The effect of scale on the breakup process in liquid-liquid agitated tanks was investigated. Transient drop size distributions in the breakup process were measured in geometrically similar mixing vessels at equal power input per unit mass, whichwastaken as a scale-up criterion under the assumption of isotropic turbulence for the flow around drops. The distributions in each vessel, however, did not undergo the same variation with time and the condition of equal power input per unit mass was found to be inappropriate as a scale-up criterion for the breakup process. The experimental result was explained from direct observation of breakups in the mixing vessels by high-speed cine-photography. The observations made it clear that breakups occurred not only in the isotropic turbulent region but also in the nonisotropic turbulent region. A new model for the breakup process was proposed which considers breakups in both regions. This model successfully predicted the transient drop size distributions.

In chronic progressive ATS nephritis, the TGF-beta/Smad signaling was up-regulated. TGF-beta blockade by alphaT suppressed the progression of renal scarring, at least in part, via inhibition of activated TGF-beta/Smad signaling.

No abstract

Oestrogen receptor-binding fragment associated gene 9, EBAG9, is an oestrogen-responsive gene that was identified in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line. It is identical to RCAS 1, a cancer cell surface antigen possibly involved in immune escape. In the present study, we examined the expression of EBAG9/RCAS1 in human epithelial ovarian cancer using immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and reverse transcription -polymerase chain reaction (RT -PCR). A total of 90 epithelial ovarian cancer cases were examined immunohistochemically by means of the antibodies for EBAG9 and ERa. The correlation between EBAG9 immunoreactivity and clinicopathological parameters was examined. mRNA expression of EBAG9 and ERa were evaluated by RT -PCR in 22 cases. The expression for EBAG9 and ERa was examined by immunoblotting in 12 ovarian cancer cell lines. EBAG9 immunoreactivity was detected in the surface and cytoplasm of carcinoma cells in 46 out of 90 cases (51.1%). EBAG9 expression was significantly higher in serous histology (P ¼ 0.0402) and advanced disease (P ¼ 0.0206). No significant relationship was detected between EBAG9 immunoreactivity and overall survival (P ¼ 0.689). There was a highly significant correlation between EBAG9 and ER immunoreactivity (Po0.0001). The EBAG9 mRNA was detected in 20 out of 22 cases. In all of the cases that were positive for ERa mRNA, they were also positive for EBAG9 mRNA. Immunoreactive band corresponding to EBAG9 was detected in 11 out of 12 of ovarian cancer cell lines, and was consistent with ERa expression. In conclusion, the wide distribution of EBAG9 and its relation to advanced disease suggest that this protein may play important roles in epithelial ovarian cancer.

A 20-year-old female student underwent renal biopsy because of chance proteinuria and hematuria. Histological study revealed a membranous nephropathy-like appearance by light microscopy. But immunoglobulins and complements were negative in the glomerulus by immunofluorescence study. On the other hand, plasma apolipoprotein E (ApoE) concentration was elevated to more than 2 times the normal range, and the phenotype, genotype, and DNA sequence studies of her ApoE showed homozygous ApoE2/2 and a heterozygous novel missense mutation called ApoE Toyonaka (Ser197Cys). Detailed immunohistochemical studies found that the dense deposits in subepithelial, subendothelial, and mesangial areas contained ApoE. Tandem mass spectrometry also proved a large amount of ApoE in the glomerulus. These findings suggest that ApoE Toyonaka with a homozygous ApoE2/2 may cause a new form of ApoE-related glomerular disease resembling membranous nephropathy.