Basic studies toward ultrafast soft x-ray photoelectron diffraction; its application to probing local structure in iodobenzene molecules.

Ultrafast x-ray photoelectron diffraction (UXPD) for free molecules has a promising potential to probe the local structures of the molecules in an element-specific fashion. Our UXPD scheme consists of three steps: (1) near-infrared laser (NIR) with ns pulse duration aligns sample molecules, (2) ultra-violet laser with fs pulse duration pumps the aligned molecules, and (3) soft x-ray free-electron laser (SXFEL) with fs pulse duration probes the molecules by measuring x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) profiles. Employing steps of (1) and (3), we have measured I 3d XPD profiles from ground state iodobenzene aligned by the NIR laser with the SXFEL. Then, we have intensively calculated I 3d XPD profiles with density functional theory, taking degrees of alignments of the molecules into account, to extract a distance between C and I atoms in iodobenzene from the experimental I 3d XPD profiles. Although we have failed to determine the distance from the comparison between the experimental and theoretical results, we have succeeded in concluding that the degeneracies of the initial state eliminate the sensitivity on molecular structure in the I 3d XPD profiles. Thus, the observation of fine structures in the XPD profiles could be expected, if a nondegenerate molecular orbital is selected for a probe of UXPD. Finally, we have summarized our criteria to perform UXPD successfully: (1) to use SXFEL, (2) to prepare sample molecules with the degree of alignment higher than 0.8, and (3) to select a photoemission process from a nondegenerate inner-shell orbital of sample molecules.

The Study of Nursing NAVI.

We have examined the nurses' thinking process in their professional judgment and action in the Partogram of 170 labors by 17 Midwifery students in 2 years.

Differentiation stages of eosinophils characterized by hyaluronic acid binding via CD44 and responsiveness to stimuli.

To characterize interleukin (IL)-5-induced eosinophils, we examined the expression of CD44, very late antigen (VLA)-4, and the IL-5 receptor alpha chain, as well as the levels of eosinophil peroxidase and the generation of superoxide. Eosinophils were prepared from IL-5-transgenic mice, then characterized using electron microscopy to determine their responses to stimuli. Whereas CD44 densities remained almost constant, the level of VLA-4 increased in parallel with eosinophil maturation. Although a subset of IL-5-induced eosinophils with high side scatter recovered from bone marrow and rare ones found in blood recognized hyaluronic acid (HA), most did not have this property. Bone marrow eosinophils with high side scatter and lower density contained eosinophil peroxidase, not only in granules, but also in membranous structures for 30% of this population. This population developed HA-binding ability in response to IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, eotaxin, nerve growth factor (NGF), and opsonized zymosan (OZ). Peripheral blood eosinophils acquired HA-binding ability in response to the same stimuli, but their responses were less than those of bone marrow eosinophils with high levels of side scatter. However, splenic eosinophils did not respond to these stimuli. Although peripheral blood eosinophils did not proliferate when stimulated by IL-5, these were the only cells that released eosinophil peroxidase in response to IL-4, MIP-2, MCP-1, eotaxin, NGF, and OZ. With the exception of a subset of bone marrow eosinophils, the ability to acquire HA binding, but not the ability to generate superoxide, correlated with eosinophil peroxidase activity and major basic protein accumulation in the granules of maturing cells.

Decrease in the concentrations of transforming growth factor-beta 1 in the sera of patients with Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the most important forms of vasculitis, and is characterized by the initiation of a proinflammatory cytokine cascade. To further characterize the immunological profile of KD, we measured the serum levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) as a regulatory cytokine. We determined the concentration of TGF-beta 1 in the sera of the patients with KD, anaphylactoid purpura (AP), and scarlet fever, using a sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The serum levels of TGF-beta 1 were decreased in patients with KD, but not in patients with AP or scarlet fever during the acute stage. We found an inverse correlation between TGF-beta 1 and soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor levels in KD patients during the acute and subacute stage. Decreased levels of TGF-beta 1, in particular to suppress TNF alpha (TNF-alpha) production, is an important part of the regulatory system of increased TNF-alpha production which cause vasculitis.

A conception of a support system for optimising the organisation of nursing staff from the viewpoint of the nursing care needs structure.

Methods of allocating nursing staff in hospitals should be established that improve the "sufficiency rate" of existing care needs for nursing in patients. The conception of a support system for the optimisation of organising nursing staff was proposed so that the degree of meeting care needs could be maximised. In this study, the structure of care needs was defined by sampling information related to eight factors. A basic framework was developed for a support system for the optimisation of organising nursing staff by using data based on (1) rate of satisfying eight selected criteria, (2) condition factors that can affect this rate, and (3) organising nursing. The possible usage of this support system is also discussed in this paper.

[Analysis of participation rates of atomic bomb survivors in health examinations].

Participation rates of atomic bomb survivors in health examinations were analyzed with a multiple logistic regression model. Rates were obtained for each stratum by sex, age group and residential ward. The effect of residential wards was considered in relation to the social indices of the wards. The effects of sex, age group and residential ward on participation rates were as follows: (1) Females had higher participation rates than males in the working age group (40-64). No sex differences were seen after age 65. (2) The participation rates had a peak around age 70 and were exceptionally high also in the youngest age group (40-44). (3) Participation rates were higher in suburban wards than in central wards. The participation rates had a negative correlation with urban characteristics while they had a positive correlation with suburban characteristics. In particular they had significant negative correlation to the number of clinics and positive correlation with voter participation rates in elections. These results suggest the need for a new type of urban health examination and reflection of the general attitude of the residents to the government.

Effects of cisplatin on cell cycle kinetics, morphological change, and cleavage pattern of DNA in two human ovarian carcinoma cell lines.

We evaluated the effects of cisplatin on the cell kinetics, cytomorphological changes, and cleavage patterns of DNA in two lines of human ovarian carcinoma cells. KF-1 cells displayed a cell cycle arrest in the G2M phase, while HMG cells displayed a transient cell accumulation in the S phase, without obvious G2M arrest. Morphological changes characterized by condensation and fragmentation of chromatin, and DNA cleavage by oligonucleosome-sized DNA fragments were observed in the HMG cells but not in the KF-1 cells. The pattern of cell death in HMG cells was considered to be apoptosis, but that of KF-1 cells necrosis. These findings showed the different mechanisms of anti-tumor effect of cisplatin on human ovarian carcinoma cell lines, including cell kinetics and pattern of cell death.

Bioelectrical impedance measuring method for standing load evaluation.

A bioelectrical impedance method was used to evaluate the workload in standing jobs. This method is designed to indirectly evaluate swelling of the lower leg by measuring the change in the rate of impedance of the lower leg. In this paper, we studied the relationship between the methods used for swelling evaluation, and studied the measuring conditions of the impedance method by using bioelectrical models. Furthermore, impedance in ten male subjects in three types of standing conditions was measured to check the validity of the model analysis. The results are as follows: 1) The result of theoretical analysis showed that the change in impedance caused by leg swelling is equal to the value obtained by the leg volume measuring method, and twice as great as the value obtained by the leg circumference measuring method. The rate of change in impedance at low frequency is about 4 times greater than that at high frequency. The low frequency impedance measuring method is therefore much more sensitive than the other methods. 2) The results of experimental studies showed that the impedance in the lower legs was reduced as the function of time when quietly standing for 30 mins. The change in the rate of impedance was 6.86 +/- 4.54% (mean +/- SD). This rate is 3-5 times greater than the data reported by other researchers who used volume measurement or impedance measurement at high frequency. This difference fits the results of model analysis, and proved the validity of model analysis and the usefulness of the impedance method as an index of the standing load.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Improvement of macrophage dysfunction by administration of anti-transforming growth factor-beta antibody in EL4-bearing hosts.

An experimental therapy for improvement of macrophage dysfunction caused by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) was tried in EL4 tumor-bearing mice. TGF-beta was detected in cell-free ascitic fluid from EL4-bearers, but not in that from normal mice, by western blot analysis. The ascites also showed growth-suppressive activity against Mv1Lu cells, and the suppressive activity was potentiated by transient acidification. To investigate whether the functions of peritoneal macrophages were suppressed in EL4-bearers, the abilities to produce nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation were measured. Both abilities of macrophages in EL4-bearing mice were suppressed remarkably on day 9, and decreased further by day 14, compared with non-tumor-bearing controls. TGF-beta activity was abrogated by administration of anti-TGF-beta antibody to EL4-bearing mice. While a large amount of TGF-beta was detected in ascitic fluid from control EL4-bearers, little TGF-beta was detectable in ascites from EL4-bearers given anti-TGF-beta antibody. Furthermore, while control macrophages exhibited little or no production of nitric oxide and TNF-alpha on LPS stimulation in vitro, macrophages from EL4-bearers administered with anti-TGF-beta antibody showed the same ability as normal macrophages. These results clearly indicate that TGF-beta contributes to macrophage dysfunction and that the administration of specific antibody for TGF-beta reverses macrophage dysfunction in EL4-bearing hosts.

A simple apparatus using inclinometer for monitoring working postures.

A new apparatus was developed for evaluating a load on the low back caused by working postures by measuring upper body inclination. This apparatus consists of an inclinometer and a portable unit. The inclinometer that uses a magnetic resistance sensor is attached to the upper body of the subject. The portable unit, controlled by a one-chip CPU, is enclosed in a cloth case and carried by the subject on his waist belt. The inclination is measured at a certain interval and recorded in the memory of the portable unit. All the recorded data are later transferred to a host computer and then analyzed. According to the theoretical analysis by using a simple mathematical model, upper body inclination changes according to the height of work places, and one cm difference in height causes more than one degree of upper body inclination. A model work of material handling was carried out to collect sample data. Two male subjects lifted ten boxes onto a platform from a stand in several heights. Both stooped and squat lifting methods were used as the lifting protocol. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the upper body inclination during work decreased according to the lift distance only in stooped lifting. As a practical application, working postures during the task of changing diapers for handicapped people were analyzed with out apparatus. A female subject changed diapers eight times at different height of beds. The mean value of inclination decreased according to the height of the beds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Thymidylate synthase activity as a prognostic factor in ovarian cancer.

We assayed thymidylate synthase (TS) activity and performed flow-cytometric DNA analyses in fresh tumor tissues from 38 patients with ovarian cancer. TS activity was closely correlated with prognosis but was not related to age, clinical stage, histologic type or lymph node metastases. Patients with TS activity higher than 2.0 pmol/g tissue had significantly worse prognoses than those with lower levels (p < 0.01). Also, patients with DNA aneuploidy or high S-phase fractions (> 20%) had worse prognoses than those with DNA diploidy or lower fractions. Results suggest that TS activity may be a good prognostic indicator in ovarian cancer.

Immunosuppression by a neutral thiol protease from parasitic helminth larvae in mice.

The composition and immunological suppression of a novel proteinaceous material, a neutral thiol protease (NTP), isolated from the metacercaria of the helminth Paragonimus westermani are reported. From cDNA cloning and sequencing, the protease was found to be composed of 215 amino acid residues and closely resembled the known cysteine proteases. Treatment of adult mice with the enzyme suppressed the delayed footpad reaction and haemagglutinin antibody production, and reduced expression of the major histocompatibility complex and interleukin 2 receptor on lymphocytes, and induced suppressor cells in the spleen. In addition, stable and long-term skin graft survival was achieved by concomitant administration of the enzyme at a low dose.

Therapeutic effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the protection against Listeria infection in SCID mice.

Anti-listerial activity in SCID mice as well as in control C.B-17 mice was augmented by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). After 1 x 10(3) colony-forming units of Listeria monocytogenes (strain EGD) were intravenously inoculated, mice were intraperitoneally injected with G-CSF at a daily dose of 500 micrograms/kg for 5 days. The numbers of viable bacteria in the liver were significantly lower in G-CSF-treated SCID and C.B-17 mice than in non-treated mice. The surface marker analyses on gamma delta T-cell receptor (TcR), Mac-1 and F4/80, and dichlorofluorescein oxidative activity, showed a possible contribution of activated neutrophils, but not gamma/delta T cells nor activated macrophages, to the augmentation of anti-listerial activity in SCID mice. This study is one of the first reports on the anti-microbial effect of G-CSF in therapeutic use.

Effect of cyclic cisplatin and etoposide therapy with continuous UFT administration on the recurrence of endometrial cancer in nude mice.

Effects of cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy and/or continuous administration of oral anticancer agent UFT following the initial chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide on the tumor recurrence rate were studied in endometrial cancer-bearing mice. Complete response (CR) rate of cyclic administration of cisplatin and etoposide (91%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (60%; p < 0.05). Continuous UFT administration raised a CR rate of 75%, which was not significantly higher than that of the control group. When cyclic administration of cisplatin and etoposide was combined with continuous UFT administration, 100% of CR rate was obtained (p < 0.01). Our results suggest that cisplatin-based cyclic chemotherapy has a therapeutic effect on gynecologic malignancies and is particularly effective in preventing tumor recurrence in mice. Combining this therapy with continuous administration of an oral anticancer agent enhances its therapeutic effect.

CO-N reaction--a new serological activity index--on Wegener's granulomatosis.

Cordyceps ophioglossoides is one of the Japanese old 'Kanpoh' drugs used for metrorrhagia as a decoction. We found that CO-N, a galactosaminoglycan from Cordyceps ophioglossoides, reacted with sera from patients with some collagen diseases. By using CO-N, we made a new serological activity index (CO-N reaction). In the present study, we investigated CO-N reaction on patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). The aggregation titres of CO-N (CO-N numbers) displayed a possible correlation with their clinical activity. CO-N reaction might also serve an important role in supporting the diagnosis of active WG and in helping to assess the degree of disease activity. The purpose of this report is to introduce this new serological activity index for Wegener's granulomatosis.

[Current and future perspectives of medical information network systems for community health using personal computers and IC cards].

Recent developments in computer and communication technology were studied in relation to medical information network systems, using computers and IC cards, to solve problems in community health. Trial use of personal computer network systems among physicians and IC card systems for personal health data management are already in existence in some parts of Japan. These trials were studied and analyzed based on a questionnaire survey of physicians and patients. Results of the study produced some useful points that should be considered when introducing these systems. These included: 1) details on expectations and specifications for these systems by physicians and patients, 2) easy access to valuable information is a key point for active network systems among physicians, 3) plausibility of improvement of communication between physicians and patients by using these systems, 4) recognition that an important problem concerns patient information privacy and must be considered before introducing these systems. A study of practical merits of these systems and methodology for realization indicates that participation by active and attractive providers of information can be expected to stimulate frequent use of the network system. The cost of introducing these systems can be partially borne by eliminating the large investment now allocated for processing requests for reimbursement of medical services. Investigation into the introduction of medical information systems provides a good opportunity to elucidate problems in the present medical systems.

Statistical analysis and prediction on incidence of infectious diseases based on trend and seasonality.

We proposed a prediction methodology for the incidence of infectious diseases using incidence data on measles and influenza for forty years in Japan. We also proposed a diagram that makes it possible to convey information on infectious disease incidence more attractively to a wider audience. This can be a useful tool for health promotion in the community. The obtained results are as follows: 1. It was advantageous to use data transformed by logarithm in statistical analysis of infectious disease incidence. 2. The incidences of measles and influenza exhibited strong seasonality. Measles was most frequent in June and influenza in February. 3. Long-term trends were extracted from the derived data obtained by eliminating seasonal effects from the original data. For measles, a decline was accelerated by the introduction of vaccination program in 1978. Influenza also showed a decline for these thirty years. 4. The observed incidence data were quite well predicted by only the trend and the seasonality. The squares of multiple regression coefficients of measles and influenza were 0.84 and 0.58, respectively. The analysis of the residuals suggested there was a possibility of improvement in prediction. 5. The improvement in prediction was attained by incorporating an autoregressive component of the residuals. As a result, the squares of multiple correlation coefficients of measles and influenza increased to 0.97 and to 0.79, respectively. 6. We finally proposed the TS-decomposition diagram to facilitate practical use of incidence data. In this diagram, current incidence data and predicted values for the near future are plotted on the plane where the trend and the seasonality are superimposed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Qualificated discrimination of ovarian malignancy by diagnostic ultrasound.

Ultrasonograms of 214 ovarian masses in 184 patients were studied to discriminate ovarian malignancies from benign masses and to help in developing a new scoring system using ultrasonographic findings with weight-adjusted scores. The 76 masses that showed cystic patterns only were directly determined to be benign, having an expected success rate of 97.4%. The remaining 138 masses, of which 116 showed mixed patterns and 22 of which showed solid patterns, were analyzed by the Quantification method No. 2 of Hayashi to select the effective ultrasonic findings and to obtain a good discriminant function. Eleven findings (items) expressing 29 categories were selected, and a discriminant function composed with a weight-adjusted score for each category was obtained as the result of the analysis. Using these functions, the 86.6% of the ovarian masses with mixed or solid patterns were correctly discriminated as being malignant, borderline-malignant, or benign. According to internal checks of all ovarian masses, the success rate was 90.2%. Then 73 ovarian masses of 65 new patients were discriminated as the external check, and a success rate of 93.2% was obtained. It is concluded that this newly developed scoring system using ultrasonic findings is useful in discriminating ovarian malignancies from benign ones.

Therapeutic effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and cephem antibiotics against experimental infections in neutropenic mice induced by cyclophosphamide.

Effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) against severe infections in cyclophosphamide (CY)-induced neutropenic mice were investigated by its single use or by its combination with cephem antibiotics. Treatment with rhG-CSF increased the number of peripheral blood leucocytes and strikingly shortened the duration of the neutropenic state. Most of the regained population in the peripheral blood leucocytes were neutrophils. Functions of neutrophils, such as phagocytic activity, superoxide release, and expression of Mac-1 molecules, were remarkably enhanced by administration of rhG-CSF. When rhG-CSF was administered to CY-induced neutropenic mice before infection, protective effects against various kinds of bacteria were remarkable. On the other hand, such remarkable effects were not observed when rhG-CSF was administered after infections. However, even in the case of post-infectious treatment, a combination therapy of rhG-CSF with cephem antibiotics, particularly with Cefodizime (CDZM), showed a significant improvement in the survival rate and a decrease in the number of viable bacteria in the liver. These results suggest that a combination therapy of rhG-CSF with cephem antibiotics, especially with CDZM, is an efficient regime against severe infections in patients with neutropenia induced by a heavy anti-tumour chemotherapy.