Antitumor activity of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rH-TNF alpha) and liposome-entrapped rH-TNF alpha

The antitumor activities of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rH-TNF alpha) and liposome-entrapped rH-TNF alpha were evaluated in various glioma cell lines and a rat brain T9 gliosarcoma model. rH-TNF alpha had a direct cytotoxic activity against various glioma cell lines in vitro, and indirect cytotoxic activity against gliosarcoma (T9) in vivo. Liposome-entrapped rH-TNF alpha had increased direct cytotoxic activity in vitro, and against experimentally induced brain tumors in vivo. The effects in vivo were probably due to vascular damage of the tumor vessels as shown by histological examination and activation of cytotoxic macrophages as shown in vitro. These results indicate that the general or local administration of liposome-entrapped rH-TNF alpha may become a useful adjunct treatment for malignant brain tumor.     

Photoreaction of Titanium-Based Metal-organic Compounds for Ceramic Fine Patterning

The photoreaction of metal-organic compounds prepared by the chemical modification of metal alkoxides was investigated for the patterning of ceramic films. The chemical stability and photoreactivity of these compounds were found to be greatly influenced by the kind of chemical additive applied during the syntheses of the precursor solutions. In this study, the photoreaction of the precursor thin films prepared by the addition of alkanolamines was achieved by tuning the wavelength of the incident UV light. The decomposition of the organic moieties of the percursors was clearly observed in IR spectra during UV irradiation. Furthermore, the spectrum of the titania precursor film in the visible and ultraviolet regions (UV-vis) changed in accordance with the irradiation time. The photolithography of the titanium precursor pattern was successfully achieved by means of these techniques.     

Dispersion measurements in single-mode fibres using sum-frequency mixing as a picosecond optical shutter

We describe a novel technique of measuring dispersion in single-mode fibres using picosecond pulses generated by a temperature tuned LiNbO3 optical parametric oscillator as a light source and sum-frequency mixing as a picosecond shutter. The temporal resolution is less than 30 ps.     

High-precision voltage-measuring method using fast sampled data for electric power systems

Control and protection equipment in power systems requires higher sensitivity and operational reliability to meet today's changing power system requirements. The voltage-measuring deviation requirement for advanced voltage and var control equipment is less than 0.1 percent under conditions of harmonic distortion in the voltage waveform and power-system frequency variation. Studies on digital signal processing suitable for electric power systems showed that these requirements are satisfied using fast sampling and very fast 32-bit floating point operations by a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). This paper describes the design philosophy of a high-precision power system voltage-measuring method using fast sampled data. In addition, total voltage-measuring deviation characteristics under a combination of the techniques are described along with digital filter characteristics, frequency-measuring deviation characteristics, frequency variation versus gain-compensation characteristics of a digital filter, and peak value operating principles.     

Deep sea trial of 1.55 μm optical fibre submarine cable system

The first 6000 m deep sea trial of a 1.55 μm optical fibre submarine cable system was successfully conducted in the Pacific Ocean, near Torishima Island, in January 1988. By using 1.55 μm loss-minimised single-mode fibre cables and submerged fully monolithic Si-IC regenerators with DFB lasers, excellent transmission performances at 140, 280 and 565 Mbit/s were obtained through 150 km repeater spacings, respectively     

Structural determination of a mutagenic aminophenylnorharman produced by the co-mutagen norharman with aniline

Norharman (9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), widely distributed in our environment, including cigarette smoke and cooked foodstuffs, is not mutagenic to Salmonella strains, but becomes mutagenic to S.typhimurium TA98 and YG1024 with S9 mix in the presence of non-mutagenic aromatic amines such as aniline and o-toluidine. To elucidate the mechanisms of co-mutagenicity, we tried to isolate the mutagen(s) produced by a reaction between norharman and aniline with S9 mix. By HPLC purification, two mutagenic compounds (I and II), one (I) showing mutagenicity with and the other (II) without S9 mix, were isolated. The structure of compound I was deduced to be a coupled compound of norharman and aniline, 9-(4'-aminophenyl)-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (aminophenylnorharman), by a variety of spectrometry techniques and this was confirmed by its chemical synthesis. The mutagenic activity of this novel heterocyclic amine was tested using the pre-incubation method and was found to induce 187,000 revertants in TA98 and 1,783,000 revertants in YG1024 per microg with S9 mix. Compound II was shown to be hydroxyaminophenylnorharman. Formation of the same DNA adducts was observed in YG1024 when aminophenylnorharman or a mixture of norharman plus aniline was incubated with S9 mix. The hydroxyamino derivative also yielded the same DNA adducts in YG1024. Thus, the appearance of mutagenicity by norharman with aniline in the presence of S9 mix suggests that the coupled mutagenic compound, aminophenylnorharman, is formed from norharman and aniline, then converted to the hydroxyamino derivative and forms DNA adducts to induce mutations in TA98 and YG1024.     

A super long-acting LH-RH analogue induces regression of hypothalamic hamartoma associated with precocious puberty

We treated a 1-year-old female with a hypothalamic hamartoma and precocious puberty with leuprolide acetate depot, a super long-acting hormone-releasing hormone analogue (Tap-144-SR; [D-Leu6-[des-Gly10-NH2] LH-RH ethylamide acetate). The infant's major symptoms were genital bleeding and gynaecomastia. The LH-RH analogue (30 micrograms/kg) was injected subcutaneously once every 4 weeks. Clinical and laboratory manifestations of precocious puberty showed marked improvement. A follow-up after 16 months of treatment, the size of the tumour decreased significantly and remained unchanged for 2 years of further follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first hypothalamic hamartoma case in whom a decrease of tumour size under treatment with LH-RH analogue has been documented. But, because diagnosis of hamartoma is only based on neuroradiological and not on histological examinations, the possibility of a gangliocytoma cannot be excluded with certainty.     

Rough Surface Effects on the p-Wave Fermi Superfluids

Rough surface effects on p-wave Fermi superfluids are discussed on the basis of our recently proposed quasi-classical theory that can treat in a unified way the surface scattering ranging from the specular limit to the diffusive limit. We show how the transition temperature of the ABM state in a slab geometry depends on the surface roughness. In the diffusive limit, our result agrees with Kjäldmann et al. We consider the BW state, the ABM state and the polar state in a half-infinite geometry with a plane rough surface and discuss the self-consistent order parameter and the surface density of states at low temperatures. The rough surface effects on the Andreev scattering in the BW state are also discussed within the same framework.     

Expression and induction by IL-6 of the normal and variant genes for human plasminogen

A disposable suturing instrument is used in our surgical method for sacrospinous vault suspension to facilitate suture placement and retrieval. The pararectal space is dissected and the suturing device is placed just medial to the lateral third of the sacrospinous ligament-coccygeus muscle complex. Depression of the device's firing button advances a standard needle in a controlled circular path through the sacrospinous ligament-coccygeus muscle complex. The needle is retrieved with a straight-needle holder at a consistent location, 3 mm from the shaft of the instrument. A second suture is placed 0.5-1 cm medial to the first suture. If the holding strength for either suture is considered inadequate, the device is reloaded with the same suture and subsequent bites are taken. The procedure is completed using standard methods. In ten women treated for vaginal vault eversion, lateral dissection was completed in less than 10 minutes, and passage of two sutures through the sacrospinous ligament was accomplished in less than 2 minutes. There were no complications. One patient described mild buttock pain that resolved in 1 week. At 4-6 months' follow-up, vaginal examination with maximal straining demonstrated direct apposition of the vaginal wall to the sacrospinous ligament.     

Gas transport in poly(vinyl-p-isopropylbenzoate): Comparison and correlation with some other poly(vinyl esters)

Gas permeability in poly(vinyl-p-isopropylbenzoate) (PVp-i-PrB) was determined by a timelag method. The transport properties were discussed from comparison with the permeability data of other poly(vinyl esters), which were studied previously. All these polymers are structurally related, and the size of a side group or the position of its substituent was changed systematically. The isopropyl group of PVp-i-PrB is attached at the para position of a phenyl ring and is the largest in size. As a result gas diffusivity and therefore permeability were increased. The effect of the substituent on gas diffusivity was explained as it increases the interchain and intrachain distances. The discussion was supported from the comparison of the density data between PVp-i-PrB and other poly(vinyl esters). The diffusion coefficients of six glassy poly(vinyl esters) were correlated at their T_g and good correlations were shown to the free volume and its fraction. On the other hand, gas solubility was little affected by the change of an alkyl group on a phenyl ring. The solubility data of PVp-i-PrB and poly(vinyl benzoate) were shown to be clearly correlated with the critical properties of the penetrants. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.