Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of FSH receptor in rat granulosa cells by cyclic AMP and activin

The effects of zero magnetic field on human VH-10 fibroblasts and lymphocytes were studied by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependencies (AVTD). A decrease of about 20% in the AVTD peaks was observed within 40 to 80 min of exposure of fibroblasts. This decrease was transient and disappeared 120 min after beginning of exposure. Similar kinetics for the effect of zero field was observed when cells were exposed 20 min and then kept at an ambient field. A 20% decrease of the AVTD peaks (p < 0.005 to 0.05) 40 to 70 min after 20 min exposure to zero field was reproduced in four independent experiments (out of four) with human lymphocytes from the same healthy donor. Contrary to the effects of zero field, irradiation of lymphocytes or fibroblasts with gamma-rays resulted in significant increase of the AVTD peaks immediately after irradiation. We concluded that zero field and gamma-rays caused hypercondensation and decondensation of chromatin, correspondingly. The effect of ethidium bromide served as a positive control and supported this conclusion. The effects of zero field on human lymphocytes were more significant in the beginning of G1-phase than in G0-phase. Thus, human fibroblasts and lymphocytes were shown to respond to zero magnetic field.     

Large distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm associated with azygos anterior cerebral artery: case report

A 51-year-old woman presented with a distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm (DACAA) manifesting as severe headache and monoparesis of the left lower limb. Computed tomography revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage in the interhemispheric fissure, bilateral sylvian fissures, and basal cistern, and a hematoma in the supracallosal region. Angiography showed a large aneurysm (23 x 18 mm) located on the distal end of the azygos anterior cerebral artery (azygos ACA) at the supracallosal portion. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the hematoma as a mixed intensity mass, compressing the corpus callosum downward, and the aneurysm as a flow void anterior to the hematoma. Unilateral frontoparietal parasagittal craniotomy was performed with a horse-shoe shaped incision. The aneurysm was clipped via the interhemispheric approach, and the hematoma was aspirated. Postoperative angiography showed disappearance of the aneurysm and intact azygos ACA. The patient was discharged with mild monoparesis, paresthesia of the left lower limb and diagnostic dyspraxia. DACAA almost always arises at or near the genu of the corpus callosum and is often associated with vascular anomaly. In the literature, 22 of 26 cases of large and giant DACAA were located at or near the genu, but only 3 cases, including ours, in the supracallosal area. 11 cases were associated with azygos ACA. Therefore, hemodynamic stress caused by vascular anomaly may be involved in the formation of large or giant DACAA in contrast with cases of normal DACAA.     

A resolving sign of acute subdural hematoma: from report of two cases

A 7-year-old-boy (Case 1) and a 60-year-old-man (Case 2) presented with rare spontaneous resolution of acute subdural hematoma (ASDH). They were admitted with consciousness disturbance, drowsy in Case 1 and sleepy in Case 2. Initial CT showed ASDH associated with a low density band between the hematoma and the inner wall of the skull base, combined with right parietal contusion in Case 2. Repeat CT showed that the hematoma had resolved spontaneously after a few hours, and the patients regained clear consciousness next day in Case 1 within a few days in Case 2 without surgical treatment. The mechanism of spontaneous resolution of ASDH was thought to involve pulsatile flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the tear in the arachnoid membrane, resulting in redistribution and dispersal of the hematoma, and retrograde flow into the subarachnoid space. The characteristic feature of the CT findings, the low density band between the hematoma and the inner wall of the skull bone, probably shows this process. Spontaneous resolution of ASDH requires that the brain compensatory function maintains the normal outflow of CSF, and controls the intracranial pressure by CSF buffering, blood outflow via the venous system, and brain elasticity. The low density band may be a useful finding to distinguish cases with good and bad prognosis.     

Genomic analysis of the viral population in genital secretions early after infection of simian immunodeficiency viruses in macaque monkeys

This study investigated the trends in hearing protector use in United States manufacturing industries. Using data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-sponsored National Occupational Hazard Survey (1972), the National Occupational Exposure Survey (1983), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration-sponsored National Survey of Personal Protective Equipment Usage (1989), estimates were made of numbers of workers using hearing protection in various industries. Unique to this study is discussion of the impact of enactment of hearing conservation regulations during the same time frame as the two earlier surveys. In general, higher percentages of workers utilized hearing protection in 1989 than in 1972. Increased hearing protection use over time was also found when size of facility (number of employees) was taken into account. Differences in the use of hearing protection over the period 1972-1989 varied in individual industries, ranging from less than 10 to more than 30%.     

Interactions of transthyretin (TTR) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) in the uptake of retinol by primary rat hepatocytes

The mechanism by which cells take up retinol from retinol-binding protein (RBP) and the role of the RBP-transthyretin (TTR) complex remain unclear. Here we report on retinol uptake through the RBP-TTR complex by primary cultured rat hepatocytes (parenchymal cells, PC) and nonparenchymal cells (NPC) following incubation with [3H]retinol-RBP or the [3H]retinol-RBP-TTR complex under several conditions. The cellular accumulation of retinol was time and temperature dependent in both PC and NPC. Analysis by HPLC showed that the incorporated [3H]retinol in NPC was mainly converted to retinyl ester, although in PC it remained mainly as unesterified retinol. However, the amount of retinol taken up from the RBP-TTR complex was nearly twofold greater than that from RBP alone. The uptake of [3H]retinol from protein-bound retinol was inhibited by an excess of either retinol-RBP or retinol-RBP-TTR complex. Moreover, retinol uptake through the RBP-TTR complex was inhibited by an excess of free TTR. From these results we postulate that TTR may take part as a positive regulator in the delivery of RBP-bound retinol from plasma, possibly by a membrane receptor, and that retinol uptake takes place preferentially from the RBP-TTR complex into both PC and NPC. The uptake of [3H]retinol (2 microM) by PC was saturated, whereas uptake by NPC was not. These results indicate that the physiological importance of TTR in retinol delivery may be especially important to vitamin A-storing stellate (Ito) cells in the NPC fraction.     

New necessary and sufficient conditions for local controllability and local observability of 2-D separable denominator systems

New necessary and sufficient conditions for local controllability and observability of 2-D separable denominator systems (SDS's) are presented on the basis of the reduced-dimensional decomposition of 2-D SDS's. It is proved that local controllability of a 2-D SDS is equivalent to controllability of two 1-D systems which are a special decomposition pair of the 2-D SDS. Furthermore, local observability of a 2-D SDS is equivalent to a full rank condition of the coefficient matrices of the 2-D SDS in addition to observability of two 1-D systems which are another special decomposition pair of the 2-D SDS. Thus, these new conditions which use only 1-D controllability matrices, 1-D observability matrices, and coefficient matrices of the 2-D SDS are much simpler than any previous conditions which use complex 2-D controllability and observability matrices.     

Magnetic torque of κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2 single crystals

The magnetic torque of-(BEDT-TFF)₂Cu(NCS)₂ was measured as a function of field direction with respect to thea ^*-axis under constant magnetic fields,H, up to 8 kOe in the temperature range from 1.3 to 8 K. A sharp cusp, C₁, in the irreversible region was found at _c1 near theHbc-plane between 1.3 and 7 K. In addition, extra cusps, C₂ and C₃, were observed at _c2 and _c3, respectively, between 2.5 and 6 K. At each temperature, the perpendicular component ofH giving each cusp is kept constant as i.e., cusps C₁, C₂, and C₃ are ruled by the characteristic field perpendicular to thebc-planeH _cp1,H _cp2, andH _cp3, respectively. These behaviors are almost the same as those we found in the oxide superconductor Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈. These results suggest that the cusps are intrinsic for irreversible vortex states of these layered superconductors.     

Anisotropy of Iodine Intercalated Bi2212 Single Crystals by Magnetic Torque

The magnetic torque of iodine intercalated Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊ (I-Bi2212) single crystals has been measured under magnetic fields up to 8 kOe in the temperatures from 4.2 to 100 K. The anisotropy parameter for the 1-Bi2212 determined by London model is smaller than that for the pure Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊ (Bi2212). A sharp peak C1 due to the intrinsic pinning and an extra peak C2 due to the dimensional crossover of the pancake vortex are observed in the magnetic field direction dependence of the torque. The reduced temperature at which the peak C1 appears with decreasing temperature is T/T _c=0.82, which is lower than T/T _c=0.97 for the pure Bi2212. The dimensional crossover field for the I-Bi2212 obtained from the peak C2 is larger than that for the pure Bi2212. According to these results, it is concluded that the iodine intercalation causes the enhancement of interlayer coupling.