Effect of sodium tauroursodeoxycholate (UR-906) on liver dysfunction in bile duct-ligated rats

We investigated the effect of sodium tauroursodeoxycholate (UR-906) on cholestasis in common bile duct-ligated rats in comparison with the effect of dehydrocholic acid. UR-906 (30-180 mumol/kg) and dehydrocholic acid (180 mumol/kg) were intravenously given once daily for consecutive 20 days in rats and the common bile duct was ligated for the last 10 days. On the next day after the last test drug administration, serum biochemical and plasma hemostatic variables were determined. UR-906 significantly ameliorated the elevation of serum cholesterol, phospholipid, bilirubin and bile acid concentrations in bile duct-ligated rats. UR-906 significantly suppressed the prolongation of plasma prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. Furthermore, UR-906 significantly suppressed the decreases in plasma coagulation factor II and X activities. However, dehydrocholic acid did not cause significant changes in any of the variables examined in this model. These results suggest that UR-906 has a beneficial effect against cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation in rats and that this drug may be useful in the treatment of clinical cholestatic disorders.     

Life-size, computer-generated skull replica to assist surgery of craniofacial fibrous dysplasia

Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia is a benign pathological condition but it replaces bone and expands gradually, leading to facial distortion. Surgery is the only effective treatment. The authors describe the usefulness of a life-size, computer-generated skull replica which assists surgeons pre- and intraoperatively. Surgery can be safely performed with less invasion and a shorter operation time by referring to the skull replica. Partial bone resection and bone contouring have been carried out, assisted by skull replicas, in 8 patients with craniofacial fibrous dysplasia, resulting in good cosmesis.     

Miyoshi distal muscular dystrophy

Miyoshi distal muscular dystrophy (MDMD) is a young-adult-onset, autosomal recessive inherited dystrophy initially affecting the plantar flexers. We analysed 12 MDMD families, five with consanguineous marriage, for chromosomal linkage using polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers to map MDMD gene. A significant lod score was obtained with the 2p13 locus D2S291 (Zmax = 15.3 at theta = 0). A gene for autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2B (LGMD2B) was also mapped 2p13. The onset was in the late teens with weakness and wasting of the pelvic girdle muscles. Now we cannot exclude the possibility that the cause of these diseases are allelic variants in the same gene. YAC contig of the region was constructed. Scleening for muscle genes in the MDMD region is under way.     

Ti-Containing Silsesquioxane Gels with Tunable Porosity: Preparation and Catalytic Activity for the Epoxidation of Cyclooctene by Aqueous Hydrogen Peroxide

Novel Ti-containing silsesquioxane gel catalysts were prepared by the hydrosilylative condensation of Ti-containing silsesquioxanes together with cubic silsesquioxanes and spherosilicates. The porosity of gels was controlled by changing the composition and the mixing order of the starting materials. Both porous and nonporous gels were found to act as excellent heterogeneous catalysts towards the selective epoxidation of cyclooctene by the use of aqueous hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant.     

Large aperture superconducting magnet (benkei)

Benkei, which was a large window frame conventional magnet at KEK has been converted to a superconducting magnet. In the conversion, the pole gap has been doubled from 0.5 m to 1.0 m retaining an analysing power at 2 T m. Several new techniques were applied to coil windings and cryostat fabrication. The superconducting Benkei has shown satisfactory performances for long term operation.     

High-resolution electron microscopy of Al-Mn-Si icosahedral and Al-Mn decagonal quasicrystals

Al-Mn-Si icosahedral and Al-Mn decagonal quasicrystals have been studied by high-resolution electron microscopy. High-resolution micrographs of the Al-Mn-Si icosahedral quasicrystal taken with the incident beam along the five-, three- and two-fold symmetry axes are well interpreted on a three-dimensional Penrose tiling model. An image of the Al-Mn decagonal quasicrystal with the incident beam parallel to the ten-fold symmetry axis shows a pattern of an aperiodic tiling with two types of rhombs which can be distinguished from the Penrose tiling using matching and inflation rules. The Al-Mn decagonal quasicrystal examined coexists coherently with that of icosahedral symmetry exhibiting a definite crystallographic orientation relationship.     

A parametric yield model

Assuming that the distribution of path delays introduced by variations in the manufacturing process is exponential instead of gaussian, the interdependence problem between delay-optimization of synthesized networks and parametric yield has been revisited. The result confirms the claim of Williams, Underwood, and Mercer. The exponential distribution is the consequence of simultaneous occurrence of gate delay faults along the path.     

Prediction of mill load in hot strip mill rolling

It has been ascertained whether or not the model capable of predicting the stress-strain relation of plain carbon steels, previously proposed, is applicable to the estimation of mill loads in the finishing process (consisting of six mill stands) of a hot strip mill. An appreciably good agreement with the predicted and measured mill load values has been obtained in the earlier passes where the strip microstructure is regarded to have completed static recrystallization, and the predicted mill loads in the later passes have been far less than the measured load owing to the effect of the strain accumulated in the previous rolling process. Then, a simple model to predict the accumulated strain has been constructed and introduced into the calculation of mill loads. As a result, the predicted mill loads have been fairly improved over the whole passes in the finishing process.