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A simple analytical method for environmental14C with a low background liquid scintillation counter was developed. We used a new gelling agent, N-lauroyl-L-glutamic-α,γ-dibutylamide, for the liquid scintillation counting of14C as CaCO3 (gel suspension method). Our procedure for sample preparation was much simpler than that of conventional methods and required no special equipment. The samples prepared with the standard sample of CaCO3 were measured to evaluate the self absorption of the sample, the optimum condition of counting and the detection limit. Our results indicated that the newly developed technique could be efficiently applied for the monitoring of environmental14C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability and reproducibility of gel-suspension samples were investigated in order to evaluate the characteristic feature of the gel-suspension method for14C activity measurement. Commercially available gelling agent, N-lauroyl-L-glutamic-α,γ-dibutylamide, was used for the gelformatio of the samples. No change of the counting rate for the gel-suspension sample was observed for more than 2 years after the sample preparation. Four samples used for checking the reproducibility of the sample preparation method. The same values were obtained for the counting rate of14C activity within the counting error. No change of the counting rate was observed for the “re-gelated” sample. These results show that the gel-suspension method is appropriate for the14C activity measurement by the liquid scintillation method and is useful for a long-term preservation of the sample for repeated measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to establish a method for predicting the probability of each acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) grade during the head and neck Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) radiotherapy planning phase based on Bayesian probability., Methods: The skin dose volume >50 Gy (V 50 ), calculated using the treatment planning system, was used as a factor related to skin toxicity. The empirical distribution of each ARD grade relative to V 50 was obtained from the ARD grades of 119 patients (55, 50, and 14 patients with G1, G2, and G3, respectively) determined by head and neck cancer specialists. Using Bayes' theorem, the Bayesian probabilities of G1, G2, and G3 for each value of V 50 were calculated with an empirical distribution. Conversely, V 50 was obtained based on the Bayesian probabilities of G1, G2, and G3., Results: The empirical distribution for each graded patient group demonstrated a normal distribution. The method predicted ARD grades with 92.4 % accuracy and provided a V 50 value for each grade. For example, using the graph, we could predict that V 50 should be ≤24.5 cm 3 to achieve G1 with 70 % probability., Conclusions: The Bayesian probability-based ARD prediction method could predict the ARD grade at the treatment planning stage using limited patient diagnostic data that demonstrated a normal distribution. If the probability of an ARD grade is high, skin care can be initiated in advance. Furthermore, the V 50 value during treatment planning can provide radiation oncologists with data for strategies to reduce ARD., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: We aimed to evaluate the mean 14-year outcomes of hybrid total hip arthroplasty (THA) with cementless acetabular cups using bulk femoral head autografts in acetabular reconstruction and specify the radiological characteristics of cementless acetabular cups using this technique., Methods: This retrospective study included 98 patients (123 hips) who underwent hybrid THA with a cementless acetabular cup using bulk femoral head autografts for bone deficiency in acetabular dysplasia and who were followed-up for a mean of 14 years (range, 10 to 19.6). The percentage of bone coverage index (BCI) and cup center-edge (CE) angles were evaluation radiologically of acetabular host bone coverage. The survival rate of the cementless acetabular cup and autograft bone ingrowth were assessed., Results: The survival rate with all revisions of cementless acetabular cups was 97.1% (95% confidence interval: 91.2 to 99.1). The autograft bone was remodeled or reoriented in all cases except in 2 hips where the bulk femoral head autograft collapsed. Radiological evaluation revealed a mean cup CE angle of -17.8° (range, -52 to -7°) and a BCI of 44.4% (range, 10 to 75.4%)., Conclusion: Cementless acetabular cups using bulk femoral head autografts for bone deficiency of the acetabular roof remained stable even if the average BCI was 44.4% and the average cup CE angle was -17.8°. Cementless acetabular cups using these techniques showed good 10-year to 19.6-year outcomes and viabilities of graft bones., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: There is still little information regarding the advantages of a using a polished tapered stem for Crowe Type IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). This study aimed to investigate the mid-term clinical and radiological outcomes of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) with femoral shortening osteotomy using modular and polished tapered stems and to compare the results between the modular and polished tapered stems., Materials and Methods: This retrospective review included 32 patients (37 hips) with Crowe type IV DDH who underwent primary THA with femoral shortening osteotomy using a modular stem (cementless group, 14 hips) or a polished tapered stem (cement group, 23 hips) between 1996 and 2018. Clinical data and radiographic assessments were reviewed to analyze the differences between the two groups., Results: The mean duration of patient follow-up of the cementless group (134.4 months) was longer than that of the cement group (75.5 months). There were no differences in clinical results, time of bone union, and survival rate between the two groups. However, the cementless group exhibited a higher ratio of intraoperative fracture and thinning of cortical bone including stress shielding, medullary changes, stem alignment changes, and osteolysis, compared to the cement group., Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that THA with femoral shortening osteotomy using both cemented and modular stems can provide satisfactory results. However, considering the occurrence of intraoperative fracture and radiographic analysis in the current study, the cement stem may have an advantage for patients with bone fragility and deterioration in bone quality., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: A 28.2 μg twice-weekly formulation of teriparatide (2/W-TPD) was developed to provide comparably high efficacy for osteoporosis to a 56.5 μg once-weekly formulation while improving the safety and persistence rate. In the current study, we aimed to elucidate the real-world persistence of 2/W-TPD and to identify the factors associated with the discontinuation of 2/W-TPD in patients with severe osteoporosis., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 90 patients who were treated with 2/W-TPD at three hospitals in Japan. Patient information was collected, including age, sex, distance to the hospital, family structure, comorbidities, previous treatment for osteoporosis, timing of the injection, side effects and duration of 2/W-TPD treatment, barthel index (BI), and bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and femoral neck. We examined the factors influencing 2/W-TPD discontinuation using the Cox proportional hazards model., Results: The 12 month completion rate of 2/W-TPD therapy was 47.5%. The Cox hazard analysis identified side effects [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 14.59, P < 0.001], low BMD of the femoral neck (HR = 0.04, P = 0.002), and morning injection (HR = 3.29, P = 0.006) as risk factors influencing the discontinuation of 2/W-TPD. Other variables, including age, did not contribute to the continuation of 2/W-TPD., Conclusion: One year continuation rate of 2/W-TPD was higher than the previously reported value of the once-weekly formulation in real-world setting, probably due to the lower incidence of side effects. Introducing injection of 2/W-TPD may further improve the persistence of TPD therapy for osteoporosis., (© 2022. The Japanese Society Bone and Mineral Research.)

Floor-mounted kV X-ray image-guided radiation therapy systems (such as ExacTrac) are used to treat tumors in movable body regions such as the head and neck. ExacTrac requires exposure dose control based on image acquisition. However, placement of the aluminum plate perpendicular to the dosimeter is difficult due to the oblique X-ray beam path. This study provides an evaluation of the entrance surface, organ, and effective doses delivered to the head and neck during image-guided radiation therapy. A semiconductor detector (Unfors Xi) and radiophotoluminescent glass dosimeter (RPLD) were used as dosimeters with entrance surface dose calculation (Sdec) and exposure estimation (PCXMC) software. When the Unfors Xi was placed in front of the flat panel detector (FPD), an accurate entrance surface dose was obtained by considering the X-ray attenuation due to the influence of the distance from X-ray tube to FPD.The couch absorption was 32% and incident air kerma at the patient entrance point was 0.094 mGy for Unfors Xi. The entrance surface doses were 0.12 and 0.122 mGy for the Sdec and RPLD, respectively. The thyroid organ doses were 0.044 and 0.058 mGy for the RPLD and PCXMC, respectively. The effective doses of PCXMC for ExacTrac and cone-beam computed tomography were 0.0068 and 0.31 mSv, respectively. The exposure dose of ExacTrac was approximately 2% of that of cone-beam computed tomography. The results demonstrated that the proposed software-based method is effective for the assessment and management of ExacTrac exposure.

Medical staffs like radiological technologists, doctors, and nurses are at an increased risk of exposure to radiation while assisting the patient in a position or monitor contrast medium injection during computed tomography (CT). However, methods to protect medical staff from radiation exposure and protocols for using radiological protection equipment have not been standardized and differ among hospitals. In this study, the distribution of scattered X-rays in a CT room was measured by placing electronic personal dosimeters in locations where medical staff stands beside the CT scanner gantry while assisting the patient and the exposure dose was measured. Moreover, we evaluated non-uniform exposure and revealed effective techniques to reduce the exposure dose to medical staff during CT. The dose of the scattered X-rays was the lowest at the gantry and at the examination table during both head and abdominal CT. The dose was the highest at the trunk of the upper body of the operator corresponding to a height of 130 cm during head CT and at the head corresponding to a height of 150 cm during abdominal CT. The maximum dose to the crystalline lens was approximately 600 μSv during head CT. We found that the use of volumetric CT scanning and X-ray protective goggles, and face direction toward the gantry reduced the exposure dose, particularly to the crystalline lens, for which lower equivalent dose during CT scan has been recently recommended in the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 118.

To decrease radiation exposure to medical staff performing angiography, the dose distribution in the angiography was calculated in room using the particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS), which is based on Monte Carlo code, and the source of scattered radiation was confirmed using a tungsten sheet by considering the difference shielding performance among different sheet placements. Scattered radiation generated from a flat panel detector, X-ray tube and bed was calculated using the PHITS. In this experiment, the source of scattered radiation was identified as the phantom or acrylic window attached to the X-ray tube thus, a protection curtain was placed on the bed to shield against scattered radiation at low positions. There was an average difference of 20% between the measured and calculated values. The H*(10) value decreased after placing the sheet on the right side of the phantom. Thus, the curtain could decrease scattered radiation., (© Crown copyright 2016.)

Trifluoromethylphenyl-substituted phthalimide derivatives favorably form triboluminescence (TL) active noncentrosymmetric crystals. Oligothienyl-, oligophenyl-, and naphthyl-substituted phthalimide derivatives were successfully developed as a series of metal free TL compounds. X-ray crystal structure analyses of bithienyl and naphthyl derivatives revealed noncentrosymmetric layer structures in the same direction. Introduction of suitable electron rich π-units such as thienyl groups enhances their photoluminescence and TL characteristics, and the colors can be also controlled in the visible region. A rigid naphthyl-substituted imide derivative exhibits extremely high TL performance.

Chemically engineered DNAs—in which global conformation can be modulated in response to specific stimuli—could be allosteric functional DNAs themselves or work as a modulator of the functional nucleic acids such as DNAzymes and aptamers. Here, we show that two terpyridines built in the DNA backbone form a stable intramolecular 1:2 complex, [M(terpy)2](2+), with divalent transition metal ions. Upon complexation, the DNA conjugates adopt a Ω-shape structure, in which two distal sequences located outside the terpyridines connect with each other to form a continuous segment with a specific structure or sequence. Such a DNA structure is globally controlled by local metal complexation events that can be rationally designed based on general coordination chemistry. This method is regarded as metal ion-directed dynamic sequence edition or DNA splicing. DNAzymes with peroxidase-like activity can thus be regulated by several transition metal ions through sequence edition techniques based on the Ω-motif.

Cortical onlay strut allografting is a promising surgical option to reconstruct and reinforce the deficient femur in a hip arthroplasty. However, the union of the allograft to the host bone takes a long time. To accelerate the process of cortical onlay strut allograft healing, we studied the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on callus formation. From 2 wk after the operation, LIPUS was given for 20 min/d at each end of the strut allograft. The LIPUS treatment group was assigned 14 allograft transplantations, while 21 control patients were treated without LIPUS. The LIPUS treatment group formed calluses and had complete bridging between the host femur and the allograft faster after operation (16.9 and 29.4 wk after operation, respectively) compared with the control group (40.7 and 82.0 wk after operation, respectively). Our findings showed that LIPUS stimulated bone bonding between the host femur and the cortical onlay strut allografts., (Copyright © 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of radical chemoradiotherapy for patients with synchronous head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and esophageal cancer (EC)., Methods: Thirty-four patients with synchronous HNSCC and EC were treated mainly with radical chemoradiotherapy at the same time. Median external radiation dose for HNSCC and EC was 70 Gy (range, 60-70.5 Gy), except for 2 patients with tongue cancer, who underwent brachytherapy and 60 Gy (range, 45-70 Gy), respectively. Thirty-one patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin and/or 5-fluorouracil or TS-1 (oral anticancer agent that combines tegafur, a metabolically activated prodrug of 5-fluorouracil, with 5-chloro-2, 4-dihydoroxypyridine, and potassium oxonate)., Results: Thirty-three patients completed the intended treatment. The response rate was 94%, with 26 complete responses (76%) and 6 partial responses (18%). At a median follow-up of 17.3 months, 2-year rates of overall survival, cause-specific survival, and disease-free survival were 44%, 52%, and 33%, respectively. Initial failure patterns were local failure in 14 patients (63%), regional progression in 3 patients (13%), and distant metastasis in 6 patients (27%). The most common acute toxicity was myelosuppression, with 8 patients experiencing grade 3-4 toxicity. Three patients experienced grade 3 mucositis and pharyngitis. No patients experienced late morbidity of grade 3 or higher., Conclusions: Definitive chemoradiotherapy for patients with synchronous HNSCC and EC is feasible with a low mortality rate and acceptable morbidity.

Two analytical methods, which prove the utility of a potentiometric flow injection technique for determining various redox species, based on the use of some redox potential buffers, are reviewed. The first is a potentiometric flow injection method in which a redox couple such as Fe(III)-Fe(II), Fe(CN)(6) (3-)-Fe(CN)(CN)(6) (4-), and bromide-bromine and a redox electrode or a combined platinum-bromide ion selective electrode are used. The analytical principle and advantages of the method are discussed, and several examples of its application are reported. Another example is a highly sensitive potentiometric flow injection method, in which a large transient potential change due to bromine or chlorine as an intermediate, generated during the reaction of the oxidative species with an Fe(III)-Fe(II) potential buffer containing bromide or chloride, is utilized. The analytical principle and details of the proposed method are described, and examples of several applications are described. The determination of trace amounts of hydrazine, based on the detection of a transient change in potential caused by the reaction with a Ce(IV)-Ce(III) potential buffer, is also described.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of radiotherapy for patients with stage I esophageal cancer., Methods: From 1995 to 2005, 34 patients with superficial thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma without lymph node metastasis were treated with radiotherapy at our institute. Patient characteristics were as follows: median age, 68 years; range, 47 to 84 years; male:female, 33:1; performance status, 0/1/2/3 = 23/9/1/1; T1a/T1b = 4/30. Median fraction and total doses of external irradiation given were 2.0 Gy and 60 Gy, respectively. Twenty-three patients had local irradiation to the primary lesion only; the remaining 11 patients received regional field irradiation, including one or 2 regional lymph node areas. Only one patient received adjuvant intracavitary radiotherapy after radiotherapy. Thirty of the patients received concurrent chemotherapy, most of the regimens of which included cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. Adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in 5 patients. Fifteen patients (44%) had coexisting malignancies. The median follow-up was 38 months (range, 8-107 months)., Results: The 5-year overall, cause-specific, and local-progression-free survival rates were 50.4%, 91.2%, and 81.1%, respectively. Of the 34 patients, 6 had in-field local recurrence, and one had recurrence in the esophagus outside of the irradiated field. Two patients experienced regional lymph node metastasis outside of the irradiated field, and one had distant metastasis. Two patients received salvage surgery, and 4 patients received salvage intracavitary radiotherapy after local recurrence. A late toxicity greater than grade 2 was not observed in any patient., Conclusions: Radiotherapy is an effective treatment modality for patients with stage I esophageal cancer.

Environmental problems arise from the pollution of ground water and soil by propyzamide, 3,5-dichloro-N-(3-methyl-1-butyn-3-yl) benzamide, which is a popular herbicide. To decompose propyzamide, aqueous solutions containing propyzamide and TiO2 particles was irradiated by light. The photocatalytic decomposition was accelerated when the solution temperature and pH were high. The temperature dependence was due to the adsorption processes of propyzamide on the TiO2 particles. The decomposition was further promoted by addition of H2O2 because of its effective electron-trapping and generated *OH which was available to decompose propyzamide. Although no propyzamide was detected in the solution after the irradiation time of about 20 min, the decomposed intermediate compounds still remained. In order to mineralize completely propyzamide, simultaneous irradiation by light and ultrasonic waves was carried out. The hybrid effect of the irradiation by light and ultrasonic waves in conjunction with H2O2 was first confirmed to achieve the complete mineralization of propyzamide.

A method for the potentiometric determination of bromate by circulatory flow injection analysis (CFIA) is described. The procedure involves the use of an Fe(III)-Fe(II) potential buffer solution, which is recycled via a reservoir. The analytical method is based on a linear relationship between the concentration of bromate and a very transient potential change in the electrode potential due to the generation of intermediate bromine during the reaction of bromate with the Fe(III)-Fe(II) potential buffer solution, which also contains NaBr, (NH4)6Mo7O24 and H2SO4. An aliquot (5 microl) of a bromate sample solution was injected into the stream of the potential buffer solution, 100 ml of which was circulated at a flow rate of 1 ml/min; the potential buffer solution stream was then returned to the reservoir after passing through a flow-through redox electrode detector. A potential change due to the reaction of the injected sample with the potential buffer in a reaction coil was measured with the detector in the form of a peak signal. The effects of the bromide, sulfuric acid and Fe(III)-Fe(II) concentrations in the potential buffer, and length of the reaction coil on the peak heights were examined in order to optimize the proposed CFIA method. The analytical sensitivities to bromate were 5.6 mV/microM for 1 x 10(-2) M and 30.9 mV/microM for 1 x 10(-3) M in the concentration of Fe(III)-Fe(II) in a potential buffer solution containing 0.35 M NaBr, 0.2% (NH4)6Mo7O24 and 1 M H2SO4. The detection limit of bromate obtained by a 1 x 10(-3) M Fe(III)-Fe(II) potential buffer solution was 0.02 microM (2.5 ppb). The numbers of repetitive determinations in which the relative sensitivities within 5% were regarded as being tolerated were ca. 4000 and 2000 for the use of only 100 ml of 1 x 10(-2) M and 1 x 10(-3) M Fe(III)-Fe(II) potential buffer solution, respectively.

In otorthinolaryngology, Stenvers' method is employed in radiography of the pyramid (internal acoustic meatus and semicircular canals). However, in cases of dizziness, where the prone position is difficult to achieve, we occasionally use the opposite Stenvers' method instead of the conventional one. This makes it possible to perform radiography with the patient in the supine position. Compared with the conventional Stenvers' method, the problems of this method were increases not only in the rate of magnification but also in lens dose. In this study, we evaluated these problems by employing computed tomography (CT) and a glass dosimeter with phantom as well as by clinical evaluation. The results showed no statistically significant difference between Stenvers' method and the opposite Stenvers' method in both the rate of magnification and the clinical evaluation. The increase in lens dose with the opposite Stenvers' method was not significant. We concluded that the opposite Stenvers' method was useful.

Lung transplantation has been established as an optional treatment for variable irreversible diffuse lung diseases. To date, more than 5,000 patients have underwent lung transplantation, and nearly 1,000 procedures a year are performed recently. Although heart-lung transplantation has also been technically established, this procedure is confined to quite limited conditions due to the severe shortage of donors and many difficulties in operative procedure and the patient management. Preservation, post-transplantation edema, diagnosis of rejection, chronic rejection, shortage of donor organs, are principal problems in clinical lung transplantation, 24-hour preservation proved to be possible in several recent experimental studies, and the reperfusion injury has been revealed to be one of causes of post-transplantation edema. Establishment of methods for long-term pulmonary preservation and for the treatment of post-transplantation edema may be promising in the near future. Shortage of donor lung is one of major limiting factors. Research works on xenotransplantation and cadaver lung transplantation are on going, and these may help in solving this problem.

The results of recent studies on long-term preservation using low potassium flush solution, which was originally produced in our department, are presented and discussed. In the primate model, a lung preserved for 24 h with EP4 solution retained sufficient function in single lung allotransplantation. In the murine experiments, we have evaluated the ion transport properties across alveolar epithelial cells in the transplanted lung using the tools of alveolar fluid clearance tests. The alveolar fluid clearance rate, which can be inhibited by 10(-3) M ouabain, is also well preserved for the first 24 h, indicating that the alveolar epithelial Na-K-ATPase is still functioning and that the 72 h preservation decreases those function of Na-K-ATPase in a time-dependent manner. In conclusion, because 24 h hypothermic preservation with EP4 solution did not show any obvious disadvantage on primate lung allografts and the cellular and molecular viability of the preserved lung flushed with EP4 solution could be retained for 24 h, this kind of solution with extracellular electrolyte composition can be applicable in the clinical settings.

In order to study clinicopathologic characteristics of thymic carcinomas, 18 patients with thymic carcinoma and 56 patients with invasive thymoma were reviewed. All of them were underwent thoracotomy. Both 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 44% in the thymic carcinoma patients, while 5-year survival and 10-year survival rates were respectively 62% and 52% in the invasive thymoma patients. The survival rate of the thymic carcinoma cases was significantly lower than that of invasive thymoma cases (p < 0.05). Both surgical technique and anticancer chemotherapy. However, have been improved in these years, such as artificial vessels for great veins, panpleuro-pneumonectomy, cisplatin and so on. Those new techniques have brought the significantly higher survival rate in recent 10 cases of thymic carcinoma patients. Three-year survival rate of 10 cases after 1990 was 80% and it was 13% in 8 cases before 1989 (p < 0.01). We conclude that surgical procedure are necessary for the treatment of thymic carcinoma patients, and both chemotherapy and radiotherapy should be combined with the surgical procedures to completely remove the tumors.

A 71-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of a chest abnormal shadow. His chest X-ray film showed a mass in the right lower lobe (S6), which was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma by transbronchial lung biopsy. A lab data on the admission showed thrombocytopenia (44,000 per cu. mm), and the results of the bone marrow aspiration was compatible with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Immediately after the right lower lobectomy with lymphnode dissection, intrathoracic bleeding from the wound due to hemorrhagic tendency appeared necessitating a re-thoracotomy. High-dose intravenous gamma-globulin infusion for 4 days and the frequent concentrated platelet transfusion were employed to prevent the hemorrhagic tendency after the 2nd operation, and the postoperative hemorrhage was successfully controlled. Perioperative high-dose intravenous gamma-globulin infusion was concluded to be useful in the patient of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura for preventing hemorrhagic tendency after the operation.

A rapid and highly sensitive potentiometric flow-injection method for the determination of trace hydrogen peroxide was developed by use of an Fe(III)-Fe(II) potential buffer solution containing bromide and Mo(VI). The analytical method was based on a linear relationship between a concentration of hydrogen peroxide and a largely transient potential change of an oxidation-reduction potential electrode due to bromine generated by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with the potential buffer solution. The oxidation of bromide to bromine by hydrogen peroxide occurred very rapidly with the assistance of Mo(VI) when Fe(II) existed in the potential buffer solution. It was estimated by batchwise experiments that hydroxyl radical, OH., was generated by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with Fe(II) as an intermediate, and subsequently oxidized bromide to bromine. In a flow system, analytical sensitivities to hydrogen peroxide obtained by the detection of the transient change of potential were enhanced about 75 fold compared with those obtained by using the potential change caused by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with the potential buffer solution without bromide and Mo(VI). Sensitivities increased with decreasing concentration of the Fe(III)-Fe(II) buffer in the reagent solution. The detection limit (S/N = 3) of 4 x 10(-7) M (13.6 ppb) was achieved by using the 1 x 10(-4) M Fe(III)-Fe(II) buffer containing 0.4 M NaBr, 1.0 M H(2)SO(4) and 0.5% (NH(4))(6)Mo(7)O(24). Analytical throughput was approximately 40 h(-1) and the RSD (n = 6) was 0.6% for measurement of 4 x 10(-6) M hydrogen peroxide. The proposed method was applied to the determination of hydrogen peroxide in real rainwater samples, and was found to provide a good recovery for H(2)O(2) added to rainwater samples.

Case 1, a 9-year-old woman, was admitted to our hospital because of nausea, vomiting, and epigastralgia. Diagnosis of Bochdalek hernia was made by the unusual course of naso-gastric tube. At surgery through the left posterorateral thoracotomy, the herniation of the stomach, small intestine, and colon to the thoracic cavity through the dorsolateral defect of the diaphragm were revealed. Case 2, a 35-year-old man, was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea. Similar diagnosis was made by the examination of upper G1 series and barium enema, which demonstrated the presence of multiple loops of the small intestine and colon in the left thoracic cavity. Their postoperative courses were uneventful. Most of Bochdalek hernia is observed in infancy, and adolescent or adult case is is rarely reported (approximately 10% of all cases). Since this often misdiagnosed as pleuritis or pulmonary tuberculosis, a cautious examination is necessary for the establishment of the correct diagnosis.

We have experienced thirty-one operations of metastatic lung tumors from colorectal cancer. Various factors affecting prognosis are studied based on 5-year survival in this report. Overall 5-year survival rate was 32%. Statistical significance was present in the relationship between the prognosis and both maximum diameter of lesions and the disease free intervals (DFI) after surgery for metastatic lesions. Though not significant, sex, stage of primary lesion, nodal involvement, surgical procedure, postoperative serum CEA were likely affecting factors on the prognosis. In contrast, there were no relationship between the prognosis and following factors: age, location of the metastatic lesion, DFI after the operation for primary lesion and chemotherapy. Although pulmonary metastasis is essentially an index of the advanced state of malignant diseases leading to poor prognosis, long-term survivors were encountered in our series of surgical treatments for pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancers. It was concluded to be important to make efforts to extend the indication for surgical treatment, since the appropriate selection of patients revealed to give excellent results from our experience of colorectal cancer. In order to improve the prognosis, early detection of pulmonary metastases is quite important, since the incidence of nodal involvement proved to be higher in lesions with larger diameter resulting in inferior survivals from the present study. In addition, low incidence of nodal involvement in small-sized lesion may support possible applicability of thoracoscopic surgery in the excision of metastatic tumors locating at peripheral lesion.

Background: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of a solution (Ep4) for long-term hypothermic pulmonary allograft preservation in a primate model using both functional and histopathologic criteria., Methods: Twenty-seven Japanese monkeys were divided into donor group and three study groups. The animals in group I underwent acute left lung transplantation (n = 5). Group II consisted of animals which received left pulmonary allografts preserved for 24 hours by simple hypothermic immersion in Ep4 solution (n = 6). The temporary contralateral (right) pulmonary artery occlusion test was performed immediately after transplantation and on postoperative day 7 to assess lung function in the allografts. This test was also performed in the control group (group III, n = 5). The recipient animals in groups I and II were also subjected to serial open lung biopsies and bronchoscopic assessments after transplantation., Results: Temporary right pulmonary artery occlusion did not show any significant differences in gas exchange capacity and pulmonary hemodynamics between groups I and II. Histopathologic examination did not show significant differences in the pulmonary allografts between groups I and II for a period of 4 weeks after transplantation. Serial bronchoscopic and histologic examinations also showed no significant differences in bronchial healing between these two groups., Conclusions: Long-term hypothermic pulmonary allograft preservation with Ep4 solution does not impair pulmonary function immediately after transplantation. The results of this study indicate that extracellular electrolyte composition solutions such as Ep4 should be subjected to clinical trials.

An experience of suprahyoid release for resection and reconstruction of the lower part of trachea was reported. 51-year-old woman, complaining of continuous stridor, was diagnosed as tracheal tumor at another hospital and was transferred to our hospital for consecutive examination and surgical treatment. The size of the tumor was about 3 cm in longitudinal diameter and the distance between tracheal carina and lower edge of the tumor was estimated about 2 cm by tomography. At operation, following suprahyoid release in supine position, 6 tracheal rings were resected and reconstructed by end-to-end anastomosis through right posterolateral incision. Patients neck was forced to bend for three weeks and intravenous byperalimentation without oral intake was employed for two weeks to avoid misswallowing and dysphagia postoperatively. Oral intake was started at two weeks after operation and parenteral nutrition was no more necessary at 3 weeks after surgery. Misswallowing and dysphagia were not encountered at all. The tumor was diagnosed as adenoid cystic carcinoma pathologically and residual tumor was demonstrated in submucosal space at the oral margin of the resected specimen as well. She discharged from the hospital uneventfully after postoperative radiotherapy. The recurrence of the tumor has not been observed for 3 years postoperatively. It was confirmed that suprahyoid release is an useful technique and should be ready to introduce in the extensive resection of the trachea because of its little influence on laryngeal function.

A case with thymic cancer who developed pulmonary cancer ten years after the initial surgery was reported. A 50-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to SVC syndrome. Chest X-ray examinations including venogram showed a mass lesion at the superior mediastinum. The patient underwent surgical removal and reconstruction of SVC, followed by radio-chemotherapy. The histologic diagnosis was thymic squamous cell carcinoma. He was admitted to our hospital again ten years after the initial surgery under the diagnosis of pneumonia. Bronchoscopic examination revealed nodular lesions at the right upper lobe bronchus and lower lobe bronchus, those lesions were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinomas cytologically. Right pneumonectomy was performed and the diagnosis was confirmed pathologically. Postoperative course was uneventful as of 10 months after the operation. It was concluded that this case showed metachronous double cancer of the thymus and the lung, as well as synchronous multiple bronchogenic carcinomas, which, to our knowledge, has never been reported yet.

Thirty mongrel dogs were divided into 3 groups. Group I was a normal control group (n = 4) without transplantation procedure. Group II was a transplantation control group (n = 5) with left lung allotransplantation from heart-beating donor. Group III consisted of animals (n = 8) which received lung allografts from non-heart-beating donor following brain death. In Group III, brain death was brought about by intracranial hypertension with the inflation of balloon in the subdural space of donor. After 6 hours, the mechanical ventilation was discontinued followed by cardiac arrest. Left lung was excised twenty minutes after the cardiac arrest and was washed out with cold Ep4 solution for subsequent orthotopic allotransplantation. Right pulmonary arterial occlusion test (RPAO) were carried out under right thoracotomy to evaluate graft function immediately and 7 to 14 days after the surgery. PaO2, PAP and CO were measured before and 20 minutes after RPAO. All animals in Group II and 7 of 8 animals in Group III survived more than 7 days after surgery. No significant differences in the value of PaO2, mean PAP and TPVR with RPAO among three groups at each time of assessment, showing the possibility of lung transplantation from non-heart-beating donor followed by brain death.