Lichens, a symbiotic organism of fungi and algae, cause serious damage to national heritages of stone master piece and costly trees for gardening. The present study was conducted to screen effective fungicides against lichen-forming fungi to control the biological agents deteriorating stone heritages and trees. Five commercial fungicides (Fenarimol EC, Etridiazole EC, Iminoctadinetriacetate SL, Difenoconazole+lminocatadinetriacetate ME and Difenoconazole+Azoxystrobin SC) were tested against the lichen-forming fungi (LFF) isolated from seven saxicolous (Caloplaca sp., Ramalina sp., Xanthoparmelia sp., and Xanthoria sp.,) or corticolous (Parmelia sp.,) lichen species. Preliminary screening test showed that no LFF could grow on the MY (malt-yeast extract) agar medium amended with the recommended concentrations of each fungicide. Further screening was conducted at 1%, 10% and 20% of the recommended concentrations of the fungicides. After 7 week incubation at in the dark, Difenoconazole+Iminocatadinetriacetate ME and Difenoconazole+Azoxystrobin SC completely inhibited the fungal growth of all the tested LFF, even at 1% of the concentration. Two fungicides of Fenarimol EC and Iminoctadinetriacetate SL exhibited a moderate inhibition activity at the lower concentrations. Etridiazole EC was less effective in the fungal growth inhibition than the other four fungicides. The results suggested that lichens colonizing on precious stone heritages and trees can be eradicated by applying Difenoconazole+Iminocatadinetriacetate ME and Difenoconazole+Azoxystrobin SC even 1% of the recommended concentrations. Selected fungicide application at such a low concentration will facilitate the chemical use to prevent and preserve stone heritages from biological deterioration induced by lichens and the allied microbes.

The effects of chronic neuromuscular inactivity on the phenotype and size of muscle fibres in a fast ankle extensor (medial gastrocnemius, MG) and a fast ankle flexor (tibialis anterior, TA) muscle of the rat hindlimb were determined. Inactivity was produced by spinal cord isolation (SI), i.e. complete spinal cord transections at a mid‐thoracic and high sacral level and bilateral deafferentation between the transection sites. After 90 days of SI, the MG and TA muscle weights were 53 and 45% lower than in age‐matched controls. Overall mean fibre sizes in the deep (close to the bone) and superficial (away from the bone) regions were ∼60 and 65% smaller in the MG and ∼40 and 50% smaller in the TA of SI than control rats, respectively. The myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition shifted towards the faster isoforms after SI: the MG showed an increase in both types IIx (20%) and IIb (23%), whereas the TA showed a marked increase in type IIx (94%) and a decrease in type IIb (18%) MHC. Both muscles in SI rats showed no type IIa and only one MG muscle had ∼5% type I MHC. These results show that prolonged inactivity has a stronger effect on a fast extensor compared with a fast flexor in the rat hindlimb. The larger decrease in mass and fibre size in the MG than the TA most probably reflects the larger impact of chronic inactivity on the normally more highly recruited extensor than flexor muscle. The primary shift to type IIb MHC in the MG and type IIx MHC in the TA indicate a different default mode for an inactive extensor vs. flexor muscle, and may reflect differing activity‐independent neural influences, i.e. neurotrophic factors, on muscle fibre phenotype in extensors vs. flexors.

Purpose : The renal manifestations of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are remarkably diverse, including polycystic kidney disease, simple renal cysts, renal cell carcinomas, and angiomyolipomas. All of these occur in children as well as adults in TSC. Angiomyolipomas, which can cause spontaneous life-threatening hemorrhages, are by far the most prevalent and the greatest source of morbidity. Here, we will address our experience, adding to the literature on pediatric patients with TSC requiring evaluation and treatment for renal manifestations. Methods : A retrospective analysis was made on 19 patients in whom TSC was diagnosed between May 2001 and Oct. 2005 at Severance Hospital. All patients had clinical diagnoses of TSC as defined by the 1998 tuberous sclerosis complex consensus conference. Results : The patients consisted of 13 boys and 6 girls with a mean age of 7.3 years (range 1 to 22). The renal disease associated with TSC included angiomyolipoma in nine patients (47.4 percent), renal simple cyst in one (5.3 percent), hydronephrosis in one (5.3 percent) patient. Eight patients (42.1 percent) presented with normal kidney contours at abdominal ultrasonography. One patient underwent renal replacement therapy due to chronic renal insufficiency after nephrectomy. Hemorrhage from angiomyolipoma was not detected. Conclusion : In our review of 19 cases of TSC, renal manifestations are reported in 57.9 percent of patients. Asymptomatic angiomyolipoma associated with TSC grow gradually, although severe hemorrhages are rare. So patients with TSC should be followed up with serial computerized tomography or abdominal ultrasonography. And also, renal function should be monitored conservatively.

Background: Melphalan is frequently used in conditioning regimens prior to autologous stem cell transplantation. The pharmacokinetics of melphalan have shown great interindividual variations. This study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetics of melphalan and to study those influences on renal function and the clinical outcomes. Methods: The pharmacokinetics of melphalan following high dose (100∼140mg/m2) i.v. administration was determined in 11 patients suffering with advanced malignancies and who were undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation. The plasma level of melphalan was assayed by a specific HPLC method. Results: The pharmacokinetics parameters (median AUC: 625.2mg/L/min, steady-state volume of distribution (Vdss): 14.87L/m2, total body clearance: 0.2L/min/m2, half life: 55.9 min, and maximal plasma concentration: 7.61mg/L) were similar to those reported in the literature. No relationship between the pharmacokinetics of melphalan and creatinine clearance, the non-hematologic toxicities and relapse was observed. Only Vdss was correlated with myelosuppression (P＜0.05). Conclusion: The pharmacokinetics of melphalan were similar to those reported in Caucasians. The PK parameters did not correlate with the clinical outcomes in patients with normal renal function. Further studies on patients with renal failure are needed.

Smoking among college students is on the rise, particularly among women and minorities. This paper explores smoking among college women, reviews different types of smoking cessation interventions, and describes a newly developed interactive Web site that combines tailored smoking cessation information with other health information in an attempt to reduce smoking among college-age women. A recent survey of about 14,000 college students found that almost half of them used tobacco products in the last year, and one third currently use tobacco products. Twenty-eight percent of college smokers started smoking regularly in college. College women are more likely to smoke regularly and have difficulty quitting than are college men. Young women who smoke face more health risks than do men. In addition to the risks of heart, lung, and kidney disease, women face smoking-related pregnancy risks, an increased risk of blood clots associated with birth control pills, increased risk for cervical cancer, and an increased risk of breast cancer, among other risks. This paper suggests that the media may play some role in helping tobacco companies to target women and ethnic minorities. Students have demonstrated a lack of interest in campus cessation programs. Threefourths of young Internet users (15-24 years) have used the Internet to search for health information. (Contains 50 references.) (Author/NB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. USING THE WEB TO PROMOTE SMOKING CESSATION AND HEALTH FOR COLLEGE-AGED WOMEN A paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the League for Innovation in the Community College, Boston, MA, March 16-20, 2002. Nananda F. Col, MD, MPP, MPH, FACP' Jennifer M. Fortin, MPH3 Griffin Weber3 R. Scott Braithwaite, MD4 Stacie A. Bowman5 Jung A. Kim, PhD3 Jennifer L. Lyons, MFA3 Emily Dibble, PhD2 November 21, 2002 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

BACKGROUND Fiber atrophy and an increase in the percentage of fast fibers have been observed in Rhesus leg muscles after spaceflight. HYPOTHESIS Hypergravity will result in muscle fiber hypertrophy and an increase in the percentage of slow fibers. METHODS Open muscle biopsies were obtained from Rhesus soleus, medial gastrocnemius (MG), and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles before and after 14 d of centrifugation (2 G) and in time-matched controls. Cage activity levels were measured by telemetry. RESULTS Based on monoclonal antibody binding for myosin heavy chains (MHC), the fastest region of soleus contained a higher proportion of type I+II (27 vs. 13%) and had a tendency for a lower proportion of type I (38 vs. 61%, p = 0.10) fibers after than before centrifugation. There was a higher proportion of type I+II fibers in post- vs. pre-2 G (10 vs. 0.6%) MG biopsies. Fiber type distribution and MHC composition were unaffected in the TA. Overall, mean fiber sizes were unaffected by centrifugation. Average cage activity levels were 36% lower during than before 2 G. CONCLUSIONS Our hypothesis was rejected. The changes in the proportion of fibers expressing type I MHC are the reverse of that expected with chronic loading of extensors and, paradoxically, are similar to changes observed with chronic unloading, such as occurs during spaceflight, in this primate model. The data are consistent with the observed decrease in total daily activity levels.

Myosin heavy chain (MHC) profile and size of fiber in deep and superficial regions of the adult rat medial gastrocnemius (MG) were determined after 4, 15, 30, and 60 days of inactivity induced by spinal cord isolation (SI). After 4 days, fiber size decreased by 33 to 50% and 36 to 46% in deep and superficial regions, whereas MHC composition was unaffected. By 15 days, these values were 45 to 78% and 51 to 69%, and MHC composition was shifting toward faster isoforms. By 60 days, there wee no pure type I MHC fibers and increases from 1 to 18% and 78 to 93%. In pure type IIb fibers in deep and superficial regions. The percentage of type I MHC (gel electrophoresis) was similar to 10 and similar to 3%, and of type IIb similar to 40 and similar to 60% in control and 60-day SI rats. Thus, adaptations in the MHC molecule occurred at a slower rate and for a longer duration than the atrophic response.

Muscle biopsies were taken from the rhesus (Macaca mulatta) soleus (Sol, a slow ankle extensor), medial gastrocnemius (MG, a fast ankle extensor), tibialis anterior (TA, a fast ankle flexor), and vastus lateralis (VL, a fast knee extensor) muscles in vivarium controls (n=5) before and after either a 14-day spaceflight (Bion 11, n=2) or a 14-day ground-based flight simulation (n=3). Myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition (gel electrophoresis), fiber type distribution (immunohistochemistry), and fiber size were determined. Although there were no significant changes, each muscle showed trends towards adaptation.

A role for neuromuscular activity in the maintenance of skeletal muscle properties has been well established. However, the role of activity-independent factors is more difficult to evaluate. We have used the spinal cord isolation model to study the effects of chronic inactivity on the mechanical properties of the hindlimb musculature in cats and rats. This model maintains the connectivity between the motoneurons and the muscle fibers they innervate, but the muscle unit is electrically "silent". Consequently, the measured muscle properties are activity-independent and thus the advantage of using this model is that it provides a baseline level (zero activity) from which regulatory factors that affect muscle cell homeostasis can be defined. In the present paper, we will present a brief review of our findings using the spinal cord isolation model related to muscle mechanical and fiber type properties.

Open muscle biopsies were obtained from Rhesus soleus (slow ankle extensor), medial gastrocnemius (fast ankle extensor) and tibialis anterior (fast ankle flexor) muscles before and after either a 14-day spaceflight (BION 11, n=2) or ground-based flight simulation (n=3) and in time-matched controls (n=5). Fiber type distribution (immunohistochemistry), myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition (gel electrophoresis) and fiber size were determined. There was a large amount of inter-animal variability and there were no significant pre-post differences for any variable under any condition for any muscle studied. However, each muscle showed trends towards adaptation. Based on the immunohistochemical analyses, the percentage of type I fibers in the soleus was 68 and 86% in pre and 43 and 70% in post biopsies of the simulation and flight groups. The number of hybrid (containing both fast and slow MHC) fibers increased in both groups. MHC composition changed in a similar direction. Type I and hybrid fibers were 23 and 31% smaller after than before flight. In the medial gastrocnemius, type I fibers were 16, 14 and 32% smaller in post compared to pre biopsies in control, simulation and flight Rhesus. In the tibialis anterior, type I fibers were approximately 14% smaller in post- than pre-flight biopsies. As expected the soleus, a slow anti-gravity muscle, was most affected after 14 days of weightlessness. Further, slow fibers in each muscle were more responsive to microgravity than fast fibers. All changes, however, were smaller than those observed in rats after the same duration of flight. This differential effect may be related to the partial restraint of Rhesus in the chaired position compared to the free-floating position of rats in the cage and/or to differences in the contractile protein turnover rates between species.

The purpose of this study was to determine the plasticity of spinal motoneuron size and succinate dehydrogenase activity in response to increased levels of neuromuscular activation and/or increased target size. The plantaris muscles of adult rats were functionally overloaded for one or 10 weeks via the removal of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles bilaterally. In addition, one group of functionally overloaded rats at each time period was trained daily (1 h/day) on a treadmill. The plantaris muscle on one side in each rat was injected with the fluorescent tracer Nuclear Yellow two days prior to the end of the study to retrogradely label the associated motor pool. At one week, the plantaris weight was increased compared to control, whereas there was no change in motoneuron size. Succinate dehydrogenase activity was unaffected in either the muscle or motoneurons. At 10 weeks, the plantaris muscle weight was larger and the succinate dehydrogenase activity lower in the functionally overloaded rats compared to age-matched controls. Training further increased the hypertrophic response, whereas the succinate dehydrogenase activity returned to control levels. In contrast, mean motoneuron size and succinate dehydrogenase activity were similar among the three groups. These data indicate that overload of a specific motor pool, involving both an increase in activation and an increase in target size, had a minimal effect on the size or the oxidative potential of the associated motoneurons. Thus, it appears that the spinal motoneurons, unlike the muscle fibers, are highly stable over a wide range of levels of chronic neuromuscular activity.

The architectural properties and fiber-type composition of the cat hip 'cuff' muscles, i.e. the deep layer of muscles encircling the hip joint, were determined. The muscles studied included the gluteus minimus, obturator internus and externus, gemellus superior and inferior, pyriformis, quadratus femoris and capsularis. In addition, the fiber-type composition was determined for the iliacus muscle. Compared to other lower limb muscles, the cuff muscles were small (approximately 0.2 to 2.7 g) and short (approximately 15 to 40 mm long) and had short mean fiber lengths (approximately 7 to 12 mm long), small angles of fiber pinnation (< or = 12 degrees), and small physiological cross-sectional areas (approximately 0.2 to 2.8 cm2). The percentage of the cross-sectional area comprised of slow fibers ranged from 24 to 95% with this value being over 50% in 5/9 muscles studied. The small angle of pinnation and short fiber lengths optimize force production and the relatively high percentage of slow fibers suggest a high level of activation. Both of these properties are consistent with a hip stabilization role for these muscles. In addition, the high percentage of slow fibers suggests a high spindle density and a possible role of these muscles in providing proprioceptive feedback to the central nervous system for the control of posture and locomotion.

In experiments involving primates, e.g. before and after spaceflight, needle biopsies were thought to be a logical and feasible means of obtaining metabolic and morphological information from skeletal muscles. However, the feasibility of obtaining consistent, repeatable biopsies from individual muscles had to be demonstrated prior to the acceptance of this procedure. To study this approach, the architectural properties and the fiber type distributions at three levels and two regions along the proximo-distal axis of the soleus, medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior of adult rhesus monkeys were determined. In each muscle, biopsies were taken from specific regions where the fiber type distribution was determined. Within each region of each muscle, the fiber type populations were similar at the three levels studied. The percentage of fast or oxidative fibers in the biopsies and in the regions of the same muscle were highly correlated, i.e. r = 0.98 for both comparisons. In addition, based on normalized values (z scores), 25/26 and 22/26 biopsies were within the 95% confidence interval, i.e. the biopsies were a representative sample of the mean fiber type population of that region of the muscle. In all muscles, the mean fiber lengths were no more than one third the length of the muscle. Together, these data indicate the feasibility of obtaining independent, repeated biopsies having similar fiber types from each of the muscles studied.