Asymmetric alpha-alkylation of phenylacetates using 2-alkylamino-2'-hydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyls as chiral auxiliaries.

alpha-Alkylation of 2-phenylacetate ester of 2-alkylamino-2'-hydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyls with various alkyl iodides proceeded with good stereoselectivities. An intramolecular hydrogen bonding between N-H group and the carbonyl oxygen seemed to play an important role for asymmetric induction. The auxiliary was also applicable to Diels-Alder reaction of an acrylate.

Definitive chemoradiotherapy for patients with malignant stricture due to T3 or T4 squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.

We retrospectively investigated the efficacy and feasibility of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with severe dysphagia caused by oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was performed in 57 patients with T3 or T4 disease containing M1 lymph node (LYM) disease. Chemotherapy consisted of protracted infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 400 mg m(-2) 24 h(-1) on days 1-5 and 8-12, combined with 2-h infusion of cisplatin (CDDP) 40 mg m(-2) on days 1 and 8.

gem-Silylborylation of an sp carbon: novel synthesis of 1-boryl-1-silylallenes.

[reaction: see text] Novel synthesis of 1-boryl-1-silylallenes involving gem-silylborylation of 3-chloro- or 3-alkoxyalkyn-1-yllithiums with (dimethylphenylsilyl)(pinacolato)borane has been established. The reaction proceeds via 1,2-migration of the silyl group from the negatively charged boron atom of an intermediary borate complex to the terminal acetylenic carbon and is accelerated by the addition of chlorotrimethylsilane in the case that methanesulfonyloxy is employed as a leaving group. Furthermore, axially enantioenriched products could be prepared from mesylates of optically active propargylic alcohols.

Human olfactory contrast changes during the menstrual cycle.

Several lines of studies have reported that olfactory perception is influenced by physical and hormonal conditions. In the present study, we investigated changes of olfactory perception during the menstrual cycle of the human. Cyclopentadecanolide vapor was used and its perception intensity was measured by 6-point category scale methods.

A comparison of magnifying and nonmagnifying colonoscopy for diagnosis of colorectal polyps: A prospective study.

Background: Discrimination between neoplastic and non-neoplastic colorectal polyps is essential for determining appropriate treatment. The mucosal crypt pattern of polyps can be observed with a nonmagnifying colonoscope; however, mucosal crypt patterns are better seen by magnifying colonoscopy, which can also be a noninvasive means for predicting histopathology. This study prospectively compared the ability to distinguish between neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions by magnifying and nonmagnifying colonoscopy.

Concomitant Cushing's syndrome due to adrenal adenoma in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 51-year-old woman had been administered 5 mg/day of prednisolone due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She developed hypertension, hypokalemia and a pathologic pubic fracture during two years before admission. Although iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome was initially suspected, we diagnosed her as concomitant Cushing's syndrome due to a left adrenal tumor.

Evaluation of endoscopic ultrasonography in colorectal villous lesions.

Background And Aims: The choice of therapeutic procedure for colorectal neoplasias depends largely on the depth of tumor invasion. This study examined the value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in determining whether local resection is applicable for colorectal villous lesions.

Materials And Methods: We performed EUS on 125 colorectal neoplasias classified into two categories, villous ( n=35) and nonvillous lesions ( n=90), according to their colonoscopic morphological features.

Germination and growth inhibitors from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) husks.

On the basis of our findings that the germination of intact wheat seeds (with husks) belonging to dormancy varieties was restrained as compared with that of the dehusked seeds (grains), the germination inhibitors in the husks were explored. The water-soluble extracts from the husks were separated by the aid of inhibition assay experiments, resulting in the characterization of 2-phenylethyl alcohol 1, 4-vinylphenol 2 and its 2-methoxy derivative 3, and dihydroactinidiolide 4, all of which showed clear inhibition of germination at 500 ppm in aqueous solution. The related compounds 1-phenylethyl alcohol 5 and tetrahydroactinidiolide 6 were as active as 1 and 4, while no noticeable difference in activity was detected among both enantiomers and the DL-form of compounds 4-6.

Changes in nuclear matrix proteins during the senescence-like phenomenon induced by 5-chlorodeoxyuridine in HeLa cells.

5-Chlorodeoxyuridine (CldU) immediately induces a senescence-like phenomenon in any type of mammalian cells probably due to a change in nuclear matrix structure. We thus examined nuclear matrix proteins in HeLa cells cultured with CldU by high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and peptide mass spectrometry. Three proteins were found to be down-regulated and one protein up-regulated by addition of CldU.

Photolysis of caged cyclic AMP in the ciliary cytoplasm of the newt olfactory receptor cell.

The effects of cyclic nucleotide monophosphate (cNMP) in the ciliary cytoplasm of the olfactory receptor cell were examined by using photolysis of caged cNMP loaded from the whole-cell patch clamp pipette. Illumination of the cilia induced an inward current at -50 mV. The current amplitude was voltage dependent and the polarity was reversed at +10 mV.

Implantation of self-expanding metallic stent for patients with malignant stricture after failure of definitive chemoradiotherapy for T3 or T4 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Background/aims: Definitive chemoradiotherapy can have curative potential in unresectable patients with malignant stricture due to locally advanced esophageal carcinoma, however, dysphagia is the principal problem in patients who had recurrence or who did not respond to chemoradiotherapy. In this prospective study, we investigated the efficacy and feasibility of metallic stent implantation for patients with dysphagia after chemoradiotherapy failed.

Methodology: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was performed in 40 patients with severe dysphagia due to esophageal squamous cell carcinomas accompanied by T3 or T4 disease containing M1 lymph node (LYM) disease.

Colorectal carcinoma with special reference to growth pattern classifications: clinicopathologic characteristics and genetic changes.

Background: Many colorectal carcinomas are known to develop from preexisting polypoid adenomas; however, they can also develop from so-called "flat adenomas". To elucidate the growth patterns of flat- or depressed-derived colorectal carcinomas, we investigated the clinicopathologic characteristics and genetic changes of invasive carcinomas.

Methods: Seventy-five colorectal carcinomas were classified into three groups: 46 upward growth (UG) type, 22 downward growth (DG) type, and 7 lateral growth (LG) type.

Histological findings after placement of a self-expanding stent in rectal carcinoma with complete obstruction--case report.

Patients with acute obstruction due to colorectal carcinomas frequently require emergency surgery. However, such emergency procedures are associated with various complications, a high mortality rate and a poor prognosis. If the obstruction could be immediately relieved, the patient could later undergo an elective operation with a much better prognosis.

Determination of a sugar chain and its linkage site on a glycoprotein TIME-EA4 from silkworm diapause eggs by means of LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS and MS/MS.

The electrospray ionization (ESI)-tandem quadrupole/orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer combined with the nano-HPLC system was utilized to determine the glycosylation site and the glycan structure in glycoprotein TIME-EA4 (EA4) from Bombyx diapause eggs. LC-MS analysis of EA4 and deglycosylated EA4 indicated that the carbohydrate moiety of EA4 has the mass of 730.58 Da.

Tumor imprint cytology of ovarian ependymoma. A case report.

Background: Ependymoma is a tumor that usually develops in the central nervous system and is extremely rare in the ovary. The first case of ovarian ependymoma was reported by Kleinman et al. (Kleinman GM, Young RH, Scully RE.

1-Silyl-1-boryl-2-alkenes: Reagents for Stereodivergent Allylation Leading to 4-Oxy-(E)-1-alkenylboronates and 4-Oxy-(Z)-1-alkenylsilanes.

Silylboryl reagents for organic synthesis: 1-silyl-1-boryl-2-alkenes (2) were prepared efficiently by gem-silylborylation of α-chloroallyllithium compounds from (dimethylphenylsilyl)(pinacolato)borane (1; see scheme, LDA=lithium diisopropylamide) and were demonstrated to allylate acetals and aldehydes in the presence of a Lewis acid to produce (E)-4-alkoxy-alkenylboronates. Heating the reagents with aldehydes in the absence of Lewis acid afforded (Z)-4-hydroxy-alkenylsilanes stereospecifically.

Physiology of morphologically identified cells of the bullfrog fungiform papilla.

Voltage-gated ionic current and the response to quinine were studied on the four types of morphologically identified taste cells of the bullfrog fungiform papilla by whole-cell patch clamp recording with a Lucifer yellow-filled pipette. Dye-coupled type Ia cells (mucous cells) did not show voltage-activated currents. Type Ib cells (wing cells) characterized by the fin-like processes, type II cells (rod cells) having a thick straight dendrite running to the surface and type III cells with a thin dendrite had voltage-gated sodium (INa) and potassium currents (IK) and generated action potentials.

Primary ependymoma of the ovary, in which long-term oral etoposide (VP-16) was effective in prolonging disease-free survival.

Background: Ovarian ependymoma is an extremely unusual teratoma of the ovary with only eight cases previously reported in the literature worldwide.

Case: A 26-year-old woman presented in 1992 with a sensation of abdominal fullness. The laparotomy revealed ovarian cancer (stage III), which proved to be an ependymoma pathologically.

Case report of serous ovarian tumor of borderline malignancy (Stage Ic) in a pregnant woman.

We encountered a case of Stage Ic ovarian serous borderline malignancy in the first trimester of pregnancy. At laparotomy, spontaneous rupture of the capsule and a small amount of serous ascites was observed. Because of the laparotomy during pregnancy, correct staging of the tumor might not be performed.

Extensive investigations on oxidized amino acid residues in H(2)O(2)-treated Cu,Zn-SOd protein with LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS, MS/MS for the determination of the copper-binding site.

The ESI (electrospray ionization)-Q-TOF (tandem quadrupole/orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight) mass spectrometer combined with the nano-HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) system was utilized to pinpoint the Cu-binding site in Cu,Zn-SOD (superoxide dismutase) protein. Cu,Zn-SOD was treated with hydrogen peroxide, intended to specifically oxidize histidine residues coordinated to the copper ion as a mass spectrometric probe. The oxidized Cu,Zn-SOD was then fragmented with the successive treatment of endoproteinase Asp-N and DTT (dithiothreitol).

[A case of esophageal carcinoma with multiple liver metastases successfully treated with nedaplatin (NDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with radiotherapy].

A 78-year-old male patient had esophageal carcinoma with multiple liver metastases. Chemoradiotherapy was performed. The chemotherapy consisted of protracted infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), combined with infusion of nedaplatin (NDP).

Prognostic value of p53 mutations in patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: A significant correlation has been found between p53 mutation and response to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. To determine the prognostic value of p53 mutation in patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy, p53 mutation was analyzed using the biopsied specimens taken for diagnosis.

Methods: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was performed for 40 patients with severe dysphagia caused by esophageal squamous cell carcinoma associated with T3 or T4 disease.

Functional outcome of stapled ileal pouch-anal canal anastomosis versus handsewn pouch-anal anastomosis.

This study was conducted to determine whether stapled ileal pouch-anal canal anastomosis (IACA) preserving the anal transitional zone (ATZ) or hand-sewn ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with mucosectomy (IPAA) is more beneficial in achieving disease eradication and better postoperative function. IACA was performed in 10 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 10 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), 15 of whom were examined proctoscopically. IPAA was performed in 4 patients with UC and 8 patients with FAP.