contents have been examined. Also, the mechanisms of the appearance of the complex wave are discussed.

Summary Thirty-six colloid cysts were treated from 1949 to 1983. There were 26 male and 10 female patients, ranging in age from 12 to 65 years old, 60% between 31 and 40 years. Headache or disturbed mental function was the most frequent complaint, papilloedema the most frequent sign.

Summary Intracranial pressure (ICP) differences, change of local blood flow (CBF) using the hydrogen clearance technique, change in the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) to median nerve stimulation and pupillary size were investigated during progressive elevation of the ICP (using an extradural balloon) in 6 anaesthetized baboons. CBF was measured in the frontal cortex, somatosensory cortex, thalamus (nucleus ventralis posterior lateralis—VPL), medial lemniscus (ML), lateral lemniscus (LL) and caudate nucleus (CN). Conduction along the somatosensory pathway between C 2 at the neck and VPL was compared with conduction between VPL and primary somatosensory cortex. The amplitude of the cortical SEP was also studied.

Summary This study was carried out to investigate the effects of an expanding supratentorial mass on auditory brain-stem responses (ABRs). A balloon was inserted into the supratentorial epidural space of seven baboons (in two cases, in the right occipital area; in five cases, in the right temporal area). The balloons were inflated at a rate of 0.2 ml/minute to increase intracranial pressure (ICP). ICP (right frontal epidural pressure) and blood pressure (BP) were continuously recorded. Recordings of ABRs (vertex to mastoid on both sides) were made serially. Pupillary changes were also recorded. At 30mmHg ICP, the amplitude of wave V on the right side was observed to be significantly attenuated (p<0.02). At 50 mm Hg ICP, the latency of wave V on the right side was significantly prolonged compared with that at 30mmHg ICP (p < 0.02). At 70mmHg ICP, significantly decreased amplitude of wave V on the left side was also observed (p<0.02, from the control), associated with significant increased latency of wave IV on the right side (p<0.01, from the control; p <0.05, from 50 mm Hg ICP). Finally, waves IV and V on both sides substantially disappeared at 100 mm Hg ICP. Anisocoria appeared in four animals at 30–50 mm Hg (mean ±SD; 45±8.7) ICP. The amplitude of wave V was significantly decreased in these circumstances (p<0.05). Bilaterally fixed pupils occurred in five animals at 70–100 mm Hg (mean±SD; 76 ±12) ICP. wave IV latencies on both sides were significantly prolonged (p<0.02 right; p<0.05, left) and disappearance of wave V (four out of five on the right side, three out of five on the left side) was observed in these circumstances. These findings suggest that serial measurement of ABRs can be useful for evaluation of the progress of transtentorial herniation.

Adsorption behaviors (adsorption coefficient, intraparticle effective diffusion coefficient, and axial dispersion coefficient) of benzene and 2,6- and 2,7-dimethylnaphthalene (DMN) on NaY-type zeolite in supercritical carbon dioxide were studied by impulse response analysis. The experiments were performed at temperatures of 308.2, 318.2, and 328.2 K and pressures of 12.0, 14.8, and 19.8 MPa. It was found that larger adsorption coefficients for benzene and 2,6- and 2,7-DMN are obtained at lower pressure and higher temperature and that larger intraparticle effective diffusion coefficients and the larger axial dispersion coefficients for all systems are obtained at higher temperature. However, it was shown that pressure little affects the intraparticle effective diffusion coefficients and the axial dispersion coefficients. The adsorption coefficients for 2,7-DMN are larger than those for 2,6-DMN and the intraparticle effective diffusion coefficients for 2,7-DMN are almost the same as those for 2,6-DMN.

The 11q13 breakpoint region of t(11;14) (q13;q32), translocated to the Ig heavy chain locus at 14q32, has been designated as BCL-1 for B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-1, but the nature of the transcriptional unit has long remained unclear. Recently, the PRAD1 gene encoding cyclin D1, isolated from the 11q13 region, was proposed as a candidate BCL-1 gene on the basis of chromosome walking and concordant overexpression of PRAD1 mRNA in cell lines with t(11;14)(q13;q32). We report here molecular analysis of a variant translocation at the BCL-1 locus, t(11;22)(q13;q11), showing juxtaposition of the Ig light chain gene, Ig lambda, to the PRAD1 gene at its 3' end, resulting in overexpression of PRAD1 mRNA. Because only the PRAD1 gene is present between the Ig heavy chain and light chain gene breakpoints, an identity between BCL-1 and the PRAD1/cyclin D1 gene is strongly indicated.

Surface coatings are widely used to enhance the properties of machine components such as paper machine rolls. These surface-coated rolls are at present empirically designed because no method for evaluation of coating film strength has been developed.This paper describes fatigue tests of chrome-plated rolls under rolling contact loading conditions together with a detailed examination of the fracture mode to develop a method for evaluation of coating film strength.The results show that the coating film first fractures in the axial direction, a number of cracks are then initiated, and the surface film finally exfoliates. The number of stress cycles to exfoliation (flaking) is found to depend on the coating film thickness, whereas the number of stress cycles for crack initiation does not.A finite element stress analysis was performed to evaluate the coating film thickness dependence of crack initiation. The tangential stress responsible for the cracking showed little change when the coating film thickness was changed.The results suggest that cracking is caused by fatigue due to compressive tangential stress.

Summary A retrospective study of 125 patients with cervical spondylosis with, in the main, myelographic features, and treated by the anterior cervical route (Cloward's operation) is presented. Patients were selected for this type of surgery as opposed to the posterior approach, on clinical and radiological grounds which are described. Results of this treatment have generally been good and this is particularly so in very elderly patients with a single lesion at C 3/4. There is a group of patients in whom the disease process seems to progress despite surgery.

The consistent cytogenetic translocation of chronic myelogenous leukemia (the Philadelphia chromosome, Ph1) has been observed in cells of multiple hematopoietic lineages. This translocation creates a chimeric gene composed of breakpoint-cluster-region (bcr) sequences from chromosome 22 fused to a portion of the abl oncogene on chromosome 9. The resulting gene product (P210c-abl) resembles the transforming protein of the Abelson murine leukemia virus in its structure and tyrosine kinase activity. P210c-abl is expressed in Ph1-positive cell lines of myeloid lineage and in clinical specimens with myeloid predominance. We show here that Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-lymphocyte lines that retain Ph1 can express P210c-abl. The level of expression in these B-cell lines is generally lower and more variable than that observed for myeloid lines. Protein expression is not related to amplification of the abl gene but to variation in the level of bcr-abl mRNA produced from a single Ph1 template.

The temperature dependence of resistivities of gas sensors made of SnO2, Pd-doped SnO2, and ThO2-doped SnO2with Pd has been investigated in air containing reducing gases such as CO, H2, and C3H8. The curves for ThO2-doped sensors were significantly influenced by the reducing gases as compared to the sensors without ThO2. From these results, it is found that in Pd-doped SnO2sensors the dopant plays an important role in oxidizing the surface of SnO2above 170°C, and that the addition of ThO2to Pd-doped SnO2enhances the effects of Pd by removing the adsorbed hydroxyl on SnO2. It is also apparent that the interactions between reducing gases in air and SnO2-based sensors depend upon the oxidizing rates of the surface of SnO2, as well as the amounts of the adsorbed hydroxyl on SnO2.

In the previous report, to establish an evaluation method for rolling contact fatigue strength of a coating film, the endurance limit of a coated roll under contact loading was investigated and crack initiation was found to dominate the determination of the endurance strength. The authors proposed that the mechanism of cracking was a fatigue process caused by a compressive tangential stress under contact loading.So, in this study, static and fatigue properties of Cr-plating films under bending, tension and compression were obtained. And these properties were compared with rolling contact fatigue strengths of Cr-plating film on a fatigue endurance diagram. As a result, we found that the rolling contact fatigue strength agrees well with the. value estimated from the static and fatigue properties, and the rolling contact fatigue strength of Cr-plating film could be estimated from the static and fatigue properties. Also, it was found that residual stress in the Cr-plating had a large effect on the rolling contact fatigue strength.

This paper describes the history of the development of typical damping materials for automotive floor panels from the introduction of asphalt sheet in Japan in 1963 until the present, as well as recent trends in the use of such materials. Technical developments in damping materials can be divided into the following four stages: (1) Noise reduction was attained by the effect of mass. (2) Elasticity was increased to improve the damping performance. (3) Constraining layers were added in the material (also to improve damping). (4) Weight reduction is being attempted; this is where the current research effort is being directed. A description is given of a resin constrained multi–layer–type damping material which maintains the same processability on the production line as is seen in conventional materials, while the damping performance is markedly improved.

The selective detection of CO gas by stannic oxide incorporated with ThO2(l − 10 wt%), in the presence of H2 and petroleum gases such as C3H8and iso-C4H2has been studied. Materials mixed with 5 wt% ThO2showed high selectivity to CO gas at a sample temperature of 200−250‡C. The effects of hydrophobic or hydrophilic silica present in the samples on the detection sensitivity to CO gas have been investigated. From the results it is apparent that the removal of the hy-droxyl radical from the surface of SnO2enhances the sensitivity to CO gas.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

The 3,8‐methano‐(11)annulenone (I) reacts with the iminophosphoranes (II) to give the fused pyrroles (III) and (IV).

The acid‐catalyzed isomerization of the cycloheptatriene ring of cycloheptatrienyltropones to give benzyltropones proceeds via norcaradiene intermediates.

The reactions of 2‐halogenotropones such as (I) with hydride, reagents giving enolates such as (III) are studied to provide a reverse polarity (umpolung) of tropone.

Reaction of the 2‐substituted tropones (I) with 1,2‐diazepine tricarbonyliron (II) yields the isomeric products (III) ‐ (V).

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

A short synthesis is given for the preparation of the (2,4)pyridinophanes (III).

For the first time, a reaction of N‐triphenylphosphorane (I) with α‐bromo ketones such as (II) and α,β‐unsaturated ketones such as (IV) is investigated.

The azepine iron complex (II), generated in situ from the carbamate (I), undergoes coupling reaction with tropylium tetrafluoroborate (III) or dibenzoylacetylene (VII) to form the cycloheptatrienylazepine complex (IV) or the dibenzoylvinylazepine complex (VIII).

The arylcyclohepta(d)isoxazolones (I) are reduced and then halogenated to yield the chlorodihydro derivatives (III) which undergo base‐induced intramolecular cyclization, forming the arylisoxazolonorcaradienes (IV).

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

The 2‐halotropones (I) are reduced to form the salt (II) which is coupled with tropylium tetrafluoroborate (III) to give the 2‐tropyltropone (V).

Thermal reaction of the readily accessible phosphoranes (I) with the tropones (II) gives the compounds (III) which are dehydrogenated to the azaazulenes (IV).

Reaction of phenylacrolein (Ia) with the phenylvinyliminophosphoranes (II) leads to the formation of 2,6‐diphenylpyridine (III).

The cycloaddition reaction of the nitrile oxides (I) with cycloheptatrienone iron tricarbonyl (II) yields the fused isoxazoles (IV) after decomplexation and dehydrogenation.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

The phenylvinyliminophosphoranes (III) are subjected to cycloaddition reactions with the α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds (IV) or the α‐bromo carbonyl derivatives (IX): (III) and (IV) form the pyridines (V) or the regioisomer (VIII), the 1,5‐dicarbonyl compounds (VI) and acetophenone (VII).