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The present study was designed to evaluate inflammatory changes in collapsed lungs during one-lung ventilation using the assistance of a bronchoscopic microsampling probe. Serial albumin and interleukin (IL)-8 concentrations in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) were measured in seven patients undergoing resection of lung tumors. The samples were taken after induction of anesthesia (baseline), 30 min after one-lung ventilation was started (point 2), just before resuming two-lung ventilation (point 3), and 30 min after two-lung ventilation was restarted (point 4). The albumin and IL-8 concentrations in ELF were significantly increased at point 2 and point 3, respectively, and remained to be high, compared to the baseline. The increase in IL-8 at point 3 was correlated with the interval of one-lung ventilation; however, none developed specific acute lung injury. These findings suggest that inflammatory changes can occur on the epithelium of a collapsed lung even in patients who underwent successful and standard thoracic surgery., Article, INFLAMMATION. 35(6):1844-1850 (2012)

A 43-year-old-man was diagnosed as having primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor based on pericutaneous biopsy and an elevated serum concentration of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Although AFP decreased after chemotherapy, the mass size grew and developed tracheal compression by the tumor. The patient was treated with mechanical ventilation and subsequent stent implantation for keeping airway patency. After three cycles of chemotherapy and normalization of AFP, the increased mass was successfully resected and the pathological examination demonstrated a mature teratoma. This case showed a rare clinical manifestation of mediastinal growing teratoma syndrome and successful outcome by multimodal therapies., Article, INTERNAL MEDICINE. 50(6):607-610 (2011)

The geometric structures of Tc2-Tc5 and Mn2-Mn8 clusters were optimized by the Amsterdam density functional method. The trimeric, tetrameric, and pentameric Tc clusters exhibit the equilibrium structures of isosceles triangle, tetrahedron, and square pyramid, respectively. The structures of the Mn clusters up to Mn4 are similar to those of the respective Tc clusters, while the Mn5, Mn6, Mn7, and Mn8 clusters have the distorted trigonal bipyramidal, distorted octahedral, pentagonal bipyramidal, and C2v structures, respectively. The Tc clusters are paramagnetic, while the Mn clusters are basically ferromagnetic.

CoFeAlO nano-granular magnetic thin films were prepared by means of the inductively coupled radio frequency sputtering method. The self-resonant frequencies of the films were higher than 2 GHz, and magnetic permeability was higher than 100 even in the GHz region. Spiral inductors were fabricated on the (Co 72 Fe 17 Al 11 )-O thin film and their high-frequency inductance was measured to confirm the effect of insertion of the film. At frequencies up to 2 GHz, the inductance of the spiral inductor on the film was increased to 20 percent. The films are suitable for magnetic applications in high-frequency circuitry.

The chemical states of (Co-Fe)-Al-O magnetic thin films with various compositional ratios were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Samples were prepared by using inductively coupled RF sputtering. A non-reactive Ar atmosphere for both a Co-Fe alloy target and an Al2O3 ceramic target was used. Compositions of samples were varied to control the cathode power of the Co-Fe alloy target. Those with high (Co-Fe)/(Al-O) volume ratios exhibited excellent saturation magnetization (Ms) arising from the ideal chemical state of the non-oxidised Co-Fe alloy. Samples with low (Co-Fe)/(Al-O) volume ratios highlighted a problem that the increase in volume of the Al-O layer could cause some degree of Fe oxidation in the Co-Fe alloy, which would lead to a decrease of Ms.

Geometric and electronic structures of both neutral and anionic clusters, (Vn and Crn, n = 2∼8) have been studied using a density-functional method. The most stable structures of these clusters up to octamers were newly determined or reexamined. The calculated electron affinity (EA) of V3∼V7 clusters was in good agreement with their experimental values. The average spin magnetic moment for the Cr cluster showed odd-even alternation behavior, which is consistent with antiferromagnetic character of the bulk.

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Ultrastructural studies on liver cell necrosis and the interaction of lymphocyte and liver cell were carried out in experimental hepatitis B in chimpanzees. Two types of liver cell necrosis were identified. One was a lytic necrosis, and the other was a coagulation necrosis. Both types of liver cell necrosis were closely associated with the apposition of lymphocytes. The interaction (or close contact) of lymphocyte and non-necrotic liver cell infected with HBV was also detected. There were two distinct patterns of the contact. One was the direct contact, and the other was the contact with the intervention of electron-dense fuzzy material containing 20 to 22 mu spherical particles and 51 to 55 mu double-layered spherical particles. The ultrastructural characteristics of lymphocytes in each pattern of the contact were different. The results suggested that the pathogenesis of liver cell necrosis in hepatitis B was closely associated with the action of lymphocytes, and two modes of lymphocytic reaction were conceivable.

An ultrastructural study on the hepatic bile secretory apparatus and bile ductules was carried out using liver biopsy specimens of six chimpanzees with experimental hepatitis B. Although biochemical cholestasis was very mild or lacking and light-microscopic evidence of cholestasis was not evident, various ultrastructural changes which had been described in association with cholestasis were detected. The significance of these ultrastructural changes in relevance to cholestasis was difflcult to determine, nevertheless electron-microscopic examination could possibly be the most sensitive means for the diagnosis of cholestasis. These ultrastructural changes appeared to be indifferent to the necrotizing process of liver cells in experimental hepatitis B. ACTA PATHOL. JPN. 35 : 1343–1358, 1985.