Expression of Smooth Muscle Calponin in Synovial Sarcoma

Purpose. Histogenesis of synovial sarcoma remains controversial and reliable molecular markers for diagnosis are necessary. Expression of basic calponin, a smooth muscle differentiation-specific actin-binding protein, was studied in synovial sarcoma

Synthesis of [11C]uric acid, using [11C]phosgene, as a possible biomarker in PET imaging for diagnosis of gout

The synthesis and in vivo evaluation of 11C -labeled uric acid ([11C]1), a potential imaging agent for the diagnosis of urate-related life-style diseases, was performed using positron emission tomography (PET) image analysis. First, the synthesis of [11C]1 was achieved by reacting 5,6-diaminouracil (2) with 11C-labeled phosgene ([11C]COCl2). The radiochemical yield of [11C]1 was 37 ± 7% (decay-corrected based on [11C]COCl2) with specific radioactivities of 96-152 GBq/μmol at the end of synthesis (n = 6). The average time of radiosynthesis from the end of bombardment, including formulation, was about 30 min with >98% radiochemical purity. Second, the synthetic approach to [11C]1 was optimized using 5,6-diaminouracil sulfate (3) with [11C]COCl2 in the presence of 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene. [11C]1 was synthesized in 36 ± 6% radiochemical yield, 89-142 GBq/μmol of specific radioactivities, and 98% radiochemical purity by this method (n = 5). This allowed the synthesis of [11C]1 to be carried out repeatedly and the radiochemical yield, specific radioactivities, average time of synthesis, and radiochemical purity of [11C]1 were similar to those obtained using 2. PET studies in rats showed large differences in the accumulation of radioligand in the limbs under normal and hyperuricemic conditions. Thus, an efficient and convenient automated synthesis of [11C]1 has been developed, and preliminary PET evaluation of [11C]1 confirmed the increased accumulation of radioactivity in the limbs of a rat model of hyperuricemia. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Dust from Comet 209P/LINEAR during its 2014 Return: Parent Body of a New Meteor Shower, the May Camelopardalids

We report a new observation of the Jupiter-family comet 209P/LINEAR during its 2014 return. The comet is recognized as a dust source of a new meteor shower, the May Camelopardalids. 209P/LINEAR was apparently inactive at a heliocentric distance rh = 1.6 au and showed weak activity at rh < 1.4 au. We found an active region of <0.001% of the entire nuclear surface during the comet's dormant phase. An edge-on image suggests that particles up to 1 cm in size (with an uncertainty of factor 3-5) were ejected following a differential power-law size distribution with index q=-3.25+-0.10. We derived a mass loss rate of 2-10 kg/s during the active phase and a total mass of ~5x10^7 kg during the 2014 return. The ejection terminal velocity of millimeter- to centimeter-sized particles was 1-4 m/s, which is comparable to the escape velocity from the nucleus (1.4 m/s). These results imply that such large meteoric particles marginally escaped from the highly dormant comet nucleus via the gas drag force only within a few months of the perihelion passage.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, accepted on 2014 December 11 for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

Clinical and MRI Characteristics of Uterine Cervical Adenocarcinoma: Its Variants and Mimics

Adenocarcinoma currently accounts for 10–25% of all uterine cervical carcinomas and has a variety of histopathological subtypes. Among them, mucinous carcinoma gastric type is not associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and a poor prognosis, while villoglandular carcinoma has an association with high-risk HPV infection and a good prognosis. They show relatively characteristic imaging findings which can be suggested by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), though the former is sometimes difficult to be distinguished from lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia. Various kinds of other tumors including squamous cell carcinoma should be also differentiated on MRI, while it is currently difficult to distinguish them on MRI, and HPV screening and pathological confirmation are usually necessary for definite diagnosis and further patient management

教師の対人ストレス対処方略に関する臨床心理学的研究(4) ― 児童・生徒との関係におけるストレスと対処方略の類型化の試み ―

This study examined teachers\u27 cognitive framework for interpersonal stress caused by students and their coping strategies by using free-writing questionnaire method. Students whom teachers felt to be stressful were classified into four types. It showed that the more aggressive students were the more anger and depressive feeling teachers felt. It is suggested that each type is deeply connected with teachers\u27 "demand for maintenance of the norm" and that the viewpoint "whether students obey the norm or not" works strongly as the teachers\u27 cognitive framework. Furthermore, the inner and outer demand for maintenance of norms may make teachers more nervous and could be a background factor for their stress. Coping strategies are classified into four categories, among them "consultation" strategy was most frequently used and consultation for emotional support indicated high effectiveness. Establishing collaborative relationship among teachers, separating cognition of student\u27s misbehavior from teacher\u27s feelings, and flexibly reconstructing the cognitive framework into a new one on the basis of understanding student behavior was found to be very effective in the process for relating to students and decreasing stress. Further research from this standpoint can explore the collegial relationship as a support resource and method for augmenting teachers\u27 ability

Jasmonic acid facilitates flower opening and floral organ development through the upregulated expression of SlMYB21 transcription factor in tomato

<p>Plants coordinate the timing of flower opening with pollen and gynoecium maturation to achieve successful pollination. However, little is known about how the coordination is executed. We found that flower bud development was paused immediately before flower opening in a jasmonic acid (JA)-insensitive tomato mutant, <i>jai1</i>-<i>1</i>. Phytohormone measurement and RNA analysis in flower buds revealed that newly synthesised JA peaked at two days before flower opening and the expression of a transcription factor gene <i>SlMYB21</i> delayed in <i>jai1</i>-<i>1</i>. Buds of transgenic tomato plants expressing an artificial repressor, <i>AtMYB24</i>-<i>SRDX</i>, which was expected to impede the function of <i>SlMYB21</i>, aborted flower opening and resembled those of <i>jai1</i>-<i>1</i>. Furthermore, the <i>AtMYB24</i>-<i>SRDX</i> plants produced abnormal pollen grains deficient in germination and pistils that did not support pollen tube elongation. We concluded that JA facilitates the expression of <i>SlMYB21</i>, which coordinates flower opening, pollen maturation, and gynoecium function in tomato.</p> <p>Jasmonic acid stimulates <i>SlMYB21</i> expression, which is required for coordinated flower opening and fertility in male and female organs in tomato.</p