Contribution of parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells to the clearance of hepatocyte growth factor from the circulation in rats

PURPOSE: The distribution of 125I-hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to either liver parenchymal cells (PC) or non-parenchymal cells (NPC) was investigated in rats. METHODS: After injection of a trace amount of 125I-HGF, the distribution of radioactivity determined by microautoradiography closely resembled that of 125I-epidermal growth factor which distributes mainly to PC. RESULTS: The uptake clearance of 125I-HGF estimated by determining the radioactivity of isolated liver cells was three times higher for PC than for NPC. This suggests that HGF distributes mainly to PC at relatively low doses. On the other hand, the uptake clearance by PC fell on coadministering an excess (80 micrograms/kg) of unlabeled HGF, while no change was observed for NPC, indicating that a saturable process for the hepatic handling of HGF exists only in PC where the HGF receptor is expressed. CONCLUSIONS: At such a dose the uptake clearance was comparable for both PC and NPC showing that HGF distributes to both cell types although NPC have few HGF receptors. Since the distribution to NPC was relatively non-specific and heparin-sensitive, it may be that heparin-like substances, which are believed to exist on PC and/or the extracellular matrix, also exist on NPC.     

Cerebrospinal fluid tissue factor and thrombin-antithrombin III complex as indicators of tissue injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: No marker that reflects and predicts brain injury due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and cerebral vasospasm has been reported. We hypothesized that membrane-bound tissue factor (mTF) and thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with SAH become markers indicating brain injury. To evaluate the hypothesis, we correlated levels of mTF and TAT in the CSF of patients with SAH with clinical severity, the degree of SAH, and outcome. METHODS: We assayed CSF mTF, TAT and myelin basic protein (MBP) in patients with SAH at intervals that included days 0 to 4 and days 5 to 9 after ictus. Classification of clinical severity of disease on admission was based on Hunt and Hess grade, degree of SAH on CT on Fisher's grading, and outcome 3 months after SAH on the Glasgow Outcome Scale. RESULTS: In the interval from days 0 to 4, mTF and TAT correlated with Hunt and Hess and Fisher grades, and occurrence of cerebral infarction due to vasospasm. Only mTF correlated significantly in this period with outcome. TAT, mTF, and MBP all correlated significantly with each other. From days 5 to 9, only mTF correlated with cerebral infarction, infarction volume, MBP levels, and outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Both mTF and TAT reflected brain injury from SAH and predicted vasospasm, though mTF was more sensitive and a better predictor of outcome. Unlike mTF, TAT did not correlate with vasospasm during the interval when it most commonly occurs, which raised doubt about thrombin activation as a cause.     

Study of the structure and properties of TAPO-5 molecular sieve

The conditions under which some of the Ti⁴⁺ ions in TAPO-5 (a titanium containing aluminophosphate) can be reduced to Ti³⁺ whilst leaving the crystal and pore structure of the molecular sieve intact, have been studied. ESR spectroscopy was used to probe the local geometry round the Ti³⁺, and was found that this was in a distorted octahedral coordination. The heteroatom was therefore present in a separate microphase locate inside the micropores, in particles too small to be detectable by X-ray diffraction. Two titanium sites were identified. It was found that reduction of Ti⁴⁺ involved the lattice oxygens, whilst on exposure to air Ti³⁺ was oxidised via an electron-transfer mechanism which resulted in the formation of a Superoxide.On leave from the Department of Applied Chemistry and Material Technology, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1 Johoku, Hamamatsu 432, Japan     

A full-wave analysis of offset reflector antennas with polarizationgrids

A full-wave analysis is presented of offset reflector antennas with polarization grids which uses the equivalent grating approach proposed by the authors (ibid., vol.AP-35, p.367-71, Apr. 1987). Two types of antenna are compared: one has a parallel straight strip grating (grid A) and the other has a curved strip grating (grid B) whose pattern is designed so that the antenna system does not generate a cross-polarized component. The key future method is the definition of the equivalent grid. This method quantitatively evaluates the scattering, includes a physical interpretation of the phenomena and gives a physical interpretation of the phenomena and gives a suggestion for the design of the strip patterns. Cross-population suppression effects are quantitatively evaluated as functions of the strip parameters, the size and the location of the grid. It is noted that the cross-polar peaks of the patterns with grid A move with the tilt angle of the grid. The mechanism of this movement is also explained     

Quench detection method without a central voltage tap by calculating active power

In this paper, we present an electric quench detection method without a central voltage tap which may cause the short-circuit of the lead-wires from the voltage taps in the quench detection of a large AC superconducting coil. In this method, an inductive voltage detection coil is used instead of the central voltage tap. The inductive voltage detection coil is electrically insulated from a superconducting coil and therefore the lead-wires do not break down. Through the quench detection tests for a Bi-2223/Ag HTS coil, we show the feasibility of the proposed method for detecting the quench of the large AC superconducting coil.     

A piezoelectric micromotor using in-plane shearing of PZT elements

A torsional micromotor, 3/spl times/4/spl times/8.5mm, was developed using planar bulk lead zirconium titantate placed upon a small rectangular prism made from phosphor bronze, with a tapered conical horn and a machined interior. By using a new measurement technique, the torque and efficiency versus speed were measured at several combinations of applied voltage and preload. At 87.1-mN preload, up to 0.1-N/spl middot/mm torque and 425r/min in both directions were obtained by driving the system at resonance, 186.3kHz for counter-clockwise rotation, and 240.6kHz for clockwise rotation, while the overall efficiency peaked at slightly above 40%.     

Optimum design with imperfection sensitivity coefficients for limit point loads

A computational method is presented for finding a sequence of optimum designs of a discrete system which exhibits limit point behaviour. Optimality conditions are derived in terms of the theory of imperfection sensitivity coefficients for the limit point load factor. Only those designs of the structures which exhibit limit point behaviour are considered as feasible designs, and the design change is conceived as generating a kind of imperfection. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm will be appreciated particularly for large structures, because incremental nonlinear analysis to find the limit point load factor needs to be carried out only once for the structure of trivial initial optimum design. The sequence of optimum designs is described by piecewise Taylor series expansions with respect to the specified limit point load factor. It is shown in the examples that the proposed method is efficient and of good accuracy for a large space truss.     

A new method for discrimination of ground faults causes in distribution lines

Since most problems in distribution lines are ground faults, the technology to distinguish the causes in the distribution lines will be very useful in preventing faults beforehand or, at least finding any problems at an early stage. The waveforms of ground faults which were collected from data concerning problems in the distribution lines and ground fault experiment are analyzed. The technology which could predict classified groups drawn from the scale of I₀ (the waveform of ground fault current) and V₀ (the waveform of ground fault voltage), and both of them in the ground faults is studied. The results demonstrated that I₀ could be classified into three groups, that is, leaking ground faults are sine curve shaped, gap discharge ground faults are triangular, and intermittent discharge ground faults are needle shaped. Also, simulated equivalent impedance of the causes of ground faults by EMTP is calculated. Furthermore, the influence caused by the condition of the distribution lines is investigated. With these results, a technique is proposed which could predict the cause of problems in ground faults.