X-ray CCD calibration system using fluorescent lines

We have developed a CCD calibration system using fluorescent X-ray lines with energies ranging from 1.49 keV (Al K) to 11.2 keV (Se K). The absolute X-ray flux is calibrated by a gas proportional counter, while the emerging spectra are monitored by solid-state silicon detectors. In order to suppress contaminating X-rays in the fluorescence spectra, mechanical collimators were set in the X-ray beam line, high-purity targets for fluorescent lines were used, and band-pass filters were put on the X-ray beam line. As for the purity of the fluorescent X-rays, the typical purity achieved was 98%.     

Increased Synovial CD14 mRNA Expression and Proportion of CD14high Subsets in Early-Stage Hip Osteoarthritis: Propensity Matched Score Analysis

The pathophysiology of early-stage hip osteoarthritis (EOA) is not fully understood. Although a previous study in an age-unmatched cohort reported that the number of macrophages was increased in knee EOA compared to late OA (LOA), it remained unclear whether increased macrophages in EOA accurately reflect EOA pathology. We investigated the differences in CD14 expression levels between EOA and LOA using age-unmatched and -matched cohorts. Synovial tissues were obtained from 34 EOA (Tönnis grades 0 and 1) and 80 LOA (Tönnis grades 2 and 3) patients. To correct for differences in demographics between patients with LOA and EOA, we also created propensity score-matched cohorts (16 EOA and 16 LOA). CD14 expression and its association with pain was estimated in LOA and EOA before and after propensity matching. We performed flow cytometry on tissues from the 16 patients, with 8 from each group, to assess for CD14+ subsets in the cells. The CD14 expression in EOA was higher than that in LOA both before and after propensity matching. The proportion of CD14^high subsets in EOA was higher than that in LOA. The CD14 expression was associated with pain in EOA before matching. However, no difference was observed between the pain and CD14 expression after matching in EOA. The increased CD14 expression and the proportion of CD14^high subsets may be important features associated with hip EOA pathology. To accurately compare early and late OA, the analysis of a propensity score-matched cohort is necessary.     

Modulation of visual attention assessed using the Stroop task during the menstrual cycle: Comparison between the menstrual and ovulation phases

Women might have changes in perception and cognition of colours according to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. Colours are often associated with specific emotional facial expressions, but how these two factors interact with each other and differ according to the cycle has remained unclear. We investigated attentional interference between colours and emotional facial expressions for women in the menstrual compared to the ovulation phases by colour judgment based on the Stroop tasks. Participants identified the colours (either red, yellow, or blue) of three types of face stimuli (happy, neutral, or sad) and corresponding scrambled face stimuli by pressing buttons, and we recorded participants' reaction times. The results showed better performance in the menstrual phase than in the ovulation phase. An interference effect was not observed. However, in the scrambled face stimuli task, only the reaction time for happy scrambled face shape and red did not differ between the phases. Thus, participants might pay stronger attention to faces with colours in the menstrual phase than in the ovulation phase but weaker attention to scrambled face shapes in the menstrual phase.     

Frequency chirping of external modulation and its reduction

A general formula is given for frequency chirping of external intensity loss modulation which is caused by phase modulation due to an accompanied refractive index change. It can be reduced by optimising the optical modulation waveform, and a related ultimate bandwidth of such small chirping single-mode fibre transmission will be presented.     

Studies on chitin

Summary Chitin was aminoalkylated with N,N-diethylaminoethyl chloride in organic solvents or aqueous solutions in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The substitution reactions in organic solvents occurred under heterogeneous conditions on dispersions of powdery chitin while those using alkali chitin solutions proceeded in solution. The latter reactions were more efficient and reproducible than the former ones due to the homogeneous reaction conditions. The resulting diethyl-aminoethyl-chitins showed much improved solubility in contrast to the insolubility of chitin. The derivatives prepared in aqueous solutions showed especially remarkable solubility; those with substitution degrees over 0.5 were readily soluble in water and highly swelled even in various common organic solvents.     

Leptin normalizes the impaired response of proinsulin mRNA to long chain fatty acids in heterozygous Zucker diabetic fatty rats

To determine if underleptinization of islets of Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats is the proximal cause of their inability to compensate for obesity, we compared the proinsulin/beta-actin mRNA ratio in heterozygous (fa/+) ZDF rats with that of wild-type (+/+) and homozygous (fa/fa) ZDF rats. In +/+ islets cultured with 2 mM free fatty acids (FFA) the proinsulin mRNA ratio rose 2.4-fold at 12 h. In fa/+ islets, the ratio rose only 65% above normal. There was no change in fa/fa islets. The presence of leptin (20 ng/ml) in the culture medium increased the FFA-induced response of proinsulin mRNA of fa/+ islets to that of +/+ islets while reducing FFA incorporation into triglycerides. The leptin-induced improvement in the proinsulin mRNA response was independent of any changes in glucose usage. These findings support a causal relationship between diminished leptin action on islets and the impaired beta-cell response to FFA in ZDF rats.     

Relationship between human in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection and the zona-free hamster egg penetration test

The zona-free hamster egg penetration test (HEPT) is widely used for evaluating the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa. However, the relationship between the HEPT and microassisted fertilization has yet to be determined. To evaluate the efficiency of HEPT in selecting the most appropriate method of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in couples with male factor infertility, clinical laboratory data was analysed retrospectively. The patients were divided into groups according to the sperm penetration index as determined by the HEPT: group A (sperm penetration index = 0), group B (sperm penetration index < 15) and group C (sperm penetration index > or = 15). A total of 405 oocytes were collected and inseminated by conventional methods in 69 couples with male factor infertility. In all, 31 out of 148 (20.9%) oocytes fertilized in group A; 35 out of 117 (29.9%) in group B; and 73 of 140 (52.1%) in group C. The clinical pregnancy rates per transfer in groups A, B and C were 0% (0/13), 0% (0/14) and 25.9% (7/27) respectively. Both the fertilization rate and pregnancy rate in group C was significantly higher than in groups A and B. ICSI was carried out in a total of 57 couples and 334 oocytes in metaphase II stage were manipulated. The normal fertilization (2 pronuclear) rate per oocyte was 65.6 +/- 26.0% (mean +/- SD). Out of 127 oocytes, 76 (59.8%) fertilized in group A, 57 out of 87 oocytes (65.5%) in group B and 86 out of 120 oocytes (71.7%) in group C. Of the 56 transfers, 17 clinical pregnancies were obtained, giving an average pregnancy rate of 30.4% per transfer. The clinical pregnancy rates per transfer in groups A, B and C were 17.4% (4/23), 40.0% (4/10) and 39.1% (9/23) respectively. No significant differences were observed in the fertilization rates or in the pregnancy rates between the three groups. In addition, there were no differences in the fertilization and pregnancy rates between the ICSI and IVF patients in group C. These findings suggest that the results of the HEPT are well correlated with the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa in the patients treated by conventional IVF. Couples suffering from male factor infertility with a sperm penetration index of < 15 (as determined by HEPT) should consider treatment with ICSI, while those with a sperm penetration index of > or = 15 should attempt conventional IVF.     

Combination chemotherapy using intravenous nedaplatin (254-S) and intraarterial cisplatin (CDDP) with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for a patient with uterine cervical cancer: a case report

1. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are important in the control of body fluid homeostasis, blood pressure (BP) regulation and vascular remodelling. The genes for these peptides may, therefore, be involved in the pathogenesis of genetic hypertension. We have previously described a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for BP in the ANP gene region on rat chromosome 5. We have now assessed the possibility that this QTL lies at the closely linked BNP locus. 2. Intra-arterial BP and heart weight were measured in 12-week-old (n = 207) and 24-week-old (n = 88) F2 rats derived from crosses between Wistar-Kyoto normotensive rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats. We designed polymerase chain reaction primers to amplify a microsatellite in the BNP gene from genomic DNA. Analysis of variance was used for cosegregation analysis. Linkage mapping and localization of QTL was performed using the Mapmaker computer package. 3. A significant correlation was found between genotype for the BNP gene and systolic BP (P < 0.001) in 12-week-old rats. The ANP gene, but not the BNP gene, was associated with systolic BP in 24 week rats. There was no segregation of heart weight with BNP genotype at 12 or 24 weeks of age. The BNP gene mapped approximately 20 cM from the ANP gene in our rat hybrids, away from the previously described QTL. There was evidence for a second BP locus near to but distinct from the BNP gene. 4. These results suggest that BP QTL are present in the natriuretic peptide gene region but that the ANP and BNP genes themselves have no major effect on BP in this cross.     

Axin, a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway, forms a complex with GSK-3beta and beta-catenin and promotes GSK-3beta-dependent phosphorylation of beta-catenin

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) mediates epidermal growth factor, insulin and Wnt signals to various downstream events such as glycogen metabolism, gene expression, proliferation and differentiation. We have isolated here a GSK-3beta-interacting protein from a rat brain cDNA library using a yeast two-hybrid method. This protein consists of 832 amino acids and possesses Regulators of G protein Signaling (RGS) and dishevelled (Dsh) homologous domains in its N- and C-terminal regions, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequence of this GSK-3beta-interacting protein shows 94% identity with mouse Axin, which recently has been identified as a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway; therefore, we termed this protein rAxin (rat Axin). rAxin interacted directly with, and was phosphorylated by, GSK-3beta. rAxin also interacted directly with the armadillo repeats of beta-catenin. The binding site of rAxin for GSK-3beta was distinct from the beta-catenin-binding site, and these three proteins formed a ternary complex. Furthermore, rAxin promoted GSK-3beta-dependent phosphorylation of beta-catenin. These results suggest that rAxin negatively regulates the Wnt signaling pathway by interacting with GSK-3beta and beta-catenin and mediating the signal from GSK-3beta to beta-catenin.