Hepatocyte volume as an indicator of hepatic functional reserve in cirrhotic patients with liver tumours

Using computed tomography (CT), measurements of whole liver volume have been used for the assessment of pre-operative functional reserve in cirrhotics. However, measurements of hepatocyte volume, which exclude stromal fibrous tissue, are considered to more directly reflect hepatic functional reserve. We investigated the relationship between total hepatocyte volume and each of the parameters of conventional liver function. Indocyanine green (ICG) tests and blood analyses for the assessment of liver function were performed prior to surgery in cirrhotic patients with liver tumours. Pre-operative liver volume was determined by integrating images of each liver area obtained by CT. Liver area was measured by an image processing program that traced the profile of the liver image while excluding the tumorous area. Sections of normal tissue stained by the haematoxylin-eosin method, were obtained from the resected liver. Using these sections, a hepatocyte area: whole tissue area ratio was calculated using the image processing program, by tracing the profiles of the hepatocyte nodules. The total volume of hepatocytes was then calculated by multiplying the liver volume by this ratio. The hepatocyte volume per unit bodyweight was significantly correlated with ICG tests and with many other parameters of normal liver function. However, the liver volume per unit bodyweight was correlated only with the plasma ICG disappearance rate and with the blood platelet count. These observations suggest that the functional reserve of the cirrhotic liver is assessed more precisely by hepatocyte volume than by liver volume.     

Properties of an alcohol dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1

A NAD+-dependent medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The recombinant enzyme was a homotetramer of molecular mass 1.6 x 10(2) kDa. The optimum pH for the oxidative reaction was around 10.5 and that for the reductive reaction was around 8.0. The enzyme had a broad substrate specificity including aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, aliphatic and aromatic ketones, and benzylaldehyde. This enzyme produced (S)-alcohols from the corresponding ketones. The enzyme was thermophilic and the catalytic activity increased up to 95 degrees C. It maintained 24% of the original catalytic activity after incubation for 30 min at 98 degrees C, indicating that this enzyme is highly thermostable.     

Development of high-resolution single-ion PSD using random access memories

Using heavy-ion microbeam, we have examined the feasibility of a Static Random Memory (SRAM) as an in situ Position Sensitive Detector (PSD) with bit-cell size resolution for extremely low current ion beams. It is found that SRAMs are promising candidates for high-resolution PSD to diagnose an extremely low current ion microbeam.     

Biodegradation of Azo Acid Dyes by Continuous Cultivation of Pseudomonas Cepacia 13NA

The biodegradability of azo acid dyes by continuous cultivation of Pseudomonas cepacia 13NA, a bacterium able to assimilate azo dyes, was investigated as a means of improving the results of conventional biological treatments for the clarification of the waste dye liquor. It was found that all the acid dyes used were removed in high efficiencies compared with the conventional biological treatments. Multi-stage continuous cultivation in the poor nutrient conditions used proved to be particularly effective for acid dyes that otherwise would be difficult to degrade.     

Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) Study on the local Environment around Copper in Low Thermal Expansion Copper Aluminosilicate Glasses

The local environment around copper in the Cu₂O·Al₂O₃·4SiO₃ and CuO·Al₂O₃·4SiO₂ glasses was investigated using the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique. It has been found that each Cu(I) in the former glass is coordinated to two oxygens through covalent Cu(I)-O bonds. This is the primary reason for its low thermal expansion coefficient (∼10 × 10⁻⁷ K⁻¹). In the latter glass, which was made by heating the former glass at 600°C in air, each Cu(II) is coordinated to four oxygens and the bonds are ionic in character, contributing to the increase in the thermal expansion coefficient to ∼30 × 10⁻⁷ K⁻¹.     

Synthesis of SiO2 glass fibres from Si(OC2H5)4-H2O-C2H5OH-HCl solutions through sol-gel method

Various factors affecting the spinnability of the Si(OC₂H₅)₄-H₂O-C₂H₅OH-HCl solutions have been investigated in order to find appropriate experimental conditions for making gel-derived SiO₂ glass fibres. The molar ratios of H₂O, C₂H₅OH and HCl to Si(OC₂H₅)₄ were changed in the range from 0.5 to 10.0, 0.5 to 7.0 and 0.001 to 0.1, respectively. The solutions were reacted at 30 and 80° C. It has been reconfirmed that the most important factor determining the spinnability of the solution in the course of the hydrolysis reaction is the molar ratio of water to Si(OC₂H₅)₄ in the solution. The rise of the reaction temperature led to the remarkable shortening of the time required for drawing fibres. The increase of the amount of HCl decreased the upper limit of the H₂O/Si(OC₂H₅)₄ molar ratio range where the spinnability is found as well as reaction temperature. The solutions with a H₂O/Si(OC₂H₅)₄ ratio larger than 2.0 gave often fibres having a circular cross-section, while other solutions gave fibres with a non-circular one. The tensile strength of the gel-derived SiO₂ glass fibres was also reported.     

Plasma levels of adrenomedullin in primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension in patients <20 years of age

To elucidate the pathophysiologic significance of adrenomedullin in pulmonary hypertension, we measured plasma adrenomedullin-like immunoreactivity (AM-LI) concentrations in blood samples obtained from various sites during cardiac catheterization by using radioimmunoassay in patients with pulmonary hypertension in comparison with patients without pulmonary hypertension. In patients with pulmonary hypertension, plasma AM-LI concentrations were significantly elevated and there was a significant uptake of AM-LI in pulmonary circulation, indicating the involvement of adrenomedullin in the cardiovascular regulation of pulmonary circulation in pulmonary hypertension.