Electric Quadrupolar Contributions in the Magnetic Phases of UNi_{4}B.

We present acoustic signatures of the electric quadrupolar degrees of freedom in the honeycomb-layer compound UNi_{4}B. The transverse ultrasonic mode C_{66} shows softening below 30 K both in the paramagnetic phase and antiferromagnetic phases down to ∼0.33 K. Furthermore, we traced magnetic field-temperature phase diagrams up to 30 T and observed a highly anisotropic elastic response within the honeycomb layer. These observations strongly suggest that Γ_{6}(E_{2g}) electric quadrupolar degrees of freedom in localized 5f^{2} (J=4) states are playing an important role in the magnetic toroidal dipole order and magnetic-field-induced phases of UNi_{4}B, and evidence some of the U ions remain in the paramagnetic state even if the system undergoes magnetic toroidal ordering.

[A case of two primary carcinomas: thyroid papillary carcinoma with anaplastic transformation of metastatic cervical lymph node and breast cancer].

Reported is the case of a 70-year-old woman who, on diagnosis, was found to have a papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland that showed an anaplastic transformation of a metastatic lesion of the right cervical lymph node. The primary lesion, however, contained no anaplastic areas. Simultaneously, she also was found to have a primary carcinoma of the left breast, an invasive ductal carcinoma. She thus received a total thyroidectomy with a right cervical node dissection, a modified radical mastectomy, and irradiation of the right cervical area, but no intensive chemotherapy was performed. Six months after the thyroidectomy, the anaplastic carcinoma caused her death. On autopsy, it was found to have involved the right cervical area, the lungs, the mediastinum, the right axilla, and the right kidney.

A light and electron microscopic study of the regenerative epithelium in the intrahepatic bile duct. Experimental study of local direct instillation of paraquat into the intrahepatic bile ducts of rats.

To date, no reliable report on the regeneration of the intrahepatic bile duct epithelium following damage to the duct has been published. In this study, a direct instillation of paraquat dichloride into the intrahepatic bile ducts of rats was carried out, and the livers were examined under light and electron microscopy. One hour after treatment, the biliary epithelia showed degeneration and necrosis, and these changes remained for a considerable period in a large majority of the ducts examined. Three weeks after instillation, low columnar epithelium consisting of hyperchromatic nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm was present in a medium-sized bile duct, which was collared by marked periductal fibrosis. Electron microscopically, the eosinophilic epithelium showed a marked increase in the number of rough endoplasmic reticula, ribosomes, mitochondria, and filamentous structures, suggesting an active viability of the cell. Subsequently, the eosinophilic cells were replaced by normal-appearing epithelium, not associated with the periductal fibrosis. The data suggest that an epithelial regeneration occurred in the intrahepatic duct following injury and that this activity may be similar to that of the extrahepatic bile duct epithelium.

Acute toxic effects of paraquat on ultrastructure of rat liver.

Paraquat was administrated to pathogen-free male rats orally, and the livers were studied by light and electron microscope at intervals of 6 hours to 5 days. Congestion and hepatocellular injury (degeneration and/or fatty metamorphosis) were seen by light microscope. Electron microscope showed that degranulation of RER, proliferation of SER, decreasing of glycogen particles and mitochondrial swelling occurred in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes within 2 layers around the central vein at 6 hours. After 12 hours the liver cells throughout the centrolobular area were injured. Degranulation of RER, proliferation of SER, and decreasing of glycogen particles became prominent, and mitochondria showed swelling and transformation. In the midzonal and periportal areas, numerous lipid droplets were seen in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes. From the result of ultrastructural findings, it is considered that detoxication and biotransformation of paraquat occur in the hepatocytes within 2 layers around the central vein at an early stage, and spread to the hepatocytes throughout centrolobular area later.

A histopathological study of the liver in paraquat poisoning--an analysis of fourteen autopsy cases with emphasis on bile duct injury.

Fourteen autopsy cases of paraquat poisoning were studied. Seven of the eight patients who died within 4 days after the ingestion of paraquat showed hepatocytic injury, and three of them revealed bile duct injury. Hepatocytic injury was similar to that of carbon tetrachloride intoxication. Bile duct injury consisted of epithelial changes of the bile ductules and bile ducts. Cholestasis in the bile ducts was produced by the injury. The affected bile ductules and ducts had hydropic and necrotic epithelium, associated with the infiltration of neutrophils and histiocytes in the intraductal and periductal tissues. The severity of bile duct injury increased gradually from the bile ductules to the septal bile ducts. The extrahepatic biliary tract showed the same injury as the septal bile ducts in one case. It is considered that bile duct injury was produced by a direct corrosive effect of paraquat. Five of the six patients who survived more than 8 days revealed intrahepatic cholestasis, the pathogenesis of which was not clearly understood.

Infantile GM1-gangliosidosis with marked manifestation of lungs.

GM1-gangliosidosis is a disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of GM1-ganglioside in the brain and viscera. The disease is characterized by clinical findings similar to Hurler's disease and pathologic features resembling Niemann-Pick's disease but with involvement of the glomerular epithelium. A 14-month-old boy, clinically diagnosed as GM1-gangliosidosis, died of respiratory insufficiency and was autopsied except for the brain. Biochemically, marked increase of GM1-ganglioside in the viscera was demonstrated. Pathologically, the foam cells were present in the viscera. Some parts of the cytoplasmic vacuoles in the lungs and spleen contained osmiophilic fibrillar material electron-microscopically. This case was characterized by marked accumulation of foam cells in the pulmonary alveolar spaces.