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Background Esophagostomy is important in the treatment of esophageal cancer. However, esophagectomy has a higher risk of postoperative complications. Treatment for complications is often difficult, and in some cases, oral intake is no longer possible. Recently, magnetic compression anastomosis (MCA) was developed; it is a relatively safe method of anastomosis that does not require surgery in patients with stricture, obstruction, or dehiscence of the anastomosis after surgery. Case presentation The patient was a 76-year-old Japanese man. He underwent esophagectomy with a three-field dissection for esophageal cancer. A cervical esophagostomy and chest drainage were performed for necrosis of the gastric tube. Following infection control, colon interposition was performed. However, after the operation, the colon necrotized and formed an abscess. Drainage controlled the infection, but the colon was completely obstructed. The patient was referred to our hospital to restore oral ingestion. Contrast studies showed that the length of the occlusion was 10 mm. The reconstruction was examined; reanastomosis by surgery was judged to be a high risk, so the strategy of anastomosis by MCA was adopted. In the operation, the anterior chest was opened to expose the colon, and a magnet was inserted directly into the blind end of the colon. The magnet was guided to the blind end of the esophagus using an oral endoscope. Two weeks after MCA, a contrast study confirmed the passage of the contrast agent from the esophagus to the colon. The patient eventually took 18 bougies after the MCA. However, since then, he has not needed a bougie. As of 1 year and 8 months after the MCA, the patient is living at home with oral intake restored. Conclusions MCA is an effective and safe treatment for complete stenosis after esophageal cancer surgery.

In connection with the problem in the charged lepton mass relation, Sumino has proposed a model where charged leptons eL and eR are assigned to 3 and 3‾ of the SU(3) family symmetry, respectively, i.e. (eL)i and (eR)i (family number i=1,2,3). This choice corresponds to a choice (10+5‾,3) of SU(5)×flavorSU(3)$_{family}$. This choice is anomaly free for the SU(5)-flavor, but it is not anomaly free for the SU(3)-family. In this paper, we will propose a model of quarks and leptons which gives (eL)i and (eR)i together with anomaly free in the framework of the SU(5)×flavorSU(3)$_{family}$. As a result, some exotic states will be required.

A charged lepton mass formula $(m_e +m_\mu + m_\tau)/(\sqrt{m_e}+\sqrt{m_\mu} + \sqrt{m_\tau})^2 =2/3$ is well-known. Since we can, in general, have two relations for three quantities, we may also expect another relation for the charged lepton masses. Then, the relation will be expressed by a form of $\sqrt{m_e m_\mu m_\tau}/(\sqrt{m_e}+\sqrt{m_\mu} + \sqrt{m_\tau})^3$. According to this conjecture, a scalar potential model is speculated., Comment: 5 pages, no figure; a typo in Eq.(7) corrected

Recently, Nishiura and the author have proposed a unified quark-lepton mass matrix model under a family symmetry U(3)$\times$U(3)$'$. The model can give excellent parameter-fitting to the observed quark and neutrino data. The model has a reasonable basis as far as the quark sector, but the form of the right-handed neutrino mass matrix $M_R$ does not have a theoretical grand, that is, it was nothing but a phenomenological assumption. In this paper, it is pointed out that the form of $M_R$ is originated in structure of neutrino mass matrix for $(\nu_i, N_\alpha)$ where $\nu_i$ ($i=1,2,3$) and $N_\alpha$ ($\alpha=1,2,3$) are U(3)-family and U(3)$'$-family triplets, respectively., Comment: 7 pages, no figure

Recently, we have proposed a quark mass matrix model based on U(3)$\times$U(3)$'$ family symmetry, in which up- and down-quark mass matrices $M_u$ and $M_d$ are described only by complex parameters $a_u $ and $a_d $, respectively. When we use charged lepton masses as additional input values, we can successfully obtain predictions for quark masses and Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing. Since we have only one complex parameter $a_q$ for each mass matrix $M_q$, we can obtain a parameter-independent mass relation by using three equations for ${\rm Tr}[H_q]$, ${\rm Tr}[H_q H_q]$ and ${\rm det}H_q$, where $H_q \equiv M_q M_q^\dagger$ ($q=u, d$). In this paper, we investigate its parameter-independent feature of the quark mass relation in the model., 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted version by MPLA

An interesting family gauge boson (FGB) model (Model A) has been proposed by Sumino. The model can give FGBs with a considerably low energy scale in spite of the sever constraints form the observed $K^0$-$\bar{K}^0$ mixing and so on. An essential idea in Model A is in the so-called Sumino cancellation mechanism between QED and FGB diagrams. However, Model A is not anomaly free and, besides, it causes effective interactions with $\Delta N_{\rm family}=2$. In order to avoid these problems, a revised Sumino model with an inverted mass hierarchy (Model B) has proposed, but, in this time, it cannot satisfy the Sumino cancellation mechanism exactly. In this paper, we propose a revised version of Model B, where the model still keeps anomaly free, but it can exactly satisfy the Sumino mechanism. An effect of the revised model will be confirmed by observations $K^+ \rightarrow \pi^+ e^- \mu^+$ and $\mu^- N\rightarrow e^- N$., Comment: 11 pages, no figure, title changed

A model that gives family gauge bosons with an inverted mass hierarchy is proposed, stimulated by Sumino's cancellation mechanism for the QED radiative correction to the charged lepton masses. The Sumino mechanism cannot straightforwardly be applied to SUSY models because of the non-renormalization theorem. In this talk, an alternative model which is applicable to a SUSY model is proposed. It is essential that family gauge boson masses $m(A_i^j)$ in this model is given by an inverted mass hierarchy $m(A_i^i) \propto 1/\sqrt{m_{ei}}$, in contrast to $m(A_i^i) \propto \sqrt{m_{ei}}$ in the original Sumino model. Phenomenological meaning of the model is also investigated. In particular, we notice a deviation from the $e$-$\mu$ universality in the tau decays., Comment: 7pages, 6 figures, Invited talk at GUT2012

Recently, we proposed a unified mass matrix model for quarks and leptons, in which, mass ratios and mixings of the quarks and neutrinos are described by using only the observed charged lepton mass values as family-number-dependent parameters and only six family-number-independent free parameters. In spite of quite few parameters, the model gives remarkable agreement with observed data (i.e. CKM mixing, PMNS mixing and mass ratios). Taking this phenomenological success seriously, we give a formulation of the so-called Yukawaon model in details from a theoretical aspect, especially for the construction of superpotentials and $R$ charge assignments of fields. The model is considerably modified from the previous one, while the phenomenological success is kept unchanged., 14 pages, no figure, accepted version by MPLAl

Based on a neutrino mass matrix model in which a 2 ↔ 3 symmetry is only broken by a phase parameter, it is investigated how the lepton mixing matrix can deviate from the so-called tribimaximal mixing under a condition that CP is maximally violated.

Based on a new approach (the so-called Yukawaon model) to the mass spectra and mixings, a neutrino mass matrix which is described in terms of the up-quark masses and CKM matrix parameters is proposed. The mass matrix successfully leads to a nearly tribimaximal mixing without assuming any discrete symmetry., Comment: 7 pages, no figure, talk given at PAQFT08

According to an idea that the quark and lepton mass spectra originate in a VEV structure of a U(3)-flavor nonet scalar \Phi, the mass spectra of the down-quarks and charged leptons are investigated. The U(3) flavor symmetry is spontaneously and completely broken by non-zero and non-degenerated VEVs of $\Phi$, without passing any subgroup of U(3). The ratios (m_e+m_\mu+m_\tau)/(\sqrt{m_e}+\sqrt{m_\mu}+\sqrt{m_\tau})^2 and \sqrt{m_e m_\mu m_\tau}/(\sqrt{m_e}+\sqrt{m_\mu}+\sqrt{m_\tau})^3 are investigated based on a toy model., Comment: 10 pages, no fugure, version to appear in Phys.Lett.B

The charged lepton mass formula can be explained when the masses are propotinal to the squared vacuum expectation values (VEVs) of scalar fields. We introduce U(3) flavor symmetry and its nonet scalar field $\Phi$, whose VEV structure plays an essential role for generating the fermion mass spectrum. We can naturally obtain bilinear form of the Yukawa coupling $Y_{ij} \propto \sum_k $ without the non-renormalizable interactions, when the flavor symmetry is broken only through the Yukawa coupling and tadpole terms. We also speculate the possible VEV structure of $$., Comment: 8 pages, no figure, presentation changed

Stimulated by Ma's idea which explains the tribimaximal neutrino mixing by assuming an A_4 flavor symmetry, a lepton mass matrix model is investigated. A Frogatt-Nielsen type model is assumed, and the flavor structures of the masses and mixing are caused by the VEVs of SU(2)_L-singlet scalars \phi_i^u and \phi_i^d (i=1,2,3), which are assigned to {\bf 3} and ({\bf 1}, {\bf 1}',{\bf 1}'') of A_4, respectively., Comment: 13 pages including 1 table, errors in Sec.7 corrected

Brannen has recently pointed out that the observed charged lepton masses satisfy the relation m_e +m_\mu +m_\tau = {2/3} (\sqrt{m_e}+\sqrt{m_\mu}+\sqrt{m_\tau})^2, while the observed neutrino masses satisfy the relation m_{\nu 1} +m_{\nu 2} +m_{\nu 3} = {2/3} (-\sqrt{m_{\nu 1}}+\sqrt{m_{\nu 2}}+\sqrt{m_{\nu 3}})^2. It is discussed what neutrino Yukawa interaction form is favorable if we take the fact pointed out by Brannen seriously., Comment: 13 pages, presentation modified

Based on a universal seesaw mass matrix model with three scalars \phi_i, and by assuming an S_3 flavor symmetry for the Yukawa interactions, the lepton masses and mixings are investigated systematically. In order to understand the observed neutrino mixing, the charged leptons (e, \mu, \tau) are regarded as the 3 elements (e_1, e_2, e_3) of S_3, while the neutrino mass-eigenstates are regarded as the irreducible representation (\nu_\eta, \nu_\sigma, \nu_\pi) of S_3, where (\nu_\pi, \nu_\eta) and \nu_\sigma are a doublet and a singlet, respectively, which are composed of the 3 elements (\nu_1, \nu_2, \nu_3) of S_3., Comment: 16 pages, no figure, version to appear in EPJ-C

We propose a unified mass matrix model for quarks and leptons, in which sixteen observables of mass ratios and mixings of the quarks and neutrinos are described by using no family number-dependent parameters except for the charged lepton masses and only six family number-independent free parameters. The model is constructed by extending the so-called "Yukawaon" model to a seesaw type model with the smallest number of possible family number-independent free parameters. As a result, once the six parameters is fixed by the quark mixing and the mass ratios of quarks and neutrinos, no free parameters are left in the lepton mixing matrix. The results are in excellent agreement with the neutrino mixing data. We predict $\delta_{CP}^\ell =-68^\circ$ for the leptonic $CP$ violating phase and $\langle m\rangle\simeq 21$ meV for the effective Majorana neutrino mass., Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted version of a rapid communication i PRD

It is emphasized that a rare decay ${K}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}\ensuremath{\nu}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ becomes promising in a future search for a new particle, because the theoretical treatment is well established and the value of the branching ratio $\mathrm{Br}({K}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}\ensuremath{\nu}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}})$ is sensitive to a search for a new particle with a TeV scale mass. As an example, according to a U(3) family gauge boson model which predicts the lowest family gauge boson with a few TeV mass ${M}_{11}$, the branching ratio $\mathrm{Br}({K}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}\ensuremath{\nu}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}})$ is discussed. If we can obtain, in the future, a slightly lower value ${\mathrm{Br}}^{\text{obs}}\ensuremath{\sim}0.9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$ compared with the present observed value ${\mathrm{Br}}^{\text{obs}}=(1.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$, we can conclude ${M}_{11}\ensuremath{\sim}\text{a few}$ TeV.

It is investigated whether observations of family gauge bosons by terrestrial experiments are possible or not. We propose an extended version of Sumino's family gauge boson model based on U(3) family symmetry. Then, we can expect the lowest family gauge boson $A_1^1$ with $M \sim 4.3$ TeV., Comment: 5 pages, no figure, an invited talk at CST-MISC Joint Symp. (2014)

It is shown that the so-called "Yukawaon" model can give a unified description of masses, mixing and $CP$ violation parameters of quarks and leptons without using any hierarchical (family number-dependent) parameters besides the charged lepton masses. Here, we have introduced a phase matrix $P={\rm daig}(e^{i \phi_1}, e^{i \phi_2}, e^{i \phi_3})$ with the phase parameters $(\phi_1, \phi_2, \phi_3)$ which are described in terms of family number-independent parameters, together with using only the charged lepton mass parameters as the family number-dependent parameters. In this paper, the $CP$ violating phase parameters $\delta_{CP}^q$ and $\delta_{CP}^\ell$ in the standard expression of $V_{CKM}$ and $U_{PMNS}$ are predicted as $\delta_{CP}^q \simeq 72^\circ$ and $\delta_{CP}^\ell \simeq -76^\circ$, respectively, i.e. $\delta_{CP}^\ell \sim - \delta_{CP}^q$., Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures

In a seesaw mass matrix model M_f = m_L M_F^{-1} m_R^\dagger with a universal structure of m_L \propto m_R, as the origin of m_L (m_R) for quarks and eptons, flavor-triplet Higgs scalars whose vacuum expectation values v_i are proportional to the square roots of the charged lepton masses m_{ei}, i.e. v_i \propto \sqrt{m_{ei}}, are assumed. Then, it is investigated whether such a model can explain the observed neutrino masses and mixings (and also quark masses and mixings) or not., version accepted by EPJC

Lymphedema of the arm and hand is one of the major complications after a breast cancer resection. Conservative treatment for the treatment of lymphedema, such as compression garments and centripetal massage, is very important for these cases. However, if the lymphedema is difficult to control with conservative treatment and the patient's quality of life (QOL) is compromised due to swelling of the arms, surgical treatment should be considered. We used omental transposition to improve the status of lymphedema in the present patient whose left arm and hand had been swollen for 5 years, which thus prevented her from being able to lift her arm. After the operation, she was able to lift her left arm herself and perform tasks with her left hand, thereby obtaining a better QOL than before the operation regarding her left arm movement.

The maximal CP violation hypothesis depends on the phase convention of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. A phase convention which leads to successful prediction under the maximal CP violation hypothesis is searched, and thereby, possible structures of the quark mass matrices are speculated., 9 pages, no figure, references added

Within the framework of an SU(5) SUSY GUT model, a possible general form of the neutrino mass matrix induced by R-parity violation is investigated. The model has matter fields 5 ′ L +5′ L in addition to the ordinary matter fields 5 L +10 L and Higgs fields H u + H d . The R-parity violating terms are given by 5 L 5 L 10 L , while the Yukawa interactions are given by H d 5 ′ L 10 L . Since the matter fields 5 ′ L and 5 L are different from each other at the unification scale, the R-parity violation effects at a low energy scale appear only through the 5 ′ L ↔ 5 L mixings. In order to make this R-parity violation effect harmless for proton decay, a discrete symmetry Z3 and a triplet–doublet splitting mechanism analogous to that in the 5-plet Higgs fields are assumed.

Stanniocalcin is a glycoprotein hormone that regulates the calcium level in fish. We found that mRNA of human stanniocalcin 1 (STC-1) is detectable in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T cells and in most human leukemia cell lines, suggesting a role of STC-1 for cell proliferation. This finding prompts us to study the usefulness of STC-1 for monitoring acute leukemia. The levels of STC-1 transcripts increased in patients with acute leukemia at diagnosis and relapse, as judged by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Levels of transcripts rapidly decreased to within the cut-off levels, when the blast numbers decreased with chemotherapy. Prolonged elevation of STC-1 levels after treatment was associated with a poor prognosis. All of 7 patients relapsed 1 to 4 months after they showed an elevated level of the transcripts in clinical remission. These results indicate that STC-1 is a novel marker for minimal residual disease of acute leukemia, and for an early diagnosis of relapse.

Radiatively-induced neutrino mass matrix is investigated within the framework of an SU(5) SUSY GUT model. The model has matter fields of three families \bar{5}_{L(+)i}+5_{L(+)i} in addition to the ordinary matter fields \bar{5}_{L(-)i}+10_{L(+)i} and Higgs fields H_{(+)}+\bar{H}_{(0)}, where (+,0,-) denote the transformation properties (\omega^{+1},\omega^0,\omega^{-1}) (\omega^3=+1) under a discrete symmetry Z_3. R-parity violating terms are given by \bar{5}_{L(+)} \bar{5}_{L(+)} 10_{L(+)}, while the Yukawa interactions are given by \bar{H}_{(0)} \bar{5}_{L(-)} 10_{L(+)}, i.e. the \bar{5}-fields in both are different from each other. The Z_3 symmetry is only broken by the terms \bar{5}_{L(+)i}5_{L(+)i} softly, so that the \bar{5}_{L(+)i}\leftrightarrow \bar{5}_{L(-)i} mixings appear at \mu < M_X. Of the R-parity violating terms \bar{5}_{L(+)} \bar{5}_{L(+)} 10_{L(+)}, only the terms (e_L\nu_-\nu_Le_)e_R^c sizably appear at \mu < M_X., Comment: 10 pages, Latex, a typo was corrected

A 78-year-old Japanese female was admitted to our hospital with dysphagia and weight loss. An oesophageal tumour was demonstrated radiologically and endoscopically, and was diagnosed as oesophageal cancer by biopsy. Histologically, the resected tumour showed poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with prominent lymphoid stroma and was diagnosed as the so-called lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC). Epstein-Barr virus in the tumour was negative by polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. Oesophageal LELC is extremely rare. The cases in the literature, as well as the one reported here, presented with gross features of a submucosal tumour-like appearance. Although the differentiation of the tumour cells is often poor, prognosis seems to be better than for other types of oesophageal cancer. Oesophageal LELC has characteristic clinicopathological features and should be classified by criteria independent of other types of tumour.

We have recently proposed a quark and lepton mass matrix model based on U(3)[Formula: see text]×[Formula: see text]U(3)[Formula: see text] family symmetry as the so-called Yukawaon model, in which the U(3) symmetry is broken by VEVs of flavons [Formula: see text] which are [Formula: see text] of U(3)[Formula: see text]×[Formula: see text]U(3)[Formula: see text]. The model has successfully provided the unified description of quark and lepton masses and mixings by using the observed charged lepton masses as only family-number dependent input parameters. However, our final goal is not only to give well-satisfied fitting of quark and lepton masses and mixings, but also to investigate physics behind such a successful parameter fitting. Therefore, our next concern is scales of VEVs of the flavons because we have not paid attention to scales of flavons in the previous study. In order to give consistency among the scales, the previous flavon model is drastically changed together with economizing number of the flavons, but with keeping previous phenomenological success. We estimate that VEVs of flavons with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are of the orders of 10 TeV, 104 TeV and 107 TeV, respectively.

In the so-called "Yukawaon" model, the (effective) Yukawa coupling constants $Y_f^{eff}$ are given by vacuum expectation values (VEVs) of scalars $Y_f$ (Yukawaons) with $3\times 3$ components. In this brief report, we change VEV forms $$ in the previous paper into a unified form. Therefore, parameter fitting for quark and lepton masses and mixings is revised. Especially, we obtain predicted values of neutrino mixing $\sin^2 2\theta_{13}$ and a leptonic $CP$ violating phase $\delta_{CP}^\ell$ which are consistent with the observed curve in the $(\sin^2 2\theta_{13}, \delta_{CP}^\ell)$ reported by T2K group recently., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures. Accepted version by PRD. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1405.0069

In the so-called ``yukawaon" model, the (effective) Yukawa coupling constants $Y_f^{eff}$ are given by vacuum expectation values (VEVs) of scalars $Y_f$ (yukawaons) with $3\times 3$ components. In the present model, all of the VEV matrices $\langle Y_f \rangle$ are given by a bilinear form of VEVs of flavons $\Phi_f$, $\langle Y_f \rangle_i^{\ j} = k_f \langle \Phi_f\rangle_{ik} \langle \bar{\Phi}_f\rangle^{kj}$, where $\Phi_f$ is assigned to ${\bf 6}$ of U(3) family symmetry. As input parameters with family-number dependent values, we use only charged lepton mass values. Under this formulation, we can give reasonable values of quark and lepton masses and their mixings. A $CP$ violating phase $\delta_{CP}^\ell=26^\circ$ in the lepton sector is predicted. The effective Majorana neutrino mass is also predicted., Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, Accepted for publication in PRD

When we try to consider family gauge bosons with a lower energy scale, a major obstacle is constraints from the observed $P^0$-$\bar{P}^0$ mixings ($P^0=K^0, D^0, B^0,B^0_s$). Against such a conventional view, we point out that, in a U(3) family gauge boson model, the bosons are harmless to any $P^0$-$\bar{P}^0$ mixings independently of explicit values of the family mixings, if masses $M_{ij}$ of the gauge bosons $A_i^{\ j}$ ($i,j$ are family indexes) satisfy a relation $2/M_{ij}^2=1/M_{ii}^2 +1/M_{jj}^2$. If such the case can be realized together with an inverted mass hierarchy $M_{33}^2 \ll M_{22}^2 \ll M_{11}^2$, we can consider family gauge bosons with a considerably lower scale, so that we can expect rich signs for family gauge bosons in a TeV scale., 12 pages, no fugure, Accepted version by IJMPA

Background: The p53 gene alteration is identified in approximately half of all human tumors, and is now thought to be a key gene for regulating the cell cycle through the induction of p21WAF1/CIP1 and inducing apoptosis through some genes such as BAX. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of p53 mutation for postoperative esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. Methods: The subjects studied were 42 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent esophagectomy with complete curability in our department. The cases were limited to stage II and III. DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissues. A p53 gene mutation was detected by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism and subsequent direct sequencing method for exons 5 to 9. The 5-year survival rate was calculated and statistically compared between the p53 mutation(+) and (−) groups by the log rank test. Results: The p53 gene mutation was identified in 14 cases (33.3%). The 5-year survival rate of the p53 mutation(−) group (n = 28) was significantly higher than the (+) group (n = 14; 51.0% versus 35.7%, P

胸部食道癌に対する3領域リンパ節郭清 (3-Field) の適応と限界について検討した. 対象はEMRを含む446例で, Ut 61, Mt 268, Lt 117である. 深達度pEP, LPMはリンパ節転移, 再発ともなくEMRまたはBluntの適応と考えられた.pMM～SMのUtの腹部, Ltの頸部リンパ節転移と再発は極めて稀であり郭清を省略できると考えられた. Adj, 根治度C, 3領域リンパ節転移, 転移個数5個以上の症例を予後不良群 (F群), それ以外をA群としたところ, F群は90%以上の再発率で3年無再発生存例は3-Fieldで2例, 2-Fieldにはなかった. A群では3-Field, 2-Fieldとも再発率は約30%, 3年無再発生存率は40～50%であった. 3-Fieldが2-Fieldに比べて有意な予後の向上がみられたのは, A群のpMP～AdとUt, MtのpSM～Adであった. 3-Field単独ではF群に3年無再発生存例はなかったが, 後療法追加例で予後の延長がみられ, F群には放射線化学療法を積極的に加える必要があると考えられた.

Neutrino masses and mixings are investigated on the basis of a universal seesaw mass matrix model, in which quark (except for top) and charged lepton mass matrices M_f and neutrino mass matrix M_\nu are given by M_f \simeq m_L M_F^{-1} m_R and M_\nu \simeq m_L M_F^{-1} m_L^T (F=N), respectively. For a simple model which can successfully describe quark masses and mixings, we find that the observed neutrino data (except for the solar neutrino data) are favor to the intermediate mass scales O(m_R) = 10^{11} GeV and O(M_F)= 10^{13} GeV together with O(m_L)= 10^2 GeV. In spite of the largesse of O(m_R), the observed top quark mass can be consistently understood from the would-be seesaw mass matrix with these mass scales., Comment: 19 pages (Latex file)

A 46-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital for treatment of an esophageal stricture. Esophageal cancer was suspected after detailed investigations, and a right transthoracic esophagectomy was performed. The resected specimen showed only nonspecific esophagitis with severe fibrous thickening in the submucosa, but no evidence of malignancy. Between 1906 and 1993, only 19 similar cases of benign esophageal strictures with fibrous thickening, excluding congenital and iatrogenic strictures, have been reported in Japan. These lesions occurred in the middle to lower third of the esophagus in 15 of 19 cases (78.9%), and 8 of the 19 patients (42.1%) were aged between 30 and 50 years. The interval between onset and hospital admission was short, being less than 1 year in 8 of the 12 patients for whom this information was available. Our patient demonstrated a disorder resembling the diffuse severe esophagitis described by Roth in 1974.

Stimulated by recent development of the calculation methods of the running quark masses $m_q(\mu)$ and renewal of the input data, for the purpose of making a standard table of $m_q(\mu)$ for convenience of particle physicists, the values of $m_q(\mu)$ at various energy scales $\mu$ ($\mu = 1$ GeV, $\mu = m_c$, $\mu=m_b$, $\mu=m_t$ and so on), especially at $\mu = m_Z$, are systematically evaluated by using the mass renormalization equations and by taking into consideration a matching condition at the quark threshold., Comment: 32 pages, RevTeX, 7 figures, epsf.sty. Minor corrections, added references, figures and results unchanged

Stanniocalcin (STC) is a glycoprotein hormone that was first identified in fish, where it regulates the calcium level in the body fluid. The cDNA which encodes human STC has recently been reported but the function has not been completely elucidated. We have prepared a monoclonal antibody against human STC using an analogous peptide of the putative antigenic domain in human STC; it was conjugated with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). The monoclonal antibody specifically stained the distal convoluted tubules in human kidney which is a putative target organ of STC. The ELISA was established using the monoclonal antibody and recombinant human STC as a standard antigen. The monoclonal antibody prepared in this study provides a useful tool for clinical studies of STC in human.

The p53 gene has been shown to be commonlymutated in various human cancers, and mutant p53 can actas a dominant oncogene. The intact p53 protein is alsoknown to induce the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 and is implicated incell cycle arrest. We investigated p53 gene alterationsin gastric adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cellcarcinoma to elucidate the association of the nuclearaccumulation of the p53 protein and/orp21WAF1/CIP1 protein. Abnormalities of thetumor suppressor gene p53 protein and the expression ofp21WAF1/CIP1 protein were analyzed byimmunohistochemical techniques in 32 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma and 15 cases ofesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Twenty cases ofgastric cancer and five cases of esophageal cancer werealso analyzed for p53 gene mutation by polymerase chain reaction and direct nucleotide sequencing.Overexpression of p53 protein was found in 13/32 (41%)of gastric cancers and 5/15 (33%) of esophageal cancers.We found immunodetectable p53 in 10/14 cases with mutations and in none of 11 cases withoutmutations in gastric and esophageal cancers. Hence,immunohistochemical and genetic analyses gave concordantresults in 84% of 25 cases, revealing a good correlation between immunostaining of p53 and missensemutation of the p53 gene. p53 immunostaining was notobserved in cases with frameshift or splicing mutation.The expression of p21WAF1/CIP1 protein wasfound in 9/32 (29%) of gastric cancers and 4/15 (27%) ofesophageal cancers and in 2/14 (14%) cases withalteration of the p53 gene and in 5/11 (45%) without.These results suggest that abnormalities of p53 may be closely associated with the pathogenesisof gastric adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cellcarcinoma and that the immunoreactivity of p53 proteinis a general indicator of the tumors with altered p53 function. The expression ofp21WAF1/CIP1 protein was suppressed in theneoplastic tissues with and without p53 genealteration.

It is pointed out that in a seesaw quark mass matrix model which yields a singular enhancement of the top-quark mass, the right-handed fermion-mixing matrix U_R^u for the up-quark sector has a peculiar structure in contrast to the left-handed one U_L^u. As an example of the explicit structures of U_L^u and U_R^u, a case in which the heavy fermion mass matrix M_F is given by a form [(unit matrix)+(rank-one matrix)] is investigated. As a consequence, one finds observable signatures at projected high energy accelerators like the production of a fourth heavy quark family., Comment: 17 pages (Latex)

Background/Aims: The integration of HBV DNA is thought to be involved in the initial stage of hepatocarcinogenesis, and it has been reported that transactivating factors encoded by the X and preS2/S genes stimulate transcription of multiple viral and cellular genes. We assessed the possible contributions of hepatitis B virus integration to the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C virus-infected as well as in hepatitis B virus-infected patients by identifying the integrated HBV DNA sequence, and the X and preS2/S regions were further investigated in HBV DNA-integrated cases. Methods: Southern blot hybridization for detecting HBV DNA in tumor tissues from 28 hepatocellular carcinoma patients was carried out with full-length HBV DNA, and then with X and preS2/S regions as probes. We also carried out reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for detecting HCV RNA to confirm hepatitis C virus-infection in liver tissues. Results: Clonally integrated HBV DNA sequences were demonstrated in 16 of 28 patients (57.1%), including five HBsAg seropositive and 11 HBsAg sero-negative patients. Of these 11 HBsAg seronegative patients, 10 were also positive for anti-HCV in their sera, and all nine examined cases had HCV RNA in liver. Furthermore, the X region was identified in 14 of 16 HBV DNA integrated cases (87.5%), and the preS2/S region in 616 (37.5%). Conclusions: The present Southern blot analysis demonstrates that clonally integrated HBV DNA sequences were identified even in hepatitis C virus-infected hepatocellular carcinoma patients at a high rate (1018, 55.6%), and suggests that integrated hepatitis B virus, whose major component is the X gene, may play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis in hepatitis B virus-integrated cases with and without hepatitis C virus infection.

On the basis of a seesaw-type mass matrix model $M_f\simeq m_L M_F^{-1} m_R$ for quarks and leptons $f$, analytical expressions of the masses and mixings of the fermions $f$ are investigated. Here, the matrices $m_L$ and $m_R$ are common to all $f$ (up- and down-; quarks and leptons), and the matrix $M_F$ characterizing the heavy fermion sector has the form [(unit matrix)+ (democratic-type matrix)]. An application to the quark sectors is discussed., Comment: 27 pages, Latex, three PostScript figures