Note: On the wavelength dependence of the intensity calibration factor of extreme ultraviolet spectrometer determined with profile measurement of bremsstrahlung continuum.

The absolute calibration factor of extreme ultraviolet spectroscopic instrument which has recently been determined from absolute radiation profile measurement of bremsstrahlung continuum has been investigated by comparing the calculated diffraction efficiency of grating. An overall tendency of the wavelength dependence of the calibration factor from 40 Å to 500 Å can be reproduced by that of the grating efficiency, especially the agreement between the measured calibration factor and the calculated grating efficiency has been found to be fairly good for the wavelength range 200 Å-500 Å.

Antihypertensive effect of a fixed-dose combination of losartan/hydrochlorothiazide in patients with uncontrolled hypertension: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Achieving adequate blood pressure (BP) control often requires more than one antihypertensive agent. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a fixed-dose formulation of losartan (LOS) plus hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) (LOS/HCTZ) is effective in achieving a greater BP lowering in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. METHODS: The study was a prospective, multicenter, observational trial exploring the antihypertensive effect of a single tablet of LOS 50 mg/HCTZ 12.5 mg. A total of 228 patients whose BP had previously been treated with more than one antihypertensive agents without having achieved BP goal below 130/80 mmHg enrolled in the study. RESULTS: A significant decrease in systolic and diastolic BP was observed in both clinic and home measurement after switching from the previous treatment to LOS/HCTZ. There was a significant decrease in both B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and urinary albumin creatinine (Cr) excretion ratio (ACR), especially in patients with elevated values. In contrast, there was a significant increase in serum Cr concentration in conjunction with a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Overall serum uric acid (UA) concentration increased, whereas in patients with hyperuricemia there was a significant reduction in this value. CONCLUSION: Switching to LOS/HCTZ provides a greater reduction in clinic and home BP in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. This combination therapy may lead to cardio-, reno protection and improve UA metabolism.

Radiation-induced gamma-H2AX in mammalian cells irradiated with a synchrotron X-ray microbeam.

In order to study the radiobiological effects from low dose radiation, a cell irradiation system using synchrotron X-ray microbeam has been developed, by which cells can be recognised individually and irradiated one by one with the desired dose of monochromatic X rays. The minimum beam sizes obtained are 2 microm with the focusing optics and 5 microm square with the non-focused beam, and the beam size can be changed easily with a high-precision slit in the case of a non-focused beam. Human fibroblast cells were individually irradiated with this system, and immunostained by gamma-H2AX antibody to visualise the DNA damage. Most of the fluorescent foci were observed in a localised area in cell nuclei, the size of which was almost the same as the beam size.

Physicochemical and biomechanical examination of surfaces of retrieved polyethylene heads from total hip prostheses with rotating polyethylene head system.

In order to assess whether hydrodynamic lubrication occurs in total hip prostheses with a rotating polyethylene (PE) head system (R-THP), several physicochemical, morphological, and biomechanical tests were carried out. R-THPs have been used in more than 1000 patients since 1970, and 12 PE heads, retrieved from 10 patients after an average of 24.5 years since total hip arthroplasty (THA), were employed for the tests. The weight-bearing area of the PE surface was light yellow in color and considerably oxidized, but no wear scars were observed. In the non-weight-bearing area, in contrast, discoloration and oxidation were hard to detect. The weight-bearing surface of the PE head became smoother with time after THA, and the friction coefficient did not differ significantly from that of an unused PE head. The radial clearance between head and socket decreased at a temperature of 17 degrees C, which is equivalent to the difference between room temperature and the temperature of the human body. Scanning electron microscopy showed a fine undulating pattern, which suggested that hydrodynamic lubrication could occur in the rotating PE head system.

Large-Scale Mapping Observations of the C i (3P1-3P0) and CO (J = 3-2) Lines toward the Orion A Molecular Cloud.

Large-scale mapping observations of the 3P1-3P0 fine-structure transition of atomic carbon (C i, 492 GHz) and the J=3-2 transition of CO (346 GHz) toward the Orion A molecular cloud have been carried out with the Mount Fuji submillimeter-wave telescope. The observations cover 9 deg2 and include the Orion Nebula M42 and the L1641 dark cloud complex. The C i emission extends over almost the entire region of the Orion A cloud and is surprisingly similar to that of 13CO (J=1-0). The CO (J=3-2) emission shows a more featureless and extended distribution than C i. The C i/CO (J=3-2) integrated intensity ratio shows a spatial gradient running from the north (0.10) to the south (1.2) of the Orion A cloud, which we interpret as a consequence of the temperature gradient. On the other hand, the C i/13CO (J=1-0) intensity ratio shows no systematic gradient. We have found a good correlation between the C i and 13CO (J=1-0) intensities over the Orion A cloud. This result is discussed on the basis of photodissociation region models.

Lumbar spinal subdural hematoma following craniotomy--case report.

A 52-year-old female complained of lumbago and weakness in the lower extremities 6 days after craniotomy for clipping an aneurysm. Neurological examination revealed symptoms consistent with lumbosacral cauda equina compression. The symptoms affecting the lower extremities spontaneously disappeared within 3 days. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging 10 days after the operation demonstrated a lumbar spinal subdural hematoma (SSH). She had no risk factor for bleeding at this site, the symptoms appeared after she began to walk, and MR imaging suggested the SSH was subacute. Therefore, the SSH was probably due to downward movement of blood from the cranial subdural space under the influence of gravity. SSH as a complication of cranial surgery is rare, but should be considered if a patient develops symptoms consistent with a lumbar SSH after craniotomy.

[A clinical investigation of bacteremia for the past ten years at the Second Department of Internal Medicine, Jikei University Hospital].

We clinically investigated a total of 288 cases of bacteremia for the past ten years, from January 1986 to December 1995, at the Second Department of Internal Medicine in the jikei University Hospital. All of the subjects who had a positive reaction to blood culture or catheter tip culture were investigated for their basic disease, complications, and detected bacteria. Malignant tumors, chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus, and hematologic disease were frequent by noted. The cases due to primary infection were mainly respiratory organ infection or urinary tract infection, which were 47.8% of the total. In 31.3% of the total, catheter tip cultures were positive. Except for catheter related infection, Gram-positive coccus were detected in 40.3%, which was most frequent. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were 8.1% and Staphylococcus epidermidis were 11.2%. In catheter related infection, Gram-positive coccus were detected in 59.9%, which was most frequent amongst them, MRSA was 17.2%, S. epidermidis was 16.2%. The mortality of bacteremia was 12.5%, mainly from hematologic diseases, immunodeficiency due to long term steroid administration etc. Accordingly, the more the advance of chemotherapy, the better the prognosis of septicemia is. Appearance of catheter related infection was unexpected frequent. Increase of immunocompromised host is thought to be one of the main factors in the outbreak of bacteremia.

Long-term functional outcome of suprasellar germinomas: usefulness and limitations of radiotherapy.

We investigated the long-term functional outcome of patients with suprasellar germinoma after radiotherapy to determine the usefulness and limitations of radiotherapy for these tumors. From among 54 cases of intracranial germ cell tumor at Kitasato University Hospital, 12 patients with suprasellar germinoma who were treated with radiotherapy but not chemotherapy retrospectively investigated for mental, hormonal and visual functions. The follow-up period ranged from 63 to 262 months (mean, 161.1 months). The mortality rate was zero and there was no recurrence of tumors. However, three patients treated with local irradiation alone showed metastasis to the ventricles or spinal cord. With regard to mental function, 50% of the patients showed remarkably low mental function after radiotherapy. With regard to pituitary hormonal function, deficiency of ADH, GH, ACTH, and TSH was documented in 75%, 41.7%, 16.7% and 8.3% of the patients, respectively, before radiotherapy. Prolactin was elevated in 50% of the patients. After radiotherapy, 91.7% needed hormone replacement. With regard to visual function, most patients showed an improvement or no change after radiotherapy. In conclusion, radiotherapy for suprasellar germinomas gave long-time survival. However, such radiotherapy may cause mental and pituitary hormonal dysfunction. Our results show that while radiotherapy is useful for treating suprasellar germinomas, its dose have some limitations.

Reconstruction for the brilliance-upgrading project of the Photon Factory storage ring.

Reconstruction of the Photon Factory storage ring (PF ring; 2.5 GeV) is now in progress to provide very brilliant synchrotron radiation to users, i.e. the emittance is being reduced by a factor of five. Components, such as the quadrupole and sextupole magnets, vacuum chambers, beamlines and beam-position monitors, are being replaced by new ones in 16 normal-cell sections of the PF ring. The accelerating cavities, injection systems and control systems are also being replaced. Operation will commence when the improvements are completed on 1 October 1997.

Operational evaluation of ultrahigh-vacuum protection systems for intense-photon-flux wiggler beamlines.

The ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) protection system at the 2.5 GeV synchrotron radiation source (positron storage ring) at the Photon Factory allows the intense-photon-flux wiggler beamlines to operate safely during synchrotron radiation experiments for a long time. There are six high-power wiggler/undulator beamlines that provide intense photon-flux beams to the experimental hall. In the case of a possible instantaneous vacuum failure at the experimental hall, the intense photon-flux radiation from the wiggler could cause a meltdown of the titanium-alloy fast-closing valve. The authors have developed a UHV protection system. Upon a vacuum failure, the protection system can dump the positron beam by turning off the RF power in the four RF klystrons (150 kW maximum), and then initiate a blade closure of the fast-closing valve. In this paper, the operational performance of the vacuum protection system for the intense-photon-flux wiggler beamlines is evaluated and discussed regarding the actual vacuum deterioration downstream of a beamline at the experimental hall.

Characterization and interpretation of the quantum efficiencies of multilayer semiconductor detectors using a new theory.

On the basis of a new theory of semiconductor X-ray detector response, a new type of multilayer semiconductor detector was designed and developed for convenient energy analyses of intense incident X-ray flux in a cumulative-current mode. Another anticipated useful property of the developed detector is a drastic improvement in high-energy X-ray response ranging over several hundred eV. The formula for the quantum efficiency of multilayer semiconductor detectors and its physical interpretations are proposed and have been successfully verified by synchrotron radiation experiments at the Photon Factory. These detectors are useful for data analyses under strong radiation-field conditions, including fusion-plasma-emitting X-rays and energetic heavy-particle beams, without the use of high-bias applications.

New methods for semiconductor charge-diffusion-length measurements using synchrotron radiation.

The extension of a new theory on the X-ray energy response of semiconductor detectors is carried out to characterize the X-ray response of a multichannel semiconductor detector fabricated on one silicon wafer. Recently, these multichannel detectors have been widely utilized for position-sensitive observations in various research fields, including synchrotron radiation research and fusion-plasma investigations. This article represents the verification of the physics essentials of a proposed theory on the X-ray response of semiconductor detectors. The three-dimensional charge-diffusion effects on the adjoining detector-channel signals are experimentally demonstrated at the Photon Factory for two types of multichannel detectors. These findings are conveniently applicable for measuring diffusion lengths for industrial requirements.

Potentiating effect of buserelin acetate, an LHRH agonist, on the proliferation of ventral prostatic epithelial cells in testosterone-treated castrated rats.

BACKGROUND: We used buserelin acetate ([D-Ser(But)6] LHRH ), an LHRH agonist and strong blocker of LH secretion, as a treatment for prostatic cancer. It is possible that this LHRH agonist has a proliferative effect on the prostate in addition to suppressing LH secretion. The purpose of this study was to examine the proliferative effect of LHRH agonist on rat prostatic epithelial cells. METHODS: We determined the optimal dose of testosterone necessary to maintain a positive level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the ventral prostatic epithelial cells of castrated Wistar rats. Testosterone-treated rats then received various doses of buserelin acetate. Castrated rats without exogenous testosterone also received buserelin acetate. The PCNA positivity was determined by immunohistochemistry with anti-PCNA monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: The optimal dose of testosterone enanthate was 4 mg at 0 and 28 days after castration. Administration of buserelin acetate on day 0 and 28 in doses of 0.16 mg to 1.28 mg significantly increased PCNA positivity in a dose-dependent manner. Administration of buserelin acetate to castrated rats without testosterone also increased PCNA positivity but there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Buserelin acetate has a potentiating effect on the proliferation of ventral prostatic epithelial cells of castrated rat in the presence of a physiological level of exogenous testosterone. This effect may slightly influence the result of hormonal therapy by LHRH agonist.

The role of lymphadenectomy in the treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the efficacy of lymphadenectomy in conjunction with nephroureterectomy in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were evaluated retrospectively in 21 consecutive men and 15 women (mean age 67 years) who underwent total nephroureterectomy with lymphadenectomy between January 1985 and December 1993. RESULTS: Of the 36 patients 11 (31%) had lymph node metastases. Of 20 patients with stages pT3 to 4 or pN+ tumors 12 received cisplatin based chemotherapy (11 postoperatively and 1 preoperatively). Followup ranged from 3 to 135 months (mean 55). Among 13 patients who died by May 1996 tumor was the cause of death in 8, while 5 died of unrelated causes. The probability of a cause specific survival at 5 years was 100% in patients with stages pTa to 1, 80% with stage pT2, 59% with stage pT3 and 0% with stage pT4 cancer. The probability of a cause specific survival at 5 years in patients with nodal metastasis was 21%. No patient without nodal metastasis died of tumor related causes. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphadenectomy may provide therapeutic benefit in select patients with lymph node metastasis. It also may be a useful indicator of candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy if an effective regimen is established because lymph node metastasis is common in patients with carcinoma of the upper urinary tract and is critical in establishing the prognosis.

Decreased sulfhydryl groups in the reperfused myocardial tissue of a rat model of myocardial infarction.

The aim of this study was to determine whether myocardial injury resulting from temporary ischemia followed by reperfusion can be measured by assaying sulfhydryl groups in the affected tissue of a rat model of myocardial infarction. We studied 3 groups: a control group (n = 6), which underwent surgery without left coronary artery (LCA) ligation; group NoR (n = 9), in which the LCA was ligated for 3 h; and group I + R (n = 7), in which 30 min LCA ligation was followed by 3 h reperfusion. The sulfhydryl group content of myocardial tissue was assayed by measuring the fluorescence produced by incubating heart sections with N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-3-coumarinyl) maleimide (DACM), which binds sulfhydryl groups. The fluorescence intensity (FI) of normal and infarcted myocardium was quantified by our computerized system of microscopic fluorophotometry. Indices such as sulfhydryl group content, the size of the low-FI area [% AREA(lower FI)] and the relative decrease in FI [%FI(decrease)]) in the infarct zone were calculated. Both %AREA(lower FI) and %FI(decrease) were significantly higher in the infarcted zone of animals in NoR and I + R groups than in control animals. Both indices were higher in infarct tissue from animals in the I + R group than in the NoR group. These changes suggest that sulfhydryl group content is significantly reduced in tissue that has been subjected to ischemia-reperfusion. Microscopic fluorophotometry, as defined by DACM staining of myocardial tissue, may help to delineate areas of myocardial reperfusion injury.

Effects of left ventricular chamber size and left ventricular diastolic pressure on left atrial booster pump function in patients with old myocardial infarction.

We characterized the influence of the size of the left ventricular (LV) chamber (LV diastolic diameter, LVDD) and LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) on left atrial active stroke index (LAASI) in patients with old myocardial infarction (OMI) (n = 118) and controls (n = 25). Patients with OMI were classified into four groups according to the grade of LVDD (> or = 55 or < 55 mm) and LVEDP (> or = 18 or < 18 mmHg). LAASI was determined by multiplying the LV stroke index by the fraction of left atrial active contraction of the velocity-time integral on the pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiogram. LAASI in the "LVDD > or = 55 & LVEDP > or = 18" group was less than that in the groups with normal LVEDP. LAASI did not differ among the normal LV dimension groups. The combination of LV enlargement and high LVEDP was related to the decrease in LAASI in patients with OMI.