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Summary Intra-species analysis of pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) on human fecal Bifidobacterium longum isolates revealed that a majority of 12 Japanese subjects harbored strains of unique PFGE types or subtypes over a 68-week period, suggesting that “indigenous” Bifidobacterium strains remain stable for a considerable time in each individual intestinal microbiota.

A scissors bite is one of the more unusual malocclusions in primary dentition. The purpose of this report is to describe the unilateral scissors bite in primary dentition and the treatment outcome following the use of constriction appliances. A 5-year, 5-month-old boy developed a scissors bite in the left molar region due to the extended width of the maxillary dental arch. Two types of appliances were used to reduce the width of the maxillary dental arch; one was a removable type modified from a conventional expansion plate, and the other was a fixed type modified from a quad-helix appliance. The left maxillary primary molars were able to bite normally after the treatment using both appliances. As a result, the left first molars also could be guided to a normal occlusion and prevented from becoming a scissors bite. We suggest that improvement of the scissors bite in the primary dentition stage can prevent subsequent malocclusions in permanent dentition.

Objective: Abused children have been reported to have low self-esteem. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dental intervention on self-esteem, oral condition, and concern for oral health in abused children admitted to a child protection service facility. Study design: We examined the oral condition of 65 children (34 boys, 31 girls; aged 2–15 years), instructed them in tooth-brushing. Self-esteem was examined using Pope’s five-scale test for children. Before discharge, the children completed questionnaires on concern about their oral health. Results: The findings revealed the reasons for admission were child abuse and neglect (n=45), domestic violence against the mother (n= 20), special needs (n=11), delinquency (n=7), school refusal (n=2), and other reasons (n=3). Thirty-five of the 65 residents (54%) needed treatment for caries. Of these, 24 (69%) were abused children and 11 (31%) were admitted due to other reasons. Mean self-esteem score differed significantly between the resident children (n=43) and an outpatient control group (n=102) (59.16±14.54 vs 73.92±16.81, respectively; p

A novel method for detecting viable and thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH)-producing or TDH-related hemolysin (TRH)-producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafood was developed. The method involved (i) enrichment culture, selective for viable, motile cells penetrating a soft-agar-coated filter paper, and (ii) a multiplex PCR assay targeting both the TDH gene ( tdh ) and TRH gene ( trh ) following DNase pretreatment on the test culture to eradicate any incidental DNAs that might have been released from dead cells of tdh - or trh -positive ( tdh + trh + ) strains and penetrated the agar-coated filter. A set of preliminary laboratory tests performed on 190 ml of enrichment culture that had been inoculated simultaneously with ca. 100 viable cells of a strain of tdh + trh + V. parahaemolyticus and dense populations of a viable strain of tdh- and trh- negative V. parahaemolyticus or Vibrio alginolyticus indicated that the method detected the presence of viable tdh + trh + strains. Another set of preliminary tests on 190 ml of enrichment culture that had been initially inoculated with a large number of dead cells of the tdh + trh + strain together with dense populations of the tdh- and trh- negative strains confirmed that the method did not yield any false-positive results. Subsequent quasi-field tests using various seafood samples (ca. 20 g), each of which was experimentally contaminated with either or both hemolysin-producing strains at an initial density of ca. 5 to 10 viable cells per gram, demonstrated that contamination could be detected within 2 working days.

The aims of this report were to determine the nature of eruption disturbances and to establish the pattern of management for these teeth in a group of Japanese children and adolescents. Data were collected from the clinical records of patients in the Pediatric Dental Clinic of Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital. There were 700 patients (364 males and 336 females) and 748 teeth (26 primary teeth and 722 permanent teeth) who were treated for eruption disturbances between 1979 and 2002. During this period, 17,365 new patients visited the clinic, of whom approximately 4% had eruption disturbances. The most frequently affected permanent teeth were the maxillary central incisors (38.6%), followed by the maxillary canines (15.4%). Of the permanent teeth, 52.5% were in males and 47.5% in females. Although there were more cases of maxillary central incisors in males than in females, the number of cases involving maxillary canines was higher in females. Whereas delayed eruption was noted in 76.7% of maxillary central incisors, 18.6% were impacted and 4.7% demonstrated abnormal direction/position which required treatment. In contrast, a higher percentage (64.8%) of maxillary canines that showed abnormal direction/position was treated. Eruption disturbances were found in 40% of the patients during routine examinations. This suggests that regular routine examinations are important for pediatric dentists to detect and treat eruption disturbances early.

To validate a modified version of AOAC official method of analysis 995.10 as an official standard in Japan for determination of patulin in apple juice, an inter-laboratory study was performed in 11 laboratories using a non-contaminated sample, 2 naturally contaminated samples and 2 spiked samples of apple juice. For naturally contaminated apple juices, the relative standard deviations for repeatability and reproducibility were 3.2, 7.1% and 10.0, 21.7%, respectively. HORRAT values were 0.4, 0.9. The average recovery of patulin from spiked sample was 83.7%. The limit of quantification was calculated as 10 microg/kg. From these results, the method was thought to be suitable as an official standard for determination of patulin in apple juice in Japan.

Purpose To elucidate the relationship between p53 functions and the interactive effects of the combined treatment with mild hyperthermia and mitomycin C. Methods and materials p53 -deficient human non–small-cell lung cancer H1299 cells were transfected with a vector carrying a neomycin-resistant gene ( neo ) or together with a wild-type or mutant p53 gene. Sensitivities of these transfectants to mild hyperthermia at 42 °C, mitomycin C (0.05 μg/mL) at 37 °C, or the combination treatment were determined by colony formation assay. After these treatments, the induction of apoptosis, the changes in cell cycle distribution, and the accumulation of Hsp72 were examined. Results The combined treatment resulted in an enhanced cell killing effect in H1299 cells in a p53-independent manner, which was partially the result of an enhancement of heat-induced apoptosis. The treatment also caused a marked G 2 /M arrest in the neo and the mutant p53 cells, but not in the wild-type p53 cells. The subsequent release of G 2 /M arrest was accompanied with an increase in the sub-G 1 fractions. Mitomycin C did not affect the accumulation of Hsp72 induced by hyperthermia in H1299 cells regardless of their p53 gene status. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate a p53-independent mechanism for an interactively cytotoxic enhancement by combined treatment with mild hyperthermia and mitomycin C.

A novel software "AVS/Express PCE", which runs on commodity-based PC cluster, was developed to visualize a large-scale data set efficiently. This system allows users to customize functions without any parallel knowledge and provides parallelized processes for almost all of processes such as I/O, filtering, mapping, and rendering. It is very effective to parallelize all processes but the image compositing becomes a bottleneck for a parallel rendering system. To avoid this problem, a special hardware that can synthesize an output image from input images without significant delay was combined to the software. According to preliminary test results, the present system performed about 4 frames per second to update iso-surfaces for a million grids field data.

Ribosome-bound protein biogenesis factors (RPBs) are essential for the early steps of protein biogenesis. A hallmark of RPBs is their ability to bind to the platform surrounding the exit of the ribosomal polypeptide tunnel. Here we describe the interplay between yeast RPBs, which affect the targeting of proteins to the ER membrane.

An 88-year-old man with severe chest pain and syncope was admitted to our hospital. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed acute type B aortic dissection with rupture. Considering age and operative risk, we performed emergency thoracic aortic endovascular repair with two-debranching of the left common carotid and left subclavian arteries. To prevent type II endoleak, we used Amplatzer Vascular Plug (AVP) II for left subclavian artery embolization. Postoperative contrast-enhanced CT showed no type II endoleak and rupture site exclusion. As postoperative persistent blood flow to the primary entry or rupture site causes re-rupture, AVP II was crucial in preventing type II endoleak.

Tooth impaction is defined as any tooth that fails to erupt into a normal functional position and remains unerupted beyond the time at which it should normally erupt. Reports of impaction and eruption failure in primary teeth are relatively rare compared to permanent teeth. We report 2 rare cases where the second premolar was located on the occlusal side of the impacted mandibular second primary molar. In the first case, the succedaneous permanent tooth erupted after extraction of the primary tooth, fenestration, and traction. In the second case, the succedaneous permanent tooth erupted without fenestration or traction. Although the etiology of the tooth displacement was unknown in both cases, inhibition of the eruptive movement of the primary molar may have been associated with displacement of the succedaneous permanent premolar.

We report the case of an 80-year-old woman with postoperative congestive heart failure (CHF) complicated by Child-Pugh classification B liver cirrhosis and hepatic edema successfully treated with tolvaptan. The patient suffered from liver cirrhosis and underwent partial hepatectomy for a hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed together with a severe aortic valve stenosis. Aortic valve replacement was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative course was uneventful until CHF and hepatic edema symptoms appeared on postoperative day (POD) 2. The symptoms were treated with intravenous human atrial natriuretic peptide and oral diuretics. As the condition showed no improvement, oral tolvaptan was administered on POD 11 and thereafter, which markedly improved the symptoms. This is apparently the first report describing the effectiveness of tolvaptan for the postoperative management of fluid balance in a patient with cardiac and liver dysfunction.

The expression of immunoreactivities for superoxide dismutases (SODs), Mn-SOD and Cu/Zn-SOD, was immunohistochemically investigated in the lingual periodontal ligament and toe pads of adult rats. Immunocytochemistry for SODs revealed that the axon terminals of both the periodontal Ruffini endings and cutaneous Meissner's corpuscles showed mitochondrial Mn-SOD immunoreactivity, but not cytosolic Cu/Zn-SOD immunoreactivity, indicating Mn-SOD is a useful marker for identifying the mechanoreceptors. It is likely that Mn-SOD in the axon terminals of mechanoreceptors exerts protective action against nerve injury and neuronal death under severe conditions, serving to scavenge free radicals from the axon terminals.

Transitions of natural convection in an annulus between horizontal concentric cylinders are investigated theoretically by assuming two-dimensional and incompressible flow fields. It is assumed that the inner cylinder is kept at a higher temperature than the outer cylinder. It is confirmed by numerical simulations that dual stable steady solutions exist for Rayleigh numbers larger than a critical value. Bifurcation diagrams of the steady solutions are obtained by Newton–Raphson's method for various values of ratio of the inner cylinder diameter to the gap width and their linear stability is investigated. The origin of the dual solutions is clarified from the bifurcation analysis.

Purpose: We analyzed the red/green visual pigment genes in color-normal Japanese men to understand the relationship between color anomalies and genetic defects. Methods: DNA from 120 color-normal Japanese men was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplification for exons 2–5 of the red/green visual pigment genes and the PCR products were sequenced. The red:green gene ratios were estimated from the sequencing electropherograms of exon 5 and also from MvaI-restriction fragment analysis of the same exon. The first gene and the downstream genes in the pigment gene array were separately analyzed by PCR, direct sequencing, and/or single-strand conformation polymorphisms. Results: The red:green gene ratios estimated from the ratios of peak heights of nucleotides on the sequencing electropherograms coincided with those estimated from the MvaI-restriction fragment analysis. Among the subjects analyzed, they were 1:1 in 43% (n = 52), 1:2 in 41% (n = 49), 1:3 in 6% (n = 7), and 1:>3 in 9% (n = 11). The first gene in the pigment gene arrays was red in all subjects. Only 1 subject (N22) had a green-red hybrid gene. Exons 2 and 4 had 2 haplotypes each, but exon 3 was highly polymorphic. Exon 5 of the green genes had one polymorphism at codon 283 with a frequency of 32%. Conclusions: The features of visual pigment genes in color-normal Japanese men were revealed. The data and establishing techniques may be useful for analyzing these genes in color-deficient subjects in the Japanese population.

Instabilities and transitions of natural convection in a narrow horizontal concentric annulus are investigated theoretically by assuming two-dimensional and incompressible flow fields. It is assumed that the inner cylinder is kept at a higher temperature than the outer cylinder. Steady solutions for the natural convection are obtained numerically by Newton–Raphson’s method for various values of Prandtl number and their linear stabilities are analyzed. It is found that there are two different instability modes for the natural convection depending on the Prandtl number, which exchange at a critical value of the Prandtl number. The origins of the two instabilities are clarified from the bifurcation and linear stability analyses of the steady-state solutions.

Recent advancements in molecular biology have revealed genetic aspects of congenital color vision deficiencies (CVD). In many cases of CVD, the genotypes and phenotypes coincide with each other. But it is also known that there are cases in which the genotype alone cannot explain the clinical diagnosis of CVD. So it is still unclear whether routine gene analysis is useful as a clinical diagnostic tool for this anomaly. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of genetic analysis for congenital red-green color-vision deficiencies. The nucleotide sequences of red-green pigment genes of 62 CVD cases and 113 color-normal males were determined using PCR and a DNA sequencer (ABI PRISM 310 Genetic Analyzer). The CVD cases were diagnosed using clinical color-vision tests including an anomaloscope. The color-normal subjects were tested with Ishihara plates and, if needed, with an anomaloscope. All normals had two types of exon 5, i.e., both red and green pigment genes. Forty-seven (76%) of 62 CVD cases had genotypes that coincided with their phenotypes. Three dichromats (one protanope and two deuteranopes) had genetic potential to be anomalous trichromats. Twelve deutans (one deuteranope and 11 deuteranomals) could not be differentiated from the normals: they had both red and green types of genes, as did the normals. All in all, 15 cases (24%) had some inconsistencies between the phenotype and the genotype. Pigment gene analysis alone could not fully differentiate CVD from normals. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 26, S89–S92, 2001

Fujio Tbmoda played a major role in introducing client-centered therapy (CCT) into Japan. This article discusses the reception, transformation, and cultural implications of CCT, focusing on the work of Tomoda, which was deeply influenced by Chinese and Japanese classics. Section 1 introduces Tbmoda and his activities. Section 2 (Hayashi) features how Tomoda has come to equate the nondirective aspect of CCT with the not-doing-and-being-natural paradigm of Taoism. Section 3 (Suetake) analyzes Tbmoda's self-theory based on ancient Chinese philosophy. Section 4 (Morotomi) calls attention to the word "vacuum," uttered by Rogers' client. Section 5 (Osawa) compares Tomoda's theory on personality change with the Focusing approach by Gendlin. Section 6 (Shimizu) features Ibmoda's application of the CCT approach to his group programs. Section 7 (Kuno) highlights Tbmoda's finding in renku (Japanese linked poetry) a means of facilitating human development. Section 8 critically examines Tbmoda's work. I believe it expresses well the observations which for me have crystallized into two important themes: my confidence in the human organism, when it is functioning freely; and the existential quality of satisfying living, a theme presented by some of our most modem philosophers, which was however beautifully expressed more than twentyfive centuries ago by Lao-tzu when, he said, 'The way to do is to be." (Rogers, 1961, p. 163).

Hyperthermia has been introduced as a new modality of treatment for glioma. In these experiments, the cytotoxicity of hyperthermia in C6 glioma cells was enhanced by increasing the intracellular acidity with amiloride and/or 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2' disulfonic acid (DIDS). Intracellular pH (pHi) is regulated mainly by Na+/H+ and HCO3-/Cl- antiports through the cell membrane, and amiloride acts on the former, DIDS on the latter to lower pHi. The cellular thermosensitivity to clinically achievable brain hyperthermia at 42 degrees C was enhanced by 0.5 mM amiloride (Na+/H+ antiport inhibitor). T0 values (T0 = the heating period required to reduce experimental survival rate by 1/e) at 42 degrees C without and with amiloride was 192 and 81 min, respectively. The addition of DIDS (HCO3-/Cl- antiport inhibitor) further enhanced. T0 value was 25 min. Fluorophotometric measurement of pHi was employed using the pH sensitive dye, bis(carboxyethyl)carboxyfluorescein, which is trapped in viable cells. The average pHi in control C6 glioma cells in pH 7.2 media was 7.21. In the untreated cells heated at 42 degrees C for 1 hour, the pHi was 7.12. The pHi of the cells heated in the presence of amiloride was decreased to 6.83. The pHi was further lowered to 6.67 by the treatment with amiloride in combination with DIDS for 2 hours. Hyperthermia with amiloride and DIDS may be a more effective treatment for malignant gliomas.

Painless aortic dissection is a relatively rare pathology. We report the case of painless type A aortic dissection without any concomitant symptoms such as congestive heart failure, cardiac ischemia, stroke, or paraplegia. The patient underwent total arch replacement with selective cerebral perfusion under deep hypothermic .circulatory arrest The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged with no complications. This case shows that a high index of suspicion and cooperation between the hospital and the referring clinic are crucial in making a definitive diagnosis of painless type A aortic dissection and in achieving successful surgical treatment.

Nursing students must develop their abilities to provide appropriate nursing services. They need to acquire the level of nursing knowledge to pass the national examination according to Japanese law. Moreover, even if the awareness of the rights of people who receive nursing services increases, students must not have a sense of resistance toward those rights. Therefore, we investigated the factors associated with students' motivation to pass their examination and such a sense of resistance. We produced items related to reasons students wanted to become registered nurses with reference to job satisfaction and their learning environment (e.g., teachers' manners and school events unrelated to the examination). There were 3,417 female nursing students analyzed in 29 vocational schools that allow graduation after a 3-year study period (average age, 21.93 years [standard deviation, 5.44]). Older and third-year students had a stronger motivation to pass the examination and a weaker sense of resistance to people's rights compared with younger and first- to second-year students. Students who answered a "Lack of enthusiasm for becoming a registered nurse" had a weakened motivation and a strengthened sense of resistance. Factors enhancing students' motivation to pass their examination were "Professional commitment," "Desire for companionship," and "School events unrelated to the national examination." Factors strengthening students' sense of resistance to people's rights were "Living stability" and "Social appraisal." Teachers must develop methods to teach ethics so that their students respect the rights of people who receive nursing services and to ensure that they acquire the necessary nursing knowledge.

中山らが紹介したDYBOCのうち，迷路誘導型バランスボードを自作し所要時間と重心軌跡から標準値と学習効果について検討した。対象は健常青年者8名であった。結果;(1)初回測定値とパラメーターとの関連では重心動揺距離，所要時間とも身長，体重と相関を認めず，両測定値間に有意ではないが負の相関を認めた。(2)連続10回の各測定値の変動では重心動揺距離(F=3.52，p

We have previously identified the RNA recognition motif (RRM)-type RNA-binding protein Nrd1 as an important regulator of the posttranscriptional expression of myosin in fission yeast. Pmk1 MAPK-dependent phosphorylation negatively regulates the RNA-binding activity of Nrd1. Here, we report the role of Nrd1 in stress-induced RNA granules. Nrd1 can localize to poly(A)-binding protein (Pabp)-positive RNA granules in response to various stress stimuli, including heat shock, arsenite treatment, and oxidative stress. Interestingly, compared with the unphosphorylatable Nrd1, Nrd1(DD) (phosphorylation-mimic version of Nrd1) translocates more quickly from the cytoplasm to the stress granules in response to various stimuli; this suggests that the phosphorylation of Nrd1 by MAPK enhances its localization to stress-induced cytoplasmic granules. Nrd1 binds to Cpc2 (fission yeast RACK) in a phosphorylation-dependent manner and deletion of Cpc2 affects the formation of Nrd1-positive granules upon arsenite treatment. Moreover, the depletion of Nrd1 leads to a delay in Pabp-positive RNA granule formation, and overexpression of Nrd1 results in an increased size and number of Pabp-positive granules. Interestingly, Nrd1 deletion induced resistance to sustained stresses and enhanced sensitivity to transient stresses. In conclusion, our results indicate that Nrd1 plays a role in stress-induced granule formation, which affects stress resistance in fission yeast.

Parthenolide (PTL), a nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor, has a significant thermo-enhancement effect. Modification of thermosensitivity by treatment with PTL prior to hyperthermia was investigated in the human prostate cancer androgen-independent cell lines PC3 and DU145. In addition, we analyzed the mechanisms related to induction of apoptosis or G₂/M cell-cycle arrest via the effects of ERK1/2, p38 and SAPK/JNK signaling on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Lethal damage caused by mild hyperthermia at 41.0˚C or 42.0˚C in both cell lines resulted in a low level of thermosensitivity, while sequential combination with PTL showed significant thermosensitization. Step-up hyperthermia (SUH) (42˚C for 30 min, 43.0˚C or 43.5˚C for various periods) reduced the thermosensitivity of the cells to second heating. However, PTL given as pre-treatment prior to SUH prevented SUH-induced thermal tolerance and resulted in significant thermosensitization. Induction of apoptosis by the combination of PTL and hyperthermia at 44.0˚C was determined by the ratio of sub-G1 division cells using flow cytometry, which was increased significantly in comparison with single treatment, and was more effective in PC3 than DU145 cells. The behavior of ERK1/2, p38, and SAPK/JNK signaling in the MAPK cascade by treatment with PTL and hyperthermia were examined by Western blotting. As for PC3 cells, ras-downstream p-ERK1/2 was activated and p-p38 slightly activated by combined treatment with PTL and hyperthermia in comparison with each alone. As for DU145 cells, ERK1/2 was not changed, while p38 and SAPK/JNK were slightly activated by combination treatment. These results were related to increases in the induction of apoptosis, G₂/M cell cycle arrest, and lethal damage of cells via the MAPK cascade. Together, our findings demonstrate that PTL is an effective thermosensitizing agent for multidisciplinary therapy for human prostate cancer.

We studied transparent organic light-emitting diodes, which had a transparent top electrode deposited by sputtering, for possible application to a transparent light-emitting display. In the fabrication of a transparent electrode on an organic layer, steps must be taken to reduce the damage incurred by the organic layer during the sputter deposition process. We report the results of our study where we found that we could reduce the damage to the organic layer by suppressing the temperature rise of substrate resulting from the intermittent plasma irradiation. We also found that a thin film of metal acethylacetonate complexes [Mt(acac)2] is useful as a buffer layer to prevent an underlying emission layer from incurring damage in the sputter process. In previous reports, a thin film of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) was used as an electron injective buffer layer. However, the absorption of the CuPc Q bands at λ=620 and 665 nm decreased the total optical transmission of the device. Transmittance in the visible r...

We investigated the mechanisms of thermosensitization related to combination therapy with sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide (PTL), a nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) inhibitor, and hyperthermia using human lung adenocarcinoma cells A549. The kinetics of apoptosis induction and cell cycle of cells treated with PTL, heating, and combined treatment were examined by flow cytometric analysis. The flow cytometric distribution was calculated and expressed as a percentage. The ratios of the sub-G1 division, used to determine the induction of apoptosis, increased significantly with the combination therapy. Furthermore, the ratios of G2/M division increased and the ratios of G0/G1 division decreased, indicating cell cycle arrest in G2/M. The cell phase response to PTL by A549 cells synchronized in the G1/S border with hydroxyurea was also analyzed. PTL showed remarkable cytotoxicity at the S phase of the cell cycle in A549 cells at all concentrations as well as with hyperthermia, thus PTL reduced the number of cells in the proliferation phase. Inhibition of intracellular transcription factor NF-kappaB activation in A549 cells with various incubation periods after treatments with PTL, heating and combined treatment was examined by Western blot analysis. Unexpectedly, PTL alone did not inhibit NF-kappaB activation in cells stimulated with TNF-alpha, while heating alone inhibited NF-kappaB early after treatment and that effect faded over time. In contrast, PTL combined with heating completely inhibited NF-kappaB activation. Our results demonstrated that PTL and heating in combination cause significant thermosensitization of A549 cells via induction of apoptosis or cell cycle arrest in G2/M by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation in a synergistic manner.

We investigated the mechanisms of thermosensitization related to combination therapy with sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide (PTL), a nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) inhibitor, and hyperthermia using human lung adenocarcinoma cells A549. The kinetics of apoptosis induction and cell cycle of cells treated with PTL, heating, and combined treatment were examined by flow cytometric analysis. The flow cytometric distribution was calculated and expressed as a percentage. The ratios of the sub-G1 division, used to determine the induction of apoptosis, increased significantly with the combination therapy. Furthermore, the ratios of G2/M division increased and the ratios of G0/G1 division decreased, indicating cell cycle arrest in G2/M. The cell phase response to PTL by A549 cells synchronized in the G1/S border with hydroxyurea was also analyzed. PTL showed remarkable cytotoxicity at the S phase of the cell cycle in A549 cells at all concentrations as well as with hyperthermia, thus PTL reduced the number of cells in the proliferation phase. Inhibition of intracellular transcription factor NF-kappaB activation in A549 cells with various incubation periods after treatments with PTL, heating and combined treatment was examined by Western blot analysis. Unexpectedly, PTL alone did not inhibit NF-kappaB activation in cells stimulated with TNF-alpha, while heating alone inhibited NF-kappaB early after treatment and that effect faded over time. In contrast, PTL combined with heating completely inhibited NF-kappaB activation. Our results demonstrated that PTL and heating in combination cause significant thermosensitization of A549 cells via induction of apoptosis or cell cycle arrest in G2/M by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation in a synergistic manner.

Nuclear engineering is an integrated engineering field of mechanical and civil engineering, partical physics as well as fluid and thermodynamics. Researchers in nuclear engineering fields need to treat extensive physical and engineering information obtained through theories, simulations, experiments and observations in order to promote a nuclear technology safely and securely. To meet the need, the Cognitive methodology-based Data Analysis System (CDAS) which equips information technologies that have recognition abilities similar to those of humans has been developed. The system supports researchers to analyze numerical simulation data by using extensive scientific knowledge. In the present study, information technology is developed for performing these processes and for configuring systems. In addition, a prototype system has been constructed using this information technology and an application experiment using a virtual plant vibration simulator has been performed to confirm the implementability of the system. The results obtained demonstrate that the CDAS enables researchers to dynamically set essential functions for evaluation and judgment, enabling them to readily extract meaningful and reliable information from large-scale data of up to 1 TB.

The thermo-enhancement effects of the sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide (PTL), which targets the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), and hyperthermia at 40, 42 and 44 degrees C on the human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line were investigated in vitro. Thermotherapy using a combined treatment with PTL (0.02 microM) prior to hyperthermia showed synergistic thermo-enhancement effects towards A549 cells. The expression of p53 and hsp72 proteins following the application of PTL and hyperthermia at 44 degrees C, both alone and in combination, were examined to investigate whether p53 and hsp72 participated in apoptosis induction via the NF-kappaB signal pathway. After treatment with PTL alone, Hsp72 was only slightly induced, which was the same as for the control, while the level following the combination treatment was not significantly different as compared with hyperthermia alone. In addition, the level of p53 after the combination treatment was only slightly increased in comparison with hyperthermia alone. The kinetics of apoptosis and necrosis induction during the incubation periods following PTL exposure and hyperthermia, and the combination of both were also determined. The incidence of apoptosis following hyperthermia alone was approximately 0.6% on average after 12, 24 and 48 h of incubation, while that of PTL alone was approximately 1.7%, and that with the combination treatment was around 2.3%. Thus, induction of apoptosis following the combination treatment was increased as compared to each treatment alone. With regard to the kinetics of necrosis, the incidence of necrosis after treatment with hyperthermia alone was approximately 2.7%, while that with the combination treatment was lower, at around 2.2%. We hypothesized that cells treated with PTL had an altered arrangement of stressed cells undergoing the transformation from necrotic cell death to apoptotic cell death via another mechanism. Our results suggested that the PTL-induced apoptosis of A549 cells was due to the direct suppression of NF-kappaB activity in a p53- and hsp72-independent manner based on NF-kappaB signaling.

The thermo-enhancement effects of the sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide (PTL), which targets the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), and hyperthermia at 40, 42 and 44 degrees C on the human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line were investigated in vitro. Thermotherapy using a combined treatment with PTL (0.02 microM) prior to hyperthermia showed synergistic thermo-enhancement effects towards A549 cells. The expression of p53 and hsp72 proteins following the application of PTL and hyperthermia at 44 degrees C, both alone and in combination, were examined to investigate whether p53 and hsp72 participated in apoptosis induction via the NF-kappaB signal pathway. After treatment with PTL alone, Hsp72 was only slightly induced, which was the same as for the control, while the level following the combination treatment was not significantly different as compared with hyperthermia alone. In addition, the level of p53 after the combination treatment was only slightly increased in comparison with hyperthermia alone. The kinetics of apoptosis and necrosis induction during the incubation periods following PTL exposure and hyperthermia, and the combination of both were also determined. The incidence of apoptosis following hyperthermia alone was approximately 0.6% on average after 12, 24 and 48 h of incubation, while that of PTL alone was approximately 1.7%, and that with the combination treatment was around 2.3%. Thus, induction of apoptosis following the combination treatment was increased as compared to each treatment alone. With regard to the kinetics of necrosis, the incidence of necrosis after treatment with hyperthermia alone was approximately 2.7%, while that with the combination treatment was lower, at around 2.2%. We hypothesized that cells treated with PTL had an altered arrangement of stressed cells undergoing the transformation from necrotic cell death to apoptotic cell death via another mechanism. Our results suggested that the PTL-induced apoptosis of A549 cells was due to the direct suppression of NF-kappaB activity in a p53- and hsp72-independent manner based on NF-kappaB signaling.

We studied the cytotoxic and pharmacological properties of 40 degrees C hyperthermia and CDDP in CDDP-sensitive (IMC-3) and CDDP-resistant (IMC-3-DDP) human maxillary carcinoma cells. Heating at 40 degrees C alone caused almost no cell killing to IMC-3 and IMC-3-DDP cells. In both cell lines, the dose-dependent cytotoxicity of 2-h exposures to CDDP was increased at 40 degrees C in comparison to 37 degrees C. Heating at 40 degrees C also potentiated CDDP cytotoxicity in both IMC-3 and IMC-3-DDP cells with thermal chemoenhancement ratios (CER) of 1.48 and 1.94, respectively. The intracellular CDDP uptake level of IMC-3-DDP at 37 degrees C was significantly reduced compared with IMC-3 cells. At 40 degrees C, however, hyperthermia increased platinum accumulation by factors of 1.4 and 1.8 in IMC-3 and IMC-3-DDP cells, respectively. These findings indicated that CDDP sensitivity was hyperthermically chemopotentiated in CDDP-resistant variants rather than in the control clones. Thus, clinical cancer chemotherapy with CDDP may be improved by an appropriate combination with hyperthermia even at 40 degrees C.

Center for computational science and e-systems of Japan Atomic Energy Agency is carrying out R&D in the area of extra large-scale simulation technologies for solving nuclear plant structures in its entirety. Specifically, we focus on establishing a virtual plant vibration simulator on interconnected supercomputers intended for seismic response analysis of a whole nuclear plant. The simulation of the whole plant is a very difficult task because an extremely large dataset must be processed. To overcome this difficulty, we have proposed and implemented a necessary simulation framework and computing platform. The simulation framework based on the computing platform has been applied to a linear elastic analysis of the reactor pressure vessel and cooling systems of a nuclear research facility, the HTTR. The simulation framework opens a possibility of new simulation technologies for building a whole virtual nuclear plant in computers for virtual experiments.

(Introduction) Improvements in results of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) have been extending their use in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. (Hypothesis) We assessed the hypothesis that coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) would be superior to PCI with DES in patients with ULMCA. (Methods) From January 2004 to March 2006, 114 patients underwent CABG (emergency: 42 cases), and 136 patients underwent PCI with DES (emergency: 9 cases) for ULMCA disease. In CABG, 91 patients had off-pump surgery. In PCI, all patients had sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. The mean follow-up was 621±291 days in CABG and 455±216 days in PCI. Survival, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and target lesion revascularization (TLR) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. (Results) Preoperative characteristics and risk factors were compatible between the groups except for EuroSCORE (8.0±3.5 in CABG and 5.0±3.0 in PCI, p ). MACE-free rate at 2 years was 93.5% in CABG and 59.7% in PCI (p (Conclusions) CABG was superior to PCI with DES in terms of long-term outcomes including survival, MACE-free, and TLR. DES carried higher risk for sudden death which might be associated with stent thrombosis. Survival curve in elective cases

Several RNAs, including rRNAs, snRNAs, snoRNAs, and some mRNAs, are known to be localized at specific sites in a cell. Although methods have been established to visualize RNAs in a living cell, no large-scale visual screening of localized RNAs has been performed. In this study, we constructed a genomic library in which random genomic fragments were inserted downstream of U1A-tag sequences under a GAL1 promoter. In a living yeast cell, transcribed U1A-tagged RNAs were visualized by U1A-GFP that binds the RNA sequence of the U1A-tag. In this screening, many RNAs showed nuclear signals. Since the nuclear signals of some RNAs were not seen when the U1A-tag was connected to the 3' ends of the RNAs, it is suggested that their nuclear signals correspond to nascent transcripts on GAL1 promoter plasmids. Using this screening method, we successfully identified two novel localized mRNAs, CSR2 and DAL81, which showed bud-tip localization.

The effects of amrubicin (AMR) and its active metabolite, amrubicinol (AMROH), on the sensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells to ionizing radiation were investigated in vitro. Further, the kinetics of apoptosis and necrosis induction were also analyzed. The cytocidal effects of X-ray irradiation on A549 cells resulted in a low level of radiosensitivity with a D0 value of 12 Gy. The slopes of the survival curves in the exponential phase were plotted on semilogarithmic paper for radiation combined with AMR (2.5 microg/ml) and AMROH (0.02 microg/ml) treatment, and were shown to be approximately parallel to treatment with irradiation alone. The initial shoulder-shape portion of the survival curve for radiation alone, indicating the repair of sublethal damage, was reduced as compared to that for sequential combined treatment with AMR or AMROH. Sequential treatments with AMR or AMROH prior to ionizing radiation resulted in an additive radio-enhancement effect that reduced not only survival, but also the shoulder width. Fractionated irradiation with 2 Gy per fraction of A549 cells was carried out in vitro similar to that commonly performed in clinical radiotherapy and the radio-resistance of the cells was shown to be inhibited by AMR and AMROH. Similar to AMR and AMROH, adriamycin and etoposide (VP-16) are DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors. The effects of these 4 agents on cells that received X-ray irradiation were compared and all of the agents exhibited comparable radio-enhancement effects. The induction of apoptosis was investigated at 48 and 72 h after administration of AMROH, radiation or combined treatment, and apoptosis was not significantly induced after any of the treatments. We also examined the induction of necrosis, and found that the incidence of necrosis following combined treatment was approximately 2 times higher than that with either of the single treatments.

Primary failure of tooth eruption involving primary teeth is unusual. The purpose of this report was to describe uneruption of a single mandibular primary first molar and the treatment outcome following limited orthodontic care.A 5-year, 3-month-old boy was referred to the authors' clinic for treatment of an unerupted primary first molar, 3 months after fenestration by an oral surgeon. Orthodontic traction was performed on the affected molar in the authors' clinic. The affected mandibular primary first molar was fully erupted and in occlusion 16 months after the first fenestration.The histopathological diagnosis of the overlying tissue was pericoronal myxofibrous hyperplasia (PMH) without any calcified obstacles.Of the 26 primary tooth eruption failure cases treated in the authors' clinic between 1979 and 2003, the present case was the only example of a primary first molar.

The effects of amrubicin (AMR) and its active metabolite, amrubicinol (AMROH), on the sensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line to hyperthermia at 44 degrees C were investigated. The cell phase response as well as the kinetics of apoptosis and necrosis induction were also analyzed. The cytocidal effects of 44 degrees C hyperthermia on A549 cells exhibited low thermosensitivity with a T(0) value of 12 min. The slope of the survival curve in the exponential phase, described semilogarithmically, in 44 degrees C hyperthermia combined treatment with AMROH (0.02 microg/ml) was approximately parallel to 44 degrees C hyperthermia alone. The initial shoulder shape portion of the survival curve from 44 degrees C hyperthermia alone, indicating the repair of sublethal thermal damage (SLTDR), was reduced with the sequential combined treatment of AMR or AMROH. Sequential treatments with AMR or AMROH prior to 44 degrees C hyperthermia resulted in additive thermo-enhancement effect by reducing not only survival but was shoulder wide. Furthermore, like AMR and AMROH, adriamycin (ADM) and etoposide (VP-16) are DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors, and the effects of these 4 agents on 44 degrees C hyperthermia were compared. All 4 agents exhibited comparable thermo-enhancement effects. Using synchronized A549 cells, AMR or AMROH did not elicit cell phase responses, irrespective of the concentration. The induction of apoptosis was investigated at 48 and 72 h after AMROH treatment, 44 degrees C hyperthermia or the combined treatment, in which apoptosis was not significantly induced after any treatment. Furthermore, the incidence of necrosis was examined as well as apoptosis. The incidence of necrosis at 48 and 72 h after AMROH was 2.4 and 4.3%, respectively; after 44 degrees C hyperthermia was 3.3 and 4.0%, respectively; and after the combined treatment it was 10.7 and 8.7%, respectively. The necrosis induced after the combined treatment was circa 3 times higher than that in either of the single treatments.