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Rationale and objectives: To evaluate the physical and pharmacological profiles of SH U555A, a suspension of magnetic iron oxide particles that is designed to enhance the visualization of liver tumors and metastases. Material and Methods: Chemical and physical methods were used to characterize the size and structure of these magnetic iron oxide particles in aqueous solution. The biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the particles were studied in mice, rats and dogs. The imaging efficacy of the particles was demonstrated by MR imaging in rat liver tumors Results: The SH U555A particles consist of low-molecular-weight carboxydextran-coated iron oxides predominantly of the γ-Fe2O3 form with a hydrodynamic diameter ranging from 57-59 nm and strong T2 relaxivity of 164 liters * mmol−1 * S−1 (water, 0.47 T). In rats the particles exhibited a dose-dependent half-life of between 2 and 3 days in the liver at a dose of 20 μmol Fe/kg and a shorter half-life at lower doses. No major side effects were found. In a rat tumor model the tumor-to-liver contrast was markedly improved after i.v. administration of SH U555A. At a dose of 14 μmol Fe/kg the half-maximal contrast-effect was obtained even in nonoptimized T1-weighted spin-echo images. Conclusion: SH U555A is a superparamagnetic MR contrast agent for i.v. administration and has substantial potential for the demarcation of liver tumors.

We have developed an adhoc wireless positioning network (AWPN) scheme for information-oriented construction that can temporarily and easily provide a positioning area in both indoor and outdoor environments. The particular requirements of AWPNs are easy deployment and easy configuration because the network should be removed on completion of construction and must frequently accompany the active construction section as it shifts from area to area. In this paper, we propose a localization scheme based on the multilateration method to fulfill the requirements of such AWPNs. The proposed scheme locally and dynamically calibrates the attenuation coefficient defined in the path loss model for radio wave propagation in order to reflect local, fresh propagation characteristics. The results of evaluations conducted on the efficacy of our proposed scheme indicate that it reduces the average error by 30% relative to the conventional approach.

This paper provides general design schemes for the dependable system especially long-term projects using commercial off the shelf (COTS) computers based on the concept we established for dependability. As computer technology has shown significantly rapid pace of evolution, it is necessary to take the evolution into consideration when we develop computer systems. Especially in a large-scale project, the evolutions in computer technology during its term are often seen; thus, it is necessary to establish simply applicable schemes as basic concepts to develop dependable system. Basic considerations are presented here by extruding its requirements for dependable systems from wide area railway systems requiring on-time traffic operation and safety under high-density traffic. Many dependable control systems have already been delivered based on autonomous decentralized concept using COTS systems and been showing their sufficient dependability.

This paper deals with the control algorithm for a reconfigurable robot system. Firstly, the concept of reconfigurable robot is described. Secondly, the distributed control in the system consisting of local-and central intelligence is explained. Then, the authors propose virtual velocity transmission algorithm (VVTA) as the best-suited non Jacobian-based inverse kinematics for this new system, and refer to the possible redundant control with VVTA. Lastly, effectiveness of thus proposed algorithm is confirmed by several simulation results.

We discussed how to select a better from of knowledge representation which establishes the optimum expert system for insulation diagnosis. For the insulation diagnosis of electrical equipment, we couldproduce an better expert system in which diagnostic methods were systematically classified in the form of a table and heuristic knowledge is designated by rules.

Of 750 patient with congenital heart defects who were operated on at the Kyushu Welfare Pension Hospital, forty-one visited orthopedic clinic.Their complaint was pectus carinatum like deformity after the surgery. The ages of the patients at visit ranged from two years and five months.Specially designed short celloid jackets were made to correct their deformities.The average length of follow-up was three years and four months. The effect of these brace was satisfactory.In many of them, slight but significant thoracic scoliosis was detected.

Two cases of chronic atlanto-axial dislocations due to trauma have been presented. One of them, sixty-four-year-old man, had late neulorogic manifestations, the other, fouty-four-year-old man, compaline of a tumor in the nuchal region when he flexed his neck.Rentogenograms showed a anterior dislocation of the atlas on the axis with old fracture of the odontoid process, especially when the cervical spine was flexed.Reduction of the dislocation by skeletal traction followed by occipital fusion with iliac graft or graft from the tibia.Several monthes after the surgery, a bone scan was obtained with 99mTc. The area where the bone was inplanted shows increased accumlation of radiopharmaceutical.

The results of a study of eighty-one patients with trochanteric fractures in this ten years were reported. Because eighteen patients were lost to follow-up, evaluation was possible in sixty-three fractures.Treatments were conservative in fifteen patients and surgical forty-eight, including six with unstable intertrochanteric fractures treated by Dimons method. Fixation appliances were chiefly McLaughlin nails and Jewett nails, but a few blade plates and Neufeld plates were used in early stage.Although patients usually encourged to sit on the first postoperative day and to have heavy exercises to prevent various complications, three patients died during the period of hospitalization.Because full weight-bearing was not allowed before the complete bone union (average ninety-third postoperative day), various complications of fixation such as penetration of the nail through the femoral head, bending or breaking of the nail did not occur.

The benign osteoblastoma is uncommon, solitary, benign, vascular, bone and osteoid-producing tumor and is the term used by Jaffe and Lichtenstein in 1956.We have experienced a case of this tumor involved in the fifth cervical vertebra.The patient, 28-year old female, was first seen on April 18, 1968. The chief complain was dull pain in her neck and shoulder. The roentgenolgic pictue showed distinct expansion of the right superior articular process. After her admission, the lesion was partly curetted and followed by irradiation of 60Co.The histologic finding consists of an osteoblastic connective tissue stroma which is highly vascular. Within this cellular and vascular tissue, osteoid and primitive bone is deposited.She was last seen on October 10, 1972 at which time there was no evidence of recurrence and was in good health.

Two hundred and sixty eight patients had blood transfusions during surgical operation in our orthopedic clinic, from September 1, 1962 to April 30, 1968. Five of them were attacked by serum hepatitis before leaving hospital.Bone union was followed in four of these five patients, two of them had sustained fracture of the femur, one subtrochanteric osteotomy, one spondylodesis posterior, (another patient had Love's operation).Bone union in one of two patients of femur fracture was seemed to be normal. Though his transaminase levels were relative low (GOT 600 unit GPT 500 unit) and reduce quickly, six weeks after the onset GOT and GPT elevated again 240 unit and 200 unit.That of other three patients was apparently delayed, in spite of slightly disturbed nutrition and good immobilization by Kuntsche's intramedullary nail or plaster cast. Their highest transaminase levels were GOT 1260 unit GPT 680 unit, GOT 3060 unit GPT 2280 unit and GOT 140 unit GPT 370 unit respectively.

A twelve years-old girl was sent to our clinic. She had sarcoma-like findings after the fracture of right humerus, and congenital dislocation of bilateral radial heads. Her serum alkaline phosphatase showed high level. Microscopically the tissue surrounding the fracture site seemed to be reactive callus formation, containing giant cells and enchondral ossification. She was treated with corticosteroid, but excessive callus did not cease to grow.Her father had similar past history i. e. repeated fractures and hyperplastic callus after the fracture. Her aunt also had fracture of right fibula followed by tumor formation at the age of ten years old. Resection of the fibula and surrounding tumor was performed. Microscopic diagnosis by pathologist was chondrosarcoma, but she is now alive fifteen years after the operation.Other roentogenological findings of this family are thin cortex and radiolucent zone at the metaphysis of long bone in childhood.

We have observed twenty-two cases in the condition referred to as osteitis pubis, which occurred during pregnancy or after delivery, and investigated the prognosis of pain and the frequency of the recurrence of the same condition. Two of them had suffered from pain for over six months. After months or years, they complained of the pain in the region of the sacro-iliac joints rather than in that of the symphysis pubis. Roentgenogram showed the instability at symphsis, that is, opposing sides of this structure slipped up and down more than 3mm when the patient stepped from one foot to the other.In one patient we performed an operation in which we resected the symphysis with medial portion of both pubic bone, and placed bone graft in this defect. There was an evidence of the rupture of the transverse fibers of the interpubic disc at its antero-inferior portion.Thereafter twelve cases of them experienced pregnancies and deliveries. In only two, the same conditions were seen. From this standpoint of pain, it may be said that the prognosis of this disease is favorable.

A 22-year-old man was suffering from the pain in his right elbow.His weight was 43.5kg and height was 164cm.Ocular manifestations were myopia gravis, ptosis of the eyelids and microcornea.Although no cardiovascular involvement was detected except slight elctrocardiographic abnormality, a positive family history was demonstrated.Skeletal manifestations were; he had spiderlike bony fingers, but roentgenolograms revealed normal phalanges and metacarpals whose metacarpal index was about 7. 1. The chest appears elongated and narrow. Scoliosis of mild degree was seen. In the lumbar area, there was widening of the spinal canal associated with concavity of the posterior margins of the vertebral bodies. Body of the second lumbar vertebra was cuneiform, laminae and spinous processes of the lumbar vertebrae were hypoplastic.Of greater interst was the deformities in the elbows. Bilateral radial heads dislocated posterolaterally, pseudoarthrosis was found on the boders of olecranon and diaphysis of the right ulna. At the first surgery, after the resection of dense fibrous tissue between these two fragments and sclerotic bone tissue, olecranon was fixed to the diaphysis by a tibia-bolt, and bonegraft was performed. Six weeks later, right radial head was resected, the articular-cartilage on the both postero-lateral surface of the capitulum humeri and antero-medial surface of the caput radii were disappeared as if had been worn out.

A boy of five years was admitted to our clinic for the pain in his bilateral hips and thighs. He had a fracture of the right humerus, and ostemyelitis of the left mandibula in his history. A hydrocephalus and nystagmus appeared in the second year of life.There was apparent mental slowness and optic atrophy. The serum calcium level was within normal limit, but alkaline and acid phosphatase ranged in high levels. Hematologic examination provided no evidende of anemia.There was greatly increased uniform density of all the bones, typical of osteopetrosis. The base of skull was greatly thickened and dense. The vertebrae showed “thick sandwich” appearance. The long bones of the upper arm and thigh had abnormally thick shaft, and greatest increase in density was found in the upper third and lower half of the femora and upper half of the humeri. In these regions, apparent transverse striations were seen. On the other hand, longitudinal striations were seen in the middle third of the femora and the upper half of the forearm bones.Upper parts of the femora were greatly deformed. The neck were dense and widen, apparent coxa vara was seen. At the border between the necks and the shafts, there appeared opaque zones, suspected as the fractures by unusual stress.

There are many difficulties in the treatment of fractures and dislocations of the talus. We experienced to treat the fracture of the talus with posterior dislocation of the body.We tried to reduce the rotated posterior fragment by Bohler's manoeuver without success. Then, reduction was performed by operation and two fragments were fixed with a Kirschner wire and a staple. In reducing the posterior fragment pushing the distal end of the posterior fragment backward was successful.After twelve weeks immobilization in plaster cast, the talus has been protected by ishial weight-bearing apparatus below the hip joint.At forteen months after the operation, the result is excellent.

A 24-year-old soldier had a partial rupture of his left triceps brachii tendon while sumo wrestling.The elbow joint was immobilized for three weeks. One month after the first accident, he tubled and fell on his left hand.The signs were: 1) a gap into which a thumb tip could be introduced: 2) loss of contour of the muscle belly of the long head: 3) reduced extension force of the elbow.A surgical repair for the triceps tendon was performed. At operation, it revealed that tendon rupture had occured at its insertion to the olecranon, the torn end was retracted about 2cm from the bone.All interposed scar tissue was resected back to normal tendon proximally, and bone marrow was denuded at the site of the tendon insertion distally.The tendon was anchored to the olecranon with Lambott's wire, which passed through the tendon and through holes drilled in the bone. Then this was reinforced with the fascia lata covered over the distal portion of the triceps tendon and the olecranon. A plaster splint was applied with the elbow extended.

Among 305 patients whose proximal portion of the femur were subjected to roentgenographic examination, we found out evident cyst-like areas in four, aged from twenty-seven to fifty, and several atypical ones.They vary in size from about eighteen millimeter in diameter to six millimeter, and are sometimes multiloculated. All of them were found in the cranial half of the femoral neck, especially cranial most of the neck, where two epiphyseal plates of the femoral head and the greater trochanter meet at puberty.Considered from our roentgenographic observations, some of this kind of lesions were supposed to be caused by a developmental defect of the epiphyseal plates.

A 47-year-old man had been sufferring from the pain and swelling in his left thumb for a month.Roentgenograms revealed the enlarged terminal phalanx with distended and thinned cortex.By the surgical operation, the radial portion of the cortex was perforated. The content of this cyst was a semisolid, cheesy one as seen in the atheroma. The inner surface of the cyst-wall was lined by the thinn and soft membrane, which was consist of the stratified squamous epithelium and sud surrounding connective tissue without hair, sebaceous gland and sweat duct.For these reason this cyst was diagnosed as epidermoid cyst.Although a small portion of the attenuated cortex seemed to be destroyed roentogenologically, judging from surgical finding, the cyst was not suposed to occure outside the phalangeal bone, but inside the bone.Therefore, if the epidermoid cyst is originated from the deeply buried skin, the trauma should be serious one in this case. In spite of this, the patient remembers no traumatic lesion in his thumb.