Laser ion source: a direct plasma injection scheme for two-beam type interdigital-H radio frequency quadrupole linac

We developed a laser ion source using a direct plasma injection scheme (DPIS) as an injection system for a two-beam type radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linac with an interdigital-H (IH) type cavity. The laser ion source in the DPIS is directly connected to the RFQ cavity without the low energy beam transport system. We achieved a high current C(2+) beam above 60 mA per beam channel from the ion source. The beam will be injected to the two-beam type IH-RFQ linac, and the linac will generate a beam current of approximately 44 mA per beam channel.

Protective effects of coffee-derived compounds on lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine induced acute liver injury in rats

OBJECTIVES

The protective effects of coffee-derived compounds on lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN) induced acute liver injury in rats were investigated.

METHODS

Wistar rats were orally administered saline (control) or one of the test compounds (caffeine, chlorogenic acid, trigonelline, nicotinic acid or eight pyrazinoic acids) at a dose of 100 mg/kg, respectively. This was followed by intraperitoneal injection with LPS (100 mug/kg)/D-GalN (250 mg/kg) 1 h after administration of the test compounds. Blood samples were collected up to 12 h after LPS/D-GalN injection, followed by determination of plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) levels.

KEY FINDINGS

Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were significantly increased after LPS/D-GalN-treatment, but were suppressed by pretreatment with caffeine (n = 5), nicotinic acid, non-substituted pyrazinoic acid or 5-methylpyrazinoic acid (n = 6, respectively) 12 h after LPS/D-GalN-treatment (P < 0.01, respectively). Moreover, the animals pretreated with these test compounds showed significantly higher survival rates (83-100%) compared with the control (23%). Only pretreatment with caffeine significantly suppressed the LPS/D-GalN induced elevation of plasma TNF-alpha levels 1 and 2 h after LPS/D-GalN-treatment (P < 0.01, respectively). Pretreatment with caffeine, nicotinic acid or non-substituted pyrazinoic acid activated the LPS/D-GalN induced elevation of plasma IL-10 levels at 1 and 2 h, although there were no statistically significant differences in IL-10 levels between control and nicotinic acid or non-substituted pyrazinoic acid treated rats.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that caffeine, nicotinic acid, non-substituted pyrazinoic acid and 5-methylpyrazinoic acid can protect against LPS/D-GalN induced acute liver injury, which may be mediated by the reduction of TNF-alpha production and/or increasing IL-10 production.

Protective effects of coffee-derived compounds on lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine induced acute liver injury in rats

OBJECTIVES

The protective effects of coffee-derived compounds on lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN) induced acute liver injury in rats were investigated.

METHODS

Wistar rats were orally administered saline (control) or one of the test compounds (caffeine, chlorogenic acid, trigonelline, nicotinic acid or eight pyrazinoic acids) at a dose of 100 mg/kg, respectively. This was followed by intraperitoneal injection with LPS (100 mug/kg)/D-GalN (250 mg/kg) 1 h after administration of the test compounds. Blood samples were collected up to 12 h after LPS/D-GalN injection, followed by determination of plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) levels.

KEY FINDINGS

Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were significantly increased after LPS/D-GalN-treatment, but were suppressed by pretreatment with caffeine (n = 5), nicotinic acid, non-substituted pyrazinoic acid or 5-methylpyrazinoic acid (n = 6, respectively) 12 h after LPS/D-GalN-treatment (P < 0.01, respectively). Moreover, the animals pretreated with these test compounds showed significantly higher survival rates (83-100%) compared with the control (23%). Only pretreatment with caffeine significantly suppressed the LPS/D-GalN induced elevation of plasma TNF-alpha levels 1 and 2 h after LPS/D-GalN-treatment (P < 0.01, respectively). Pretreatment with caffeine, nicotinic acid or non-substituted pyrazinoic acid activated the LPS/D-GalN induced elevation of plasma IL-10 levels at 1 and 2 h, although there were no statistically significant differences in IL-10 levels between control and nicotinic acid or non-substituted pyrazinoic acid treated rats.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that caffeine, nicotinic acid, non-substituted pyrazinoic acid and 5-methylpyrazinoic acid can protect against LPS/D-GalN induced acute liver injury, which may be mediated by the reduction of TNF-alpha production and/or increasing IL-10 production.

A new behaviour of ac losses in superconducting Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8) single crystals

A new ac loss behaviour is observed in the superconducting state of Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8) single crystals using a novel technique of measuring dissipation at radio frequencies. It is found that the ac loss in the superconducting state is larger than that in the normal state. This counter-intuitive result is explained in terms of the cumulative effect of repetitive decoupling of intrinsic Josephson junctions in the crystals and analysed in the framework of Ambegaokar-Baratoff theory. The ac losses are studied as a function of temperature, rf amplitude and magnetic field applied at different orientations. A peak in ac losses is observed in the superconducting state along the temperature scale. The amplitude of the peak decreases and shifts towards lower temperature with increasing field and also when the field orientation with respect to the c axis of the crystal changes from the perpendicular to parallel direction. The origin of the peak and its behaviour are discussed in the context of coupling energy of Josephson junctions present in the sample. In the presence of a magnetic field another peak in ac losses arises at temperatures close to T(c), which is associated with the Lorentz-force-driven motion of vortices.

Suppressive potencies of calcineurin inhibitors against the mitogen-induced blastogenesis of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells of myasthenia gravis patients

The calcineurin inhibitors, tacrolimus and ciclosporin, are two useful immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG), for patients who have low responses to glucocorticoids. We have studied the suppressive potencies of tacrolimus and ciclosporin on concanavalin A-induced blastogenesis of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from 38 MG patients and 26 healthy volunteers. Differences in the IC50 values of the two calcineurin inhibitors between the patients and the healthy subjects were evaluated. The median (range) IC50 values for tacrolimus and ciclosporin on the blastogenesis of PBMCs of MG patients were 0.06 (0.001-100) and 0.41 (0.09-83.0) ng mL(-1), respectively. In contrast, the median (range) IC50 values of tacrolimus and ciclosporin on healthy PBMCs were 0.16 (0.001-0.33) and 5.59 (1.4-31.3), respectively, and thus ciclosporin potencies against PBMCs of MG patients were significantly higher than those against PBMCs of healthy subjects (P < 0.0001). The differences in tacrolimus IC50 values between the patients and healthy subjects were not significant. There was a correlation between ciclosporin IC50 values against the blastogenesis of PBMCs of MG patients and the duration of the disease (r = 0.35, P = 0.049). A significant correlation between the IC50 values of ciclosporin and those of prednisolone against the blastogenesis of PBMCs of MG patients was also observed (r = 0.56, P = 0.003). Furthermore, the ciclosporin IC50 values significantly correlated with the periods of glucocorticoid administration for MG treatment (r = 0.42, P = 0.038). Such correlations were not observed with the tacrolimus IC50 values. These results suggested that glucocorticoid administration had an influence on PBMC response to the suppressive efficacy of ciclosporin in MG.

Nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling in the local circuit of the cricket abdominal nervous system

The distribution of potential nitric oxide (NO) donor neurons and NO-responsive target neurons was revealed in the terminal abdominal ganglion (TAG) of the cricket. The expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the nervous system was examined by Western blotting using universal nitric oxide synthase (uNOS) antibody that gave about a 130 kDa protein band. Immunohistochemistry using the uNOS antibody detected neurons whose cell bodies are located at the lateral region of the TAG. These neurons expanded their neuronal branches into the dorsal-median region or the dorsal-lateral region of the TAG. NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry was performed to confirm the distribution of NOS-containing neurons. The distributions of cell bodies and stained neuronal branches were similar to those revealed by uNOS immunohistochemistry. NO-induced cGMP immunohistochemistry was performed to reveal NO-responsive target neurons. Most of the cell bodies stained by immunohistochemistry appeared at the dorsal side of the TAG. At the dorsal-median region, some unpaired neuronal cell bodies were strongly stained. Some efferent neurons whose axon innervate into each nerve root were strongly stained. The generation of NO in the TAG was detected by NO electrode. We found that NO is generally produced to maintain a basal concentration of 70 nM. Hemoglobin scavenged released NO from the ganglion. The concentration of NO was partly recovered when hemoglobin was replaced by normal saline. Application of 10 microM L-arginine that is a substrate of NOS increased NO release by approximately 10 nM. Furthermore, an excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) also increased NO generation by approximately 40-50 nM in concentration in addition to the basal level of 70 nM. Optical imaging with fluorescent NO-indicator demonstrated that ACh-induced enhancement of NO release was transiently observed in the outer-edge region of TAG, where cell bodies of NOS-immunoreactive neurons were located. These results suggest that ACh accelerates NO production via neuronal events activated by ACh in the TAG.

[Subdural hematoma following cardiac surgery]

We report 3 cases of subdural hematoma following open heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. In 2 patients, emergency removal and drainage of a subdural hematoma was performed by neurosurgeons, and conservative management was performed in the remaining one. All patients belonged to a high risk group of bleeding due to anticoagulation therapy, and they had no episode of head trauma. Subdural hematomas may have been due to rapid alterations in cerebral volume, leading to a tearing of the dural bridging veins under cardiopulmonary bypass. Although early diagnosis and prompt treatment is very important, it is often difficult to examine neurological findings after cardiac surgery. We consider that patients who need long-term sedation under anticoagulation therapy must have their neurological status checked at least once in a few days.

[On schizophrenic passivity]

Using a case history this paper attempts to define a certain temporal orientation peculiar to schizophrenic passivity. In agreement with Straus, we divide the present into two modes, one before confirmation of an action and one after. The former mode is termed the immediate present, and the latter is the nonimmediate present. Due to the requirement of recording procedure in neuroscience, it usually is unable to deal with questions of the immediate present. This leads to a"discovery" that cerebral initiation of a voluntary act arises prior to our conscious awareness of the intention to act. Such a belated awareness could be also found in"made" actions of schizophrenia, because a patient becomes aware of alien control only after a movement of his body has been caused by external agencies. With regard to this resemblance schizophrenic passivity may be conceived as a disturbance of anchorage in the immediate present. Taking account of an anthropological concept of"life" we elucidate the relationship of the self to the immediate present.

Alternaria brassicae produces a host-specific protein toxin from germinating spores on host leaves

Spore suspensions of Alternaria brassicae, the causal agent of gray leaf spot in Brassica plants, were incubated on the leaves of cabbage (B. oleracea) and spore germination fluid (SGF) was collected after 48 h. A high molecular weight (HMW) fraction (>10 kDa) was separated from the SGF by ultrafiltration. In a detached leaf assay, the HMW fraction induced visible symptoms only on host leaves and the toxicity was lost by treatment with proteinase K or heat at 60 degrees C for 15 min, indicating the presence of host-specific protein toxin(s). A protein toxin in the HMW fraction was purified by several chromatography steps. The toxin induced water-soaked symptoms followed by chlorosis at concentrations of 0.5 to 1 microg/ml on host leaves, but not on nonhost leaves even at 50 microg/ml. The toxin also had infection-inducing activity when added to spore suspension of a nonpathogenic isolate of A. alternata, causing symptoms similar to the infection of A. brassicae only on host leaves. These results indicate that a new host-specific protein toxin named ABR-toxin is released from germinating spores of A. brassicae on host leaves. ABR-toxin migrated as a protein of 27.5 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point of ABR-toxin was estimated to be approximately 7.0 and 21 N-terminal amino acid residues were sequenced.

[Pharmacological bases of coffee nutrients for diabetes prevention]

With an increasing number of studies describing the negative correlation of coffee consumption and the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, we were compelled to elucidate the nutrients which bring pharmacological effects on risk reduction for diabetes. In this review, the author's interest is focused on chlorogenic and caffeic acids derived from lightly roasted coffee beans, as well as nicotinic acid, volatile Maillard reaction products (vMRPs), and another structurally unknown compound contained in heavily roasted beans. Caffeine is a common compound in both lightly and heavily roasted beans and its anti-inflammatory effects on degenerative diseases such as diabetes mellitus has been reevaluated recently. The prophylactic effects of coffee on diabetes involve pleiotropy of plural components in accordance to the degree of the roasting. A new concept of nutritional blended coffee may be important to optimize the prophylactic effects of coffee on lowering the risk factors of diabetes and delaying the progress of diabetes complications as well.

Comparative study of the effects of betamethasone butyrate propionate, vitamin D3 derivatives, and cyclosporine on human lymphocyte-proliferation stimulated with a hemolytic streptococci-derived superantigen

Bacterial infection might influence the clinical response of patients with immunological disorders including psoriasis to the therapeutic efficacies of immunosuppressive drugs, but few studies have been carried out to investigate the implication of bacterial superantigens. We evaluated the suppressive efficacies of betamethasone butyrate propionate, vitamin D3 derivatives, and cyclosporine against concanavalin A- or superantigen-induced proliferation of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells obtained from 18 healthy subjects. In vitro drug concentrations giving 50% inhibition (IC50s) of peripheral-blood mononuclear cell-proliferation stimulated with concanavalin A or streptococcal pyrogenic enterotoxin A were estimated. Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, interleukin-2, -4, -5, or -10, in a peripheral-blood mononuclear cell-culture medium were measured with beads-array procedures. The median (range) IC50 value for betamethasone butyrate propionate evaluated in the streptococcal pyrogenic enterotoxin A-stimulated peripheral-blood mononuclear cells was 291.6 (0.001-1171.5) ng/ml, which was significantly higher than the value 0.072 (0.01-222.5) ng/ml found in concanavalin A-stimulated peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (P=0.0245). However, the median (range) IC50 value for calcipotriol in the streptococcal pyrogenic enterotoxin A-stimulated peripheral-blood mononuclear cells was 0.3 (0.24-1357.4) ng/ml, which was significantly lower than the value 128.6 (0.1-776.9) ng/ml found in concanavalin A-stimulated peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (P=0.0323). The IC50 value for cyclosporine was not significantly different between the concanavalin A- and streptococcal pyrogenic enterotoxin A-stimulated PBMCs. Concentration for none of the cytokines was significantly different between concanavalin A- and streptococcal pyrogenic enterotoxin A-stimulated peripheral-blood mononuclear cell cultures. The effects of betamethasone butyrate propionate to suppress these cytokine productions were rather stronger than those of calcipotriol. Streptococcal pyrogenic enterotoxin A induced by hemolytic streptococci colonization is suggested to attenuate the therapeutic efficacy of betamethasone butyrate propionate. While the mechanistic background of calcipotriol to suppress streptococcal pyrogenic enterotoxin A-induced peripheral-blood mononuclear cell-proliferation remains to be elucidated, vitamin D3 derivatives appears to be effective in suppressing anomalistic immunity in patients having hemolytic streptococci colonization.

A three-dimensional quantitative analysis of carpal deformity in rheumatoid wrists

We have measured the three-dimensional patterns of carpal deformity in 20 wrists in 20 rheumatoid patients in which the carpal bones were shifted ulnarwards on plain radiography. Three-dimensional bone models of the carpus and radius were created by computerised tomography with the wrist in the neutral position. The location of the centroids and rotational angle of each carpal bone relative to the radius were calculated and compared with those of ten normal wrists. In the radiocarpal joint, the proximal row was flexed and the centroids of all carpal bones translocated in an ulnar, proximal and volar direction with loss of congruity. In the midcarpal joint, the distal row was extended and congruity generally well preserved. These findings may facilitate more positive use of radiocarpal fusion alone for the deformed rheumatoid wrist.