Detection of Japanese yam mosaic virus by RT-LAMP

Arapid and simple procedure is described to detect the genomic RNA molecule of Japanese yam mosaic potyvirus (JYMV). This method, named RT-LAMP, allows direct detection of RNA from infected plants without careful RNA extraction, rapid thermal cycling and gel electrophoresis. RT-LAMP was successfully applied to leaves, propagules and roots of Japanese yam infected with JYMV. One of the characteristics of the RT-LAMP method is its ability to synthesize an extremely large amount of DNA. Accordingly, a large amount of by-product, pyrophospate ion, is produced yielding a white precipitate of magnesium pyrophosphate in the reaction mixture. The presence or absence of this white precipitate allows easy detection of the amplification of JYMV genomic RNA without gel electrophoresis.

Intralobar pulmonary sequestration supplied by multiple anomalous arteries: report of a case

Pulmonary sequestration is abnormal pulmonary tissue that has separated from the normal pulmonary parenchyma, is not connected to the tracheobronchial tree, and is supplied by a systemic artery. We describe herein a case of intralobar pulmonary sequestration found in a 66-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital with hemoptysis, coughing, and fever. Angiography showed that the branches of the 11th left intercostal artery and a bronchial artery had formed a hypervascular area in the lower part of the left lung. Bronchial artery embolization and subsequent embolization of the left 11th intercostal artery were performed in an attempt to control the recurrent hemoptysis. These treatments were unsuccessful, and he was transferred to our department of surgery after coughing up about 400 ml of fresh blood. A left lower lobectomy was performed. The resected lung contained a large feeding artery, some acute and partly organizing inflammatory lesions within collapsed lung parenchyma, and massive intra-alveolar hemorrhage in the peripheral area. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged 22 days after his operation.

Spontaneous nontraumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta: report of a case

Spontaneous nontraumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta is a very rare, life-threatening condition for which emergency diagnostic and therapeutic measures are indicated. The patient reported herein suffered a spontaneous rupture of the thoracic descending aorta through an atheromatous plaque without aneurysmal formation. When acute intrapericardial, mediastinal, or intrapleural bleeding develops without any evidence of aortic aneurysm or dissection, the possibility of spontaneous rupture of the thoracic aorta should be considered in the differential diagnosis, and appropriate emergency surgery may be life-saving.

Serial pulsed Doppler assessment of early left ventricular output in critically ill very low-birth-weight infants

Serial, detailed assessments of left ventricular output (LVO) in critically ill very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants of four different gestational ages were performed in the early neonatal period using pulsed Doppler echocardiography. Initially, the LVO values of all groups at 3 hours of age were relatively high. However, LVO dropped transiently at 12 hours and then increased again after 24 hours reaching a steady level of 160-180 ml/kg/min after 48 hours of age. In all four groups, heart rate also decreased significantly at 12 hours of age but did not increase at 24 hours of age. Both the left ventricular stroke volume and the left ventricular ejection fraction in all groups exhibited similar longitudinal changes to those observed for LVO. The LVO values observed in the lower gestational age group were significantly lower than those observed in the upper gestational group before 24 hours of age. Both patent ductus arteriosus and mechanical ventilation did not significantly influence the changes in LVO of VLBW infants at least before 36 hours of age. Our results suggest that in the early neonatal period, there are drastic changes in LVO of VLBW infants that reflect not only changes in heart rate but also changes in myocardial contractility.

The nature of facilitation of leg muscle motor evoked potentials by knee flexion

Knee flexion is a movement that initiates rising from a sitting position, which is a common therapeutic exercise for patients unable to ambulate. We investigated how voluntary isometric biceps femoris contraction affects motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude following transcranial magnetic stimulation, background electromyographic (EMG) amplitude, and H-reflex amplitude in ipsilateral leg muscles. Subjects were seated on the edge of a bed with their hips and knees flexed at 90 degrees, and the soles of their feet on the floor. MEP and background EMG were recorded from the tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SOL), and H reflexes from SOL of 30 volunteers. Background EMG and MEP also were recorded while voluntarily contracting tested muscles. Biceps femoris contraction increased MEP and background EMG for TA and SOL (p < 0.01). Maximal background EMG and MEP increased with increasing voluntary contraction of tested muscles (p < 0.005). Regression slope differed little between TA and SOL. Biceps femoris contraction facilitated MEP comparably for TA and SOL, while SOL background EMG exceeded that of TA (p < 0.02). The relationship between MEP facilitation and background EMG changed to favor more efficient facilitation in TA (p < 0.05), but not SOL (p > 0.1). MEP recorded from TA and SOL with subthreshold stimuli using needle electrodes were more frequent with biceps femoris contraction (p < 0.04). H-reflex amplitude of SOL decreased during biceps femoris contraction (p < 0.001). We concluded that biceps femoris contraction affects leg muscle MEP, background EMG, and H reflexes differently.

[Total arch replacement using prior selective cerebral perfusion]

Prior selective cerebral perfusion is the method whereby selective cerebral perfusion and systemic perfusion start almost simultaneously, and the arch vessels are clamped. Cerebral circulation is isolated from systemic circulation to avoid cerebral embolization owing to detachment of atherosclerotic material from the aorta, caused by the "sandblasting" effect of high-velocity jets of blood exiting the aortic canula. Twenty-seven consecutive patients underwent total arch replacement for degenerative aortic arch aneurysm using prior selective cerebral perfusion from 1992 to 2001. Surgical death (within 1 month after operation) was 2 cases (7.4%), in-hospital death was 5 cases (18.5%). Systemic circulatory arrest time is almost equal to the time which distal anastomosis takes. The time was 81.4 +/- 24.3 minutes. Selective cerebral perfusion time was 194.9 +/- 30.9 minutes. Extracorporeal circulation time was 280.6 +/- 55.3 minutes. The time for emergence from anesthesia was 6.0 +/- 2.7 hours. Permanent neurologic dysfunction which was thought to occurred within 48 hours after surgery was noted in 1 case (3.7%). Postoperative survival at 8 years was 73.3%. There was 1 arch aneurismal related accident. Prior selective cerebral perfusion may be useful for avoiding cerebral embolization.

Kinematic analysis of mobile-bearing and fixed-bearing knee prostheses by simulation

The object of the study was to model fixed-bearing knee prostheses (FBKs) and mobile-bearing knee prostheses (MBKs) during weight-bearing deep knee bends and to analyse and compare the kinematics of the two prosthesis types. To obtain quantitative data, an overall model of a leg was constructed, and this included a three-dimensional model of the tibiofemoral joint and simplified two-dimensional models of the ankle and patellofemoral joint. The simulated movement pattern of the tibiofemoral contact point in the FBK was analysed to show the posterior contact position on the tibia at full extension and anterior translation as the knee was flexed from 30 degrees to 90 degrees. The simulated maximum displacements of the medial and lateral contact positions of the FBK were 5.6 and 6.2 mm, respectively. These results were almost in agreement with experimental studies. Compared with the FBK, the movement pattern of the tibiofemoral contact point in the MBK for the anterior contact position on the tibia at full extension and posterior translation, with respect to the tibia as the knee was flexed, gave results closer to those of the normal knee. The simulated displacements of the medial and lateral contact positions of the MBK with respect to the tibia were 9.0 and 13.0 mm from full extension to 90 degrees flexion, respectively. The difference in the kinematic results between the FBK and the MBK could be accounted for by movement of the insert and the larger force of the posterior cruciate ligament on the MBK.

Identification and characterization of CaMKP-N, nuclear calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase

Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (CaMKP) dephosphorylates and concomitantly deactivates multifunctional Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs), such as CaMKI, CaMKII, and CaMKIV. In the present study, a nuclear CaMKP-related protein, CaMKP-N, was identified. This protein consisted of 757 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular weight of 84,176. Recombinant CaMKP-N dephosphorylated CaMKIV. The activity of CaMKP-N requires Mn(2+) ions and is stimulated by polycations. Transiently expressed CaMKP-N in COS-7 cells was localized in the nucleus. This finding together with previous reports regarding localization of CaMKs indicates that CaMKP-N dephosphorylates CaMKIV and nuclear CaMKII, whereas CaMKP dephosphorylates CaMKI and cytosolic CaMKII.

[Behavior of drinking alcoholic beverages among junior and senior high school students in the area covered with Wakkanai Health Center of Hokkaido, Japan]

We conducted a survey on behavior of drinking alcoholic beverages among students in November, 2000 in the area covered with Wakkanai Health Center of Hokkaido, Japan. A questionnaire was completed by 743 junior high school students (88.9% of the study subjects) and 791 senior high school students (76.3% of the study subjects). As a result, the proportion of the students who drank more than once per month was higher in this area than in other places of Japan. For example, 90.2% and 87.9% in the male and female senior high school students of the third grade drank more than once per month. Their frequent drinking was not related to their early onset of drinking. They often drank alone or only with their friends. Frequent drinkers among the students tended to get alcohol beverages from various roots, including face-to-face salespersons in package stores, convenience stores, or bars. Frequent drinkers among the students tended to have more experienced the problems associated with drinking such as blackout and vomiting. A large proportion of the students in this area had relatively poor knowledge about harmfulness of drinking. It has been suggested that people in this area are permissive to drinking among youngsters, as compared to other places in Japan. We think that it is indispensable to communicate or educate harmfulness of drinking during adolescence for students as well as for their parents, especially, in this area.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors in smooth muscle cells

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) has been typically considered to be an endothelial-specific growth factor. However, it was recently demonstrated that VEGF can interact with non endothelial cells. In this study, we tested whether vascular smooth muscles cells (VSMCs) can express VEGF receptors, such as flk-1, flt-1, and neuropilin (NP)-1, and respond to VEGF in vitro. In cultured VSMCs, flk-1 and flt-1 expression was inversely related to cell density. The expression of flk-1 was down-regulated with increasing passage numbers. However, NP-1 levels were not affected by cell density or passage numbers. Flk-1, Flt-1, and NP-1 protein levels were confirmed by Western Blotting. Although the functional mature form of Flk-1 protein is expressed at low levels in VSMCs, phosphorylation of Flk-1 following VEGF(165) stimulation was still observed. SMCs migrated significantly in response to VEGF(165) and VEGF-E, whereas Placenta Growth Factor (PlGF) induced migration only at higher concentrations. Since VEGF-E is a specific activator of flk-1 while PlGF specifically activates only flt-1, SMC migration induced by VEGF(165) is likely to be mediated primarily through the flk-1 receptor. VSMCs did not significantly proliferate in response to VEGF(165), PlGF, and VEGF-E. In conclusion, our studies demonstrate the presence of VEGF receptors on VSMCs that are functional. These studies also indicate that in vivo, VEGF may play a role in modulating the response of VSMCs.

Design and synthesis of a highly selective EP4-receptor agonist. Part 1: 3,7-dithiaPG derivatives with high selectivity

A series of 3,7-dithiaPGE(1) analogues 3, 4, 11, 16 and 19 were identified as highly selective EP4-receptor agonists starting from the chemical modification of 7-thiaPGE(1) analogue 1. EP4-receptor selectivity and agonist activity were maximized in 3 and 4.

Design and synthesis of a highly selective EP2-receptor agonist

EP2-receptor selective agonist 3 was identified by the structural hybridization of butaprost 1a and PGE(2) 2a. Based on this information, a chemically more stabilized 4 was discovered as another highly selective EP2-receptor agonist, iv administration of which to anesthetized rats suppressed uterine motility, while PGE(2) 2a stimulated uterine motility.

Prolonged suppression of brain nitric oxide synthase activity by 7-nitroindazole protects against cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury in neonatal rat

Nitric oxide mediates glutamate-induced excitotoxicity associated with cerebral hypoxia-ischemia through production in the brain by several isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). We examined the influence of the selective neuronal NOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), on brain NOS activity and its neuroprotective effects against cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury in the postnatal day (PND) 7 rat. In the first set of experiments, 7-NI (50 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) transiently inhibited NOS activity to 40% below the vehicle control level at 1 h after injection (P<0.001, analysis of variance (ANOVA)). In contrast, 7-NI (100 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited NOS activity to 56% below the control level at 1 h with prolonged suppression of NOS activity at 3, 6, 9 and 12 h after injection. Two-factor ANOVA revealed an overall effect on NOS activity of 7-NI treatment (P<0.001) and time after injection (P<0.001). In the second set of experiments, 7-NI (50, 100 mg/kg) or an equal volume of vehicle was administered after unilateral carotid artery ligation, but 30 min before hypoxia in PND 7 rats. 7-NI (100 mg/kg) significantly protected against cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury (100 mg/kg of 7-NI, 1.7+/-1.0% damage; control, 8.7+/-1.6%,P<0.05). 7-NI administered 15 min after cerebral hypoxia-ischemia was not neuroprotective. The data suggest that the protective effect of 7-NI is dose dependent, and is related to the duration of suppressed NOS activity.

[Immunohistochemical study of KL-6 in pulmonary tuberculosis]

KL-6 is a glycoprotein antigen derived from the cell line of human lung adenocarcinoma. Although KL-6 is known to be a serum marker of interstitial pneumonia, elevated KL-6 serum levels have also been reported in some cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. To elucidate the mechanism of KL-6 elevation in pulmonary tuberculosis, we stained pulmonary tissue samples from five clinical cases for immunohistochemical analyses. In the two cases showing productive changes, KL-6 immunoreactivity was localized in the area of type II pneumocytes showing strong interstitial changes surrounding caseous necrosis. In the two cases showing exudative changes, KL-6 immunoreaction was observed not only to surround caseous necrosis but also to appear within it, particularly in the remaining alveolar lumen septa. On the other hand, the one patient with old pulmonary tuberculosis that showed slight interstitial changes presented with weak KL-6 immunoreactivity on the surface of the alveolar lumen surrounding the tuberculotic region. These results suggest that serum elevation of KL-6 in pulmonary tuberculosis originates from the proliferation of type II pneumocytes along with interstitial changes that surround the tuberculous region.

Neurobiology of hypoxic-ischemic injury in the developing brain

Hypoxic ischemia is a common cause of damage to the fetal and neonatal brain. Although systemic and cerebrovascular physiologic factors play an important role in the initial phases of hypoxic-ischemic injuries, the intrinsic vulnerability of specific cell types and systems in the developing brain may be more important in determining the final pattern of damage and functional disability. Excitotoxicity, a term applied to the death of neurons and certain other cells caused by overstimulation of excitatory, mainly glutamate, neurotransmitter receptors, plays a critical role in these processes. Selected neuronal circuits as well as certain populations of glia such as immature periventricular oligodendroglia may die from excitotoxicity triggered by hypoxic ischemia. These patterns of neuropathologic vulnerability are associated with clinical syndromes of neurologic disability such as the extrapyramidal and spastic diplegia forms of cerebral palsy. The cascade of biochemical and histopathologic events triggered by hypoxic ischemia can extend for days to weeks after the insult is triggered, creating the potential for therapeutic interventions.

Characteristics of somatosensory feedback in postural control during standing

In the present study, the function of the somatosensory feedback system in postural control was investigated. For the sake of simplicity, the present study considered only balancing in the anteroposterior direction using the ankle strategy, in which the ankle moment is mainly used to maintain balance. To suppress the vestibular and visual feedback paths, a subject stood on a force-measuring platform with a fixed back support. Because the subject's body was immovable under these conditions, the subject controlled a computer model that simulated the subject's load at the ankles. Information about the sway angle of the model was fed through the somatosensory feedback path. Frequency response functions of the ankle moment in response to the sway angle were calculated. The experimental results suggest that the human somatosensory feedback system has derivative characteristics and, consequently, can maintain an upright posture by itself. The results were compared with those of previous studies on vestibular and visual feedback systems. The comparison reveals that subject-to-subject variance in the somatosensory system is significantly smaller than that in the other systems. This may indicate that the somatosensory feedback is the most automatic of the systems and plays a dominant role when a subject maintains an upright posture using the ankle strategy.

Substrate specificity of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase: kinetic studies using synthetic phosphopeptides as model substrates

Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (CaMKPase) dephosphorylates and regulates multifunctional Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases. In order to elucidate the mechanism of substrate recognition by CaMKPase, we chemically synthesized a variety of phosphopeptide analogs and carried out kinetic analysis using them as CaMKPase substrates. This is the first report using systematically synthesized phosphopeptides as substrates for kinetic studies on substrate specificities of protein Ser/Thr phosphatases. CaMKPase was shown to be a protein Ser/Thr phosphatase having a strong preference for a phospho-Thr residue. A Pro residue adjacent to the dephosphorylation site on the C-terminal side and acidic clusters around the dephosphorylation site had detrimental effects on dephosphorylation by CaMKPase. Deletion analysis of a model substrate peptide revealed that the minimal length of the substrate peptide was only 2 to 3 amino acid residues including the dephosphorylation site. The residues on the C-terminal side of the dephosphorylation site were not essential for dephosphorylation, whereas the residue adjacent to the dephosphorylation site on the N-terminal side was essential. Ala-scanning analysis suggested that CaMKPase did not recognize a specific motif around the dephosphorylation site. Myosin light chain phosphorylated by protein kinase C and Erk2 phosphorylated by MEK1 were poor substrates for CaMKPase, while a synthetic phosphopeptide corresponding to the sequence around the phosphorylation site of the former was not dephosphorylated by CaMKPase but that of the latter was fairly good substrate. These data suggest that substrate specificity of CaMKPase is determined by higher-order structure of the substrate protein rather than by the primary structure around its dephosphorylation site. Use of phosphopeptide substrates also revealed that poly-L-lysine, an activator for CaMKPase, activated the enzyme mainly through increase in the V(max) values.

Light-use properties in two sun-adapted shrubs with contrasting canopy structures

We investigated the impact of high solar irradiance and elevated temperature on carbon gain by two, co-occurring, sun-adapted, dwarf shrub species, Planchonella obovata var. dubia (Koidz.) Hatusima and Hibiscus glaber Matsumura, growing on sun-exposed ridges in the Bonin Islands, in the subtropical Pacific Ocean. Planchonella had steeply inclined, longer lived, sclerophyllous leaves, whereas Hibiscus has thinner, more horizontally oriented, and shorter lived leaves. We tested the hypothesis that leaf physiological tolerance to high light is lower in Planchonella than in Hibiscus. Under relatively high irradiances (photosynthetic photon flux density, PPFD, > 500 micromol m(-2) s(-1)), net photosynthetic rate (P(n)) was about 8.0 and 0.4 micromol m(-2) s(-1) in mature and young leaves of Planchonella, and about 12.4 and 10.3 micromol m(-2) s(-1) in mature and young leaves of Hibiscus, respectively. Both P(n) and photosystem II (PSII) quantum yield at a given PPFD were lower in Planchonella than in Hibiscus, whereas non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) at a given PPFD was higher in Planchonella. When leaf discs were exposed to high light (1900 micromol m(-2) s(-1) PPFD) at 37, 40 or 43 degrees C for 3 h, the recovery of PSII quantum yield (F(v)/F(m)) in the following 60-min dark period was slower in Planchonella than in Hibiscus, indicating that the ability of PSII to tolerate high light and high temperature was less in Planchonella than in Hibiscus. We postulate that there is a linkage between leaf display and leaf photochemical ability in sun-adapted shrub species.

Delayed increase in neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in thalamus and other brain regions after hypoxic-ischemic injury in neonatal rats

We examined the response of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-containing CNS neurons in rats exposed to a unilateral hypoxic-ischemic insult at 7 days of age. Animals were sacrificed at several time points after the injury, up to and including 7 days (Postnatal Day 14). Brain regions ipsilateral to the injury (including cerebral cortex, caudate-putamen, and thalamus) exhibited delayed, focal increases in nNOS immunoreactivity. The increase in nNOS immunoreactive fiber staining was prominent in areas adjacent to severe neuronal damage, especially in the cortex and the thalamus, regions that are also heavily and focally injured in term human neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. In cerebral cortex, these increases occurred despite modest declines in nNOS catalytic activity and protein levels. Proliferation of surviving nNOS immunoreactive fibers highlights regions of selective vulnerability to hypoxic-ischemic insult in the neonatal brain and may also contribute to plasticity of neuronal circuitry during recovery.

Analysis of pharyngeal swallowing in healthy subjects

The Biomechanics of pharyngeal swallowing was investigated by videofluorography in 10 healthy subjects (9 men and 1 woman) during swallowing of 3 ml of fluid contrast medium and a small spoonful of jelly contrast medium. The items measured were the sequential movement of the hyoid bone: hyoid bone angle; epiglottis angle: antero-posterior diameters of the thyroid cartilage, larynx, hypopharynx, and pharyngoesophageal junction: and transport time of the swallowed bolus. It was concluded that the movement of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage and the angle of the epiglottis were important for evaluation of pharyngeal swallowing, and that the antero-posterior and vertical movement of the hyoid bone showed a significant relationship to transport time of the swallowed bolus as far as the esophagus, which was within 400 msec on average.

Oncostatin M promotes biphasic tissue factor expression in smooth muscle cells: evidence for Erk-1/2 activation

Tissue factor (TF), a transmembrane glycoprotein, initiates the extrinsic coagulation cascade. TF is known to play a major role in mediating thrombosis and thrombotic episodes associated with the progression of atherosclerosis. Macrophages at inflammatory sites, such as atherosclerotic lesions, release numerous cytokines that are capable of modulating TF expression. This study examined the role of oncostatin M (OSM), a macrophage/ T-lymphocyte-restricted cytokine, in the expression of TF in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). It is reported here that OSM stimulated a biphasic and sustained pattern of TF messenger RNA (mRNA). The effect of OSM on TF mRNA expression was regulated at the transcriptional level as determined by nuclear run-offs and transient transfection of a TF promoter-reporter gene construct. OSM-induced TF expression was regulated primarily by the transcription factor NF-kappaB. Activation of NF-kappaB by OSM did not require IkappaB-alpha degradation. Inhibition of MEK activity by U0126 prevented OSM-induced TF expression by suppressing NF-kappaB DNA binding activity as determined by gel-shift analysis. Further, inhibition of Erk-1/2 protein by antisense treatment resulted in suppression of TF mRNA expression, indicating a role for Erk-1/2 in modulating NF-kappaB DNA binding activity. These studies suggest that the induced expression of TF by OSM is primarily through the activation of NF-kappaB and that activation of NF-kappaB is regulated in part by the MEK/Erk-1/2 signal transduction pathway. This study indicates that OSM may play a key role in promoting TF expression in SMCs within atherosclerotic lesions.

Memory rehabilitation of an amnesic patient following limbic encephalitis and a role of family members: a case report

We describe problems in daily living that arose in a 46-year-old man with severe amnesia following limbic encephalitis. Amnesic symptoms changed from stage I (difficulty in memory retention) to stage II (loss of continuity of memory) and finally to stage III (paramnesia and confused sequence of events), significantly affecting his ability to function. Questionnaire response assessment, directly observed behavior, neuropsychological testing, and especially interviewing permitted qualitative assessment of clinical changes, promoted patient insight into the memory disturbance, and enhanced motivation to use a memory notebook. Additionally, the family gained a better understanding of the disorder, made appropriate environmental modifications, and provided other necessary assistance. Episodic memory improved, and the memory notebook served as an effective compensatory tool. However, disturbance in prospective memory did not improve, and was not compensated adequately by use of the notebook. Anxiety and significant impairment of everyday functioning resulted. Long-term supportive intervention at home was necessary. The patient's wife in particular needed to make environmental adjustments and aid him in use of the notebook.