Restriction fragment length polymorphism of genes of the alpha 2(XI) collagen, bone morphogenetic protein-2, alkaline phosphatase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha among patients with ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament and controls from the Japanese population

STUDY DESIGN: The present study analyzed the restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of alpha 2(XI) collagen, bone morphogenetic protein-2, alkaline phosphatase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha genes in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. This study investigates the genetic polymorphism of bone-induced factors in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and compares it with healthy control subjects. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the genetic markers linked to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament is a genetic disease associated with abnormal calcium metabolism involving the posterior longitudinal ligament. Previous genetic studies have not identified the pathologic mechanism of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Histopathologic studies of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and the animal model, the spinal hyperostotic mouse, have revealed an increase in Type XI collagen and bone morphogenetic protein-2 expression. METHODS: Eighteen Japanese patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and 51 healthy, unrelated control subjects were investigated for the restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of COL11A2, bone morphogenetic protein-2, alkaline phosphatase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, genes with various restriction endonucleases. RESULTS: The gene frequencies of COL11A2 obtained with BamHl (10.0 kb fragment) and HindIII (19.0 kb fragment) observed in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament were higher compared with control subjects (0.43 and 0.14, respectively). These differences were statistically significant (BamHl P = 0.018; Hindlll P = 0.046). Two new restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns were detected of the bone morphogenetic protein-2 gene with Mspl and Taql and one already known restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene with Ncol. However, they were not significantly different from the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Seven restriction fragment length polymorphisms of COL11A2 gene were identified. Two of them (BamHl, 10.0/10.0 kb genotype; HindIII, 19.0/19.0 kb genotype) were significantly different in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.     

Preparation of rod-shaped BaTiO3 powder

Rod-shaped BaTiO₃ powder particles have been prepared from rod-shaped TiO₂ ·nH₂O and BaCO₃ in molten chloride. The morphology of BaTiO₃ particles was studied referring to the effects of the chemical species of the starting titanium compound, amount of chloride, particle size of the titanium compound and reaction conditions, and the preparation condition of rod-shaped BaTiO₃ has been determined: i.e., large TiO₂ ·nH₂O particles were heated at 700°C in molten salt with an equal amount of BaTiO₃. This condition was effective in suppressing the formation of BaTiO₃ by a solution-precipitation process as well as the deformation of either TiO₂ ·nH₂O or BaTiO₃, which are responsible for the formation of equiaxed BaTiO₃ particles. The obtained rod-shaped BaTiO₃ particles had a cubic symmetry. Electron diffraction analysis showed that the following topotactic relation is retained; 0 1 0_{potassium tetratitanate} 0 1 0_{hydrated titania} 1 0 0_anatase 1 0 0_{barium titanate}     

Growth of Al2O3 whiskers by vapour-phase reactions

Needle-like or wool-like Al₂O₃ whiskers can be grown on a substrate by the hydrolysis of aluminium fluoride vapour. Effects of the growth conditions on the morphology of the crystals and growth processes of the whisker were investigated, and the optimum growth condition of whiskers was examined. Adequate vapour pressure conditions of the reactant gases for the growth of the wool-like whisker were found to be . Aluminium oxyfluoride was assumed to be the most probable intermediate species for the growth of Al₂O₃ whiskers. A variety of crystal morphologies are also shown and described with respect to the experimental conditions.     

新能源场站电力监控系统网络安全薄弱环节分析

随着大量新能源场站的投运,提高新能源场站的电力监控系统网络安全防护水平成为了一个重要课题.从新能源场站电力监控系统体系结构、系统本体、物理安全及安全管理四方面阐明了网络安全防护的薄弱点,并根据生产过程中的典型案例,明确了相关防范措施手段,提出了提高新能源场站电力监控系统网络安全防护水平的若干建议.     

Gas chromatographic separation of wax esters based on the degree of unsaturation

The wax esters of sperm whale head oil have been characterized by gas-liquid chromatography on an APOLAR 10C column according to their carbon number and number of double bonds. The novel technique permits the direct quantitative analysis of saturated and unsaturated wax esters.     

Shape memorizing properties of a hydrogel of poly(vinyl alcohol)

Hydrogel prepared by repetitive freezing and thawing of poly(vinyl alcohol) aqueous solution was chemically crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The chemically crosslinked hydrogel hardly changed its physical appearance, and showed good elasticity and strength as original gel. However, after treating in boiling water, it swelled a little, depending on the condition of the chemical treatment. The melted gel thus obtained showed shape memorizing property, that is, it could firmly hold nearly 200% of strain, keeping its original high elasticity. The strain could be released very quickly (< 1 s) in boiling water, and the gel was suggested to be applied to a new type of gel actuator. X-ray diffraction study revealed that the melted gel does not necessarily reform the physical crosslinks in exactly the same manner as the original gel in the process of shape restoring, but the distribution of the physical crosslinks can be restored as they were. It was suggested that the chemical crosslinks which remember the distribution of the physical crosslinks plays a critical roll in the shape restoring process.     

An apparent ensemble effect in the oxidative coupling of methane on hydroxyapatites with incorporated lead

The introduction of small quantities of lead into calcium hydroxyapatite catalysts produces marked increases in the selectivity to C₂₊ hydrocarbons, while the conversion of methane remains relatively constant. Small surface concentrations of lead are sufficient to achieve C₂₊ selectivities of 80 and 90%, with oxygen and nitrous oxide, respectively, in contrast with 18 and 46%, respectively, obtained in the absence of lead. Since surface concentration of lead species sufficient to stabilize pairs of methyl radicals in close proximity to each other would be expected to facilitate the formation of C₂ hydrocarbons, an ensemble effect appears to be extant.     

Preparation and structure of poly(vinyl alcohol)–poly(vinyl acetate) composite porous membrane

The preparation of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) composite porous membrane was investigated by extracting PVAc with solvent from films of PVAc lattices which were obtained by the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) in the presence of PVA. The formation of the porous membrane depended upon whether or not PVAc in the latex film was easily extracted with solvent. In the case of using hydrogen peroxide (HPO)–tartaric acid (TA) as an initiator, in the film of the latex which was produced from the batch method in which all ingredients of the batch were put into the reaction vessel before starting polymerization, PVAc could be extracted over 90% of total PVAc with common organic solvents. In the film of the latex which was produced from the dropwise addition method of VAc and initiator, the PVAc extraction was about 20-30%. On the other hand, in the case of using ammonium persulfate as an initiator, the desired porous membrane was not obtained. The structure of the porous membrane obtained from the latex of the batch method by using HPO—TA consisted of spherical cells which were made up of PVA and grafted PVAc or insoluble PVAc like microgels, which were not extracted with organic solvent and were connected by small pores. The PVA—PVAc composite porous membrane is permeated by n-hexane with 5.58 × 10² mL/cm²·s at 0.5 kg/cm², by benzene with only 1.33 × 10^?3mL/cm²·s even at 60 kg/cm².     

Effect of polymer density on polyethylene hollow fiber membrane formation via thermally induced phase separation

Microporous high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) hollow fiber membranes were prepared from polyethylene–diisodecyl phthalate solution via thermally induced phase separation. Effect of the polyethylene density on the membrane structure and performance was investigated. The HDPE membrane showed about five times higher water permeability than the LDPE membrane because it had the larger pore and the higher porosity at the outer membrane surface. The formation of the larger pore was owing to both the initial larger structure formed by spinodal decomposition and the suppression of the diluent evaporation from the outer membrane surface due to the higher solution viscosity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 471–474, 2004     

Antitumor activity of synthetic alkylphospholipids with or without PAF activity

1-O-Octadecyl-2-O-methyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OMe) has been reported to possess definite antitumor activity in vivo. Twenty-two alkyl lysophospholipid analogs were chemically synthesized, and their antitumor activity against mouse experimental tumors (Sarcoma 180, MM46, P388) was examined. Among them, 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-acetoacetyl-rac-glycerol-3-phosphocholine was found to show antitumor activity similar to ET-18-OMe with less acute toxicity. Intravenous injection of the ET-18-OMe withsn-3 configuration retarded the subcutaneous growth of Sarcoma 180 cells effectively, while the growth inhibition by thesn-1 isomer was much less effective. This stereospecificity was similar to that observed in their activities as platelet-activating factor (PAF) agonists. The acetoacetyl compound, another PAF agonist, showed similar stereospecific antitumor action in vivo. These findings suggest that some alkyl lysophospholipids may activate host cells to a cytostatic stage against tumor cells in vivo through binding to a PAF receptor. Our preliminary results indicated that the responsible cells under these conditions might be primarily immature macrophages present in the bone marrow. No appreciable or even adverse stereospecificity was observed in the different sets of experiments where the activity of ET-18-OMe against MM46 tumor cells in vivo or the direct cytotoxicity against human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells in vitro was examined. Under, some conditions, the antitumor activity of ET-18-OMe in vivo may be revealed through direct cytotoxicity and/or modulation of the host defense system by “nonspecific” mechanisms. Some alkylphospholipids without PAF activity may also show antitumor activity through similar, “nonspecific” mechanisms.