Embedding of Laboratory Wastes in Clay or Concrete Blocks, with Special Reference to Baking Osmic Acid and Cacodylic Acid Wastes with Clay

Liquid laboratory waste containing osmic acid and cacodylic acid was mixed with potter's clay or hydraulic cement. The clay-waste product was kneaded into blocks and baked in a klin (1,200-1,400 degrees C). The cement-waste product was allowed to harden into concrete blocks. Some of the baked clay blocks and concrete blocks were ground, and immersed in 1 N NaOH or 10% HCI solutions for 3-6 months. X-ray microanalysis of the dried samples of these solutions showed that no leakage of osmium and arsenic occurred in the baked clay embedding, and that some leakage of these agents occurred in the concrete embedding. The present study indicates that the baked clay embedding method is useful for safe storage of dangerous laboratory wastes. Additional experiments suggested that glass embedding is also useful for safe storage of laboratory wastes or harmful metals.</p

Low responsiveness of synovial and peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated by either PHA-P or CON-A in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis

Lymphocytes were highly purified from synovial fluid and peripheral blood of 10 rheumatoid arthritis patients and assessed for responsiveness to PHA-P and Con-A. In all cases, both synovial and blood lymphocytes showed a marked reduction in response to these mitogens compared with normal blood lymphocytes. The factors responsible for this low T cell responsiveness are discussed.</p

Scanning electron microscopy of myeloma cells

The surface structure of myeloma cells was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The cells were collected from the pleural effusion of a multiple myeloma patient and purified by Conray-Ficoll gradient sedimentation. The cell size ranged from 8 mu to 12 mu in diameter and the microvilli were from 0.8 mu to 1.2 mu in length. The surfaces of the majority of the observed myeloma cells were more villous than lymphocytes.</p

Purification of antilymphocyte antibody (ALA) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-immunoabsorption and elution.

Purification of antilymphocyte antibody (ALA) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was achieved by immunoabsorption and elution. Human tonsil cells or thymocytes were used as absorbents. Complement dependent microcytotoxicity tests showed that, in comparison to the parent sera, the eluate from tonsil cells was eight times, and that from thymocytes four times, more active. Antinuclear activity was eliminated by elution. The ALA was almost entirely IgM, IgG being involved in only a few cases. IgA lacked cytotoxic activity. ALA was directed at both T- and B-cell surface determinants, which suggests that, in SLE, it has a heterogeneous biological composition.</p

Dark and light neurons in the central nervous system Light and electron microscopic study of the mouse brain

The cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex and hippocampus of adult mice were studied by light and electron microscopy of tissue sections. Dark neurons were well stained with nuclear fast red, and clearly distinguishable from light neurons. The dark neurons were classified into active and resting types. Active types were characterized by their well developed Golgi's complexes. Resting types contained poorly developed Golgi's complexes. These findings indicate that active dark neurons are converted into the light neurons via resting dark neurons

Pretreatment Prediction of Individual Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients’ Response to Anti-Cytokine Therapy Using Serum Cytokine/Chemokine/Soluble Receptor Biomarkers

<div><p>The inability to match rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with the anti-cytokine agent most efficacious for them is a major hindrance to patients’ speedy recovery and to the clinical use of anti-cytokine therapy. Identifying predictive biomarkers that can assist in matching RA patients with more suitable anti-cytokine treatment was our aim in this report. The sample consisted of 138 RA patients (naïve and non-naïve) who were administered tocilizumab or etanercept for a minimum of 16 weeks as a prescribed RA treatment. Pretreatment serum samples were obtained from patients and clinical measures of their disease activity were evaluated at baseline and 16 weeks after treatment commenced. Using patients’ pretreatment serum, we measured 31 cytokines/chemokines/soluble receptors and used multiple linear regression analysis to identify biomarkers that correlated with patients’ symptom levels (DAS28-CRP score) at week 16 and multiple logistic analyses for biomarkers that correlated with patients’ final outcome. The results revealed that sgp130, logIL-6, logIL-8, logEotaxin, logIP-10, logVEGF, logsTNFR-I and logsTNFR-II pretreatment serum levels were predictive of the week 16 DAS28-CRP score in naïve tocilizumab patients while sgp130, logGM-CSF and logIP-10 were predictive in non-naïve patients. Additionally, we found logIL-9, logVEGF and logTNF-α to be less reliable at predicting the week 16 DAS28-CRP score in naïve etanercept patients. Multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression analyses identified biomarkers that were predictive of remission/non-remission in tocilizumab and etanercept therapy. Although less reliable than those for tocilizumab, we identified a few possible biomarkers for etanercept therapy. The biomarkers for these two therapies differ suggesting that their efficacy will vary for individual patients. We discovered biomarkers in RA pretreatment serum that predicted their week 16 DAS28-CRP score and clinical outcome to tocilizumab therapy. Most of these biomarkers, especially sgp130, are involved in RA pathogenesis and IL-6 signal transduction, which further suggests that they are highly reliable.</p><p>Trial Registration</p><p>UMIN-CTR Clinical Trial <a href="https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr.cgi?function=brows&action=brows&type=summary&recptno=R000018909&language=E" target="_blank">UMIN000016298</a></p></div