Search

Using stoichiometric hydrogen-oxygen and propane-oxygen mixtures, the detonation was made spherically converge toward the center of the detonation chamber, whose cross section was made conical. The scratch was observed at the center. The depth and the width of the deepest point of the scratch were twenty and several μm and 0.1 mm, respectively.

We noted a new clinical syndrome with prominent cerebellar symptoms in apartment building residents in Kamisu, Japan. The well that provided drinking water contained diphenylarsinic acid, a degradation product of diphenylcyanoarsine or diphenylchloroarsine, which were developed for use as chemical weapons, inducing severe vomiting and sneezing. Characteristics of diphenylarsinic acid poisoning include brainstem-cerebellar and cerebral symptoms. Mental retardation associated with brain atrophy in magnetic resonance images was evident in some infants. We must be vigilant to prevent or minimize the effects of further diphenylarsinic acid poisoning in Japan or elsewhere.

We present a patient with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) who developed severe bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) as evidenced by constipation, voiding difficulty, and urinary urgency. These symptoms appeared 10 years after onset of CIDP. Cystometry showed disturbance of bladder sensation and detrusor areflexia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed greatly enlarged nerve roots filling the lumbosacral spinal canal; this appeared to be the likely cause of BBD. A 3-day course of intravenous methylprednisolone (1 g/day), followed by 30 mg/day of oral prednisolone, ameliorated the sensory disturbance and muscle weakness, but not BBD.

Idiopathic lumbosacral plexopathy is characterized by an abrupt onset of sensory disturbances, weakness, and loss of deep tendon reflexes of lower extremities, the serial MRI alterations of which …

It has been assumed that statins work as a preventative drug for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although some epidemiological observations raise doubts to the effectiveness of statins for AD, many in vitro and clinical studies insist on the effectiveness of statins decreasing amyloid-beta (Abeta) levels in medium or blood. To explore the effect of pravastatin on Abeta production, we followed the longitudinal plasma levels of both Abeta 40 and Abeta 42 during the allocation of pravastatin in 46 patients with hyperlipidemia. We found no correlation between plasma cholesterol levels or the decreasing values of total cholesterol and those of Abeta 40 or Abeta 42. Patients having Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) had higher low-density lipoprotein levels and lower Abeta 40 levels in plasma, suggesting ApoE4 seems to influence plasma Abeta levels via cholesterol metabolism.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of the two-stage palatoplasty combined with the Hotz' plate on craniofacial development in patients with bilateral complete clefts. Material and methods: Lateral and frontal cephalograms of two-stage palatoplasty/Hotz' plate group ( n =10), one-stage palatoplasty group ( n =11), and a non-cleft group ( n =11), were evaluated at 6, 8, 10 and 12 years of age. The unpaired Student's t -test and Scheffe's F test ( p Results: At 6 years the posterior upper facial height (PUFH) and PUFH/PFH ratio were greater in the two-stage group. At 10 years the PUFH, maxillary depth, convexity and ANB angle were greater in the same group. At 12 years, maxillary depth and ANB angle were also greater in this group. In the one-stage group, the L1/Mp. angle, PUFH and PUFH/PFH ratio were smaller when compared with the non-cleft group, whereas the palatal plane/SN angle was greater. In both cleft groups, the I.I. angle and tongue-PTM′ distance were greater, and the U1/SN angle was smaller when compared with non-clefts. The UC–UC′ and the ratios UC/MAX and UC/LC of both cleft groups were also smaller when compared with non-clefts. The ratio UM/MAX of the one-stage group was smaller when compared with the non-cleft group. Conclusion: The two-stage palatoplasty in combination with application of the Hotz' plate had good effects on the maxillary growth up to the age of 12 years.

Based on the experimental results of spherically imploding detonation waves propagating in a stoichiometric propane-oxygen mixture in detonation chambers, the size and form of the detonation chamber in which a nuclear fusion can take place in a deuteriumtritium mixture set in the implosion center is estimated. Introducing the fusion reaction initiated in the focus of imploding detonation waves into the reaction chamber, where the fusion reaction is sustained by supplying deuterium and tritium as fuel to the reaction zone, a fusion reactor can be constructed. Applying such a fusion reactor and hydrogen as coolant and propellant, a rocket engine having a thrust of 1000 ton (9.8·10 6 N) and a

The clinical effects of plasma exchange and high dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) were evaluated in a 41 year old woman with Isaacs' syndrome. After double filtration plasma exchange, symptoms almost disappeared for two to three weeks and the recorded continuous muscle action potentials were considerably decreased. Symptoms recurred within a few months. On the other hand, IVIg worsened the symptoms of the disorder: during and after IVIg at a dose of 0.2 g/kg/day (total 50 g), widespread myokymia, pseudomyotonia, and muscle cramps gradually increased. Symptoms improved after another course of plasma exchange.

The effect of corticosteroid on the concentration of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) in human CSF obtained from 16 patients without dementia treated with prednisolone (or =30 mg daily) was studied. The concentrations of Abetax-40 and Abetax-42 in CSF decreased after treatment was started (p0.002). A moderate- or high-dose regimen of prednisolone decreases Abeta production or increases Abeta degradation in the human brain and deserves further study in AD.

Background: Alterations in the metabolism of the amyloid precursor protein and the formation of b-amyloid (Ab) plaques are associated with neuronal death in Alzheimer disease (AD). The plaque subtype Abx-42 occurs as an early event, with Abx-40 plaques forming at a later stage. In dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), an increase in the amount of cortical Ab occurs without severe cortical neuronal losses. Objective: To advance our understanding of the natural history of Ab in neurodegenerative diseases. Design: We evaluated the expression of Abx-40 and Abx-42 in DLB using monoclonal antibodies and immunohistochemical techniques in 5 brain regions. The data were compared with those elicited with normal aging and from patients with AD. Setting and Patients: A postmortem study involving 19 patients with DLB without concurrent neuritic degeneration, 10 patients with AD, and 17 aged persons without dementia for control subjects. Results: The Ab plaques were more numerous in patients with DLB than in controls in most brain regions, although the Abx-42 plaque subtype was predominant in both conditions. Overall, Abx-42 plaque density was similar in patients with DLB and those with AD, but Abx-40 plaques were more numerous in persons with AD than in those with DLB. The ratio of Abx-40 to Abx-42 plaques was significantly reduced in persons with DLB compared with patients with AD. Conclusions: The Ab plaques were more numerous in patients with DLB than persons with normal aging, but the plaque subtypes were similar. The relative proportion of the 2 Ab plaque subtypes in DLB is distinguishable from that in AD. Arch Neurol. 1999;56:1111-1118

Small infarction in the left dorsolateral pontine tegmentum was identified by MRI in a 41 year old man presenting with isolated orofacial sensory deficits in the absence of other neurological …

Using primary cultures of murine cerebral cortices, we investigated the developmental expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits in relation to the appearance of NMDA receptor-mediated glutamate neurotoxicity. The cultures were not affected by glutamate exposure on culture days 7-9, but became sensitive to glutamate neurotoxicity on day 11. The expression of NMDA receptor subunit messenger RNAs (mRNAs) was investigated by means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The epsilon 3-NR2C and epsilon 4-NR2D transcripts could not be detected in the culture. The epsilon 2-NR2B and zeta 1-NR1 subunit mRNAs, on the other hand, could be detected clearly and continuously from the culture initiation, and the epsilon 1-NR2A subunit mRNA became clearly detectable on culture day 4. The expression of these three subunits' proteins in the glutamate-insensitive stage (culture day 8) and the sensitive stage (day 11) were studied by means of Western blotting. The epsilon 2-NR2B and zeta 1-NR1 subunit proteins were clearly expressed on culture days 8 and 11, but the epsilon 1-NR2A subunit protein could hardly be detected on either day 8 or day 11. These results suggest that the glutamate neurotoxicity in the primary culture was mediated mainly by epsilon 2/zeta 1 NMDA receptors. The time lag between the protein expression of the epsilon 2-NR2B and zeta 1-NR1 subunits and the emergence of glutamate neurotoxicity may be necessary for the maturation of functional NMDA receptor systems, including heteromeric receptor formation, increase in receptor density and maturation of the postreceptor signal transduction system.

Metallothionein (MT)-III, originally discovered as a growth inhibitory factor (GIF), is a brain specific isomer of MTs and is markedly reduced in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients (AD) and in several other neurodegenerative diseases. We analyzed the level and regulation of mRNA expression of MT-III in immortalized fetal mouse brain glial cells (VR-2g) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The basal expression level of MT-III mRNA is very low in VR-2g cells. 4-Methylcatechol, dopamine (DA) and levodopa (l-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), which stimulate the synthesis of nerve growth factor (NGF), further increased the expression of MT-III mRNA in VR-2g cells.

CS-834 is a prodrug of the carbapenem R-95867, developed by Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. To investigate the possibility that CS-834 may be the first carbapenem usable in an oral dosage form, its in vitro antibacterial activity (as R-95867) and in vivo antibacterial activity were compared with those of cefpodoxime proxetil, cefditoren pivoxil, cefdinir, ofloxacin, imipenem, and amoxicillin. R-95867 had high levels of activity against methicillin-susceptible staphylococci and streptococci, including penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae , as well as Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Moraxella catarrhalis , the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae (with the exception of Serratia marcescens ), Haemophilus influenzae , and Bordetella pertussis ; for all these strains, the MICs at which 90% of tested strains are inhibited (MIC 90 s) were 1.0 μg/ml or less. Against methicillin-resistant staphylococci, enterococci, Serratia marcescens , Brukholderia cepacia , Stenotrophomonas maltophilia , and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus , R-95867 showed activity comparable to or slightly less than that of imipenem, with MIC 90 s ranging from 2 to >128 μg/ml. The in vivo efficacy of oral CS-834 against experimental mouse septicemia caused by gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was better than that of comparative drugs. In murine respiratory infection models, the efficacy of CS-834 reflected not only its potent in vitro activity but also the high levels present in the lungs.

To investigate neuron-specific antigens, hybridoma cells were produced between mouse spleen cells immunized with human neuroblastoma cells (IMR-32) and mouse myeloma cells. 247 hybridoma clones were harvested and one of them was further cultured for recloning. Eventually, one hybridoma clone was obtained and its antibody was designated N-A8. The characteristics of this antibody were determined by immunostaining and flow cytometry. First, the antibody recognized the surface antigens of IMR-32 cells. Second, unexpectedly, N-A8 was reactive not only with human neuroblastoma cell lines but also with human lung cancer cell lines. As analyzed by immunoprecipitation method and SDS-PAGE, the molecular size of the antigen recognized by N-A8 was 210 kDa. The antigen was then purified by affinity chromatography and identified as neural adhesion molecule L1 by amino acid sequence analysis. By the present investigation, it was clearly demonstrated that L1 is expressed in human lung cancer cells.

To determine whether similar abnormalities of various soluble full-length and N-terminal truncated Abeta peptides occur in postmortem cerebral cortex of affected PS1 mutation carriers, we examined the amounts of two amyloid species ending at residue 40 or at residues 42(43) using sandwich ELISA systems. Our results indicate that PS1 mutations effect a dramatic accumulation in brain of the highly insoluble potentially neurotoxic long-tailed isoforms of the Abeta peptide such as Abeta1-42(43) and Abetax-42(43). This enhancing effect of PS1 mutation on Abetax-42(43) deposition was highly similar to that of a betaAPP mutation (Val717Ile) but the effects on Abetax-40 production were significantly different between these two causal genes. In contrast to previous studies of soluble Abeta in plasma and in supernatants from cultured fibroblasts of subjects with PS1 mutations, our studies also show that there is an increase in insoluble Abetax-40 peptides in brain of subjects with PS1 mutations.

The authors report assessment of abnormal ocular movements in three patients after organoarsenic poisoning from diphenylarsinic acid. The characteristic and principal sign is upward gaze-evoked nystagmus. Moreover, vertical gaze holding impairment was shown by electronystagmography on direct current recording.

We have investigated the expression patterns of a basic helix–loop–helix regulatory gene,neuroD,in primary cultures of murine cerebral cortical neurons. The differentiation states of neurons in primary cultures were determined by the sensitivity of neurons to glutamate toxicity and the expression of specific proteins such as the phosphorylated form of a 200-kDa neurofilament, HPC-1/syntaxin 1A, and cell adhesion molecule L1. The expression of neuroD was determined by RT-PCR analysis andin situhybridization. The experimental results thus obtained revealed that neuronal maturation is initiated between Day 7 and Day 11 in the culture as already known, and that the expression of neuroD decreases with increasing days in culture. Based on these findings, it was concluded that neuroD is expressed in immature neurons but not in mature ones.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon4 allele is established to be a risk factor for the development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) which is associated with increased frequency of senile plaques and extent of amyloid angiopathy. In a recent report, we demonstrated that ApoE epsilon4 dosage correlates with an increase in A beta1-40 but not A beta1-42/43-immunoreactive plaques. In the present study, we sought to confirm this relationship at a biochemical level by using a sensitive ELISA to measure the amounts of A beta1-42/43 and A beta1-40 in cerebral cortex in 36 cases of sporadic AD. We found that dosage of ApoE epsilon4 allele correlated significantly with cortical A beta1-40 levels, while levels of A beta1-42 showed no significant association with genotype. These results parallel our immunohistochemical findings and suggest that A beta1-40 may play a key role in the pathogenesis of late-onset sporadic AD.

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the nasopharyngeal airway and surrounding structures after Le Fort III advancement in Apert's and Crouzon's syndromes. Sixteen status post Le Fort III osteotomy Apert's and Crouzon's patients with pre- and postoperative lateral cephalograms were evaluated. The cephalograms were traced, and linear and angular measurements were obtained. Pre- and postoperative data were compared using a Student's paired t-test. The correlation between changes in the nasopharyngeal airway and its surrounding skeletal structures was evaluated. Finally, the study subjects were divided into two groups--Apert's and Crouzon's--and preoperative measurements from each group were compared with normal data by a Student's paired t-test. Significant improvement in the nasopharyngeal airway followed Le Fort III advancement, with changes in both hard and soft tissues. There was no change in the pharyngeal airway, even though a decrease might be predicted because of the clockwise rotation of the mandible. The morphology of the impairment in the nasopharyngeal airway differed between Apert's and Crouzon's syndrome individuals. Our results suggest that, for the purpose of airway improvement, the midface should be mainly advanced in the Crouzon's syndrome individual, whereas the downward component of the movement should be predominant in the Apert's syndrome individual.

Forty-four lateral cephalograms from a sample of 15 white males with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) were evaluated to determine the growth pattern of the nose, identify timing of the nasal growth spurt, assess growth of the underlying bony elements relative to the nasal growth, and ascertain the relationship of the nose to the rest of the facial profile. The cephalograms (taken at ages 7.5 to 16.6 years) were divided into five groups according to age of subject. Fifteen variables related to soft tissue nose, nasal bone, maxilla, and facial convexity were assessed. Results of this investigation were as follows. First, the nose of subjects with BCLP grew more downward than forward. Second, the growth spurt occurred between the ages of 12 and 16 years. Third, forward growth of the nose was almost always found, whereas the maxilla becomes more retrusive. Fourth, the angle of soft tissue nasion (N')-pronasale (Prn)-soft tissue pogonion (Pog') had an average decrease of 3.56 degrees from age 8 to 16 years. Individual data showed that 12 of 15 patients had a decrease of this angle, whereas 3 had a small increase; 10 of 12 with a decrease demonstrated an increase of both sella-nasion (SN')-Prn and SN'-Pog'. The remaining 2 showed an increase of SN'-Prn and a decrease of SN'-Pog'. Thus, the profile of the nose (N'-Prn-Pog') became more convex over the observed period, which at least in part seemed to be due to the horizontal development of the nose itself.

Photochemical isomerization of 3-piperidino-1,2-benzisothiazole (BIT)-benzothiazole (BT) was investigated. In particular, the effect of nitro-substitution on the benzene ring was selectively examined for the parent, 5-nitro-, and 7-nitro-derivatives. 3-Piperidino-BIT and nitro-3-piperidino-BIT isomerized irreversibly to the corresponding 2-piperidino-BT, and this reaction mechanism was investigated using density-functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD)-DFT calculations. These calculations showed that this isomerization goes through an azirine intermediate. In addition, excitation wavelength effect demonstrates that isomerization occurs from the upper excited state of nitro-derivatives. The HOMO-LUMO transition has charge-transfer and photoinactive characters.

There have been many studies of hot surface ignition of premixed combustible gases reported in the literature. In these studies, all experiments were made under normal gravity condition, suffering from the complicated effect of gravity. Therefore, it is very difficult to interpret these results and also to investigate the ignition mechanisms.

The separation and determination of d- and l-diltiazem hydrochloride in dog plasma by a two-column high-performance liquid chromatographic technique are described. Diltiazem hydrochloride and its metabolites were extracted from dog plasma and analyzed on a conventional column (Nucleosil 5C18) with a volatile buffer system. The column effluent of diltiazem hydrochloride was collected and evaporated. The enantiomeric ratio of the collected diltiazem was determined using a chiral column (Chiralcel OC). The method was accurate and sensitive.

Cell hybrids (BIM) were produced between human neuroblastoma cells (IMR-32) and thymidine auxotrophs (B3T) of rat nerve-like cells (B103) in order to obtain cell lines undergoing stable neuronal differentiation. BIM cells exhibited the growth properties of partial transformation: 1) When the cell growth reached a plateau, BIM cells ceased to proliferate and expressed a differentiated phenotype. The shape of the cells changed from flat to round and they extended neurites. 2) When cultured in methylcellulose, BIM cells formed colonies, indicating that BIM cells have the ability of anchorage-independent growth. By Southern blot analysis, BIM cells had both human and rat types of N-myc genes. The human N-myc genes were amplified, but the extent of the amplification was lower in BIM cells than that in the parental cell line IMR-32. The rat N-myc gene was detected at a similar level in BIM, B3T, B103, and rat fibroblastic cells 3Y1. Therefore, the decrease in amplification of human N-myc genes may be involved in the properties of partial reverse-transformation in BIM cells. When treated with various drugs such as db-cAMP, forskolin, and cAMP with isobutyl-methylxanthine, BIM cells expressed a nerve-like phenotype. These findings indicate that cell hybridization yielded partial normalization of transformed nerve-like cells.

Ethylene-propylene copolymerization was conducted using a primary type of MgCl 2 -supported catalyst. The nature of the active sites of the catalyst was studied from the microstructure and some physical properties of the copolymer obtained by using the catalyst.