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We propose a 3D spheroid trapping device featured with a gel formed in the proximity with the spheroids to facilitate spheroid adhesion and perfusion. The device is composed of an upper channel to introduce pre-gel solutions, a bridge region to form a gel and a lower channel to trap a spheroid and perfuse culture media. Due to surface-tension-assisted microfluidic functions, a gel is formed only in the bridge region. The gel performs as an anchoring scaffold for spheroids and enables media perfusion. As a result of spheroid culture, angiogenic vascular sprouts were formed and the sprouts had branched lumen structure. We believe this device will contribute widely to biomedical studies.

We propose a microfluidic device which can array multiple spheroids in an extracellular matrix (ECM) gel and locate endothelial cells (ECs) on the gel with micrometer-ordered definite distance from the arrayed spheroids. The device is composed of multiple trapping sites to array spheroids in an ECM gel and a perfusable channel adjacent to the trapping sites. On the basis of the principle of flow resistance, the trapping sites can trap spheroids in every single site. Using the device, we can array multiple spheroids and ECs with the micrometer-ordered defined distances.

In this paper, we developed a spheroid culture device that can trap a spheroid in the trapping site sandwiched by two extracellular matrix gels located at the upper and lower side of the spheroid. This device can form different biochemical gradients by applying target biochemicals separately in upper and lower channels, allowing us to study the angiogenic sprouting under various biochemical gradients in different directions. In the experiments, we confirmed the trapping of the spheroids and demonstrate the investigation on the direction and extent of angiogenic sprouts under unidirectional or bidirectional biochemical gradients. We believe our device can contribute to understanding the pathophysiological phenomena driven by chemical gradients, such as tissue development and tumor angiogenesis.

This study proposes a microfluidic spinning method to form alginate microfibers with branched and chained structures by controlling two streams of a sodium alginate solution extruded from a theta-glass capillary (a double-compartmented glass capillary). The two streams have three flow regimes: (i) a combined flow regime (single-threaded stream), (ii) a separated flow regime (double-threaded stream), and (iii) a chained flow regime (stream of repeating single- and double-threaded streams). The flow rate of the sodium alginate solution and the tip diameter of the theta-glass capillary are the two parameters which decide the flow regime. By controlling the two parameters, we form branched (a Y-shaped structure composed of thick parent fiber and permanently divided two thin fibers) and chained (a repeating structure of single- and double-threaded fibers with constant frequency) alginate microfibers with various dimensions. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of the alginate microfibers as sacrificial templates for the formation of chain-shaped microchannels with two inlets. Such microchannels could mimic the structure of blood vessels and are applicable for the research fields of fluidics including hemodynamics.

This research reports a method to fabricate a loop-shaped vessel-like channel for perfusion of culture medium in a cell-laden collagen gel. We used alginate fibers as sacrificial structures for construction of loop-shaped vessel-like channels. By integration of a loop-shaped alginate fiber with connection ports in a cell-laden collagen gel, we formed a tube-connectable loop-shaped channel. Finally, we seeded endothelial cells onto inner wall of the channel to fabricate vessel-like channel coated with endothelial cells. As a result, we achieved perfusion of culture medium via the loop-shaped vessel-like channel. We believe that this method will be useful for in vitro construction of three-dimensional (3D) tissues with complex-shaped vessel-like channels.

A sensitive probe of unconventional order is its response to a symmetry-breaking field. To probe the proposed p(x) ± ip(y) topological superconducting state of Sr2RuO4, we have constructed an apparatus capable of applying both compressive and tensile strains of up to 0.23%. Strains applied along ⟨100⟩ crystallographic directions yield a strong, strain-symmetric increase in the superconducting transition temperature T(c). ⟨110⟩ strains give a much weaker, mostly antisymmetric response. As well as advancing the understanding of the superconductivity of Sr2RuO4, our technique has potential applicability to a wide range of problems in solid-state physics.

We have investigated the in-plane uniaxial pressure effect on the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator Ca${}_{2}$RuO${}_{4}$ from resistivity and magnetization measurements. We succeeded in inducing the ferromagnetic metallic phase at lower critical pressure than by hydrostatic pressure, indicating that the flattening distortion of the RuO${}_{6}$ octahedra is more easily released under in-plane uniaxial pressure. We also found a striking in-plane anisotropy in the pressure responses of various magnetic phases: although the magnetization increases monotonically with pressure diagonal to the orthorhombic principal axes, the magnetization exhibits peculiar dependence on pressure along the in-plane orthorhombic principal axes. This peculiar dependence can be explained by a qualitative difference between the uniaxial pressure effects along the orthorhombic $a$ and $b$ axes, as well as by the presence of twin domain structures.

We revealed that the superconducting transition temperature Tc of the multi-component superconductor Sr2RuO4 is enhanced to 3.3 K under in-plane uniaxial pressure that reduces the tetragonal crystal symmetry. This result suggests that new superconducting phases with a one-component order parameter are induced. We have also clarified the inplane pressure direction dependence of the emergence of this higher-Tc superconducting phase: pressure along the [100] direction is more favorable than pressure along the [110] direction. This result is probably closely related to the direct shortening of the in-plane Ru-O bond length along the pressure direction and the approach of the gamma Fermi surface to the van Hove singularity under the pressure parallel to the [100] direction., Published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn

飲酒歴毎日3合以上でかつ10年間以上服用している肝障害20例について,各種抗原を添加してLMTを施行した.その結果エタノール単独添加では20例中7例,エタノールと同種肝両者添加では19例中6例,同種肝単独添加では15例中5例,精製HB抗原添加では19例中7例が陽性であった.エタノール単独添加およびエタノールと同種肝両者添加のいずれか,あるいはともにLMTが陽性であった10例では,全例肝機能検査成績は異常値を示し,5例は1日1升以上の多飲者であり,肝組織像では4例は亜小葉性肝硬変であった.HB抗原陽性の大酒家の肝障害5例では,全例HB抗原添加によりLMT陽性を示したが,エタノール添加によりLMT陽性を示したものは2例にすぎなかった.以上の成績より,いわゆるアルコール性肝障害の進展機序に一部の症例ではエタノールおよび精製HB抗原が細胞性免疫の形で関与する可能性があると推測された.

Hepaplastintest (Normotest) was determined in order to assess its usefulness as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for liver diseases.Materials and Methods:Normal controls were 10 healthy male doctors. There were 97 patients with various liver diseases. 11 were diagnosed as acute hepatitis, 1 as subacute form of fulminant hepatitis, 31 as chronic hepatitis, 34 as liver cirrhosis, 3 as primary hepatoma with liver cirrhosis, 4 as metastatic liver cancer, 4 as fatty liver, 2 as HBs Ag healthy carrier and 7 as extrahepatic obstructive jaundice. 0.9ml of venous blood was collected and mixed with 3.8% sodium citrate in a ratio of 9:1, then the coagulation time was measured by Hepaplastintest.Results:Mean value of Hepaplastintest was 86.5% in normal control, 75.3% in acute 58.6% in fulminant hepatitis, 68.5% in chronic hepatitis, 41.7% in liver cirrhosis, 52.0% in primary hepatoma, 76.3% in metastatic liver cancer, 86.0% in fatty liver and 86.0% in HBs Ag healthy carrier.Acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were divided into two groups respectively, namely spotty necrosis type and submassive necrosis type in acute hepatitis, inactive type and active type in chronic hepatitis, compensated state and decompensated state in liver cirrhosis. Hepaplastintest values were 86.9% in spotty necrosis type, 59.4% in submassive necrosis type, 80.9% in inactive type, 62.8% inactive type, 54.0% in compensated state, and 34.2% in decompensated state.In hepatocellular jaundice, the mean value of Hepaplastintest was 60.7%, on the contrary, 109% in extrahepatic obstructive jaundice.A rather good correlation was found between the values of thrombotest, of γ-globulin and of Hepaplastintest.The value of Hepaplastintest varied in parallel with clinical course of acute hepatitis with submassive necrosis and decompensated liver cirrhosis.From these results mentioned, above it is suggested that Hepaplastintest may be a very useful tool which reflects the severity of hepatic cell necrosis closely and represents the prognosis of patients wi h liver cell damage.

急性肝炎の予後不良例とくに早期死亡例の早期鑑別を目的として,rapid turnover serum proteinを明らかな肝性昏睡や消化管出血のみられる前に測定した.その結果血中半減期が1ないし2日間ときわめて短いprealbumin値は亜急性肝炎の死亡例,生存例ともに著減し差はみられなかった.しかし半減期4ないし5日間のα2-HS-glycoprotein値は死亡例と生存例で有意の差がみられ,かつ重なりもほとんどみられなかった.以上よりα2-HS-glycoproteinの測定は早期死亡例の鑑別に有用であると考えられた.

飲酒歴のみられない慢性肝障害36例(A群),大酒家の肝障害19例(B群)について,エタノールおよび精製HBsAg添加して白血球遊走阻止試験を行なった.エタノール添加によりLMT陽性を示したものは,36例中16例であり,とくにHBsAg陽性の慢性肝炎活動型,小葉改築傾向を伴う慢性肝炎活動型,非代償性肝硬変では陽性率は高値を示した.B群では19例中11例がLMT陽性を示し,亜小葉性肝硬変では4例全例がLMT陽性であった.大酒家の肝障害では,HBsAg陽性群の方が,陰性群より,精製HBsAg添加によりLMT陽性を示す症例が多くみられたが,肝病変の進展度にしたがって高値をとるとはいえなかった.以上の成績より,飲酒歴の著明でない活動性の強い慢性肝障害および大酒家の肝障害の一部の症例では,エタノール,精製HBsAgに対する細胞性免疫異常状態が成立しているものと推測されたが,病因論的については,今後の検討が必要である.

Langmuir—Blodgett (L/B) films of tritiated fatty acid were prepared to measure the electron antineutrino mass. The measurement requires that a source should be highly radioactive, homogeneous, very thin, uniform, and nonvolatile in vacuo . With regard to the volatility, the L/B film of fatty acid is, in general, not very stable in vacuo , and desorption of the source molecules results in the main background rates of the measurement and reduces the sensitivity of the mass determination. In the present work, we examined the stability of the L/B film in vacuo , and tried to improve the stability of the film by (i) perfect formation and deposition of metal soap molecules that are more resistant against evaporation than the original fatty acid molecules, and (ii) cooling of the 3 H source with liquid nitrogen in order to reduce the evaporation. Finally, a uniform and highly radioactive 3 H source, which is nonvolatile even at a pressure of 10 −4 Pa, was obtained using the Langmuir—Blodgett film of cadmium [ 3 H]icosanoate (sp act 200,000 Ci/mole).

各種肝疾患患者13例,健康成人,臍帯血,無ガンマグロブリン血症患者各1例およびC3欠損症患者2例の計18例から得られた血清を対象に水泡性口内炎ウイルス(VSV)に対する抗ウイルス活性の性格に関する検討を免疫グロブリンおよび補体との異同を中心に行なった.抗ウイルス活性とIgG, IgM, IgAの蛋白量との間に相関性はなく,無ガンマグロブリン血症患者でも免疫グロブリンが高値を示すPBC等の肝疾患および健康人よりも抗ウイルス活性が高値を示した.また臍帯血でも活性が認められた.本活性とC3c, C4の蛋白量およびCH50値の間には相関性がなく,C3欠損症患者でも肝疾患患者および健康人よりも高活性を示した.補体のcoldactivation, 56°C, 30分の熱処理およびzymosan処理血清中にほとんどの抗ウイルス活性が残存していた.これらの成績から本抗ウイルス活性は免疫グロブリンと補体とは明らかに異なると思われる.

Clinical and pathological characteristics of scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach were studied in 106 cases treated by gastrectomy between 1973 and 1983. The male to female ratio was 0.58. The percentage of scirrhous carcinomas to all gastric carcinomas resected in the same period was three times higher in females than males. The age distribution of the patients suggested that there were two peaks in the forties and sixties in the male, and in the thirties and fifties in the female. The incidence of scirrhous carcinoma in all types of gastric carcinoma was significantly higher in the twenties, thirties and forties compared to the lowest incidence in the seventies. In the female group the primary lesion had a tendency to be adjacent to the fundic gland area and to avoid intestinal metaplasia. In the male the opposite was recognized. Cancer nests with single cells or only several cells were common in this type of carcinoma. These findings suggest that there might be two biologically different scirrhous carcinomas both in the male and the female, the appearance of single carcinoma cells might be favored by female sex hormones and young ages, and not only the original gastric mucosa but also mucosa with intestinal metaplasia could be precursors of single carcinoma cells.

各種肝疾患患者の肝特異抗原(Lpfr II)および精製HBs抗原に対する細胞性免疫について検討した.肝特異抗原(倉田らの方法)と精製HBs抗原を添加抗原としてSobφrgらの方法で,各種肝疾患49例を対象に,白血球遊走試験(LMT)を行なった.LPfr II添加時のLMT陽性率は慢性肝疾患で41%であり,慢性化の程度にしたがって高くなる傾向を認め,血清HBs抗原陽性例の方が各疾患のなかではより高率であった.急性肝炎,HBs抗原carrierは全例陰性であった.HBs抗原添加時のLMT陽性率は慢性肝疾患で36%であり,かならずしも慢性化の程度にしたがって高率になるとは言えなかった.肝特異抗原添加時のLMT陽性例中,何らかの形でHBs抗原と関連していると考えられるものが81%をしめた.以上の成績より両抗原は細胞性免疫の形で肝疾患とくに慢性肝病変と関連を有していると推測された.また肝特異抗原をアフィニテークロマトグラフィーを用い単離することができたのであわせて報告した.

今回われわれは肝癌の病態生理の解明を目的として,肝硬変の長期予後観察例について,主としてHBs抗原と肝機能検査成績の面から検討を加えた.観察対象は最近14年間に当科に入院し,肝硬変と確診後少なくとも3年以上予後を観察し剖検しえた20症例である.20例のうち肝癌の合併は10例(50%)にみられ,死亡までの期間は最長9.5年,平均5.5年であった.肝癌の合併をみなかった残り10例の予後観察期間は最長10年,平均5.0年であった.肝癌合併例のうちHBs抗原は検索例8例中6例(75%)の高率に陽性であり,肝癌非合併例10例では2例(20%)のみ陽性でその差は有意であった.肝機能検査では,肝癌合併例10例中4例で経過観察中少なくとも1年以上,血清トランスアミナーゼ活性値,血清膠質反応ともに正常範囲内にあった. 以上よりB型肝炎由来と思われる肝硬変と肝癌は密接な関連を有すると考えられる.

肝臓で産生されるrapid turnover serum proteinの測定が急性肝炎の予後の早期鑑別に有用か否かを明らかにするために,発症早期にノルモテスト,prealbumin,α2-HS-glycoproteinを同時に測定して比較検討した.成績:(1)ノルモテストおよびα2-HS-glycoproteinは亜急性肝炎の生存例と死亡例で著しい差がみとめられ,両者の早期鑑別に有用である.(2)ノルモテストおよびα2-HS-glycoproteinは急性肝炎においても巣状ないし限局性程度の肝細胞壊死の比較的小さな例と帯状ないし亜広汎性壊死程度の大きな例との鑑別に有用である.(3)prealbumin値は重なりが多く,早期鑑別診断には有用でないが臨床経過と平行して変動する.以上より,これらrapid turnover serum proteinの定量は急性肝炎の予後の早期鑑別に極めて有用な検査法であり,積極的な治療の早期開始に有力な手がかりがえられると考えられた.

A 160 cm cyclotron have been constructed as the first accelerator of the Institute for Nuclear Study, University of Tokyo. This cyclotron can be used as a variable energy ordinary cyclotron as well as a synchro-cyclotron by changing the dee-system and the oscillator system. As an ordinary cyclotron it can produce protons of any desired energy between 7.5 and 15 MeV, deuterons between 15 and 21 MeV, and α particles between 30 and 42 Mev. These beams are now being used for various experiments on nuclear reactions and for production of radioisotopes. As a synchro-cyclotron, it can produce protons of 57 MeV in energy and the beam is extracted with high efficiency at a radius near n =1 with an electrostatic deflector.

An attempt was made to find reliable indices for early diagnosis of fatal cases of acute viral hepatitis, using the values of serum proteins with rapid turnover. Of the subfractions of serum protein, prealbumin, alpha2-HS-glycoprotein and Normotest were measured simultaneously before the appearance of hepatic coma/or gastrointestinal bleeding in 78 cases of acute viral hepatitis, verified by biopsy or necropsy. The mean value of prealbumin with a very short half-life of one or two days, was 6.0 mg/dl in fatal cases, 7.4 mg/dl in surviving ones of subacute form of fulminant hepatitis. The difference between fatal and surviving cases was not statistically significant. In contrast to this, the values alpha2-HS-glycoprotein with a comparatively short halflife of four to six days, showed statistically significant difference between fatal (21.9 mg/dl) and surviving cases (37.4 mg/dl). Normotest was also depressed in fatal (10.7%) and surviving cases (45.3%). The difference was statistically significant. The present results indicate the possibility of differentiating fatal cases from surviving ones at an early stage, using the reduction of alpha2-HS-glycoprotein and the value of Normotest.