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We developed a VHF plasma source using a balanced power feeding method and investigated the characteristics of the VHF plasma with the Langmuir probe. It was found that the new VHF plasma source provides higher electron density plasma that is favorable for increasing the deposition rate of microcrystalline silicon films.

Purpose: To describe the angiographic features of hepatic involvement in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), particularly the presence of portovenous shunts. Methods: We reviewed the angiographic findings of seven patients with HHT. The patients comprised three women and four men with a mean age of 51 years. Results: Intrahepatic telangiectasias were found in all seven patients and shunts between three vascular channels were found in six of seven patients. In the four patients who had portovenous shunts combined with arterioportal shunts, the portovenous shunts were large. Three patients had no portovenous shunts. Two of these patients had arteriovenous shunts, and one had no shunt. The mean age (69 years) of the patients with portovenous shunts was older than those without portovenous shunts (26 years). Conclusions: Hepatic vascular lesions in HHT are varied, ranging from telangiectasias to large shunts between three vascular channels. In an advanced stage of involvement, large portovenous shunts are present.

A 40-year-old female patient with chronic persistent cough was diagnosed with cough variant asthma (CVA). To investigate the effect of suplatast tosilate (suplatast, 300 mg/day, three times a day), cough scores, medication scores, pulmonary function, capsaicin cough threshold, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to methacholine and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) concentration in hypertonic saline-induced sputum were evaluated before and after a 6-week treatment with suplatast. Treatment with suplatast resulted in a marked decrease in persistent cough and in the percentage of eosinophils and ECP concentration in induced sputum. It also resulted in a marked improvement in capsaicin cough threshold and a slight improvement in BHR. These results suggest that suplatast tosilate may be useful for treating patients with CVA.

Eight patients with pancreatic abscesses secondary to acute necrotizing pancreatitis underwent drainage of their abscesses under laparotomy. Two of them died of acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) within 1 week. Autopsy revealed a large thrombus at the main trunk of the pulmonary artery and in the left common iliac vein. Femoral catheter insertion/indwelling, immobilization, surgery, increased trypsin/kinin/kallikrein, increased endotoxin, and decreased antithrombin-III (AT-III) were present following drainage of the pancreatic abscesses. With respect to the bedside diagnosis of acute PTE, alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients obtained by blood gas analysis and mean pulmonary artery pressure estimated by pulsed Doppler echocardiography are very useful. In terms of the treatment, attention should be paid to the following to prevent deep venous thrombosis: prophylactic administration of low molecular weight heparin and administration of AT-III (AT-III > or = 80%), use of the subclavian vein whenever possible as blood access for apheresis therapy, as short a compression time as possible after removing the blood access catheter (< or =6 h), and application of intermittent pneumatic compression devices or elastic compression stockings on the lower extremities.

Objective: We studied the bronchodilatory effect of tiquizium bromide [3-(di-2-thienylmethylene)-5-methyl-trans-quinolizidinium bromide; TQZ], an antimuscarinic agent, on airway smooth muscle in vitro, and also in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: In the first experiment, canine tracheal smooth muscle was used to measure the pA2 of TQZ in vitro. The selectivity of TQZ for muscarinic receptor subtypes was also examined with a radioligand binding assay. Results: The pA2 value of TQZ was 8.75. The pK i values of TQZ for M1, M2, and M3 were 8.70, 8.94, and 9.11, respectively. In an open pilot experiment, the effects of TQZ inhalation were studied in seven patients with COPD (seven men, mean age 68.5 years). TQZ significantly increased forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) in a dose-dependent manner. The mean maximum increases in FVC and FEV1 caused by inhaled TQZ (2.0 mg) were 24% and 29%, respectively, and they were measured 1 h after the drug had been inhaled. The FVC and FEV1 were still significantly higher than the control values even 8 h after the drug had been inhaled. No adverse effects were observed after inhalation of TQZ. Conclusion: These data suggest that TQZ is an effective antimuscarinic agent, and that it causes significant bronchodilation in patients with COPD.

Mode-III crack propagating in a fixed sided strip is studied by the global energy balance method. First the kinetic energy and the strain energy of the crack system are obtained in analytic forms based on the displacement field of dynamic elastic analysis. Using the energy equilibrium concept, the motion equation of the crack is derived. The acceleration or deceleration of the crack is explained by the derived equation. The phenomena of crack velocity oscillation and unstable propagation are interpreted by the particular characteristics of the fracture toughness and a simulation of the oscillations is demonstrated.

The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamics of the liver vasculature as determined by Doppler sonography for patients with Osler-Weber-Rendu disease and for healthy subjects.Real-time color Doppler sonography and pulsed Doppler sonography were used to study 10 patients with Osler-Weber-Rendu disease and 25 healthy subjects. Vessel diameter and flow velocity in the hepatic artery and its branches as well as in the portal vein and its segmental branches were determined. Flow patterns in the hepatic veins were analyzed. The clinical manifestations of the disease were correlated with the Doppler sonographic findings.The hepatic artery and its branches were dilated and tortuous, and flow velocity was greater in patients than in healthy subjects; hepatic artery velocities (mean +/- SD) were 153 +/- 65.2 cm/sec versus 64.9 +/- 11.4 cm/sec (p.005). The resistive index measured in the hepatic artery did not differ significantly between the two groups (p was not significant). No intrahepatic arteriovenous shunt sites were detected by color Doppler sonography. However, arterioportal shunts were observed in two patients, one of whom also had a portovenous shunt. A portovenous shunt and multiple shunts between hepatic veins were found in another patient. Portal venous flow was similar in both groups. No relationship between Doppler sonographic changes and clinical manifestations was found.The multiple microscopic arteriovenous shunts found in Osler-Weber-Rendu disease were not detected in our patients but resulted in dilatation and increased flow velocity in the hepatic artery. Flow velocity in the portal vein appeared to be undisturbed. Large intrahepatic shunts were easily outlined by Doppler sonography.

The objective of this study was to compare the gastric acidity patterns of patients with duodenal ulcers and normal children. Eight patients with duodenal ulcer had their intragastric pH monitored for two consecutive 24 h periods using intragastric glass electrodes. The first 24 h period elucidated pH patterns in the absence of treatment and the second period evaluated the acid suppressive effect of 15 mg/kg of cimetidine when given in three divided doses. Results showed that the ulcer patients were hyperacidic, particularly at midnight. This finding was in marked contrast to the results obtained in the study of normal controls. The mean pH of normal children was above 3 around midnight. This phenomenon is known as intragastric pH inversion. The mean pH 3 time (the cumulative duration of the time for which gastric pH is maintained at > or = pH 3) was significantly shorter in patients with ulcers. However, pH 3 time of these patients significantly increased throughout the 24 h recording period during the daytime and at night after the introduction of cimetidine. This resulted in an induction of apparent nocturnal intragastric pH inversion for the ulcer patients. This study demonstrates the usefulness of 24 h continuous intragastric pH monitoring in children. The data showed that there was a pattern of gastric hyperacidity in pediatric ulcer patients which is clearly distinct from that of normal children, particularly in the patterns occurring at midnight. Cimetidine at 15 mg/kg per day in three divided doses was effective in suppressing secretion even at night.

The incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection and effects of H. pylori colonization on mucin content and mucosal inflammation of the antral mucosa were studied quantitatively in 55 Japanese children with suspected gastritis and peptic ulcers (aged 6-16 years, mean 12.3 years). H. pylori was detected, using Warthin-Starry stain, in nine of the 22 cases (41%) with antral histological gastritis, but in none of the 33 histologically normal cases. Five out of seven duodenal ulcer cases showed histological gastritis, and all five cases were H. pylori positive. Severity of gastritis, evaluated by means of gastritis score, was significantly higher in H. pylori positive gastritis cases than in H. pylori negative gastritis cases (5.4 +/- 1.0 vs 3.1 +/- 0.3, P < 0.001). A PAS-AB index, a proportion of the periodic acid Schiff-alcian blue (PAS-AB) positive mucin area to the total epithelial area, was significantly lower in H. pylori positive cases than in H. pylori negative cases, irrespective of the existence of histological gastritis (23.5 +/- 7.6% vs 40.4 +/- 5.5%, 43.5 +/- 4.2%, P < 0.001). The decreased mucin content of gastric mucosa is likely to lead to weakening of an important defensive factor of gastric mucosa. These findings suggest that H. pylori plays an important role in gastritis and peptic ulcers in children, especially in cases with duodenal ulcer.

Crohn病に合併する痔瘻病変への外科治療を検討するため自験手術例32例に検討を加えた.肛門病変を初発としたものは手術例の34.4%(11/32例)を占め,痔瘻術後の難治創からCrohn病発見となった例が18.8%(6/32例)にみられた,Crohn病に合併する痔瘻の特徴としては病変の多発するものが21.9%(7/32例)に,原発口を裂肛とするものが18.8%(6/32例)にみられた.また痔瘻の型の頻度は通常の痔瘻と同様であったが,瘻管走行の特異なものが43.8%(14/32例)にみられた.括約筋温存術式は低位筋間痔瘻8例,高位筋間痔瘻2例,坐骨直腸窩痔瘻12例に行われたが再発や治癒の遅れは坐骨直腸窩痔瘻の各1例に認めただけであった.痔瘻術後も予期せぬ難治の経過を示す例にはCrohn病を疑う必要がある.またCrohn病に伴う痔瘻にはCrohn病と直接関係ある痔瘻以外は積極的に愁訴改善のために手術を行うべきで術式としては積極的に括約筋温存術式を選択すべきであるである.

An X‐ray undulator beamline PF‐AR‐NW2, which is used for time‐resolved XAFS and/or x‐ray diffraction experiments and also high‐flux XAFS and/or diffraction experiments, has been designed and constructed. The insertion device is an in‐vacuum undulator at a period of 40 mm, and the number of periods is 90 in order to cover an energy range of 5 ∼ 25 keV. Main optical components are a double‐crystal monochromator and a mirror system. The double‐crystal monochromator consists of flat Si (111) crystals, which are cooled by liquid nitrogen. The mirror system consists of focusing and cut‐off mirror systems. The commissioning has been done successfully. The focused beam size with a bent cylindrical mirror is about 0.21 mm × 0.55 mm for vertically and horizontally with the intensity of 6.4 × 1012 photons/s at 12.4 keV. The vertical beam size focused with a bent flat mirror is about 0.06 mm. We compare the performance with the values from a ray‐tracing calculation.

The control system of the insertion devices (IDs) at the Photon Factory storage ring (PF ring) has been renewed in accordance with the high-brilliance project of the PF ring. It consists of a workstation and VME systems, which are linked to dedicated user PCs in the SR experimental hall. Each user of the IDs can change the magnetic gap independently by accessing this workstation during their SR experiment. The closed-orbit affected by changing the gap is corrected using correction magnets system located at both ends of each ID. The vertical fluctuation of the gradients of the photon beam axis is suppressed to less than 2 /spl mu/rad.

Background: It is believed that the incidence of cystic fibrosis (CF) among Asiatic races, including the Japanese, is very rare. This epidemiological study was carried out to investigate the incidence of CF in Japan. Methods: We collected literature describing CF cases among pure Japanese and found 124 cases reported as CF during the 43 years from 1951, when the first case was reported, to 1993. Only 104 cases (57 male and 47 female patients) of 124 cases met our diagnostic criteria. Results: A simple calculation based on the number of reported CF cases and of live births after 1980 suggested that the incidence of CF is about 1 in 350,000 in the Japanese population. Twenty-nine (27.9% of the total) of 30 patients diagnosed in the neonatal period presented symptoms of meconium ileus, an incidence higher than that reported for the white population. Conclusions: Our study results suggest that the incidence of CF in the Japanese population is even rarer than had been estimated before and that there is a genetic difference between northern European and Japanese populations.

Here we describe a new undulator beamline at the BL-15 site of the PF-ring. This new beamline has a short gap undulator which produces high brilliance X-rays ranging from 2.1 keV to 15 keV. The windowless beamline design promises softer X-ray experiments. The second source configuration and double surface bimorph mirror directs the highly focused or collimated radiation to two tandem stations. The upstream station is optimized for XAFS/XRF/XRD studies using a semi-micro focus beam. The downstream station features SAXS experiments using collimated soft or hard X-rays. A novel feature of the beamline is real-time energy synchronization with the undulator gap motion, which is critical for quick energy scanning. The beamline design has been finished and the construction work will start next spring. The construction will be completed during the summer shutdown of 2013, and the new BL-15A will be opened to users in the autumn operation of 2013.

To assess the effects of azelastine in patients with cough-variant asthma, we measured the cough threshold for capsaicin (the concentration required to elicit more than five coughs) in 16 patients with cough-variant asthma before and after 4 weeks of treatment with azelastine (2 mg; b.i.d.) or placebo. After treatment, coughing decreased in all patients and the cough threshold for capsaicin increased significantly, from 0.67 +/- 0.30 microM to 4.76 +/- 1.55 microM (P0.01) in the azelastine group. However, the cough threshold for capsaicin did not increase significantly, from 0.86 +/- 0.33 microM to 1.11 +/- 0.35 microM (P0.10) in the placebo group. These results suggest that azelastine inhibits coughing in patients with cough-variant asthma.

We collected 104 CF cases among pure Japanese patients from the literature covering a period of 42 years from 1951 to 1993. A simple calculation based on the numbers of reported cases and live births in the period suggests that the estimated incidence of CF might be about one in 680 000 in the Japanese population. Twenty-eight percent of the total cases presented symptoms of meconium ileus, which is a higher frequency than that seen in the Caucasian population. This might probably reflect a genetic difference between CF of Northern Europe and Japan.

The efficiency of the 13C-Urea Breath Test (13C-UBT) for the detection of Helicobacter pylori colonization in gastric mucosa was evaluated. The 13C-UBT was performed in five pediatric and six adult subjects who had had upper gastrointestinal endoscopy within 2 weeks. H. pylori colonization was confirmed in two pediatric and three adult subjects with peptic ulcer combined with antral gastritis, by histological examination of antral biopsy specimens. When an individual with H. pylori colonization ingested a solution containing 13C-urea, a significant amount of 13CO2 appeared in the respiratory CO2 within 10 min. The mean cumulative percentage dose of 13C recovered in the breath over 30 min in the cases with H. pylori colonization was significantly higher than that in those who were not colonized (4.91 vs 0.41, P < 0.001). In addition, the effect of antibiotic on the eradication of H. pylori from gastric mucosa was monitored by 13C-UBT in two cases. The values of cumulative percentage dose of 13C over 30 min fell to the same levels as those observed in H. pylori negative subjects after just 2 weeks treatment with amoxicillin; however, positive results were obtained again 1 month after the withdrawal of amoxicillin. In summary, 13C-UBT is a simple, reliable, non-invasive method in the diagnosis of gastric H. pylori colonization especially for pediatric patients.

Summary Quantitative analysis and immunohistochemical studies of small intestinal mucosa were performed to investigate the mechanism of mucosal damage in 10 patients with food-sensitive enteropathy. Jejunal biopsy specimens were taken before and after treatment and after clinical relapse following a challenge test. The low villous height of untreated patients normalized after introduction of an elimination diet but declined again to subnormal level after a challenge test. Several other types of cells were significantly increased in the untreated patients in comparison to controls. These included HLA-DR+ (DR + ) CD4+ cells in the lamina propria and intraepithelial CD8+ cells. Moreover, those cell patterns, such as increased DR+ CD4+ cells and CD8+ cells, normalized with treatment but regressed to pretreatment levels when the patients were challenged. These findings suggest that activated CD4+ cells in the lamina propria of the small intestinal mucosa, probably by releasing cytokines, may play an important role in contributing to mucosal damage in patients with food-sensitive enteropathy.

To evaluate the role of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of gastritis and peptic ulcer in children, ultrastructural changes of the gastric mucosa with H. pylori colonization were studied in two pediatric patients with duodenal ulcers. The study demonstrated that H. pylori: (i) colonized the mucous layer covering normal gastric epithelium; (ii) lay atop short, irregular microvilli and at the intercellular junctions of damaged cells; and (iii) adhered firmly by specific junction zone (firm connection) and loosely by filamentous appendages to the epithelial surfaces of cells which lacked evidence of a protective mucous layer. The ultrastructural changes, which become progressively worse from patterns (i) to (iii) mentioned above, suggest that these patterns represent distinct and successive stages of the infection. These findings, therefore, lend support to the notion that H. pylori infection is quite common and may relate to the pathogenesis of gastritis and peptic ulcer in children as well as in adults.

We have studied the effect of neurokinin A (NKA) on tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) contraction caused by administration of acetylcholine (ACh) intra-arterially (ia) into the tracheal circulation, or bilateral stimulation of the vagus nerves, in 26 mongrel dogs. The tracheal contractile response to 10(-7) mol NKA was 3.12 +/- 0.48 g/cm, 6.3 +/- 0.7%AChmax. Plasma histamine concentration was measured in the right atrium at the peak response following administration of NKA. Plasma histamine concentration was 3.33 +/- 2.05 ng/ml after 10(-7) mol NKA (vs. 1.82 +/- 0.54 ng/ml for control, P0.10). A frequency-response curve was generated by electrical stimulation of the caudal ends of cut cervical vagi over the range of frequencies 1-20 Hz (constant 30 V) at 15 s intervals 10 min before and 10 min after administration of 10(-8) mol NKA. Substantial augmentation of tracheal contractile responses to 10(-10)-10(-7) mol ia ACh was obtained 10 min after administration of NKA (P0.05). Significant potentiation of tracheal contraction to vagal stimulation for 10-20 Hz was also observed after administration of 10(-8) mol NKA (P0.05). We have demonstrated a substantial contractile effect of NKA on canine tracheal smooth muscle that is not related to histamine release from respiratory mast cells. We have also demonstrated that NKA causes augmentation of the parasympathetic tracheal contractile response induced by ia administration of ACh and efferent vagus nerve stimulation. These data suggest that potentiation of vagal contractile response by NKA is related to post-synaptic activation of the parasympathetic nerves.

Dynamic crack propagation in brittle polymers is studied in the combination of continuum mechanics analysis and microscopic consideration. The crack path is predicted by the use of energy balance method. Analytical interpretation is given for the path direction change at high propagation velocity. Related running experiments crack is executed in brittle PMMA plate in fixed sided condition. Microscopic feature of the fracture surface is examined. The mode change of the surface with the crack propagation velocity is shown from parabolic pattern region to crazing and micro-branching region. The transition from micro-branching to to macro-branching of the crack path is discussed in terms of applied loading energy.

The analysis of the yield process of mild steel in the plane problems is presented. The continuously distributed dislocations model of the edge component type is adapted with a new application technique as the method of solving the elastic-plane problems. Hahn's equation and the criterion of yield initiation proposed in the previous work [1] are employed as the constitutive relations of mild steel. Examples are taken for the bending of straight beams which is known to accompany the particular patterns with wedge-type plastic-zones. The calculated plastic-zone patterns exhibit close resemblance to the actually observed ones and the scale effect of the patterns given by the analysis is reconfirmed by the related pure bending experiments.

We can conclude from the test that the comercial enriched barley is effective in suppling vitamin B1 and B2 when mixed to polished rice. Especially for those who depend mainly on polished rice for their diet, it has a great importance, as a means to eliminate such nutritional defects, to add the enriched barley to their dietary component from the view point of nutritional improvement.

Impact bending of rotating fan blades is theoretically analyzed by the use of simplified beam models. The blade material is idealized as either rigid-perfectly-plastic or linear elastic. The rigid-perfectly-plastic model gives three modes of deformation; a single plastic hinge mode, two hinges mode and three hinges mode, depending on the impact condition. The centrifugal force due to the fan rotation makes the hinges travel along the beam and decrease the transverse deflection of the beam. The linear elastic model gives a simple wave propagation solution. The centrifugal force decreases the deflection amplitude and lowers the wave propagation velocity.

We studied the effect of the thromboxane mimetic U-46619 on tracheal smooth muscle contraction caused by bilateral stimulation of the vagus nerves in 14 mongrel dogs in situ. The parasympathetic contractile response was studied isometrically after beta-adrenergic blockade with 2 mg/kg iv propranolol plus 20 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1 continuous intravenous infusion and blockade of endogenous prostaglandin synthesis with 5 mg/kg iv indomethacin. An initial frequency-response curve was generated by electrical stimulation of the caudal ends of cut cervical vagi over the range of frequencies 2–25 Hz (constant 25 V) at 15-s intervals. In five dogs, 10(-10) to 10(-8) mol of the thromboxane mimetic (15S)-hydroxyl-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5Z,13E-dienoic acid (U-46619) was injected selectively into the tracheal arterial circulation, causing a transient contractile response (less than or equal to 10 g/cm). Additional frequency response studies were generated 7 min before and 1, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after U-46619. Substantial augmentation of tracheal contraction to efferent vagal stimulation was observed after U-46619 for all frequencies greater than 4 Hz (P less than 0.02). Augmentation of vagally mediated contraction was not observed in four other dogs after equivalent tracheal contraction was elicited without U-46619. Similarly, in four separate dogs, augmentation of tracheal contraction was not observed when acetylcholine was given instead of vagal stimulation after U-46619. We conclude that the thromboxane analogue, U-46619, causes augmentation of tracheal contractile response induced by efferent vagus nerve stimulation. Potentiation is caused by a prejunctional action of U-46619 and is not induced by nonspecific precontraction with another agonist.