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Several diseases or conditions cause dermatological disorders that hinder the process of skin repair. The search for novel technologies has inspired the combination of stem cell (SC) and light-based therapies to ameliorate skin wound repair. Herein, we systematically revised the impact of photobiomodulation therapy (PBM) combined with SCs in animal models of skin wounds and quantitatively evaluated this effect through a meta-analysis. For inclusion, SCs should be irradiated in vitro or in vivo, before or after being implanted in animals, respectively. The search resulted in nine eligible articles, which were assessed for risk of bias. For the meta-analysis, studies were included only when PBM was applied in vivo, five regarding wound closure, and three to wound strength. Overall, a positive influence of SC + PBM on wound closure (mean difference: 9.69; 95% CI: 5.78-13.61, P 0.00001) and strength (standardized mean difference: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.68-2.72, P = 0.001) was detected, although studies have shown moderate to high heterogeneity and a lack of information regarding some bias domains. Altogether, PBM seems to be an enabling technology able to be applied postimplantation of SCs for cutaneous regeneration. Our findings may guide future laboratory and clinical studies in hopes of offering wound care patients a better quality of life.

This study investigated how people respond emotionally to and make sense of the experience of being on the receiving end of an angry relationship partner's attempted revenge. Using an interdependence theory framework, we tested hypotheses concerning the role of commitment and investigated differences due to relationship type. We asked participants (N = 439) if they had experienced revenge at the hands of either a romantic partner, family member, or associate. Among those who had (N = 254), we found support for hypotheses linking commitment with avengees' affective and evaluative responses to being the target of revenge, but little evidence that these associations vary by relationship type. Possible routes by which commitment may influence people's experiences as avengees are discussed.

In this article, we argue that approaching the study of family conflict from a revenge perspective may offer novel and important theoretical insights. In building this argument, we discuss issues associated with defining and operationalizing revenge, review research on the parameters of revenge as studied in personal relationships to date, provide illustrative examples of several contexts in which family revenge might emerge, and highlight methodological and ethical issues involved in studying revenge in family relationships.

We investigated whether people's perceptions of social norms concerning interpersonal revenge reflect a tendency for individuals to believe that others' revenge attitudes and behavior differ from their own (i.e., pluralistic ignorance). As part of a survey on revenge experiences in relationships with romantic partners, family members, and associates (e.g., friends), participants (N = 534) judged the acceptability and frequency of revenge in significant personal relationships. As expected, participants believed that others (a) saw revenge as more acceptable and (b) engaged in revenge more frequently than they did themselves. They did not, however, perceive others' revenge attitudes and behaviors to be any more variable than their own attitudes and behaviors actually were. Explanations for and implications of these findings are discussed.

BACKGROUND Although it has been suggested that the use of tachykinin receptor antagonists might prove to be an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR), they are not used clinically. Therefore, we decided to examine the effects of tachykinin receptor antagonists on AR symptoms in an appropriate experimental model. OBJECTIVE To evaluate newly developed tachykinin receptor antagonists in a Japanese cedar pollen-induced AR model and to determine their effect on allergen-induced sneezing, nasal blockage, and nasal hyperresponsiveness (NHR). METHODS Sensitized guinea-pigs were challenged by forced inhalation of pollen once every week. Sneezing and nasal blockage were observed after pollen challenges. NHR (nasal blockage) to an intranasal application of leukotriene D(4) was assessed 2 days after an antigen challenge. We also evaluated whether intranasal dosing with a tachykinin causes NHR. NK(1) and NK(2) receptor antagonists were administered before an intranasal treatment with antigen or tachykinin. Amounts of tachykinins present in nasal cavity lavage fluid were measured by an enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS Although an NK(1) and NK(2) receptor dual antagonist showed no effect on pollen-induced sneezing and biphasic nasal blockage, it did completely suppress the development of NHR. Experiments using specific NK(1) or NK(2) receptor antagonists revealed that NK(2) receptor activation was preferentially involved in the development of hyperresponsiveness. Increases in the levels of substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) in the nasal tissue were noted 20 min-1 h after the challenge. Intranasal instillation of either SP or NKA-induced NHR, which was almost completely inhibited by NK(2) receptor antagonists and partially inhibited by NK(1) receptor antagonists. CONCLUSIONS SP and NKA, which are released early after the challenge, mediate the development of NHR by preferentially activating NK(2) receptors. Therefore, NK(2) receptor antagonists might prove to be effective treatment of AR.

The structural properties of normal-type spinel ZnCr 2 Se 4 have been studied as a function of temperature by means of X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. It is found that a structural phase transition from cubic to orthorhombic symmetry occurs at 22.5 K (T c ). It is also found that, below T c , Se ions are cooperatively displaced in a pseudo-tetragonal (001) plane. Since the Cr 3+ ion has no orbital angular momentum, a CrSe 6 octahedron is not distorted by a crystal field produced by surrounding Se 2- anions. It is interpreted that the pseudo-tetragonal displacements of Se ions are induced by magnetostriction among Cr 3+ ions in CrSe 2 chains, in which Cr ions share two Se 2- with each other along (110).

Magnetic and structural phase transitions of normal-type spinel ZnCr 2 Se 4 have been studied as functions of applied magnetic field and temperature by means of neutron diffraction. It is found that the spiral spin order of Cr 3+ ions is largely affected by the magnetic field, and the satellite-like magnetic reflections are largely decreased in the magnetic field of 0.6 T < H < 1.2 T and disappear at H ≥ 1.2 T, when the magnetic field was applied vertically to an orthorhombic axis [001]. This means that the spiral configuration of the ferromagnetic CrSe 4 chains is perfectly disordered around two-fold screw axes in an orthorhombic symmetry phase (Fddd structure) by the magnetic field H ≥ 1.2 T, though the structural phase transition (T C ) between cubic and orthorhombic symmetry phases simultaneously occurs at the antiferromagnetic phase transition temperature (T N ≃ 21 K) in no magnetic field. It is also found that the main reflections show a magnetic field dependence similar to that of the magnetic reflections. Pseudo-tetragonal displacements of Se ions below T N are modulated by the applied magnetic field. The 3 T magnetic field induces a metastable structural transition at about 15 K, after initially cooling down to about 2 K in no applied magnetic field. The transition is related to the modulation from pseudo-tetragonal to pseudo-cubic displacements of Se ions.

This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2000 ISBRA Meeting in Yokohama, Japan. The chairs were Hiroshi Suwaki and Harold Kalant. The presentations were (1) Influence of ADH genotypes on acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome in Japanese, by Susumu Higuchi; (2) Use of genetic analyses to refine phenotypes related to alcohol tolerance and dependence, by John C. Crabbe; (3) Neurochemical basis for alcohol dependence, by Seitaro Ohkuma and Masashi Katsura; (4) Adenylyl cyclase and development of tolerance to addictive drugs, by Masami Yoshimura; (5) Tolerance in rat lines selectively bred for alcohol preference, by Robert C. Stewart and Ting-Kai Li; and (6) Ethanol reinforcement, dependence, and vulnerability to relapse: Interactions between neuroadaptive and conditioning factors, by Friedbert Weiss.

The deacetylation and gelation of konjac glucomannan (KGM) following alkali addition was investigated by Fourier transform infrared, while the rheological properties of KGM with different molecular weights were studied by dynamic viscoelastic measurements in shear mode and penetration force tests. It was found that gelation occurred after significant deacetylation had taken place. Rheometrical studies revealed that KGM with different molecular weights exhibited different gelation characteristics in small amplitude oscillatory shear flow. For the samples of fractionated KGM with lower molecular weights, a decrease in both the storage shear modulus (G') and loss shear modulus (G") was observed during gelation at temperatures above 75 degrees C. It is suggested that the decrease results from the wall slip between sample and measuring geometry owing to a rapid gelation process with syneresis and/or disentanglement of molecular chains adsorbed on the surface of parallel plates from those located in the bulk. Penetration force tests were employed to confirm the occurrence of slippage and thereby no decreases in rigidity of samples were observed during gelation. For the native KGM samples decreases in G' and G" during gelation were not observed, and it is suggested that this is due to the effect of the higher molecular weight and increased solution viscosity of these samples on the gelation kinetics.

We analyzed immunoreactive hCG/hCG β (IR-β) in the sera and urine of patients with trophoblastic diseases and non-trophoblastic tumors by using enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) specific for intact hCG, free hCG β, and β-core fragment of hCG (β-CF). In trophoblastic diseases, while intact hCG and free hCG β were contained in both serum and urine, the β-CF could be detected only in the urine of the patients. The relative contribution of the β-CF to the total urinary IR-β accounted for about 30-50% in normal early pregnancy and hydatidiform mole, and more than 60% in choriocarcinoma. We conclude that intact hCG should be measured in the serum rather than in the urine as a tumor marker for trophoblastic dieseases, and suggested that the ratios of intact hCG, free hCG β, and β-CF to each other may be useful indices in the differential diagnosis of trophoblastic diseases. Ectopic IR-β was also investigated in the sera and urine of the patients with cervical, endometrial, ovarian, lung, and bladder carcinomas. We found that even when IR-β could not be detected in the serum, the urine of the same patients with cancer often contained the significant amounts of IR-β. The chromatographic study indicated that these urinary IR-β were essentially attributed to β-CF, leading to the evaluation of urinary β-CF as a tumor marker. The positive rated of urinary β-CF were 48% for cervical, 38% for endometrial, and 84% for ovarian, 40% for lung, and 42% for bladder carcinomas. We conclude that ectopic production of hCG β by non-trophoblastic tumors is not a rare phenomenon and it can be recognized as a tumor marker when β-CF is measured in urine of the patients.

We developed seven polymorphic microsatellite loci for Myrmica kotokui from RAPD (rapid analysis of polymorphic DNA) fragments. These loci showed two to six alleles with expected and observed heterozygosity of 0.13–0.73 and 0.14–0.78, respectively. These loci are transferable to the congeneric species as Myrmica rubra , Myrmica luteola and Myrmica taediosa from northern Japan. These loci will allow analyses of genetic structure of Myrmica species at both the colony level and population levels.

1. The possible roles of glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as inhibitory transmitters in the spinal dorsal horn were studied by intracellular recordings from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurones in transverse slices of the adult rat spinal cord which retained an attached dorsal root. 2. Stimulation of primary afferent A delta fibres evoked an initial excitatory postsynaptic potential (fast EPSP) followed by a short and/or long inhibitory postsynaptic potential (short and long IPSP). The short IPSP, observed in twenty-nine SG neurones (37%) which received inhibitory inputs, had a mean latency of 3.6 ms and a half-decay time of 11 ms, while the long IPSP had a mean latency of 3.7 ms and a half-decay time of 42 ms and was observed in thirty-seven SG neurones (47%). The remaining twelve neurones (16%) exhibited both short and long IPSPs. Both IPSPs reversed polarity at a membrane potential of -70 +/- 4 mV. The short IPSP was reversibly blocked by the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine (0.5-2 microM), while the long IPSP was reversibly blocked by the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline (10-20 microM). 3. In the majority of SG neurones, the short and long IPSPs appeared to be disynaptic and were blocked by the non-N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (non-NMDA) receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; 5-10 microM). Both IPSPs were less sensitive (depressed by less than 30%) to the NMDA receptor antagonist DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV; 50-100 microM). 4. In ten SG neurones (13%), bath-applied glutamate (0.5-2 mM) increased the amplitude and frequency of IPSPs, which had a similar time course to that of the short IPSP evoked by afferent A delta fibres. The glutamate-induced short IPSPs were blocked by tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM) or strychnine (0.5-1 microM). In twelve neurones (16%), glutamate hyperpolarized the membrane or increased the amplitude and frequency of IPSPs that had a similar time course to that of the A delta fibre-evoked long IPSPs. The glutamate-induced membrane hyperpolarization and long IPSPs decreased in amplitude with membrane hyperpolarization and reversed polarity at -70 +/- 6 mV. These hyperpolarizing responses were blocked by tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM) or bicuculline (10 microM). 5. These observations suggest that primary afferent A delta fibres activate glycinergic and/or GABAergic interneurones primarily through the non-NMDA receptor subclass and result in inhibition of nearby SG neurones in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

1. To study the mechanism of dorsal column stimulation-induced depression of nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord, synaptic responses evoked in dorsal horn neurones by dorsal column and dorsal root stimulations were examined in a horizontal spinal cord slice of the adult rat. Intracellular recordings were made from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurones. 2. All SG neurones examined received monosynaptic inputs and/or polysynpatic inputs from both dorsal column and dorsal root. A delta fibres were probably responsible for the synaptic responses. The responses evoked by dorsal column stimulation were similar to those evoked by primary afferent A delta fibre stimulation. 3. Monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by dorsal column A delta fibres were depressed by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, suggesting that these fibres released L-glutamate or a related amino acid as a transmitter. 4. In 38 of 101 SG neurones, dorsal column stimulation evoked an initial EPSP followed by fast and/or slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs). These IPSPs reversed polarity at a membrane potential of -73 +/- 2 mV. The fast IPSPs observed in 16 of the SG neurones (42%) that received inhibitory inputs were depressed by strychnine, while the slow IPSPs observed in 22 SG neurones were depressed by bicuculline. In a few cells, a long-lasting slow IPSP with a much slower time course was detected; this IPSP was insensitive to strychnine and bicuculline, and reversed polarity at a membrane potential near -90 mV. 5. Repetitive stimulation of the dorsal column depressed the amplitude of monosynaptic EPSPs evoked by dorsal root stimulation. 6. The responses of SG neurones to dorsal column stimulation had configurations and durations similar to responses to dorsal root stimulation, and may be mediated largely by the same A delta fibres. However, a C fibre-mediated response could not be detected in SG neurones from dorsal column stimulation, although dorsal root stimulation could evoke C fibre-mediated monosynaptic EPSPs in 18 of 88 SG neurones (20%). 7. These observations suggest that SG neurones receive abundant A delta but not C fibre inputs from the dorsal column and that dorsal column stimulation inhibits primary afferent transmission in the spinal cord both by reducing transmitter release from primary A delta fibres and by hyperpolarizing SG neurones.

The existence of empty hour-glass-shaped cavities is confirmed for the crystal of the title compound, 4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2,4-trimethylchroman [systematic name: 4-(2,2,4-trimethylchroman-4-yl)phenol, C 18 H 20 O 2 ]. The structure of the cavities is essentially invariant when guest molecules are intercalated. The effects of the cage structure on 13 C NMR chemical shifts of the methyl C atoms are elucidated.

The effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in 11 patients with hemifacial spasm was investigated in a prospective placebo-controlled blinded study. The patients were treated with four sets of injections to various facial muscles, selected by clinical evaluation. Three injections were with graded doses of toxin and one was with placebo. The order of injections was random and unknown to the patients. Results were scored both subjectively by patient assessment of symptoms and objectively by blinded review of videotapes made one month after each injection. Subjective improvement occurred after 79% of injections with botulinum toxin, regardless of dose of toxin. Only 1 patient improved after placebo. Objective improvement was seen after 84% of injections with botulinum toxin. No patient showed objective improvement after placebo injection. The most frequent side effect was facial weakness, seen after 97% of injections of botulinum toxin. Facial bruising (20%), diplopia (13%), ptosis (7%), and various other mild side effects were seen less frequently. Botulinum toxin appears to be an effective and safe method of therapy for hemifacial spasm.

1. To estimate the role of renal dopaminergic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of hypertension, patients with essential hypertension and animal models of hypertension were investigated. 2. Impaired dopaminergic activity in kidneys for natriuresis was observed in patients with 'salt-sensitive' hypertension and with low-renin hypertension. 3. Decreased dopaminergic activity in kidneys was observed in the Dahl S-rats without salt loading. 4. In spontaneously hypertensive rats, renal dopamine synthesis was enhanced whereas there was a decrease of adenylate cyclase activity in renal tubules. 5. Demonstration of impaired dopaminergic mechanisms in kidneys of human and animal hypertension suggests that renal dopaminergic mechanisms play an important role in development of hypertension.

1. Fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by stimulation of A delta and C fibres were examined by intracellular recording from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurones in a transverse slice preparation of adult rat spinal cord. 2. Single low-intensity stimuli applied to the dorsal root activated A delta fibres and evoked monosynaptic EPSPs in 70% of SG neurones. In 5% of SG neurones, increasing the intensity and duration of stimulation evoked solely C fibre-mediated EPSPs. About 20% of neurones received both A delta and C fibre input from primary afferents. 3. Low concentrations of tetrodotoxin (TTX, approximately 50 nM) blocked EPSPs evoked by stimulation of A delta fibres without affecting those evoked by C fibre stimulation. Higher concentrations of TTX (500 nM) also blocked C fibre-evoked responses. 4. EPSPs evoked by A delta and C fibre stimulation reversed in polarity at membrane potentials near 0 mV, similar to the reversal potential of spontaneous EPSPs and of the potential change evoked by exogenous glutamate. 5. A delta and C fibre-evoked EPSPs were depressed by kynurenate and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX); C fibre-evoked EPSPs appeared to be less sensitive. 6. In the presence of TTX, only 50% of SG neurones were depolarized by L-glutamate. However, neurones which exhibited no direct response to L-glutamate received afferent-evoked EPSPs which were sensitive to CNQX. In sensitive neurones, the depolarization evoked by L-glutamate was depressed by only approximately 15% in the presence of CNQX, whereas afferent-evoked EPSPs recorded from the same neurone were almost completely suppressed. Combined application of DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) and CNQX depressed the response to L-glutamate by only approximately 25%. 7. These findings suggest that A delta and C fibres use L-glutamate or a related amino acid as a transmitter at synapses with substantia gelatinosa neurones. The postsynaptic actions of this transmitter are mediated predominantly by non N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. The failure of CNQX and APV to completely block the L-glutamate-evoked depolarization of substantia gelatinosa neurones raises the possibility that exogenously applied L-glutamate activates a non-NMDA receptor distinct from that which mediates the actions of the synaptically released afferent transmitter.

Intracellular recordings were made from substantia gelatinosa (s.g.) neurones in slices cut from adult rat spinal cord and maintained in vitro. Noradrenaline applied by superfusion (1-50 microM), or by brief pressure ejection from a micropipette, reversibly hyperpolarized 80% of the s.g. cells. The noradrenaline induced hyperpolarization was associated with an increase in conductance and it reversed in polarity at -88 mV. The reversal potential changed when the external potassium concentration was changed, as predicted by the Nernst equation. The noradrenaline hyperpolarization was antagonized by phentolamine and yohimbine but not by propranolol and prazosin. The hyperpolarization was probably a direct action on the impaled cell and not due to release or block of release of other transmitters, because the effects persisted during a perfusion with a low calcium/high magnesium solution or in a solution containing cobalt and high magnesium. In 35 of 148 cells, noradrenaline caused a dose-related increase of spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.s). This effect was blocked by tetrodotoxin. The noradrenaline induced increase in e.p.s.p.s was blocked by phentolamine and prazosin but not by the alpha 2-blockers yohimbine and RX 781094. A few cells were depolarized by noradrenaline, and this was blocked by prazosin but not by yohimbine. It is suggested that noradrenaline may inhibit nociceptive input to the spinal cord by increasing the potassium conductance of s.g. neurones.

The dc electrical strength of sapphire and poly crystalline alumina was studied up to 1400°C. The electrical strength was essentially identical for both materials. It was > 106 V/cm at room temperature and decreased gradually with temperature up to 900°C (2.6×105 V/ cm), then dropped rapidly to 2×104 V/cm at 1400°C for a sample thickness of ∼ 100 μm. The electrical strength decreased with the sample thickness. It was inversely proportional to the thickness for samples thicker than ∼ 600 μm at 1200°C. The breakdown behavior was explained on the basis of a thermal breakdown model.

Responses to noradrenaline (NA) applied by superfusion, ionophoresis or pressure pulse were analysed using conventional intracellular recording and voltage-clamp methods in cat vesical parasympathetic ganglia. NA (1 microM) hyperpolarized 60% of the neurones, depolarized 25%, and produced a biphasic potential, which comprised a membrane hyperpolarization followed by a membrane depolarization, in 10%. About 5% of the neurones did not respond to NA. The NA hyperpolarization was blocked by yohimbine (1 microM), an alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, whereas the NA depolarization was blocked by prazosin (0.1-1 microM), an alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist. These data indicated that the NA hyperpolarization was mediated through alpha 2-adrenoceptors and the NA depolarization through alpha 1-adrenoceptors. The NA hyperpolarization was accompanied by an increase in conductance, while the NA depolarization was associated with a decrease in conductance measured under manual-clamp conditions. Similar conductance changes were observed under voltage clamp. NA hyperpolarizations became smaller as the membrane was hyperpolarized and reversed polarity beyond -100 mV. NA depolarizations also became smaller at hyperpolarized membrane potentials and reversed polarity around -90 mV. The NA responses were enhanced in low-K media and depressed in high-K Krebs solution. The NA hyperpolarization was blocked by the Ca antagonists, Cd, Mn and Co. Intracellular injection of EGTA caused a slowly developing, progressive block of the NA hyperpolarization. The NA depolarization was not affected by low Ca concentrations, Ca antagonists or intracellular injection of EGTA. In some neurones the NA depolarization was unmasked in solutions containing Ca antagonists and after intracellular EGTA injection. The NA hyperpolarization was depressed by intracellular injection and extracellular superfusion of Cs but not by TEA. Ba (10-100 microM) depressed the NA hyperpolarization by 30%. The NA depolarization persisted in the presence of muscarine (10 microM) and was not blocked by Cs or TEA but was depressed 70% by Ba (10 microM). These data are consistent with the hypotheses that alpha 2-adrenoceptor activation produces a membrane hyperpolarization that is mediated through a Ca-dependent K conductance, and that alpha 1-adrenoceptor activation produces a membrane depolarization through closure of a voltage-insensitive K channel.

The dc electrical strength of sapphire and poly crystalline alumina was studied up to 1400°C. The electrical strength was essentially identical for both materials. It was > 106 V/cm at room temperature and decreased gradually with temperature up to 900°C (2.6×105 V/ cm), then dropped rapidly to 2×104 V/cm at 1400°C for a sample thickness of ∼ 100 μm. The electrical strength decreased with the sample thickness. It was inversely proportional to the thickness for samples thicker than ∼ 600 μm at 1200°C. The breakdown behavior was explained on the basis of a thermal breakdown model.

The chemical shift of V Kβ1, 3 and width of V Kα1 were measured with a two crystal X-Ray spectrometer. It was found that V Kβ1, 3 shift and V Kα1width can be utilized for identification of the vanadium oxidation state. Applications to vanadium containing catalysts and several perovskite structure compounds are discussed.