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Rice plant hoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) have been causing extensive economic damage in rice and are considered as serious threat in rice producing countries of Asia. They have developed resistance to major groups of chemical insecticide, and severe outbreaks occur commonly throughout Asia. To control these nuisance pests, Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd., recently discovered an insecticide, benzpyrimoxan (proposed ISO name), which is under development as NNI-1501 (development code). Benzpyrimoxan has a unique chemical structure which contains benzyloxy and cyclic acetal groups on pyrimidine moiety (5-(1,3-dioxan-2-yl)-4-[4- (trifluoromethyl)benzyloxy]pyrimidine). In order to clarify the biological properties of benzpyrimoxan, we conducted several experiments and found the following results. Benzpyrimoxan has high activity against nymphal stages of rice plant hoppers without any adulticidal activity. It provides excellent and long lasting control against rice plant hoppers, including populations that have developed resistance to several other chemical groups of insecticide. The study on its mode of action is undergoing. These features highlight the versatility of this insecticide as an effective and valuable tool from the viewpoints of insecticide resistance management and integrated pest management program. With the use of benzpyrimoxan, farmers shall be able to lead the best yield potential by keeping the population density of rice plant hoppers and associated virus diseases under control., {"references":["J. L. A.Catindig, G. S. Arida, S. E. Baehaki, J. S. Bentur, L. Q. Cuong, M. Norowi, W. Rattanakam, W. Sriratanasak, J. Xia, and Z. Ju, \"Situation of planthoppers in Asia,\" in Planthoppers: new threats to the sustainability of intensive rice production systems in Asia, Heong KL, and Hardy B, Eds. Philippines: International Rice Research Institute, 2009, pp. 191-220.","L. P. Gianessi, \"Importance of pesticides for growing rice in South and Southeast Asia,\" Crop Life International. https://croplife.org/case-study/importance- of-pesticides-for-growing-rice-in-south-and-south-east- asia/, 2014, accessed 2017-02-07.","M. Matsumura, S. Sanada-Morimura, A. Otuka, R. Ohtsu, S. Sakumoto, H. Takeuchi, and M. Satoh, \"Insecticide susceptibilities in populations of two rice planthoppers, Nilaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera, immigrating into Japan in the period 2005-2012,\" Pest Management Science, pp. 615-622, 2014.","X. L. Zhang, X. Liao, K. K. Mao, K. X. Zhang, and H. Wan, \"Insecticide resistance monitoring and correlation analysis of insecticides in field populations of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens in China 2012-14,\" Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, pp. 13-20, 2016.","Y. Ling, F. K. Huang, L. P. Long, Y. Zhong, W. B. Yin, S. S. Huang, and B. Q. Wu, \"Studies on the pesticide resistant of Nilaparvata lugens in China and Vietnam,\" Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology, pp. 1374-1380, 2011.","Y. S. Basanth, V. T. Sannaveerappanavar, and D. K. Sidde Gowda, \"Susceptibility of different populations of Nilaparvata lugens from major rice growing area of Karnataka, India to different groups of insecticides,\" Rice Science, 20(5), pp. 371-378, 2013.","Y. P. He, J. F. Zhang, P. F. Xiao, L. Z. Chen, and J. M. Chen, \"Susceptibility of three rice planthoppers to insecticides in Zhejiang province,\" Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis, 24(4), pp. 642-646, 2012."]}

Enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) has been widely applied to gene transduction in cellular and molecular biology as a reporter element. When applied to cell transplantation, it raises fundamental issues concerning cell-associated antigens, in particular, a model of minor histocompatibility antigen(s). Although it is well known that immunological behavior of minor histocompatibility antigens mimic tumor associated antigens (TAA), identified genes coding minor histocompatibility antigens are few and far between. Inasmuch as immunity and tolerance to TAA are provided by immunological behavior of minor histocompatibility antigen such as histocompatibility antigen of the Y chromosome, H–Y, it occurs to us that transgenic as well as transduced EGFP provides a useful model system to be applied to tumor immunology. In this respect, genetic modification of specialized antigen-presenting cells (APC), i.e., dendritic cells (DC), such as gene transduction of EGFP into DC, would provide one of the most important strategies in transplantation as well as tumor immunology inasmuch as DC play a key role in initiating primary immune responses, As far as gene transduction into DC is concerned, others have reported that successful gene transduction occurs in DC by adenoviral vector systems. However, our previous studies concerning EGFP transduction into DC suggested that this view should be carefully examined and interpreted. Employing adenoviral and lentiviral vector systems as well as specialized APC of rat DC and peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEM), EGFP-transduced APC were examined to determine whether and to what extent the EGFP-transduced APC were able to sensitize non-transgenic littermates against transgenic EGFP as antigen(s). Thus EGFP-transgenic cardiac isografts were transplanted to non-transgenic littermates and examined to determine if sensitization of non-transgenic littermate recipients with the EGFP-transduced APC was able to reject the test grafts in an accelerated manner. In this study, we examined this and provide further evidence that widely used viral vector systems are unable to transfer the reporter gene EGFP into mature rat DC generated from bone marrow cells (BMC), driven by Flt3/Flk2 ligand and IL-6. Nevertheless, successful gene transduction was obtained by either applying a lentiviral vector system to the developing DC progenitor cells during a long-term culture of rat BMC or by applying an adenoviral vector system to PEM. Thus, successful gene transduction into specialized APC was verified by in vivo priming of non-transgenic littermates with the EGFP-transduced APC, followed by accelerated rejection of EGFP-transgenic cardiac isografts.

Hybrid electrical vehicles and electrical vehicles are being actively developed. A hybrid electric vehicle motor design requires high efficiency, high power/weight ratio, and reliability from low rotor speed to high rotor speed. The permanent-magnet synchronous motor is used in order to fulfill these requirements. The purpose of this paper is to develop a permanent-magnet synchronous motor control method for all rotor speeds. This method increases the torque and the efficiency at high speed when compared to the ordinary current error feedback method. A method composed of two compensators is proposed to achieve this objective. One of the compensators controls the torque using the voltage phases. The other one is the ordinary current error feedback. Several correcting methods for the voltage phase compensator have been proposed for the compensator for many control demands. The validity of the proposed method was confirmed using simulation and experimental evaluations.

Specialized antigen-presenting cells (APC), known as dendritic cells (DC), play a pivotal role in initiating primary immune responses. It has been reported that several vector systems, including adenoviral vectors, retroviral vectors, Hemagglutinating Virus of Japan (HVJ)-related vectors, and electroporation, are able to transduce genes into mouse and human DC. This has not been achieved for rat DC. To our knowledge, there is no direct evidence to support the view that the currently used vector systems are able to transduce genes into mature DC. Because most, if not all, gene transfer studies investigating DC or DC-related cell populations are carried out using heterogeneous groups of cells, it is therefore very important to determine to what extent gene transduction occurs in rat DC, and also selected mature DC (CD161a+ fully mature DC). In this study, we provide evidence that none of 4 vector systems are able to transfer genes into fully mature rat DC, which are derived from bone marrow cells (BMC), driven by Flt3/Flk2 ligand and interleukin (IL)-6, and purified by CD161a. Nevertheless, the most efficient gene transduction was observed in the developing DC progenitor cells during the long-term culture of rat BMC, and its gene expression was successfully achieved after 2 weeks of culture only with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-based lentiviral vector system. The most critical time point for lentiviral gene transduction was around the 7th day from the beginning of culture with lentiviral vectors. Rat peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and another cell line (K562) were easily transducted by adenoviral vectors and lentiviral vectors.

The development of a strategy to deliver a gene to pulmonary endothelium will be useful for gene function study and for pulmonary gene therapy. Cationic lipidic vectors are efficient in gene transfer to pulmonary endothelium via the vascular route; however, gene expression is transient and lasts for only a few days. In this study, we show that pulmonary gene transfer via cationic lipidic vectors can be significantly improved using an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-based expression plasmid. Systemic administration of cationic liposomes followed by the EBV-based plasmid led to gene expression in the lung that lasted for more than 3 weeks. Prolonged and high levels of gene expression can also be obtained in primary mouse lung endothelial cells (MLEC) following lipofection with an EBV-based plasmid. These results suggest the utility of this gene transfer protocol in studying the expression of cloned genes in lung endothelial cells and in pulmonary gene therapy.

A measuring system consisting of three two-dimensional surface slope sensors is developed for spindle error and roundness measurement. The sensors, which are in the same XY-plane perpendicular to the spindle axis (Z), are placed around a cylindrical workpiece mounted in the spindle. The workpiece out-of-roundness and the X- and Y-directional components of the spindle radial error motion can be separated from each other using the radial direction outputs of sensors. On the other hand, the two-directional components of the spindle angular error motion can be obtained accurately from the angular direction outputs of sensors. Experiments of spindle error and roundness measurement were carried out.

Specialized antigen-presenting cells (APC), known as dendritic cells (DC), play a pivotal role in initiating primary immune responses. Several vector systems, including adenoviral vectors, retroviral vectors, hemagglutinating virus of Japan-related vectors, and the electroporation, have been shown to transduce genes into mouse and human but not rat DC. However, there is no direct evidence to support the view that the currently used vector systems are able to transduce genes into mature DC. Inasmuch as most, if not all, gene transfer studies investigating DC or DC-related cell populations are performed employing heterogeneous-groups of cells, it is therefore important to determine the extent to which gene transduction occurs in bona fide DC. In this study, we provide evidence that none of these vector systems are able to transfer genes into mature rat DC, which are derived from bone marrow cells (BMC), driven by Flt3/Flk2 ligand and IL-6, and purified with CD161a. Nevertheless, the most efficient gene transduction was observed with developing DC progenitor cells during long-term culture of rat BMC. Successful gene transfer was achieved after 2-week culture with an HIV-based lentiviral vector system.

Evidence is provided that dendritic cells (DC) generated by either long-term bone marrow cell (BMC) culture with Flt3L and interleukin-6 (IL-6), or after short-term BMC culture with granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), contain heterogeneous cell populations of admixed DC and Mphi, regardless of the cytokine source. By employing GM-CSF-independent culture systems with the aid of Flt3/Flk-2 ligand and IL-6 and phenotypic characterization of BMC-derived DC and skin Langerhans cells (LC), revealed similar phenotypes. Furthermore, CD103 (OX62), which is widely used for rat DC separation, was found to be insufficient to enrich DC, due to downregulation of the marker. In this regard, the most efficient selection of rat DC, was obtained by CD161a (NKR-P1A), a member of the C-type lectin family. Despite the phenotypic similarity with BMC-derived DC, the nucleus of LC showed a distinct morphology. A large population of DC generated by Flt3L/IL-6 from GM-CSF receptor-deficient mice by do not express NK1.1 (NKR-P1B and NKR-P1C). The profiles for BMC-derived DC were the same as for skin Langerhans cells.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](e)) on phagocytosis and intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in bovine polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). The experiments were performed by using blood samples from parturient paretic and clinically normal parturient cows and manipulating the [Ca(2+)](e) in vitro. Phagocytosis by PMNs (with and without stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate and inhibition with cytochalasin B) and resting [Ca(2+)](i) were significantly lower in parturient paretic cows. Repletion of Ca(2+) in the extracellular media for the samples from these animals increased phagocytosis and resting [Ca(2+)](i). In the blood of clinically normal parturient cows, decreasing the [Ca(2+)](e) decreased phagocytosis and resting [Ca(2+)](i) in PMNs, but increasing the [Ca(2+)](e) did not affect phagocytosis. These results suggest that the hypocalcemic condition of parturient paretic cows in vivo causes decreased phagocytosis and resting [Ca(2+)](i) in PMNs, which may partly contribute to greater susceptibility to infection.

To accomplish efficient nonviral gene therapy against prostate cancer (PC), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-based plasmid vectors containing EBNA1 gene and oriP were employed and combined with a cationic polymer or cationic lipid. When EBV-plasmid/poly-amidoamine dendrimer complex was injected into PC-3-derived tumors established in severe combined immunodeficiency mice, a considerable expression of marker gene was obtained in the tumors, and the expression level was more than eight-fold higher than that achieved by conventional plasmid vector/dendrimer. Since most PC cells express the apoptotic signal molecule Fas (Apo-1/CD95) on their surface, Fas ligand (FasL) gene was transferred into PC cells to kill the tumor cells. In vitro transfection with pGEG.FasL (an EBV-plasmid with the FasL gene) significantly reduced the viability of PC cells, which subsequently underwent apoptosis. Intratumoral injections of pGEG.FasL into PC induced significant growth suppression of the xenograft tumors, in which typical characteristics of apoptosis were demonstrated by TUNEL staining and electron microscopic observations. When pGEG.FasL transfer was accompanied by systemic administrations of cisplatin, the tumors were inhibited even more remarkably, leading to prolonged survival of the animals. FasL gene transfection by means of EBV-based plasmid/cationic macromolecule complexes may provide a practical therapeutic strategy against PC.

COG (chip on glass) technology has been developed for large-capacity and high-resolution liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). Recent advances in lap-top computers have increased demand for LCD displays with full color capacity, increased resolution, and more pixels. Additionally, LCD packaging requires a fine-pitch packaging method. COG technology has been developed to meet these requirements. In the COG structure, the IC is bonded directly to the glass substrate by interconnections between Al pads on the IC and corresponding electrodes on the panel. Conductive particles are placed between the pads and the electrodes. The IC has the following specifications: size 8.80-mm*5.82 mm; pad size 102- mu m*100- mu m; minimum pad pitch 134 mu m; 185 I/O pins. The IC was bonded directly to the panel in a face-down position. The IC and the panel were fixed using an adhesive, allowing easy replacement of faulty ICs. The wiring pattern of the indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes at the contact area was plated with Ni, and the input lines were plated with Au. The effect of these steps was to lower the resistivity of the input lines. A full-color LCD module with approximately a 12-in diagonal and 640*3(R,G,B)*480 dots with a pattern pitch of 130 mu m was developed using this technology. >

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A, 1.5 nM) completely inhibited indirectly evoked twitches in in vitro mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations within 40 – 45 min. Black tea extract, thearubigin fraction (TRB), mixed with BoNT/A blocked the inhibitory effect of the toxin. The protective effect of TRB extended to botulinum neurotoxins types B and E (BoNT/B and BoNT/E) and tetanus toxin, but not to tetrodotoxin. TRB was also effective against oral toxicity of BoNT/A, B and E. Thus, TRB may be of potential benefit in protecting the paralytic actions of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), but its use is limited by mixing with the toxin.

A 66-year-old man was referred to our hospital with chief complaints of difficulty in urination and terminal micturition pain. Ureteroceles were identified bilaterally, and a ureteral stone (19 x 12 mm) existed in the right ureterocele. After crushing the stone by extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), we removed the stone transurethrally with a small incision in the right ureterocele. The vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) was not detected postoperatively. Now, we recommend the combination of ESWL and a small transurethral incision of the urelerocele for the treatment of ureteral stones in a ureterocele in order to prevent postoperative VUR.

The effects of continuous shaking after birth were examined on the sensitivity of neuromuscular transmission to d-tubocurarine (dTc) and neomycin (NMC) in various nerve-muscle preparations from male mice of the ddY strain. Newborn mice were subjected to continuous reciprocal shaking with an amplitude of 2.5 cm at a frequency of 2 cycles per second until they reached 13 weeks of age. Some of them were returned to conventional breeding conditions for 4 weeks at 13 weeks of age. Nerve-muscle preparations were made from the left phrenic nerve and the diaphragm muscle (DPH), the sciatic nerve and the soleus muscle (SOL), and the sciatic nerve and the extensor digitorum lungus muscle (EDL) of 13- or 17-week-old male mice. The results revealed that the shaking augmented the sensitivity of SOL and DPH to dTc, it reduced the sensitivity of all the preparations to NMC, it reduced the rate of spontaneous release of transmitter in SOL and it increased the rate of evoked release of transmitter in DPH. Furthermore, these alterations disappeared upon cessation of shaking. These results suggest diversity in the plasticity of neuromuscular transmission and, moreover, that some changes might be reversible.

The present experiments examined the effects of phenothiazine derivatives, such as trifluoperazine and promethazine, on the release of transmitter quanta in preparations of the mouse diaphragm. The frequency (F, s-1) of miniature end-plate potentials and the quantal content (m) of endplate potentials were measured intracellularly at the same endplate in a bathing solution that contained 0.5-0.8 mM Ca2+ ions and 5 mM Mg2+ ions. Trifluoperazine (4 microM) significantly reduced both F and m. The inhibitory effect on m, but not on F, was subject to competition by Ca2+ ions. Promethazine at 48 microM, but not at 16 microM, reduced the quantal release. It was apparent that the effect of trifluoperazine was competitively antagonized by Ca2+ ions at motor nerve terminals.

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of asymptomatic macrohematuria. Because he was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation of the right kidney by angiography, embolization was performed. However, 2 years and 3 months later, bleeding from the right kidney was detected. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a low density area (1.8 cm) in the right kidney protruding to the renal pelvic adjacent to the old embolized lesion. Since we could not make a conclusive diagnosis as malignant disease by ureteroscopy and angiography, we have decided to follow the case carefully. Nine months later, macroscopic hematuria worsened, and the low density area by CT in the right kidney expanded. Therefore, we finally decided to perform right total nephroureterectomy. The tumor was histologically diagnosed as renal inflammatory pseudotumor. This is the 14th case reported in Japan. We here report the renal inflammatory pseudotumor with a review of the Japanese literature.

Previously, we reported the short-term immunological effects of postoperative adjuvant interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) administration to renal cell carcinoma patients as determined by three-color flow cytometry. We now report the results of a long-term study on a larger number of subjects. Thirty-three patients with renal cell carcinoma received a prophylactic intramuscular injection of IFN-gamma (300 x 10(4) units per week) after nephrectomy. We evaluated immunological changes by measuring peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets including activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (ACTL), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), activated suppressor T lymphocytes (ASTL), helper T lymphocytes (HTL), activated suppressor-inducer T lymphocytes (AITL), and suppressor-inducer T lymphocytes (SITL). We also estimated the natural killer (NK) activity by a cytolytic test. All 33 patients were examined for at least 12 months after the start of IFN-gamma injection, and 18 patients were examined for 30 months including the 6-month period following discontinuation of IFN-gamma injection. We found significant enhancement of the ACTL subset from the second week to the sixth month after the start of IFN-gamma injection. On the other hand, we found a significant decrease in the percentage of the HTL and SITL subsets for a long time after the start of injection. NK activity significantly increased throughout the period of administration, and it continued to increase for six months after discontinuation of IFN-gamma injection.

The effect of treatment with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), vincristine, and etoposide was evaluated on the secretion of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and IL-10 and the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and CD80 molecules by malignant glioma cells. Five malignant glioma cell lines were treated with IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma, and/or anticancer agents (vincristine and etoposide). Combined treatment with IL-1 beta and IFN-gamma caused greater inhibition of TGF-beta secretion compared to treatment with IFN-gamma, and almost the same levels of inhibition as treatment with vincristine and etoposide. The greatest inhibition of TGF-beta secretion was achieved by treatment with all agents. Low levels of IL-10 secretion were determined in two out of five malignant glioma cell lines. This IL-10 secretion was inhibited by treatment with IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma, vincristine, and/or etoposide. Treatment with both cytokines and anticancer agents increased the expression of MHC class I and ICAM-1 in all tumor cell lines. The mean increase of expression of MHC class I was 50% and that of ICAM-1 was 12-fold. No tumor cell lines expressed CD80 molecules on the cell surface, and no treatment caused CD80 expression. These results suggest that TGF-beta and IL-10 secretion by malignant glioma cells can be suppressed by treatment with a combination of IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma, vincristine, and etoposide, and the treatment up-regulates MHC class I and ICAM-1 expression on tumor cells. These results have implications for immunotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with malignant tumors.

This report focuses on the prognostic factors of the renal pelvic and ureteral cancer and on the treatment for advanced and/or recurrent cases.We reviewed the forty-nine patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and/or ureter who underwent surgery at the Department of Urology, Osaka National Hospital from April, 1986 to October, 1996. Univariate and multivariate analysis was done on the pathological features from these patients.The patients consisted of 34 males and 15 females and the mean age was 64.9, ranging from 27 to 83. Overall the 1, 3 and 5-year disease specific survival rates were 93.5%, 70.2% and 61.3% respectively by the Kaplan-Meier's method. The prognostic significance of the 6 pathological factors (pT, Grade, INF, pL, pV and pR) were evaluated statistically in terms of generalized Wilcoxon test and/or Cox-Mantel test. All the 6 factors effected on survival rates significantly. However, the grade, INF, pL, pV and pR factors were closely related to the pT factor. Moreover the pT factor was confirmed to be the most important and independent factor according to a multivariate analysis by the Cox's proportional hazard model. And the grade 3 factor with pT2 or higher stage was a high risk factor in recurrences significantly, in spite of curatively operated cases. Thirteen patients with high stage, metastasis or recurrences were treated after operation with the M-VAC or modified M-VAC regimen as preventive, adjuvant and/or salvage chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 72.7% in eleven cases with evaluable lesions, while these regimens could not be expected to improve long-term survival rate. The response rate of combined chemoradiation therapy was 66.7% for six cases with the localized recurrent cancer.The pT factor was the independent predictor of disease-specific survival. Adjuvant chemotherapy for prevention of cancer recurrence should be considered in the case of pT2 or higher stage plus grade 3 factor, even if curatively operated cases. The M-VAC or modified M-VAC regimen was reconfirmed to be useful as first line chemotherapy of advanced renal pelvic and ureteral cancer. Combined chemoradiation therapy was useful for the localized cancer recurrences, especially as a second line therapy for relapsed cases after M-VAC chemotherapy in this series.

A retrospective study was conducted on the duration of pyuria after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and the factors affecting the duration in 273 patients, who were diagnosed as having benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with postoperative resolution of pyuria among those who underwent TURP over the last ten years at our clinic. In the 273 patients, the mean (+/- SD) weight of the resected prostate was 13.2 +/- 10.2 g (range : 1-52 g), the mean operating time was 74.3 +/- 29.8 min (25-215 min), the duration of pyuria was 110.6 +/- 38.3 days (23-273 days), and the resected weight to operating time ratio was 0.172 +/- 0.093 g/min (0.018-0.500 g/min). There was a significant correlation between the duration of pyuria and the patient's age, resected weight, operating time, or resected weight/operating time ratio, resected weight being the most important factor. The surgeon, the postoperative antibiotics used, and the preoperative existence of pyuria did not have any significant effect on the duration of postoperative pyuria. Investigation after stratification by the resected weight in 10 g increments suggested that a shorter operating time was important to reduce the duration of postoperative pyuria, particularly in BPH patients with a resected weight of 20-29 g.

A 41-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of difficulty of urination during the previous 2 years. Physical examinations revealed a smooth round mass of about 6 cm in diameter at the vaginal anterior wall. DIP and MRI showed a retrovesical tumor which was composed of benign leiomyoma, according to the transvaginal needle biopsy report. The retrovesical tumor was excised by the transvaginal approach. The tumor, 7 x 6 x 4 cm in size and 109 g in weight, was histologically diagnosed as leiomyoma. This is the 21st case of retrovesical leiomyoma reported in the literature in Japan.

In the present study, the efficacy of a lipophilic Al complex, aluminum acetylacetonate, as a stimulator of Fe2+-initiated lipid peroxidation in phospholipid liposomes was examined, and results were compared with those from the liposomes treated with AlCl3. The extent of lipid peroxidation was assessed by the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The results indicated that the stimulatory effect of Al complex on Fe2+-initiated lipid peroxidation in phosphatidylcholine liposomes was more effective than that of AlCl3 under the same conditions. The concentration dependence of Al complex on TBARS production showed that the concentration of the complex required to induce half-maximal stimulation of TBARS production was 43 microM. In contrast, the stimulatory effect of AlCl3 was not observed until the AlCl3 concentration is increased above 300 microM. In addition, it was found that there is a linear relationship between the TBARS values and the residual amounts of Fe2+ at an earlier stage (within 2 min after the addition of Fe2+) of the lipid peroxidation in PC liposomes with different concentrations of Al complex, suggesting that Fe2+ oxidation process is closely related to the stimulatory effect of Al complex. The stimulatory effect of Al complex upon the lipid peroxidation completely disappeared by treatment of Al complex-treated liposomes with Triton X-100. The results of fluorescence anisotropy measurements using 12-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acid-labeled liposomes suggested that treatment of the liposomes with Al complex caused a decrease in their lipid fluidity. Furthermore, it was found that there is a correlation between the extents of the fluorescence anisotropy and the Fe2+ oxidation parameters in the liposomes with different concentrations of Al complex. From these results, it is suggested that the Al effect on Fe2+-initiated lipid peroxidation in the phospholipid liposomes is markedly enhanced by incorporation of Al complex into the liposomal membranes and that an acceleration of Fe2+ oxidation due to a strengthened packing between the acyl chains in the lipid layer may be one possible mechanism for the occurrence of a marked stimulatory effect of Al complex on Fe2+ initiated lipid peroxidation.

Antigen recognition by T cells is the key event for the antigen specific immune responses to be triggered. This recognition is initiated by the binding of the T cell receptor (TCR) to antigen peptide/major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the surface of the antigen presenting cells. TCR on most of the T cells is a heterodimer composed of alpha and beta chains which are associated with CD3 gamma delta epsilon as well as zeta chains, the signal transmission molecules. The dynamics of this TCR complex upon antigen/MHC recognition, however, has not been well understood. In this paper the authors analyse the configuration of TCR complex on T cells from a TCR beta chain gene transgenic mouse (TGM) strain. Unlike many other TGM strains reported, a considerable proportion of T cells from this TGM expresses both transgene-encoded (V beta 3) and endogenous TCR beta chains on their surface. By immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting analysis of T cells stimulated with a superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), the authors found that V beta 3 was coprecipitated with V beta 8, demonstrating the clustering of TCR alpha beta upon superantigen/MHC recognition.

Glioblastoma cells secrete transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), which has a variety of immunosuppressive properties. We investigated the effect of irradiation TGF-beta secretion by malignant glioma cells. Three malignant glioma cell lines (T98G, A172, KG-1-C) were cultured and irradiated using 10 and 50 Gy Linac radiation. After further culture for 36 hours in serum-free culture medium, the supernatants were collected. The TGF-beta activity in the culture supernatants was determined using a specific bioassay. The levels of the active form and total TGF-beta in the supernatants from irradiated malignant glioma cells decreased compared to those from un-irradiated cells. However, since irradiation inhibited the growth of tumor cells, the amount of TGF-beta secretion per cell in irradiated cells tended to increase after irradiation. These results suggest that malignant glioma cells can still secrete TGF-beta and activate latent TGF-beta even after large dose irradiation, despite the inhibition of tumor growth.

Profound reduction of the recirculating lymphocyte pool using thoracic duct drainage (TDD), a method developed by Gowans et al, has been shown to be of limited immunosuppressive value when applied in experimental as well as in clinical settings across major histocompatibility antigen complex (MHC) differences. This limitation is due to the observation that animals, in particular mice, are normally not able to have the drainage last longer than 8 to 10 days. However, using a simple modification of TDD, we have established a long-term TDD method, ie, more than 20 days. Combining this long-term TDD with adult thymectomy, we have examined the life span of naive and memory T cells specific for the minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y in female lewis rats. Furthermore, we demonstrated that memory T cells specific for the H-Y antigen do not appear to be recirculating lymphocytes.

The secretion of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a growth inhibitory factor with immunosuppressive properties, was investigated in one glioblastoma cell line and seven surgically resected malignant glioma cells. Cultured cells from surgically resected tumors were examined immunohistochemically for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S-100 protein. The levels of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 in culture supernatants from malignant glioma cells were determined by a specific bioassay using anti-TGF-beta 1 and anti-TGF-beta 2 antibodies. Two glioblastoma cell lines were cultured in the presence of TGF-beta 1 or TGF-beta 2 to assess the effect of TGF-beta on the growth of glioblastoma cells. Cultured cells from surgically resected tumors were positive for both GFAP and S-100 protein. Both active and latent forms of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 were detected in the culture supernatants from malignant gliomas, except in one patient with anaplastic astrocytoma which secreted only latent forms of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2. There was no statistical difference in the levels of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 in glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas. Neither TGF-beta 1 nor TGF-beta 2 affected the growth of glioblastoma cells. These findings suggest that most malignant glioma cells secrete both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2, can convert TGF-beta from a latent to active form, and may suppress cytokine secretion by activated lymphocytes in vivo as well as in vitro.

A retrospective report regarding MRSA infections, related to wards and physicians in the hospital, was carried out. The number of the patients infected by MRSA in every wards was compared. Less patients with MRSA infection ware observed in the orthopaedic ward. An epidemiologic study using culture sampling of MRSA was performed at the isolated room for the patient with MRSA infection. Positive cultures were also detected in several areas in the ward, in addition to that room. Then the infection risk of every places in the hospital was suspected. Four cases of orthopaedic patients with MRSA were described.

The efficacy of the air-powder abrasive device (APAD) in root planing during flap surgery was assessed in vitro and in vivo. Two teeth on which full-thickness flaps were raised underwent root planing by hand-scaling alone and hand-scaling combined with APAD. One tooth extracted prior to surgery underwent unrestricted hand-scaling under a binocular microscope (control). The two teeth root planed in situ and the tooth root planed in vitro were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, 10 patients with periodontitis requiring flap surgery were selected for a clinical study. After raising full-thickness flaps, 29 sites from five patients underwent root planing using hand-scaling combined with APAD, whereas 22 sites from six patients underwent root planing by hand scalers only. SEM revealed that root surfaces planed in situ by hand-scaling combined with APAD were smoother than those root-planed using hand scalers alone. The control tooth surface was as smooth as those submitted to combined root planing. The clinical study showed that sites submitted to combined root planing displayed enhanced attachment level gain and pocket reduction. These results, associated with the shortened instrumentation time, suggest APAD as a useful instrument for root planing during flap surgery.

Famotidine, an H2-antagonist, is frequently used for prevention of acid aspiration in surgical patients. Intravenous as well as intramuscular administration of famotidine has proved effective to reduce gastric acid secretion during anesthesia. However, the onset and duration of action of famotidine following intravenous administration has not been extensively investigated. In the present study on 89 patients undergoing elective surgery, the effects of famotidine 20 mg administered intravenously 5-30 min before endotracheal intubation on pH and volume of gastric contents aspirated 0, 1, 2, and 4 hrs after tracheal intubation and immediately after extubation through nasogastric tube were compared with the effects of the drug administered intramuscularly one hour before endotracheal intubation. Famotidine administered intramuscularly 5-14 min before endotracheal intubation produced inadequate suppression of gastric secretion after tracheal intubation. In contrast, intravenous famotidine given 15-30 min before tracheal intubation, as well as the intramuscular administration of famotidine as premedication, effectively decreased gastric fluid volume and increased gastric pH. Suppression of gastric secretion by intravenous and intramuscular famotidine continued for over 4 hours. Intravenous famotidine has a rapid onset and a long duration of depressant action on gastric secretion, thus reducing the risk of aspiration pneumonitis during and after general anesthesia.

Background: It has been well established that the specialized antigen presenting cells (APC), dendritic cells (DC), play a pivotal role in initiating a primary immune response. Although it has been reported that several vector systems including Adenoviral vector, HVJ liposome, inactivated HVJ vector, and electroporation-based plasmid vector systems, are able to transduce the genes into the DC in mouse and human, this is not the case with rat DC. In addition to this, it appears that the reported studies were not always employing highly purified DC and, to our best knowledge, there has been no direct evidence to support the view that currently used-vector systems are able to effectively transduce the gene into DC. Inasmuch as most, if not all, DC or DC-related gene-transfer studies are performed by employing heterogeneous cell populations, it is important to determine whether and to what extent each vector system is able to transduce the gene into DC.

The Λp invariant-mass distribution in the reaction K−d → π− Λp, which is observed Cline et al., has two enhancements: just below the ΣN threshold and just above the ΛN threshold. We have calculated the Λp invariant mass distribution with the two-channel formalism. It has been well discussed in our previous paper that the enhancement just below the ΣN threshold is mainly due to a Λp resonance. In our previous paper, we have interpreted the enhancement just above the ΛN threshold as the two-channel final state interaction or a Λp final state interaction associated with the ΣΛ conversion process. The physical meaning will be intensively discussed in this paper. In fact, we have clearly shown, in this paper, that the effect due to the ΣΛ conversion process is in the enhancement just above the ΛN threshold. If the experimental data should be interpreted by the two-step process K−d → π−(ΣN) → π− Λp, the effect due to the ΣΛ conversion process should have appeared in the experimental data, although some experimental data do not show the enhancement just above the ΛN threshold.

An air-powder abrasive device used to remove stain and debris adherent to tooth surface is now available for use by dentist. Air Flow was evaluated for its effectiveness in removing stains and debris from teeth. Split design in anterior was used, and half was treated with the device and the contralateral side with a brush cone and tooth polishing paste. Time required by each method to remove stain and debris completely was recorded and compared. A gingival trauma index was assessed according to the method of Weaks L.M. et al. (1984). Air-powder abrasive system removed stain and debris in less time than brush cone technique (P less than 0.001). The system was also most effective in removing stains in pit, fissure and contact areas. The device caused a significant increase (P less than 0.01) in gingival irritation immediately posttreatment, but there was no statistically and clinically significance in the effect on the gingiva at 7 days posttreatment between two techniques. In vitro study, the effect of the device on root surfaces was also assessed. 5, 10, 20, 40 and 60 seconds exposure of a fixed point on root surfaces to the device produced defects 137, 245, 308, 945 and 1,394 microns in depth, respectively. The resulting surface was smooth and all cementum was removed. And the average loss of root structure as a function of the exposure time was also assessed. The average losses were 0.2, 0.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.0, 2.1, 2.3 and 2.4 mg by 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 seconds exposures, respectively. Root surface roughness, resulting from hand curette, ultrasonic curette and air-powder abrasive system was examined histologically. The hand curette produced smooth root surface. The ultrasonic instrument produced a surface characterized by irregular ridges. The air powder abrasive system was found to produce a root surface favorably comparable to manual root planing and remove cementum from areas of difficult treatment, such as furcations.

The ..lambda.. well depth is calculated with one- and two-channel potentials, in s and p states, which are phase equivalent. Then the p-state contribution to the ..lambda.. well depth as well as ..lambda sigma.. conversion is estimated.

The nucleotide sequence of an aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene ( rph ) from Streptomyces ribosidificus (a ribostamycin producer) was determined. Molecular size, amino acid composition and N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified rph product confirmed the position of the coding region deduced from the nucleotide sequence. The 5 ' region of rph has been tested for its transcriptional controls; high-resolution mung-bean nuclease mapping of in vivo transcripts revealed one major start point, rphSl , controlled by the rphPl promoter. This transcript was also observed in vitro in run-off experiments using purified Streptomyces RNA polymerase. This transcriptional start point coincided with the translational start site, with the mRNA 5' terminus being pppATG. The results of promoter-probing tests and insertion of a transcriptional termination fragment into the rph promoter region have shown that the rphP1 transcript was sufficient and essential for rph expression.

We have isolated and sequenced a gene (amy) coding for alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1.) from the Streptomyces hygroscopicus genome (H. Hidaka, Y. Koaze, K. Yoshida, T. Niwa, T. Shomura, and T. Niida, Die Stärke 26:413-416, 1974). Amylase was purified to obtain amino acid sequence information which was used to synthesize oligonucleotide probes. amy-containing Escherichia coli cosmids identified by hybridization did not express amylase activity. Subcloning experiments indicated that amy could be expressed from the lac promoter in E. coli or from its own promoter in S. lividans. The amy nucleotide sequence indicated that it coded for a protein of 52 kilodaltons (478 amino acids). Secreted alpha-amylase contained amino- and carboxy-terminal as well as internal amino acid sequences which were consistent with the nucleotide sequence. The 30-residue leader sequence showed similarities to those found in other procaryotes. The DNA sequence 5' to the amy structural gene contained a sequence complementary to the 3'-terminal sequence of 16S rRNA of S. lividans (M. J. Bibb and S. N. Cohen, Mol. Gen. Genet. 187:265-277, 1982). The transcriptional start points of amy were determined by mung bean nuclease mapping, but the promoter of amy was not similar to the consensus sequence found in other procaryotes.

The binding energy B of a Λ-particle in infinite nuclear matter is calculated in the so-called two-channel formalism (TCF), which explicitly takes account of the ΛΣ conversion, as well as in the more conventional one-channel formalism. In both calculations we assume phenomenological separable potentials of Yamaguchi's type which permit exact solutions of the Bethe-Goldstone equation. All the potentials are assumed to be central and are set up so that the low-energy Λp scattering data are fitted. In the TCF, data on the elastic and inelastic Σ − p cross sections are also considered. It is found that B in the TCF can be substantially smaller than in the OCF. The uncertainty in our result stems from the experimental data on the Σ − p reaction, which is of crucial importance in determining the TCF potentials. The difference of the values of B in the two formalisms is due to the Pauli principle which suppresses the ΛΣ conversion in nuclear matter. The relation between this effect in the TCF and three-body ΛNN forces in the OCF is clarified.