Search

At the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), we are developing a high-precision apparatus with the aim of searching for the muon electric dipole moment (EDM) with unprecedented sensitivity. The underpinning principle of this experiment is the frozen-spin technique, a method that suppresses the spin precession due to the anomalous magnetic moment, thereby enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio for EDM signals. This increased sensitivity enables measurements that would be difficult to achieve with conventional g - 2 muon storage rings. Given the availability of the 125 MeV / c muon beam at PSI, the anticipated statistical sensitivity for the EDM after a year of data collection is 6 × 10 - 23 e · cm. To achieve this goal, it is imperative to do a detailed analysis of any potential spurious effects that could mimic EDM signals. In this study, we present a quantitative methodology to evaluate the systematic effects that might arise in the context of the frozen-spin technique utilised within a compact storage ring. Our approach involves the analytical derivation of equations governing the motion of the muon spin in the electromagnetic (EM) fields intrinsic to the experimental setup, validated through numerical simulations. We also illustrate a method to calculate the cumulative geometric (Berry’s) phase. This work complements ongoing experimental efforts to detect a muon EDM at PSI and contributes to a broader understanding of spin-precession systematic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic mutation of RUNX1 is implicated in various hematological malignancies, including myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and previous studies using mouse models disclosed its critical roles in hematopoiesis. However, the role of RUNX1 in human hematopoiesis has never been tested in experimental settings. Familial platelet disorder (FPD)/AML is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by germline mutation of RUNX1, marked by thrombocytopenia and propensity to acute leukemia. To investigate the physiological function of RUNX1 in human hematopoiesis and pathophysiology of FPD/AML, we derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from three distinct FPD/AML pedigrees (FPD-iPSCs) and examined their defects in hematopoietic differentiation. By in vitro differentiation assays, FPD-iPSCs were clearly defective in the emergence of hematopoietic progenitors and differentiation of megakaryocytes, and overexpression of wild-type (WT)-RUNX1 reversed most of these phenotypes. We further demonstrated that overexpression of mutant-RUNX1 in WT-iPSCs did not recapitulate the phenotype of FPD-iPSCs, showing that the mutations were of loss-of-function type. Taken together, this study demonstrated that haploinsufficient RUNX1 allele imposed cell-intrinsic defects on hematopoietic differentiation in human experimental settings and revealed differential impacts of RUNX1 dosage on human and murine megakaryopoiesis. FPD-iPSCs will be a useful tool to investigate mutant RUNX1-mediated molecular processes in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This cohort study investigated the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and diet soda consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men. Methods: The participants were 2,037 employees of a factory in Japan. We measured consumption of SSB and diet soda using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual medical examinations over a 7-year period. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for diabetes were estimated after adjusting for age, body mass index, family history, and dietary and other lifestyle factors. Results: During the study, 170 participants developed diabetes. The crude incidence rates (/1,000 person-years) across participants who were rare/never SSB consumers, <1 serving/week, ≥1 serving/week and <1 serving/day, and ≥1 serving/day were 15.5, 12.7, 14.9, and 17.4, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted HR compared to rare/never SSB consumers was 1.35 (95 % CI 0.80-2.27) for participants who consumed ≥1 serving/day SSB. Diet soda consumption was significantly associated with the incident risk of diabetes ( P for trend = 0.013), and multivariate-adjusted HRs compared to rare/never diet soda consumers were 1.05 (0.62-1.78) and 1.70 (1.13-2.55), respectively, for participants who consumed <1 serving/week and ≥1 serving/week. Conclusions: Consumption of diet soda was significantly associated with an increased risk for diabetes in Japanese men. Diet soda is not always effective at preventing type 2 diabetes even though it is a zero-calorie drink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:We and others previously reported the prognostic significance of PTEN mutational status on favourable survival in endometrial carcinomas. Here, we demonstrate that loss of PTEN expression in immunohistochemistry is an independent prognostic marker for favourable survival in endometrial carcinomas.Methods:We conducted immunohistochemical analyses of PTEN, PIK3CA, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), and p27 in primary endometrial carcinomas from 221 patients. Mutation of PTEN was analysed further.Results:Expression of PTEN was lost in 56 patients (25%), and PIK3CA was overexpressed in 159 patients (72%). Overexpression of PIK3CA was associated with p-Akt overexpression (P<0.001), which was in turn associated with loss of nuclear p27 expression (P=0.028). Loss of PTEN expression was found to be associated with endometrioid histology (P=0.03), and was inversely associated with the presence of lymphovascular space invasion (P=0.03). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses revealed that factors of PTEN loss, age <70, histological grade 1, early International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and absence of lymphovascular invasion were independent prognostic indicators for better overall survival (P=0.03, 0.04, 0.01, <0.001, and 0.03, respectively). The subset analysis showed a stronger tendency of PTEN loss towards favourable survival in advanced-stage (III and IV) disease than in early-stage (I and II) disease (P=0.05 vs 0.14). Moreover, our mutational analysis demonstrated that PTEN expression loss was associated with PTEN-truncating mutations (P=0.03).Conclusion:The current observations further support the prognostic significance of PTEN aberration on favourable outcome in endometrial carcinomas, providing useful implications for the individualised management of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Steroid sulphatase (STS) is one of the steroid-metabolising enzymes involved in desulphating inactive steroid sulphates and oestrogen sulphotransferase (EST) sulphates active oestrogen. The roles of both STS and EST have not been examined in oestrogen-dependent non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:We evaluated the immunoreactivity of STS and EST in NSCLC cases using immunohistochemistry. The function of STS and EST was further demonstrated using NSCLC cell lines.Results:The immunoreactivity of STS and EST was detected in 49.5% and 27.8% of NSCLC cases, respectively. The immunoreactivity of STS was significantly higher in female adenocarcinoma cases. The STS-positive NSCLCs were also significantly correlated in an inversed manner with tumour size and cell proliferation and tended to be associated with better clinical outcome. However, the immunoreactivity of EST was significantly correlated with intracellular oestradiol concentration. Results of in vitro analysis demonstrated that oestrone sulphate (E1-S) induced and pregnenolone sulphate (Preg-S) inhibited the proliferation in STS-expressing cell lines. The inhibition by Preg-S was reversed by a specific progesterone receptor blocker. Simultaneous addition of E1-S and Preg-S significantly suppressed the proliferation.Conclusion:In NSCLC patients, STS is considered a good prognostic factor. Results of our present study also indicated the benefits of potential progesterone therapy for NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the relationship between the HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the risk of cardiovascular events in Asian populations, which have lower levels of HOMA-IR than Western populations. Accordingly, we determined the predictive value of HOMA-IR for cardiovascular risk in a Japanese population that was apparently free of diabetes, addressing whether insulin resistance itself increases cardiovascular risk independently of other relevant metabolic disorders. We followed 2,548 non-diabetic men aged 35 to 59 years for 11 years. The hazard ratios for the incidence of cardiovascular events due to increased HOMA-IR were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model that was adjusted for potential confounding factors. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio for cardiovascular events compared with the first quartile of HOMA-IR (≤0.66) was 1.07 (95% CI 0.44–2.64) for the second (HOMA-IR 0.67–1.01), 1.36 (0.56–3.28) for the third (HOMA-IR 1.02–1.51) and 2.50 (1.02–6.10) for the fourth quartile (HOMA-IR ≥1.52). The hazard ratio associated with a one SD (0.61) increment in log-transformed HOMA-IR was 1.51 (1.13–2.02). A similar positive relationship was observed for coronary events and stroke. In addition, the relationship between HOMA-IR and cardiovascular risk was broadly similar in participants with and without hypertension, dyslipidaemia (elevated triacylglycerol and/or reduced HDL-cholesterol), abdominal obesity and current smoking. Increased HOMA-IR predicted subsequent cardiovascular events in non-diabetic Japanese men. The association was independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and other relevant metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) often occurs after surgery and can even occur before surgery in patients with gynaecological malignancies. We investigated the incidence of VTE before treatment of endometrial cancer and associated risk factors. Plasma D-dimer (DD) levels before initial treatment were examined in 171 consecutive patients with endometrial cancer. Venous ultrasound imaging (VUI) of the lower extremities was performed in patients with DD >or=1.5 microg ml(-1), as the negative predictive value of DD for VTE is extremely high. For patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary scintigraphy was performed to ascertain the presence of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Risk factors for VTE were analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses for 171 patients. Of these, 37 patients (21.6%) showed DD >or=1.5 microg ml(-1), 17 (9.9%) displayed DVT by VUI and 8 (4.7%) showed PTE on pulmonary scintigraphy. All patients with VTE were asymptomatic. Univariate analysis for various risk factors revealed older age, non-endometrioid histology and several variables of advanced disease as significantly associated with VTE before treatment. Obesity, smoking and diabetes mellitus were not risk factors. Multivariate analysis confirmed extrauterine spread and non-endometrioid histology as independently and significantly associated with risk of VTE. These data suggest that silent or subclinical VTE occurs before treatment in at least around 10% of patients with endometrial cancer. Risk factors for VTE before treatment might not be identical to those after starting treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase transitions of α,α-trehalose dihydrate ( T h) were investigated by either differential thermal analysis (DTA) with an in-house apparatus of variable-pressure type equipped with an open sample holder or commercially available TG (thermal gravimetry)-DTA apparatus for comparison under the same experimental conditions as to the heating rate (2°C min−1), the type of pan (open), and the particle size of T h (63 μm). The former DTA measurements were carried out under five different total pressures, 101, 75, 61, 48 and 35 kPa, which provided quite helpful information necessary for confirmative assignments of the endothermic peaks due to either melting or dehydration of T h. The usage of largely different amount of T h, 126 and 14 mg for the DTA and TG-DTA measurements respectively, led to their different DTA traces, showing that there were largely different extents of the influence by the measured sample surface exposed to the surrounding atmosphere on its dehydration behavior. In addition the high thermal sensitivity achieved with such mass of T h gave rise to an interesting discovery of an unidentified thermal event at 92°C prior to either melting or dehydration of T h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) such as deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) often occurs after surgery and rarely occurs even before surgery in patients with ovarian cancer. It is well known that levels of plasma D-dimer (DD) before treatment in most ovarian cancer patients are increased. This study therefore examined whether increased levels of DD are associated with presence of VTE before treatment of ovarian cancer. Between November 2004 and March 2007, DD levels prior to initial treatment were measured in 72 consecutive patients with presumed epithelial ovarian cancer (final diagnosis: epithelial ovarian cancer, n=60; and epithelial ovarian borderline malignancy, n=12). Venous ultrasound imaging (VUI) of the lower extremity was conducted for all patients except for two patients in whom DVT was detected by pelvic computed tomography (CT). When DVT was found, pulmonary scintigraphy was subsequently performed to ascertain presence of PTE. D-dimer levels were above the cut-off value (0.5 μg ml−1) in 65 of 72 patients (90.2%). Venous ultrasound imaging or CT revealed DVT in 18 of 72 patients (25.0%) and pulmonary scintigraphy found PTE in 8 patients (11.1%). All patients with VTE were asymptomatic when VTE was found. D-dimer levels were associated with incidence of VTE (0–1.4 μg ml−1; 0 of 26 (0%), 1.5–7.4 μg ml−1; 9 of 30 (30%) and 7.5 μg ml−1; 9 of 16 (56.3%), P for trend=0.0003). However, even if 1.5 μg ml−1 was used as a cut-off value, this had low specificity and positive predictive value (47.2, 38.3%), though it had high sensitivity and negative predictive value (100, 100%). Therefore, ovarian cancer patients with DD level 1.5 μg ml−1 should be examined using VUI to detect silent DVT. Patients with VTE underwent preventive managements including anticoagulant therapy before initial treatment, chemotherapy or surgery, and after surgery. There was no clinical onset of postoperative VTE in all 72 patients. Measurement of DD levels and subsequent ultrasonography revealed that silent or subclinical VTE frequently occurs before surgery in ovarian cancer. The usefulness of preoperative assessment of VTE needs further confirmation in randomised controlled trials.British Journal of Cancer (2007) 97, 1053–1057. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603989 www.bjcancer.com Published online 25 September 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Genes involved in OXPHOS have been reported to be down-regulated in skeletal muscle from patients with type 2 diabetes; however, hepatic regulation is unknown. We analysed expression of genes involved in OXPHOS from the livers of 14 patients with type 2 diabetes and 14 subjects with NGT using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and DNA chip analysis. We evaluated the correlation between expression levels of genes involved in OXPHOS and the clinical parameters of individuals with type 2 diabetes and NGT. Both gene analyses showed that genes involved in OXPHOS were significantly upregulated in the type 2 diabetic liver. In the SAGE analysis, tag count comparisons of mitochondrial transcripts showed that ribosomal RNAs (rRNA) were 3.5-fold over-expressed, and mRNAs were 1.2-fold over-expressed in the type 2 diabetes library. DNA chip analysis revealed that expression of genes involved in OXPHOS, which correlated with several nuclear factors, including estrogen-related receptor-α or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, was a predictor of fasting plasma glucose levels, independently of age, BMI, insulin resistance and fasting insulin levels ( p = 0.04). Surprisingly, genes involved in OXPHOS did not correlate with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α or nuclear respiratory factor 1. Our results indicate that upregulation of genes involved in OXPHOS in the liver, which are regulated by different mechanisms from genes in the skeletal muscle, is associated with fasting hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octacalcium phosphate (OCP) is thought to be a precursor of the mineral crystals in biological apatite. Synthetic OCP has been shown to be converted into an apatite structure when implanted in murine calvarial bone, to enhance bone regeneration more than synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA), and to degrade faster than biodegradable beta-tricalcium phosphate. This study was designed to investigate whether OCP implantation enhances the formation and resorption of new bone (remodeling) concomitant with OCP degradation when implanted intramedullary in a rabbit femur for 12 weeks, compared to sintered HA ceramic. Histological and histomorphometric analyses using undecalcified specimens showed that the area of bone apposition was significantly higher on OCP than on HA between 2 and 3 weeks, whereas it subsequently became smaller on OCP than on HA. The area attacked by multinucleated giant cells, including tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells, was significantly higher for OCP than for HA at 8 weeks. Radiography revealed resorption of OCP but not of HA. The results disclose some osteoconductive characteristics of synthetic OCP in the bone marrow space: (1) enhancement of bone regeneration at the initial bone apposition stage and (2) stimulation of resorption of the newly formed bone coupled with OCP biodegradation mediated by TRAP-positive osteoclast-like cells. These results suggest that synthetic OCP would be a more useful bone substitute than HA in implant applications where rapid bone formation and concomitant implant resorption are important considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently discovered new mechanism of light emission from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) compared with well-known conventional mechanisms is reviewed. The new mechanism was found for nanoscale structures which are composed of silicon (Si) dangling bonds on Si(001) surfaces. When an STM tip made of tungsten is located above Si dangling bond sites, visible light is emitted at a quantum efficiency of the order of 10-6 photons/electron. Light is generated by radiative dipole transitions between the surface state of the tip and that of the sample. In the visible-light emission, optical selection rules still apply. The linear polarization of isochromat light emitted from the tunneling gap between an STM tip and a Si(001) sample strongly depends on the bias voltage between the tip and the sample. The results show that the p* and s* surface states of the sample contribute to the emission of p-polarized and s-polarized light, respectively, in accordance with optical selection rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by excessive hepatic glucose production and frequently leads to systemic vascular complications. We therefore analysed the relationship between the gene expression profile in the liver and the pathophysiology of Type 2 diabetes. Methods. Liver biopsy samples were obtained from twelve patients with Type 2 diabetes and from nine non-diabetic patients. To assay gene expression globally in the livers of both groups, we made complementary DNA (cDNA) microarrays consisting of 1080 human cDNAs. Relative expression ratios of individual genes were obtained by comparing cyanine 5-labelled cDNA from the patients with cyanine 3-labelled cDNA from reference RNA from the liver of a non-diabetic patient. Results. On assessing the similarities of differentially expressed genes, the gene expression profiles of the twelve diabetic patients formed a separate cluster from those of the non-diabetic patients. Of the 1080 genes assayed, 105 (9.7%) were up-regulated and 134 (12%) were down-regulated in the diabetic livers (p<0.005). The genes up-regulated in the diabetic patients included those encoding angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor, endothelin and platelet-derived growth factor. They also included TGF superfamily genes such as TGFA and TGFB1 as well as bone morphogenetic proteins. Among the down-regulated genes in the diabetic patients were molecules defending against stress, e.g. flavin-containing monooxygenase and superoxide dismutase. Conclusions/interpretation. These findings suggest that livers of patients with Type 2 diabetes have gene expression profiles indicative of an increased risk of systemic vascular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical devices must be sterilized before shipping. During sterilization the quality of the medical device must be maintained. Polysulfone (PS) and polycarbonate (PC) are often used as materials for medical devices. It has been observed that compounds inhibiting bacterial growth are produced when PS or PC are sterilized by autoclaving or by use of ozone gas, especially when ozone gas is used to sterilize PS. This study was conducted to identify the compounds inhibiting bacterial growth. An ethanol extract of the sterilized PS or PC was analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry–UV photodiode array (210–350nm) for identification and determination of the inhibitors. Bisphenol A, 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone (bisphenol S), and 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone were identified in PS sterilized with ozone gas. Bisphenol A was also identified in PC sterilized with ozone gas. Bisphenol A was not a major inhibitor of bacterial growth because the extent of inhibition did not correlate with the amount of bisphenol A produced. Inhibition by 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone was greater than by bisphenol S and correlated with the amount produced; the major inhibitor might therefore be 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone. The combined effect of bisphenol S and 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone might be a more realistic measure of the exact amount of inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The choice of treatment modalities for the post-surgical recurrence of lung cancer is still controversial despite the frequency of its occurrence. Because there are various recurrence and progression patterns in recurrent lung cancer, it is important to clarify those factors which have prognostic significance. These prognostic factors would be helpful for clinicians' decision-making in terms of treatment directions. Methods. To explore treatment directions for the post-surgical recurrence of lung cancer, we analyzed findings in 123 patients who died of recurrence, and identified factors of prognostic importance by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results. The median survival time (MST) and 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates of the 123 patients were 218 days and 30.8%, 13.8% and 3.3%, respectively. The survival time according to the first relapse site was examined, and lung was most favorable (MST, 353 days). Liver and bone were unfavorable (MST, 188 and 166 days, respectively). On univariate analysis, patients with a relapse-free period of 1 year or more after surgery survived for significantly longer than patients who developed recurrence less than 1 year after surgery (MST, 286 days vs 190 days, respectively; P < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, the relapse-free period proved to be the most important prognostic factor. Conclusion. We suggest that patients who develop recurrence 1 year or more after surgery may be better off being followed-up with supportive measures, rather than with chemotherapy, because they have a relatively favorable prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanometer–sized Cr clusters in the size rage of 8.5–13 nm have been produced by a plasma gas condensation-type cluster deposition apparatus, which combines a glow–discharge sputtering technique with an inert gas condensation technique. We have studied the effects of sputter power, Ar gas pressure, PAr, and Ar gas flow rate, VAr, on the size distribution of Cr clusters by transmission electron microscopy. The cluster size is insensitive to the sputter power, while the nucleation process is promoted when the sputter power is increased. Monodispersive Cr clusters are formed at both low PAr and low VAr, where the nucleation and growth processes are definitely separated, and the coagulation of growing particles is prohibited. In the present experiments, these conditions are effectively attained by the use of a carrier gas flow and liquid nitrogen cooling of the cluster growth region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the expression of smooth muscle cytoskeleton in spindle-shaped cells in the capsule of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the septa of liver cirrhosis (LC). Serial sections of livers resected from 11 patients were stained with monoclonal antibodies against vimentin, desmin, smooth muscle actin (1A4, HHF35, CGA7) and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms (SM1, SM2). Capsular spindle-shaped cells exhibited a cytoskeletal feature indicative of intermediately differentiated smooth muscle cells. Computer-assisted morphometry revealed that the proportions of 1A4-, HHF35-, CGA7- and SM1- positive areas to vimentin-positive area were 88.0+/-11.0%, 50.8+/-17.4%, 25.3+/-16.4% and 19.4+/-12.4% (n=11) in main tumours and 86.6+/-9.4%, 50.9+/-18.7%, 21.1+/-12.3% and 17.6+/-9.7% (n=12) in daughter tumours, indicating that spindle-shaped cells are heterogeneous in cytoskeletal expression. Septal spindle-shaped cells in LC lacked the cytoskeletal proteins specific to differentiated smooth muscle cells (CGA7, SM1, SM2 and desmin). Electron microscopically, capsular spindle-shaped cells contained more microfilaments and less rough endoplasmic reticulum than do septal cells. Intermediately differentiated smooth muscle cells are induced in the capsule of HCC but not in the septa of LC, suggesting a role for stromal interaction by tumour cells in the induction of smooth muscle cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrated alkaline earth cyclo-octaphosphates were made by adding an aqueous solution of alkaline earth chlorides into an aqueous solution of sodium cyclo-octaphosphate. Thermal properties of the compounds were studied by TG-DTA analysis. The water of crystallization was removed below 200°C. The cyclo-octaphosphates decomposed to produce many phosphate species up to about 500°C, and they finally reorganized to metaphosphates. The overall thermal reaction of alkaline earth cyclo-octaphosphates can be written by the equation. M4(PO3)8 · nH2O → 4M(PO3)2 + nH2O [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of 29 infants with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 14 (48%) had various 11q23 translocations. MLL rearrangements were examined in 21 of the 29 patients, and 11 (52%) showed the rearrangements. 11q23 translocations and/or MLL rearrangements were found in 17 (58%) of the 29 patients. While all but one of the 17 patients with 11q23/MLL rearrangements had M4 or M5 type of the FAB classification, the 12 patients without such rearrangements had various FAB types, including M2, M4, M4EO, M6 and M7. Of the 12 patients with other chromosome abnormalities or normal karyotypes, two had inv(16) ort(16;16), one had t(1;22)(p13;q13), and two had a novel translocation, t(7;12)(q32;p13). The breakpoint on 12p of the t(7;12) was assigned to intron 1 or the region just upstream of exon 1 of the TEL/ETV6 gene by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The event-free survival at 5 years for the 17 patients with 11q23/MLL rearrangements was 42.2%, and that for the 12 patients without such rearrangements was 31.3% (P = 0.5544). 11q231MLL rearrangements have been frequently reported and a poor prognosis in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia implied. Our study showed that while 11q23/MLL rearrangements were also common in infant AML, AML infants with such rearrangements had a clinical outcome similar to that of AML infants without such rearrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a 7-year-old boy with renovascular hypertension showing multiple stenoses and microaneurysms of the dorsal branch of the left renal artery caused by fibromuscular dysplasia. Hypertension was successfully treated with transcatheter alcohol and gelatin sponge embolization of the dorsal branch and its distribution. The vertebral branch remained intact. No severe complication was encountered. Loss of renal function by renal scintigraphy was minimal. The patient remains asymptomatic at 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated histologically the effect of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in five metastatic liver tumors from gastrointestinal cancer, which were resected at surgery or removed at autopsy after TAE. TAE was carried out with cubes of gelatin sponge; in 2 cases, iodized oil was used as peripheral embolic material. Histological examination revealed three tumors to be completely necrotized. Approximately 80% of the remaining two tumors were necrotic. Our data suggest that TAE holds promise in the treatment of metastatic liver tumor from gastrointestinal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the relative predictive accuracy of three lexicographical solution concepts within a context of eight 3-person, cooperative, superadditive, side-payment games with non-empty core. The solution concepts include the nucleolus [ Schmeidler], the disruption nucleolus [ Littlechild/Vaidya], and the 2-center solution [ Spinetto, 1971]. The experiment involved 480 subjects (half male, half female) who participated in 160 randomly formed 3-person groups. Results indicate that the disruption nucleolus is significantly more accurate than the nucleolus ( p<.01), which in turn is significantly more accurate than the 2-center solution ( p<.01). These findings are discussed in terms of the lexicographical structure of the theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The swelling volume of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PIPAAm) gel in aprotic solvents (acetonitrile (AcN)-, tetrahydrofuran (THF)-, 1,4-dioxane (DO)- and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO))-water mixtures was measured at 25°C. The gel swollen in water shrank first and then reswelled with addition of the aprotic solvents. At an intermediate mole fraction (XDMSO) range of DMSO-water mixtures, the gel demonstrated a 'reentrant' swelling phenomenon the hydrated gel shrank first on addition of a small amount of solvent, showed a typical wide reentrant transition, and gradually reswelled in the range near pure solvent. On the other hand, the gels in AcN-, THF-, and DO-water mixtures demonstrated a 'reentrant-convex' swelling phenomenon: the gels reswelled after a reentrant phase transition in low Xorg (XAcN, XTHF and XDO), showed a maximum swelling in the intermediate Xorg region, and shrank again gradually in the high Xorg region. Such a swelling behavior of the gel was interpreted by correlating with solution properties of the aqueous aprotic solvent mixtures. The strength of hydrogen bonding around amide groups of the homopolymer was examined in pure solvents (water, THF, and DMSO) and in all proportion of aqueous THF to observe the relation with swelling behavior of gel by spectrum analysis of the amide I and II bands of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The swelling properties of gels in solvents and the aqueous mixtures were well correlated with the peak shifts of amide groups of the homopolymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a child with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed late-onset multiple complications after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an HLA-matched sibling. The preparative regimen consisted of total body irradiation (TBI, 12 Gy), splenic irradiation (6 Gy) and cytosine arabinoside (3 g/m2 × 10). Splenic irradiation was added because of persistent splenomegaly in spite of intensive chemotherapy. He developed bronchial asthma 1½ years post transplant. He presented with microhematuria and proteinuria 4½ years post-transplant, which were due to unilateral left renal dysfunction. He developed type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus 8 years post-transplant. A biopsy from the left kidney was not compatible with diabetic nephropathy. All these complications appear to be independently related to BMT, particularly TBI and/or splenic irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes in the number and distributions of vertebral fractures were studied from the long-term observations (average 7 years) of 21 spinal osteoporotic patients. Distribution of wedge fractures was biphasic with peak frequencies at the midthoracic and thoracolumbar spine. Biconcave fractures occurred predominantly in the lumbar spine. These patterns of distribution did not change during the period of observation. The rate of biconcave fracture increased, the rate of wedge fracture decreased, and that of collapse remained the constant in follow-up. The changes in the number of fractures were divided into three types: increasing, plateau, and unchanged type. With the advance of osteoporosis, the increasing type was considered to change into the plateau type, which is probably the terminal stage of spinal osteoporosis. The unchanged type, in contrast, was distinct from the other two types because of increased spinal bone mineral density and decreased urinary calcium, which suggests that spinal osteoporosis is heterogeneous with regard to calcium metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volume and compressibility changes on mixing of water and poly(ethylene glycol 400) were measured with a vibration densimeter and a sing-around velocimeter over the whole mole fraction at various temperatures. The apparent molar expansibility and compressibility of water were calculated and characterized by distinct maxima and minima, respectively. These results may be attributed to the hydration behavior of the polymer chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case is reported of a traumatic middle meningeal arteriovenous fistula, which was formed on the contralateral side to the head injury without a skull fracture and was no longer demonstrable on the repeated angiogram after 35 days without any surgical intervention. Possible mechanisms of fistula formation and its spontaneous closure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of what appeared to be a primary leiomyosarcoma of the left pubic bone of a female aged 23 years. Forty-eight cases of the tumour have been recorded in the literature since 1944, only two of which were in the pelvis. The tumour in our patient was treated by curettage and there was no recurrence in the following 3 years. The tumour cells showed only mild cellular atypism and 2 to 3 mitoses per 10 high-power fields. These finding suggest that the tumour might be an extremely rare leiomyoma of bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We attempted to determine wheter all cases of AWTA (anirida-Wilms tumor association) or any of the following groups of patients show 11p deletion: cases of Wilms tumor with congenital abnormalities other than aniridia, those without any congenital abnormalities, tumor itself in cases of Wilsm tumor without constitutional 11p deletion and cases of aniridia or hemihypertrophy without Wilms tumor. We studied a total of 29 index patients including five cases of AWTA, four cases of Wilms tumor with various congenital abnormalities, 16 cases of Wilms tumor without other abnormalities, three cases of aniridia in one of which Wilms tumor developed later and a case of hemihypertrophy. In all five cases of AWTA and in a case of aniridia who later developed Wilms tumor, 11p deletion involving the p13 band was detected. The mother of the latter also showed an identical 11p deletion. The common segment of deletion was the middle part of the p13. Two possible hypotheses on the mechanism through which Wilms tumor might develop were evaluated, based on the distribution of break points. All other cases, including five with tumor culture, showed a normal karyotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview is given of the current spectroscopic effort on the Oxford electron beam ion trap. Recent results from three different experiments are discussed: a precision measurement of the 1s2s3S1–1s2p3P2 transition in helium-like neon by VUV emission spectroscopy, a measurement of the two-electron contribution to the ground state energy of helium-like argon using absorption edge spectroscopy, and a study of the lifetime of the 1s22s2p3P2 level in beryllium-like argon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the antitumor effect of oral administration of etoposide and arabinofuranosylcytosine-5'-stearylphosphate (C18PCA) against P388 ascites tumors in B6D2F1 mice. Etoposide (25 mg/kg) and C18PCA (5 mg/kg) were given orally on days 1-5 after tumor inoculation. The median life span of the mice treated with etoposide or C18PCA alone was 19.5 and 18 days, respectively. The combination of both drugs significantly extended the median life span to 33 days. To clarify this enhancement of the increase in median life span, we examined intracellular deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools, cell-cycle distribution, DNA fragmentation, and the time course of the plasma drug concentration. Etoposide had no effect on intracellular dNTP pools in this experimental system, whereas treatment of cells with C18PCA or with the combination of both drugs resulted in a significant increase in dTTP pools to values ranging from 1.8- to 2.0-fold higher than the control levels. There was a significant increase in cells in the S + G2/M phase when cells had been treated with both etoposide and C18PCA. Agarose-gel electrophoresis of the extracted DNA revealed that C18PCA enhanced the fragmentation of DNA, with a length of about 180 bp being induced by etoposide. The plasma peak levels of etoposide (1000 nM) and ara-C (50 nM) were observed at 20 and 30 min after the simultaneous administration of both drugs, respectively. The plasma etoposide level gradually decreased to 10% of the peak level at 240 min after administration. On the other hand, the plasma concentration of ara-C was maintained at above 20 nM at 240 min. These observations suggest that C18PCA and etoposide act on P388 murine leukemic cells by accumulating cells in the S + G2/M phase. Even if the plasma concentration of ara-C is low, the repair of DNA damage by etoposide may be hindered in the presence of ara-C following an increase in DNA fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylglyoxal bis(3-aminopropylamidinohydrazone (MGBA) inhibited S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) activity competitively with S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), showing a Ki value of 2.60 x 10(-5) M. It also inhibited ornithine decarboxylase competitively with ornithine, showing a Ki value of 3.80 x 10(-5) M. MGBA inhibited the growth of human erythroid leukemia K562 cells. Putrescine, spermidine, and spermine concentrations in MGBA-treated cells were depressed to 19%, 36%, and 66% of the values of control cells, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboplatin, a second generation cisplatin analogue, was tested for induction of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) as well as chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo. A dose-dependent effect was observed for increased frequency of metaphases with SCE (r = 0.984, P less than 0.001) as well as chromosomal aberrations (r = 0.994, P less than 0.001), primarily chromatid gap or break, in vitro. SCE induction by carboplatin was less than that by cisplatin at the same concentration. When patients were treated with a single dose of carboplatin at a dose of 450 mg/m2, the frequency of SCE and chromatid type aberrations increased significantly. However, even when considering dose and peak plasma concentration in patients receiving carboplatin, it appears that the ability of carboplatin to induce SCE and chromosomal aberrations is weaker than that of cisplatin. SCE frequencies induced by carboplatin decreased with time going by, and in one patient who was tested 5 weeks after treatment, SCE frequency showed a decrease to the pretreatment level. It thus appears that carboplatin has an improved therapeutic index over the parent compound, cisplatin, because of its less mutagenic or carcinogenic hazard, in addition to the largely reduced incidence of untoward effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of carboplatin and cisplatin on colony formation in stomach and lung cancer cell lines were examined and compared. The colony-inhibitory activity of carboplatin against stomach and lung cancer cell lines was similar to that of cisplatin when one-tenth of the peak plasma concentration of each drug was used (r = 0.80). One of the four stomach cancer cell lines was sensitive to carboplatin although all the stomach cancer cell lines were resistant to cisplatin. Of the three small cell lung cancer cell lines tested, two were sensitive to both carboplatin and cisplatin, and only one cell line (N857) was resistant to cisplatin; all the non-small cell cancer cell lines tested were resistant to both drugs. On the basis of these preliminary results, we suggest that carboplatin has potential therapeutic activity against stomach cancer and should be evaluated carefully from this aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunohistochemical examination was performed of serial sections of 24 normal human adult cervical tissues and 53 human cervical carcinomas including 36 cases with lymph node metastasis. For this investigation, monoclonal antibodies directed to Lewis-X, Lewis-Y, sialyl-dimeric Lewis-X (SDLX), sialyl-Tn (STn) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were used. STn and CEA antigens were expressed very weakly in the normal cervical epithelium but strongly in the cancer cells, indicating the antigens to be oncogenic antigens of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. No significant difference in immunoreactivity was observed between primary and metastatic lesions of carcinoma or between primary lesions with and without metastasis. However, the expression patterns of STn and Lewis-Y antigens were quite different between primary lesions and metastatic lesions. In primary lesions the cancer cell nests tended to be stained centrally, but in metastatic lesions the cancer cell nests tended to be stained peripherally. This finding may reflect an important role of these carbohydrate chains in the process of metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma to regional lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports a case of HLA-B27-associated uveitis where very severe retinal vasculitis resulted in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Best-corrected visual acuity of the patient; Observations from fundoscopic examination and purified-protein derivative skin test; Need to perform panretinal photocoagulation.

Background. We investigated the usefulness of the uracil loading test to detect human carriers of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) and dihydropyrimidinase (DHPase) deficiencies. Methods. Our subjects consisted of family A (including a patient, a 37-year-old man with a urinary dihydrouracil (DHU) level of 185.4 μmol/mmol creatinine [Cre]); family B (including a patient, a 3-month-old girl with a DHU level of 154.3 μmol/mmol Cre); and ten healthy volunteers. Oral loading tests were performed with 10 mg/kg of uracil to examine changes in the serum and urinary levels of uracil and dihydrouracil in the subjects. Results. The uracil loading test showed the highest levels of urinary DHU 120 min after loading in the mother and father of the patient in family A (52.2 and 65.4 μmol/mmol Cre, respectively) and the mother of the patient in family B (66.4 μmol/mmol Cre). Conclusion. These urinary DHU levels were higher than those in the ten healthy adults, which led us to diagnose these individuals with high DHU levels as human carriers of DHPase deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graft rejection has been a problem after bone marrow transplantation for patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Ten children with SAA were conditioned for bone marrow transplantation from HLA-identical siblings, using cyclophosphamide (CY, 50 mg/kg) plus antithymocyte globulin (ATG, 15 mg/kg ) for 4 successive days. Marrow was infused 36 h after the last dose of CY. Cyclosporin A and methotrexate were administered as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. All patients achieved durable engraftment at follow-up of 7–41+ months (mean, 25) without significant GVHD. Since investigators have used different sources, doses, and time schedules of ATG, we compared our results with other published reports. We conclude that CY/ATG conditioning is well tolerated and effective in children with SAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 4-year-old boy with Diamond–Blackfan anemia and a history of multiple transfusions underwent umbilical cord blood transplantation from his HLA-identical female sibling born by vaginal delivery at 38 weeks. The patient was prepared with busulfan, cyclophosphamide and antilymphocyte globulin. Methotrexate and cyclosporin A were given for the prophylaxis of GVHD. Regimen-related toxicity was not observed and successful engraftment occurred, including the erythroid series. No evidence of acute or chronic GVHD has been observed for 14 months after transplantation. This is the first case of successful umbilical cord blood transplantation to a patient with Diamond–Blackfan anemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two patients with mixed hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma underwent partial hepatectomy after magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Correlation is made with the histopathologic manifestations. In both cases the tumors showed relative low signal intensities on T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) images and high signal intensities on T2-weighted SE images. Dynamic MR imaging showed the enhancement from the periphery of the tumor to the inner area gradually and the enhancement continued into the delayed phase. With both cases fibrosis was marked in the inner area of the tumor compared to the peripheral area. The extent and degree of fibrotic tissue is considered to reflect the enhancement on dynamic MR imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor referring to an article on bleb-related endopthalmitis caused by group B streptococcus, previously published in the July 2003 issue of the periodical.

Cytogenetic and molecular-genetic characteristics in peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTL) have not been well defined, except for those in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL/L). Translocations and inversions involving a chromosome band 14q32 were extremely common abnormalities reported in PTL and ATL/L. We studied the involvement of TCL1, a recently isolated gene located in 14q32.1, in tumor tissues from 20 patients with PTL including three with 14q32 translocations by two color fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using two cosmid probes flanking the TCL1 gene. The two cosmid signals were separated in none of them, but much increased in number in one tumor without 14q32 translocation, indicating that the TCL1 genomic region was amplified in this tumor. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), however, failed to detect the TCL1 transcript in the tumor. These findings suggest that an oncogene other than TCL1 may be located in 14q32.1, and its amplification may be involved in the neoplastic process of PTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]