Irinotecan Hydrochloride (CPT-11) in Dialysis Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer

We investigated changes in drug disposition and toxicities with CPT-11 in 15 dialysis patients with gastrointestinal cancers to clarify whether CPT-11 could be administered safely in such patients. For comparison, the same parameters were also investigated in 10 cancer patients not undergoing dialysis. Items investigated included (1) plasma concentrations of SN-38, SN-38G and CPT-11 at 0, 1, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72h after administration, together with a comparison of mean AUC values for 3 dose levels of CPT-11 (50, 60 and 70mg/m2) in dialysis patients and controls;and (2) occurrence of adverse events. Several findings emerged from this study:(1) No significant difference was observed in the AUC for SN-38 or CPT-11 between the dialysis and control groups;(2) The AUC for SN-38G at each dose was significantly higher in dialysis patients;and (3) Grade 1-4 leucopenia was observed in 11 of the dialysis patients. One patient developed grade 4 leucopenia and died due to sepsis. Anorexia, diarrhea, nausea, alopecia and interstitial pneumonia occurred in 6 dialysis patients. We found changes in drug dispositions of CPT-11, SN-38 and SN-38G in dialysis patients, suggesting that hepatic excretion, especially that of SN-38G, was increased. No significant difference in occurrence of adverse events was observed between the 2 groups. This indicates that CPT-11 can be administered safely in patients on dialysis.</p

A low loss transformer using a rotating magnetic field

A type of transformer with reduced iron loss, which is excited by a semirotating magnetic field, has been investigated. Factors (method of excitation and slits in the core) affecting iron losses are examined. The iron loss of this type of transformer can be reduced below the material loss as measured for normal AC excitation by introducing a slit which cuts the eddy current path, and by improving the method of excitation</p

Loss of Tumor Necrosis Factor Production by Human Monocytes in Falciparum Malaria after Their Maturation in Vitro

In Plasmodium-infected mammals, phagocytosis and production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by monocytes and macrophages are prominent features. The present work aimed at clarifying the relationship between the maturation of human monocytes to macrophages and their TNF productivity and phagocytic ability in the presence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Fresh monocytes produced a significantly higher quantity of TNF in the presence of schizont-infected erythrocytes than macrophages obtained by in vitro monocyte maturation on autologous serum, whereas phagocytic activity of macrophages was much higher than that of fresh monocytes. This indicated that the TNF-inducing factors from P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes could stimulate fresh monocytes, but not macrophages, to release TNF, regardless of their development of phagocytosis. Activation of macrophages by interferon-{gamma} could not recover their TNF productivity in the presence of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes, but it enhanced their TNF productivity in the presence of lipopolysaccharide(s). The TNF-inducing factors were contained mainly in erythrocytes infected with mature schizonts but not in erythrocytes infected with the younger stages of the parasites. Fractionation of infected erythrocytes revealed that both soluble and insoluble components almost equally contained those factors

Development of Computer Control System for Neutron Spin Echo Spectrometer

We have developed a computer control system for a neutron spin echo spectrometer (NSE) which has been constructed at C_ cold neutron guide port of JRR-3M, JAERI. This system controls the current of coils, the measurements by counters and the pulse-motor-drivers using a personal computer. The current of the coils is controlled using GP-IB or the D/A converters equipped in the I/O box connected to the personal computer. The current can be inverted using a current invertor controlled by the computer. The computer gets the data from a He^3 detector or one dimensional position sensitive detector (1DPSD) and saves them into hard- or floppy- disks, prints out them or transfers to another computer connected through RS-232C which analyzes the data. The computer programs for this system called NSEC are made of an assembly of the several simple programs (command) which can be rearranged easily. An NSE mesurement can be carried out automatically using the Batch files composed of the commands. This system is very convenient for NSE measurements

Fermi surface topology in a metallic phase of VO2 thin films grown on TiO2(001) substrates

Since the first observation of the metal-to-insulator transition (MIT), VO2 has attracted substantial attention in terms of whether this transition is impelled by electron-phonon interaction (Peierls transition) or electron-electron interaction. Regarding Peierls transition, it has been theoretically predicted that the Fermi surface (FS) cross-section exhibits certain nesting features for a metallic phase of VO2. Various experimental studies related to the nesting feature have been reported. Nevertheless, there is no experimental result on FS topology. In this work, we determine the FS topology of the metallic phase of VO2 through studies of VO2 epitaxial thin films on TiO2(001) substrates, using synchrotron radiation angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Three electron pockets around Γ are observed in band structures along the Γ-X direction. These three bands form electron surfaces around Γ in the ΓXRZ plane. Furthermore, the lowest energy band FS exhibits the nesting feature corresponding to a nesting vector [Formula: see text] = ΓR, as predicted by the calculation. Our results strongly indicate the formation of the charge-density wave with [Formula: see text] = ΓR and thus, the importance of Peierls transition for the mechanism of the MIT in VO2

Decreased circulating branched-chain amino acids are associated with development of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment

BackgroundNutritional epidemiology has shown that inadequate dietary protein intake is associated with poor brain function in the elderly population. The plasma free amino acid (PFAA) profile reflects nutritional status and may have the potential to predict future changes in cognitive function. Here, we report the results of a 2-year interim analysis of a 3-year longitudinal study following mild cognitive impairment (MCI) participants.MethodIn a multicenter prospective cohort design, MCI participants were recruited, and fasting plasma samples were collected. Based on clinical assessment of cognitive function up to 2 years after blood collection, MCI participants were divided into two groups: remained with MCI or reverted to cognitively normal (“MCI-stable,” N = 87) and converted to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (“AD-convert,” N = 68). The baseline PFAA profile was compared between the two groups. Stratified analysis based on apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4) allele possession was also conducted.ResultsPlasma concentrations of all nine essential amino acids (EAAs) were lower in the AD-convert group. Among EAAs, three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), valine, leucine and isoleucine, and histidine (His) exhibited significant differences even in the logistic regression model adjusted for potential confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and APOE ε4 possession (p &lt; 0.05). In the stratified analysis, differences in plasma concentrations of these four EAAs were more pronounced in the APOE ε4-negative group.ConclusionThe PFAA profile, especially decreases in BCAAs and His, is associated with development of AD in MCI participants, and the difference was larger in the APOE ε4-negative population, suggesting that the PFAA profile is an independent risk indicator for AD development. Measuring the PFAA profile may have importance in assessing the risk of AD conversion in the MCI population, possibly reflecting nutritional status.Clinical trial registration[https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000025322], identifier [UMIN000021965]

Ce 4f electronic states of CeO1-xFxBiS2 studied by soft x-ray photoemission spectroscopy

We use soft x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (SXPES) to investigate Ce 4f electronic states of a new BiS2 layered superconductor CeO1-xFxBiS2, for polycrystalline and single-crystal samples. The Ce 3d spectrum of the single crystal of nominal composition x = 0.7 has no f(0) component and the spectral shape closely resembles the ones observed for Ce trivalent insulating compounds, strongly implying that the CeO layer is still in an insulating state even after the F doping. The Ce 3d-4f resonant SXPES for both polycrystalline and single-crystal samples shows that the prominent peak is located around 1 eV below the Fermi level (E-F) with negligible spectral intensity at EF. The F-concentration dependence of the valence band spectra for single crystals shows the increases of the degeneracy in energy levels and of the interaction between Ce 4f and S 3p states. These results give insight into the nature of the CeO1-xFx layer and the microscopic coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity in CeO1-xFxBiS2