SMARCB1-deficient renal medullary carcinoma with an EML4::ALK fusion gene in a Japanese woman.

Renal medullary carcinoma is a rare, high-grade carcinoma arising in the renal medulla, which is usually associated with sickle cell trait, and there are very few documented cases in the Japanese population. We report a case of renal medullary carcinoma, immunohistochemically defined as SMARCB1 deficient, in a 67-year-old Japanese woman without a history of sickle cell trait. Somatic mutation of SMARCB1 and an EML4::ALK fusion gene were identified by comprehensive genomic profiling.

Implementation of optically simulated luminescent dosimeter for quality control of gamma ray dose of an accelerator-based neutron source.

Background: Neutron beams utilized for performing BNCT are composed of a mixture of neutrons and gamma rays. Although much of the dose delivered to the cancer cells comes from the high LET particles produced by the boron neutron capture reaction, the dose delivered to the healthy tissues from unwanted gamma rays cannot be ignored. With the increase in the number of accelerators for BNCT, a detector system that is capable of measuring gamma ray dose in a mixed neutron/gamma irradiation field is crucial.

Surface Structures of Cosmetic Standard Poly Methyl Methacrylate UV Evaluation Plates and their Influence on the in vitro Evaluation of UV Protection Abilities of Cosmetic Sunscreens.

Cosmetic standard poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) UV evaluation plates, i.e., roughened PMMA plates, are used in the EU and the US for the in vitro evaluation of UV protection abilities of sunscreen, such as in vitro UVA-PF and critical wavelength for the Broad-spectrum approval.

Problems on the Evaluation of the Critical Wavelength of Sunscreens for "Broad Spectrum" Approval Brought on by Viscous Fingering During Sunscreen Application.

When a viscous liquid is applied to a solid substrate, a patterned liquid layer is usually formed by the phenomenon called viscous fingering, since the moving liquid surface is in far-from-equilibrium conditions to let the morphological fluctuation to grow. Pseudosunscreen solutions were prepared and applied on a flat quartz plate. A spatially periodic stripe pattern was formed on the pseudosunscreen layer when a block applicator was used, whereas a flat surface layer was formed when a four-sided applicator was used.

Coexistence effect of UVA absorbers to increase their solubility and stability of supersaturation.

Objective: Sunscreens containing UVA absorbers in high concentrations are expected to be developed, since recent studies have suggested the possibility of involvement of UVA ray in skin cancer and early skin aging. Solubility and stability of supersaturation of UVA absorbers in UVB absorber were determined in the absence and the presence of cosmetic oil. Coexistence effect of UVA absorbers was analyzed to dissolve them in high concentrations.

Problems of in vitro SPF measurements brought about by viscous fingering generated during sunscreen applications.

Up to date, no worldwide standard in vitro method has been established for the determination of the sun protection factor (SPF), since there are many problems in terms of its repeatability and reliability. Here, we have studied the problems on the in vitro SPF measurements brought about by the phenomenon called viscous fingering. A spatially periodic stripe pattern is usually formed spontaneously when a viscous fluid is applied onto a solid substrate.

Upregulation of CREB-mediated transcription enhances both short- and long-term memory.

Unraveling the mechanisms by which the molecular manipulation of genes of interest enhances cognitive function is important to establish genetic therapies for cognitive disorders. Although CREB is thought to positively regulate formation of long-term memory (LTM), gain-of-function effects of CREB remain poorly understood, especially at the behavioral level. To address this, we generated four lines of transgenic mice expressing dominant active CREB mutants (CREB-Y134F or CREB-DIEDML) in the forebrain that exhibited moderate upregulation of CREB activity.

Facile preparation of gold nanoparticles-liposome composites.

We report here facile preparation of gold nanoparticles-liposome composites (AuNPs-liposome) in aqueous solutions at ambient conditions in the absence of any reducing agents and energy input. The AuNPs-liposomes were prepared by simply mixing of an aqueous solution of hydrogen tetrachloroaureate (III) hydrate (HAuCl4.3H2O) and a dispersion of poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted liposomes (PEG-liposomes) that are comprised of distearoyl-N-monomethyoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-succinyl-phosphatidylethanoamine (DSPE-PEG) and L-alpha-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC).

Activation of LVGCCs and CB1 receptors required for destabilization of reactivated contextual fear memories.

Previous studies have shown that inhibiting protein synthesis shortly after reactivation impairs the subsequent expression of a previously consolidated fear memory. This has suggested that reactivation returns a memory to a labile state and that protein synthesis is required for the subsequent restabilization of memory. While the molecular mechanisms underlying the restabilization of reactivated memories are being uncovered, those underlying the initial destabilization are not known at all.

Dopamine selective molecularly imprinted polymers via post-imprinting modification.

A novel synthetic dopamine receptor bearing bidentate binding sites were prepared by covalent imprinting using a disulfide linkage which is cleaved and oxidized to a non-covalent sulfoxide recognition group. The used templates have dopamine-like structures connected to an allyl moiety via a disulfide and to a 4-vinylphenyl group via a cyclic boronic diester. After the polymerization, the ester bonds were hydrolyzed and the disulfide bond was reduced to remove the template moiety from the polymer matrix, followed by the oxidation to transform the thiol residues into sulfonic acid (post imprinted process).

Signaling molecularly imprinted polymers: molecular recognition-based sensing materials.

Molecular imprinting is a template polymerization technique that can easily provide synthetic polymers capable of molecular recognition for given target molecules. In addition to their highly specific recognition ability, we are attempting to introduce signaling functions to molecularly imprinted polymers, enabling them to respond according to specific binding events. Some of our work regarding such signaling molecularly imprinted polymers is presented here, including molecularly imprinted polymers that induce spectral shifts of target compounds because of binding.

Novel strategy for molecular imprinting of phenolic compounds utilizing disulfide templates.

A molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized by using allyl phenyl disulfide as a template. The mixture of allyl phenyl disulfide, divinylbenzene, and 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) in chloroform was polymerized by UV irradiation for 24 h at 5 degrees C and further 3 h at 80 degrees C. The disulfide bonds of the resulting polymer were reductively cleaved by NaBH(4) in methanol to give thiol groups in the binding sites.

Post-oxidative conversion of thiol residue to sulfonic acid in the binding sites of molecularly imprinted polymers: disulfide based covalent molecular imprinting for basic compounds.

An imprinted polymer using a disulfide derivative as a template was treated with NaBH4 to yield the polymer with thiol groups in the binding sites. The thiol groups were then oxidized with H2O2/AcOH to yield the molecularly imprinted polymer with sulfo groups in the binding sites. This site conversion can provide amine-imprinted polymers, in which amine is retained to the imprinted polymer by the strong electrostatic interaction between the amino group and the sulfo group in the binding sites.

Moleculary imprinted polymers with metalloporphyrin-based molecular recognition sites coassembled with methacrylic acid.

A diastereoselective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for (-)-cinchonidine, PPM(CD), was prepared by the combined use of methacrylic acid and vinyl-substituted zinc(II) porphyrin as functional monomers. Compared to MIPs using only methacrylic acid or zinc porphyrin as a functional monomer, PM(CD) and PP(CD), respectively, PPM(CD) showed higher binding ability for (-)-cinchonidine in chromatographic tests using the MIP-packed columns. Scatchard analysis gave a higher association constant of PPM(CD) for (-)-cinchonidine (1.

Synthesis of 5-fluorouracil-imprinted polymers with multiple hydrogen bonding interactions.

The antitumor active compound 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was used as a target molecule and 5-FU-imprinted polymers were synthesized using 2,6-bis(acrylamido)pyridine and/or 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid as functional monomers. The 5-FU-imprinted polymers showed a higher affinity for 5-FU than that for 5-FU derivatives. By using both functional monomers simultaneously, the affinity and separation for 5-FU were improved.