Characteristics of IgA anti-HIV antibodies in plasma from patients with HIV infection

The concentration of total IgA and the specificity and molecular size of IgA anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type-1 antibodies in plasma obtained from individuals at different stages of HIV infection were analyzed. The concentration of total IgA in the plasma was not decreased even in the late stage of HIV infection, in contrast with those of total IgG and IgM. The IgA anti-HIV antibodies differed to the IgG anti-HIV antibodies in their specificity as determined by Western blotting. The IgA antibodies mainly bind to Env glycoproteins. The IgA anti-HIV antibodies in plasma were detected between IgG and IgM by gel filtration, suggesting the presence of polymeric IgA anti-HIV antibodies. These results indicate that the production of non-specific IgA in plasma is enhanced by unknown mechanisms in every stages of HIV infection, and suggest that IgA anti-HIV antibodies in plasma which are possibly polymeric and have unique specificity may play an important role in HIV infection.     

Identification of Eucalyptus citriodora clones micropropagated in tissue culture

The extent of genetic identity observed in the young individuals which were micropropagated from a single Eucalyptus individual was analyzed by using DNA-fingerprinting. Among 40,000 tissue-cultured-seedings of E.citriodora, 200 plants were randomly chosen so that each total DNA might be extracted from their leaves. Using these DNAs as template, PCR was performed with some primers we found in advance that leads polymorphism for DNA of E. citriodora. In this study, all over the 200 cases, the band pattern formed cDNA fragment on a gel after electrophoresis was the identical one mutually.     

The Ig heavy chain gene is frequently involved in chromosomal translocations in multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia as detected by in situ hybridization

Chromosome rearrangement of 14q32.33 has recurrently occurred with variable partner sites, including 11q13.3, 8q24.1, 18q21.3, and 6p21.1 in multiple myeloma (MM). To assess the actual incidence of 14q32.33 translocation and to elucidate its implication in the pathogenesis of MM, we studied 42 patients with MM, plasma cell leukemia, or plasmacytoma and 5 with monoclonal gammopathy with undetermined significance (MGUS) by G-banding and molecular cytogenetic methods. Using double-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (DCFISH) with 2 Ig heavy chain (IgH) gene probes, a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clone containing variable region, and a phage clone containing gamma constant region, 14q32.33 translocation was detected as split signals of the IgH gene in 31 patients with plasma cell malignancies and 3 with MGUS. In contrast, of 40 patients who were assessed by G-banding, 3 (7.5%) showed the 14q+ chromosome. DCFISH detected a split of the IgH gene on interphase nuclei in 34 (73.9%) of 46 patients analyzed, whereas on metaphase spreads, it was in 22 (51.2%) of 43 patients analyzed. Interphase DCFISH was particularly useful to detect 14q32.33 translocation in 17 (65.4%) of 26 patients with normal karyotypes. Donor sites were identified in 11 of 22 patients demonstrated as carrying 14q32.33 translocation by metaphase FISH. Chromosome t(11;14)(q13.3; q32.33) was detected in 5 patients, t(8;14)(q24.1;q32.33) in 2, t(14;18)(q32.33;q21.3) in 2, and t(7;14)(q32.1;q32.33) in 1. A complex 14q32.33 translocation involving 3q and 16q24 was detected in 1 patient. Myeloma cells with t(7;14) showed myelomonocytoid surface antigen. Because rearrangements of 14q32.33 were closely associated with translocation of proto-oncogenes into the IgH gene, our findings indicate that 14q32.33 translocation with various partner chromosomes is a critical event in the pathogenesis of MM and MGUS.     

High performance 35 nm gate length CMOS with NO oxynitride gate dielectric and Ni salicide

The 35 nm gate length CMOS devices with oxynitride gate dielectric and Ni salicide have been fabricated to study the feasibility of higher performance operation. Nitrogen concentration in gate oxynitride was optimized to reduce gate current I/sub g/ and to prevent boron penetration in the pFET. The thermal budget in the middle of the line (MOL) process was reduced enough to realize shallower junction depth in the S/D extension regions and to suppress gate poly-Si depletion. Finally, the current drives of 676 /spl mu/A//spl mu/m in nFET and 272 /spl mu/A//spl mu/m in pFET at V/sub dd/=0.85 V (at I/sub off/=100 nA//spl mu/m) were achieved and they are the best values for 35 nm gate length CMOS reported to date.     

Thrombolytic therapy

Thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome is not so widely used compared to coronary intervention, such as PTCA or stenting in Japan. This is probably because of the facts that the narrowing of the coronary artery is not completely restored after the thrombolytic therapy and that the coronary intervention is frequently necessary inspite of the administration of the thrombolytic agent. However, the thrombolytic therapy can be easily done in the peracute stage of myocardial infarction, and improvement of the prognosis of the affected patient may be possible. In this paper, the concepts as well as the effect of thrombolytic therapy and the characteristics of newly developed thrombolytic drugs are discussed.     

Multivariate analysis of the associations between laboratory data and clinical features among patients with infectious mononucleosis syndrome

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) syndrome is typically caused by EBV, but also by drugs and other organisms such as CMV and HBV. It demonstrates a wide range of clinical and laboratory characteristics, presumably depending on the age of onset. However, associations of laboratory abnormalities with the clinical features have not been well documented. We evaluated here, the associations among patients with IM syndrome using of multiple regression (MR) and multiple logistic regression (MLR) analyses. We examined 90 (40 males, 50 females) patients, who were admitted to our hospital with IM syndrome. The diagnostic criteria were fever and presence of atypical lymphocytes (> 5% of the WBC or the count including monocytes > 5000/microliter), and at least 3 of 7 clinical features: tonsillitis, lymphadenopathy, skin rash, hepato-, spleno-megaly, hepatic dysfunction. The diagnosis of EBV was serologically confirmed in 41 cases. MR revealed that the higher age group tended to have lower platelet counts, and that lower platelet counts were associated with higher ALT levels. In addition, MLR revealed that patients with skin rash tended not to have splenomegaly. The frequency of splenomegaly was not related to age, contrary to the findings of previous reports. These findings are useful to differentiate IM syndrome based on laboratory data.     

Some characteristics of a cellular receptor for virulent infectious bursal disease virus by using flow cytometry

A flow cytometric virus binding assay that directly visualizes the binding of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) to its target cells was established. The chicken B lymphoblastoid cell line, LSCC-BK3, which is permissive for IBDV infection, bound high levels of the virus. Another B lymphoblastoid cell line, LSCC-1104-B1, bound low levels of the virus, although it was nonpermissive. No virus binding was detected in nonpermissive T lymphoblastoid cell lines. In the binding assay to heterogeneous cell populations of chicken lymphocytes, IBDV (a highly virulent OKYM strain) bound to 94% cells in the lymphocytes prepared from the bursa of Fabricius, 37% cells in those prepared from the spleen, 3% cells in those prepared from the thymus, and 21% cells in those prepared from the blood. Most of the cells, which bound the virus, were surface immunoglobulin M (SIgM)-positive, but a small number of them were SIgM-negative. Additionally, the binding of IBDV to the LSCC-BK3 cells was affected by treatment of the cells with proteases and N-glycosylation inhibitors. These findings may indicate that the IBDV host range is mainly controlled by the presence of a virus receptor composed of N-glycosylated protein associated with the subtle differentiation stage of B-lymphocytes represented mostly by SIgM-bearing cells.     

Spatial Organization of the Brazilian States with Respect to Human Migration

"Multidimensional scaling technique was applied to the Brazilian migration matrix in order to identify the functional regions of the nation, using the 1970 census data for males. The results obtained from three types of proximity matrices confirmed the key roles of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso as the core states in addition to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Substantial circulation of migrants among the core states runs counter to the popular notion about the Northeastern states as the major source of labor in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The Northeast [was] found to consist of three groups of states: Maranhao, Piaui and Ceara showed a stable clustering, but peripherally located, in all configurations; and, the other two groups failed to form persistent regions across configurations. Though limited in scope, the observed attraction of Espirito Santo and Goias violated the widely held negative effect of distance and deserves further investigation."     

CO2气体保护的激光焊接12mm厚低碳钢板

采用CO2 作为保护气体消除大熔深激光焊接低碳钢时易发生的气孔问题 ,并对比研究了CO2 和Ar气保护条件下 12mm厚低碳钢板激光焊缝的组织和韧性。焊接试验利用 4kWNd :YAG激光器 ,采用双面深熔焊的方法 ,焊接条件为 4kW激光功率和0 .3 ,0 .5m/min的焊接速度。冲击试验采用一种自行设计的带侧面缺口的三缺口冲击试样 ,以保证断裂全部发生在焊缝。结果表明 ,利用CO2 作保护气体焊接低碳钢板 ,可以有效消除大熔深激光焊接时的气孔问题 ,并获得比Ar气保护下硬度较低 ,冲击韧性高的焊缝。研究工作为解决大功率激光深熔焊时容易发生的气孔问题提供了一条有效途径