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C. sasakii is a pest of rosaceous fruits in eastern Asia, and does not spread easily to the non-native areas and countries. C. sasakii has the potential to fly long distances, but usually flies only within and between canopies of fruit trees. Aerial dispersal to non-native areas has not been recorded. International trade of rosaceous fruits is a possible cause of spread of C. sasakii, but it is difficult for it to enter non-native countries under quarantine inspection. Even if C. sasakii enters non-native countries by international trade, it is not easy to establish a population, probably because the larvae in fruits cannot find a cocooning site near rosaceous plants after escaping from the fruits. However, C. sasakii has a strong impact on the management of rosaceous fruit orchards once a population is established. Damage to fruits can reach 100% in some cases in pears [Pyrus spp.] and 40-100% in apples [Malus spp.] if not controlled.

Background: Anti-HER2 treatment using trastuzumab (Tmab) has contributed to improving the clinical outcome of HER2-positive breast cancerpatients. However, some patients do not respond to Tmab therapy and the combination of Lapatinib and capecitabine (LC) is an effective treatment option after progression on Tmab. Hormone receptor status is also an important factor for deciding if the patient should be treated with endocrine therapy as well. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of hormone receptor status in biomarker expression and to evaluate the efficacy of lapatinib therapy. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients with HER2 positive breast cancer refractory to Tmab were enrolled in this prospective trial (KBC-SG 1107) between December 2011 and March 2014. The following treatment began after enrollment; lapatinib 1250-mg tablets were administered orally once daily and capecitabine (2000 mg/m2 per day) on days 1 to 14 every 21 days until disease progression or until severe adverse events. Total HER2 (H2T), p95HER2 (p95), and total HER3 (H3T) expression levels were quantified in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples using VeraTag assays. ER and progesterone receptor (PgR), PTEN and p95 expressions were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and PIK3CA mutation using direct sequencing. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (ver. 21). A two-sided P Results: The ER- and PgR-positive rates were 55.0% and 33.8%, respectively. The response rate to LC was 30% (CR: 1 case; PR: 23 cases), the clinical benefit rate was 51.3% and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 174.5 days. Both ER and PgR negativity significantly correlated with higher H2T (cutoff: 13.8), p95HER2 (cutoff: 2.8) and PTEN expression levels (cutoff: H score of 100). Lower H2T expression levels and PIK3CA mutation rates were often observed in the non-responders (both: p=0.087). The ER and PgR status did not correlate with response. A high p95 and PTEN expression significantly correlated with longer PFS in ER and/or PgR positive cases (p=0.02 and 0.03), respectively. The overall survival (OS) after LC significantly correlated with the number of recurrence organs (p=0.0002) but not with the p95 and PTEN expression levels. Conclusion: LC therapy was effective in Tmab-refractory HER2 positive breast cancer. Moreover, the biomarker expression differed depending on the ER/PgR status and a high p95 and PTEN expression correlated with longer PFS in ER and/or PgR positive cases. Further study is necessary to validate these findings. Citation Format: Arima N, Nishimura R, Toh U, Tanaka M, Saimura M, Okumura Y, Saito T, Tanaka T, Teraoka M, Shimada K, Koga T, Kurashita K, Todoroki H, Ueo H, Ohi Y, Toyoshima S, Mitsuyama S, Tamura K. The importance of hormone receptor status on biomarker expression and the efficacy of lapatinib plus capecitabine therapy after progression on trastuzumab in HER2 positive recurrent and advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-21-25.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the age-based enrolment of cancer patients into registration trials of new drug applications or expanding the indications for use. Materials and methods: The data from 234 registration trials in Japan and overseas of 43 drugs, which were reviewed by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency and approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan between 1999 and 2008, were retrospectively analyzed according to the age distribution of enrolled patients. The age distribution of the Japanese cancer population was derived from Cancer Statistics in Japan 2003 and Annual Report on Health, Labour and Welfare 2003–2004. Results: In the Japanese cancer population, the estimated median age of cancer patients is 70 years, and 66% of cancer patients are aged 65 years or more. The estimated median age of cancer patients in all registration trials conducted in Japan was 59 years, whereas it was 55 years in the registration trials conducted overseas. The proportion of patients aged 65 years or more enrolled in registration trials conducted in Japan was 35%; this number was 28% in registration trials conducted overseas. Conclusion: Elderly patients are underrepresented in oncology registration trials in Japan.

By setting up two low temperature regions on a terrace of a vicinal Si(1 0 0)-2 × 1 surface, we have studied growth of nano-islands in the two regions using a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. At first two islands are formed and grow independently without any supply of atoms from the outside. As the growth proceeds further, two islands are connected with each other by forming a bridge region. After the connection, the growth changes dramatically showing a competitive mode in one stage and a cooperative mode in the other. Two islands grow cooperatively in a sense that a larger island ceases to grow and waits until the size of the other smaller island becomes similar to that of the larger one. When two islands become similar in size, one of the islands grows faster than the other competitively, by accumulating atoms from then smaller one. The origin of the growth mode is analyzed.

Surface diffusion during decay of a two-dimensional nano-island formed on Si(1 0 0) surface at 750–800 K is studied using STM and a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. From a surface diffusion point of view, decay proceeds so that the total diffusion rate of atoms on a surface decreases. Atoms at step edges move more frequently than terrace atoms, which results in decay from step edges of the island. In addition, a terrace atom takes part in surface diffusion in the same way as an atom from steps of the island once it hops up on a terrace leaving a vacancy. The mass transport is not a specific atom process but terrace atoms and vacancies on the terrace are involved. Repeated upward and downward hops of atoms and their difference are combined with surface diffusion, which leads to the mass transport. Some tracks of atom using simulation show random walk with preferential diffusion along step edges, re-entering to the island, exchange of diffusing atom and filling in a vacancy on the terrace. The motion of the center of the island to the upper side of the terrace observed by STM is also well reproduced in the simulation.

As regards the rigid–plastic finite element method (FEM), in order to recover the volume loss and thus to maintain the volume constancy within an allowable amount even for a relatively large increment at one calculation step, a simple computational scheme has been proposed. The principal idea and the formulation for FEM are presented. Two simple upsetting problems are solved to verify its effectiveness. The proposed scheme removes drastically the volume loss deterioration within a satisfactory accuracy of volume constancy.

By using kinetic Monte Carlo simulation based on a modified solid-on-solid model, the decay process of pyramidal nanostructure island formed on Si(1 0 0) surface is studied. The decay proceeds primarily due to mass transport of atoms on the surface from a kink or a step edge site of the island to another step edge in the lower layer. The basic process is the same for both two- and three-dimensional (3D) islands. The decay rate of the 3D island is, however, larger than that of the two-dimensional (2D) island by a factor of 2–4. The difference is attributed to different distance from the starting step edge to the terminating one. The diffusion length in the case of 2D island decay is much smaller than that estimated by the terrace length of the underlying layer. The diffusion occurs through atom vacancies formed on the terrace in the underlying layer. The vacancy-mediated diffusion is an important process for the decay of 2D island.

Decay of pyramidal islands formed on Si(1 0 0) surface has been analysed by using a Monte Carlo simulation based on a modified solid-on-solid model. An atom on the surface is more stable when it sticks an island to form a dimer and a dimer row, which results in a rectangular island elongated along the dimer row direction. The decay process is primarily determined by atom migration from step edges of the islands to the outer terrace, especially from a biatomic height Db step. The elongation of an island changes during the decay as the migration front changes from Db step to Sa step. In the final stage of the decay of the topmost layer, an island elongated along the dimer row is formed before the complete disappearance of the layer. This is an essential process for the decay of one layer in an island on Si(1 0 0).

Aim: The effectiveness of breast-conserving therapy for mucinous carcinoma has not been well documented. We examined clinical and pathological features of cases to determine whether patients with mucinous carcinoma were suitable candidates for this treatment. Method: Cases of pure type (n=52) and mixed type (n=24) mucinous carcinomas were reviewed with emphasis on the risk factors associated with local recurrences after breast-conserving therapy. Results: Large pure mucinous carcinomas had a low incidence of extensive intraductal spreading (EIS). An inverse correlation existed between the incidence of EIS and tumour size (P

We are researching on a new framework for transfering 3D medical model data through the Internet. The eXtented Vrml with Lattice (XVL) is one of the effective ways because of its file size and its programmable feature. To estimate the effectiveness of XVL, we have evaluated the volumetric error between the original models and XVL models. We also made several web-based medical applications such as a textbook for the cleft lip repair surgery, an observing tool for mandibular movement, and CT/MR image browsing tool. The model quality evaluation and the applications show the advantages of XVL for medical use.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values measured by diffusion-weighted MR imaging and split renal function determined by renal scintigraphy in patients with hydronephrosis. Material and Methods: Diffusion-weighted imaging on a 1.5 T MR unit and renal scintigraphy were performed in 36 patients with hydronephrosis (45 hydronephrotic kidneys, 21 non-hydronephrotic kidneys). ADC values of the individual kidneys were measured by diffusion-weighted MR imaging. Split renal function (glomerular filtration rate (GFR)) was determined by renal scintigraphy using 99mTc-DTPA. The relationship between ADC values and split GFR was examined in 66 kidneys. The hydronephrotic kidneys were further classified into three groups (severe renal dysfunction, GFR 25 ml/min, n=28), and mean values for ADCs were calculated. Results: In hydronephrotic kidneys, there was a moderate positive correlation between ADC values and split GFR (R2=0.56). On the other hand, in non-hydronephrotic kidneys, poor correlation between ADC values and split GFR was observed (R2=0.08). The mean values for ADCs of the dysfunctioning hydronephrotic kidneys (severe renal dysfunction, 1.32×10-3±0.18×10-3 mm2/s; moderate renal dysfunction, 1.38×10-3±0.10×10-3 mm2/s) were significantly lower than that of the normal functioning hydronephrotic kidneys (1.63×10-3±0.12±10-3 mm2/s). Conclusion: These results indicated that measurement of ADC values by diffusion-weighted MR imaging has a potential value in the evaluation of the functional status of hydronephrotic kidneys.

Our purpose was to evaluate diffusion-weighted (DW) echo-planar MRI in differentiating between brain abscess and tumour. We examined two patients with surgically confirmed pyogenic brain abscess and 18 with metastatic brain tumours or high-grade glioma, using a 1.5 T system. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of each necrotic or solid contrast-enhancing lesion was measured with two different b values (20 and 1200 s/mm2). All capsule-stage brain abscesses (4 lesions) and zones of cerebritis (2 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as markedly high-signal areas of decreased ADC (range, 0.58-0.70 [(10-3 mm2/s; mean, 0.63)]). All cystic or necrotic portions of brain tumours (14 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as low-signal areas of increased ADC (range, 2.20-3.20 [(10-3 mm2/s; mean, 2.70)]). Solid, contrast-enhancing portions of brain tumours (19 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as high-signal areas of sightly decreased or increased ADC (range, 0.77-1.29 [(10-3 mm2/s; mean, 0.94)]). Our preliminary results indicate that DW echo-planar MRI be used for distinguishing between brain abscess and tumour.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of 99Tcm-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99Tcm-MAG3) clearance and to compare it with that of 131I-orthoiodohippurate (131I-OIH), which is widely used in clinical practice. Twelve young healthy volunteers with a mean age of 23.4 years (range 19-28) were enrolled in the study. The investigations were repeated at an interval of 1 month under similar physiological conditions. Each volunteer received a simultaneous injection of 99Tcm-MAG3 and 131I-OIH that was commercially available in an already labelled form. Blood samples were obtained at 44 and 104 min post-injection. Clearance values were calculated using the two-sample method. The mean (+/- S.D.) change from the first to the second measurement was -7.1 +/- 11.1% for 99Tcm-MAG3 and 1.7 +/- 13.6% for 131I-OIH. There were no significant differences between the first and the second measurements of 99Tcm-MAG3 and 131I-OIH clearance, respectively. 99Tcm-MAG3 clearance was shown to be very similar to that of 131I-OIH in healthy volunteers.

We studied 35 patients with lacunar infarcts, using diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (DW-EPI) at 1.5 T. The relative apparent diffusion coefficient ratio (ADCR) of each lesion was calculated and lesion conspicuity on DW-EPI was compared to that on images aquired with fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequences. Acute small infarcts (within 3 days) were identified with DW-EPI as an area of decreased ADCR (range 0.33–0.87; mean 0.67) and high signal, subacute small infarcts (4–30 days) as a high-signal or isointense areas of decreased or nearly normal ADCR (0.54–0.98; 0.73), and chronic small infarcts (> 30 days) as low- or high-signal areas of nearly normal or increased ADCR (0.97–1.92; 1.32). In three patients, small infarcts of the brain stem in the hyperacute phase (within 6 h) were seen only with DW-EPI. In five patients, fresh small infarcts adjacent to multiple old infarcts could be distinguished only with DW-EPI.

A human macrophage calcium-dependent (C-type) lectin cDNA clone was obtained from a library derived from IL-2-treated peripheral blood monocytes. The cDNA cloning was based on the structural homology to hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptors. The nucleotide sequence of this cDNA clone was homologous to those of the galactose- and N-acetylgalactosamine-specific C-type macrophage lectins of rodents. In the putative carbohydrate recognition domain, deduced amino acid sequence revealed 60 and 63% homology to galactose- and N-acetylgalactosamine-specific C-type macrophage lectins of mice and rats, respectively. The cDNA clone was ligated into a mammalian expression vector and transfected into COS-1 cells. In the lysates of these cells, an MR 38,000 component, which bound to galactose-Sepharose, was identified after electrophoretic separation by its interaction with polyclonal antisera against synthetic polypeptides representing a portion of the carbohydrate recognition domain. The carbohydrate-binding specificity of the recombinant macrophage lectin was investigated by comparing elution profiles of various glycopeptides having defined carbohydrate structures from immobilized macrophage lectins. When N-terminal octapeptides from human glycophorin A that bore NeuAc alpha 2-3 Gal beta 1-3 (NeuAc alpha 2-6) GalNAc and its sequentially deglycosylated derivatives were compared, glycopeptides carrying three constitutive GalNAc-Ser/Thr (Tn Ag) strongly bound to the recombinant human macrophage lectin. This is the first study to demonstrate that human macrophage cell surface lectin recognizes Tn Ag, a well-known human carcinoma-associated epitope.

In this research, we present a development of a mobile robot platform integrated with off-the-shelf sensors and equipment for disaster response. Unlike the applications including research and education or military and civil defense forces, it is expected that the platform can be utilized for practical use with small initial budget and less effort for development. The platform offers an opportunity for researchers and engineers to let their effort on developing more advanced methods, allowing for further development from R&D to practical or business purpose. In order to accomplish these challenges, we also construct an advantageous system for researchers and engineers in both academic and industry by means of disclosing and providing information about hardware and software as an open-source. Some experiments are also shown for validation of the basic functions of the platform.

The center segregation of continuously cast blooms has to be improved, users demands being more and more severe concerning equiaxed crystal proliferation and filling observed in the conventional casting.In order to find a solution of this problem, several trials to prevent suction flow in the final solidification stage have been done recently.A solution to this problem has been developed consisting in a combination of CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) and experiment, and a hard reduction method with large diameter rolls : the flow is squeezed to offset the suction flow, the result being a remarkable improvement of the center segregation without any cracking on the solidification front.

We have developed a simultaneous bidirectional transceiver logic -composed of a transmitter with an output level feedback pre-buffer and a receiver with two sense amplifiers and a hazard-free selector - that reduces the data jitter originating from three voltage level transmission. We also developed a bit deskew technique that takes into account the influence of switching noise to obtain the maximum timing margin in multi-pin operation. Stable throughput of 1.2 Gbps/pin was achieved in simultaneous 81-pin operation using a printed circuit board.

The authors study a method for deriving MIMD (multiple-instruction-stream, multiple-data-stream) multiprocessor scheduling with the shortest sampling duration, including processor communication time, for general signal processing algorithms. The method makes use of the repetitive nature of digital signal processing, which reduces the computational complexity of searching for the optimal assignment of operations to processors. The examples show that the proposed algorithm obtains the nearly optimum solution in most cases and works very efficiently. >

Recently the pharmaceuticals, which were produced using transgenic animals, have been developed, and will be submitted for registration in nearly future in Japan as well as in USA and EU. In addition, clone animals are also thought to be useful for the productions of the pharmaceuticals. This study has been, therefore, undertaken to establish the technical requirement for registration of the pharmaceuticals. They should be evaluated from the following standpoints: 1) Transgene construct and its characterization; 2) Creation and characterization of the transgenic founder animal; 3) Establishment of a reliable and continuous source of transgenic founder animals; 4) Generation and selection of the production animals; 5) Maintenance of transgenic animals; 6) Recovery and purification of products from transgenic animals; 7) Characterization of products; 8) Process validation/evaluation and in-process test; 9) Specification of products; 10) Stability of products; 11) Preclinical safety evaluation and clinical evaluation. Cloning technology by nuclear transfer of a transformed somatic cell has been already applied to the creation of the transgenic founder animal for the production of pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceuticals produced using the clone animals could be evaluated from almost the same standpoints. However, the flexible evaluation will be also needed depending on the development of the technology.

Although metastases to the thyroid are not uncommon at autopsy, most of these lesions are clinically occult. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of hepatocellular carcinoma initially presenting as a thyroid mass. Various radiological studies suggested malignant thyroid tumor, and core needle biopsy was performed. Metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma was histopathologically suspected, and subsequent abdominal CT revealed advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

The surveillance study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial activity of fluoroquinolones (ofloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tosufloxacin) and other 20 antimicrobial agents against 5,180 clinical isolates obtained from 26 medical institutions during 1998 in Japan. The resistance to fluoroquinolones was remarkable in Enterococci, methicillin-resistant staphylococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from UTI. However, many of the common pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae including penicillin-resistant isolates, methicillin-susceptible Stahylococcus aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, the family of Enterobacteriaceae, Haemophilus influenzae including ampicillin-resistant isolates have been kept to be susceptible to fluoroquinolones. About 90% of P. aeruginosa isolates from RTI were susceptible to fluoroquinolones. In conclusion, the results from this surveillance study suggest that fluoroquinolones are useful in the treatment of various bacterial infections including respiratory infections.

To investigate the alterations of genetic instabilities in carcinogenesis of the breast, we analyzed the allelotypic profile of 65 ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS), compared with that of 207 invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC) of the breast. These studies were performed by means of examining microsatellite-length polymorphisms at seven loci (AluVpa, ESR, D11S988, D13S267, D16S398, D17S1159, and D17S855) from microdissected paraffin sections. Allelic loss or imbalance, considered a loss of heterozygosity (LOH), tended to be more frequently seen in IDC than in DCIS. In particular, the frequency of LOH at the 17p locus was significantly higher in IDC than in DCIS (42 vs. 23%, P=0.022). LOH in DCIS was most frequently seen at D16S398 (26%). LOH frequency at D16S398 in low- and intermediate-grade DCIS was higher than that in high-grade DCIS, while LOH frequencies at D11S988 and D17S1159 in low- and intermediate-grade DCIS was lower than those in high-grade DCIS. LOH frequency at D11S988 in non-comedo type DCIS was lower than that in comedo type DCIS. Furthermore, the frequency of microsatellite instability (MSI) at only one locus in DCIS (28%) was statistically higher than that in IDC (6%) (P

Optimal microbicidal activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) requires recruitment of a functional nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase to the phagosome. In this study, we used a synchronized phagocytosis assay and immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) to examine the association of cytosolic NADPH oxidase subunits with phagosomes containing opsonized zymosan (OpZ). Ingestion of OpZ began within 30 seconds of particle binding and forming phagosomes were enriched for both F-actin and the actin-binding protein p57. NADPH oxidase subunits p47phox and p67phox were also recruited to forming phagosomes and were retained on mature phagosomes for at least 15 minutes. Colocalization of F-actin, p57, and p47phox on phagosomes was confirmed by immunoblotting. Translocation of p67phox, but not p57, to forming phagosomes was deficient in PMNs lacking p47phox. Surprisingly, we found that in PMNs from six individuals with X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), p47phox and p67phox accumulated in the periphagosomal area during ingestion of OpZ. However, in marked contrast to normal PMNs, p47phox and p67phox were shed from nascent phagosomes along with F-actin and p57 once OpZ was internalized (approximately 5 minutes). These data support a model in which flavocytochrome b is required for stable membrane binding of p47phox and p67phox, but not their association with the cytoskeleton or transport to the cell periphery.

In a surveillance study conducted during 1994 at 24 medical institutes from different geographical areas of Japan, the susceptibility of clinical isolates to twenty three comparative agents, such as ofloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tosufloxacin, ampicillin, clavulanic acid/amoxicillin, oxacillin, piperacillin, cefaclor, cefotiam, cefdinir, cefclidin, ceftazidime, cefpirome, imipenem, aztreonam, vancomycin, minocycline, chloramphenicol, clarithromycin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, amikacin, and gentamicin, were tested by the standard broth micro-dilution method. A total of 4,993 isolates tested in this study included Streptococcus pneumoniae, methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), coagllase negative streptococci (CNS), Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterobactericeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with urinary tract infections or respiratory tract infections, and Haemophilus influenzae. For MSSA, S. pneumoniae, Enterobacteriaceae, and H. influenzae, more than 70% of the isolates was susceptible to fluoloquinolones. However, resistance occurred in more than 50% of MRSA and P. aeruginosa isolated from UTI. Fluoroquinolones were found to be effective against high level penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae, the third generation cephem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied to 15 alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas (A-RMSs) and 14 embryonal RMSs (E-RMSs) to detect N-myc (also called MYCN) oncogene amplification. The results were compared with histologic characteristics and clinical factors. The number of surviving patients in each subtype was 5 of 15 with A-RMS and 5 of 14 with E-RMS. N-myc amplification was detected in 9 of the 15 A-RMSs but in none of the 14 E-RMSs. Tumor cells exhibiting N-myc amplification were identified only in the alveolar area in two A-RMSs, and they demonstrated a histologic mixture of alveolar and embryonal patterns. The remaining seven cases with an amplified N-myc showed a conventional alveolar pattern. Among the 15 A-RMSs, the survival rate of patients with tumors showing nonamplified N-myc and amplified N-myc oncogene was 4 (66%) of 6 and 1(11%) of 9, respectively (P.05). No significant difference was observed between the other clinical findings (age, primary sites, clinical stages) of the N-myc-amplified and nonamplified tumors. Therefore, we concluded that the N-myc gene amplification, which is characteristic of a particular subtype of A-RMS, might be useful as a prognostic factor for an unfavorable outcome.

Double primary liver carcinomas, i.e. hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) are rare. Two patients in whom double primary liver carcinomas were surgically resected are described herein. Case 1: A 51-year-old Japanese man with chronic type B hepatitis underwent hepatectomy for primary HCC with intrahepatic metastasis. Case 2: A 67-year-old Japanese man with a history of rectal cancer and CCC underwent lateral hepatic segmentectomy for a suspected recurrence of intrahepatic CCC. Lack of direct contact between tumors, no evidence of histological transition and clearly different immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin support a distinct histogenesis of the tumors in these two patients. The findings indicate that combined HCC and CCC can arise synchronously or metachronously as an intrahepatic double cancer.

Objective: To evaluate signals from breast lesions on both colour and spectral Doppler US, and to correlate findings with angiographic and histopathological features including microvessel density. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixteen breast lesions in 113 patients were evaluated with colour Doppler ultrasonography. Subjective and semi-quantitative assessment of colour signals as well as spectral Doppler analysis were performed and compared. Comparison of colour Doppler features with angiographic and histopathological findings were also carried out. Results: Subjective evaluation revealed that colour signals were more commonly found in malignant (89%) than benign (56%) lesions. Malignant lesions demonstrated a more elaborate vascular network (51%) compared to 12.5% in benign lesions. Spectral Doppler analysis revealed slightly higher specificity values for the pulsatility and resistivity indices, respectively, but lower sensitivity and accuracy values compared to qualitative assessment. Colour Doppler patterns corresponded well with angiographic images, however, the correlation between colour Doppler parameters and microvessel density was not significant. Conclusion: Despite the increased examination time required, spectral analysis does not appear to contribute significantly to the differentiation between malignant and benign breast tumours. Features such as the density, pattern and predominant site of colour signals may be more useful for the evaluation of breast lesions on colour Doppler imaging.

A 52-year-old Japanese woman presented with complaints of back pain, loss of appetite, and weight loss; her diagnosis was a mass in the pancreatic tail. A distal pancreatectomy combined with lymph node dissection was performed. The tumor measured 10.0 x 9.5 x 8.0 cm and consisted of a cystic mass and a solid area. Histologically, the cystic mass represented a typical mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, whereas the solid portion was composed of anaplastic tumor cells with round eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions, as seen in malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney. The hyaline-like intracytoplasmic inclusions were weakly positive for periodic acid-Schiff and were resistant to diastase. There was a gradual transition between the mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and the anaplastic carcinoma showing rhabdoid features. Additionally, the tumor cells of the anaplastic carcinoma were immunoreactive to both epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin. These findings suggest that the anaplastic carcinoma with rhabdoid features developed from the mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

The use of transthoracic color and pulsed Doppler echocardiography to detect intramyocardial coronary artery flow in humans was evaluated in 18 normal healthy subjects (mean age 54 years) and in 16 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; mean age 59 years) to measure the intramyocardial coronary artery flow velocity at the ventricular septum and the apex using a 10-5 or 7-4 MHz transducer. Linear inflow color Doppler signals which passed the interventricular septum were demonstrated in 15 of 18 normal subjects (83%) and 15 of 16 patients with HCM (94%). The phasic flow velocities measured by pulsed Doppler echocardiography consisted of two forward flow signals in mid-systole (S-wave) and holodiastole (D-wave), and were obtained in 11 of 18 in normal subjects (61%) and 14 of 16 patients with HCM (88%). The mean peak velocities of the S- and D-waves in patients with HCM (mean [+/-SD] 27 +/- 9 and 86 +/- 23 cm/sec, respectively) were significantly (p0.05) higher than those in normal subjects (18 +/- 4 and 54 +/- 11 cm/sec, respectively). At the apex, linear inflow color Doppler signals which passed the myocardium perpendicularly during the whole diastole were demonstrated in 14 of 18 normal subjects (78%) and all 16 patients with HCM (100%). The phasic flow velocities were measured by pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 10 of 18 normal subjects (56%) and 15 of 16 patients with HCM (94%). The mean peak velocities in patients with HCM (74 +/- 27 cm/sec) were significantly (p0.05) higher than those in normal subjects (33 +/- 13 cm/sec). Transthoracic color and pulsed Doppler echocardiography can detect intramyocardial coronary artery flow in humans at the interventricular septum and the apex noninvasively.

To compare qualitative and quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) mammographic features of breast lesions with histopathologic findings, especially tumor angiogenesis.Seventy-three patients (72 women, one man; aged 30-78 years; mean age, 51.0 years) with suspicious breast lesions underwent MR imaging. Noncontrast medium-enhanced localization imaging and then gadolinium-enhanced dynamic fast spoiled gradient-recalled-echo (SPGR) imaging were performed in all patients. In selected patients, subtraction fast SPGR images were obtained. The Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were used to determine the strength of the relationships between enhancement parameters and microvessel determinations.Time intensity curve type correlated with microvessel density grade (Spearman rank correlation test: r = .90, P.001). The steepest slope of contrast medium uptake correlated with microvessel counts (Pearson correlation test; r = .83, P.001). Peripheral enhancement in invasive carcinomas (n = 9) correlated with high peripheral and low central microvessel densities, which were associated with desmoplasia and/or necrosis. Internal septations (n = 2) were seen only in fibroadenomas.The density and distribution of microvessels may play major roles in the determination of the initial rate of contrast medium uptake and the heterogeneity of tumor enhancement.

Methylmalonic acid (MMA), which accumulates and is excreted in urine in mammals during vitamin B-12 deficiency, has been reported to inhibit succinate dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in rat liver. The enzyme inhibition by MMA may lead to various metabolic disorders as well as inhibition of mitochondrial energy generation in vitamin B-12-deficient mammals. To clarify the inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase by MMA in intact rat liver mitochondria, the effect of MMA on mitochondrial respiration was studied. When 6 mmol/L MMA was added to the reaction mixture for measuring mitochondrial respiration with succinate as a substrate, MMA was taken up and accumulated by the mitochondria (34-53 mmol/L). The accumulation of mitochondrial MMA was stimulated by the addition of ADP. Methylmalonic acid competitively inhibited State 3 mitochondrial respiration, and the Ki for the acid was 4.2 +/- 0.4 mmol/L. Although the respiratory control ratio decreased with increasing MMA concentration, the acid did not affect the phosphorus/oxygen ratio. Mitochondrial MMA accumulation secondary to vitamin B-12 deficiency inhibits succinate dehydrogenase and may contribute to various metabolic disorders associated with vitamin B-12 deficiency.

The selectins (L, E, and P) play an important role in the earliest events of the inflammatory response, leading to the “rolling” phenomenon. All selectins react with sialyl Lewis X (SLex) in vitro, possibly suggesting that their ligands have a consensus structure. 2H5 is a monoclonal antibody against SLex that blocks L-selectin-mediated adhesion. 2H5 inhibited adhesion of HL-60 cells to P- and E-selectin-producing COS cells in vitro and immunoprecipitated a P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1-like glycoprotein from HL-60 cell lysate, suggesting that it recognizes a functional consensus structure on the ligands for all selectins. 2H5 reacted not only with human but also with rat and mouse neutrophils. 2H5 is the first antibody against SLex that recognizes neutrophils of nonhuman mammals. The carbohydrate structure recognized by 2H5 was present not only on high endothelial venules of rat lymphoid organs but also on the endothelial cells of nonlymphoid organs. Furthermore, administration of the antibody markedly inhibited L- and P-selectin-mediated neutrophil rolling and adhesion in rat mesenteric venules in vivo. These results provide evidence for the presence of a consensus carbohydrate structure on the ligands for all selectins. The consensus structure thus has the potential to serve as a therapeutic target.

The phosphorylation state of cp20, a low molecular weight GTP-binding protein that is a high-affinity substrate for protein kinase C, was previously shown to change after associative conditioning of molluscs and mammals and to induce many of the biophysical and structural modifications that accompany memory retention. Here, cp20 was purified from squid optic lobes and biochemically characterized. A monoclonal antibody prepared against squid cp20 reacted with Hermissenda cp20 and a 20-kDa protein in rabbit hippocampus, while a polyclonal antibody also cross-reacted with Sar1p and ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF). A partial peptide sequence of squid cp20 was 50% identical (23/46 amino acids) with Sar1p, a yeast GTP-binding protein involved in vesicle transport, indicating that cp20 is probably a new member of the ARF family. This classification is consistent with our recent demonstration that cp20 affects retrograde movement of intraaxonal organelles or particles and suggests a possible role for particle traffic between intraneuronal organelles in memory acquisition.

The Showa disk susceptibility test using two penicillinase-resistant penicillins, oxacillin and methicillin, was evaluated to discriminate between the strains of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin (MRSA) and those susceptible (MSSA) in the multi-center trials. The study included 651 clinical isolates of S. aureus, comprising of 329 MRSA and 322 MSSA isolates. The inhibitory zone diameters by Showa disks to oxacillin and methicillin highly correlated with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) determined by standard agar dilutions with 0.961 and 0.930 correlation coefficients, respectively. Of 651 duplicate MIC determinations, 79.9% (oxacillin) and 80.3% (methicillin) were within +/- 1 log2 dilutions with each other. When Showa oxacillin and methicillin disks were incubated at 35 degrees C, sensitivity and specificity of oxacillin to detect MRSA were 95.4% and 98.1%, and those of methicillin were 94.8% and 95.2%. When tested on agar plates supplemented with 5% NaCl, sensitivity and specificity markedly improved to97%. Also, when incubated at 30 degrees C, sensitivity and specificity became to nearly 100%. Of 329 MRSA isolates, the interpretive criteria combined with incubation at 30 degrees C and testing onto 5% NaCl supplemented agar plates could correctly identify 324 (98.5%) and 329 (100%) isolates, respectively. In conclusion, when the Showa oxacillin and methicillin disk susceptibility tests were employed exactly according to the manufacturer's instruction, the test performances to detect MRSA were enough reliable to screen MRSA isolates in clinical microbiology laboratories.

An increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (S.) aureus (MRSA) has a serious therapeutic problem, and accurate methods to detect such strains are needed. We studied the antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus to ceftizoxime, in comparison with those to four other cephems (cefazolin, cefoxitin, latamoxef and cefmenoxime), by broth microdilutions and disk susceptibility tests, and also evaluated whether the reagents, in replace of penicillinase-resistant penicillins (PRPs), could discriminate between the strains of MRSA and those susceptible to PRPs (MSSA). A total of 651 clinical isolates of S. aureus were collected from six geographically different hospitals. All the strains collected were first classified into either MRSA (n = 329) or MSSA (n = 322) according to the interpretations of MRSA screening agar, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to oxacillin and methicillin (NCCLS M7-A2), and the presence or absence of mecA gene by polymerase chain reaction. In broth microdilution tests, the MICs of MRSA to ceftizoxime rangedor = 64 micrograms/ml, whereas all the MSSA were at the concentration ofor = 16 micrograms/ml. The results of Showa disk diffusion tests highly correlated with those of MIC determinations. The distribution of inhibitory zone diameters to ceftizoxime were clearly divided into two groups; 99.2% (sensitivity) of MRSA had inhibitory zones ofor = 20 mm and 98.9% (specificity) of MSSA producedor = 21 mm. It was concluded that the Showa ceftizoxime disk susceptibility test was useful and enough reliable to screen MRSA isolates in clinical laboratories.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) is a major component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. Although it interacts with many types of cells and is linked to numerous events associated with sepsis and endotoxic shock, the mechanisms underlying these actions are poorly understood. We found that Ca-signaling induced by endotoxin in guinea-pig neutrophils and macrophages is caused by cross-recognition of LPS with platelet activating factor (PAF) receptors. However, the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor-α or the priming effect of O2− production was not affected by PAF antagonists. Thus, at least two distinct pathways are involved in the actions of LPS, one via the PAF receptor, while the other is independent of a PAF receptor and Ca-signaling.

A nationwide multicenter joint study was undertaken to investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with a predominant intraductal component, a diagnostic entity proposed in the histologic typing of breast tumors by the World Health Organization in 1981. A total of 368 tumors, of which 218 were studied pathologically between 1983 and 1987 and 150 between 1971 and 1977, were accumulated for the present study from seven medical institutes in Japan. The incidence of such types of tumor was higher in the latter period than in the former, as was that of pure intraductal carcinomas. Seventy of the 368 tumors displayed metastatic nodal involvement and nine tumor deaths were observed from 150 tumors followed up for over 10 years following radical mastectomy, the overall quantity of the extraductal stromal invasion clearly acting on lymph node metastases and patients' outcome. We consider a total stromal invasion of greater than 5 mm to be critical in the prognosis of patients with tumor of this type.

We previously reported that the mouse macrophage galacose and N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectin (MMGL) may participate in the binding of the macrophages to tumor cells [Oda, S., Sato, M., Toyoshima, S.,Osawa, T. (1989) J. Biochem. 105, 1040-1043]. We now report the cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding MMGL. The MMGL gene encoded a protein consisting of 304 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 34,595. The deduced amino acid sequence indicated that MMGL had a single membrane-spanning region, three leucine zipper-like domains, and a carbohydrate recognition domain. Two N-glycosylation sites were found in the extracellular region of MMGL, corresponding to the heavy N-glycosylation in the native MMGL. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of MMGL with those of rat hepatic lectins revealed a high overall sequence homology. The sequence homology was especially high in the putative membrane-spanning region and carbohydrate recognition domain. There was, however, a region of 25 amino acids which did not exist on hepatic lectins. The MMGL cDNA without the region encoding the putative membrane-spanning region and intracellular region was expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed protein had galactose-binding activity and its sugar-binding specificity was same as that of the native lectin.

application/pdf, Electron emission spectra resulting from thermal collision of He*(23S) atoms with 2,9-demethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP) films deposited on metal substrates were measured to characterize gap states emerged at the organic-metal interface. For BCP on Au, the gap state is originated from weak chemisorption and serves as a mediator of metal wave functions to the first layer. For BCP on K, organic-metal complex is formed by spontaneous diffusion, yielding the gap states delocalized over the film. In the interfacial region, all the gap state reveals an incommensurate shift with the valence band top of the film, indicating the breakdown of the Schottky–Mott model as evaluating the transport characteristics in organic-metal system.

One hundred and ninety patients with mammary ductal carcinoma were studied to evaluate the correlation of proportions of intraductal and invasive tumor growth to histologic and immunohistochemical features. Initially, attempts were made to divide the cases into 6 groups according to the proportion of extraductal invasive areas within the whole tumor. It has been found that ductal carcinoma could be divided, on this criterion, into 2 groups. One comprised tumors in which invasive areas made up less than 20% of the tumor, the other included those with invasive areas exceeding 20%. In the former, intraductal and invasive components exhibited a lower grade of nuclear and tumor component and a higher incidence of cells with CEA immune positivity. The latter manifested higher grades in both intraductal and invasive components and a lower incidence of CEA positive cells. Many of the latter tumors had a solid or comedo-like growing pattern of the intraductal component. There was a significant difference in the prognosis between the two categories. We conclude that like intraductal carcinomas, invasive ductal carcinomas with a predominant intraductal component should be considered a lower grade malignancy.