Hypocholesterolemic activity of alpha-amylase hydrolysate of bagasse alkaline extract in rats fed atherogenic diet

Cholesterol-lowering activity of enzymatic hydrolysate of bagasse alkaline extract was studied in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. The bagasse alkaline extract was found to be vulnerable to the enzymic attack of alpha-amylase. Thus the alkaline extract was degraded into two fractions: long-chain fraction (polysaccharides) and short-chain fraction (oligosaccharides). The long-chain fraction was active in lowering the serum cholesterol level while feeding the short-chain fraction resulted in a slightly elevated serum cholesterol level. The feeding by gavege of the long-chain fraction 12 h after the meal also was effective in lowering serum cholesterol concentration. These findings were compatible with the concept that the bagasse alkaline extract affect the cholesterol dynamics apart from input-output balance of cholesterol. Possible mechanisms responsible for the cholesterol-lowering activity of the extract were discussed.

Micropolarizer using anodized alumina with implanted metallic columns: theoretical analysis

A theoretical evaluation has been made of the optical loss of anodically oxidized alumina with implanted metallic columns. It has been shown that microcolumns arranged in the alumina film give rise to an optical loss that strongly depends on the direction of polarization. A loss difference between two polarizations, horizontal and vertical to the column axis, is larger than 10 dB/microm in the infrared. Therefore the metal implanted alumina is expected to be an efficient polarizer with large extinction ratio and low insertion loss.

[Gastric acid secretions and serum gastrin levels in patients with mucosal and submucosal gastric cancers]

Gastric acid secretions and serum gastrin levels have been examined in 128 patients with early gastric cancer and in 98 gastric ulcer patients. Gastric cancer patients were found to have lower acid secretions than did gastric ulcer patients, and those with elevated types of a differentiated adenocarcinoma had lower acid secretions than did those with depressed types of an undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. Gastric acid secretions in patients with both a gastric ulcer and cancer were found to decrease with aging. However, the serum gastrin levels were found to be decreased in patients with a gastric ulcer and to be increased in patients with a gastric cancer. Incidences of a differentiated adenocarcinoma increased with aging. From these observations, it has been speculated that the carcinogenesis of a differentiated adenocarcinoma may be related to increasing endogenous gastrin levels and decreasing gastric acid secretions. These results suggest that a continuous check of the serum gastrin levels might be a good marker for cancer detection and that gastrin antibodies might be useful for treatment.

[Three case reports of relapsing polychondritis and their immunopathological analysis]

Three cases of relapsing polychondritis are reported. They all complained of dyspnea, which derived from tracheal involvement. Other clinical manifestations were saddle nose (3 cases), painful swelling of ear (2 cases), arthralgia (1 case) ophthalmodynia (1 case). The pathological examination of biopsied cartilage of the pinnae showed loss of basophils with cellular infiltration, fibrosis and breakdown of the matrix. We also performed PAP (Peroxidase-Anti-Peroxidase) staining of biopsied cartilage, which showed the deposition of IgG, C3, C4 and fibrinogen. The results suggested that the pathogenesis of RP might be related to the autoimmune mechanism.

[Two case reports of septic shock due to Vibrio vulnificus with liver cirrhosis]

We have recently experienced a case of Vibrio vulnificus septicemia which occurred in a patient with hepatic cirrhosis, and as we were able to give early antibiotic treatment, the patient survived. We would like to report this case here together with another case experienced 2 years ago. Case 1 was a 58-year-old male who was attending our hospital as an outpatient for hepatic cirrhosis. At 5:30 pm on August 8, 1987, he consumed abalone and giant clam and at 9 pm complained of high fever with shaking chills. He was admitted to our department as an emergency case. Cefoperazone was administered resulting in a decline of fever on the following day. During the course of treatment he fell transiently into pre-DIC, but due mainly to the administration of antibiotics his condition was subsided. Case 2 was a 53-year-old male who was under medical care in our hospital for grave hepatic cirrhosis. On October 11, 1985, he consumed sushi and two days later suffered chills and pyrexia. A blood culture revealed Vibrio vulnificus. His condition improved transiently with administration of Cefazolin, but oliguria, hypotension and ascites occurred subsequently, and finally the patient died on the 22nd day.

[Effects of sex hormones on human PMN migration]

It is believed that gingivitis at puberty is exaggerated by alterations of the hormonal balance. We have suggested that estradiol promotes the gingivitis at puberty while progesterone reduces it (J. Hiroshima Univ. Dent. Soc. 19: 1987). But the mechanisms of these hormones which influence gingival inflammation are not known yet. Therefore, we hypothesized that one of the possible mechanisms of sex hormones on gingival inflammation is through their action on polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) function because PMNs play an important role in periodontal disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sex hormones on PMNs function, especially their migration in vitro. PMNs and plasma were obtained from heparinized peripheral blood of 23 healthy adults. PMNs were preincubated at 37 degrees C for 15 minutes with progesterone or 17 beta-estradiol at designated concentrations. After preincubation, PMNs migration was measured using 48-well chemotaxis micro-chamber with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) as chemoattractant. The levels of estradiol and progesterone in the plasma were determined using Direct Radioimmunoassay Kits and the correlation between sex hormone levels and PMNs migration was investigated. PMNs migration to 10(-6) M FMLP was enhanced significantly by progesterone at the concentrations of 200 ng/ml while it was reduced by estradiol at 0.4 ng/ml and 2.0 ng/ml. Random migration of PMNs was enhanced significantly by progesterone at 20 ng/ml while it was reduced by estradiol at 0.4 ng/ml. Significant positive correlation was found between progesterone level in plasma and the PMNs migration in vitro. Estradiol level in plasma did not have any correlation with the PMNs migration in vitro.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Temperature distribution along oversized hollow-core waveguides for infrared radiation

A new formalism has been established to describe the temperature distribution along hollow-core waveguides when high-powered CO(2) laser light is launched. Itistheoretically shown that the temperature decreases in an oscillatory manner along waveguides due to the interference effect of guided modes. Experimental results are also presented to confirm the theoretical predictions quantitatively.

Cytologic detection of virus-specific DNA by in situ hybridization in Syrian hamster embryo cells transformed by viral or combined chemical and viral treatment

A series of simian adenovirus 7 (SA7)-transformed Syrian hamster cell lines that had T antigen and produced tumors in neonatal hamsters were examined by radioautography in conjunction with in situ molecular hybridization to determine the extent to which the viral genome is integrated on specific chromosomes and the consequences of such integration on sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency. No consistent cytological or chromosomal localization of viral DNA in situ hybridization with viral complementary [3H]RNA was detected, even though all lines had an average of one or two viral genomes per cell by molecular hybridization. The SA7 DNA appears to be inserted randomly among the chromosomes and nuclei.

Losses and phase constant changes caused by bends in the general class of hollow waveguides for the infrared

It is shown that losses and phase constants in the general class of 2-D bent hollow waveguides are expressed by only one normalized parameter including the core width and the bending radius. Numerical analysis is made to obtain losses and phase constants, and simple approximate formulas are presented for several lower-order modes with reasonable accuracy.

Bent asymmetric dielectric slab waveguides: a detailed analysis

Analytic expressions for the field and propagation constants of the mode along a uniformly curved three-layered slab waveguide are presented in terms of the power series of the curvature. To compare the accuracy of approximate solutions, numerical analysis is carried out. New bending loss formulas are also derived which consider the field deformation and the change of the propagation constant. It is shown that they are very accurate over a wide range of normalized frequency.

Bending losses in hollow and dielectric tube leaky waveguides

A general method is presented of evaluating bending losses in hollow-core waveguides; analytic expressions are obtained for metallic hollow, dielectric hollow, and tube leaky waveguides on the basis of the 2-D slab waveguide model. Numerical examples are given for waveguides made of different kinds of metals, oxide, and dielectric materials at 10.6 microm. It is shown that the dielectric tube leaky waveguide can be bent with a small bending radius compared with a metallic hollow waveguide when the guide material is appropriately selected.

Pulse spreading in a single-mode optical fiber due to third-order dispersion: effect of optical source bandwidth

Pulse spreading in a single-mode optical fiber is discussed taking into account the third-order dispersion term of the waveguide when an optical source with a finite spectral width is modulated by a Gaussian-shaped pulse. Explicit forms for group velocity and pulse width are obtained taking into account both the optical source bandwidth and modulation bandwidth, and these are compared with those obtained by a simple theory. A condition is also made clear how small the second-order dispersion term has to be before the thirdorder dispersion term becomes important.

Increased integration of viral genome following chemical and viral treatment of hamster embryo cells

Treatment of hamster embryo cells with diverse classes of chemical carcinogens enhances transformation by a carcinogenic simian adenovirus, SA7. Virus transformed foci selected from plates pretreated with 3-methyl-cholanthrene (MCA), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) or 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and established as cell lines in culture, contained equivalent amounts of SA7 viral genome. However, hamster embryo cultures treated with MMS or nickel sulfate had increased amounts of SA7 DNA integrated into cellular DNA when examined 2--9 days after chemical treatment and viral inoculation. An increased uptake of SA7 DNA was demonstrated in hamster cells treated with MMS during DNA repair synthesis in cells retricted in scheduled DNA synthesis by amino acid deprivation; addition of virus after the repair period did not result in an increased integration of viral DNA. These data suggest that enhancement of viral oncogenesis by chemical carcinogens or mutagens may be related to the formation of additional attachment sites in cellular DNA for insertion of viral DNA, thereby increasing the probability of viral transformation.

Pulse spreading in a single-mode fiber due to third-order dispersion

Pulse spreading in a single-mode optical fiber is discussed taking into account the third-order dispersion term of the waveguide when the light source is modulated by a Gaussian pulse. A general expression for the pulse shape is analytically obtained, and an asymptotic approximation is used when the third-order dispersion term is small. It is also shown that the pulse width is no longer proportional to the guide length when the third-order dispersion term becomes large.

Reverse transcriptase from avian myeloblastosis virus

From lots of 20 to 30 g of avian myeloblastosis virus RNA-dependent DNA polymerase was obtained in preparations of purity greater than 95% by using a two-step column chromatographic procedure employing DEAE (DE 52) and carboxymethylcellulose (CM 52.). Yields of RNA-dependent DNA polymerase varied from approximately 20,000 to 35,000 U/g of virus. Specific activity of the enzyme was about 35,000 to 60,000 U/mg of protein. Free of detectable RNase activity, the product exhibited a molecular weight of about 160,000, an isoelectric point of 6.5, and approximately 2 mol of fatty acid per mol of enzyme.

Measurement of mode conversion coefficients and mode dependent losses in a multimode fiber

A new method for the simultaneous measurement of the loss and mode conversion coefficient in multimode fibers is proposed, which utilizes the differences of the mean transit time among modes. The principle is applied to a step-index fiber, and the mode conversion coefficient and mode dependent loss are obtained. A procedure to minimize the experimental errors is also discussed. In the experiment the mode conversion coefficient decreases gradually when the mode angle increases and increases rather quickly when the angle approaches the critical angle of the fiber.

Protein kinase from avian myeloblastosis virus

A protein kinase associated with purified virions of avian myeloblastosis BAI strain A was partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The transfer of phosphate catalyzed by this enzyme required a divalent metal ion and ATP as phosphate donor. GTP could not be substituted for ATP, and the reaction was unaffected by either cyclic AMP or beef-heart protein-kinase inhibitor. Of the virus and nonvirus proteins tested as phosphate acceptors, only acidic proteins were phosphorylated. In particular, purified preparations of reverse transcriptase from avian myeloblastosis virus did not accept phosphate. The enzyme is a basic protein (pI = 9.3), and, on the basis of molecular sieving through Sephadex G-200 and velocity sedimentation on glycerol gradient, the protein kinase has a molecular weight of 45,000.

Bending losses of dielectric slab optical waveguide with double or multiple claddings: theory

Bending-loss formulas of a multilayer planar optical waveguide are obtained on the basis of continuation of wave functions without solving the complicated eigenvalue equation. We then consider the bending losses of a doubly clad slab waveguide in which the core has the largest refractive index, and the inner cladding has the lowest. Bending losses are shown to be drastically reduced by inserting low-index inner claddings between the core and the outer cladding.