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Introduction Intraportal islet transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). However, despite being minimally invasive, the method has some limitations, such as short-term graft loss, portal venous thrombosis, and difficulty in collecting adequate amounts of islets. Subcutaneous islet transplantation on adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC) sheets has been suggested to overcome these limitations, and in this study, we have examined its feasibility in T1DM pigs. Methods Inguinal subcutaneous fat was harvested from young pigs and then isolated and cultured adequate ADSCs to prepare sheets. Islets were isolated from the pancreases of mature pigs and seeded on the ADSC sheets. T1DM pigs were generated by total pancreatectomy, and ADSC sheets with transplanted islets were administered subcutaneously to the waist (n = 2). The effects of the islets on the ADSC sheets and on blood glucose levels were evaluated. Insulin secretion was measured by insulin stimulation index. Results Islet viability was higher on ADSCs compared to islets alone (91.8 ± 4.3 vs. 81.7 ± 4.1%). The insulin stimulation index revealed higher glucose sensitivity of islets on ADSC sheets compared to islets alone (2.8 ± 2.0 vs. 0.8 ± 0.3). After transplantation, the blood glucose levels of two pigs were within the normal range, and sensitive insulin secretion was confirmed by intravenous glucose tolerance tests. After graftectomy, decreased insulin secretion and hyperglycemia were observed. Conclusions Subcutaneous islet transplantation using ADSC sheets can regulate the blood glucose levels of T1DM pigs., Highlights • The adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell sheet is useful to protect the islets. • Subcutaneous islet transplantation on sheet normalized blood glucose in diabetic pig. • Subcutaneous islet transplantation on sheet can be a useful tool.

BACKGROUND Pancreaticobiliary malignant diseases are primarily treated by surgical resection. However, the surgical indications for elderly patients, especially for pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), must be carefully considered due to patient compliance. Whether PD can contribute to better prognoses in elderly patients remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the complications, compliance, and survival of elderly and non-elderly patients who underwent PD in our department. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 282 patients who underwent PD from 2000 to 2017 and divided them into non-elderly (aged ≤ 79 years, n = 238) and elderly (aged ≥ 80 years, n = 44) groups. The estimation of physiologic ability and surgical stress (E-PASS) system was used to evaluate morbidity and mortality using preoperative risk score (PRS), surgical stress score (SSS), and comprehensive risk score (CRS). RESULTS Preoperative risk score was higher in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group, although SSS and CRS were similar. No significant differences were detected in the occurrence of postoperative complications. In the elderly group, CRS was higher in patients with complications than in those without. Long-term outcomes evaluated by overall and disease-specific survival were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS In the elderly patients, E-PASS especially CRS can predict the occurrence of complications. The safety and prognoses of elderly patients after PD are comparable with those of non-elderly patients.

Background The prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is based on tumor localization; however, the mechanism remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated the biological characteristics of perihilar and peripheral ICC in a mouse model. Methods The model was established by the administration of three oncogenic plasmids harboring myristoylated AKT, mutated human YAP, and pCMV-Sleeping Beauty into the mice. The perihilar and peripheral ICC tumors that developed in the same mouse were assessed for the expression of cell adhesion factors and driver genes with immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results The perihilar ICC tumors were irregularly shaped, whereas the peripheral tumors were mostly circular, similar to the differences found in patients. Alpha-smooth muscle actin was strongly expressed in the perihilar tumors at 10 weeks, and vimentin expression was significantly up-regulated in the perihilar ICC at 14 weeks. Fgfr2 level significantly increased in peripheral ICC at 10 weeks, whereas Idh2 expression was up-regulated in perihilar ICC. Conclusions Despite diffuse injection of oncogenic plasmid, expression of driver genes and oncogenes in ICC tumor cells differs depending on the tumor localization, resulting in changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which may explain the different outcomes of patients with peripheral and perihilar ICC.

Objective This study aims to identify the most effective individual drug in an established triple-drug therapy (TDT) using a postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) rat model. Summary of background data POPF is the major complication of pancreatectomy that causes intraperitoneal abscess, sepsis, and pseudoaneurysm rupture, all of which may prolong hospital stays and cause potentially serious events or death. We previously demonstrated that TDT with a somatostatin analog, gabexate mesilate, and imipenem/cilastatin effectively prevents POPF, especially in high-risk patients. Methods POPF-induced rats were killed on postoperative day 3 after control (C), gabexate mesilate (G), imipenem/cilastatin (I), and somatostatin analog (S) treatments. Levels of serum amylase and lipase, or ascitic amylase and lipase were measured. Intraperitoneal adhesion between the abdominal wall and pancreas and pancreatic inflammation were evaluated. Results Serum amylase levels did not significantly differ among the groups. Serum lipase level was significantly higher in group I than in the other groups (P < 0.01). Both ascitic amylase and lipase levels were significantly lower in group S than in the other groups (P < 0.01). Median inflammation scores were significantly lower in groups G, I, and S than in group C (P < 0.01). Moreover, adhesion score was lower in group S than in the other groups (groups C, G, I, and S with scores 3, 2, 3, and 1, respectively, P < 0.01). Conclusion Among the 3 drugs, the somatostatin analog was the most effective against POPF.

Introduction: Cell sheets consisting of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been reported to be effective for wound healing. We conducted this study to clarify the efficacy of ADSC sheets in wound healing at the duct-to-duct biliary anastomotic site in pigs. Methods: Eleven female pigs (20?25 kg) were divided into two groups: biliary anastomosis with an ADSC sheet (n = 6) or without an ADSC sheet (n = 5). To follow the transplanted ADSCs, PKH26GL-labeled sheets were used in one of the ADSC pigs. Two weeks prior to laparotomy, ADSCs were isolated from the lower abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. After three passages, ADSCs were seeded on temperature-responsive culture dishes and collected as cell sheets. ADSC sheets were gently transplanted on the anastomotic site. We evaluated specimens by PKH26GL labeling, macroscopic changes, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and collagen content. Results: Labeled ADSCs remained around the bile duct wall. In the no-ADSC group, more adhesion developed at the hepatic hilum as observed during relaparotomy. Histopathological examination showed that the diameter and cross-sectional area of the bile duct wall were decreased in the ADSC group. In the no-ADSC group, a large number of inflammatory cells and more collagen fibers were identified in the bile duct wall. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that autologous ADSC sheet transplantation reduced hypertrophic changes in the bile duct wall at the anastomotic site. A long-term follow-up is required to evaluate the efficacy of this mechanism in prevention of biliary anastomotic strictures., Regenerative Therapy, 14, pp.79-86; 2020

Highlights • In patients with refractory constipation, it is necessary to care in mind that some patients require surgery. • Single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) is regarded as the major advance in minimally invasive surgery. • Total colectomy by SILS is very useful for the patients with intestinal neuronal dysplasia-type B., Introduction Intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B (IND-B) is an infrequent disease of the submucosal plexus of intestine manifesting chronic intestinal obstruction or severe chronic constipation. IND is rarely reported in adult patients. Presentation of a case The present study reports on the case of a 36 year-old woman suffering from longstanding chronic constipation and who was diagnosed with severe constipation in more than 20 years. Although she began to take a large amount of stimulant laxatives, such as “senna” and “bisacodyl”, constipation symptoms did not improve, she was admitted to our hospital. It was diagnosed with refractory constipation of the medication treatment-resistance, total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis by single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) was performed. The final pathological diagnosis was IND-B. Discussion Refractory constipation after medical treatment is often seen in young generation. SILS has benefits of better cosmesis, reduced morbidity, reduced postoperative pain, and reduced length of hospital stay. Conclusion For the patients with refractory constipation associated with neuropathy such as IND, total colectomy by SILS was very effective.

Islet transplantation is a feasible treatment option for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients with a poor glycemic control. However, while the outcomes of islet transplantation have recently improved, early graft loss after transplantation remains a problem. Several factors are associated with islet graft loss in intrahepatic islet transplantation, including instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction, hypoxia and liver immunity, and procedure-related complications, such as portal vein thrombosis and hemorrhaging. To overcome these problems, many researchers have attempted to change the transplantation site from the portal vein to the subcutaneous space using tissue-engineered sheets. However, the subcutaneous space is easy to access, and the procedure itself is minimally invasive, although the efficiency has been lower than that with transplantation via portal vein in previous studies due to the hypoxic environment. Therefore, subcutaneous islet transplantation using tissue engineering has attracted attention in recent years. In this report, we discuss the concept of subcutaneous islet transplantation using tissue engineering.

Retained foreign objects in the abdomen and pelvis are serious clinical problems yet the imaging required can present difficulties. Prolonged retention of lipiodized oil used for hysterosalpingography over years is very rare. However, lipiodized oil had previously been misdiagnosed as residual metallic material. We are reporting a case in which the latest computed tomography (CT) equipment seemed inadequate for obtaining a clear pre-operative diagnosis. Here, we describe the case of a 33-year-old Japanese female whose pelvis had contained retained lipiodized oil that had been suspected as residual metallic material. The preoperative diagnosis was very difficult and included three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) of unclear results despite expectations of resolution. By laparoscopic surgery, we removed a cyst of approximately 2 cm containing a yellowish oily fluid. Postoperatively, we demonstrated that the fluid was lipiodized oil. A postoperative experiment to attempt distinguishing lipiodized oil from metal through gemstone spectral CT imaging did not offer clarity either. Distinguishing between retained lipiodized oil and metallic material in the abdominal cavity may still present unexpected difficulties even with the latest medical equipments.

Gallbladder small cell carcinoma (SCC) comprises only 0.5 % of all gallbladder cancer and consists of aggressive tumors with poor survival outcomes against current treatments. These tumors are most common in elderly females, particularly those with cholecystolithiasis. We report the case of a 79-year-old woman with gallbladder small cell carcinoma. The patient had intermittent right upper quadrant abdominal pain and was admitted to our hospital due to suspected acute cholecystitis. She regularly received medical treatment for diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. On initial laboratory evaluation, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were markedly elevated. She underwent computed tomography (CT) for screening. CT images showed a thick-walled gallbladder containing multiple stones and multiple 3-cm-sized round nodular lesions, which were suggestive of metastatic lymph nodes. After percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage was performed, endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of enlarged lymph nodes resulted in a diagnosis of small cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. However, we could not identify the primary lesion before the surgery because of no decisive factors. We performed cholecystectomy because there was a possibility of cholecystitis recurrence risk and also partial liver resection because we suspected tumor invasion. The final pathological diagnosis was neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder, small cell type. The tumor stage was IVb, T3aN1M1. The patient died 13 weeks after the surgery. In the present paper, we review the current available English-language literature of gallbladder SCC.

Background In patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the role of total thyroidectomy (TT) versus that of thyroid lobectomy (TL) has been controversial. Methods This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board, and the requirement to obtain informed consent was waived. In total, 173 patients with 1- to 5-cm stage cN0 and cM0 PTC tumors treated by curative surgery from 1994 to 2008 were evaluated. Clinicopathologic features and adverse events were compared between patients who underwent TT and those who underwent TL. After adjustment for differences in baseline clinicopathologic factors using propensity score matching, we compared recurrence-free survival (RFS) and OS. Results TL was performed in 120 patients and TT in 53 patients. Patients who underwent TT were older; had larger tumors; more frequently had nodal metastasis, multifocal tumors, and extracapsular invasion; and more frequently underwent radioactive iodine ablation than patients who underwent TL. Hypocalcemia requiring medication and recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis were more frequent in TT than TL. The 10-year RFS and OS of all patients were 93.3% and 96.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in RFS (90.6% vs 93.0% in TT and TL groups, respectively) or OS (96.2% vs 96.9% in TT and TL groups, respectively) according to the extent of surgical resection after propensity score matching. Conclusion Equivalent prognoses were observed for patients with 1- to 5-cm stage cN0 and cM0 PTC tumors treated by TL or TT after propensity score matching. Adverse events occurred less frequently in patients who underwent TL than TT.

Background: We previously reported the utility of engineered cell sheets composed of human islets and supporting cells in vitro and in vivo. It is unclear which type of supporting cell is most suitable for constructing cell sheets with human islets. The present study aimed to compare human fibroblasts, bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM–MSCs), and adipose–derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) as a supporting source for cell sheets. Methods: Engineered cell sheets were fabricated with human islets using human fibroblasts, BM–MSCs, or ADSCs as supporting cells. The islet viability, recovery rate, glucose–stimulated insulin release (determined by the stimulation index), and cytokine secretion (TGF–β1, IL–6, and VEGF) of groups—including an islet–alone group as a control-were compared. Results: All three sheet groups consistently exhibited higher viability, recovery rate, and stimulation index values than the islet-alone group. The ADSC group showed the highest viability and recovery rate among the three sheet groups. There were no discernible differences in the stimulation index values of the groups. The fibroblast group exhibited significantly higher TGF–β1 values in comparison to the other groups. The IL–6 level of the ADSC group was more than five times higher than that of the other groups. The ADSC group showed the VEGF level; however, it did not differ from that of the BM–MSC group to a statistically significant extent. Conclusion: Engineered cell sheets composed of islets and supporting cells had a cytoprotective effect on islets. These results suggest that individual cell types could be a more attractive source for crafting engineered cell sheets in comparison to islets alone.

Phase formation and diffusion have been investigated in Cu-Si system. Field ion microscope (FIM) and atom-probe field ion microscope (AP-FIM) were used to determine the crystal structures and chemical compositions of the grown phases. From the results of depth profile by AP-FIM, it is proved that the silicide phase take the layer structure of Cu-Si mixture layer and pure Cu layer. The Cu silicide phase estimated was Cu3Si of orthorhombic structure. The orientation relationship of silicide and Si substrate was [111]Cu3Si || [111]Si. The measured value of the diffusion of Cu atoms in Si was four orders in magnitude smaller than the estimated value calculated by the equation of Hall and Racette. Field ion images of Cu atoms in the Cu silicides were dark compared with Si atoms, so that the crystal structures of the Cu silicides have not been determined by FIM.

高専機械工学科の専門教育課程における実習授業は,実践的技術者の養成や低学年時における専門教育科目に対する導入課程として大きな意義を持つ.また,最近は製造業をとりまく社会情勢の変化から「ものづくり」教育に対する関心も高まっており,実習教育の果たす役割は重要である.これからの高専における「ものづくり」教育や,実習教育のあり方を考えるために,実習授業の受講学生を対象として実習教育の内容に関するアンケート調査を行った.その結果,学生の専門教育に対する意識向上における実習教育の有効性が明.らかになった.特に,1～3年まで継続的に実習教育を行うことが教育効果を高めていることがわかった.

A series of one-season experiments were carried out with 'Fuji' and 'Jonathan' trees of different ages and with young 'Hokuto' trees. Twigs (1-year-old branches) on trees that were trained to the central leader or open center systems were headed to elucidate the twig-to-twig relatonships on terminal shoot growth. Terminal shoots were almost the same length between pruned and unpruned twigs in 'Fuji' and 'Hokuto' trees, whereas those of 'Jonathan' grew longer when headed. Unpruned twigs of 'Fuji' sent out a few shoots but the number of shoots and total shoot length that developed from headed twigs were almost the same as those from unpruned counterparts. Unpruned twigs of 'Jonathan' tended to develop a large number of shoots, whereas heading cuts caused a significant reduction in the number of shoots and total shoot length. The foregoing cultivar-specific responses to pruning also occured in experiments with water sprouts. The above observations were integrated into the following assumptions: (1) The strength of shoot growth on twigs is determined to a considerable extent by inherent twig conditions and the circumstances under which they developed. Twig location on the crown and distance from the tree base as well as length and thickness of the twigs seem to be important factors related to the shoot growth. (2) Terminal shoot length is a product of conditions determined by the individual twig and the mutual interaction between terminal and lateral shoots. (3) In cultivars with infrequent branching habits, such as 'Fuji', in which the terminal shoots have a strong dominance over lateral shoots, heading cuts do not encourage terminal shoot growth because growth relations between terminal and lateral shoots are little changed by pruning. (4) In cultivars having frequent branching habits, i.e., 'Jonathan', in which the terminal shoot is weakly dominant, heading induces the remaining terminal shoots to grow longer by reducing the number of active buds on the twig; it favors the early stage of terminal shoot growth and reduces subsequent inhibition of terminal shoots by lateral ones.

Eutectic reaction of gold thin-films deposited on silicon surfaces have been studied using a field-ion microscope (FIM) and a time-of-flight atom probe FIM. The heat treatment for the eutectic reaction was performed at about 400–1000 °C for a few seconds. Amount of 0.7–100 Au monolayers were deposited on a Si tip surface, and Au rods embedded in the Si substrate are formed in eutectic alloys near the surface after heating. The size of the Au rods in these eutectic alloys is proportional to the amount of deposited Au, while the number of rods increases with decreasing amount of deposited Au. These eutectic alloys are always covered by an intermixed layer. No crystalline silicide phases were observed. The atom probe analysis showed that the grown Au rods contain no Si atoms. On the other hand, it showed that the Si phase contains a very small amount of Au atoms.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of previous local treatment on the E-cadherin (E-cad) expression in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) within the Milan criteria. Methods Seventy-four of 204 patients with HCC underwent LDLT between 1997 and 2014. Previous local treatment for HCC was performed for 121 lesions in 47 patients (47/74, 63.5%). Histological and immunohistochemical E-cad expression analyses were conducted on the basis of the whole-liver histological examination technique. Results The interval to LDLT after the initial and last treatments was 24 months (2–206) and 10.5 months (1–58), respectively. Preoperative imaging showed necrosis in 92 (92/121, 76.0%) lesions caused by the effects of local treatment, whereas the histological examinations revealed viable HCC cells in 22 (22/92, 23.9%) lesions, demonstrating well or moderate differentiation without vascular invasion. Immunohistochemically, the expression of E-cad was maintained in 17 viable (17/22, 77.3%) lesions. There were no signs of malignant transformation or sarcomatous changes in the HCCs treated with previous therapy. The recipients who maintained an E-cad expression in the lesion with local treatment showed no recurrence or distant metastasis after LDLT. Conclusions HCC cells remained in approximately 20% of the evaluated lesions, even those exhibiting necrosis on imaging of the explanted cirrhotic liver. However, the expression of E-cad was maintained in most of these lesions. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the rate of recurrence after LDLT between the patients who did and those did not receive previous local treatment for HCC.

SUMMARY 1. Few studies have been reported concerning the effect of ageing on renal functional and vascular responses to various stresses during ordinary life. In the present study, we examined the effect of age on changes in renal sodium handling and renal vascular resistance (RVR) in response to standing from a supine position in subjects with normal renal function. 2. We selected 43 healthy males in the second through to the seventh decade of life and gave them a constant dietary sodium intake before the study period. Renal function was estimated by standard clearance methods with the subject in a state of euvolaemia. 3. The mean daily urinary excretion of sodium was 236 ± 22 mEq. Standing from a supine position was associated with significant decreases (P < 0.0001) in creatinine clearance (from 125 ± 18 to 117 ± 19 mL/min per 1.73 m2), sodium excretion (from 178 ± 29 to 97 ± 23 μEq/min) and fractional excretion of sodium (from 1.02 ± 0.19 to 0.60 ± 0.13%). A significant increase (P < 0.0001) in the RVR index (from 0.11 ± 0.03 to 0.14 ± 0.04 units) was noted. Univariate analysis indicated that while the change in RVR associated with standing was significantly diminished (P < 0.05) in older subjects, orthostatic changes in other parameters associated with standing were minimally influenced by age. 4. In conclusion, although the renal vascular response is impaired in advanced age, the renal functional response to orthostasis is otherwise maintained in healthy elderly subjects under conditions of normal sodium intake and clinical euvolaemia.

BACKGROUND Tumor procoagulant is one of the factors responsible for disseminated intravascular coagulation and metastasis. The authors found procoagulant activity in LK52 human squamous cell carcinoma cells, which they designated cancer cell-derived blood coagulating activity 1 (CCA-1). A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) was generated to characterize this CCA-1 procoagulant activity. To date, antibodies that show an inhibitory effect on procoagulant activity as well as high reactivity in cancer cells are well known for their tissue factor specificity. METHODS Characterization of the procoagulant activity of CCA-1 was performed and an anti-CCA-1 MoAb, FS01, was generated. CCA-1 expression on the cancer cell surface was examined by flow cytometry. Procoagulant activity of various cancer cell lines and the inhibitory effect of the FS01 MoAb on this procoagulant activity was monitored by a clot timer. RESULTS The enzymologic character differed from that of cancer procoagulant (CP). The FS01 MoAb inhibited the procoagulant activity of CCA-1, but did not inhibit that of tissue factor. A positive correlation was observed between the expression intensity of CCA-1 and the inhibitory effect of the FS01 MoAb on the procoagulant activity of cancer cell lines. Expression of CCA-l was observed more frequently than that of tissue factor in human cancer cell lines. CONCLUSIONS The FS01 MoAb generated in the current study is a new antibody that reacts with various cancer cell lines, but not with normal cells. FS01 inhibits cancer cell-derived procoagulant activity and does not react with tissue factor and CP. CCA-1, which is recognized by the FS01 MoAb, appears to play a major role in cancer cell-derived procoagulant activity. Cancer 1998;82:1563-9. © 1998 American Cancer Society.

Ions evaporated from GaP and W tips were produced by pulsed-laser irradiation under applying d.c. high voltage. These were analysed using a combined-type atom-probe field ion microscope (FIM) with laser pulse operation and the usual high-voltage pulse operation. It was found that garium and tungsten were detected as atomic ions in the laser pulse mode similarly to the high-voltage pulse mode. The detected phosphorus formed more cluster ions. The obtained composition of GaP tips was Ga:P=1:1 at cryogenic temperature in a vacuum of better than 1×10 −8 Pa. We also clarified the influences of laser beam power density irradiated on the tip for field evaporation and formation of cluster ions.

To evaluate the effects of prolonged intake of a high-sodium diet on glucose and lipid metabolism, we examined the relation of daily urinary sodium excretion to blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism in 140 Japanese adults who lived in a region where the average daily consumption of sodium was high and stable during the past 15 yr; no subject had received any treatment for hypertension or metabolic disorders. Each subject was admitted to our health examination center for 2 d for measurement of blood pressure, sampling of blood, and glucose tolerance testing. A 24-h urine specimen was collected by each subject after discharge. Multiple regression analysis revealed that urinary sodium excretion was significantly independent of the mean blood pressure and was unrelated to the area under the serum glucose curve after glucose administration. The urinary sodium level was also unrelated to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The prevalence of hypertension in the group with a daily sodium excretion below 140 mEq (low sodium group) was 0%, while that in the group with a daily sodium excretion above 280 mEq (high sodium group) was 44%; this difference was significant (p < 0.01). No significant difference was observed in the prevalence of metabolic disorders between the two groups. Our results suggest that sodium intake has little influence on glucose and lipid metabolism but has a significant influence on blood pressure in normotensive and untreated hypertensive subjects who reside in an area with a relatively high sodium intake.

These days, the conservation of ecosystem or biodiversity has become a social demand. It is therefore getting more important to predict how ecosystem will be influenced by civil engineering works. This is a report on an investigation of the influence of dam operation upon benthos community in the lower stream of dams.What can be observed by comparing the river bed between the lower stream of the dams and other rivers without dams is the difference in the composition of the bed materials. In the lower stream of the dams the base rock is exposed and large seized stones on the river bed are dominant. It may be considered that the exposure of the base rock is due to the prevention of stones by dams from flowing down dams and that the dominacy of the large sized stones is due to the stability of stream. The diffrence in the benthos community is also observed. The more the base rock is exposed, the less species of Ecdyonuridae live and the less the small and medium sized stones exist, the less the mass of Ephemerellidae is.One the basis of this investigation, problems about environmental impact assessment are also discussed.

We investigated the correlations between the reduction in body weight (BW) induced by calorie restriction and reductions in blood pressure (BP) and improvement in metabolic disorders in overweight women with essential hypertension. After eating a standard diet (diet-I) for 2 weeks, women in the calorie-restricted group (n=25) received a low calorie diet for 2 weeks, and then standard diet-II for 1 week. Women in the calorie-nonrestricted group (n=13) ate standard diet-I for 5 weeks. The calorie-restricted group exhibited a significant reduction in BP in association with loss of BW; their levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides levels, and their fasting levels of glucose and insulin were also reduced compared with the calorie-nonrestricted group. However, there were no significant differences in the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the areas under the 2-h glucose and insulin curves (AUCglu and AUCins), or the ratio of AUCglu to AUCins between groups. The change in BW was significantly correlated with a reduction in BP (r=0.62, p

従来よりコンソリデーショングラウチングによる改良効果の検討はルジオン試験によって行われるのが一般的であり, グラウチングが岩盤の力学的性状に及ぼす効果については, これまでに検討が行われた例は少なく, 不明な点が多い. 本研究においては, グラウチング前後において孔内載荷試験を実施し, 直接的に岩盤の力学的物性値を多数計測することによってグラウチングによる力学的改良効果の検討を行ったところ, 変形性ならびにせん断強度がグラウチングによって増加することが確認された.

Background. Expression of oncofetal fibronectin (oncFN) and normal fibronectin (norFN) in colorectal cancer specimens was examined to investigate the correlation between fibronectin localization and histologic grade, liver metastasis, and prognosis. Methods. Immunohistochemical staining of oncFN and norFN was performed on 99 primary lesions and 12 liver metastases of colorectal cancer. The expression of norFN and oncFN was evaluated by grading the intensity of staining as negative, positive, or strongly positive. Results. Positive staining for oncFN correlated positively with increasing stage. The rate of strongly positive staining for oncFN was 53% for primary lesions with liver metastasis, significantly higher than the oncFN-positive rate of 13% for metastasis free cases (P < 0.05). Liver lesions had an oncFN-positive rate of 92%. The postoperative 5-year survival rate for 51 cases classified as Dukes Stage C was 77.8% for oncFN-negative cases, 36.5% for oncFN-positive cases, and 22.2% for oncFN-strongly positive cases; these rates were significantly different (P < 0.01). Conversely, there was no correlation between norFN and any clinical variable. Conclusion. Expression of oncFN is correlated with a poor prognosis of Dukes C colorectal cancer and may serve as a useful postoperative prognostic sign. Cancer 1995;75:2802–8.

In this paper, a systematic methodology to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the product development process under a Concurrent Engineering (CE) environment is presented. The concepts adopted by this methodology are analogies to the total productivity enhancement concepts employed in Just-In-Time (JIT). The development processes are analysed by making distinctions between creative and routine operations, and value-added and non-value-added operations. Product development projects are classified by their types of development operations. The classification of development operations and projects facilitates the identification of possible improvement points by applying JIT analogy A concurrent engineering framework is developed to define how JIT analogy works. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is analysed through application to some actual mass-market oriented product development cases.

A framework for supporting the organization and structuring of product development teams under concurrent engineering environment is presented. The concepts of Team Structuring Dimensions (TSD) and Development Characteristics and Factors (DCF) are defined. Based on the concepts, the framework analyzes the emphasis that should be placed on each TSD according to the DCFs, and each different combination of the emphasis defines a more appropriate team organization and structuring. A more appropriate team organization facilitates the communication and information sharing between the team members, and the quality of this communication is essential for product development effectiveness and efficiency. The effectiveness of the framework is discussed by real cases in product development projects.

大腸癌および大腸癌肝転移で切除された原発巣99例と肝転移巣12例について癌胎児性fibronectin (onc FN) および正常型fibronectin (nor FN) の免疫組織化学的染色を行い, oncFNとnor FNの局在と進行度, 肝転移および予後との関連を検討した.染色性を陰性 (-), 陽性 (+), 強陽性 (++) と3群に分け判定した.onc FNの発現形式はnorFNと異なり, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) などの分泌型抗原の様相を呈した.oncFN染色性は, stageの進行と正の相関を認めた.また肝転移例原発巣のonc FNの強陽性率は53%であり, 非肝転移例の13%と比較し有意に高率であった (p

Two monoclonal antibodies AI18 (IgM) and AI51 (IgG1) were generated against the Factor X activating coagulant serine protease which extracted from LK52 human squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Both antibodies inhibit the activity of LK52 coagulant serine protease, but not of Russel's viper venom. AI18 and AI51 react with human lung and colon cancer cell lines, but not react with mouse cancer cell lines, rabbit cancer cell line or human fibroblast cell lines from lung and colon. From these results, LK52 coagulant serine protease was named as coagulant cancer antigen 1 (CCA-1). This is a first report of a novel CCA-1 expression on various human cancer cell lines. CCA-1 may play a important role in unbalanced haemostasis of cancer patients.

The hemolytic mechanism of thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH), a possible virulence factor of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, was studied. We demonstrated that TDH acts as a "pore-forming toxin" in temperature-dependent and -independent steps. The first temperature-dependent step requires only about 1–2 min incubation at 37 °C and makes a "pore" with a functional diameter of approximately 2 nm. The pore size was deduced from the molecular diameter of the colloidal inhibitory polysaccharides. The formation of the pores on TDH-treated erythrocyte membranes was also demonstrated by electron microscopic examination. The second step, which is a temperature-independent lytic step, causes the erythrocytes to swell owing to a colloidal osmotic influx of water via the "pores" into cells, resulting in erythrocyte lysis (or rupture) owing to increased intracellular pressure. Key words: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, hemolysin, hemolysis, pore-forming toxin.

The image formation and atomic structure of the Si(001) plane are examined using a field-ion microscope (FIM). The surface structure of this plane observed through the FIM showed several parallel bright lines in spite of forming the bulk lattice structure. This feature of the ion images is explained by the concept of dangling orbitals of surface Si atoms. Furthermore, at a higher electric field, the atoms of this plane had a rearranged (2 × 1) superstructure which is different from the bulk lattice plane. The FIM images obtained without thermal treatment revealed a dimer type or a zig-zag-chain type reconstruction and were inconsistent with a vacancy model. The atoms of the second layer underlying the superstructure were moved from the bulk sites to other sites along with the reconstruction of the topmost layer.

Quail embryonic pectoral myoblasts fuse with each other at 35.5 degrees C and 41 degrees C to essentially equal extents. When the myoblasts were transformed with a temperature-sensitive mutant of Rous sarcoma virus (ts-RSV), their fusion and biochemical processes of differentiation became temperature-sensitive: their fusion occurred at 41 degrees C, the non-permissive temperature, but not at 35.5 degrees C, the permissive temperature, suggesting that the fusion was regulated by the viral transforming gene. Fusion of the transformed cells proceeded more rapidly and synchronously than that of the parent cells at 41 degrees C, and was completely suppressed at the permissive temperature, unlike that of the parent cells. These transformed cells were used to examine the relationship between myogenic differentiation and the tyrosine kinase activity of the src gene product. In spite of the temperature sensitivity of transformation, results showed that expressions of the src gene at 35.5 degrees C and 41 degrees C were similar. However, the level of tyrosine-phosphorylated protein was decreased at 41 degrees C. Moreover, myoblast fusion could occur at 35.5 degrees C in the presence of herbimycin A, an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of the src gene product. These results indicate that the tyrosine kinase activity of the src gene product is closely associated with regulation of myogenic differentiation of the cells.

新しい腺癌肝転移モデルを樹立した.1985年10月に当院で手術した直腸癌組織をヌ-ドマウスの背部に移植し, ヒト大腸癌細胞株KUM・RK-4Nを樹立し以後継代した-1990年2月にこの腫瘍より初代培養を行い培養細胞株を樹立した.この細胞をヌードマウスに尾静脈注入および前腸間膜静脈より注入したところ, 約2-3週間で肺および肝臓に明瞭な結節型の転移巣を生じた.ヒト癌でのヌ-ドマウスにおける転移はまれであり, この培養細胞の染色体分析およびアイソザイム分析ではマウス由来の癌と考えられ, また胸腺正常同系マウスへの移植は拒絶されたため, ヌードマウス由来腺癌と考えXK-4細胞と名ずけた.今回, このXK-4細胞の生物学的特性と肺および肝臓への転移能を検討した.