The pointedness effect on representational momentum.

An observer's memory for the final position of a moving object is shifted forward in the direction of that object's motion. It is called representational momentum (RM). This study addressed stimulus-specific effects on RM.

Eye fixation related potentials in a proof reading task.

The eye fixation related potential (EFRP) associated with the occurrence of fixation pauses can be obtained by averaging EEGs at termination of saccades. EFRP is a kind of ERP measurable at the eye movement situation. Variations of EFRP were examined during a proof reading task for a long time.

Dissolution profiles of principal ingredients in Kampo medicinal powders by high-performance liquid chromatography.

We describe here a method using HPLC for the simultaneous determination of albiflorin, paeoniflorin, glycyrrhizin and six flavanone glycosides (liquiritin, liquiritin apioside, naringin, neohesperidin, hesperidin and narirutin) in the Kampo medicines, Shigyaku-san and Haino-san. All nine components were separated in less than 40 min by linear gradient elution using a mobile phase containing aqueous phosphoric acid and acetonitrile. The dissolution of these components from powders of Shigyaku-san in aqueous solution at pH 1.

Inhibitory tagging in visual search can be found if search stimuli remain visible.

Klein (1988) reported that inhibitory tagging (i.e., inhibition of return in visual search) made reaction times for the detection of small probes increase at locations where there had previously been rejected items in serial visual search.

Hydroxyprolylserine derivatives JBP923 and JBP485 exhibit the antihepatitis activities after gastrointestinal absorption in rats.

It has been a desire to develop orally effective therapeutic agents that restore the liver function in chronic injury. Here we demonstrated that trans-4-L-hydroxyprolyl-L-serine (JBP923) and cyclo-trans-4-L-hydroxyprolyl-L-serine (JBP485), which was previously isolated from hydrolysate of human placenta, exhibit potent antihepatitis activity after their oral administration. The increase in bilirubin concentration and activities of liver cytosolic enzymes in serum caused by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate intoxication in rats were significantly countered both after i.

Triterpenoid saponins from the roots of tea plant (Camellia sinensis var. assamica).

Three olean-12-ene type triterpenoid saponins, named TR-saponins A, B and C, were isolated as methyl esters from tea roots (Camellia sinesis var. assamica) after treatment with diazomethane. Their structures were established as the methyl esters of 3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl (1-->3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-21, 22-di-O-angeloyl-R1-barrigenol-23-oic acid, 3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl (1-->3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-21-O-angeloyl-22-O-2-me thylbutanoyl-R1- barrigenol-23-oic acid and 3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl (1-->3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-16 alpha-O-acetyl-21-O-angeloyl-22-O-2-methylbutanoyl-R1-bar rigenol-23-oic acid, by extensive 1D and 2D-NMR as well as FABMS and HR-MS analyses.

In mouse alpha -methylacyl-CoA racemase, the same gene product is simultaneously located in mitochondria and peroxisomes.

alpha-Methylacyl-CoA racemase, an enzyme of the bile acid biosynthesis and branched chain fatty acid degradation pathway, was studied at the protein, cDNA, and genomic levels in mouse liver. Immunoelectron microscopy and subcellular fractionation located racemase to mitochondria and peroxisomes. The enzymes were purified from both organelles with immunoaffinity chromatography.

Distribution of verectin in Aloe vera leaves and verectin contents in clonally regenerated plants and the commercial gel powders by immunochemical screening.

Verectin antiserum raised in white rabbits was immunochemically applied to examine verectin distribution in Aloe vera leaves during growth and flowering seasons, and to quantify verectin in clonally regenerated plants and commercial A. vera gel products.

Simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of puerarin, daidzin, paeoniflorin, liquiritin, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and glycyrrhizin in Kampo medicines.

We report a high-performance liquid chromatographic method to determine the quantities of puerarin, daidzin, paeoniflorin, liquiritin, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and glycyrrhizin in Kampo medicine. All seven compounds were separated in less than 30 min with a Wakosil-II 5C18 AR column by linear gradient elution using 0.01% (v/v) phosphoric acid acetonitrile (0 min 90:10, 10 min 88:12, 22 min 70:30, 30 min 30:70) as the mobile phase at a flow-rate of 1.

Simultaneous determination of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine and methylephedrine in Kampo medicines by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine and methylephedrine (ephedrine alkaloids) in Kampo medicines which contain Ephedrae Herba was established. The analysis can be accomplished within 25 min with a Wakosil-II 5C18 HG column by isocratic elution using a mixture of water, acetonitrile and sodium dodecyl sulfate (65:35:0.4) as the mobile phase at a flow-rate of 1.

Interaction between GADD34 and kinesin superfamily, KIF3A.

GADD34 is one of a subset of proteins induced after DNA damage or cell growth arrest. To examine the function of GADD34, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to clone the protein that interacts with the murine GADD34. One cDNA clone was the C-terminal part of KIF3A gene including the tail domain.

Function of human mitochondrial 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase and rat monofunctional Delta3-Delta2-enoyl-CoA isomerase in beta-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.

Human 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (2,4-reductase; DECR) and rat monofunctional Delta(3)-Delta(2)-enoyl-CoA isomerase (rat 3, 2-isomerase; ECI) are thought to be mitochondrial auxiliary enzymes involved in the beta-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. However, their function during this process has not been demonstrated. Although they lack obvious peroxisomal targeting signals (PTSs), both proteins have been suggested previously to also occur in the mammalian peroxisomal compartment.

Simultaneous determination of baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, wogonin, berberine, coptisine, palmatine, jateorrhizine and glycyrrhizin in Kampo medicines by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography.

An ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of four flavonoids, namely baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein and wogonin, and four berberine-type alkaloids, namely berberine, coptisine, palmatine and jateorrhizine, and glycyrrhizin in Kampo medicines is described. The analysis can be accomplished within 30 min with a Wakosil-II 5C18 HG column by linear gradient elution using a mobile phase containing aqueous phosphoric acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate and acetonitrile at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml x min(-1), a thermostatic oven at 45 degrees C, and detection at 265 nm.

Alternatives to the isomerase-dependent pathway for the beta-oxidation of oleic acid are dispensable in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Identification of YOR180c/DCI1 encoding peroxisomal delta(3,5)-delta(2,4)-dienoyl-CoA isomerase.

Fatty acids with double bonds at odd-numbered positions such as oleic acid can enter beta-oxidation via a pathway relying solely on the auxiliary enzyme Delta(3)-Delta(2)-enoyl-CoA isomerase, termed the isomerase-dependent pathway. Two novel alternative pathways have recently been postulated to exist in mammals, and these additionally depend on Delta(3,5)-Delta(2,4)-dienoyl-CoA isomerase (di-isomerase-dependent) or on Delta(3,5)-Delta(2,4)-dienoyl-CoA isomerase and 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (reductase-dependent). We report the identification of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae oleic acid-inducible DCI1 (YOR180c) gene encoding peroxisomal di-isomerase.

Integrated effect of stimulation at fixation points on EFRP (eye-fixation related brain potentials).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the integrated effect of stimulation at the fixation points just before and just after saccadic eye-movement (saccade) on eye-fixation related brain potentials (EFRP: P75 and N105). Checkerboard patterns were used as stimuli. In Experiment 1, changes in check sizes between two fixation points enhanced the amplitude of P75, while changes in the phases of patterns between the two points did not affect EFRP.

In vivo metabolism of aloemannan.

The metabolism of fluoresceinyl isothiocyanate labeled aloemannan (FITC-AM) was examined by p.o. and i.

[Phonological priming and auditory event-related brain potentials].

Phonological priming effects on auditory event-related brain potentials were compared across different numbers of syllables shared between target words and preceding prime words or pseudowords. All items of words and pseudowords consisted of 3 syllables, and the subject's task was to make a judgment whether the item belonged to a designated category. A large negative wave (N400), commencing at about 250 ms poststimulus and lasting for about 700 ms, was observed irrespective of primes and targets.

Transverse elasticity of myofibrils of rabbit skeletal muscle studied by atomic force microscopy.

Surface structure of myofibrils of rabbit skeletal muscle and their transverse elasticity were studied by atomic force microscopy. Images of myofibrils had a periodic structure characteristic of sarcomeres of skeletal muscle fibers. The transverse elasticity distribution in the sarcomere was determined based on force-distance curves measured at various loci of single myofibrils.

Topostatin, a novel inhibitor of topoisomerases I and II produced by Thermomonospora alba strain No. 1520. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and biological activities.

A novel inhibitor of topoisomerases designated as topostatin was isolated from the culture filtrate of Thermomonospora alba strain No. 1520. Topostatin inhibited the relaxation of supercoiled pBR322 DNA by calf thymus topoisomerase I, and also inhibited the relaxation of supercoiled pBR322 DNA and decatenation of kinetoplast DNA by human placenta topoisomerase II.

A comprehensive system to explore p53 mutations.

To establish an effective and reliable system for the detection of p53 mutations, we evaluated the detection efficiencies of nonisotopic polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and immunohistochemistry. Ten cell lines (AsPc1, BxPc3, Miapaca2, Panc1, Colo320-011, Lovo, MCF7, LNCaP, HL-60, and Daudi), a peripheral blood sample from a patient with a p53 germline mutation (p53GML), and a normal peripheral blood sample were used for examination. Direct nucleotide sequencing identified p53 mutations in 7 of 12 samples (AsPc1, BxPc3, Miapaca2, Panc1, Colo320-011, HL-60, and p53GML).

Brain potentials associated with eye fixations during visual tasks under different lighting systems.

The variations of eye fixation related potentials (EFRPs) were examined in two tasks under three lighting conditions for assessment of lighting environments. Sixteen subjects participated in two tasks; a difficult and an easy reading task under three lighting conditions: Spot light (S), General light (G) and Mixed light (M). EEG (Oz) and EOG were recorded.

Immunochemical distinction of Aloe vera, A. arborescens, and A. chinensis gels.

Verectin antiserum raised in white rabbits was immunoprecipitated with the Aloe vera nondialysable fraction. Analysis of the immunoprecipitation revealed that verectin accounted for about 1.25% of the total proteins in the nondialysable fraction of Aloe vera gel.

An inhibitor of aldose reductase and sorbitol accumulation from Anthocepharus chinensis.

A flavonoid glycoside was isolated from Anthocepharus chinensis. Its structure was elucidated by spectral data and determined to be myricetin 3-O-(4"-acetyl)-alpha-fucoside. This flavonoid glycoside and its aglycone showed potent inhibition against rat and porcine lens aldose reductase.