Visualization of ultraviolet absorption distribution beyond the diffraction limit of light by electron-beam excitation-assisted optical microscope.

We demonstrated that the high spatial resolution absorption contrast imaging of the crystal of vitamin B9 has absorption at ultraviolet wavelengths. The absorption wavelength matches with the wavelength of the emission of the fluorescent thin film of an electron-beam excitation-assisted (EXA) optical microscope. The fine crystal structure was imaged beyond the optical diffraction limit. The image contrast corresponded with the thickness of the crystal. The illumination light is absorbed with the vitamin B9 crystal and the intensity of the transmitted light depends on the thickness of the vitamin B9 crystal. The EXA optical microscope is useful for analysis of growth of a crystal, bioimaging and so on.

Nutritional factors affecting length of hospital stay in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

Cardiovascular surgery is a highly invasive intervention that is often performed in elderly patients at risks of complications because of malnutrition and reduced immunity. This study investigated nutritional factors that affected length of hospital stay in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Among 68 patients who underwent surgery at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Gifu Municipal Hospital between April 2013 and March 2015, 55 with complete data were included in the analysis. Data on serum albumin (ALB), transferrin (Tf), pre-albumin (PA) and retinol binding protein (RBP) levels were collected. The median length of hospital stay was 29 days (stays of ≥30 days were considered long-term hospitalization). Multivariate analysis (multiple logistic regression) included age (≥ 65 years), sex (female), and ALB (≤ 3.0 g/dL), Tf (≤ 150.0 mg/dL), PA (≤ 10.0 mg/dL) and RBP (≤ 1.5 mg/dL) levels. ALB [odds ratio (OR) 10.37, 95% CI (confidence interval): 1.185-90.80, P = 0.035] and Tf [OR 4.743, 95% CI: 1.375-16.36, P = 0.014] were significantly associated with length of hospital stay. Nutritional management of patients and careful monitoring of ALB and Tf levels can shorten length of hospital stay in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

Impact of levofloxacin dose adjustments by dispensing pharmacists on adverse reactions and costs in the treatment of elderly patients.

Ensuring an appropriate dosage of renally eliminated drugs for patients with renal insufficiency is important for preventing adverse drug reactions. We investigated the effectiveness of interventions by pharmacists in a hospital pharmaceutical department. The comparative study was performed at Gifu Municipal Hospital in Japan from March to August 2011, and included an intervention (142 patients) and a control group (98 patients). Upon receiving a prescription of levofloxacin for patients aged > or = 75 years, pharmacists evaluated the patients' kidney function and adjusted the appropriate dosage at the time of dispensation. In the intervention and control groups, levofloxacin-induced adverse reactions developed in 6 of 142 (4.2%) and 13 of 98 (13.3%) patients, respectively (p < 0.05). The cost of reducing levofloxacin per patient was yen 191.1 and yen 0 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The cost per patient for adverse reaction treatments and examinations was yen 15.5 and yen 290.0 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The intergroup difference in the total cost per patient was yen 465.6. Dose adjustment of levofloxacin at the time of dispensation by the pharmacist for patients aged > or = 75 years resulted in a decrease in the incidence of adverse reactions and cost. These findings can be applied not only to hospitals, but also to community pharmacies, because the intervention, which is a manual system, is simply performed when pharmacists are dispensing drugs.

Herbicidal and Fungicidal Activities of Lactones in Kava (Piper methysticum).

This is the first report showing that kava lactones are plant and plant fungus growth inhibitors. Aqueous extract of kava roots showed high allelopathic potential and strongly suppressed germination and growth of lettuce, radish, barnyardgrass, and monochoria. Nine kava lactones were detected using GC-MS including desmethoxyyagonin, kavain, 7,8-dihydrokavain, hydroxykavain, yagonin, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxyyagonin, methysticin, dihydromethysticin, and 11-hydroxy-12-methoxydihydrokavain. Quantities of desmethoxyyagonin, kavain, 7,8-dihydrokavain, yagonin, methysticin, and dihydromethysticin detected were 4.3, 6.9, 18.6, 5.7, 1.4, and 5.4 mg/g of dry weight, respectively. These six major lactones in kava roots showed great herbicidal and antifungal activities. Growth of lettuce and barnyardgrass were significantly inhibited at 1-10 ppm, and four plant fungi including Colletotrichum gloeosporides, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, and Trichoderma viride were significantly inhibited at 10-50 ppm. The biological activities of kava lactones were characterized by different double-bond linkage patterns in positions 5,6 and 7,8. The findings of this study suggest that kava lactones may be useful for the development of bioactive herbicides and fungicides.

Molecular cloning and expression of human chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase.

Using cDNA of chick chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase (C6ST), human C6ST cDNA has been isolated. The amino acid sequence of human C6ST displayed 74% identity to chick C6ST. The major difference in amino acid sequence between chick C6ST and human C6ST was the presence of a unique hydrophilic domain in human C6ST. A 7.8-kb message of C6ST was expressed ubiquitously in various human adult tissues, indicating a rather diverse function of C6ST.

Nucleotide sequence of a putative sensory kinase gene from the cyanobacterium, Anacystis nidulans 6301.

The nucleotide sequence of a 2,146 bp portion of the Anacystis nidulans (Synechococcus PCC6301) genome has been determined. This region contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 392 codons, whose predicted protein sequence shows partial homology to those of E. coli phoM and envZ. Hence ORF392 is suggested to be a sensory kinase gene in cyanobacteria.

Effect of superoxide dismutase on glomerular nephritis.

The antiinflammatory effect of superoxide dismutase was studied in rats with kidney intoxication induced by the injection of nephrotoxic serum. The urinary excretion of protein was increased significantly by the administration of an intravenous injection of nephrotoxic serum. The daily injection of superoxide dismutase significantly suppressed the increase in urinary excretion of protein. The injection of nephrotoxic serum increased the renal malondialdehyde level by 3-fold compared to the level in the control rats. The daily injection of superoxide dismutase also significantly suppressed the renal malondialdehyde concentration. The change of serum Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase level and tissue distribution after the intramuscular injection of this enzyme was investigated by immunoassay. Human Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase localized in kidney exclusively and reached maximum concentration at about 3 hr after the injection. From these results, we propose that superoxide dismutase, which is a scavenger of superoxide anion radicals, inhibits lipid hydroperoxidation in the kidney induced by activated oxygen, and thus protects the renal cells from the damage induced by the injection of nephrotoxic serum.

Molecular cloning, expression, and chromosomal mapping of human chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase, whose expression pattern in human tissues is different from that of chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase.

Chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase (C4ST) catalyzes the transfer of sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to position 4 of the N-acetylgalactosamine residues of chondroitin. We previously reported the cloning of C4ST cDNA from mouse brain. We here report the cloning and expression of human C4ST cDNA. The cDNA was isolated from a human fetal brain cDNA library by hybridization with a DNA probe prepared from rat poly(A)(+) RNA used for the cloning of mouse C4ST cDNA. The cDNA comprises a single open reading frame that predicts a Type II transmembrane protein composed of 352 amino acids. The protein has an amino acid sequence homology of 96% with mouse C4ST. When the cDNA was introduced into a eukaryotic expression vector and transfected in COS-7 cells, the sulfotransferase activity that transfers sulfate to both chondroitin and desulfated dermatan sulfate was overexpressed. Northern blot analysis indicated that human C4ST mRNAs (6.0 and 1.9 kb) are expressed ubiquitously in various adult human tissues. Dot blot analysis has shown that human C4ST is strongly expressed in colorectal adenocarcinoma and peripheral blood leukocytes, whereas strong expression of human chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase (C6ST) is observed in aorta and testis. These observations suggest that the expression of C4ST and C6ST may be controlled differently in human tissues. The C4ST gene was localized to chromosome 12q23.2-q23.3 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Vascular endothelial growth factor- and platelet-derived growth factor-angiogenesis depressed but fetal bovine serum-angiogenesis enhanced choroidal tissue cultures of streptozotocin-diabetic Wistar and GK rats.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic state-induced alterations of angiogenic activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) were compared with that of fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the cultured choroidal explants of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic Wistar and diabetic GK rats. METHODS: Choroidal explants (0.04-1.0 mm2) were isolated from rat eyeballs and cultured in fibrin gels with FBS-Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (0.5 mL) containing antibiotics and 300 microg/mL epsilon-amino caproic acid in the presence of recombinant mouse vascular endothelial growth factor and recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor BB at 37 degrees C under 5% CO2 and 95% air. Microvessels newly budded from these choroidal explants were photographed. The number and length of all microvessels per choroidal explant were counted and measured as indices of angiogenesis in vitro. RESULTS: Fetal bovine serum (5-10%) enhanced both angiogenic indices in the explants of STZ-diabetic Wistar and GK rats. The actions of the serum on both angiogenic indices in both diabetic rats were greater than those in age-matched normal rats. Vascular endothelial growth factor (3-30 ng/mL) with 1% fetal bovine serum increased the angiogenic indices in diabetic choroids, but was less pronounced than in normal choroids. The action of the growth factor (2.5 ng/mL) on angiogenesis was also less in diabetic choroids. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the diabetic state may down-regulate the receptors for vascular endothelial and platelet-derived growth factors and/or desensitize their post-receptor signaling in the vascular endothelial cells of choroids, being inexplicable for the enhanced actions of fetal bovine serum on angiogenesis in diabetic choroids.

[Post-operative cyst and orbital walls: a CT image analysis].

A set of coronal CT images obtained by 118 side (109 cases) of post-operative cysts of maxilla, seen from 1982 to 1988, was analyzed as to the orbital wall affections. Coronal images were grouped into five consecutive planes, i.e. the first plane being the one which is 5mm posterior to the nasion, and the other planes in successive orders each being 5mm apart. The orbital walls were classified into inferior, medial, and transition of these two. The orbital wall affections were classified into dehiscence, thinned-out (less than 1mm), and normal. The orbital signs and symptoms (epiphora, pain, asthenopia, visual loss, diplopia, and exophthalmos) were analyzed based upon the questionnaires by patients. The inferior wall affections (dehiscence and thinned-out) were seen most often (57%) at the third plane (2cm posterior to the nasion). The orbital signs and symptoms in general were seen in half of the cases of which 20% were of grave (visual loss, diplopia and exophthalmos). These signs and symptoms were the more often, the more anterior the site of affections located. Grave signs and symptoms were seen at 2 to 2.5cm posterior to the nasion when the orbital floor was affected and the inferior rectus were either pushed up or in direct contact with the cysts.

[An immunological study of changes in the thymus with aging].

Immunological changes of the thymus with aging were studied in human thymic lymphocytes that were obtained from 48 patients undergoing open heart surgery at the 2nd Department of Surgery, Tottori University Hospital. Flow cytometric analysis indicated significant reductions in the ratios of CD8, CD4, and CD1 positive thymic lymphocytes with aging significant increases in the ratios of HLA-DR and CD20 positive cells, and no significant change in the ratio of CD3 positive cells. Immunohistological staining indicated a predominance of CD8, CD4, and CD1 positive cells in the cortex of the thymus, while a predominance of CD3, HLA-DR, and CD20 positive cells was indicated in the medulla of the thymus. The mitogen responses of thymic lymphocytes to PHA, Con A, and PWM were enhanced with aging. Quantitative analysis of the subsets of thymic lymphocytes, their distribution in the thymus, and the measurement of the mitogen responsiveness of those lymphocytes are indispensable for obtaining basic data indicating immunological changes of the thymus with aging, as well as for clarifying the age-related characteristics of thymic lymphocytes in cases of autoimmune diseases such as myasthenia gravis.

Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis for distal radius fractures with a palmar locking plate.

PURPOSE: Since 2006, we have been performing minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis with a palmar locking plate and without division of the pronator quadratus muscle for repairing distal radial fractures. The purpose of this study was to present the surgical technique we have developed and to retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcomes. METHODS: Twenty patients were treated with this technique between January and December 2007. The range of motion of the wrist and forearm, grip strength, and the quick disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand score were assessed at the latest follow-up examination, and postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: The average ranges of flexion and extension of the wrist were 55° and 60°, respectively. The average ranges of supination and pronation of the forearm were 88° and 86°, respectively. The average grip strength of the treated side was 71 % of that of the uninjured side. The average quick disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand score was 13.4 points. No patient had loss of fracture reduction, implant failure, deep infection, or tendon or nerve problems. CONCLUSIONS: The small skin incisions of this technique are advantageous from the aesthetic viewpoint. Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis is one of the options for the treatment of distal radial fractures.

Large-area imager of hydrogen leaks in fuel cells using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

We constructed a simple device, which utilized laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to image H2 gas leaking from the surfaces of hydrogen fuel cells to ambient air. Nanosecond laser pulses of wavelength lambda=532 nm emitted from a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser were first compressed to a pulse length Deltat<1 ns using a stimulated Brillouin backscattering cell. Relay-imaging optics then focused this beam onto the H(2) leak and initiated the breakdown plasma. The Balmer-alpha (H-alpha) emission that emerged from this was collected with a 2-m-long macrolens assembly with a 90-mm-diameter image area, which covered a solid angle of approximately 1 x 10(-3)pi steradians seen from the plasma. The H-alpha light was isolated by two 100-mm-diameter interference filters with a 2 nm bandpass, and imaged by a thermoelectrically cooled charge-coupled device camera. By scanning the position of the laser focus, the spatial distribution of H2 gas over a 90-mm-diameter area was photographed with a spatial resolution of < or = 5 mm. Photoionization of the water vapor in the air caused a strong H-alpha background. By using pure N2 as a buffer gas, H2 leaks with rates of <1 cc/min were imaged. We also studied the possibilities of detecting He, Ne, or Xe gas leaks.