A quantitative study of neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques and astrocytes in the hippocampal subdivisions and entorhinal cortex in Alzheimer''s disease, normal controls and non-Alzheimer neuropsychiatric diseases

BACKGROUND: As a result of the pending ban on chlorofluorocarbon production, the non-chlorofluorocarbon propellant 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFA-134a) is being evaluated as a replacement for CFCs in metered-dose inhalers. OBJECTIVES: This cumulative dose response study compared the safety and bronchodilator efficacy of 16 cumulative inhalations of albuterol sulfate in an HFA-134a, CFC-free propellant system (108 microg of albuterol sulfate, equivalent to 90 microg of albuterol base) with that of equivalent doses of albuterol in a conventional CFC propellant system. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with at least a 12-month history of stable asthma, who were currently taken an inhaled beta-adrenergic bronchodilator, and who had a FEV1 between 40% and 80% of predicted, were enrolled in this randomized, modified-blind, two-period crossover study. One, 1, 2, 4, and 8 inhalations of study drug were self-administered at 30-minute intervals, resulting in 16 cumulative inhalations. Pulmonary function and safety measures were assessed after each dosing interval. RESULTS: A significant dose response was found for HFA-134a albuterol sulfate and CFC albuterol with regard to changes in FEV1, serum potassium, heart rate, and blood pressure after 16 cumulative inhalations. No significant differences were demonstrated between HFA-134a albuterol sulfate and CFC albuterol for any FEV1 or safety parameter at any cumulative dose level. No clinically meaningful laboratory or physical examination abnormalities were found with administration of either HFA-134a albuterol sulfate or CFC albuterol. CONCLUSIONS: HFA-134a albuterol sulfate provides bronchodilation comparable to CFC albuterol and has a similar safety profile.     

Development of normal mice from metaphase I oocytes fertilized with primary spermatocytes

Primary spermatocytes are the male germ cells before meiosis I. To examine whether these 4n diploid cells are genetically competent to fertilize oocytes and support full embryo development, we introduced the nuclei of pachytene/diplotene spermatocytes into oocytes that were arrested in prophase I (germinal vesicle stage), metaphase I, or metaphase II (Met II). Both the paternal and maternal chromosomes then were allowed to undergo meiosis synchronously until Met II. In the first and second groups, the paternal and maternal chromosomes had intermingled to form a large Met II plate, which was then transferred into a fresh enucleated Met II oocyte. In the third group, the paternal Met II chromosomes were obtained by transferring spermatocyte nuclei into Met II oocytes twice. After activation of the Met II oocytes that were produced, those microfertilized at metaphase I showed the best developmental ability in vitro, and three of these embryos developed into full-term offspring after embryo transfer. Two pups (one male and one female) were proven to be fertile. This finding provides direct evidence that the nuclei of male germ cells acquire the ability to fertilize oocytes before the first meiotic division.     

Calculation of crystallite modulus of native cellulose

Summary A crystallite modulus of native cellulose along the chain axis has been calculated based on the X-ray analysed molecular conformation and the force constants used in the vibrational analysis. The calculated values are 172.9 GPa and 70.8 GPa for the cases with and without the intramolecular hydrogen bondings taken into account, respectively. The intramolecular hydrogen bondings have been found to play an important role on the determination of crystallite modulus and the chain deformation mechanism, based on the calculation of the strain energy distribution to the internal coordinates such as bond lengths, bond angles, and so on.     

Tuning ranges for 1.5 μm wavelength tunable DBR lasers

Tuning ranges for 1.5 μm wavelength tunable distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers were studied experimentally. Over 10.0 nm (1.25 THz) quasicontinuous tuning under 5 mW light output conditions and 4.4 nm (550 GHz) continuous tuning at 1 mW were achieved     

A New Model for the Pollucite Thermal Expansion Mechanism

The thermal expansion behavior of cubic pollucite (CsAlSi₂O₆) in the temperature range 298 to 1473 K was investigated from the viewpoint of crystal structure, based on the model proposed in this study, with Rietveld analysis and high-temperature X-ray powder diffraction. Consequently, it has been found that the CsAlSi₂O₆ structure provides an enlargement-contraction mechanism for two kinds of rings, each composed of six (Si,Al)O₄ tetrahedra in a three-dimensional aluminosilicate framework, in the temperature range 298 to 673 K.     

Evaluation of transition zone biopsy in systematic prostate biopsy

We evaluated the systematic biopsies performed on 83 patients suspected of having prostate cancer. In the systematic biopsy, 6 cores were from the peripheral zone and 2 cores from the transition zone. Cancer was detected in 25 patients (30.1%). The percentage of patients who had abnormal digital rectal examination and transrectal echo findings, average PSA and PSA density, and the number of examinations which suggested cancer were higher in the cancer group than in the non-cancer group, although the mean prostate volume was smaller. Cancer was more frequently detected in the peripheral zone than in the transition zone. Cancer was detected only in the transition zone in only 1 of the 25 cancer patients. We conclude that biopsy of the transition zone to all the patients is not always needed in systematic biopsy.     

Localization of mitochondrial large ribosomal RNA in germ plasm of Xenopus embryos

In Xenopus, factors with the ability to establish the germ line are localized in the vegetal pole cytoplasm, or germ plasm, of the early embryo [1-3]. The germ plasm of Xenopus, and of many other animal species including Drosophila, contains electron-dense germinal granules which may be essential for germ-line formation [4-5]. Several components of the germinal granules have so far been identified in Drosophila [6-10]. One of these is mitochondrial large ribosomal RNA (mtlrRNA), which is present in the germinal granules (polar granules) during the cleavage stage until the formation of the germ-line progenitors or pole cells [8-9]. MtlrRNA has been identified as a factor that induces pole cells in embryos that have been sterilized by ultraviolet radiation [11]. The reduction of mtlrRNA in germ plasm by injecting anti-mtlrRNA ribozymes into embryos leads to the inability of these embryos to form pole cells [12]. These observations clearly show that mtlrRNA is essential for pole cell formation in Drosophila. Here, we report that mtlrRNA is enriched in germ plasm of Xenopus embryos from the four-cell stage to the blastula. Furthermore, our electron microscopic studies show that this mtlrRNA is present in the germinal granules during these stages. Thus, mtlrRNA is a common component of germinal granules in Drosophila and Xenopus, suggesting that the mtlrRNA has a role in germ-line development across phylogenetic boundaries.