Primary refractoriness to platelet transfusion caused by Nak(a) antibody alone.

Background And Objectives: Anti-Nak(a), a platelet-specific antibody, occasionally causes platelet-transfusion refractoriness (PTR) together with human leucocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies. Anti-Nak(a) usually appears after frequent platelet transfusions or pregnancy. We report the first case of PTR caused by anti-Nak(a) alone.

Virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome due to rubella virus and varicella-zoster virus dual infection in patient with adult idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

A 26-year-old woman with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was admitted to our hospital because of fever and rash. Blood tests revealed thrombocytopenia, liver dysfunction, coagulopathy, and hyperferritinemia. Bone marrow examination revealed many atypical lymphocytes and some histiocytes with hemophagocytosis.

[Bisphenol.alkylphenols].

Bisphenol A and some alkylphenols such as p-nonylphenol and p-tert-octylphenol, have been noticed as endocrine disruptors, showing estrogenic activities. In this article, the knowledge of endocrine disrupting toxicities of these chemicals is reviewed. These chemicals induce uterus proliferation(in both immature and ovariectomized animals), disruption of estrus cycles, etc.

[Mycosis fungoides terminating in acute myelocytic leukemia].

A 57-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with suspected leukemia in September 1999. In 1990, systemic erythema had occurred, and mycosis fungoides (MF) had been diagnosed by skin biopsy. Interferon-gamma therapy had not been effective, and the erythema had disappeared after treatment with psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy (1.

Treatment of solitary small hepatocellular carcinoma: consideration of hepatic functional reserve and mode of recurrence.

Background/aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurs frequently after initial treatment. The subsequent prognosis varies with the mode of recurrence. Some patients die of hepatic failure even though the HCC is controlled.

3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX): toxicological properties and risk assessment in drinking water.

MX (3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone), one of the byproducts formed during the chlorine disinfection process of drinking water, shows strong mutagenic activity for Salmonella strains in the Ames test. In several countries, the contribution of MX to the total mutagenicity of drinking water is estimated to range from 7% to 67%. To assess the risk of MX for human health, we summarized the toxicological properties of MX and estimated the tolerable daily intake (TDI) or tolerable concentration in drinking water.

Emergency abdominal surgery in patients aged 80 years and older.

The outcome of emergency abdominal surgery in elderly patients remains unsatisfactory. We studied factors contributing to the outcome of abdominal emergency surgery in elderly patients, particularly in those aged 80 years and older. Subjects were 61 patients aged 80 years and older (group A) and 108 patients aged from 65 to 79 years (group B) who underwent emergency abdominal surgery between 1983 and 1997.

Toluene inhalation induced epididymal sperm dysfunction in rats.

Toluene is a widely abused inhaled solvent. This study was designed to determine whether toluene abuse affects the reproductive functions or general health of males. Seven-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to toluene vapor inhalation (0, 4000, or 6000 ppm; 2 h/day) daily for 5 weeks.

Interlaboratory validation of the in vitro eye irritation tests for cosmetic ingredients. (11) EYTEX(TM).

EYTEX(TM) is an in vitro test system for predicting the ocular irritation potential of chemicals and formulations. This method was evaluated as an alternative method to the Draize eye irritation test (Draize test) for the eye irritation potential of several cosmetic ingredients in a three-phase validation study conducted at five to seven laboratories. Thirty-nine test substances were used as coded samples.

Interlaboratory validation of the in vitro eye irritation tests for cosmetic ingredients. (5) Skin(2TM) ZK1100 and tissue equivalent assay.

Skin(2TM) ZK1100 (ZK1100) assay and tissue equivalent assay (TEA, Skin(2TM) ZK1200) are human dermal models. These assays were evaluated as alternatives to the Draize eye irritation test (Draize test) in rabbits. Thirty-nine cosmetic ingredients were selected and used as test substances.

Detection of paraumbilical or splenorenal shunts by intra-arterial-DSA in bleeding varices: another risk factor?

In six of 46 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis and bleeding varices, selective intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography detected large spontaneous portosystemic shunts including three patent paraumbilical veins and three splenorenal shunts. Twenty-one patients died during a median 73-month follow up period after devascularization with (44 cases) or without (2 cases) esophageal transection. Univariate analysis of preoperative variables concerning hepatic reserve failed to show significant predictability on postoperative survival rate.

Risk of retinal detachment in patients with lattice degeneration.

To determine the risk of retinal detachment in patients with lattice degeneration of the retina, we statistically analyzed the incidence of retinal detachment in these patients. The data of hospital patients with retinal detachment associated with lattice degeneration in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, in 1990 were collected. The prevalence of lattice degeneration in Kumamoto was reported to be 9.

Reperfusion induces sublethal endothelial injury.

Background: Endothelial cells are pivotal in regulating thrombosis and hemostasis. In this study, we sought to characterize endothelial dysfunction and endothelial cell injury in vitro after hypoxia/reoxygenation.

Materials And Methods: Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECs) were exposed to 120 min of hypoxia followed by reoxygenation.

Expression of Fas in renal cell carcinoma.

We have investigated whether the Fas-mediated cell death pathway is functional in renal cell carcinoma. The expression of Fas in surgical specimens and cell lines of renal cell carcinoma was examined. Fas expression was positive in six out of 18 tumors measured by flow cytometry and was prominent in advanced tumors.

Coherent optical neural networks that have optical-frequency-controlled behavior and generalization ability in the frequency domain.

Coherent optical neural networks that have optical-frequency-controlled behavior are proposed as sophisticated optical neural systems. The coherent optical neural-network system consists of an optical complex-valued neural network, a phase reference path, and coherent detectors for selfhomodyne detection. The learning process is realized by adjusting the delay time and the transparency of neural connections in the optical neural network with the optical frequency as a learning parameter.

Subcellular distribution of rat liver NADPH-2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase.

The subcellular distribution of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (EC. 1.3.

Behavior control of coherent-type neural networks by carrier-frequency modulation.

Coherent-type artificial neural networks whose behavior is controlled by carrier-frequency modulation are proposed. The network learns teacher signals associated with an information-carrier frequency as a network parameter. The total network system forms a self-homodyne circuit.

Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies of toluene. II. Effects of inhalation exposure on fertility in rats.

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to toluene vapor at 600 and 2000 ppm for 6 h/day, and effects on their fertility were investigated. Females were exposed from 14 days before mating until day 7 of gestation. Males were exposed for a total of 90 days, including the mating period; treatment was begun 60 days before pairing, and toxicity with respect to testicular and reproductive functions was examined.

Effects of tandospirone on second messenger systems and neurotransmitter release in the rat brain.

1. We studied the effects of tandospirone, a novel serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor-related anxiolytic, on the intracellular second messenger systems and neurotransmitter release. 2.

Epidemiologic characteristics of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in Kumamoto, Japan.

Background: The epidemiology of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in Asians is not well known. We studied the epidemiologic characteristics of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in Kumamoto, Japan.

Methods: The study was based on a retrospective chart review of hospital patients who were treated for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in 1990.

[Acute pulmonary embolism after radical operation for renal cell carcinoma with vena caval extension: a case cured by thrombolytic therapy].

A 54-year-old man was hospitalized for a right renal tumor with intraluminal extension into the vena cava. He underwent radical nephrectomy with thrombectomy and regional lymphadenectomy. On the 8th postoperative day, he suddenly complained of dyspnea with tachypnea and cyanosis.

Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies of toluene. I. Teratogenicity study of inhalation exposure in pregnant rats.

Toluene is a widely used solvent in industry which is the subject of abuse among the younger generation. A teratogenicity study of toluene by inhalation exposure was carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats and the effects on dams, fetuses and offspring were assessed. Pregnant females were exposed to 600 or 2000 ppm toluene for 6 h/day from day 7 to day 17 of pregnancy.

Toxicity study of europium chloride in rats.

EuCl3.6H2O was administered by gavage for 28 consecutive days to groups of 10 male and 10 female rats (Slc:Wistar strain) at doses of 0, 40, 200, or 1000 mg/kg/day. Additional groups of male and female rats receiving the 0 and 1000 mg/kg doses were used to assess recovery after 14 days subsequent to cessation of compound administration.