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成人において頭頸部領域に発生する軟部肉腫は非常に稀な疾患である。1993年から2006年までに四国がんセンター頭頸科において治療を行った頭頸部軟部肉腫8例について，治療方法と予後を検討した。組織型内訳は横紋筋肉腫3例，脂肪肉腫2例，血管肉腫1例，筋線維芽細胞肉腫1例，線維芽肉腫1例である。一次治療として横紋筋肉腫の3例に対しては化学療法（VAC）と放射線治療を行った。横紋筋肉腫以外の症例に対しては一次治療として拡大切除を行った。疾患特異的5年生存率は30.0%であった。手術治療後の断端近接例に対しては術後照射の追加も有用と考えられた

By input of the actual dose of a drug given into a radiology information system, the system converting with an accounting system into a cost of the drug from the actual dose in the electronic medical record was built. In the drug master, the first unit was set as the cost of the drug, and we set the second unit as the actual dose. The second unit in the radiology information system was received by the accounting system through electronic medical record. In the accounting system, the actual dose was changed into the cost of the drug using the dose of conversion to the first unit. The actual dose was recorded on a radiology information system and electronic medical record. The actual dose was indicated on the accounting system, and the cost for the drug was calculated. About the actual dose of drug, cooperation of the information in a radiology information system and electronic medical record were completed. It was possible to decide the volume of drug from the correct dose of drug at the previous inspection. If it is necessary for the patient to have another treatment of medicine, it is important to know the actual dose of drug given. Moreover, authenticity of electronic medical record based on a statute has also improved.

Thermodynamic, kinetic, and operational stabilities of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) were measured and compared in aqueous solutions containing various sugars (sucrose, glucose, and ribose) and compatible osmolytes (betaine and sarcosine). In the measurement of operational stability, native YADH was entrapped and physically immobilized in an ultrafiltration hollow fiber tube to retain the native characteristics of the enzyme. All the additives tested increased thermodynamic stability and kinetic stability of YADH. The order of the magnitude of stabilization effect among additives was different between thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities. Compared to the thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities, the effects of additives were much different in operational stability. Sucrose, glucose, and betaine stabilized YADH substantially while ribose and sarcosine destabilized the enzyme. These results show that the thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities do not necessarily guarantee the operational stability of YADH. The coexistence of stabilizing solute was proved effective to increase the productivity of the bioreactor with immobilized YADH.

NBCe1-B, a major splice variant of the electrogenic Na+--HCO3- cotransporter (NBCe1) fulfills basic cellular functions including regulation of intracellular pH and epithelial HCO3- secretion. However, its cellular regulatory mechanism still remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence for the first time that NBCe1-B activity can be controlled by intracellular Mg2+ (Mg2+(i)), the physiologically most abundant intracellular divalent cation. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we found that recombinant NBCe1-B currents expressed in HEK293 and NIH3T3 cells were inhibited voltage-independently by Mg2+(i) in a concentration-dependent manner (K(i) approximately 0.01 mM). The Mg2+(i) inhibition was partially relieved by truncation of the NBCe1-B specific N-terminal region (K(i) approximately 0.3 mM), and was also observed for native electrogenic Na+--HCO3- cotransporter current in bovine parotid acinar cells that endogenously express NBCe1-B (K(i) approximately 1 mM). These results suggest that Mg2+ may be a cytosolic factor that limits intrinsic cotransport activity of NBCe1-B in mammalian cells.

目的: 低位筋間痔瘻および後方複雑痔瘻を，解剖学的知見をもとに明確化し，肛門診療で基準となる痔瘻分類を示す．会陰骨盤間隙: 会陰骨盤間隙を皮下·粘膜下隙(IL·IH，境界は歯状線），低位·高位括約筋間隙(IIL·IIH，境界は歯状線），肛門周囲隙(IIL），坐骨直腸窩(III），肛門挙筋上隙(IV）に分ける．さらに坐骨直腸窩を低位と高位に区分する(IIIL·IIIH）．坐骨直腸窩には脈管·神経を含む結合組織からなる坐骨直腸窩中隔が存在するためである．一方，肛門後方正中部には特別な部位が存在する．そのうち，前方を内括約筋，上方を肛門挙筋の下面，下方と側方を外括約筋の前面に囲まれた部位を後方深部隙(IIIP），前方を深外括約筋の後面，上方と下方を浅外括約筋で囲まれている部位をCourtney腔(III Courtney）とする．分類: 痔瘻の進展形式により，皮下·粘膜下痔瘻，低位·高位筋間痔瘻，低位·高位坐骨直腸窩痔瘻，後方深部痔瘻，肛門挙筋上痔瘻に分類する．

Chronic hepatitis C is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Interferon therapy decreases the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Prevention of chronic hepatitis C-related HCC is one of the most important issues in current hepatology. We previously reported that male gender and high-titer of HCV-RNA were predictive factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in the anti-HCV positive group. Clinical efforts of eradicating or reducing the viral load may reduce the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma.Furthermore, because hepatocellular carcinoma often recurs after ablation therapy, we performed a trial of interferon in patients with chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) to investigate whether the interferon therapy decrease the recurrence after ablation therapy of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. By the interferon therapy as secondary prevention, we found that the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who had received complete tumor ablation might be associated with better survival, primarily as a result of the preservation of liver function and also probably the prevention of recurrence.Postoperative interferon therapy appears to decrease recurrence after ablation therapy such as radiofrequency ablation therapy of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major comorbidity in patients receiving hemodialysis. Interferon-based antiviral therapy to eradicate HCV is less effective in patients receiving hemodialysis than patients without renal dysfunction. Recently reported combination therapy with two oral direct-acting antiviral drugs, daclatasvir and asunaprevir, both of which are metabolized in the liver and excreted into the bile ducts, reportedly showed a high rate of HCV eradication. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of this therapy in patients receiving hemodialysis.The safety and viral responses were compared among patients infected with HCV genotype 1, between 28 patients receiving hemodialysis, and propensity score-matched 56 patients without renal dysfunction.The reduction in serum HCV RNA levels 1 day after the start of therapy was significantly larger (p = 0.0329) and the disappearance of serum HCV RNA occurred significantly earlier (p = 0.0017) in patients receiving hemodialysis than those without renal dysfunction. The rates of sustained virologic response, i.e., the eradication of HCV, were comparable between two groups; the rate of SVR12 was 100 % in patients receiving hemodialysis and 94.6 % in patients without renal dysfunction. No adverse constitutional events were observed in either of the groups. The elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase levels, a known adverse effect of these drugs, was observed in comparable rate of patients between the two groups.The therapy with daclatasvir and asunaprevir has high antiviral efficacy in patients receiving hemodialysis with a comparable safety profile to patients without renal dysfunction.

People often work together to collaboratively navigate environments. Unfortunately, people make mistakes when giving directions to others, which can be especially troublesome when giving directions via a cell phone to a partner that cannot be physically seen. To facilitate collaborative navigation between spatially separated partners, contemporary navigational aids provide information about important landmarks and decision points in an environment. To learn more about what kinds of mistakes people make in navigating and the problems they have in giving and receiving route directions, this article presents an empirical study on dynamic, collaborative wayfinding, which looked at decision points where wayfinders made navigational errors. We found metrics rating the salience of decision points in an environment that correlate with where people tended to make mistakes in navigation, and argue that navigational aids could highlight these points to wayfinders so that they can pay special attention when giving directions traversing these points. We finish by outlining how the lessons learned in this study can be applied to real-time navigational aids.

We investigated the characteristics and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosed after sustained virological response (SVR) to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, namely, the eradication of HCV, according to surveillance status after SVR.In this multicenter study, liver function at HCC diagnosis and progression of HCC among patients with HCC diagnosed after SVR were compared. Outcomes were also investigated.In patients not under surveillance after SVR, HCC was significantly more advanced at diagnosis, with tumors that were larger in size and of higher stage than in patients who continued under surveillance after SVR. Survival rates were significantly lower in patients not under surveillance (P 0.0001). Among patients who were under surveillance, those with a 6-month surveillance interval had larger and higher stage HCC than patients with a 3-month interval. Recurrence rates in patients with a 6-month surveillance interval were significantly higher than in patients with a 3-month surveillance interval (P = 0.0417).Lack of surveillance after SVR was obviously associated with more advanced HCC at detection, resulting in poor prognosis. More importantly, there may be a difference in the severity of HCC at diagnosis and prognosis based on the surveillance interval after SVR. Establishing guidelines how to survey patients with chronic hepatitis C after SVR is necessary.

A lack of donors in liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become a big issue. There is no consensus regarding whether interventional radiology for HCC in patients with Child-Pugh C liver cirrhosis will improve prognosis. To elucidate the effectiveness of such treatment, we evaluated the clinical features of affected patients.Patients with naive HCC of Child-Pugh C (n = 236) were enrolled. Two of them were treated with LT after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) were used as bridging treatments. After exclusion of a total of three patients who received LT, we evaluated clinical factors related to improved prognosis.The percentage of all patients with total bilirubin of less than 3 mg/dL was 41.1%. The prognosis of patients who were received treatments (n = 30; ablative therapy 10, TACE 20) was better than non-treated patients (n = 18; mean survival time [MST] 22.2 vs 13.8 months, P = 0.021, respectively) in patients with up to 7 criteria and total bilirubin of less than 3 mg/dL (n = 48). On the other hand, there was no difference in prognosis between those who underwent ablative therapies (n = 10) and those who received TACE (n = 20) (MST 22.2 vs 16.9 months, P = 0.390).Therapy for HCC may prolong survival in patients with naive HCC, with up to 7 criteria and total bilirubin of less than 3 mg/dL.

This paper examines the effects of mandatory disclosure information on unobservable precision choices by management of voluntary disclosure. Prior research articles investigate the precision of information disclosed by management, but they do not consider the relationships between mandatory and voluntary disclosure information. In this paper, I focus on the relation- ships and analyze precision choices under the situation that there are manda- tory and voluntary disclosure. I find that mandatory disclosure information influences precision choices of voluntary disclosure.

Existing frameworks for explaining spatial knowledge acquisition in a new environment propose either stage-like or continuous development. To examine the spatial microgenesis of individuals, a longitudinal study was conducted. Twenty-four college students were individually driven along two routes in a previously unfamiliar neighborhood over 10 weekly sessions. Starting Session 4, they were also driven along a short connecting route. After each session, participants estimated spatial properties of the routes. Some participants' knowledge improved fairly continuously over the sessions, but most participants either manifested accurate metric knowledge from the first session or never manifested accurate metric knowledge. Results are discussed in light of these large individual differences, particularly with respect to the accuracy and development of integrated configurational knowledge.

Most psychometric tests of spatial ability are paper-and-pencil tasks at the “figural” scale of space, in that they involve inspecting, imagining or mentally transforming small shapes or manipulable objects. Environmental spatial tasks, such as wayfinding or learning the layout of a building or city, are carried out in larger spaces that surround the body and involve integration of the sequence of views that change with one's movement in the environment. In a correlational study, 221 participants were tested on psychometric measures of spatial abilities, spatial updating, verbal abilities and working memory. They also learned the layout of large environments from direct experience walking through a real environment, and via two different media: a desktop virtual environment (VE) and a videotape of a walk through an environment. In an exploratory factor analysis, measures of environmental learning from direct experience defined a separate factor from measures of learning based on VE and video media. In structural-equation models, small-scale spatial abilities predicted performance on the environmental-learning tasks, but were more predictive of learning from media than from direct experience. The results indicate that spatial abilities at different scales of space are partially but not totally dissociated. They specify the degree of overlap between small-scale and large-scale spatial abilities, inform theories of sex differences in these abilities, and provide new insights about what these abilities have in common and how they differ.

We developed a method of hybrid particle/cubic interpolated propagation (CIP) to predict the motion of micro- and macrofree surfaces within gas-liquid flows. Microfree surfaces (smaller than the grid sizes) were simulated with the particle method, and macrofree surfaces (larger than the grid sizes) were simulated with the grid method (CIP is a kind of grid method). With the hybrid, velocities given by the advection part of the particle method were combined with those given by the advection part of CIP. Furthermore, the particles used with the particle method were assigned near the macrofree surfaces by using the volume fraction of liquid that was calculated with CIP. The method we developed was used to predict the collapse of a liquid column. Namely, it was simultaneously able to predict both large deformation in the liquid column and its fragmentation, and the predicted configurations for the liquid column agreed well with the experimentally measured ones. It was also used to predict the behavior of liquid films at the outlet of a fuel injector used for automobile engines. The particle method in the simulation was mainly used for liquid films in the air region and the grid method was used for the other regions to shorten the computational time. The predicted profile of the liquid film was very sharp in the air region where the liquid film became thinner than the grid sizes; there was no loss of liquid film with numerical diffusion.

Using patch-clamp and molecular biological techniques, we identified and characterized membrane currents most likely generated by an electrogenic Na+-HCO3- cotransporter (NBCe) in acutely dissociated bovine parotid acinar (BPA) cells. When BPA cells were dialysed with a N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG)-glutamate-rich pipette solution, switching a Na-glutamate-rich, nominally HCO3--free bath solution to the one containing 25 mM HCO3-, but not Cl-, elicited a whole-cell current with a linear current-voltage relation. The HCO3- evoked current was abolished by total replacement of extracellular Na+ (Na+o) with NMDG or by 0.5 mM 4,4'-diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), and was only partially supported by Li+o, but not by K+o, Cs+o, and cholineo. The reversal potential shift of DIDS (0.5 mM)-sensitive current induced by a change of [Na+]o corresponded to an apparent coupling ratio of HCO3- to Na+ of 2. RT-PCR analysis showed the presence of transcripts of NBCe1-B, but not NBCe1-A in BPA cells. Electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of whole-cell currents recorded from HEK293 cells transfected with the NBCe1-B, which was cloned from BPA cells resembled those of the native currents. Non-invasive measurements of membrane potential changes in the cell-attached patch configuration indicated that an NBCe activity is present in intact unstimulated BPA cells bathed in a 25 mM HCO3--containing solution. Collectively, these results not only suggest that an NBCe is present, functional and may be mediated, at least in part, by NBCe1-B in BPA cells, but also provide the first electrophysiological characterization of transport properties of NBCe expressed in native exocrine glands.

The authors encountered a patient with gastric varices draining to the IVC not only via the usual route of the left renal vein but also via a circumaortic renal vein. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) of the gastric varix was performed with balloon occlusion of the circumaortic renal vein and retrograde injection of sclerosing agent (5% of ethanolamine oleate) into the varix. Eradication of the gastric varix was confirmed on endoscopic examination 2 months later. We document the first case of B-RTO performed for gastric varix via the circumaortic renal vein. Details of this rare occurrence and implications for treatment are presented herein.

A 1 k-bit 1T2C-type ferroelectric memory cell array has been designed and fabricated by combination of a 0.35 µm design rule for the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and a 3 µm design rule for the ferroelectric and interconnection processes. Basic operations such as random access writing and readout operations, nondestructive data readout for more than 104 readout pulses, data retention for 10 days, and data disturbance characteristics for more than 104 unipolar pulses have been demonstrated in the fabricated 1T2C-type cell array.

Geoscience learning requires mastery of various spatially demanding tasks, and the learning-science literature offers research findings that illuminate the mental processes underlying such geospati...

This paper reports an empirical study of communication issues concerning climate forecasts. Students in a professional master's degree (MPA) program in environmental science and policy participated in the study as prospective policy makers. Participants viewed a set of currently issued precipitation forecast maps, and answered questions designed to assess, in the context relevant to agricultural and environmental decision-making, their understanding and evaluation of the maps. Participants failed to understand some aspects of the information shown on the maps, in the cur- rent design, as the map makers intended. In particular, participants had difficulty understanding probability forecast maps and distinguishing probabilistic three category forecasts and the amount of precipitation. Most participants evaluated the degree of agreement between the forecast and observation as "agree only slightly" or "agree somewhat." More than half of the participants were not inclined to use the forecasts in agricultural decision-making. Implications for improvement in design for better communication are discussed.

症例は57歳,女性,右乳房の小腫瘤を主訴に来院. 1.0cm大の境界明瞭,可動性良好な腫瘍を認めた.乳房レントゲン撮影,超音波検査では境界明瞭な腫瘍,吸引細胞診所見では良性の細胞集塊を認めた.摘出生検では割面は淡黄褐色充実性腫瘍で,周囲に白色の被膜を認めた.病理組織所見では腺上皮細胞の増生と筋上皮細胞の増生がみられ腺筋上皮腫と診断した.乳腺の腺筋上皮腫は稀な疾患で本邦では64例の報告がみられた.本疾患はほとんどが良性腫瘍であるが,稀に局所再発例,遠隔転移例もみられ,十分な切除範囲を必要とする.一方で細胞診においてはover diagnosisに注意が必要である.

From the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of celery seed (fruit of Apium graveolens L.) five sesquiterpenoid glucosides (celerioside A-E) and three phthalide glycosides (celephtalide A-C) were isolated together with six aromatic compound glucosides, two norcarotenoid glucosides and a lignan glucoside. Their structures were determined by spectral investigations.

From the polar portion of the methanolic extract of the fruit of anise ( Pimpinella anisum L.), which has been used as a spice and medicine since antiquity, four aromatic compound glucosides, an alkyl glucoside and a glucide were isolated together with 24 known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were clarified as ( E )-3-hydroxyanethole β- d -glucopyranoside, ( E )-1′-(2-hydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl)propane β- d -glucopyranoside, 3-hydroxyestragole β- d -glucopyranoside, methyl syringate 4- O -β- d -glucopyranoside, hexane-1,5-diol 1- O -β- d -glucopyranoside and 1-deoxy- l -erythritol 3- O -β- d -glucopyranoside by spectral investigation.

We treated two cases of habitual temporomandibular dislocation by the Buckley-Terry procedure using a T-type titanium miniplate. Both patients had mental or cerebrovascular disorders and had recurrent dislocation of the temporomandibular joint. Using an Al Kayat-Bramley type approach to the joint, we applied a bent T-type titanium miniplate to limit the movement of the condyle head. After Buckley-Terry surgical intervention, there was no clinical evidence of recurrent dislocation in either patient. This procedure appears to be a very simple and useful technique for the surgical treatment of habitual temporomandibular joint dislocation.

From the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of the fresh rhizome of Atractylodes japonica, five new sesquiterpenoid glycosides, including a compound having a secoguaiane skeleton, and a new aromatic compound glycoside were isolated together with ten known compounds. Their structures were clarified by spectral investigation.

From the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of coriander (fruit of Coriandrum sativum L.), which has been used as a spice and medicine since antiquity, 33 compounds, including two new monoterpenoids, four new monoterpenoid glycosides, two new monoterpenoid glucoside sulfates and two new aromatic compound glycosides were obtained. Their structures, were clarified by spectral investigation.

Although Ca2+-activated K+(KCa) channels distinct from maxi-K+channels have been suggested to contribute to muscarinically stimulated K+currents in salivary acinar cells, the molecular nature of the channels is unclear. Using electrophysiological and RT-PCR techniques, we have now investigated the involvement of SK4/IK1-like channels in native KCacurrents in bovine parotid acinar (BPA) cells. Ca2+-dependent K+efflux from perfused bovine parotid tissues was not inhibited by a maxi-K+channel blocker, tetraethylammonium (TEA). Whole cell recordings from BPA cells showed a TEA-insensitive KCaconductance, which was highly permeable to Rb+. In inside-out macropatches, TEA-insensitive Rb+currents were activated by Ca2+with half-maximal values of 0.4 μM. 1-Ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone (1-EBIO) increased the Ca2+sensitivity of the currents. The calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine, calmidazolium, and W-7 inhibited the Ca2+-activated Rb+currents. In outside-out macropatches, Ca2+-activated Rb+currents were inhibited by Ba2+, quinine, clotrimazole, and charybdotoxin but not by d-tubocrarine or apamin. RT-PCR analysis showed transcripts of SK4/IK1 in BPA cells. These results collectively suggest that SK4/IK1-like channels mediate the native KCacurrents in BPA cells.

胃固有筋層に固定される進行胃癌が十二指腸内に嵌入をきたした稀な症例を報告した.症例は77歳,男性,食欲不振と嘔気を主訴に来院.内視鏡検査では胃下部の隆起局面が幽門輪内に入り込み幽門が狭窄されていた. CTおよび超音波検査では,十二指腸内腔に胃内より連続した9 cm大の充実性腫瘤を認め,胃腫瘍の嵌入と診断した.開腹にて胃壁は幽門直前で重積様に陥凹し,十二指腸は腫瘍により拡張し壁は肥厚していた.胃内へ腫瘍は還納されず,胃幽門側および腫瘍を含む十二指腸を切除した.腫瘍は胃下部小彎の90×70×30mm大のBorrmann 1型,深達度MPの高分化型腺癌であった.

Five sesquiterpenoid glycosides (two guaiane-type glycosides and three eudesmane-type glucosides) and a glucoside of an acetylene derivative were newly isolated from the water-soluble portion of the methanolic extract of Atractylodes lancea rhizome together with 26 known compounds. Their structures were characterized as atractyloside A 14-O-beta-D-fructofuranoside, (1S,4S,5S,7R,10S)-10,11,14-trihydroxyguai-3-one 11-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, (5R,7R,10S)-isopterocarpolone beta-D-glucopyranoside, cis-atractyloside I, (2R,3R,5R,7R,10S)-atractyloside G 2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and (2E,8E)-2,8-decadiene-4,6-diyne-1,10-diol 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic investigation. The presence of six characteristic guaiane-type glucosides in both rhizomes of A. lancea and Atractylodes japonica suggested a close chemotaxonomic relationship between them.

From the water-soluble portion of the methanolic extract of caraway (fruit of Carum carvi L.), an aromatic compound, an aromatic compound glucoside and a glucide were isolated together with 16 known compounds. Their structures were clarified as 2-methoxy-2-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol, junipediol A 2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and L-fucitol, respectively.

The apically located epithelial Na(+) channel (alphabetagamma-ENaC) plays a key role in the regulation of salt and fluid transport in the kidney and other epithelia, yet its mode of trafficking to the plasma membrane and its cell surface stability in mammalian cells are poorly understood. Because the expression of ENaC in native tissues/cells is very low, we generated epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells stably expressing alphabetagamma-ENaC, where each subunit is tagged differentially at the intracellular C terminus and the beta-subunit is also Myc-tagged at the ectodomain (alpha(HA)beta(Myc,T7)gamma(FLAG)). ENaC expression in these cells was verified by immunoblotting with antibodies to the tags, and patch clamp analysis has confirmed that the tagged channel is functional. Moreover, using electron microscopy, we demonstrated apical, but not basal, membrane localization of ENaC in these cells. The glycosylation pattern of the intracellular pool of ENaC revealed peptide N-glycosidase F and endoglycosidase H sensitivity. Surprisingly, the cell surface pool of ENaC, analyzed by surface biotinylation, was also core glycosylated and lacked detectable endoglycosidase H-resistant channels. Extraction of the channel from cells in Triton X-100 demonstrated that both intracellular and cell surface pools of ENaC are largely soluble. Moreover, floatation assays to analyze the presence of ENaC in lipid rafts showed that both intracellular and cell surface pools of this channel are not associated with rafts. We have shown previously that the total cellular pool of ENaC is turned over rapidly (t(1/2) approximately 1-2 h). Using cycloheximide treatment and surface biotinylation we now demonstrate that the cell surface pool of ENaC has a similarly short half-life (t(1/2) approximately 1 h), unlike the long half-life reported recently for the Xenopus A6 cells. Collectively, these results help elucidate key aspects of ENaC trafficking and turnover rates in mammalian kidney epithelial cells.

経肛門的イレウス管挿入後に発症したイレウス管による結腸穿孔の1例を経験した.症例は54歳,女性.横行結腸人工肛門閉鎖術施行後に吻合部の狭窄による腸閉塞がみられた.経肛門的に内視鏡にて狭窄部の拡張を行うとともに減圧目的にイレウス管を狭窄部を越えて挿入した.イレウス管挿入後2日目に腹痛と発熱が出現したためイレウス管造影を行ったところ減圧された結腸壁を管の先端が圧迫していた.イレウス管を抜去するも腹痛は改善せず,腸管穿孔と判断し緊急手術を行った. 近年大腸の狭窄による腸閉塞に経肛門的イレウス管が有用とされているが,拡張腸管の減圧にともない管の先端による腸管壁穿孔がみられることがあり合併症としての留意が必要である.

酸化マグネシウムは副作用が比較的少なく安全な下剤であり,治療科目にとらわれず汎用される薬剤である.今回肛門狭窄を伴う便秘患者が酸化マグネシウムを大量服用することによって生じた直腸内巨大腸石症例を経験したので報告する.症例は69歳,女性.排便困難を主訴に来院した.肛門診察にて肛門狭窄を認めたため,10月8日入院し,肛門拡張術を施行した.退院後肛門指診にて,ざらざらした砂状の凝集塊と表面不整で非常に硬い腸石を認め,腹部X線を撮影したところ骨盤内に直径6cm大の腸石像を認めた.11月15日再入院し,直腸内腸石摘出術を行った.摘出標本は茶褐色で非常に硬く表面不整であった,腸石の成分は炭酸マグネシウムとして59.9%であり,酸化マグネシウムの大量常用による直腸内巨大腸石症と診断された.酸化マグネシウムは汎用される薬剤であるが安易に増量すべきでなく,他の薬剤を併用するなどの注意が必要と考えられた.

From the water-soluble portion of the methanolic extract of the fruit of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.), which has been used as a spice and medicine since antiquity, twelve new and five known glucosides of phenylpropanoids, including four stereoisomers of anethole glycol 2'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and four stereoisomers of 1'-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane-1',2'-diol 2'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside were isolated together with anethole glycols and guaiacyl glycerol. The structures of the new compounds were clarified by spectral investigation.

Background: OK-432 is known to increase the host antitumor response. We previously reported that systemic administration of OK-432 (OK-Lipo) specifically induced hepatic lymphocytes in mice. Here we aimed to investigate the antitumor effect of OK-Lipo on hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) in experimental rats. Methods: Diethylnitrosamine was administered for 12 weeks to all rats (n = 36). Rats were divided into three groups of 12 rats each. One group was injected with OK-Lipo from week 5 (OK-5w group) and another from week 9 (OK-9w group). A control group was injected with saline from week 5 (Non-OK group). At week 13, five rats from each group were used for histological analysis and immunofluorescence assays (surface phenotypic and intracellular cytokine analysis of the mononuclear cells in the liver, spleen and peripheral blood). The remaining rats were observed for the remainder of their survival period. Results: The mean survival times of Non-OK, OK-5w, and OK-9w groups differed significantly (98.0 ± 5.3 days, 116.0 ± 5.8 days, and 106.0 ± 5.4 days, respectively, P < 0.01). Histological examination revealed many apoptotic tumor cells, infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages in the OK-5w group. The two-color immunofluorescence assay showed that the proportion of natural killer (NK) cells and IFN-γ-producing cells in the liver were significantly higher in the OK-5w group. Conclusions: These findings showed that systemic administration of OK-Lipo contributed to prolonging the survival of rats with HCC. OK-Lipo induced NK cells and IFN-γ-producing cells specifically in the liver and these cells seemed to reduce hepatocarcinogenesis and tumor growth.

当院で虚血性大腸炎と診断した46例を検討した.男性18例,女性28例で,平均年齢は52.8歳と比較的若かった.腹痛,下痢,下血をすべて認めた症例は78.3%と高率であった.基礎疾患を有したのは26.1%と少なく,便通異常を認めたのは65.2%で,便秘症がその内半数以上を占めていた.再発例は2例であった.病変はすべて左側結腸に認め,S状結腸から下行結腸にわたるものが34.8%と最も多かった.内視鏡所見から軽度,中等度,高度に分類するとそれぞれ11例,23例,12例で,三群を比較すると高度症例では有意に来院までの時間が短く,血液検査における炎症反応陽性率が高かった.入院加療したのは22例(中等度10例,高度全例)であった.すべて一過性型で保存的治療にて軽快し,1ヵ月後の内視鏡検査では全例正常粘膜に復していた.発症早期の内視鏡検査による重症度診断は,予後の推測,治療および経過観察の上で重要と思われた.

Nine monoterpenoids related to carvone and seven glucosides were isolated from the water-soluble portion of the methanolic extract of the caraway (fruit of Carum carvi L.), and their structures were clarified by spectral investigation. Among them, eight monoterpenoids and six glucosides were new.

From the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of cumin (fruit of Cuminum cyminum L.), which has been used as a spice and medicine since antiquity, sixteen monoterpenoid glucosides, including twelve new compounds, were isolated. Their structures were clarified by spectral investigation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) has an extremely poor prognosis. One reason is that portal hypertension may progress rapidly and intractable gastric/esophageal variceal hemorrhage may occur in PVTT cases. We studied whether a percutaneous transhepatic portal vein stent placement could improve the prognosis for HCC with PVTT.Five cases of HCC with PVTT where portal hypertension had rapidly progressed were performed portal vein stenting.All cases had been classified into Child-Pugh class C. Only one of them died of liver failure five months after stent placement, but two of the cases successfully avoided dying of liver failure and the other two cases are still alive with a hepatic functional reserve maintained.Although portal vein stent placement for HCC with PVTT is not by itself a therapy for PVTT, portal vein stent placement plays a prominent role in improving hepatic function reserve preventing fatal hepatic failures due to PVTT and gastric/esophageal variceal hemorrhage associated with portal hypertension. This leads to prolonged survival for HCC patients with PVTT. Further prospective trials including the appropriate timing of portal vein stent placement treatment will be needed for larger numbers of HCC patients with PVTT.

The aim of the present study was to determine predictors of a sustained virological response (SVR) with a regimen of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) combined with interferon-β plus ribavirin (IFN-β/RBV) induction therapy prior to pegylated (PEG-IFN/RBV) standard of care (SOC) therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C who had experienced SOC treatment failure. Predictors of a SVR were analyzed in chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV), who had a high viral load. The patients had been unresponsive to previous IFN therapy and underwent induction therapy with IFN-β/RBV plus DFPP, which was performed five times during the same period, followed by PEG-IFN/RBV. In total, 10 patients received the combination DFPP plus IFN-β/RBV induction therapy prior to PEG-IFN/RBV therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Two weeks after treatment initiation, a decrease in the HCV RNA levels of ≥2 log IU/ml occurred in 9/10 patients (90%), while a decrease of ≥4 log IU/ml was observed in 4/10 patients (40%). The HCV RNA levels at week 2 after treatment initiation in the SVR and non-SVR patients decreased by 5.0±0.8 and 2.9±1.1 log IU/ml, respectively. Despite no response to previous IFN therapy, three of the 10 patients (30%) experienced a SVR. The results indicated that a rapid virological response ensued following IFN-β/RBV induction and DFPP supplementary therapy. Although the level of interleukin-28B is an important predictor of a SVR, a decrease in the HCV RNA volume of ≥4 log IU/ml at week 2 after the initial treatment is also an important predictor. Therefore, rapid virological reduction using DFPP, in addition to IFN-β/RBV induction therapy, is an important predictor of a SVR.

Direct injection gasoline engines have both better engine power and fuel efficiency than port injection gasoline engines. However, direct injection gasoline engines also emit more particulate matter (PM) than port injection gasoline engines do. To decrease PM, fuel injectors with short spray penetration are required. More effective fuel injectors can be preliminarily designed by numerically simulating fuel spray. We previously developed a fuel-spray simulation. Both the fuel flow within the flow paths of an injector and the liquid column at the injector outlet were simulated by using a grid method. The liquid-column breakup was simulated by using a particle method. The motion of droplets within the air/fuel mixture (secondary-drop-breakup) region was calculated by using a discrete droplet model (DDM). In this study, we applied our fuel-spray simulation to sprays for the direct injection gasoline engines. Simulated spray penetrations agreed relatively well with measured spray penetrations. Velocity distributions at the outlet of three kinds of nozzles were plotted by using a histogram, and the relationship between the velocity distributions and spray penetrations was studied. We found that shrinking the high-speed region and making the velocity-distribution uniform were required for short spray penetration.

Patients with ascites or coagulation abnormalities and requiring a liver biopsy may undergo transjugular liver biopsy (TJLB) rather than percutaneous liver biopsy. Currently, the difficulty in maneuvering the sheath towards the hepatic vein keeps this procedure from being widely used. Therefore, the utility of imaging sheaths, typically used for balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration, during TJLB was examined.TJLB was conducted on 41 patients using conventional, Teflon vascular sheaths (9 Fr, 45 cm) and on 60 patients using S1 sheaths (8 Fr, 50 cm). The duration of TJLB procedures, and their associated complications were compared.The mean duration of the procedure was 26.9±7.94 minutes in the group undergoing TJLB with Teflon sheaths, significantly longer (p0.01) than 20.1±4.52 minutes in the patients using S1 sheaths. However, in two (3.3%) of the S1 sheath patients, the sheaths had to be replaced with Teflon TJLB sheaths.This study demonstrates that liver biopsies can be successfully collected by TJLB using S1 sheaths instead of the Teflon sheaths. This substitution for a more flexible material allows for a shorter invasive intervention time for patients for which percutaneous liver biopsy is not an option.

F1-ATPase from Bacillus subtilis (BF1) is severely suppressed by the MgADP inhibition. Here, we have tested if this is due to the loss of nucleotide binding to the noncatalytic site that is required for the activation. Measurements with a tryptophan mutant of BF1 indicated that the noncatalytic sites could bind ATP normally. Furthermore, the mutant BF1 that cannot bind ATP to the noncatalytic sites showed much lower ATPase activity. It was concluded that the cause of strong MgADP inhibition of BF1 is not the weak nucleotide binding to the noncatalytic sites but the other steps required for the activation.

Increased serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) has been associated with a good prognosis following acute liver failure (ALF), but the levels of the fucosylated fraction of AFP (Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP [AFP-L3]) following acute liver injury remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of AFP and AFP-L3 in patients with acute liver injury.We investigated the serum levels of AFP and highly sensitive AFP-L3% in 27 patients with acute-onset autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 28 patients with acute hepatitis (AH) and 22 patients with ALF at the onset using a highly sensitive immunoassay (micro-total analysis system).The serum AFP levels were increased in patients with AIH, AH and ALF, but the levels did not significantly differ among them. However, the mean AFP-L3% level was significantly higher in patients with AIH than in patients with AH (P = 0.0039). Moreover, significantly more patients with AIH demonstrated AFP-L3 positivity (≥10%) when compared with patients with AH (P = 0.014). Although the percentage of AFP-L3 positivity increased with AFP levels, at low serum AFP levels (10 ng/mL), significantly more patients with AIH demonstrated AFP-L3 positivity than did patients with AH (P = 0.024) or ALF (P = 0.038).We demonstrated for the first time that highly sensitive AFP-L3% levels were increased at the onset of AIH. The mechanism underlying the increase in AFP-L3 remains to be elucidated, but this finding may reflect an alteration of the glycosylation such as hyperfucosylation, which can influence the modifications of self-antigens in hepatocytes.

This study examined spatial concepts in environment perception, by looking at people’s reaction to changes in shape, scale, orientation, and topology while navigating in a virtual environment, as contrasted to the case of figural perception. Although people attended to changes in shape, they were most sensitive to a topological relation and discriminated it qualitatively from other transformations. In environment perception, compared to figural perception, the property of similarity did not have great cognitive prominence. Mental-rotation ability affected spatial perception, with high-spatial people discriminating between different transformations more clearly and low-spatial people attending more to topological relations.

Ten new p-menthanetriols, including eight stereoisomers of p-menthane-2,8,9-triol, and five new glucosides were isolated from the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of the fruit of caraway (Carum carvi L.), which has been used as a spice and medicine. Their structures were clarified by spectral investigation.