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We measured a set of π±Σ∓, π0Σ0, and π−Σ0 invariant mass spectra below and above the K¯N mass threshold in K−-induced reactions on deuteron. The measured πΣ mass spectral shape is well reproduced via the two-step mechanism, i.e., a neutron knocked out at a forward angle from a deuteron by an incident K−, with the K¯ recoiled backward reacting with the residual nucleon to produce π and Σ. We deduced the S-wave K¯N→πΣ and K¯N→K¯N scattering amplitudes in the isospin 0 channel in the framework of a K¯N and πΣ coupled channel. We find that a resonance pole corresponding to Λ(1405) is located at 1417.7−7.4+6.0 (fitting errors)−1.0+1.1 (systematic errors) + [−26.1−7.9+6.0 (fitting errors)−2.0+1.7 (systematic errors)] i MeV/c2, closer to the K¯N mass threshold than the value determined by the Particle Data Group.

We observed a distinct peak in the Λp invariant mass spectrum of He3(K−,Λp)n, well below mK+2mp, i.e., the mass threshold of the K− to be bound to two protons. By selecting a relatively large momentum-transfer region q=350∼650 MeV/c, one can kinematically separate the peak from the quasi-free process, K‾N→K‾N followed by the non-resonant absorption by the two spectator-nucleons K‾NN→ΛN. We found that the simplest fit to the observed peak gives us a Breit–Wigner pole position at BKpp=47±3(stat.)−6+3(sys.) MeV having a width ΓKpp=115±7(stat.)−20+10(sys.) MeV, and the S-wave Gaussian reaction form-factor parameter QKpp=381±14(stat.)−0+57(sys.) MeV/c, as a new form of the nuclear bound system with strangeness – “K−pp”. Keywords: Kaon, Strangeness, Mesonic nuclear bound state

We report on preliminary results of the J-PARC E15 experiment aiming to search for the simplest kaonic-nuclear bound-state, K-pp, via in-flight ³He(K-,n) reaction. The first physics data-taking was performed with 5 x 109 incident kaons on the ³He target, and 3 x 105 neutrons were collected by a forward neutron counter placed 15 m away from center of the target at 0 degrees. The semi-inclusive neutron spectrum shows clear peak structure composed of the quasi-elastic K-n → K-n and the charge exchange K- p → ... 0n reactions as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Factors associated with positive mental health in children with chronic diseases remain unclear. Supporting the development of positive mental health in children with chronic diseases can enhance their mental health throughout childhood and adulthood. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with positive mental health among Japanese young adults with a history of chronic pediatric diseases., Design and Methods: Participants aged 18-25 years, with a history of chronic pediatric diseases, were recruited from a population of students at a university. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. After the initial coding of each transcript, the researchers discussed and identified a set of main themes, categories, and subcategories., Results: Ten participants aged 19-22 years were interviewed. Their chronic diseases were diverse and included childhood cancers and allergic diseases. Seven themes (proactive coping, positive coping, negative coping, eudaimonia, hedonia, independence, and awareness) emerged from 21 categories and 70 subcategories identified. A thematic map was applied to two domains (protective factors and well-being factors) and to three inter-related constructs (individual, family, and community/society)., Conclusions: The findings indicated that within the well-being factors, meaning in life was prominent, and within the protective factors, stress coping was found to facilitate positive mental health among individuals with a history of chronic pediatric diseases., Practice Implications: In children with chronic diseases, support for finding appropriate coping strategies that enhance their optimism and symbiotic relationships in the community/society are important, including valuing little things in their lives, such as play and learning., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mobile health apps can support the self-management of pediatric asthma. Previous studies on mobile apps for children aged >7 years with asthma are limited, and most reports on asthma apps do not consider interactions between the children and their caregivers. Therefore, we developed an asthma app for children aged 0-12 years and their caregivers based on the results of our previous study regarding user needs., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a developed mobile app for children with asthma and their caregivers and to modify and complete the app according to the feasibility results., Methods: We recruited children diagnosed with persistent asthma by an allergy specialist at 2 children's hospitals, 1 university hospital, 2 general hospitals, and 1 pediatric clinic. Thereafter, the app usage was assessed, and questionnaires were administered. This study used convergent mixed methods, including providing user feedback about the pediatric asthma app, completing questionnaire surveys regarding preferences, and obtaining quantitative data about app usage. Quantitative data were analyzed based on the ratings provided for the app features used by the participants, and the usage of the app features was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed via a descriptive qualitative research analysis and were used to identify codes from the content-characteristic words., Results: In total, 30 pairs of children aged 2-12 years and their caregivers responded to the 3-month survey, and 20 pairs of children aged 4-12 years and their caregivers responded to the 6-month survey. In the 3- and 6-month surveys, "record" was the most commonly used feature by both caregivers and children. The average access logs per month among the 20 pairs ranged from 50 to 79 in the 6-month survey. The number of access logs decreased over time. In the qualitative results, app utilization difficulties were identified for 6 categories: record, preparing, alert settings, change settings, mobile phone owner, and display and motivation. Regarding app feasibility, 60% (12/20) of the caregivers strongly agreed or agreed for all evaluation items, while 63% (7/11) of the children strongly agreed or agreed for 6 items, excluding satisfaction. In the qualitative results, feasibility evaluation of the app was classified into 3 categories: high feasibility of the app, improvement points for the app, and personal factors preventing app utilization. Based on the results of the feasibility analysis, the final version of the app was modified and completed., Conclusions: The app feasibility among children with asthma and their caregivers was generally good. Children aged 7-12 years used elements such as record, quiz, and manga. This app can support the continuous self-management of pediatric asthma. However, efforts must be taken to maintain and improve the app quality., Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000039058; https://tinyurl.com/3na9zyf8., (©Misa Iio, Miori Sato, Masami Narita, Kiwako Yamamoto-Hanada, Taku Oishi, Ai Kishino, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Rin Nishi, Mayumi Nagata, Yukihiro Ohya. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 20.05.2022.)

We have measured the 3d→2p transition x rays of kaonic ^{3}He and ^{4}He atoms using superconducting transition-edge-sensor microcalorimeters with an energy resolution better than 6 eV (FWHM). We determined the energies to be 6224.5±0.4(stat)±0.2(syst)  eV and 6463.7±0.3(stat)±0.1(syst)  eV, and widths to be 2.5±1.0(stat)±0.4(syst)  eV and 1.0±0.6(stat)±0.3(stat)  eV, for kaonic ^{3}He and ^{4}He, respectively. These values are nearly 10 times more precise than in previous measurements. Our results exclude the large strong-interaction shifts and widths that are suggested by a coupled-channel approach and agree with calculations based on optical-potential models.

There have been no report of objective clinical characteristics or prognostic factors that predict fatal outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) since the Berlin definition was published. The aim of this study is to identify clinically available predictors that distinguish between two phenotypes of fatal ARDS due to pneumonia. In total, 104 cases of Japanese patients with pneumonia-induced ARDS were extracted from our prospectively collected database. Fatal cases were divided into early (< 7 days after diagnosis) and late (≥ 7 days) death groups, and clinical variables and prognostic factors were statistically evaluated. Of the 50 patients who died within 180 days, 18 (36%) and 32 (64%) were in the early (median 2 days, IQR [1, 5]) and late (median 16 days, IQR [13, 29]) death groups, respectively. According to multivariate regression analyses, the APACHE II score (HR 1.25, 95%CI 1.12-1.39, p < 0.001) and the disseminated intravascular coagulation score (HR 1.54, 95%CI 1.15-2.04, p = 0.003) were independent prognostic factors for early death. In contrast, late death was associated with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score indicating early fibroproliferation (HR 1.28, 95%CI 1.13-1.42, p < 0.001) as well as the disseminated intravascular coagulation score (HR 1.24, 95%CI 1.01-1.52, p = 0.039). The extent of fibroproliferation on HRCT, and the APACHE II scores along with coagulation abnormalities, should be considered for use in predictive enrichment and personalized medicine for patients with ARDS due to pneumonia., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: Educational health manga are used to promote health behavior change. This study thus seeks to achieve the following objectives: identify the emotional experience of reading educational health manga, understand the effects of facilitating the psychological mediators of behavior change through emotional experiences, and compare the effectiveness of educational health manga with conventional materials., Design: A non-randomized controlled trial with six conditions was conducted. Target behaviors were physical activity and healthy diet. Individuals aged 20-69 years ( n  = 1,680) were assigned three manga intervention conditions and three control conditions (visual image-based, narrative text, and general text material)., Main Outcome Measures: Participants were asked about their emotional experience while reading either intervention material or control material and its perceived positive influence on enhancing psychological mediators., Results: Four factors relevant to emotional experiences were identified: risk perception, familiarity, satisfaction, and realism. Emotional experience strongly predicted the psychological mediators of behavior change. Analysis of differences among the six conditions revealed that exposure to educational health manga led to greater satisfaction and increased knowledge. Participants assigned manga conditions experienced superior emotional experiences and outcomes., Conclusions: Those assigned manga conditions experienced superior emotional experiences and outcomes. The efficacy of educational health manga in encouraging psychological mediators of change was confirmed. Trial registration: UMIN Japan identifier: UMIN000034369., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Background: mHealth and uHealth apps are available for children with asthma and their caregivers. However, previous studies on mHealth apps for children older than 7 years old with asthma are limited, and most studies on asthma apps do not consider interactions involving communication between children and caregivers. Therefore, a prototype mHealth child asthma app was developed for children and their caregivers, with features of tailored feedback messages in continuing self-management and interactions between children and caregivers., Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the beneficial features of a prototype mHealth app developed for children with asthma and their caregivers., Methods: Children diagnosed with persistent asthma by allergy specialists at the National Center for Child Health and Development were recruited. The features of a prototype mHealth app for children with asthma and their caregivers were investigated using semistructured interviews after they tried the app. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Content-characteristic words were named and grouped together as categories to explore themes., Results: We recruited 27 children with asthma aged 2 to 12 years and 26 their caregivers. Findings on the good aspects of the app for children older than 7 years old and caregivers suggested 4 themes (confirmation of asthma knowledge, child-caregiver interaction, design of the app, and child's interest), and 6 categories were identified. Findings on the good aspects of app for children 7 to 12 years old and caregivers suggested 5 themes (new knowledge, manga as a Japanese-style comic, child's interest, trigger of self-management, and design and operability), and 11 categories were identified. Findings on the beneficial features of app suggested 6 themes (asthma knowledge, elements for continuous, universal design, notification, monitoring, and functions), and 12 categories were identified., Conclusions: Children with asthma and their caregivers perceived that the good aspects of the app were learning asthma knowledge with fun, including manga; interaction between child and caregiver; and easy-to-read design, such as colors. They wanted not only the asthma knowledge but also the universal design and enhanced elements, monitoring, and notification functions of the app., (©Misa Iio, Yumiko Miyaji, Kiwako Yamamoto-Hanada, Masami Narita, Mayumi Nagata, Yukihiro Ohya. Originally published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 24.08.2020.)

A 65-year-old male who presented with dizziness, dysarthria, and disability of his left hand was admitted to our hospital. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head revealed cerebral infarction and enhanced computed tomography revealed a suspicious thrombus in the ascending aorta. He did not have a coagulation disorder. We performed ascending aortic replacement and removed the thrombus with the aortic wall in order to avoid any recurrences. Here we report the successful treatment of the case from clinical and pathological points of view with some findings., Competing Interests: Disclosure StatementAll authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Annals of Vascular Diseases.)

Background: The use of baseline tumor burden (TB) as a prognostic factor for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and associations between TB and other prognostic biomarkers remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the association between TB and survival in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs in comparison with other biomarkers., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 83 NSCLC patients with ICIs administered between February 2016 and December 2018. TB was measured as the sum of the unidimensional diameters of up to five target lesions., Results: The median observation period was 14.2 months. A total of 42 patients died during the follow-up. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that baseline TB was associated with OS. Cox regression analysis adjusted for Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) alone or with addition of programmed cell death ligand 1 expression and treatment line showed that TB was a prognostic factor for OS. Using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal TB cutoff for predicting OS was 12 cm, and patients were divided into a high TB group (n = 21) and a low TB group (n = 62). The low TB group achieved significantly longer OS than the high TB group (median OS: 18.5 months, [95% CI = 11.7-not reached] vs. 2.3 months [95% CI = 1.3-2.9], P < 0.001)., Conclusion: TB is a useful, clinically measurable prognostic factor of survival in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs., (© 2019 The Authors. Thoracic Cancer published by China Lung Oncology Group and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objectives: The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has demonstrated survival benefits, although some treatment responders (defined as patients with non-progressive disease) are forced to discontinue treatment because of severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs). An association between treatment efficacy and irAEs has been reported. However, it is unclear which treatment responders are likely to develop severe irAEs. We aimed to examine risk factors for ICI-related severe irAEs in patients with NSCLC., Materials and Methods: Between February 2016 and October 2018, we retrospectively evaluated 42 patients with NSCLC at our institution who responded to ICI treatment. Tumor burden was measured as the sum of the unidimensional diameters of up to five target lesions, according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1., Results: ICIs were discontinued in 15 of 42 treatment responders because of severe irAEs. Tumor burden was a significant independent predictor of severe irAEs (p = 0.03). The odds ratio of severe irAEs and tumor burden over 90 mm was 8.62 (95% confidence interval = 1.96-37.9, p = 0.004)., Conclusion: A high tumor burden was a risk factor for severe irAEs in patients with NSCLC who responded to ICI treatment., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Most studies of stress in children with chronic diseases have been geared toward parents and caregivers have not considered allergic diseases together. This study aimed to identify the stressors associated with allergic diseases in Japanese school-age children., Design and Methods: Stressors associated with allergic diseases of 11 school-age children (seven boys and four girls; age range: 9-12 years) were investigated using semi-structured interviews., Results: In the qualitative thematic analysis of stressors about allergic diseases, two themes: allergic disease-specific stressors and common stressors in chronic diseases, and 12 categories were identified. A thematic map was applied to four domains of stressor: physiological factors, psychological factors, social factors, and environmental factors., Conclusions: The results showed that school-age children with allergic diseases have a variety of stressors. Future studies should aim to develop an allergic disease-specific stress management program with school-age children., Practice Implications: In children with allergic diseases, not only is stress management in daily life important, but also stress management for disease-specific matters to control the symptoms and maintain mental health. Stress management should be supported for school-age children with allergic diseases., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The present case study investigated the feasibility of using manga (Japanese-style comic books) to promote physical activity and healthy eating behavior in Japanese patients with metabolic syndrome., Methods: A one-arm pre-post intervention was conducted in a Japanese suburban community. Twenty participants with a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome were recruited via health checkups. Health promotion manga were developed by the researcher, a publishing specialist, and a professional illustrator. We measured participants' self-reported physical activity, eating behavior, and psychological readiness to change toward engaging in healthy behavior., Results: At 1 month after the intervention there were no significant differences in physical activity scores, but small positive changes in vigorous ( R 2  = 0.02) and moderate ( R 2  = 0.01) physical activity scores were observed. Total healthy eating behavior scores were significantly improved ( p  < 0.05, R 2  = 0.47). In addition, participants reported positive change in psychological readiness, such as increased intention to engage in healthy behavior, enhanced self-efficacy, and benefits of using manga., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that manga interventions have potential to encourage healthy eating in patients with metabolic syndrome., Competing Interests: Takashi Shimazaki: Takashi Shimazaki received his PhD from the Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan), in 2014. He then joined the Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Health Science and Social Welfare, Waseda University, in 2014, as a research associate. From 2017, he was a lecturer in the Department of Health & Physical Education, Faculty of Humanities, Sophia University (Tokyo). His recent work has focused on health behavior change interventions in suburban Japanese communities. Munehiro Matsushita: Munehiro Matsushita received his PhD from the Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan), in 2015. He then joined the Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, in 2015, as a research associate. From 2017, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Education,Tokai University, (Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan). His recent work has focused on relationships between socioeconomic position and engagement in physical activity. Misa Iio: Misa Iio received her PhD from the Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan), in 2013. She then joined the College of Nursing, Kanto Gakuin University (Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan), in 2014, as an assistant professor. Her recent work has focused on patient education for children with asthma. Koji Takenaka: Koji Takenaka is a professor of health psychology at Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan). He received his EdD from Boston University in 1990 and PhD from Kyushu University (Fukuoka, Japan) in 2011. He worked at Kwansei Gakuin University (Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan) in 1976–1990, and Okayama University (Okayama, Japan) in 1995–1995 before taking up his most recent position. His recent work has focused on mental health promotion.All study procedures followed the ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects in the Declaration of Helsinki and Human Ethics Committee of Waseda University. Participants were informed that personal data would only be used for research purposes and would be kept confidential. Signed informed consent for participate evaluation program and publication of the results was obtained from all participants.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Background: The formation of acrylamide (AA) in cooked foods has raised human health concerns. AA is metabolized by cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) to glycidamide (GA), which forms DNA adducts. This study examined the inhibitory effects of wasabi (Japanese horseradish, Wasabia japonica) roots and leaves as well as their active component, allyl isothiocyanate (AIT), on the formation and genotoxicity of AA., Results: AA formation (51.8 ± 4.2 µg kg -1 ) was inhibited with ≥2 mg mL -1 of AIT. Wasabi roots also inhibited AA formation (∼90% reduction), but wasabi leaves were not effective at 2 mg mL -1 . Wasabi roots and leaves decreased the number of cells with micronuclei by approximately 33 and 24% respectively compared with the AA treatment group. Moreover, wasabi roots and leaves (100 mg kg -1 body weight (BW) day -1 for each) decreased AA (100 mg kg -1 BW day -1 )-induced DNA damage. The AA-induced CYP2E1 activity was decreased by 39 and 26% with wasabi roots and leaves respectively. Further, the activity of glutathione S-transferase, which catalyzes the detoxification of AA via glutathione conjugation, increased by 54 and 33% with wasabi roots and leaves respectively., Conclusion: These results indicate that wasabi roots and leaves are effective ingredients for inhibiting the formation and genotoxicity of AA. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.)

We examined the efficacy of a tailored education program using touch-screen computers for caregivers of young children with asthma, aged 0 to 6 years. Fifty-three caregivers (mean age, 36.54 years; 51 mothers and two fathers) were recruited during typical visits to a national children's hospital. Caregivers were assigned randomly to 28 in the tailored education or 25 in the booklet education groups. The tailored education group received messages generated by a computer program, and the researchers provided them with counseling. The booklet education group only received an educational booklet. The primary outcome variable was parental self-efficacy and its subscales (ie, medication behavior, environmental behavior, barriers to self-management, and consultation behavior). The tailored education group showed an increase in barriers to management and asthma knowledge compared with the booklet education group. Over time, caregivers' quality of life improved significantly in both groups. Tailored education programs for caregivers of asthmatic children require further educational content modifications to match the learners' characteristics more closely. This study supports the notion that the development of patient education with tailored computer programs improves parental quality of life of asthma.

Previous research has shown that physical activity with a low psychological burden and high feasibility (i.e. a focus on small lifestyle changes) contributes to the adoption of and long-term success in behavior change intervention. The present study aims to explore the physical activity with a low psychological burden and high feasibility in which people already engage in their everyday life in Japan. Sixty-four participants (22 males and 42 females ranging in age from 36 to 89) participated in a qualitative research survey that asked what type of physical activity they engaged in on a daily basis to maintain good health. Results of a thematic analysis revealed nine themes (behavioral categories), which included four core themes of exercise, gymnastic exercises, stretch exercises, sports, and strength training, and five core themes of nonexercise activity, walking, cleaning, using the stairs, engaging in agriculture, and gardening based on a description analysis. A thematic map was constructed based on Japanese physical activity guidelines. Key findings of this study are as follows: (1) walking has a low psychological burden and high feasibility; (2) gymnastic exercise is efficacious from a physical and psychological perspective; (3) nonexercise activities are more acceptable than exercise activities; and (4) a focus on intervention with nonexercise activities has the potential for high engagement in the Japanese population. The study indicates that significant resources are available for promoting health behavior change interventions that would increase physical activity in the Japanese population.

Introduction: The present study constructed a short form of the Healthy Eating Behavior Inventory suitable for use in the Japanese culture (HEBI-J) and confirmed the scale's preliminary reliability and validity., Methods: In Study 1, Japanese adults (N=75) completed a free-response questionnaire about healthy eating behaviours. Thematic analysis was used to identify three factors-balance, pattern, and restriction-associated with healthy eating behaviours and 12 items related to these healthy eating behaviours. In Study 2, Japanese office workers (N=784) completed two questionnaires regarding 12 items of healthy eating behaviours and the dietary stages of change., Results: Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the three-factor model was appropriate (GFI=.94, AGFI=.90, CFI=.90, RMSEA=.08, SRMR=.53). Reliability was confirmed by alpha coefficients and the Spearman-Brown formula. Concurrent validity was confirmed by the relationship between the healthy eating stages., Conclusions: This study demonstrated the preliminary reliability and validity of the HEBI-J., (Copyright © 2015 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: We developed a tailored education program using a touch-screen computer for changing management behavior with asthmatic children and their caregivers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the tailored education program., Methods: Caregivers including children with asthma were recruited during visits to a national children's hospital and those whose month-long asthma condition on the JPAC (Japanese Pediatric Asthma Program) score was 14 and below were included. Caregivers were randomized to the tailored education (intervention group) or non-tailored education (control group). The intervention group underwent a patient education program using a touch-screen computer, and they received tailored messages generated by a computer program. A research nurse and clinical psychologist used a computer-based resource to tailor the education messages and provided counseling using motivational interviewing for the caregivers including children with asthma. The control group received only a booklet on asthma., Results: Forty-seven subjects aged 1 to 6 years were enrolled. Forty-seven caregivers were randomized to the tailored education (n=22) or non-tailored education (n=25) group. The results of two-way ANOVA showed that interactions between groups were observed in the score of JPAC and asthma knowledge for preschool children whose asthma onset was within one year and a half. The main effects of time were observed in the total and subscale score of QOL (Quality of Life) and the total score of P-CASES (Parental Childhood Asthma's Self-efficacy Scale)., Conclusion: These findings indicate the benefit of a tailored education program to control symptoms in such caregivers.

Purpose: To identify the factors influencing parental medication control behaviors (inhaling corticosteroids and medication-taking) in pediatric asthma management., Methods: A specially-designed questionnaire survey was conducted on 942 parents with asthmatic children in hospitals and elementary schools., Results: Factor analysis on inhalation behaviors resulted in five factors: understanding of benefit, mastering on inhalation skills and medication management, family support, anxiety of side effects, and explanation from a doctor (cumulative contribution ratio=51.3%). Factor analysis on medication-taking behavior resulted in five factors: understanding of medication effectiveness and benefit, family support, anxiety of side effects, skills on giving medicines, and family routine (cumulative contribution ratio=50.6%)., Conclusion: The results indicate the importance of recognizing factors influencing parental medication control behaviors in developing education strategies to maintain and reinforce their asthma management behaviors.

Taurine is known to function as a protectant against various stresses in animal cells. In order to utilize taurine as a compatible solute for stress tolerance of yeast, isolation of cDNA clones for genes encoding enzymes involved in biosynthesis of taurine was attempted. Two types of cDNA clones corresponding to genes encoding cysteine dioxygenase (CDO1 and CDO2) and a cDNA clone for cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase (CSD) were isolated from Cyprinus carpio. Deduced amino acid sequences of the two CDOs and that of CSD showed high similarity to those of CDOs and those of CSDs from other organisms, respectively. The coding regions of CDO1, CDO2, and CSD were subcloned into an expression vector, pESC-TRP, for Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, to enhance the efficiency of synthesis of taurine in S. cerevisiae, a CDO-CSD fusion was designed and expressed. Expression of CDO and CSD proteins, or the CDO-CSD fusion protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis. HPLC analysis showed that the expression of the proteins led to enhancement of the accumulation level of hypotaurine, a precursor of taurine, rather than taurine. The yeast cells expressing corresponding genes showed tolerance to oxidative stress induced by menadione, but not to freezing-thawing stress.

A20 is a negative regulator of the NF-kappaB pathway and was initially identified as being rapidly induced after tumour-necrosis factor-alpha stimulation. It has a pivotal role in regulation of the immune response and prevents excessive activation of NF-kappaB in response to a variety of external stimuli; recent genetic studies have disclosed putative associations of polymorphic A20 (also called TNFAIP3) alleles with autoimmune disease risk. However, the involvement of A20 in the development of human cancers is unknown. Here we show, using a genome-wide analysis of genetic lesions in 238 B-cell lymphomas, that A20 is a common genetic target in B-lineage lymphomas. A20 is frequently inactivated by somatic mutations and/or deletions in mucosa-associated tissue lymphoma (18 out of 87; 21.8%) and Hodgkin's lymphoma of nodular sclerosis histology (5 out of 15; 33.3%), and, to a lesser extent, in other B-lineage lymphomas. When re-expressed in a lymphoma-derived cell line with no functional A20 alleles, wild-type A20, but not mutant A20, resulted in suppression of cell growth and induction of apoptosis, accompanied by downregulation of NF-kappaB activation. The A20-deficient cells stably generated tumours in immunodeficient mice, whereas the tumorigenicity was effectively suppressed by re-expression of A20. In A20-deficient cells, suppression of both cell growth and NF-kappaB activity due to re-expression of A20 depended, at least partly, on cell-surface-receptor signalling, including the tumour-necrosis factor receptor. Considering the physiological function of A20 in the negative modulation of NF-kappaB activation induced by multiple upstream stimuli, our findings indicate that uncontrolled signalling of NF-kappaB caused by loss of A20 function is involved in the pathogenesis of subsets of B-lineage lymphomas.

We directly observe the interaction between 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (bmim) or 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium (bm(2)im) and the solute, ethyl acrylate (EA), which is the popular dienophile in the Diels-Alder reaction and an H-bonding acceptor, by using specially designed electrospray mass spectrometry. In imidazolium ionic liquids, cation-anion interactions are controlled by selecting the appropriate anion, and the naked C(2)-H of imidazolium, which loosely interacts with its counterion, can readily interact with an H-bonding acceptable solute. The ion-counterion (solvent-solvent) interaction affects the ion-solute (solvent-solute) interaction. This relation is one of the key criteria for selecting the cation-anion combination in tailoring ILs.

Olfactory neuroblastoma is an uncommon intranasal tumor originating from olfactory neuroepithelium. Despite the development of electron microscopy and immunohistochemical testing, the pathological diagnosis of this tumor is still difficult because of the wide range of histological features. Magnetic resonance imaging (MR) of this tumor and the pattern of contrast enhancement have not been well described. The purpose of this report was to analyze the MR characteristics of olfactory neuroblastomas. The MR signal, pattern of contrast enhancement, and correlation with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) imaging were examined. Seventeen patients with olfactory neuroblastoma were treated at Hokkaido University Hospital and a related hospital during the past 25 years. MR images taken in 12 patients and CT images taken in 9 patients with histologically confirmed olfactory neuroblastoma were retrospectively reviewed. Compared with brain gray matter, 11 tumors were hypointense on T1-weighted images, 9 homogeneously and 2 heterogenously. Eight tumors were hyperintense on T2-weighted images, 3 homogeneously and 5 heterogeneously, although their appearance was less intense than that of sinusitis. Gadolinium enhancement was moderate in one case and marked in 10 of the 11 cases, 9 homogeneously and 2 heterogeneously. Nine of the 11 tumors showed smooth regular shaped margins; 2 of these tumors exhibited irregular infiltrating margins on gadolinium-enhanced images, compared to the pre-contrast T1-weighted images. Eight of the 11 tumors had clearly demarcated margins, while 3 of the 11 tumors did not exhibit gadolinium enhancement. Six of the 12 cases (50%) exhibited intracranial cysts on the gadolinium-enhanced images. T2-weighted or gadolinium-enhanced images successfully distinguished sinusitis from tumors in 4 cases whereas the CT images failed. Gadolinium enhancement, particularly in the tangential plane, demonstrated intracranial extension not apparent on the CT images in one case. In most cases, olfactory neuroblastomas are hypointense on T1-weighted images, hyperintense on T2-weighted images, and show marked homogeneous enhancement with well-demarcated regular margins upon gadolinium enhancement. Although the definite diagnosis is based on histopathology findings and MR features are nonspecific, they may suggest an imaging diagnosis of olfactory neuroblastoma when seen in the superior nasal cavity. MR is superior to CT both in delineating the extent of the tumor and in making an imaging diagnosis.

[structure: see text] As a halogen-free anion for an imidazolium room temperature ionic liquid, the use of a camphorsulfonate causes an increase in the number of free (naked) imidazolium cations, which produces an effective endo/exo stereoselective Diels-Alder reaction.

Proteins and genes involved in the recovery of heat-injured Salmonella Enteritidis were investigated. Salmonella Enteritidis cells cultured overnight in tryptic soy broth (TSB; nonselective medium) were suspended in citric acid-disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 6). After heat treatment at 55 degrees C for 15 min, the culturable counts measured by tryptic soy agar (TSA; nonselective medium) decreased from 10(8) to 10(7) CFU/ml. On the other hand, culturable counts measured by desoxycholate-hydrogen sulfite-lactose (DHL) agar (selective medium) were decreased from 10(8) to 10(4) CFU/ml by the same treatment. The results suggest that 99.9% of Salmonella Enteritidis detected on TSA were injured but recoverable. When injured Salmonella Enteritidis was incubated in TSB, the culturable count measured by TSA did not increase for 2 h, whereas that by DHL agar increased after incubation for 30 min. After incubation for 2 h, the culturable count measured by DHL agar reached a similar level with that by TSA, indicating that Salmonella Enteritidis had recovered. The two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that elongation factor G (FusA) and pyruvate kinase (PykF) specifically increased in the cells just after heat treatment and in the recovery cells. The levels of transcription of 86 stress-inducible genes were also investigated by reverse transcription PCR. Nineteen heat-inducible (clpB, clpX, degP, dnaJ, fkpA, ftsJ, gapA, hflB, hslJ, hslU, hslV, htpG, htrA, lon, mopA, mopB, mreB, rpoE, and ppiD), and 12 oxidative-stress and DNA damage-inducible (ahpC, ahpF, fldB, fur, grxA, dinF, katG, mutM, recA, soxR, trxC, and zwf) genes were transcribed extensively during recovery in TSB. The results obtained in this study will be used to develop the media or culture conditions that will promote recovery for the detection of food poisoning bacteria, including injured cells from food products.

Two kinds of isoforms of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were purified from cells of a freezing-tolerant strain, Chlorella vulgaris C-27, by sequential steps of chromatography on five kinds of columns, including a HiTrap Blue column which showed excellent separation of the isoforms from each other. The two isoforms (G6PDH1 and G6PDH2) were purified up to 109-fold and 197-fold with specific activity of 14.4 and 26.0 U/mg-protein, respectively. G6PDH1 showed an apparent Mr of 200,000 with a subunit Mr of about 58,000, whereas G6PDH2 showed an apparent Mr of 450,000 with a subunit Mr of about 52,000. The kinetic parameters were measured and several enzymatic features of the isoforms, such as effects of metal ions on the enzyme activity, were clarified, which showed that the two isoforms were different from each other in many respects. Among the effective ions, Cd2+ showed marked stimulating effects on both isoforms. G6PDH1 and G6PDH2 seem to be a cytosolic and a chloroplastic type, respectively, as judged by their sensitivity to DTT, and also from the results of sequence similarity searches using their N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences.

A rapid and sensitive method for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in raw and dry milk samples with the use of antibody-based immunomagnetic separation (IMS) in conjunction with flow cytometry (FCM) was developed. Sheep anti-SEB immunoglobulin G (IgG) was immobilized on Dynabeads M-280. The SEB initially binds to the capturing antibody, which is bound on the magnetic beads. The rabbit anti-SEB IgG binds to the captured toxin and is further labeled with a Cy5-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG antibody. The percentage of the beads that were fluorescent was measured by FCM. FCM was carried out for 1 min, and the data obtained were expressed as histograms for particle size (forward light scatter) and histograms for fluorescence intensity. A peak corresponding to the magnetic beads was clearly distinguished from a peak derived from contaminating particles in the sample solution. In the absence of SEB, about 10% of the beads emitted fluorescence. The percentage of fluorescent beads and the fluorescence intensity increased with increasing SEB concentrations. For this IMS-FCM assay, the lower limits of detection for SEB were estimated to be 0.01 and 0.25 ng/ml for buffer and milk samples, respectively.

In an attempt to clarify the involvement of fatty acid desaturases (FADs) in the freezing tolerance of Chlorella vulgaris IAM C-27, developed by hardening, we have isolated cDNA clones for two types of FADs from the Chlorella strain, based on the sequence information of genes for delta12 and omega-3 FADs, respectively desaturating oleic acid (18:1) to linoleic acid (18:2) and linoleic acid (18:2) to linolenic acid (18:3). The deduced amino acid sequence of the first clone, designated CvFad2, showed about 66% similarity to the microsomal delta12 FADs from several higher plants and this gene had delta12 FAD activity when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The predicted protein encoded by a second gene, designated CvFad3, showed about 60% similarity to the microsomal and plastidial omega-3 FADs from several higher plants. The features of the amino acid sequences of the C- and N-terminal regions of CvFAD3 and fatty acid analysis of polar lipids in transgenic tobacco plant expressing the CvFad3 gene suggested that this gene encodes the microsomal omega-3 FAD. Southern blot analysis showed that both genes were single-copy genes in the genome of the Chlorella strain. Different transcriptional patterns were observed with the two genes during hardening in Northern blot analysis.

The pbp3 gene encoding PBP3 of Bacillus cereus was cloned and sequenced. For this purpose, PBP3 was first purified from B. cereus ts-4, and N-terminal amino acid sequences of the peptides obtained from the protease digests of the protein were analyzed. The B. cereus ts-4 pbp3 gene consisted of an open reading frame of 1,986 bp encoding 662 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 73,044 Da. The active site-motifs SXXK, SXN, and KTG are present at the positions 393, 452, and 590, respectively, in the deduced amino acid sequence. The pbp3 structural gene was ligated into the pET17 x b expression vector and pET-pbp3 was constructed. A protein was produced by the cells of E. coli carrying pET-pbp3. The produced protein migrated at about 75 kDa in SDS-polyacrylamide gel and strongly reacted with biotinylated ampicillin.

The DNA band patterns generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the du2 primer and template DNAs from various strains of Escherichia coli and non-E. coli bacteria were compared. Among three to five prominent bands produced, the three bands at about 1.8, 2.7, and 5.0 kb were detected in all of the E. coli O157 strains tested. Some nonpathogenic E. coli and all pathogenic E. coli except E. coli O157 showed bands at 1.8 and 5.0 kb. It seems that the band at 2.7 kb is specific to E. coli O157. Sequence analysis of the 2.7-kb PCR product revealed the presence of a DNA sequence specific to E. coli O157:H- and E. coli O157:H7. Since the DNA sequence from base 15 to base 1,008 of the PCR product seems to be specific to E. coli O157, a PCR assay was carried out with various bacterial genomic DNAs and O157-FHC1 and O157-FHC2 primers that amplified the region between base 23 and base 994 of the 2.7-kb PCR product. A single band at 970 bp was clearly detected in all of the strains of E. coli O157:H- and E. coli O157:H7 tested. However, no band was amplified from template DNAs from other bacteria, including both nonpathogenic and pathogenic E. coli except E. coli O157. All raw meats inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 at 3 x 10(0) to 3.5 x 10(2) CFU/25 g were positive both for our PCR assay after cultivation in mEC-N broth at 42 degrees C for 18 h and for the conventional cultural method.

A cryoprotective protein, HIC6, was expressed transgenically in tobacco, a cold-sensitive plant, and the localization of the protein within the cell as well as freezing tolerance of the transgenic tobacco was investigated. For constitutive expression of HIC6 in tobacco, its corresponding gene was subcloned into pBI121. Through the transformation with pBI121/hiC6, fifteen transgenic tobacco lines were acquired, out of which twelve lines expressed the HIC6 protein. None of the transgenic tobacco lines, however, showed significant differences in freezing tolerance from the control plants (wild-type and transformed with pBI121) at -1, -3, and -4 degrees C, with the exception that their freezing temperature was -2 degrees C. In order to increase the accumulation level of HIC6, pBE2113 with a stronger promoter was used. Eight lines expressed the protein out of thirteen lines transformed with pBE2113/hiC6. The accumulation levels of the protein were clearly higher in the tobacco plants transformed with pBE2113/hiC6 than in those with pBI121/hiC6. The HIC6 protein seemed to be localized in mitochondria of the transgenic tobacco plants. Freezing-tolerance tests at -1 - -4 degrees C showed that the degree of electrolyte leakage was significantly lower in the plants with pBE2113/hiC6 than in the control plants. A leaf browning observation also showed that high accumulation of HIC6 significantly suppressed injury caused by freezing to the transgenic tobacco at -3 degrees C.

The nucleotide sequence of hiC12, isolated as a cDNA clone of hardening-induced Chlorella (hiC) genes, was identified. The clone encodes a late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein having six repeats of a 11-mer amino acid motif, although in a slightly imperfect form. To overexpress the hiC61) and hiC12 genes, their coding regions were PCR amplified and subcloned into a pGEX-1lambdaT vector. The HIC6 and HIC12 proteins were expressed as GST fusion proteins in E. coli, then purified. The two HIC proteins were found to be effective in protecting a freeze-labile enzyme, LDH, against freeze-inactivation. On a molar concentration basis, they were about 3.1 x 10(6) times more effective in protecting LDH than sucrose and as effective as BSA. Cryoprotection tests with five kinds of chain-shortened polypeptides, synthesized based on the 11-mer amino acid motif of the HIC6 protein showed that the cryoprotective activity decreased with a decrease in the repeating units of the 11-mer motif. In fact, cryoprotective activities of three kinds of single 11-mer amino acids were very low even at high concentrations. All the results suggested that the sufficiently repeated 11-mer motif is required for the cryoprotective activities of Chlorella LEA proteins.

Liver-expressed chemokine (LEC) is a CC chemokine that is selectively expressed in the liver. We report here the structures of the human and mouse genes for LEC. The human LEC gene (SCYA16) was isolated from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone that also contained CC chemokine genes for MPIF-1/Ckbeta8, HCC-2/Lkn-1/MIP-5/MIP-1delta, and HCC-1. The LEC gene is approximately 5.0 kb in length and has a three-exon and two-intron structure common to most CC chemokine genes. However, the promoter region is devoid of a typical TATA box, and transcription initiates at multiple sites. The gene for CC chemokine HCC-1, which is most similar to LEC, is located approximately 2.2 kb upstream from the 5' end of the LEC gene in a head-to-tail fashion. The mouse DNA fragment that hybridized with the human LEC cDNA was isolated from a BAC clone that also contained the CC chemokine genes for C10, MRP-2/CCF18/MIP-1gamma, and RANTES. Sequence analysis revealed that the isolated gene does not encode a functional chemokine because of deletions, insertions, and base changes. Southern blot analysis revealed that the sequence isolated from the BAC clone was the only one hybridizing with human LEC cDNA in the mouse genome. Therefore, mice may have only an LEC pseudogene.

To understand the organization of the human CC chemokine gene cluster on chromosome 17q11.2, we determined the nucleotide sequence of a region 181 kb long containing five CC chemokine genes, MPIF-1 (SCYA23), HCC-2 (SCYA15), HCC-1 (SCYA14), LEC (SCYA16), and RANTES (SCYA5), by the random shot-gun method. The four CC chemokine genes, MPIF-1, HCC-2, HCC-1, and LEC, are clustered within a region 40 kb long, whereas the RANTES gene is located approximately 10 kb apart from the four chemokine gene minicluster. These chemokine genes are arranged in the same orientation, and their sizes are relatively long, 3.1 (HCC-1)-8.8 kb (RANTES) when compared with other CC chemokine genes, such as MIP-1alpha/LD78alpha (SCYA3) (1.9 kb) and MCP-1 (SCYA2) (1.5 kb). In contrast to most other human CC chemokine genes that consist of three exons, the MPIF-1 and HCC-2 genes, separated by 12 kb, have four exons. When the nucleotide sequences of the MPIF-1 and HCC-2 genes are compared, they are well conserved, including introns and flanking sequences, except for the middle region of the long first intron, indicating that they have been generated recently in evolutionary terms by duplication. In addition to the CC chemokine genes, more than 30 exons are identified in the sequenced region by similarity search against expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and also by the gene prediction program GenScan. This indicates that the chemokine cluster sequenced in this study is a gene-rich region in the human genome.

Two loci in the human genome, chromosomes 4q12-q21 and 17q11.2, contain clusters of CXC and CC chemokine subfamily genes, respectively. Since mice appear to contain fewer chemokine genes than humans, numerous gene duplications might have occurred in each locus of the human genome. Here we describe the genomic organization of the human pulmonary and activation-regulated CC chemokine (PARC), also known as DC-CK1 and AMAC-1. Despite high sequence similarity to a CC chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha)/LD78alpha, PARC is chemotactic for lymphocytes and not for monocytes and does not share its receptor with MIP-1alpha. Analyses of the BAC clones containing the human PARC gene indicated that the gene is located most closely to MIP-1alpha (HGMW-approved symbol SCYA3) and MIP-1beta (HGMW-approved symbol SCYA4) on chromosome 17q11.2. Dot-plot comparison suggested that the PARC gene had been generated by fusion of two MIP-1alpha-like genes with deletion and selective usage of exons. Base changes accumulated before and after the fusion might have adapted the gene to a new function. Since there are variably duplicated copies of the MIP-1alpha gene called LD78beta (HGMW-approved symbol SCYA3L) in the vicinity of the MIP-1alpha gene, the locus surrounding the MIP-1alpha gene seems to be a "hot spring" that continuously produces new family genes. This evidence provides a new model, duplication and fusion, of the molecular basis for diversity within a gene family.

We have determined the entire sequence of human cDNA encoding a novel CC chemokine NCC-4 by 5' and 3' RACE methods. Two types of transcripts, 579 bp and 1503 bp long, respectively, are generated through alternative polyadenylation sites. Both species contain an open reading frame encoding 120 amino acids with 19-38% identity to other human CC chemokines. The short and long transcripts are expressed highly selectively in the liver at nearly equivalent levels. There seems to be one copy of the gene per haploid genome. We now designate NCC-4 as LEC from liver-expressed chemokine.

CC chemokines are cytokines that attract and activate leukocytes. The human genes for the CC chemokines are clustered on chromosome 17. To elucidate the genomic organization of the CC chemokine genes, we constructed a YAC contig comprising 34 clones. The contig was shown to contain all 10 CC chemokine genes reported so far, except for one gene whose nucleotide sequence is not available. The contig also contains 4 CC chemokine-like genes, which were deposited in GenBank as ESTs and are here referred to as NCC-1, NCC-2, NCC-3, and NCC-4. Within the contig, the CC chemokine genes were localized in two regions. In addition, the CC chemokine genes were more precisely mapped on chromosome 17q11.2 using a somatic cell hybrid cell DNA panel containing various portions of human chromosome 17. Interestingly, a reciprocal translocation t(Y;17) breakpoint, contained in the hybrid cell line Y1741, lay between the two chromosome 17 chemokine gene regions covered by our YAC contig. From these results, the order and the orientation of CC chemokine genes on chromosome 17 were determined as follows: centromere-neurofibromatosis 1-(MCP-3, MCP-1, NCC-1, I-309)-Y1741 breakpoint-RANTES-(LD78gamma, AT744.2, LD78beta)-(NCC-3, NCC-2, AT744.1, LD78alpha)-NCC-4-retinoic acid receptor alpha- telomere.

The clinical effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on the morbidity of paranoid schizophrenic patients were assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) and plasma biochemistry studies before and after ECT. The present study included five patients whose average age was 41.4 years. The average duration of illness was 23.0 years. To avoid any effect of changes in drugs on PET, no changes were made in the medication of any of the five patients during the study period. ECT improved the clinical symptoms in every patient. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) on PET in both temporal lobes and the left cerebellum was higher in paranoid schizophrenia before ECT than in normal subjects, and rCBF after ECT in both frontal lobes, the right temporal lobe and the right putamen was lower than before ECT as mental symptoms improved. These findings suggest high cerebral blood flow volume in paranoid schizophrenia. Plasma biochemistry studies revealed a lower level of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) after ECT than before ECT, but a higher level of prolactin existed.

Open heart operations on patients with hereditary spherocytosis have been reported rarely. Young children who have not yet undergone splenectomy have a high risk of intraoperative hemolysis because of the heart-lung machine and secondary renal failure. We report the case of a 15-month-old child with spherocytosis who underwent an open heart operation without serious complications as a result of careful and appropriate perioperative management.

A case of hemimegalencephaly was studied by means of neuroimaging (CT, MRI and PET) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Hemimegalencephaly (HM) is a neuronal migration disorder. This is the first report of evaluation of HM with the use of PET and MEG from not only the morphological but also the functional point of view. PET with 11C-glucose showed a low radioactive concentration in the affected hemisphere, which suggested a metabolic deficit. MEG proved the epileptic foci existed mainly in the affected hemisphere, especially around a heterotopia and the pachygyric cortex, which was disclosed on MRI.

Surgical treatment for a hypoplastic aortic arch associated with coarctation or interruption of the aorta is controversial. We evaluate the changes of diameter of proximal transverse aortic arch after surgery in 28 patients. Proximal transverse aortic arch in all patients was preoperatively 3.5 +/- 0.9 mm (2.5 to 7 mm), and 54 +/- 12% (36 to 84%) to the normal aortic valve dimension (n-AVD: 16.6 X BSA0.6). While postoperative proximal transverse aortic arch was 6.5 +/- 1.8 mm, and 76 +/- 12% to the n-AVD, and significantly grew more than the preoperative arch dimension (p = 0.0001). In 18 patients having two times cardiac catheterization postoperatively, proximal transverse aortic arch was 6.5 +/- 1.6 mm, and 75 +/- 13% to n-AVD on the 1st postoperative examination. On the 2nd examination, the arch was 9.9 +/- 1.9 mm, and 88 +/- 12% to n-AVD, and significantly grew with increasing years (p < or = 0.0003). We concluded that the proximal transverse aortic arch, which was more than 36% to n-AVD in diameter, if not dilated surgically, grew with increasing years after aortic arch repair.

Eight patients with a mean age of 13.0 years underwent reoperation for obstructed extracardiac dacron conduit with xenograft valve at a mean of 7 years after Rastelli operation. In two patients, infective endocarditis of the stenotic conduit was the main indication for the reoperation. Diagnoses included 3 tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia, 3 d-TGA (III), 1 truncus arteriosus, and 1 corrected TGA. The conduit was completely excised leaving the posterior half of the autogenous external peel of conduit as the new outflow bed and a monocusped patch was then placed. Operations were mostly carried out allowing the heart to continue to beat. One patient with c-TGA who underwent concomitant replacement of aortic and left A-V values died in the hospital 4 months postoperatively. In other 7 patients, systolic pressure gradient across the right ventricular outflow decreased from a mean of 80.3 mmHg to 16.0 mmHg. Postoperative pulmonary regurgitation by UCG were trivial in 3 and grade III in 3 patients. One patient required re-reoperation late postoperatively for re-stenosis due to contracture of Golaski outflow patch. Three patients did not require any homologous blood during either the operation or the rest of the hospital stay. The results suggests that this method is a simple and effective option for reoperation of obstructed extracardiac dacron conduits late after Rastelli operation.

Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) dimension was measured in seven patients with coarctation (CoA) or interruption (IAA) of the aorta before and after aortic arch repair and pulmonary artery banding. The age of patients ranged 3 to 69 (mean 16) days, the weight 3.0 to 3.9 (mean 3.4) kg. Associated cardiac anomalies were VSD in 6, MA and DORV in 1. In five patients compared by ultrasound, preoperative LVOT dimension ranged from 3.5 to 5.0 (mean 4.4) mm with the ratio to the normal aortic valve dimension (n-AVD; 16.6 x BSA0.6) from 54 to 82 (mean 69)%. Postoperative dimension increased 5.0 to 7.4 (mean 5.7) mm and the ratio to the n-AVD increased 65 to 89 (mean 80)%. In three patients compared by LV graphy, preoperative LVOT dimension ranged from 4.0 to 4.5 (4.2) mm and the ratio ranged from 61 to 72 (68)%. Postoperative dimension increased from 4.5 to 6.7 (5.3) mm, and 74 to 80 (78)% to n-AVD after operation. Postoperative pressure gradients between LV and ascending aorta in each patient were 1 to 9 (mean 6) mmHg. In any patients, LVOT obstruction did not advance after aortic arch repair and pulmonary artery banding.

Carbon-11-methionine PET scans were obtained from 24 patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma for whom surgical treatment was considered. The tumor mass was visualized with clear delineation. After PET scanning, the tumor was removed by lobectomy or pulmonectomy. The tumor tissue was first processed to yield tumor cell suspensions and then subjected to DNA flow cytometry. Comparison between 11C uptake rate and flow-cytometric data gave the following results: 11C uptake rate in the tumor correlated well with the cellular DNA content (DNA index) of tumor cells at the resting state of cell division (G0 + G1-phase) (r = 0.67). The correlation between 11C uptake rate and S-phase cell percentage was markedly high (r = 0.76), and the correlation between 11C uptake rate and S+G2/M-phase cell percentage was extremely high (r = 0.86). It was concluded that the tumor uptake rate of 11C-methionine was representative of tumor growth rate in this tumor type.

Positron emission tomography (PET) was performed on six patients with the Rett syndrome and the results were compared with the concurrent clinical status of the patients. The cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) was low in five patients, and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) was low in four patients; both had a tendency to decline with advancing age. Although the cause is unknown, it is suggested that impaired oxidative metabolism exists in the Rett syndrome. An analysis of the distribution among brain regions showed that the ratios of values for the frontal cortex to those for the temporal cortex for both the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and CMRO2 were lower than those for the controls, which may indicate the loss of hyperfrontality in the Rett syndrome. Distribution of brain metabolism may be immature in the Rett syndrome.

We have measured regional alveolar volume and regional ventilation of emphysematous lesions and periemphysematous lesions with positron emission tomography and N-13 gas in 10 patients. The purpose of the study was to investigate how emphysematous lesion develops. The subjects were all male (except one) who put on a mask in supine position, and were connected with a spirometer. We gave N-13 gas in this closed circuit and had the gas rebreathed by the subjects. After activity reached equilibrium in closed circuit, an equilibrium scan was made. We took "activity gas" from the closed circuit and measured activity by well counter during equilibrium to get quantitative alveolar volume. The activity in closed circuit during equilibrium showed activity in the thoracic unit. After equilibrium, we used air to wash out radioactive gas from the circuit. During washout we took 3 sequential images. The decreased rate of activity in the region of interest from these 3 sequential washout images was expressed in a monoexponential curve. The index of monoexponential denotes V/V. Alveolar volume in emphysematous lesions was 34.8 +/- 19.5 ml/100ml thoracic volume, and V/V in these lesions was 0.27 +/- 0.21/min. On the other hand alveolar volume in periemphysematous lesions was 76.5 +/- 13.1 ml/100ml thoracic volume, and V/V was 0.38 +/- 0.22/min. Thus alveolar volume in periemphysematous lesions was relatively high. These results indicate that the effect of emphysematous lesions as compared with periemphysematous lesions was not direct compression of alveolar space. The direct effect was compression to the bronchiole of peripheral lesions, and check valve mechanism occurred in the bronchiole causing peripheral lesions resulting in the destruction of the alveolar wall.

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (1 ng/ml) caused death of serum-free mouse embryo cells cultured in a medium consisting of a 1:1 mixture of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's medium and Ham's F12 medium supplemented with fibronectin, insulin, transferrin, epidermal growth factor, and high density lipoprotein. Cell death occurred in the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids including linoleic acid in the absence of selenium. The death could be reversed by adding alpha-tocopherol to the culture indicating a mechanism involving fatty acid peroxidation. Butylated hydroxytoluene was a poor suppressor of cell death in contrast to alpha-tocopherol. High density lipoprotein and fatty acid-free albumin also suppressed cell death at the level of 20 micrograms/ml and 1 mg/ml, respectively. Transforming growth factor beta 1 also caused a low rate of cell growth after heat treatment of the cells at 45 degrees C.