Synthesis and Reactivity of an Olefin Metathesis-Catalyzing Ruthenium Complex with a Selenoether Moiety in the Benzylidene Ligand.

A Hoveyda-Grubbs (HG)-type olefin metathesis complex with a selenoether moiety at the terminus of phenoxy moiety was synthesized. The complex showed direct selenium-atom coordination to the ruthenium center, resulting in higher thermodynamic stability compared with the parent HG catalyst. The selenium atom binding enhanced the tolerance to protic solvent molecules in ring-closing metathesis of -tosyldiallylamide and diethyl diallylmalonate, and also in the cross metathesis between 3-butenylbenzoate and methyl acrylate.

Development of an AI-based support system for controlled ovarian stimulation.

Purpose: Controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is vital for IVF. We have developed an AI system to support the implementation of COS protocols in our clinical group.

Methods: We developed two models as AI algorithms of the AI system.

An analysis of the effects of chronic low dose-rate radiation exposure on cancer focusing on the differences among cancer types.

Purpose: The effect of chronic low dose-rate radiation exposure on cancers was investigated by analyzing the data of mice experiments conducted at the Institute for Environmental Sciences (IES). This analysis focuses on the differences between malignant lymphomas and solid cancers.

Materials And Methods: The analysis is conducted based on the mathematical model introduced in our previous work.

A mathematical model for radiation-induced life-shortening attributed to cancer.

Purpose: In this paper, we described our mathematical model for radiation-induced life shortening in detail and applied the model to the experimental data on mice to investigate the effect of radiation on cancer-related life-shortening.

Materials And Methods: Our mathematical model incorporates the following components: (i) occurrence of cancer, (ii) progression of cancer over time, and (iii) death from cancer. We evaluated the progression of cancer over time by analyzing the cancer incidence data and cumulative mortalities data obtained from mice experiments conducted at the Institute for Environmental Sciences (IES).

Reactivity regulation for olefin metathesis-catalyzing ruthenium complexes with sulfur atoms at the terminal of 2-alkoxybenzylidene ligands.

For regulating the olefin metathesis (OM) activity of the Hoveyda-Grubbs second-generation complex (HG-II), the structural modification of the benzylidene ligand is a useful strategy. This paper reports the effect of a chalcogen atom placed at the end of the benzylidene group on the catalytic properties of HG-II derivatives, using complexes with a thioether or ether component in the benzylidene ligand (-Me-E-(CH)O-styrene; E = S, O). Nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray crystallographic analyses of the complex with a thioether moiety (E = S) proved the (,)-bidentate and -dichlorido coordination for the complex.

ON RADIATION-INDUCED AGING: ACCELERATED OR PREMATURE AGING.

The concept of radiation-induced aging is revisited from the viewpoint of a mathematical model. The effect of radiation on carcinogenesis is treated based on the Armitage-Doll multi-stage theory. The formula obtained for cancer incidence rate indicates that radiation dose can be explained in terms of time.

COMBINED ANALYSIS OF CANCER INCIDENCE AND LIFESPAN IN MICE EXPOSED TO CHRONIC LOW DOSE RATE RADIATION.

The authors performed a combined analysis using the data obtained from continuous low dose rate irradiation experiments on mice conducted at the Institute for Environmental Sciences, namely, cancer incidence data and lifespan data. They estimated the length of cancer progression period, which is difficult to assess experimentally. The combined analysis showed that the mean cancer progression period is 173 d in the control group and 103 d in the irradiated group.

Cardiopulmonary Baroreflex Control of Renal Sympathetic Nerve Activity Is Impaired in Dogs With Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

Background: Activation of neurohormonal systems contributes to the progression of heart failure (HF). The mechanism(s) whereby these systems become activated is(are) not fully explained. We determined whether vagal cardiopulmonary baroreflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity is abnormal in dogs with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the absence of clinical HF, and the relationship of abnormalities in baroreflexes to the development of the neurohumoral excitatory state.

Effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate intake on catabolism, nutrition and adipocytokines during minor surgery: A randomized, prospective, controlled clinical phase II trial.

Background: We investigated the effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate loading on intraoperative catabolism, nutritional parameters, and adipocytokine levels during anesthesia.

Methods: Study participants were randomized to two groups who were allowed to consume either no more than 250 mL of 18% oral carbohydrate solution (Arginaid Water: AW group) or no more than 500 mL of plain water (PW group) within the 2 hours before surgery, with no intraoperative glucose administration. Percentage changes from preoperative values of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and total body water (TBW), determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), were compared.

Study of mutation from DNA to biological evolution.

This is a paper based on a talk given in the BER2018 conference by M. Bando. We first emphasize the importance of collaborations among scientists in various fields for the low dose/dose-rate effects on biological body.

Proinflammatory cytokine activation is linked to apoptotic mediator, soluble Fas level in patients with chronic heart failure.

The Fas/Fas Ligand system is a major apoptosis signaling pathway that is up-regulated in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Serum soluble Fas (sFas) levels increase in proportion to the CHF severity and may have prognostic value, therefore, sFas is a promising biomarker of heart failure. In this study, we attempted to identify the determinants of sFas levels in patients with CHF.

A case of atrial tachycardia sensitive to increased caffeine intake.

A 33-year-old Japanese man with atrial tachycardia visited our clinic. He regularly consumed daily alcohol with cola, one cup of regular coffee, and a candy containing 0.7 mg of caffeine per tablet.

Surface abundance change in vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation of CO2 and H2O mixture ices.

Photodissociation of amorphous ice films of carbon dioxide and water co-adsorbed at 90 K was carried out at 157 nm using oxygen-16 and -18 isotopomers with a time-of-flight photofragment mass spectrometer. O((3)P(J)) atoms, OH (v = 0) radicals, and CO (v = 0,1) molecules were detected as photofragments. CO is produced directly from the photodissociation of CO(2).

Conversion of gaseous nitrogen dioxide to nitrate and nitrite on aqueous surfactants.

The hydrolytic disproportionation of gaseous NO(2) on water's surface (2 NO(2) + H(2)O → HONO + NO(3)(-) + H(+)) (R1) has long been deemed to play a key, albeit unquantifiable role in tropospheric chemistry. We recently found that (R1) is dramatically accelerated by anions in experiments performed on aqueous microjets monitored by online electrospray mass spectrometry. This finding let us rationalize unresolved discrepancies among previous laboratory results and suggested that under realistic environmental conditions (R1) should be affected by everpresent surfactants.

Protection by Exogenously Added Coenzyme Q(9) against Free Radical-Induced Injuries in Human Liver Cells.

Reduced coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)H(2)) is known as a potent antioxidant in biological systems. However, it is not yet known whether CoQ(9)H(2) could act as an antioxidant in human cells. The aim of this study is to assess whether exogenously added CoQ(9) can protect human liver cells against injuries induced by a water-soluble radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) and a lipid-soluble radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (AMVN).

Uric acid-lowering treatment with benzbromarone in patients with heart failure: a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover preliminary study.

Background: Hyperuricemia is common in chronic heart failure (CHF), and it is a strong independent marker of prognosis. Upregulated xanthine oxidase (XO) activity and impaired renal excretion have been shown to account for increased serum uric acid (UA) levels in CHF. Therapeutic interventions with allopurinol to reduce UA levels by XO inhibition have been shown to be beneficial.

Synthetic studies on vincorine: access to the 3a,8a-dialkyl-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole skeleton.

Synthetic studies on vincorine are described; the conversion of 3-aminoethyl-3-alkyloxindoles to 3a,8a-dialkyl-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indoles has been achieved through an addition-cyclization sequence, and a fully functionalized key intermediate was constructed with this method.

Comparative effects of amlodipine monotherapy and combination therapy with betaxolol on cardiac autonomic nervous activity and health-related quality of life in patients with poorly controlled hypertension.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the combined treatment of calcium channel blocker, amlodipine and beta-blocker, betaxolol, favorably affects cardiac autonomic nervous activity (CANA) and health-related quality of life (HRQL).

Methods And Results: A total of 65 patients with a poor blood pressure (BP) control with a low dose amlodipine therapy were randomly assigned to the amlodipine dose-up group (n=21) and betaxolol adding group (n=44). Before and after a 6-month treatment, BP, heart rate variability (HRV), HRQL and blood chemistries were evaluated.

Synthesis of biladienone and bilatrienone by coupled oxidation of tetraarylporphyrins.

Tetraarylbiladien-ab-ones bearing various substituents (R) in the para position of the phenyl groups were preprared by coupled oxidation of tetraarylporphyrin iron complexes. The yields of 5,10,15-triaryl-19-aroyl-15-hydroxybiladien-ab-ones were 74% (R=H), 85% (R=OMe), 44% (R=COOMe), and 28% (R=CN). Kinetic studies of the iron porphyrin oxidation revealed that the reaction is accelerated by an electron-withdrawing substituent with the Hammett reaction constant rho=0.

Catabolism of adenine nucleotides favors adenosine production following exercise in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Adenosine 5'-triphosphate is catabolized to adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), which is further degraded by 2 pathways: deamination to inosine 5'-monophosphate and ammonia by AMP deaminase, or dephosphorylation to adenosine and inorganic phosphate by 5'-nucleotidase. Because adenosine is believed to be cardioprotective and we have reported that ammonia production decreased after exercise in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), we determined if plasma adenosine levels after exercise increases in patients with CHF.

Methods And Results: Maximal ergometer exercise tests with expired gas analysis were performed in 51 patients with CHF (age = 61 +/- 2 years, New York Heart Association [NYHA] class I/II/III = 19/18/14) and 20 age-matched normal controls.

Status of endothelial dependent vasodilation in patients with hyperuricemia.

Hyperuricemia has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. However, the biologic mechanisms that link elevated serum uric acid to cardiovascular disease are uncertain. This study tested the hypothesis that elevated serum uric acid is associated with impaired endothelial function in hyperuricemic patients without any overt cardiovascular disease.

Transient left ventricular apical ballooning in a patient with bicuspid aortic valve created a left ventricular thrombus leading to acute renal infarction.

A 44-year-old woman had tako-tsubo-like ventricular dysfunction with chest pain and ST segment elevation on the ECG. Echocardiography revealed a bicuspid aortic valve with moderate to severe aortic regurgitation. She developed mild heart failure during the clinical course, but the medication (furosemide, enalapril, and asprin) had to be stopped because of skin eruptions.

Neurohumoral profiles in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: differences to hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy.

Background: Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) or hypertensive heart disease (HHD) have increased concentrations of various neurohumoral factors. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the differences in the neurohumoral profiles of HCM and HHD.

Methods And Results: Plasma concentrations of epinephrine, norepinephrine, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), angiotensin II and endothelin-1 were measured in 40 patients with HCM, 35 with HHD, and 15 controls.