Synthesis and Spectral Characterization of Difunctional Fullerenes

The oxidation of C₆₀ with m-chloroperbenzoic acid gave C₆₀O₂ with a high positional selectivity, as the ¹³C NMR analysis suggested. Diadducts C₆₀CCI₂O, C₆₀CCl₂(anthracene), C₆₀CCl₂[(CH₂CH₂)₂N₂], and C₆₀CCI₂[Pt-(PPh₃)₂] were synthesized, isolated, and characterized by negative ion FAB mass spectroscopy.     

Present Status of EUV Interferometer Development at the Research Center for Soft X-ray Microscopy

A new interferometer for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation with a laser produced plasma (LPP) laboratory source is under construction. The LPP source is operated with a Sn solid rod target on which pulsed YAG laser is focused to produce high temperature plasma emitting EUV radiation. The source is equipped with a newly designed debris stopper protecting a condenser multilayer mirror from the particle debris of the target. The condenser mirror focuses the light onto an EUV beam - splitter to form transmitted and reflected paths for producing interference fringes of a sharing type. The optical configuration is of a common path based on a triangular path type with a focusing at the beam- splitter, which is enabled to produce fringes by a low coherence radiation with a standard optical quality beam - splitter. The fringes are recorded by an imaging plate with pixels as small as 25μm. The dynamic range of linearity in detection of the EUV light was found to be more than 10^4 with sensitivity of 10^4 photo ns/pixel, enough for the purpose of interferogram recording possibly with one laser shot.     

Role of 99mTc-labeled RBC SPECT in the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma--comparison with US, CT and angiography

The roles of planar imaging and SPECT with 99mTc-labeled RBC, US, Dynamic CT and angiography in the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma were evaluated. The study group consisted of 18 patients with a total of 40 hemangiomas and 13 patients with a total of 21 non-hemangiomas. Among these patients, 5 patients with a total of 8 hemangiomas and 10 patients with a total of 14 non-hemangiomas were diagnosed by operation and biopsy. In all 40 hemangiomas, sensitivity for planar imaging was 35%, SPECT 50%, US 53%, Dynamic CT 82% and angiography 81%, respectively. When the tumor size was greater than 2.2 cm by SPECT and 2.8 cm by planar imaging, their sensitivity for both methods was 100%. Specificity for planar imaging was 100%, SPECT 95%, US 81%, Dynamic CT 100% and angiography 83%, respectively. One patient with hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed by angiography showed increased uptake on SPECT. Because of the highest accuracy for SPECT in hemangioma greater than 2.0 cm, SPECT should be considered to be the method of choice for noninvasive diagnosis of hemangioma.     

Synthesis and Mass Spectral Analysis of C60 - Dihalocarbene Adducts

The monoadducts of C₆₀ with dibromo-, bromochloro-, and diiodocarbenes were synthesized and characterized. The mass spectra (MS) of CgrjCXY (X, Y= CI, CI; Br, Br; and Br, CI) were measured by the FAB, ESI, MALDI, and LD methods. The LDMS revealed that oligomerization reaction occurred to exhibit signals ascribable to C_2n (2n = 122 -132 and 184 -196).     

Disease proteomics of endocrine disorders revealed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

Endocrine disorders such as dwarfism and diabetes show abnormalities in many different organs even if a certain hormone is the primary cause of the disease. One of the aims of proteomics is to elucidate an abnormal hormone network underlying dysfunction in the disease through quantitative and qualitative proteome analyses of various organs. In a comprehensive study of the rdw rat with hereditary dwarfism, we found the accumulation of ER proteins in the rdw thyroid. Contrary to the initial notion that the dwarfism of the rat was caused by genetic mutations related to pituitary hormones, the primary cause is a missense mutation in the thyroglobulin gene. To understand at the protein level cellular damage caused by oxidative stress, we developed a proteomic method and applied to detecting protein carbonyls in various organs of a diabetes model OLETF rat. The method would provide a means toward clarifying a comprehensive view of oxidative modifications of proteins in diabetes. We review 2-DE-based disease proteomics of endocrine disorders in general, with particular attention paid to our proteome projects by a 2-DE method with an agarose IEF gel in the first dimension (agarose 2-DE) and LC-MS/MS.     

Autoradiographic analysis of [14C]deoxy-D-glucose in thyroid cancer xenografts: a comparative study with pathologic correlation

Plants have evolved the ability to regulate flowering in response to environmental signals such as temperature and photoperiod. The physiology and genetics of floral induction have been studied extensively, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie this process are poorly understood. To study this process, we isolated a gene, LUMINIDEPENDENS (LD), that is involved in the timing of flowering in Arabidopsis. Mutations in this gene render Arabidopsis late flowering and appear to affect light perception. The late-flowering phenotype of the ld mutation was partially suppressed by vernalization. Genomic and cDNA clones of the LD gene were characterized. The predicted amino acid sequence of the LD protein contains 953 residues and includes two putative bipartite nuclear localization signals and a glutamine-rich region.     

Predicting chemotherapeutic response to small-cell lung cancer of platinum compounds by thallium-201 single-photon emission computerized tomography

Thallium-201 single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) was used to clarify the relationship between 201Tl uptake and the response in chemotherapy to platinum compounds in 21 patients with small-cell lung cancer. 201Tl-SPECT scans were obtained twice: at 15 min (early scan) and 120 min (delayed scan) after an intravenous injection of 111 MBq (3 mCi) of thallium-201 chloride. We obtained the uptake ratio from each scan and calculated the retention index:uptake ratio = region of interest uptake/contralateral normal lung uptake; retention index = (delayed ratio - early ratio)/early ratio. After 201Tl scintigraphy, 12 patients received chemotherapy consisting of platinum compounds and nine were treated with chemoradiation. Among patients receiving only chemotherapy, the retention index correlated with the responses to chemotherapy. In an in vitro study, ouabain, an inhibitor of the Na,K-ATPase pump, reduced sensitivity to cisplatin and inhibited intracellular thallium uptake in the small-cell lung cancer cell line. These studies suggest that 201Tl-SPECT is a useful indicator of response to chemotherapy with platinum compounds in small-cell lung cancer, and that Na,K-ATPase is commonly involved in transporting both thallium and platinum compounds into cancer cells.