Search for B+-->D*+pi0 decay.

We report on a search for the doubly Cabibbo suppressed decay B+-->D*+pi0, based on a data sample of 657x10(6) BB pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We find no significant signal and set an upper limit of B(B+-->D*+pi0)<3.6x10(-6) at the 90% confidence level. This limit can be used to constrain the ratio between suppressed and favored B-->D*pi decay amplitudes, r<0.051, at the 90% confidence level.

Hyperventilation-induced hypocapnia changes the pattern of electroencephalographic bicoherence growth during sevoflurane anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Hyperventilation, with the resulting hypocapnia, reduces cerebral blood flow and causes slowing of the EEG activity. However, neuronal oscillating properties including the thalamocortical network during hyperventilation have not been elucidated. To assess these features provoked by hyperventilation, the present study examined quadratic phase coupling features by means of bicoherence analysis. METHODS: Twenty-two patients were anaesthetized using sevoflurane 1.5% combined with remifentanil or epidural anaesthesia. After a stable normocapnic period, hypocapnia was induced by hyperventilation, and the raw EEG signals were collected. Bispectral analysis (bicoherence) and power spectrum analysis were performed before and after hypocapnia. RESULTS: Mean (sd) peak bicoherence in the delta- area increased from 35.6 (10.9)% during normocapnia to 43.8 (10.9)% during hypocapnia (P<0.05), whereas mean (sd) peak bicoherence in the alpha area decreased from 42.8 (14.4)% during normocapnia to 37.5 (12.3)% during hypocapnia (P<0.05). Normalized power in the delta- frequencies on the power spectrum increased from 60.2 (13.1)% to 72.5 (12.7)% (P<0.05). Bispectral index and spectral edge frequency changed from 45.9 (7.0) to 40.1 (5.6) (P<0.05) and from 15.0 (2.3) to 14.0 (2.5) Hz (P<0.05), respectively. No significant differences in these values were observed between the two types of anaesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: Hypocapnia enlarged bicoherence growth in the delta- frequency range, suggesting the contribution of subcortical oscillating mechanisms in regulating EEG during hyperventilation.

Difference in direct charge-parity violation between charged and neutral B meson decays.

Equal amounts of matter and antimatter are predicted to have been produced in the Big Bang, but our observable Universe is clearly matter-dominated. One of the prerequisites for understanding this elimination of antimatter is the nonconservation of charge-parity (CP) symmetry. So far, two types of CP violation have been observed in the neutral K meson (K(0)) and B meson (B(0)) systems: CP violation involving the mixing between K(0) and its antiparticle (and likewise for B(0) and ), and direct CP violation in the decay of each meson. The observed effects for both types of CP violation are substantially larger for the B(0) meson system. However, they are still consistent with the standard model of particle physics, which has a unique source of CP violation that is known to be too small to account for the matter-dominated Universe. Here we report that the direct CP violation in charged B(+/-)-->K(+/-)pi(0) decay is different from that in the neutral B(0) counterpart. The direct CP-violating decay rate asymmetry, (that is, the difference between the number of observed B(-)-->K(-)pi(0) event versus B(+)-->K(+) pi(0) events, normalized to the sum of these events) is measured to be about +7%, with an uncertainty that is reduced by a factor of 1.7 from a previous measurement. However, the asymmetry for versus B(0)-->K(+)pi(-) is at the -10% level. Although it is susceptible to strong interaction effects that need further clarification, this large deviation in direct CP violation between charged and neutral B meson decays could be an indication of new sources of CP violation-which would help to explain the dominance of matter in the Universe.

Measurement of CP asymmetry in a time-dependent Dalitz analysis of B0-->(rhopi)0 and a constraint on the quark mixing matrix angle phi2.

We present a measurement of CP asymmetry using a time-dependent Dalitz plot analysis of B0-->pi+pi-pi0 decays based on a 414 fb(-1) data sample containing 449 x 10(6) BB pairs. The data was collected on the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e+ e- collider. Combining our analysis with information on charged B decay modes, we perform a full Dalitz and isospin analysis and obtain a constraint on the CKM angle phi2, 68 degrees < phi2 < 95 degrees as the 68.3% confidence interval for the phi2 solution consistent with the standard model (SM). A large SM-disfavored region also remains.

Measurement of the tau lepton mass and an upper limit on the mass difference between tau+ and tau-.

The mass of the tau lepton has been measured in the decay mode tau-->3pinutau using a pseudomass technique. The result obtained from 414 fb-1 of data collected with the Belle detector is Mtau=[1776.61+/-0.13(stat)+/-0.35(sys)] MeV/c2. The upper limit on the relative mass difference between positive and negative tau leptons is |Mtau+-Mtau-|/Mtau<2.8 x 10-4 at 90% confidence level.

Elevated bone resorption markers in a patient with hypercalcemia associated with post-partum thyrotoxicosis and hypoadrenocorticism due to pituitary failure.

A 36-yr-old woman began to suffer from headache, anorexia and general fatigue at 35 weeks' gestation. About 2 or 3 months after the delivery, fever, tachycardia and generalized musculoskeletal disorder appeared. Thereafter, they worsened rapidly, accompanied by a disturbance of consciousness and hypercalcemia. Thyrotoxicosis, due to a post-partum thyroiditis, and glucocorticoid deficiency, due to a pituitary failure, probably associated with lymphocytic hypophysitis, were also observed. All the symptoms and hypercalcemia disappeared after the glucocorticoid replacement therapy and the normalization of thyroid hormone levels. Serum and urinary bone resorption markers, such as urine pyridinoline (U-Pyr), urine deoxypyridinoline (U-DPD), urine amino-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (U-NTx) and serum carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), were extremely high at the hypercalcemic state. In this case, they were 10 to 20 times higher than the normal upper limits, and then markedly decreased in a normocalcemic state, thereby showing an extreme acceleration of bone resorption in a state of both thyrotoxicosis and glucocorticoid deficiency.

Measurements of cosmic-ray low-energy antiproton and proton spectra in a transient period of solar field reversal.

The energy spectra of cosmic-ray low-energy antiprotons ( *p's) and protons ( p's) have been measured by BESS in 1999 and 2000, during a period covering reversal at the solar magnetic field. Based on these measurements, a sudden increase of the *p/p flux ratio following the solar magnetic field reversal was observed, and it generally agrees with a drift model of the solar modulation.

Simultaneous optimization based on artificial neural networks in ketoprofen hydrogel formula containing O-ethyl-3-butylcyclohexanol as percutaneous absorption enhancer.

The influence of the amounts of additives including 1-O-ethyl-3-n-butylcyclohexanol (OEBC), diisopropyl adipate (DIA), and isopropanol (IPA) on the penetration rate (R(p)) of ketoprofen from hydrogels through rat skin in vivo was investigated. Skin irritation evoked by the application of hydrogels was evaluated based on a microscopic observation of skin cross-sections. Both optimization techniques incorporating an artificial neural network (ANN) and a second-order polynomial regression analysis were applied to the optimization of ketoprofen hydrogel formulations. Findings indicated that the R(p) and total irritation score (TIS) of the skin were predicted quantitatively as a function of quantities of OEBC, DIA, and IPA, employing ANN. In contrast, the prediction ability of the polynomial regression equation was somewhat poorer compared with that of ANN. The observed results of R(p) and TIS in the optimal formulation coincided well with the predictions in the simultaneous optimization technique incorporating ANN.

A case of an ameloblastic fibro-odontoma arising from a calcifying odontogenic cyst.

This case report describes an ameloblastic fibro-odontoma arising from a calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) in the mandible of a twenty-three-year old male. The patient was referred to the Department of Oral Surgery, Tokyo Dental College, on March 30th, 2000, complaining of a painful swelling, which had appeared three weeks earlier on his left mandibular molar region. In a pathological view, the lesion was a round cyst the size of a chicken-egg, dark red in color, and surrounded by a thick membrane. The cyst had an epithelium of varying thickness which included many ghost cells and an enamel-like structure on the inside, and a thick wall of connective tissue with an ameloblastic fibro-odontoma on the outside. Enamel organ-like epithelial islands were structured radially in the form of strands with immature dentin. Cytokeratin 19 was strongly immunoreactive in the epithelium of the lesion; osteopontin and osteocalcin reacted in the mesenchymal cells and weakly in the epithelial element of this tumor.

Multiple intracranial recurrent tumors with hyperprolactinemia combined with a parasellar malignant fibrous histiocytoma long after transfrontal surgery and irradiation to a pituitary adenoma.

We herein describe a 40-year-old woman with hyperprolactinemia, an empty sella and two extrasellar intracranial recurrent tumors which were revealed 23 years after the first transfrontal craniotomy and 18 years after the second transfrontal surgery and irradiation to a provable prolactin-producing pituitary macroadenoma. One recurrent tumor was in the right orbital apex causing right oculomotor nerve palsy, and the other tumor was in the right apex partispetrosae and foramen jugulare. Although her serum prolactin level decreased after the administration of bromocriptine mesilate, and the size of the two tumors remained unchanged, a malignant fibrous histiocytoma, which might have been induced by the irradiation 18 years before, grew rapidly in the right suprasellar-prepontine cistern to the right pedunculus cerebralis, leading to a poor prognosis. This case confirmed the importance of the life-lasting follow-up of pituitary adenomas treated with surgery and/or irradiation therapy. Not only ectopic recurrence of the primary tumor but also post-irradiation tumors may become apparent long after the removal of the primary tumor.

Interaction of TIP26 from a hyperthermophilic archaeon with TFB/TBP/DNA ternary complex.

Interactions of TBP-interacting protein (TIP26), TBP, and TFB from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 with TATA-DNA were examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Tk-TFB formed a ternary complex with Tk-TBP and TATA-DNA. Tk-TIP26 did not inhibit the formation of this ternary complex, but interacted with it to form a TIP26/TFB/TBP/DNA quaternary complex. This interaction is rather weak, and a large excess of Tk-TIP26 over Tk-TBP is required to fully convert the TFB/TBP/DNA ternary complex to the quaternary complex. However, determination of the concentration of Tk-TIP26 and Tk-TBP in KOD1 cells by Western blotting analysis indicated that the concentration of Tk-TIP26 is approximately ten times that of Tk-TBP, suggesting that the quaternary complex might also form in vivo.

Enzyme immunoassay for 6-amino-5-chloro-1-isopropyl-2-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)benzimidazole, a novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonist.

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) has been developed for determination of 6-amino-5-chloro-1-isopropyl-2-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl) benzimidazole (KB-6806), a novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonist. Anti-KB-6806 antiserum was elicited against the KB-6806-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate prepared by a diazo coupling reaction through the inherent 6-amino group. Beta-galactosidase-labeled 6-amino-5-chloro-1-isobutyl-2-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)benzimidazole was similarly prepared by diazo coupling reaction as an enzyme-labeled antigen with a hapten heterologous combination of antiserum. The modification at the 4-methyl group of the piperazine moiety of KB-6806 significantly decreased the binding affinity to the antibody. This method could quantitate KB-6806 in dog plasma in the concentration range of 0.078-10 ng/ml with good accuracy and precision. The EIA method has been successfully applied to the determination of KB-6806 in plasma after intravenous administration of KB-6806 to dogs.

Breast reconstruction using a deepithelialized rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap.

There are many methods for breast reconstruction. Using implants can achieve good results without conspicuous scarring, but this method has disadvantages, such as infection, exposure, and capsular contracture. The rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (RAM) flap has become a standard technique because of its safety and abundant volume, but its main problem is the lack of a color and texture match between the skin paddle and the skin around the flap. To overcome such shortcomings, the authors perform breast reconstruction using tissue expansion and a RAM flap. First a tissue expander is inserted superficially to the pectoralis major muscle at the time of or after mastectomy, and is expanded to a size larger than the contralateral breast. The expander is replaced with the deepithelialized RAM flap. Scar revision is performed if the expander is inflated satisfactorily. The authors used this technique in 11 patients and obtained good results without severe complications.

Evaluation and structure-activity relationship of synthesized cyclohexanol derivatives on percutaneous absorption of ketoprofen using artificial neural network.

The effect of 35 newly synthesized O-ethylmenthol (MET) derivatives on percutaneous absorption of ketoprofen was investigated in rats. In order to understand the relationship between the structure of compounds and promoting activity (structure-activity relationship), an artificial neural network (ANN) was employed. In the in vivo percutaneous absorption study, male Wistar rats, weighing 160-180 g, were used. The apparent penetration rate (Rp) was estimated based on a pharmacokinetic model with a constant rate of penetration through the skin after a lag time. As an index of the promoting activity of each compound, an enhancement factor (Ef), defined as follows, was used: Ef=Rp(with enhancer)/Rp(without enhancer). An irritation evoked on rat skin was microscopically judged at the end of the in vivo percutaneous absorption experiment and evaluated as a total irritation score (TIS). Ef and TIS were selected as output variables to determine the ANN structure. Calculated logP, molecular weight, steric energy (SE), van der Waals area, van der Waals volume, dipole moment, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) were used as factors to determine the structural nature of cyclohexanol derivatives. Among these parameters, logP, SE and LUMO significantly affected the prediction of Ef and TIS. The predicted values of Ef and TIS coincided well with in vivo percutaneous absorption experimental values. However, results observed with a linear regression method were poor compared with the ANN approach. The contribution index of logP was approximately 50% in the prediction of Ef, suggesting that lipophilicity among physicochemical properties contributes most of the promoting activity of these compounds.

Precision measurement of cosmic-Ray antiproton spectrum

The energy spectrum of cosmic-ray antiprotons ( &pmacr;'s) has been measured in the range 0.18-3.56 GeV, based on 458 &pmacr;'s collected by BESS in a recent solar-minimum period. We have detected for the first time a characteristic peak at 2 GeV of &pmacr;'s originating from cosmic-ray interactions with the interstellar gas. The peak spectrum is reproduced by theoretical calculations, implying that the propagation models are basically correct and that different cosmic-ray species undergo a universal propagation. Future BESS data with still higher statistics will allow us to study the solar modulation and the propagation in detail and to search for primary &pmacr; components.

Formula optimization of theophylline controlled-release tablet based on artificial neural networks.

Formulation of the controlled-release tablet containing theophylline was optimized based on the simultaneous optimization technique in which an artificial neural network (ANN) was incorporated. As model formulations, 16 kinds of theophylline tablets were prepared. The amounts of Controse, the mixture of hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose with lactose, cornstarch and compression pressure were selected as causal factors. The release profiles of theophylline were characterized as the sum of the fast and slow release fractions. The initial weight, the rate constant in the fast release fraction and the rate constant in the slow release fraction were estimated as release parameters. A set of release parameters and causal factors were used as tutorial data for ANN and analyzed using a computer. Based on the plasma concentration profiles of theophylline predicted by the pharmacokinetic analysis in humans, a desirable set of release parameters was provided. The simultaneous optimization was performed by minimizing the generalized distance between the predicted values of each response and the desirable one that was optimized individually. The optimization technique incorporating ANN showed a fairly good agreement between the observed values of release parameters and the predicted results.

Repair of the mandibular nerve by autogenous grafting after ablative surgery of the mandible.

In this paper, we introduce our original method of autologous nerve grafting for substitution of the mandibular nerve after mandibular resection in three subjects. The lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm served as a donor nerve, and the graft was imbedded microsurgically at the junctures using an epineurial nerve suture technique. Oversized grafts were chosen in order to insert them without tension in a space between the stumps of the recipient nerve and the regeneration zone of the bone. In all three subjects, sensibility of the lower lip and chin recovered completely after about ten months.

Application of rapid random stimulation (RRS) to visual evoked potentials in children.

The present study was performed to examine the effects of regular (1 Hz) and modified rapid random stimulation (RRS) (6 and 12 Hz) on visual evoked potentials (VEPs), by simultaneously recording negative waves around 100 ms, wave IV-latency, positive waves around 60 ms, wave III-latency, and amplitudes calculated from peak to peak, without causing impairment of visual acuity, in 44 patients aged 5-17 years. The wave IV-latencies of VEPs obtained by 6 and 12 Hz RRS were easily determined, and the latencies were not significantly changed compared to those obtained by previous 1 Hz regular stimulation. On the other hand, the amplitudes decreased in a frequency-dependent manner (1 < 6 < 12 Hz). These results were found to be similar in both preschool and school children. The examination time of VEPs determined by RRS is one-tenth shorter than that of 1 Hz regular stimulation. Thus, this method has the benefit of shortening the examination time, which decreases fatigue and inattention of the subjects, suggesting that modified RRS is a practically useful method for children.

Formula optimization based on artificial neural networks in transdermal drug delivery.

The promoting effect of O-ethylmenthol (MET) on the percutaneous absorption of ketoprofen from alcoholic hydrogels was evaluated in rats in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, a novel simultaneous optimization technique incorporating an artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to a design of a ketoprofen hydrogel containing MET. When a small quantity of MET (0.25-0.5%) was added to the hydrogels, the permeation of ketoprofen increased remarkably, compared with the control. On the other hand, little change in permeation was observed when small amounts of menthol were used (<1%), and at least 2% menthol was required to obtain a promoting efficiency comparable with 0.25% MET. The partitioning of ketoprofen from the hydrogel to the skin was improved by the addition of a small amount of MET, whereas the diffusivity of the drug was enhanced at higher concentration of MET (0.5-1%). For the optimization study, the amount of ethanol and MET were selected as causal factors. A rate of penetration (R(p)) and lag time (t(L)) and total irritation score (TIS) were selected as response variables. A set of causal factors and response variables was used as tutorial data for ANN and fed into a computer. Nonlinear relationships between the causal factors and the response variables were represented well with the response surface predicted by ANN. The optimization of the ketoprofen hydrogel was performed according to the generalized distance function method. The observed results of R(p) and TIS, which had a lot of influence on the effectiveness and safety, coincided well the predictions.

Increased sensitivity to thyroid hormone replacement therapy followed by hyponatremia and eosinophilia in a patient with long-standing young-onset primary hypothyroidism.

We describe a 51-year-old woman with long-standing young-onset primary hypothyroidism. Serum cortisol, adrenocorticotropin, and arginine vasopressin levels were normal, but urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid was decreased. Administration of a very small initial dose of thyroid hormone induced severe acute complications including fever, palpitation, and sweating associated with a rapid decrease in serum thyrotropin level, a dramatic increase in serum alkaline-phosphatase level, and a decrease in serum total cholesterol level. A week later, the late complications of nausea, severe hyponatremia, and eosinophilia occurred. Serum cortisol level decreased slightly but remained within normal limits during this hyponatremic period. This rare case suggests that increased sensitivity to thyroid hormone can occur in long-standing primary hypothyroidism with biphasic clinical course of acute thyrotoxic complications followed by severe hyponatremia resembling hypoadrenocorticism.