Psychological effects of aromatherapy on chronic hemodialysis patients

Effects of aromatherapy (odorless condition, lavender, and hiba oil) on mood and anxiety were investigated in 14 female patients who were being treated with chronic hemodialysis. A control period consisting of natural hospital smells was established before each test session, and then aromatic test conditions were systematically evaluated for odorless conditions as well as aromatic conditions containing lavender and hiba oil aromas. The effects of aromatherapy were measured using the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) and the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAMA). Hiba oil aroma significantly decreased the mean scores of HAMD and HAMA, and lavender aroma significantly decreased the mean scores of HAMA. The mean scores of HAMD and HAMA in an odorless condition were not significantly different from those of the control conditions. These results indicate that in chronic hemodialysis patients hiba oil is an effective, non-invasive means for the treatment of depression and anxiety, and that lavender alleviates anxiety.

Factors responsible for the prolongation of school refusal

Two hundred and one school refusers (< or =18 years old), excluding schizophrenia, were treated at the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hirosaki University Hospital between April 1975 and March 1995. Of 56 cases of school refusal, 31 did not improve for more than 2 years (group P), and 25 cases had improved in the degree of school refusal and social impairment (group B). The remaining cases were excluded from the analysis for several reasons. There was no significant difference between groups B and P in age at the first psychiatric evaluation as well as the age of onset of school refusal. The duration from school absence to the first evaluation of group P was significantly longer than that of group B. The duration of school refusal significantly and positively correlated with the duration from school absence to the first evaluation. Introversion and nervousness prolonged the duration of school refusal. The non-presence of volition for school attendance, and a low frequency of school attendance during the 1 month prior to the first evaluation influenced the prolongation of school refusal. The 'duration from school absence to the first evaluation', the 'patient's character', the 'non-presence of volition for school attendance' and the 'frequency of school attendance' influenced the prolongation of school refusal. The introduction of treatment within 10 months of the onset of school refusal is an important factor in preventing the prolongation of the school refusal.

Endopeptidase activity of cathepsin C, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I, from bovine spleen

By employing various synthetic substrates, as well as soluble denatured protein substrate (TAP-lysozyme) and its derivatives, endopeptidase activity of cathepsin C, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I [EC 3.4.14.1], from bovine spleen was investigated. Cathepsin C efficiently degraded Z-Phe-Arg-MCA, Pro-Phe-Arg-MCA, and Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-MCA. This endopeptidase activity required sulfhydryl reagents and halide ions, as in the case of the dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (DAP) activity. We confirmed that this endopeptidase activity is due to cathepsin C itself based on the results on gel-filtration and anion-exchange chromatographies, comparative studies of the inhibitory effects of leupeptin and E-64 on this activity and those of cathepsins B and L, and further the competitive inhibitions by mutual substrates for the DAP and endopeptidase activities of cathepsin C. We also found that cathepsin C endopeptidase activity towards TAP-lysozyme and its N-alpha-acetylated tryptic peptides showed marked dependence on sulfhydryl reagents and chloride ion. Thus, we concluded that cathepsin C has endopeptidase activity as well as DAP activity. The binding energy between the enzyme and the amino acid side chains of the substrate may be as important for the endopeptidase activity as is the electrostatic interaction between the enzyme and the free alpha-amino group of the substrate for the DAP activity.

[Multivariate statistical analysis of the postoperative recurrence factors in uterine cervical carcinoma]

In 211 patients with postoperative cervical carcinoma, we studied the relationship between the recurrence and various factors, and the interrelation among the factors. 1) Lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, number of complaints, adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinoma, and number of pregnancies were associated with recurrence. Signs of myelic injury and large cell non-keratinizing carcinoma were associated with less recurrence. Maintenance chemotherapy markedly improved the prognosis. 2) Lymph node metastasis was frequently associated with an advanced stage, adenocarcinoma or increased erythrocyte sedimentation. Increased sedimentation was rarely associated with greater numbers of pregnancy or keratinizing carcinoma. Signs of myelic injury were rare in cases of advanced stage or large cell carcinoma and frequent in cases of long periods of illness. 3) Intrapelvic recurrence was related to early recurrence and maintenance chemotherapy, and extrapelvic recurrence to increased sedimentation, late recurrence, adenocarcinoma and no chemotherapy. 4) Early recurrence was associated with shorter periods of illness, lymph node metastasis and no chemotherapy, but late recurrence was associated with longer periods of illness, no lymph node metastasis, maintenance chemotherapy and adenocarcinoma. 5) The prognosis and the required periods of maintenance chemotherapy could be determined by Z = 4.3817.X1 + 1.2366.X2-0.0916.X3 + 2.3257.X4-1.9606.X5 + 1.6477.X6-0.1967.X7- 7.3047, with rates of inaccuracy of 13.9% for cases of no recurrence and 15.1% for recurrent cases.

[Colposcopy in dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and microinvasive cancer of the cervix--systematic diagnosis]

Recently colposcopy has come to be increasing used in the diagnosis of the early cervical cancer. We studied colposcopic findings (epithelial, vascular and glandular findings) of dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and microinvasive cancer of the uterine cervix. The results were as follows. We could classify the cases without white epithelium into microinvasive cancer and carcinoma in situ according to elevation or hollowness and roughness and the cases with I grade white epithelium (thin white epithelium) into severe dysplasia and mild or moderate dysplasia according to the existence of elevation, roughness, II type vessels and elevation of gland opening. Among the cases with II grade white epithelium (thick white epithelium) those without roughness, II type vessels and increased gland opening were mild or moderate dysplasia and most case with III or IV type vessels were microinvasive cancer. We concluded that more than half of the cases without III or IV type vessels spread to transverse pollution of white epithelium and lack or indefiniteness of gland opening, severe dysplasia with 0 finding, carcinoma in situ with 1 or 2 finding and microinvasive cancer with 3 findings. With these criteria, we were able to obtain high (93.4% with mean) correct diagnostic ratios.

An amber replication mutant of F plasmid mapped in the minimal replication region

We have constructed a mini-F derivative (pKP1013) consisting of a 5.4 kilobase pairs (kb) segment (44.0 to 49.4 kb) of mini-F and fragments carrying the chloramphenicol and spectinomycin resistance genes that originated from the R plasmid NR1. The plasmid pKP1013 replicates autonomously in a manner indistinguishable from that of the parental mini-F. An amber mutant defective in replication has been isolated from pKP1013 by localized mutagenesis using N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. The virtual absence of incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into the plasmid DNA as well as the kinetics of appearance of plasmid-free segregants suggest that plasmid DNA synthesis is primarily affected under nonpermissive conditions. The amber mutation has been mapped within the 530 base pairs (bp) region that extends from 45.25 (XmaI) to 45.78 Kb (PstI) by extensive analysis of in vitro recombinants constructed from rep+ and rep- plasmids.

Persistent infection of primary human cell cultures with rubella variant carrying DNA Polymerase activity

Infection of primary human cells with a rubella variant carrying DNA polymerase activity resulted in persistent infection; infection with wild type virus caused death of the infected cells and a cytopathic effect.