Occurrence of severe vasospasm following intraventricular hemorrhage from an arteriovenous malformation. Report of two cases

The authors present two rare cases of severe cerebral vasospasm following the rupture of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Computerized tomography revealed intracerebral hemorrhage in the thalamus in one case and in the putamen in the other, both accompanied by cast formation of intraventricular clots without radiological evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Initial angiograms showed arterial narrowing of the bilateral internal carotid arteries in the supraclinoid portion but failed to demonstrate an arteriovenous shunt. Subsequent angiograms clearly demonstrated the existence of an AVM. Radiological features and possible mechanisms are discussed.     

Physical fitness and psychological benefits of strength training in community dwelling older adults

Previous studies concerning psychological benefits of exercise among the elderly has focused predominantly on the effects of aerobic exercise. In the present study, psychological and behavioral adaptations in response to 12-weeks of strength training were examined in medically healthy but sedentary 42 older adults (mean age = 68 years). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of high and low intensity resistance training intensity on a) muscular fitness, b) psychological affect, and c) neurocognitive functioning. Subjects were randomly assigned to high intensity/low volume (EXH: 2 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions for 75 to 85% of 1 RM), low intensity/high volume (EXL: 2 sets of 14 to 16 repetitions for 55 to 65% of 1 RM), or no exercise control programs. Prior to and following the 12-week program, subjects underwent comprehensive physiological and psychological evaluations. Physiological assessment included measurements of blood pressure, heart rate, arm and leg muscle strength, body composition, and oxygen consumption (VO2max). Psychological measures included evaluations of mood, anxiety, and physical self-efficacy as well as cognitive functioning. The results of this study indicated that both high and low intensity strength programs were associated with marked improvements in physiological fitness and psychological functioning. Specifically, subjects in the strength training programs increased overall muscle strength by 38.6% and reduced percent body fat by 3.0%. Favorable psychological changes in the strength-trained subjects included improvements in positive and negative mood, trait anxiety, and perceived confidence for physical capability. The treatment effects of neurocognitive functioning were not significant. In summary, this study demonstrated that participation in 12-weeks of high or low intensity strength training can improve overall physical fitness, mood, and physical self-efficacy in older adults while cognitive functioning remains constant.     

Diversity of calcium signaling by metabotropic glutamate receptors

During prolonged application of glutamate (20 min), patterns of increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were studied in HEK-293 cells expressing metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR1alpha or mGluR5a. Stimulation of mGluR1alpha induced an increase in [Ca2+]i that consisted of an initial transient peak with a subsequent steady plateau or an oscillatory increase in [Ca2+]i. The transient phase was largely attributed to Ca2+ mobilization from the intracellular Ca2+ stores, but the sustained phase was solely due to Ca2+ influx through the mGluR1alpha receptor-operated Ca2+ channel. Prolonged stimulation of mGluR5a continuously induced [Ca2+]i oscillations through mobilization of Ca2+ from the intracellular Ca2+ stores. Studies on mutant receptors of mGluR1alpha and mGluR5a revealed that the coupling mechanism in the sustained phase of Ca2+ response is determined by oscillatory/non-oscillatory patterns of the initial Ca2+ response but not by the receptor identity. In mGluR1alpha-expressing cells, activation of protein kinase C selectively desensitized the pathway for intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, but the mGluR1alpha-operated Ca2+ channel remained active. In mGluR5a-expressing cells, phosphorylation of mGluR5a by protein kinase C, which accounts for the mechanism of mGluR5a-controlled [Ca2+]i oscillations, might prevent desensitization and result in constant oscillatory mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ stores. Our results provide a novel concept in which oscillatory/non-oscillatory mobilizations of Ca2+ induce different coupling mechanisms during prolonged stimulation of mGluRs.     

Synthesis and polymerization of novel methacrylate having glycerophosphorylcholine

A novel vinyl monomer, 1-(2-methacryloyloxyethyl) carbamoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (MCGPC), was synthesized from sn-3-glycero-phosphorylcholine (GPC) and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate (MOI) in the presence of di-n-butyltin dilaurate (BTL) as a catalyst, and its critical micelle concentration (CMC) was determined to be 2.7 × 10⁻³ mol/l. MCGPC was copolymerized with n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) in the presence of a radical initiator in ethanol for 24 hr and 48 hr at 60 C. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was adsorbed onto membranes prepared from copolymers of MCGPC with BMA to estimate the blood compatibility of those copolymers. The BSA adsorption was reduced with an increase of the composition of MCGPC in copolymers.     

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor-induced extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase activation is mediated by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor

The signaling cascade elicited by angiotensin II (Ang II) resembles that characteristic of growth factor stimulation, and recent evidence suggests that G protein-coupled receptors transactivate growth factor receptors to transmit mitogenic effects. In the present study, we report the involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in Ang II-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, c-fos gene expression, and DNA synthesis in cardiac fibroblasts. Ang II induced a rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of EGF-R in association with phosphorylation of Shc protein and ERK activation. Specific inhibition of EGF-R function by either a dominant-negative EGF-R mutant or selective tyrphostin AG1478 completely abolished Ang II-induced ERK activation. Induction of c-fos gene expression and DNA synthesis were also abolished by the inhibition of EGF-R function. Calmodulin or tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but not protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors or downregulation of PKC, completely abolished transactivation of EGF-R by Ang II or the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) activity in concentrated supernatant from Ang II-treated cells was not detected, and saturation of culture media with anti-EGF antibody did not affect the Ang II-induced transactivation of EGF-R. Conditioned media in which cells were incubated with Ang II could not induce phosphorylation of EGF-R on recipient cells. Platelet-derived growth factor-beta receptor was not phosphorylated on Ang II stimulation, and Ang II-induced c-jun gene expression was not affected by tyrphostin AG1478. Our results demonstrated that in cardiac fibroblasts Ang II-induced ERK activation and its mitogenic signals are dominantly mediated by EGF-R transactivated in a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent manner and suggested that the effects of Ang II on cardiac fibroblasts should be interpreted in association with the signaling pathways regulating cellular proliferation and/or differentiation by growth factors.     

Antitumor activity of tumor necrosis factor alpha conjugated with divinyl ether and maleic anhydride copolymer on solid tumors in mice

Biogenic amines, including acetylcholine, act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the brain of mammals. Accumulated evidences suggest the relevance of these amines to the regulatory system of sleep-wakefulness cycle. Recent development of an in vivo, microdialysis technique has revealed the existence of circadian variation in the release of these amines from various brain regions related to the regulation of sleep-wakefulness. This review focuses on the characteristics of the release of these amines determined by the microdialysis method in rats and cats during sleep-wakefulness cycle, and speculates their roles in the mechanism underlying the control of sleep and arousal state.     

Propagation characteristics of the magnetostatic surface wave inthe YBCO-YIG film-layered structure

Propagation characteristics of the magnetostatic surface wave (MSSW) in a YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x (YBCO)-yttrium iron garnet (YIG) multilayered structure are investigated. Effects of the superconductor on the MSSW are discussed with regard to the dispersion characteristics of both the phase and attenuation constants as a function of the air gap, between YIG and YBCO, taking into consideration the magnetic line-width of the YIG film. It was found that the nonreciprocity of MSSW is enhanced significantly by the superconductivity and depends on the magnetic line-width of the YIG film. To examine the effect of a YBCO on the MSSW propagation, experiments are carried out using a commercially available YIG film. Magnetic losses at low temperature are briefly discussed with experimentally observed nonreciprocity     

A Modified Procedure to Evaluate Earthquake-Induced Displacement of Slopes Containing a Weak Layer

A procedure based on the Janbu method for slope stability analysis and Newmark's sliding block method for displacement calculation is proposed to evaluate rationally the earthquake-induced displacement of slopes containing a weak layer. In the procedure, the effects of the irregular geometry of the sliding plane and generation of excess pore water pressure in the weak layer which forms partly the sliding plane are considered. In the computation following the proposed procedure, a negative yield seismic coefficient to induce a safety factor of unity can be obtained because of the effect of excess pore water pressure, while the residual displacement can become a finite value because the sliding plane becomes flatter in general after the slope undergoes a large displacement.     

Flow behaviors in the downer of a large-scale triple-bed combined circulating fluidized bed system with high solids mass fluxes

The flow behaviors in the downer of a large-scale triple-bed circulating fluidized bed (TBCFB) gasifier cold model, which is composed of a downer (Φ 0.1 m×6.5 m), a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB, 0.75×0.27×3.4 m³), a riser (Φ 0.1 m×16.6 m) and a gas-sealing bed (GSB, Φ 0.158 m×5 m), were investigated. Sand particles with a density of 2600 kg/m³ and an average particle size of 128 μm were used as bed materials. Solids mass fluxes were in the range 113–524 kg/m² s. Average solids holdup in the developed region of the downer increased with increasing solids mass flux. The gas seal between the riser and the downer had a large effect on the solids holdup distribution in the downer. Compared with the solids holdup in the riser, a relatively low solids holdup was formed in the downer even at high solids loadings. A pressure balance model was set up to predict the solids mass flux for this TBCFB system. It was found that the static bed height in the GSB had a great effect on the solids mass flux. The possibilities of achieving a high density solids holdup in a downer were discussed.     

Antiferromagnetic transition in ternary rare-earth metal silicide Er5Ir4Si10 single crystal

In the present paper the electric field dependence of the permittivity of (Ba, Sr)TiO₃ ceramics is reported. Single phase Ba_1−xSr_xTiO₃ (x = 0.20 and 0.30) ceramics were obtained by powders synthesized by a modified Pechini method. The dc-tunability at room temperature is higher for the ceramic with lower strontium content as this composition is ferroelectric at room temperature, whereas the composition corresponding to the higher strontium content is paraelectric. The data are well described by the Johnson's approximation for the ferroelectric state and by an additional “extrinsic” contribution due to the polar clusters in the case of the paraelectric state (Ba, Sr)TiO₃ ceramic.