Numerical changes in blood monocytes in bronchial asthma.

Numerical changes in peripheral blood monocytes were examined in 125 patients with bronchial asthma using a new direct method of counting blood monocytes. The number of monocytes in non-attack stages of bronchial asthma was similar to that of healthy controls. The monocyte count observed in overall cases showed a significantly higher value both in pre-attack and attack stages than in non-attack stages. Changes in the number of monocytes in an individual spontaneous asthmatic cycle tended to increase in pre-attack stages, increase more markedly during asthma attacks, then to decrease after the attack was alleviated. Monocytes in cases with a positive test for bronchial challenge to house dust extract changed in almost the same manner as for spontaneous asthma attacks. The number of monocytes did not change during bronchospasm provoked by inhalation of acetylcholine. Exercise-induced asthma patients exhibited indefinite changes of monocytes; that is, some cases showed a significant increase in the number of monocytes related to the asthma cycle, but other cases did not show any appreciable change. These findings suggest that the number of monocytes in the peripheral blood may change in close relation to asthma attacks elicited by allergic reactions.</p

Proto-Quasars:Physical States and Observable Properties

Based on the radiation hydrodynamical model for the black hole(BH) growth,incorporated with the chemical evolution of the early-type host galaxy, we construct the coevolution model of a QSO BH and the host galaxy. As a result, it is found that after a galactic wind epoch,the luminosity is shifted from the host-dominant phase to the AGN-dominant phase (QSO phase) in the timescale of a few $10^{8}$ years.The former phase corresponds to the early stage of growing BH, and can be regarded as a ``proto-QSO'' phase. It has observable characteristic properties (detail inthis paper).By comparing these predictions with recent observations, radio galaxies are a possible candidate for proto-QSOs.Also, it is anticipated that the proto-QSO phase is preceded by an optically thick phase, which may correspond to ULIRGs.In this phase, $M_{\rm BH}/M_{\rm bulge}$ is predicted to be much less than $10^{-3}$ and grow with metallicity.Moreover, as precursors of ULIRGs, optically-thin star-forming galaxies are predicted. These may be in the assembly phase of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) or Ly$\alpha$ emitters.Comment: 7pages,7figures,accepted for publication in Ap

Epidemiology of Infectious Hepatitis 3rd Report. On the Mass Examination Taken for Shakurenzi Hamlet

The mass examination was carried out in Shakurenji, Kama- Village, Akaiwa Connty, Okayama Pref., where great many deathes have been taken place by infectious hepatitis; results were as follows: 1. 127 persons received the examination; it has covered 94.1% of the entire people. 2. Those who have had jaundice previously were enumerated as 5 cases; as it was just the season when infectious hepatitis was in vogue in other parts of the Prefecture, though slight in degree, it was imagined that probably in the past there might have occurred a few sporadic cases. Among those, 3 were taken record of as new victims of disease, 3. In 6 cases, the patients complained of certain pain, each having some sort of liver disturbance more or less. 4. There were 24 cases in which liver enlargement could be detected; its rate, 18.9%, while splenomegaly been discovered in only one case. 5. Two women in pregnancy were recognized, one sickened case, the other inapparent infection case. 6. As for wide-range judgment taken after the examinaton, must-be-treated case, 5, must-be taken-care-of case 5. inapparent infection 60, 70 in total. percentage of contraction, 55.1%, adding 3 cases starting disease as well as 3 deaths; thus, great total, 76 cases; its rate, 57.1%. 7. Percentage of contraction has proved high in thirties and above 50. By sex, females superseded, but as to age, no definite conclusion could be established. 8. In case those patients exposed would be divided by respective family and investigated, it has been revealed thus: (a) with families which have used a well in common with the family in which death case or at least patient was found, Percentage of contraction has proved high and almost in like degree, since many were adviced to receive treatment, or, be taken care of. (b) Families which employed a well in common, were recognized to have proved about the same ratio in infection, containing not a few ought to be treated or taken care of, which suggests us an infection due to a well. (c) Among the group of families, whose relatives died of this disease, master of the house who had presented himasdlf over the funeral diet has been found to have taken infection alone

The Japanese space gravitational wave antenna; DECIGO

DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to open a new window of observation for gravitational wave astronomy especially between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz, revealing various mysteries of the universe such as dark energy, formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and inflation of the universe. The pre-conceptual design of DECIGO consists of three drag-free spacecraft, whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry– Perot Michelson interferometer. We plan to launch two missions, DECIGO pathfinder and pre- DECIGO first and finally DECIGO in 2024

Recommended nomenclature for five mammalian carboxylesterase gene families: human, mouse, and rat genes and proteins

Mammalian carboxylesterase (CES or Ces) genes encode enzymes that participate in xenobiotic, drug, and lipid metabolism in the body and are members of at least five gene families. Tandem duplications have added more genes for some families, particularly for mouse and rat genomes, which has caused confusion in naming rodent Ces genes. This article describes a new nomenclature system for human, mouse, and rat carboxylesterase genes that identifies homolog gene families and allocates a unique name for each gene. The guidelines of human, mouse, and rat gene nomenclature committees were followed and “CES” (human) and “Ces” (mouse and rat) root symbols were used followed by the family number (e.g., human CES1). Where multiple genes were identified for a family or where a clash occurred with an existing gene name, a letter was added (e.g., human CES4A; mouse and rat Ces1a) that reflected gene relatedness among rodent species (e.g., mouse and rat Ces1a). Pseudogenes were named by adding “P” and a number to the human gene name (e.g., human CES1P1) or by using a new letter followed by ps for mouse and rat Ces pseudogenes (e.g., Ces2d-ps). Gene transcript isoforms were named by adding the GenBank accession ID to the gene symbol (e.g., human CES1_AB119995 or mouse Ces1e_BC019208). This nomenclature improves our understanding of human, mouse, and rat CES/Ces gene families and facilitates research into the structure, function, and evolution of these gene families. It also serves as a model for naming CES genes from other mammalian species

A novel method, digital genome scanning detects KRAS gene amplification in gastric cancers: involvement of overexpressed wild-type KRAS in downstream signaling and cancer cell growth

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gastric cancer is the third most common malignancy affecting the general population worldwide. Aberrant activation of KRAS is a key factor in the development of many types of tumor, however, oncogenic mutations of <it>KRAS </it>are infrequent in gastric cancer. We have developed a novel quantitative method of analysis of DNA copy number, termed digital genome scanning (DGS), which is based on the enumeration of short restriction fragments, and does not involve PCR or hybridization. In the current study, we used DGS to survey copy-number alterations in gastric cancer cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>DGS of gastric cancer cell lines was performed using the sequences of 5000 to 15000 restriction fragments. We screened 20 gastric cancer cell lines and 86 primary gastric tumors for <it>KRAS </it>amplification by quantitative PCR, and investigated <it>KRAS </it>amplification at the DNA, mRNA and protein levels by mutational analysis, real-time PCR, immunoblot analysis, GTP-RAS pull-down assay and immunohistochemical analysis. The effect of <it>KRAS </it>knock-down on the activation of p44/42 MAP kinase and AKT and on cell growth were examined by immunoblot and colorimetric assay, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>DGS analysis of the HSC45 gastric cancer cell line revealed the amplification of a 500-kb region on chromosome 12p12.1, which contains the <it>KRAS </it>gene locus. Amplification of the <it>KRAS </it>locus was detected in 15% (3/20) of gastric cancer cell lines (8–18-fold amplification) and 4.7% (4/86) of primary gastric tumors (8–50-fold amplification). <it>KRAS </it>mutations were identified in two of the three cell lines in which <it>KRAS </it>was amplified, but were not detected in any of the primary tumors. Overexpression of KRAS protein correlated directly with increased <it>KRAS </it>copy number. The level of GTP-bound KRAS was elevated following serum stimulation in cells with amplified wild-type <it>KRAS</it>, but not in cells with amplified mutant <it>KRAS</it>. Knock-down of <it>KRAS </it>in gastric cancer cells that carried amplified wild-type <it>KRAS </it>resulted in the inhibition of cell growth and suppression of p44/42 MAP kinase and AKT activity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study highlights the utility of DGS for identification of copy-number alterations. Using DGS, we identified <it>KRAS </it>as a gene that is amplified in human gastric cancer. We demonstrated that gene amplification likely forms the molecular basis of overactivation of KRAS in gastric cancer. Additional studies using a larger cohort of gastric cancer specimens are required to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of <it>KRAS </it>amplification and overexpression.</p