Perinatal expression and inducibility of human CYP3A7 in C57BL/6N transgenic mice

The expression and inducibility of CYP3A7 transgene in the fetus and suckling neonates from one of the transgenic lines (M10) were investigated by Northern and Western blot analyses. The mRNA expression could be detected as early as the 15th embryonic day and increased gradually with advancing gestation but then remarkably so after birth. The protein expression was also detectable postnatally and increased. Inducibility was achieved in neonatal mice via maternal exposure to zinc sulfate. Midazolam hydroxylase activities could be detected in liver microsomes prepared from 14-day-old neonates. These activities were significantly higher in transgenic than nontransgenic lines of mice (p < 0.001).     

Contrast echo imaging on the breast and thyroid cancers

The utility of ultrasound color Doppler flow mapping imaging for the differential diagnosis on the breast and thyroid tumors had already reported in 1991. Ultrasound contrast agent, SH/TA 508 (Levovist; Schering AG, Germany), had already finished clinical trials in Japan and reported the result phase II, III. On the breast and thyroid lesions, the utility of this contrast agent are safety and usefulness for the accurate diagnosis by the ultrasound color Doppler examination. Throughout of these clinical trials, a quit new ultrasound Doppler imaging methods had been developed, Harmonic Imaging and acoustic emission mode. As the result, ultrasound contrast agent is useful not only for the conventional color Doppler diagnosis but also for the developing of new diagnostic imaging methods.     

Homozygous beta(+)-thalassemia due to -31 A to G mutation

The cells of Martinotti are unique neurons of the cerebral cortex with ascending axons. Giovanni Martinotti (1857-1928), professor of anatomic pathology at the University of Bologna, has been claimed to be the discoverer of such cells. Nevertheless, no papers specifically concerning neuroanatomy have been found in his curriculum. The authors have been able to establish that Carlo Martinotti (1859-1918), a pupil of Camillo Golgi (1843-1926) was the legitimate discoverer of the nerve cells carrying his own name.     

Emerging technology and service enhancement for cordless telephonesystems

A brief history of the development of cordless telephone systems in Japan is given. The efficient frequency utilization and upgraded service provided by this technology are discussed. A business cordless system is proposed for extended service areas using a portable telephone facility. The potential extension of this system to a local area portable telephone system is mentioned     

Effect of UFT on treatment of urological cancer--effect of UFT on treatment of invasive bladder cancer and advanced prostate cancer. Ibaraki Urological Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group

A prospective randomized joint study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of UFT 1) as a postoperative adjuvant therapy in patients with invasive bladder cancer who had undergone curative combination therapy with operation and/or chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, 2) as an endocrine chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed stage C/D prostate cancer, for a period of 3 years from January, 1992. For bladder cancer, of 36 patients with invasive bladder cancer, clinically cured by combination therapy, 20 patients were treated with UFT as an adjuvant chemotherapy over 12 months, and they were compared to 16 patients with no adjuvant therapy. After excluding 10 inappropriate patients, 12 patients in the UFT treatment group and 14 patients with no adjuvant treatment group were observed. For prostate cancer, of 29 patients with clinically stage C/D prostate cancer, 13 were treated with endocrine therapy in combination with UFT, and 16 patients were treated with endocrine therapy alone. After excluding 7 inappropriate patients, 10 patients with endocrine chemotherapy and 12 patients with hormonal therapy were observed. The non-recurrence rate, survival rate and side effects of UFT were evaluated. In the study of bladder cancer, neither a significant difference of non-recurrent rate nor of survival rate was seen between the two groups. In the study of prostate cancer, neither a significant difference of non-recurrent rate nor of survival rate was seen between the two groups. These findings suggest UFT is less useful as an adjuvant therapy for the invasive bladder cancer and as an endocrine chemotherapy for newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer.     

Mn SOD activity and protein in a patient with chromosome 6-linked autosomal recessive parkinsonism in comparison with Parkinson's disease and control

We report Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD) protein and activity in a patient with familial autosomal recessive Lewy body-negative parkinsonism in comparison with patients with sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) and controls. We recently proved linkage of this family with markers of chromosome 6 at 6q25.2-27, which included the Mn SOD gene. We used a novel polymorphic mutation at -9 position of the signal peptide of the Mn SOD precursor protein, which caused valine to alanine substitution. All the affected members of this family showed homozygosity for alanine, whereas nonaffected members, sporadic PD patients, and the control subjects studied showed either heterozygosity of alanine and valine or homozygosity of valine. The Mn SOD activity of this familial patient was the highest among the PD patients and the control subjects studied, and an abundant expression of Mn SOD was found in the substantia nigra. The molecular weight of Mn SOD protein by Western blotting of this patient was essentially similar to that of PD patients and the control subjects. High Mn SOD activity may constitute a genetic risk factor in this familial patient. The difference in the signal peptide sequence may affect the expression of Mn SOD within mitochondria; however, it is unlikely that loss of function type Mn SOD mutation is the cause of this familial parkinsonism. Mn SOD in sporadic PD patients was similar to that in controls.     

Hot photo-carrier and hot electron effects in p-n junctions

When a p-n junction of semiconductor (with bandgap energy E_g) is illuminated by light beam (with photon energy hv) in the condition of E_g>hv, such as in Ge p-n junction illuminated by CO₂ laser beam, an electromotive force (emf) was induced between the terminals of the p-n junction, which indicated the opposite polarity to the ordinary photovoltaic effect like a solar cell. Such an anomalous photovoltaic phenomenon was explained by an optically excited hot carrier effect, through the following experiment with electrical excitation. Using a rod of n- or p-type Ge with a p-n junction at the surface of its center and an ohmic contact at each terminal of the rod, the same kind of phenomena was observed when electric field is applied along the length of the rod. The perpendicularly induced voltage or current had the same polarity instead of the reverse change of the applied electric field, and increases with increasing the applied field strength. The perpendicularly induced emf was caused by warm or hot carriers crossing the potential barrier of the p-n junction, which is very sensitive to the departure from thermally equilibrium velocity distribution of carriers.     

Improvement in the light fastness properties of dyed and pigmented materials. 1-The effect of antioxidants on the photostabilisation of dyes in cellulose acetate film

The effect of some added antioxidants on the photodegradation of C.I. Solvent Yellow 33 (quinophthalone) and C.I. Direct Red 39 in cellulose acetate films have been investigated. The effects varied according to antioxidant type. For example, the addition of 2, 6-di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol, an effective radical scavenger, afforded little protection against photodegradation, while singlet oxygen quenching of antioxidants such as nickel bis(dithiobenzil), nickel dialkyldithiocarbamate, nickel bis(mesitylenesulphonate) conferred improved resistance of the dyes towards photodegradation.