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A 10-year-old Japanese boy was admitted to our hospital with complaints of the sudden and severe chest pain having occurred when he caught a ball on his chest. A chest X-ray film and MRI made a diagnosis of cardiac tamponade caused by perforation into the pericardial sac of a mediastinal teratoma and pericardial drainage was carried out. Pericardial effusion showed cloudy yellow and CA 19-9 level in the effusion was 6, 538.2 U/ml. The tumor was extirpated after recovery of his general condition. The tumor was consisted of solid material (5 x 6 x 3 cm) and of cystic part (4 x 6 x 0.8 cm) involving of viscous yellowish fluid. Microscopic sections showed ulcer with bleeding, granulation and pancreatic tissue. Histopathological diagnosis was benign mature teratoma. Including this case, fourteen cases of mediastinal teratomas with cardiac tamponade have been reported and this is the youngest case. Pancreatic tissue were observed histopathologically in most cases and it was thought that autodigestion by digestive enzyme from pancreas was major cause of perforation of the tumor into the pericardial sac.

We performed simultaneous operation of sternal turnover and Cabrol operation for a 28-year-old man, who had 3rd grade funnel chest and annuloaortic ectasia with 3rd grade aortic regurgitation. We think when both annuloaortic ectasia and funnel chest are indicated for operation, simultaneous operation is to be considered and the combination of Cabrol operation and sternal turnover with rectus abdominal flap is the best procedure.

Aspartokinase I and homoserine dehydrogenase I (AKI-HDI) from Serratia marcescens Sr41 are encoded by the thrA gene as a single polypeptide chain. Previously, a single amino acid substitution of Ser-352 with Phe was shown to produce an AKI-HDI enzyme that is not subject to threonine-mediated feedback inhibition. To determine the role of Ser-352 in the allosteric response, the thrA gene was modified by using site-directed mutagenesis so that Ser-352 of the wild-type AKI-HDI was replaced by Ala, Arg, Asn, Gln, Glu, His, Leu, Met, Pro, Thr, Trp, Tyr, or Val. The Thr-352 and Pro-352 replacements rendered AKIs sensitive to threonine. The Tyr-352 and Asn-352 substitutions led to activation, rather than inhibition, of AKI by threonine. The other replacements conferred threonine insensitivity on AKI. The threonine sensitivity of HDI was also changed by the amino acid substitutions at Ser-352. The HDI carried by the Tyr-352 mutant AKI-HDI was activated by threonine. Single amino acid replacements at Ser-352 by Ala, Asn, Gln, His, Phe, Pro, Thr, or Tyr were introduced into truncated AKI-HDIs containing the AKI and the central regions. The AKI activity of the truncated AKI-HDI containing the first 468 amino acid residues was sensitive to threonine, and introduction of the amino acid replacements did not alter the threonine sensitivity of the AKI. Another truncated AKI-HDI containing the first 462 amino acid residues possessed threonine-resistant AKI, whereas the substitutions of Ser-352 with Ala and Pro rendered AKI sensitive to threonine. The replacement of GIn-351 with Phe activated AK1 of the truncated AKI-HDI in the presence of L-threonine. These findings suggest that Ser-352 of the central region of AKI-HDI is possibly a key residue involved with the allosteric regulation of both AKI and HDI activities.

The nucleotide sequence of the Serratia marcescens threonine operon (thrA1A2BC) was determined. Three long open reading frames were identified; these open reading frames code for aspartokinase I (AKI)-homoserine dehydrogenase I (HDI), homoserine kinase, and threonine synthase, in that order. The predicted amino acid sequences of these enzymes were similar to the amino acid sequences of the corresponding enzymes in Escherichia coli. The AKI-HDI protein is apparently a tetramer composed of monomer polypeptides that are 819 amino acids long. A deletion analysis revealed that the central and C-terminal region was responsible for threonine-resistant HDI activity, a monomeric fragment extending from the N terminus to residue 306 was responsible for threonine-resistant AKI activity, and an N-terminal portion containing 468 residues was responsible for threonine-sensitive AKI activity. The thrA(1)1A(2)1 and thrA(1)5A(2)5 mutations of threonine-excreting strains HNr21 and TLr156, which result in the loss of threonine-mediated feedback inhibition of both AKI activity and HDI activity, cause single amino acid substitutions (Gly to Asp at position 330 and Ser to Phe at position 352, respectively) in the central region of the AKI-HDI protein. The thrA1+A(2)2 mutation of strain HNr59, which results in a threonine-sensitive AKI and a threonine-resistant HDI, also causes a single amino acid substitution (Ala to Thr at position 479).

The physical growth and health status of preschool (< 6 years) Karen highlanders belonging to the Pwo (212 males, 227 females) and Sgaw (107 males, 101 females) ethnic groups, and residing in northwest Thailand are described in the present report. The growth and health status of Thai tribal groups, including the Karen, is generally assumed to be substantially poorer than those of Thai lowlanders, who are primarily of Thai ancestry. However, the Karen highlanders in the present report fell within the range of variation in growth and health status found in lowland southeast Asians. Also, the growth and health status of Pwo preschool children tended to be significantly poorer than those of Sgaw children, despite the fact that both groups reside in isolated villages within the same ecozone and utilize similar food production techniques. The cause of these differences cannot be determined at the present time, but several potential factors are discussed.

Thoracoscopic therapy was carried out on two cases of pericardial cyst. The first patient was a 24-year-old male. An abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray was pointed out at a regular checkup. Thoracoscopy was carried out under the local anesthesia and a thin-walled cyst was discovered. The cyst was punctured and serous fluid was aspirated. Then, several biopsy specimens were obtained from the cyst wall, a pathological diagnosis of the cyst was made as a pericardial cyst. One year after the thoracoscopy, no abnormal shadow is observed on chest X-ray. The second patient was a 26-year-old male. It was also discovered that he had an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray at a regular medical checkup. Since a solid mass couldn't be completely denied, thoracoscopy was carried out in preparing for thoracotomy under the general anesthesia. The cyst observed between SVC and the azygos vein, and serous fluid was aspirated form the cyst. Following this, the cyst wall was biopsied and opened. Since no cases of malignant pericardial cysts have been reported, an operation is not usually required for these patients. We suggest that thoracoscopy is very useful tool for the final diagnosis and therapy of pericardial cyst because this method is easily carried out under local anesthesia.

Ultrastructural localization of Na+, K(+)-ATPase in the exorbital lacrimal gland of rat was investigated quantitatively by protein A-gold technique. Na+, K(+)-ATPase was purified from the rat kidney, and anti-holo Na+, K(+)-ATPase antibody was obtained from the rabbit by injecting the purified enzyme. A specific antibody against the alpha-subunit of Na+, K(+)-ATPase was affinity purified. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the antibody bound specifically to the alpha-subunit of Na+, K(+)-ATPase of the lacrimal gland. Rats were fixed by perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde containing 1% glutaraldehyde, and the lacrimal glands were embedded in LR White resin. Ultrathin sections were incubated with affinity purified antibody against the alpha-subunit of Na+, K(+)-ATPase, and then with protein A-gold complex. The sections were observed under an electron microscope. Light microscopy with silver enhancement procedure revealed that Na+, K(+)-ATPase was located mainly on the basal region of the cells of intralobular and interlobular ducts. Quantitative immunoelectron microscopic analysis showed that gold particles were found on the basolateral surfaces of the interlobular and intralobular ducts cells and on the basolateral surface of the acinar cells, whereas no significant binding was observed on any part of the apical surfaces of these cells. Labeling density of gold particles was highest on the basolateral surface of the interlobular duct cells, secondarily highest on the basolateral surface of the intralobular duct cells, and lowest on the basolateral surface of the acinar cells. The distribution pattern of Na+, K(+)-ATPase in the acinar cells and the duct cells suggest that this enzyme may play an important role in primary secretion and in determining the composition of electrolytes in the final secretion, respectively.

The viscoelasticity of the vocal and ventricular folds was experimentally assessed by analyzing the stress-strain relationships obtained using a newly developed measuring system. The degree of stiffness of the mid-membranous portion of the vocal fold was less than that near the anterior commissure or the vocal process. The ventricular fold was much less stiff and significantly more viscous than the vocal fold. At the membranous portion of the vocal fold, the degree of stiffness was less and that of viscosity greater at 2 mm above and below the free margin than at the free margin itself.

Our previous study of the magnetic susceptibility, χ, on zero-field and field cooling and magnetization-hysteresis-loop (MHL) for La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) single crystals with x = 0.178 – 0.261 has suggested that a microscopic phase separation into superconducting (SC) and normal-state regions takes place in the overdoped regime of LSCO. In order to clarify the onset hole-concentration where the microscopic phase separation appears, we have carried out χ measurements on zero-field and field cooling and MHL measurements for LSCO single crystals with x = 0.125 and 0.147. From the χ measurements in a low magnetic field on field cooling, absolute values of χ at 2 K, |χ2k|, in x = 0.125 and 0.147 have been found to be smaller than that of x = 0.178, which can be understood in terms of the vortex-pinning effect around twin boundaries in a crystal. Neither two-step SC transition in χ vs- T in a moderate field on zero-field cooling nor second magnetization peak in MHL has been observed in x = 0.125, while both characteristics have been observed in x = 0.147. These results imply no enhancement of the vortex pinning in a moderate field-range and therefore suggest the existence of a homogeneous superconducting state in x = 0.125. Accordingly, it is concluded that the onset hole-concentration of the microscopic phase separation is located between x = 0.125 and 0.147.

The nuclear DNA ploidy pattern and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression in primary and metastatic lesions were investigated using paraffin-embedded materials from 44 cases of colorectal carcinoma with hepatic metastases and 45 cases without hepatic metastases. The frequency of aneuploidy and positive staining of c-erbB-2 in primary tumor with hepatic metastases were significantly higher compared with those without hepatic metastases (p less than 0.05). There were significant correlations between diameter of metastases and DNA ploidy pattern of the metastases and between metachronous metastases, degree of metastases, vessel involvement and DNA ploidy pattern of the primary tumor. Positive staining of c-erbB-2 was detected more frequently with the advancement of depth of tumor invasion. There was no significant correlation between DNA ploidy pattern and c-erbB-2 expression. In the survival of patients whose primary tumor and hepatic metastases were resected, it was shown that DNA ploidy pattern of metastases was the most important independent prognostic factor. Expression of c-erbB-2 in primary tumor predicted the hepatic metastases.

We evaluated the therapeutic approach and its associated problems in 14 hepatoblastomas (HB) and 3 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) based on the ploidy patterns determined from paraffin-embedded tissues by flow cytometry. Aneuploid pattern was seen more frequently in the patients with poorly differentiated and immature types of HB, and HCC. It was also observed in patients with tumors showing microscopic vessel invasion, and in patients showing resistance to the therapeutic approach. Among 4 patients with combined epithelial components of HB, 2 patients' tumors revealed both the aneuploid and diploid patterns and their prognoses were poor. The prognoses of patients with tumors showing the aneuploid pattern were significantly poorer. From our study we concluded that careful attention should be pain to the heterogeneity of these tumors and that more aggressive treatment for tumors showing aneuploid pattern should be developed.

Le Duc-Camey antireflux ureteroileal reimplantation was used on 15 patients with 30 ureters reimplanted into the ileum as part of a bladder substitution procedure (Kock pouch or ileal neobladder: U-bladder) or augmentation cystoplasty (Goodwin ileocystoplasty). In our experience, no reflux was observed, while hydronephrosis was identified in one ureter of ileal neobladder (4%). Le Duc-Camey antireflux ureteroileal reimplantation is suitable for reconstruction with the ileal reservoir.

The trans-sternal bilateral thoracotomy had been used widely in the early days of cardiac surgery, but since the 1960's the median sternotomy has played a great part in open heart surgery. Recently, the simultaneous bilateral thoracotomy has been used for bilateral lung lesions such as bilateral giant bullae, bilateral pneumothoraces and bilateral metastatic lung tumors. Since 1965 we have performed 6 operations using trans-sternal bilateral thoracotomy for several bilateral lung lesions. The diseases which led to the use of the trans-sternal bilateral thoracotomy technique were 2 cases of bilateral simultaneous pneumothoraces and 4 cases of bilateral lung metastatic tumors. The ages of the patients ranged from 17 to 45 years old. The operative blood loss was between 100 and 810 gm. No case showed postoperative respiratory distress or severe thoracic pain. It would like to be pointed out that the trans-sternal bilateral thoracotomy is the most ideal approach for the multiple bilateral lung metastatic lesions which often invade the chest wall or diaphragm.

The N-terminal half of the beta-subunit of rat brain Na,K-ATPase was expressed in HeLa cells transfected with the plasmid pSV2TKneo beta N containing the truncated beta-subunit cDNA to study the assembly and transport of alpha-beta complex. Immunoprecipitation from extracts of metabolically labeled transformed cells demonstrated that the truncated beta-subunit polypeptide (beta N) was neither transported to the plasma membrane nor assembled into an alpha-beta complex with the endogenous alpha-subunit. Cell fractionation experiments showed that the beta N truncated subunit remained unassembled within rough microsomes, suggesting that it never exited from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The assembly of the endogenous alpha-and beta-subunits in the beta N-expressing cells was significantly inhibited compared with control cells or with the transformants that did not express the beta N. These results suggest that the N-terminal portion of the beta-subunit interferes with the normal assembly of the endogenous complex which normally takes place in the ER.

Our recent experimental works on the inhomogeneity of superconductivity in both underdoped and overdoped regimes of La2-xSrxCuO4 are reviewed. In order to estimate the superconducting (SC) volume fraction in a sample, bulk-sensitive magnetic-susceptibility and specific-heat measurements have been carried out, using La2-xSrxCuO4 single crystals of good quality with x = 0.05−0.3. As a result, it has been found that the SC volume fraction is not 100% in both underdoped and overdoped regimes, suggesting the occurrence of a phase separation into SC and non-SC regions. Moreover, strong vortex-pinning effects have been observed in moderate magnetic fields in the overdoped regime, suggesting that the phase separation in the overdoped regime is not macroscopic but microscopic.

Emphases in JT-60 experiments are placed on (1) lower-hybrid (LH) current drive characteristics with a multi-junction type launcher, and (2) the confinement study with combination of neutral beam injection LH current drive and pellet injection. The new multi-junction LH launcher provides a sharp N/sub /// spectrum with high directivity for N/sub ///=1-3.4. The current drive efficiency and the radial distribution of high energy electron production show clear correlation with injected N/sub ///: the current drive efficiency has the maximum at low N/sub ///( approximately 1.3) while flattening of plasma current is more effective in large N/sub ///. A broad radial distribution of high energy electron current and approximately 30% reduction in sawtooth inversion radius were obtained by high N/sub /// ( approximately 2.5) LH injection. To fully suppress the sawtooth activity, low N/sub /// ( approximately 1.3) injection was found to be more effective. Improved energy confinement has been obtained with hydrogen pellet injection. Energy confinement time was enhanced up to 40% relative to usual gas fuelled discharges. The discharge has a strongly peaked electron density profile with ne(0)/(ne) approximately 5 and ne(0) approximately 2.0*1020 m-3. The improved discharges are characterized by a strongly peaked pressure profile within the q=1 magnetic surface, and degrades when a large sawtooth recovers or the pressure gradient may reach a critical value. When large (3 mm, 4 mm) and fast (2.2 km/s) pellets were injected, 30% energy confinement improvement was obtained even during the NB heating of 14 MW. Further investigations of IDC characteristics have been made. The oxygen impurity lines from the main plasma and the main radiative loss drop first. Then the plasma stored energy starts to rise. The particle recycling is reduced around the main plasma, and is localized in the neighborhood of the X-point with a time lag of approximately 0.2 sec. Eventually the discharge shows a significant remote radiative cooling power at the divertor region.

Essential divertor functions — density and energy control — have been investigated in the JT-60 divertor with metal walls. Neutral pressure in the divertor chamber increases in proportion to n2e and high recycling state for particle exhaust is realized. At ne ≤ 6 × 1019m−3, wall pumping by the divertor plates is dominant in particle exhaust. However, at ne ≥ 6 × 1019m−3, particle exhaust by active divertor pumping systems becomes essential. Because of the effectiveness of the divertor, radiation loss in the main plasma is reduced to 5–10% of the absorbed power and impurity concentrations are significantly suppressed at very low level (Zeff = 1.5-2.0). In the experiments with graphite walls, short periods of H-mode phases were found in the outside X-point divertor discharges although improvement in energy confinement is limited to within 10%. In limiter discharges, combination of high vessel temperature (210–300 °C) and low current limiter discharges (1.5 MA) without gas puffing is effective as a wall conditioning in obtaining reproducible high density discharges. The maximum parameters, Ip = 3.2 MA, ne = 1.2 × 1020m−3, qeff = 2.2 at Bt = 4.8T, a Murakami parameter of 7.5, and a stored energy of 3.1 MJ have been attained. The maximum density is limited by the occurence of the MARFE. During high power neutral beam heating, enhanced carbon influx was observed possibly due to chemical sputtering. The wall pumping by the inner wall is still effective in decreasing the electron density from the high density region of ne ~ 1 × 1020m−3. An empirical energy confinement scaling of JT-60 has been drawn in terms of an offset linear function as τE = 0.19 I1.9PPabs + 0.062 a1.8p

From June to October 1987, JT-60 achieved fusion product (ne(0). tau E*.Ti(0)) of 6*1019 m-3.keV.s with hydrogen plasma at plasma current of 2.8 to 3.1 MA with neutral beam power of approximately 20 MW. The central electron density of 1.3*1020 m-3 was obtained at plasma current of 3 MA with 13 approximately 20 MW neutral beam power and the confinement time reached 0.14-0.18 s. An offset linear scaling law like the Shimomura-Odajima scaling on confinement time will be able to reproduce experimental data better than that of the Goldston type scaling. With low beam energy injection approximately 40 keV, confinement degradation was found. Many short periods (0.05 approximately 0.1 s) of H-mode phase were found in outside X-point divertor discharges with NB or NB+RF(LH or IC) heating power above 16 MW. However, improvement in energy confinement time was limited to 10 %. The ballooning/interchange stability analyses were also made for the outside X-point divertor equilibrium in connection with H0-phase capability. Heating powers of 9.5 MW and 1.9 MW were obtained by LHRF, ICRF injection, respectively. In combined LHRF and NB heating, the incremental energy confinement time of 0.064 s was obtained, which is the same level of that of NB heating only. In combined NB and on-axis ICRF heating of low ne discharge, an incremental energy confinement time of 0.21 s was obtained, which is three times as long as those of NB or ICRF heating only. High energy beam ions were accelerated by ICRF in the central region of the plasma.

This paper introduces a new type of cathode-ray tube with a crossed-field electron gun which produces an electron beam in a region where a nonuniform magnetic field and an electric field cross perpendicularly. The new configuration gives increased freedom in the design of crossed-field guns. As a result, a long, directly heated cathode can be readily applied to a gun structure which makes high perveance and instant operation possible with much improved cathode heating efficiency. The new gun provides ion trap action by virtue of a magnetic field which separates ions from electrons due to the difference in their masses. A new type of cathode-ray tube using this gun not only demonstrates these features but also requires relatively low operational voltages for beam acceleration and control electrodes. The paper includes an analysis of electron motion in a crossed field with a nonuniform magnetic field. It also shows practical configuration of electrodes and current characteristics of the gun.

Pharmacological properties of L-5HTP in experimental animals were studied and the following results were obtained: L-5HTP produced a decrease in spontaneous locomotor activity in mice, a potentiation of morphine-induced analgesia in mice, an effect of lowering body temp. in mice and a tendency to induce a drowsy EEG pattern in rabbits. Anticonvulsant, anti-tremor, muscle relaxant effects and a potentiation of pentobarbital-induced aneasthesia were not induced by L-5HTP. On the other hand, L-5HTP antagonized the behavioral changes induced by reserpine, tetrabenazine and p-CPA in some experiments.

Urinary estriol-16-glucosiduronate (E3-16-G) in early pregnancy was measured by a direct radioimmunoassay which was highly specific for the compound and did not require hydrolysis or chromatography. The level of E3-16-G in normal pregnant women increased as pregnancy progressed and was over the level in non-pregnant women after 6 weeks gestation. The levels were lower in complicated pregnancies, namely threatened abortion, intra uterine fetal death, ectopic pregnancy, anencephalus and so on. Decreases of urinary E3-16-G in threatened abortion were more rapid than those of urinary hCG, which was used as a useful prognostic indicator in those cases. These results suggested the possibility that the fetus played some role in the production of E3-16-G in early pregnancy. In order to clarify the role of the fetus in the formation of E3-16-G, it was measured in the maternal peripheral vein, uterine artery and vein, and in the fetal tissue at hysterectomy in complicated pregnancies (three cases). These results also suggested the possibility that E3-16-G was produced by the fetus. In the in vitro experiments where 14C-E3 was incubated with various tissues in early pregnancy, it was demonstrated that 14C-E3 was conjugated to be E3-16-G by homogenate of the fetal tissue in 8 weeks gestation, and by the liver and by the kidney in 13 weeks gestation but not by chorionic tissue. These results indicated that the conjugation process of E3, though perhaps not entirely, proceeds in the fetus and the urinary determination of E3-16-G might give us good information about the fetus in pregnant women.

The (H+,K+)ATPase-enriched microsomal fraction prepared from hog gastric mucosa by sucrose density gradient centrifugation was effectively solubilized with Emulgen, with apparent preservation of the enzyme activity, and then the ATPase was highly purified by polyethylene glycol fractionation, and Blue Sepharose CL-6B and amino-hexyl Sepharose chromatographies. The purified enzyme showed a single band, with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 94 kDa, on SDS-PAGE, and exhibited both K+-ATPase and K+-stimulated-p-nitrophenyl phosphatase (pNPPase) activities. The optimum pH for the ATPase activity was 7.0. Amino acid analysis of the purified enzyme showed that it contains a large amount of hydrophobic amino acid (42%) and a small amount of glucosamine and galactosamine. The rabbit antibody monospecific for the ATPase, in the Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion and Western blotting tests, markedly inhibited both the K+-ATPase and K+-pNPPase activities.