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A lot of research has been carried out in the last decade to find a cure for neurodegenerative diseases especially Parkinson's disease but to little avail. In this study we have demonstrated the use of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/collagen biodegradable microparticles formed using water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion method, as a neurotrophic factor delivery vehicle. The microparticles were encapsulated with glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) fused with collagen binding peptide (CBP) immobilized to the inner collagen phase. The novelty lies in the strict regulation of release of GDNF-CBP from the microparticles as compared to a burst release from standard microparticles. The microparticles were demonstrated to be non-cytotoxic till 300 μg/2 × 10⁵ cells and revealed a maximum release of 250 ng GDNF-CBP/mg microparticles in 0.3% collagenase. Differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) into mature neurons was demonstrated by co-culturing microparticles with cells in a medium containing collagenase which enabled the release of encapsulated GDNF-CBP, signaling the differentiation of NPCs into microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2)-expressing neurons. The successful ability of these microparticles to deliver neurotrophic factors and allow differentiation of NPCs into mature neurons provides some scope in its use for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. more...

We conduct detailed velocity measurements in the turbulent boundary layer, which is developed on a rotating disk opposed to a turbulent jet perpendicularly impinged onto it. The effect of rotation is remarkable in both the skew in the mean flow and in the centrifugal force. We propose a non-dimensional parameter that correlates these two effects and classifies the velocity field. We find the modification of the turbulence structure due to the disk rotation in the increase of the normal stress component in the circumferential direction. The increases in the other stress components are found to be indirect, i.e., re-distribution from the circumferential normal stress is the source of modification in the turbulence structure. more...

Little is known about the comparative effectiveness of human immunodeficiency virus prevention interventions that differ in duration but contain similar content. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two versions (6 hours vs. 3 hours) of a behavioral intervention called the STD/HIV Intervention Program (SHIP) in a sample of Marines. Marines were exposed to either a 6-hour or a 3-hour version of SHIP. Comparisons of pre-test and post-test knowledge, attitude, and behavioral intention scores revealed similar results for both versions. For both versions of the intervention, scores on sexually transmitted diseases/human immunodeficiency virus knowledge were significantly higher after the intervention. Both the 6-hour and the 3-hour versions of SHIP also led to significant increases on scales measuring social norms and behavioral intentions. The two versions of SHIP appeared to be of comparable effectiveness for producing short-term changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. more...

Research evaluating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) behavioral interventions among U.S. military personnel has been lacking. In this study, a behavioral intervention to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) was implemented in a sample of Marine security guards. Participants were assessed before and after a three-session intervention on a measure of STDs/HIV knowledge and a number of psychosocial scales. The results indicated that STDs/HIV knowledge was significantly greater after the intervention. Significant pre-test vs. post-test differences were also found on the Social Norms, Behavioral Intentions, Attitudes toward Condoms, and Self-Efficacy/Impulse Control scales. On Social Norms and Behavioral Intentions, the differences were as expected: subjects perceived greater social norms supporting condom use and had stronger intentions to practice safe sex after the intervention than they had before. On Attitudes toward Condoms and Self-Efficacy/Impulse Control, the differences were not in the expected direction. Psychosocial factors associated with self-reported condom use were also identified. more...

Although a substantial number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of various human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention programs, most of them have focused on civilian populations. There is a clear need to develop and evaluate sexually transmitted diseases (STD)/HIV prevention programs designed specifically for U.S. military populations. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a behavioral intervention known as the STD/HIV Intervention Program (SHIP) would have a sustained positive impact on the behavior of a sample of Marines. A 1-year follow-up telephone interview was administered to (1) Marines who participated in the SHIP course (intervention group), and (2) a quasi-control group of Marines who were not exposed to the SHIP course. The intervention and control groups differed significantly in the percentage of the time they had used condoms during the past year. The intervention participants reported using condoms a greater percentage of the time than the nonparticipants. more...

Trace level uranium in wastewater is a particularly important issue for material accountancy and radiation protection. It is difficult to detect trace level uranium without concentrating wastewater. This study is a discussion of particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis that is used to find concentration of uranium easily. In the procedure discussed here, the quantity of solution and backing material are examined to determine how they affect the practicality of taking measurements. Our study resulted in findings that show higher sensitivity, shorter measurement time and wider range of concentration than those obtained by usual methods. more...

A signal-processing system based on two-tap digital filters has been systematically studied considering its application to bunch feedback systems. Through studies we have found that the two-tap-filter-based system is a hopeful candidate for the signal processor used in high-speed, large-scale bunch feedback systems. more...

Each language has a unique set of phonemic categories and phonotactic rules which determine permissible sound sequences in that language. Behavioral research demonstrates that one’s native language shapes the perception of both sound categories and sound sequences in adults, and neuroimaging results further indicate that the processing of native phonemes and phonotactics involves a left-dominant perisylvian brain network. Recent work using a novel technique, functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS), has suggested that a left-dominant network becomes evident towards the end of the first year of life as infants process phonemic contrasts. The present research project attempted to assess whether the same pattern would be seen for native phonotactics. We measured brain responses in Japanese- and French-learning infants to two contrasts: Abuna vs. Abna (a phonotactic contrast that is native in French, but not in Japanese) and Abuna vs. Abuuna (a vowel length contrast that is native in Japanese, but not in French). Results did not show a significant response to either contrast in either group, unlike both previous behavioral research on phonotactic processing and NIRS work on phonemic processing. To understand these null results, we performed similar NIRS experiments with Japanese adult participants. These data suggest that the infant null results arise from an interaction of multiple factors, involving the suitability of the experimental paradigm for NIRS measurements and stimulus perceptibility. We discuss the challenges facing this novel technique, particularly focusing on the optimal stimulus presentation which could yield strong enough hemodynamic responses when using the change detection paradigm. more...

This paper reports on an underwater wheeled robot developed for locating chemical sources under stagnant flow conditions. To draw the chemical staying in the vicinity of the source, the robot generates water currents by waving the arms that mimic maxillipeds of a crayfish. Depending on the patterns for waving of the arms, various flow fields are generated. Determination of the direction of the chemical source is enabled by collecting water samples from different directions. Active flow generation thus serves for extracting desired information from the surrounding chemical concentration field. The development of SPR (surface plasmon resonance) chemical sensors for the crayfish robot is also described. SPR sensors compact enough to mount on the robot are realized by employing gold nanostructures for SPR excitation. Comparison between the SPR sensors and the electrochemical sensors used in the previous paper is made to show the importance of sample collection on the sensor surfaces. more...

Extraction studies on rare earth ions from weakly acidic solutions of binary mixture of yttrium and other rare earth chlorides system, and praseodymium and neodymium chlorides system, by di-(2-ethyl-hexyl) phosphoric acid/kerosine, H 2 X 2 as dimer, show that rare earth ions having a smaller artificial atomic number than yttrium (67.5) were extracted faster than it, and also praseodymium was done faster than neodymium, while, those having the larger number than yttrium were extracted slower than it. These results can be explained as follows: The stoichmetry of the reaction can be written by Ln 3+ + 3 (H 2 X 2 ) = Ln(HX 2 ) 3 + 3 H + and the law is given by V = k ′ 1 [Ln 3+ ] − k ′ −1 , [Ln(HX 2 ) 3 ], supposing that concentrations of H 2 X 2 and H + would not affect the extraction rate, where k′ 1 and k′ −1 are the pseudo-first order reaction rate constants of the forward and backward reaction, and both of them are dependent on shaking strength (contact surface area between aqueous phase and organic one). The order of the k′ (= k ′ 1 + k ′ −1 ), k ′ 1 and k ′ −1 value for the yttrium-other rare earth system were k ′ Nd > k ′ Dy > k ′ Ho > k ′ Y > k ′ Er > k ′ Yb , and k ′ −1 Nd > k ′ −1 Dy > k ′ −1 Ho > k ′ −1 Y > k ′ −1 Er > k ′ −1 Yb , while the values of k ′ 1 were almost constant for all of the rare earth ions studied. And also, the order of the k ′, k′ 1 and k ′ −1 , value for the praseodymiumneodymium system were k ′ Pr > k ′ Nd , k′ −1 Pr > k′ −1 Nd and k ′ 1 Pr − k 1 Nd . more...

The upgrade project of the pulse X-ray source PF-AR was successfully completed by the end of 2001. The initial beam current and the lifetime were largely improved. The injection energy was raised from 2.5 GeV to 3.0 GeV, the maximum beam current of 65 mA was achieved. With a new global orbit feedback system, orbit drifts were largely improved. more...

The PF‐AR is a full‐time single‐bunch light source for SR experiments in the X‐ray region. Electrons are injected at 3.0 GeV and ramped up to the final energy of 6.5 GeV for normal user operation or 5.0 GeV for medical application. The typical initial beam current is 55 mA at 6.5 GeV and the beam lifetime is 15 h at 50 mA. The initial single‐bunch impurity better than 10−8 was achieved, however, degradation of the impurity during the users’ run has to be solved. Since the present emittance of 290nm⋅rad is not satisfactory, we are making an effort to realize the minimum attainable emittance of 160nm⋅rad. The high quality of pulse X‐ray has brought us abundant occasions to do time‐domain and/or time‐resolved measurements. more...

Measurement of flow velocity using optical techniques has advantages to measure flow velocity in a microscopic region without disturbing it. However the decrease of the depth of the measuring region (the length of the measuring region) is very difficult in the optical techniques. In this study a new velocimeter with high spatial resolution is proposed. The velocimeter was based on a laser two focus velocimeter (L2F) and its optical system was constructed with a confocal system to decrease the depth of the measuring region. The advantage of the confocal optical system is that the light from the only part within the focal region is detected strongly. The depth of the measuring region of proposed L2F was about 10 /spl mu/m. The reliability of the L2F with the confocal system was confirmed by measuring velocities of moving a tungsten wire. The results of experiments show that the proposed laser two focus velocimeter using the confocal optical system achieved the velocity measurement with high spatial resolution and it is extremely effective instrument to measure the flow velocity in microscopic regions. > more...

Since 1983 United Nations Centre for Regional Development has been developing and introducing several computer aided gaming simulation packages, such as REFLEX and Metro-PEX, etc., to planners from developing countries through international training courses. This paper introduces the design of a gaming simulation model integrated with an expert system to provide both an intelligent, flexible and user friendly gaming environment, and a planning support system. > more...

Almost all of neural network models need relearning of past learning patterns to memorize new patterns incrementally to avoid forgetting of past memories. This is due to each parameter of the neural network contributes to memorize several learning patterns. Therefore, the change in each parameter due to the learning interferes with the past memories. In this paper, we propose a new incremental learning method to omit the re-learning process to reduce the cost of the incremental learning. The method uses an objective function, which is to be minimized during the learning, called "weighted magnitude of interference." The function represents the change in output function of the neural network, which is caused by the modification of parameters and square error to the new patterns. more...

Little is known about the comparative effectiveness of human immunodeficiency virus prevention interventions that differ in duration but contain similar content. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two versions (6 hours vs. 3 hours) of a behavioral intervention called the STD/HIV Intervention Program (SHIP) in a sample of Marines. Marines were exposed to either a 6-hour or a 3-hour version of SHIP. Comparisons of pre-test and post-test knowledge, attitude, and behavioral intention scores revealed similar results for both versions. For both versions of the intervention, scores on sexually transmitted diseases/human immunodeficiency virus knowledge were significantly higher after the intervention. Both the 6-hour and the 3-hour versions of SHIP also led to significant increases on scales measuring social norms and behavioral intentions. The two versions of SHIP appeared to be of comparable effectiveness for producing short-term changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. more...

Research evaluating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) behavioral interventions among U.S. military personnel has been lacking. In this study, a behavioral intervention to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) was implemented in a sample of Marine security guards. Participants were assessed before and after a three-session intervention on a measure of STDs/HIV knowledge and a number of psychosocial scales. The results indicated that STDs/HIV knowledge was significantly greater after the intervention. Significant pre-test vs. post-test differences were also found on the Social Norms, Behavioral Intentions, Attitudes toward Condoms, and Self-Efficacy/Impulse Control scales. On Social Norms and Behavioral Intentions, the differences were as expected: subjects perceived greater social norms supporting condom use and had stronger intentions to practice safe sex after the intervention than they had before. On Attitudes toward Condoms and Self-Efficacy/Impulse Control, the differences were not in the expected direction. Psychosocial factors associated with self-reported condom use were also identified. more...

We discussed the role of DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) inhibitor, which is now widely used in clinical practice, in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer. Our study showed the synergistic actions between cisplatin and 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38), an active metabolite of 7-ethyl-10-[4-(1-pyperidino)-1-piperidino]carbonyloxycamptothecin (CPT-11), in two cisplatin-resistant cancer cell lines, HeLa/CDDP and KFr cells, but not in each parent cell line, HeLa and KF cells. Furthermore, HeLa/CDDP cells had a collateral sensitivity to SN-38. The levels of topo I protein in the cisplatin-resistant cells did not differ from those of their parent cell lines and were unaffected by exposure to cisplatin. In contrast, topo I enzymatic activity was 2-4 fold higher in the cisplatin-resistant cell lines compared with their respective parent cell lines. A significant correlation between the sensitivity for SN-38 and topo I activity human clear cell carcinoma cell lines, which are known as intrinsically ciasplatin-resistant cancer, was observed. Next, we examined the relationship between topo I activity and sensitivity to second-line chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and CPT-11. A total of 30 patients with ovarian cancer who had initially undergone chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (CAP) and exhibited measurable lesions were entered in the study. Tumor samples were obtained in the period between the initial and the second-line chemotherapy. Of those 30 patients, 18 responded to second-line chemotherapy and 12 did not. Topo I activity in tumor samples of responder was significantly greater than that of in nonresponders. In 8 cases whose samples could be obtained before and after CAP, topo I activity significantly increased after CAP therapy. Consequently, the combination therapy with cisplatin and CPT-11 may be effective for patients with cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer. In addition, topo I enzymatic activity may be a predictor of the sensitivity for topo I inhibitor. more...

Although a substantial number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of various human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention programs, most of them have focused on civilian populations. There is a clear need to develop and evaluate sexually transmitted diseases (STD)/HIV prevention programs designed specifically for U.S. military populations. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a behavioral intervention known as the STD/HIV Intervention Program (SHIP) would have a sustained positive impact on the behavior of a sample of Marines. A 1-year follow-up telephone interview was administered to (1) Marines who participated in the SHIP course (intervention group), and (2) a quasi-control group of Marines who were not exposed to the SHIP course. The intervention and control groups differed significantly in the percentage of the time they had used condoms during the past year. The intervention participants reported using condoms a greater percentage of the time than the nonparticipants. more...

Heavy drinking and associated problems are relatively common in young men, including those in a military setting. This article explores characteristics of alcohol intake and associated difficulties and their relationship to a self-report of the usual intensity of response to alcohol in a sample of U.S. Marines. Two questionnaires related to demography and alcohol use histories, along with a simple, 12-item self-report measure of the usual number of drinks to experience an effect (the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol, SRE) were administered to 1320 U.S. Marines. The sample had an average age of 22 years, 78% were Caucasian, and 92% were enlisted personnel. The relationships and correlations among drinking characteristics and problems and the usual number of drinks for an effect were determined. These subjects drank an average of 6 days per month, consuming an average of almost six drinks per drinking day, and reported more than three times per month in which they consumed six or more drinks per occasion. Consistent with studies of other populations, the SRE measures of intensity of response to alcohol showed a positive correlation with both drinking practices and problems, with the latter remaining significant even after controlling for recent drinking practices. The prodigious level of alcohol intake and associated problems, along with the SRE scores, indicate that the Marine Corps personnel are at especially high risk for alcohol-related life problems. These data also support the potential usefulness of the SRE both in identifying individuals likely to have more severe alcohol profiles and in educating individuals regarding their levels of risk for alcohol abuse and dependence. more...

TRANK, T. V., D. H. RYMAN, R. Y. MINAGAWA, D. W. TRONE, and R. A. SHAFFER. Running mileage, movement mileage, and fitness in male U.S. Navy recruits. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 6, 2001, pp. 1033–1038. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between overall fitness improvement and varying amounts of running and movement mileage. Subjects were male U.S. Navy recruits (N = 1703, 25 divisions), ages 17–35 yr (mean age = 20.1 ± 2.9 yr), who attended boot camp from April 1996 through August 1996. During the first week of training, recruits performed a 1.5-mile run to determine baseline fitness levels. The results from the initial run were compared with a final 1.5-mile run conducted 6 wk later. Based on an age-adjusted fitness scale for a 1.5-mile run time, about one third of the recruits began recruit training in “Excellent-Superior” condition (N = 558), one third began in “Good” condition (N = 582), and one third began in “Poor-Fair” condition (N = 563). Running mileage among divisions ranged from 11.5 to 43.5 miles for the entire 7-wk training period (mean = 22.7 ± 7.2 miles; 8–22 run days, mean = 13 ± 4 d). In addition to running, the divisions accumulated many movement miles (110–202 miles; mean = 145 ± 26 miles) while marching in formation. Recruits who began training in Poor-Fair condition improved the most with an average decrease in run time of 1:55 ± 1:06 min (15.6% improvement). The Good group improved by 47 ± 37 s (7.3% improvement), and the Excellent-Superior group improved by 17 ± 32 s (2.9% improvement). The magnitude of fitness improvement, as measured by run time improvement, was directly related to baseline fitness level but not related to movement mileage or high-intensity run mileage accrued during training. more...

Cellular detoxification, such as that mediated by the glutathione (GSH) system, is involved in the metabolism of various cytotoxic agents. Little is known, however, about the clinical relevance of cellular detoxification in chemoresistance. To elucidate the relevance of the GSH system to the resistance to chemotherapy observed in patients with ovarian cancer, we assayed the expression of mRNA encoded by the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) and gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) genes, as well as the level of GSH protein in 32 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer after chemotherapy. Tumors of 14 of the 32 patients responded to chemotherapy, whereas 18 did not. The levels of MRP and gamma-GCS transcripts in tumors from nonresponders were each about 2-fold higher than in responders. In contrast, the level of GSH did not differ between the two groups. We observed coordinated expression of gamma-GCS mRNA and GSH protein levels, and between gamma-GCS and MRP in nonresponders, but not in responders. Expression of MRP-encoded mRNA did not correlate to GSH level, however, in either group. These results suggest that gamma-GCS may up-regulate GSH and MRP expression in tumors unresponsive to chemotherapeutic agents, and that the GSH system may be involved in the mechanism of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. more...

A 66-year-old man was admitted to our hospital as a result of an abnormal shadow which was observed on his chest X-ray. A chest CT scan and chest MRI revealed an upper mediastinal tumor. The tumor was located in the retrotracheal region and resected completely following a thoracotomy. Histological examination of the tumor revealed follicular adenoma of the thyroid gland. Complete mediastinal goiter is a relatively rare lesion, with only 59 cases (including our case) in Japan prior to 1997. Only two cases were reviewed, in which the tumors were located in the retrotracheal region, out of the 59 cases in Japan. more...

To clarify the role of glutathione (GSH) in the chemotherapy resistance of ovarian carcinoma, the authors examined the expression of glutathione S-transferase-pi (GST-pi) and the concentration of glutathione in tumors before and after chemotherapy in the same patients.The cohort for this study comprised 20 patients with ovarian carcinoma who had residual disease after primary surgery. These patients received two to three courses of postoperative chemotherapy, then underwent surgery for a second time. Chemotherapy consisted of 50 mg/m2 cisplatin, 40 mg/m2 doxorubicin, and 400 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide. The expression of GST-pi in tumors was determined by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis. GSH concentration was measured by an enzymatic assay.Of the 20 patients, 10 responded to chemotherapy and 10 did not. Immunohistochemical staining for GST-pi was positive in 3 tumors among the 10 responders and in 7 tumors among the 10 nonresponders, but Western blot analysis detected GST-pi expression in all tumors. Among the responders, GST-pi after chemotherapy increased in one patient, was unchanged in two patients, and decreased in seven patients. Among nonresponders, GST-pi increased in six patients, was unchanged in one patient, and decreased in three patients. The ratio of GST-pi density in tumors after chemotherapy to GST-pi density before chemotherapy was significantly higher in nonresponders than in responders (2.0 +/- 1.1 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.4). The concentration of GSH in tumors was widely distributed, but it was found that the ratio of GSH concentration in each tumor after chemotherapy to GSH concentration before chemotherapy was significantly higher for nonresponders than for responders (3.0 +/- 1.3 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.3).Increased levels of GST-pi expression after chemotherapy are linked to drug resistance in patients with ovarian carcinoma. more...

Initial beam test of the KEKB bunch-by-bunch feedback system prototypes has been performed in the TRISTAN-AR on the longitudinal plane. A simple two-tap finite impulse response (FIR) filter system consisting of hardware logic realizes the function of the phase shift by 90°, the suppression of static components, and the delay of up to a hundred turns. With the prototype filter board and a longitudinal kicker, the feedback loop has been closed successfully. The shunt impedance of the kicker was estimated from the excitation amplitude and measured damping. The damping time of the system has been measured by using the single-bunch Robinson instability. The feedback system stabilized the coupled-bunch instability completely under 8-bunch operation. more...

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy on quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. A total of 33 patients, who underwent the treatment after telling the truth and gave us the information on QOL 11 to 42 months after the discharge, were entered into the present study. Survival and length of hospital stay were calculated. QOL including emotional and physical well-being were assessed with a structure questionnaire which gives 110 points as full marks. The estimated 5-year survival rate was 49.6%. The mean survival time and length of hospital stay were 1,257 and 382 days, respectively. The mean QOL score was estimated to be 93.2. THe scores for both sociality and mentality showed a tendency to increase after completion of the treatment. Thirty-two of 33 cases (97.0%) obtained a good response for telling the truth. Alopecia and emesis due to chemotherapy were serious problems for patients. The present study showed that telling the truth was useful for well-informed consent and the QOL of patients with advanced ovarian cancer was not disturbed by cytoreductive surgery or chemotherapy. more...

The B 1s exciton spectrum of the wide-band-gap semiconductor c-BN has been studied by resonant photoemission spectroscopy. The core-exciton band is found with a binding energy of about 1.2 eV. The constant-initial-state spectra for the valence-band features indicate that the B 1s exciton is the intermediate state for the resonant photoemission from the valence band. A satellite is found below the lower valence band by the resonant photoemission at B 1s exciton. The energy distribution curves of the valence band are qualitatively in agreement with the energy-band density-of-states curves but the discrepancy is conspicuous for the conduction band. The remarkable Fermi-level shift is found between p-type and n-type c-BN in accord with the rigid-band model, in spite of the large band-bending effect. more...

This report documents an uncommon case of uterine adenofibroma with a fatty component, for which the term lipoadenofibroma is proposed. Abdominal computed tomography and echography revealed a cystic submucosal lesion in the uterine corpus of a 67-year-old woman. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of benign epithelial cells of a proliferative-endometrial type and nonepithelial stromal cells. The latter mesenchymal elements contained scattered foci of mature adipose cells. The present case is considered to be a new variant of adenofibroma (benign müllerian mixed tumor) of the uterine corpus. more...

We assessed the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and hormonal cytology in 181 postmenopausal women. BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age at menopause, hormonal cytology (eosinophilic index (EI), karyopyknotic index (KPI) and maturation value (MV)) and estradiol were investigated. A positive correlation was found between BMD and hormonal cytology (EI r = 0.17 p0.05, KPI r = 0.19 p0.05 and MV r = 0.37 p0.005). The low BMD group (BMD0.8g/cm2 n = 87) had significantly lower hormonal cytology than the normal BMD group (BMDor = 0.8g/cm2 n = 94). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed MV at 30 was available for the cutoff point in predicting osteopenia. MV30 detected osteopenia (BMD0.8g/cm2) as 0.76 in sensitivity and 0.65 in specificity. These findings suggest that hormonal cytology is useful for screening osteopenia in post-menopausal women. more...

At KEK, a double ring collider for the B‐meson physics, KEKB, will be constructed. One of the main features of the accelerator system of KEK B‐factory (KEKB) is that the stored current is very high. Owing to this, strong coupled bunch instabilities will occur. We will install bunch feedback systems to suppress these instabilities. In this paper, we will present the characteristics of the front‐end of the feedback systems. more...

To evaluate the use of transvaginal ultrasonography for diagnosing invasion of the bladder by cervical cancer.Twenty-one women with stages Ib-IIIb cervical cancer underwent radical hysterectomy or staging laparotomy. All had computed tomography (CT) scans and cystoscopic examinations, and five also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). During transvaginal ultrasonography, a transvaginal transducer was inserted into the anterior fornix of the vagina and the bladder wall was studied in the sagittal plane. The moveability of the bladder wall was assessed by the ability of the bladder to slide along the uterine cervix when the probe was pushed up against the bladder from the anterior fornix. Moveability was considered to indicate an intact bladder wall.The accuracy of transvaginal ultrasonography was superior to that of the other methods for detecting bladder-wall invasion by cervical cancer. The accuracy was 95% for transvaginal ultrasonography, 76% for CT, 86% for cystoscopy, and 80% for MRI.Transvaginal ultrasonographic examination is useful for detecting invasion of the bladder wall by cervical cancer. more...

The prognosis of 84 patients with advanced ovarian cancer who received the same regimen of postoperative chemotherapy but who received different surgical procedures, was evaluated retrospectively. Of those patients, 41 underwent cytoreductive surgery with lymphadenectomy, including removal of the para-aortic nodes (group A). The other 43 patients received hysterectomy, bilateral salpingoophorectomy and omentectomy (group B). Overall the patients in group A showed a significantly greater survival than those in group B. The performance of lymphadenectomy in patients with positive nodes improves the prognosis to equal that of patients with negative nodes. It is suggested that cytoreductive surgery with lymphadenectomy may be useful for the improvement of the prognosis of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. more...

To determine whether cell kinetics in cervical cancer differ by patient age.We analyzed specimens from 118 women who had been treated for cervical squamous cell carcinoma. In a preliminary study, labeling indices were determined in 16 patients using bromodeoxyuridine in vitro. Adjacent portions of the same specimens were analyzed by flow cytometry. Proliferation indices were calculated and compared with labeling indices for 12 diploid tumors. For the remaining 102 tumors, paraffin-embedded specimens were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine DNA ploidy and proliferation index. Using these findings, we examined the relationship between tumor cell kinetics and age.There was a significant correlation between the labeling index and age (r = 0.86, P.001) and a weak but statistically significant correlation between the proliferation index and the labeling index (r = 0.58, P.05). The proportion of aneuploid tumors increased with age. The cutoff point of highest statistical significance was 65 years (P = .025). The proliferation index showed an age-dependent shift, and the cutoff point of highest statistical significance was also 65 years. Aneuploid tumors were more common in elderly patients aged 65 or more years. Proliferation indices were also significantly larger in the elderly patients (P.005). Although stage III tumors were more common in the elderly, stage was not related to ploidy pattern or to proliferation index.Tumor cell kinetics of cervical squamous cell carcinomas differ between elderly and younger women. more...

Intra-arterial infusion with cisplatin (CDDP) and bleomycin (BLM) was carried out in 21 patients with locally recurrent uterine cervical cancer who were previously treated with irradiation alone. Patients were treated with a bolus infusion into both internal iliac arteries of 50 mg/m2 of CDDP and 30 mg/m2 of BLM. Two to four courses of the infusion therapy were given to each patient, and the response rate, the tumor and serum drug concentrations, and the cell kinetics in tumor tissue were evaluated. The response rate (CR+PR) was 71.4% according to the WHO criteria. There was no difference, in the tumor tissue concentrations of CDDP and BLM between responders and nonresponders. Although the DNA ploidy of tumor cells was not significantly different between the two groups before treatment, both the labeling index with BrdU and the proliferation index with flow cytometry significantly increased 24 hours after treatment in responding tumors but not in nonresponding tumors. These results show that intra-arterial infusion with CDDP and BLM improves the prognosis of recurrent cervical cancer and that labeling and proliferation indices may be useful for determining the response of cervical cancer to intra-arterial chemotherapy. more...

We examine the influence of CDDP and BLM on the cell cycle in the patients with uterine cervical cancer. Specimens were obtained from 8 cases of local recurrent uterine cervical cancer which were treated with CDDP and BLM bolus infusions into bilateral internal iliac arteries. Except for two patients who showed no response according to the criteria of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the other patients exhibited partial response (PR). The concentrations of BLM and CDDP were 0.83 +/- 0.05 microgram/g and 2.9 +/- 0.54 microgram/g in the tumor tissues 24 hours after treatment. The peak values of the drug concentrations in serum, which were observed at 30 min for both drugs, were 0.92 +/- 0.12 microgram/ml BLM and 1.02 +/- 0.65 microgram/ml CDDP and the concentrations of the drugs decreased rapidly in the serum. The higher levels of CDDP and BLM were retained in the tumor tissue 24 hours after treatment, than in serum. Changes in DNA content determined by flow cytometry, revealed that proliferation indices (PI) increased after treatment only in PR cases. The mean increase in the ratio was 0.10 +/- 0.015. The BrdU staining showed that cells in S phase increased in tumor tissues. Labeling indices increased from 0.10 +/- 0.04 to 0.18 +/- 0.05. These results suggested that cell synchronization was induced by CDDP and BLM in vivo. PI seemed a useful parameter for measuring drug sensitivity. more...

The effects of electrical fetal monitoring such as cardiotocogram (CTG) and nonstress test (NST) were studied during the years 1975-86 in 6,981 cases (6,893 singletons, 41 twins and 2 triplets). These cases were divided into three groups according to the mode of fetal monitoring. The first group was managed without electrical fetal monitoring (control group). The second was managed mainly with intrapartum fetal monitoring (transitional group) and the third was managed with antepartum and intrapartum fetal monitoring (fully monitored group). The incidence of cerebral palsy (CP) was investigated at the social health center during the same period. The introduction of intrapartum fetal monitoring resulted in a reduction in neonatal asphyxia from 7.0% in the control group to 5.2% and 4.3% in the transitional group and fully monitored group respectively. The perinatal mortality rate showed a significant reduction from 0.61% in the period without antepartum fetal monitoring to 0.31% in the fully monitored group, and this was attributed to the significant reduction in the number of stillbirths. The incidence of CP in the district decreased from 2.2 to 0.2 per 1,000 children during the period studied. In these circumstances, the caesarean section rate increased from 7.0% in the control group to 11.8% in the transitional group but decreased to 9.8% in the fully monitored group. These results showed the clinical and social benefits of electrical fetal monitoring. more...

We have measured the properties of Nd 1+x Ba 2−x Cu 3 O 7-δ (NBCO) thin films on YSZ(100) and SrTiO 3 (100) substrates synthesized by radio frequency(RF) flash plasma evaporation. We have analyzed the films by XRD, SEM, ICP, Tc and Jc. As a result, NBCO films deposited on YSZ(100) substrates show Tc [R=0]=91K and Jc [77K,0T]=7 × 10 4 A/cm 2 . But Jc monotonously decreased as the magnetic field increased. We analyzed the compositions of the films by ICP to investigate the cause of lower Tc and no peak effect on Jc - H properties. Tc decreased as the compositions deviated from the stoichiometric NdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (Nd123). more...

The temperature and angular dependence of the irreversibility field of YBa2Cu3Oy (6.6≤y≤6.9) single crystals have been investigated by magnetic measurements in magnetic fields up to 55kOe. The angular dependence of Hirr is well described by the expression, HirrlnHirr∝1/(cos2θ+γ−2sin2θ)12, which is expected from the flux creep model. The γ value is in good agreement with the effective mass ratio obtained from the angular dependence of the resistive transition. more...

Flux creep phenomenon in the diamagnetic magnetization of high-J c YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films prepared by CVD has been measured in magnetic fields up tp 50kOe. The activation energy U 0 was estimated from the flux creep rate as a function of temperature at various magnetic fields. The U 0 value increases almost linearly with increasing temperature and after taking a broad maximum at about 60K decreases both for H⊥c-axis and H//c-axis. The U 0 value near the maximum is suppressed by increasing magnetic field, although it is almost independent of the magnetic field at low temperature. Moreover, we observed that the anisotropy in the U 0 value was very small. more...

Shock residual effects on pinning energy of La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 (LSCO) and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) were examined by measuring the relaxation of diamagnetic magnetization. In both LSCO and YBCO shocked to 11 GPa pinning energy was observed to increase. By annealing of LSCO at 930°C and YBCO at 890°C. ΔM increased from that of unshocked specimens. more...