Efficient conditional transgene expression in hepatitis C virus cDNA transgenic mice mediated by the Cre/loxP system

Conditional gene expression has greatly facilitated the examination of the functions of particular gene products. Using the Cre/loxP system, we developed efficient conditional transgene activation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) cDNA (nucleotides 294-3435) in transgenic mice. Efficient recombination was observed in transgenic mouse liver upon intravenous administration of adenovirus that expresses Cre DNA recombinase. After transgene activation, most hepatocytes were stained with anti-core polyclonal antibody, and 21-, 37-, and 64-kDa proteins were detected by Western blot analysis in liver lysates using anti-core, E1, and E2 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. Serum core protein was detected in transgenic mice 7 days after transgene activation with concurrent increases in serum alanine aminotransferase levels. Subsequently, an anti-core antibody response was detected 14 days after infection. Furthermore, a CD4 and CD8 positive cell depletion assay normalized both the serum alanine aminotransferase increases and pathological changes in the liver. These results suggest that HCV proteins are not directly cytopathic and that the host immune response plays a pivotal role in HCV infection. Thus, this HCV cDNA transgenic mouse provides a powerful tool with which to investigate the immune responses and pathogenesis of HCV infection.     

Analysis of temperature and illumination dependencies of CIS cell performance

Cell performances of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) thin-film solar cells were measured and analyzed as a function of temperature and illumination. The J_sc and V_oc were linearly changed with the temperature in the range of 10°C–70°C, and the J_sc was proportional to the illumination intensity in the range up to 130 mW/cm². It was shown that I–V curves in CIGS cells could be calibrated from the measured condition to other conditions such as the standard condition and field test ones, using the calibration method proposed for crystal Si solar cells.     

Characterization of a cytotoxic factor induced in murine serum after the intravenous administration of dehydrogenation polymers of phenylpropenoids (a class of synthetic lignins)

A cytotoxic factor (CF) appeared in murine serum after the intravenous injection of the dehydrogenation polymers (DHPs) of p-coumaric acid (DHP-pCA), caffeic acid (DHP-CA), and ferulic acid (DHP-FA), which are categorized as a class of synthetic lignins. The highest CF activity was observed 15 min after the i.v. injection of DHP-pCA. CF is likely to be cytocidal through an apoptotic mechanism accompanied by nucleosome-sized DNA fragmentation. CF is extractable with aqueous ethanol and highly stable against heat, proteases, and acid/alkali treatments. The ethanol extract showed cytotoxicity toward various cultured cell lines and also ascites carcinoma cells in vivo. The parent molecules DHPs did not show any appreciable cytotoxicity. After the induction of CF activity, the activity quickly diminished and completely disappeared from the blood stream within an hour or so. The cytotoxicity was observed only when the target cells were exposed to CF for longer than 10 h.     

Selective presentation learning for neural network forecasting of stock markets

This paper proposes a selective presentation learning technique for improving the learnability and predictability of large changes by back-propagation neural networks. Daily stock prices are predicted as a complicated real-world problem, taking non-numerical factors such as political and international events into account. Training data corresponding to large changes of prediction-target time series are presented more often, and network learning is stopped at the point that has the maximal profit. When this technique is applied to daily stock-price prediction, the prediction error on large-change data was reduced by 11%, and the network's ability to make profits through experimental stock-trading was improved by 67% to 81%, in comparison with results obtained using conventional learning techniques.     

The Roles of the Ge‐Te Core Network and the Sb‐Te Pseudo Network During Rapid Nucleation‐Dominated Crystallization of Amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5

Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) has demonstrated its outstanding importance among rapid phase‐change (PC) materials, being applied for optical and electrical data storage for over three decades. The mechanism of nanosecond phase change in GST, which is vital for its application, has long been disputed: various, quite diverse scenarios have been proposed on the basis of various experimental and theoretical approaches. Nevertheless, one central question still remains unanswered: why is amorphous GST stable at room temperature for long time while it can rapidly transform to the crystalline phase at high temperature? Here it is revealed for the first time, by modelling the amorphous structure based on synchrotron radiation anomalous X‐ray scattering data, that germanium and tellurium atoms form a “core” Ge‐Te network with ring formation. It is also suggested that the Ge‐Te network can stabilize the amorphous phase at room temperature and can persist in the crystalline phase. On the other hand, antimony does not contribute to ring formation but constitutes a “pseudo” network with tellurium, in which the characteristic Sb–Te distance is somewhat longer than the covalent Sb–Te bond distance. This suggests that the Sb‐Te pseudo network may act as a precursor to forming critical nuclei during the crystallization process. The findings conclude that the Ge‐Te core network is responsible for the outstanding stability and rapid phase change of the amorphous phase while the Sb‐Te pseudo network is responsible for triggering critical nucleation.     

In-vitro characterization of YM872, a selective, potent and highly water-soluble alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate receptor antagonist

The in-vitro pharmacological properties of (2,3-dioxo-7-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-6-nitro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-quinoxal inyl)-acetic acid monohydrate, YM872, a novel and highly water-soluble alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA)-receptor antagonist were investigated. YM872 is highly water soluble (83 mg mL(-1) in Britton-Robinson buffer) compared with 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulphamoyl-benzo(F)quinoxaline (NBQX), 6-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-7-nitro-2,3(1H,4H)-quinoxalinedione hydrochloride (YM90K) or 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). YM872 potently inhibits [3H]AMPA binding with a Ki (apparent equilibrium dissociation constant) value of 0.096 +/- 0.0024 microM. However, YM872 had very low affinity for other ionotropic glutamate receptors, as measured by competition with [3H]kainate (high-affinity kainate binding site, concentration resulting in half the maximum inhibition (IC50) = 4.6 +/- 0.14 microM), [3H]glutamate (N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor glutamate binding site, IC50 > 100 microM) and [3H]glycine (NMDA receptor glycine-binding site, IC50 > 100 microM). YM872 competitively antagonized kainate-induced currents in Xenopus laevis oocytes which express rat AMPA receptors, with a pA2 value of 6.97 +/- 0.01. In rat hippocampal primary cultures, YM872 blocked a 20-microM AMPA-induced increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration with an IC50 value of 0.82 +/- 0.031 microM, and blocked 300-microM kainate-induced neurotoxicity with an IC50 value of 1.02 microM. These results show that YM872 is a potent and highly water-soluble AMPA antagonist with great potential for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as stroke.     

Swelling of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) gel particles by organic solvents

Fine particles of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) were prepared by suspension polymerization and crosslinked via the ring-opening reaction of the epoxide group with formic acid. A fraction of the spherical gel particles averaging about 70°m in diameter was examined under an optical microscope with its swelling behavior in a number of solvents. Equilibrium degrees of swelling were established with accuracy to show that this polymer gel has rather unusual affinities for solvents: (i) It is swollen (and, without the crosslinks, soluble in most cases) in many types of solvents, (ii) it cannot be represented by a single value of solubility parameter, and (iii) it is not swollen at all in water nor in aliphatic alcohols, in spite of the presence of hydroxy groups in the chain.     

Glucose intolerance exaggerates left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction in essential hypertension

The influence of glucose intolerance, the preclinical stage of diabetes mellitus, on the progression of left ventricular hypertrophy and left ventricular dysfunction in essential hypertension, was assessed with two-dimensional M-mode echocardiography in age- and sex-matched essential hypertensive patients with (n = 28) or without (n = 44) glucose intolerance, and normotensive control subjects (n = 29). Left ventricular mass index in hypertensive patients with glucose intolerance was significantly higher than that in hypertensive patients without glucose intolerance (mean +/- SD, 115.6 +/- 28.2 v 102.1 +/- 22.1 g/m2; P < .05). Left ventricular diastolic function as reflected by peak lengthening rate was reduced in glucose-intolerant hypertensive patients than in hypertensive patients without glucose intolerance (2.68 +/- 0.71 v 3.16 +/- 0.82/sec; P < .05). End-systolic wall stress/left ventricular end-systolic volume index, an index of left ventricular contractility, was reduced more in glucose-intolerant hypertensive patients than in hypertensive patients without glucose intolerance (2.75 +/- 0.55 v 3.13 +/- 0.55 10(3) dyn.m2/cm2.mL-1; P < .01). These findings suggest that glucose intolerance accelerates progression of left ventricular hypertrophy and deteriorates left ventricular diastolic function and contractility in essential hypertension.