Via-PIXE Analysis of Elemental Composition of Plant Root Exposed to Environmental Stress

開始ページ、終了ページ: 冊子体のページ付

An Open Experiment of a Submilli-PIXE Camera

開始ページ、終了ページ: 冊子体のページ付

Direct visualization of a significant stenosis of the right coronary artery by transthoracic echocardiography. A case report

Non-invasive imaging of coronary arteries by transthoracic echocardiography is an emerging diagnostic tool to study the left main (LM), left descending artery (LAD), circumflex (Cx) and right coronary artery (RCA). Impaired coronary circulation can be assessed by measuring coronary velocity flow reserve (CVFR) by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Coronary artery stenoses can be identified as localized colour aliasing and accelerated flow velocities. We report a case with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) of a 46-year-old man. With non-invasive imaging of coronary arteries by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), we identified a segment of the mid right coronary artery (RCA) suggestive of stenosis with localized colour aliasing and accelerated flow velocity. We found a high ratio between the stenotic peak velocity and the prestenotic peak velocity, and a pathologic coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) distal to the stenosis in the posterior interventricular descending branch (RDP). Subsequent coronary angiography demonstrated one vessel disease with a stenosis in segment 3 of RCA, which was successfully treated with percutaneos coronary intervention PCI. Two weeks following the PCI procedure he was readmitted to hospital with chest pain. A subacute stent thrombosis was questioned, and repeated echocardiography was preformed. The mid portion of RCA showed normal and laminar flow. The CVFR of RCA measured in the RDP showed normal vasodilatory response, confirming an open RCA without any flow limitation. A repeated coronary angiogram demonstrated only a mild in stent intimal hyperplasia. This case illustrates the value of transthoracic echocardiography as a tool both in the diagnosis and the follow-up of chest pain disorders and coronary flow problems. Transthoracic echocardiography allows both direct visualization of the various coronary segments and assessment of the CVFR

Distinct expression patterns of the E3 ligase SIAH-1 and its partner Kid/KIF22 in normal tissues and in the breast tumoral processes

SIAH proteins are the human members of an highly conserved family of E3 ubiquitin ligases. Several data suggest that SIAH proteins may have a role in tumor suppression and apoptosis. Previously, we reported that SIAH-1 induces the degradation of Kid (KIF22), a chromokinesin protein implicated in the normal progression of mitosis and meiosis, by the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. In human breast cancer cells stably transfected with SIAH-1, Kid/KIF22 protein level was markedly reduced whereas, the Kid/KIF22 mRNA level was increased. This interaction has been further elucidated through analyzing SIAH and Kid/KIF22 expression in both paired normal and tumor tissues and cell lines. It was observed that SIAH-1 protein is widely expressed in different normal tissues, and in cells lines but showing some differences in western blotting profiles. Immunofluorescence microscopy shows that the intracellular distribution of SIAH-1 and Kid/KIF22 appears to be modified in human tumor tissues compared to normal controls. When mRNA expression of SIAH-1 and Kid/KIF22 was analyzed by real-time PCR in normal and cancer breast tissues from the same patient, a large variation in the number of mRNA copies was detected between the different samples. In most cases, SIAH-1 mRNA is decreased in tumor tissues compared to their normal counterparts. Interestingly, in all breast tumor tissues analyzed, variations in the Kid/KIF22 mRNA levels mirrored those seen with SIAH-1 mRNAs. This concerted variation of SIAH-1 and Kid/KIF22 messengers suggests the existence of an additional level of control than the previously described protein-protein interaction and protein stability regulation. Our observations also underline the need to re-evaluate the results of gene expression obtained by qRT-PCR and relate it to the protein expression and cellular localization when matched normal and tumoral tissues are analyzed

Comparison between surface-reading and cross-section methods using sagittal otolith for age determination of the marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae

To find an appropriate method for age determination in the marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae in Tokyo Bay, Japan, sagittal otoliths of 1,343 individuals were observed by surface-reading and cross-section methods and the results were compared. Opaque zones occurred once a year and were regarded as annuli in both methods. The surface-reading method sometimes provided a lower count of the number of annuli than the cross-section method, and the frequency of this discrepancy was highest in older fish (males above 5 years, females above 4 years). The oldest female fish was estimated to be age 10 years by the cross-section method but 8 years by the surface-reading method. The cross-section method could provide a more accurate estimate of age and is therefore likely to be indispensable to estimations of longevity. In contrast, the surface-reading method is superior in terms of cost and time efficiency but is likely to underestimate the ages of older fish. However, growth equations based on age estimated by the surface-reading method were sufficiently accurate if males ?5 years and females ?4 years were combined as specific, single age groups of 5+ and 4+, respectively