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Thoroughbred horses are seasonal mating animals, and their foals are born yearly in spring seasons. In northern regions or countries, the foals generally show a typical seasonal compensatory growth pattern, where their growth rate declines in winter and increases in the next spring. In this study, a new empirical approach is proposed to adjust for this compensatory growth when growth curve equations are estimated, by using BW of Japanese Thoroughbred colts and fillies raised in Hidaka, Hokkaido. Based on the traditional Richards growth curve equation, new growth curve equations were developed and fit to the weight-age data. The foals generally experience 2 major winter seasons before their debut in horseracing. The new equations had sigmoid subfunctions that can empirically adjust the first and second year compensatory growths, combined with the Richards biological parameter responsible for the maturity of animals. The unknown parameters included in the equations were estimated by SAS NLMIXED procedure. The goodness-of-fit was examined by using several indices of goodness-of-fit (i.e., Akaike's information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, -2 log likelihood, and residual sum of squares) for the multiple applications of the subfunctions. The indices indicated the best fit of the new equations including both subfunctions for the first and second compensatory growths to the weight-age data. The shapes of the growth curves were improved during the periods of compensatory growth. The proposed method is one of the useful approaches for adjusting multiple seasonal compensatory growths in growth curve estimations of Thoroughbreds and for the management of young horses during the compensatory periods.

Two hundred nine patients with completely resected stage III non-small-cell lung cancer were randomized to receive postoperative cisplatin and vindesine chemotherapy or no further treatment. Before randomization, patients were stratified by the histologic characteristics of their tumors (squamous versus nonsquamous cell carcinoma). Prognostic variables such as histology, performance status, extent of operation, and tumor and nodal status of the eligible patients in chemotherapy (n = 90) and control groups (n = 91) were equally distributed. There was no statistically significant difference in disease-free and overall survival between the two groups. The 3-year disease-free survivals of the chemotherapy and control groups were 37% and 42%, respectively. The median survival times (5-year survival) were 31 months (35%) in the chemotherapy group and 37 months (41%) in the control group. These was no different pattern in the first site of recurrence (local versus systemic) between the two groups. This study failed to demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of postoperative cisplatin and vindesine chemotherapy.

The operative results in a series of 92 patients with chronic empyema were reviewed. Of these, 46 had empyema with an underlying fistula, and 46 had empyema without fistulization. Twenty-one underwent decortication, 65 were treated by our technique, and six were treated by a modification of the Eloesser technique. These techniques were employed with priority given in the order just cited. Our technique involves decortication of the visceral peel and obliteration of the dead space by collapsing of the parietal wall without rib resection. Cure was obtained with decortication alone in 20 of 21 patients. Sixty of 65 patients treated by our technique were cured without deformation of the thoracic cage. In all patients treated by the modified Eloesser technique, obliteration of the empyema cavity was achieved secondarily by thoracoplasty combined with a pedicled muscle flap. Postoperative pulmonary function studies demonstrated a significant improvement in vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second in patients treated by decortication or by our technique. With the modified Eloesser technique, in contract, pulmonary function tended to decline.

Malignant lymphomas developing in tissue affected by a long-standing severe inflammatory process of nonautoimmune nature are presented. Two men and a woman aged 50, 58, and 73 years, were admitted after 22 to 30 year histories of pyothorax resulting from artificial pneumothorax for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis or tuberculous pleuritis. The diagnoses at admission were chronic pyothorax associated with a lung mass. Microscopically, tumors diffusely or locally proliferated with thickened pleura were present. A histologic examination showed that all the tumors were diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) of immunoblastic type with (one case) or without (two cases) plasmacytoid differentiation. Immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections revealed restricted expression of immunoglobulin light chains in one case showing plasmacytoid differentiation. A review of the literature showed that malignant lymphomas of this type have been reported exclusively from Japan but never from Western countries.