X-Ray Microanalysis on the Surface and Cross-Section of burning-interrupted aluminum particle and foil in high pressure atmospheres

In order to deduce the burning characteristics of aluminum (Al) particle in solid propellant, a model experiment has been carried out with Al spheres of 3 mm ∼4 mm dia. in the oxidizing atmospheres at elevated pressures. As one of the investigation items, X-ray microanalysis for the burning-interrupted Al spheres was conducted along the straight lines crossing cap-like Al₂O₃ islands attached on unburned Al. It was clarified that, on the way of burning, in the case of Al sphere and plausibly on the burning surface of the particle also, there exist numerous Al₂O₃ islands, large and small, floating on molten Al sea; but even on the sea part, which seemed pure Al only, the surface is covered mostly with Al₂O₃ film. The similar analysis was applied to the Al foils ignited with Joule heating. It was witnessed, however, that contrary to the sphere surface there remains still neat Al in the vicinity of burning-interrupted surface. This fact may introduce low ignition temperature (933 K ∼ 963 K) and high deflagration velocity along the surface (for example. 2500 mm/s, with test piece of 0.11 mm thick, 5 mm wide; 8 MPaO₂ ) with Al foils.     

Tooth pulp neurons in the caudal medulla oblongata of the cat

The medulla oblongata caudal to the obex was explored for neurons responsive to tooth pulp (TP) stimulation in cats. Four different subclasses of TP neurons were found. The latter included TP specific (TPS) neurons, trigeminal wide dynamic range (trigeminal WDR) neurons with TP input, trigeminal subnucleus reticularis ventralis (trigeminal SRV) neurons with TP input and convergent reticular formation (convergent RF) neurons with TP input. TPS neurons were located in the dorsal marginal rim of the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis, i.e., in the marginal layer or the outer zone of substantia gelatinosa. WDR neurons with TP input were found in the neck region of medullary dorsal horn which corresponds to the lateral part of subnucleus reticularis dorsalis (SRD). Trigeminal SRV neurons with TP input were located in the lateral part of SRV. Convergent RF neurons with TP input were found in the middle third of the caudal bulbar RF consisting of SRD and SRV. Both TPS neurons and WDR neurons with TP input included trigeminothalamic neurons as evidenced by the antidromic activation from the nucleus ventralis posteromedialis of the contralateral thalamus. A significant proportion of both trigeminal SRV and convergent RF neurons with TP input were antidromically activated by stimulation of the nucleus centralis lateralis of the contralateral thalamus. The former two subclasses may subserve the sensory-discriminative aspect of toothache, while the latter two subclasses, the emotional-motivational aspect.     

Epilepsy and exacerbation of brain injury in mice lacking the glutamate transporter GLT-1

Extracellular levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in the nervous system are maintained by transporters that actively remove glutamate from the extracellular space. Homozygous mice deficient in GLT-1, a widely distributed astrocytic glutamate transporter, show lethal spontaneous seizures and increased susceptibility to acute cortical injury. These effects can be attributed to elevated levels of residual glutamate in the brains of these mice.     

Increased heat shock protein expression after stress in Japanese quail

The health care received from first admission to a pediatric rheumatology clinic to 9-year follow-up was assessed in 109 patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases or chronic idiopathic musculoskeletal pain. Ninety-five of the patients had received hospital care after the first admission, of whom 53 patients > or = 18 years, 21 patients < 18 years, and 33 parents of patients < 18 years rated their degree of satisfaction with the health care from 0 to 10. Mean scores of satisfaction with different aspects of care ranged from 6.0 to 9.6. Among patients > or = 18 years, those with idiopathic pain were less satisfied than those with inflammatory rheumatic diseases on the availability of care (mean 6.4 vs. 8.5, p < 0.001), continuity of care (mean 6.5 vs. 8.4, p < 0.001), and empathy of the health care providers (mean 6.7 vs. 7.9, p <0.05). The diagnostic group and the occurrence of remission predicted the level of global satisfaction in patients > or = 18 years. In patients < 18 years, chronic family difficulties predicted patient satisfaction and physical disability and chronic family difficulties predicted parent satisfaction. In conclusion, most parents and patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases were satisfied with the health care. However, some patients with idiopathic pain had unmet needs for care.     

Bromodeoxyuridine uptake by early liver metastases in rats: a comparison of the hepatic artery and portal vein infusion routes

Liver metastases generated by the intraportal inoculation of ascites hepatoma cells in Donryu rats were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) through the hepatic artery, or through the portal vein with or without ligation of the hepatic artery, 3, 6, or 9 days after tumor inoculation. The distribution of BrdU-labeled cells was evaluated in 174 metastases, 110-1640 microm in diameter, by immunohistochemical methods. When a dual blood supply from the portal vein and hepatic artery existed, the BrdU-labeled cells were diffusely found in the metastases regardless of their size and the route of BrdU infusion. When blood supply to metastases larger than 610 microm in diameter was from a single source, namely the portal vein, the BrdU-labeled cells were located within 90-290 microm from the margin of the metastases. These results indicate first, that drug uptake by the inner part of the early metastatic liver tumors is achieved through the hepatic artery, and second, that drug uptake by early liver metastases through the portal vein is limited to within the extent of portal diffusion regardless of the size of the metastases. Thus, we conclude that prophylactic treatment against liver metastases would be more effective when given via the hepatic artery route rather than via the portal vein route.     

The complexity of the Hajós calculus for planar graphs

The planar Hajós calculus is the Hajós calculus with the restriction that all the graphs that appear in the construction (including a final graph) must be planar. We prove that the planar Hajós calculus is polynomially bounded iff the Hajós calculus is polynomially bounded.     

Estrogen regulation of the insulin-like growth factor I gene transcription involves an AP-1 enhancer

As a step toward elucidating the physiological role of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in mediating estrogen action, we sought to determine the molecular basis of the phenomenon. In HepG2 cells expressing exogenous estrogen receptors (ER), a reporter gene plasmid containing 600 base pairs of the chicken IGF-I promoter enhanced expression of luciferase 8.6-fold in response to 10(-6) M 17 beta-estradiol, indicating that the IGF-I promoter is a target of estrogen regulation. Although no conventional estrogen-responsive element was identified within the promoter fragment, the AP-1 motif located therein was shown to be essential; the estrogen-responsive enhancement of the Fos-Jun binding to the AP-1 motif, which takes place by means of post-translational modification, mediates the estrogen action. A direct or indirect interaction between the estrogen-ER complex and the Fos-Jun complex seems to facilitate the Fos-Jun binding to the target DNA. Although ER binding to the target DNA was not considered to be involved in the signaling pathway, the DNA binding domain-deficient ER did not mediate the phenomenon, providing support for the existence of a unique function of the DNA binding domain of ER in facilitating some protein-protein interaction. In conclusion, our present observations demonstrate that the chicken IGF-I gene promoter is controlled by estrogen through a unique pathway involving Fos, Jun, and the DNA binding domain of ER.     

Effect of lovastatin and fluoromevalonate on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity stimulated with PDGF

1. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) appears to have a crucial role in cellular proliferation induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). However, the mode of activation of the enzyme has been unclear so far. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a cholesterol lowering drug on [3H]-thymidine ([3H]-TdR) incorporation and PI3K activity in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) stimulated with PDGF. 2. PDGF stimulated both [3H]-TdR incorporation and PI3K activity immunoprecipitated with antiphosphotyrosine antibody in a dose dependent manner (ED50 was 4 ng/mL for [3H]-TdR uptake and 3 ng/mL for PI3K activity). Lovastatin inhibited serum-stimulated [3H]-TdR incorporation dose dependently. PI3K activity induced by PDGF was also inhibited in a dose dependent manner; however, its activity was 61% at 10(-6) mol/L, 72% at 10(-5) mol/L and 8% at 10(-4) mol/L of the control value. 3. These inhibitory effects of lovastatin were completely abolished by adding 1 mmol/L mevalonic acid (MVA), suggesting that MVA metabolites had some important role on the PI3K activation and cellular proliferation. 4. Fluoromevalonate (Fmev), a competitive inhibitor of mevalonate diphosphate (MVA-PP) decarboxylase, inhibited [3H]-TdR incorporation at concentrations more than 10(-6) mol/L. Moreover, marked inhibitory effect was observed at concentrations of 10(-7) and 10(-8) mol/L (76% of control). PI3K activity was also reduced by 10(-3) mol/L Fmev (0.2% of control). However, in contrast to [3H]-TdR uptake, there was no inhibitory effect detected at concentrations up to 10(-4) mol/L. 5. These results suggest that PDGF-stimulated PI3K activity as well as cellular proliferation was modified by protein isoprenylation.