MR imaging of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: correlation with non-surgical therapy

Urinary drainage by indwelling double J ureteral stent is well documented in the urologic literature. We used these stents in 91 patients. The majority of stents were placed endoscopically (68%). Indications were: -Ureteral obstruction (39 cases) such as tuberculous ureteral strictures, obstruction due to urolithiasis and pelvic malignancies. -Upper urinary tract surgery (29 cases) mainly pyeloplasty, pyelolithotomy, ureterovaginal fistula repair and ureteroneocystostomy. -Adjunct to endourologic treatment (16 cases) such as ureteroscopy and endopyelotomy. -Preparation for extracorporeal lithotripsy (7 cases). The complication rate associated with placement of double J stents was minimal (6.6%). The major complication was migration (3 cases). The average drainage time was 5.8 weeks. In view of these results we conclude that double J stent is safe, effective and has minimal complications.     

Prospective Validation of High-Shear Wet Granulation Process by Wet Granule Sieving Method. I. Selection and Characterization of Sieving Parameters for Wet Granules

To characterize the progression of high-shear wet granulation for various drugs and formulations based on the particle size distribution of wet granules during granulation, a general sieving method for wet granules was investigated. Wet granulation was conducted in a 25-liter high-shear mixer using four model drugs with different solubilities and particle sizes (ethenzamide, unmilled and milled acetaminophen, and antipyrine). Because of its small size and efficient sifting mechanism, a sonic sifter was used to determine the wet granulation particle size distribution. From the good correlation of particle size distribution between wet granules and dry-sized granules, an intensity of 80% of full-scale amplitude and a sieving time of 3 min were selected as wet granule sieving parameters. 7% general sieving method showed good measurement precision as long as the determination was completed within 20 min after sampling, Further, the method was independent of sampling position within the mixer chamber.     

A Remark on Intramolecular Transfer of an Injected Electron in C60 and C70

A simple analysis on the intramolecular transfer of an injected electron into C₆₀ and C₇₀ has been performed based on the concept of orbital interaction. This analysis contains the partitioning of each fullerene into three parts and the examination of the frontier molecular orbital interaction for propagation of an injected electron into the whole Cgo or C70 molecule. This electron transfer process is shown to be “one-way” from energetical point of view.     

Estimation of creep crack growth rate in IN-100 based on the Q* parameter concept

Since the high-strength Ni-based superalloy, cast IN-100, is considered to be brittle at high temperatures, the stable creep crack growth region is limited. Therefore, technically, it is very difficult to perform creep tests and there are few experimental results on the creep crack growth behaviour of this material. We performed creep crack growth tests using Ni-based superalloy, cast IN-100, and derived the Q* parameter for this material, which characterizes the creep crack growth rate. Using this Q* parameter, we derived a law for the creep rupture life of this material.     

Incidence and influence of GB virus C and hepatitis C virus infection in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation

Markers of GB virus C (GBV-C) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were sought in 80 patients before and after they underwent BMT in a metropolitan hospital in Tokyo between 1990 and 1996. RNA of GBV-C was detected in 14 (18%) patients before BMT. Of the 55 patients who had been transfused, 14 (25%) possessed GBV-C RNA at a frequency significantly higher than in the 25 untransfused patients who were all negative (P < 0.01). HCV RNA was detected in three of the 55 (5%) transfused patients, but in none of the 25 untransfused patients. Sera at 3 months after BMT were available for 57 patients. GBV-C RNA persisted in all 10 patients who were infected before BMT, while it was detected in five of the remaining 47 (11%) patients who were not. However, persistent and/or ongoing GBV-C infection had no appreciable influence on patient morbidity or mortality. Two of the 57 patients were positive for HCV RNA before BMT and this persisted after BMT in both. HCV RNA became positive in eight of the remaining 55 (15%) patients who were negative before BMT. Of the 14 patients who received transfusions screened by the first-generation test at BMT, seven (50%) became positive for HCV RNA, a rate significantly higher than the one of 41 (2%) patients who received transfusions screened by the second-generation test (P < 0.001). These results indicate that BMT patients are at increased risk of GBV-C infection transmitted by transfusions received before and at the time of BMT, and that the risk of HCV infection has decreased after the implementation of the second-generation anti-HCV test.     

Poly (ricinoleic acid) based novel thermosetting elastomer

A novel bio-based thermosetting elastomer was prepared by the lipase-catalyzed polymerization of methyl ricinoleate with subsequent vulcanization. Some mechanical properties of the cured carbon black-filled polyricinoleate compounds were evaluated as a thermosetting elastomer. It was found that the carbon black-filled polyricinoleate compounds were readily cured by sulfur curatives to produce a thermosetting elastomer that formed a rubber-like sheet with a smooth and non-sticky surface. The curing behaviors and mechanical properties were dependent on both the molecular weight of the polyricinoleate and the amount of the sulfur curatives. Cured compounds consisting of polyricinoleate with a molecular weight of 100,800 showed good mechanical properties, such as a hardness of 48 A based on the durometer A measurements, a tensile strength at break of 6.91 MPa and an elongation at break of 350%.     

Locational disadvantage of the hub

We show how spatial evolution is different between the two representative models of economic geography: [Krugman 99:483–499, 1991] and [Ottaviano et al. 43:409–436, 2002]. We analyze the impacts of falling transport costs on the spatial distribution of economic activities and welfare for a network economy consisting of three regions located on a line. It is normally considered that a hub city, i.e., a central region, always has locational advantage and manufacturing workers gain from trade. This is true in the former model, but not in the latter when markets are opened up to trade. This is because the price competition is so keen in the central region that the manufacturing sector moves to the peripheral regions, which aggravates the social welfare. We then show that when goods are close substitutes and share of manufacturing is of an intermediate level, the manufacturing activities completely disappear from the central region leading to a full agglomeration in one peripheral region.

Chemistry,Properties, and in Vitro and in Vivo Applications of 2′‐O‐Methoxyethyl‐4′‐thioRNA,a Novel Hybrid Type of Chemically Modified RNA

We report the synthesis, properties, and in vitro and in vivo applications of 2′‐O‐methoxyethyl‐4′‐thioRNA (MOE‐SRNA), a novel type of hybrid chemically modified RNA. In its hybridization with complementary RNA, MOE‐SRNA showed a moderate improvement of T_m value (+3.4 °C relative to an RNA:RNA duplex). However, the results of a comprehensive comparison of the nuclease stability of MOE‐SRNA relative to 2′‐O‐methoxyethylRNA (MOERNA), 2′‐O‐methyl‐4′‐thioRNA (Me‐SRNA), 2′‐O‐methylRNA (MeRNA), 4′‐thioRNA (SRNA), and natural RNA revealed that MOE‐SRNA had the highest stability (t_1/2>48 h in human plasma). Because of the favorable properties of MOE‐SRNA, we evaluated its in vitro and in vivo potencies as an anti‐microRNA oligonucleotide against miR‐21. Although the in vitro potency of MOE‐SRNA was moderate, its in vivo potency was significant for the suppression of tumor growth (similar to that of MOERNA).     

Dispersion Behavior of Barium Titanate Nanoparticles Prepared by Using Various Polycarboxylic Dispersants

The effects of the polycarboxylic dispersant structures on the crystallinity and sedimentation behavior of prepared BaTiO₃ nanoparticles were analyzed using four types of dispersants—ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dipotassium salt (EDTA), trans -aconitic acid (TAA), ammonium acrylate–methyl acrylate co-polymer (PAA50), and sodium polyacrylate (PAA100). In the case of EDTA and TAA, the adsorbed ratio of the dispersants on BaTiO₃ nanoparticles was relatively low, and only slight improvement of sedimentation behavior was observed. On the other hand, in the case of PAA50 and PAA100, the adsorbed ratio was high, and the sedimentation behavior was gratefully improved. Next, in order to analyze the relationships among the additive amount of polycarboxylic dispersants, crystallinity, and sedimentation behavior, various amounts of PAA100 or PAA50 were treated in the synthesis solution. The sedimentation behavior of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles improved with increasing amounts of PAA100 and PAA50 while their crystal phase became amorphous. Adding PAA50 at a molar ratio of COO⁻/Ba²⁺=0.266 resulted in BaTiO₃ nanoparticles with the best dispersion stability in an aqueous media.