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Calditocaldarchaeol (neutral tetraether lipid) from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (acidothermophilic archaea) and intact total lipid from the thermoacidophilic archaea Sulfolobus sp. was examined by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in the negative-ion mode using high resolution. When the sample was injected as a solution in a 3:1 mixture of methanol (MeOH) and chloroform (CHCl(3)) using an infusion system, the total ether lipid afforded molecular-related ions as [M - H](-) for acidic polar lipids containing a phosphoric or sulfuric group, and as [M + Cl](-) ion for neutral glycolipids. The attachment of chloride was confirmed by the observation of [M + Br](-) ion, instead of [M + Cl](-) ion, when a 3:1 mixture of MeOH and CHBr(3) was used in place of MeOH-CHCl(3) as the solvent. The composition of tetraether neutral glycolipids that are different from each other only in the number of five-membered rings in the isoprenoid chain was determined on the basis of the isotope-resolved mass spectrum of [M + Cl](-) ions. As for acidic tetraether lipids, molecular-related ions [M - H](-)) were not observed when the 3:1 MeOH-CHBr(3) mixture was used as the solvent. These results together afforded a facile method of distinguishing neutral from acidic tetraether lipids in intact total lipids of acidothermophilic archaea. This method was applied to determine the difference of the number of five-membered rings in isoprenyl chains of neutral tetraether glycolipids yielded by the Sulfolobus sp. grown at different temperatures. Discrimination of neutral tetraether glycolipids from acidic tetraether lipids in the total lipids obtained from Thermoplasma sp. was also achieved by this method., (Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

We report a case of spontaneous intracranial hypotension due to a cerebrospinal fluid leak at the C2 level, which was successfully treated by epidural fibrin glue patching. Epidural blood patching was performed twice, first with 6 mL of autologous blood and then with 10 mL, but the intracranial hypotension was unresponsive. Although successful treatment of postdural puncture headache and persistent leak after intrathecal catheterization by epidural patching with fibrin glue has been reported, fibrin glue has not been previously applied in spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Our observation suggests that epidural patching with fibrin glue should be considered in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension, if epidural blood patching fails to resolve the symptoms.

This report is based on 1,139 patients with gastric cancer (GC) detected by mass screening conducted by the Center for Adult Diseases, Osaka during 1961-1985. Early GC totalled 527 patients and advanced GC totalled 612 patients. In 859 patients curative resection was performed. Their vital status was traced yearly and six patients were lost to follow-up. Relative survival rates of screening-detected GC patients were 69-70% and almost constant after 5 years from operation/diagnosis. The survival curve in which only death from GC was counted as a death was almost equal to the relative survival curve in its shape and value. The hazard rates of screening detected GC patients decreased rapidly within 7 years and remained low after 7 years. It was confirmed by this long-term follow-up study that about two thirds of GC patients detected by screening were successfully cured of their disease.