Circulating levels of maternal plasma cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs are associated with placental weight.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma concentration of cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs and clinical variables (placental weight, maternal body mass index, and neonatal birth weight). Circulating levels of cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs (miR-515-3p, miR-517a, miR-517c and miR-518b) in maternal plasma were measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR in sixty-two pregnant women. The levels of cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs were significantly associated with placental weight, but not associated with body mass index or birth weight. Therefore, the measurement of cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific miRNAs levels in maternal plasma may reflect the pregnancy status related to placenta volume.

Polarization degree analysis of objective spectrum in polarization differential stellar coronagraph.

It is shown that the degree of polarization analysis is useful to find objective spectra of exoplanets immersed in noisy stellar spectra. We report the laboratory experiment of polarization differential objective spectroscopy with a four-quadrant polarization mask coronagraph, where partially polarized planetary signal is expected to be discerned from unpolarized stellar noise. The detection of the planet signal is impeded by the stellar noise remained after subtracting mutually orthogonally polarized components of light. We distinguish clearly the planetary spectrum by use of the degree of polarization. We also show the refinement of the spectrum of the planet model.

Spatial differences of chemical features of atmospheric deposition between rainy season and winter in the areas facing to the Japan Sea, Japan

Atmospheric deposition was collected using filtrating bulk samplers at 32 sites in the areas facing to the Japan Sea (AFJS) from April 1991 to March 1994. The data were analyzed for winter (January and February) and the rainy season (June and July) when the climate is just the opposite. The AFJS was geographically divided into five areas, that is western Tohoku (WT), Hokuriku (HR), eastern San-in (ES), western San-in (WS) and northern Kyushu (NK). WT, HR and ES receive more precipitation than other regions in winter. H+ depositions increase in winter except NK. This is mainly due to high winter H+ concentrations. In spite of large amounts of precipitation in WT, HR and ES in winter, nss-SO4(2-) concentration was nearly equal to the average throughout Japan. Namely, nss-SO4(2-) depositions in these areas were nearly twice the national mean. In WT, HR and ES, nss-Ca2+ concentrations in winter are lower than the average of the whole country (less than the half). This may be the cause of the lower potentials of neutralization and the higher remaining acid concentrations in WT, HR and ES than NK and WS.

Identification of aberrantly regulated genes in diseased skin using the cDNA differential display technique.

It is hypothesized that psoriasis may be caused by aberrant gene expression. In an effort to identify and clone psoriasis-specific genes, we compared gene expression in normal, tape-stripped (wounded), and psoriatic skin using the cDNA differential display technique. Four genes not previously described in psoriasis--connexin 26, a gap junction protein; squamous cell carcinoma antigen-1 (SCCA1), a serine protease inhibitor; and mitochondrial NAD subunits 5 and 6--were identified as having very high expression levels in psoriatic skin. In situ hybridizations showed that connexin 26 mRNA was expressed 10-fold higher in psoriatic and 4-fold higher in tape-stripped epidermis than in controls. SCCA1 showed a 40-fold increase in mRNA expression, whereas mitochondrial NAD5 and NAD6 expression was increased 10- and 20-fold, respectively, in psoriatic skin. Northern blots confirmed the increased expression of connexin 26, SCCA1, and NAD6 genes in psoriatic skin. Immunohistochemistry showed that connexin 26 protein was strongly expressed in spinous keratinocytes from psoriatic skin and chronic wounds, but was absent in normal epidermis. These studies demonstrate the usefulness of this approach for identifying genes that are conditionally expressed in growth-activated human skin.

X-ray microprobe analysis of corpora amylacea.

Since corpora amylacea is concentrated in the high density fraction in the subcellular fractionation of autopsy brain. It is suspected that inorganic materials accumulate in corpora amylacea. Therefore, elemental analyses of partially purified corpora amylacea from autopsy brain from a patient with Alzheimer's disease and those from brain of a non-demented patient were performed by the X-ray microprobe method. Prominent peaks of sodium, phosphorus, sulphur and chloride were observed, and mapping analyses confirmed that these elements were actually contained within the corpora amylacea. A similar result was obtained using cryostat sections. Corpora amylacea are characteristically distributed along the margin of blood vessels, beneath the pial border of the hippocampus and in the subependymal zones of ventricles of aged brains, namely in the vicinity of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. From this distribution and from the results of the present paper, we suggest that corpora amylacea play a role in the absorption and accumulation of inorganic materials which have been extravasated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and taken up by astrocytes. This may reflect alteration of the blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers in the ageing brain.

Aluminium detected in senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles is contained in lipofuscin granules with silicon, probably as aluminosilicate.

Aluminium and silicon are incidentally found in senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) of brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and have been considered as one of the risk factors for senile dementia. Since lipofuscin granules were concentrated concomitantly with SP and NFT in the high density fraction in subcellular fractionation of autopsied brains and are solid in nature, it was suspected that aluminum and silicon are accumulated in lipofuscin granules. Therefore, elemental analyses of partially purified lipofuscin granules from autopsied brains with AD and those without dementia, were attempted by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry with a scanning electron microscope. It was demonstrated by a mapping method that aluminum and silicon were accumulated in some lipofuscin granules, probably as aluminosilicate. In addition, it was demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy of Bodian stained paraffin sections, that many SP and NFT contained lipofuscin granules, although lipofuscin granules were not always specific to those neuropathological changes. These results imply that aluminum detected in SP and NFT is due to lipofuscin granules and can explain the cause of discrepancies in the reports on the presence of aluminum in SP and NFT.

[A family of von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis complicated by mononeuritis multiplex, bilateral acoustic neurinomas, and falx and spinal meningiomas].

A family of von Recklinghausen's disease complicated by multiple diverse primary brain tumors was reported. Case 1. The proband, born in 1923, was admitted to the Nagasaki University Hospital on March 11, 1974, for evaluation of headache and hearing loss. Neurological examination disclosed: decreased visual acuity on the right: bilateral choked discs; anisocoria, right pupil wider than left; right blepharoptosis; artificially fixed right eye; right facial palsy; markedly impaired hearing with negative vestibular responses to caloric test; paralysis of the right soft palate and vocal cord; atrophy of the right side of the tongue; right claw hand with positive Froment's sign; left drop foot; loss of deep reflexes on the left arm and legs; positive Babinski on the right. Nerve conduction studies revealed failure to evoke muscle action potential in response to electric nerve stimulation on the left ulnar and right superficial peroneal nerves. Needle electromyography showed no motor unit potentials in the left first dorsal interosseus and right anterior tibial muscles. Sensory nerve action potentials could not be evoked on any nerves tested. X-ray films showed enlargement of the internal auditory passages, falx tumor on brain scan and carotid angiography, and spinal tumor on myelography. At craniotomy, a 7 X 5.5 X 4 cm falx meningioma was removed. At suboccipital craniotomy performed five weeks later, right acoustic neurinoma measuring 1.5 cm in diameter was removed. Case 2. This relative, born in 1945, was the son of the proband. A spinal meningioma at C 7-T 1 was removed in 1957. However, he could not walk after operation and died of pneumonia two years later.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)