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This study reexamines cloud and precipitation variability associated with the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) over the Maritime Continent (MC), mainly using data acquired in 1998–2013 by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. Infrared data indicated uniform, moderately deep stratiform cloud cover over the MC during MJO active phases, suggesting that an apparent MJO bypass of Borneo and New Guinea, observed in the brightness temperature anomaly distribution, was an artifact of climatologically low average brightness temperatures above the islands. Although previous satellite precipitation products indicated negligible anomalies over Borneo during MJO active phases, we identified positive precipitation anomalies in precipitation radar data and other recent satellite products. We hypothesize that previous satellite precipitation data products underestimated stratiform precipitation over Borneo during MJO active phases because ice‐particle scattering was weak. This is consistent with the moderately deep stratiform cloud layer identified from infrared data. Plain Language Summary: In this study, we investigated cloud and precipitation over the Maritime Continent, the region comprising thousands of islands between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, associated with a tropical intraseasonal oscillation propagating eastward along the equator. Previous studies reported that clouds associated with this oscillation apparently bypassed Borneo and New Guinea. Our analysis showed that the climatologically averaged cloud height over Borneo and New Guinea reached higher altitudes than in the surrounding areas. Previous satellite precipitation data products did not indicate notable rainfall variations over Borneo during active phases. However, analyzing more recent data from satellite instruments, including from a precipitation radar, we identified positive precipitation anomalies. This suggests that previous satellite data products underestimated widespread weak precipitation over Borneo during the active phases of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation, probably because scattering by ice particles was weak. Key Points: Bypass of the Maritime Continent by the Madden‐Julian Oscillation seen in brightness temperature anomaly is a climatology‐induced artifactPrevious satellite precipitation products underestimated Madden‐Julian Oscillation precipitation anomalies over the Maritime ContinentThe conventional understanding of processes governing cloud and precipitation variability over the Maritime Continent must be updated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Crop Science Journal is the property of African Crop Science Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article discusses a case of a 64-year-old man who was found to have a pancreatic head mass during a follow-up for colon cancer. The mass was confirmed to be a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) through a biopsy. The tumor had invaded the main pancreatic duct and showed high-grade malignant transformation. Metastases developed in the para-aortic lymph nodes and liver one year after surgery. The article highlights the importance of careful treatment for patients with SPN suspected of having high-grade malignant transformation. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of African Crop Science Journal is the property of African Crop Science Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Crop Science Journal is the property of African Crop Science Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

SUMMARY: Root rots are one of the main biotic constraints to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production, causing losses estimated at 221 000 metric tons a year in sub-Saharan Africa. Until recently, root rots in Ugandan common bean agroecologies were mostly caused by Pythium and Fusarium spp., especially in high altitude areas. But now, severe root rots are observed in low and medium altitude agroecologies characterized by dry and warm conditions. The objective of our study was therefore to ascertain the current prevalence and incidence of common bean root rot diseases in Ugandan common bean agroecologies. Our results show that root rots were present in all seven agroecologies surveyed. Overall, the most rampant root rot was southern blight caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., followed by root rots caused by Fusarium spp., Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani , respectively. Our study clearly showed the influence of environmental conditions on the prevalence and incidence of common bean root rots. While Fusarium and Pythium root rots are favoured under low air temperature and high air humidity in highland areas, high incidence of southern blight is favoured by warm and moist conditions of lowland areas. The prevalence and incidence of common bean root rots was mapped, providing a reliable baseline for future studies. Similarly, hotspots identified for common bean root rots will be a very useful resource for evaluation of germplasm and breeding lines for resistance to root rots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that examined gas source molecular-beam epitaxy as a low-temperature silicon and silicon germanide epitaxial method. Techniques for the low-temperature silicon epitaxial method; Results of the gas source silicon germanide molecular-beam epitaxy; Details of the experimental procedure used.

Generation of hydrogen from oils with the addition of passivators such as 1, 2, 3-benzotriazole (BTA) and Irgamet® 39 for suppressing copper sulfide deposition was investigated by heating tests. Large amounts of hydrogen were generated from the oils with the addition of Irgamet® 39 compared to the oils with the addition of BTA. BTA is suitable in terms of less generation of hydrogen. For Irgamet® 39 added oils, the amounts of hydrogen increase with an increase in oxygen concentration. Irgamet® 39 was consumed by thermal decomposition and oxidation. Consumption by oxidation of Irgamet® 39 is considered to be affected to the hydrogen generation. Amounts of hydrogen increase with increase in heating temperature for a certain period of time. After conducting heating test, Irgamet® 39 was remained in oil. Total amount of hydrogen, which is defined by sum of the amount of hydrogen generated by consumed Irgamet® 39 and the amount of hydrogen generated by residual Irgamet® 39, are considered to be independent of heating temperature. Effects of additives such as dibenzyl disulfide, which is one of the prime compounds that cause the copper sulfide deposition, and 2, 6 ditertiary-butyl paracresol as antioxidant on hydrogen generation were significant. Consequently, in case of adding Irgamet® 39 for the purpose of suppressing copper sulfide deposition, installation of a conservator system and rubber bag which reduces the dissolution of oxygen into the oil is effective to minimize the amount of hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The suppressive effect of triazole-based passivators such as 1,2,3-benzotriazole (BTA) and Irgamet 39 and duration of the suppressive effect on copper sulfide deposition are investigated by changing the time when passivators are added to oil. All corrosive sulfur tests were performed by the method stipulated by IEC 62535. In order to simulate the timing for adding passivators into actual transformers, preheated and non-preheated oils were used for corrosive sulfur test. Adding a passivator into preheated oil simulates the condition where a passivator is added into the transformer after a period of operation, and adding a passivator into non-preheated oil simulates the condition where a passivator is added before operation. Although the deposition rate of copper sulfide in preheated oil with the addition of passivator was lower in preheated oil without passivator, copper sulfide deposition still continued even while the passivator was detected in the oil. The result suggests that the precursors of copper sulfide have been already generated in preheated oil before adding a passivator. After the passivator was depleted in the oil, the period until onset of copper sulfide deposition in the preheated oil was shorter than in non-preheated oil since a protective complex layer was created on the copper surface and reaction with the passivator continued to prevent the deposition of copper sulfide precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the usefulness of portography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) for predicting the embolized area after the first injection of absolute ethanol (AE) in right portal vein embolization (RPVE).Materials and Methods: Portograms were retrospectively reviewed in 50 patients (30 men and 20 women, mean age 65 years) who had undergone percutaneous transhepatic RPVE with AE under temporary balloon occlusion (TBO) between February 2002 and October 2009. The enhancement pattern before embolization and the embolization pattern after the first AE injection were analyzed by portography. The angles of portal branches against the horizontal plane were measured in 48 patients using pre-treatment CECT.Results: The enhancement pattern was not consistent with the embolization pattern in 35 patients (p < 0.001). When the anterior branch angles were divided into two groups at -5°, 0°, 10°, and 15°, the frequency of the posterior-branch-dominant embolization pattern was higher in the more negatively angled group (p = 0.002-0.041).Conclusion: The distribution of AE is different from that of contrast medium in percutaneous transhepatic RPVE under TBO. The pre-treatment measurement of the angles of portal branches against the horizontal plane on CECT is suggested to be useful for predicting the embolized area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramedullary + extramedullary hemangioblastomas with largely extramedullary growth are rare and often incorrectly assigned as intradural-extramedullary tumors preoperatively. Preoperative evaluation of the precise tumor location is important for total resection of tumor and improving the surgical outcome. The aim of this study was to provide the first identification of the key differences among of preoperative MR images of hemangioblastomas in different locations and to correlate these with pathological findings. The subjects were 26 patients with surgery for spinal hemangioblastoma in our department, including 6 with an intramedullary tumor who were complicated with von Hippel Lindau disease. Intramedullary, intramedullary + extramedullary, and intradural-extramedullary tumors were present in 22, 3 and 1 cases, respectively. Sagittal MR images showed that intramedullary and intramedullary + extramedullary tumors gave intramedullary T2 high intensity areas (HIAs) spreading toward the craniocaudal sides of the tumor, whereas such findings were absent for the intradural-extramedullary tumor. All the tumors showed strong contrast on axial images, with focal enhancement of hemangioblastomas limited to the intramedullary region (focal type); smooth boundary lines between the spinal cord and the extramedullary tumor (smooth type); and a snowman sign for intramedullary + extramedullary tumors, which provided a key characteristic for differentiating intramedullary + extramedullary tumors from those limited to the extramedullary region. In pathological findings, the Ki67 activity was less than 1% for intramedullary and intradural-extramedullary tumors, but 18-25% in all cases with an intramedullary + extramedullary tumor. In conclusion, on preoperative MRI, a change in the intramedullary HIAs spreading the craniocaudal sides of the tumor on sagittal T2 weighted image (T2WI) and a snowman sign on contrast axial T1WI may be important for differentiation among spinal hemangioblastomas in different locations. Pathologically, we found that intramedullary + extramedullary hemangioblastoma has high cell proliferative activity, which may suggest that enlargement of this tumor occurs faster than that of intramedullary hemangioblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical compressive myelopathy (CCM) is one of the common neurological disorders seen in the geriatric population. The 10-s Grip and Release ("G and R") Test and the 30-m Walking ("Walking") Test are widely known as quantifiable physical assessments for the severity of cervical myelopathy. We developed the 10-s Step ("Step") Test as another easily performable quantifiable measure for this. However, it is not clear if the Step test can adequately reveal the severity of myelopathy like the other established tests, given its simple method. The purpose of this study was to verify the practical effectiveness of this Step Test as a quantifiable parameter of CCM in comparison with the other two established tests. 168 consecutive patients with CCM were selected. Only 101 patients having >12-month postoperative follow-up were included. All were treated with cervical expansive laminoplasty. The three above mentioned quantitative tests and two assessment questionnaires (Japanese Orthopedic Association [JOA] Score, and lower-limb-function section of the Japanese Orthopedic Association cervical myelopathy evaluation questionnaire [JOACMEQ-L]) for CCM were prospectively administered, and the results of the three tests were evaluated using linear regression models to determine which quantitative test best reflected the results of the JOA score and JOACMEQ-L. Each quantitative test was carried out twice, just before and 1 year after surgery. The intraobserver reproducibility of the 10-s Step Test was found to be as high as that of the other tests both before and after surgery. Linear regression analyses showed that the results of the Step Test correlated with JOA scores to the same degree as the Walking Test results did, and to a greater degree than the G and R Test results did. Moreover, the results of the Step Test showed a significant degree of correlation with JOACMEQ-L. In view of these findings, our conclusion was that the easily performed Step Test is an useful test for assessing the severity of cervical myelopathy, especially for the lower limb dysfunction secondary to CCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During 2005-2007, we experienced sporadic isolations of multidrug-resistant (MDRP) Pseudomonas aeruginosa from wards in a general hospital in Hiroshima. The objective of this study was to analyze epidemiology relationships and the mode of spread of the strains. Methods: Clonality was assessed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and serotyping. MICs were determined using the microdilution broth method. Investigations of the affected patients' movements and environmental sampling from the affected wards were conducted. Results: An abrupt increase in MDRP isolations began at the end of 2005 and ended in February 2007. A total of 25 MDRP strains were sporadically isolated from nine wards. Fourteen strains were genotypically and serologically identical. Analysis of the patients' movements identified that six of the 14 MDRP-positive patients became positive for MDRP when they were in the intensive care unit (ICU), and two became positive after the patients moved from the ICU to another nursing unit. Four MDRP strains were isolated from patients who did not stay in the ICU and were in ward E6, which had the second highest number of isolations. In July 2006, environmental sampling of the hospital identified a toilet brush in ward E6 that was contaminated with MDRP that was genotypically and serologically identical to the clinical isolates. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the sporadic increase in MDRP isolates during 2005-2007 in the general hospital in Hiroshima was due to an epidemic of an MDRP clone. Continuity and spread of infection was probably due to cross infection and contamination in the hospital with the MDRP strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:A prospective clinical study.Objective:The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively a large group of patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures who were treated with a posterior/anterior combined procedure and to report on the surgical outcomes, complications and radiographic results.Methods:A total of 100 consecutive patients were surgically managed with posterior instrumentation, anterior decompression and anterior strut grafting. There were 71 males and 29 females; the mean age was 36 years. Patients with osteoporotic delayed vertebral body collapse were excluded. The mean follow-up period was 30 months. Surgical outcomes such as operative time, blood loss and sagittal alignment were investigated. A neurological assessment was performed by a rating system based on the American Spine Injury Association impairment scale. An interbody fusion was judged using plain X-ray and computed tomographic scans.Results:The mean operative time was 256 min and the mean operative bleeding was 985 ml. Most of the patients were ambulatory within 3 days after surgery. Of the 76 patients with neurological injury, 54 (71.1%) recovered function following surgery. The mean local kyphosis angle was 12.2° kyphotic preoperatively and 0.8° lordotic at the final observation. The mean correction angle was 15.7° and correction loss was 2.6°. No instrumentation failure was observed and the postoperative fusion rate was 99%.Conclusions:Posterior/anterior combined surgery with posterior pedicle screws and hooks fixation, and reconstruction by simultaneous strut grafting and anterior decompression, achieved short segment fixation and can be a useful option for surgically treating thoracolumbar burst fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess a method for measuring epicardial fat volume (EFV) by means of a single-slice area measurement. We investigated the relation between a single-slice fat area measurement and total EFV.Methods and Methods: A series of 72 consecutive patients (ages 65 ± 11 years; 36 men) who had undergone cardiac computed tomography (CT) on a 64-slice multidetector scanner with prospective electrocardiographic triggering were retrospectively reviewed. Pixels in the pericardium with a density range from -230 to -30 Hounsfield units were considered fat, giving the per-slice epicardial fat area (EFA). The EFV was estimated by the summation of EFAs multiplied by the slice thickness. We investigated the relation between total EFV and each EFA.Results: EFAs measured at several anatomical landmarks-right pulmonary artery, origins of the left main coronary artery, right coronary artery, coronary sinus-all correlated with the EFV (r = 0.77-0.92). The EFA at the LMCA level was highly reproducible and showed an excellent correlation with the EFV (r = 0.92).Conclusion: The EFA is significantly correlated with the EFV. The EFA is a simple, quick method for representing the time-consuming EFV, which has been used as a predictive indicator of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shopping carts and handheld shopping baskets in supermarkets are subject to accidental bacterial contamination through contacts with a variety of food. We investigated the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus on the handles of handheld shopping baskets in four supermarkets distantly located in Osaka district, Japan. Fifty two strains of Staph. aureus were isolated from 760 basket handles. Among these, six strains were positive for staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) production, representing 12% of total. This SEB producer ratio is considerably higher than among Staph. aureus isolated from nasal swabs of the supermarket workers (2%) and from independently collected clinical specimens (4%). These SEB-producing Staph. aureus strains from the basket handles are clonal and belong to ST12. Coagulase typing showed that they are in group VII, which is the most common cause of food poisoning in Japan. Biofilm assays indicated that SEB gene ( seb)-positive strains including this clone produced a significantly higher amount of biofilm than seb-negative strains. The frequent isolation of seb-positive Staph. aureus on shopping basket handles raises the possibility that they could be a hidden reservoir for Staph. aureus with a potential to cause food poisoning and draws attention to the importance of shopping basket sanitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical pedicle screw fixation is an effective procedure for stabilising an unstable motion segment; however, it has generally been considered too risky due to the potential for injury to neurovascular structures, such as the spinal cord, nerve roots or vertebral arteries. Since 1995, we have treated 144 unstable cervical injury patients with pedicle screws using a fluoroscopy-assisted pedicle axis view technique. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of this technique in accurately placing pedicle screws to treat unstable cervical injuries, and the ensuing clinical outcomes and complications. The accuracy of pedicle screw placement was postoperatively examined by axial computed tomography scans and oblique radiographs. Solid posterior bony fusion without secondary dislodgement was accomplished in 96% of all cases. Of the 620 cervical pedicle screws inserted, 57 (9.2%) demonstrated screw exposure (<50% of the screw outside the pedicle) and 24 (3.9%) demonstrated pedicle perforation (>50% of the screw outside the pedicle). There was one case in which a probe penetrated a vertebral artery without further complication and one case with transient radiculopathy. Pre- and postoperative tracheotomy was required in 20 (13.9%) of the 144 patients. However, the tracheotomies were easily performed, because those patients underwent posterior surgery alone without postoperative external fixation. The placement of cervical pedicle screws using a fluoroscopy-assisted pedicle axis view technique provided good clinical results and a few complications for unstable cervical injuries, but a careful surgical procedure was needed to safely insert the screws and more improvement in imaging and navigation system is expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anterior procedures in the cervical spine are feasible in cases having anterior aetiologies such as anterior neural compression and/or severe kyphosis. Halo vests or anterior plates are used concurrently for cases with long segmental fixation. Halo vests are bothersome and anterior plate fixation is not adequately durable. We developed a new anterior pedicle screw (APS) and plate fixation procedure that can be used with fluoroscope-assisted pedicle axis view imaging. Six patients (3 men and 3 women; mean age, 54 years) with anterior multisegmental aetiology were included in this study. Their original diagnoses comprised cervical myelopathy and/or radiculopathy (n = 4), posterior longitudinal ligament ossification (n = 1) and post-traumatic kyphosis (n = 1). All patients underwent anterior decompression and strut grafting with APS and plate fixation. Mean operative time was 192 min and average blood loss was 73 ml. Patients were permitted to ambulate the next day with a cervical collar. Local sagittal alignment was characterised by 3.5 degrees of kyphosis preoperatively, which improved to 6.8 degrees of lordosis postoperatively and 5.2 degrees of lordosis at final follow-up. Postoperative improvement and early bony union were observed in all cases. There was no serious complication except for two cases of dysphagia. Postoperative imaging demonstrated screw exposure in one screw, but no pedicle perforation. APS and plate fixation is useful in selected cases of multisegmental anterior reconstruction of cervical spine. However, the adequate familiarity and experience with both cervical pedicle screw fixation and the imaging technique used for visualising the pedicle during surgery are crucial for this procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Avulsion fracture of the lateral ankle ligaments is often undetected on early radiographs. The epidemiology and treatment of such avulsion fractures have received much less attention than the epidemiology and treatment of rupture of these ligaments. HYPOTHESIS: The clinical characteristics of avulsion fracture are different from those of ligament rupture. Unlike nonoperative treatment of lateral ligament rupture, nonoperative treatment of avulsion fracture does not yield satisfactory results. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: A total of 169 consecutive patients with severe inversion injury were classified into a ligament rupture group or avulsion fracture group on the basis of physical examination findings and anterior talofibular ligament and calcaneofibular ligament radiographic views. Age, sex, activity level, and the mechanism of injury were analyzed. Patients in both groups were treated by casting. Follow-up examination of 152 patients included clinical assessment and functional evaluation based on the Karlsson system. RESULTS: Avulsion fracture was diagnosed in 44 (26%) of the 169 patients and was most common among children and patients over 40 years of age. Sedentary level activity and low-energy injury were more common in the avulsion fracture group than in the ligament rupture group (77% vs 37%, respectively, P = .001; 68% vs 43%, respectively, P =.004). Nonoperative treatment of avulsion fracture (mean Karlsson score, 89.1 points) yielded satisfactory results that were comparable with those of nonoperative treatment of ligament rupture (mean Karlsson score, 88.4 points) (P = .123). Osseous union was achieved in 65% of the patients with avulsion fracture. CONCLUSION: Avulsion fracture of the lateral ankle ligaments in cases of severe inversion injury is more common than previously believed. Because of the high incidence and difficulty of detection in children, a high level of suspicion is necessary in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis of avulsion fracture in cases of severe inversion injury and to achieve adequate stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of phosphorus from sewage and sludge treatment systems is particularly important because it is a limited resource and a large proportion of the phosphorus currently used in Japan must be imported. We have been experimentally evaluating recovery methods with sulphide. In this study, we focussed on the extraction of phosphate from the sludge, and sought to achieve a greater extraction efficiency and to validate the extraction mechanism. We conducted three experiments, i.e. a sludge-type experiment, a coagulant ratio of pre-coagulated sludge experiment, and a concentration of pre-coagulated sludge experiment. Phosphate was extracted not with normal sewage sludge but with pre-coagulated sludge and FePO4 reagent at S/Fe = 1.0-2.0. A coagulant ratio of 23 mg Fe L-1 was required in the pre- coagulation process to effectively extract phosphate. A high concentration of pre-coagulated sludge was required for the phosphate extraction. The mass balance was calculated, and 44.0% of phosphorus was extracted to supernatant, and 98.5% of iron and 98.3% of sulphur (44.1% of sulphur was sulphide). Thus, phosphate can be selectively separated from iron by the phosphate extraction method with NaHS, and phosphorus and iron can be recovered and reused at sewage treatment plants using ferric chloride as a coagulant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The functional outcome following ankle fractures that involve a posterior malleolar fragment is often not satisfactory, and treatment of this type of fracture remains controversial. Thorough knowledge of the pathologic anatomy of the posterior malleolar fracture is essential for planning appropriate treatment. Thus, we conducted a computed tomographic study to clarify the pathologic anatomy of the posterior malleolar fracture.Methods: Between 1999 and 2003, fifty-seven consecutive patients with a unilateral ankle fracture with one or more posterior fragments were managed at our hospital. We reviewed the patients' preoperative computed tomographic scans to determine (1) the ratio of the posterior fragment area to the total cross-sectional area of the tibial plafond and (2) the angle between the bimalleolar axis and the major fracture line of the posterior malleolus. Each fracture was categorized according to the location of the major fracture line on the computed tomographic image at the level of the tibial plafond.Results: The fifty-seven fractures were categorized into three types: (1) the posterolateral-oblique type (thirty-eight fractures; 67%), (2) the medial-extension type (eleven fractures; 19%), and (3) the small-shell type (eight fractures; 14%). Two of the eleven medial-extension fractures extended to the anterior part of the medial malleolus. A total of nine of the eleven medial-extension fractures actually consisted of two fragments [corrected] The conditions are not exclusive of one another; for example, in the case of one of the fractures exhibiting two fragments, the fracture also extended to the anterior part of the medial malleolus [corrected] The average area of the fragment comprised 11.7% of the cross-sectional area of the tibial plafond for posterolateral-oblique fractures and 29.8% for medial-extension fractures. In the cases of seven of the nine fractures that comprised >25% of the tibial plafond, the fracture line extended to the medial malleolus. The angles between the bimalleolar axis and the major fracture line of the posterior malleolus varied.Conclusions: The fracture lines associated with posterior malleolar fractures appear to be highly variable. A large fragment extending to the medial malleolus existed in almost 20% of the posterior malleolar fractures in the current study, and some fragments involved almost the entire medial malleolus. Because of the great variation in fracture configurations, preoperative use of computed tomography may be justified. The information obtained from this study will be helpful for conducting basic research of this condition and for determining appropriate surgical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to assess the pain relief in patients with unresectable and recurrent colorectal cancer treated with radiation plus 8?MHz radiofrequency-capacitive regional hyperthermia and to identify predictors of the good outcome. Methods : Between February 1986–May 2003, 41 patients with primarily unresectable and recurrent colorectal cancer that caused pain were treated with thermoradiotherapy at the hospital and retrospectively analysed. Radiotherapy was administered with a mean total radiation dose of 56?Gy. Hyperthermia was usually applied within 30?min after radiotherapy once or twice a week. For cooling of the skin surface, the overlay boluses were applied in addition to regular boluses. The external cooling unit has been used to reinforce the cooling ability of the overlay bolus and achieve strong surface cooling to reduce the preferential heating of the subcutaneous fat tissue and treat with more RF-output in 17 patients since January 1997. Results : Pain relief was obtained in 83% of the patients. Multi-variate analysis by logistic regression to evaluate the effects of certain factors on pain relief (complete response?+?good response) was strongly correlated with the presence of radiating pain to leg(s) ( p ? 42.5°C and 5.7 months for those of?<42.5°C ( p ?

A well-known disadvantage of a radiofrequency-capacitive device for deep-seated tumours is preferential heating of the subcutaneous fat tissue. The authors previously developed the hyperthermia with their own external cooling unit and achieved strong superficial cooling, and reported its usefulness for the reduction of the preferential heating. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of hyperthermia with strong superficial cooling on the treatment results for unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancers. From 1986 to 2002, 44 patients with primary unresectable or locally recurrent colorectal cancer treated with thermoradiotherapy were analysed retrospectively. The patients with obesity as a subcutaneous fat thickness more than 3 cm, a high age or other serious complications did not undergo therapy. The results were compared between 17 cases with strong superficial cooling treated after 1997 (Group A) and 27 cases without strong superficial cooling treated before 1996 (Group B). Significant differences in thermometry data of T max , T ave and T min were noted between Groups A (45.3, 44.4 and 43.6°C, respectively) and B (42.9, 42.0 and 41.1°C, respectively) ( p <0.01). Complete response plus partial response rates were better for Group A than for Group B (59 versus 26%, p = 0.05). Multivariate analysis by logistic regression to evaluate the effects of certain factors on complete response plus partial response was strongly correlated with strong superficial cooling ( p <0.05). The median survival times for overall survival were 24.3 months for Group A and 17.1 months for Group B ( p <0.05). Eight-megahertz radiofrequency-capacitive regional hyperthermia with strong superficial cooling is potentially useful for improving treatment results in unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To obtain evidence that the p53 gene is indispensable for reduction of high teratogenic risk of radiation at a high dose-rate to zero risk by lowering the dose-rate. Materials and methods: Wild-type p53(+/+), heterozygous p53(+/-) and null p53(-/-) mice were exposed to γ-rays at high or low dose-rates during days 9.5-10.5 of gestation. The incidence of malformations and prenatal deaths was studied. Frequencies of cells dying by apoptosis were measured during or after protracted irradiation. Results: After irradiation with 2 Gy, the frequency of apoptotic cells increased to 20% for p53(+/+) mice and did not increase at all for p53(-/-) mice. For p53(+/+) mice, 2 Gy γ-rays induced 70% malformations when given at 1.06 Gy/min, but no malformations above the control when given at 1.2m Gy/min. In contrast, after irradiation of p53(-/-) foetuses with 2 Gy at 1.2m Gy/min, the incidence of malformations increased 12% above control levels. Conclusion: Foetal irradiation with 2 Gy at 1.2m Gy/min was not teratogenic for p53(+/+) mice but teratogenic for p53(-/-) mice. This indicates that the p53 gene is indispensable for a threshold effect in the risk of radiation at low doses or dose-rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined treatment of acrinol (Ac) and tetracycline hydrochloride (Tc) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical specimens synergistically increased the bactericidal effect. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of Ac against P. aeruginosa strain no. 985 was 200 μg/ml, while the MBC of Ac against strains no. 47 and no. 783 was above 800 μg/ml for each. The MBC of Tc was above 400 μg/ml against each of the tested strains. However, simultaneous treatment with 25 μg/ml Ac and 200 μg/ml Tc against P. aeruginosa strain no. 985 decreased the viable cell number from 107 cfu/ml to <10 cfu/ml within 24 h, while a higher concentration of Tc (400 μg/ml) with Ac (25 μg/ml) reduced the viable cell number to <10 cfu/ml within 8 h. A similar synergistic bactericidal effct of Ac and Tc was observed in strains no. 47 and no. 783 by treatment with 200 μg/ml Ac and 200 μg/ml or 400 μg/ml Tc. The degree of bactericidal effect against P. aeruginosa was proportional to the concentration of Tc under the condition of a constant concentration of Ac. Furthermore, Ac-treated cells of strain no. 47 were killed by a following Tc treatment, but cells pretreated with Tc did not show such a sensitivity to Ac. To induce the synergistic effect of Ac and Tc, Ac must be applied to P. aeruginosa before or at the same time as Tc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proteolytic enzyme from Bacillus pumilus strain TYO-67, which was able to coagulate the protein in soybean milk, was characterized enzymologically. The optimum pH and temperature for its activities were 9.0 and 50 °C, respectively. The enzyme was strongly believed to be a serine proteinase because it was completely inhibited by the addition of diisopropyl fluorophosphate or phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride. Hammerstein milk casein, cytochrome c and soybean protein were good substrates for the enzyme. Seven cleavages were detected using the oxidized insulin B-chain as peptide substrate for the proteolytic specificity test of the serine proteinase from B. pumilus. The bonds most susceptible to the action of the serine proteinase from B. pumilus were Leu-15–Tyr-16. The mode of action on soybean milk protein by the enzyme from B. pumilus was also investigated. The acidic subunit in glycinin and the α′-, α- and β-subunits in β-conglycinin were degraded during the enzyme reaction. However, the basic subunit in glycinin could not be degraded by the enzyme. The formation of coagula in soybean milk caused by the serine proteinase from B.pumilus was mainly due to the hydrophobic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]