Background: There is no validated gold-standard diagnostic support tool for LSS, and therefore an accurate diagnosis depends on clinical assessment. Assessment of the diagnostic value of the history of the patient requires an evaluation of the differences and overlap of symptoms of the radicular and cauda equina types; however, no tool is available for evaluation of the LSS category. We attempted to develop a self-administered, self-reported history questionnaire as a diagnostic support tool for LSS using a clinical epidemiological approach. The aim of the present study was to use this tool to assess the diagnostic value of the history of the patient for categorization of LSS.

To find novel probes for duplex DNA, we prepared four types of triplexes containing a homopurine‐homopyrimidine 15‐mer duplex DNA, and examined their thermal stabilities (T m values). The single strands used for triplex formation were a DNA 15‐mer having a defined C‐T mixed sequence, and its sugar‐modified analogs, namely 2′‐fluoro DNA, RNA, and 2′‐O‐methyl RNA. The 2′‐O‐methyl RNA and the RNA‐containing triplexes were similar in their enhanced stabilities at pH 6.1 and, amongst the four triplexes, the 2′‐O‐methyl was the most stable at pH 5.0. Furthermore, an experiment using a 34‐mer duplex DNA suggested that the 2′‐O‐methyl RNA‐triplex was destabilized, mostly as a result of the incorporation of a mismatched triplet, as compared to the DNA triplex counterpart. Thus, 2′‐O‐methyl RNA can serve as an effective probe for duplex DNA.

No abstract

The nerve growth factor (NGF) is widely distributed in the target tissues of sympathetic neurons. Hemopoietic organs such as the bone marrow (BM) and spleens are known to be innervated by noradrenergic sympathetic neurons. Some of their constitutive cells express NGF receptors (lymphocytes and stroma cells) and its biologic effects have been extensively studied in the immune system and inflammatory responses. However, the effects of NGF on hemopoiesis have been little examined. Recently, we demonstrated that NGF promoted mast cell colony formation from murine BM cells (BMC) or BMC-derived cultured mast cells and induced the phenotypic changes in standard hemopoietic assays. Besides, we demonstrated NGF-enhanced murine neutrophil survival and functional properties. In this study, in order to investigate NGF activities on neutrophil differentiation, we examined granulocyte-macrophage (GM) colony formation from murine BMC or spleen cells (SC) in the methylcellulose culture. We also assessed mast cell colony formation. GM colonies were counted on day 5 and mast cell colonies were counted on day 20 in culture. Although NGF alone (50 ng/ml) neither supported GM nor mast cell colony formation, addition of various doses of NGF to the suboptimal dose of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated SC-conditioned medium (2.5%) or interleukin 3 (50 U/ml), well-known colony-stimulating factors, increased the number of GM and mast cell colonies from both BMC and SC in a dose-dependent manner. These colony formation-enhancing effects of NGF were inhibited by the addition of neutralizing sheep anti-NGF antibodies. The results suggest that NGF may act to develop granulopoiesis including neutrophil and mast cell differentiation in cooperation with hemopoietic factor(s) during inflammatory processes.

A shaking table test on a full-scale steel building was conducted at the E-Defense to evaluate structural and functional performance of the building under design-level ground motions and the safety margin against collapse under exceedingly large ground motions. The specimen is a 4-story moment resisting frame designed and constructed according to the current Japanese code. This paper presents the outline of the experimental plan including the design of a specimen and shaking table test results under elastic range. The elastic response characteristics regarding stiffness, restoring force and damping of the specimen are examined comparing with structural design properties.