The role of antennal hair plates in object-guided tactile orientation of the cockroach (Periplaneta americana).

The searching behavior of blinded cockroaches was examined under unrestrained conditions, in an arena, and on a treadmill. When cockroaches searching in a circular arena touched a stationary object (metal pole) with their antennae, they frequently approached the object more closely, and then climbed up it. Similar orientation behavior was observed in tethered animals in open loop conditions, walking on a Styrofoam ball.

[Activities of antimicrobial agents against 5,180 clinical isolates obtained from 26 medical institutions during 1998 in Japan. Levofloxacin--Surveillance Group].

The surveillance study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial activity of fluoroquinolones (ofloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tosufloxacin) and other 20 antimicrobial agents against 5,180 clinical isolates obtained from 26 medical institutions during 1998 in Japan. The resistance to fluoroquinolones was remarkable in Enterococci, methicillin-resistant staphylococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from UTI. However, many of the common pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae including penicillin-resistant isolates, methicillin-susceptible Stahylococcus aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, the family of Enterobacteriaceae, Haemophilus influenzae including ampicillin-resistant isolates have been kept to be susceptible to fluoroquinolones.

[Present status of nosocomial infections and biohazard of medical waste].

Nosocomial infections are already major problems and are a growing concern to all medical staff and among the general public. Therefore, an effective infection control program, especially against transmission mode of infection, is essential for the well-being of the patients and the safety of hospital personnel. Various categories of medical waste should be segregated adequately and appropriate management(treatment and disposal) is necessary.

Anodic oxidation and hydrothermal treatment of titanium results in a surface that causes increased attachment and altered cytoskeletal morphology of rat bone marrow stromal cells in vitro.

Previous studies have suggested the usefulness of a new coating method-namely, the forming of a thin hydroxyapatite (HA) layer on commercially pure titanium (cpTi) by anodization and hydrothermal treatment-for use as a dental root implant material. In vivo and in vitro studies confirmed that an HA layer on cpTi (HA/cpTi) implants showed good compatibility with bone tissue, rat bone marrow stromal (RBM) cells, and immune cells. The aim of the present investigation was to further characterize the in vitro early cellular behavior of RBM cells on HA/cpTi implants.

Molecular cloning of Rhombex-40 a transmembrane protein from the ventral medullary surface of the rat brain by differential display.

Respiration-related neurons, which detect various chemicals in cerebrospinal fluid, are localized to the ventral medullary surface (VMS). We hypothesized that expression of genes involved in respiratory function is upregulated in the VMS. By differential display, we looked for genes differentially expressed in VMS neurons and cerebral cortical neurons.

[Changes in the antibacterial activity of chemotherapeutic agents (especially carbapenems) for 10 species of clinical isolates between 1994 and 1996. Surveillance group of the sensitivities of clinical isolates to antibacterial agents].

During October and December of each year of from 1994 to 1996, 3,849 strains of 10 species of bacteria were isolated from clinical materials in 21 institutions nationwide. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for these bacteria of four carbapenems (imipenem [IPM], panipenem [PAPM], meropenem [MEPM], and biapenem [BIPM]) and other representative antibacterial agents were measured to investigate annual changes in antibacterial activity. Carbapenems showed potent activity against methicillin-sensitive S.

The skin permeation mechanism of ketotifen: evaluation of permeation pathways and barrier components in the stratum corneum.

To evaluate the pathways and barrier components in the stratum corneum (SC) for the permeation of ketotifen, the effect of delipidization on the permeation and partition was examined under several donor pHs. Assuming that ionized ketotifen (KTH+) and un-ionized ketotifen (KT) contribute independently in both permeation and partition, the intrinsic permeability coefficients and SC/water partition coefficients of both species were estimated. Delipidization enlarged the permeability of KTH+ 100 times.

Cloning of MafG homologue from the rat brain by differential display and its expression after hypercapnic stimulation.

The ventral medullary surface (VMS) is a site of the medullary chemoreceptor neurons which sense excess protons (H+) derived from hypercapnia and facilitate respiration. We hypothesized that expression of genes involved in H+-sensitivity is higher in the VMS than in other central nervous system areas. By using the differential display technique, we differentiated the mRNAs of VMS neurons from those of cerebral cortical neurons.

[Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease) accompanied by hemophagocytosis and salivary gland swelling in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus].

After 2 years of steroid therapy that had effectively controlled her systemic lupus erythematosus, a 37-year-old woman presented with fever, erythema (face, upper chest), and low CH50. Increased oral steroid (prednisolone from 15 mg to 40 mg) and intravenous methylprednisolone (mPSL) (80 mg for 3 days) alleviated these symptoms except for the fever. Subsequently, the patient's fever worsened and leukocytopenia, abnormal liver function, lymphadenopathy (neck, axilla), and salivary gland swelling developed.

Efficacy of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim administration in the prevention of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with connective tissue disease.

The efficacy and adverse effects of prophylactic administration of Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (ST) for Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP) were assessed in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD). Eighty-four patients who were receiving more than 40 mg/day of prednisolone were entried in the present study. Patients with at least one of the two PCP risk factors (interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and lymphopenia), were administered either one (11 patients) or two (26 patients) ST tablets/day.

[Five cases of systemic sclerosis with associated with intestinal pseudo-obstruction].

Objectives: We experienced five cases of systemic sclerosis (SSc) associated with pseudo-obstruction, and evaluated their clinical characteristics and outcome.

Methods: Five patients with SSc were found to have intestinal pseudo-obstruction. We studied the clinical characteristics, treatments and outcome of these five case from medical records.

New P serotype of group A human rotavirus closely related to that of a porcine rotavirus.

The VP7 and VP4 genes of two human group A rotavirus strains Mc323 and Mc345 with unique serologic and genomic properties, and isolated in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 1989 [Urasawa et al. (1992) Journal of Infectious Diseases 166:227-234] were further characterized. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the VP7 genes allowed the classification of both strains as serotype G9.

Prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in patients with SLE and effects of alfacarcidol.

Objective: To clarify the prevalence and etiology of ectopic calcification in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), especially under the active vitamin D3 administrations and to reveal the risk factors of ectopic calcification.

Methods: Sixty patients with SLE, excluding the patients on dialysis were studied. We examined radiographs of hands, forearms, upper and lower extremities, and pelvises of all patients to evaluate ectopic calcification.

Functional analysis of the heterologous NSP1 genes in the genetic background of simian rotavirus SA11.

Function of rotavirus NSP1 was analyzed by using single-NSP1 gene-substitution reassortants, SKF, SDF, and SNF which have the NSP1 gene derived from human rotaviruses KU, DS-1, and canine rotavirus K9, respectively, in the genetic background of simian rotavirus SA11. The NSP1 genes from KU, DS-1, K9, and SA11 exhibited 58-76% nucleotide sequence identity to one another. No substantial difference in viral growth was observed among the reassortants and SA11.

Effect of polymer/basic drug interactions on the two-stage diffusion-controlled release from a poly(L-lactic acid) matrix.

We investigated the effect of drug physico-chemical properties on the release of basic drugs from poly(L-lactic acid) (P(L)LA) cylindrical matrices (rods; 10 mmx1 mm diameter). All the rods were revealed to exhibit two-stage diffusion-controlled release profiles resulting from the transformation of P(L)LA from an amorphous to a semicrystalline state in aqueous medium. On the assumption that interactions between polymer carboxyl residues and basic drugs control the drug release rate, we evaluated the strength of these interactions by the drug partition between the polymer and the aqueous medium.

Analysis on reassortment of rotavirus NSP1 genes lacking coding region for cysteine-rich zinc finger motif.

Rotavirus clones A5-10 and A5-16 isolated from a bovine rotavirus strain A5 possess NSP1 gene which has a point mutation generating a nonsense codon and a 500 base-deletion, respectively. As a result, the two A5 clones encode truncated NSP1 product which lacks cysteine-rich region forming zinc finger motif. In order to analyze reassortment of these mutated NSP1 gene with RNA segments from heterologous strains, we investigated a number of reassortant clones derived from coinfection with either A5-10, A5-16 or a reference strain A5-13 (possessing intact NSP1 gene) and either simian rotavirus SA11 or human rotavirus KU.

Mechanism of drug release from poly(L-lactic acid) matrix containing acidic or neutral drugs.

The release profiles of acidic and neutral drugs from poly(L-lactic acid) [P(L)LA] matrices were investigated to reveal their release mechanism. Cylindrical matrices (rods; 10 mmx1 mm diameter) were prepared by the heat compression method. The acidic and neutral drugs investigated were dissolved in the P(L)LA rods.

67Ga planar imaging with a low-energy collimator and scatter correction using the triple energy window method.

To improve the spatial resolution and contrast of 67Ga planar imaging, we used a low-energy collimator and two lower-energy windows with a triple-energy-window (TEW) scatter compensation method. The spatial resolution is better than with a medium-energy collimator, and the TEW method can correct for scattered photons and reduce the background counts. In a phantom study and a clinical study involving 44 patients, the images obtained by the proposed method were compared with the images obtained with a medium-energy collimator and three energy windows without scatter compensation (the conventional method).

[Survey of the sensitivities of clinical isolates to antibacterial agents (annual report)].

Research groups were formed in 21 institutions nationwide to investigate carbapenem resistance. The activities of various antibacterial agents, principally carbapenems, were tested against clinical isolates collected from these institutions. The broth microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 17 antibacterial agents for 1,241 strains of 11 bacterial species isolated at all institutions between October and December 1996.

[In vitro activities of 23 antimicrobial agents against 4,993 gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains isolated from multicenter of Japan during 1994--in vitro susceptibility surveillance.Levofloxacin-Surveillance Group].

In a surveillance study conducted during 1994 at 24 medical institutes from different geographical areas of Japan, the susceptibility of clinical isolates to twenty three comparative agents, such as ofloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tosufloxacin, ampicillin, clavulanic acid/amoxicillin, oxacillin, piperacillin, cefaclor, cefotiam, cefdinir, cefclidin, ceftazidime, cefpirome, imipenem, aztreonam, vancomycin, minocycline, chloramphenicol, clarithromycin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, amikacin, and gentamicin, were tested by the standard broth micro-dilution method. A total of 4,993 isolates tested in this study included Streptococcus pneumoniae, methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), coagllase negative streptococci (CNS), Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterobactericeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with urinary tract infections or respiratory tract infections, and Haemophilus influenzae. For MSSA, S.

Multineuronal spike classification based on multisite electrode recording, whole-waveform analysis, and hierarchical clustering.

We proposed here a method of multineuronal spike classification based on multisite electrode recording, whole-waveform analysis, and hierarchical clustering for studying correlated activities of adjacent neurons in nervous systems. Multineuronal spikes were recorded with a multisite electrode placed in the hippocampal pyramidal cell layer of anesthetized rats. If the impedance of each electrode site is relatively low and the distance between electrode sites is sufficiently small, a spike generated by a neuron is simultaneously recorded at multielectrode sites with different amplitudes.