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In 2-D time-of-flight MR angiography (2-D TOF MRA) of the liver, artifacts caused by respiratory motion are unavoidable. Therefore, a 3-D black blood MRA of the liver was attempted in 7 healthy volunteers, using a 3-D gradient echo sequence which allows imaging during breath holding. 2-D TOF MRA was performed as well. In all subjects, 3-D MRA allowed visualization of the trunk, 1st-, and 2nd-order branches of the portal vein without interruption. Right 3rd-order branches were visualized without interruption in 6 of 7 subjects (85%). However, with 2-D MRA, the transverse portion of the left main portal vein could not be visualized in any subject, and the periphery of the portal vein was less clear than with 3-D MRA.

Injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) causes acute swelling around the joint and subsequent morphological alterations in the condyle. We aimed to evaluate changes in the three-dimensional architecture of the condyle induced with CFA.The CFA was injected into the unilateral TMJ of rats and morphological changes in the condyle were assessed repeatedly for 14 days by in vivo micro-CT.Osseous abnormalities of condyle were first observed at 3-5 days after CFA injection on the tomographic images, and the condylar deformation became more obvious thereafter. Among 12 condyles examined at 14 days postinjection, osteophytosis was observed in all of the specimens and bone erosion coexisted in five condyles. None of the saline-treated condyles showed architectural changes. Significant changes were detected in the mesiolateral and rostrocaudal widths of the CFA-treated condyles at 10-14 days postinjection (P0.01). The extent of both condylar bone formation and resorption was greater in the CFA-injected TMJs than in saline-injected TMJs (P0.05).These results indicate that CFA causes dynamic morphological changes in the condyle and that our experimental approach will provide new insights into the subacute inflammatory processes in the TMJ.

Identification of mutations in G6PD gene is performed as an epidemiologic investigation of G6PD deficiency in many countries. In order to understand the hereditary background of G6PD deficiency in a population, screening of mutations is required not only in exonic regions but also for intron and promoter regions. One hundred male neonatal samples diagnosed as with G6PD deficiency by newborn screening in Singapore were used in this study. The multiplex PCR using the multiple tandem forward primers and common reverse primer (MPTP) method was carried out to detect the common 11 mutations in south-east Asia such as Gaohe 95AG, Orissa 131CG, Vanua-Lava 383TC, Mahidol 487GA, Mediterranean 563CT, Coimbra 592CT, Viangchan 871GA, Chatham 1003GA, Union 1360CT, Canton 1376GT and Kaiping 1388GA. Samples whose mutations were unidentified by MPTP method were scanned at cording region, intron and promoter region by direct sequencing.Out of 100 samples, 90 samples (90.0%) were identified with one of the above mentioned common mutations. Eight out of 10 samples whose mutations were unidentified by MPTP method carried exonic mutations which had been previously reported such as Murcia 209AG, Quing Yuan 392GT, Nankang 517TC, Chinese5 1024CT. Two novel mutations were identified in these samples: one had a novel mutation (25CT); the remaining sample carried a 49 bp deletion in intron 12.

The deconfining finite-temperature transition of SU(3) gauge theory is studied on the dedicated parallel computer QCDPAX. Monte Carlo simulations are performed on 12{sup 2}{times}24{times}4, 24{sup 2}{times}36{times}4, 20{sup 3}{times}6, 24{sup 3}{times}6, and 36{sup 2}{times}48{times}6 lattices with 376 000 to 1 112 000 iterations. The finite size scaling behavior of the first-order transition is confirmed both on the {ital N}{sub {ital t}}=4 and {ital N}{sub {ital t}}=6 lattices and clear two-phase structures are observed on spatially large lattices (24{sup 2}{times}36{times}4 and 36{sup 2}{times}48{times}6). The latent heat at the deconfining transition is estimated both by a direct measurement of the gap on the spatially large lattices and by applying a finite-size scaling law. The results obtained by these two independent methods are remarkably consistent with each other on both the {ital N}{sub {ital t}}=4 and 6 lattices. The latent heat for {ital N}{sub {ital t}}=6 is much smaller than that for {ital N}{sub {ital t}}=4 and is about 1/3 of the Stefan-Boltzmann value 8{pi}{sup 2}/15. The details of the data and the error analysis are presented.

Editor—Atopy is characterised by raised IgE levels and it underlies the clinical disorder bronchial asthma.1-3 IL-4 and IL-13 play a key role in the development of asthma acting through the IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) and IL-13R, respectively.1-3 Since these two receptors share the IL-4Rα chain, this subunit is the crucial component required for IL-4 and IL-13 signalling.1-3 Recently, three coding variants in the human IL4R gene have been identified and these showed genetic and functional association with atopic asthma in different ethnic groups. The Ile50 variant was associated with atopic asthma in a Japanese population4 5and Arg551 or Pro478 were associated with IgE levels in American6 and German populations,7respectively, but perhaps through different mechanisms. Ile50 specifically and strongly upregulates cellular IgE synthesis through stat6 when tested by cDNA transfection into human and murine B cell lines.4 5 Functional assay of Arg551Gln IL-4Rα showed impaired binding of the negative regulatory molecule, protein tyrosine phosphatase, SHP-1, and increased expression of CD23 was found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after challenge with human IL-4.6 However, this finding was not replicated by another group.8 In contrast, Pro478 is in tight linkage disequilibrium with Arg551 in a German population and may change the structure of the receptor, leading to altered phosphorylation patterns of signal molecules and hence lower IgE levels.7 These findings emphasise the genetic heterogeneity of atopy and question whether the molecular interaction between variants of IL-4Rα and its associated signal transduction molecules, such as stat6, may be important.1-3 The Stats are a family of transcription factors evolutionarily conserved from Drosophila to humans.9 To date seven different STAT genes have been identified in humans.9 Stat6 activation correlates with functional …

A new bacterial disease of bellflower was found in Mie Prefecture, Japan, in the autumn of 1997. Brown spots on leaf blades and necrotic stripes on leaf petioles characterized the disease. Bacterial strains from bellflower induced symptoms the same as those on naturally infected plants and also induced the same symptoms found with lettuce bacterial varnish spot disease caused by Pseudomonas cichorii. On the basis of bacteriological characteristics, the bacterium was identified as Pseudomonas cichorii. This is the first report of bacterial brown spot disease of bellflower.

Concrete Filled Steel Tube (CFT) with built-in steel bars, compared with Concrete Filled Steel Tube (CFT) structure, was proved having better excellent performance on fire-resisting. There are related provisions on fire-resisting for CFT with built-in steel bars in several codes already, like BS 5950 code, DIN code, Euro Code 4 and NBC code, etc.

We report the results of a Monte Carlo study of finite-temperature pure SU(3) gauge theory performed on the parallel computer QCDPAX. The deconfining transition is studied on ${12}^{2}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}24\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4, ${24}^{2}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}36\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4, ${24}^{3}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}6, and ${36}^{2}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}48\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}6 lattices with 480 000--1 112 000 iterations. A clear two-phase structure is observed on spatially large (${24}^{2}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}36\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4 and ${36}^{2}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}48\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}6) lattices and the gaps of physical quantities at the transition are calculated on these lattices. The latent heat thus obtained on the ${\mathit{N}}_{\mathit{t}}$=6 (${36}^{2}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}48\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}6) lattice is much smaller than the one previously obtained.

A mobility profiling technique using a field‐effect transistor has been successfully applied to characterize the growth interruption interfaces of organometallic vapor‐phase epitaxial Si‐doped n‐GaAs layers. The interface was formed by interrupting the supply of TMGa and SiH4 for certain lengths of time under a pressure of flowing AsH3. The 30‐s interruption interface showed a decrease in the carrier concentration and an increase in the mobility, as obtained from the gate capacitance‐voltage and transconductance‐voltage characteristics. A quantitative analysis led us to a conclusion that the interface in question is not compensated by acceptor impurities or defects, in contrast with an easy conclusion usually deduced only from the carrier concentration profile, but has an effective reduction of Si doping level. A secondary‐ion mass spectroscopic (SIMS) depth analysis of Si and C atoms supported the above‐mentioned conclusion. The 60‐s interruption, however, showed an extremely low drain current, which was...

The first successful operation of QCDPAX with 432 nodes is reported. The peak speed is about 12.5 GFLOPS and the total memories are 2.6 GByte. It is planned to increase the number of nodes up to 480 in the near future. After brief descriptions of the system architecture and hardware as well as software development, the result of a study of the phase transition in pure gauge theory are briefly presented.

We report the results of Monte Carlo simulations of finite temperature SU(3) gauge theory on the parallel computer QCDPAX. We study the transition on 242 × 36 × 4, 122 × 24 × 4 and 243 × 6 lattices with 480 - 910 thousand iterations. The susceptibility satisfies finite size scaling for a first-order phase transition. A possible solution is proposed for the problem of non-zero pressure gap and the latent heat density is estimated to be Δϵ/T4 = 2.957(19).

内頚動脈に発生した巨大脳動脈瘤に対し総頚動脈の結紮術を行ったにもかかわらず, 6年4ヵ月後のCTと脳血管写で動脈瘤が著明に増大した症例を経験した.症例は64歳女性で, 右眼の視力障害を主訴とし昭和54年当科に入院した.神経学的には右視神経乳頭の萎縮を認め, 脳血管写で, 右内頚動脈のC1部にneckを有する石灰化を伴った巨大脳動脈瘤を認めた.直達手術は困難と考え, 右総頚動脈結紮術を施行した.術後視力はやや改善したが, 昭和59年より記銘力障害をきたすようになり昭和60年当科に再入院した.CTでは動脈瘤の著明な増大を認め, 脳血管写では, 右椎骨動脈から筋肉枝を介して右後頭動脈, 外頚動脈, 内頚動脈の順に造影され, 動脈瘤の内腔がserpentine channelとして造影された.総頚動脈結紮後は長期にわたるCT follow-upが必要で, 動脈瘤内の血栓化が不十分である例には内頚動脈の結紮またはtrappingを考慮すべきであると考えられた.

QCDPAX is a local memory MIMD parallel computer designed for simulations in lattice QCD. Processing units(PU's) are connected in a toroidal two-dimensional nearest-neighbor-mesh. There are two ways for communications. One is a MIMD communication between the adjacent PU's by setting the flag in the shared memory between the adjacent PU's. The other one is to take the global synchronization among all processors; this is SIMD-like MIMD. We have completed construction of the computer made of 240 PU's (7 GFLOPS peak speed) and we will complete construction of the final QCDPAX made of 480 PU's (14 GFLOPS peak speed) by the next March. The program is written in terms of C-like language, psc(parallel scientific c) and the tuning is possible at an assembly language, qfa(quick floating assembler) developed for the purpose of optimizing the object code. The link update time is evaluated.

PURPOSE Previous reports have shown genetic predisposition for atopic dermatitis (AD). Some of the severe complications of AD manifest in the eye, such as cataract, retinal detachment, and keratoconjunctivitis. This study was conducted to examine the genetic association between the atopy-related genes and patients with ocular complications (ocular AD). METHODS Seventy-eighty patients with ocular AD and 282 healthy control subjects were enrolled in an investigation of the association between the atopy-related genes (FCERB, IL13, and IFNGR1) and ocular AD. Genetic association studies and functional analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were performed. RESULTS The -56TT genotype in the IFNGR1 promoter region was significantly associated with an increased risk of ocular AD under recessive models (chi(2) test, raw P = 0.0004, odds ratio 2.57). The -56TT genotype was more common in atopic cataracts. A reporter gene assay showed that, after stimulation with IFN-gamma, the IFNGR1 gene promoter construct that contained the -56T allele, a common allele in ocular AD patients, manifested higher transcriptional activity in lens epithelial cells (LECs) than did the construct with the -56C allele. Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated higher IFNGR1 mRNA expression in the LECs in atopic than in senile cataracts. iNOS expression by IFNGR1-overexpressing LECs was enhanced on stimulation with IFN-gamma and LPS. CONCLUSIONS The -56T allele in the IFNGR1 promoter results in higher IFNGR1 transcriptional activity and represents a genetic risk factor for atopic cataracts.

Room temperature continuous wave operation of ZnSe-based blue/green laser diodes grown homoepitaxially on conductive ZnSe substrates with threshold current densities as low as 176 A/cm2 has been demonstrated. This is the lowest reported threshold among all short wavelength lasers in the blue/green region. Lifetimes at room temperature of up to 2.1 h have been obtained for lasers with pre-existing defect densities lower than 3×104 cm−2.

The beta subunit of high affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor (FcepsilonRIbeta) and the Clara cell derived inflammatory molecule, CC16 have been cited as candidate genes for atopic asthma on chromosome 11q13. A genetic association study was performed with an intragenic microsatellite repeat of CC16 gene on chromosome 11q12-13 in relation to atopic and non-atopic asthma. Whereas variants of FcepsilonRIbeta at chromosome 11q13 show association with atopy and asthma, no significant association was found between asthma and CC16 genotypes irrespective of atopic status. These data support the candidacy of FcepsilonRIbeta rather than CC16 for the atopic asthma locus on chromosome 11q.

In this study, thermoelectric thin films are deposited on glass plates by using a flash evaporation method. We evaporated fine powders of 20% Bi2Te3-80% Sb2Te3 as a p-type and those of 90% Bi2Te3-10% Bi2Se3 as an n-type. We measured thermoelectric properties, such as Seebeck coefficient, alpha, the electrical resistivity, rho, and thermal conductivity, lambda, at room temperature. Flash evaporated p-type thin films show high values of thermoelectric properties: alpha = 199 muV/K, and rho = 14 mOmegamiddotcm at 300 K, and the n-type thin films show alpha = -30 muV/K, and rho = 3 mOmegamiddotcm. The fabricated thin films are annealed at 200 to 400 degC for 1 hour in argon for the improvement of the thermoelectric properties. The electrical resistivity of the p-type thin films reduces as annealing temperature increases, and it reaches 1.8 mOmegamiddotcm at annealing temperature of 400 degC. Seebeck coefficient of the thin films reaches 218 muV/K at annealing temperature of 300 degC. On the other hand, the electrical resistivity of the n-type thin films reduces to 2 mOmegamiddotcm at annealing temperature of 350 degC, and Seebeck coefficient of the thin films increases to -163 muV/K at annealing temperature of 300 degC. The measured thermal conductivity of an n-type thin film annealed at 200 degC is 1.2 W/(mmiddotK). EPMA measurements and SEM observations are carried out to consider the mechanisms of improvements of thermoelectric properties

If vertical interconnections could be fabricated at low cost, it would bring about many advantages, such as miniaturization and lower a height of the package. Our through-chip via (TCV) technology to fabricate vertical interconnections consists of a first via drilling by laser ablation (silicon drilling), followed by dielectric film lamination, a second via drilling by laser ablation (dielectric film drilling) and pattern plating of Cu. Our technology, being based on the printed-circuit-board fabrication process, has no need for expensive wafer fabrication techniques such as RIE, CVD and CMP. Thus, it enables the realization of the fabrication of through-chip vertical interconnections at low cost. In this paper, we describe the details of our process and its application in the fabrication of CMOS image sensor.

A parallel array computer PAX has been developed for the use in scientific calculations. The machine is an MIMD, nearest neighbor connected processor array with special synchronization hardware. Several typical applications have been tested; among them are Monte Carlo simulations in theoretical physics, and the fluid dynamics solving the Navier-Stokes equations. Very high efficiency has been attained in the parallel processing of these problems, that can be attributable to the well-matched architecture with the inherent parallelism in the nature. The machine can be a prototype for SUPER FREEDOM SIMULATOR, a future VLSI parallel computer with huge number of processors.

A Ti‐oxide compound in the pyroxene family NaTiSi2O6 containing a one‐dimensional Ti‐O network exhibits a phase transition at T=210K, for which it has been anticipated that the spin‐singlet formation is driven by the orbital ordering. We develop a theory that describes the mechanism of this phase transition. We use the Hartree‐Fock approximation to the multiband d‐p model and derive the groundstate phase diagram in the parameter space. We also use the perturbation theory in the strong correlation limit up to the fourth order of electron hoppings to derive the effective spin‐orbital Hamiltonian. We then apply the density‐matrix renormalization group method to the derived Hamiltonian and obtain the groundstate phase diagram. Experimental relevance of our results is discussed.

Twenty-four Japanese atopic sibs with asthma and/or rhinitis were tested for polymorphic microsatellite repeats of Fc epsilon RI beta on chromosome 11q13. Significantly increased sharing of maternal alleles was found chi 2 = 5.86, p < 0.025) while no significant sharing was found for paternal alleles. These findings confirm maternal inheritance of atopy at this locus in a non-Caucasian population.

By using our VCZ (Vapour pressure controlled Czochralski) method, we successfully grew semi-insulating 4 /spl oslash/ GaAs single crystals with very low-dislocation density of less than 5,000cm/sup -2/ which was one order of magnitude less than that of the LEC single crystal. The residual strain of the VCZ substrate was one quarter of that of the LEC substrate. The generation of slip-dislocation on the substrates during MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) growth was significantly improved on the VCZ substrates.

The interest in anti-allergy immunoregulation by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been growing over the last few decades. There is evidence to suggest that lysed Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 (LFK), a kind of LAB preparation, could relieve the clinical symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis. However, little is known about how LFK plays a role in combating allergy.The aim of this study was to clarify whether improvement of clinical manifestations is associated with enhancement of tuberculin responses in patients with allergic rhinitis treated by LFK.One gram of LFK per day was administered orally to fifty perennial allergic rhinitis patients in an open trial that lasted 28 days. Nasal symptoms and sign scores were rated before and after administration of LFK. Tuberculin responses and peripheral blood cells were also measured before and after LFK treatment.Purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test diameter was 2.14 +/- 2.14 mm before LFK administration versus 7.26 +/- 4.81 mm at day 31 (p0.01). A significant inverse correlation was recognized between PPD skin test diameters and total nasal scores in the nasal provocation test before and after treatment (r= - 0.600, p0.001). Peripheral blood eosinophils were 248 +/- 149 cells/ml before LFK administration and then they significantly decreased to 76 +/- 98 cells/microl (p0.01).These finding may be interpreted as a result of improved clinical symptoms in allergic rhinitis after LFK oral treatment owing to the enhanced host's Th1-type immune responses and supression of the over-expression of Th2-dominated allergic responses.

To assess the potential of p21 as a gene therapy treatment for prostate cancer, by introducing p21 into both androgen-dependent (AD) and -independent (AI) human prostate cancer cell lines via a recombinant adenoviral vector, Ad5CMV-p21, carrying human p21 cDNA.The LNCaP, DU145 and PC-3 human prostate cancer cell lines were cultured and infected with Ad5CMV-p21. Cell growth, cell-cycle progression and tumorigenicity were then assessed by thymidine incorporation into cellular DNA, and cell number, flow cytometry, and tumour growth after inoculating the cells into nude mice.Growth was inhibited in Ad5CMV-p21 viral-infected AD and AI prostate cancer cells. The effects were dose-dependent, regardless of the androgen status of the cell lines. Flow cytometric analysis showed that Ad5CMV-p21 arrested cell-cycle progression at G1/S with no appreciable effect on the levels of apoptotic cells. The tumorigenicity of cancer cells infected with Ad5CMV-p21 was greatly reduced in athymic mice.These results suggest that Ad5CMV-p21 may be a new therapeutic agent for human prostate cancer gene therapy.

The interest in anti-allergy immunoregulation by lactic acid bacteria has been growing for the last few decades. There is some evidence to suggest that lysed Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 (LFK) could relieve the clinical symptoms of pollinosis. However, the mechanism responsible for this phenomenon remains unknown.To identify the effect of LFK, a lysozyme treated and heat-killed preparation from the lactic acid bacteria Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 strain, on allergen-induced eosinophil accumulation.BALB/c mice were sensitized with ragweed pollen extract, and peritoneal accumulation of eosinophils was induced. A total of 60 mg (0.5 mL) LFK was orally administered to the experimental mouse every day during 21 days of the sensitization period. In addition, LFK 4 mg, 25 mg and 60 mg (each 0.5 mL) were also orally administered to a mouse of each group every day for 21 days. Saline was fed in a dose of 0.5 mL/mouse per day for the same duration as a control.Compared with control mice, LFK-treated mice exhibited decreased ragweed pollen allergen-induced peritoneal accumulation of eosinophils (P = 0.013), which showed a tendency to be in a dose-dependent fashion (P = 0.14).The results provide laboratory evidence of the role for LFK, a lactic acid bacteria preparation, in combating eosinophil accumulation.

The authors have developed a system for the final visual inspection of LSI packages. The automation of the final visual inspection lags behind that for other processes in LSI assembly. To reduce costs and standardize inspection criteria, technology for this automation should be developed as soon as possible. To automate the final visual inspection, one must solve several problems. As packages are becoming larger and lead pitches finer the authors have developed an image input method that satisfies those divergent conditions. The authors have also built hardware that is capable of high-speed processing to inspect the large number of items required in final inspection, and developed software to check for defects precisely and reliably. >

A method that generates a static network for a dedicated parallel computer from an application program is proposed. The article describes the heuristic code scheduling algorithm that becomes necessary for the generation of the network. Furthermore, it describes the method of dependency analysis that becomes necessary for the insertion of the data transfer instruction and network generation. A network generation system was developed by this research based on the above algorithm. A parallel computer simulator was developed, and the performance of the generated network and the parallelized program was estimated. It achieved 87.0-94.5% parallel processing efficiency with 32 processors when an experiment was made by using some sample programs. The validity of the generated network and the parallelized program is shown with these results.

We recently described a protective effect of the low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMPTP) BC genotype, associated with the highest total enzymatic activity, against high serum IgE levels both in the English and the Italian populations. Here we test the hypothesis of a role of LMPTP in the negative modulation of IL-4 signal transduction checking for genetic interaction between interleukin-4 receptor alpha chain (IL-4RA) genetic polymorphisms and LMPTP polymorphism in the predisposition to high total IgE levels in the English population. We find a significant interaction between LMPTP polymorphism and the intracellular Gln/Arg polymorphism in position 551 of IL-4RA. Our data support the hypothesis of a direct or indirect biochemical interaction between LMPTP and IL-4RA resulting in different modulation of IL-4 signal transduction among joint genotypes.

Background: A substantial body of evidence exists to support the pivotal role of IL-13 in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. We recently found that a variant of the IL13 gene (Arg110Gln) is genetically associated with bronchial asthma, which is concordant with animal experiments using IL-13 in the development of asthma. Objective: To address whether the Gln110 variant of IL13 influences IL-13 function, contributing to the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma, we studied the functional properties of the variant. Methods: We generated 2 types of recombinant IL-13 proteins, the amino acids of which at 110 were arginine or glutamine, and analyzed the binding affinities with the IL-13 receptors, as well as the stability of the proteins. We further compared the relationship between the genotype and serum levels of IL-13. Results: The variant showed a lower affinity with the IL-13 receptor α2 chain, a decoy receptor, causing less clearance. The variant also demonstrated an enhanced stability in both human and mouse plasma. We further identified that asthmatic patients homozygous for the Gln110 variant have higher serum levels of IL-13 than those without the variant. Conclusion: These results suggested that the variant might act as a functional genetic factor of bronchial asthma with a unique mechanism to upregulate local and systemic IL-13 concentration in vivo. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;109:980-7.)

The IL-4RA locus encodes for the alpha chain of the IL-4 receptor, and is both a functional and positional candidate gene for atopy and allergic disease. Recently Ober et al. have shown that the study of haplotypes at multiple loci in the IL-4RA gene could be more informative than the separate study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). One hundred and fifty subjects affected by atopic asthma and 150 healthy control subjects were studied in the English population (Oxford district). Subjects and controls were genotyped for the Ile50Val, Ser478Pro and Gln551Arg polymorphism of the IL-4 receptor alpha chain. The distribution of haplotypes 50-478 shows a highly significant association with IgE levels. In particular, the haplotype Val50/Pro478 is much less frequent in subjects with IgE levels100 U mL-1 than in those with IgE levels100 U mL-1. Furthermore, the distribution of haplotype 50-551 shows a weak association with IgE levels that is lacking for 478-551 haplotypes. A lower frequency of the Val50/Pro478 haplotype is also observed among asthmatic subjects as compared to healthy controls. With regard to individual SNPs (50 478 and 551), no significant association has been observed with IgE levels or with asthma, thus confirming the higher informative value of the haplotype analysis as compared to separate study on SNPs.

Japanese cedar (Cryptmeria japonica; CJ) pollen and house dust mites are the two important aeroallergens in Japan. However, no epidemiological survey has been performed in Japan to investigate the relationship between month of birth and manifestations of allergic disease and sensitization.This study evaluates the correlation between month of birth and sensitization to aeroallergens or the occurrence of allergic disease on 755 Japanese school children aged 12-13 years.The personal history of atopic disease (bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and allergic conjunctivitis) as recorded by questionnaires was investigated in relation to total serum IgE and specific IgE toward house dust mites and CJ pollen.Positive specific IgE toward house dust mites was significantly less prevalent in the children born between January and March than those born during the rest of the year (p0.01). Positive specific IgE toward CJ pollen was significantly more prevalent in the children born between December and January than those born during the rest of the year (p0.05). High total IgE was less prevalent in the children born between February and April than in children born during the rest of the year (p = 0.05). The prevalence of bronchial asthma was 26.2% among children born between November and December, compared with a ratio of 17.3% among children born during the rest of the year (p0.05). A significantly higher proportion of the children with allergic rhinitis was born between August and October than during the rest of the year (p0.05). The prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis was 15.8% among the children who were born between December and January, compared with 9.1% among children born during the rest of the year (p0.01). No relationship between prevalence of eczema and season of birth was found.Month of birth appears to influence the risk in the development of allergic sensitization and atopic diseases. The findings concerning higher CJ pollen sensitization in children born in the months that proceed the CJ pollen seasons are as evident as the house-dust-mite-related findings.

Atopy is a common disorder characterized by increased general IgE responsiveness [1]. Atopy is also an important cause of disorder in the skin (eczema), lungs (asthma), and nose (rhinitis); family studies suggest variable combinations of organ-specific clinical syndromes in individuals within atopic families [1-10].

A 78-year-old woman with post-tuberculosis chronic empyema who underwent unsuccessful decortication in July 1993, was admitted to our hospital in November 1994 because of M. tuberculosis in her sputum. One month after anti-tuberculosis treatment, the M. tuberculosis disappeared from the sputum, but a pleurocutaneous fistula that exuded abundant bloody pus containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa persisted in the area of chronic empyema. In July 1997, 200 mg of clarithromycin (CAM) was administered daily; 21 months later, the pus and pleurocutaneous fistula had disappeared. Post-tuberculosis chronic empyema with a fistula is generally an intractable condition that necessitates surgery. In this case, the empyema did not improve during the 4 years after the surgery. However, low-dose, long-term CAM administration brought about a disappearance of pus from the fistula and closure of the empyema spaces.

Regional specificities of the dorsal and ventral regions of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were examined to elucidate the structure of multioscillator circadian organization. The circadian rhythms of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) release, and of electrical activity of individual neurons were measured in an organotypic, static slice culture of the SCN obtained from neonatal rats. Five days after the start of culture, robust circadian rhythms were detected in AVP release with a peak located consistently at the middle of the original light phase, while the 24 h profiles of VIP release were either arrhythmic or rhythmic. In the latter case, a phase delay of 5-7 h was observed in the circadian peak from the AVP rhythm. Multi-channel, extracellular recording revealed that 51 (76.1%) out of 67 firing neurons, examined in the SCN, showed circadian rhythms in their firing rate. The percentage of rhythmic neurons was significantly larger in the dorsal (86.8%) than in the ventral (62.1%) region of the SCN, where the AVP and VIP containing neurons predominate, respectively. Twenty-seven percent of the firing rhythms were almost antiphasic from the majority of rhythms. There was no regional specificity in the distribution of the antiphasic rhythm. These findings, that the dorsal and ventral regions of the SCN both contain circadian pacemakers with different properties that regulate the AVP and VIP release separately, is probably due to differences in the number and, hence, the coupling strength of oscillating neurons.

The prevalence of allergic disease has dramatically increased in recent decades, especially in urban and industrialized areas. Allergic diseases are disorders of the immune system, the results of complex interactions among various genetic and environmental factors. Among them, the important role of interleukin 13 (IL-13), a Th2-type cytokine, has recently emerged in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Based on studies using mice, great attention has been paid to the direct effects of IL-13 on bronchial tissues. In this review, we describe recent advances in understanding the signal transduction mechanism of IL-13, the involvement of IL-13 signal-related genes as genetic factors in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma, and the expression of IL-13 receptor on bronchial tissues. We describe potential strategies for targeting IL-13 signals to improve allergic states.

Three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) projection imaging was evaluated as a noninvasive alternative to direct cholangiography in 12 patients with malignancy-related obstructive jaundice. The 3D images of the bile ducts were formed by subjecting consecutive coronal MR images obtained with a fast imaging method to a maximum-intensity projection algorithm. Dilatation and obstruction of the biliary system were well documented in all cases, and good correlation between findings at 3D MR cholangiography and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage performed 0-21 days later was observed.

We report a Monte Carlo study of finite temperature SU (3) gauge theory simulated on the parallel computer QCD-PAX. The study of the deconfining transition on N t =4 lattices, reported at the Lattice '90, is extended to the case of N t = 6 using 20 3 × 6, 24 3 × 6 and 36 2 × 48 × 6 lattices. Clear two phase structure is observed on large lattices. The finite size scaling we found is consistent with a first-order phase transition. The latent heat is estimated both by a direct measurement of the gap on large lattices and by applying a finite size scaling law. The two results are mutually consistent both on N t = 4 and 6 lattices. We find that the latent heat for N t = 6 is much smaller than the value previously obtained on a smaller lattice.

We report the results of a calculation of the quenched QCD hadron spectrum performed recently by the QCDPAX collaboration. The simulations are made with Wilson quarks at β=5.85 and 6.0 ona 243 × 54 lattice. High statistics results with point quark sources are presented.

Members of the DEAD/H box-containing helicase superfamily include proteins essential to genome replication, repair, and expression. We report here the cloning and initial characterization of a novel human member of this protein family, designated hHel1 (human helicase 1), now designated SMARCAD1 by HUGO. This DEAD/H box-containing molecule has seven highly conserved sequence regions that allow us to place it in the SNF2 family of the helicase superfamily. Uniquely, though, hHel1 contains two DEAD/H box motifs, a property not reported to be shared by any other SNF2 family members. This defines a new subfamily consisting of hHel1 and its homologues. In addition to these DEAD/H box/ATP-binding motifs, hHel1 has a putative nuclear localization signal and several regions that may mediate protein–protein interactions. Expression analysis indicates that hHel1 transcripts are ubiquitous, with particularly high levels in endocrine tissue. We have mapped the gene for hHel1 to human chromosome 4q22–q23; this region is rich in breakpoints and deletion mutants of genes involved in several human diseases, notably soft tissue leiomyosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hematologic malignancies. Our observation that human Hel1 gene overexpression is present in an E1A-expressing cell line with increased capacity for gene reactivation events by genomic rearrangement suggests that human Hel1 may play a role in genetic instability development.

The circadian clock in mammals is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) which consists of multiple oscillating neurons. Integration of the cellular oscillations is essential for the generation of a single circadian period in the SCN. By using a multielectrode dish (MED), we measured circadian firing rhythms in individual SCN neurons for more than 2 weeks continuously, and examined the involvement of synaptic communication in the synchronization of circadian rhythms. Cross-correlation analysis of spontaneous action potentials revealed that a neuron pair was functionally connected by synapses when their circadian rhythms were synchronized. No correlation was found between the paired neurons whose circadian rhythms were not synchronized. Calcium (Ca2+)-dependent synaptic transmission in the cellular communication was indicated by dose-dependent lengthening of an intercellular spike interval and loss of spike correlation with a Ca2+ channel blocker. Approximately 60% of the SCN neurons in culture were immunoreactive to antibodies against gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). Spontaneous firing of all the neurons tested was either increased or decreased by bicuculline, the GABAA receptor antagonist. These findings indicate that synaptic communication plays a critical role in the synchronization of circadian rhythms in individual SCN neurons and the GABAergic transmission is involved in the synchronization mechanism.