A short-term comparison of surgical results between an ab-externo microshunt and trabeculectomy with a main focus on postoperative corneal astigmatism.

Purpose: To compare surgical results between ab-externo microshunt surgery and trabeculectomy, focusing on postoperative corneal astigmatism.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Subjects were patients with glaucoma who underwent either standalone ab-externo microshunt surgery or trabeculectomy.

Minimal residual disease detection in multiple myeloma: comparison between BML single-tube 10-color multiparameter flow cytometry and EuroFlow multiparameter flow cytometry.

Minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative status in multiple myeloma (MM) is associated with favorable outcomes. Although EuroFlow next-generation flow (NGF) is a global standard for MRD detection, its operating cost is high. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a less expensive method with equivalent sensitivity to that of EuroFlow-NGF.

Influence of lysine residue in amphipathic helical peptides on targeted delivery of RNA into cancer cells.

The cRGD-conjugated Aib-containing amphipathic helical peptide, MAP(Aib) derivative (PI), has been reported to be a useful carrier for siRNA delivery into cells. We have conducted a series of structure-activity relationship studies of the influence of the balance between hydrophobicity and basicity on the amphipathicity of PI, and synthesized peptides having a larger number of Lys residues than PI. Increasing the number of basic residues in the amphipathic helix suppressed the ability to deliver siRNA into cells.

Catalytic site of human protein-glucosylgalactosylhydroxylysine glucosidase: Three crucial carboxyl residues were determined by cloning and site-directed mutagenesis.

Protein-glucosylgalactosylhydroxylysine glucosidase (PGGHG; EC3.2.1.

The treatment of femoral neck fractures: results using cephalocervical screws with sliding mechanism.

Background: A new device for the treatment of femoral neck fractures that uses 2 cephalocervical screws in a sliding mechanism allowing linear intraoperative and postoperative compression has been developed. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the results using this device for the treatment of stable and unstable femoral neck fractures.

Methods: Between November 2007 and November 2011, 61 consecutive skeletally mature patients with femoral neck fractures were treated with a new cephalocervical screw (Dual SC screw; KISCO DIR Co.

Selection of useful items for fall risk screening for community dwelling Japanese elderly from the perspective of fall experience, physical function, and age level differences.

This study aimed to examine useful items for screening the fall risk of community dwelling elderly from various perspectives, including fall experience, physical function level, and age level difference. 968 independently living elderly persons over the age of 60 (age: 70.0 ± 7.

Age and sex differences of controlled force exertion measured by a computer-generated quasi-random target-pursuit system.

Objectives: This study examined age and sex differences of controlled force exertion measured by a computer-generated quasi-random target-pursuit system in 207 males and 249 females aged 15 to 86 years.

Methods: The participants matched submaximal grip exertion of their dominant hand to changing demand values, appearing as a moving quasi-random waveform on the display of a personal computer. They performed the test three times with 1-min intervals (one trial was 40 sec).

RNAi expression mediated inhibition of HCV replication.

The RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism is a recently observed process in which the introduction of a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into a cell causes the specific degradation of an mRNA containing the same sequence. The 21-23 nt guide RNAs, generated by RNase III cleavage from longer dsRNAs, are associated with sequence-specific mRNA degradation. Here, we show that vector derived dsRNA specifically inhibit the replication of HCV RNA in HCV replicon cells.

Inhibition of hcv replication in HCV replicon by shRNAs.

We show that the vector-derived long dsRNA specifically inhibits the replication of HCV RNA in HCV replicon. We designed a long dsRNA targeted to the full-length HCV IRES/core elements (1-to 377-nt). Our results revealed that the replication of HCV RNA was reduced to near background levels in a sequence-specific manner by the long dsRNAs in the HCV replicon.

Inhibition of hepatitis C virus RNA replication by short hairpin RNA synthesized by T7 RNA polymerase in hepatitis C virus subgenomic replicons.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular process that induces gene silencing by which small duplexes of RNA specifically target a homologous sequence for cleavage by cellular ribonucleases. Here, to test the RNAi method for blocking hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication, we created four short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting the HCV internal ribosome entry site/Core gene transcript using T7 RNA polymerase. shRNA suppressed the replication of HCV RNA in the HCV replicon.

Characterization of baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis virus infection in mammalian cells.

The baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) is used as a vector in many gene therapy studies. Wild-type AcMNPV infects many mammalian cell types in vitro, but does not replicate. We investigated the dynamics of AcMNPV genomic DNA in infected mammalian cells and used flow cytometric analysis to demonstrate that recombinant baculovirus containing a cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter/enhancer with green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed high levels of GFP in Huh-7 cells, but not B16, Raw264.

A new modified DNA enzyme that targets influenza virus A mRNA inhibits viral infection in cultured cells.

DNA enzymes are RNA-cleaving single-stranded DNA molecules. We designed DNA enzymes targeting the PB2 mRNA translation initiation (AUG) region of the influenza A virus (A/PR/8/34). The modified DNA enzymes have one or two N3'-P5' phosphoramidate bonds at both the 3'- and 5'-termini of the oligonucleotides, which significantly enhanced their nuclease resistance.

Baculovirus induces an innate immune response and confers protection from lethal influenza virus infection in mice.

A recombinant baculovirus expressing the hemagglutinin gene of the influenza virus, A/PR/8/34 (H1N1), under the control of the chicken beta-actin promoter, was constructed. To determine the induction of protective immunity in vivo, mice were inoculated with the recombinant baculovirus by intramuscular, intradermal, i.p.

Effect of long-term exercise training on regional myocardial perfusion changes in patients with coronary artery disease.

The cardiac rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) promotes exercise tolerance, improves left ventricular function, and decreases the heart rate and systolic blood pressure at the same load intensity. Several studies have shown that cardiac rehabilitation improves myocardial perfusion in CAD patients. However, the long-term (> or = 1 year) effect of cardiac rehabilitation on myocardial perfusion is still controversial.

Carboxy-terminal truncation of long-tailed amyloid beta-peptide is inhibited by serine protease inhibitor and peptide aldehyde.

The 42/43-residue amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) is widely believed to play a major role in Alzheimer's disease. The present study shows that the rat brain contains a carboxypeptidase that efficiently deletes three amino acids from Abeta1-43. The carboxypeptidase activity in the brain was completely inhibited by 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, suggesting the protease is a serine carboxypeptidase.

[Application of tuberculosis medical examination radiographs to scoliosis screening in high schools].

The purpose of this study was to assess the utilization of tuberculosis examination radiographs for scoliosis screening in high schools, for early diagnosis and early treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in the health management of students. We examined 2,068 first year high school students (1,058 males and 1,010 females) in Wakayama Prefecture, who had chest X-ray photographs taken between 1994 to 1996, and 24 cases (3 males and 21 females) were identified with scoliosis of more than 10 degrees Cobb angle. Fifteen of the cases received further examinations in the hospital, and were diagnosed with definite adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, while 6 cases who did not receive hospital examinations had their abnormality of the spine noted in past periodic health examinations.

[Clinical evaluation of cefpirome sulfate for severe infections in patients with hematological disorders. Hanshin Study Group of Hematopoietic Disorders and Infections].

We investigated the therapeutic efficacy and safety of cefpirome sulfate (CPR) in treatment of hematopoietic disorder-associated infections. A total of 219 patients were admitted to 12 hospitals of Hanshin Study Group of hematopoietic disorders and infections between April 1994 and March 1996 and were enrolled in this study. Most patients received intravenously infused CPR at a dose of 1 or 2 g twice a day for 3 days or more.

A beta-amyloid peptide variant related with familial Alzheimer's disease and hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis is poorly eliminated by cathepsin D.

The cerebral deposition of 40-42 residue amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Cathepsin D is possibly involved in the intracellular clearance of Abeta (Hamazaki, H. (1996) FEBS Lett.

Cathepsin D is involved in the clearance of Alzheimer's beta-amyloid protein.

The cerebral deposition of 39-42 residue amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is a histopathological characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. The present study is aimed at finding proteinases responsible for the intracellular clearance of Abeta. The Abeta-degrading proteinase was purified from rat brain.

Amyloid P component promotes aggregation of Alzheimer's beta-amyloid peptide.

Amyloid P component (AP) has been recognized as a beta-amyloid-associated protein but the pathological role is not known. In the present experiments, it has been shown that AP promotes the aggregation of Alzheimer's beta-amyloid peptide (A beta) in the presence of a physiological concentration of Ca2+. The aggregation promotion was observed at a concentration of soluble A beta 1-40 in human cerebrospinal fluid.

Ca(2+)-dependent binding of human serum amyloid P component to Alzheimer's beta-amyloid peptide.

Serum amyloid P component (SAP), a normal glycoprotein, is universally found in amyloid deposits, including cerebrovascular amyloid of Alzheimer's disease. This paper describes the Ca(2+)-dependent binding of human SAP to Alzheimer's beta-amyloid peptide (A beta). 125I-SAP binds to synthetic human A beta-(1-40) immobilized on microtiter plates at a dissociation constant of 6.

Human serum amyloid P component binds to a specific peptide in the presence of calcium.

Human serum amyloid P component (SAP) binds to a carboxyl-terminal peptide of residues 160-204 of SAP itself in the presence of calcium. A set of sequentially overlapping decapeptides covering the entire length of residues 160-204 of SAP was synthesized on polyethylene pins to be used for binding assay, and six overlapping peptides in residues 190-204 (Tyr-Glu-Ile-Arg-Gly-Tyr-Val-Ile-Ile-Lys-Pro-Leu-Val-Trp-Val) were found to have equally high affinity for SAP. The validity of using peptides on polyethylene pins was shown by the binding assay using 11-residue soluble peptide corresponding to residues 194-204.

Detection of minimal residual disease using clonospecific primers for CDRIII in patients with acute B lymphocytic leukemia with or without Philadelphia chromosome: possibility of clinical application as a tool for improving prognosis.

We attempted to identify the minimal residual leukemic clone as related to the clinical course in patients with acute B lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL). DNA was extracted from stored bone marrow slides, and the third complementarity determining region (CDRIII) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers with consensus sequences for VH and JH. After amplification of the CDRIII band, the DNA fragment of CDRIII was inserted into the cloning vector PUC118.

[Clinical efficacy of arbekacin on MRSA infections with hematopoietic disorders. The Hanshin Study Group of Hematopoietic Disorders and Infections].

Arbekacin (ABK) was administered to 17 patients with MRSA infections that complicated underlying hematopoietic disorders, and the efficacy and safety were evaluated. The underlying diseases included acute myelocytic leukemia (8 cases), acute lymphocytic leukemia (1) myelodysplastic syndrome (3), chronic myelocytic leukemia (1), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (2), Hodgkin's disease (1) and adult T cell leukemia (1). The infections consisted of septicemia (5 cases), pneumonia (4), upper respiratory tract infections (6) and urinary tract infections (2).

Possible involvement of protein kinase C activation in down-regulation of CD3 antigen on adult T cell leukaemia cells.

The role of protein kinase C (PKC) system on CD3 expression on adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) was examined. The down-regulation of CD3 on ATL cells is reportedly induced by CD3 down-regulating factor (CD3DF) contained in serum and culture supernatants of leukaemia cells from acute type ATL patients. After we cultured normal PBMC with a PKC inhibitor, H-7, CD3DF activity for PBMC was reduced significantly.