Real space observation of current-induced magnetic domain wall displacement in Co/Ni nano-wire by photoemission electron microscopy.

Current-induced magnetic domain wall (DW) displacement in a Co/Ni nano-wire with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was investigated in real space by photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) for the first time. DW velocity determined from the PEEM observation was 40 m s(-1) for the current density of 2.5 × 10(12) A m(-2), which was consistent with the result obtained by the electrical measurement used in our previous reports.

Association study of the calcineurin A gamma subunit gene (PPP3CC) and methamphetamine-use disorder in a Japanese population.

Several lines of evidence from animal and genetic analyses showed that the calcineurin A gamma subunit gene (PPP3CC) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Moreover, a recent large Japanese case-control study confirmed the genetic association of PPP3CC with schizophrenia. The symptoms of methamphetamine (MAP)-induced psychosis are similar to those of schizophrenia, suggesting that PPP3CC is an attractive candidate gene not only for schizophrenia, but also for METH-related disorders. In this study, we carried out a genetic association study of PPP3CC with MAP-use disorder in a Japanese population. We selected five haplotype-tagging SNPs from the aforementioned replication study and genotyped 393 samples (MAP abuse, 128; control, 265). We could not detect a significant association of all tagging SNPs with each condition. In conclusion, our data suggest that PPP3CC does not elevate the risk of MAP-use disorder in the Japanese population.

Bcl-2 expression and prognosis of patients with endometrial carcinoma.

Bcl-2 protein inhibits apoptosis, reduces the requirement for growth factors, and thereby extends the survival of cells. Recent findings of Bcl-2 in several solid tumors suggest that it might contribute to the genesis of some types of cancer. Over-expression of Bcl-2 might play a role in carcinogenesis and malignant progression of endometrial carcinoma. The aims of this study were to determine Bcl-2 expression in endometrial carcinoma in relation to other histopathologic prognostic factors, and to test its prognostic significance in patients with endometrial carcinoma. A total of 61 endometrioid-type endometrial carcinomas were immunohistochemically investigated for Bcl-2 expression on cryostat sections. Bcl-2 localization was observed in cytoplasm in 18 tumors, in nucleus in 27 tumors, or in both in 5 tumors. In 11 tumors, Bcl-2 was observed neither in cytoplasm nor in nucleus. There was not a statistically significant relationship between grade of tumor and Bcl-2 expression. Cytoplasmic Bcl-2 became less frequently expressed as the tumor invaded the myometrium deeper (p < 0.025). Retroperitoneal lymph-node dissection was performed in 57 patients. Multiple-regression analysis showed that lymph-vascular space invasion and nuclear expression of Bcl-2 were correlated to pelvic lymph-node metastasis (p < 0.0001 and < 0.05 respectively). Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed that nuclear Bcl-2 expression was associated with shorter survival (p < 0.05) than that of patients with cytoplasmic Bcl-2 expression. Pelvic node metastasis was a significant prognostic factor for patients who underwent systematic retroperitoneal lymph-node dissection. Cox multivariate-regression analysis revealed that pelvic node metastasis and cervical invasion were the most important prognostic factors in this series of patients. When the analysis was made after exclusion of pelvic node metastasis, histologic grade (hazard ratio = 2.4), cervical invasion (hazard ratio = 3.7) and nuclear Bcl-2 expression (hazard ratio = 11.5) were shown to be significant predictors of survival of the patients. These results indicate that aberrant Bcl-2 expression might be involved in malignant progression of endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma. Site of Bcl-2 localization may be an important predictor of prognosis for patients with endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma.

[Symptoms and pathological anatomy of the degenerative cervical spine]. / Symptome und pathologische Anatomie der degenerativen Halswirbelsäule.

Clinical symptoms and patho-anatomic changes in cervical myelopathy due to spondylotic changes are described. The leading symptoms are numbness and clumsiness of upper and lower extremity, mostly combined with gait disturbances. Muscle wasting primarily on the upper extremity leads to the myelopathic hand. Cervical myelopathy can be classified into five main groups: 1. Spastic tetraparesis with numbness and hyperreflexivity of upper and lower extremity. The majority of patients present with the myelopathic hand. 2. Spastic paraparesis with lesion below C6. 3. Spastic tetraparesis, mild or moderate, with deltoid muscle paresis. 4. Amyotrophic myelopathic hand with mild long tract signs. 5. Central cord syndrome due to cervical spondylosis combined with trauma. From the therapeutic aspect, conservative treatment is often unsuccessful. It is important to relieve pressure on the spinal cord, and decompressive procedures, especially posterior laminoplasty techniques, are required. Earlier surgery provides better results.

[An analysis of pelvic and para-aortic lymph node metastasis in ovarian carcinoma by systematic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection].

We performed a systematic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) on 137 patients with primary ovarian carcinoma, of whom 97 had undergone RPLND during the primary surgery before chemotherapy and 40 had undergone RPLND during the secondary cytoreductive surgery after preoperative chemotherapy. The tentative staging of the ovarian carcinoma used in this study was determined according to the FIGO criteria without considering the pathologic findings of retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Nodal metastasis was seen in 21.9% (30/137) of them. Thirteen had positive pelvic lymph nodes (PLN) but no positive para-aortic nodes (PAN). Eleven had both positive PLN and positive PAN. Six had positive PAN but no positive PLN. The PAN was the most frequent site of metastasis (17/137). Next were the common iliac, obturator, and lateral group of deep inguinal nodes. Solitary metastasis in the patients who had undergone RPLND during the primary surgery was seen in a PAN and a common iliac node. Among 24 patients with PLN metastasis, there was a significant (p < 0.05) difference in the number of positive PLN between the patients with PAN metastasis (5.27 +/- 3.00) and the patients without PAN metastasis (2.62 +/- 1.66). These results indicate that the PAN and common iliac nodes are the most important site of nodal metastasis in ovarian carcinoma. The metastasis to PLN such as obturator node and internal iliac node seems to occur independently of the PAN metastasis, and the PAN metastasis occurs not only through the direct route but also as a consequence of extension of PLN metastases. Systematic retroperitoneal lymph node exploration therefore seems to be necessary to clarify the lymph node status.

[Clinical symptoms and patho-anatomic changes in cervical myelopathy]. / Symptome und pathologische Anatomie der degenerativen Halswirbelsäule.

Clinical symptoms and patho-anatomic changes in cervical myelopathy due to spondylotic changes are described. The leading symptoms are numbness and clumsiness of upper and lower extremity, mostly combined with gait disturbances. Muscle wasting primarily on the upper extremity leads to the myelopathic hand. Cervical myelopathy can be classified into five main groups: 1. Spastic tetraparesis with numbness and hyperreflexivity of upper and lower extremity. The majority of patients present with the myelopathic hand. 2. Spastic paraparesis with lesion below C6. 3. Spastic tetraparesis, mild or moderate, with deltoid muscle paresis. 4. Amyotrophic myelopathic hand with mild long tract signs. 5. Central cord syndrome due to cervical spondylosis combined with trauma. From the therapeutic aspect, conservative treatment is often unsuccessful. It is important to relieve pressure on the myelon, and decompressive procedures, especially posterior laminoplasty techniques, are required. Earlier surgery provides better results.

Extracorporeal spread and its prognostic impact in stages I and II (FIGO) endometrial carcinoma.

Prognostic risk factors were statistically analyzed from the histopathologic data obtained from 90 Japanese women with stages I and II endometrial carcinoma treated surgically, including systemic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, between June 1979 and June 1989. In stage Ia endometrial carcinoma, pelvic and paraaortic nodes metastasis were seen in 13.8(4/29)% and 0.0(0/19)% of patients, respectively. In stage Ib, the incidence of pelvic and paraaortic node metastasis was 25.6(11/43)% and 9.7(3/31)%, respectively. In stage II, the incidence was 38.9(7/18)% and 13.3(2/15)%, respectively. Prognosis of patients even with deep myometrial invasion (greater than or equal to 2/3) or G3 tumor was fairly good (5-year survival rate: 87.5% and 85.7%, respectively) if the disease was histologically confined to the uterine corpus. Once the tumor spread outside the corpus uteri, the survival rate of patients was strongly affected by the grade of the tumor, moderate to marked lymph-vascular space invasion of tumor cells, or tumor invading middle or outer third of myometrium (P less than 0.05 for each factor). In summary, endometrial cancer frequently metastasize to pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes even in the early stages, and lymph node metastasis and other extracorporeal spread of disease have a serious impact on patient survival. Prognosis of patients with extracorporeal spread of disease seems to be determined by the high grade of tumor and lymph-vascular space invasion. These results suggest that surgical exploration including paraaortic lymph node dissection to accurately evaluate the extent of the disease is essential to estimate the patient's prognostic risk and to individualize the treatment schedule.