ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDIES OF RABIES VIRUS IN MOUSE BRAIN

The cells of brains of 2- and 3-day old mice infected with street rabies virus were examined in the electron microscope. It was observed that characteristic rod-like or elongated particles were found within a "matrix" in the cytoplasm of nerve cells and of astrocytes. These rod-like particles can be separated into two types, on the basis of slightly different morphological features. One particle is 110 to 120 mµ wide and has double-membraned coats; the other is 120 to 130 mµ wide and is covered by a single limiting membrane. The former is closely associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. The biological relationship between the two types is unknown, but both types of particles are considered to be street rabies viruses because of their structural features. It is believed that segmentation and branching of elongated particles may play a role in virus multiplication. Negri bodies appear as dense round bodies containing various coarse structures but no virus particles

Word representation of cords on a punctured plane

AbstractIn this paper a purely algebraic condition for a word in a free group to be representable by a simple curve on a punctured plane will be given.As an application, an algorithm for simple closed curves on a punctured plane will be obtained. Our solution is different from any algorithm due to Reinhart [Ann. of Math. 75 (1962) 209], Zieschang [Math. Scand. 17 (1965) 17] or Chillingworth [Bull. London Math. Soc. 1 (1969) 310]. Although the study here will be confined to the case of a plane, similar arguments could be carried out on the 2-sphere. This research was motivated by monodromy problems appearing in Lefschetz fibrations and surface braids. See [Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 120 (1996) 237; Kamada, Braid and Knots Theory in Dimension Four, American Mathematical Society, 2002; Kamada and Matsumoto, in: Proceedings of the International Conference on Knot Theory “Knots in Hellas '98”, World Scientific, 2000, p. 118; Kamada and Matsumoto, Enveloping monoidal quandles, Preprint, 2002; Matsumoto, in: S. Kojima et al. (Eds.), Proc. the 37th Taniguchi Sympos., World Scientific, 1996, p. 123]

Chart description for genus-two Lefschetz fibrations and a theorem on their stabilization

Chart descriptions are a graphic method to describe monodromy representations of various topological objects. Here we introduce a chart description for genus-two Lefschetz fibrations, and show that any genus-two Lefschetz fibration can be stabilized by fiber-sum with certain basic Lefschetz fibrations.Comment: 17 pages, 18 figure

Engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum as an endotoxin-free platform strain for lactate-based polyester production

The first biosynthetic system for lactate (LA)-based polyesters was previously created in recombinant Escherichia coli (Taguchi et al. 2008). Here, we have begun efforts to upgrade the prototype polymer production system to a practical stage by using metabolically engineered Gram-positive bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum as an endotoxin-free platform. We designed metabolic pathways in C. glutamicum to generate monomer substrates, lactyl-CoA (LA-CoA), and 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (3HB-CoA), for the copolymerization catalyzed by the LA-polymerizing enzyme (LPE). LA-CoA was synthesized by D-lactate dehydrogenase and propionyl-CoA transferase, while 3HB-CoA was supplied by β-ketothiolase (PhaA) and NADPH-dependent acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (PhaB). The functional expression of these enzymes led to a production of P(LA-co-3HB) with high LA fractions (96.8 mol%). The omission of PhaA and PhaB from this pathway led to a further increase in LA fraction up to 99.3 mol%. The newly engineered C. glutamicum potentially serves as a food-grade and biomedically applicable platform for the production of poly(lactic acid)-like polyester

Suppression of Propionibacterium acnes

Purpose. Macrophages serve as sweepers of microbes and inflammation-derived wastes and regulators of inflammation. Some traditional Japanese medicines are reported to have adjuvant effects by modifying macrophages. Our aim was to characterize the actions of jumihaidokuto (JHT) for treatment of skin inflammations including acne vulgaris, in which Propionibacterium acnes has pathogenic roles. Methods. Dermatitis was induced in rat ears by intradermal injection of P. acnes. JHT or prednisolone (PDN) was given orally, and ear thickness and histology were evaluated. The effects of constituents and metabolites of JHT on monocytes were tested by cell-based assays using the human monocytic THP-1 cell. Results. JHT and PDN suppressed the ear thickness induced by P. acnes injection. Histological examinations revealed that JHT, but not PDN, promoted macrophage accumulation at 24 h after the injection. PDN suppressed the macrophage chemokine MCP-1 in the inflamed ears, while JHT did not affect it. The JHT constituents liquiritigenin and isoliquiritin increased expression of CD86 (type-1 macrophage marker) and CD192 (MCP-1 receptor) and enhanced phagocytosis by THP-1. Conclusions. JHT suppressed dermatitis, probably by enhancing type-1 macrophage functions, with an action different from PDN. JHT may be a beneficial drug in treatment of skin inflammation induced by P. acnes

A Clinicopathological Analysis of Soft Tissue Sarcoma with Telangiectatic Changes

Background. Soft tissue sarcoma with a hemorrhagic component that cannot be easily diagnosed by needle biopsy is defined here as soft tissue sarcoma with telangiectatic changes (STST). Methods. We retrospectively reviewed clinicopathological data of STST from 14 out of 784 patients (prevalence: 1.8%) with soft tissue sarcoma. Results. Tumors were found mostly in the lower leg. Histological diagnoses were undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (n=5), synovial sarcoma (n=5), epithelioid sarcoma (n=2), and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and fibrosarcoma (n=1). No history of trauma to the tumor site was recorded in any patient. Needle aspiration transiently reduced the tumor volume, but subsequent recovery of tumor size was observed in all cases. Out of 14 patients, 9 presented with a painful mass. MRI characteristics included intratumoral nodules (64.3%). The local recurrence rate was 14.3%, and the 2-year event-free survival rate was poorer (50%) than that of most sarcomas. Conclusions. STST is unique in its clinicopathological presentation. Painful hematomas without a trauma history, intratumoral nodules within a large hemorrhagic component, and subsequent recovery of tumor size after aspiration are indicative of the presence of STST

Liquid-Phase Packaging of a Glucose Oxidase Solution with Parylene Direct Encapsulation and an Ultraviolet Curing Adhesive Cover for Glucose Sensors

We have developed a package for disposable glucose sensor chips using Parylene encapsulation of a glucose oxidase solution in the liquid phase and a cover structure made of an ultraviolet (UV) curable adhesive. Parylene was directly deposited onto a small volume (1 μL) of glucose oxidase solution through chemical vapor deposition. The cover and reaction chamber were constructed on Parylene film using a UV-curable adhesive and photolithography. The package was processed at room temperature to avoid denaturation of the glucose oxidase. The glucose oxidase solution was encapsulated and unsealed. Glucose sensing was demonstrated using standard amperometric detection at glucose concentrations between 0.1 and 100 mM, which covers the glucose concentration range of diabetic patients. Our proposed Parylene encapsulation and UV-adhesive cover form a liquid phase glucose-oxidase package that has the advantages of room temperature processing and direct liquid encapsulation of a small volume solution without use of conventional solidifying chemicals

α-Lipoic acid-induced inhibition of proliferation and met phosphorylation in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

α-Lipoic acid (α-LA), a naturally occurring anti-oxidant and co-factor for metabolic enzymes, suppresses the growth of different types of tumor cells. The mechanisms that are responsible for these results, however, remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the effects of α-LA on the proliferation and activation status of definitive receptor tyrosine kinases, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Met/hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor, in gefitinib-sensitive human non-small cell lung cancer cells harboring EGFRs with an activating mutation. The enantiomers R-α-LA and S-α-LA suppressed cell proliferation and increased the level of reactive oxygen species in HCC-827 and PC-9 human non-small cell lung cancer cells in an indistinguishable dose-dependent fashion. A phospho-receptor tyrosine kinase array and cell cycle analysis indicated that α-LA decreased tyrosine phosphorylation levels of EGFR, ErbB2, and Met, and this was associated with an inhibition in the cell-cycle transition from the G1 phase to the S phase without inducing apoptosis. Gefitinib, an inhibitor for EGFR tyrosine kinase, inhibited EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation/activation and proliferation of the cells. Instead, the addition of HGF induced Met tyrosine phosphorylation, and this was associated with a resistance to gefitinib-induced growth inhibition, which meant a gain in proliferative ability. In the presence of gefitinib and HGF, the addition of α-LA suppressed Met tyrosine phosphorylation, and this was associated with an inhibition in cell growth. These results suggest that the suppression of tyrosine phosphorylation/activation of growth factor receptors that is critical for the proliferation of human non-small cell lung cancer cells is a mechanism by which α-LA exerts growth inhibition for cancer cells. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved