Quantification of chirality based on electric toroidal monopole.

Chirality ubiquitously appears in nature; however, its quantification remains obscure owing to the lack of microscopic description at the quantum-mechanical level. We propose a way of evaluating chirality in terms of the electric toroidal monopole, a practical entity of time-reversal even pseudoscalar (parity-odd) objects reflecting relevant electronic wave functions. For this purpose, we analyze a twisted methane molecule at the quantum-mechanical level, showing that the electric toroidal monopoles become a quantitative indicator for chirality. In the twisted methane, we clarify that the handedness of chirality corresponds to the sign of the expectation value of the electric toroidal monopole and that the most important ingredient is the modulation of the spin-dependent imaginary hopping between the hydrogen atoms, while the relativistic spin-orbit coupling within the carbon atom is irrelevant for chirality.

Visualization and quantification of anastomotic perfusion in colorectal surgery using near-infrared fluorescence.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most troublesome complications in colorectal surgery. Recently, near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging has been used intraoperatively to detect sentinel lymph nodes and visualize the blood supply at the region of interest (ROI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of visualization and quantification of bowel perfusion around the anastomosis using NIRF system in predicting AL. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on patients who had laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer at our institution. Perfusion of the anastomosis was evaluated with NIRF imaging after intravenous injection of indocyanine green (ICG). The time course of fluorescence intensity was recorded by an imaging analyzer We measured the time from ICG injection to the beginning of fluorescence (T0), maximum intensity (Imax), time to reach Imax (Tmax), time to reach Imax 50% ([Formula: see text]) and slope (S) after the anastomosis. RESULTS: Tumor locations were as follows; cecum: 2, ascending colon: 2, transverse colon: 7, descending colon: 1, sigmoid colon: 2, rectosigmoid colon: 3 and rectum: 6 (one case with synchronous cancer). All operations were performed laparoscopically. Four patients were diagnosed with or suspected to have AL (2 patients with grade B anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection, 1 patient with minor leakage in transverse colon resection and 1 patient needing re-anastomosis intraoperatively in transverse colon resection). T0 was significantly longer in the AL group than in patients without AL (64.3 ± 27.6 and 18.2 ± 6.6 s, p = 2.2 × 10-3). CONCLUSIONS: Perfusion of the anastomosis could be successfully visualized and quantified using NIRF imaging with ICG. T0 might be a useful parameter for prediction of AL.

Multiple-q noncollinear magnetism in an itinerant hexagonal magnet.

Multiple-q spin order, i.e., a spin texture characterized by a multiple number of coexisting magnetic modulation vectors q, has recently attracted attention as a source of nontrivial magnetic topology and associated emergent phenomena. One typical example is the triple-q skyrmion lattice state stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in noncentrosymmetric magnets, while the emergence of various multiple-q states of different origins is expected according to the latest theories. Here, we investigated the magnetic structure of the itinerant polar hexagonal magnet Y3Co8Sn4, in which several distinctive mechanisms favoring multiple-q states are allowed to become active. Small-angle neutron-scattering experiments suggest the formation of incommensurate triple-q magnetic order with an in-plane vortex-like spin texture, which can be most consistently explained in terms of the novel four-spin interaction mechanism inherent to itinerant magnets. The present results suggest a new route to realizing exotic multiple-q orders and that itinerant hexagonal magnets, including the R 3 M 8Sn4 family with wide chemical tunability, can be a unique material platform to explore their rich phase diagrams.

Evaluation of oxidative stress based on lipid hydroperoxide, vitamin C and vitamin E during apoptosis and necrosis caused by thioacetamide in rat liver.

After 12 h of thioacetamide (500 mg/kg body weight) administration to rats, the activity of caspase-3-like protease in the liver increased significantly compared to that in the control group. In plasma, the activity of caspase-3 was barely detectable in the control rat, but had increased significantly after 24 h of drug administration along with a dramatic increase in GOT. These results indicate that thioacetamide causes apoptosis in the liver by activating caspase-3, which is released to plasma by successive necrosis. At 24 h, the concentration of liver lipid hydroperoxides, a mediator of radical reaction, was 2.2 times as high as that of control rats. After 12 and 24 h of thioacetamide administration, the liver concentrations of vitamins C and E decreased significantly. The decrease of antioxidants and formation of lipid hydroperoxides 24 h after thioacetamide administration support the view that extensive radical reactions occur in the liver during the necrotic process.

Increase of caspase-3 activity in rat liver and plasma by thioacetamide.

Twelve and twenty-four hours after intraperitoneal administration of thioacetamide (200 mg/kg body weight) to rats, caspase-3 activity in the liver and plasma of the treated rats increased significantly compared with that of the control group. These results demonstrated that thioacetamide caused apoptosis, which involved activation of caspase-3, although there may be a number of pathways to apoptosis in the liver that may or may not involve the activation of this protein. The results also indicated that the activated caspase-3 was released in plasma along with glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) by successive necrosis. This is the first study that shows an increase of caspase-3 activity in plasma.

Change in caspase-3-like protease in the liver and plasma during rat liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy.

Recent studies have shown that many factors orchestrate liver regeneration after a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH). However, the termination mechanism in liver regeneration has not been thoroughly studied. In this paper, we report that the activity of liver caspase-3-like protease, which is specifically activated in apoptosis, increases 18, 36, and 48 hr after PH during maximal hepatocyte proliferative activity. This is the first study that shows the activation of an apoptosis-executing enzyme during physiological liver regeneration. These results suggest that apoptosis is induced in each surge of DNA synthesis as the termination mechanism. When phenoxybenzamine, an alpha-blocker that has been reported to inhibit DNA synthesis during liver regeneration, was injected 8 hr after PH, the caspase-3-like activity in the liver peaked at 15 hr after PH and the enzyme activity also increased in plasma at 18 and 24 hr after PH in sharp contrast to the case of normal regeneration. These results indicate that extensive apoptosis is caused by phenoxybenzamine and that the secondary necrosis of apoptotic cells results in the increase of caspase-3-like protease activity in the plasma.

Effects of naloxone on regional norepinephrine content of the rabbit urinary bladder after electrical pelvic floor stimulation.

OBJECTIVES: Effect of opioid blockade on regional norepinephrine content of the rabbit urinary bladder was investigated under electrical pelvic floor stimulation. METHODS: Norepinephrine content of the bladder body and base of the rabbit was estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography in the following four subgroups: control group; group 1, treated by electrical stimulation; group 2, treated by naloxone alone; and group 3, treated by electrical stimulation and naloxone. RESULTS: Intravenous administration of naloxone (group 2) caused depletion of norepinephrine content in the bladder body (P < 0.001). Norepinephrine content in the bladder base was also reduced, although this difference was not statistically significant. Electrical stimulation to the pelvic floor musculature (group 1) increased norepinephrine content both in the bladder base and the body (P < 0.01). Such a norepinephrine elevation disappeared in the rabbit treated by electrical stimulation plus naloxone (group 3). Norepinephrine content of this group was almost the same as those treated by naloxone alone. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid blockade appeared to block the hypogastric nerve activation induced by electrical pelvic floor stimulation.

Influence of sex hormones on prostate volume in men on hemodialysis.

The relationship between sex hormones and prostate volume in 90 men on hemodialysis and 91 healthy men was investigated. In men on hemodialysis, serum levels of total and free testosterone were significantly reduced compared with the controls (P < .001), whereas the serum estradiol level was significantly elevated in men on hemodialysis (P < .001). However, prostate volumes were not different between the 2 groups. Serum estradiol level correlated with the prostate volume in controls (P < .001), whereas total and free testosterone levels did not correlate with the prostate volume. In men on hemodialysis, serum levels of total and free testosterone and estradiol did not correlate with the prostate volume. The present study suggests that sex hormones do not play important roles in the prostate growth in men on hemodialysis.

Histopathological study of a newly developed root canal sealer containing tetracalcium-dicalcium phosphates and 1.0% chondroitin sulfate.

We studied the possibility of the clinical use of a calcium phosphate-type newly developed sealer composed of tetracalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, and a modified McIlvain's buffer solution (TDM). Another sealer using the buffer solution, to which 2.5% chondroitin sulfate was added to promote wound healing (TDM-S), was also studied. TDM and TDM-S were histopathologically compared with another type of calcium phosphate sealer (ARS), which is commercially available in Japan, in the dorsal subcutaneous tissue and in the periapical tissue of rats. TDM and TDM-S caused no inflammatory reactions in the subcutaneous tissue. The periapical tissue reacted mildly to them. ARS caused severe inflammatory reactions in both the subcutaneous and the periapical tissue. These results indicate that TDM-S has excellent histocompatibility and potential as a root canal sealer.

In vivo antioxidative activity of propolis evaluated by the interaction with vitamins C and E and the level of lipid hydroperoxides in rats.

In vivo antioxidative activity of propolis was evaluated on the basis of ameliorative effects on the oxidative stress induced by vitamin E deficiency in rats. The control group was fed vitamin E-deficient diet, and the propolis group was fed vitamin E-deficient diet supplemented with 1% of propolis for 4 and 8 weeks. Comparisons were made in tissue concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin E, and lipid hydroperoxides between these groups. No significant difference was observed in tissue vitamin E concentration between these groups after both 4 and 8 weeks. After 4 weeks, the plasma vitamin C concentration of the propolis group was significantly higher than that of the control group. After 8 weeks, the tissue concentrations of vitamin C in the kidney, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine of the propolis group were significantly higher than those of the control group. These results suggest that some components of propolis are absorbed to circulate in the blood and behave as a hydrophilic antioxidant that saves vitamin C. The concentration of lipid hydroperoxides in the large intestine of the propolis group was significantly lower than that of the control group after 8 weeks. These results suggest that propolis exerts its antioxidative effect where it is assumed to accumulate, such as on the kidney, where it is excreted, and on the gastrointestinal tract, where propolis influences these tissues even from the outside of the cell.

A case of primary giant calculus in female urethra.

Urinary calculus is rarely seen in the urethra and is usually encountered in men with urethral stricture or diverticulum. Primary urethral calculi are extremely rare in females. We describe a case of a giant urethral stone impacted in the urethra of a 103-year-old female.

Changes in urinary kallikrein excretion and plasma natriuretic factor in a patient with primary aldosteronism with special reference to adrenal histology.

High level of urinary kallikrein excretion was observed in a 23-year-old man with primary aldosteronism. Unilateral adrenalectomy improved the clinical symptoms and normalized the urinary concentration of this vasoactive substance. Although plasma atrial natriuretic factor was not elevated, adrenal surgery lowered its concentration. Coexistence of an adrenal adenoma and lesions of nodular hyperplasia were detected in the removed adrenal gland. We summarize the clinical data of this patient and review the literature.

Retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma diagnosed by computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and thin needle aspiration.

We report a case of retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma presenting with right pack pain. Although preoperative diagnosis is usually difficult in such a rare condition, we could make the preoperative diagnosis on grounds of the peculiar findings obtained by computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and needle aspiration.

Norepinephrine contents of human prostatic hyperplasia: differences between pathological subtypes.

Tissue norepinephrine content in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was evaluated to detect possible histological differences in BPH subtypes and to investigate the correlation between norepinephrine levels and age, prostatic weight and clinical symptom score, respectively. Specimens were obtained from 28 patients who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate. Pathologically, 18 out of 28 specimens were classified as fibromyoadenomatous hyperplasia and the remaining 10 as fibromuscular type. Norepinephrine content in the fibromyoadenomatous type was 133.1 +/- 23.1 ng/g, whereas it was 340.3 +/- 60.5 ng/g in the fibromuscular type. Norepinephrine level in the former group was significantly lower than that in the latter group (p < 0.001). In both groups, there was no correlation between norepinephrine content, age and clinical symptom score, while the norepinephrine content had a reverse correlation with prostatic weight only in the former group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, norepinephrine levels were dependent upon histological differences, especially upon the amount of smooth muscle elements, in the evaluated specimen. Severity of prostatism and patients' age showed no correlation with tissue norepinephrine content.

Effect of the alpha-1 adrenoceptor blocker on tissue norepinephrine contents in human benign prostatic hyperplasia.

To see the effect of the alpha-adrenergic blocking agent on tissue norepinephrine contents of the prostate, norepinephrine (NE) levels were investigated in patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Morphometrical analyses were also performed to detect the differences in tissue composition. Nineteen patients were subdivided into two groups. Patients in Group 1 were given tamsulosin hydrochloride (0.2 mg/day) for at least 4 weeks before transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), while patients in the control group (Group 2) underwent no previous treatment for BPH before TURP. Tissue NE contents were investigated by high performance liquid chromatography on a chip of the prostate obtained by TURP. These two groups were closely similar in age distribution, prostatic size, results of preoperative symptom scoring and relative proportion of smooth muscle component within the evaluated specimen. In the present series, tissue NE contents in these groups were not statistically different (p = 0.64). Chronic and acute administration of the alpha-1 antagonist did not apparently influence the tissue NE level in patients with BPH.

Comparison of the nephrotoxicity between ioversol and iohexol.

To evaluate the renal toxicity of intravenous administration of ioversol and iohexol, the urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) to creatinine ratio was measured before and after drip infusion pyelography. Thirty patients received intravenous ioversol and 29 patients received iohexol. The urinary NAG to creatinine ratio tended to increase after respective contrast media: 5% increase in the ioversol-treated, and 8% in the iohexol-treated patients. There were no significant differences in these values; the nephrotoxicity of ioversol appeared to be just as insignificant as that of iohexol.

Role of symptom scoring and uroflowmetry in patients with diabetic cystopathy.

Forty-two patients with diabetes mellitus were evaluated by uroflowmetry and the AUA Symptom Index. After urodynamic and physiological investigations 12 patients were diagnosed as having diabetic cystopathy, while 22 patients as being urodynamically normal. In patients with diabetic cystopathy, most of the parameters in uroflowmetry were significantly different from those of normal subjects. Subjective symptom assessment revealed increased total obstructive scoring (p < 0.05). However, irritative symptom indexes in patients with diabetic cystopathy were not different from those of the normal subjects. Although uroflowmetry and the AUA Symptom Index are not specific to identify detrusor impairment, these methods appeared to be useful to decide upon further urodynamic investigations.

Thermoreceptor mediated bladder sensation in patients with diabetic cystopathy.

Urinary bladder sensation to ice water instillation was evaluated in 32 patients with diabetes mellitus. Sixteen patients were urodynamically normal (group 1) and the remaining 16 were diagnosed as having diabetic cystopathy (group 2). Eleven out of 16 patients in group 2 could be considered as having impairment of sensation to urinate. Two out of 16 (12.5%) subjects in group 1 could not perceive ice water infusion, whereas 25% of patients in group 2 did not feel the ice water sensation. In group 2, patients with impaired urinary sensation showed relatively high incidence of negative ice water test (36.4%), although there were no statistical differences between the other groups. There was no apparent relationship between prevalence of peripheral neuropathy and that of negative ice water test. Impairment of ice water perception was less frequent than that of mechanoreceptor sensation in patients with diabetic cystopathy.

Clinical and retrospective evaluation of Eviprostat: a non-hormonal and non-neuropharmacological agent for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Eviprostat has been used as a non-hormonal and non-neuropharmacological treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Japan. We evaluated the clinical efficacy of Eviprostat in patients with symptomatic BPH and the anti-inflammatory effect of this drug was investigated by retrospective evaluation of TUR specimens. Clinically, Eviprostat subjectively relieved obstructive symptoms of BPH. Objective improvements were also demonstrated by ultrasonographic evaluation of prostatic volume and urinary flow rates. Histologically, preoperative administration of Eviprostat improved the degree of prostatic inflammation. This drug probably can have a place in the treatment of patients with mild or moderate symptoms of outflow obstruction.