Determination of toxic trace elements in foodstuffs, soils and sediments of bangladesh using instrumental neutron activation analysis technique.

The concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe) were determined in the foodstuffs, soils and sediments from various areas in Bangladesh and new data for these toxic trace elements were given. The arsenic pollution problems in the most of the areas of Bangladesh are of geological origin. The high level of As in foodstuffs, soils and sediments, except for tannery sediments is probably positively correlated to the Fe concentration. An excessive amount of chromium was found in the sediments from the tannery area of Bangladesh.

Pyrogenic iron(III)-doped TiO2 nanopowders synthesized in RF thermal plasma: phase formation, defect structure, band gap, and magnetic properties.

Iron(III)-doped TiO(2) nanopowders, with controlled iron to titanium atomic ratios (R(Fe/Ti)) ranging from nominal 0 to 20%, were synthesized using oxidative pyrolysis of liquid-feed metallorganic precursors in a radiation-frequency (RF) thermal plasma. The valence of iron doped in the TiO(2), phase formation, defect structures, band gaps, and magnetic properties of the resultant nanopowders were systematically investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TEM/HRTEM, UV-vis spectroscopy, and measurements of magnetic properties. The iron doped in TiO(2) was trivalent (3+) in a high-spin state as determined by the isomer shift and quadrupole splitting from the Mössbauer spectra. No other phases except anatase and rutile TiO(2) were identified in the resultant nanopowders. Interestingly, thermodynamically metastable anatase predominated in the undoped TiO(2) nanopowders, which can be explained from a kinetic point of view based on classical homogeneous nucleation theory. With iron doping, the formation of rutile was strongly promoted because rutile is more tolerant than anatase to the defects such as oxygen vacancies resulting from the substitution of Fe(3+) for Ti(4+) in TiO(2). The concentration of oxygen vacancies reached a maximum at R(Fe/Ti) = 2% above which excessive oxygen vacancies tended to concentrate. As a result of this concentration, an extended defect like crystallographic shear (CS) structure was established. With iron doping, red shift of the absorption edges occurred in addition to the d-d electron transition of iron in the visible light region. The as-prepared iron-doped TiO(2) nanopowders were paramagnetic in nature at room temperature.

Spinal injuries in snowboarders: risk of jumping as an integral part of snowboarding.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to clarify the occurrence rate and characteristics of spinal injuries caused by snowboarding that were sustained at the Okumino skiing area in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, from 1988 to 2000. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of 13,490 cases of snowboard- or ski-related injury treated at Sumi Memorial Hospital over this period. RESULTS: A total of 7,188 patients sustained snowboard-related injuries, and 238 of these had spinal injuries caused by snowboarding (3.3%), whereas 6,302 patients sustained ski-related injuries, and 86 of these had spinal injuries caused by skiing (1.4%). Although there were no significant differences in the difficulty of slope, location of vertebral fracture, or spinal cord injury between snowboarders and skiers, the incidence of transverse process fractures was significantly higher in snowboard-related than in skiing-related injury (p < 0.05). In addition, there was a significantly higher incidence of spinal injury among beginner snowboarders than among beginner skiers (p = 0.04). Furthermore, intermediate or expert snowboarders were more likely to be injured because of jumping than beginners (p < 0.001), whereas about 70% of spinal injuries caused by skiing resulted from a simple fall. CONCLUSION: Spinal injuries sustained while snowboarding are increasing considerably in incidence and are characterized as complex injuries. We must educate young snowboarders of the risk of this sport, to prevent these serious injuries.

Perivascular graft heparin delivery using biodegradable polymer wraps.

Heparin remains the gold-standard inhibitor of the processes involved in the vascular response to injury. Though this compound has profound and wide-reaching effects on vascular cells in culture and animal models, its clinical utility has been questionable at best. It is clear that the mode of heparin delivery is critical to its potential and it may well be that routine forms of administration are insufficient to observe benefit given the heparin's short half-life and complex pharmacokinetics. When ingested orally, heparin is degraded to inactive oligomer fragments while systemic administration is complicated by the need for continuous infusion and the potential for uncontrolled hemorrhage. Thus alternative heparin delivery systems have been proposed to maximize regional effects while limiting systemic toxicity. Yet, as heparin is such a potent antithrombotic compound and since existing local delivery systems lack the ability to precisely regulate release kinetics, even site-specific therapy is prone to bleeding. We now describe the design and development of a novel biodegradable system for the perivascular delivery of heparin to the blood vessel wall with well-defined release kinetics. This system consists of heparin-encapsulated poly(DL lactide-co-glycolide) (pLGA) microspheres sequestered in an alginate gel. Controlled release of heparin from this heterogeneous system could be obtained over a period of 25 days in vitro. The experimental variables affecting heparin release from these matrices were investigated. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to monitor the degradation process and found to correlate well with the release kinetics. Heparin-releasing gels inhibited growth of bovine vascular smooth muscle cells in tissue culture in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, gel release controlled vascular injury in denuding and interposition vascular graft animal models of disease even when uncontrolled bleeding was evident with standard matrix-type release. This system may therefore provide an effective means of examining the effects of various compounds in the control of smooth muscle cell proliferation in accelerated arteriopathies and also shed light on the biologic nature of these processes.

Centrosomal kinases, HsAIRK1 and HsAIRK3, are overexpressed in primary colorectal cancers.

Members of the recently identified family of Homo sapiens Aurora / Ipl1-related kinases (HsAIRKs), homologous to chromosome segregation kinases, fly Aurora and yeast Ipl1, are highly expressed during M phase, and have been suggested to regulate centrosome function, chromosome segregation, and cytokinesis. In the present study, immunohistochemical analyses were performed of HsAIRK1 and HsAIRK3 expression in 78 primary colorectal cancers and 36 colorectal adenomas as well as 15 normal colorectal specimens. In normal colon mucosa, some crypt cells showed weak positive staining in 10 and 12 out of 15 cases for HsAIRK1 and HsAIRK3, respectively, the remaining cases being negative. Elevated expression of HsAIRK1 was observed in 53 (67.9%) of the colorectal cancers, and of HsAIRK3 in 40 (51.3%). Furthermore, colorectal adenomas showed high expression of HsAIRK1 and HsAIRK3 in 11 (30.6%) and 7 (19.4%) cases, respectively, thus being intermediate between colorectal cancers and normal colorectal mucosa. Interestingly, HsAIRK1 overexpression was significantly associated with pT (primary tumor invasion) and p53 accumulation in colorectal cancers. There was no significant correlation between proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeling index (PCNA-LI) and the levels of these proteins. The results suggest that overexpression of HsAIRK1 and HsAIRK3 might be involved in tumorigenesis and / or progression of colorectal cancers.

[Patients with cardiomyopathy screened by an annual health check].

We identified 12 new cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 3 new cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM with echocardiography) in 72980 (aged 18-85 years, 43.1 +/- 14.1) industrial workers during an annual health check from April to October in 1996. Two of 3 patients with DCM were males, 21 and 25 years of age. No patients had symptoms. ST-T abnormalities by electrocardiography were found in 87% (13/15) of patients with cardiomyopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in 53% (8/15). Our findings suggest that echocardiography is important in mass screening for early detection of asymptomatic cardiomyopathy in middle-aged as well as young patients with ST-T abnormalities.

[Complications in the intraperitoneal chemotherapy with the implantable intraperitoneal port and the strategy for the prevention of the complication].

Fifty-four patients with gastrointestinal carcinomas were treated with intraperitoneal chemotherapy through devices, and an implantable port system which had been used subcutaneously. The complications of the implantable ports were analysed in this study. There were 1 bowel perforation, 2 cases of retention of ascites, 2 infections, 2 inflow obstructions and 8 cases of pain, especially in the perineal or lower abdominal area. The number of patients requiring removal of the device due to complications were 7; 1 perforation, 2 ascites, 2 infections and 2 for pain. The strategy for reducing the complications due to the device were analysed as follows. A soft catheter should be selected. The catheter in the abdominal cavity should not be long, not as long as the tip of catheter touch the bottom of pelvic organs. Due care for kinking of the catheter should be taken in the implanting procedure. Antibiotics should be applied in and around the port. Steroids should be added to the solution for intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

[Intraperitoneal infusion therapy of MTX and 5-FU for advanced gastric cancer and its peritoneal metastasis].

We administered methotrexate (MTX) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) into the peritoneal cavity as chemotherapy after operation for advanced gastric cancer from a port implanted subcutaneously during the operation, every or every other week. It has been said that MTX tends to be kept in the peritoneal cavity, so the kinetics of MTX is important when it was administered there in. We investigated the concentrations of MTX in the peritoneal cavity and serum with infusion into the peritoneal cavity (IP), and compared it with intraarterial (IA) and intravenous (IV) administration. The results were the lower serum concentration of MTX in IP than in both IA and IV at 1-2 hours after infusion, but thereafter it was the same level in each group. The intraperitoneal concentration of MTX was lower than the detectable level at 24-48 hours after infusion. On the other hand, we investigated the side effects of this therapy, and only one of 20 cases given therapy many times had nausea and vomiting. So the intraperitoneal infusion therapy of MTX and 5-FU seemed to be safe.

Immunohistochemical study of a monoclonal antibody 115D8 against human milk-fat globule membrane (MAM-6) in some histological types of breast cancer.

An antigen, MAM-6, in human milk-fat globule membranes, was detected with a monoclonal antibody 115D8, in paraffin-embedded sections of 148 cases including human breast cancers and other breast diseases with immunoperoxidase technique. There were some differences on the staining portion in the cells among the different types of breast cancers, although we could not find any differences in intensity of reaction with 115D8 among the different histochemical types of breast cancers. MAM-6 was mainly localized in the apical portion of the cells or the cytoplasms of the papillo-tubular carcinoma. The antigen was chiefly localized in the margin of the cells or cytoplasms of the solid- tubular carcinoma and scirrhous carcinoma. Normal mammary glands, sweat glands and sebaceous glands were reacted with 115D8 but epidermis, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestines, pancreas, liver, lung, kidney, urinary bladder, thyroid, adrenal glands, heart, striated and smooth muscles, spleen, lymphnodes and brain were not reacted with 115D8 in this study. Although the antibody was not sufficient for differential diagnosis among the types of breast cancer, it may be useful to detect the breast cancer.

[A simple method of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)--3. The effects of pumpless ECMO (arterio-venous shunt) on arterial blood gas measured for 24 hours].

In eight anesthetized mongrel dogs, the pumpless ECMO applied between the femoral artery and vein was performed under the condition of hypoventilation for 24 hours. The methods were same as the first and second reports, except the pumpless ECMO was used. The abnormal parameters in the cardiovascular and respiratory system (blood gas analysis and end expiratory gas analysis), induced by hypoventilation, recovered to almost normal ranges, by operation of the pumpless ECMO for 24 hours. The pumpless ECMO might have such advantages over ECMO with pump as the less destruction of blood cell, easy performance and simple apparatus. In conclusion, pumpless ECMO using arterio-venous shunt may be applied clinically on respiratory distress conditions.

[A simple method of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)--2: The effects of ECMO (arterio-venous shunt) on the arterial blood gases measured for 24 hours].

In eight anesthetized mongrel dogs with thiopental, diazepam and pancuronium bromide, ECMO with arterio-venous shunt was performed under hypoventilation for 24 hours. The blood flow through the ECMO which was connected between the femoral artery and vein was approximately 40% of the cardiac output. Hypoventilation was induced to decrease PaO2 to around 40mmHg and increase PaCO2 to around 80 mmHg. The ECMO improved the abnormal parameters, which were induced by the hypoventilation, to almost normal range (PaO2 80mmHg, PaCO2 30mmHg) for 24 hours. Furthermore, there were no abnormalities in cardiovascular and other systems during ECMO.

[Bacteriological and clinical studies of cefoxitin with special reference to anaerobic infections in the patients of abdominal surgery (author's transl)].

Both bacteriological and clinical studies of the effectiveness of cefoxitin (CFX) in the treatment of infections associated with abdominal surgery have been carried out at Tokyo Metropolitan Toshima Hospital from September 1979 through August 1980. The results of these studies are summarized in the following: 1. The clinical isolates from the 29 surgical patients were studied and anaerobes were found in 16 patients (55% of the patients). B. fragilis was found in 11 of the 16 patients (69%) from whom anaerobes were isolated. In all of these patients, aerobes were also isolated--most frequently E. coli or K. pneumoniae. 2. The in vitro antibacterial activity of cefoxitin (CFX) against 83 clinical isolates was compared to that of cephalothin (CET), cefazolin (CEZ) and carbenicillin (CBPC). The activity of CFX against Gram-positive bacteria was generally slightly inferior to that of the other 3 antibiotics. Among the Gram-negative aerobic organisms, CEZ was the most active against E. coli and CFX and CEZ against K. pneumoniae. However, CFX, with MIC's of 0.78-12.5 micrograms/ml, showed the greatest activity against B. fragilis, followed by CBPC, CEZ and CET, in order of decreasing activity. 3. CFX was administered in a 1-hour drip infusion to 3 patients following abdominal surgery, and concentrations of CFX in the serum and the exudate were measured. Peak serum concentrations were obtained at the end of the infusion, with a mean peak level of 97.93 micrograms/ml. Peak concentrations in the exudate were observed 30 to 60 minutes later and varied from 21.10 to 56.25 micrograms/ml. 4. Of the 20 patients administered of CFX, complete clinical and bacteriological data of anaerobic infections were available in 8 patients. The clinical evaluation was 'good' in 7 patients and 'fair' in 1. The bacteriological evaluation was 'eradicated' in 5 patients and 'decreased' in 3. As for side effects, elevations of S-GOT and S-GPT were observed in 4 of the 20 patients received CFX, but these abnormalities might also be attributable to other factors such as underlying disease, surgical intervention etc. No other side effects were found in these patients.

A novel form of vitamin B-12 and its derivatives.

A new isomeric form of cobalamins is reported. The conversion of cobalamin to cobalamin (the new form) is achieved by substituting the benzimidazole base by a less bulky group like H2O or CN- and modest thermal treatment. The back conversion of adenosylcobalamin to the corresponding regular form occurs in the "base-off" form at room temperature. It seems that the corrin ring becomes quite flexible in the "base-off" form and the freer axial movement of the cobalt atom flips the corrin ring into a different conformation. The change in conformation is borne out by subtle changes in the proton magnetic resonances on the corrin ring and the base, and very marked variation in the emission Mössbauer spectra. The latter is indicative of appreciable changes in the spatial conformation in the immediate vicinity of the central metal atom. The ultraviolet-visible and infrared spectra of cobalamin are indistinguishable from those of its corresponding regular form. The new conformational isomeric species is present as an impurity in all commercially available cobalamins (including pharmaceutical preparations). It raises the question whether the cobalamins' constitute the real biologically active anti-anemic factor in humans.

Demonstration of equine infectious anemia virus in primary leukocyte cultures by electron microscopy.

Electron microscopy was used to demonstrate the presence of viral particles in primary cultures of leukocytes taken from a horse after SC inoculation with the Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus. Unlike previous studies, the exposure virus was not passaged through cell culture prior to horse inoculation. Cultures were begun approximately 1 week before and 1 week after the 1st pyrexic period after inoculation. In both samples, viral particles and cytoplasmic alterations were observed resembling those previously reported in equine infectious anemia virus and other retravirus-infected cells.