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This paper reports the observation and analysis of the microbubble motion induced by an underwater shock wave. In the analysis, Herring’s bubble motion equation was numerically solved using an experimental shock wave pressure profile. The pressure attenuation of the rebound shock wave of a microbubble was also estimated by numerical simulation. The motion behaviors of the microbubbles during their interaction with an electric discharge shock wave, such as their rebound, shock wave generation, and microjet formation, were observed by magnified visualization. To improve the observation accuracy, spatial positioning control of the microbubbles was employed. The experimentally determined time variation of the diameter of the microbubbles when they collapsed spherically was in agreement with the results of the numerical analyses, and the latter also revealed a very high pressure of the rebound shock wave. There were, however, discrepancies between the experimental and analytical results for non-spherical collapse. It is thought that spherical collapse produces stronger rebound shock waves and that the probability of such collapse increases with decreasing diameter of the bubble. In addition, it was demonstrated that single and multiple microbubbles moved vigorously after interaction with a shock wave and the latter coalesced into a single bubble within several hundred microseconds.

A new correction method which is appropriate for the evaluation of Young's modulus of crystalline compounds has been examined and established to correct the size effect. Using a nanoindentation test and the established correction method, Young's moduli of primary Si phase, Al–(Fe,Mn)–Si and Al–Ni compound phases in the hypereutectic Al–Si die cast alloys were evaluated to be 182±9, 208±29 and 170±4 GPa respectively. The rule of mixtures for Young's modulus and the area fraction of each phase were applied to evaluate the Young's modulus of aluminium die cast alloys. The Young's modulus calculated by the rule of mixtures is in good agreement with the value obtained by a tensile test. The combination of the rule of mixtures and nanoindentation test is an effective approach to the precise evaluation of the Young's modulus of aluminium die cast alloys having complicated microstructures.

Study design: Case report of an infected Charcot spine following spinal cord injury. Objective: To describe this very rare pathological condition and the results of surgical treatment. Setting: A department of orthopaedic surgery in Japan. Methods: A 44-year-old man presented with a destructive lesion in the lumbo-sacral spine and a fistula in his back. Anterior bone graft, percutaneous external spinal fixation, and suction/irrigation of the wound were performed. After 4 months, posterior spinal instrumentation surgery was carried out. Results: Primary closure of the fistula and complete bone fusion was achieved after the operation. Conclusion: Infection of a Charcot spine, although a rare clinical entity, should be considered as a diagnostic possibility in the spinal cord-injured patients. External spinal fixation is a useful method for the unstable spinal lesion with infection.

POSTER PRESENTATION, Proceedings of 20th Pediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) Congress / 25-29 September 2013 / Ljubljana, Slovenia

The means of measurement of adenosine and deoxyadenosine in urine was developed by separating adenosine and deoxyadenosine from other compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography with column switchings. This method is simple and convenient since no pretreatment of the urine is needed. Using this method, it could be demonstrated that urinary adenosine was higher in an adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficient patient who had a bone marrow transplant treatment (1.97 micromol/mmol creatinine) and in a heterozygote who had a markedly low erythrocyte ADA activity (1% of control ADA activity) (1.33 micromol/mmol creatinine) as compared to normal subjects (0.22+/-0.09 micromol/mmol creatinine, n=11). It was also noted that urinary deoxyadenosine was below the detection limits in the ADA-deficient bone marrow transplant patient, but it was detected in the heterozygote (3.7 micromol/mmol creatinine). Furthermore, it was also demonstrated that a fructose infusion increased the urinary concentration of adenosine from 0.21+/-0.03 to 2.66+/-1.21 micromol/mmol creatinine in five normal subjects.

Background. It has been shown that the R(‐) isomer of 1-methyl-5-phenyl-5-propyl barbituric acid (MPPB) induces loss of the righting reflex (LRR), while S(+)-MPPB causes pure excitatory effects, including convulsions, in vivo. Methods. We studied the effects of the depressant and convulsant MPPB stereoisomers on rat hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) release in vivo, using a brain microdialysis technique in freely moving animals. Results. R(‐)-MPPB 60 and 90 mg kg ‐1 i.p. decreased ACh release from the rat hippocampus by 44.1 (8.2)% and 60.8 (8.2)%, respectively. In the hippocampus, the local application of bicuculline, a g-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor antagonist, 1 mmol litre ‐1 antagonized the inhibitory effects of R(‐)-MPPB 90 mg kg ‐1 i.p. In contrast, R(‐)-MPPB, S(+)-MPPB 60 and 90 mg kg ‐1 i.p. increased ACh release to 151.8 (6.8)% and 169.6 (11.1)% of the basal release, respectively. Conclusions. Our results demonstrated that R(‐)-MPPB decreased, while S(+)-MPPB increased, rat hippocampal ACh release and that the inhibitory effects of R(‐)-MPPB may involve the GABAA receptor in vivo. These data imply that changes in hippocampal ACh due to these agents may be related to their central inhibitory and stimulatory actions in vivo.

High depth-resolution terahertz three-dimensional tomography was developed by monocycle-like terahertz pulses using ultra-short pulse fiber lasers. We designed novel photoconductive devices such as a thin-film LT-GaAs detector on Si substrates and an LT-InGaAs emitter for the monocycle waveforms. The depth resolution exhibited under 20 µm in the air and three-dimensional imaging was successfully obtained for multi-layer semiconductor devices.

The high temperature air oxidation of titanium aluminide intermetallics with small additions of silicon, niobium and a combination of silicon and niobium was studied in a temperature range between 973 and 1173 K. There was less weight gain when silicon and niobium were added individually. The combination of silicon and niobium resulted in much better oxidation resistance than the individual element additions. The effects of silicon and niobium on TiAl oxidation were different. For example, TiAlSi showed a parabolic weight gain whereas TiAlNb did not. The surface oxide scale was basically composed of three layers, i.e. TiO, Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 + Al 2 O 3 from the surface inward. SiO 2 was detected in the TiO 2 + Al 2 O 3 layer. Niobium strengthened the tendency to form Al 2 O 3 in the early stage of oxidation, resulting in the formation of a continuous Al 2 O 3 layer and a dense TiO 2 + Al 2 O 3 layer.

We experienced a case of a huge hemangioma occupying the oropharyngeal space in an 11-year-old child. Although urgent surgical tracheostomy under local anesthesia was suggested initially, medical interview and findings of computerized tomography and fiberoptic laryngoscopy revealed that the airway of the patient was relatively stable when she was in the semi-left decubitus position. General anesthetic induction would have had potential risks of airway obstruction. Thus, after placing the patient in the semi-left decubutus position, we chose semi-awake induction to secure the airway. With a small dose of fentanyl, we accomplished orotracheal intubation. In this report, we discuss the importance of referring to an airway management algorithm when encountering a difficult airway.

This paper reports reliability test results for physical contact between connectors assembled with a glass ceramic ferrule connector and a zirconia ferrule connector using zirconia split sleeve

In this paper, specially assembled connectors concatenated were tested under long term reliability tests by polishing ferrules endface as just exceeding the border value of the above proposed parameters. The proposed dimensions were experimentally verified. Water immersion tests done for both GCF-using connectors and ZrF-using connectors showed that GCF is highly reliable in the severest outside conditions like FTTH.

Background. The aim of this study was to examine ethanol-consumption-related changes in the effects of propofol on rat hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) release. Methods. Male Sprague–Dawley rats received a solution of ethanol (20% v/v) for 24 weeks while controls received tap water. The effects of propofol were examined by in vivo microdialysis, with ACh release from the hippocampal regions determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC–ECD). Results. Propofol 50 mg kg−1 i.p. significantly decreased basal hippocampal ACh release in ethanol-treated and control rats by 50.4 ( sem 4.7)% and 38.3 (11.1)%, respectively. Propofol 100 mg kg−1 i.p. significantly decreased basal hippocampal ACh release in ethanol-treated and control rats by 67.5 (3.7)% and 55.9 (7.4)%, respectively. The reduction in hippocampal ACh release induced by 50 or 100 mg kg−1 i.p. propofol was not significantly different between ethanol-treated and control rats. There was no significant difference in the duration of sleep between the two groups. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that chronic ethanol consumption does not augment the inhibitory actions of propofol on rat hippocampal ACh release. These findings appear to be inconsistent with the notion that chronic ethanol intake enhances the propofol-induced inhibition of the hippocampal cholinergic system and related mental dysfunction.

High-flow nasal canulae (HFNC) deliver high-flow humidified gas at up to 60 l/minute. There are two types of respiratory circuit to generate mix gas flow, Blender type (typeB) and Venturi type (typeV). The therapy is well established in the pediatric population and HFNC use has been described in the adult population. It has been reported that HFNC provide higher FIO2 compared with low-flow canulae, and also create mild positive pharyngeal airway pressure, but the effect on alveolar pressure is unknown. We aimed to investigate the effect of HFNC on alveolar pressure, by measuring intratracheal pressure in patients with a cricothyrotomy catheter (CTC). At the same time, we measured the actual gas flow rate (AGFR) by flowmeter and compared it with assumed flow.

The present study was designed to investigate the possible clinical application of hypertonic saline (HS), phenol in glycerin (PHG) and osmic acid (OSA) for intradiscal therapy.HS in several concentrations, 10% PHG and 4% OSA were separately injected into the lumbar intervertebral discs of 60 Japanese white rabbits. Additionally, these substances were placed directly on the dura of the spinal cord of 48 guinea pigs. The animals were sacrificed periodically and were submitted to histological examination using light microscopy.HS caused localized necrosis of the nucleus pulposus cells in a concentration-related fashion. Some discs decreased their height. With time, all the discs generally regained their normal histology. Following administration of 10% PHG, the area of necrosis of the nucleus pulposus cells was more extensive than that by HS, but the regenerative or reparative reaction was not so brisk. Examination of the discs treated with 4% OSA demonstrated severe changes in the nucleus pulposus and the inner annulus fibrosus with resultant disc-space narrowing. The reparative tissue seen after injection of OSA was fibrocartilage in nature. No histological change was seen in the surrounding tissue including the neural tissue following administration of any of the substances.Chymopapain is the substance most frequently used for clinical chemonucleolysis. The major clinical complication with chymopapain has been anaphylaxis. The present substances have been used in other clinical applications without reports of anaphylaxis. In this report, HS was shown to hold the potential for reducing intradiscal pressure without induction of scar tissue or significant loss of disc function. PHG and OSA caused considerable but circumscribed histological damage to the disc tissue, but had no such effect on the neural tissues. These data suggested that HS, PHG and OSA may have clinical applications as agents in intradiscal therapy.

A 64-year-old woman experienced high grade fever, chest pain, and hemosputum. She was admitted to a hospital for evaluation of the infiltrate on an chest X-ray. She was diagnosed as having lung cancer by sputum cytology and transferred to our hospital for operation. The tumor was obscure on palpation during thoractomy, but malignancy could not be ruled out based on analysis of frozen sections. Therefore, a right lower lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection were performed. Pulmonary infarct was not suspected until thrombi were observed in the dissected pulmonary artery. Urokinase and heparin were intravenously administered soon after the operation, but the patient died of pulmonary thromboembolism of the sixth postoperative day. Examination of the operative specimen revealed pulmonary thromboembolism with infarction and no evidence of malignancy. Atypical cells observed in sputum cytology seemed to be derived from basal cell hyperplasia in the area of infarction. Type II alveolar epithelial cell hyperplasia was observed in the periphery of the infarction. These findings seemed to make accurate analysis of frozen sections difficult. An increasing number of cases of pulmonary thromboembolism is being reported in Japan. Therefore, pulmonary infarct with false positive cytology may be encountered more frequently in the future.

The mechanism of stimulation of DNA synthesis by microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) was examined in the nuclear matrix isolated from Physarum polycephalum. Porcine brain MAP2 stimulated DNA synthesis by the matrix with exogenous templates, but not with endogenous templates. Kinetic analyses showed that MAP2 decreases the Km of the matrix for deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. Comparison of the Km values of active- and latent-type DNA replication machineries of Physarum suggested a possible role for MAPs or MAP-like proteins in DNA replication.

A case of mediastinal bronchogenic cyst communicating with the esophagus was reported. Previously, only 2 cases have been reported in the available literature. A 34-year-old man was admitted with a cystic mass communicating with the esophagus which was demonstrated on a barium study. Operation was performed with a suspect of esophageal diverticulum or congenital cyst with esophageal communication. At right thoracotomy, a mass measuring 6.0 x 5.0 cm with a well-defined patent communication to the esophagus was resected. It was a monolocular cyst containing a small amount of viscous mucus. Histologically, the cyst lined by a ciliated columnar epithelium, and it was diagnosed as a bronchogenic cyst because of the presence of the mucous glands, smooth muscle tissue and cartilage. This is the first case report of mediastinal bronchogenic cyst with esophageal communication appeared in the Japanese literature.

In surgical treatment for lung cancer, increase of right ventricular afterload associated with decrease of pulmonary vascular bed after lung resection is serious problem in acute phase. Intensive care is necessary for the patients having major surgery, especially in aged. Until now, we have studied on pre and post operative extravascular lung water (EVLW) in addition to measurement of conventional hemodynamic changes on right ventricular afterload. And then, we have discussed when we should start to care intensively for degradation of compensatory hyperdynamic change. According to percent exchanges (delta %) between pre and post operative measurement, we established following criterion 1) delta %HR greater than 150% 2) delta SVI less than 60% 3) delta % PARI greater than 200% 4) observed postoperative EVLW greater than predicted postoperative EVLW. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation with these criterion and RVEF in 14 patients using a rapid computerized thermodilution method on right cardiac function in acute phase. We found that 1) changes of RVEF seem to depend on endsystolic volume 2) RVEF decreased just after operation and then slowly increased until 48 hours 3) PARI elevated to 194 +/- 117% in average at 6 to 24 hours showing significant inversed linear correlation to changes of RVEF (R = -0.54). The patients having prolonged elevation of PARI showed degradation of cardiac output and RVEF. RVSWI showed compensative acceleration gradually with increased right ventricular afterload.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

For the purpose of simplification of prediction of postoperative lung function, we studied to predict lung function by analizing the frontal and lateral view of chest plain roentgenogram and investigate the correlation to respiratory complication on 111 patients with lung cancer. According to TNM classification of lung cancer, prediction was performed as follows. Predicted postoperative lung function = [(42-number of resected subsegments)/(42-number of occupied subsegments)] x preoperative VC or FEV1.0. In this formula, 42 was the number of functioning subsegments of whole lung (right: 22, left: 20), and then preoperative occupied subsegments was ordered by T factor, where T1 lesion in lung field was prescribed as 1 subsegment and T2 was more than 2 subsegments respectively in plain chest roentgenogram. And also, on the patients having hilar lesions, it was required to calculate the number of subsegments in atelectasis, peripheral obstructive pneumonia and/or partial emphysematous change due to intrabronchial lesions. There was uniformly positive correlations in VC (R = 0.7949) and FEV1.0 (R = 0.8235) of the patients studied respectively. The patients having pneumonectomy showed tendency of over estimation, on the other hand, the patients having resection of a few segments showed under estimation. To predict the postoperative respiratory condition, we calculated the predicted post-operative %VC and %FEV1.0 for predicted preoperative normal VC and FEV1.0. Above the al, we tried to investigate the correlation with predicted postoperative %VC, %FEV1.0 and postoperative respiratory complications.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In surgical treatment for lung cancer, large amount of intrabronchial sputum and secretion was occasionally encountered in patients, especially underwent bronchoplastic surgery. It has been discussed as causes which was affected from transection of pulmonary branches of vagal nerve and bronchial arteries. So we have measured pre- and postoperative hemodynamics and extravascular lung water (EVLW) at the bedside, as to investigate the correlation with formyl sputum and increase of right ventricular afterload which was presumed by lung resection and bronchoplasty. Respiratory complication was classified by the incidence of forced bronchial toilet in acute phase. Seven patients were investigated. Three of seven showed white sputum which was difficult to excrete. EVLW was 9.91 +/- 2.12 ml/kg in average before operation and then showed a tendency to increase within 102 +/- 29% of percent exchange (delta %) between pre- and postoperation. As to comparison of delta % of EVLW in acute period, the patients underwent bronchoplastic surgery showed a tendency to increase rather than the patients underwent lobectomy. According to former studies, we found the uniform correlation R = 0.7075 between observed EVLW and predicted postoperative EVLW estimated by prediction of residual functioning lung volume before operation. And also, the patients showing postoperative EVLW more than predicted EVLW before operation had a tendency to increase amount of sputum. Furthermore, concerning hemodynamic changes, pulmonary arterial resistance index (PARI) elevated to 196 +/- 165% (83-515%) in average associated with increased right ventricular stroke work index (RVSWI) as a result of compensatory changes for increased right cardiac afterload.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

To provide some insight into how deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis occurs in the endometrium of the human uterus during the menstrual cycle, the DNA polymerase activities (alpha and beta) in endometrial samples taken from normal cycling women, and the concentration of estradiol-17 beta (E2) and progesterone in the serum were measured. DNA polymerase alpha activity increased gradually from the beginning of the menstrual cycle, reaching a peak 2-3 days before ovulation, and then showed a decrease. Increase in this activity occurred in parallel with that of the concentration of E2, but not progesterone, in the serum sample in the proliferative phase (correlation coefficient r = 0.924, p less than 0.001). In contrast, DNA polymerase alpha activity stimulated by estrogen in the endometrium of the 2nd grade amenorrheal women decreased abruptly after an injection of 125 mg progesterone. DNA polymerase beta activity showed no significant change during the menstrual cycle or after estrogen and progesterone treatment. These results suggest that estrogen seems to stimulate the induction of DNA polymerase alpha activity during cell proliferation in the endometrium of the human uterus.

DNA polymerase activities and DNA content of ovaries from immature intact rats (4–29 days after birth), hypophysectomized rats and hormone-treated hypophysectomized rats were measured. During normal ovarian growth DNA polymerase α activity and DNA content of ovaries increased. The polymerase activity decreased gradually after hypophysectomy without any alteration in the DNA content. Administration of ovine FSH (2 μg/day) or oestradiol-17β (1 mg/day) to hypophysectomized rats enhanced ovarian DNA content and DNA polymerase α activity, whereas DNA polymerase β activity did not change significantly. These results suggest that DNA polymerase α participates in DNA synthesis in these ovaries. The specific activity of DNA polymerase α (the activity per μg DNA) in the ovaries increased between 4 and 14 days after birth, and then remained almost constant; the specific activity declined gradually after hypophysectomy. Administration of FSH or oestradiol-17β but not of ovine LH, progesterone or testosterone to hypophysectomized rats restored the specific activity. Mixing experiments with different kinds of ovarian extracts suggested that no activators of DNA polymerase α were present in the extracts. These results suggest that FSH or oestrogen causes the induction of DNA polymerase α accompanied by DNA synthesis during cell proliferation in ovaries of immature rats. J. Endocr. (1986) 110, 353–360

Single-stranded circular DNA of phage fd was microinjected into Xenopus laevis eggs and DNA synthesis was analyzed after incubation. An efficient DNA synthesis occurred in the eggs: 2.7 ng of DNA was newly formed in an egg whose volume is approximately 900 nl during a 5-h incubation at 20 degrees C. The DNA synthesis was sensitive to aphidicolin, suggesting that DNA polymerase alpha participates in the synthesis. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that full size of fd DNA is synthesized and that replicative form I of fd DNA is the major form of the newly produced DNAs. These results suggest that priming of DNA synthesis, elongation of DNA chain and ligation of DNA strands take place co-operatively in the egg with single-stranded DNA as a template.

Regulation of DNA replication was given attention by examining the subcellular localization of alpha-like DNA polymerase in Physarum polycephalum. The activity per plasmodium increased by 2-fold in the cytoplasm during the G2-phase, and decreased with a concomitant increase in nuclei prior to DNA replication. This would suggest that the enzyme translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, co-ordinately with DNA replication. In nuclei, the nuclear matrix-bound activity increased during the S-phase, but changes did not always parallel the rate of DNA replication. On the other hand, the activity measured without exogenous templates did change with the rate, although the activity was low. It is, therefore, suggested that part of the enzyme binding with the matrix participates in DNA replication.