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Biomedical subjects

E Goto

Publications and source records attributed to E Goto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

A new relative referencing method for crop monitoring using chlorophyll fluorescence.

The measurement of plant chlorophyll fluorescence has been used for many years as a method to monitor a plant's health status. These types of methods have been mostly relegated to the laboratory. The newly developed Relative Referencing Method allows for the measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence under artificial lighting conditions. The fluorescence signal can be determined by first taking a reference signal measurement, then a second measurement with an additional fluorescence excitation source. The first signal can then be subtracted from the second and the plant's chlorophyll fluorescence due to the second lighting source can be determined. With this simple approach, a photosynthesizing plant can be monitored to detect signs of water stress. Using this approach experiments on tomato plants have shown that it was possible to detect water stress, while the plants were continuously illuminated by fluorescent lamps. This method is a promising tool for the remote monitoring of crops grown in a CELSS-type application.

Chlorophyll↗
PubMed2003

The effect of gravity on surface temperatures of plant leaves.

A fundamental study was conducted to develop a facility having an adequate air circulation system for growing healthy plants over a long-term under microgravity conditions in space. To clarify the effects of gravity on heat exchange between plant leaves and the ambient air, surface temperatures of sweet potato and barley leaves and replica leaves made of wet paper and copper were evaluated at gravity levels of 0.01, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 g for 20 s each during parabolic aeroplane flights. Thermal images were captured using infrared thermography at an air temperature of 26 degrees C, a relative humidity of 18% and an irradiance of 260 W m-2. Mean leaf temperatures increased by 0.9-1.0 degrees C with decreasing gravity levels from 1.0 to 0.01 g and decreased by 0.5 degrees C with increasing gravity levels from 1.0 to 2.0 g. The increase in leaf temperatures was at most 1.9 degrees C for sweet potato leaves over 20 s as gravity decreased from 1.0 to 0.01 g. The boundary layer conductance to sensible heat exchange decreased by 5% when the gravity decreased from 1.0 to 0.01 g at the air velocity of 0.2 m s-1. The decrease in the boundary layer conductance with decrease in the gravity levels was more significant in a lower air velocity. Heat exchange between leaves and the ambient air was more retarded at lower gravity levels because of less sensible and latent heat transfers with less heat convection.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed2002

Treatment of non-inflamed obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction by an infrared warm compression device.

AIM: To test the short term efficacy and safety of an infrared warm compression device (IWCD, Eye Hot, Cept Co, Tokyo, Japan) as treatment for non-inflamed meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). METHODS: 37 subjects with non-inflamed obstructive MGD, with and without aqueous tear deficiency (ATD) dry eye, participated in a prospective non-comparative interventional case series. Symptom scores, face scores, tear evaporation rates, fluorescein and rose bengal vital staining, tear break up time (BUT), Schirmer test, meibomian gland obstruction, and meibography were compared before and after 2 weeks of therapy. RESULTS: In a total of 37 cases, total subjective symptom scores and subjective face scores improved significantly, from 12.3 (SD 5.9) to 8.4 (6.1), and from 7.0 (1.7) to 5.3 (2.0) (both p <0.0001). The results for tear evaporation rates during forced blinking (p = 0.002), fluorescein staining (p = 0.03), rose bengal staining (p = 0.03), BUT (p <0.0001), and meibomian gland orifice obstruction score (p <0.0001) had also improved significantly at the end of the 2 week period of infrared thermotherapy. No complaints and/or complications of the IWCD were reported. CONCLUSION: The IWCD was effective and safe for the treatment of MGD. Improved tear stability associated with release of meibum is a possible mechanism of this treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Artificial substrates of medium-chain elongating enzymes, hexaprenyl- and heptaprenyl diphosphate synthases.

We examined the reactivity of 3-alkyl group homologues of farnesyl diphosphate or isopentenyl diphosphate for medium-chain prenyl diphosphate synthases, hexaprenyl diphosphate- or heptaprenyl diphosphate synthase. But-3-enyl diphosphate, which lacks the methyl group at the 3-position of isopentenyl diphosphate, condensed only once with farnesyl diphosphate to give E-norgeranylgeranyl diphosphate by the action of either enzyme. However, norfarnesyl diphosphate was never accepted as an allylic substrate at all. 3-Ethylbut-3-enyl diphosphate also reacted with farnesyl diphosphate giving a mixture of (all-E)-3-ethyl-7,11,15-trimethylhexadeca-2,6,10,14-tetraenyl- and (all-E)-3,7-diethyl-11,15,19-trimethylicosa-2,6,10,14,18-pentaenyl diphosphates by hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase. On the other hand, heptaprenyl diphosphate synthase reaction of 3-ethylbut-3-enyl diphosphate with farnesyl diphosphate gave only (all-E)-3-ethyl-7,11,15-trimethylhexadeca-2,6,10,14-tetraenyl diphosphate.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed2001

Ground performance of air conditioning and water recycle system for a Space Plant Box.

Researchers from 5 Japanese universities have developed a plant growth facility (Space Plant Box) for seed to seed experiments under microgravity. The breadboard model of the Space Plant Box was fabricated by assembling subsystems developed for microgravity. The subsystems include air conditioning and water recycle system, air circulation system, water and nutrient delivery system, lighting system and plant monitoring system. The air conditioning and water recycle system is simply composed of a single heat exchanger, two fans and hydrophilic fibrous strings. The strings allow water movement from the cooler fin in the Cooling Box to root supporting materials in the Plant Growth Chamber driven by water potential deficit. Relative humidity in the Plant Growth Chamber can be changed over a wide range by controlling the ratio of latent heat exchange to sensible heat exchange on the cooling fin of the heat exchanger. The transpiration rate was successfully measured by circulating air inside the Plant Growth Chamber only. Most water was recycled and a small amount of water needed to be added from the outside. The simple, air conditioning and water recycle system for the Space Plant Box showed good performance through a barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) growth experiment.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed2001

The effect of gravity on surface temperature and net photosynthetic rate of plant leaves.

To clarify the effects of gravity on heat/gas exchange between plant leaves and the ambient air, the leaf temperatures and net photosynthetic rates of plant leaves were evaluated at 0.01, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 G of 20 seconds each during a parabolic airplane flight. Thermal images of leaves were captured using infrared thermography at an air temperature of 26 degrees C, a relative humidity of 15% and an irradiance of 260 W m-2. The net photosynthetic rates were determined by using a chamber method with an infrared gas analyzer at an air temperature of 20 degrees C, a relative humidity of 50% and a photosynthetic photon flux of 0.5 mmol m-2 s-1. The mean leaf temperature increased by 1 degree C and the net photosynthetic rate decreased by 13% with decreasing gravity levels from 1.0 to 0.01 G. The leaf temperature decreased by 0.5 degree C and the net photosynthetic rate increased by 7% with increasing gravity levels from 1.0 to 2.0 G. Heat/gas exchanges between leaves and the ambient air were more retarded at lower gravity levels. A restricted free air convection under microgravity conditions in space would limit plant growth by retarding heat and gas exchanges between leaves and the ambient air.

Gravitation↗
PubMed2001

Nucleotide sequence analysis of 5'-flanking region of salicylate hydroxylase gene, and identification and purification of a LysR-type regulator, SalR.

The sal gene comprised of 1266 nucleotides encoding salicylate hydroxylase was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of Pseudomonas putida S-1 and sequenced [Suzuki, K., Mizuguchi, M., Ohnishi, K. and Itagaki, E. (1996) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1275, 154-156]. Here, we describe the nucleotide sequences of the regulatory region of the sal gene and an ORF (salR gene) divergently oriented from the sal gene, which encodes the protein SalR. This gene product positively controls sal gene expression at the transcriptional level. The salR gene consists of 930 base pairs starting from a GTG codon and encodes a protein of 309 amino acids with a molecular mass of 34 542 Da. The amino-acid sequence is homologous to LysR-family regulatory proteins such as CatR of P. putida RB1 and has helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif near its N-terminal. Transcription start sites of sal and salR genes were determined to lie 30- and 24-bp upstream of the respective initiation codons and separated from each other by 78 nucleotides. A Shine-Dalgarno sequence and the putative promoter sequences containing -10 and -35 sequences were seen in the sal and salR genes. Expression of the salR gene on a plasmid in Escherichia coli cells was confirmed by DNA mobility shift assay. For the overexpression of the salR gene, it was cloned to pET28a (pSAHR) which was transferred to E. coli BL21 (E. coli BL21/pSAHR), and expressed by an inducer, isopropyl thio-beta-D-galactoside. SalR was further purified to homogeneity from the cell-free extracts in yields of approximately 3 mg.L-1 culture volume. The molecular mass was determined to be 33 kDa and the N-terminal amino-acid sequence was the same as that deduced from the nucleotide sequence of salR gene. Native SalR was also purified to homogeneity from P. putida S-1 with very low contents. The properties of the protein were similar to those of SalR expressed in E. coli.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Dyspnoea and hyperventilation induced by synthetic progesterone chlorpromadinone acetate for the treatment of prostatic hypertrophy.

We describe a 74-year-old patient with dyspnoea and tachypnoea induced by chlorpromadinone acetate, a synthetic progesterone used to treat prostatic hyperplasia. The dyspnoea, tachypnoea and hypocapnia improved after discontinuing the chlorpromadinone acetate. It is important to recognize that synthetic progesterones can cause dyspnoea and hyperventilation.

Acetates↗
PubMed2001

Methotrexate poisoning with acute hepatorenal dysfunction.

A 17-year-old girl receiving high-dose methotrexate for the treatment of osteosarcoma developed complications of acute renal failure and liver dysfunction with a coagulation disorder. The methotrexate concentrations were quickly reduced from 600 micromol/L to 50 micromol/L by treatment with plasma exchange and hemodialysis at 72 hours after discontinuation of the drug. After this reduction, continuous hemodiafiltration was initiated to further lower the methotrexate concentrations because of the persistently high and then the actual rebound in the plasma concentrations after plasma exchange and hemodialysis treatment. Continuous hemodiafiltration was able to reduce the concentrations without any rebound, despite its low column clearance. The rebound in plasma methotrexate concentrations seems to be corrected by plasma methotrexate after plasma exchange and/or hemodialysis.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2001

The efficacy of esophageal detector devices in verifying tracheal tube placement: a randomized cross-over study of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

We performed this prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of esophageal detector devices (EDDs), both the bulb and the syringe-type, to indicate positioning of endotracheal tubes (ETTs) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Forty-eight adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were enrolled. Immediately after tracheal intubation and ETT cuff inflation in the emergency department, the patients were allocated randomly to two cross-over groups. In Group 1 (n = 24), patients underwent a bulb test and a syringe test in sequence. In Group 2 (n = 24), patients underwent a syringe test and a bulb test in sequence. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO(2)) was also monitored. In 56 attempts at tracheal intubation, the bulb, the syringe, and ETCO(2) indicated all eight esophageal intubations. In 48 tracheal intubations, the bulb test correctly indicated 34 tracheal intubations (sensitivity, 70.8%). The syringe test identified 35 tracheal intubations (sensitivity, 72.9%). The results of both tests agreed in 33 tracheal intubations. ETCO(2) was detected in 31 tracheal intubations (sensitivity, 64.6%). No statistical difference was found among the tests. EDDs were less sensitive in detecting tracheal intubation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Therefore, proper clinical judgment in conjunction with these devices should be used to confirm ETT placement in these difficult situations.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Treatment of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis by application of autologous serum.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of autologous serum drops in the treatment of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK). METHODS: Twenty-two eyes of 11 patients were diagnosed with SLK. All eyes were treated with 20% diluted autologous serum eyedrops 10 times a day in addition to ongoing treatment of dry eye. Fluorescein and rose bengal staining scores, as well as subjective symptom gradings, were performed before and after 4 weeks of therapy. RESULTS: Nine of the 11 patients responded well to treatment (82%). The average rose bengal and fluorescein score improved ( p < 0.05), and there was subjective improvement. CONCLUSION: Autologous serum application can be used as an alternative mode of therapy in SLK.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2001

[Prevalence of asthma in adults in Menda town rural-mountain area in Japan].

Several reports have suggested that the prevalence of asthma in adults is currently increasing. However, recent prevalence of asthma has not reported in Japan, especially in rural-mountain areas. To investigate the prevalence of asthma in adults in Japan, we conducted clinical epidemiological research on 5066 inhabitants of Menda town, in a rural-mountain area of Japan. The study population comprised 98.7% of adults in the town, including senior high school students whose age were more than 15 years old. The prevalence of asthma among adults was 3.6%. The ratio of prevalence in males to prevalence in females was 1.44. Peaks prevalences were observed in the age ranges of 15-19 and > 70 years old in males, and 15-19, 40-49 and > 70 years old in females.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Thymidine phosphorylase expression results in a decrease in apoptosis and increase in intratumoral microvessel density in human gastric carcinomas.

Thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase)/platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is expressed at higher levels in a variety of human carcinomas than in adjacent normal tissue. The higher expression is associated with an increase in intratumoral microvessel density (IMVD) and an unfavorable patient prognosis. This study examined the role of dThdPase in apoptosis, IMVD and p53 expression in human gastric carcinomas, dThdPase expression was noted in 12 (35.3%) of 34 early carcinomas, and in 20 (55.6%) of 36 advanced carcinomas. At least 10 areas consisting of carcinoma cells with diffuse dThdPase expression from the 32 dThdPase-positive tumors (category I), and 10 areas without dThdPase expression from the 38 negative tumors (category II) were selected from each case. For early gastric carcinoma, the mean IMVD was 88.8+/-19.4 in category I and 61.4+/-17.3 in category II carcinomas, while for advanced gastric carcinoma, the mean IMVD was 98.8+/-21.0 in category I and 76.0+/-27.1 in category II carcinomas. The mean IMVD was significantly higher in category I than in category II tumors (P<0.05). The mean apoptotic index (AI: percentage of apoptotic cells) was 1.95+/-1.30 in category I, and 3.76+/-1.49 in category II carcinomas for early gastric carcinoma, and 1.51+/-0.98 in category I and 2.14+/-0.66 in category II carcinomas for advanced gastric carcinoma, the value of the mean AI being significantly (P<0.05) higher in dThdPase-negative tumors (category II) than in the positive tumors (category I), regardless of tumor stage or histological type. There was a significant inverse correlation (P<0.001) between AI and IMVD. These results indicate that dThdPase expression is associated with both an increase in intratumoral microvessels and a decrease in apoptosis in human gastric carcinomas.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Development of a plant growth unit for growing plants over a long-term life cycle under microgravity conditions.

To study the effect of the space environment on plant growth including the reproductive growth and genetic aberration for a long-term plant life cycle, we have initiated development of a new type of facility for growing plants under microgravity conditions. The facility is constructed with subsystems for controlling environmental elements. In this paper, the concept of the facility design is outlined. Subsystems controlling air temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, light and air circulation around plants and delivering recycled water and nutrients to roots are the major concerns. Plant experiments for developing the facility and future plant experiments with the completed facility are also overviewed. We intend to install this facility in the Japan Experiment Facility (JEM) boarded on the International Space Station.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed2000

Accuracy and reliability of the self-inflating bulb to verify tracheal intubation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

BACKGROUND: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the self-inflating bulb (SIB) to verify tracheal intubation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. METHODS: Sixty-five consecutive adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were enrolled. Patients were provided chest compression and ventilation by either ba-valve-mask or the esophageal tracheal double-lumen airway by ambulance crews when they arrived at the authors' department. Immediately after intubation in the emergency department, the endotracheal tube position was tested by the SIB and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) monitor using an infrared carbon dioxide analyzer. We observed the SIB reinflating for 10 s, and full reinflation within 4 s was defined as a positive result (tracheal intubation). RESULTS: Five esophageal intubations occurred, and the SIB correctly identified all esophageal intubations. Of the 65 tracheal intubations, the SIB correctly identified 47 tubes placed in the trachea (72.3%). Delayed but full reinflation occurred in one tracheal intubation during the 10-s observation period. Fifteen tracheal intubations had incomplete reinflation during the observation period, and two tracheal intubations did not achieve any reinflation. Thirty-nine tracheal intubations were identified by ETCO2 (60%). When the SIB test is combined with the ETCO2 detection, 59 tracheal intubations were identified with a 90.8% sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The authors found a high incidence of false-negative results of the SIB in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Because no single test for verifying endotracheal tube position is reliable, all available modalities should be tested and used in conjunction with proper clinical judgment to verify tracheal intubation in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2000

Human bronchial intraepithelial T lymphocytes as a distinct T-cell subset: their long-term survival in SCID-Hu chimeras.

Intestinal intraepithelial T lymphocytes (i-IELs) show features different from those of conventional T cells and play specific roles in the mucosal immunity. To investigate whether human bronchial intraepithelial T lymphocytes (IELs) are a distinct entity, we examined T cells in human bronchial xenografts transplanted on mice with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). We transplanted human bronchi subcutaneously into mice with SCID, resected the xenografts after various incubation periods (7-174 d), and examined them for CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), and CD45(+) cells by immunohistochemistry. The number of CD3(+) cells in the lamina propria decreased significantly in the first month (from 308.7 +/- 60.2 to 70.9 +/- 49. 4/mm(2); P < 0.05), and xenografts more than 5 mo of age had scant T cells in the lamina propria (5.2 +/- 2.0/mm(2)). However, there was no significant difference between the number of CD3(+) IELs in freshly isolated bronchi and in xenografts maintained for more than 5 mo. In freshly isolated bronchi, the number of CD4(+) IELs was significantly lower than that of CD8(+) cells (2.35 +/- 0.62 versus 4.56 +/- 1.32/mm basement membrane; P < 0.01). After transplantation, the mean CD4-to-CD8 ratio of all xenografts was significantly higher than that of freshly isolated bronchi (5.2 +/- 0.9 versus 0.6 +/- 0.2; P < 0.005). The IELs were positive for CD45, which is specific for human leukocytes, and they were eliminated by irradiation before the transplantation. Almost all IELs (99.5%) in the xenografts expressed alphabeta T-cell receptor, and 35.8% of IELs expressed alpha(e)beta7 integrin. Bronchial epithelial cells in the xenografts expressed interleukin (IL)-7, stem cell factor, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR). We conclude that in the SCID-Hu chimera model, human bronchial IELs survive for more than 5 mo, unlike the T cells in the lamina propria, and we suggest that human bronchial IELs may be stimulated by bronchial epithelial cells expressing IL-7, stem cell factor, ICAM-1, and HLA-DR.

Animals↗