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Quercetin, luteolin and chrysoeriol were identified from rooibos tea as degranulation inhibitors in rat basophilic leukaemia cells. The degranulation inhibitory activity of chrysoeriol was first discovered in the present study. When quercetin, luteolin and chrysoeriol were mixed in the ratio that occurs in rooibos tea extract, the mixture inhibited antigen- and calcium ionophore-stimulated degranulation to the same degree as that by the whole rooibos tea extract. These findings indicate that these three flavonoids are the key factors underlying the degranulation inhibitory activity of rooibos tea.

In this paper we study the resolution of the singular loci of the generalized Toda lattice on the flag manifold by using blow-up. We define the gauge symmetry of the Weyl group on the fiber of this blow-up. This gauge transformation transforms the singular locus of the Toda lattice on the flag manifold into the face of Weyl chamber. Thus we show that if the orbit of the Toda lattice crosses the singular locus on the flag manifold, then the leap over the face of the Weyl chamber occurs on the fiber.

In this Note we study stable solutions of the finite non-periodic ( A n -type) Toda lattice. Solutions of the A n -type Toda lattice are obtained by Gauss decomposition. Such solutions are unstable because the Gauss decomposition brings singularities. We obtain stable solutions which are entire functions on R as the soliton solutions by modified Gauss decomposition.

Hybrid artificial liver (HAL) is an extracorporeal circulation system comprised of a bioreactor containing immobilized functional liver cells. It is expected to not only serve as a temporary liver function support system, but also to accelerate liver regeneration in recovery from hepatic failure. One of the most difficult problems in developing a hybrid artificial liver is obtaining an adequate cell source. In this study, we attempt to differentiate embryonic stem (ES) cells by hepatic lineage using a polyurethane foam (PUF)/spheroid culture in which the cultured cells spontaneously form spherical multicellular aggregates (spheroids) in the pores of the PUF. We also demonstrate the feasibility of the PUF-HAL system by comparing ES cells to primary hepatocytes in in vitro and ex vivo experiments. Mouse ES cells formed multicellular spheroids in the pores of PUF. ES cells expressed liver-specific functions (ammonia removal and albumin secretion) after treatment with the differentiation-promoting agent, sodium butyrate (SB). We designed a PUF-HAL module comprised of a cylindrical PUF block with many medium-flow capillaries for hepatic differentiation of ES cells. The PUF-HAL module cells expressed ammonia removal and albumin secretion functions after 2 weeks of SB culture. Because of high proliferative activity of ES cells and high cell density, the maximum expression level of albumin secretion function per unit volume of module was comparable to that seen in primary mouse hepatocyte culture. In the animal experiments with rats, the PUF-HAL differentiating ES cells appeared to partially contribute to recovery from liver failure. This outcome indicates that the PUF module containing differentiating ES cells may be a useful biocomponent of a hybrid artificial liver support system.

There exist many works on full Kostant–Toda flows whose initial points belong to a grand cell of the flag variety. In this paper we study the full Kostant–Toda flows whose initial points belong to small cells other than the grand cell and preserving small cells. To obtain such flows, we consider the cell decomposition of the grand cell induced by Bruhat decomposition of the flag variety. We show that such full Kostant–Toda flow can be reduced to the ordinary tridiagonal Toda flow by using sheaf theoretical methods.

The synthesis of compounds with the structures proposed for the oxyneolignan apteniols B, C, and G is described. The diphenyl ether skeletons of the proposed apteniols were formed via Ullmann ether synthesis. In particular, the spectral data for the synthesized apteniols B, C, and G did not agree with those previously reported for the isolated compounds. Furthermore, the synthesized proposed apteniol B did not show degranulation-inhibiting activity, while the prepared proposed apteniols C and G exhibited activities considerably weaker than that of the methyl ester of proposed apteniol A.

The effects of three serotonin-3 (5-HT(3)) receptor antagonists, azasetron, ondansetron, and ramosetron, on cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2-mediated 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation, CYP2C9-mediated tolbutamide hydroxylation, CYP2C19-mediated S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation, CYP2D6-mediated debrisoquine 4-hydroxylation, CYP2E1-mediated chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation, CYP3A4-mediated nifedipine oxidation, and CYP3A4-mediated testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation activities in human liver microsomes were compared. Azasetron and ramosetron at a concentration of 1 or 10 muM neither inhibited nor stimulated any of the metabolic activities. On the other hand, ondansetron competitively inhibited CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 activities, and the inhibition constants (K(i)) were 3.2 and 21.0 muM, respectively, which are much higher than the reported plasma concentrations after clinical intravenous or oral dosing. The free fractions of the three 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists in the incubation mixture estimated by ultracentrifugation were more than 68.6%. These results suggest that azasetron, ondansetron, and ramosetron do not cause clinically significant interactions with other drugs that are metabolized by CYPs via the inhibition of metabolism.

This study analyzed the conflict structure generated between the administration and residents who appeal for opposite in the transfer point improvement project, and considered the ideal way of workshop. The Conflict Analysis based on a Game theory analyzes the conflict between the administration and residents around thispoint and the WS participants. The equilibrium solution and the questionnaire survey result are compared, and the validity of the balance solution is evaluated. Inthis case, it has been understood that it was a big cause that there was misidentification to the outline of the WS holding to be generated the conflict.

Public involvement in planning of seacoast affairs is executed in Ohshinden area, Nakatsu Portin Oita Prefecture. Large well-reserved mud flat spreads around the port. People enjoy its scenery andcreatures, and coastal fishery utilizes the ecosystem. The local government and people organize the meeting to discuss utilization and conservation of the seacoast in this area. Comparative consideration on civil engineering works and medical care in terms of informed consent, and the role of local governmentsand function of these meeting are discussed.

Objective: To study the interaction between salicylate and class 1 antiarrhythmic agents. Methods: The effects of salicylate on class 1 antiarrhythmic agent-induced tonic and phasic block of the Na+ current (INa) of ventricular myocytes and the upstroke velocity of the action potential (Vmax) of papillary muscles were examined by both the patch clamp technique and conventional microelectrode techniques. Results: Salicylate enhanced quinidine-induced tonic and phasic block of INa at a holding potential of −100 mV but not at a holding potential of −140 mV; this enhancement was accompanied by a shift of the h∞ curve in the presence of quinidine in a further hyperpolarized direction, although salicylate alone did not affect INa. Salicylate enhanced the tonic and phasic block of Vmax induced by quinidine, aprindine and disopyramide but had little effect on that induced by procainamide or mexiletine; the enhancing effects were related to the liposolubility of the drugs. Conclusions: Salicylate enhanced tonic and phasic block of Na+ channels induced by class 1 highly liposoluble antiarrhythmic agents. Based on the modulated receptor hypothesis, it is probable that this enhancement was mediated by an increase in the affinity of Na+ channel blockers with high lipid solubility to the inactivated state channels.

We report a case of oral ulceration that occurred during the course of rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate. The patient was a 71-year-old man with oral ulceration of the floor of the mouth. The ulcer showed no induration, with a flat, clean surface and no bleeding. Biopsy revealed ulcer formation with marked inflammatory cell infiltration in the submucosa and dysplasia-like changes in epithelium. Topical steroids were ineffective. After reducing the dose of methotrexate, we observed that the lesion had epithelialized. The oral toxicity of low-dose methotrexate therapy is discussed.

We consider constructing the higher order Hamiltonian structures on the dual of the Lie algebra from the first Hamiltonian structure of the coadjoint orbit method. For this purpose we show that the structure of the Lie algebrag is inherited to the algebra of vector fields ong* through the solution of the Modified Classical Yang-Baxter equation (Classicalr matrix). We study the algebra that generates the compatible Poisson brackets.

Methane oxidation at landfill surfaces was characterized using both physiological and genetically -based assessments of bacterial community. Two different types of methane oxidation were observed, depended on one of which involved separate methane-oxidizing reaction that were dependent on the initial methane concentration, and the other one involved normal Michaelis-Menten type kinetics. The MOB community structure was assayed by culture-independent molecular microbiological methods. The gene amplified by pmoA primer, as a measure of the total MOB population, was detected in levels of 104 to 105 MPN-copies•g-1, and accounted for 2.9 % - 49 % of the eubacterial 16S rDNA. In soils exposed to high methane flux, the type II MOB was predominated showing the value of 104 MPN-copies•g-1 of the mmoX gene and amounted to 30-90 % of the corresponding pmoA gene copies detected. In contrast, type I MOB existed in relatively high population at soils under the negative/negligible methane flux.

Tn3 and related transposons have terminal inverted repeats (IR) of about 38 bp that are needed as sites for transposition. We made mini-Tn3 derivatives which had a wild-type IR of Tn3 at one end and either the divergent IR of the Tn3-related transposon, gamma delta or IS101, or a mutant IR of Tn3 at the other end. We then examined both in vivo transposition (cointegration between transposition donor and target molecules) of these mini-Tn3 elements and in vitro binding of Tn3-encoded transposase to their IRs. None of the elements with an IR of gamma delta or IS101 mediated cointegration efficiently. This was due to inefficient binding of transposase to these IR. Most mutant IR also interfered with cointegration, even though transposase bound to some mutant IR as efficiently as it did to wild type. This permitted the Tn3 IR sequence to be divided into two domains, named A and B, with respect to transposase binding. Domain B, at positions 13-38, was involved in transposase binding, whereas domain A, at positions 1-10, was not. The A domain may contain the sequence recognized by some other (e.g., host) factor(s) to precede the actual cointegration event.

We consider the problem of the compactification of the iso level sets of the Hessenberg matrices which is propounded by Ercolani et al. We determine the structure of the cohomology ring of the compact iso level set and obtain a new expression of the flag variety $G/B$.

Tn3 transposase, which is required for transposition of Tn3, has been purified by a low-ionic-strength-precipitation method. Using a nitrocellulose filter binding assay, we have shown that transposase binds to any restriction fragment. However, binding of the transposase to specific fragments containing the terminal inverted repeat sequences of Tn3 can be demonstrated by treatment of transposase-DNA complexes with heparin, which effectively removes the transposase bound to the other nonspecific fragments at pH 5-6. DNase I "footprinting" analysis showed that the transposase protects an inner 25-base-pair region of the 38-base-pair terminal inverted repeat sequence of Tn3. This protection is not dependent on pH. Interestingly, binding of the transposase to the inverted repeat sequences facilitates DNase I to nick at the end of the Tn3 sequence. It was also observed that the transposase protects the end regions of restriction fragments with a cohesive sequence at their 5' end or with a flush end from DNase I cleavage. The specific and nonspecific binding of transposase to DNA is ATP-independent.

In order to evaluate the effect of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, on lipid metabolism, we measured serum lipoperoxides concentration ( LPX ) as well as plasma levels of renin activity (PRA), aldosterone (PAC) and bradykinin ( PBK ) before and after captopril administration in 15 hypertensive patients. Captopril significantly lowered the LPX (p less than 0.05 by repeated measures ANOVA) from the control value of 3.25 +/- 1.16 (mean +/- S.D.) to 2.92 +/- 0.94, 2.83 +/- 1.10, and 2.89 +/- 1.31 nmol/ml 30, 60, and 120 min after the administration, respectively. A significant reduction of blood pressure (p less than 0.0001) and PAC (p less than 0.01) was observed following captopril administration, while PBK increased significantly (p less than 0.001) from a baseline level of 10.85 +/- 4.07 to 13.95 +/- 5.29, 16.25 +/- 6.85, and 15.71 +/- 7.65 pg/ml 30, 60, and 120 min after captopril administration, respectively. There was no significant correlation between changes in serum LPX and in mean blood pressure, PRA and PAC, though a significant inverse relationship was found between changes in serum LPX and in PBK 120 min after the administration (r = -0.576, p less than 0.05, n = 13). Although the mechanisms by which serum LPX is decreased by captopril are not clear, it is suggested from the results that captopril is a beneficial antihypertensive agent for preventing LPX -induced atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients.

The super-Toda lattice (STL) hierarchy is introduced. The equivalence between the Lax representation and Zakharov-Shabat representation of the STL hierarchy is shown. Introducing the Lie superalgebra osp(oo | oo), the ortho-symplectic (OSp)-STL hierarchy is defined as well. These equations are solved through the Riemann-Hilbert decomposition of corresponding infinite dimensional Lie supergroups. An explicit representation of solutions is given by means of the super-r field.

1) ジメピペレート (S-1-methyl-1-phenylethyl piperidine-1-carbothioate) の薬害軽減作用には特異性があり, 根部障害型の除草剤に対する軽減効果が顕著であった。そして本剤によって明らかに薬害の軽減された除草剤はペンディメタリン, クロメプロップ, MCPB, ベンスライドおよびベンスルフロンメチル等であった。2) ジメピペレートのベンスルフロンメチルに対する薬害軽減作用は他のノビエ剤にくらべ軽減効果が明らかでありジメピペレート>チオベンカーブ>>メフェナセットであった。本剤の薬害軽減効果はベンスルフロンメチルの根部障害を回復し, その至適割合はベンスルフロンメチル1に対し3～1,000倍と広い範囲で薬害を軽減していた。3) オーキシン型除草剤の薬害軽減作用は, MCPB, フェノチオール, クロメプロップに認められ, これら薬剤で発現する根部の障害を特に回復していた。そしてMCPB, フェノチオールは通常5葉期以上のイネに適用されるのに対して本剤を加用することにより使用適期を前にずらすことを可能にし適期幅を拡大出来ることを示唆している。またオーキシン剤の薬害が出易い高温時でも薬害を軽減することより, 実用的な立場からの改善効果は大きい。本剤とオーキシン型除草剤との混合割合は, 除草効果と薬害軽減効果の両面から決定されることになるが, オーキシン型除草剤1に対し1～30当量の範囲で良好な軽減効果が認められた。

One of the feature of the integrable systems is that all forward things are determined by its initial conditions. It is also well known that the Toda lattice has poles in finite time. Thus the behavior of the blowing up of the Toda lattice have to be governed by its initial conditions. Through the Painleve analysis it is revealed that the blowing up themselves are characterized by the Weyl group [Flaschka and Haine]. In this paper we study how the behavior at the blowing up point is governed by its initial condition. For this purpose we realize the Painleve divisor as the analytic variety. By virtue of this description we can compactify level set by using monoidal transformation by Painleve divisor. The study of Painleve divisor and compactification in this paper bring us the more precise informations on the blowing up of the Toda lattice than which has ever been obtained.

In this paper we study the solutions of the equation det( λ − L ) ψ =0, where L is the Lax operator of the quantum Toda lattice. The solutions of the equation are determined by the eigenvectors of L , [formula]. In the classical case, there exists the canonical embedding of n -dimensional Toda lattice ↪ n +1-dimensional Toda lattice. We show that the quantum analogue of this embedding exists. In the classical case, the Lax operator of the Toda lattice lies in sl ( n ). In the quantum case, this fact corresponds to the restriction of det( λ − L ) ψ =0 to the hyperplane x 1 +…+ x n =constant. We make clear the gap between the solution space of the restricted case and that of the non-restricted case. In the example of the 2-dimensional case, we show that the Bessel functions appear as the basis of the solution space of the above equation.

To assess the interaction between dopamine and aldosterone secretion in primary aldosteronism, the dopamine antagonist, metoclopramide (methoxy-2-chloro-5-procainamide), was given as an i.v. bolus (10 mg) to 5 patients with primary aldosteronism and 5 normal subjects treated with dexamethasone (2 mg/day) to eliminate an influence of ACTH. Metoclopramide increased plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) in primary aldosteronism from 39.1 +/- 15.5 to 42.5 +/- 15.9 ng/100 ml (p less than 0.05) and also from 12.9 +/- 2.3 to 23.6 +/- 3.4 ng/100 ml (p less than 0.01) in normal subjects at 15 min. Plasma renin activity (PRA), and plasma concentrations of cortisol, potassium, and sodium did not significantly change with metoclopramide in either primary aldosteronism or normal subjects. Plasma prolactin increased by 12- and 20-fold in primary aldosteronism and in normal subjects, respectively, but there was no significant positive correlation between changes in PAC and in plasma prolactin in either primary aldosteronism or normal subjects. It is suggested that dopamine inhibits the secretion of aldosterone in primary aldosteronism as well as in normal subjects. It seems unlikely that dopamine affects the release of renin in primary aldosteronism.

Bilinear residue formulas are established for the super-KP hierarchy and the ortho-symplectic super-KP hierarchy. Furthermore, superframes corresponding to the ortho-symplectic super-KP hierarchy are completely characterized. Soliton solutions to the super-KP hierarchy are given.

Inactive renin in rat arterial walls was investigated according to the following experiments. Dialysis at pH 7.4 following dialysis at pH 3.3 of the arterial tissue resulted in a significant rise of renin activity, from a control value of 0.41 +/- 0.07 to 0.62 +/- 0.06 ng/ml/h (p less than 0.01). Treatment with trypsin of the arterial tissue caused a rapid and apparent increase in the renin activity at either 0 or 27 degrees C. The molecular weight of the active renin was estimated to be 32,000 or 39,000, while that of the inactive renin was found to be 36,000 or 44,000 on Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The contents of the inactive renin varied with different segments of arterial wall. The ratio of inactive renin to total renin was the lowest in renal artery wall (0.32), while there was no significant difference in the ratio in other arterial walls (abdominal aorta, 0.87; thoracic aorta, 0.93; carotid artery, 0.96; mesenteric artery, 0.89; pulmonary artery, 0.92). These findings suggest that conversion of inactive renin into active renin can occur in arterial tissue, which, in turn, plays an important role in the local control of vascular tone. It seems that inactive renin found in the arterial wall is of local origin.