Recovery oriented phosphorus adsorption process in decentralized advanced Johkasou.

Decentralized advanced wastewater treatment using adsorption and desorption process for recovery and recycling oriented phosphorus removal was developed. Adsorbent particles made of zirconium were set in a column, and it was installed as subsequent stage of BOD and nitrogen removal type Johkasou, a household domestic wastewater treatment facility. The water quality of the effluent of adsorption column in a number of experimental sites was monitored. The effluent phosphorus concentration was kept below 1 mg l(-1) during 90 days at all the sites. Furthermore, over 80% of the sites achieved 1 mg l(-1) of T-P during 200 days. This adsorbent was durable, and deterioration of the particles was not observed over a long duration. The adsorbent collected from each site was immersed in alkali solution to desorb phosphorus. Then the adsorbent was reactivated by soaking in acid solution. The reactivated adsorbent was reused and showed almost the same phosphorus adsorption capacity as a new one. Meanwhile, the desorbed phosphorus was recovered with high purity as trisodium phosphate by crystallization. It is proposed as a new decentralized system for recycling phosphorus that paves the way to high-purity recovery of finite phosphorus.

Species differences in the distribution and coexistence ratio of serotonin and substance P in the monkey, cat, rat and chick spinal cord.

Serotoninergic raphe-spinal motor neuron projections exhibit wide species differences in both innervation pattern and coexistence of serotonin and substance P. The coexistence ratios vary widely ranging from more than 80% (rat) to less than 1% (chick). Serotonin and substance P positive fibers are also unevenly distributed in the ventral horn of different species: dense clusters of serotonin and substance P positive fibers were preferentially located in the motor neuron pools of extensor muscles of the hip joint (chick) as well as antigravity muscles of the forelimb (cat and rat).

[Pathological and clinical studies on primary aldosteronism].

In the surgical treatment of patients with primary aldosteronism, differentiation of idiopathic hyperaldosteronism due to bilateral adrenal hyperplasia should be kept in mind. Controversies exist, on the other hand, concerning the diagnosis and management of multiple nodular hyperplasia which often coxists with adrenal adenoma. We studied correlations between pathological findings and clinical diagnosis on 13 patients with primary aldosteronism who were operated on during the 19 year period from 1963 to 1981, and the results were as follows; (1) Histologically, adrenal glands of these patients were classified into three subgroups, namely i) adrenocortical adenoma alone, ii) adrenocortical adenoma associated with multiple nodular hyperplasia, and iii) nodules of multiple nodular hyperplasia alone. (2) Clinically, the latter two subgroups showed increase in plasma renin activity following the combination test of volume depletion and spironolactone administration. From these results it is suggested that even in patients with primary aldosteronism multiple nodular hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex can coexist together with adrenal adenoma, and that coexistence of this hyperplasia may modify some clinical features of the disease.

[Case of cystic adventitial degeneration of the brachial artery]. / Ein Fall von cystischer Adventitia-Degeneration der Arteria brachialis.

Cystic degenerative disease of the brachial artery, which caused acute and total occlusion of the artery was encountered in a 51 years old male patient. At the exploration of the brachial artery at the lower border of the axilla, an anatomical variation, high division of the superficial brachial artery, was observed. At the bifurcation of the artery, a cystic degenerative change was detected and was judged to be the cause of the arterial occlusion. He was treated successfully with partial resection of the arterial wall containing the cyst, followed by autologous vein patch plasty.

The potent inhibition of vapiprost, a novel thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, on the secondary aggregation and ATP release of human platelets.

The inhibitory effects of vapiprost hydrochloride (vapiprost), a novel thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, on platelet aggregation and ATP release were studied using platelet rich plasma (PRP) of humans, guinea pigs, rabbits and rats. In in vitro experiments with human platelet, vapiprost inhibited the aggregation and ATP release stimulated with U-46619, collagen or arachidonic acid (AA) at an IC50 of less than 2.1 x 10(-8) M. Vapiprost did not inhibit the primary aggregation or ATP release of human platelets stimulated with adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), epinephrine (Epi) or platelet activating factor (PAF), but inhibited the secondary aggregation stimulated with those agonists at an IC50 of less than 1.3 x 10(-7) M. The sensitivity of platelets in various species of animals to vapiprost was in the following order: human > or = guinea pigs > rats > rabbits. In ex vivo experiments with guinea pigs which received a single oral dose of vapiprost, the agent demonstrated strong inhibition of ATP release from platelets stimulated with U-46619, collagen or AA at an ID50 of less than 25.8 micrograms/kg. These inhibitory effects were observed within 30 min and sustained for 24 h at a single dosage of 5 mg/kg of vapiprost. In AA-induced pulmonary infarction models of mice, the sudden death rates decreased significantly with the oral administration of 10 mg/kg or more of vapiprost. These results indicate that vapiprost effectively inhibits the secondary aggregation and ATP release of human platelets stimulated with various agonists, and that guinea pig and human platelets are similar in response to vapiprost. Furthermore, it was demonstrated in ex vivo experiments with guinea pigs that the inhibitory action of vapiprost appears rapidly and lasts for long periods.

Surgical results and factors affecting operative mortality in total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage.

Factors affecting the surgical results of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage were evaluated in 17 patients in an attempt to establish an appropriate plan of management. The mortality rate correlated with age, size of interatrial communication, arterial oxygen saturation and left heart volume but not with pulmonary to systemic systolic pressure ratio, vascular resistance ratio and right ventricular volume. In cases where the symptoms appeared early in life, left heart volume was small and clinical features were severe. Four children with a left ventricular end-diastolic volume of less than 65% of normal died of low cardiac output syndrome. In those with an unusually small left heart, enlargement of the left atrium and/or delayed ligation of the anomalous vertical vein were considered more favorable. Left atrial and ventricular volumes were restored to normal after the surgery.

Anatomically corrected malposition of the great arteries--case reports and a review.

Anatomically corrected malposition of the great arteries (ACM) is an extremely uncommon cardiac disease in which the great arteries arise from their appropriate ventricles despite abnormal spatial interrelations. Two patients with this malformation underwent successful surgical intervention for their associated anomalies. One was of situs solitus, d-loop and l-malposition and the other of situs inversus, l-loop and d-malposition of the great arteries. Fifty-three cases with accurate anatomical description were collected from the literature, and anatomical characteristics and associated anomalies were investigated. From the standpoint of anatomy and hemodynamics, we considered that ACM should be classified into atrioventricular concordant ACM, atrioventricular discordant ACM and ACM with situs ambiguus. Heart position and conus were variable. Dextrocardia and mesocardia were frequent. Bilateral conus was characteristic in concordant ACM, and subpulmonary conus was prominent in discordant ACM. The hypoplasia of the right heart and juxtaposition of the atrial appendages were in high incidence in cases of ACM. Surgical intervention was also discussed.