ヒトの臍帯血の細胞をマウスのストローマ細胞と共培養することにより従来知られていなかった種類の制御性T細胞（Treg）が誘導されることが明らかになった．HOZOTと命名されたこのT細胞には3つの大きな特徴がある．1つは誘導法でヒト臍帯血の単核球細胞をマウスストローマと共培養しxenogeneicな系を用いる点，2つめはCD4⁺CD8⁺のダブルポジティブの表現形を示す点，3つめはキラー活性，サプレッサー活性，ヘルパー活性をあわせ持つ多機能性である点である．HOZOTはアロMLR抑制機能をもつことからTregとして定義されたが表現型や免疫抑制作用機序などから従来のTregと異なっている．またマウスストローマに対してキラー活性を示すだけでなくヒトの大腸癌細胞などある種の腫瘍細胞に対してもキラー活性が判明した．また，HOZOTはサイトカイン産生という面からIL-10/RANTES/IL-8の高産生細胞として従来のT細胞と大きく異なる．これらの特徴のうち特に抗腫瘍活性とサプレッサー活性を同時にもつことから機能や分化への興味とともに臨床応用が期待される．

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^<13>C chemical shifts of 2-substituted naphthalenes and their 6-methoxy derivatives were determined by the aids of the additivity of the substituent effect and the selective H-D exchange reaction. The reliability of the additivity of the shielding parameters of monosubstituted benzenes for the above naphthalene series were acknowledged, and the linear relations between the chemical shifts and shielding parameters or substituent constants were confirmed.

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The natural frequencies of the beam subjected to tensile or compression stress vary in proportion to the magnitude of the loading stress. A round bar with both rigid ends was subjected to the stress and impacted by a small ball. By FFT analyzer, natural frequencies of the bar were measured using the impact sound, and working stress in the bar was measured by strain gauges. Vibration equation for a bar with both rigid ends and subjected to an axial stress was analyzed and theoretical relation between applied stress and natural frequencies was obtained. The relation between applied stress and natural frequencies of the round bar by the experiment and by the theory was compared. They agreed with about 5% difference. Impact sound may be one of effective methods to measure working stress in a bar subjected to an axial stress.

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Trace amounts of aluminum in water samples were determined by fluorophotometric flow injection analysis. Less harmful 8-quinolinol and Triton X-100 were used as a fluorophotometric derivatizing reagent for Al³⁺ and a micelle sensitizer, respectively. Even with the traditional and conventional reagents, a linear calibration graph was obtained for Al³⁺ at the concentration range of 10^-7 mol/l level with a limit of detection at 2.8x10^-9 mol/l. The sample throughput was 60 h^-1. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of a standard reference substance, and the analytical result agreed well with the certified value. The proposed system was also applied to the speciation analysis of tap water and river water samples; aluminum species of free Al³⁺, hydrolyzed Al species, and Al in suspended particles were fairly evaluated. The recovery test of Al³⁺ to the water samples was in the ranges of 92–106%.

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Bench-scale experiments were conducted in the laboratory, aiming to remove aluminum from water. They were based on using powdered activated carbon (PAC), which was prepared from olive stones generated as plant wastes and modified with an aqueous oxidizing agent as HNO₃ as an effective sorbent and oleic acid (HOL) as a surfactant. The main parameters (namely: initial solution pHs, sorbent, surfactant and aluminum concentrations, shaking time, ionic strength and the presence of foreign ions) that influence the sorptive-flotation process were examined. Good results were obtained under the optimum conditions, according to which nearly 100% of aluminum, at pH 7 and at room temperature (∼25°C), was removed. The procedure was successfully applied to recover aluminum spiked to some natural water samples. Moreover, a sorption and flotation mechanism is suggested.

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The complexation of five recently synthesized hydroxy-thioxanthone derivatives with Al³⁺ ion was studied in a methanol solution spectrophotometrically, and the stepwise formation constants of the resulting 1:1 and 2:1 (ligand-to-metal) complexes were evaluated. The suitability of the thioxanthone derivatives as neutral ionophores for the preparation of a new Al³⁺ ion-selective PVC-membrane electrode was investigated, and 1-hydroxy-3-methyl-thiocanthone was selected as the best compound for this purpose. The prepared electrode exhibits a Nernstian response for Al³⁺ ions over a wide concentration range (2.0 × 10^-2 to 2.0 × 10^-6 M), with a limit of detection of 1.0 × 10^-6 M. It has a very fast response time of about 5 s and can be used for at least 3 months without any considerable divergence in the potentials. The proposed membrane sensor revealed very good selectivities for Al³⁺ over a wide variety of other metal ions, and could be used at a working pH range of 3.4 - 5.0. It was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of aluminum ions with EDTA, and in the determination of Al³⁺ in different real samples.

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　Sublethally heat-injured cells of Salmonella in food can recover under favorable conditions, leading to foodborne illness. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of recovery from heat injury, the global changes in gene transcription of Salmonella Typhimurium were investigated in previous study. In this study, the functions of genes involved in phage shock response (viz., phage shock protein (psp) genes), the transcription levels of which were found in previous study to be increased during recovery from heat injury, were investigated in recovering cells. The increase in pspABCDEFG transcription levels during the recovery process was confirmed by qRT-PCR. To understand the role of psp genes in heat injury recovery, a pspA deletion mutant (ΔpspA) and a pspA-overexpressing strain (S. Typhimurium pBAD30/pspA (+) ) were constructed. ΔpspA showed slightly lower viable counts and membrane potential than those of the wild-type strain during recovery. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the viable counts between S. Typhimurium pBAD30/pspA (+) and the control strains S. Typhimurium pBAD30/pspA (-) and S. Typhimurium pBAD30 (+) during recovery. It would seem that a lack of PspA protein alone somewhat affects the recovery of S. Typhimurium from heat injury, but overexpression of PspA alone is not sufficient to overcome this effect.

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Bench-scale experiments were conducted in the laboratory, aiming to remove aluminum from water. They were based on the use of powdered marble wastes (PMW), which are inexpensive and produced in large quantity, and thus potentially cause environmental problems, as an effective inorganic sorbent and oleic acid (HOL) as surfactant. The main parameters (solution pHs, sorbent, surfactant and aluminum concentrations, shaking time, ionic strength and the presence of foreign ions) that influence the sorptive-flotation process were examined. Good results were obtained under the optimum conditions, for which nearly 100% of aluminum at pH 7 and at room temperature (∼25°C) was removed. The procedure was successfully applied to the recovery of aluminum spiked to some natural water samples. Moreover, a sorption and flotation mechanism is suggested.

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　Myofibroma is a benign mesenchymal tumor classified as a perivascular tumor, characterized by the proliferation of spindle-shaped myofibroblasts. It is most common in the dermis and subcutis of the extremities and head, and is extremely rare in the oral and maxillofacial region. Recently, it has been reported that about half of myofibromas in the head and neck region have a mutation in the gene encoding the 666th amino acid in the platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRB)(exon 14). In this report, we present a case of myofibroma in the body of the mandible and describe our search for a mutation in the gene encoding the 666th amino acid of PDGFRB (exon 14). The patient, a 13-year-old girl, presented with a clearly demarcated monocystic radiolucent lesion in the left mandibular molar region on initial panoramic radiographs, and a similar lesion in the buccal cortical bone with bony swelling on CT. Enucleation was performed under general anesthesia. Histopathological examination revealed a well-defined nodular proliferation, containing branched vessels and bundles of spindle-shaped cells with low cytological atypia and mitoses. The tumor cells were positive for α -SMA and Ki-67 positivity was approximately 1％. Based on the above, a histopathological diagnosis of myofibroma was obtained. A search for gene mutations revealed no mutation in the gene encoding the 666th amino acid of PDGFRB (exon 14). Two years after surgery, the patient is doing well without recurrence.

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Alternative syntheses of the Alangium alkaloids bearing the 9-hydroxy-10-methoxy- and 10-hydroxy-9-methoxybenzo [a] quinolizidine skeletons (types 3 and 4) have now become feasible through generally applicable routes starting from 3-acetylpyridine. The routes include the mercuric acetate-edetic acid oxidation of the 3-acetylpyridine derivatives 8a, b or the alkaline ferricyanide oxidation of the quaternary salts (29a, b and 30a) of 3-acetylpyridine equivalents, Wolff-Kishner reduction of the acetyl group or reductive desulfurization of the thioketal group, sulfenylation dehydrosulfenylation of the lactams 15a, b, Michael reaction of the α, β-unsaturated lactams 18a, b, and hydrolysis, decarboxylation, and esterification of the Michael adducts to give 21a, b, as the main operations.

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類似度関数毎の値域正規化から複数の類似度を集約する手法を提案する．1,000 回の検索処理より，適切な類似度関数が画像クラス間で異なる場合の検索精度頑健性向上を Minkowski 距離とコサイン類似度の組合せにより可能とする．100,000 画像に対する処理時間測定から最大 0.1 秒のオーバーヘッドで類似度集約が可能である．検索精度頑健性向上から，適切な類似度関数の異なる画像クラスが複数存在するデータベースへの適用を実現する．

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In order to make it clear what kind of physical characteristics mimic voices of a talking bird mynah has, 111 mimic of a well-trained mynah are analyzed in (1) the intensity pattern of sound wave form, (2) the fundamental frequency contour, (3) the long term spectrum, (4) the spectral envelope peaks of vowels, (5) the time spectral pattern of consonants. And they are compared with those of tutor's voices. (1) Though the intensity patterns of mimic voices are a little bit different from the tutor's, the duration of the pause in the speech sound and the duration of the burst in some stop consonants are very similar to those of tutor's voices. (2) The fundamental frequency contour shows generally good coincidence between them. The fluctuations of fundamental frequency are also found in mimic voices, however, they are comparatively larger than those of tutor's voices. (3) The long term spectrum of mimic vices has a peak around 900 Hz and the slope for the lower frequency part is 2 dB/oct. and -10dB/oct. for higher frequency part. So, the spectral components below 500 Hz are smaller than those of 1 to 3 kHz by 3 to 10dB. (4) As to the first spectral envelope peaks (P_1) appear around 1kHz in every vowel, it seems very hard to categorize five vowels on the P_1-P_2 plane. (5) As to the spectral changes, the transition of the spectral envelope peaks in the range of 1 to 3kHz are found similar to the tutor's though that of P_1 is not so clear. These physical characteristics of mimic voices of mynah bird are supposed to depend not only on its vocalization but also its auditory function, so that some suggestions will be obtained for the studies of speech synthesis and automatic speech recognition. However, some questions still remain as to how mimic voices with different spectral pattern are processed in the human auditory system.

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アルコール類およびフェノール類のトシラートを合成し, 試料の5～10倍量のラネーニッケル触媒による接触還元を行い, 前者はつねにアルコールを再生し, 後者は脱トシロキシ化合物を生成することを確かめ, その還元分解反応の難易を比較した。また, アリールトシラートの場合は試料と等mo1の水酸化ナトリウムを加えることにより, 少量の触媒ですみやかに還元分解できた。接触水素添加分解の開裂の位置は水素化アルミニウムリチウムによる開裂の位置とちょうど逆であり, これらをわれわれの提出した接触還元分解の機構 (すなわち, 固体触媒上の不均質イオン反応) により説明した。

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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukemia in Western countries and is characterized by the clonal expansion of mature CD5⁺ B cells. There have been substantial advances in the field of CLL research in the last decade, including the identification of recurrent mutations, and clarification of clonal architectures, signaling molecules, and the multistep leukemogenic process, providing a comprehensive understanding of CLL pathogenesis. Furthermore, the development of therapeutic approaches, especially that of molecular target therapies against CLL, has markedly improved the standard of care for CLL. This review focuses on the recent insights made in CLL leukemogenesis and the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

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Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT) is a curative therapy for some types of hematological disorders. However, allo-PBSCT is commonly complicated with acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), characterized by host tissues being attacked by the grafted donor lymphocytes due to disparities of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) between the donor and host. By contrast, cord blood transplantation (CBT) is typically associated with low-grade severity of aGVHD, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Donor-derived CD4⁺ alloreactive T cells (ATs) are of a specific lymphocyte subset, which can be activated by the recipient’s HLA, and play a crucial role in the onset of aGVHD. In the present study, we aimed to explore the difference in the property of CD4⁺ ATs between cord blood (CB) and adult peripheral blood (APB). We thus found that CB and APB CD4⁺ ATs contained not only effector T cells (Teffs) that execute aGVHD, but also a distinct subset of FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) that may alleviate aGVHD. Importantly, CB CD4⁺ ATs contained higher percentage of FoxP3⁺ Tregs, compared to APB CD4⁺ ATs (P < 0.001), while lower percentage of Teffs (Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells) was detected in CB CD4⁺ ATs (P < 0.05, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Our findings suggest that FoxP3⁺ Tregs in CB CD4⁺ ATs may contribute to attenuating the severity of aGVHD observed after CBT.

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Alveolar ridge plays a pivotal role in supporting dental prosthesis particularly in edentulous and semi-dentulous patients. However the alveolar ridge undergoes atrophic change after tooth loss. The vertical and horizontal volume of the alveolar ridge restricts the design of dental prosthesis; thus, maintaining sufficient alveolar ridge volume is vital for successful oral rehabilitation. Recent progress in regenerative approaches has conferred marked benefits in prosthetic dentistry, enabling regeneration of the atrophic alveolar ridge. In order to achieve successful alveolar ridge augmentation, sufficient numbers of osteogenic cells are necessary; therefore, autologous osteoprogenitor cells are isolated, expanded in vitro, and transplanted to the specific anatomical site where the bone is required. Recent studies have gradually elucidated that transplanted osteoprogenitor cells are not only a source of bone forming osteoblasts, they appear to play multiple roles, such as recruitment of endogenous osteoprogenitor cells and immunomodulatory function, at the forefront of bone regeneration. This review focuses on the current consensus of cell-based bone augmentation therapies with emphasis on cell sources, transplanted cell survival, endogenous stem cell recruitment and immunomodulatory function of transplanted osteoprogenitor cells. Furthermore, if we were able to control the mobilization of endogenous osteoprogenitor cells, large-scale surgery may no longer be necessary. Such treatment strategy may open a new era of safer and more effective alveolar ridge augmentation treatment options.

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