Tracing Photoinduced Hydrogen Migration in Alcohol Dications from Time-Resolved Molecular-Frame Photoelectron Angular Distributions

The recent implementation of attosecond and few-femtosecond X-ray pump/X-ray probe schemes in large-scale free-electron laser facilities has opened the way to visualize fast nuclear dynamics in molecules with unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. Here, we present the results of theoretical calculations showing how polarization-averaged molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions (PA-MFPADs) can be used to visualize the dynamics of hydrogen migration in methanol, ethanol, propanol, and isopropyl alcohol dications generated by X-ray irradiation of the corresponding neutral species. We show that changes in the PA-MFPADs with the pump-probe delay as a result of intramolecular photoelectron diffraction carry information on the dynamics of hydrogen migration in real space. Although visualization of this dynamics is more straightforward in the smaller systems, methanol and ethanol, one can still recognize the signature of that motion in propanol and isopropyl alcohol and assign a tentative path to it. A possible pathway for a corresponding experiment requires an angularly resolved detection of photoelectrons in coincidence with molecular fragment ions used to define a molecular frame of reference. Such studies have become, in principle, possible since the first XFELs with sufficiently high repetition rates have emerged. To further support our findings, we provide experimental evidence of H migration in ethanol-OD from ion-ion coincidence measurements performed with synchrotron radiation.

Correlated Rattling of Sodium-Chains Suppressing Thermal Conduction in Thermoelectric Stannides

Tin-based intermetallics with tunnel frameworks containing zigzag Na chains that excite correlated rattling impinging on the framework phonons are attractive as thermoelectric materials owing to their low lattice thermal conductivity. The correlated rattling of Na atoms in the zigzag chains and the origin of the low thermal conductivity is uncovered via experimental and computational analyses. The Na atoms behave as oscillators along the tunnel, resulting in substantial interactions between Na atoms in the chain and between the chain and framework. In these intermetallic compounds, a shorter inter-rattler distance results in lower thermal conductivity, suggesting that phonon scattering by the correlated rattling Na-chains is enhanced. These results provide new insights into the behavior of thermoelectric materials with low thermal conductivity and suggest strategies for the development of such materials that utilize the correlated rattling.

Activation energy of kink incorporation of particles into colloidal crystals with attractive interactions

The kink incorporation and diffusion of particles on the growth interface of colloidal crystals with attractive interactions between particles are important elementary processes. We have successfully estimated the activation energy...

[Three Cases of Resectable Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy]

Three patients diagnosed with HER2-negative resectable advanced gastric cancer with extensive regional lymph node metastases were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC), followed by gastrectomy with D2lymph node dissection. One patient received four 21-day courses of S-1 plus oxaliplatin(G-SOX), and pathological effect(PE)was Grade 3. Two patients received four 21-day courses of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin(CapeOX), and each PE was Grade 2and Grade 1a, respectively. One patient in poor PE was with recurrent liver and peritoneal metastases. This suggested that for resectable advanced gastric cancer with extensive regional lymph node metastases, NAC by SOX or CapeOX was effective for some patients.

Engineering an Obligate Photoautotrophic Cyanobacterium to Utilize Glycerol for Growth and Chemical Production

Cyanobacteria have attracted much attention as a means to directly recycle carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals that are currently produced from petroleum. However, the titers and productivities achieved are still far below the level required in industry. To make a more industrially applicable production scheme, glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel production, can be used as an additional carbon source for photomixotrophic chemical production. Glycerol is an ideal candidate due to its availability and low cost. In this study, we found that a heterologous glycerol respiratory pathway enabled Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to utilize extracellular glycerol. The engineered strain produced 761 mg/L of 2,3-butanediol in 48 h with a 290% increase over the control strain under continuous light conditions. Glycerol supplementation also allowed for continuous cell growth and 2,3-butanediol production in diurnal light conditions. These results highlight the potential of glycerol as an additional carbon source for photomixotrophic chemical production in cyanobacteria.

Measurement and comparison of individual external doses of high-school students living in Japan, France, Poland and Belarus-the 'D-shuttle' project

Twelve high schools in Japan (of which six are in Fukushima Prefecture), four in France, eight in Poland and two in Belarus cooperated in the measurement and comparison of individual external doses in 2014. In total 216 high-school students and teachers participated in the study. Each participant wore an electronic personal dosimeter 'D-shuttle' for two weeks, and kept a journal of his/her whereabouts and activities. The distributions of annual external doses estimated for each region overlap with each other, demonstrating that the personal external individual doses in locations where residence is currently allowed in Fukushima Prefecture and in Belarus are well within the range of estimated annual doses due to the terrestrial background radiation level of other regions/countries.

Femtosecond charge and molecular dynamics of I-containing organic molecules induced by intense X-ray free-electron laser pulses

We studied the electronic and nuclear dynamics of I-containing organic molecules induced by intense hard X-ray pulses at the XFEL facility SACLA in Japan. The interaction with the intense XFEL pulse causes absorption of multiple X-ray photons by the iodine atom, which results in the creation of many electronic vacancies (positive charges) via the sequential electronic relaxation in the iodine, followed by intramolecular charge redistribution. In a previous study we investigated the subsequent fragmentation by Coulomb explosion of the simplest I-substituted hydrocarbon, iodomethane (CH₃I). We carried out three-dimensional momentum correlation measurements of the atomic ions created via Coulomb explosion of the molecule and found that a classical Coulomb explosion model including charge evolution (CCE-CE model), which accounts for the concerted dynamics of nuclear motion and charge creation/charge redistribution, reproduces well the observed momentum correlation maps of fragment ions emitted after XFEL irradiation. Then we extended the study to 5-iodouracil (C₄H₃IN₂O₂, 5-IU), which is a more complex molecule of biological relevance, and confirmed that, in both CH₃I and 5-IU, the charge build-up takes about 10 fs, while the charge is redistributed among atoms within only a few fs. We also adopted a self-consistent charge density-functional based tight-binding (SCC-DFTB) method to treat the fragmentations of highly charged 5-IU ions created by XFEL pulses. Our SCC-DFTB modeling reproduces well the experimental and CCE-CE results. We have also investigated the influence of the nuclear dynamics on the charge redistribution (charge transfer) using nonadiabatic quantum-mechanical molecular dynamics (NAQMD) simulation. The time scale of the charge transfer from the iodine atomic site to the uracil ring induced by nuclear motion turned out to be only ∼5 fs, indicating that, besides the molecular Auger decay in which molecular orbitals delocalized over the iodine site and the uracil ring are involved, the nuclear dynamics also play a role for ultrafast charge redistribution. The present study illustrates that the CCE-CE model as well as the SCC-DFTB method can be used for reconstructing the positions of atoms in motion, in combination with the momentum correlation measurement of the atomic ions created via XFEL-induced Coulomb explosion of molecules.

[A difficult to treat case of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma with peritoneal metastasis]

A 57-year-old man presented with abdominal discomfort. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a tumor, with a maximum diameter of approximately 5 cm, in the transverse mesocolon near the splenic flexure as well as a small nodular shadow suggestive of peritoneal dissemination on the greater omentum. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) showed marked accumulations of FDG at the same sites. Laparoscopic examination revealed an elastic hard tumor, with a maximum diameter of slightly over 5 cm, at the posterior sheath of the transverse mesocolon and a small nodule on the greater omentum with apparent dissemination. Since radical surgery was considered to be difficult to perform, we only resected the disseminated nodule for diagnostic purposes. The final pathological diagnosis was biphasic- type (mixed epithelial and sarcomatoid type) malignant mesothelioma arising from the peritoneum. Approximately 20 days postoperatively, the patient received combination therapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin with a 3-week interval between the courses. Image assessment after completion of the third course revealed enlargement of the tumor mass and worsening of the peritoneal dissemination. Therefore, the treatment was switched to paclitaxel, which has been reported to be effective as a second-line therapy. The drug was scheduled to be administered on days 1, 8, and 15. However, after the first course on day 1, the patient's condition gradually deteriorated and he subsequently died.

Expression of pancreatic trypsinogen in human extrapancreatic gastrointestinal carcinomas

Pancreatic trypsinogen expression in 149 surgically resected extrapancreatic gastrointestinal neoplasms was evaluated immunohistochemically. Immunohistochemistry was performed using a monoclonal antibody against human pancreatic trypsinogen. Pancreatic trypsinogen expression was detected in 28 of 55 gastric carcinomas (50.9%), 22 of 44 colorectal cancers (50%), 12 of 20 gallbladder cancers (60%), nine of 10 extrahepatic bile duct cancers (90%), and none of 20 hepatocellular carcinomas. The intensity of immunoreactivity in the tumor area varied from specimen to specimen, and from area to area within the same specimen. In most cases, however, immunoreactivity was more pronounced at the infiltrative margin of the tumor. Additionally, the highly differentiated carcinoma cells tended to display a focal, fine granular immunoreactive pattern, usually present in the supranuclear cytoplasm, while the poorly differentiated carcinoma cells displayed a fine granular pattern, usually present over the entire cytoplasm. These findings suggest that some extrapancreatic gastrointestinal neoplasms express pancreatic trypsinogen immunoreactive peptides, raising the possibility that secreted pancreatic trypsinogen plays a role in carcinoma invasion and metastasis, as has been shown for other classes of proteases.

Differential expression of pancreatic trypsinogen and cathepsin-B in human scirrhous-type and intestinal-type gastric carcinomas

Pancreatic trypsinogen and cathepsin B expression was evaluated in 44 surgically resected gastric carcinomas by immunohistochemical analysis. Carcinomatous tissues were subjected to immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against human pancreatic trypsinogen and a polyclonal antibody against human cathepsin B. As a result, twenty-two of 24 scirrhous-type gastric carcinomas (92%) expressed pancreatic trypsinogen intensely and diffusely in a fine granular pattern over the entire cytoplasm of carcinoma cells. In contrast, only 5 of 20 intestinal-type gastric carcinomas (25%) reacted with the trypsinogen specific antibody and then only focally, in a fine granular pattern in the supra-nuclear cytoplasm of carcinoma cells. Cathepsin B expression was detected in 20 of 24 scirrhous-type gastric carcinomas (84%) in a fine, diffuse, granular pattern in the cytoplasm of carcinoma cells, while only 2 of 20 intestinal-type gastric carcinomas (10%) had detectable cathepsin B. From these results, we find that scirrhous-type gastric carcinomas express abundant quantities of pancreatic trypsinogen and cathepsin B immunoreactive peptides.

[A prosthetic ring annuloplasty with edge-to-edge repair for a treatment of severe tricuspid regurgitation]

A 59-year-old woman admitted to our hospital with shortness of breath and edema of the lower extremities was diagnosed with right ventricular failure stemming from severe tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR). She had undergone mitral valve replacement (MVR) with a mechanical valve at the age of 42. The approach to the heart was established via a right thoracotomy at the 4th intercostals space. A beating heart cardiopulmonary bypass procedure was performed in which tricuspid valve repair was performed with the edge-to-edge repair and MC3 annuloplasty system. The operative course was uneventful. This technique may be feasible and clinically effective in the treatment of severe TR.

[Case of pancreatic ascites successfully treated with endoscopic pancreatic drainage]

We report a 47-year-old man with abdominal distension without other distinct signs. Massive ascites with any singular lesions was revealed on computed tomography, and the ascites was high-amylase and high-protein. on these findings, pancreatic ascites was suspected and he was first treated with conservative therapy, but it failed. Computed tomography one month from the start of therapy demonstrated a pancreatic cyst, and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography revealed transudation of contrast medium from the cyst. A pancreatic duct stent was placed, and the ascites was smoothly eliminated. Endoscopic pancreatic stenting is considerable treatment for pancreatic ascites.

[A case of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor producing gastric cancer]

We report a case of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor producing gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases. A 68-year-old woman who complained of epigastralgia visited our hospital. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination revealed a type-2 gastric cancer. The laboratory data at admission indicated leukocytosis (35,900/microl) and a high level of serum granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (61 pg/mg). Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor producing gastric cancer was diagnosed by immunohistochemistry of biopsy specimen. Since we detected multiple liver metastases, chemotherapy was performed. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor-producing gastric cancer is relatively rare and we summarize previous reports.

Successful Surgical Treatment of an Infrarenal Abdominal Pseudoaneurysm Caused by Tuberculosis: Report of a Case

A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for investigation of an apparent abdominal aortic aneurysm detected during treatment for epididymitis. A chest X-ray showed miliary shadows in the bilateral lung fields strongly suggestive of tuberculosis. The diameter of the aneurysm increased, and examinations showed impending rupture of a pseudoaneurysm. However, a definitive disease pathogenesis was not obtained before surgery. We performed a subemergency operation, which revealed an infrarenal abdominal pseudoaneurysm caused by tuberculosis. The pseudoaneurysm appeared to have resulted from direct extension of tuberculous lymphadenitis to the aortic wall, which ruptured. We review 24 other cases of tuberculous aortic aneurysms surgically treated in Japan before 2004.

[Left ventricular reconstruction on the beating heart with retrograde coronary perfusion for repair of a left ventricular aneurysm associated with aortic regurgitation: report of a case]

A 67-year-old male was undergoing hemodialysis for renal failure. He had carotid stenosis, multiple liver cysts with impaired liver function, and mild aortic regurgitation in addition to a left ventricular aneurysm with reduced left ventricular function. We used intraaortic balloon pumping with a view to maintaining cerebral and hepatic blood flow during extracorporeal circulation. However, this procedure risked increased regurgitation at the aortic valve. Therefore, after aortic cross-clamping, we performed the left ventricular reconstruction while cardiac pulsation was maintained by retrograde coronary perfusion using normothermic oxygenated blood. Coronary artery bypass grafting followed after the cross-clamp was released. The patient's postoperative progress was smooth and he was discharged on 14th postoperative day.

Diffuse neurodeficits in intravascular lymphomatosis with ADAMTS13 inhibitor

Inhibitory antibody to von Willebrand factor (vWF)-cleaving protease (ADAMTS13) was detected in a patient with intravascular lymphomatosis. The increased serum level of the antibody paralleled an increase in the expression of uncleaved vWF, which might cause microvascular thrombosis and platelet consumption. Malignant cell proliferations with superimposed thrombosis within the lumina throughout the entire vasculature account for diffuse neurodeficits observed in the patient.

[Examination of second-line therapies following administration of low-dose TS-1+CDDP for highly-advanced gastric cancer]

Sixteen patients with highly-advanced gastric cancer were administered low-dose TS-1 and CDDP as a first-line treatment, followed by either paclitaxel or CPT-11/CDDP as a second-line treatment. The results of the 2 second-line treatments are reported herein. Overall response rate for the first-line treatment was 55.6%. For the second-line treatments, responses were noted in both the paclitaxel group and the CPT-11/CDDP group. Overall MST was 16.3 months and 1-year survival was 60%. The paclitaxel group, however, showed significantly better prognoses than the CPT-11/CDDP group. Adverse reactions to the first-line treatment were grade 3 leukopenia in 1 patient, with no other reactions over grade 2 observed. No adverse reaction greater than grade 2 was noted during administration of the second-line treatments. These results appear to present ample data that a first-line treatment of low-dose TS-1/CDDP followed by a second-line treatment of paclitaxel at 1/week in the outpatient setting yields improved prognoses and minimal adverse reactions.

Reconstruction of Bilateral Branch Pulmonary Artery Stenosis Caused by Takayasu's Aortitis

A 63 year-old female presented with dyspnea on exertion. Her chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly, and right ventricular overload and tricuspid regurgitation were detected. Her pulmonary ventilation and blood flow scintigraphy findings were suspicious of pulmonary vascular disease; the diagnosis was pulmonary hypertension and bilateral branch pulmonary artery stenosis. After the inflammation settled, the stenotic bilateral branch pulmonary artery was reconstructed with a prosthetic vessel and the pulmonary pressure normalized immediately. A resected specimen revealed that the stenotic changes were from Takayasu's disease. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and pulmonary ventilation and blood scintigraphy returned to an almost normal range. At follow-up 5 years and 6 months after the operation, there was no evidence of pulmonary artery disease (eg, stenosis and/or ischemia) or of any change in the central vessels of the retina, the so-called Takayasu's retinopathy.

Competitive plasma protein adsorption onto fluorinated polyimide surfaces

A series of fluorinated polyimides cured at different temperatures was prepared, and plasma protein adsorption and platelet adhesion onto the polyimide films were evaluated in vitro using scanning electron microscopy, a micro-bicinchoninic acid protein assay, and a gold-colloid-labeled immunoassay. In particular, we focused on competitive plasma protein adsorption onto polyimide film because elucidation of the competitive adsorption mechanism is needed for a good understanding of in vivo biocompatibility of polyimide. Interestingly, the trend of IgG adsorption onto the polyimide surface measured in human plasma was completely contrary to that observed with IgG dissolved in PBS, and the adsorption increased with an increase in the curing temperature. We propose that the human plasma F(c) region in IgG might selectively adsorb onto polyimide film cured at high temperatures because of competitive plasma protein adsorption to the surface.

Late recurrence of resistant Trichomonas vaginalis vaginitis: relapse or re-infection?

Distinguishing between re-infection and relapse of trichomonas infections is often a difficult task in the clinical setting. The chronicity of trichomonas infections and the ongoing sexual activity are two confounding factors. We present a patient with recurrent resistant vaginal trichomoniasis shortly following a sexual contact with an untreated partner after a complete response to treatment with tinidazole for nine months. We hypothesise that re-infection occurred from the asymptomatic partner who was an untreated chronic carrier of resistant trichomonas in the urogenital tract.

Complete response of Sister Mary Joseph Nodule from gastric adenocarcinoma treated with combination chemotherapy of low-dose S-1 and cisplatin

A case of an unresected, advanced gastric cancer with Sister Mary Joseph nodule was presented. It was treated with new combination chemotherapy of low-dose S-1 and cisplatin producing complete response of periumbilical metastasis. Few treatments are efficacious for umbilical invasion of peritoneal dissemination. A complete response for Sister Mary Joseph nodule from gastric adenocarcinoma has not been ever reported.

[A case of vulval extramammary Paget's disease associated with pancreatic cancer that was successfully treated with chemotherapy]

We report the case of an 84-year-old woman with vulval extramammary Paget's disease associated with pancreatic cancer who was successfully treated. At first, biweekly low-dose FP (cisplatin 10 mg/body, 5-fluorouracil 250 mg/body) was administered by intravenous infusion. Next, we attempted a regimen of gemcitabine (1,000 mg/body) was administered weekly by intravenous infusion. As a result, the size of the pruritic lesion of the vulva was reduced more than 50%, and the serum level of CA19-9 decreased clearly. These treatments would be a valid option in certain cases of pancreas cancer and extramammary Paget's disease.

[Recurrent pulmonary embolism with prolonged right heart failure and hypoxia after cerebral bleeding; report of a case]

A 56-year-old woman with right hemiplegia for recent cerebral bleeding suddenly complained of dyspnea and chest pain with hypoxia during rehabilitation. Eight days after this first attack, she suffered prolonged right heart failure and hypoxia due to recurrent pulmonary embolism. Arterial blood gas analysis of room air showed 34.5 mmHg of PaO2 and 29.2 mmHg of PaCO2. Echocardiography showed enlargement of the right atrium and ventricle with pulmonary hypertension. Enhanced chest computed tomography revealed pulmonary emboli from the main pulmonary artery to the periphery. Despite intensive treatment, heart failure and hypoxia did not improve. We conducted pulmonary embolectomy under cardiopulmonary bypass requiring percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass support for 2 days due to right heart failure. She is currently doing well in the 9 months following surgery.

Procedural memory in schizophrenia assessed using a mirror reading task

The preservation of procedural memory in individuals with schizophrenia has been confirmed by methods such as the Tower of Hanoi, pursuit rotor and mirror reading tests. However, the cognitive procedural memory of Japanese subjects with schizophrenia has never been assessed using mirror reading. To better determine the characteristics of cognitive procedural memory in schizophrenia, a Japanese version of the mirror reading task, consisting of cards with words written in Japanese katakana characters in mirror image, was administered to 18 Japanese patients with schizophrenia and 21 normal controls. The results indicated that the patients indeed learned the skill despite exhibiting lower overall performances in reading time than the controls, their scores displaying correlation with the severity of schizophrenic negative symptoms. This suggests that procedural memory for this task is retained in individuals with schizophrenia. It is important for them to use their preserved procedural memory for efficient rehabilitative efforts.

[A case of advanced gastric carcinoma with liver metastasis with no recurrence and long survival by means of surgery and postoperative chemotherapy]

A 69-year-old man was diagnosed with type 2 advanced gastric carcinoma at the antrum of the stomach with liver metastasis (S8) in July 1995. Operative staging was H1P0T2N2 stage IV. Distal partial gastrectomy was performed with combined D2 lymphadenectomy and partial hepatectomy. Fifty-six courses of low-dose chemotherapy with CDDP and 5-FU were administered from the time of surgery to March 1997. Sequentially the administration of UFT (150 mg/day, orally) was continued up to the present. The patient still has had no recurrence 6 years and 3 months after operation. Aggressive treatment combining surgery and long-term postoperative chemotherapy is potentially useful in contributing to long survival in cases of advanced gastric cancer with liver metastasis.

Biocompatibility of fluorinated polyimide

Contact between blood and biomaterial triggers a complex series of events including protein adsorption, leukocyte adhesion and activation, and complement activation. In this article, a series of fluorinated polyimides cured at a different temperatures was prepared, and the biocompatibility of the membranes was evaluated using in vitro protein adsorption, neutrophil adhesion, and complement activation experiments under static conditions. We found that protein adsorption, neutrophil adhesion, and complement activation for the polyimides significantly depends on the curing temperature and decreases with an increase in the temperature and that the polyimide has a good biocompatibility compared with poly(styrene) and polydimethylsiloxane. We concluded that the rearrangement of molecules such as CF(3), sulfone, and ketone at the outermost surface occurs because of curing, which induces an increase in the hydrophobicity and that the cured polyimide suppresses protein adsorption, neutrophil adhesion, and complement activation because of its high hydrophobicity and low surface free energy.

Gas transfer and blood compatibility of asymmetric polyimide hollow fiber

We have fabricated an asymmetric polyimide hollow fiber for use as a membrane oxygenator. A dry/wet phase inversion process has been applied to a spinning process to prepare the hollow fiber. The fiber structure consisted of a complete defect-free skin layer and a porous substructure characterized by the presence of an open-cell structure and macrovoids. The outer diameter was 480 microm with a wall thickness of 50 microm. Transfer rates of O2 and CO2 in the asymmetric polyimide fiber were 2.3 x 10(-5) and 1.1 x 10(-4) (cm3 (STP)/(cm2 s cmHg)), respectively, which were four times higher than those measured in the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fiber of the presently-available membrane oxygenator. The (QO2/QN2) selectivity of the polyimide fiber was 4.9, indicating that the surface skin layer is essentially defect-free. The blood compatibility of the polyimide hollow fiber has been evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The polyimide had an excellent blood compatibility when compared with PDMS.

Atomic force microscopic observation of mechanically traumatized erythrocytes

Erythrocytes are damaged or stimulated mechanically by artificial organs assisting in circulation. For several decades, a large number of research studies have been conducted to investigate the traumatizing phenomena due to nonphysiological flow conditions. These phenomena are thought to be the physical interaction between the cell membrane and the various fluidic conditions. To elucidate or evaluate the phenomena, however, chemical components emerging into the circulating solution, such as liberated hemoglobin or lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), have been measured as a main parameter. Naturally, the physical reaction caused on the membrane itself cannot be detailed by these parameters because they are the secondary products resulting from the mechanical membrane rupture. The aim of this study is to understand the traumatizing mechanism directly from a microbiological viewpoint. As a first step, we visualized the surface of sheep erythrocytes loaded with shear stress and measured erythrocyte surface roughness by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on a nanometer scale (10(-9) m). The constant shear rate was set at 1,800 (1/s), and the exposure time was set at 0.5, 1, and 2 h. We also measured the liberated hemoglobin concentration. As a result, it was found that the fine structure on the cell surface was changed drastically by the stress. It was also found that the surface roughness value increased with the exposure time, and correlated to the hemoglobin concentration. The visualization and the measurement of surface roughness of traumatized erythrocytes by AFM were thought to offer a new parameter for both hemolytic and subhemolytic studies.

Early pregnancy does not reduce the C(50) of propofol for loss of consciousness

Requirements for inhaled anesthetics decrease during pregnancy. There are no published data, however, regarding propofol requirements in these patients. Because propofol is often used for induction of general anesthesia when surgery is necessary in early pregnancy, we investigated whether early pregnancy reduces the requirement of propofol for loss of consciousness using a computer-assisted target-controlled infusion (TCI). Propofol was administered using TCI to provide stable concentrations and to allow equilibration between blood and effect-site (central compartment) concentrations. Randomly selected target concentrations of propofol (1.5-4.5 microg/mL) were administered to both pregnant women (n = 36) who were scheduled for pregnancy termination and nonpregnant women (n = 36) who were scheduled for elective orthopedic or otorhinolaryngologic surgery. The median gestation of the pregnant women was 8 wk (range, 6-12 wk). Venous blood samples for analysis of the serum propofol concentration were taken at 3 min and 8 min after equilibration of the propofol concentration. After a 10-min equilibration period of the predetermined propofol blood concentration, a verbal command to open their eyes was given to the patients twice, accompanied by rubbing of their shoulders. Serum propofol concentrations at which 50% of the patients did not respond to verbal commands (C(50) for loss of consciousness) were determined by logistic regression. There was no significant difference in C(50) +/- SE of propofol for loss of consciousness between the Nonpregnant (2.1 +/- 0.2 microg/mL) and Pregnant (2.0 +/- 0.2 microg/mL) groups. These results indicate that early pregnancy does not decrease the concentration of propofol required for loss of consciousness.

IMPLICATIONS

The C(50) of propofol for loss of consciousness in early pregnancy did not differ from that in nonpregnant women, indicating that there is no need to decrease the propofol concentration for loss of consciousness when inducing general anesthesia for termination of pregnancy.

Stereoselective pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of disopyramide and its metabolite in rabbits

The extent to which interactions between enantiomers of disopyramide and between disopyramide and its metabolite, mono-N-dealkylated disopyramide (MND), contribute to stereoselectivity of the anti-arrhythmic effect has been investigated in rabbits by measuring the prolongation of the QUc interval. The plasma unbound fraction of disopyramide enantiomers was constant at a concentration range of 1.44-28.9 microM. An intravenous infusion study of the disopyramide enantiomer or racemate suggested that the S-enantiomer had a pharmacological effect, determined by linear regression analysis, approximately 3.3-times more potent than that of the R-enantiomer. Furthermore, the effect caused by racemic disopyramide was the sum of that elicited by both enantiomers individually. No significant difference was observed between the slope of linear regression analysis of intravenous infusion and that of intravenous bolus injection. Single intravenous bolus injection of MND did not affect the QUc intervals. In conclusion, the S-enantiomer of disopyramide was approximately 3.3-times more potent pharmacologically than the R-enantiomer. The relationship between plasma concentration of the disopyramide enantiomers and pharmacological effect was the sum of each enantiomer individually.