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Biomedical subjects

M Shimura

Publications and source records attributed to M Shimura.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Molecular cloning of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase of the rat pyruvate dehydrogenase complex: sequence comparison and evolutionary relationship to other dihydrolipoamide acyltransferases.

A complementary DNA (cDNA) clone of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2) of the rat pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) was isolated from a lambda gt11 rat heart cDNA library. The amino acid sequence of a full mature protein of rat PDC-E2 was predicted by combination of the cDNA nucleotide sequence and the N-terminal amino acid sequence determined chemically. The amino acid sequence of rat PDC-E2 was well consistent with those of the E2 components of other alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complexes. These E2 components possess the sequence G-X-G-X-X-G, which is the consensus sequence for nucleotide binding sites of nucleotide binding proteins, in the E3 and/or E1 binding domains. The E2 components of the three alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complexes are suggested to be classified into three clusters separated during evolution.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1992

Spontaneous orbital hemorrhage in adult females. A report of three cases.

Three cases of spontaneous orbital hemorrhages in 3 adult females are reported. All of the patients had acute radiating pain in the orbit, vomiting and proptosis with a limitation of motility and ecchymosis of the eyelids. One was due to a large orbital varix with a preceding history of intermittent exophthalmos; the causes of the other cases could not be determined from their backgrounds. Within a few weeks, all of them had recovered from hematoma and had good prognoses without surgery. Orbital venous bleeding with 40 mm Hg pressure will cause more than 500 g tension on the four rectus muscles. To treat this clinical emergency, hemostasis with compression in the early phase and waiting for its spontaneous absorption are recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[The "addiction trends" seen among the wives of alcoholics].

It has been noticed that wives of alcoholics tend to show an unhealthy relation to their husbands characterized by "addiction," which might hamper the recovery of their husbands from alcohol dependence. Generally speaking, the addiction differs from person to person in its strength and its behavioral expression. The present authors thought that it might be helpful for both wives and therapists if the approximate picture of addiction could be grasped by means of a standardized form of questionnaire. The questionnaire, ASTWA, which consists of 24 questions, was designed to make clear the wives' character trends and their addictions. As for the character traits, the obsessive-compulsive tendency and the tendency to low self-esteem were estimated by four questions each. The two types of addiction, "control" patterns and "caring" trends, were tested. The former was checked in two directions, namely "dominating" tendency and "involved" tendency, with four questions each. The caring trends were estimated by eight questions. A total of 162 wives were asked to rate their answers to the 24 questions as 1, 2, or 3, which stand for none, occasionally, or frequently. The test was carried out at various stages of sobriety. A total of 78 married employees of the Mie prefectural government were tested as control. Those whose added score exceeded 39 points were rated to have a tendency to "addiction." More detailed assessments were done in terms of the character traits and the addictions. The wives who scored more than 14 points in the character traits category were considered to have an affinity toward "addiction." The two types of addiction, i.e., "relation addiction," and "care addiction," were clearly demonstrated in this test. It was noticed that in many cases the scores decreased favorably in parallel with the prolonged term of abstinence of their husbands.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1991

Effects of parathyroid hormone-related protein on systemic and regional hemodynamics in conscious rats. A comparison with human parathyroid hormone.

PTHrp was discovered as a humoral hypercalcemic factor of malignancy and has been shown to bind the same receptor as PTH in rat bone cells, canine renal membranes, and rabbit renal microvessels. We investigated the global effect of human PTH(hPTH) and PTHrp on systemic and regional hemodynamics in conscious rats. The hypotensive response to PTHrp was more potent than that to hPTH. Although hPTH (15 micrograms/kg/min, i.v.) caused a significant increase in cardiac output, whereas PTHrp (5 micrograms/kg/min, i.v.) caused no change in cardiac output despite a similar hypotensive effect to hPTH, the effects of PTHrp and hPTHrp on regional hemodynamics were quite similar, and both peptides had a prominent vasodilatory effect on the coronary and hepatic arteries. Therefore, PTHrp appears to have an important role in blood pressure and regional hemodynamics as does hPTH.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Syncytial variant of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease expressing T-cell antigens].

A case of syncytial variant of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease in a 34-year-old woman is reported. Histologically, numerous Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells and their variants were seen in sheets. They were positive for CD30, CD15, CD25, and HLA-DR antigens. In addition, they expressed CD45 antigen and T-cell antigens (CD2, CD4). Molecular genetic analysis showed that this case had a germ line configuration for T-cell receptor (TCR) beta chain, TCR gamma chain, and immunoglobulin heavy chain genes. The percentage of the neoplastic cells in the specimen identified by CD30 positive cells was about 20% which was far above sensitivity of the molecular genetic analysis. Such analysis is reliable as to judgement of the results. Thus, these findings suggest that the RS cells and their variants in the present case are not derived from mature T cell in spite of their T-cell antigens expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Presurgical evaluation for dental implants using a reformatting program of computed tomography: maxilla/mandible shape pattern analysis (MSPA).

A new analysis technique that provides a shape pattern of the maxilla or mandible is described. This technique uses a software program of computed tomography multiplanar reformation (CT/MPR). The successive cross-sectional images obtained by the CT/MPR are numbered, and the height and width of the maxilla and mandible at each of these cross-sectional images at specified levels are measured. The measured height and width are plotted against the number of the cross-section. This technique, termed maxilla/mandible shape pattern analysis (MSPA), creates an easy profile of the shape of the maxilla and mandible, and it enhances treatment planning for the placement of dental implants.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Effects of "wettability" of biomaterials on culture cells.

New objectives of the development of biomaterials in recent years include how to control surface characteristics of materials and the attachment of cells to implant sites. This study clarified the effect of "wettability" of materials on culture cells, with wettability being expressed by the contact angle of the material to the water. First, low-temperature plasma treatment was administered so that samples of the same materials and shapes could be obtained, differing only in wettability. The contact angles at the surfaces of the samples and their surface roughness were then measured, and surfaces were analyzed by ESCA. For clarification of the biological response of the cell to wettability, attachment of connective tissues and epithelial-tissue-originated established cell lines to the material and its cell spreading were investigated in each test sample. As a result, it was found that the contact angle of each material used in the experiment affected both the cell attachment and spreading rates; thus, wettability of biomaterials is considered to be an important parameter of biological effect at the cell level.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Correlation between month of menarche and month of birth.

The month of menarche and month of birth were studied in 47,218 women who were born during a period of 90 years between 1881 and 1970. Among those born prior to 1960, there was a tendency for menarche to occur more frequently at the month of birth. This coincidence was not, however, found among those born after 1960.

Delivery, Obstetric↗
PubMed1984

Directional preponderance of optokinetic nystagmus. Study of 30 cases of unilateral cerebral lesions.

Analysis of the optokinetic nystagmus has been one of the most important means to examine the function of the vestibulo-oculomotor system. Especially in Japan, it has been used as a mean to analyze the function of the brain stem. We investigated directional preponderance of the optokinetic nystagmus in supratentorial lesions especially unilateral lesions, in the cerebral hemisphere which had been nearly neglected as an object for investigation of the vestibular system. We examined 30 cases of unilateral lesion in the cerebral hemisphere. In all cases CT-scan confirmed that these lesions have no mass effect which might affect the function of the surrounding brain. It was also confirmed that these cases had no spontaneous nystagmus. These cases consisted of 11 cerebral infarctions, 9 cerebral thrombosis, 6 cerebral hemorrhages and 4 cerebral contusions. In the result, 27 cases showed directional preponderance of the optokinetic nystagmus to the ipsilateral side, while there was none to the contralateral side. Three cases showed no directional preponderance. Some cases showed marked inhibition of optokinetic nystagmus of the contralateral side. These markedly inhibited cases are very similar to cases of pontine lesion which usually manifest marked inhibition of the optokinetic nystagmus to the ipsilateral side.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Twinning rate by month of mother's birth in Japan.

Records of two hospitals and of an association of mothers of twins were analysed for the years 1924-1980, finding a total of 656,109 and 1185 twin births, respectively. Twinning rates were higher in summer or fall, in general, but these seasonal variations occasionally changed within a short period of years, as in 1973-75 in the Association group. The twinning rate was also affected by the month of mother's birth. It was low among the mothers born around May-July in maternities up to 1960, and these mothers did not show seasonal variation of twin births. The unlike-sexed twinning rate of the mothers born in May-July was also lower than that of the other mothers, and constantly low even at higher maternal ages. A possible explanation for these phenomena is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Left ventricular function in patients with diabetes mellitus.

The left ventricular function was assessed in 70 diabetics under 60 years of age without clinically evident heart disease using established non-invasive methods, these include systolic time interval method and echocardiography. The ratio of pre-ejection period to left ventricular ejection time (PEP/ET) was remarkably elevated in diabetics with severe microangiopathy (0.431 +/- 0.037). Even in diabetics without microangiopathy PEP/ET ratio was significantly higher (0.374 +/- 0.037) compared with that in controls (0.331 +/- 0.023, P less than 0.01). Most of diabetics with a PEP/ET value of higher than 0.40 were not under proper care with regard to diabetic control. A tendency toward normalization of PEP/ET values was often observed with the improvement in diabetic control during six to twelve months among the inadequately controlled diabetics. Isovolumic relaxation time in diabetics was longer than in controls (80 +/- 14 msec, 59 +/- 11 msec, P less than 0.005). Our results suggest that abnormalities of left ventricular function in diabetics may be related to not only severity of microangiopathy but also the state of diabetic control. The maintenance of adequate control of diabetes seems to play an important role in the prevention of congestive heart failure in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

A study of the sex ratio of first-born according to the mother's month of birth.

The male-to-female sex ratio at birth of the first-born babies delivered in Japan to mothers aged 25 years or less was investigated in two groups: a hospital group and a questionnaire group. The sex ratio fluctuated according to their mother's month of birth. Between 1924 and 1928, the sex ratio of the offspring of the mothers born in March-May in both groups was significantly higher than that of the other mothers. We speculate about the relationship between the sex ratio at birth and the mother's month of birth.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A study of long-term observations in borderline hypertension.

To identify the risk factors of borderline hypertension in the development of established hypertension, the relationship between the changes in blood pressure over 10 years and the clinical features in the initial year was investigated in a Japanese urban population. The occurrence of cardiovascular complications in cases with borderline hypertension were also studied. The prevalence of borderline hypertension in the initial year was 18.2%. On the basis of the blood pressure changes over 10 years, these subjects could be classified into the following 5 groups: (I) those with developing established hypertension, 19.0%; (II) those with fluctuating between hypertension and borderline hypertension, 27.4%; (III) those with remaining with borderline hypertension, 19.6%; (IV) those with fluctuating between borderline hypertension and normotension, 22.9%; (V) those with improving to normotension, 11.2%. The later development of established hypertension was found in only 2.4% of normotensives in the initial year. Obesity and glucose intolerance were more frequently observed in group I (38.2% and 29.4%, respectively) than in the other groups. Diastolic blood pressures in the initial year were significantly higher in groups I and II than in III, IV and V. As for the occurrence of cardiovascular complications during the observation period, electrocardiographic abnormalities and hypertensive and/or arteriosclerotic retinopathy were not infrequently observed even in borderline hypertensives. Therefore, in subjects with borderline hypertension, continuous medical management, including correction of obesity as well as glucose intolerance, is necessary to prevent the development of established hypertension and subsequent cardiovascular complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

The relation between seasonal birth variation and the season of the mother's birth.

Seasonal birth variation was investigated in relation to the season of the mother's birth by examining: (1) 21,517 case records of a maternity hospital in Tokyo, Japan, for the period between 1925 and 1960 and (2) 2,348 questionnaires on mothers and their offsprings. In general, the birth rate was the lowest in the May--July season but mothers born in May--July of 1896 through 1915 and February--April of 1916 through 1935 had their births more evenly distributed throughout the year. The less season-sensitive mothers were more fertile than the others. The existence of some epidemic and immunogenic "seasonal infertile factors" is put forward as an explanation for these phenomena.

Birth Rate↗