A case of superior lumbar hernia.

A case of a superior lumbar hernia in a 50 year old woman is described herein. She presented with a 7 x 8 cm soft, nontender, smooth-surfaced mass in the left flank, and barium meal with follow through showed herniation of the descending colon. At operation, a 6 x 5 cm defect was found in the transversalis fascia, which was repaired with mattress sutures to the transversalis fascia together with suturing of the external oblique to the latissimus dorsi. This article presents the above case and reviews the published literature relating to this subject.

[EEG changes during the performance of verbal and non-verbal tasks].

EEGs were recorded from 12 positions of the scalp (10-20 system) in 30 normal right-handed subjects. Powers of alpha component obtained from contralateral loci during their performance of verbal tasks (definition of nouns, tongue twisting) and non-verbal tasks (memorization of shapes, imagination of a face) were compared. At the frontal and occipital regions, the right hemisphere dominance of the alpha component was more distinctly demonstrated during the verbal tasks than the non-verbal tasks, while at the occipito-temporal region, the left hemisphere dominance was distinctly demonstrated during the non-verbal tasks than the verbal tasks. However, the alpha components were dominant at the left occipito-temporal region during the verbal tasks and at the right frontal and occipital regions during the non-verbal tasks. The latter result was discussed in relation to the findings of Moss, Davidson, & Saron (1985) and noise generated by apparatuses. Component analysis was carried out for a correlation matrix made by four task variables and 12 samples of electrode positions. Two factors were derived; the first factor was loaded on the verbal tasks whereas the second factor on non-verbal tasks. The factor scores of the first factor were high at the right temporal region and those of the second factor at the left temporal region. These results proved the utility of principal factor method onto general patterns of alpha component during the tasks.

[Epidemiologic studies on multiple cancers in Japan].

During a 21-year period, 3040 patients with malignant tumors were treated at the Division of Surgery, Fukuyama National Hospital. Of these 86 (2.8%) were diagnosed as having double cancers. The simultaneous double cancer rate was 27.3%. Statistical study showed that the etiology had a relation to family history and previous therapy, but not to immunology. The prognosis was good and diagnosis by RI was non-specific.

[Basic and clinical evaluations of cefmetazole in postoperative wound infections].

The time course of the concentration of cefmetazole (CMZ) in the serum and in skin and intestinal tissues was determined after a single intravenous injection of 2 g of the drug. CMZ moved into them well. Furthermore, 41 patients with postoperative wound infection (superficial in 29 and deep in 12) were treated with CMZ 2-4 g daily. Bacteriological examination of the lesions with simultaneously carried out. As a result, 101 strains of bacteria were isolated and identified. Mixed infection was found in 27 cases (65.9%). Fifteen strains (14.9%) of E. coli, 15 (14.9%) of B. fragilis, 7 (6.9%) of Klebsiella sp. and 7 (6.9%) of Proteus sp., were the main bacteria isolated. Eight cases (19.5%) had mixed infection of E. coli and B. fragilis. The committee (3 members) evaluated CMZ to be effective in 75.6% (31 of 41 cases) and bacteria disappeared in 60.5% (23 of 38 cases). The side effects observed were pyrosis and feeling of gastric malaise in 1 case. The results suggest that CMZ is useful, which exerts an excellent effect on postoperative wound infections.

Lateral preference and mental ability.

The relationships between mental abilities and lateralities were examined. On any items of a lateral preference questionnaire, significant differences between subjects with right and left preferences were not found on either verbal or non-verbal scores of intelligence scales. Some significant differences were found between tasks. On the geometric figure-combination task, subjects using scissors left handed had lower scores than right-handed ones.

Lateral preference and style of cognition.

The relationship between cognitive ability and laterality was examined in terms of the relation of intelligence test scores to lateral preference. The factor analysis was performed on the variables of 12 tasks of the intelligence scale and total lateral preference. A slight relation was found between lateral preference and figure combination task. To clarify the relationship, the mean scores of tasks were tested for subjects who preferred the right and left on each preference item. Some significant differences were found. On some items, the mean scores of subjects with left preferences were inferior to those of subjects with right preferences on the figure-combination task. The result confirmed Levy's finding (1969). But cross-validation on a large sample is required.