IUPAC. International symposium on macromolecules,Helsinki, Finland,July 2.–8. 1972

The radical copolymerizations of ethyl vinyl sulfoxide (EVSO) with various vinyl monomers were investigated. The copolymerizations of EVSO with styrene, methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile gave copolymers having minor amounts of EVSO. Vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, however, did not give any homopolymer and copolymer. From the copolymerization with styrene, EVSO was evaluated as an electron-accepting and non-conjugative monomer: Q = 0.13 and e = 0.61. The effects of LEWIS acids (LiCl, ZnCl₂) and proton donors (phenols, alcohols) on the monomer reactivity of EVSO were also investigated. These additives were found to enhance the monomer reactivity of EVSO. From the spectroscopic studies, it was concluded that the rate enhancement in monomer reactivity was attributable to the formation of a complex or to a hydrogen bond formation between the EVSO monomer and these additives.     

A rapid and simple photometric assay for quantification of eosinophil chemotaxis

Various methods have been devised to assay eosinophil chemotaxis. In this review, we introduced a rapid and sensitive eosinophil chemotactic assay system based on eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) determination. Eosinophils were semipurified by dextran sedimentation followed by Percoll gradient centrifugation. Eosinophil migration was measured by the Boyden blind-well chamber technique using a 96-well multiwell chamber and polycarbonate membrane filter. The number of migrated eosinophils was assessed by determination of the EPO activity of drop-off cells, and photometric measurement was performed with a microtiter plate reader. The contribution of neutrophil peroxidase to the assay is negligible, and the assay is sensitive enough to detect 200 eosinophils. The method is both less tedious and less laborious than conventional manual methods, and it allows a large number of samples to be analyzed within 4 h. When eosinophils were exposed to 15 chemokines and their migration was assayed using this method, we found that only CC chemokine receptor 3 ligands, such as eotaxin, induced significant eosinophil migration.     

Expression of Lewis(a), sialyl Lewis(a), Lewis(x) and sialyl Lewis(x) antigens as prognostic factors in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Altered expression of blood group-related carbohydrate antigens such as sialyl Lewis (Le)(x) antigen in tumours is associated with tumour progression behaviour and subsequent prognosis. However, the prognostic value of the expression of Le-related antigens in colorectal tumours remains unclear. PURPOSE: To clarify the prognostic value of Le(a), sialyl Le(a), Le(x) and sialyl Le(x) expression in colorectal carcinomas as prognostic factors after surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Colorectal carcinoma samples from 101 patients with primary colorectal carcinoma who underwent surgical resection were subject to immunohistochemical analyses for Lea, sialyl Lea, Lex and sialyl Le(x) expression with the respective monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: Le(a), sialyl Le(a), Le(x) and sialyl Le(x) were expressed in 69 (68.3%), 73 (72.3%), 66 (65.4%) and 76 (75.3%) carcinomas, respectively. The patients with sialyl Lex-expressing tumours had more advanced cancer than those with nonsialyl Lex-expressing tumours (P=0.0029). The survival time after surgery of patients with Le(x)- or sialyl Le(x)-expressing tumours was significantly shorter than the survival time of those with non-Le(x)- or nonsialyl Le(x)-expressing tumours, respectively (P=0.023 and P=0. 0001, respectively). Cox's regression analysis revealed that Le(x) and sialyl Le(x) expression, separate from stage and histological type, were prognostic variables for patient survival (hazard ratio [HR] for sialyl Le(x)-positive expression to sialyl L(x)-negative expression 2.90; HR for Le(x)-positive expression to Le(x)-negative expression 12.76 in stage I/IV, 0.63 in stage II and 1.69 in stage III). CONCLUSIONS: Le(x) expression and sialyl Le(x) expression in colorectal carcinomas are each associated with poor prognosis. These variables should be considered in the design of future trials.     

Acute and Subacute Effects of Doxorubicin on Postextrasystolic Potentiation in Guinea Pig Papillary Muscles

Abstract: To investigate the effects of doxorubicin on postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP), isolated guinea pig papillary muscles were field-stimulated and the resulting isometric force was recorded. Postextrasystolic contraction was evoked following trains of 37 regular stimulations. The effects of acute doses of doxorubicin (0.2 mM) on regular contractions and postextrasystolic contractions were examined for 2 hr. The effects of subacute doses of doxorubicin (total dose 5 mg/kg intraperitoneally) on the relationship between %PESP (postextrasystolic/regular contraction) and both the extra-stimulus coupling interval and the postextrasystolic interval were examined. Acute administration of doxorubicin decreased the amplitude of postextrasystolic contractions more than that of regular contractions. Thus, %PESP in the doxorubicin-treated group decreased significantly over time. There was no similar decrease in the control papillary muscles. Both the extra-stimulus coupling interval and the postextrasystolic interval had less of an effect on %PESP in doxorubicin-treated animals than in control animals. Since PESP depends upon sarcoplasmic reticulum activity, our results indicate that acute and subacute exposure to doxorubicin impairs the activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum of guinea pig papillary muscles.     

Correction of EOG with eye movement measured by the eye mark recorder system]

The electrooculogram (EOG) is usually necessary for the subject to fixate two targets alternately at a fixed visual angle. However, in the patients with poor vision, it can be difficult to fixate exactly. In such case, the results can be improved by using both the measurement of real eye position and the measurement of EOGs in combination. In this study, we measured subject's eye position simultaneously with the potential changes around his eyes as the subject pursued alternately two on-and-off visual targets which were horizontally placed on the cylindrical screen at a regular visual angle in front of his eyes. The EOG is obtained from those potential changes. If the difference between the target position and the fixating point can be calculated from the net eye movement measured with an eye camera, the error potential can be derived from this difference. Therefore, exact potential changes are obtained by correcting the measured potentials with the above error potentials. The authors were able to confirm that the potential changes were approximately proportional to the amplitude of saccadic eye movements within about 30 degrees in front of the eyes. Therefore, the simultaneous measurement of the potential changes and the eye position enable measurement of EOG without pursuing the targets by transforming the measured potentials into the exact values corresponding to the constant amplitudes of saccades.     

Fluctuations of interictal brain imaging in repeated 123I-IMP SPECT scans in an epileptic patient

Summary Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) brain scans with N-isopropyl-(iodine 123) p-iodoamphetamine (¹²³I-IMP) were performed three times in interictal periods in a 35-year-old man with intractable frontal lobe epilepsy and normal X-ray CT findings. The first scan showed decreased ¹²³I-IMP uptake in the right frontal lobe. This abnormal image was regarded as the primary focus of his epilepsy on the basis of its regional agreement with focal epileptic discharges on EEGs. In the second scan, he showed normal imaging, while the third scan showed the same abnormal image as before, in the right frontal lobe. The frequency of his clinical seizures was almost unchanged during the intervals between scans and further EEGs recorded soon after each scan showed almost no changes in the basic activities and frequency of the epileptic discharges. Such fluctuations in SPECT brain imaging suggest that the severity of functional inactivation underlying the focal hypoperfusion image as an epileptic focus may fluctuate considerably in the interictal state with no relation to the clinical features of epilepsy.     

Calcifications of the disc of the temporomandibular joint

Calcified lesions of the temporomandibular joint discs obtained from 135 human cadavers were studied. Calcifications were observed in 92 of 250 discs by soft x-ray radiography. Studies by light and electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction revealed that there were two different types of calcification in the discs: apatite crystal deposition with or without ossification, and calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition. Calcifications were recognized more frequently posteriorly than anteriorly, and were related to disc perforation. The results of this investigation suggest that disc degeneration, which may occur as a result of aging or mechanical stress, causes calcifications.     

Visual dysfunction in treated schizophrenia suggested by visual evoked potentials from pattern-reversal stimulation

Summary Steady-state visual evoked potentials (steadystate VEPs) from pattern-reversal stimulations were compared in treated schizophrenic patients and normal subjects matched for sex and age. The VEP amplitudes were more variable in the patients than in the controls. Furthermore, the VEP amplitudes of the patients mostly showed little or no change when the check size was varied, in contrast to the controls who showed a marked check size effect. These results suggest that schizophrenics receiving drugs have dysfunction of the visual system, especially an inability to respond adequately to changes of visual information.