Chalcone Tetramers, Lophirachalcone and Alatachalcone, fromLophira alataas Possible Anti-tumor Promoters

Two chalcone tetramers were isolated as inhibitors of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-activation induced by a tumor promoter, teleocidin B-4, from a medicinal plant in tropical west Africa, Lophira alata (Ochnaceae). One of them was identified as lophirachalcone. The other, named alatachalcone, was new, and the structure was determined by spectral properties. Both compounds also showed potent inhibitory activities against teleocidin B-4-induced inflammation on mouse ear. In an initiation-promotion experiment on mouse skin, alatachalcone (16 nmol) significantly inhibited tumor promotion caused by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 1.6 nmol).

Magnetic phase diagram of clathrate compound Ce3Pd20Si6 with quadrupolar ordering

We present results of specific heat measurements on a Ce3Pd20Si6 single crystal and construct the magnetic phase diagram for the three cubic principal directions [100], [110] and [111]. The highly anisotropic phase diagram is discussed and can be qualitatively explained by the Zeeman splitting at the 8c-site. For B ‖ [100], the present study found two different quadrupolar ordered phases, which meet the paramagnetic phase at a tri-critical point and establish the new phase boundaries.

Study on biological monitoring of fenpropathrin exposure in application by utilizing urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid level

To estimate pesticide exposure faced by applicators, an investigation of exposure-absorption was conducted on two applicators under routine working conditions and using regular procedures during pesticide spraying of greenhouse strawberries with fenpropathrin. The authors hypothesized that 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) is a urinary excreted metabolite of fenpropathrin, a synthetic pyrethroid pesticide with 3-phenoxybenzyl moiety, and its determination would help to improve the assessment of fenpropathrin exposure-absorption in applicators. The extent of exposure-absorption was evaluated by the determination of urinary level of 3-PBA (biological monitoring), the amount of the chemical adhered to clothes and permeated to the skin surface, and its concentration in the air of the greenhouse. The results showed that the fenpropathrin concentration in the air was less than 0.1 μg/m(3). The amount of adhesion was less than 0.001 to 10.25 μg/cm(2), and there was very little permeation. However, the urinary 3-PBA concentration by biological monitoring appeared to be approximately twice that of pre-exposure levels in both applicators. This finding demonstrates that the applicators were exposed to fenpropathrin and absorbed it during spraying. We conclude that the fenpropathrin exposure-absorption in application could be estimated by the determination of urinary 3-PBA. This method of biological monitoring may be more useful indicator to accurately evaluate the working conditions in application.

Identification of Hic-5 as a novel regulatory factor for integrin αIIbβ3 activation and platelet aggregation in mice

BACKGROUND

Integrin αIIbβ3 plays key roles in platelet aggregation and subsequent thrombus formation. Hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone-5 (Hic-5), a member of the paxillin family, serves as a focal adhesion adaptor protein associated with αIIbβ3 at its cytoplasmic strand.

OBJECTIVES

Hic-5 function in αIIbβ3 activation and subsequent platelet aggregation remains unknown. To address this question, platelets from Hic-5(-/-) mice were analyzed.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Hic-5(-/-) mice displayed a significant hemostatic defect and resistance to thromboembolism, which were explained in part by weaker thrombin-induced aggregation in Hic-5(-/-) platelets. Mechanistically, Hic-5(-/-) platelets showed limited activation of αIIbβ3 upon thrombin treatment. Morphological alteration in Hic-5(-/-) platelets after thrombin stimulation on fibrinogen plates was also limited. As a direct consequence, the quantity of actin co-immunoprecipitating with the activated αIIbβ3 was smaller in Hic-5(-/-) platelets than in wild-type platelets.

CONCLUSION

We identified Hic-5 as a novel and specific regulatory factor for thrombin-induced αIIbβ3 activation and subsequent platelet aggregation in mice.

Preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines suppresses nasal symptoms and expression of histamine H₁ receptor mRNA in the nasal mucosa of patients with pollinosis

Administration of antihistamines 2-4 weeks before the pollen season showed a greater inhibitory effect on nasal allergy symptoms in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. However, the mechanism of slow-onset effects of preseasonal treatment with antihistamines remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines on nasal symptoms and the expression of histamine H₁ receptor (H1R) mRNA of the nasal mucosa in patients with cedar pollen pollinosis. During the peak pollen period, the expression of H1R mRNA in the nasal mucosa and the scores of sneezing and watery rhinorrhea in patients receiving preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines were significantly suppressed in comparison with those in the patients without treatment. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the nasal symptoms and the expression of H1R mRNA in both patients with or without preseasonal prophylactic treatment. These findings suggest that preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines is more effective than on-seasonal administration to patients with pollinosis in reducing nasal symptoms during the peak pollen period by suppressing H1R gene expression in the nasal mucosa.

Interferon-gamma release assay for diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Our aim was to analyze the performance of an interferon-gamma release assay, QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-2G), for diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We performed the QFT-2G and tuberculin skin test (TST) in 71 SLE patients. The QFT-2G results of 279 patients with other connective tissue diseases (CTD) and 35 healthy controls were analyzed. Of the 71 SLE patients, two (2.8%) were positive and 46 (64.8%) were negative by QFT-2G. All SLE patients had no evidence of active MTB infection, apart from one. QFT-2G produced a significantly higher number of indeterminate results in patients with SLE (23/71, 32.4%) compared with those with other CTD (5.7%) or healthy controls (0%) ( p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001). Decreased lymphocyte counts and high SLEDAI scores in SLE patients were shown to be risk factors for indeterminate results by multivariate analysis ( p = 0.02 and p = 0.04). Among all patients with CTD, SLE itself and lymphocytopenia were found to be independent risks for indeterminate results ( p = 0.00000625 and p = 0.000107). In conclusion, QFT-2G may have more potential to assist in the diagnosis of active and latent MTB infection than TST in SLE patients. However, because of the high frequency of indeterminate results, caution must be used when interpreting the results of QFT-2G among SLE patients, especially those who have parallel or subsequent flares.

Thickness Effect on Cracking Phenomena and Mechanical Properties of Submicron Glass Thin Films Deposited on a Polymer Substrate

The multiple cracking progress in thin SiOx films deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates during tensile tests were investigated. Five kinds of specimens with different SiOx film thicknesses of 43, 67, 90, 120 and 320 nm were prepared. With the appropriate estimation of the residual strain in the film, the crack onset stress was found to be nearly proportional to the minus one-half power of the thickness. After the cracking is sufficiently developed, on the other hand, thinner specimens showed higher crack density than thicker ones. In order to predict the multiple cracking progress, stress distributions in the cracked films were calculated both by the elastic-plastic finite element analysis and modified shear lag analysis. The prediction, under the assumption of the unique stress criterion, explained reasonably well the multiple cracking progress obtained in the experiments.

Formation of chlorinated aromatics in model fly ashes using various copper compounds

Various copper compounds found in fly ash are related to the formation of chlorinated aromatics. The formation potentials of chlorinated aromatics in different model fly ashes containing various copper compounds and the chemical behavior of such copper compounds were investigated. In model fly ash with copper metal, hydroxide, carbonate, or oxides, the generated amounts of chlorobenzene (CBz) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the average chlorination numbers were low and at the same level, respectively. The maximum generated amounts of chlorinated aromatics were observed at 300 degrees C. Although X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra indicated that the chemical form of copper compounds changed little, they were found to promote the formation of chlorinated aromatics. Therefore, these copper compounds play the same role as CuO. On the other hand, in model fly ash with copper chloride, the generated amounts of CBz and PCBs were quite high and the average chlorination numbers was high. Dynamic changes were observed in XANES spectra, and the pre-edge peak attributed to monovalent copper compounds appeared at around 300 degrees C. A large difference was observed between these two groups in the amount of CuCl generated and the homologs of chlorinated aromatics present, indicating that CuCl played an important role in the formation of chlorinated aromatics.

Sero-epidemiology of sporadic acute hepatitis in Bangladesh: high prevalences of infection with type-B, type-E and multiple types of hepatitis virus

In a recent investigation of hepatitis in Bangladesh, the sera from 74 adult patients (aged 15-67 years) who had been clinically diagnosed as cases of sporadic acute hepatitis were collected at various hospitals in and around Dhaka. Five cases were positive for IgM antibody against the hepatitis A virus and 30 were positive both for the surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and for IgM antibody against the HBV core (HBc). The six cases found positive for antibodies against the hepatitis D virus were all also positive for the HBV surface antigen but negative for anti-HBc IgM. Thirteen patients harboured hepatitis C virus RNA and 29 were positive for IgM antibody against the hepatitis E virus (HEV). There were 14 non-A-to-E subjects, whose illness was of unknown aetiology. Of the 83 infections with hepatitis viruses detected in the other 60 patients, 6%, 36%, 16%, 7% and 35% were of types A, B, C, D and E, respectively. Each of 28 of the patients (47% of those confirmed to have viral hepatitis) had concomitant infection with more than one type of hepatitis virus. The predominance of HBV and HEV infections and the high prevalence of multiple infection seen among these Bangladeshi cases have not been observed among hepatitis cases in developed countries.

Behaviour and adsorptive removal of siloxanes in sewage sludge biogas

We investigated the behaviour of siloxanes, which adversely affect biogas engines, as well as their concentration levels in sewage sludge biogas in Japan. We also performed experiments on the absorptive removal of siloxanes using various adsorbents and determined the main adsorbent characteristics required for the removal of siloxanes. The results of our study on the concentration and composition of siloxanes in biogas were similar to previous reports. Moreover, we found that the concentration of siloxanes changes in relation to the outside air temperature based on real-time measurements of siloxanes using a continuous analyser. We further speculated that the continuous analyser would accurately indicate the siloxane concentration in model biogas but overestimate the siloxane concentration in actual biogas because of positive interference by VOCs and other biogas components. In the siloxane adsorption experiment, the equilibrium uptake of both cyclic siloxanes, D4 and D5, was positively related to the BET-specific surface area of the adsorbents and the fraction of the external surface area taken up by relatively large diameter pores. We attributed the adsorption results to the fact that the siloxane molecules are generally larger than micropores; therefore, they are less susceptible to adsorption to micropores. Based on these results, we concluded that adsorbents with large BET-specific surface areas, especially those with a high external specific surface area and pores of relatively large diameters, are desired for the removal of siloxanes.

Epithelium-derived chemokines induce airway smooth muscle cell migration

BACKGROUND

The remodelling of airway smooth muscle (ASM) associated with asthma severity may involve the migration of ASM cells towards the epithelium. However, little is known about the mechanisms of cell migration and the effect of epithelial-derived mediators on this process.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the current study is to assess the effects of epithelial-derived chemokines on ASM cell migration.

METHODS

Normal human ASM cells were incubated with supernatants from cells of the bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B and normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. To induce chemokine production, epithelial cells were treated with TNF-alpha. Chemokine expression by epithelial cells was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA and membrane antibody array. To identify the role of individual chemokines in ASM cell migration, we performed migration assays with a modified Boyden chamber using specific neutralizing antibodies to block chemokine effects.

RESULTS

Supernatants from BEAS-2B cells treated with TNF-alpha increased ASM cell migration; migration was increased 1.6 and 2.5-fold by supernatant from BEAS-2B cells treated with 10 and 100 ng/mL TNF-alpha, respectively. Protein levels in supernatants and mRNA expression by BEAS-2B cells of regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and IL-8 were significantly increased by 100 ng/mL TNF-alpha treatment. The incubation of supernatant with antibodies to RANTES or IL-8 significantly reduced ASM cell migration, and the combined antibodies further inhibited the cell migration. The migratory effects of supernatants and inhibiting effects of RANTES and/or IL-8 were confirmed also using NHBE cells.

CONCLUSION

The results show that chemokines from airway epithelial cells cause ASM cell migration and might potentially play a role in the process of airway remodelling in asthma.

Flattening of sagittal spinal curvature as a predictor of vertebral fracture

In a 12-year prospective study of 100 adult volunteers, incident vertebral fractures were analyzed for potential predictors. Decreased sagittal spinal curvature and pre-existing fractures were identified as independent predictors. The risk of vertebral fracture increased to 8.6-fold with a 1 SD decrease in both thoracic and lumbar curves.

INTRODUCTION

Physiological spinal curvature acts as a shock absorber: however, it has not been demonstrated whether reduced spinal curvature is a risk of vertebral fracture. The aim of this prospective study is to assess the relationship between the extent of sagittal spinal curvature and incidence of vertebral fractures.

METHODS

One hundred community-based volunteers aged 50+ years were followed radiologically for at least 10 years. Entire spine radiograms of volunteers in erect position were used for evaluating sagittal spinal curvatures, grade of osteoporosis, and incident vertebral fractures.

RESULTS

Mean baseline age was 61.9 years and mean follow-up period was 12.0 years. In multivariate analysis, preexisting vertebral fracture (relative risk [RR] 3.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-11.20), and a decrease in either thoracic or lumbar curvature by 1-SD (RR 3.06, 95% CI 1.04-9.00) were independent predictors. The fracture risk even increased in the presence of a 1-SD decrease in both thoracic and lumbar curvature (RR 8.64, 95% CI 1.39-53.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Reduction of physiological curvatures in both thoracic and lumbar spine led to the increased risk of vertebral fracture by more than eightfold. The importance of evaluating sagittal spinal alignment should be emphasized, because it might indicate the risk of the first vertebral fracture, which is another strong predictor of subsequent fractures.

Chemical states of trace elements in sewage sludge incineration ash by using x-ray absorption fine structure

In this study, the chemical states of chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and selenium (Se) in sewage sludge incineration ash were determined by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Sewage sludge incineration ash was sampled from several facilities, and XAFS measurements were carried out with a beam line BL01B1 at the SPring-8 facility. Cr K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra suggested that Cr compounds were predominantly speciated as Cr(III) and the fraction of Cr(VI) was very minor. Compared to the reference materials, Cr XANES spectra of the incineration ashes were similar to those of FeCr2O4, Cr(OH)3, and CaCr2O4. As K-edge XANES spectra indicated that As(V) compounds were present in incineration ashes. Because the chemical state of As in sewage sludge was As3+ in our previous study, we speculated that the chemical state of As changed into As(V) during the incineration process. According to Se K-edge XANES spectra, Se compounds were predominantly Se(IV), and a slight difference was observed in the chemical states amongst facilities using inorganic or organic coagulants in the dewatering process.

Emergence of panniculitis and haemophagocytic syndrome in a patient with chronic systemic lupus erythematosus

Panniculitis rarely occurs in the course of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). When it occurs, it is thought to be mainly lupus erythematosus panniculitis (LEP). Here we describe a 32-year old Japanese woman with chronic SLE, who simultaneously presented facial lymphocytic lobular panniculitis and pancytopenia due to haemophagocytic syndrome. She showed several auto-antibodies against trilineage haematopoetic cells, an anti-cardiolipin antibody, and no evidence of viral infection, indicating that her haemophagocytic syndrome might be autoimmune-associated haemophagocytic syndrome. The panniculitis and haemophagocytic syndrome presented simultaneously, and these manifestations were dramatically improved with corticosteroid therapy; therefore, the lymphocytic lobular panniculitis could be linked to autoimmune-associated haemophagocytic syndrome in this case.