Terahertz-induced optical emission of photoexcited undoped GaAs quantum wells

Intense terahertz (THz) pulse induces photoluminescence (PL) flash from undoped high-quality GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells under continuous wave laser excitation. The number of excitons increases 10,000-fold from that of the steady state under only laser excitation. The THz electric field dependence and the relaxation dynamics of the PL flash intensity suggest that the strong electric field of the THz pulse ionizes impurity states during the 1 ps period of the THz pulse and release carriers from a giant reservoir containing impurity states in the AlGaAs layers.

DDBJ read annotation pipeline: a cloud computing-based pipeline for high-throughput analysis of next-generation sequencing data

High-performance next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are advancing genomics and molecular biological research. However, the immense amount of sequence data requires computational skills and suitable hardware resources that are a challenge to molecular biologists. The DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ) of the National Institute of Genetics (NIG) has initiated a cloud computing-based analytical pipeline, the DDBJ Read Annotation Pipeline (DDBJ Pipeline), for a high-throughput annotation of NGS reads. The DDBJ Pipeline offers a user-friendly graphical web interface and processes massive NGS datasets using decentralized processing by NIG supercomputers currently free of charge. The proposed pipeline consists of two analysis components: basic analysis for reference genome mapping and de novo assembly and subsequent high-level analysis of structural and functional annotations. Users may smoothly switch between the two components in the pipeline, facilitating web-based operations on a supercomputer for high-throughput data analysis. Moreover, public NGS reads of the DDBJ Sequence Read Archive located on the same supercomputer can be imported into the pipeline through the input of only an accession number. This proposed pipeline will facilitate research by utilizing unified analytical workflows applied to the NGS data. The DDBJ Pipeline is accessible at http://p.ddbj.nig.ac.jp/.

Multi-system progressive angiomatosis in a dog resembling blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome in humans

A six-year-old, neutered, female golden retriever was presented with generalised, dark purple to black cutaneous nodules and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Histopathologically, all cutaneous nodules were diagnosed as benign cavernous haemangiomas. Endoscopic analysis revealed similar nodules in the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. At laparotomy, similar nodules were seen on the visceral peritoneal lining of abdominal organs. Metastatic haemangiosarcoma was ruled out based on histological features and lack of primary tumour in spleen, liver or heart ultrasonographically. Blood loss associated with gastrointestinal haemorrhage was managed with blood transfusion. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first canine case of multi-system progressive angiomatosis resembling blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome in humans.

Quick-scanning x-ray absorption spectroscopy system with a servo-motor-driven channel-cut monochromator with a temporal resolution of 10 ms

We have developed a quick-scanning x-ray absorption fine structure (QXAFS) system and installed it at the recently constructed synchrotron radiation beamline BL33XU at the SPring-8. Rapid acquisition of high-quality QXAFS data was realized by combining a servo-motor-driven Si channel-cut monochromator with a tapered undulator. Two tandemly aligned monochromators with channel-cut Si(111) and Si(220) crystals covered energy ranges of 4.0-28.2 keV and 6.6-46.0 keV, respectively. The system allows the users to adjust instantly the energy ranges of scans, the starting angles of oscillations, and the frequencies. The channel-cut crystals are cooled with liquid nitrogen to enable them to withstand the high heat load from the undulator radiation. Deformation of the reflecting planes is reduced by clamping each crystal with two cooling blocks. Performance tests at the Cu K-edge demonstrated sufficiently high data quality for x-ray absorption near-edge structure and extended x-ray absorption fine-structure analyses with temporal resolutions of up to 10 and 25 ms, respectively.

CT and MR cholangiography: advantages and pitfalls in perioperative evaluation of biliary tree

Recent developments in imaging technology have enabled CT and MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to provide minimally invasive alternatives to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for the pre- and post-operative assessment of biliary disease. This article describes anatomical variants of the biliary tree with surgical significance, followed by comparison of CT and MR cholangiographies. Drip infusion cholangiography with CT (DIC-CT) enables high-resolution three-dimensional anatomical representation of very small bile ducts (e.g. aberrant branches, the caudate branch and the cystic duct), which are potential causes of surgical complications. The disadvantages of DIC-CT include the possibility of adverse reactions to biliary contrast media and insufficient depiction of bile ducts caused by liver dysfunction or obstructive jaundice. Conventional MRCP is a standard, non-invasive method for evaluating the biliary tree. MRCP provides useful information, especially regarding the extrahepatic bile ducts and dilated intrahepatic bile ducts. Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced MRCP may facilitate the evaluation of biliary structure and excretory function. Understanding the characteristics of each type of cholangiography is important to ensure sufficient perioperative evaluation of the biliary system.

Correlation with larval body size of mRNA levels of growth hormone, growth hormone receptor I and insulin-like growth factor I in larval torafugu Takifugu rubripes

The full-length of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) complementary (c)DNAs encoded by igf-I and igf-II from torafugu pufferfish Takifugu rubripes were cloned in the present study. The deduced amino acid sequences of the two genes showed c. 80% identity each with those of Igf-I and Igf-II from other teleosts, respectively. Two growth hormone (GH) receptors, ghr1 and ghr2, were also cloned in silico using the T. rubripes Fugu genome database. The transcripts of T. rubripes igf-I were detected in slow muscle, heart, skin, gill, liver and intestine but not in fast muscle, spleen and testis of adult fish, whereas those of igf-II were found in all tissues examined. Subsequently, the accumulated messenger (m)RNA levels of igf-I and igf-II were investigated in an F(2) population derived from a male of an apparent fast-growing T. rubripes strain and a wild female T. rubripes together with those of other growth-related genes encoding Gh, Ghr1 and Ghr2, and with those of prolactin (Prl) and leptin (Lep) previously reported. The accumulated mRNA levels of igf-I, gh and ghr1 were significantly correlated to growth rate at larval stages in the population, but not for those of igf-II, prl, ghr2 and lep. Although it is unclear whether or not this phenotype is directly related to the heredity of the fast-growing strain, the findings suggest that the expression of igf-I, gh and ghr1 is involved in the regulation of growth rate at larval stages in T. rubripes.

[Leiomyosarcoma of the middle mediastinum; report of a case]

The case was 74-year-old woman. A tumor at the aortic window was found while retrieving the cause of the hoarseness, and the surgical biopsy was performed. The diagnosis of the leiomyosarcoma was obtained by pathology, and it probably originated from the middle mediastinal tissue. The radical operation was not selected, and the radiation therapy was performed. She did not suffered from symptoms associated with cardiopulmonary dysfunction, but she died of the cerebral metastasis in 5 months after the biopsy.

OryzaExpress: an integrated database of gene expression networks and omics annotations in rice

Similarity of gene expression profiles provides important clues for understanding the biological functions of genes, biological processes and metabolic pathways related to genes. A gene expression network (GEN) is an ideal choice to grasp such expression profile similarities among genes simultaneously. For GEN construction, the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) has been widely used as an index to evaluate the similarities of expression profiles for gene pairs. However, calculation of PCCs for all gene pairs requires large amounts of both time and computer resources. Based on correspondence analysis, we developed a new method for GEN construction, which takes minimal time even for large-scale expression data with general computational circumstances. Moreover, our method requires no prior parameters to remove sample redundancies in the data set. Using the new method, we constructed rice GENs from large-scale microarray data stored in a public database. We then collected and integrated various principal rice omics annotations in public and distinct databases. The integrated information contains annotations of genome, transcriptome and metabolic pathways. We thus developed the integrated database OryzaExpress for browsing GENs with an interactive and graphical viewer and principal omics annotations (http://riceball.lab.nig.ac.jp/oryzaexpress/). With integration of Arabidopsis GEN data from ATTED-II, OryzaExpress also allows us to compare GENs between rice and Arabidopsis. Thus, OryzaExpress is a comprehensive rice database that exploits powerful omics approaches from all perspectives in plant science and leads to systems biology.

Rice expression atlas in reproductive development

Gene expression throughout the reproductive process in rice (Oryza sativa) beginning with primordia development through pollination/fertilization to zygote formation was analyzed. We analyzed 25 stages/organs of rice reproductive development including early microsporogenesis stages with 57,381 probe sets, and identified around 26,000 expressed probe sets in each stage. Fine dissection of 25 reproductive stages/organs combined with detailed microarray profiling revealed dramatic, coordinated and finely tuned changes in gene expression. A decrease in expressed genes in the pollen maturation process was observed in a similar way with Arabidopsis and maize. An almost equal number of ab initio predicted genes and cloned genes which appeared or disappeared coordinated with developmental stage progression. A large number of organ-/stage-specific genes were identified; notably 2,593 probe sets for developing anther, including 932 probe sets corresponding to ab initio predicted genes. Analysis of cell cycle-related genes revealed that several cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), cyclins and components of SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes were expressed specifically in reproductive organs. Cell wall biosynthesis or degradation protein genes and transcription factor genes expressed specifically in reproductive stages were also newly identified. Rice genes homologous to reproduction-related genes in other plants showed expression profiles both consistent and inconsistent with their predicted functions. The rice reproductive expression atlas is likely to be the most extensive and most comprehensive data set available, indispensable for unraveling functions of many specific genes in plant reproductive processes that have not yet been thoroughly analyzed.

A simple optimization can improve the performance of single feature polymorphism detection by Affymetrix expression arrays

Background

High-density oligonucleotide arrays are effective tools for genotyping numerous loci simultaneously. In small genome species (genome size: < ~300 Mb), whole-genome DNA hybridization to expression arrays has been used for various applications. In large genome species, transcript hybridization to expression arrays has been used for genotyping. Although rice is a fully sequenced model plant of medium genome size (~400 Mb), there are a few examples of the use of rice oligonucleotide array as a genotyping tool.

Results

We compared the single feature polymorphism (SFP) detection performance of whole-genome and transcript hybridizations using the Affymetrix GeneChip^® Rice Genome Array, using the rice cultivars with full genome sequence, japonica cultivar Nipponbare and indica cultivar 93-11. Both genomes were surveyed for all probe target sequences. Only completely matched 25-mer single copy probes of the Nipponbare genome were extracted, and SFPs between them and 93-11 sequences were predicted. We investigated optimum conditions for SFP detection in both whole genome and transcript hybridization using differences between perfect match and mismatch probe intensities of non-polymorphic targets, assuming that these differences are representative of those between mismatch and perfect targets. Several statistical methods of SFP detection by whole-genome hybridization were compared under the optimized conditions. Causes of false positives and negatives in SFP detection in both types of hybridization were investigated.

Conclusions

The optimizations allowed a more than 20% increase in true SFP detection in whole-genome hybridization and a large improvement of SFP detection performance in transcript hybridization. Significance analysis of the microarray for log-transformed raw intensities of PM probes gave the best performance in whole genome hybridization, and 22,936 true SFPs were detected with 23.58% false positives by whole genome hybridization. For transcript hybridization, stable SFP detection was achieved for highly expressed genes, and about 3,500 SFPs were detected at a high sensitivity (> 50%) in both shoot and young panicle transcripts. High SFP detection performances of both genome and transcript hybridizations indicated that microarrays of a complex genome (e.g., of Oryza sativa) can be effectively utilized for whole genome genotyping to conduct mutant mapping and analysis of quantitative traits such as gene expression levels.

Activation of the basal forebrain by the orexin/hypocretin neurones

The orexin neurones play an essential role in driving arousal and in maintaining normal wakefulness. Lack of orexin neurotransmission produces a chronic state of hypoarousal characterized by excessive sleepiness, frequent transitions between wake and sleep, and episodes of cataplexy. A growing body of research now suggests that the basal forebrain (BF) may be a key site through which the orexin-producing neurones promote arousal. Here we review anatomical, pharmacological and electrophysiological studies on how the orexin neurones may promote arousal by exciting cortically projecting neurones of the BF. Orexin fibres synapse on BF cholinergic neurones and orexin-A is released in the BF during waking. Local application of orexins excites BF cholinergic neurones, induces cortical release of acetylcholine and promotes wakefulness. The orexin neurones also contain and probably co-release the inhibitory neuropeptide dynorphin. We found that orexin-A and dynorphin have specific effects on different classes of BF neurones that project to the cortex. Cholinergic neurones were directly excited by orexin-A, but did not respond to dynorphin. Non-cholinergic BF neurones that project to the cortex seem to comprise at least two populations with some directly excited by orexin-A that may represent wake-active, GABAergic neurones, whereas others did not respond to orexin-A but were inhibited by dynorphin and may be sleep-active, GABAergic neurones. This evidence suggests that the BF is a key site through which orexins activate the cortex and promote behavioural arousal. In addition, orexins and dynorphin may act synergistically in the BF to promote arousal and improve cognitive performance.

SNEP: Simultaneous detection of nucleotide and expression polymorphisms using Affymetrix GeneChip

BACKGROUND

High-density short oligonucleotide microarrays are useful tools for studying biodiversity, because they can be used to investigate both nucleotide and expression polymorphisms. However, when different strains (or species) produce different signal intensities after mRNA hybridization, it is not easy to determine whether the signal intensities were affected by nucleotide or expression polymorphisms. To overcome this difficulty, nucleotide and expression polymorphisms are currently examined separately.

RESULTS

We have developed SNEP, a new method that allows simultaneous detection of both nucleotide and expression polymorphisms. SNEP involves a robust statistical procedure based on the idea that a nucleotide polymorphism observed at the probe level can be regarded as an outlier, because the nucleotide polymorphism can reduce the hybridization signal intensity. To investigate the performance of SNEP, we used three species: barley, rice and mice. In addition to the publicly available barley data, we obtained new rice and mouse data from the strains with available genome sequences. The sensitivity and false positive rate of nucleotide polymorphism detection were estimated based on the sequence information. The robustness of expression polymorphism detection against nucleotide polymorphisms was also investigated.

CONCLUSION

SNEP performed well regardless of the genome size and showed a better performance for nucleotide polymorphism detection, when compared with other previously proposed methods. The R-software 'SNEP' is available at http://www.ism.ac.jp/~fujisawa/SNEP/.

Topographic analysis of the inferior parietal lobule in high-resolution 3D MR imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent functional MR imaging studies have revealed that the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) supports numerous functions; however, the precise organization of the IPL remains unclear. It has been previously reported that the individual components of the IPL show variable morphologic features; thus, any investigations of IPL function must take into account the variable topography of the IPL. However, it is difficult to understand the topography of the IPL only in transaxial and/or sagittal MR images. We generated volume rendering (VR) images of the brain from high-resolution 3D MR imaging data and analyzed the topography of the IPL.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty healthy volunteers were examined with 1.5T MR imaging, and VR images were generated. Sulcal continuity, sulcal connections, and the gyral pattern of the IPL were investigated.

RESULTS

The main sulci and gyri were able to be identified excellently on VR images of all volunteers. One long, continuous postcentral sulcus (postCS) was seen in 47.5% and 40% in the right and left hemisphere, respectively. The frequency with which the postCS connected with the anterior end of the IPS was 72.5% and 75% in the right and left, respectively. The gyral pattern of the IPL showed variable morphology.

CONCLUSIONS

VR images can depict the sulcal continuity and connections of the IPL accurately. VR imaging is a very useful noninvasive technique to observe the topography of the IPL and should contribute to the investigation of functional localization.

Delayed orexin signaling consolidates wakefulness and sleep: physiology and modeling

Orexin-producing neurons are clearly essential for the regulation of wakefulness and sleep because loss of these cells produces narcolepsy. However, little is understood about how these neurons dynamically interact with other wake- and sleep-regulatory nuclei to control behavioral states. Using survival analysis of wake bouts in wild-type and orexin knockout mice, we found that orexins are necessary for the maintenance of long bouts of wakefulness, but orexin deficiency has little impact on wake bouts <1 min. Since orexin neurons often begin firing several seconds before the onset of waking, this suggests a surprisingly delayed onset (>1 min) of functional effects. This delay has important implications for understanding the control of wakefulness and sleep because increasing evidence suggests that different mechanisms are involved in the production of brief and sustained wake bouts. We incorporated these findings into a mathematical model of the mouse sleep/wake network. Orexins excite monoaminergic neurons and we hypothesize that orexins increase the monoaminergic inhibition of sleep-promoting neurons in the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus. We modeled orexin effects as a time-dependent increase in the strength of inhibition from wake- to sleep-promoting populations and the resulting simulated behavior accurately reflects the fragmented sleep/wake behavior of narcolepsy and leads to several predictions. By integrating neurophysiology of the sleep/wake network with emergent properties of behavioral data, this model provides a novel framework for investigating network dynamics and mechanisms associated with normal and pathologic sleep/wake behavior.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep homeostatic regulatory processes in the rat: changes in the sleep-wake stages and electroencephalographic power spectra

The aim of this study was to elucidate physiological processes that are involved in the homeostatic regulation of REM sleep. Adult rats were chronically instrumented with sleep-wake recording electrodes. Following post-surgical recovery, rats were habituated extensively for freely moving polygraphic recording conditions. On the first experimental recording day (baseline day, BLD), polygraphic signs of undisturbed sleep-wake activities were recorded for 4 h (between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM). During the second experimental recording day (REM sleep deprivation day, RDD), rats were selectively deprived of REM sleep for the first 2 h and then allowed to have normal sleep-wake for the following 2 h. The results demonstrated that during the first 2 h, compared to BLD, RDD recordings exhibited 87.80% less time in REM sleep and 16% more time in non-REM (NREM) sleep. The total percentages of wakefulness remained comparable between the BLD and RDD. During the RDD, the mean number of REM sleep episodes was much higher than in the BLD, indicating increased REM sleep drive. Electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectral analysis revealed that selective REM sleep deprivation increased delta power but decreased theta power during the residual REM sleep. During the last 2 h, after REM sleep deprivation, rats spent 51% more time in REM sleep compared to the BLD. Also during this period, the number of REM sleep episodes with the shortest (5-30 s) and longest (>120 s) duration increased during the RDD. These findings suggest that the REM sleep homeostatic process involves increased delta- and decreased theta-frequency wave activities in the cortical EEG.

Synovial fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells increase after intra-articular ligament injury in humans

OBJECTIVE

The existence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in SF was previously reported. However, the behaviour and properties of MSCs derived from SF have not been fully elucidated.

METHODS

Human SFs were obtained from 19 knee joints with anterior cruciate ligament injury around the time of reconstruction surgery, and from three healthy volunteers. SF was plated, cultured and examined for colony-forming number, in vitro differentiation, surface epitopes and gene profiles. Also, rabbit synovium-MSCs were injected into the knee joint in a rabbit partial anterior cruciate ligament defect model, and the injected cells were traced.

RESULTS

SF-MSCs from IA ligament injury patients were 100 times more in number than those from healthy volunteers. Total colony number was positively correlated with post-injury period. No significant differences were observed among the cells derived from SF around the time of the surgery in relation to surface epitopes and differentiation potentials. Cluster analysis of gene profiles demonstrated that SF-MSCs were more similar to synovium MSCs than bone marrow MSCs. In rabbit experiments, the MSCs injected into the knee in which IA ligament was partially defective were observed more on the defected area than on the intact area of the ligament at 24 h.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that SF-MSCs, similar to synovium MSCs, increased in number after IA ligament injury and surgery without marked alteration of the properties.

High temperatures activate local viral multiplication and cell-to-cell movement of Melon necrotic spot virus but restrict expression of systemic symptoms

The infection of melon plants by Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) and the development of necrotic disease symptoms are a seasonal occurrence in Japan, which take place between winter and early summer, but not during mid-summer. In this paper we investigate the effect of three different temperatures (15, 20, and 25 degrees C) on the local and systemic expression of MNSV in melon plants. Previously, the incidence of plants expressing systemic symptoms caused by MNSV and other viruses was found to be greater at temperatures less than 20 degrees C. In this study, our temperature-shift experiments support previous studies that found the expression of systemic symptoms increases as temperature falls from 25 to 20 degrees C and decreases as temperature rises from 20 to 25 degrees C. However, MNSV replication in melon cells and local viral movement within leaves following the inoculation of melon protoplasts or cotyledons were more frequent at 25 degrees C than at 15 or 20 degrees C.

In vitro activation of the corticosteroid ciclesonide in animal nasal mucosal homogenates

Ciclesonide, a new corticosteroid for allergic rhinitis, is administered as an inactive parent compound that is converted by esterases to the pharmacologically active metabolite, desisobutyryl-ciclesonide (des-CIC). This study investigated the in vitro activation of ciclesonide in nasal mucosa of multiple animal species. Nasal mucosal homogenates from rats, guinea-pigs, rabbits and dogs were incubated with ciclesonide 0.5 micromol/l (0.271 microg/ml) or 5 micromol/l (2.71 microg/ml) for up to 120 min. Concentrations of ciclesonide and des-CIC were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Ciclesonide was metabolized to des-CIC in nasal mucosal homogenates of each species. The initial velocities of des-CIC formation ranged from 0.0038 to 0.0150 nmol/min/mg protein and 0.0319 to 0.0983 nmol/min/mg protein in nasal mucosal homogenates incubated with ciclesonide 0.5 micromol/l and 5 micromol/l, respectively. Furthermore, the initial velocities of ciclesonide metabolism ranged from 0.0032 to 0.0142 nmol/min/mg protein and 0.0445 to 0.1316 nmol/min/mg protein in nasal mucosal homogenates incubated with ciclesonide 0.5 micromol/l and 5 micromol/l, respectively. This study confirms that ciclesonide is converted to des-CIC in nasal mucosal homogenates without any marked differences among animal species.

Prospective comparison of the effects of maxacalcitol and calcitriol in chronic hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism: a multicenter, randomized crossover study

BACKGROUND

Maxacalcitol is a vitamin D analogue, which is administered intravenously for secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients as well as calcitriol. However, few dose-comparison clinical studies have been reported for these drugs. The present multicenter, randomized crossover study was conducted to determine the equivalence of maxacalcitol and calcitriol doses.

METHODS

Subjects comprised 31 patients on chronic hemodialysis with secondary hyperparathyroidism who had not received maxacalcitol or calcitriol in the previous 3 months. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, and maxacalcitol or calcitriol was administered in a crossover design for 12 weeks each. Maxacalcitol and calcitriol doses were adjusted based on serum levels of calcium and intact parathyroid hormone.

RESULTS

After the 12-week maxacalcitol/calcitriol administration, there were no significant differences in levels of calcium (maxacalcitol 2.40+/-0.22 mmol/1 (9.6+/-0.9 mg/dl), calcitriol 2.42 + 0.25 mmol/l (9.7+/-1.0 mg/dl), p = 0.71), phosphate (maxacalcitol 1.97 + 0.42 mmol/l (6.1+/-1.3 mg/dl), calcitriol 2.00+/-0.48 mmol/l (6.2+/-1.5 mg/dl), p = 0.64), intact parathyroid hormone (maxacalcitol 267+/-169 pg/ml, calcitriol 343+/-195 pg/ml, p = 0.11) in serum or other bone-metabolic parameters such as serum alkaline phosphatase. The doses ofmaxacalcitol and calcitriol were 49.3+/-23.7 microg/month and 9.0+/-3.8 microg/month, respectively, and maxacalcitol : calcitriol dose ratio was 5.5: 1. No severe adverse reactions were seen for either maxacalcitol or calcitriol during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

Comparable therapeutic efficacy can be obtained in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism using either maxacalcitol or calcitriol at a dose ratio of 5.5 : 1.

Development of an immunochromatographic test kit for rapid detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus antigen

An immunochromatographic test was developed for rapid diagnosis of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infections using monoclonal antibodies against the nonstructural protein, NS3, of the virus. The kit detected specifically the NS3 of various BVDV strains. Using the kit, leukocyte extracts of cattle infected persistently with BVDV were found positive while those of healthy cattle were negative. The sensitivity and specificity of this kit in compared with virus isolation were 100% and 97.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the test also gave positive results for calves infected acutely with BVDV in experimental infection. The BVDV antigen was detected in 1 ml of blood using a relatively simple procedure. This test kit should be useful for rapid diagnosis of BVD.

Inhibition of NADPH oxidase 4 activates apoptosis via the AKT/apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 pathway in pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive human malignancy and is characterized by resistance to apoptosis. Recently, NADPH oxidase (Nox) 4-mediated generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was proposed to confer antiapoptotic activity and thus a growth advantage to pancreatic cancer cells. The signaling mechanism by which Nox4 transmits cell survival signals remains unclear. Here, we show that both a flavoprotein inhibitor, diphenylene iodonium (DPI), and small interfering RNAs designed to target Nox4 mRNA (siNox4RNAs) inhibited superoxide production in PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells, and depletion of ROS by DPI or siNox4RNAs induced apoptosis. Parallely, DPI treatment and siNox4RNA transfection blocked activation of the cell survival kinase AKT by attenuating phosphorylation of AKT. Furthermore, AKT phosphorylation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) on Ser-83 was reduced by DPI and siNox4RNAs. When ASK1Ser83Ala (an AKT phosphorylation-defective ASK1 mutant) was introduced into PANC-1 cells, this mutant alone induced apoptosis. But, addition of DPI or co-transfection of siNox4RNA had no additive effect, indicating that the mutant can substitute for these reagents in apoptosis induction. Taken together, these findings suggest that ROS generated by Nox4, at least in part, transmit cell survival signals through the AKT-ASK1 pathway in pancreatic cancer cells and their depletion leads to apoptosis.

Production of anti-Gordonia amarae mycolic acid polyclonal antibody for detection of mycolic acid-containing bacteria in activated sludge foam

Mycolic acid-containing actinomycetes (mycolata) are considered the causative agents of foaming of activated sludge and scum formation in activated sludge treatment plants. In this study, the production of anti-Gordonia amarae mycolic acid polyclonal antibodies was investigated. Rabbits were immunized with a conjugate of keyhole limpet hemocyanin and mycolic acids of G. amarae, which contained 48 to 56 carbon atoms (average, 52.0). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated that the polyclonal antibodies could recognize cells of G. amarae ranging from 0.1 to 10 microg. The antibodies also reacted with other tested mycolata strains belonging to the genera Nocardia, Rhodococcus, Dietzia, Mycobacterium and Tsukamurella. However, reactivities against other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria not containing mycolic acid were negligible or much lower. The results indicate that the anti-G. amarae mycolic acid antibodies show a reactivity selective for a group of mycolata involved in the foaming of activated sludge.

Methane fermentation of bean curd refuse

The methane fermentation of bean curd refuse was studied in a 1 l reactor with a draft tube which was operated in a fed-batch mode with a once-a-day feeding cycle using two kinds of methanogens. The effects of substrate loading rate on the methane yield and on the behaviors of the product species were examined. A unified approach was employed for the material balance between the substrate (reactant) and product species based on the elemental carbon content in the species being considered. The classified product species are methane and carbon dioxide in the gas phase, soluble TOCs excluding VFAs, ICs and VFAs in the liquid phase and cells, and the unconverted substrate in the solid phase. It is found that the methane yield increases with the increasing substrate loading rate, reaches a maximum and then decreases with a further increasing loading rate. The maximum methane yield is found to be as high as 53.7% which is very close to the theoretical yield of 55%. It is also found that there is a critical substrate loading rate beyond which the operation becomes impossible due to excessive accumulation of unconverted solids.

[Sudden death due to massive pulmonary thromboembolism after pneumonectomy; report of a case]

A 76-year-old woman underwent a left pneumonectomy for a primary adenocarcinoma. On the fourth postoperative day, when walking to the toilet, she suddenly developed syncope followed by dyspnea and cardiopulmonary arrest. Although we performed cardiopulmonary resusciation, she died 1 hour later. With her family's approval, we performed autopsy. We found massive pulmonary thromboembolism was identified in the right main artery. To prevent postoperative thromboembolic complications, we use postoperatively continuous intravenous heparin sodium infusion (5,000-6,000/24 h) for the patients underwent thoracotomy and examine the ultrasonography for deep vein thrombosis before they begin to walk.

[Solitary papilloma of the lung; report of a case]

A 66-year-old woman admitted our hospital due to an abnormal shadow in the right lung field on a routine chest X-ray film. Preoperative diagnosis was not made, we didn't have correct diagnosis of benign or malignancy by intraoperative frozen-section specimen, so segmentectomy without lymph nodes dissection was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was glandular papilloma. A solitary papilloma in the lung field is rare, it is considered to be difficult to differentiate malignancy or benign clinically.

Effect of steroids on [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in an experimental tumour model

BACKGROUND

It is well known that blood glucose level affects the uptake of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in tumours. Thus, the action of steroids on glucose metabolism may alter blood glucose levels and may affect FDG uptake in tumours in patients treated with steroids. To clarify this point, we determined the effects of steroids on FDG uptake in tumours in a rat model of a malignant tumour.

METHODS

Rats were inoculated with allogenic hepatoma cells (KDH-8) into the left calf muscle. They were fasted overnight and divided into three groups (n=5 in each group): (1) dexamethasone (DEX) pretreated (0.8 mg.kg(-1) body weight, i.m. injection 4 h before FDG i.v. injection); (2) prednisolone (PRE) pretreated (8 mg.kg(-1) body weight, i.m. injection 20 h before FDG i.v. injection); and (3) control (untreated) groups. Radioactivity in tissues was determined 1 h after i.v. injection of FDG. FDG uptake in the tumour was expressed as the percentage of injected dose per gram of tissue after normalization to animal's weight (%ID/g tissue/kg body weight).

RESULTS

DEX and PRE pretreatments significantly increased the blood glucose levels to 128% and 145% of the control value. The levels of FDG uptake in the tumour were not significantly affected by DEX and PRE pretreatment (90% and 87% of the control value, respectively) (P=NS).

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that FDG uptake in the tumour was not affected by pretreatment with steroids, in spite of a slight elevation in blood glucose level.

The dural tail of intracranial meningiomas on fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery images

We evaluated the "dural tail" associated with 48 intracranial meningiomas on fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. In 30 (62.5%), a dural tail was observed on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, and thickening of the dura mater and abnormal signal were identified in the corresponding region on FLAIR images. Thus, FLAIR imaging was useful for showing dural abnormality associated with meningiomas without the needed for contrast medium.

Anatomical bases for minimizing sensory disturbance after arthroscopically-assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using medial hamstring tendons

The aim of this study was to improve surgical techniques for arthroscopically-assisted anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with minimal sensory disturbance in the infrapatellar and anterior lower leg regions. Thirteen patients with sensory disturbance were examined neurologically, and 51 lower limbs of 26 adult cadavers were examined anatomically to investigate the nerve branches supplying the regions. The region of sensory disturbance was supplied by branches of the medial femoral cutaneous nerve and the saphenous nerve, and the nerves showed a complementary distribution area. After detailed investigation of the positional relationships between the nerve branches and the skin incisions of the operative procedure, it was found that at least one branch of both nerves ran across the longitudinal skin incision (80%) for tendon harvest in the above-mentioned reconstruction. The complicated anatomic variations of the nerve branches preclude their absolute avoidance in any surgical incision, and a completely safe zone could not be found in the present study. However, an oblique incision for the tendon harvest rather than the typical longitudinal incision should be considered to minimize the sensory disturbance.