Growth hormone (GH) secretion from human lymphocytes is up-regulated by GH, but not affected by insulin-like growth factor-I

Regulation of GH secretion from phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated lymphocytes was investigated in six normal subjects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were incubated with PHA (10 micrograms/mL) in the presence of various amounts of recombinant human GH (0-100 ng/L) and/or recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (0-1000 micrograms/L), and the secreted GH was measured by a highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay. PHA-stimulated lymphocytes secreted immunoreactive GH in all subjects (13.6 +/- 2.4 ng/L). Exogenous GH up-regulated the GH secretion in a dose-dependent manner, while IGF-I did not affect either basal GH secretion or the up-regulation by exogenous GH. These findings suggest a difference in the regulation of GH secretion between endocrine and immune systems.     

Multigigabit multichannel optical interconnection module forbroadband switching system

This paper describes optical transmitter and receiver modules for package-to-package interconnection in broadband switching networks such as an asynchronous transfer mode switch fabric. These modules, which include the multiplexer and demultiplexer, can reduce the number of connections and the problem of skew between links. Five-channel optical transmitter and receiver modules were fabricated and demonstrated at 2.8 Gbit/s with a power dissipation of 4.5 W per channel. Moreover, temperature-insensitive optical interconnection was successfully demonstrated by driving a laser with a constant bias current over the threshold and by deducting the optical signal offset. The output power of the transmitter module was -4.2 dBm. Nonuniformity of the transmitter output powers across the range of optical channels was <2.1 dB. Receiver sensitivity for a bit error rate of 10^-11 was -9.3 dBm. Nonuniformity of the receiver sensitivities was <1.5 dB. The power penalty of the receiver sensitivity due to crosstalk was 1 dB. The connection distance was >250 m     

Enzymatic resolution of planar chiral ferrocene derivatives

Racemic 3-methyl, 2-ethyl, 2-bromo, and 2-trimethylsilyl derivatives of formylferrocene were kinetically resolved by enantioselective reduction with a fermenting baker's yeast. Moreover, 2-methyl, 3-methyl, 2-ethyl, 2-bromo, and 2-trimethylsilyl derivatives of hydroxymethylferrocene were optically resolved with lipases by transesterification using vinyl esters.     

Structure and formation process of (K,Na)-clinoptilolite

In order to synthesize (K,Na)-clinoptilolite, a (K,Na)-aluminosilicate slurry with a seed crystal was stirred at 30 °C for 4 days and then hydrothermally treated under homogeneous mixing conditions at 120 °C for 14 days. The Si/Al:(Na+K)/Si:K/(Na+K):H₂O/Al molar ratio of the starting materials was 6.0:0.42:0.5:52.5. The formation process of (K,Na)-clinoptilolite was investigated by a variety of techniques. When the materials were hydrothermally treated up to 6 days, amorphous (K,Na)-aluminosilicate was formed. After the hydrothermal treatment for 8 days, irregular particles due to the amorphous (K,Na)-aluminosilicate disappeared and plate-like particles of (K,Na)-clinoptilolite were formed, indicating that the amorphous aluminosilicate crystallized as clinoptilolite. In addition, (Na+K)/Al molar ratio in the materials varied from 1.2 to 1.0, accompanying the decrease of cation exchange capacity. During the crystallization, the wavenumber of external linkages of TO bonds shifted to higher values, implying that the SiOSi and SiOAl bonds were formed.     

Specific induction of hepatocellular adenomas by transplacental administration of ENU in the tsc2 gene mutant (Eker) rat

Recombinant human m-calpain was produced in a soluble form at a level of 20 mg/liter of Sf-9 cell culture by the coexpression of recombinant human m-calpain large (m80K) and small (30K) subunits using a baculovirus expression system. The expressed m-calpain was purified by sequential column chromatographies on DEAE-Toyopearl, gel-filtration, and Mono Q by the same method used to purify native m-calpain. The recombinant m-calpain had a specific activity of 691 U/mg and a Ka value (Ca2+ requirement for 50% caseinolysis activity) of 0.4 mM, which are essentially identical to those of native rabbit m-calpain. A mutant m-calpain large subunit, m-C105S-80K, where the active-site cysteine-105 is converted to serine by site-directed mutagenesis, was coexpressed with 30K in Sf-9 cells, purified, and characterized. m-C105S-calpain does not degrade casein nor an artificial tetra-peptide substrate, succinyl-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-MCA. Further, it shows no autolytic activity with Ca2+. This is the first report of the large-scale production of a fully active m-calpain species in the baculovirus system.     

Automated bone marrow analysis using the CD4000 automated haematology analyser

At present, bone marrow analysis is performed microscopically, but is time consuming and labour intensive. No automated methods have been successfully applied to classification of bone marrows cells because automated blood cell analysers have been incapable of identifying erythroblasts. The present study was designed to evaluate automated analysis of bone marrow aspirates with the CELL-DYN 4000 (CD4000) haematology analyser, which enables automated determination of erythroblast counts in both the normal mode (haemolytic time; 11.5s) and the resistant RBC mode (34.0s). The percentages of subpopulations including lymphocytes, neutrophils and erythroblasts were obtained with the CD4000, and as a reference, differential counts by microscopic observation of May-Grünwald-Giesa-stained films of bone marrow aspirates were performed (n=98). Significant correlations (P < 0.01) between the results obtained with the two methods were observed for total nucleated cell count and lymphocytes, neutrophils, erythroblasts and myeloid/erythroid (M/E) ratio. However, there were biases in the average percentages of erythroblasts, lymphocytes and M/E ratio obtained using the normal mode with the CD4000 toward values lower than those obtained with the microscopic method. Using the RBC resistant mode with the CD4000, the average percentages of erythroblasts, lymphocytes and M/E ratio approximated those obtained with the microscopic method. In conclusion, the CD4000 in resistant RBC mode is more useful for analysis of bone marrow aspirates than is the normal mode, because the former better approximates the M/E ratio than the latter.     

7-(2-Aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl)-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acids as potent antibacterial agents: design, synthesis, and antibacterial activity

2-Aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl, -1-pyrrolidinyl, and -1-piperidinyl groups were designed as novel C-7 substituents for potential antibacterial quinolone agents. Of the three substituents, the 2-aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl group (compound 12a) was found to be the most favorable for enhancing the activity of the 6,8-difluoroquinoline molecule 12. Therefore the 2-aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl group was introduced into a variety of quinolines (giving 24-26a, and 28a) and naphthyridines (giving 31a and 32a). Through optical resolution of 1-benzylazetidine-2-carboxamide (19) and chiral synthesis of its R-isomer, both enantiomers of 2-aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl quinolines 12a and 24-26a were also prepared. The most active of all the compounds was 5-amino-6,8-difluoroquinoline (R)-26a. The activity of (R)-26a was more potent than those of the corresponding 1-piperazinyl derivative (3) and sparfloxacin (1), and was comparable to those of the corresponding 3-amino-1-pyrrolidinyl (4), 3-aminomethyl-1-pyrrolidinyl (5), and 3-amino-1-azetidinyl (6) derivatives.     

Differential display with carboxy-X-rhodamine-labeled primers and the selection of differentially amplified cDNA fragments without cloning

Pregnancy block, whereby recently mated female mice abort their pregnancies when exposed to novel (strange) males, was studied in house mice (Mus domesticus) differing in t-complex genotype; t-mutations are deleterious and +/t females avoid +/t males as mates. The results of Experiment 1, in which the genotype of the female, stud male, and strange male was systematically varied, showed that pregnancy block was most frequent when the strange male was +/+. Because this effect was not enhanced among +/t females when stud males were +/t, the results cannot clearly be explained by the hypothesis that pregnancy block is a manifestation of mate choice. Moreover, the "strange male" effect in Experiment 1 is unlikely to be a female response correlated with the risk of male infanticide, as +/+ and +/t males did not differ in their infanticidal tendencies (Experiments 2 & 3). Alternative hypotheses, including a modified version of the mate choice hypothesis, are discussed.