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Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is one of the new focuses for the next source of nutritional composition in Thailand. It is a good source of dietary fiber, β-carotene, magnesium, calcium, potassium mucilage, and total phenol. However, dragon fruit rapidly loses visual quality due to chlorophyll degradation of the bract or scales. Thus, the study of yellowing in the bract of dragon fruit is very important in solving the problem of loss due to yellowing. To understand the cause of bract yellowing, morphology of the fruit peel and bract were studied. At different stages of fruit development (10, 20, 30, and 40 d after anthesis), both peel and bract were sampled and observed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) at 100×. Both were evaluated for density of the stomata. The results showed that the bract of dragon fruit at all stages of fruit development showed significantly higher density of stomata than that of the fruit peel, by about 3-4 times. As a result, water transpired via the stomata located on the bract faster than the fruit peel. Thus, bract of dragon fruit showed rapid loss of visual quality and became unacceptable. Moreover, differences in the morphology of the fruit tissue could be related to changes at the physiological level in dragon fruit at different stages of fruit development.

Yellowing is the most visible deterioration in broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. Italica Group) that usually occurs with the progress of chlorophyll (Chl) degradation. This study deals with the control of floret yellowing in stored broccoli by using UV-B irradiation at 0 (control) and 8.8 kJ.m -2 . The application of UV-B at 8.8 kJ.m -2 effectively delayed yellowing of broccoli florets. Chl a derivatives including chlorophyllide (Chlide) a, C13 2 -hydroxychlorophyll (C13 2 -OHChl) a and pheophytin (Phy) a levels in broccoli florets were decreased concomitantly with the enhancement of pheophorbide (Pheide) a and pyropheophorbide (Pyropheide) a levels especially in the control treatment. On the other hand, Chlide a, C13 2 -OHChl a and Phy a levels were increased in 8.8 kJ.m -2 UV-B treated broccoli during storage at 15°C. Two types of chlorophyllase (Chlase) were identified by molecular exclusion chromatography. Type I was suppressed in UV-B treated broccoli on day 4, and the Km value of Type I was lower than that of Type II. Thus, the Chlase activity, especially Type I, was effectively suppressed by UV-B treatment, whereas Type II Chlase may take in part of Chl degradation in stored broccoli florets.

The effect of molybdenum in hardening on low-temperature plasma carburized layer of austenitic stainless steel was investigated. This compared a low-temperature carburized layer of AISI 316 (Fe–17Cr–10Ni–2Mo) with that of AISI 304 (Fe–18Cr–8Ni) to evaluate the influence of molybdenum on carburizing. Samples were plasma carburized using DC plasma apparatus under 667 Pa of mixed gas flow of 5% CH4 + 45% H2 + 50% Ar at 673 K or 723 K for various durations. Depth profiles of hardness and micro-structural layer thickness were measured; GDOES, TEM, and XRD were subsequently used to characterize their microstructures. Surface hardness of 316 steel carburized at 673 K for 8 h reached 800 HK, but that of 304 steel remained at 530 HK. Results show no carbide formation in either steel treated at 673 K. The degree of lattice expansion by carburizing in the presence of molybdenum, 316 steel, is higher than that of 304 steel. Furthermore, the diffusion rate of carbon in the 316 steel is higher than that in the 304 steel. The higher hardness of carburized 316 steel is inferred to result from carbon super saturation enhanced by the effect of large molybdenum atoms, which can widen the octahedral sites.

The Mg–14mass%Li alloy is an ultra-light metallic material that is lighter than pure magnesium. However, this alloy has some disadvantages, in particular its poor wear and corrosion resistance. In this study a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating was applied to the surface of the Mg–14mass%Li alloy and the extent to which it improved the wear and corrosion resistance was evaluated. As pretreatment, certain specimens of Mg–14mass%Li were coated with a Si interlayer using the ion beam sputter method and others were peened using a silicon carbide (SiC) medium, before the deposition of the DLC film. All specimens were coated with DLC using the RF capacitively coupled plasma CVD method. The DLC formed an adhesive coating on the specimen that had undergone the SiC peening process. This specimen showed a relatively low friction coefficient and relatively low wear. However, the DLC coating did not form adhesively on the specimen with a Si interlayer. None of the DLC coated specimens were able to withstand the corrosion effects of the acidic and alkaline artificial perspiration solutions. A de-lithium phenomenon was responsible for preventing effective DLC deposition on the Mg–14mass%Li alloy, therefore reducing adhesion and corrosion resistance.

Low temperature plasma carburizing to austenitic stainless steels is attracted special attention because it can harden the surfaces without degradation of its corrosion resistance. The carburized layer shows very high saturation of carbon and it is called as S phase layer. However, this layer leads to give relatively high friction coefficients to the steels. In this study, diamond-like carbon (DLC) film coating was applied to improve the friction property of the S phase layer. AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel was pre-treated by peening and plasma carburized at low temperature. The carburized specimen with no DLC film shows a high friction coefficient of about 0.55. And the DLC coated specimen not carburized preliminarily shows it to be about 0.20 only at the beginning of the friction test, and to increase gradually to about 0.43. In contrast, the friction coefficient of the specimen, carburized initially and then coated with DLC, shows a low and stable value to be about 0.20. Accordingly, it has been concluded that the duplex treatment of carburizing and DLC film coating is effective to improve the friction property of S phase layer. Furthermore, using the peening process, the DLC film could be coated directly on the carburized substrate without pre-depositing a usual interlayer.

DLC coating can contribute to the excellent mechanical and tribological properties of materials. In most cases, a metallic film (e.g., Cr or Si) is used as an interlayer between DLC film and steel substrate to improve the adhesion of the coating. In this work, the adhesion of DLC film on magnesium alloy by substituting the interlayer formation with a pretreatment by peening was examined. The magnesium alloy specimens were preliminarily peened using two kinds of media (SiC and graphite) and then treated by the RF capacitively coupled plasma CVD method. A mixture of 50% methane (CH 4 ) and 50% hydrogen (H 2 ) was used as the processing gas. The peening as pretreatment with the SiC medium made it possible to deposit DLC films on the magnesium alloy without an interlayer.

Combinations of carburizing and nitriding were plasma processed both sequentially and simultaneously to AISI 316 substrate at 723 K. All samples treated by combined carburizing and nitrizing show carbon accumulation beyond the nitrided layer. Depth of the combined treated layer was deeper than that of the nitrided-only specimen. In addition, hardness depth profiles of these samples show gentle slopes from the surface to substrate. Sequentially carburised then post-nitrided specimen showed corrosion resistance as well as untreated substrate, however, the corrosion resistance of simultaneously carburized and nitrided specimen was obviously inferior to those of samples of untreated steel. It was found that the surface design with hardness and corrosion resistance is possible by sequential plasma process.

Expanded austenite by low temperature plasma nitriding of austenitic stainless steels pushes carbon ahead of the nitrided layer. Apparently, this phenomenon accompanies uphill carbon diffusion. Clarifying the mechanism of this carbon push-ahead effect is important for controlling treated-layer microstructure. This investigation is intended to clear the push-ahead effect of specimens treated with a combination of carburizing and nitriding. Plasma treatments were carried out for 18Cr–8Ni steel in 667 Pa at 673 K. We used the following gas-flow ratios: 80% N 2 –20% H 2 for nitriding; Ar gas mixed with 5% CH 4 for carburizing; and 80% N 2 mixed with from 5% CH 4 and balancing H 2 for simultaneous carburizing and nitriding. Glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) indicated an accumulated carbon layer beyond the nitrogen plateau on the nitrided specimen of pre-carburized sample. Such a carbon accumulation profile also resulted from simultaneous treatment. Furthermore, carbon accumulated similarly in cases of carburizing after nitriding treatment. Nitrided specimens of pre-carburized samples have a small carbon peak just under the surface on GDOES profile. This small carbon peak weakened and disappeared with increasing nitriding time. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed formation of ɛ (Fe 2–3 N) phase just under the surface of the nitrided pre-carburized sample.

Nitrogen-incorporated-hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H:N) films were deposited on polycarbonate (PC) substrates by r.f. plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Effects of nitrogen incorporation on microstructure, bonding states, chemical composition, internal stresses, and friction coefficients of deposited films were investigated. The films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron microscopy, infrared microscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy and friction tests. Results from the measurement indicate that incorporated nitrogen content has considerable effects on film properties. Raman spectra of the a-C:H:N films are broad, asymmetric and centered at around wavenumber of 1500 cm −1 . Shifting of the G-peak toward the higher wavenumber, narrower bandwidth of the G-peak and an increase of the I D / I G ratio demonstrate the graphitic character of the a-C:H:N films with the further increase of the atomic fraction of nitrogen (N/C). IR spectra demonstrate nitrogen bonded to carbon and hydrogen as C N, C N, N–H and C–H bonding configurations in the a-C:H:N films. The internal stress considerably decreased as well as the friction coefficient is low when the N/C fraction increased. The surface roughness of the a-C:H:N films estimated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) seems to be less smooth with the increase in the N/C fraction.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are well known for their high hardness, low friction and excellent wear resistance. In the present work, the friction coefficient and wear resistance of DLC films deposited on 304 austenitic stainless steel were investigated in corrosive solutions. DLC films were deposited on the substrate by the CVD method using radio frequency (13.56 MHz) plasma. A mixture of methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2) was used as processing gas. The CH4 concentration was varied from 20 to 100%. DLC films were subjected to friction and wear tests using a ball-on-flat surface friction apparatus in solutions of 3 mass% NaCl, 0.05 N HCl, 0.05 N H2SO4 and 0.05 N HNO3. The flat surface was oscillated against the alumina ball. In the tests performed within the corrosive solution, the friction coefficients of the DLC films and substrate were approximately 0.1 and 0.5, respectively. The DLC films deposited on the 304 substrate showed a remarkably lower volume of wear than the substrate alone. Accordingly, the DLC coating process was confirmed to be effective in decreasing the friction coefficient and improving the corrosion wear resistance of 304 in 3 mass% NaCl and acidic solutions.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were deposited on polycarbonate (PC) by r.f. plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Methane (CH4) and diluted hydrogen (H2) were used for film deposition. Influences of CH4 content in CH4/H2 mixed gases on friction coefficients and wear resistance of DLC films were investigated. The friction coefficients are lower than 0.3 when increasing the methane content up to 50%. Bonding states and film quality were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. FTIR spectra of PC compared to the carbon films show the shift of maximum absorbency from sp3 CH3 to sp3 CH2 in the range of 2970–2920 cm−1. Single broad peak of Raman spectra appears at a wavenumber of approximately 1530 cm−1. The D-band position is shifted toward the higher frequency whereas the G-band position seems to be unchanged with the higher diluted hydrogen content. The surface roughness of the carbon films is finer than that of PC. Scanning electron microscope micrographs could not reveal clearly the distinction between morphologies of the films and PC.

We have previously shown that interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), a chemokine for activated lymphocytes, was specifically induced in the liver of Concanavalin A (Con A)-treated mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the time course profile and cell-type-specific hepatic production of monokine induced by interferon-gamma (MIG), a chemokine which shares its receptor and most of its activity with IP-10, in Con A-treated mice and to compare them with those of IP-10.Hepatic mRNA expression of MIG and IP-10 was studied by means of Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization in Con A-treated mice. The levels of MIG and IP-10 in the serum and culture supernatants of murine hepatoma-, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell-, hepatic stellate cell- and macrophage-derived cell lines were determined by means of specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.The serum level of MIG slowly reached a maximum at 12 h after Con A injection and remained elevated for a long time, whereas that of IP-10 reached a maximum at 3 h and declined quickly, a finding supported by Northern blot analysis. Using in situ hybridization, the mRNA of MIG as well as IP-10 was found to be expressed in hepatocytes and hepatic non-parenchymal cells. Similar to IP-10, MIG was produced by hepatoma-, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell-, hepatic stellate cell- and macrophage-derived cell lines in vitro.Although both MIG and IP-10 were produced by hepatocytes and hepatic non-parenchymal cells in Con A-treated mice, the time course profile of MIG was distinguishable from that of IP-10. The fact that hepatic MIG and IP-10 were produced sequentially in this hepatitis model may suggest that a non-redundant role is played by these two chemokines in the process of hepatic necro-inflammation.

Alcohol production from worthless onions by a repeated batch process using a flocculating yeast was investigated. The juice from the cultivar red onion R-3, which contained 67.3 g/l of total sugar, was smoothly fermented by a repeated batch operation using the flocculating yeast IR-2. The productivity, the final ethanol concentration and the ethanol yield were about 6.5 g/l/h, 30.6 g/l and 91.9%, respectively. The onion alcohol produced could be used as a favorable source of onion vinegar or alcoholic beverage.

Apoptosis plays an important role in heat-induced cell death. However, the mechanism of heat-induced apoptosis has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, the signal transduction pathway underlying heat-induced apoptosis was investigated in heat-resistant HeLa cells carrying mutant p53 gene and heat sensitive HeLa cells that had been transduced with an antisense TNF gene. Induction of mutant p53, but not p21/WAF-1, was observed after heat treatment of both the resistant and sensitive cells. Heat-induced cytotoxicity was not inhibited in either cells with interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE: caspase-1) like protease inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CHO. In contrast, there was 48% and 63% inhibition of cytotoxicity in HeLa and transfectants, respectively, with a caspase-3 inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO). Heat-induced apoptosis was also prevented by administration of Ac-DEVD-CHO in both cells. In addition, an augmentation of heat-induced cytotoxicity in transfectants was almost completely inhibited by Ac-DEVD-CHO. Further, caspase-3 mRNA expression was increased remarkably in heat-treated HeLa cells and transfectants. Taken together, these results suggest that activation of caspase-3 is involved in the signal transduction pathway of heat-induced apoptosis of the tumour cells carrying mutant p53.

The present study was conducted to examine effects of cysteamine in culture medium on progression of meiosis, glutathione (GSH) content, kinase activities (histone H1 kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase), and male pronuclear formation after in vitro insemination of cumulus-denuded oocytes (DOs) in the pig. DOs, obtained by mechanically removing cells from cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) with a small-bore pipette, were cultured for 45 h in TCM199 supplemented with sodium pyruvate, gonadotropins, estradiol, and 10% porcine follicular fluid, with or without cysteamine (150 microM). Maturation rates of DOs cultured with and without cysteamine were not different (60-70%) but were significantly lower than those of COCs (90-100%) (p 0.05). After in vitro insemination, DOs cultured with cysteamine showed significantly higher rates of male pronuclear formation (80.3 +/- 3.0%) than DOs cultured without cysteamine (16.4 +/- 0.5%) (p < 0.05). These results indicate that the addition of cysteamine to culture medium increased oocyte GSH content and promoted male pronuclear formation after sperm penetration of porcine DOs but had no effects on their maturation rates or kinase activities.

A 33 year old man was admitted to hospital six days after the onset of abdominal pain. There was hypereosinophilia, but the cause could not be identified (primary hypereosinophilia). The hypereosinophilia, high C reactive protein concentration, and gastrointestinal symptoms were alleviated by corticosteroid treatment. Unexpectedly, after this apparent recovery, he was found dead on the 27th day after admission. Necropsy disclosed two solid tumours primarily composed of eosinophils in the ascending and transverse colon. The cause of the sudden death was pulmonary artery emboli, derived from a thrombus in the left iliac vein.

We have used microinjection of antisense oligonucleotides, monoclonal antibody, and the dominant negative Ras N-17 mutant to interfere with Ras expression and function in mouse oocytes and early embryos. Microinjection of either ras antisense oligonucleotides or anti-Ras monoclonal antibody Y13-259 did not affect normal progression of oocytes through meiosis and arrest at metaphase II. However, microinjection of fertilized eggs with constructs expressing Ras N-17 inhibited subsequent development through the two-cell stage. The inhibitory effect of Ras N-17 was overcome by simultaneous injection of a plasmid expressing an active raf oncogene, indicating that it resulted from interference with the Ras/Raf signaling pathway. In contrast to the inhibition of two-cell embryo development resulting from microinjection of pronuclear stage eggs, microinjection of late two-cell embryos with Ras N-17 expression constructs did not affect subsequent cleavages and development to morulae and blastocysts. It thus appears that the Ras/Raf signaling pathway, presumably activated by autocrine growth factor stimulation, is specifically required at the two-cell stage, which is the time of transition between maternal and embryonic gene expression in mouse embryos.

We present the case of a 32-year-old female with cecal and appendiceal polyps that were removed by laparoscopy-assisted surgery. She also had recurrent nosebleeds due to telangiectases in the nasal mucosa and arteriovenous malformations in the lung, all of which contributed to the diagnosis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

As-fired aluminium nitride (AIN) substrates with smooth and uniform surface have been developed by green sheet and firing technology. The effect of setting for firing on surface roughness was investigated. AIN substrates were fabricated by pressureless sintering of green sheets piled up and sandwiched between AIN plates in an AIN crucible. The thermal conductivity, surface roughness and bending strength of the substrate sintered at 1770 °C for 2 h under a pressure of 1 MPa nitrogen were 194 Wm−1 K−1, 0.15 (μm and 353 MPa, respectively.

Reflective spectra of the Bragg reflectors applied to GaAs infrared light emitting diodes were simulated. Bragg reflectors are composed of alternating Al0.2Ga0.8As/AlAs layers where the ratio of high‐ and low‐refractive indices is as small as 1.16. The reflectance bandwidth can be broadened by employing chirped structures where the optical thicknesses of the respective layers are changed arithmetically. On the other hand, for chirped Bragg reflectors, resonant reflection drops appeared at some wavelengths. These drops can be corrected by inserting periodic alternating layers. The reflectance band of 80% reflectivity is 2.7 times as wide as that of the conventional reflector of the periodic sequence in the case of 66 layer stack.

11,000m class ROV, KAIKO, was developed in 1995 and dived to the seabed of 11,000m depth at Challenger Deep in Mariana Trench about 20 times (Fig.1). In March, 1996, KAIKO was sampling almost 20ml of sediment at Challenger Deep (10,897m depth). Many microbe in deep sea like extreme environments have been found in it, and their life have been cleared by the little sediment sample. So, it is necessary to collect much sediment sample at Challenger Deep to progress the research. But, the vehicle of KAIKO has been lost in May, 2003, because the secondary cable connecting the launcher and vehicle was snapped. The research of extremophiles in deep sea has been interrupted. Therefore, JAMSTEC has developed 11,000m class free fall mooring system in order to take the image and sediment sampling.

This is the first study and field test analysis for DSRC (Dedicated Short distance Radio System) Vehicle wireless communication system design with first prototype developed WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicle Environment) system platform in which IEEE802.11p and IEEE1609 standard software have been implemented. In the field test, packet reach ability as one of parameter for system evaluation has been measured for both WAVE announce frame and IP packet data between On-Board-Unit (OBU) and Road-Side-Unit (RSU). After basic WAVE functional test, it has been considered about safety application with this new DSRC technology and it is also evaluated in the field testing for informing road singe and camera steaming information transmission to vehicle. In this field testing, it is compared between single receiver concept in IEEE802.11p and dual receiver concept in Car to Car Communication Consortium (C2C-CC). Under the current existing IEEE802.11p specification, there are two types of communication channels i.e. Control Channel (CCH) and Service Channel (SCH). Those channels are sending during each 50 msec interval. The CCH is used for emergency information transmission basically and SHC is used for non- critical information such as video transmission for customer usage. Therefore it should be considered about time critical for sending CCH information. So it has been measured timing for each CCH and SCH frame arrival from RSU to OBU in real field testing as basic WAVE system functions.

The 4 GHz bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators have been fabricated by thin films of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 based ternary perovskite compounds. The Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PMnN-PZT) thin films were deposited on (100)MgO substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The PMnN-PZT thin films showed tetragonal crystal structure and highly (001) orientation. The surface roughness of the thin films was about 2 nm. The cross section TEM image of PMnN-PZT thin films showed single c-domain/ single crystal structure. The bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators composed by PMnN-PZT thin films were fabricated by MEMS technology. The RF properties of the resonator were evaluated by VNA (Vector Network Analyzer). The BAW resonator by 0.1PMnN-0.9PZT(55/45) thin film exhibited high electro-mechanical coupling constant kt and high Q value at 3.87GHz. Values of kt, Q, and kt 2Q were found to be 0.56, 185 and 58, respectively. These values are highest, in our knowledge, comparing with those of previously reported PZT-BAW resonators.

Stress free heteroepitaxial thin films of PZT-based ternary perovskite, xPb(Mn,Nb)O3-(1-x)PZT, were fabricated by magnetron sputtering on (001)MgO substrates and evaluated their crystal structure, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. The heteroepitaxial thin films showed single c-domain /single crystal structure and exhibit hard ferroelectric behavior with large Pr, Pr=60muC/cm2, and high Ec, 2Ec=230kV/cm, at x=0.06. The PZT-based thin films exhibited high piezoelectric coupling factors kt, kt=70%, measured at GHz range FBAR structure. High values of mechanical quality factor Qm, Qm=185, were observed at 4Ghz range. The observed kt and Qm are, to our knowledge, the highest in the reported values. The figure of merit kt 2Qm is almost the same to piezoelectric AlN thin films. It is confirmed the PZT-based ternary perovskite thin films have a potential for a fabrication of FBAR and/or wide band filters at GHz range.

This paper proposes a security system using wireless sensor network and human motion sensor. This security system is installed at Yamaguchi power plant in Japan. Building multi-hop wireless network has wireless communication capable and analog to digital processing. A module is called Waseda Hibikino Module version 1 (WHM-1). We use it and it has used low-power radio with multi-wireless access channels. This security system that we designed to detect trespasses and feedback message sends to administrator through Internet.

The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Kaiko, built in 1995, is able to dive at ocean depths of 11,000 m. On May 29, 2003. the Kaiko's secondary cable snapped, and the Kaiko's vehicle has been missing. JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) was decided to remodel the 7,000 m class ROV UROV7K instead of the lost vehicle in order to continue the scientific activities. This system was called "KAIKO7000" system, and remodeling was finished in March 2004. After success of the sea trials, actual science activities that were interrupted by the Kaiko's vehicle lost was resumed in May 2005. JAMSTEC planed that over 10,000 m deep segment sampling in the Challenger Deep at the Mariana Trench by using the launcher system of "Kaiko". On December 10, 2006, we are carried out the sea trial for the segment sampling in the Challenger Deep at the Mariana Trench by using the launcher system of Kaiko. The launcher reached the depth of 10,131 m of the sea bottom at the Challenger Deep, and the core sampler "Asyura" succeeded in segment sampling. This paper describes about the method of deep-sea sediment sampling and the sea trial in the Challenger Deep at the Mariana Trench by using the launcher system of Kaiko.

We investigated the cause of myelofibrosis and proliferation of megakaryocytes in myelodysplastic syndrome with myelofibrosis (MDS-MF (+)). Plasma-transforming growth factor-beta1 (PTGF-beta1) concentrations closely correlated with myelofibrosis grade in MDS-MF (+) and were higher than those in idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF), essential thrombocythemia (ET), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), MDS-without MF (MDS-MF (-)) or healthy volunteers (HV). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from MDS-MF (+) patients expressed more TGF-beta1 mRNA than those from IMF, MDS-MF (-) or HV. When we immunostained bone marrow specimens of MDS-MF (+) for TGF-beta, the intensity of blasts was apparently higher than that of megakaryocytes, while in MDS-MF (-), megakaryocytes were immunostained with a similar intensity as that in MDS-MF (+), but blasts were negative for staining. In IMF, megakaryocytes, monocytes and small mononuclear cells representing CD34+ cells were all similarly stained with a much lower intensity than that of blasts in MDS-MF (+). The number of bone marrow megakaryocytes were increased the most in MDS-MF (+), followed by ET, ITP, MDS-MF (-) and NHL and correlated with plasma thrombopoietin (TPO) levels or with plasma TGF-beta1 levels, respectively, in each disease. Thus, in MDS-MF (+), both myelofibrosis and the increased megakaryocytes were ascribed to overproduction of TGF-beta1 from blasts.

Synchronous and metachronous lung cancer is occasionally encountered. Frequency of the occurrence is increasing because of recent progress of imaging technique such as high resolution CT and CT based annual lung survey. We analyzed clinical characteristics of both synchronous and metachronous lung cancer treated surgically in our facility. There were 20 cases of multiple lung cancer cases, which is consisted of 12 synchronous multiple lung cancer cases and 8 metachronous lung cancer cases. Mean age was 62 years old and there were 14 male and 6 female cases. Among synchronous group, 8 cases have multiple shadow in ipsilateral hemithorax and 4 cases in both side. Surgery was carried out according to the extent of the disease and lung reserve. Associated cancer was diagnosed stage IA or IB in all cases. Five-year survival was 58.9%. Meanwhile, as regards to metachronous group, mean interval between first cancer and second cancer was 73 months. Seven cases have contralateral second primary lung cancer and one case has ipsilateral second primary lung cancer. In 3 cases, histology of the first and the second disease were different and in 5 cases that were the same. The first procedures were complete resection with systemic mediastinal LN dissection. The second procedures were determined based on the lung reserve. Pathological stage of the second disease were either stage IA or IB. There were no operative mortality and 5 years survival was 75%. Since there is no operative mortality and the outcome seems satisfactory when the patient has enough lung reserve, aggressive surgical resection should be considered in the case of multiple primary lung cancer. There is an increasing chance of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer because of improvement of imaging system. We have to prepare new therapeutic strategy for those patients.

The authors propose a photodetector-amplifier circuit consisting of a bridge photodetector circuit and a CMOS differential amplifier, both monolithically integrated on a transparent substrate. A test circuit was fabricated using a-Si p-i-n photodiodes and poly-Si thin-film transistors on a quartz substrate. A clear effect of the differential amplifier was demonstrated in the test circuit. It is shown that the circuit performance can be controlled by changing the bias current of the differential amplifier. With a relatively low bias current on the order of 10/sup -11/ A, the circuit works digitally with output voltages either close to 0 V or V/sub DD/. The power consumption of the circuit is approximately 60 mu W, which is low enough for use in two-dimensional arrays. >

An 11-year-old boy was diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, L1) in 1987 and underwent treatment with an ALL high-risk protocol (prednisolone, vincristine (VCR), daunorubicin, 1-asparaginase), which resulted in complete remission. In 1990 he developed chronic hepatitis C and received interferon therapy. In December 1994, ALL recurred, and the patient was treated with VCR. He subsequently developed severe hemolysis (Hb 12.5 g/dl--6.8 g/dl) with increases of indirect bilirubin, AST, and LDH. Furthermore, symptoms resembling a syndrome of inappropriate secretion of ADH (SIADH) and DIC developed. Upon incubation of the patient's red blood cells with VCR in vitro, extreme deformity of the cells was observed. These findings suggested that splenomegaly, due to liver cirrhosis which had developed rapidly from chronic hepatitis C while the patient was in an immunosuppressed state induced by anticancer drugs, had trapped the deformed red blood cells and resulted in severe hemolysis. The patient died on the 165th day after admission due to liver failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS—Recent studies suggest that tropomyosin (TM) may act as a putative autoantigen in ulcerative colitis (UC). Recently, we identified, by computer homology analysis, a specific peptide (HIAEDADRK) in human TM that can bind to HLA-DPw9. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of autoantibodies against this peptide in UC. METHODS—Antibodies were measured by ELISA with a synthetic peptide in 20 healthy volunteers, 48 patients with UC, 26 with Crohn's disease (CD), eight with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and six with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The functional significance of antibodies was investigated by antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) against DPw9 transfected L cells using a standard 51Cr release assay. RESULTS—Optical density values (mean (SD)) of sera from patients with UC (1.40 (0.52)) and PSC (1.65 (0.12)) were significantly higher than those from healthy volunteers (0.32 (0.28)) (p

A 62-year-old man was given a diagnosis of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) in January 1995. He was treated with melphalan and corticosteroid until January 1996, when he experienced high fever and weight loss. The patient visited a nearby hospital, received a diagnosis of liver abscess, and was referred to our hospital on February 23, 1996. Computed axial tomographic scans demonstrated multiple isodensity masses in the liver, left adrenal region, and right kidney hilum. Needle biopsy specimens of a liver mass revealed infiltration of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (REAL classification), suggesting that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma supervened WM. Despite multiple cycles of chemotherapy, the lymphoma responded poorly. The patient died of pneumonia and sepsis on May 10, 1996 and an autopsy disclosed broad involvement of liver and spleen with lymphoma. Southern blot analysis of DNA samples obtained from the patient's bone marrow at the time of the initial diagnosis of WM, and later from the needle biopsy specimen of liver mass, displayed different patterns of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement. We therefore concluded that in this patient the lymphoma was not a progression of WM, but rather, an independent B-cell malignancy.

The present study was conducted to examine effects of cysteamine in culture medium on progression of meiosis, glutathione (GSH) content, kinase activities (histone H1 kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase), and male pronuclear formation after in vitro insemination of cumulus-denuded oocytes (DOs) in the pig. DOs, obtained by mechanically removing cells from cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) with a small-bore pipette, were cultured for 45 h in TCM199 supplemented with sodium pyruvate, gonadotropins, estradiol, and 10% porcine follicular fluid, with or without cysteamine (150 microM). Maturation rates of DOs cultured with and without cysteamine were not different (60-70%) but were significantly lower than those of COCs (90-100%) (p0.05). GSH content of matured DOs cultured with cysteamine was significantly higher than that of DOs cultured without cysteamine (p0.05). Values for both types of kinase activity in matured DOs cultured with and without cysteamine were not different (p0.05). After in vitro insemination, DOs cultured with cysteamine showed significantly higher rates of male pronuclear formation (80.3 +/- 3.0%) than DOs cultured without cysteamine (16.4 +/- 0.5%) (p0.05). These results indicate that the addition of cysteamine to culture medium increased oocyte GSH content and promoted male pronuclear formation after sperm penetration of porcine DOs but had no effects on their maturation rates or kinase activities.