We screened the differentiation-inducing activities of 39 mushroom extracts from Akita prefecture, Japan, on the mouse osteoblastic cell line, MCT-1. Sixteen phosphate buffered saline (PBS), boiled PBS, 14 ethanol and 12 methanol extracts induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, an indicator of MCT-1 cell differentiation. The enzyme activities were markedly induced by extracts of Tricholoma auratum, and we isolated the active compound from methanol extracts of this mushroom. Physical data for the isolated active compound were identical to those for (,24R)-ergosta-7,-diene-,,-triol (1). 1 induced ALP activities of MCT-1 cells and promoted cell proliferation. To investigate the relationships between the chemical structure and differentiation-inducing activity of the compound, ALP-inducing activities of MCT-1 cells by 1, ergosterol (2), ergocalciferol (), cholesta-,,-triol (4), 7-dehydrocholesterol () and cholecalciferol () were tested. The enzyme activities of MCT-1 cells were increased .0-fold by 10 μM 1 and 2.4-fold by 10 μM 4. However, 2, , and did not induce MCT-1 cell ALP activity at 0.1—10 μM. These results suggested that the OH groups at - and/or - of 1 and 4 played an important role in their differentiation-inducing activities on MCT-1 cells. Furthermore, 1 suppressed induction of MCT-1 cell apoptosis by serum starvation.

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It has been shown after mathematical and mechanical investigation that Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) can be considered as a method to obtain the necessary condition of Slip Line Method (SLM), and that the solution can be obtained under the condition that F_s=1 and ∂F_s/∂θ=O, where F_s is the safety factor and θ is the inclination of the plane on which the safety factor is defined. Next, the generalized LEM (GLEM) is proposed, dealing with the following points : (1) Triangular or quadrangular blocks can be treated; (2) Safety factors are defined also on interblock planes; and () All types of plastic problems, slope stability, bearing capacity, and earth pressure are identically formulated. Two situations regarding treatment of the moment equilibrium condition are discussed. GLEM is applied to well-known problems. The results agree well with those obtained by theoretical methods. GLEM can be used to obtain the distribution of earth pressure or bearing capacity. GLEM, Iike ordinary LEM, is very effective for the practical problems, but GLEM is more theoretical and it can result in more accurate solutions.

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Circuit techniques to enhance the linearity of input-voltage-to-current (V/I) conversion and to increase the output impedance of a current source by compensating for the low intrinsic gain of a transistor were introduced to realize a high-frequency operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) for a low supply voltage using sub-100-nm CMOS processes. Applying these techniques, a MOS 7th-order Gm- linear-phase low-pass filter (LPF) was realized using a 65nm CMOS process. A simplified biquad LPF that can serve as a component of a 7th-order LPF was newly developed by replacing OTAs with resistors. As a result, the -dB frequency bandwidth, group delay ripple, rd-order distortion, and rd-order input intercept point (IIP) were 200MHz, 2.2%, ≤ -55dB with a 100MHz input, and +10.dBm, respectively, all with a ±0.1Vp-p input signal at each input terminal in the pseudodifferential configuration. The LPF including an output buffer dissipated 60mW in the case of a 1.2V supply. Wide spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) characteristics were confirmed up to high frequencies.

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Background: Oxidative stress, the imbalance between pro- and antioxidants, has been implicated in the etiology and pathophysiology of the incidence and mortality of many diseases. We aim to investigate the relations of dietary intakes of vitamin

and and main carotenoids with all-cause mortality in Japanese men and women.

Methods: The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk had

,795 men and 35,539 women, aged 40–79 years at baseline (1988–1990), who completed a valid food frequency questionnaire and were followed up to the end of 2009.

Results: There were

,179 deaths in men and ,355 deaths in women during the median follow-up of 18.9 years for men and 19.4 years for women. Multivariate hazard ratios for the highest versus lowest quintile intakes in women were 0. (% confidence interval [CI], 0.76–0.; P for trend < 0.0001) for vitamin , 0.85 (% CI, 0.78–0.93; P for trend < 0.0001) for vitamin , 0.88 (% CI, 0.81–0.; P for trend = 0.0006) for β-carotene, and 0. (% CI, 0.–0.98; P for trend = 0.0002) for β-cryptoxanthin. The joint effect of any two of these highly correlated micronutrients showed significant 12–17% reductions in risk in the high-intake group compared with the low-intake group in women. These significant associations were also observed in the highest quintile intakes of vitamin , vitamin , and β-carotene in female non-smokers but were not observed in female smokers, male smokers, and non-smokers.

Conclusions: Higher dietary intakes of antioxidant vitamins may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in middle-aged Japanese women, especially female non-smokers.

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1. The chromosome numbers of 64 species have been studied on which 56 are investigated for the first time.
2. Morphological, anatomical and cytological findings on the Musaceae in the broad sense are considered from a phylogenetical standpoint and three distinct groups:
a) Musa-Ensete, b) Ravenala-Strelitzia-Phenakospermum and ) Holiconia are recognised as suggested by some authors. For these groups sub-familial status is proposed.
. Lowiaceae have been studied for the first time cytologically and their chromosome morphology, distinct from that of any other group of Zingiberales, confirms their claim to familial status.
4. Consideration of the conflicting theories proposed to account for the higher chromosome number in genera like Globba, Alpinia, and Phaemeria, etc. leads to rejection of Chakravorti's hypothesis of wholesale fragmentation of chromosomes and the acceptance of the opposed view of Raghavan and Venkatasubban and others.
. Holttum's transference of the genus Zingiber to the tribe Hedychieae has been given cytological support on the following points:
a) the basic number in the genus Zingiber correlates with that of Kaempferia.
b) the new tribe Alpinieae (which is infact Zingibereae without Zingiber) have consistently 48 chromosomes in their somatic complements.
. It is suggested that the African representatives of Kaempferia should be given the status of genus; Cienkowskya on the following points:
a) the difference in floral morphology
b) geographical separateness and
) the difference in the number and morphology of the chromosomes. By comparing the present and past findings, various lines of evolution of the chromosome complements within each group are discussed.
7. The basic number 11 is considered to be probably the original one for the Zingiberales as a whole, being present in Ravenala which is the most primitive member in the order. From this secondary basic numbers have arisen through evolution.

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The performance of single pitch and multi pitch screw anchors during the application of installation torque is presented. An experimental testing program was conducted using five models of screw anchors with different geometry. The effect of the shape of the screw element, sand properties, and installation depth on the required installation torque value was examined. A theoretical model was developed from which the required installation torque value can be calculated in terms of the influencing factors. The required installation torque can be determined in terms of the ultimate uplift resistance calculated from any of the available theories. Based on the actual installation torque value measured in the field, the anticipated pullout capacity can be back calculated from the present theory. A comparison between theoretical and experimental results showed good agreement. Also, good agreement was observed when the present theoretical results were compared with the available field results reported in the literature.

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Plate anchors are the popular type of anchors used in civil engineering construction both on land and offshore. In this paper, the uplift capacity of plate anchor in a sloped clayey ground has been brought out with the help of an experimental programme, carried out on a 50mm diameter model plate anchor. The tests have been conducted at slopes of O°, 15°, 30°and 45°. From the test results, it is found that in the case of shallow anchor, as the slope is increasing from O°to 45°, there seems to be a reduction in uplift capacity. Simple expressions are suggested to arrive at the uplift capacities in sloped ground. The mechanisms involved in the reduction of capacity with slope are explained based on the observed behaviour.

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Laboratory model test results for the holding capacity of inclined shallow square plate anchors in clay (φ=0 concept) have been presented. The inclination of the anchor with respect to the horizontal was varied from zero to °. Based on the model study, an empirical relationship for estimating the ultimate holding capacity of the anchors has been presented.

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The saponin fraction from the seeds of the tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. KUNTZE (Theaceae)] was found to exhibit potent protective effects on ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal lesions in rats. Five new triterpene saponins, theasaponins (1), (2), (), (4), and (), were isolated together with 11 known saponins from the saponin fraction. The chemical structures of 1— were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. Among the isolated saponins, theasaponins (), (7), and () and assamsaponin (10) showed an inhibitory effect on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions at a dose of .0 mg/kg, p.o. and their activities were stronger than that of omeplazole. With regard to the structure–activity relationships of theasaponins, the following structural requirements for a protective effect on ethanol-induced gastric lesions were suggested; 1) the 21- and/or -acyl groups are essential for the activity, 2) acetylation of the 16-hydroxyl group reduce the activity.

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The activities of tobramycin derivatives acetylated and ethylated on the '-N, 2'-N and -N positions were examined. The MICs of these derivatives against tobramycin sensitive strains indicated that 2'-N-ethylated and '-N-ethylated derivatives have a fairly good activity, and confirmed that the -N position is the most important one for antibiotic activity since -N derivatives were less active. The MICs of these derivatives against tobramycin resistant strains, and their inactivation by tobramycin modifying enzymes were examined. These results showed that 2'-N or '-N ethylation protects the drug against inactivation by AAC(2') or AAC('), respectively, and 2'-N-ethyltobramycin and '-N-ethyltobramycin were active against strains containing these modifying enzymes. On the other hand, -N ethylation protects the drug against inactivation by AAC() but -N-ethyl tobramycin does not inhibit strains containing this enzyme.

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