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We prospectively evaluated MR images of 14 patients who had chronic otitis media and who were suspected of having cholesteatomas on otologic examination and/or on high resolution CT. Cholesteatomas were verified in the middle ear and/or mastoid at surgery in nine patients. Cholesteatomas appeared isointense relative to gray matter on T1-weighted spin echo MR images (T1WI) and hyperintense on T2-weighted spin echo MR images (T2WI) in eight patients. Two cholesterol granulomas appeared hyperintense on both T1WI and T2WI. In three patients with chronic otitis media the associated mixed granulation tissue and fluid collection was revealed as nonspecific, heterogeneous signal intensity in two cases. In the third case the signal intensity was similar to that found in cholesteatomas.

From Picrasma javanica , five new quassinoid glucosides, javanicinosides D-H, together with known quassinoids, neoquassin and picrasin A and triterpenoids, hispidol A and lanosta-7,24-dien-3-one were isolated. The structures have been determined by spectral analysis and chemical evidence.

The effects of nltrogen fertilizer supply on the genetic variability of 12 quantitative characters in rice were investigated, uslng ten varieties of Indica and Japonica each. Four nitrogen levels were applied In a split-plot design experiment. In the analysis of varlance, 8(Indica) or 10 (Japonica) out of the 12 characters examined showed significant nitrogen effect. In most of the significant characters, F values for nitrogen effect in the analysis of variance were larger in Indica than in Japonica, but F for genotype × nitrogen interaction gave no such differences. Stability of a broad sense heritability at different nitrogen levels varied with the characters. Number of days from sowing to heading gave high and very stable heritability, while effective tiller percentage and filled spikelet percentage showed moderately or highly variable heritability. Most of the characters showed higher heritability in Indica than in Japonica. As judged by magnitude of coefficient of variation in the heritability and in the varlance component for genotype, Indica varieties were stable over different nitrogen levels relative to Japonica varieties. It was suggested that breeding materials should be subjected to selection at a proper nitrogen ievel which maximize heritability of the character concerned, unless the order of lines as regards the magnitude of characters differs with nitrogen levels.

In three experiments, rats were trained to perform two instrumental behaviours (R1 and R2) in the presence of discriminative stimuli (Sd1 and Sd2, respectively) to obtain a common food outcome (O1). Acquisition of the two discriminations was followed by switching the outcome accompanying R2 performance from O1 to a new one (O2). Experiment 1 showed paired presentations of O2 with a lithium chloride (LiCl) injection resulted in a reduction in the R2 performance. In the subsequent two experiments, each Sd was paired with LiCl injection and its effects on outcome consumption and instrumental performance were investigated. A reduction in the O2 consumption subsequent to the Sd devaluation was found in Experiments 2 and 3. Experiment 3 revealed a reduced R2 performance in an extinction test, following the animals' consummatory access to the outcomes in training context. These results demonstrate representation-mediated outcome devaluation in the course of the Sd devaluation.

A fifth species of the genus Eudigraphis, E. sinensis sp.nov., and a third species of the shinoharai group of the genus Polyxenus, P. hangzhoensis sp.nov., are described, representing the first records of penicillate diplopods from China.

Two siblings with malignant hyperphenylalaninemia were examined by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and CT of the brain. Both techniques demonstrated diffuse cerebral atrophy and cystic loss of parenchyma with surrounding white matter changes. T2-weighted MR images demonstrated the white matter changes better than CT. However, MR images gave no definite indication of the presence of calcification, and CT demonstrated the characteristic calcifications in the basal ganglia and subcortical region bilaterally. Both MR and CT are complementary in the evaluation of this disease.

The effects of bilateral transvenous diaphragm pacing and intermittent positive-pressure ventilation on hemodynamic function were compared by animal experiment in 18 dogs and by clinical study in 14 patients during the postoperative period after cardiac operations. Aortic, pulmonary arterial, right atrial, and left atrial pressures (transmural) and aortic flow were increased by diaphragm pacing in the canine experiment. In dogs with induced tricuspid insufficiency, aortic pressure, right and left atrial pressures, and aortic blood flow increased, similar to the results obtained in the clinical study. Diaphragm pacing produced a sufficient tidal volume (7.2 to 12 ml/kg) for maintenance of normal blood gas levels in the patients, all of whom recovered spontaneous breathing without any weaning problems after 2 to 6 hours of diaphragm pacing. The catheter electrode used for stimulation was placed 30 mm away from the sinus node to avoid arrhythmias. Respiratory control by diaphragm pacing is hemodynamically superior to that by intermittent positive-pressure ventilation, and its efficacy is expected, especially in critical cases or in diseases or conditions in which the decrease in the load of the right heart affects the hemodynamic status of the patient.

Almost all coastal construction works in Japan today are carried out under variable and severe site conditions and tight budgetary constraints. Construction works are so unstable that civil engineers often meet many difficulties: (1) soil, water, and climate conditions are not covered by present engineering rules; (2) no appropriate engineering methods for solving them exist theoretically; and (3) project circumstances, despite their simplicity, differ from past empirical data or similar works. There are two components in solving these problems. The first is to strengthen basic engineering through an advanced construction technology. The second, which is the focus of this paper, is to scientifically integrate management technology, together with Japanese quality control or TQC (total quality control), into the construction process, e.g., utilization of statistical methods in execution planning, and participation of all organization members in quality control and QC circle activities. The interaction of both approaches in construction is illustrated in this paper through an actual project for a dry dock built without using cofferdams.

In order to assess the accuracy of electroencephalography (EEG), in children who have undergone cardiac surgery under simple deep hypothermia, the relation between IQ or schoolwork achievement and the duration of circulatory arrest was investigated in 75 such children. Abnormal preoperative EEG's were found in 16 per cent of the children while abnormal postoperative EEG's were found in 17 per cent. The children were divided into 4 groups, according to pre- and postoperative EEG results. Schoolwork achievement scores ranged between 3.0 and 3.2, the difference among the groups being insignificant. Moreover, no significant shift in IQ was found among the groups. Finally, regarding the number of children who were able to go on to a higher level of education, including high school then college or university, again no significant differences were found among the 4 groups. In a comparison with the number of such children in neighboring Nagasaki prefecture able to continue on to a higher level of education, no significant differences were seen either. The findings and statistics of this investigation therefore indicate that pre- and postoperative EEG's are not always a reliable reference for assessing the prognosis of cerebral activity.

Employing the conditioned suppression paradigm, this study aimed at to investigate how durations of conditioned stimulus (CS) and non-CS period (CS) affect the learning of stimulus-stimulus relationship

In order to analyze combustion characteristics of the spark ignition engine, a new photographic system was developed to photograph the high-speed and low-luminescent phenomenon of flame propagation.This system, comprised of an electronic framing high-speed camera, high-sensitivity SIT (Silicon intensifier Target) camera and digital image processing device, is capable of taking images of flames with a luminescence of 1, 000 cd/m2 at a speed of 10, 000 frames/second and displaying the images on a screen in real-time.

To evaluate the effect, and the duration of the effect, of topically administrated travoprost and unoprostone on optic nerve head (ONH) circulation in Dutch rabbits.First, travoprost (0.004% solution) or unoprostone (0.12% solution) was unilaterally instilled once, or once daily (travoprost) or twice daily (unoprostone) for 7 days in Dutch rabbits. The ONH tissue blood velocity (NB(ONH)) was measured using the laser speckle method at 30 and 60 min after a single instillation of travoprost or unoprostone, and before and at 1, 6, and 12 hr (travoprost or unoprostone) and 24 hr (travoprost only) after the last instillation of the aforementioned 7-day instillation regimen. Second, similar experiments were conducted with indomethacin (5 mg/kg) pretreatment.Both travoprost and unoprostone significantly increased NB(ONH) only in the treated eyes after a single instillation (p = 0.011 to 0.038); this effect was abolished by indomethacin pretreatment. In the 7-day instillation regimen, NB(ONH) was increased by 11%, 40%, 17%, 16%, and 12% only in the treated eyes just before and at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hr after the final instillation of travoprost, respectively, and increased by 10%, 25%, 13%, and 14% only in the treated eyes just before and at 1, 6, 12 hr after the final instillation of the unoprostone, respectively.Topical travoprost or unoprostone significantly increased the ONH blood velocity with a single instillation and the effect persisted for 24 hr after a 7-day instillation. The effects of these drugs against retinal and ONH circulation are probably associated with the production of endogenous prostaglandins.

This paper describes the circuit design of very-high-performance multiplexer (MUX) ICs for optical communications systems. The sophisticated circuit design includes optimization of collector current density of each transistor to achieve both low-power consumption and high-speed operation. Low-power over-40-Gbit/s 16:1 MUX and high-speed 100-Gbit/s selector-type MUX ICs were successfully designed using InP/InGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs).

Detection of early infarct signs on nonenhanced CT is mandatory in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Loss of the gray-white matter interface at the lentiform nucleus or the insular ribbon has been an important early infarct sign, which affects decisions on thrombolytic therapy. However, its detection is difficult, since early infarct sign is of subtle hypoattenuation. To improve the detectability of early infarct sign, image processing that could reduce local noise while preserving edges is desirable. To examine this issue, we devised an adaptive partial smoothing filter (APSF). Since the APSF markedly improves visibility of the normal gray-white matter interface, loss of the gray-white matter interface due to hypoattenuation could be more easily detected. The APSF was applied to clinical CT images in hyperacute stroke patients. Our preliminary results showed that the visibility and detectability of early infarct signs was much improved. To validate the usefulness of the proposed method, two commonly used smoothing filters were also employed for comparison. The results demonstrated the superiority of the APSF. Our proposed APSF can improve the visibility of the gray-white matter interface, thereby enhancing the detectability of early infarct signs.

We have developed a parallel feedback amplifier using our state-of-the-art InP/InGaAs double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT) IC technology. The gain and bandwidth of the amplifier are 14 dB and 91 GHz, respectively, which are large enough for use in 100-Gbit/s applications. Input and output return characteristics at 70 GHz are less than -9 and -11 dB, respectively. Isolation is better than -33 dB below 100 GHz. We also observed an output eye diagram for 100-Gbit/s electrical signal input. Good eye openings were obtained. To the best of our knowledge, the bandwidth is the highest value to date for baseband parallel feedback amplifiers, and this work is the first demonstration of an electrical amplifier for 100-Gbit/s data signals.

A case of Castleman disease in the anterior cervical region is presented. Ga-67 scintigraphy revealed moderate uptake in the thyroid region. Thyroid scintigraphy demonstrated the presence of an extrinsic thyroid tumor. Contrast-enhanced CT showed dense homogeneous enhancement within, the tumor. Radionuclide tracer accumulation on gallium scintigraphy as well as dense contrast enhancement on CT scan may be characteristic of Castleman disease. Castleman disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis when increased tracer activity is noted in an anterior cervical extrathyroid tumor on Ga-67 scintigraphy.

InP-based 40-Gbit/s optical system ICs are steadily progressing for the start-up of 40-Gbit/s optical systems. Also, InP-based ICs operating beyond 40 Gbit/s are being investigated for future post-40-Gbit/s optical systems. This paper describes our recent progress on InP-based ICs operating at 40 Gbit/s and beyond, which include optoelectronic (OE) ICs. In testing ICs beyond 40 Gbit/s and toward 100 Gbit/s, the absence of signal sources is becoming a critical issue. 100Gbit/s pulse-pattern generators, which are indispensable for investigating a variety of 100-Gbit/s ICs, are also presented.

We present a 40-Gbit/s-class clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit with a new lock detector. The lock detector operates robustly with a linear-type phase detector. The CDR IC was fabricated using InP/InGaAs HBTs. Error-free operation and wide eye opening were confirmed for 40, 43, and 45-Gbit/s PRBS with a length of 2/sup 31/-1. By attaching a frequency search and phase control (FSPC) circuit to the chip, the CDR circuit pulls in throughout a 39-45 Gbit/s range. The fabricated IC dissipates 1.89 W at a supply voltage of -4.5V.

The incidence of intracranial aneurysms in childhood is rare, especially in infancy. Spontaneous thrombosis of a cerebral aneurysm in a child is very rare, particularly in a non-giant aneurysm. We report a case of a 1-month-old girl with a distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm which disappeared spontaneously after subarachnoid hemorrhage and reappeared 6 months later. Surgical resection of the aneurysm was performed and she discharged uneventfully 10 days later. Histological examination revealed an aneurysm with a fibrous muscular layer, absence of the internal elastic lamina and partial hypertrophy of the intimal layer. Though the pathogenesis of this aneurysm is uncertain, two hypotheses are discussed.

To compare the inhibitory effect of topically instilled bunazosin hydrochloride (bunazosin), a selective alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist, on the endothelin (ET)-1-induced vasoconstriction in rabbit retinal arteries with the effects of other ocular hypotensive drugs.ET-1 was injected into the central part of the vitreous of both eyes of pigmented rabbits. Color fundus photographs were taken 5 min before and 60 min after the injection. The average diameters of the two major retinal arteries at the rim of the optic nerve head (ONH) were normalized with respect to ONH diameter. Fifty microliters of 0.01% bunazosin, or 0.12% isopropyl unoprostone (unoprostone), 1% dorzolamide hydrochloride (dorzolamide), 0.25% nipradilol, 0.5% betaxolol hydrochloride (betaxolol), or 0.5% timolol maleate (timolol) was instilled into one eye of each rabbit 60 min before the ET-1 injection. The series of experiments was performed as masked tests.Bunazosin and unoprostone inhibited the ET-1-induced constriction of retinal arteries by 103% (P = 0.012 versus contralateral eyes) and 50% (P = 0.037), respectively. Dorzolamide, nipradilol, betaxolol, and timolol had no significant effects in this experiment.Under our experimental conditions, bunazosin and unoprostone inhibited the ET-1-induced constriction. Hence, bunazosin and unoprostone may be clinically more effective against ET-1-related retinal diseases.

We have designed and fabricated a low-power 4:1 multiplexer (MUX), 1:4 demultiplexer (DEMUX) and full-clock-rate 1:4 DEMUX with a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit using undoped-emitter InP-InGaAs HBTs. Our HBTs exhibit an f/sub T/ of approximately 150 GHz and an f/sub max/ of approximately 200 GHz at a collector current density of 50 kA/spl mu/m/sup 2/. In the circuit design, we utilize emitter-coupled logic and current-mode logic series gate flip-flops and optimized the collector current density of each transistor to achieve low-power operation at required high bit rates. Error-free operation at bit rates of up to 50 Gbit/s were confirmed for the 4:1 MUX and 1:4 DEMUX, which dissipates 2.3 and 2.5 W, respectively. In addition, the full-clock-rate 1:4 DEMUX with the CDR achieved 40-Gbit/s error-free operation.

Purpose. To investigate the antigenicity of porcine corneal stroma as xenograft to man. Methods. The localization of a-gal epitope in the porcine eye was determined using biotinylated Griffonia simplicifolia 1 isolectin B4. Porcine corneal stromal was inserted into corneal stromal pockets of cynomolgus monkeys. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the immunological reaction in the monkey. Results. Immunohistochemistry showed no a-gal epitope in the porcine cornea except for several keratocytes in the anterior-most part. Haze and keratic precipitates developed in two corneas out of three corneas that were followed up until 6 months after the surgery. In these two corneas, infiltrating cells included CD4 +, CD8 +, or HAM56 + cells, suggesting that haze and keratic precipitates were induced by cellular rejection to porcine corneal stroma. Conclusions. Porcine corneal stroma induces no hyperacute rejection but mild cellular rejection when transplanted in the cornea of cynomolgus monkeys.

An integrated clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit is a key element for optical communication systems at 40 Gbit/s. We present a fully integrated 40-Gbit CDR circuit fabricated using InP/InGaAs HBTs. The circuit contains a linear-type phase detector and a full-data-rate voltage-controlled oscillator. Error-free operation and wide eye opening were obtained for 40-Gbit/s pseudorandom bit sequence (PRBS) with a length of 2/sup 23/-1. The fabricated IC dissipates 1.71 W at a supply voltage of -4.5 V.

A 10-month-old boy, with congenital deafness and blindness associated with chromosomal deletion [46XY, del(13)(q32)], presented with intractable ascites 9 months after ventriculo-peritoneal shunting for congenital hydrocephalus. Revision of the ventriculo-atrial shunt resulted in shunt failure 1 month later. External ventricular drainage revealed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overproduction (2,000 ml/day). Magnetic resonance imaging showed marked lobular enlargement of the bilateral choroid plexuses extending from the trigone to the body and inferior horn of the lateral ventricle. Multi-staged resection was performed via bilateral temporo-occipital transcortical approaches, and CSF production significantly decreased to 100 ml/day postoperatively. Histological assessment of the villous surface suggested villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus and thorough evaluation including the proximal portion of the lobular lesion near the attachment revealed choroid plexus papilloma. He was discharged after ventriculo-peritoneal shunting without additional neurological deficits except for hyperreflexia of the left extremities.CSF overproduction caused by bilateral choroid plexus papillomas can result in hydrocephalus. Radical resection of the bilateral ventricular lesions should be considered for this entity. Thorough evaluation of the surgical specimen is recommended because histological examination of only the lobular surface of the choroid plexus lesion may fail to identify choroid plexus neoplasm.

This pictorial essay depicts MR features of benign and malignant parotid tumors. Increased T2 signal intensity is suggestive of pleomorphic adenoma. Tumors with relatively low signal intensity on T2-weighted images are more likely to be malignant even when they are well-demarcated. Fat suppression technique improves the ability to define the boundaries of neoplatic or inflammatory lesions.

Purpose To evaluate the potential of topical iganidipine ophthalmic solution to exert Ca(2+)-antagonistic activity in the posterior parts of the eye without inducing systemic effects, ocular and periocular penetration of topically instilled iganidipine was studied in pigmented rabbits. Method First, (14)C-iganidipine solution (0.03%, 30 microL) was instilled into one eye, and vehicle into the other eye to determine the intraocular penetration of iganidipine and to measure the radioactivity of ocular tissues 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 12 hours after a single instillation (n = 3, respectively). Second, iganidipine (0.03%) or betaxolol (0.5%) was unilaterally instilled twice daily for 20 days to study the effects on intravitreously injected various doses of endothelin (ET)-1-induced retinal artery constriction to evaluate whether a pharmacologically active level of the drug penetrated to the posterior retina and to estimate the drug level in the posterior retina (n = 6, respectively). Third, iganidipine (0, 10, or 30 microg/kg: n = 6, 3, and 6, respectively) was intravenously injected to study the effects on intravitreously injected ET-1-induced retinal artery constriction to evaluate iganidipine levels in the posterior retina. Fourth, periocular penetration of iganidipine was studied by means of whole-head autoradiography after a single instillation of (14)C-iganidipine (0.09%, 30 microL; n = 5). Results Penetration of topically applied iganidipine to the cornea or aqueous humor was high and estimated to be at least 10 times higher than that reported for timolol or carteolol. Concentrations in the iris-ciliary body or retina-choroid were much higher than in the plasma, both in the treated and control eyes, suggesting that iganidipine binds to uveal pigments. Twice-daily 20-day instillation of iganidipine (0.03%), but not of betaxolol (0.5%), significantly suppressed constriction of the retinal arteries induced by intravitreous injection of ET-1 at a dose of 2.5 or 0.5 ng in the ipsilateral eye. Intravenous injection of iganidipine at a dose of 30 microg/kg (giving a free plasma concentration of approximately 10(-8) M), but not at a dose of 10 microg/kg, significantly suppressed intravitreous ET-1-induced (0.5 ng) constriction of the retinal artery to a similar degree as twice-daily 20-day instillation of 0.03% iganidipine. After a single instillation of 0.09% iganidipine, the equivalent concentration of iganidipine in the ipsilateral retrobulbar periocular space estimated from autoradiography was approximately 3.9 x 10(-8) M between 15 minutes and 1 hour after instillation, consistently higher than in the untreated contralateral eyes by approximately 3.0 x 10(-8) M (P = 0.043). Conclusions In rabbits, topically instilled iganidipine, a Ca(2+) antagonist, in a 0.03% solution reaches the ipsilateral posterior retina or retrobulbar periocular space by local penetration at concentrations sufficient to act as a Ca(2+) antagonist.

The authors have designed and fabricated a high-bit-rate and high-input-sensitivity decision circuit using an advanced super-self-aligned Si bipolar process technology by 0.5- mu m photolithography. To realize both a very high bit rate and a high input sensitivity at the same time required not only advanced device technology but also a sophisticated circuit design to extract the maximum performance from the device. The circuit design included optimization of individual transistor sizes to boost the speed and adoption of a wideband preamplifier to enhance the sensitivity. The circuit operates at up to 15 Gb/s with an input sensitivity of 40 mV/sub p-p/. >

We describe thin collector InP-based double heterojunction bipolar transistors with a thin pseudomorphic base for achieving high f/sub T/ and f/sub max/. Over-300-GHz f/sub T/ and f/sub max/ are obtained with high uniformity across a 3-inch wafer. We demonstrate an ECL gate delay of 3.48 ps/stage in a 19-stage ring-oscillator using the technology. To our knowledge, this is the first report of sub-4-ps ECL gate delay, Moreover, a record f/sub max/ in mesa HBTs of 492 GHz is also demonstrated by a further lateral scaling of DHBTs.

We demonstrate the first case with unruptured carotid-duplicated middle cerebral artery (IC-Dup MCA) aneurysm combined with ruptured opposite carotid aneurysm. Eleven IC-Dup MCA aneurysm reported until now had all ruptured. It is noteworthy that 8 patients of the 11 were Japanese.

Using InP/InGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology, we have successfully designed and fabricated a low power 1:16 demultiplexer (DEMUX) IC and one-chip clock and data recovery (CDR) with a 1:4 DEMUX IC for 10 Gbit/s optical communication systems. The HBTs were fabricated by a non-self-aligned process to achieve high productivity and uniformity of device characteristics. The 1:16 DEMUX IC and the one-chip CDR with the 1:4 DEMUX IC consist of approximately 1200 and 460 transistors, respectively. We have confirmed error-free operation at 10 Gbit/s for all data outputs of both ICs. The 1:16 DEMUX IC and the one-chip CDR with the 1:4 DEMUX IC consume only 1 W and 950 mW, respectively. These results demonstrate the feasibility of InP/InGaAs HBTs for low-power, high-integration optical communication ICs.

Clock and data recovery (CDR) with a novel two-mode phase comparator (PC) is proposed. The 10-Gbit/s CDR IC stably operates both for consecutive identical digits (CIDs) and for data transition density variations. This advancement is achieved by the novel two-mode PC, which enables us to optimize phase-locked loop parameters for various data patterns. Experimental results show that the jitter generation of the CDR IC is less than 7 ps/sub pp/ for a 2/sup 7/-1 pseudorandom bit sequence with up to 1024 CIDs. They also show that the jitter transfer and jitter tolerance are not affected by the data transition density factors between 1/8 and 1/2.

This paper describes a jitter suppression technique for a 2.48832 Gb/s clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit that uses a phase-locked loop (PLL). This technique improves both the jitter generation and the jitter transfer function. The jitter generation can be suppressed by boosting the loop gain in PLL. A suitable jitter transfer function and jitter tolerance can be achieved by optimizing the characteristics of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter. The fabricated circuit had a low jitter generation (about 2.4 mUI rms) and a low jitter transfer function cutoff frequency (about 500 kHz) by using a SAW filter with a center frequency (f/sub c/) of 622.08 MHz. The jitter generations are within f/sub c/ mUI rms for the temperature range between 0/spl deg/C to 90/spl deg/C. The circuit passes the jitter tolerance specification in ITU-T recommendation G.958 by more than 30%.

The ability of non-human primates to follow the gaze of other individuals has recently received much attention in comparative cognition. The aim of the present study was to investigate the emergence of this ability in a chimpanzee infant. The infant was trained to look at one of two objects, which an experimenter indicated by one of four different cue conditions: (1) tapping on the target object with a finger; (2) pointing to the target object with a finger; (3) gazing at the target object with head orientation; or (4) glancing at the target object without head orientation. The subject was given food rewards independently of its responses under the first three conditions, so that its responses to the objects were not influenced by the rewards. The glancing condition was tested occasionally, without any reinforcement. By the age of 13 months, the subject showed reliable following responses to the object that was indicated by the various cues, including glancing alone. Furthermore, additional tests clearly showed that the subject's performance was controlled by the "social" properties of the experimenter-given cues but not by the non-social, local-enhancing peripheral properties.

We report two boys with Menkes' syndrome who underwent cranial MRI and MR angiography (MRA). In both, CT and MRI revealed progressive cerebral atrophy with a subdural haematoma or effusion. Delayed myelination or dysmyelination of the white matter was suggested. Tortuosity of the cervical and intracranial vessels was well demonstrated by MRA, obviating more invasive conventional angiography should it be thought necessary to demonstrate the characteristic systemic vascular changes of this syndrome.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with peripheral facial nerve palsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imaging was performed in 147 patients with facial nerve palsy, using a 1.0 T unit. All of 147 patients were evaluated by contrast-enhanced MR imaging and the pattern of enhancement was compared with that in 300 control subjects evaluated for suspected acoustic neurinoma. RESULTS: The intrameatal and labyrinthine segments of the normal facial nerve did not show enhancement, whereas enhancement of the distal intrameatal segment and the labyrinthine segment was respectively found in 67% and 43% of patients with Bell's palsy. The geniculate ganglion or the tympanic–mastoid segment was enhanced in 21% of normal controls versus 91% of patients with Bell's palsy. Abnormal enhancement of the non-paralyzed facial nerve was found in a patient with bilateral temporal bone fracture. CONCLUSION: Enhancement of the distal intrameatal and labyrinthine segments is specific for facial nerve palsy. Contrast-enhanced MR imaging can reveal inflammatory facial nerve lesions and traumatic nerve injury, including clinically silent damage in trauma. Kinoshita T., et al . (2001). Clinical Radiology 56 , 926–932.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of topical timolol on the optic nerve head (ONH) circulation in the cynomolgus monkey. Methods: Eight cynomolgus monkeys were used. Timolol (0.5%, 30 μL) was instilled twice daily into 1 eye and physiological saline into the other eye for 7 consecutive days. The ONH tissue blood velocity (NBONH) was determined using the laser speckle method. The determinations of NBONH were carried out before the first instillation and 4 hours after the first, the seventh and the last instillation. The IOP was measured periodically. All measurements were performed in a masked manner. Results: Twice daily 7-day instillation of 0.5% timolol showed no significant effect on the NBONH in either eye, while the IOP was significantly decreased in both eyes. Conclusion: In the cynomolgus monkey, the ONH circulation was not affected by 7-day twice daily topical timolol treatment.

The usual clinical course of ectopic pregnancy is punctuated by the onset of severe abdominal pain when rupture of the Fallopian tube leads to a pelvic haemorrhage [1]. Spontaneous rupture occurs in most patients, although the immediate cause of rupture may be trauma associated with coitus or vigorous bimanual examination [2,3]. The diagnosis is suggested by the typical history and physical examination revealing an overdue menstrual period and a palpable adnexal mass [4]. Torsion of the pedicle of ovarian tumors may simulate ruptured ectopic pregnancy clinically. The serum b-hCG determinations are crucial in diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. However, imaging examinations make the diagnosis probable while awaiting confirmatory laboratory results. We describe magnetic resonance (MR) findings in a 25-year-old woman with acutely ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy.

Five new quassinoids, javanicins U, V, W, X and Y were isolated from Picrasma javanica (Simaroubaceae) collected in Indonesia. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic evidence.

A new quassinoid, javanicin N, was isolated from the woods of Picrasma javanica (Simaroubaceae) collected in Indonesia, and two new quassinoids, javanicins P and Q, were also isolated from the leaves of the same plant. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data.

PURPOSE In the diagnosis of hyperacute stroke, an early CT sign such as the loss of gray-white matter interface may be difficult to detect within the first hours of the onset of symptoms because of the presence of quantum noise on CT images. We present a method for improving the detection of early CT sign, and to evaluate whether our method can help radiologists detect the early CT signs at emergency CT scan. METHODS AND MATERIALS Our method provides an adaptive partial median filter (APMF), which can reduce local noise without blurring of anatomical structure using variable filter shape and size according to the pixel value distribution of object around a center pixel. The APMF can enhance the loss of gray-white matter interface due to hyperacute stroke. Twenty-six patients with early CT signs at the lentiform nucleus and/or the cortical ribbon and 49 control subjects were included in an observer study. The CT images of 26 patients with acute (