Mass screening for neuroblastoma by HPLC and by non-HPLC: a review

There have been a number of contradictory views concerning the efficacy of mass screening for neuroblastoma. Three Japanese and one cohort study from Quebec, and three Japanese cross-sectional studies were reviewed. The four cohort studies revealed that mass screening using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) reduced the incidence of this disease by about half in children aged from 1 to 4 years while little reduction was noted in screening utilizing non-HPLC methods. There is a large difference in the efficacy of mass screening depending on the method used. In the three cross-sectional studies, there was no discrimination between screened and unscreened cases, or between subjects screened by HPLC and non-HPLC methods. The percentage of children in the cross-sectional studies screened by HPLC was low. Cross-sectional studies seem inappropriate in assessing the effectiveness of current HPLC mass screening.     

Structures of spider toxins: hydroxyindole-3-acetylpolyamines and a new generalized structure of type-E compounds obtained from the venom of the Joro spider, Nephila clavata

Facile structure determination of acylpolyamines, glutamatergic nerve blocker obtained from the venom of the Joro spider (Nephila clavata) was carried out with the use of micro-column LC/MS and high energy collision induced dissociation (CID) mass spectrometry. 6-hydroxyindole-3-acetyl was proposed previously as a putative partial structure, for the acyl moiety of hydroxyindole-type polyamines (NPTX-1 to -6). The NMR data obtained for NPTX-6, NPTX-687 and hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid which was released by acid hydrolysis of Nephila clavata crude venom extracts proved that the lipophilic head is the 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid. Various hydroxyindole-3-acetyl polyamines were found in N. Clavata venom and characterized by mass spectrometry. As a result, type-E, a new class of generalized acylpolyamine structure was proposed in addition to the previously reported polyamine backbones type-A to -D.     

Clinical and molecular genetic study in seven Japanese families with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6

This study examined the effect of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) administration on thermoregulation in the newborn. Twin lambs were either delivered near-term by caesarean section or born vaginally at term. Colonic temperature, O2 consumption, CO2 production, breathing and heart rates, plus plasma thyroid hormone and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations and thermogenic activity (i.e. GDP binding) of brown adipose tissue (BAT) were measured. In caesarean section delivered lambs colonic temperature decreased rapidly after birth, a response that was greater in the group designated for TRH treatment, in which colonic temperature fell to below 36.0 degrees C at 80 min of life, prior to TRH administration. At this age colonic temperature had been restored to a mean of 38.70 degrees C in controls. TRH had no influence on the composition or thermogenic activity of BAT. The incidence of shivering was not influenced by TRH, but treated lambs maintained a higher rate of O2 consumption and ventilation compared with controls after colonic temperature had been restored to 38.56 degrees C. TRH appeared to promote fat oxidation as O2 consumption remained unchanged and CO2 production declined by a greater rate in treated lambs, resulting in a lower respiratory quotient compared to controls. Heart rate and plasma concentrations of NEFA increased following TRH administration although this did not result in values greater than controls. Normothermic lambs born vaginally had BAT with a greater thermogenic activity, higher plasma thyroid hormone and NEFA concentrations compared with caesarean section delivered lambs, but a thermogenic response was not observed to TRH despite a rise in thyroid hormone concentrations. In conclusion, TRH can improve thermoregulation, an effect that could be linked to an increase in fat oxidation.     

Comparisons of the RETRAN two-phase flow model with experimental data

The RETRAN computer program was designed for thermal-hydraulic analysis of nuclear steam supply systems at steady-state and off-normal conditions. A homogeneous equilibrium mixture model (HEMM) of two-phase flow is used in the program. The constitutive models for wall friction, two-phase friction multiplier, heat transfer coefficient, and critical heat flux are compared with steady-state experimental data in this report. The void fraction predicted by the HEMM is also compared with data. The results of the data comparisons indicate that the constitutive models are accurate representations and that the RETRAN numerical scheme provides an excellent framework for data comparisons.     

An adaptive antenna array under directional constraint

The concept of the adaptive system working on the principle of minimizing the output power under the constrained response to specified directions is introduced. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation experiments on this directional constraint system are also presented. By comparison with the computer experiment, the differential equation approach is shown to be useful to predict the behavior of the system. The effect of error in setting the constraint direction is investigated, and it is demonstrated that the system is not very sensitive to such error. This margin can be made even greater by adopting the double directional constraints system. This system is also analyzed theoretically and experimented by computer simulation. History of output power components during adaptation is shown, which enables the comprehension of the behavior of the system.     

Antireflection coating formed by plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition for terahertz-frequency germanium optics

A method of manufacturing optical coatings for germanium optics used at terahertz frequencies has been developed. The various optical coatings used at terahertz frequencies are difficult to manufacture conventionally because these coatings must be as thick as several tens of micrometers, which is far thicker than those used in the optical region. One way to overcome this problem is to form a silicon oxide layer through plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, with silane (SiH4) as a source gas. Using this method, I formed 21-microm-thick silicon oxide films as antireflection (AR) layers for germanium optics and obtained low reflection at 1.7 THz (wavelength, lambda = 175 microm). This method is easily applied to large-aperture optics and micro-optics as well as to optics with a complex surface form. The AR coatings can also be formed for photoconductive detectors made from germanium doped with gallium at a low temperature (160 degrees C); this low temperature ensures that the doped impurities in the germanium do not diffuse. Fabrication of optical coatings upon substrates that have refractive indices of 3.84-11.7 may also be possible by control of the refractive indices of the deposited layers.