Expression of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is not detectable by immunofluorescence analysis or RNA blot analysis in most fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with adult ...T-cell leukemia or of asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers. However, in this work, mRNA for the HTLV-I tax1/rex1 genes was detected in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells of adult T-cell leukemia patients and asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers by using reverse transcription followed by the polymerase chain reaction. By using fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the expression of tax1/rex1 mRNA was detected in five of the six adult T-cell leukemia patients and four of the eight HTLV-I carriers examined. The amounts of tax1/rex1 mRNA detected corresponded to ≈ 105 to 106 times less than that in the HTLV-I-infected MT-2 cell line. These results indicate that, in some individuals infected with HTLV-I, the provirus in circulating blood cells is transcribed in vivo. Thus the expression of viral antigens in circulating blood cells in vivo is suggested.
Size control of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) synthesized by laser ablation of a Si target with iron or nickel as catalysts were investigated by changing the synthesis parameters such as the content of ...catalyst in targets and laser power during synthesis. The diameter and length of SiNWs significantly depended on the synthesis parameters, i.e. the size of SiNWs can be controlled by the synthesis parameters. Manipulation of SiNWs was also performed during the observation of scanning electron microscope. By changing the degree of charge-up for free-standing adjacent intertwined SiNWs at an edge of Si substrate, the distance and speed of opening motion of them can be controlled. This motion is probably caused by the Coulomb repulsive interaction between them.
Background: Although lower education has been associated with poorer health, few studies have examined whether lower education affects mortality, incidence, both or neither of cancer and ...cardiovascular disease. Methods: The authors conducted a population-based prospective cohort study among 39 228 men and women who were aged 40–59 years and lived in four areas in Japan. Information on education and lifestyle variables were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire in 1990. Follow-up until the end of 2002 (for incidence) or 2003 (for mortality) ascertained 2573 and 1251 incident cases of cancer and cardiovascular disease, respectively, and 2430 deaths (1064 from cancer, 548 from cardiovascular disease and 818 from other causes). Results: After adjustment for demographic and lifestyle variables, <10 years of education, as compared with >12 years of education, was associated with significantly higher mortality from all causes hazard ratio (HR) = 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05–1.42 and cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.01–2.06), but was not associated with higher incidence of cardiovascular disease (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.78–1.18) or higher mortality or incidence of cancer. Conclusion: The findings suggest that lower education is associated with higher mortality from all causes and cardiovascular disease among the Japanese population that is not totally attributable to lifestyle differences or higher cardiovascular disease incidence.
Mammalian melanins exist in two chemically distinct forms: the brown to black eumelanins and the yellow to reddish pheomelanins. Melanogenesis is influenced by a number of genes, the levels of whose ...products determine the quantity and quality of the melanins produced. To examine the effects of various coat-color genes on the chemical properties of melanins synthesized in the follicular melanocytes of mice, we have introduced new methods to solubilize differentially pheomelanins and brown-type eumelanins. We applied these and previously developed high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric methods for assaying eu- and pheontelanins to characterize melanins in various mutant mice: black, lethal yellow, viable yellow, agouti, brown, light, albino, dilute, recessive yellow, pink-eyed dilution, slaty, and silver. It was demonstrated that 1) complete solubilization of melanins in Soluene-350 is a convenient method to estimate the total amount of eu- and pheomelanins, 2) lethal yellow, viable yellow, and recessive yellow hairs contain almost pure pheomelanins, and 3) melanins from brown, light, silver, and pink-eyed black hairs share chemical properties in common that are characterized by partial solubility In strong alkali. We suggest that 1) the brown-type eumelanins have lower degrees of polymerization than the black-type eumelanins, and 2) slaty hair melanin contains a greatly reduced ratio of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid-derived units as compared with black and other eumelanic hair melanins. These results indicate that our methodology, high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric methods combined, may be useful in chemically characterizing melanin pigments produced in follicular melanocytes.
The investigation of a lithium-carbon composite (Li–C) anode for application in all-solid-state battery, based on (Li2S)0.75-(P2S5)0.25 glassy thio-LISICON electrolyte (Li2S-P2S5) is herein reported. ...The Li–C anode material is prepared by a mechanochemical, single step synthesis procedure. The Li–C/electrolyte interface is characterized in terms of cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic cycling in comparison with lithium metal, in order to evaluate the improvements in terms of resistance and lithium stripping deposition ability. Li–C anode powder is pressed into a pellet together with the Li2S-P2S5 electrolyte and Li2ZrO3-coated, LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 cathode powder (NCA-LZO), to form a new type of solid-state battery operating at room temperature. The Li–C/Li2S-P2S5/NCA-LZO battery shows remarkable cycling performance under galvanostatic conditions, particularly if compared to a more conventional configuration employing lithium metal as the anode. In addition, the all solid-state battery is characterized at various current densities, showing satisfactory rate capability. Under long term-cycling condition, performed at low current and prolonged to more than 250days, the cell shows a stability over 100cycles without fading. This is considered a remarkable result suggesting the solid-state cell here studied as suitable candidate for efficient and safe energy storage.
•A Li–C composite anode for solid-state lithium ion battery is proposed.•The synthesis pathway involves a simple, one-step procedure.•Li–C shows improved stability and electrochemical behavior with respect to lithium metal.•Solid-state battery employing Li–C, thio-LISICON and layered cathode shows long cycle life.
Genetic polymorphisms of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1), and SLCO1B1 coding organic anion-transporter polypeptide 1B1, are independent risk factors known to increase ...irinotecan toxicity in adults. Although combined occurrence of polymorphisms in these 2 genes is likely to influence susceptibility to irinotecan toxicity, data are scarce, especially in children. We report an 11-year-old female with severe and prolonged neutropenia after irinotecan-based chemotherapy. The patient's genotyping revealed polymorphisms in both UGT1A1 and SLCO1B1. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of combined genotyping of both UGT1A1 and SLCO1B1 in a child with severe irinotecan toxicity.
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