High intensity in the globus pallidus on proton and T2-weighted MRI in a case of dentato-ruburo-pallido-luysian atrophy of myoclonus epilepsy type

Stool samples from 880 residents in an urban slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, were collected on 3 occasions over one year, and examined for intestinal parasites. Information on many potential risk factors for infection was obtained by questionnaire from a respondent in each household studied. In a crude univariate analysis of the data, several of the factors were found to be significantly associated with Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Most of these factors were co-variate with one another, and with poverty generally. Using Mantel-Haenszel chi 2 tests to control for confounding effects of each variable individually, the following 4 factors remained independently associated with S. stercoralis infection: respondent's use of a community latrine rather than a private latrine, living in a house with an earth floor rather than a cement floor, being of Bihari ethnicity, and being 7-10 years of age. Implications of these results for the epidemiology and control of strongyloidiasis are briefly discussed.     

Uncoupling of modes in multidimensionally inhomogeneous curvilinear cylinders

Parkinson's work on the criterion for uncoupling of mode in oblique-incidence scattering from radially inhomogeneous circular cylinders has been generalised. The letter treats 2- and 3-dimensionally inhomogeneous ? and ?. Circular, elliptic and parabolic cylinders have been considered.     

Flux growth of LiNdP4O12 single crystals

LiNdP₄O₁₂ single crystals were grown by slow-cooling a Li₂OP₂O₅ flux. Crystal morphology and macroscopic crystal quality depend on the solution composition in the ternary system Li₂ONd₂O₃P₂O₅. Under the favorable growth conditions, platy crystals of 15 × 10 × 1 mm³ were obtained.     

Computer- Controlled Automatic titration system and its application to the analysis of fats and oils

An automatic titration system (ATS) controlled by a microcomputer was developed for potentiometric or pH titrations. The titrator is equipped with a piston-type glass buret which is operated by a stepping motor driven by computer-generated pulse. The droplet volume of titrant is 0.00211 ml per pulse which enables very accurate titration. The titration rate is controlled by regulating the intervals of pulses according to the potential changes accompanying the progress of titration. The point giving the maximum pulse interval is detected automatically as the end point. Accordingly, it is not necessary to present the potential or pH value of the end point. Sample beakers are sent in turn with an endless mode. As examples of practical application of ATS, saponification value, amine value, acid value, total chlorine content, and chloride ion content were determined. The ATS makes it possible to contribute not only to the improvement of precision but to the simplification of analytical procedures in fats and oils chemistry.     

Charge state distribution and its equilibration of 2 MeV/u sulfur ions passing through carbon foils

Charge state distributions of 2.0 MeV/u sulfur ions of various initial charge states (6, 10, 11, 13+) after passing through 0.9, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.7, 6.9 and 10 μg/cm² carbon foils have been studied. It is observed that the processes involving the L-shell electrons are equilibrated within the target thickness of 5 μg/cm² and the charge equilibration over this thickness is ruled by the K-shell processes. Measured charge state distributions do not flat off to establish equilibrium within the measured thicknesses, but the mean charge states almost saturate to 12.4 for all initial charge states examined. Calculation with ETACHA code, developed by Rozet et al. [Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 107 (1996) 67], is employed, although the present impact energy is lower than the assumed region for the code.     

Fluorescence Imaging Using Enzyme-Activatable Probes for Detecting Diabetic Kidney Disease and Glomerular Diseases

A clear identification of the etiology of glomerular disease is essential in patients with diabetes. Renal biopsy is the gold standard for assessing the underlying nephrotic pathology; however, it has the risk for potential complications. Here, we aimed to investigate the feasibility of urinary fluorescence imaging using an enzyme-activatable probe for differentiating diabetic kidney disease and the other glomerular diseases. Hydroxymethyl rhodamine green (HMRG)-based fluorescent probes targeting gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and dipeptidyl-peptidase (DPP) were used. Urinary fluorescence was compared between groups which were classified by their histopathological diagnoses (diabetic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis, and nephrosclerosis) as obtained by ultrasound-guided renal biopsy. Urinary fluorescence was significantly stronger in patients with diabetic kidney disease compared to those with glomerulonephritis/nephrosclerosis after DPP-HMRG, whereas it was stronger in patients with nephrosclerosis than in patients with glomerulonephritis after GGT-HMRG. Subgroup analyses of the fluorescence performed for patients with diabetes showed consistent results. Urinary fluorescence imaging using enzyme-activatable fluorescence probes thus represents a potential noninvasive assessment technique for kidney diseases in patients with diabetes.     

Inhibition of the Phospholipase Cε–c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Axis Suppresses Glioma Stem Cell Properties

Glioma stem cells (GSCs), the cancer stem cells of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), contribute to the malignancy of GBM due to their resistance to therapy and tumorigenic potential; therefore, the development of GSC-targeted therapies is urgently needed to improve the poor prognosis of GBM patients. The molecular mechanisms maintaining GSCs need to be elucidated in more detail for the development of GSC-targeted therapy. In comparison with patient-derived GSCs and their differentiated counterparts, we herein demonstrated for the first time that phospholipase C (PLC)ε was highly expressed in GSCs, in contrast to other PLC isoforms. A broad-spectrum PLC inhibitor suppressed the viability of GSCs, but not their stemness. Nevertheless, the knockdown of PLCε suppressed the survival of GSCs and induced cell death. The stem cell capacity of residual viable cells was also suppressed. Moreover, the survival of mice that were transplanted with PLCε knockdown-GSCs was longer than the control group. PLCε maintained the stemness of GSCs via the activation of JNK. The present study demonstrated for the first time that PLCε plays a critical role in maintaining the survival, stemness, and tumor initiation capacity of GSCs. Our study suggested that PLCε is a promising anti-GSC therapeutic target.     

Wireless Monitoring Using a Stretchable and Transparent Sensor Sheet Containing Metal Nanowires

Mechanically and visually imperceptible sensor sheets integrated with lightweight wireless loggers are employed in ultimate flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) to reduce vital stress/nervousness and monitor natural biosignal responses. The key technologies and applications for conceptual sensor system fabrication are reported, as exemplified by the use of a stretchable sensor sheet completely conforming to an individual's body surface to realize a low-noise wireless monitoring system (<1 µV) that can be attached to the human forehead for recording electroencephalograms. The above system can discriminate between Alzheimer's disease and the healthy state, thus offering a rapid in-home brain diagnosis possibility. Moreover, the introduction of metal nanowires to improve the transparency of the biocompatible sensor sheet allows one to wirelessly acquire electrocorticograms of nonhuman primates and simultaneously offers optogenetic stimulation such as toward-the-brain–machine interface under free movement. Also discussed are effective methods of improving electrical reliability, biocompatibility, miniaturization, etc., for metal nanowire based tracks and exploring the use of an organic amplifier as an important component to realize a flexible active probe with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Overall, ultimate FHE technologies are demonstrated to achieve efficient closed-loop systems for healthcare management, medical diagnostics, and preclinical studies in neuroscience and neuroengineering.     

Preparation of methyl ursodeoxycholate in an interface bioreactor: use of a mixed solvent system to increase the solubilities of substrate and product

A mixed solvent system was used as the reaction solvent of an interface bioreactor for the first time. The solvent, dodecane/2-ethylhexyl acetate (4:6), exhibited excellent efficiency in the preparation of methyl ursodeoxycholate with Eubacterium aerofaciens JCM 7790.     

Enhanced accumulation of anthocyanin in cultured strawberry cells by repetitive feeding of L-phenylalanine into the medium

L-Phenylalanine (Phe), biosynthetic precursor of anthocyanin, was repetitively added into a suspension culture of strawberry cells, constantly producing anthocyanins. In the repetitive feeding culture, the maximum anthocyanin accumulation per culture was 30% and 81% higher than those in a single Phe-feeding culture and non-feeding culture, respectively. This means that the inhibitory effect of Phe on cell growth was successfully avoided and its intracellular free-state concentration was maintained at a higher level by the repetitive feeding of L-phenylalanine at relatively lower intra-medium concentration. These results support the phenylalanine pool hypothesis which states that the intracellular L-phenylalanine level determines anthocyanin production. However, it was also suggested that there exist other restrictions controlling intracellular anthocyanin accumulation.