Search

Propagation of electromagnetic waves in several types of microplasmas has been examined experimentally in a frequency range 10–75 GHz. Firstly, the fundamental characteristics of the propagation were investigated using a planar geometry of microplasma assembly, and the electron density was derived by a comparison of the transmittance with the theoretical analyses using a Drude type model with collisional effects. Secondly, an extraordinary propagation phenomenon such as the focusing effect was observed in a two-dimensional periodical microplasma array. This kind of anomalous refraction cannot be interpreted only by predictions based on the dielectric property of bulk plasma, and it is suggested that a photonic-crystal-like periodical dielectric structure may play a significant role. Thirdly, it was demonstrated that the T-junction formed by a microplasma connected to a microstrip line can control the transmission of microwaves. An attenuation (or modulation) depth of about 35% was obtained with a series of two T-junctions connected to the strip line at the right-angled corners. All the above features come from (a) the relatively high electron density of the microplasmas near 1013 cm−3, (b) the complex dispersion relation with collisional effects and (c) the spatial arrangement with a characteristic scale of the same order of the wavelength of microwaves.

Propagation of electromagnetic waves in several types of microplasmas has been examined experimentally in a frequency range 10-75?GHz. Firstly, the fundamental characteristics of the propagation were investigated using a planar geometry of microplasma assembly, and the electron density was derived by a comparison of the transmittance with the theoretical analyses using a Drude type model with collisional effects. Secondly, an extraordinary propagation phenomenon such as the focusing effect was observed in a two-dimensional periodical microplasma array. This kind of anomalous refraction cannot be interpreted only by predictions based on the dielectric property of bulk plasma, and it is suggested that a photonic-crystal-like periodical dielectric structure may play a significant role. Thirdly, it was demonstrated that the T-junction formed by a microplasma connected to a microstrip line can control the transmission of microwaves. An attenuation (or modulation) depth of about 35% was obtained with a series of two T-junctions connected to the strip line at the right-angled corners. All the above features come from (a) the relatively high electron density of the microplasmas near 1013?cm?3, (b) the complex dispersion relation with collisional effects and (c) the spatial arrangement with a characteristic scale of the same order of the wavelength of microwaves.

Two different types of microdischarge-integrated plasma sources have been operated at around the atmospheric pressure range. The discharge characteristics were diagnosed by optical emission spectroscopy (OES), laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) and microwave transmission (MT) techniques. The dynamic spatiotemporal behaviour of excited atoms was analysed using OES and LAS and the temporal behaviour of the electron density was estimated using the MT method. In Ar and Xe/Ne gases, waveforms of the MT signal followed the current waveform in the rise period and lasted longer according to the recombination losses. However, in He the waveform followed the density of metastable atoms, reflecting the production of a large amount of electrons by the Penning ionization process with impurities. The estimated peak electron density in those plasma sources is of the order of 1012?cm?3, and the metastable atom density can reach 1013?cm?3. Thus, it is suggested that these sources can be potentially applied to convenient material processing tools of large area operated stably at atmospheric pressure.

Novel N-arylsulfonyldipeptidyl aldehyde derivatives were prepared by DMSO oxidation from the corresponding dipeptide alcohol, and their potencies as calpain inhibitors were evaluated in vitro. Among them, N-(4-fluorophenylsulfonyl)-l-valyl-l-leucinal (8, SJA6017) potently inhibited calpains. 8 also inhibited cathepsin B and L but did not inhibit other cysteine proteases (interleukin 1β-converting enzyme), serine proteases (trypsin, chymotrypsin, thrombin, factor VIIa, factor Xa), or proteasome. Preliminary cytotoxicity studies of 8 exhibited a relatively safe profile.

Background/Aims:Although the PTH-suppressive effect of intravenous calcitriol has already been demonstrated by various studies, the precise dose-response to calcitriol has not been fully determined for uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism (2HPT). In order to investigate in detail the dose-response of intravenous calcitriol and the adequate initial dose against 2HPT, a randomized prospective double-blind study was conducted. Method:One-hundred and sixty-two patients with 2HPT undergoing hemodialysis three times per week were randomly assigned to four calcitriol (Ro21-5535) treatment groups, 0 (placebo), 1, 1.5 or 2 µg. Calcitriol or placebo was given intravenously after each dialysis for 12 weeks under double-blind conditions. Results:Calcitriol dose-dependently reduced both intact-PTH and high-sensitivity assay mid-terminal (HS)-PTH levels. The rate of per-week change in intact-PTH was 0.0% in the placebo group, –7.8% in the 1-µg group, –18.9% in the 1.5-µg group and –24.1% in the 2-µg group. Calcitriol dose-dependently increased the rate of increase in serum Ca adjusted by albumin level. The per-week increases in adjusted serum Ca were –0.01, 0.08, 0.23 and 0.35 mg/dl in the placebo, 1-, 1.5- and 2-µg groups, respectively. Although the degree of PTH suppression was correlated with the adjusted serum Ca increase, by-patients investigation revealed that the number of patients with suppression of PTH despite of no or slight elevation of adjusted serum Ca level was largest in the 1-µg group among the three calcitriol groups. Conclusion:Intravenous calcitriol was found to have a clear dose-dependent effect on PTH reduction in patients with 2HPT, and the appropriate initial dose of this agent was determined to be 1 µg per dialysis session.

The domain formation process of the photo-induced cooperative low-spin (LS) to high-spin (HS) conversion phenomena are studied based on the Monte Carlo simulation method. The existence of the threshold light intensity and the incubation period are demonstrated. It is pointed out that the nucleation barrier of HS domain is surmounted by the fluctuation caused by the repetition of excitation and de-excitation. By defining an effective temperature for this fluctuation, the time scale of incubation period is estimated following the usual domain formation theory. It grossly accounts the Monte Carlo (MC) results in three-dimensional cases. The phase separation of HS and LS domain is reproduced by considering the volume striction effect. The step wise abrupt conversion is ascribed to the de-pinning of the volume striction.

It is demonstrated that the transition leading to the improved radial confinement is induced by the end plate biasing in the HIEI tandem mirror, in which the plasma is MHD stabilized, heated, and axially confined by the ICRF waves. On application of the bias voltage, the fluctuation level decreases, the density increases to over 1013cm−3, and the plasma rotation changes significantly indicating a formation of the internal transport barrier. The observed strong nonlinear phenomena; the hysteresis change of the fluctuation level and the neutral line emission intensity, demonstrate bifurcation feature, which is similar to that in the previous limiter biasing experiment. This bifurcation feature may be explained by the model from the azimuthal momentum balance including the flow shear stabilization of the drift wave instabilities.

We have measured Ce 3dresonant photoemission spectra of CeNiSn and CePdSn with high resolution of E/ΔE∼4000. Although the Ce valences are close to 3+ for both compounds, the Ce 3dresonant spectra show stronger f1final states near the Fermi level compared with Ce 4dresonant spectra. Calculations based on the single impurity model give consistent spectral functions to the experimental results. The valence band states except for the Ce 4fstates in the bulk are essentially the same as those in the surface and consistent with the result of a band-structure calculation.

Among Ce-monopnictides, CeBi and CeSb show very interesting magnetic properties, competing and coexisting with the dense Kondo state. The p-f mixing model was used successfully to explain all the anomalous magnetic properties as well as the photoemission spectra. For a better understanding of their electronic states, a more crucial measurement of the de Haas-van Alphen effect has been done and compared with the band calculation. LMTO method was used because it is convenient to select a special character in a muffin-tin sphere and it really can fit the experimental results satisfactorily even if it has no adjustable parameters. However, still some controversies remain. It is pointed out that the d-f Coulomb screening effect for a 4f hole is crucially important to enhance the Kondo temperature in semimetals such as Ce-monopnictides.

Protein tyrosine kinases play an important role in cellular proliferation and differentiation of various cell types. To identify potential tyrosine kinases involved in glomerular functions we have utilized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and degenerate oligonucleotides for isolation of such genes from isolated glomeruli, cultured mesangial cell, and glomerular endothelial cells. Sequence analysis of PCR-amplified cDNAs resulted in the isolation of 24 tyrosine kinases. Here we describe for the first time the constitutive expression of 15 tyrosine kinases, tyro-1, tyro-4, tyro-6, hyk, Ptk-3, Ryk, tie, yes, lyn, tec, Jak1, Jak2, Jak3, c-abl, and flk, in renal glomeruli. In addition, Flt-1, an endothelial cell-specific receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is expressed in renal mesangial cells and its gene expression is up-regulated upon the stimulation of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) with the concomitant up-regulation of VEGF. These data suggest the possible involvement of VEGF/Flt-1 system in cytokine-induced mesangial cell proliferations.Copyright 1995, 1999 Academic Press, Inc.

Abstract: We report CT and MRI findings in two cases of acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid glands which behaved differently on T2-weighted images. Differences in signal intensities were considered to reflect the histology of the lesion, although a histological diagnosis could not be made on imaging grounds alone.

We observed spinal vessels ill 150 patients using, routine abdominal CT. Contiguous 1-cm thick incremental scans were obtained 30–60 s after intrayenous administration of 100 nit non-ionic contrast material (300 mg iodine/ml) at 2–3 ml/s. The area from the superior aspect of the liver to the lower poles of the kidneys was scanned. In 132 88 patients the anterior spinal arteries were visualized as an enhanced clot of the anterior surface of the spinal cord on the contiguous slices. The great radicular arteries arteries of Adamkiewicz were also visualized in 41 (27.3%) patients as an accompanying dot on two to seven contiguous slices, at T10-L2. The importance of the recognition of the normal spinal artery in avoiding misinterpretation, and the potential use of enhanced CT in screening for a variety of vascular diseases, are discussed.

We studied selective elimination of β2 -microglobulin(β 2-m) from plasma of patients with chronic renal failure(CRF) by using immunoadsorption method.Anti-human β2-m antibody of rabbit IgG was coated with cellulose beads, which were filled into a small-column. One gm of cellulose beads contains 5.0 mg of the protein of antibody. Five to 7 ml of plasma samples with 40 to 70 mg/l of β2-m were passed through the column at 1.0 ml/10 min and each effluent was then collected by 1.0 ml consecutively. Before and after passing through the column, β2-m and other plasma proteins were measured. Plasma β2-m concentrations in all the effluent fractions after passing through the column were greatly reduced to 1/100. But no other plasma protein components than β2-m varied in concentration. Neither Immune complex (IC) nor rabbit IgG was detected in any effluent fraction.These results indicate that selective and effective elimination of β2-m from plasma in patients with CRF was possible by using our method. In addition, since neither IC nor rabbit IgG was detected in the effluent, this method was considered to be clinically applicable.

The aim of this study is to examine the transcriptional regulation of matrix metalloproteinase transin in glomerular mesangial cells responding to inflammatory cytokines and heparin. Northern blot analysis revealed that IL-1β preferentially induced transin mRNA. The stimulatory effect was not specific to transin, and upregulation of procollagen α1(IV), laminin B2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) mRNAs was also observed. After IL-1 stimulation, expression of the transin transcript increased progressively for up to 48 hours, differing from the limited induction of procollagen α1(IV) or TIMP-1. When mesangial cells were stimulated by IL-1β in the presence of heparin, transin expression was markedly suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of heparin was specific to transin, and induction of procollagen α1(IV), laminin B2 or TIMP-1 by IL-1β was not affected. These findings revealed the selective counter regulation by IL-1β and heparin of the transin expression in mesangial cells.

We produced an animal model of CdCl2nephrotoxicity in rats, and treated them with polyaspartic acid (PAA) to prevent renal damage. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (190–200 g) were used to induce proximal renal tubular damage by daily injection of CdCl23.0 mg/1,000 g body wt for 2 wk. CdCl2-exposed SD rats exhibited significant increases in urine volume, urinary excretion ofN-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), and fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) and a decrease in the percentage of tubular reabsorption of phosphate (%TRP). Of these indicators of proximal tubular function, AAP and %TRP are more sensitive than NAG or FENa. No glycosuria or aminoaciduria, however, were observed. PAA markedly improved these indicators of proximal tubular function. Daily urinary protein excretion and creatinine clearance, on the other hand, did not change after administration of PAA. Cd concentrations in the cortex were 3 times higher than in the medulla, however, there were no differences between Cd-treated rats and PAA-treated rats. Our animal model is an excellent one for determining the effect of cadmium on renal proximal tubule damage. PAA appears to be useful in the treatment of CdCl2nephrotoxicity.

Ca2+-activated K+ channels play an important role in Ca2+ signal transduction and may be regulated by mechanisms other than a direct effect of Ca2+. Inside-out patches of the apical membrane of confluent transformed rabbit cortical collecting duct cells cultured on collagen were subjected to patch clamp analysis. Two types of K+ channel, of medium and high conductance, were observed. The latter channel was characterized by a K+/Na+ permeability ratio of 10, an inwardly rectified current, a conductance of 80 pS at 0 mV, and an open probability dependent on both voltage and Ca2+. Guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) but not a guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP) analogue, adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), cytidine 5'-triphosphate (CTP), or inosine 5'-triphosphate (ITP), inhibited the activity of this Ca2+-activated K+ channel. The inhibitory effect of GTP was dose dependent, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 10-5m in the absence of Mg2+. In the presence of Mg2+ (1 mm), which is required for the binding of GTP to G proteins, the 50% inhibitory concentration decreased to 3×10-12m. Pertussis toxin or cholera toxin (each at 10 ng/ml) did not prevent the inhibitory effect of GTP. After removal of GTP from the medium bathing an inhibited channel, subsequent application of Ca2+ failed to activate the channel. Ca2+-activated K+ channels of smooth muscle cells and proximal tubule cells did not respond to GTP. Thus, the Ca2+-activated K+ channel in the apical membrane of collecting duct cells is inhibited by GTP, which appears to exert its effect via a G protein that is insensitive to both cholera and pertussis toxins.

Crk is an adaptor protein that consists almost entirely of SH2 and SH3 domains. We have previously demonstrated, by using in vivo and in vitro systems, that C3G, which was identified as a Crk SH3 domain-binding guanine nucleotide exchange factor, specifically activates Rap1. C3G also binds to other adaptor proteins, including CrkL and Grb2. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of Crk, CrkL, and Grb2 on the C3G-Rap1 pathway. Expression of Crk, CrkL, and Grb2 with C3G in Cos1 cells significantly increased the ratio of GTP/GDP bound to Rap1. Both the SH2 and SH3 domains of Crk were required for this activity. However, Crk did not stimulate the guanine nucleotide exchange activity of C3G for Rap1 in vitro, suggesting that Crk does not activate C3G by an allosteric mechanism. The requirement of the SH2 domain of Crk for the enhancement of guanine nucleotide exchange activity for Rap1 could be compensated for by the addition of a farnesylation signal to Crk, indicating that Crk enhanced the guanine nucleotide exchange activity of C3G by membrane recruitment of C3G. These results demonstrate that Crk, CrkL, and Grb2 positively modulate the C3G-Rap1 pathway primarily by recruiting C3G to the cell membrane.

This study examined the effects of widely used antacids (aluminum hydroxide, magnesium oxide, and calcium carbonate), ferrous sulfate, and ranitidine on the absorption of a fluorinated quinolone, (-)-(S)-9-fluoro-3-methyl-10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-7-oxo-2,3-dihydro- 7H- pyrido-[1,2,3,-de][1,4]benzoxazine-6-carboxylic acid hemihydrate (DR-3355), in healthy male volunteers enrolled in three separate randomized crossover studies. Study 1 used 100-mg doses of DR-3355 and concurrent doses of aluminum hydroxide (1 g) or magnesium oxide (500 mg), while study 2 used DR-3355 (100 mg) and concurrent ferrous sulfate (160 mg) or calcium carbonate (1 g). Study 3 used DR-3355 (100 mg) and concurrent ranitidine (150 mg). Each study included control doses of DR-3355 (100 mg) alone. When aluminum hydroxide, ferrous sulfate, and magnesium oxide were coadministered with DR-3355, the relative bioavailability of DR-3355 was decreased to 56, 81, and 78%, respectively, of that for DR-3355 (100 mg) alone. Urinary excretion of DR-3355 was also significantly decreased by coadministration of these drugs. Thus, the magnitude of the decrease in the area under the concentration-time curve for DR-3355 varied among antacids, and the ranking of their inhibitory effects correlated with previously reported rankings of stability constants for chelate formation. DR-3355 bioavailability was not influenced by the concurrent administration of calcium carbonate and ranitidine, indicating that changes in gastric pH do not affect DR-3355 absorption.

Abstract: With faster CT scanners, asymmetric/heterogeneous enhancement (ASHE) of the internal jugular veins (IJVs) is frequently encountered in the absence of pathology. We investigated the frequency, side, pattern and significance of ASHE in 200 patients with various head and neck lesions. Non-ionic contrast medium (300 mgI/ml) was infused into a forearm vein (right, n = 100); left, n = 100). Forty seconds after contrast medium injection, contiguous 5-mm-thick sections were obtained craniocaudally from the skull base to the aortic arch. CT machines with two different scanning cycle times (3 s, n = 100; 2 s, n = 100) were used. ASHE of the IJVs was observed in 51 patients (25.5 %); the patient group receiving a right-sided injection with a 2-s scan cycle machine, showing a higher frequency (44 %). ASHE was divided into four patterns: homogeneous low density, focal low density, heterogeneous opacification and fluid-fluid level formation. ASHE was frequently observed in routine contrast-enhanced CT of the head and neck. Frequency of ASHE increased when the scanning cycle was shorter. We should be aware of this phenomenon to avoid its misinterpretation as venous thrombosis or other pathology.

The effect of Sairei-to, an oriental traditional medicine, against gentamicin nephrotoxicity was examined in gentamicin nephrotoxicity rat models. Gentamicin nephrotoxicity was induced by s. c. injection of gentamicin (100 mg/kg/day, for 3 days) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Renal functions of two rat groups were compared, one eating rat chow containing 2.5% Sairei-to, the other eating normal rat chow. Sairei-to administration reduced the increase of urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and protein excretion, and decreased creatinine clearance induced by gentamicin. Gentamicin increased renal cortical malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in normal diet group but not in the Sairei-to diet group. The renal cortical gentamicin concentration was not different between the two groups. In conclusion, Sairei-to shows reno-protective action against gentamicin nephrotoxicity, possibly through its anti-oxidant action.

Abstract: We investigated the frequency of air bubbles in the subclavian (SCV) or internal jugular (IJV) vein in 200 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT of the head and neck. Half the patients were reviewed retrospectively (group 1), while the other half were investigated prospectively after the radiologists who administered the contrast medium were instructed to be careful not to inject even a single air bubble during the procedure (group 2). Air bubbles were observed in the SCV or IJV in 15 of the 100 patients in group 1, while in group 2, there were 4 such patients. Air injection, a common “complication”, can be reduced by care during the procedure.