Studies on the Relationship between Pulmonary Tuberculous Cavities and Draining Bronchi, by Injecting Acrylic Resin

この論文は国立情報学研究所の学術雑誌公開支援事業により電子化されました。We have studied 83 tuberculosis lungs removed at operation or at autopsy, three-dimensionally, pathologically, and histologically by means of the plasticinjected casts, and further investigated the relationship between cavities and draining bronchi and have reached the following conclusions. 1). The 7th to 9th bronchi in each lobe are big enough to play the role of draining bronchi, thus it may be said that the caseated foci larger than a lobule are facing directly to these bronchi. This is why these foci are always threatened by the danger of cavitation. 2). It is extremely difficult for a cavity to be cut off from the trachea by connective tissues obstruction of its draining bronchus; indeed this kind of obstruction has not been found at all in our studies. 3). There is a parallel relation between the state of a cavity and the tuberculous lesion of its draining bronchus, but in many cases there is a difference in the extent of the disease. Accordingly it is necessary to keep in mind the state of the draining bronchus at the time of treatment of the cavity. 4). The modes of opening of a cavity into its draining bronchus are; (1) a cavity opening into the end of a bronchus at its top (pattern I), and (2) a cavity opening into the lateral wall of a bronchus. According to the different stages of the developing cavity, the patterns seem to alter as follows⟶pattern I⟶pattern II⟶pattern I. 5). A cavity, less than 1.5cm in diameter, has usually one draining bronchus, while a bigger cavity than the above has generally two or more bronchi, and a cavity larger than the above two kinds of cavities has several draining bronchi, but seldom more than four. The drainidg bronchi from megacavities are fewer in number but manytimes larger in size than those of the above cavities. This is apparently due to the fact that the other small draining bronchi were obliterated during the course of the development of the disease. 6) A cavitation is not necessarly limited to a single pulmonary segment, but the draining bronchus of a cavity, which is 1.5cm. in diameter, communicates with the two neighboring segments, especially those of megacavities sometimes communicate with many segments. The intersegmental partitions, which consist of connective tissue and branches of pulmonary veins, are not firm enough to check caseation and cavitation of the intersegmental connective tissue during the development and fusion of the tuberculous focus. 7). Morphological changes in draining bronchi such as stenosis, obstruction, partial dilatation, and single or multiple flexions are observable. Partial stenosis is distinctly observable at the opening of the bronchi into cavities, and in other parts, a partial stenosis and a partial dilatation of the draining bronchus occur alternatly and the extent of the lesions gradually decreases in degree towards the pulmonary hilum. The morphological changes of draining bronchi parallel the degree of the tuberculous lesion around the cavity or the caseated focus. 8). With pneumothorax the bronchi take the form of stratification roughly parallel to the axis of a lobe, and the bronchial bending and obstruction are not recognized. Even in highly collapsed lungs of perfect pneumothorax, bronchial obstruction is not recognizable, but only the shortening narrowing of bronchi. 9). One form of direct treatment of tuberculosis, the incision treatment, aims at cleaning the cavity and cicatrized healing by means of draining the contents of cavity through the body wall, and not through a draining bronchus. But unfortunately this treatment is not very through when we consider the relationship between a cavity and the bronchial tuberculous lesion. From this point of view resection seems to be the more thorough treatment, but indications for this treatment are limited to cases in the early stage, if we consider bronchial lesions and disseminated foci. Therefore, those caseated foci which seems to tend towards softening and dec

Synthesis of Macrocyclic Hexaoxazole (6OTD) Dimers, Containing Guanidine and Amine Functionalized Side Chains, and an Evaluation of Their Telomeric G4 Stabilizing Properties

Structure-activity relationship studies were carried out on macrocyclic hexaoxazole (6OTD) dimers, whose core structure stabilizes telomeric G-quadruplexes (G4). Two new 6OTD dimers having side chain amine and guanidine functional groups were synthesized and evaluated for their stabilizing ability against a telomeric G4 DNA sequence. The results show that the 6OTD dimers interact with the DNA to form 1:1 complexes and stabilize the antiparallel G4 structure of DNA in the presence of potassium cation. The guanidine functionalized dimer displays a potent stabilizing ability of the G4 structure, as determined by using a FRET melting assay (ΔTm = 14°C)

Modulation of p53 activity by IκBα: Evidence suggesting a common phylogeny between NF-κB and p53 transcription factors

BACKGROUND: In this work we present evidence that the p53 tumor suppressor protein and NF-κB transcription factors could be related through common descent from a family of ancestral transcription factors regulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis. P53 is a homotetrameric transcription factor known to interact with the ankyrin protein 53BP2 (a fragment of the ASPP2 protein). NF-κB is also regulated by ankyrin proteins, the prototype of which is the IκB family. The DNA binding sequences of the two transcription factors are similar, sharing 8 out of 10 nucleotides. Interactions between the two proteins, both direct and indirect, have been noted previously and the two proteins play central roles in the control of proliferation and apoptosis. RESULTS: Using previously published structure data, we noted a significant degree of structural alignment between p53 and NF-κB p65. We also determined that IκBα and p53 bind in vitro through a specific interaction in part involving the DNA binding region of p53, or a region proximal to it, and the amino terminus of IκBα independently or cooperatively with the ankyrin 3 domain of IκBα In cotransfection experiments, κBα could significantly inhibit the transcriptional activity of p53. Inhibition of p53-mediated transcription was increased by deletion of the ankyrin 2, 4, or 5 domains of IκBα Co-precipitation experiments using the stably transfected ankyrin 5 deletion mutant of κBα and endogenous wild-type p53 further support the hypothesis that p53 and IκBα can physically interact in vivo. CONCLUSION: The aggregate results obtained using bacterially produced IκBα and p53 as well as reticulocyte lysate produced proteins suggest a correlation between in vitro co-precipitation in at least one of the systems and in vivo p53 inhibitory activity. These observations argue for a mechanism involving direct binding of IκBα to p53 in the inhibition of p53 transcriptional activity, analogous to the inhibition of NF-κB by κBα and p53 by 53BP2/ASPP2. These data furthermore suggest a role for ankyrin proteins in the regulation of p53 activity. Taken together, the NFκB and p53 proteins share similarities in structure, DNA binding sites and binding and regulation by ankyrin proteins in support of our hypothesis that the two proteins share common descent from an ancestral transcriptional factor

Development of 3C-SiC MOSFETs, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2007, nr 2

The paper reviews the development of the 3C-SiC MOSFETs in a unique development project combining the material and device expertise of HAST (Hoya Advanced Semiconductor Technologies) and Acreo, respectively. The motivation for the development of the 3C-SiC MOSFETs and the summary of the results from the lateral and vertical devices with varying size from single cell to 3×3 mm2 large devices are reviewed. The vertical devices had hexagonal and square unit cell designs with 2 μm and 4 μm channel length. The p-body was aluminum implanted and the source was nitrogen or phosphorus implanted. Low temperature Ti/W contacts were evaluated

Lymph Node Stromal Cell Subsets

The spatiotemporal regulation of immune responses in the lymph node (LN) depends on its sophisticated tissue architecture, consisting of several subcompartments supported by distinct fibroblastic stromal cells (FSCs). However, the intricate details of stromal structures and associated FSC subsets are not fully understood. Using several gene reporter mice, we sought to discover unrecognized stromal structures and FSCs in the LN. The four previously identified FSC subsets in the cortex are clearly distinguished by the expression pattern of reporters including PDGFRb, CCL21-ser, and CXCL12. Herein, we identified a unique FSC subset expressing both CCL21-ser and CXCL12 in the deep cortex periphery (DCP) that is characterized by preferential B cell localization. This subset was clearly different fromCXCL12highLepRhigh FSCs in themedullary cord, which harbors plasma cells. B cell localization in the DCP was controlled chiefly by CCL21-ser and, to a lesser extent, CXCL12. Moreover, the optimal development of the DCP as well as medulla requires B cells. Together, our findings suggest the presence of a unique microenvironment in the cortex-medulla boundary and offer an advanced view of the multi-layered stromal framework constructed by distinct FSC subsets in the LN

A Distinct Subset of Fibroblastic Stromal Cells Constitutes the Cortex-Medulla Boundary Subcompartment of the Lymph Node

The spatiotemporal regulation of immune responses in the lymph node (LN) depends on its sophisticated tissue architecture, consisting of several subcompartments supported by distinct fibroblastic stromal cells (FSCs). However, the intricate details of stromal structures and associated FSC subsets are not fully understood. Using several gene reporter mice, we sought to discover unrecognized stromal structures and FSCs in the LN. The four previously identified FSC subsets in the cortex are clearly distinguished by the expression pattern of reporters including PDGFRβ, CCL21-ser, and CXCL12. Herein, we identified a unique FSC subset expressing both CCL21-ser and CXCL12 in the deep cortex periphery (DCP) that is characterized by preferential B cell localization. This subset was clearly different from CXCL12highLepRhigh FSCs in the medullary cord, which harbors plasma cells. B cell localization in the DCP was controlled chiefly by CCL21-ser and, to a lesser extent, CXCL12. Moreover, the optimal development of the DCP as well as medulla requires B cells. Together, our findings suggest the presence of a unique microenvironment in the cortex-medulla boundary and offer an advanced view of the multi-layered stromal framework constructed by distinct FSC subsets in the LN

Search for Outer Massive Bodies around Transiting Planetary Systems: Candidates of Faint Stellar Companions around HAT-P-7

We present results of direct imaging observations for HAT-P-7 taken with the Subaru HiCIAO and the Calar Alto AstraLux. Since the close-in transiting planet HAT-P-7b was reported to have a highly tilted orbit, massive bodies such as giant planets, brown dwarfs, or a binary star are expected to exist in the outer region of this system. We show that there are indeed two candidates for distant faint stellar companions around HAT-P-7. We discuss possible roles played by such companions on the orbital evolution of HAT-P-7b. We conclude that as there is a third body in the system as reported by Winn et al. (2009, ApJL, 763, L99), the Kozai migration is less likely while planet-planet scattering is possible.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, PASJ in pres