Molecular heterogeneity of TIME-EA4, a timer protein in silkworm diapause eggs.

TIME-EA4 is an ATPase that measures time intervals as a diapause-duration clock found in diapause eggs of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. In the current studies, we report the molecular heterogeneity of TIME-EA4 protein regarding not only amino acid L62V, but also the numbers and linkage patterns of the sugar chain attached to the Asn(22) residue. These sugar chain structures were determined in a pico-molar amount of the protein by combining the methods of chemical modification (Smith degradation) and nano-HPLC-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of fight-mass spectrometry (ESI-Q-TOF-MS) and -MS/MS.

Rhabdomyosarcoma with posterior paresis and megaesophagus in a Holstein heifer.

A 7-month-old Holstein heifer presented with posterior paresis and megaesophagus. At post mortem examination, a nodular tumor was found attached to the thoracic wall and the eighth to eleventh thoracic vertebrae, adjacent to the left posterior pulmonary lobe. The tumor was diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma by histology.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase epsilon is a negative regulator of FcepsilonRI-mediated mast cell responses.

Modulation of mast-cell activation may provide novel ways to control allergic diseases. Here, we show that protein tyrosine phosphatase epsilon (PTPepsilon; Ptpre) plays key regulatory roles during mast-cell activation mediated by the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonRI). Bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) from Ptpre(-/-) mice exhibited enhanced FcepsilonRI-induced Ca(2+) mobilization and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (JNK and p38) activation, and showed corresponding enhancement of evoked degranulation and cytokine production, but not leukotriene production.

Single nucleotide polymorphism typing of the human toll-like receptor 4 gene at the 2-kb upstream region of the 5' untranslated region: New enclosure strategy for the risk grouping of poorly-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma patients.

To date, no enclosure method for risk grouping patients with poorly-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma has been identified. We examined the relationship between mutations in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and patients with poorly-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 38 patients, 20 with well-differentiated and 18 with poorly-differentiated gastric cancer, from 25 patients with colorectal cancer and from 10 healthy volunteers.

Diffusion tensor fiber tracking in patients with central post-stroke pain; correlation with efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is one of the most common types of intractable pain. We reported that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of primary motor cortex relieves pain for patients who were refractory to medical treatment. But the mechanism is unclear.

Cysteine-390 is the binding site of luminous substance with symplectin, a photoprotein from Okinawan squid, Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis.

Symplectin is a photoprotein from a luminous squid, Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis. It has a luminous substrate, dehydrocoelenterazine (DCZ), linked through a thioether bond with a cysteine residue. We have proven the binding site of luminous substrate in symplectin by using an artificial analogue of DCZ, ortho-fluoro-DCZ (F-DCZ).

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Hibiscus glaber Matsum. ex Nakai, an endemic tree species of the oceanic Bonin Islands, Japan.

Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for Hibiscus glaber, an endemic tree of the Bonin Islands. Eighty-seven of the 208 sequences from an enriched library were unique and containing microsatellites. Ten loci were proved to be highly polymorphic among 78 individuals from the Nishi-jima Island.

High incidence of Dieulafoy's lesions in upper gastrointestinal bleeding associated with polyarteritis--clinical examination of patients of polyarteritis nodosa with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.

Background/aims: Polyarteritis nodosa (PN) has been classified into polyarteritis (PA) and microscopic polyarteritis (MA) histologically. To clarify of the characteristics of upper gastrointestinal bleeding lesions in PN, we investigated the patients of PN with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Methodology: The subjects of this study were 21 patients of PN with RPGN (PA: 11, MA: 10) who presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Decelerated chirality interconversion of an optically inactive 3(10)-helical peptide by metal chelation.

A dynamically optically inactive 3(10)-helical peptide possessing metal chelating ability between the side-chains at the i and i + 3th residues was synthesized, and its metal complexes were shown to stabilize the peptide structure and the helical sense.

Identification of CYP3A4 as the primary cytochrome P450 responsible for the metabolism of tandospirone by human liver microsomes.

The present study was carried out to characterize the human P450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of tandospirone, an anxiolytic agent known for its superior efficacy and safety. Among 11 yeast-expressed recombinant P450 isoforms tested, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 exhibited the highest tandospirone metabolic activity. Although there was no qualitative difference between the two isoforms, a quantitative difference in metabolite profiling was found i.

Electrical stimulation of primary motor cortex within the central sulcus for intractable neuropathic pain.

Objective: To assess the pain-relieving effects of motor cortex electrical stimulation (MCS) within the central sulcus and the predictive factors retrospectively.

Methods: Thirty-four patients with intractable neuropathic pain underwent MCS; 19 patients had cerebral lesions, and 15 had non-cerebral lesions. In selected 12 patients, test electrodes were implanted within the central sulcus and on the precentral gyrus.

[Quantification of circulating plasma DNA fragments as tumor markers in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer].

The quantity and quality of circulating DNA fragments was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) in plasma from patients with esophageal and gastric cancer, in order to assess their diagnostic value. Plasma was collected preoperatively from 24 patients with esophageal cancer 53 patients with gastric cancer and from 21 healthy controls. qPCR was performed using two primer sets for the BETA-actin gene, amplifying short (102 bp) and long (253 bp) segments.

Identification of CYP3A4 as the primary cytochrome P450 responsible for the metabolism of tandospirone by human liver microsomes.

The present study was carried out to characterize the human P450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of tandospirone, an anxiolytic agent known for its superior efficacy and safety. Among 11 yeast-expressed recombinant P450 isoforms tested, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 exhibited the highest tandospirone metabolic activity. Although there was no qualitative difference between the two isoforms, a quantitative difference in metabolite profiling was found i.

[Addictive behavior disorders].

"Addiction" used to remind anyone of the use or abuse of chemical substances. In recent years, however, researchers and clinicians have begun to classify other excessive behaviors including gambling, eating shopping and self-injury into the addictive behavior. Above all, pathological gambling and bulimia nervosa patients often make trouble for psychiatrists and psychologists, not only for their family.

Reduction of intractable deafferentation pain due to spinal cord or peripheral lesion by high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the primary motor cortex.

Object: The authors previously reported that navigation-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the precentral gyrus relieves deafferentation pain. Stimulation parameters were 10 trains of 10-second 5-Hz TMS pulses at 50-second intervals. In the present study, they used various stimulation frequencies and compared efficacies between two types of lesions.

Quantification of plasma cell-free DNA in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: The circulating DNA concentration and integrity was examined by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the plasma from patients with gastric cancer and their diagnostic value for the detection of gastric cancer assessed.

Patients And Methods: Plasma samples were collected preoperatively from 53 patients with gastric cancer and 21 healthy controls. qPCR was performed using two different primer sets for the beta-actin gene, amplifying short and long segments.

Quantification of circulating plasma DNA fragments as tumor markers in patients with esophageal cancer.

Unlabelled: The quantity and quality of circulating DNA fragments was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) in plasma from patients with esophageal carcinomas, in order to assess their diagnostic value.

Patients And Methods: Plasma was collected preoperatively from 24 patients with esophageal cancer and 21 healthy controls. qPCR was performed using two primer sets for the beta-actin gene, amplifying short and long segments.

Genome scan to detect genetic structure and adaptive genes of natural populations of Cryptomeria japonica.

We investigated 29 natural populations of Cryptomeria japonica using 148 cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers to elucidate their genetic structure and identify candidate adaptive genes of this species. In accordance with the inferred evolutionary history of the species during and after the last glacial episode, the genetic diversity was higher in western populations than in northern populations. The results of phylogenetic and genetic structure analyses suggest that populations of the two main varieties of the species have clearly diverged from each other and that two of the examined loci are strongly associated with the differentiation between the two varieties.

Motor cortex stimulation for levodopa-resistant akinesia: case report.

We treated a patient with levodopa-resistant akinesia with motor cortex stimulation (MCS), and she showed dramatic improvement more than 1 year. On admission, the patient presented severe akinesia and gait disturbance without tremor and rigidity, and did not respond to levodopa test. The patient was suspected pure akinesia and progressive supranuclear palsy.

Effects of kin-structured seed dispersal on the genetic structure of the clonal dioecious shrub ilex leucoclada.

Nonrandom patterns of gene dispersal have been identified as possible causes of genetic structuring within populations. Attempts to model these patterns have generally focused solely on the effects of isolation by distance, but the processes involved are more complex than such modeling suggests. Here, we extend considerations of gene dispersal processes beyond simple isolation by distance effects by directly evaluating the effects of kin-structured gene dispersal mediated by the group dispersal of related seeds within fruits (i.

Genetic diversity and the genetic structure of natural populations of Chamaecyparis obtusa: implications for management and conservation.

We investigated 25 natural populations of Chamaecyparis obtusa using 51 cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers, which were developed using information on sequence-tagged sites (STS) in Cryptomeria japonica. Most CAPS markers have codominant expression patterns, and are suitable for population studies because of their robustness and convenience. We estimated various genetic diversity parameters, including average heterozygosity (H(e)) and allelic richness and found that the more peripheral populations tended to have lower genetic diversity than central populations, in agreement with a previous theoretical study.

Circulating cell-free mRNA in plasma as a tumor marker for patients with primary and recurrent gastric cancer.

Background: The diagnostic value of circulating mRNA for the early detection of primary and recurrent gastric cancer was evaluated.

Patients And Methods: Circulating hTERT and MUC1 mRNA were amplified in the plasma from 52 gastric cancer patients (40 preoperative and 12 postoperative patients) and 20 healthy controls. The results were compared with those of a circulating cancer cell assay and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay.

Circulating tumor cells and aberrant methylation as tumor markers in patients with esophageal cancer.

Background: This study was designed to compare the detection rates of conventional tumor markers with two molecular diagnostic approaches on blood samples from patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Materials And Methods: Preoperative blood samples were obtained from 44 esophageal cancer patients and were subjected to CEA-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) assay for p16, E-cadherin and RARbeta genes.

Results: Circulating tumor cells were detected in 12 patients (27%); 14 patients (32%) had aberrant methylation in the promoter region of at least one gene (6, 4 and 4 patients, for p16, E-cadherin and RARbeta, respectively).

[Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome].

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is the one of the most critical status among alcohol related disorders. Early detection, diagnosis, and appropriate treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome are keys to a successful outcome. This article describes the concrete method of diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

EC-IC bypass using the distal stump of the superficial temporal artery as an additional collateral source of blood flow in patients with Moyamoya disease.

Background: To establish multiple bypass flow in an adult Moyamoya disease patient, the distal stump of the parietal superficial temporal artery (dsPSTA) was used as an additional donor.

Methods: Its potential as the donor was first evaluated by measuring the arterial pressure directly in three patients, revealing about 80% in mean arterial pressure of those measured at the proximal stump and radial artery. The anastomosis was performed just as conventionally except an additional anastomosis between the dsPSTA and frontal branch of the middle cerebral artery in 10 hemispheres of 7 patients.