The Expression of Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2) on Helicobacter pylori-Infected Intestinal Metaplasia and Gastric Cancer

The overexpression of murine double minute 2 (MDM2) is found in several human tumors, and increased expression of MDM2 inactivates the apoptotic and cell cycle arrest function of p53. Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is a pleiotrophic cytokine and the properties of IL-16 suggest that it involve in the pathophysiological process of chronic inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated the expression of MDM2 in intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer as well as the effect of H. pylori infection and IL-16 on epithelial cell proliferation and MDM2 expression in gastric cells in vitro. The expression of MDM2 on gastric biopsies was studied immunohistochemistry. AGS cells were incubated with a combination of IL-16 and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Gastric epithelial cell proliferation was studied by BrdU uptake and the expressions of MDM2 were studied by ELISA. There was no significant difference on the expression of MDM2 between with and without H. pylori infected chronic gastritis. In H. pylori infected gastric mucosa; the MDM2 expression was higher on intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer than chronic gastritis. IL-16 administration was increased MDM2 expression and cell proliferation on AGS cells, which was decreased by H. pylori infection. In conclusion, the expression of MDM2 in long-term H. pylori infected gastric mucosa may indicate a risk for carcinogenesis. IL-16 secretion in H. pylori infected mucosa is one of the factors for gastric cancer. The expression of MDM2 on mucosa can be a mediator for gastric cancer

A Historical Study of Lexical Semantics : from a Point of View for Word Association Studies

単語連想の言語学観点を基本的な立場とし,まず語彙意味論を言語学の通時的観点から概観した。構造主義前の語彙意味論として,referential theory(参照理論),denotation/connotation(内包的/外延的意味)がある。構造主義の語彙意味論として,semantic differentials(意味微分法),semantic fields(意味の場),associative meaning(連想の意味)がある。生成文法の語彙意味論として,semantic feature theory(意味素性理論),feature theory(素性理論)がるある。生成文法後の語彙意味論として,prototype theory(プロトタイプ理論)とこの理論に密接に関係する認知意味論がある。これらそれぞれの理論と単語連想との関わりを考慮しながら概観した。次いで,語のパラディグマティック/シンタグマティック関係からの語と語の関係をカテゴリー分けして検討した。検討にあたり,Cruse(1986, 2000),Leech(1974),Lehrer(1974),Lyons(1963, 1977, 1995),Palmer(1976),Saeed(1997)を主な参考とした。検討項目としてパラディグマティック関係では,synonymy(同義語),hyponymy(上位下位関係語),meronymy(部分全体関係語),opposites(反意語)そしてCruse(1986)が提示するcompatibility(上位概念共有関係語)がある。特に,oppositesの中でもincompatibility, complementary, antonymy, riversiveness, conversiveness,そしてSaeed(1997)が提示するtaxonomic sistersと下位区分できる。シンタグマティック関係では,collocations, fixed expressions,その他の表現,について検討した。議論の過程で単語連想のパラディグマティック関係で重要なoppositesの検討にあたっては素性理論を用いて検討した

Celtic Words in The English Dialect Dictionary Edited by J. Wright

本稿は、筆者がこれまで収集してきたケルト語彙集を補うものである(Ito,2005;Ito,2006)。本研究でEDDがケルト語源あるいはケルト語経由とする語を536語収集した。このリストは、EDDの語源欄に基づくものであり、ケルト語源あるいはケルト語経由とする語を完全に収集したものではなく、不完全なものである。しかし他の語源辞典、辞書よりも多くのケルト借用語を採録しており、ケルト借用語としては他の辞典類では採録されていない語が多く採録されている。また、他の辞典類とは異なる語彙内容と収集の傾向が明らかとなり、語彙内容および地域方言性において特徴的な辞書であることが確認され、資料としては英語におけるケルト語彙研究の貴重な資料であることが明らかになった。また、OEDには採録されていない語が多くEDDに採録されていることか明らかになることにより、EDDはOEDを補完する英語辞典としての性格が確認できた

Native Speakers\u27 Receptive Knowledge of Brythonic Words in English

古英語期から現代にいたるまでに,各時代を通してケルト語彙が英語に借用されてきている(Ito, 1988a)。本論での主な研究目的は,ケルト借用語の中でもブリタニック系の語彙を英語母語話者がどの程度受容語として理解しているかを調査検証した。特に,受容度の点で性差があるか,また年齢差があるかを検証した。この他に,アイルランド語借用語(Ito, 1997, 2000b),スコットランド語借用語(Ito, 2003),フランス語経由のケルト語(Ito, 2000a)の理解度との比較を検討した。研究に当たり,利用するコーパスはSODとし,採取された48語を用いた。調査方法は,48語のリストを示しその意味,定義を別の一群から選びマッチングを被験者に求めるアンケート方式とした。アンケート用紙作成に当たり,著者のこれまでの研究と一貫性をもたせるため従来と同じ形式とした(Ito, 1997, 2003)。調査の対象は英語を母語とする成人男性,女性とした。男性被験者25名,女性被験者25名の回答から得られたデータをもとに分析および議論をした。分析,議論にあたり上記目的のみでなく,回答率,正答率,正答率の高い語,他の辞書における48語の扱い等についても検証を行った

Vascular Leiomyoma of the Nasal Cavity: Case Report and Review of the Literature

We reported a rare case of nasal vascular leiomyoma that developed in a 67-year-old man. The tumor showed characteristic histological findings with proliferation of smooth muscle cells intermingled with dilated venous vessels. Review of the literature indicated that nasal vascular leiomyoma is characterized by female predominance, occurrence in aged patients and nasal obstruction or pain as the primary symptom

Parasitic nematodes obtained from marsupials reared at a semi-free ranging facility in a Japanese zoological park

Between 2006 and 2010, a total of 12 semi-free ranging marsupials comprising 10 Petrogale xanthopus and two Macropus giganteus died at the Itozu no mori Zoological Park (Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan). From our postmortem examinations, 541 nematodes in total were obtained from the stomachs of the deceased marsupials. The nematodes belonged to the subfamily Cloacininae (Strongylida: Chabertiidae). The nematodes obtained from P. xanthopus were identified as Rugopharynx australis, Cloacina pearsoni, Cloacina hydriformis and Macroponema beveridgei, while the nematode from M. giganteus was identified as a Cloacina sp. member. This is the first record of C. pearsoni and M. beveridgei obtained from P. xanthopus. Measurements and photographs of the nematodes are provided herein to assist future continuous surveillance of them

Crystalline Silicate Feature of the Vega-like star HD145263

We have observed the 8-13 $\mu$m spectrum (R$\sim$250) of the Vega-like star candidate HD145263 using Subaru/COMICS. The spectrum of HD145263 shows the broad trapezoidal silicate feature with the shoulders at 9.3 $\mu$m and 11.44 $\mu$m, indicating the presence of crystalline silicate grains. This detection implies that crystalline silicate may also be commonly present around Vega-like stars. The 11.44 $\mu$m feature is slightly shifted to a longer wavelength compared to the usual 11.2-3 $\mu$m crystalline forsterite feature detected toward Herbig Ae/Be stars and T Tauri stars. Although the peak shift due to the effects of the grain size can not be ruled out, we suggest that Fe-bearing crystalline olivine explains the observed peak wavelength fairly well. Fe-bearing silicates are commonly found in meteorites and most interplanetary dust particles, which originate from planetesimal-like asteroids. According to studies of meteorites, Fe-bearing silicate must have been formed in asteroidal planetesimals, supporting the scenario that dust grains around Vega-like stars are of planetesimal origin, if the observed 11.44 $\mu$m peak is due to Fe-bearing silicates.Comment: accepted for Publication in ApJ

Increased predominance of the matured ventricular subtype in embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in vivo

Accumulating evidence suggests that human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes can affect “heart regeneration”, replacing injured cardiac scar tissue with concomitant electrical integration. However, electrically coupled graft cardiomyocytes were found to innately induce transient post-transplant ventricular tachycardia in recent large animal model transplantation studies. We hypothesised that these phenomena were derived from alterations in the grafted cardiomyocyte characteristics. In vitro experiments showed that human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) contain nodal-like cardiomyocytes that spontaneously contract faster than working-type cardiomyocytes. When transplanted into athymic rat hearts, proliferative capacity was lower for nodal-like than working-type cardiomyocytes with grafted cardiomyocytes eventually comprising only relatively matured ventricular cardiomyocytes. RNA-sequencing of engrafted hESC-CMs confirmed the increased expression of matured ventricular cardiomyocyte-related genes, and simultaneous decreased expression of nodal cardiomyocyte-related genes. Temporal engraftment of electrical excitable nodal-like cardiomyocytes may thus explain the transient incidence of post-transplant ventricular tachycardia, although further large animal model studies will be required to control post-transplant arrhythmia