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Proteins containing the formin homology (FH) domains FH1 and FH2 are involved in cytokinesis or establishment of cell polarity in a variety of organisms. We have shown that the FH proteins Bni1p and Bnr1p are potential targets of the Rho family small GTP-binding proteins and bind to an actin-binding protein, profilin, at their proline-rich FH1 domains to regulate reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found here that a novel Src homology 3 (SH3) domain-containing protein, encoded by YMR032w, interacted with Bnr1p in a GTP-Rho4p-dependent manner through the FH1 domain of Bnr1p and the SH3 domain of Ymr032wp. Ymr032wp weakly bound to Bni1p. Ymr032wp was homologous to cdc15p, which is involved in cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and we named this geneHOF1 (homolog of cdc 15). Both Bnr1p and Hof1p were localized at the bud neck, and both the bnr1 and hof1 mutations showed synthetic lethal interactions with the bni1 mutation. The hof1 mutant cells showed phenotypes similar to those of the septin mutants, indicating thatHOF1 is involved in cytokinesis. These results indicate that Bnr1p directly interacts with Hof1p as well as with profilin to regulate cytoskeletal functions in S. cerevisiae.

γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanometric clusters have been synthesized in aqueous solution under 1,10-phenanthroline and/or PVA by an electrochemical method with dc current. Transmission electron microphotographs show that the particles are roughly spherical and their sizes are about 5 to 10 nm. The magnetic properties have been measured by a SQUID magnetometer. The magnetic clusters in the polymer behave as independent monodomains at room temperature, however, at low temperature the energy barrier increases dramatically with decreasing temperature below T B 150 to 200 K as there are interparticle interactions being suppressed by thermal fluctuations.

The RHO1 gene encodes a homolog of the mammalian RhoA small GTP-binding protein in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Rho1p is localized at the growth site and is required for bud formation. The RHO1(G22S, D125N) mutation is a temperature-sensitive and dominant negative mutation of RHO1, and a multicopy suppressor of RHO1(G22S, D125N), ROM7, was isolated. Nucleotide sequencing of ROM7 revealed that it is identical to the BEM4 gene (GenBank accession number L27816), although its physiological function has not yet been reported. Disruption of BEM4 resulted in the cold- and temperature-sensitive growth phenotypes, and cells of the deltabem4 mutant showed abnormal morphology, suggesting that BEM4 is involved in the budding process. The temperature-sensitive growth phenotype was suppressed by overexpression of RHO1, ROM2, which encodes a Rho1p-specific GDP/GTP exchange factor, or PKC1, which encodes a target of Rho1p. Moreover, glucan synthase activity, which is activated by Rho1p, was significantly reduced in the deltabem4 mutant. Two-hybrid and biochemical experiments revealed that Bem4p directly interacts with the nucleotide-free form of Rho1p and, to lesser extents, with the GDP- and GTP-bound forms of Rho1p, although Bem4p showed neither GDP/GTP exchange factor, GDP dissociation inhibitor, nor GTPase-activating protein activity toward Rho1p. These results indicate that Bem4p is a novel protein directly interacting with Rho1p and is involved in the RHO1-mediated signaling pathway.

The RHO1 gene encodes a homolog of the mammalian RhoA small GTP binding protein in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Rho1p is localized at the growth site and is required for bud formation. Multicopy suppressors of a temperature-sensitive, dominant negative mutant allele of RHO1, RHO1(G22S, D125N), were isolated and named ROM (RHO1 multicopy suppressor). Rom1p and Rom2p were found to contain a DH (Dbl homologous) domain and a PH (pleckstrin homologous) domain, both of which are conserved among the GDP/GTP exchange proteins (GEPs) for the Rho family small GTP binding proteins. Disruption of ROM2 resulted in a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype, whereas disruption of both ROM1 and ROM2 resulted in lethality. The phenotypes of deltarom1deltarom2 cells were similar to those of deltarho1 cells, including growth arrest with a small bud and cell lysis. Moreover, the temperature-sensitive growth phenotype of deltarom2 was suppressed by overexpression of RHO1 or RHO2, but not of CDC42. The glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein containing the DH domain of Rom2p showed the lipid-modified Rholp-specific GDP/GTP exchange activity which was sensitive to Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor. These results indicate that Rom1p and Rom2p are GEPs that activate Rho1p in S.cerevisiae.

Tumor thrombosis of the portal vein was identified retrospectively with computed tomography (CT) in four patients aged 66-77 years with gastric adenocarcinoma. Surgical, clinical, histopathologic, laboratory, and imaging findings were analyzed. Three patients showed an elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level (230-1,560 ng/mL [230-1,560 micrograms/L]). Immunohistochemical study revealed that AFP was produced by gastric carcinoma in two patients. Multiple metastatic foci in the liver appeared on CT and ultrasound (US) scans in all four patients. Echogenic thrombus was identified in three. There were no CT or US features that enabled differentiation of neoplastic from nonneoplastic thromboses. Angiography showed tumor vessels in only one patient: The thrombus was hypervascular in the arteriocapillary phase of celiac angiography but could not be differentiated from a much more common tumor thrombus seen in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nevertheless, gastric carcinoma should be considered a possibility in the diagnosis of portal venous tumor thrombosis, even if the serum AFP level is elevated and a liver tumor is identified.

A simple manometer for measuring pressures up to 15 kbar in clamp type cells is presented on the basis of the pressure dependence of zero-field NMR frequencies v in such ferromagnets as EuO and fcc Co. A narrow and intense 153Eu NMR in EuO is suitable for a NMR manometer with an accuracy of 0. 1 kbar at 4. 2 K. An intense, but rather broad 59Co NMR in fcc Co can be used in temperatures between 4. 2-300 K, where d v/dP is nearly independent of temperature. It is shown by using NMR manometers that the presssure in a clamp cell remains constant below 77 K.

The 77 Se Knight shift K ( T ) in CeSe exhibits a Curie-Weiss-like behavior above 20 K, and a plot of K ( T ) against susceptibility yields a hyperfine field of 11.0 kOe/μ B . The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate T 1 −1 is independent of temperature at high temperatures. The NMR results suggest the localized nature of Ce 4f electrons.

Using a plasma-gas-condensation-type cluster beam deposition system, we deposited monodispersed Co clusters with mean diameter d = 8.5 nm on quartz and microgrid substrates. The cluster-cluster coalescence process of the Co cluster assemblies was investigated by in situ electrical conductivity measurements and ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The change of magnetic properties induced by the inter-cluster coalescence was also discussed. The electrical conductivity measurement indicated that, at temperatures T < 100°C, the Co clusters in the assemblies maintain their original size as deposited at room temperature, while the inter-cluster coalescence takes place at T > 100°C. The TEM observation showed that the size distribution and the interface morphology of the clusters do not change markedly at substrate temperatures Ts ≤ 200°C, while cluster-cluster coalescence starts at Ts > 200°C. Above Ts = 300°C, the interfacial area of coalesced clusters is crystalline, having its own orientation different from those of two connected cluster cores.

Proteins containing the formin homology (FH) domains FH1 and FH2 are involved in cytokinesis or establishment of cell polarity in a variety of organisms. We have shown that the FH proteins Bni1p and Bnr1p are potential targets of the Rho family small GTP-binding proteins and bind to an actin-binding protein, profilin, at their proline-rich FH1 domains to regulate reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found here that a novel Src homology 3 (SH3) domain-containing protein, encoded by YMR032w, interacted with Bnr1p in a GTP-Rho4p-dependent manner through the FH1 domain of Bnr1p and the SH3 domain of Ymr032wp. Ymr032wp weakly bound to Bni1p. Ymr032wp was homologous to cdc15p, which is involved in cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and we named this gene HOF1 (homolog of cdc 15). Both Bnr1p and Hof1p were localized at the bud neck, and both the bnr1 and hof1 mutations showed synthetic lethal interactions with the bni1 mutation. The hof1 mutant cells showed phenotypes similar to those of the septin mutants, indicating that HOF1 is involved in cytokinesis. These results indicate that Bnr1p directly interacts with Hof1p as well as with profilin to regulate cytoskeletal functions in S. cerevisiae.

The RHO1 gene encodes a homologue of mammalian RhoA small G‐protein in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Rho1p is required for bud formation and is localized at a bud tip or a cytokinesis site. We have recently shown that Bni1p is a potential target of Rho1p. Bni1p shares the FH1 and FH2 domains with proteins involved in cytokinesis or establishment of cell polarity. In S.cerevisiae , there is an open reading frame ( YIL159W ) which encodes another protein having the FH1 and FH2 domains and we have named this gene BNR1 ( BN I1 Related). Bnr1p interacts with another Rho family member, Rho4p, but not with Rho1p. Disruption of BNI1 or BNR1 does not show any deleterious effect on cell growth, but the bni1 bnr1 mutant shows a severe temperature‐sensitive growth phenotype. Cells of the bni1 bnr1 mutant arrested at the restrictive temperature are deficient in bud emergence, exhibit a random distribution of cortical actin patches and often become multinucleate. These phenotypes are similar to those of the mutant of PFY1 , which encodes profilin, an actin‐binding protein. Moreover, yeast two‐hybrid and biochemical studies demonstrate that Bni1p and Bnr1p interact directly with profilin at the FH1 domains. These results indicate that Bni1p and Bnr1p are potential targets of the Rho family members, interact with profilin and regulate the reorganization of actin cytoskeleton.

An NMR study of the antiferromagnetic (AF)–ferromagnetic (F) transition in Mn 3 Ga 1− x Al x C ( x =0.02) has been made under pressure up to 17 kbar at 4.2 and 195 K. Besides broad 55 Mn NMR at 290 and 110 MHz for the AF and F states, a quadrupolar split 55 Mn NMR is observed in the intermediate(I) state between the AF and F ones. The NMR results at 4.2 K show that the pressure induces the AF–I transition, but no I–F transition up to 17 kbar.

Zero-field NMR of MnAs has been observed as a function of temperature T and pressure. In the ferromagnetic NiAs phase the frequencies of the 55 Mn and 75 As NMR show a T 5/2 dependence below 160 K, which is compared with the empirical T n power law in usual magnetic materials. Above about 4 kbar a broad NMR line is observed and is assigned to the helical magnetic state of MnP type phase.

We examined the bacteria isolated from urine of patients in our department from 1988 though 1989. A total of 809 strains were isolated from the outpatients. They were 241 strains of gram-positive bacteria (29.8%). E. coli (32.0%) was isolated most frequently, followed by Enterococcus spp. (9.9%), Proteus group (7.4%), S. epidermidis (6.2%), P. aeruginosa (5.1%) and others. A total of 412 strains were isolated from the inpatients. They consisted of 173 strains of gram-positive bacteria (42.0%). Enterococcus spp. (17.0%) was isolated most frequently, followed by P. aeruginosa (12.6%), S. epidermidis (9.7%), E. coli (7.3%), S. aureus (6.6%) and others. Fewer P. aeruginosa, S. marcescens and Proteus group were isolated from the outpatients and fewer S. marcescens, E. coli and K. pneumoniae from inpatients than previously. More S. aureus were isolated abruptly from the inpatients and more E. coli were isolated from the outpatients than previously. E. cloacae, S. epidermidis, S. aureus and Corynebacterium spp. all isolated from inpatients showed lower antimicrobial sensitivity than those isolated from the outpatients.

We studied the etiology, diagnosis and management of 201 cases of urinary extravasation reported in the Japanese literature along with our five cases. Most of them were caused by urolithiasis and malignant tumors. Four of our five cases also presented with a ureter stone; two being cured by spontaneous stone passage within several days and the others being treated by ureterolithotomy or nephrectomy. The other case involving a ureter tumor was treated by nephroureterectomy with partial cystectomy. The clinical manifestations of urinary extravasation were distinguished as spontaneous peripelvic extravasation and spontaneous rupture of the renal pelvis and ureter. Performing an accurate and differential diagnosis of these cases, however, was difficult. We therefore propose a set of clinical diagnostic criteria based on our findings of X-ray examination and the macroscopic appearance seen during surgical treatment. We review the 201 reported cases along with our five cases of urinary extravasation and discuss their diagnostic procedures and treatment approaches.

An unusual case of seminal vesicle cysts associated with adult polycystic kidney disease (APKD) is presented. The magnetic resonance (MR) appearance of this rare entity has not been described before. A brief review of the literature is included and the role of MR imaging is discussed.

The high precision gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) is carried on the first Japan's large-scaled lunar explorer, SELENE (KAGUYA) circling a polar orbit. The GRS consists of a large Ge crystal as a main detector and massive bismuth germanate crystals and a plastic scintillator as anticoincidence detectors. Since the successful launch on Sep. 14, 2007, radiation damage in the Ge detector has been induced from the incidence of energetic particles from space, which degraded its energy resolution. Then the Ge detector was annealed for 2 days at 85±5 K and the resolution is recovered to the level at the initial phase of the early observation. The special operations were conducted in December, 2008 in order to measure backgrounds gamma rays from the materials of the spacecraft body and the GRS instrument itself. The GRS data from the 100 km altitude reveal the global distribution of trace elements of Th and K on the Moon which delineates the distributions of KREEP component of lunar materials. Th and K-rich materials are concentrated around the Imbrium basin in Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) and intermediately concentrated in South Pole–Aitken basin area on the farside. Results from special operations and observation are described and discussed.

A case of contralateral ureteral metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is reported. A 52-year-old man underwent left nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma of November 20, 1986. He was clinically asymptomatic for 4 years 8 months after the operation. He was admitted on August 14, 1991, because of right loin pain. Right retrograde pyelography and percutaneous pyelography showed a filling defect in the right ureter at the level of L3. After the right ureter was explored, the tumor lesion of ureter was resected and end to end anastomosis of the ureter was performed. Histopathologic examination showed a metastatic clear cell carcinoma consistent with a renal primary. The contralateral ureteral metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is very rare and only 15 cases have been reported previously.

An atypical case of multilocular cystic hemangioma is presented. A 4.5 cm multilocular cystic mass was incidentally found in a 66-year-old healthy woman on ultrasound screening. CT, MR imaging, and angiography were performed: however, the features that are characteristic of cavernous hemangioma were not obtained. The final diagnosis could not be made until surgery.

We report a case of metastatic bladder tumor from gastric carcinoma. A 55-year old male patient was referred to our urological clinic with a complaint of frequent urination and voiding pain. He had undergone total gastrectomy for poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell type, 9 months earlier. Computed tomographic scan revealed a thick bladder and rectum wall all around. Punch biopsies from vesical and rectal wall revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell type. There were no other metastatic sites. Systemic chemotherapy was done with a combination of mitomycin-C, 5-fluorouracil and cytosine arabinoside. This chemotherapy was effective and complete remission was obtained at bladder and rectum. Six months after chemotherapy, peritoneal recurrence developed and he died 9 months after chemotherapy. However no recurrence of bladder tumor was detected. This was a quite rare case of metastatic bladder tumor characterized by good response to systemic chemotherapy.

A case report of primary osteosarcoma of the bladder is herein presented. A 75-year-old man presented with asymptomatic macrohematuria. Cystoscopic examination revealed a large tumor with a broad base arisen on the anterior wall. Pelvic computed tomographic scan showed multiple calcifications in the tumor itself. Total cystectomy and ileal conduit were performed. Histopathological diagnosis was osteosarcoma. The patient died 10 weeks after surgery. Metastasis to lung, heart, lymphnode, ureter and peritoneum were identified by autopsy. Primary osteosarcoma of the bladder is a rare tumor, only 25 cases have been reported previously. The prognosis of this tumor is very poor. Nineteen of these patients died within 6 months.

Dense accumulation of Lipiodol in hepatic segmental parenchyma was studied by computed tomography (CT) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatic tumor. Six patients showed dense accumulation of Lipiodol in hepatic segmental parenchyma on CT two weeks after TACE. Four of the six showed parenchymal accumulation of Lipiodol as dense as that in a tumor at three weeks after TACE. Therefore, it was considered that evaluation with CT should be performed after one month or more in order to differentiate between Lipiodol accumulation in tumors and that in non-neoplastic liver parenchyma.

Operations on inpatients during the 15-year period from 1975 to 1989 were analyzed statistically. A total of 3,791 operations were performed at our Department of Urology, including 717 operations on the kidney, 316 operations on the ureter, 583 operations on the bladder, 811 operations on the prostate, 136 operations on the urethra, 1,097 operations on the scrotum, 43 operations on the adrenal gland, 19 operations on the retroperitoneal space and 69 operations on other organs.

63 Cu NQR and 113 Cd NMR in YbInCu 4 and YbCdCu 4 have been measured on powdered samples prepared from single crystals. In YbInCu 4 the 63 Cu NQR results are almost in agreement with the previous ones for polycrystalline samples. In YbCdCu 4 the nuclear relaxation rate T −1 1 for 63 Cu NQR suggests a gradual change of f electron states from Fermi liquid to localized one with temperature. The Knight shift and T −1 1 for 113 Cd NMR show remarkable magnetic field dependences.

Research Institute for Science and Engineering., Waseda Univ., Japan College of Health Science, Saitama Prefectural University,, Japan Inst. of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA, Japan Nippon Medical School, Japan Dep. of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan Univ., Japan National Institute of Polar Research, Japan Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan Research Institute, Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan Centre d’Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements,Toulouse, France Dep. of Meteorites, Univ. of New Mexico, USA *nhasebe@waseda.jp

A case of giant müllerian duct cyst is reported. The patient was a 27-year-old male, complaining of microscopic hematuria. A giant cystic abdominal mass was palpable. After screening examination including ultrasound tomography, intravenous pyelography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance-imaging, müllerian duct cyst was suspected. Operation for this cyst was performed with median incision. The cyst measured 25 x 21 x 14 cm. The surface as smooth and consistency was soft. Included fluid was slightly turbid and yellowish measuring 2,200 ml. This was considered to be the largest müllerian duct cyst case reported in the Japanese literature.

Balloon dilation of the prostatic urethra was performed for the management of benign prostatic hypertrophy. The patients selected were mainly high risk patients who were poor surgical candidates for transurethral resection of the prostate. Ten patients between 61 and 87 years old with a mean age of 77.8 years were treated. Of the 10 patients 6 had urinary retention. The procedures were performed under spinal anesthesia, using 75 Fr dilation balloon for 10 minutes twice at 3 atmospheres. In a couple of months after treatments, 5 patients showed improvement in both uroflowmetry and clinical symptoms. Three patients revealed improvement of clinical symptoms only and 2 were in vain. One year after treatment, 3 out of 6 patients had persistent improvement. Balloon dilation of prostatic urethra was safe and showed promising effectiveness for high risk patients.

A newly developed instrument based on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), Hologic QDR-1000, was evaluated fundamentally and clinically. Image quality was quite satisfactory though radiation exposure was minimal, 780.2 nC/kg (3.024 mR) for lumbar measurement. Reproducibility of the repeated measurement of a phantom was fairly good; 0.343 CV% in a same day and 0.520 CV% in a long period. Accuracy determined by measurement of potassium phosphate solution was also satisfactory. Bone mineral densities measured by this instrument were fairly correlated with those measured by single energy quantitative CT; coefficient was 0.740 for 17 patients. Mix-DP plates of more than 10 cm thick overestimated the bone mineral densities of a phantom. Bone mineral densities of Japanese normal volunteers were in the normal range (mean +/- 2SD) of the Americans though mostly lower than the mean. In patients with spondylosis deformans or prominent aortic calcification, bone mineral densities might be overestimated. Lateral view was obtainable though its reproducibility was not good. Positioning especially for measuring femoral neck was quite critical for reproducible measurement. In conclusion, this new instrument is quite accurate and satisfactory for clinical application to measuring bone mineral densities.

The temperature dependence of T1ϱ of the 2D spin in a rotating frame has been measured in some deuterated ammonium oxysalts. It was found that in partially deuterated (NH4−xDx)2S2O8 and in (NH4−xDx)2 Cr2O7 (x=0.8), the relaxation rate T−11ϱ of 2D via the rare spin 17O (0.037%) is enhanced by about 20 times that found in (ND4)2S2O8 and (ND4 )2Cr2O7.

Hyperfine fields at sp impurities in ferromagnetic CsCl type compounds GdZn and GdCd have been measured by NMR method. The impurity hyperfine fields are always negative, indicating the negative polarization of s-like conduction electrons at impurities on the Zn(Cd) sites, and are smaller at the beginning and end of each sp series. This trend of the hyperfine fields is similar to that in Gd metal and is qualitatively understood by the Daniel-Friedel mechanism.

Relatively large, uninfected hydroceles of the testis were investigated as to the composition of their fluid. The fluid was different from serum and urine, having the urea nitrogen, uric acid, Na and K levels comparable to but the total protein and inorganic phosphorus levels higher than in normal serum. The analysis of hydrocele contents may be useful in ruling out the possibility of another retention tumor, but not useful in determining whether a hydrocele is communicating with the peritoneal cavity.

A 61-year-old male visited our hospital with the chief complaint of a mass in the right scrotum on October 4, 1985. Under the diagnosis of intrascrotal tumor, the mass was resected surgically. It was a subcutaneous tumor, and had no relation to any intrascrotal organ, such as testis, epididymis or spermatic cord. The mass was 7 x 6 x 5 cm. Pathological diagnosis was epidermoid cyst of the scrotum. Epidermoid cyst of the scrotum is a rare disease and only 7 cases have been reported in Japan.

One-hundred and fourteen cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which underwent computed tomography (CT) and angiography at the University Hospital of Yamanashi were reviewed. These included 24 cases of HCC associated with hepatic schistosomiasis japonica. Compared with the other cases, radiological features of HCC with schistosomiasis japonica were clarified. Patients with multinodular HCC were most common (13/24), followed by those with single nodular HCC (7/24), while those with massive or diffuse HCC were few (4/24). In patients with marked CT changes (grade III or IV) of hepatic schistosomiasis japonica, most of HCC nodules were disclosed as a mass with homogenous hypodensity surrounded by "shell-like calcifications". Obstruction of the portal vein or its branches due to tumor thrombus was rarely noted (4/24). These features are presumably attributed to periportal fibrosis which is characteristic of heptic schistosomiasis japonica. Because of these features, it is expected that hepatocellular carcinomas with schistosomiasis japonica can be treated by transcatheter arterial embolization more effectively than those without schistosomiasis japonica.

A total of 794 operations were performed at the Department of Urology, Tokai University Hospital between January, 1982 and March, 1984, including 5 operations on the adrenal gland, 64 operations on the kidney, 48 operations on the ureter, 93 operations on the urinary bladder, 124 operations on the prostate, 25 operations on the urethra, 124 operations on the penis, 190 operations on the scrotum and 19 operations on other organs.

A 70-year-old man with the complaint of dysuria and painless swelling of the right scrotal sac and inguinal region was operated on for suspected right inguinal hernia. The hernia sac contained two testis and immature uterine tissue, which were pathognomonic of left crossed ectopic testis complicated by hernia uteri inguinalis. The chromosomes were normal. Statistics on 57 similar cases indicated that this was the eldest of all such patients reported in Japan; since he had two children, he seems to have been fertile.