Heat stress is a potent stimulus for enhancing rescue efficiency of recombinant Borna disease virus.

Recently developed vector systems based on Borna disease virus (BDV) hold promise as platforms for efficient and stable gene delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). However, because it currently takes several weeks to rescue recombinant BDV (rBDV), an improved rescue procedure would enhance the utility of this system. Heat stress reportedly enhances the rescue efficiency of other recombinant viruses. Here, heat stress was demonstrated to increase the amount of BDV genome in persistently BDV-infected cells without obvious cytotoxicity. Further analyses suggested that the effect of heat stress on BDV infection is not caused by an increase in the activity of BDV polymerase. More cells in which BDV replication occurs were obtained in the initial phase of rBDV rescue by using heat stress than when it was not used. Thus, heat stress is a useful improvement on the published rescue procedure for rBDV. The present findings may accelerate the practical use of BDV vector systems in basic science and the clinic and thus enable broader adoption of this viral vector, which is uniquely suited for gene delivery to the CNS

Clinical study of chronic subdural hematoma : a review of 645 cases : with special reference to elderly and non-elderly groups

Between January 1982 and October 1991, 645 patients with chronic subdural hematoma were treated at Tokushima University Hospital and its affiliated hospitals. All patients received standard treatment consisting of one burr hole and irrigation. Clinical features in a consecutive series of 645 adult patients with chronic subdural hematoma were studied, comparing two groups: 309 cases classed as elderly of 70 years of age or older (elderly group) and 336 cases below the age of 70 (non-elderly group) . In comparison with the non-elderly group, the elderly group had a higher percentage of females. The reason is considered to be the increase in the number of females in the general elderly population. Left sided hematomas were 1.6 times more common than right sided hematomas. The reason for this discrepancy was believed to be a greater degree of atrophy of the left cerebral hemisphere. An episode of head injury was noted less often in the elderly than non-elderly, so it is also assumed brain atrophy or other conditions caused by aging may play a role in the pathogenesis. In the elderly group, motor weakness and mental disturbance were seen in 66.3 % and 29.4 % respectively. The results were similar to those previously reported. When associated diseases, such as neurodegenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease, dementia and malignancy, are excluded from the analysis, functional prognosis is improved in the non-eldery group. Functional recovery in the elderly tends to be poor in cases with a longer interval between the symptomatic neurological deficit and the operative procedure, while poor operative outcome in the non-elderly group was noted even in cases with a shorter operative interval because of the severity of the condition. It is thought that early diagnosis and surgery would be required in cases of chronic subdural hematoma to obtain good functional recovery regardless of the patient's age

中性子捕捉療法における硼素化合物の薬物動態と腫瘍内移行

BNCT (boron neutron capture therapy) is based on the intracellular nuclear reaction that occurs between the boron-10 nucleus and a thermal neutron. Upon capture, the boron nucleus disintegrates into highly energetic alpha (4He) and lithium (7Li) particles. Because of the short pathways of these heavy particles and 10B accumulation in target tissues, the great potential advantage of BNCT is a selective tumor destruction without significant damage to normal brain tissue. Since 1968, we have treated 146 patients with malignant brain tumors by BNCT. The 5-year survival rate of malignant glioma was 29%. Important factors which improve the results of BNCT are boron concentration in the tumor and neutron sauces. We have used BSH (mercaptoundecahydrododecaborate, Na2B12H11SH) as a boron compound in all patients. BSH is characterized by the absence of toxic side effects and represents the only promising boron carrier applied for the therapy of malignant glioma. However, data on the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of BSH are few and lack in stadardization. We retrospectively analyzed the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of BSH in 146 patients treated by BNCT from 1968 to 1994. 1) Pharmacokinetic parameters and standard expression of blood boron content of BSH were calculated by the two-compartment model theory in intra-arterial and intra-venous infusion groups. The parameters revealed that BSH could move easily from blood to the peripheral organs with sustained retention and that elimination was very slow. (CL=3.43L/hr, Vss=181.8 L, MRT=53.0 hrs) 2) Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated in each case. The patients were divided into two groups : the intra-arterial (56 patients) and the intra-venous (31 patients) groups. BSH was administered into cervical brain arteries in the intra-arterial group, and peripheral veins in the intra-venous group. BSH in the intra-arterial infusion group was found to move from blood into the peripheral organs more easily than that of the intravenous infusion group. 3) In patients with malignant glioma, the average values of boron concentration in the tumor and the tumor to blood ratio (T /B ratio) after intra-arterial infusion (44 patients with 53 samples) were 26.8 μg/g and 1. 77 respectively. On the other hand, after intravenous infusion (13 patients with 13 samples) the values were 20. 9 μg/ g and 1. 33 respectively. There were no statistical significant differences in the average values of boron concentration in the tumor and the T /B ratio between the intra-arterial and the intravenous groups. 4) Both the average values of boron concentration in the tumor and the T /B ratio in patients with malignant glioma showed about 2. 7 and 3. 0 times higher that those of low grade glioma. However, there were no statistical significant differences in the tumoral boron concentration and the T /B ratio between cases of anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma

The development of a pollen information system for the improvement of QOL

The Kochi Prefecture Japanese Cedar and Cypress Pollen Information System (P-Net Kochi) was established in 1991 on the initiative of the Pharmaceuticals and Sanitation Division to improve the quality of life of people in Kochi Prefecture, particularly patients with pollinosis. Kochi Prefecture has the highest forests percentage (84%) in Japan. In addition, 40% of the population of the prefecture is concentrated in Kochi City. The average pollen count at 10 observation points an one year was about 20,000/cm2 during the observation period, but it exceeded 110,000/cm2 in 1995, when it was also high nationwide. Kochi Prefecture organized a system to promote people's understanding of pollinosis in connection with environmental problems, and to enlighten people on appropriate preventive measures. The system has been improved in the rapid and efficient transmission of information over the years with technological advances. The introduction of an automatic monitoring system not dependent on human labor and the support of the users proved to be indispensable for the maintenance of the system

Evolutionarily Conserved Interaction between the Phosphoproteins and X Proteins of Bornaviruses from Different Vertebrate Species.

Bornavirus, a non-segmented, negative-strand RNA viruses, is currently classified into several genetically distinct genotypes, such as Borna disease virus (BDV) and avian bornaviruses (ABVs). Recent studies revealed that bornavirus genotypes show unique sequence variability in the putative 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of X/P mRNA, a bicistronic mRNA for the X protein and phosphoprotein (P). In this study, to understand the evolutionary relationship among the bornavirus genotypes, we investigated the functional interaction between the X and P proteins of four bornavirus genotypes, BDV, ABV genotype 4 and 5 and reptile bornavirus (RBV), the putative 5' UTRs of which exhibit variation in the length. Immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation analyses using mammalian and avian cell lines revealed that the X proteins of bornaviruses conserve the ability to facilitate the export of P from the nucleus to the cytoplasm via interaction with P. Furthermore, we showed that inter-genotypic interactions may occur between X and P among the genotypes, except for X of RBV. In addition, a BDV minireplicon assay demonstrated that the X and P proteins of ABVs, but not RBV, can affect the polymerase activity of BDV. This study demonstrates that bornaviruses may have conserved the fundamental function of a regulatory protein during their evolution, whereas RBV has evolved distinctly from the other bornavirus genotypes

Phase Diagram of Pressure-Induced Superconductivity in EuFe2As2 Probed by High-Pressure Resistivity up to 3.2 GPa

We have constructed a pressure$-$temperature ($P-T$) phase diagram of $P$-induced superconductivity in EuFe$_2$As$_2$ single crystals, via resistivity ($\rho$) measurements up to 3.2 GPa. As hydrostatic pressure is applied, an antiferromagnetic (AF) transition attributed to the FeAs layers at $T_\mathrm{0}$ shifts to lower temperatures, and the corresponding resistive anomaly becomes undetectable for $P$ $\ge$ 2.5 GPa. This suggests that the critical pressure $P_\mathrm{c}$ where $T_\mathrm{0}$ becomes zero is about 2.5 GPa. We have found that the AF order of the Eu$^{2+}$ moments survives up to 3.2 GPa without significant changes in the AF ordering temperature $T_\mathrm{N}$. The superconducting (SC) ground state with a sharp transition to zero resistivity at $T_\mathrm{c}$ $\sim$ 30 K, indicative of bulk superconductivity, emerges in a pressure range from $P_\mathrm{c}$ $\sim$ 2.5 GPa to $\sim$ 3.0 GPa. At pressures close to but outside the SC phase, the $\rho(T)$ curve shows a partial SC transition (i.e., zero resistivity is not attained) followed by a reentrant-like hump at approximately $T_\mathrm{N}$ with decreasing temperature. When nonhydrostatic pressure with a uniaxial-like strain component is applied using a solid pressure medium, the partial superconductivity is continuously observed in a wide pressure range from 1.1 GPa to 3.2 GPa.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review B, selected as "Editors' Suggestion

Pressure-Induced Antiferromagnetic Bulk Superconductor EuFe2_2As2_2

We present the magnetic and superconducting phase diagram of EuFe$_2$As$_2$ for $B \parallel c$ and $B \parallel ab$. The antiferromagnetic phase of the Eu$^{2+}$ moments is completely enclosed in the superconducting phase. The upper critical field vs. temperature curves exhibit strong concave curvatures, which can be explained by the Jaccarino-Peter compensation effect due to the antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between the Eu$^{2+}$ moments and conduction electrons.Comment: submitted to the proceedings of the M2S-IX Toky

Double Pituitary Adenomo : Two Case Reports

A 43-year-old male and a 39-year-old male presented with multiple pituitary adenomas with two distinct histological types. The first patient who had multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 had developed acromegaly due to a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)-producing pancreatic tumor. Both plasma GHRH and growth hormone (GH) levels decreased to normal after resection of the pancreatic tumor. However, the plasma GH level gradually increased again and magnetic resonance imaging revealed pituitary adenoma formation. Histological examination revealed two different histological types of pituitary adenoma: GH cell adenoma and null cell adenoma. The second patient, with no such genetic condition, had a non-functioning pituitary adenoma. Histological examination revealed two different histological types of silent GH cell adenoma and silent gonadotroph adenoma. Careful histological examination is required to exclude the possibility of multiple pituitary adenomas