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A rare case of meningioma associated with intratumoral abscess formation occurred in a 64-year-old female presenting with septic meningitis and a right frontal mass lesion after a gynecological operation under spinal anesthesia. The mass lesion was totally removed and revealed as an incidental meningioma with an intratumoral abscess. Hematogenous infection of Bacteroides oralis was thought to be the cause of the intratumoral abscess formation.

Members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily participate in numerous biological phenomena in multiple tissues, including in cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. TGF-β superfamily proteins therefore have prominent roles in wound healing, fibrosis, bone formation, and carcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating these signaling pathways are not fully understood. Here, we describe the regulation of bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling by Bat3 (also known as Scythe or BAG6). Bat3 overexpression in murine cell lines suppresses the activity of the Id1 promoter normally induced by BMP signaling. Conversely, Bat3 inactivation enhances the induction of direct BMP target genes, such as Id1, Smad6, and Smad7. Consequently, Bat3 deficiency accelerates the differentiation of primary osteoblasts into bone, with a concomitant increase in the bone differentiation markers Runx2, Osterix, and alkaline phosphatase. Using biochemical and cell biological analyses, we show that Bat3 inactivation sustains the C-terminal phosphorylation and nuclear localization of Smad1, 5, and 8 (Smad1/5/8), thereby enhancing biological responses to BMP treatment. At the mechanistic level, we show that Bat3 interacts with the nuclear phosphatase small C-terminal domain phosphatase (SCP) 2, which terminates BMP signaling by dephosphorylating Smad1/5/8. Notably, Bat3 enhances SCP2–Smad1 interaction only when the BMP signaling pathway is activated. Our results demonstrate that Bat3 is an important regulator of BMP signaling that functions by modulating SCP2–Smad interaction.

We have cloned a transient type K channel from rat heart (RH10) and coexpressed a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR5) to study the functional modulation of RH10 coupled to the phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis. Stimulation of mGluR5 suppressed peak amplitude of RH10 current and affected voltage dependence of activation and inactivation of the channel.

In cardiac hypertrophy,collagen accumulation in the myocardial interstitium is associated with hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes [1]. Collagen remodeling causes impaired ventricular compliance,abnormal electrical conduction and impaired oxygenation of the cardio-myocytes [2].At present,factors that regulate cardiac collagen metabolism are not elucidated.Eghbali et al [3] found that cardiac fibroblasts are mainly responsible for the synthesis of fibrillar type I and III co11agen.Recent studies have demonstrated that angiotensin II (A II),in addition to its inotropic and chronotropic actions,may exert effects by acting as a growth factor in the car¬diovascular system and that there may be local autocrine or paracrine renin-angiotensin system in several tissues [4].There are no data concerning the effects of A II on cardiac nonmyocytes.In this study we examined the effects of A II on collagen synthesis by cardiac fibroblasts in normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Studies on factors affecting the intention to purchase and repurchase items via the internet have separated into two parts: the effect of factors on intention to purchase and the effects of factors on intention to repurchase. This study aims to develop a model of internet shopping that integrates three theoretical models and consists of three processes: intention to purchase, actual purchase, and intention to repurchase. The results of an online questionnaire filled out by 1,215 online customers showed that the model is able to explain and predict their internet shopping purchase?repurchase behaviours well. The findings and their managerial implications are also discussed.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used for measurement of cerebral hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations in neonates to study cerebral oxygenation and hemodynamics. We perform measurements by portable three-wavelength NIR time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS) in a piglet hypoxia model with various degrees of oxygenation to estimate the absorption coefficient (mu(a)) and reduced scattering coefficient (mu(s)') of the head. Measurements of absolute values of mu(a) at three wavelengths enable estimation of Hb concentration and Hb oxygen saturation in the head (SO2). However, there is a problem concerning which background absorption should be used to estimate Hb concentration in the head derived from mu(a) at three wavelengths because it is different from a simple in vitro model. Therefore, we use two different background absorption values with the assumption that background absorption is due only to 85% (by volume) water or that background absorption is equal to absorption of the piglet head with blood exchange transfusion by fluorocarbon (FC), and we compared SO2 measured by TRS with arterial Hb oxygen saturation (SaO2) and sagittal sinus venous Hb oxygen saturation (SvO2) measured by a co-oximeter at several inspired fractional O2(FI(O2)) concentrations. We find that SO2 values using the absorption (abs) of the piglet head with blood exchange transfusion (BET) by FC are not significantly different from SO2 values using the water-only background at FI(O2) in the range of 15 to 100%, but that the values using abs of the head with BET by FC are lower than the values using the water-only background at FI(O2) in the range of 12 to 4%. The SO2 values calculated from the water-only background are higher than those of SaO2 at FI(O2) in the range of 10 to 4%. However, SO2 values using the abs of the head with BET by FC are between those of SaO2 and SvO2 over the whole range of FI(O2). Therefore, abs of the head with BET by FC is more useful for estimation of the absolute values of oxyHb and deoxyHb of the piglet head.

It was previously proposed that spasmogenic activity of oxyhemoglobin was stronger than that of methemoglobin and that oxyhemoglobin induced marked and continuous vasospasms on the exposed basilar artery in the cat. Therefore, oxyhemoglobin may be one of the most important spasmogenic substances following subarachnoid hemorrhages. It was also reported that, due to autoxidation, oxyhemoglobin produced superoxide, and that lipid peroxidation induced by superoxide with an Fe-complex was inhibited by superoxide dismutase, catalase, 1, 4-diazabicyclo [2, 2, 2] octane (DABCO), etc. In this experiment, the spasmogenic activity of oxyhemoglobin on the exposed basilar artery was reduced to that of methemoglobin by superoxide dismutase, catalase and DABCO. On the other hand, methemoglobin induced marked contraction of the arteries after the xanthine oxidase system, which is believed to be a superoxide producing system, was injected into the subarachnoid space together with EDTA-Fe and FeCl3. The authors have therefore concluded that the strong spasmogenic activity of oxyhemoglobin is due to a change in reactivity of the artery which is affected by lipid peroxidation, induced by superoxide generated by autoxidation of oxyhemoglobin, on the cellular membrane of nerve-endings or smooth muscle of the artery.

肝硬変患者16例,健常成人4名で自己の血小板に51Crを標識し,血小板寿命を測定した.肝硬変患者では血小板半寿命が2.8±0.4日と健常成人の4.3±0.2日に比し有意に短縮し,血小板自体の異常が示された.さらに肝硬変患者では血小板回収率の低下やconsumptionの減少から血小板プールの増大が示された.標識血小板の臓器分布では,脾臓/肝臓比は明らかに高値を示したが,脾臓での放射能活性は軽度から中等度であった.従って,血小板プールの増大には脾臓のみならず静脈瘤を含む血管系の異常の関与が大きいと考えられた.

肝硬変患者の血小板異常を検索する目的で血小板の等電点(pI)を測定した.電気泳動は50mlの等電点用カラムで行った,1w/v% Ampholineを用い,pH勾配は0～50w/v% sucrose gradientで支持した.pH勾配を完成させた後,血小板をカラムの中間位に添加し,1,000 Vで4時間,0～1℃で泳動した.泳動終了後,1mlずつ分画し,pHおよび細胞濃度を測定した.健常成人では血小板のpIが4.22であった.この血小板をneuraminidaseおよびethel-ethanol混液で処理するとpIは4.54および4.75とそれぞれ大きくなった.また,formaldehydeの処理ではpIが3.91と小さくなった.肝硬変患者の血小板ではpIが3.80から4.50と幅広い値を示した.この結果には肝硬変患者の血小板膜異常が関与していることが示された.

The oxidation of different rank coals was carried out at the temperature from 70°C t to 150°C t under oxygen in order to understand the profile of the oxidation of coal. Ox-ygen consumption, weight change of the coals and the amounts of evolved gases such as CO2, CO, CH4 and H2O were measured to monitor the oxidation of coals. Further, the recovered coals were characterized by means of CP/MAS 13C-NMR, IR and elemental analysis.The oxidation of the coals caused a significant decrease in aliphatic carbons resulting in the evolution of CO2 and H2O, and the lower the coal rank such as Yallourn and Taiheiyo coals is, the greater the tendency. The amount of oxygen incorporated into the coals relatively increas-ed with the carbon content in coal. It was suggested that most of the oxygen incorporated was consumed in the formation of polar groups and the other was consumed in the cross-linking of aromatic structures in coal

A case of a successfully removed glioma at the base of the IVth ventricle was reported. The patient was a 43-year-old woman who had complained of gait and visual disturbances four years before admission. Plain and enhanced CT showed remarkable hydrocephalus, dilatation of Sylvian aqueduct, and deformity of the IVth ventricle. An exploratory craniotomy was performed and the tumor, 25×15×7 mm in size, was found at the base of the IVth ventricle and was macroscopically totally removed. Histological diagnosis was fibrillary astrocytoma. Post-operative course was favorable. Symptoms, diagnosis, and operation of the tumor were discussed.