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Objective: To evaluate the relation between QT variables and disproportion of left ventricular wall hypertrophy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Design: Retrospective analysis of the results of echocardiography and electrocardiography. [...]

This pre-specified analysis of DAPA-CKD assessed the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition on abrupt declines in kidney function in high-risk patients based on having chronic kidney disease (CKD) and substantial albuminuria. DAPA-CKD was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that had a median follow-up of 2.4 years. Adults with CKD (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio 200–5000 mg/g and estimated glomerular filtration rate 25–75 mL/min/1.73m2) were randomized to dapagliflozin 10 mg/day matched to placebo (2152 individuals each). An abrupt decline in kidney function was defined as a pre-specified endpoint of doubling of serum creatinine between two subsequent study visits. We also assessed a post-hoc analysis of investigator-reported acute kidney injury–related serious adverse events. Doubling of serum creatinine between two subsequent visits (median time-interval 100 days) occurred in 63 (2.9%) and 91 (4.2%) participants in the dapagliflozin and placebo groups, respectively (hazard ratio 0.68 [95% confidence interval 0.49, 0.94]). Accounting for the competing risk of mortality did not alter our findings. There was no heterogeneity in the effect of dapagliflozin on abrupt declines in kidney function based on baseline subgroups. Acute kidney injury–related serious adverse events were not significantly different and occurred in 52 (2.5%) and 69 (3.2%) participants in the dapagliflozin and placebo groups, respectively (0.77 [0.54, 1.10]). Thus, in patients with CKD and substantial albuminuria, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of abrupt declines in kidney function.

It is important to evaluate whether a new treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) provides additive benefit to background foundational treatments. As such, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in patients with HFrEF in addition to baseline treatment with specific doses and combinations of disease-modifying therapies.

The nematic structuring of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) is proposed as a nanostructural engineering tool for exploiting the potential of CNFs in conceptually new “transparent papers”. The nematic-structured CNF papers exhibit superior mechanical properties, optical transparency, gas-barrier properties, heat transfer properties and electrical resistivity, compared with conventional randomly-structured CNF papers.

A 43 year old Japanese man was referred for investigation of occasional chest pain. He was a heavy smoker and was diagnosed as having familial hypercholesterolaemia. No heart murmur was [...]

Familial platelet disorder (FPD) is a rare autosomal dominant disease characterized by thrombocytopenia and abnormal platelet function. Causal mutations have been identified in the gene encoding runt‐related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) of FPD patients.

The occurrence and localization of endophytic actinomycetes within diverse organs of host plants provide ecological information that can be used to evaluate the significance of their spatial habitats. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize endophytic actinomycetes in different organs of Quercus serrata.For this purpose, actinomycete isolates were obtained from surface-sterilized tissues of both symptomless seedlings and aged trees of Q. serrataand rhizosphere soil of the sampled seedlings. Thirty-five isolates with the ability to sporulate, including 4 from leaves of the aged trees, 10, 6, and 15 from leaves, stems, and roots of the seedlings, respectively, and 8 soil-derived isolates, were selected and characterized. The 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence analyses revealed that all of them belonged to the genus Streptomyces. According to a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree constructed based on the results, the isolates of plant origin were divided into three major clades with high bootstrap values of 98 or 99 %, whereas eight soil-derived isolates were located at different positions from those of the endophyte isolates. Moreover, two larger clades were formed, one of which contained isolates derived only from aboveground parts, while the other contained isolates from all of the organs. These results suggest that the endophytic streptomycetes in Q. serratamay differ in their habitat positions (i.e., either above- or belowground parts).The occurrence and localization of endophytic actinomycetes within diverse organs of host plants provide ecological information that can be used to evaluate the significance of their spatial habitats. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize endophytic actinomycetes in different organs of Quercus serrata.For this purpose, actinomycete isolates were obtained from surface-sterilized tissues of both symptomless seedlings and aged trees of Q. serrataand rhizosphere soil of the sampled seedlings. Thirty-five isolates with the ability to sporulate, including 4 from leaves of the aged trees, 10, 6, and 15 from leaves, stems, and roots of the seedlings, respectively, and 8 soil-derived isolates, were selected and characterized. The 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence analyses revealed that all of them belonged to the genus Streptomyces. According to a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree constructed based on the results, the isolates of plant origin were divided into three major clades with high bootstrap values of 98 or 99 %, whereas eight soil-derived isolates were located at different positions from those of the endophyte isolates. Moreover, two larger clades were formed, one of which contained isolates derived only from aboveground parts, while the other contained isolates from all of the organs. These results suggest that the endophytic streptomycetes in Q. serratamay differ in their habitat positions (i.e., either above- or belowground parts).

Advantages of optical links like small, lightweight and power efficient terminals are practical for high data rate services of disaster preparedness and environmental research. In this paper, we demonstrate experimental results of 40-Gbit/s optical free space transmission using single-polarization quadrature phase shift keying (SP-QPSK) modulation format and digital coherent detection. The digital coherent detection enabled a high sensitivity and a tolerance to transmission impairments, which have attractive features for free space transmission system. We developed a 50-Gbit/s SP-QPSK transmitter and offline-receiver with the optical antenna system. SP-QPSK optical modulation signal with a line rate of 50-Gbit/s including 20% FEC is employed for high receiver sensitivity. A cascade by EDFAs consisting of a low noise pre-EDFA and an optical level controlled EDFA is developed to compensate for level fluctuation without degrading receiver sensitivity. Maximal ratio combining algorithms and carrier phase estimation algorithms are used at the offline-receiver for QPSK signal detection. We succeeded 4-meter indoor free space transmission having same performance as that with fiber connection using the developed system. The optical received power was -42 dBm at bit error rate of 10-3. While for outdoor 50-meter transmission, we confirmed the received bit error rate larger than FEC limit.

Recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a major challenge in the field of transplantation. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) has emerged as a key mediator of podocyte-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) interactions. To clarify the involvement of plasma factors in FSGS recurrence, we examined the effects of plasma from FSGS patients with or without posttransplant recurrence on cultured podocytes, focusing particularly on ILK activity. Podocytes from a conditionally immortalized mouse podocyte cell line were treated with plasma from 11 FSGS patients, and ILK activity was determined using an immune complex kinase assay. Treatment with plasma from three patients with recurrence induced an increase in ILK activity. In contrast, no increase in ILK activity was observed in cultured podocytes treated with plasma from the remaining three patients with recurrence and five patients without recurrence. Cultured podocytes treated with plasma that induced ILK activity showed alterations of focal contact and detachment from the laminin matrix. In conclusion, this preliminary study provides experimental evidence suggesting the possible presence of circulating toxic factors in the plasma of some patients with recurrent FSGS, which induce an increase in podocyte ILK activity that may lead to the detachment of podocytes from the GBM.

Orthorhombic hen egg-white (HEW) lysozyme crystals were examined by means of synchrotron X-ray topography by the white beam technique. Four kinds of straight dislocations were clearly observed. From the extinction criterion of the dislocation images, Burgers vectors were identified to be [001], [$ \bar 1 $10] and [0$ \bar 1 $1]. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) modulate the effects of the IGFs, major stimulators of vertebrate growth and development. In mammals, IGFBP-1 inhibits the actions of IGF-I. Rapid increases in circulating IGFBP-1 occur during catabolic states. Insulin and glucocorticoids are the primary regulators of circulating IGFBP-1 in mammals. Insulin inhibits and glucocorticoids stimulate hepatocyte IGFBP-1gene expression and production. A 22 kDa IGFBP in salmon blood also increases during catabolic states and has recently been identified as an IGFBP-1 homolog. We examined the hormonal regulation of salmon IGFBP-1 mRNA levels and protein secretion in primary cultured salmon hepatocytes. The glucocorticoid agonist dexamethasone progressively increased hepatocyte IGFBP-1 mRNA levels (eightfold) and medium IGFBP-1 immunoreactivity over concentrations comparable with stressed circulating cortisol levels (10−9–10−6M). GH progressively reduced IGFBP-1 mRNA levels (0.3-fold) and medium IGFBP-1 immunoreactivity over physiological concentrations (5 × 10−11–5 × 10−9M). Unexpectedly, insulin slightly increased hepatocyte IGFBP-1 mRNA (1.4-fold) and did not change medium IGFBP-1 immunoreactivity over physiological concentrations and above (10−9–10−6M). Triiodothyronine had no effect on hepatocyte IGFBP-1 mRNA, whereas glucagon increased IGFBP-1 mRNA (2.2-fold) at supraphysiological concentrations (10−6M). This study suggests that the major inhibitory role of insulin in the regulation of liver IGFBP-1 production in mammals is not found in salmon. However, regulation of salmon liver IGFBP-1 production by other metabolic hormones is similar to what is found in mammals.

An 8‐month‐old entire Miniature Dachshund, weighing 4.2 kg, was presented for examination following development of a cough. Ventricular septal defect had been diagnosed tentatively in its infancy on the basis of a cardiac murmur detected by auscultation and echocardiography.

We evaluated the impacts of natural wetlands and various land uses on stream nitrogen concentration in two grassland‐dominated catchments in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. Analyzing land use types in drainage basins, measuring denitrification potential of its soil, and water sampling in all seasons of 2003 were performed. Results showed a highly significant positive correlation between the concentration of stream NO3–N and the proportion of upland area in drainage basins in both catchments. The regression slope, which we assumed to reflect the impact on water quality, was 24% lower for the Akkeshi catchment (0.012 ± 0.001) than for the Shibetsu catchment (0.016 ± 0.001). In the Akkeshi catchment, there was a significant negative correlation between the proportion of wetlands in the drainage basins and stream NO3–N concentration. Stream dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and carbon (DOC) concentrations were significantly higher in the Akkeshi catchment. Upland and urban land uses were strongly linked to increases in in‐stream N concentrations in both catchments, whereas wetlands and forests tended to mitigate water quality degradation. The denitrification potential of the soils was highest in wetlands, medium in riparian forests, and lowest in grasslands; and was significant in wetlands and riparian forests in the Akkeshi catchment. The solubility of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil moisture tended to determine the denitrification potential. These results indicate that the water environment within the catchments, which influences denitrification potential and soil organic matter content, could have caused the difference in stream water quality between the two catchments.

Accurate assessment of atrioventricular conduction time (AVCT) is crucial for early detection of evolving fetal heart block. Simultaneous pulsed wave Doppler (PD) interrogation of left ventricular inflow and outflow is mainly used to study fetal AVCT. Limitations of this modality include its dependency on loading conditions and merging early and late diastolic inflow waves at faster heart rate (HR). Sequential analysis of atrioventricular myocardial motion by Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) might be more useful in this regard. In 15 open-chest pigs, AVCT was measured by PD, DTI, and electrocardiogram at baseline HR and during incremental atrial pacing up to 200 beats/min. Electromechanical delay and pre-ejection period were assessed at baseline and maximal HR. DTI-derived AVCT correlated better with PR intervals and allowed measurements at faster HRs than did PD (P < .05). Pre-ejection period prolonged with faster HR (P < .001), unlike electromechanical delay. In conclusion, DTI allows more accurate measurement of AVCT over a wider HR range than does PD.

An enolate synthon of alkoxyacetone was regioselectively generated using alkoxyallene oxide and titanium tetraiodide/titanium tetraisopropoxide, and the subsequent conjugate addition reaction with enones gave 4-alkoxy-1,5-diketones in good yields.

This article deals with (1) synthesis and anionic polymerization of a six-membered cyclic carbonate having styrene moiety, (2) anionic depolymerization of the obtained polymer, (3) radical cross-linking of the obtained polymer, and (4) anionic de-cross-linking of the cross-linked polymer. The monomer 5-ethyl-5-[(p-vinylphenyl) methoxymethyl]-1,3-dioxan-2-one (St6CC) underwent anionic polymerization with potassium tert-butoxide (t-BuOK) as an initiator in THF to afford the corresponding polycarbonate [poly(St6CC)]. It was confirmed that this polymerization was equilibrium polymerization by the relationships between the polymerization temperature and monomer conversion. Poly(St6CC) underwent anionic depolymerization with t-BuOK (5 mol % vs polymer repeating unit) as a catalyst in THF (0.1 M) at 20 °C for 24 h to recover St6CC in 60% yield. Treatment of poly(St6CC) with a radical initiator afforded the cross-linked polymer. Employment of styrene as the comonomer satisfactorily afforded the corresponding cross-linked polymer. It underwent anionic de-cross-linking with t-BuOK (10 mol % vs polymer repeating unit) in THF at 50 °C for 24 h to afford a THF-soluble polymer. The yield of the THF-soluble part increased as the styrene composition in the cross-linked polymer increased. It was suggested that the de-cross-linking efficiency depended on the cross-linking density.

AbstractThe crystal structure of allanite from granitic pegmatite, the Daibosatsu Pass, Yamanashi, Japan, has been refined under the constraint of chemical composition determined by electron microprobe analysis of rare earth elements. Back-scattered-electron images and X-ray element maps of the allanites show that each of their crystal grains has chemically homogeneous distribution of major elements. A typical formula for the chemistry is: (Ca0.920?0.080)S1.000(La0.238Ce0.443Pr0.048Nd0.100Sm0.019Th0.042Mn0.008?0.102)S1.000(Al0.607Fe0.3173+Ti0.076)S1.000(Al1.000)(Fe0.5432+Fe0.3653+Mn0.055Mg0.037)S1.000(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH).The crystal structure of allanite, monoclinic, a8.905 (1), b5.7606 (5), c10.123 (1) Å, ß 114.78°(1), space group P21/m, Z= 2, has been refined to an unweighted Rfactor of 3.46% for 1459 observed reflections. Although the H atom position was not determined on the Difference-Fourier map, inspection of the bond valence sums demonstrates that the H atom is uniquely located at the O10 atom and involved in a hydrogen bond to O4. A systematic examination as to crystal chemistry of allanites suggests that the isolated SiO4tetrahedron has the largest distortion of three kinds of the tetrahedron containing Si2O7groups in the allanite structure. This observation is common to the epidote group minerals, while the larger distortion of A2 sites caused by occupancy by REEin allanites contrasts with the smaller one of Asites in other epidote group minerals. In the allanite groups the bond angles between the O10–H bond and hydrogen bond H···O4 are found to range from 170 to 180°.Compilation of the chemical compositions of the title allanite and the others from granitic rocks, Japan, which reveals Th-incorporation as the coupled substitution of 3Th4++ ? (vacancy) ? 4REE3+, provides an explanation for the observation that higher Th concentrations characterize allanites from the island arcs. The ternary Al2O3-Fe2O3-SREEdiagram illustrates that allanites are grouped, according to their origins, into three classes suggestive of tectonic backgrounds for the crystallization localities; (1) intracontinental, (2) island arc and (3) continental margin.

Maxacalcitol, the 22-oxa-derivative of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and used currently as an antihyperparathyroidism and antipsoriatic drug, has been synthesized in seven chemical steps from 1α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone on the basis of our previously developed route. The present synthesis allows the production of the protected form of the penultimate intermediate in 26% overall yield in a kilogram scale reaction employing neither difficult reaction conditions nor chromatographic purification, having overcome all the difficulties involved in the previous route.

A catalytic system, Pd(OAc)2 (10 mol %)−P(n-Bu)3 (20 mol %)−Et3B (360 mol %), promotes allylic alcohols to undergo the allylation of anisidine−imines of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and furnishes homoallylamines in good to moderate yields. The reaction shows unique stereoselectivity, giving anti-isomers selectively.

AbstractThe crystal structure of whewellite [Ca(C2O4)·H2O] and the dehydration mechanism of caoxite [Ca(C2O4)·3H2O] have been studied by means of differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction (powder and single-crystal) analysis and infrared analysis. The first and second analyses confirmed the direct transformation of caoxite into whewellite without an intermediate weddellite [Ca(C2O4)·2H2O] stage. Infrared spectra obtained from caoxite, weddellite and whewellite emphasize the similarity of the O–H-stretching band and O–C–O-stretching band in whewellite and caoxite and the unique bands of weddellite. The structure refinement at low temperature (123 K) reveals that all the hydrogen atoms of whewellite form hydrogen bonds and the two water molecules prop up the crystal structure by the hydrogen bonds that cause a strong anisotropy of the displacement parameter.Comparing the structural features of whewellite with those of weddellite and caoxite suggests that caoxite and whewellite have a sheet structure consisting of Ca2+ions and oxalate ions although weddellite does not. It is additionally confirmed that the sheets of caoxite are corrugated by hydrogen bonds but whewellite has flat sheets. The corrugated sheets of caoxite would be flattened by dehydration so the direct transformation of caoxite into whewellite would not occur via weddellite. Essential for this transformation is the dehydration of interlayered water molecules in caoxite leading to the building of the crystal structure of whewellite on its intralayered water molecules. The difference in conformation of water molecules between those two crystal structures may explain the more common occurrence of whewellite than of caoxite in nature.

AbstractRadio frequency identification (RFID) enables everyday objects to be identified, tracked, and recorded. Because of expense, size, and lifetime requirements, some simple active RFID tags are designed with only transmitters. Transmission-only tags are unaware of each other and simply blink ID packets periodically over a common channel. The question is what really happens: a false alarm due to consecutive blink collisions or a missed object event? The authors model the access of transmission-only RFID tags as pure ALOHA and develop a mathematical analysis to identify tag blinks without prior knowledge of the number of tags in the interrogation zone. The authors estimate the tag set based on the free channel in an observation window. Simulation results and experiments with Spider tags from RFCODE are presented.

Western ligand blotting of salmon serum typically reveals three insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding proteins (IGFBPs) at 22, 28 and 41 kDa. Physiologic regulation of the 22 kDa IGFBP is similar to that of mammalian IGFBP-1; it is increased in catabolic states such as fasting and stress. On the other hand, its molecular mass on Western ligand blotting is closest to mammalian IGFBP-4. The conflict between physiology and molecular mass makes it difficult to determine the identity of the 22 kDa IGFBP. This study therefore aimed to identify the 22 kDa IGFBP from protein and cDNA sequences. The 22 kDa IGFBP was purified from chinook salmon serum by a combination of IGF-affinity chromatography and reverse-phase chromatography. The N-terminal aminoacid sequence of the purified protein was used to design degenerate primers. Degenerate PCR with liver template amplified a partial IGFBP cDNA, and full-length cDNA was obtained by 5′- and 3′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The 1915-bp cDNA clone encodes a 23.8 kDa IGFBP, and its N-terminal amino-acid sequence matched that of purified 22 kDa IGFBP. Sequence comparison with six human IGFBPs revealed that it is most similar to IGFBP-1 (40% identity and 55% similarity). These findings indicate that salmon 22 kDa IGFBP is IGFBP-1. Salmon IGFBP-1 mRNA is predominantly expressed in the liver, and its expression levels appear to reflect circulating levels. The 3′-untranslated region of salmon IGFBP-1 mRNA contains four repeats of the nucleotide sequence ATTTA, which is involved in selective mRNA degradation. In contrast, amino-acid sequence analysis revealed that salmon IGFBP-1 does not have an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) integrin recognition sequence nor a Pro, Glu, Ser and Thr (PEST)-rich domain (a segment involved in rapid turnover of protein), both of which are characteristic of mammalian IGFBP-1. These findings suggest that association with the cell surface and turnover rate may differ between salmon and mammalian IGFBP-1.

To develop a high-performance method for measuring the length of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) fragments, the capability of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) was examined. To omit troublesome and time-consuming labeling operations such as PCR with fluorescently labeled mononucleotides or primers, intercalation of dimeric cyanine dye YOYO-1 iodide (YOYO) to dsDNA was utilized as a simple labeling method. Various lengths of dsDNA fragments were prepared and mixed with YOYO prior to FCS, and the dependence of the diffusion time of a dsDNA−YOYO complex on the length of dsDNA fragment and the dsDNA/YOYO ratio was investigated. It was successfully demonstrated that the dsDNA length can be measured using YOYO and FCS, and the calibration curve was developed taking into account the rewinding and expansion of the dsDNA fragment caused by YOYO intercalation.

A large-scale preparation route of MX-68, a novel MTX derivative bearing a dihydro-2H-1,4-benzothiazine moiety and l-homogulutamic acid, is described. The original route that is a laboratory-scale synthesis for preclinical study has been improved. The improved process involves the following features:  each step does not use haloalkane solvents, corrosive reagents, and chromatographic purification, and the formation of the major impurity at the final step is minimized. This improvement has enabled us to supply sufficient quantities of MX-68, which is required for both the toxicity test and the clinical study.

A shiba inu dog with marked abdominal distension was diagnosed with cor triatriatum dexter and surgical correction was performed under extracorporeal circulation. The total duration of cardiac arrest was 11 minutes and total perfusion time was 34 minutes. The dog had an uneventful postoperative recovery. Postoperative contrast radiography of the caudal vena cava revealed normal flow into the right heart. Abdominal distension was no longer observed. Although several methods have been used to treat cor triatriatum dexter in dogs, the authors consider surgical correction under extracorporeal circulation to be a reliable approach.

Salmon plasma contains at least three IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) with molecular masses of 41, 28 and 22 kDa. The 41 kDa IGFBP is similar to mammalian IGFBP-3 in size, type of glycosylation and physiological responses. In this study, we developed an RIA for the 41 kDa IGFBP. The 41 kDa IGFBP purified from serum was used for antibody production and as an assay standard. Binding of three different preparations of tracer were examined: (125)I-41 kDa IGFBP, (125)I-41 kDa IGFBP cross-linked with IGF-I and 41 kDa IGFBP cross-linked with (125)I-IGF-I (41 kDa IGFBP/(125)I-IGF-I). Only binding of 41 kDa IGFBP/(125)I-IGF-I was not affected by added IGFs, and therefore it was chosen for the tracer in the RIA. Plasma 41 kDa IGFBP levels measured by RIA were increased by GH treatment (178.9+/-4.9 ng/ml) and decreased after fasting (95.0+/-7.0 ng/ml). The molarities of plasma 41 kDa IGFBP and total IGF-I were comparable, and they were positively correlated, suggesting that salmon 41 kDa IGFBP is a main carrier of circulating IGF-I in salmon, as is mammalian IGFBP-3 in mammals. During the parr-smolt transformation (smoltification) of coho salmon, plasma 41 kDa IGFBP levels showed a transient peak (182.5+/-10.3 ng/ml) in March and stayed relatively constant thereafter, whereas IGF-I showed peak levels in March and April. Differences in the molar ratio between 41 kDa IGFBP and IGF-I possibly influence availability of IGF-I in the circulation during smoltification.

Antioxidants have been considered as potential antiatherogenic agents by inhibiting oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), albeit vitamin E, a natural antioxidant, has failed to show reduction on atherosclerosis in clinical trials. We have rationally designed and synthesized a novel series of antioxidants, 4,6-di-tert-butyl-2,3-dihydro-5-benzofuranols, to overcome the clinical limitation of vitamin E. In vitro, the compounds showed a potent inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation detected as 2-methyl-6-(p-methoxyphenyl)-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-one (MCLA)-dependent chemiluminescence in linoleic acid autoxidation. They also inhibited the LDL oxidation induced by Cu²⁺, and the inhibition is more potent than that of vitamin E and probucol. In vivo, 4,6-di-tert-butyl-2,3-dihydro-2,2-dipentyl-5-benzofuranol (BO-653, 1f), an optimal compound, showed the highest concentration in plasma and LDL fraction in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits, due to its high affinity to LDL. The isolated LDL samples from the 1f-treated rabbits showed potent resistibility to LDL oxidation. Compound 1f has been taken into clinical trials.

We examined the behaviour of alumina ceramic heads in 156 cemented total hip arthroplasties, at a minimum follow-up of eight years. They were divided into three groups according to the size of the femoral head; 22, 26, and 28 mm. We measured polyethylene wear radiologically using a computer-aided technique. The linear wear rate of polyethylene sockets for the 28 mm heads was high (0.156 mm/year), whereas those for the 22 and 26 mm heads were relatively low (0.090 and 0.098 mm/year, respectively). Moreover, the surface roughness data of retrieved femoral heads clearly showed maintenance of an excellent surface finish of the current alumina. We conclude that the alumina ceramic femoral heads currently used are associated with a reduced rate of polyethylene wear.

Summary.:  Asymmetric synthesis of all four stereoisomers of 6-methylpipecolic acids with high enantiomeric purity via iterative AD reaction, starting from 1,6-heptadiene, has been described.

JT-60 has been operating for more than 16 years, since its first plasma in 1985, and has produced a number of research results at the forefront of world tokamak fusion research. As the first paper of this special issue containing papers on all aspects of JT-60, this paper summarizes the history, the major research objectives and general description on the JT-60 machine.

The miscibility of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) blends was investigated by the CPMAS ¹³C NMR. The ¹H spin−lattice relaxation time in the laboratory frame (%@mt;sys@%%@ital@%T%@rsf@%%@mh;1q@%%@sx@%1%@be@%H%@sxx@%%@mx@% ) showed that the PMAA/PVAc blends are homogeneous on a scale of 20−50 nm, and the ¹H relaxation time in the rotating frame (%@mt;sys@%%@ital@%T%@rsf@%%@mh;1q@%%@sx@%1ρ%@be@%H%@sxx@%%@mx@% ) revealed that the PMAA/PVAc-rich blends are partially inhomogeneous on a scale of 2−5 nm, while the PMAA-rich/PVAc blends, including the PMAA/PVAc = 1/1 blend, are completely miscible on the scale. The domain size of the PMAA/PVAc = 1/1 blend was also estimated from the Goldman−Shen experiment. The obtained maximum domain size of 2.5 nm is consistent with the results of %@mt;sys@%%@ital@%T%@rsf@%%@mh;1q@%%@sx@%1ρ%@be@%H%@sxx@%%@mx@% . The decomposition of ¹³C NMR spectra for the carboxyl (COOH) and carbonyl (COO) regions and the ¹³C spin−lattice relaxation time in the laboratory frame (%@mt;sys@%%@ital@%T%@rsf@%%@mh;1q@%%@sx@%1%@be@%C%@sxx@%%@mx@% ) suggested the existence of an interpolymer interaction between PMAA and PVAc:  the interaction is most likely a hydrogen bond and acts an important role for a great miscibility. The dependence of %@mt;sys@%%@ital@%T%@rsf@%%@mh;1q@%%@sx@%1%@be@%C%@sxx@%%@mx@% on the PMAA molar ratio indicates that the molecular motion of PVAc is largely affected by PMAA.

Summary.:  The effect of dietary sulfur amino acids on the taurine content of rat blood and tissues was investigated. Three types of diet were prepared for this study: a low-taurine diet (LTD), normal taurine diet (NTD; LTD + 0.5% Met), and high-taurine diet (HTD; LTD + 0.5% Met + 3% taurine). These diets had no differing effect on the growth of the rats. The concentration of taurine in the blood from the HTD- and NTD-fed rats was respectively 1,200% and 200% more than that from LTD-. In such rat tissues as the liver, the taurine content was significantly affected by dietary sulfur amino acids, resulting in a higher content with HTD and lower content with LTD. However, little or no effect on taurine content was apparent in the heart or eye. The activity for taurine uptake by the small intestine was not affected by dietary sulfur amino acids. The expression level of taurine transporter mRNA was altered only in the kidney under these dietary conditions: a higher expression level with LTD and lower expression level with HTD.

The effect of bait-delivered anthelmintic to reduce the prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in wild red foxes was evaluated in Koshimizu, in the eastern part of Hokkaido, Japan. The study area (200 km2) was divided into baited and non-baited sections. The anthelmintic baits were distributed around fox den sites in the baited section every month for 13 months. After 1 year of the anthelmintic bait distribution, the prevalence of E. multilocularis in foxes, evaluated either by the parasite egg examination (from 27.1 to 5.6%) or coproantigen ELISA (from 59.6 to 29.7%), decreased in the baited section contrasting to that in the non-baited section (parasite egg: from 18.8 to 24.2%; ELISA: from 41.9 to 45.8%). The prevalence of E. multilocularis in grey red-backed vole Clethrionomys rufocanus, caught around fox dens, born after bait distribution also decreased and was significantly lower than that in non-baited section. However, within the study periods, the coproantigen-positive rate in fox faeces sporadically increased, while egg-positive rate constantly decreased. Since coproantigen ELISA can detect pre-patent infection, this observation indicates that reinfection pressure in the baited section was still high even after the 13 months of anthelmintic bait distribution. Therefore, the bait distribution longer than our study period is required for the efficient control of E. multilocularis in wild red fox population.

Abstract: The proton activation analysis of oxygen was studied in fluoride and chalcogenide glasses used for fiber amplifiers. First, we studied the interfering nuclear reactions from glass matrices to determine the oxygen concentration in these glasses. By using substoichiometric separation for 18F after irradiation, we found that the oxygen concentration was 12 to 204 ppm in InF3-based fluoride glass and 0.04% to 0.7% in chalcogenide glass containing sodium. We also discuss the relation between oxygen concentration and optical properties such as the infrared absorption spectrum and fluorescence lifetime.

Abstract:  In the Sauvé–Kapandji (S–K) procedure for rheumatoid wrist reconstruction, the distal end of the ulna is fixed to the radius with screws. Recently, absorbable screws have increasingly been used instead of metal ones. However, the clinical usefulness of absorbable screws in S–K procedures for rheumatoid patients is still unknown. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of absorbable screws in this procedure by comparing their clinical results with those of metal screws. Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) absorbable screws were used in 23 wrists, and metal screws were used in 20 wrists. We evaluated the presence of general or local reactions to PLLA, the stability of the ulnar head, the time to bone union, changes in the shape of the distal ulna, and the presence of bone resorption around the screws. There were no complications with the use of PLLA screws, and their fixation stability was adequate to form sufficient bone union. In five cases in the metal screw group, bone resorption around the screws occurred between 1 and 2 years after surgery. Bone resorption around the PLLA screws was not observed. We conclude that absorbable screws may be more useful than metal screws in the S–K procedure for rheumatoid wrist reconstruction.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess regional cerebral blood flow in patients after carbon monoxide intoxication by using brain single photon emission computed tomography and statistical parametric mapping. Eight patients with delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae and ten patients with no neuropsychiatric symptoms after carbon monoxide intoxication were studied with brain single photon emission tomography imaging with 99mTc-hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime. Forty-four control subjects were also studied. We used the adjusted regional cerebral blood flow images in relative flow distribution (normalization of global cerebral blood flow for each subject to 50 ml.100 g−1.min−1with proportional scaling) to compare these groups with statistical parametric mapping. Using this technique, significantly decreased regional cerebral blood flow was noted extensively in the bilateral frontal lobes as well as the bilateral insula and a part of the right temporal lobe in the patients with delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae as compared with normal volunteers (P< 0.005). In the patients with no neuropsychiatric symptoms, significantly decreased regional blood flow in the bilateral frontal lobes particularly on the left side was detected. There was a significantly decreased regional cerebral blood flow in the right frontal lobe and insula in the patients with delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae as compared to those with no neuropsychiatric sequelae. It is concluded that statistical parametric mapping is a useful technique for highlighting differences in regional cerebral blood flow in patients following carbon monoxide intoxication as compared with normal volunteers. The selectively reduced blood flow noted in this investigation supports the contention that the decrease following carbon monoxide intoxication may be prolonged and further worsen in the frontal lobe. In addition, the present study may help to clarify the characteristics of the pathophysiological alteration underlying delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae.

A considerable permeability factor (or factors) derived from circulating T cells has a crucial role in proteinuria of nephrotic syndrome (NS). We attempted to remove pathogenic T cells through lymphocytapheresis (LCAP) in 6 patients with primary NS, 2 patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), 2 patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), 1 patient with membranous nephropathy (MN), and 1 patient with MN and FSGS using Cellsorba (Asahi Medical Co., Osaka, Japan). LCAP was performed 2 times in 2 consecutive weeks and was followed with corticosteroid therapy with or without cyclosporine A in 5 patients. Two patients with MCNS, 1 with FSGS, and 1 with MN and FSGS showed a dramatic decrease of proteinuria (-30% and -94%) in their urine protein/creatinine ratio. Three out of 4 patients had a complete or partial remission (proteinuria &lt;1g/day) within 8 weeks following immunosuppressive therapy. During the LCAP, T cells, especially activated T cells, decreased significantly in the response group. The other 2 patients, 1 with FSGS and 1 with MN, however, had no response to LCAP and following immunosuppressive therapy or low-density lipoprotein apheresis and suffered from end-stage renal failure or death by pneumonia. These results suggested that LCAP might have a beneficial effect on the treatment of NS, especially MCNS and in some patients with FSGS, despite varying responses to LCAP and concomitant immunosuppressive therapy.

The concentrations of C-reactive proteins (CRP) in the plasma of five beagle dogs experimentally inoculated with Ehrlichia canisincreased markedly. The concentrations began to increase between 4 and 16 days and peaked between 15 and 42 days after inoculation of E. canis. The peak concentrations ranged from 217.8 to 788.8 μg/ml (452.6±228.1 SD). After the peak, the concentrations of CRP decreased rapidly. The PCR product of 16S rRNA of E. canisbecame detectable in the five dogs between 18 and 27 days after inoculation of E. canis. Antibodies to E. caniswere detected in plasma from the dogs between 5 and 15 days after inoculation of E. canis. The timings of seroconversion and of the start of the increase in CRP were approximately similar and the high concentrations of CRP in the plasma of the dogs tended to become apparent when the PCR product of 16 S rRNA of E. canisbecame detectable.

Excited-state dynamics of 9,9‘-biantryl (BA) adsorbed on the porous glass, where the large motion of the surrounding medium or intramolecular motion of BA was not plausible, and temperature effects on it were investigated by means of steady-state fluorometry, absorption measurement, picosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, and time-resolved fluorescence measurement. Steady-state fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy revealed that the electronic structure of excited BA had strong charge transfer (CT) character as comparable as in the polar solutions both at room temperature and at 77 K, although the dielectric environments estimated by other inter- and intramolecular CT systems were in nonpolar or very weakly polar environments. The time constant of CT was determined to be 5−10 ps at 294 K. The CT time constant was slightly slower (ca. 20 ps) at 77 K but was much faster than that of BA in alcoholic solutions at room temperature. By integrating these results with those in solutions, the rapid CT state formation and the stabilization of the CT state were discussed from the viewpoint of the symmetry breaking in the ground state because of the heterogeneous adsorption of BA onto the glass surface.

Background: The appendix is occasionally involved in patients with distal ulcerative colitis. This study investigated the clinical significance of patchy involvement at the appendiceal orifice in ulcerative colitis. Methods: Colonoscopy was performed in 40 patients with active distal ulcerative colitis of mild to moderate severity. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence (positive or negative) of involvement at the appendiceal orifice at colonoscopy. Clinical activity, histologic grade of inflammation, and subsequent clinical course were compared between patients who were positive (appe^+) and negative (appe^-). Results: Twenty-three patients had involvement at the appendiceal orifice (reddish mucosa with mucinous exudate). The proximal-most extent of involvement by ulcerative colitis, the endoscopic grade, and clinical activity were not different between appe^+ and appe^- groups. However, histologic grade of inflammation in the ascending colon was higher in the appe^+ group than in the appe^- group. The endoscopic remission rate at 12 months was higher in the appe^+ group than in the appe^- group (84% vs. 40%, p < 0.05). Conclusions: In patients with distal ulcerative colitis, involvement at the appendiceal orifice may be indicative of histologically active disease, which responds reasonably well to pharmacotherapy. (Gastrointest Endosc 2002;55:180-5.)

AbstractPararsenolamprite, the third polymorph of native As, is found at the Mukuno mine, Oita Prefecture, Japan. It is orthorhombic, Pmn21or P21nm, a= 3.633(2), b= 10.196(2), c= 10.314(2)Å, Z= 18. The seven strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are: 5.17 (100) (002), 4.60 (24) (012), 3.259 (58) (013), 2.840 (27) (032), 2.580 (22) (004), 2.299 (23) (024), and 1.794 (26) (105). Electron microprobe analysis gives As 91.89, Sb 7.25, S 0.48, total 99.62 wt.% (mean of 8), and lead to the empirical formula, As0.96Sb0.03S0.01. It is lead grey in colour and opaque with metallic lustre and black streak. It is sectile and brittle with perfect cleavage on [001]. The VHN25is 66–91 kg/mm2, corresponding to 2–2.5 in Mohs' hardness scale. The measured and calculated densities are 5.88(5) g/cm3and 6.01 g/cm3, respectively. In reflected plane-polarized light in air, it is white with a slightly greenish blue tint. Anisotoropy is strong, dark brown to dark greenish grey. Bireflectance is distinct; parallel to elongation it is creamy; perpendicular to elongation it is brown, grey and green. Internal reflections are absent. The reflectance spectra are tabulated in the text.Pararsenolamprite occurs as euhedral crystals in close association with arsenic, stibnite and quartz in a Sb-As-Ag-Au-bearing quartz vein cutting altered Neogene andesite from the Mukuno mine. It forms radial or parallel aggregates of bladed cystals up to 0.8 mm in length.

A recently developed chemical synthesis method using the nanoparticle size as a parameter has been applied to Sb film–Se particle and Sb film–Te particle systems. In the Sb–Se system, the diffusion of Se atoms to the Sb film can be clearly seen for Se particle sizes less than 50 nm. Diffusion of Sb atoms predominantly took place in the case of the Sb–Te system. The uniqueness of the reaction consists in the diffusion direction of nanoparticles. Comparison with previous work (Kaito et al., 1998b) is made on the basis of the particle stability and electronegativity.