Lixelle adsorbent to remove inflammatory cytokines

A 29-year-old man developed atopic bronchial asthma in association with eosinophilia and hyperimmunoglobulinemia E (hyper-IgE). A biopsy specimen from an inguinal lymph node showed changes consistent with Kimura's disease. IPD-1151T (suplatast tosilate), an anti-allergy drug, attenuated eosinophilia and hyper-IgE as well as the serum level of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). The drug, however, did not affect the positivity for specific IgE antibodies against common allergens or the bronchial hyperresponsiveness to acetylcholine. Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were measured to be undetectable in serum before or during therapy. However, the expressions of mRNAs for IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes and the expression of IL-5 mRNA in peripheral blood eosinophils were detected before and during therapy, which were unchanged by therapy with IPD-1151T. The present results suggest that different mechanisms other than the predominance of type 2 helper (T(H2))-like T-lymphocytes may underlie Kimura's disease and atopic bronchial asthma regarding the findings of eosinophilia and hyper-IgE, which could be modulated by IPD-1151T.     

A kinetic study on the reaction of dicumyl peroxide with some low-olefin rubbers

The viscosity lowering of toluene solutions of isobutylene-isoprene rubber, polyisobutylene, and ethylene-propylene rubber in the reaction with dicumyl peroxide was investigated. By using the kinetic equations for the reaction of rubber with peroxide which had been derived previously by KIRIYAMA et al. the results of the experiments are discussed.     

Auto-antibody against adenine nucleotide translocator in dilated cardiomyopathy and myocarditis--incidence and relation to cardiac function and morphology

Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we measured anti-adenine nucleotide translocater (ANT) antibody in control subjects and in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), myocarditis, and other heart disease. Analysis with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and immunoabsorption tests confirmed accurate purification of the ANT protein and correct measurement of anti-ANT auto-antibody. Anti-ANT antibody was detected in 6 of 37 cases (16%) of DCM and in 5 of 12 cases (42%) of myocarditis. This antibody was not positive in other heart diseases or in apparently healthy controls. There were no differences between anti-ANT autoantibody-positive and -negative DCM or myocarditis patients in any of the cardiac parameters examined (left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF; left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, LVDd; and cardiothoracic ratio, CTR). Moreover, in patients who were positive for anti-ANT auto-antibody, no positive correlations were found between the parameters and anti-ANT antibody titers in either DCM or myocarditis. Although these results indicate that the detection of anti-ANT antibody was achieved at a high specificity and could have certain diagnostic value in DCM and myocarditis, there was no statistically significant relationship between the cardiac parameters (LVEF, LVDd, and CTR) and anti-ANT antibody titers in either DCM or myocarditis. Some compensatory mechanism of ventricular function may mask the effects of the anti-ANT auto-antibody or alternatively, this auto-antibody may have mimic effects on the pathogenesis and/or progression of DCM and myocarditis.     

Advance of endoscopy

Recent endoscopy has made startling progress. Consequently, now endoscopists can diagnose minute (or micro) cancer less than 5 mm in diameter in the digestive organs, particularly in the stomach and the colon. However, early detection of esophageal, biliary tract, or pancreatic cancer is still insufficient in spite of application of a new apparatus or subsidiary method. Among them, regarding recent increment of the cases with pancreatic cancer, it is absolutely necessary for the improvement of a prognosis to reveal small cancer less than 2 cm in diameter, endoscopically. Usefulness of laparoscopy for the diagnosis of hepatocellular cancer is less as compared with hepatic angiography. In this paper, we summarize the present status of gastro-enterological endoscopy in Japan and point clearly the issue to solve in the future.     

Extraction of a plasma time-activity curve from dynamic brain PET images based on independent component analysis

A compartment model has been used for kinetic analysis of dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) data [e.g., 2-deoxy-2-18F-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)]. The input function of the model [the plasma time-activity curve (pTAC)] was obtained by serial arterial blood sampling. It is of clinical interest to develop a method for PET studies that estimates the pTAC without needing serial arterial blood sampling. For this purpose, we propose a new method to extract the pTAC from the dynamic brain PET images using a modified independent component analysis [extraction of the pTAC using independent component analysis (EPICA). Source codes of EPICA are freely available at http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/?kimura/Software/top.html]. EPICA performs the appropriate preprocessing and independent component analysis (ICA) using an objective function that takes the various properties of the pTAC into account. After validation of EPICA by computer simulation, EPICA was applied to human brain FDG-PET studies. The results imply that the EPICA-estimated pTAC was similar to the actual measured pTAC, and that the estimated blood volume image was highly correlated with the blood volume image measured using 15O-CO inhalation. These results demonstrated that EPICA is useful for extracting the pTAC from dynamic PET images without the necessity of serial arterial blood sampling.     

A study of multivariate (\bar{X},S)control chart based on Kullback–Leibler information

Recently, Chou et al. [11] have considered the multivariate control chart for monitoring the process mean vector and covariance matrix for the related quality characteristics simultaneously by using log-likelihood ratio statistics. They have computed the approximation formula described with Bernoulli polynomials of degrees r≥30 by using software MATHEMATICA 4.0 for obtaining the control limit with sufficient accuracy for the specified type I error probability in the chart. However, they cannot have obtained the approximation formula for the power evaluation. By the way, Kanagawa et al. [12] have proposed the $(\bar{x},s)$ control chart for monitoring the mean and variance simultaneously based on Kullback–Leibler information when quality characteristics obey a univariate normal distribution. In this article, by adopting the procedure by Kanagawa et al., we propose the other approximation formula for determining simply the control limit with sufficient accuracy for the specified type I error probability. Furthermore, the power evaluation for the chart is also considered in theory.     

Cost analyses of uranium enrichment by laser isotope separation process

The probability of the selective two-step photoionisation of ²³⁵U atoms by laser and ultraviolet radiations is estimated from the rate equations for uranium atoms with two isotopes with three levels. The population of ²³⁵U ions is obtained by linearising the rate equations. We have calculated the ion production rates for three cases in which the laser and ultraviolet powers are changed while the atom density is kept constant. The power consumption and the capital investment required for the large-scale laser enrichment plant conceptionally designed based upon the above results, and consequently the unit cost of separative work, are estimated. It is concluded that the laser isotope separation process could be competitive with the conventional gaseous diffusion and gas centrifugal methods.     

Vinyl polymerization by metal complexes. V. Effects of amines on the polymerization by copper(II) chelate and carbon tetrachloride initiating system

The polymerization of acrylonitrile was studied by the system of copper(II)-oligo(n)ethylene-(n+1)amine complex and carbon tetrachloride. Addition of amines to the initiating system accelerates the polymerization. The acceleration by these amines was found to be in the following order: prim.-amine<sec.-amine<tert.-amine<diamine<phenylenediamine. Effects of the sort of the ligands in the copper(II) chelates on the polymerization were also studied.     

Leukemia developing after 131I treatment for thyroid cancer in a patient with Werner's syndrome: molecular and cytogenetic studies

A 40-year-old female patient with Werner's syndrome (WS) suffering from thyroid cancer and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is reported. She had been diagnosed as having WS complicated with thyroid cancer seven years previously. Total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine (131I, 100 mCi/year) therapy for seven years had slowed the progression of thyroid cancer. She suffered a sudden onset of MDS at the age of 40 years. After six months she died from overt leukemia. We found an additional chromosome aberration of chromosome 10 in the progression of leukemia from MDS.     

Effect of Dehydration on Raspberries: Polyphenol and Anthocyanin Retention, Antioxidant Capacity, and Antiadipogenic Activity

ABSTRACT:  Fresh and dried raspberries prepared by freeze drying (FD), microwave-vacuum (MIVAC), hot-air drying (HAD), and a combination of hot-air drying and microwave-vacuum (HAD/MIVAC) drying methods were evaluated for polyphenol retention, total polyphenol and anthocyanin contents, total antioxidant capacity, and antiadipogenic activity (the inhibition of fat cell development). Ellagic acid and quercetin were present in the largest concentrations in fresh and dehydrated raspberries. Dehydration led to a loss of polyphenols and anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity. Polyphenols (aglycone form) were retained in the greatest amount: 20% (freeze dried) to 30% (HAD/MIVAC) (fresh = 100%). A total of 30% of polyphenols (glycoside form) were retained in raspberries dried by the HAD/MIVAC methods with 5% of retention observed for raspberries dried by FD, HAD, or MIVAC. FD and MIVAC resulted in higher retention of anthocyanins (aglycone form) than other drying methods. It was also observed that antioxidant activity was reduced by dehydration. Adipogenesis was inhibited by polyphenolic glycosides (30%) and aglycones (30% to 40%) in fresh and HAD/MIVAC raspberries. Extracts from dried raspberries by HAD/MIVAC methods were relatively more effective at inhibiting adipogenesis compared to HAD and FD dried raspberries.