Traditional remedy-induced Chinese herbs nephropathy showing rapid deterioration of renal function

A 19-year-old female was referred to our hospital for azotemia and anemia. She had been taking a health food for atopic dermatitis for about three years. Urinalysis showed proteinuria, glycosuria and microscopic hematuria. Generalized aminoaciduria was observed. Moreover, severe anemia, azotemia, hypokalemia and hypophosphatemia were also observed. Renal biopsy specimen disclosed hypocellular interstitial fibrosis and degeneration of the proximal tubular epithelial cells. No remarkable changes were observed in the glomeruli. Aristolochic acid was detected in the health food. From these findings, she was diagnosed as having Chinese herbs nephropathy (CHN). Although consumption of the food intake was stopped, her renal function deteriorated rapidly. Previously, we reported that certain kinds of Chinese herbal drugs contain aristolochic acid and that the drugs should be prohibited if aristolochic acid is identified. However, we experienced a patient of CHN arising from traditional remedy, which was not proved to be safe. It should be awared that health foods may contain aristolochic acid.     

Torsional oscillator for high magnetic field experiments

A new type of torsional oscillator for experiments in the high magnetic field of 12 Tesla is reported. A beryllium copper alloy (BeCu25) was chosen as a torsion rod for its reliable mechanical properties. Two non-metallic materials were tested for a torsion head except a small amount of silver paste for the electrode. For a quartz glass head, liquid³He was successfully cooled down below 0.5 mK at 12 Tesla. The quality factor was 2 × 10⁴ even at the highest field. On the other hand, a Stycast 1266 head in a field of 12 Tesla caused a large temperature difference between the liquid in the head and in the open space, in spite of a comparable quality factor with the quartz head.     

Photo-induced absorption changes in selenium-based chalcogenide glass films

The random network model for amorphous alloys proposed by White has been developed for some selenium-based amorphous semiconductors (GeSe and AsSe) annealed or irradiated with light. The model suggests that the photo-bleaching and the photo-darkening observed in these systems may be due to changes in the numbers of bonds.     

Generation of tumor necrosis factor alpha by human nasal epithelial cells and inhibition by fluticasone propionate

Accumulation of mast cells and eosinophils in the nasal epithelial layer occurs in nasal allergic reaction, However, the mechanism of accumulation of these cells has not yet been well clarified. We hypothesized that cytokines generated from the nasal epithelial cells contributed to the accumulation of these cells in the nasal epithelial layer. Recently tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was shown to promote polymorphonuclear neutrophils and eosinophils migration. And also TNF increased eosinophil binding to vascular endothelial cells. In this in vitro study we examined whether or not nasal epithelial cells can produce TNF-alpha and also whether or not glucocorticosteroid fluticasone propionate (FP) can modulate TNF-alpha production from nasal epithelial cells. Nasal epithelial cells constitutively produce TNF-alpha in accordance with the nasal epithelial cells' number and this was substantially increased in the state of nasal epithelial cell's proliferating. FP significantly reduced the level of TNF-alpha in the supernatant of cultured nasal epithelial cells for a period of 6 days. In addition, preincubation of nasal epithelial cells with FP for 6 days caused significant reduction of TNF-alpha level in the supernatant of cultured nasal epithelial cells during a further period of 6 days without FP. These data support the concept that structural cells play an active role in the control of allergic and related inflammatory processes.     

Pancreatic cancer and alcohol

The aetiology of pancreatic cancer remains unknown, as for other cancers, despite continued and exhaustive clinical and laboratory research. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. Due to is anatomical location, detection of carcinoma of the pancreas is difficult in its operable stage. Of the various radiological modalities, real time ultrasonography seems to be most useful and will constitute the major diagnostic approach in the near future.     

Fabrication and characterization of β−FeSi2 thin films prepared by PLD method using Nd:YAG laser

β?FeSi₂ thin films were grown on Si(111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method using a Nd:YAG laser (λ=1064nm, laser energy=50mJ, laser energy density=1.65J/cm², repetition frequency=10Hz). In the fabrication process, three targets of (a) Fe(5N), (b) FeSi₂(3N), and (c) Fe(5N)+FeSi₂(3N) were used. The β?FeSi₂ thin films having the best properties of crystallinity were obtained in the case of (c), in which the first layer as the template was formed with the target of Fe(5N) and then, on top of that, the second layer was deposited with the target of FeSi₂(3N). At this time, it was found that by XRD measurement, the degree of crystallinity of the films of case (c) in which the first layer was introduced as the template improved 1.4 times as much compared with case (a), and that by SEM and AFM observations, surface morphologies also improved. Moreover, it was found that by TEM observation, the β?FeSi₂ thin films grew uniformly along the direction of (220) or (202) from the interface of the Si substrate and the film to the free surface and that by EDS analysis, the compositions of Fe and Si were uniformly distributed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 160(2): 39–45, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/ eej.20238     

VAMAS Round Robin on Fracture Toughness of Silicon Nitride

Eight laboratories in Germany, Japan, U.K., and U.S. participated in the VAMAS round robin. The fracture toughness of silicon nitride at room temperature and at 1200^deg;C was measured by three methods: the single-edge V-notched beam (SEVNB), single-edge precracked beam (SEPB), and chevron notched beam (CNB). The obtained values show hardly any crosshead speed dependence, irrespective of test temperature and atmosphere. Results may have been influenced by a small amount of slow crack growth, but distinct R -curve behavior could not be detected within the scope of the tests. The values at 1200^deg;C in N₂ can be measured by the SEVNB and SEPB methods with small scatters. The oxidation of silicon nitride, caused by heating in air, increases the SEVNB and SEPB values. The CNB values are free from the effects of test temperature and atmosphere, but they show a large scatter between laboratories. However, the chevron V-notched beam (CVNB) method, which is an improved CNB method, shows values with a small scatter, irrespective of the measurement conditions. The SEVNB and SEPB measurements in N₂ and the CVNB measurement under any conditions are recommended for the measurement of high-temperature fracture toughness.