Success in the radical resection of esophageal cancer with artificial blood infusion: case report

Using the oxygen-carrying, so-called "artificial blood", Fluosol-DA, developed by us, we successfully performed a radical resection for esophageal cancer and a one-stage reconstruction, without any blood transfusion. The operation was performed quite safely despite a large blood loss, a stable condition was performed quite safely despite a large blood loss, a stable condition being maintained during and after the operation. Fluosol-DA has no relation to blood type and is stable in a frozen state for one year or more and can, therefore, be used conveniently and safely for treating severe and intraoperative hemorrhages. Furthermore, this preparation may well have at wide application because it greatly reduces the risk of postoperative hepatitis.     

Lasioderma chemistry sex pheromone of cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne F.)

A chemical study of the sex pheromone of the cigarette beetle was carried out. Seven components were isolated from active fractions of column chromatography of the female extract, and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic evidence and confirmed by synthesis to be (4S,6S,7S)-4,6-di-methyl-7-hydroxynonan-3-one (serricornin) (I), 2,6-diethyl-3,5-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran (anhydroserricornin) (II), 4,6-dimethylnonan-3,7-dione (III), 4,6-dimethylnonan-3,7-diol (IV), 4,6-dimethyl-7-hydroxy-4-nonen-3-one (V), (2S,3R)-2,3-dihydro-3,5-dimethyl-2-ethyl-6-(l-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one (serricorone) (VI) and (2S,3R)-2,3-dihydro-3,5-dimethyl-2-ethyl-6-(1-methyl-2-hydroxybutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one (serricorole) (VII).These structural features suggested that the occurrence of these components might be related to the polyketide biosynthesis. The behavioral bioassay and BAG experiments revealed the biological role of each component in the copulatory behavior of this insect.     

Kinetic study of the prooxidant effect of tocopherol. Hydrogen abstraction from lipid hydroperoxides by tocopheroxyls in solution

A kinetic study of the prooxidant effect of vitamin E (tocopherol, TocH) has been carried out. The rates of hydrogen abstraction (k₋₁) from methyl linoleate hydroperoxide (ML-OOH) by α-tocopheroxyl (α-Toc^.) (1) and eight types of alkyl substituted Toc^. radicals, (2–9) in benzene solution have been determined spectrophotometrically. The results show that the rate constants decrease as the total electron-donating capacity of the alkyl substituents on the aromatic ring of Toc^. increases. The k₋₁ value (5.0×10⁻¹M⁻¹s⁻¹) obtained for α-Toc^. (1) was found to be about seven orders of magnitude lower than the k₁ value (3.2×10⁶M⁻¹s⁻¹) for the reaction of α-TocH with peroxyl radical, which is well known as the usual radical-scavenging reaction of α-TocH. The above reaction rates (k₋₁) obtained were compared with those (k₃) of methyl linoleate with Toc^. (1–9) in benzene solution. The rates (k₋₁) were found to be about six times larger than those (k₃) of the corresponding Toc^.. The results suggest that both reactions may relate, to the prooxidant effect of α-TocH at high concentrations in foods and oils. The effect of the phytyl side chain on the reaction rate, of Toc^. in micellar dispersions has also been studied. We have measured the rate constant, k₋₁, for the reaction of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide with a Toc^. radical in benzene,tert-butanol and in Triton X-100 micellar dispersions, and compared the observed k₋₁ values with the corresponding values for ML-OOH.     

Female-produced oviposition deterrents of the cigarette beetle,Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)

Oviposition deterrents of the cigarette beetle,Lasioderma serricorne, were isolated from its adult body extract and found to be identical to (2S,3R,1'S)-2,3-dihydro-3,5-dimethyl-2-ethyl-6-(l-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one (-serricorone) and its lR-epimer (-serricorone) by spectroscopic evidence. Serricorone was previously found as one of the minor sex pheromone components of the same insect, and hence indicating bi-functional nature. The presence of two isomers in the body was proved by careful treatment. Each of them exhibited the same level of oviposition deterring activity, which was less potent than the crude body extract at an increased concentration.     

Adsorbed Atoms and Molecules Destined for a Reaction

The idea of an activation complex is popular for explaining reaction rates, but the characteristics of reactions and catalysis may not be explained in this way. A predestined state for each reaction composed of surface atoms and adsorbed species is responsible for these features. Two single Sn atoms trapped in adjacent half-unit cells of an Si(111) 7 × 7 surface is an example of a predestined state. An isolated Sn atom in a half-unit cell does not migrate to other half-unit cells at room temperature, but when two single Sn atoms are in adjacent half-unit cells they undergo rapid combination to form an Sn₂ dimer. In addition, these two single Sn atoms replace the center Si adatoms and an Si₄ cluster is formed. The spatial distribution of molecules desorbing from surfaces may reflect the predestined states for the desorption processes. The spatial distribution in the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of NO on Pd(110) and Pd(211) surfaces and that in the temperature-programmed reaction (TPR) of NO + H₂ were studied. N₂ desorbing from Pd(110) by the recombination of N atoms obeys cos⁶ – cos⁷ but the N₂ produced by a catalytic reaction of NO with H₂ obeys cos. In contrast, the N₂ desorbing with NO at 490 K in the TPD of Pd(110) shows a sharp off-normal distribution expressed by cos⁴⁶( – 38). The adsorption of NO on Pd(211) predominantly occurs on the (111) terrace but the spatial distribution suggests that the predestined states for the reaction and desorption are formed on both the (111) terrace and (100) step surfaces.     

Solvothermal syntheses of semiconductor photocatalysts of ultra-high activities

Thermal treatment of titanium(IV) butoxide dissolved in 2-butanol at 573 K under autogenous pressure (alcohothermal treatment) yielded microcrystalline anatase-type titanium(IV) oxide (TiO₂). Thermal treatment of oxobis(2,4-pentanedionato-O,O′)titanium (TiO(acac)₂) in ethylene glycol (EG) in the presence of sodium acetate and a small amount of water at 573 K yielded microcrystalline brookite-type TiO₂. Tungsten(VI) oxide (WO₃) powders of monoclinic crystal structure with high crystallinity were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment (HTT), at 523 or 573 K, of aqueous tungstic acid (H₂WO₄) solutions prepared from sodium tungstate by ion-exchange (IE) with a proton-type resin. Anatase and brookite TiO₂ products were calcined at various temperatures and then used for photocatalytic mineralization of acetic acid in aqueous solutions under aerated conditions and dehydrogenation of 2-propanol under deaerated conditions. Almost all the anatase-type TiO₂ samples showed the activities more than twice higher than those of representative active photocatalysts, Degussa P-25 and Ishihara ST-01 in both reactions. A brookite sample with improved crystallinity and sufficient surface area obtained by calcination at 973 K exhibited the hydrogen evolution rate almost equal to P-25. HTT WO₃ powders with various physical properties were used as photocatalyst for evolution of oxygen (O₂) from an aqueous silver sulfate solution. WO₃ powder of high crystallinity, e.g., IE-HTT-WO₃ synthesized at 573 K, gave much higher O₂ yield than commercially available WO₃ samples.     

A study of topographic effects on chemical force microscopy using adhesive force mapping

Origins of peak broadening in a histogram of measured adhesive forces were studied. The adhesive forces were measured in water by pulsed-force-mode atomic force microscopy. One sample was prepared by a microcontact printing method on a sputtered gold film with fine grains, on which CH(3)- and COOH-terminated regions were produced. Gold surfaces of other samples were chemically modified homogeneously by a self-assembling method in solution. Their surfaces were, however, topographically different, i.e. (i) an Au(111)-terrace-rich gold film prepared by vacuum vapor deposition at high temperature and (ii) sputtered gold films on cover glass with different grain sizes obtained by different deposition time. These sample surfaces and the probe tip surface were all CH(3)-terminated by self-assembled monolayers with CH(3)(CH(2))(19)SH. The main origin of peak broadening in the histogram was the topographic effect. Namely, the change in the grain sizes and the change in multiplicity of contacts between the tip and convexities of the grains resulted in the distribution of the observed adhesive forces.     

Three-Dimensional Structural Aspects of Protein–Polysaccharide Interactions

Linear polysaccharides are typically composed of repeating mono- or disaccharide units and are ubiquitous among living organisms. Polysaccharide diversity arises from chain-length variation, branching, and additional modifications. Structural diversity is associated with various physiological functions, which are often regulated by cognate polysaccharide-binding proteins. Proteins that interact with linear polysaccharides have been identified or developed, such as galectins and polysaccharide-specific antibodies, respectively. Currently, data is accumulating on the three-dimensional structure of polysaccharide-binding proteins. These proteins are classified into two types: exo-type and endo-type. The former group specifically interacts with the terminal units of polysaccharides, whereas the latter with internal units. In this review, we describe the structural aspects of exo-type and endo-type protein-polysaccharide interactions. Further, we discuss the structural basis for affinity and specificity enhancement in the face of inherently weak binding interactions.     

Detection of estrogenic activity in herbal teas by in vitro reporter assays

Herbal teas have become popular as alternatives to caffeinated beverages during past two decades. However, toxicological studies of herbal teas have been limited and the safety of herbal teas thus remains unknown. We focused on the estrogenic activities of herbal teas since some of their ingredients are similar to those used in herbal remedies for menopause relief and therefore contain phytoestrogens. To investigate the potential estrogenic activity of extracts prepared from herbal tea mixtures commercially available and to provide useful information for the safety assessment of those products, we initially screened the estrogenic activity in extracts of 15 different herbal teas by an assay using recombinant yeast cells expressing the human estrogen receptor (YES). A distinct estrogenic activity was thus detected in the ethanolic extracts from four herbal tea mixtures. Licorice root was specified as a ingredient responsible for the estrogenic activity in those extracts. In contrast, the aqueous extracts of all herbal tea mixtures we tested exhibited distinct estrogenic activity in YES, thus suggesting the existence of various ingredients that contain estrogenic constituents extractable with water. Among them, the extract of peppermint tea exhibited the highest estrogenic activity. The estrogenic activity in extracts of herbal tea mixtures and specified ingredients were thereafter confirmed by a reporter assay system using transiently transfected HEK293 cells.     

单向纤维复合材料的偏轴实验方法开发与评价(英文)

This study presents an integrated method suitable for off-axis tension and compression testing in unidirectional composites,and its application to the testing of in-plane shear characterization.A new rotating-grip test fixture,incorporating the attractive features of the existing pinned-end fixture and hydraulic wedge grips,has been developed.The proposed gripping system consists of two sets of jaw faces,each with a pair of self-aligning bearings that allows for loading in the axial and radial directions.Fi...