Search for Gamma-Ray Spectral Lines from Dark Matter Annihilation up to 100 TeV toward the Galactic Center with MAGIC

Linelike features in TeV γ rays constitute a "smoking gun" for TeV-scale particle dark matter and new physics. Probing the Galactic Center region with ground-based Cherenkov telescopes enables the search for TeV spectral features in immediate association with a dense dark matter reservoir at a sensitivity out of reach for satellite γ-ray detectors, and direct detection and collider experiments. We report on 223 hours of observations of the Galactic Center region with the MAGIC stereoscopic telescope system reaching γ-ray energies up to 100 TeV. We improved the sensitivity to spectral lines at high energies using large-zenith-angle observations and a novel background modeling method within a maximum-likelihood analysis in the energy domain. No linelike spectral feature is found in our analysis. Therefore, we constrain the cross section for dark matter annihilation into two photons to ⟨σv⟩≲5×10^{-28}  cm^{3} s^{-1} at 1 TeV and ⟨σv⟩≲1×10^{-25}  cm^{3} s^{-1} at 100 TeV, achieving the best limits to date for a dark matter mass above 20 TeV and a cuspy dark matter profile at the Galactic Center. Finally, we use the derived limits for both cuspy and cored dark matter profiles to constrain supersymmetric wino models.

[Cardiac angiosarcoma with diagnostic difficulty]

We report a case of cardiac angiosarcoma of the right atrium. A 20-year-old woman was admitted to the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine with severe chest pain and dyspnea. A cardiac tumor was diagnosed by computed tomography (CT), echocardiography, and cinecardiography. The tumor marker CA125 was 293 U/ml (normal : <35 U/ml). Therefore a CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy under CT fluoroscopic guidance for definitive diagnosis was performed after obtaining the patient's informed consent. Pathohistologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a cardiac angiosarcoma. The use of an intravenous infusion of contrast material contributed greatly to clear visualization of the tumor margin and cardiac lumen and assisted in easily and correctly advancing the needle toward the tumor. Moreover, tumor marker CA125 was a good indicator of therapeutic efficacy.

[Treatment for pinch-off syndrome using a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery; report of a case]

Use of a central venous catheter (CVC) may be complicated by a catheter fracture, causing an embolism. Pinch-off syndrome is a recognized complication that develops from the use of implantable subclavian venous access devices. Although rare, as it occurs in only 0.8% of the reported cases, the condition can appear as a complication secondary to the insertion of a CVC. We experienced a case of CVC division in a 26-year-old male who had a CVC implanted through the subclavian vein. We failed in our attempt to remove the catheter fragment using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). If no complication occur over a long-term, it is highly possible that the catheter fragment will become adhered to the vessel wall. Therefore, it may not be necessary to remove the fragment in those cases.

An adenylate cyclase, Cya1, regulates cell motility in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contained two genes, cya1 and cya2, encoding putative adenylate cyclases. The wild type cells are motile, whereas the disruption mutants of cya1, but not cya2, were immotile. Disruption of the cya1 gene also caused reduction of cellular cAMP level. The cya1 mutant cells regained motility when cAMP was added exogenously.

Increased expression of human thioredoxin/adult T cell leukemia-derived factor in Sjögren's syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To determine the involvement of human thioredoxin/adult T cell leukemia-derived factor TRX/ADF) in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and the correlation with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

METHODS

Indirect immunohistochemical techniques and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were utilized to analyze TRX/ADF expression and the presence of EBV, using 6 normal tissues and 23 surgical specimens. The kinetics of expression of TRX/ADF induced by EBV was examined in vitro with peripheral blood B cells from EBV-seronegative donors.

RESULTS

Marked expression of TRX/ADF was found in the infiltrating B cells and the epithelial cells of salivary gland tissues from patients with SS (11 of 12 cases), but not in those from patients with other salivary gland inflammatory conditions (0 of 11 cases) or those of normal individuals (0 of 6 cases). In immunohistologic analyses, a striking topographic correlation between TRX/ADF and EBV was found. The coexistence of TRX/ADF messenger RNA and EBV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (r = 0.75, P < 0.01). Peripheral blood B cells from EBV-seronegative donors showed de novo synthesis of TRX/ADF following in vitro infection with EBV. EBV-infected B cell lines all expressed TRX/ADF. TRX/ADF was not detected in non-EBV-infected cells. Tumors in SCID mice reconstituted with mononuclear cells of salivary glands from SS patients, which were composed of human B cells carrying EBV DNA, were positive for TRX/ADF.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that TRX/ADF expression closely reflects the intracellular event of EBV reactivation in SS. This is also the first report to show the ectopic in vivo expression of TRX/ADF in human autoimmune disease.

Synthesis and application of boronic acid-immobilized porous polymer particles: a novel packing for high-performance liquid affinity chromatography

A preparation method of a novel type of packing materials for high-performance liquid affinity chromatography to determine glycated proteins was studied, and a fundamental study on its application to diabetic serum was conducted. To quantify glycated proteins such as glycated serum albumin, a new hydrophilic and durable porous polymer particle recently developed in our laboratory was used as the basic matrix. The matrix was activated with 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), and optimization of the coupling reaction between these CDI-activated matrix and m-aminophenylboronic acid hemisulfate (APBA) as affinity ligand was investigated. The optimum value for the APBA coupling yield was found to be obtained under acidic conditions very different from the data reported by previous workers. Using this APBA-immobilized matrix an affinity column was prepared, and its usefulness in HPLC separation of glycated serum proteins was investigated. Also, the fundamental and preliminary results for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus are discussed in this paper.

Expression of cell adhesion molecules in the salivary and lacrimal glands of Sjogren's syndrome

We attempted to determine whether cell adhesion molecules, including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and E-selectin (endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule-1; ELAM-1), are involved in the lymphoid cell infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands in Sjogren's syndrome (SS) patients. Both immunohistochemical analysis and the reverse-transcripts polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to analyze the expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, ELAM-1, very late antigen 4 (VLA-4 [alpha 4,beta 1]), lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Immunohistochemical analysis of salivary gland biopsies from SS patients showed a marked expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in the venules surrounded by infiltrated CD4+ CD45RO+ T cells. E-selectin was expressed on vascular endothelium with weak intensity. Increased levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, IFN-gamma, and IL-1 beta mRNA were demonstrated by RT-PCR, whereas E-selectin mRNA were weakly expressed in SS lacrimal and salivary gland tissues. This is in contrast with strong expression of ELAM-1 in IL-1 beta-stimulated human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. Cytokine-mediated up-regulation of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 that facilitates the recruitment of VLA-4 and LFA-1 expressing T cells might contribute to lymphoid cell infiltration in the salivary and lacrimal glands in SS.

Abundance of Viruses in Marine Waters: Assessment by Epifluorescence and Transmission Electron Microscopy

Abundance of bacteria and tiny DNA-associated particles in the upper layer of Japanese coastal and offshore waters was evaluated by epifluorescence microscopy with 0.015-μm-pore-size Nuclepore filters. The number of tiny DNA-associated particles was compared with the abundance of virus particles estimated by transmission electron microscopy. Although a large variation in virus abundance (1.2 � 10 6 to 35 � 10 6 ml −1 ) was obtained with the transmission electron microscopy method, the ratio of 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-reactive tiny particles to viruses was in a rather narrow range (1.0 to 1.6), indicating that the majority of the tiny DNA-associated particles identified by epifluorescence microscopy were actually virus particles. This result implies the possibility of using epifluorescence microscopy for the evaluation of virus abundance in marine environments.

Iron- and manganese-containing superoxide dismutases from Methylomonas J: identity of the protein moiety and amino acid sequence

Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Fe-SOD were isolated from Methylomonas J, an aerobic methylotrophic bacterium, grown in methylamine media containing either manganese (Mn-rich medium) or iron (Fe-rich medium), respectively. The specific activity of the Mn-SOD was 2250 units mg-1 (mol of Mn)-1 (mol of dimer)-1, and the metal content of the enzyme was 0.98 mol of Mn and 0.12 mol of Fe per mole of dimer, while those of Fe-SOD were 88.5 units mg-1 (mol of Fe)-1 (mol of dimer)-1 and 1.04 mol of Fe and 0.02 mol of Mn. The electrophoretic mobilities in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, with or without urea, and the chromatographic behavior on an HPLC column using an octadodecyl silicated column and a gel permeation column were identical. Amino acid compositions were practically indistinguishable in both SODs. The enzyme activity was restored by dialysis of an apoprotein obtained from the Mn-enzyme with either manganese sulfate or ferrous ammonium sulfate up to an activity level similar to that for the native Mn-SOD and the native Fe-SOD, respectively. The same result has been reported with the reconstitution using an apoprotein obtained from the Fe-enzyme [Yamakura, F., Matsumoto, T., & Terauchi, K. (1990) Free Radical Res. Commun. (in press)]. These results suggest the possibility that both types of SODs are composed of a single apoprotein synthesized in cells grown in either the Fe-rich medium or the Mn-rich medium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Isolation of Mn-SOD and low active Fe-SOD from Methylomonas J; consisting of identical proteins

Cultures of Methylomonas J, an aerobic methylotrophic bacterium, were grown both in Mn-rich and Fe-rich media. Crude extracts of the cultures from the Mn-rich and Fe-rich medium showed a specific activity of 12.2 and 0.6 units/mg by a cytochrome c-xanthine oxidase method and 19.4 and 1.3 units/mg by an ESR method, respectively. We isolated Mn-SOD and Fe-SOD from the bacteria grown in the Mn-rich and Fe-rich mediums, respectively. Specific activity and metal contents of the Mn-enzyme were 2,250 units/mg/g-atom Mn and Mn = 0.98 and Fe = 0.12 (g-atoms/mol dimer), while those of the Fe-enzyme were 61 units/mg/g-atom Fe and Mn = 0.02 and Fe = 1.08. No difference of physicochemical properties of the Fe- and Mn-enzymes were detected. Furthermore, enzyme activity was restored by dialysis of an apoprotein obtained from the Fe-enzyme with either manganese sulfate or ferrous ammonium sulfate.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) study of cigarette smoke by use of spin trapping techniques

The technique of spin trapping has been applied to the gas phase of cigarette smoke to identify and quantify the radicals present. It was found that radicals could be trapped only if the smoke was filtered. Three spin traps were used: N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenyl nitrone (PBN). 5,5-dimethyl-delta1-pyrroline-1-oxide (DMPO) and alpha-[3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-N-tert-butyl nitrone (OHPBN). From the electron spin resonance (ESR) splitting constants of the radicals produced by the reaction of smoke radicals with the spin traps and also from the effec of varying the path length between the cigarette and the spin trap solution, it is concluded that three types of signals are observed. Type I signals indicate the presence of oxygenated radicals which appear to be a mixture of alkoxy radicals (RO) and aroyloxy (ArCO2-) radicals. Our data do not allow conclusions about the nature of the R or Ar groups in these two oxy radicals; however, considerations based on lifetimes suggest that the R group probably is tertiary. Type II and III signals are not typical spectra of spin adducts. Instead, we believe they result from reaction of smoke (and probably radicals in smoke) with the PBN spin trap and indicate that smoke has the ability to effect one-electron oxidations. Only type I signals are observed with DMPO and OHPBN. A quantitative study shows that 4 x 10(14) spins/puff are present in the smoke, in contrast with the result of a recent study which used a very different method for determining the radical content of smoke. A discussion of the nature of the radicals in smoke and some tentative conclusions are presented.