Rapid sequence induction for penetrating head injury from a chopstick in a paediatric patient.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Saitoh.
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To determine whether methylation of the hMLH1 promoter is related to increasing age and gastric carcinogenesis, we examined hMLH1 methylation and expression in 100 gastric cancers. hMLH1 methylation and aberrant protein expression were observed in 9 and 13 cancers, respectively. Normal and intestinal metaplastic tissues adjacent to cancers with hypermethylation did not exhibit any hMLH1 methylation, indicating that it may be specific to gastric cancers. The frequency of hMLH1 methylation significantly increased with age. These results suggest that hMLH1 methylation plays an important role in gastric carcinogenesis in old people.
Effects of pH and co-solvents on the bio-mimetic artificial membrane permeation assay were investigated to determine the optimal conditions for the prediction of oral absorption. The permeability (P(am)) of 33 structurally diverse drugs to the PC/PE/PS/PI/CHO/1,7-octadiene membrane system (bio-mimetic lipid (BML) membrane) was measured at pH 5.5, 6.5, and 7.4. The pH dependence of P(am) was in accordance with the pH partition theory. The better prediction of oral absorption (fraction of a dose absorbed) was shown under the pH 5.5 condition (r=0.866, n=25) and/or pH 6.5 (r=0.865, n=28), rather than pH 7.4 (r=0.767, n=24). Then, the appropriate conditions for determining the permeability of poorly soluble compounds were examined. Dimethysulfoxide (DMSO), ethanol (EtOH) and polyoxyethyleneglycol 400 (PEG 400) were added up to 30% to the transport medium as solubilizers. DMSO, EtOH and PEG 400 decreased P(am) of hydrocortisone and propranolol. For example, DMSO (30%) decreased P(am) of hydrocortisone by 60% and by 70% in the case of propranolol. DMSO and PEG 400 also decreased P(am) of ketoprofen. In contrast, EtOH produced an opposite effect on permeability, i.e. an increased P(am) of ketoprofen. Therefore, the high concentration of these co-solvents could lead to the under- or overestimation of drug permeability.
The von Hippel-Lindau tumor-suppressor protein (pVHL) forms a protein complex (VCB-Cul2) with elongin C, elongin B, Cul-2, and Rbx1, which functions as a ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3). The alpha-subunits of the hypoxia-inducible factors have been identified as targets for the VCB-Cul2 ubiquitin ligase. However, a variety of cellular defects caused by the depletion of pVHL cannot be explained solely by the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha. We show here that a member of the atypical protein kinase C (PKC) group, PKClambda, is ubiquitinated by the pVHL-containing E3 enzyme. An active PKClambda mutant is ubiquitinated more extensively than wild-type PKClambda in HEK293 cells, and the ubiquitination is further enhanced by the overexpression of pVHL. The activation of wild-type PKClambda by serum stimulation of cells enhances the ubiquitination of the protein, supporting the notion that active PKClambda is preferentially ubiquitinated by VCB-Cul2 ubiquitin ligase. Furthermore, we show that PKClambda can be ubiquitinated in vitro in a cell-free ubiquitination assay using purified recombinant components including VCB-Cul2. Given the known function of aPKC in the regulation of cell polarity and cell growth, PKClambda may be a target of pVHL in its function as a tumor suppressor.
23 sets of space groups remain indistinguishable by the convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) method. Recently, Tsuda, Saitoh, Terauchi, Tanaka & Goodman [Acta Cryst. (2000), A56, 359-369] demonstrated that the coherent CBED method can distinguish two space-group pairs (I23, I2(1)3) and (I222, I2(1)2(1)2(1)) by observing the relative arrangements of 2-fold-rotation and 2(1)-screw axes. The other ten space-group sets, which are composed of principal rotation and screw axes and other 2-fold-rotation axes such as P321 and P3(1)21 (P3(2)21), are shown to be distinguishable using the coherent CBED method.
A morphological review system of the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group has developed from the AML-87 through the AML-92 experience. We reviewed 1427 (90%) of 1592 cases enrolled in the AML-87, -89, or -92 protocols for morphology; 1408 (88%) were eligible. The rate of diagnostic concordance between each institute and the Committee on Morphological Diagnosis ranged from 76% to 80%. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) subtypes were as follows: AML M0, 27 (2%); M1, 179 (13%); M2, 472 (34%); M3, 358 (25%); M4, 265 (19%); M5, 57 (4%); M6, 39 (3%); and M7, 11 (1%). The reason for the high number of patients with AML M3 is that many M3 patients were enrolled in the AML-92 protocol, which contained all-trans-retinoic acid. AML M0, M6 and M7 belonged to the poor prognostic groups. Auer bodies were found in 284 (53%) of 538 patients who survived significantly longer than those without Auer bodies in AML-87/-89. In AML-92 except for AML M3, 259 (43%) of 602 cases were Auer+ and also showed better survival rates. The survival of patients with >50% myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive blast cells was better than those with < or =50% MPO+ blast cells in AML-87/-89. This trend was also seen in AML-92 excluding M3. AML with trilineage dysplasia (AML/TLD) is characterized as a subtype of de novo AML that shows morphological dysplasia of mature hematopoietic cells on a background of leukemic blast cells The number of patients with AML/TLD was 89 (16.5%) of 545 patients reviewed in AML-87/-89. AML-92, except for M3, showed a higher rate of patients with TLD (161 cases; 27.6%) because there were no patients with TLD in the AML M3 group. Survival rates for AML/TLD were worse than those for AML/non-TLD in both the AML-87/-89 and -92 protocols. Eighty percent of all cases (793/986) entered in AML-92 were analyzed cytogenetically. Fifty-one cases were not available for karyotyping because of a lack of mitoses or inappropriate preparations. The most frequent karyotype was normal, which accounted for 34.2%. The t(15;17), t(8;21), and inv(16) karyotypes, which are regarded as good risk factors, were 23.8%, 9.2%, and 1.6%, respectively. Abnormal chromosomes 5, 7, t(9;22), and t(6;9) were considered to be poor or intermediate risk factors As a new system of karyotyping begins in the ongoing AML protocol, useful chromosomal data will be obtained in the near future.
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Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DFs) formation by the thermal reactions of phenols with CuCl2 under oxygen flux were carried out in relation to their formation mechanisms. To evaluate the effect of photocatalytic degradation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film prepared by the sol-gel method, the photocatalysis of PCDD/DFs in acetonitrile/water solution by batch-recycle system was conducted. For the thermal reaction system of powder mixtures of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP) and CuCl2, the formation rates were 8.1 microg/g-2,4,5-TCP/min for total PCDD/DFs and 6.9 microg/g-2,4,5-TCP/min for PCDDs, and total PCDD/DF rate was higher by approximately 40 fold compared to phenol vapor/oxygen/CuCl2 powder system. For the system of 2,4,5-TCP, PCDDs were mainly formed via ortho-phenoxyphenols (POP) intermediate by the condensation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenate. For PCDD/DF photocatalytic degradations, most PCDD congeners photodecomposed rapidly and the rates presented more than 70% (as dechlorination rates of 76% for PCDDs) at 24 h after irradiation, using PCDD/DFs formed with 2,4,5-TCP. The rate constants were in the order of 4.8-6.1 x 10(-3) min(-1), assuming the pseudo-first-order reactions for their low levels.
Fibrous dysplasia and osteofibrous dysplasia are both benign fibro-osseous lesions of the bone. We retrospectively studied the clinicopathological findings in 90 cases of fibrous dysplasia and 17 cases of osteofibrous dysplasia. In these cases, the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the presence of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR), as well as DNA ploidy, were examined. The bones affected by fibrous dysplasia were the maxilla, femur and frontal bone. Osteofibrous dysplasia occurred exclusively in the tibia or fibula. The average age of patients with fibrous dysplasia (24.0 years) was higher than that of patients with osteofibrous dysplasia (12.9 years). Fibrous dysplasias were divided into four major histological subtypes: Pagetoid, Chinese alphabet, small bone and parallel bone. Bone lining cells, which are known as resting osteoblasts, were seen in some cases of fibrous dysplasia. Cartilage differentiation was not seen in osteofibrous dysplasia. PCNA expression was strongly positive in the nuclei of osteoblasts around the bone trabeculae in osteofibrous dysplasia, but negative in the nuclei of bone lining cells around the bone trabeculae in fibrous dysplasia. The number of AgNOR in osteofibrous dysplasia was slightly higher than that in fibrous dysplasia. Both fibrous dysplasia and osteofibrous dysplasia were diploid. These features suggest that fibrous dysplasia can be differentiated from osteofibrous dysplasia by anatomical site, patient age, histological appearance, cartilage differentiation and PCNA positivity. DNA content by image cytometry is not a useful tool for differentiating these two diseases.
A water-quenched Al73Ni22Fe5 decagonal quasicrystal was investigated by the selected-area electron diffraction, convergent-beam electron diffraction and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscope methods. The alloy shows very sharp spots and nearly no diffuse scattering in the diffraction patterns, belongs to centrosymmetric space group P10(5)/mmc and is constructed almost by one type of 2 nm diameter atom cluster having mirror symmetry with a highly quasicrystalline order arrangement. Although a small number of 2 nm atom clusters having five-fold symmetry exists, which are similar to those observed in melt-quenched Al70Ni15Fe15, the structure of Al73Ni22Fe5 is considered to basically be the same as that of water-quenched Al72Ni20Co8, which is constructed only by mirror symmetry clusters arranged with a very high quasiperiodicity. The number of valence electrons per atom (e/a) of the present alloy (1.92) is very close to that of Al72Ni20Co8 (1.90), but differs from those of phases constructed by only the five-fold symmetry clusters. This implies that these alloys are Hume-Rothery electron compounds, whose structures are determined primarily by e/a value.
Si nanocrystals grown on cubic SiC have been characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. At lower temperatures nanocrystals grow in two different orientations, whereas at higher temperatures they grow in a single preferred orientation. The nanocrystals are shown to be unstrained; in some cases possibly due to the presence of a thin amorphous wetting layer.
It is well known that the cytoplasmic streaming of characean cells is readily inhibited by Ca(2+). However, neither the actin-activated MgATPase nor the in vitro motile activity of purified characean myosin were inhibited by Ca(2+). Recently, amino acid sequence of characean myosin was determined in our laboratory and the sequence revealed that characean myosin contains six calmodulin binding sites in the neck region. We also detected calmodulin in quickly prepared characean myosin fraction. It is, therefore, possible that the insensitivity of characean myosin to Ca(2+) is due to the dissociation of some calmodulin molecules from the neck region during the course of protein purification. To determine strictly the Ca(2+) sensitivity of characean myosin, we intentionally used crude preparation of characean myosin to reduce the possibility of calmodulin dissociation and examined the motile activity of characean myosin in vitro in the presence of excess characean calmodulin. We could not observe any drastic inhibition of characean myosin activity by Ca(2+). The results suggest that the brief cessation of cytoplasmic streaming is not caused by the direct inhibition of myosin activity by Ca(2+).
We examined the ionic mechanisms underlying burst firing in layer III neurons from cat sensorimotor cortex by intracellular recording in a brain slice. Regular spiking was observed in 77.4% of 137 neurons in response to constant intracellular current pulses of 0.5- to 1-s duration. The rest of the neurons showed burst firing. An initial burst followed by regular-spike firing was seen in 71.0% of 31 bursting neurons. The rest of the bursting neurons (n = 9) exhibited repetitive bursting. In the bursting neurons, spikes comprising the burst were triggered from the afterdepolarization (ADP) of the first spike of the burst. We examined the ionic mechanisms underlying the ADP by applying channel-blocking agents. The ADP was enhanced (rather than blocked) by Ca2+ channel blockade. This enhancement of the ADP by Ca2+ channel blockade was apparent even after blockade of the afterhyperpolarization by apamin or intracellular Ca2+ chelation by EGTA. The firing rate of the regular-spiking cells was increased by apamin, intracellular EGTA or Ca2+ channel blockers. In 17.9% of the neurons examined (n = 56), these agents switched the regular-spiking pattern into a bursting one. Burst firing could not be changed to regular spiking by these agents. Four neurons that responded with a single initial burst in control solution responded with repetitive bursting after application of these agents. We conclude that the main function of Ca2+ influx in layer III neurons is to activate Ca2+-dependent K+ conductance, which prevents or limits burst firing. At a time when spike amplitude was unchanged, the ADP was blocked and the burst firing changed to regular spiking by extracellularly applied tetrodotoxin (TTX) or intracellularly applied N-(2,6-dimethylphenylcarbamoylmethyl) triethyl ammonium bromide (QX314). We concluded that a TTX- and QX314-sensitive Na+ current underlies the ADP and therefore contributes to the burst firing of layer III neurons from the cat cortex.
The extubation criteria of pressure support ventilation (PSV) in infants and children were not yet established. We studied the differences in respiratory parameters during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) using a constant flow type ventilator and PSV using a demand valve type ventilator. Nineteen children (1.9+/-2.9 years old) who were ready to extubate were studied. All patients had recovered from their respiratory failure and had finished the weaning process of the ventilatory support. They were scheduled for extubation on the next day when their ventilatory mode had attained to a PSV of 3 cmH2O with a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 3 cmH2O. On the extubation day, tidal volume (TV) and respiratory frequency (RR) were measured with a respiratory monitor at two modes (CPAP of 3 cmH2O and PSV), and the duty ratio (DR) and mean inspiratory flow (MF) were calculated. The sequence of the ventilatory mode was random. No case required reintubation. TV was 61.6+/-54.9 during CPAP and 67.7+/-61.4 ml during PSV, and RR was 38.5+/-10.6 and 37.1+/-8.8 beats/min., respectively. DR was 0.382+/-0.067 and 0.359+/-0.085, and MF was 96.6+/-78.3 and 101.0+/-69.0 ml/sec., respectively. The measured parameters and calculated values showed no significant difference between CPAP and PSV. It was found that the respiratory parameters were almost the same with CPAP and PSV immediately before the extubation, and the previous extubation criteria of CPAP can be used.
Respiratory care patients frequently require intubation with an endotracheal tube (ETT). Unfortunately, the ETT introduces a pressure drop (deltaPETT) that depends on the respiratory flow rate, thus increasing the work of breathing (WOB). Pressure support ventilation (PSV) cannot adequately compensate for this added WOB, because the degree of inspiratory assistance by PSV is fixed. Therefore, a technique called tube compensation (TC) has been developed to address deltaPETT. We examined the performance of TC and compared it with PSV of 5 cm H2O. The experimental system was constructed from a simulator, a test-lung, flow sensors, and a Bennett 840, and the respiratory parameters were studied. ETTs with IDs 6.5 and 8.0 mm were used. The quadratic approximation obtained for deltaPETT in the 6.5-mm ETT was 2.316 x flow + 7.910 x flow2, while that for the 8.0-mm ETT was 1.881 x flow + 3.353 x flow2. The maximum inspiratory flow (MIF) increased significantly with increasing TC, but tidal volume and inspiratory time did not show marked changes. The MIF for TC of 100% was larger than that for PSV of 5 cm H2O, when the 6.5-mm ID was used, but there was no significant difference between these modes when an ID of 8.0 mm was used. For both the 6.5 and 8.0-mm IDs, the PV loop corresponding to 100% TC was larger than that for PSV of 5 cm H2O. TC only compensated for the WOB caused by the ETT, whereas PSV compensated for the WOB caused by the ETT and the demand valve system. In clinical use, the differences between TC and PSV will demand attention.
In November, 1999, U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a highly sensitive CRP(hs-CRP) assay that could assist medical doctors to predict the risk of cardiovascular accidents. Many doctors are now interested in the assay and trying to elucidate the relationship between serum CRP levels and cardiovascular diseases. In the past, it was difficult to establish a valid reference interval of serum CRP because of the poor analytical sensitivity and difficulty in sampling reference individuals. We have established a reference interval of serum CRP for the hs-CRP assay(Dade Behring). The study population consisted of 7,224 individuals(21-81 years old) who received a regular medical check-up. Potentially abnormal samples were excluded, depending on the results of other laboratory tests related to serum CRP variation. The upper limit of the reference interval was 0.15 mg/dl. The serum CRP was higher in smokers than in non-smokers, especially in men.
We describe a successful anesthetic management of a morbidly obese patient, weighing 170 kg, height of 170 cm and body mass index of 58.8 kg.m-2, who received gastric bypass surgery performed using laparoscopic assist. After arriving in the operating room, an epidural catheter was inserted into the epidural space at the T 7-8 intervertebral space. The trachea was intubated nasally under bronchofiberscopic assist, after which anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with nitrous oxide and oxygen (FIO2 = 0.5), i.v. propofol, fentanyl, and epidural anesthesia. Propofol infusion rate was determined using the corrected body weight drawn by Servin et al. Anesthetic management and recovering from anesthesia were uneventful. For propofol anesthesia, infusion rates determined using the corrected body weigh, was preferable for morbidly obese patients.
We described a 15-year-old male who had Guillain-Barré syndrome(GBS). Nine days after watery diarrhea, the patient developed pain and weakness of foot muscles. On admission, the nerve conduction studies revealed peripheral neuropathy with axonal degeneration and demyelination. Campylobacter jejuni(C. jejuni) with serotype of Lior 4, Penner 2 was isolated from his stool culture. IgM anti-GM 1 antibody and other various anti-ganglioside antibodies were detected in his serum. After receiving plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, he was able to walk without assistance. In general, C. jejuni with the serotype Penner 19 has been isolated from many GBS patients. In this patient, C. jejuni with the serotype of Penner 2 was isolated. The serotype is detected commonly in Miller Fisher syndrome.