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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a condition caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which first emerged in December 2019. Although several papers have reported the presence bradycardia in patients with COVID-19, the pathophysiology behind this remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the presence of bradycardia in patients with COVID-19. A total of 153 patients with COVID-19 and 90 patients with influenza who were hospitalized in our hospital from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 and from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2021, respectively, were enrolled. After adjustment, the incidence of bradycardia and steroid use in patients with COVID-19 were significantly higher than those in patients with influenza (P-value = 0.0067 and P-value = 0.0003, respectively). We then compared the detailed characteristics of patients with COVID-19 to evaluate risk factors for bradycardia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that steroid use was significantly related to bradycardia (P-value = 0.031; odds ratio [OR]: 3.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–11.96). Overall, results showed a higher incidence of bradycardia in patients with COVID-19 who received steroid treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to discuss the potential risk of excessive steroid use patients with COVID-19.

To analyze the operating situation of a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in eastern Shizuoka prefecture.A retrospective analysis was performed using the conveyance records reported by staff members of the physician-staffed helicopter. A comparison between 2007 (n = 619) and 2012 (n = 678) was performed.There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with regard to the sex, ratio of cardiopulmonary arrest, and survival ratio. In contrast, the duration from the request of dispatch to arrival at the hospital in 2007 was significantly longer than that in 2012 (53.7 vs 48.2 minutes, P0.0001). The average age in 2007 was significantly younger than in 2012 (55.7 vs 59.4 years, P0.01). The ratio of trauma case in the 2012 was higher than that in 2007 (47 vs 37%, P0.001). The ratio of severe cases in 2007 was higher than in 2012 (45 vs 39%, P0.05).Japan is an aging society. In eastern Shizuoka prefecture, the increase in the number of trauma and minor injury cases may have increased due to the emphasis on the importance of early medical intervention by the fire department.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that adversely affect the weaning of elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia from mechanical ventilation. Methods: This study retrospectively investigated the medical records of 71 elderly patients (65 years or older) who were admitted to the hospital because of community-acquired pneumonia and required mechanical ventilation between January 2003 and December 2007. The patients were divided into two groups: group A, which included 33 patients who were successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation, and group B, which included 38 patients who could not be weaned from mechanical ventilation. The study compared the patients' background, vital signs, and laboratory and bacteriological examinations at the beginning of mechanical ventilation. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with difficulties in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation. Results: In group B, there were significantly more smokers (P

Background: The impulse oscillation system (IOS) measures respiratory impedance (Zrs) in terms of resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) at multiples of 5 Hz. These measurements can be used clinically to help diagnose and monitor respiratory disorders, independent of effort. Methodology: The predictive equation for resistance at 5 and 20 Hz and impedance at 5 Hz (R5, R20, X5), for the first time, in 299 Japanese adult subjects was determined. In addition, the within single day variation and between day variation were determined. Results: The predictive equation for R5, R20 and X5 revealed a clear difference with respect to the subject's smoking history (lifelong non-smoker, n = 166, adjusted r = 0.55, 0.46 and 0.57, respectively, vs. smoker, n = 133, adjusted r = 0.47, 0.42 and 0.47, respectively). This difference was less obvious with respect to gender (female, n = 120, adjusted r = 0.42, 0.20 and 0.47, respectively, vs. male, n = 179, adjusted r = 0.46, 0.37 and 0.47, respectively). The predictive equations were dependent on the log of height (H) for both R5 and R20, and on age and log of height for X5. The equations were: R5 (KPa/L/s) = −3.841167 × logH + 8.671580; R20 (KPa/L/s) = −2.546561 × logH + 5.841867; and X5 (KPa/L/s) = −0.000097 × Age + 1.018597 × logH − 2.343672. For these parameters there were no statistically significant differences for within day repeatability or between day variations (P > 0.05), suggesting a high degree of reproducibility for IOS measurements. Conclusion: It was possible to determine a predictive equation and confirm a high degree of reliability of IOS parameters in Japanese adult subjects.

The T/T genotype of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677 T gene polymorphism is associated with elevated homocysteine levels and presumably with increased atherosclerotic risk. We evaluated the interaction between this gene polymorphism and end-stage diabetic nephropathy on the observed prevalence of macroangiopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C/T genotypes were determined in 174 type 2 diabetic patients: 80 with and 94 without renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy. In the patients with renal failure, the T/T genotype and T allele were significantly associated with macroangiopathy (T/T; 31 % vs. 2 %, P = 0.0001 T allele; 59 % vs. 29 %, P = 0.00014), whereas the associations were not significant in the patients without renal failure. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, age (10 years OR 4.05 [1.79 - 9.31], P < 0.0005) and 677 T allele (6.84 [2.12 - 22.05], P = 0.0013) were significantly associated with macroangiopathy in the patients with renal failure. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the 677 T/T genotype and T allele of MTHFR were significantly associated with macroangiopathy in type 2 diabetic patients with renal failure. The MTHFR 677 T allele, together with renal dysfunction due to diabetic nephropathy, could be a strong risk factor for atherosclerotic disease.

The temperature dependence of the electric resistance and the magnetoresistance for both the as-grown carbon micro-coil obtained by chemical vapor deposition and those annealed at various temperatures up to 3000 °C were measured in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K. The activation energy estimated from resistance vs. temperature curves decreases essentially with the raise of the annealing temperature, which seems to show that coils annealed at higher temperature are graphitized with a higher degree of crystallization. Annealing temperature dependence of magnetresistance at 5 K is also thought to be due to the difference of graphitization degree. Field direction dependence of the room temperature magnetoresistance in the highly graphitized coils is consistent with the assumptions that the current flows helically along the fiber constituting the coil and that the increase of the resistance under magnetic field is due to the perpendicular component of the field to the current direction.

Temperature dependence of the electric resistance and the magnetoresistance for both the as-grown carbon micro-coil obtained by chemical vapor deposition and those annealed at various temperatures up to 3000°C were measured in the range from 5 to 300 K. The resistivity and the activation energy decreases with increase in the annealing temperature, which seems to show that coils annealed at higher temperature are more highly graphitized. All annealed coils show negative magnetoresistance at least at low temperature and under low magnetic field, and the positive part of the magnetoresistance becomes predominant under high magnetic field and at high temperatures in highly graphitized coils annealed at temperatures higher than 2500°C. This annealing temperature dependence of the magnetoresistance is assumed to be due to the difference of the carrier concentration by graphitization. The as-grown coil shows no magnetoresistance. The field direction dependence of the magnetoresistance suggests that the current flows helically along the fiber constituting the coil.

Crossline is one of the structurally defined adducts of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) which has both a crosslink and fluorescence similar to AGE-protein in vivo. Crossline was measured in serum and erythrocyte membrane proteins (EMP) from 52 type 2 diabetic patients using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system. Serum and EMP crossline levels in the diabetic patients were significantly higher than those in normal control. The patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy (serum creatinine levels of more than 1.2 mg/dl) had markedly elevated serum crossline levels compared to those with moderate diabetic nephropathy (clinical proteinuria) (180. 7+/-51.7 vs. 71.8+/-18.4 pmol/ml; P0.01). On the other hand, there were no significant differences in EMP crossline levels between the two. EMP crossline levels in the patients with moderate diabetic nephropathy (8.8+/-2.9 pmol/mg protein) and those with advanced diabetic nephropathy (9.7+/-3.0 pmol/mg protein) were significantly higher than those without clinical proteinuria (6.4+/-1.9 pmol/mg protein; P0.01). The present study demonstrated that EMP crossline levels were associated with the presence of nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serum crossline levels were significantly influenced by remaining renal function. The measurement of crossline from a blood sample could provide us with important information for the study of clinical evaluation and pathogenesis of diabetic complications.

The morphology and crystallography of solution-grown crystals of K 2 Mn 2 (SO 4 ) 3 having a cubic structure with the space group P2 1 3 have been examined. The crystals are a single crystal having a pentagonal–dodecahedral shape. The faces are nonsymmetrical pentagons with a shape similar to one another. The surface orientation deviates from {2 1 0} by about 1.5° and is indexed as {2 1 0.06}. The origin of the peculiar morphology has been discussed.

Cosmo-mimetic carbon micro-coils were obtained by the catalytic pyrolysis of acetylene with a small amount of thiophene, and the preparation conditions were examined. The oxidation of a metal catalyst strongly affects the growth of carbon coils. Light emission and a temperature increase of 20-25°C were observed during the reaction, and these have some relationships with the reaction of growing carbon coils. Application of a bias voltage to the substrate was very effective for obtaining a high coil yield. The carbon coils could be graphitized by a heat treatment at 3000°C for 6 hrs in a CO/CO 2 atmosphere. TaC microsolenoids/micro-tubes and other ceramic micro-tubes, such as TiC, TiN, NbC, and NbN, were prepared by the vapor phase metallizing and metallizing/nitriding of the regular and densely coiled carbon coils.

Measured sets of angles of legs in 28 tetrapod ZnO particles produced by oxidizing zinc in air have been analyzed in terms of the octahedral multiple twin (octa-twin) nucleus model proposed previously (J. Crystal Growth 134 (1993) 275; Phil Mag. A 69 (1994) 1125). Nineteen sets of them coincide with the angle relation for the octa-twin nucleus completely relaxed by cracking along twin boundaries; the initial octa-twin nucleus is accompanied by a large elastic strain of 5%. The other sets, except two, can also be well interpreted by the growth process from some types of incompletely relaxed nucleus, where legs grow with some nucleus twins unrelaxed without forming cracks.

The recycling of waste plastics in the blast furnace has been in-vestigated with the test furnace and the commercial blast furnace. From the results of these experiments, it was found that the combustion and gasification behavior of waste plastics injected into the raceway of the blast furnace was much different from those of pulverized coal. Pulverized coal injected into raceway was consumed in the combustion zone of the raceway and converted into CO2 and H2O rapidly. On the other hand, waste plastics was mainly converted into CO and H2 by gasification with CO2 generated in the combustion zone of the raceway. Combustion and gasification efficiency of waste plas-tics was much higher than that of pulverized coal in spite of large particle. Waste plas-tics like -10mm particle can be effectively gasified due to the circulation effect of coarse particle in the raceway. Recycling effciency of waste plastics in the blast furnce was estimated to be 76%. It is considered that waste plastics injection into the blast furnace is a favorable way to realize material recycling of waste plastics and to solve environ-mental issue.

OBJECTIVE We investigated the presence of antisulfatide and antiphospholipid antibodies and the relationship between these antibodies and the results of quantitative tests of nerve function in NIDDM patients with diabetic neuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Antisulfatide and antiphospholipid antibodies were measured in serum samples obtained from 68 NIDDM patients with diabetic neuropathy by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Each patient was classified into one of three groups based on the combined neuropathy score (determined by the symptom score, the results of autonomic nerve function tests, and the vibration perception test), as follows: mild (n = 26), moderate (n = 22), and severe (n = 20). Nerve conduction studies were performed in a subgroup of 37 patients. RESULTS The antisulfatide antibody was detected in 1 (4%) of 26 patients in the mild group, 4 (18%) of 22 patients in the moderate group, and 8 (40%) of 20 patients in the severe group (P < 0.01 vs. mild group). The antiphospholipid antibody was detected in none of the patients in the mild group, 8 (36%) of 22 patients in the moderate group (P < 0.001 vs. mild group), and 6 (30%) of 20 patients in the severe group (P < 0.01 vs. mild group). The threshold amplitude, determined by the vibration perception test, was significantly higher in antibody-positive patients than in antibody-negative patients: antisulfatide antibody, 55.9 ± 46.8 μm (n = 13) vs. 22.9 ± 13.7 μm (n = 55), P < 0.001; antiphospholipid antibody, 47.2 ± 32.5 μm (n = 14) vs. 24.5 ± 23.2 μm (n = 54), P < 0.01. The conduction velocity of the sural nerve was slower in the antisulfatide antibody-positive group (37.9 ± 11.1 m/s, n = 12) than in the antisulfatide antibody-negative group (45.2 ± 6.0 m/s, n = 19) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that autoimmune nerve destruction may be involved in diabetic neuropathy in NIDDM patients.

Some patients with non-insulin-dependent (Type 2) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are positive for antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD), which have been shown to be a useful marker for the diagnosis and prediction of insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Anti-GAD positive NIDDM patients tend to develop insulin deficiency. We investigated the prevalence of anti-GAD in 200 NIDDM with secondary failure of oral hypoglycaemic therapy (SF) and 200 NIDDM well controlled by diet and/or sulphonylurea agents (NSF). Twenty-two of 200 (11%, p < 0.05) SF patients and 6 of 200 (3%) NSF patients were anti-GAD positive. The positive. The positive rate for anti-GAD was as high as 23.8% in the non-obese and insulin deficient SF patients. The SF patients with anti-GAD tended to be non-obese and to have an impaired release of endogenous insulin. The internal before development of secondary failure was not associated with the presence of anti-GAD in this study. In conclusion we found that anti-GAD was positive in as many as 11% of the SF patients, suggesting that autoimmune mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of secondary failure or sulphonylurea therapy.

Whiskers of β-HfP (hexagonal), α-ZrP (cubic), and β-TiP (hexagonal) have been prepared from HfCl 4 /ZrCl 4 /TiCl 4 + PCl 3 + H 2 + Ar gas mixtures at 1050–1250°C using the mixed-metal impurity-activated chemical-vapor-deposition process. The growth conditions, morphology, and other properties were examined. The mixed impurities of Si + Pt and Si + Pd were very effective for the growth of these whiskers. The growth direction of HfP and TiP is the c -axis, and that of ZrP is 〈111〉 and the a -axis. Some whiskers changed their growth axes from one orientation to another during growth. The whiskers were very stable during a 40 min immersion in a concentrated HCl solution.

Whiskers and ribbon-like single crystals of β-HfP (hexagonal) have been prepared from HfCl4+PCl3+H2+Ar gas mixtures at 1100–1200 °C using a metal impurity-activated chemical vapour deposition process. The growth conditions, morphology and chemical properties were examined. The 3.5–6.5 mm (average 4 mm) long HfP whiskers were obtained at 1200 °C using Si+Pt or Si+Pd mixed impurities. The HfP whiskers were very stable against oxidation up to 3 h exposure at 1000 °C and for 80 min immersion in concentrated HCl solution at 50 °C.

Flow cytometric assay of nuclear DNA in endoscopic biopsy specimens was evaluated in colon cancer patients. When the cells were divided into diploid cells and aneuploid cells, aneuploidy was observed in 63% (58 of 92) of the colon cancer patients. However, no clear relation was observed between the frequency of aneuploidy and the invasive depth, size, or histological type of colon cancer. Noncancerous portions of the colon tissues including colon adenoma or normal mucosa were mostly (96%, 87 of 91) diploid. Nuclear DNA content could be analyzed in the fresh biopsy specimens of colon cancer tissues and such investigation might be possibly valuable for further biological characterization of colon cancer in the usual procedure of clinical diagnosis for colonic malignancy before surgical operation or other treatment.

症例は73歳,男性.小脳出血,多発性脳梗塞にて臥床状態にあり近医で在宅中心静脈栄養(IVH)管理を受けていた.徐々に貧血,白血球減少が進行するため当科入院.骨髓穿刺で血球貪食像認めたためステロイドパルス療法施行するも無効.銅欠乏状態が判明し微量元素製剤を補充したところ骨髓所見も含め速やかな改善を得た.長期間の人工栄養療法施行時には微量元素欠乏症の可能性に充分留意すべきであると考え報告した.

New ternary compound crystals of (Cr 0.26 Fe 0.74 ) 3 Si 2 have been obtained by an in-situ chemical vapor deposition process, using the in-situ reaction of SUS 410 powder with Si 2 Cl 6 and H 2 . Well-formed twinned crystals, ball-like crystals and whiskers were simultaneously obtained under the same conditions. The new twinned crystals have the same hexagonal lattice as that of (Cr,Fe) 5 Si 3 . The twinned crystals with a diagonal length of 0.3–1 mm and whiskers 3 mm long were obtained at 1100 °C after 2 h. The crystals were much more corrosion and oxidation resistant than was the SUS 410 plate.

Transmission electron microscopy at the central part of tetrapod-shaped ZnO particles, produced by oxidizing zinc vapor in air, has revealed that there exist trigonal-pyramid crystals other than the leg crystals at the center. Scanning electron microscopy of fractured tetrapod particles has shown characteristic facetted fracture surfaces. These results, together with the etch patterns on the surfaces of the particles which exhibit polarities of the constituent crystals, are consistent with the previously proposed growth model from an inversion-type octa-twin embryo.

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that adversely affect the weaning of elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia from mechanical ventilation.This study retrospectively investigated the medical records of 71 elderly patients (65 years or older) who were admitted to the hospital because of community-acquired pneumonia and required mechanical ventilation between January 2003 and December 2007. The patients were divided into two groups: group A, which included 33 patients who were successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation, and group B, which included 38 patients who could not be weaned from mechanical ventilation. The study compared the patients' background, vital signs, and laboratory and bacteriological examinations at the beginning of mechanical ventilation. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with difficulties in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation.In group B, there were significantly more smokers (P0.05) and more patients with emphysematous changes on thoracic CT (P0.05). In group A, the concentrations of total serum protein (P0.05) and albumin (P0.05) were significantly higher. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with community-acquired pneumonia who showed emphysematous changes on thoracic CT (OR = 4.92, 95%CI 1.08-22.46) and/or a low concentration of serum albumin3.0 g/dL (OR = 4.25, 95%CI 1.17-15.45) had difficulty being weaned from mechanical ventilation.Our study suggests that elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia with emphysematous changes on thoracic CT and/or a low concentration of serum albumin level have difficulty being weaned from mechanical ventilation.

The prototype morphology of tetrapod zinc oxide particles, which was studied in detail in a previous paper [J. Crystal Growth f128 (1993) 1095] has been interpreted completely by the growth model from a multiple inversion-twin embryo.

The morphology of tetrapod-like zinc oxide particles, produced by oxidizing zinc vapor, has been examined by optical and electron microscopy. In most of the particles, three to four among six angles between four legs of a tetrapod are 102 o . The four legs grow along the c-axis from a nucleus which has been identified to have also the wurtzite structure

A 53-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to a severe respiratory condition and malnutrition. Radiological and electrophysiological findings suggested the existence of inexplicable cor pulmonale. Although we commenced to determine the causes of her severe condition, she suddenly died 3 days after admission. Postmortem autopsy revealed tumor cell microemboli in the small pulmonary arteries due to gastric cancer. Such a case of cor pulmonale as the first clinical manifestation is exceptionally rare. Occult malignancy should be considered as a differential diagnosis when one encounters a patient with subacutely aggravated respiratory condition and inexplicable cor pulmonale.

GaAs needle crystals with the zincblende structure were grown by reacting a mixture of Ga and Ga2O3 with As in a closed quartz tube. The six lateral surfaces of the needles are parallel to the {112} planes. The growth axis is the [111] polar direction. Some of them changed their growth axis from one of the polar axes to another during growth. Examinations of the crystals by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction clarified the detailed morphology. The polarity of grown crystals was determined from a study of etch pits revealed on the {111} and {112} planes by an HF+H2O2 etchant.

A 64-year-old man who ingested liquid paraffin as a laxative for over two years, was admitted to our hospital with a persistent interstitial lung shadow and marked elevation of serum KL-6. He had no overt symptoms although his chest radiograph revealed ground glass opacities in the left lower lung field and right middle and lower lung fields. We performed fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia was diagnosed based on microscopic analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid that revealed the presence of lipid-laden alveolar macrophages. We instructed the patient to discontinue liquid paraffin ingestion and observed his clinical course. The chest radiograph and thoracic computed tomography revealed a tendency to improve and serum KL-6 decreased with time. Serum KL-6 may be an important index of the severity of exogenous lipoid pneumonia.

A 28-year-old man complaining of myiodesopsia was given a diagnosis of uveitis. Subsequently he complained facial nerve palsy and enlargement of parotid gland. Heerfordt's syndrome was diagnosed based on the results of several examinations. Facial nerve palsy, enlargement of the parotid gland and uveitis were improved by systemic corticosteroid therapy. At present he is receiving systemic corticosteroid therapy, but numbness in the mouth, thought to be the involvement of the trigeminal nerve, remains. Systemic corticosteroid therapy is usually effective for most cases with Heerford's syndrome. On the other hand, there are some cases with the prolonged peripheral nerve involvement despite systemic corticosteroid therapy, as seen in this case. If peripheral nerve involvement is prolonged, it is necessary to consider small-fibre neuropathy as one possible cause.

Amounts of several metabolites were measured in overwintering larvae of Enosima leucotaeniella acclimated to temperatures between -5 and 15 degrees C for 30days. In the diapausing stage, cold hardiness, as shown by the survival rate, began rising below 15 degrees C. Glycogen content decreased as the temperature decreased from 10 to 0 degrees C. Trehalose content rose as the temperature decreased from 15 to 5 degrees C, but remained unchanged as the temperature decreased from 5 and 0 degrees C. Twenty-eight free amino acids were detected in the haemolymph; levels of proline, glutamine and glutamic acid increased at high temperatures, but alanine increased at low temperatures, especially as temperature decreased from 5 to 0 degrees C. Lipid content was unchanged by the different acclimation temperatures. The effects of temperature, diapause and aerobic conditions on the levels of carbohydrates and amino acids in overwintering larvae were analyzed. Alanine levels rose at low temperature only when the larvae were in the diapausing stage. The level of trehalose rose at low temperature in both the diapausing and post-diapausing stages, although it was higher at aerobic conditions in the post-diapausing stage. These results suggest that efficient trehalose synthesis occurs under the combination of low temperature and aerobic conditions of the post-diapausing stage, so that cold hardiness in overwintering E. leucotaeniella larvae may rise to a high level in winter.

Accelerated formation and accumulation of advanced glycation end products, as well as increased flux of glucose through polyol pathway, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular complications. We investigated effects of advanced glycation end products on the levels of aldose reductase mRNA, protein, and activity in human microvascular endothelial cells. When endothelial cells were cultured with highly glycated bovine serum albumin, aldose reductase mRNA in endothelial cells demonstrated concentration-dependent elevation. The increase in aldose reductase mRNA was accompanied by elevated protein expression and enzyme activity. Significant increase in the enzyme expression was also observed when endothelial cells were cultured with serum obtained from diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease. Pretreatment of the endothelial cells with probucol or vitamin E prevented the advanced glycation end products-induced increases in aldose reductase mRNA and protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using the nuclear extracts of the endothelial cells treated with advanced glycation end products showed enhancement of specific DNA binding activity for AP-1 consensus sequence. These results indicate that accelerated formation of advanced glycation end products in vivo may elicit activation of the polyol pathway, possibly via augmented oxidative stress, and amplify endothelial cell damage leading to diabetic microvascular dysfunction.

The TNF-alpha gene is located in the HLA region and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (IDDM). We investigated the frequency of TNFa microsatellite alleles in 76 young-onset IDDM patients, 65 adult-onset IDDM patients, and 90 control subjects. We also examined the association of these TNFa alleles with HLA-DRB1 alleles, HLA-class I alleles, and TNF-alpha production. The frequency of the TNFa2 and TNFa9 alleles was increased in the young-onset IDDM patients compared to control subjects, but the increased frequency of TNFa2 was not significant after the correction for the number of comparisons was made. We did not find any association of TNFa2 or TNFa9 with any of the HLA-DRB1 alleles. In contrast, the frequency of the TNFa13 allele was decreased in both the young-onset and the adult-onset IDDM patients compared to the control subjects, but the difference lost significance after the correction was made in the adult-onset IDDM. The TNFa13 allele was strongly associated with DRB1*1502. Patients with TNFa2 or TNFa9 had greater TNF-alpha production, while those positive for TNFa13 had lower TNF-alpha production than patients with non-TNFa2, a9, and a13 alleles. These results suggest that TNFa polymorphisms are associated with age-at-onset of IDDM and influence the inflammatory process of pancreatic beta cell destruction in the development of IDDM.

We studied the effect of troglitazone, a new oral antidiabetic agent that potentiates insulin action and reduces insulin resistance, on albuminuria in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated diabetic rats. Without affecting blood glucose level, blood pressure, and creatinine clearance, troglitazone treatment of diabetic rats significantly decreased the diabetes-associated albuminuria at all time points studied 14 to 12 weeks of treatment: diabetic 510 +/- 161 micrograms/24 h v diabetic treated 112 +/- 34 micrograms/24 h at 12 weeks, P.05). These data suggest that troglitazone has potential in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

To identify diabetes mellitus caused by the mitochondrial gene substitution at genomic nucleotide pair 3243 (M3243A-->G) we selected 87 diabetic patients with high risk factors such as maternal inheritance and hearing loss. Total DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes, and mitochondrial DNA fragments containing M3243A-->G were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified fragments were digested with a restriction endonuclease Apa1 and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The incidence of the M3243A-->G mutation was 4.6% (four of 87) in diabetic patients with maternal inheritance and/or hearing loss. In a subgroup with both maternal inheritance and hearing loss, the incidence of the mutation was as high as 21.4% (three of 14). Cardiac disorders were also present in all four diabetic patients with the mutation. This study suggests that maternal inheritance and hearing loss are useful clinical findings to identify diabetic patients with the mutation, and that cardiac involvement is a high risk factor for the M3243A-->G mutation.

GaP whiskers were grown by reacting a mixture of Ga and Ga2O3 with P in a closed quartz tube. The three lateral surfaces of the whiskers are parallel to the {112} planes. The growth axis is the [111] polar direction. Two types of GaP whiskers were grown: straight whiskers and bent whiskers composed of several straight element whiskers. Some of the whiskers contain rotation twins. They are classified into two types: one is rotated around the 〈111〉 growth direction and the other around one of the 〈111〉 directions other than the growth direction.

Elastic constants of binary alloys, Ni-Fe and Ni-Cu, of their wide composition ranges having f.c.c. structure, were measured by means of a composite oscillator method in the frequency range from 1 to 5 Mc/s at room temperature. Elastic constants of Ni-Fe alloys vary quadratically as their compositions, while those of Ni-Cu vary linearly. These results can be interpreted in terms of the central and pair-like interactions between atoms of the alloys.