Pathology of chronic hepatitis C in children. Child Liver Study Group of Japan

Limited information is available regarding the histology of hepatitis C virus infection in children. The aim of this study was to determine the histological pattern of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in children, and liver biopsy specimens from 109 pediatric patients with CHC were examined. Each biopsy specimen was evaluated based on a numerical scoring system for the stage of fibrosis (1-4), the grade of portal/periportal necroinflammation (0-4), the grade of lobular necroinflammation (0-4), and their sum (final grade). The histological lesions considered to be characteristic of chronic hepatitis were also evaluated. None of the children had liver cirrhosis, and 105 cases (97%) were stage 1 or 2. Only 4 children were stage 3. Two of these 4 cases showed hemosiderosis. A significant correlation was observed between the staging score and the final grade in the pediatric patients (r = .59; P < .0001). The histological characteristics of adult CHC, such as lymphoid aggregate, bile duct injury, and fatty changes, were also observed in the children. In conclusion, the majority of children with CHC presented with mild fibrosis, but a few showed CHC with lobular distortion and hemosiderosis. Frequent blood transfusion may aggravate hepatic lesions in pediatric CHC.     

Relationship between the presence of side-holes in bone marrow aspiration needle and the number of harvested bone marrow mononuclear cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of nucleated cells in bone marrow harvested by means of Downs' Islam aspiration needles with or without side-holes. Twenty marrow donors for HLA identical sibling transplants were studied. Bone marrow nucleated cells were harvested 50 ml in the right iliac bone with a Downs' Islam aspiration needle with or without side-holes and 50 ml in the left with another kind of needle by means of 5 ml aspirations in each donor. There were no significant difference between the number of nucleated cells by means of Downs' Islam aspiration needles with and without side-holes by cross-over analysis. All nucleated cell counts were 33.06 +/- 12.93 x 10(3)/microliter (mean +/- standard deviation) by means of the needle with side-holes and 32.90 +/- 15.25 x 10(3)/microliter by means of the needle without side-holes. The Downs' Islam aspiration needle without side-holes seems to be better in bone marrow harvest from normal volunteers than that with side-holes, because the former may be stronger than the latter.     

A fuzzy-optimization approach to dynamic economic dispatch considering uncertainties

In this paper, the authors propose a fuzzy-optimization approach to dynamic economic dispatch, considering the uncertainties in deregulated energy and reserve markets. The methodology was developed from the viewpoint of a generation company wishing to maximize its own profit and to hedge its risks as a participant in the energy market and 10-min spinning reserve market. The uncertainties in the current paper were represented with fuzzy numbers, and consist of the demand and reserves required in each market, prices cleared in each market, and the probability that reserves are called upon in actual operation. The energy and reserve markets were coordinated by the generator ramp rate limits. The optimal amounts of power and reserve were determined by solving the optimization problem. Two reserve payment methods, payment for power delivered and payment for reserve allocated, were investigated in this paper.     

Group velocity dependence of propagation losses in single-line-defect photonic crystal waveguides on GaAs membranes

Group velocity, v/sub g/, dependence of propagation loss in single-line-defect photonic crystal waveguides on GaAs membranes, and minimum loss as low as 2.5 dB/mm, are presented. When v/sub g/ is reduced by a factor of 7, an additional loss is found to be only 5 dB/mm, thus proving a feasible usage of low v/sub g/.     

A case of free jejunal graft for anastomotic recurrence after subtotal esophagectomy

A case of anastomotic recurrence after a radical operation for thoracic esophageal carcinoma is presented. A 68-year-old male was treated by subtotal esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy through retrosternal route. One year after the operation he experienced dysphagia and anastomotic recurrence was detected by an upper gastrointestinal series and fiberscopy. He was admitted to our hospital for radiation therapy. The response was poor and dysphagia wasn't disappeared after radiation therapy at a dose of 10,200 rad. He was consulted to our surgical department for operative therapy. Cervical esophagectomy, partial resection of gastric tube and free jejunal transplantation for the reconstruction were performed. He had been eating anything of food after the operation.     

Large nonlinear optical effect in an InGaAs/InAlAs multiquantum well waveguide

All-optical refractive nonlinearity in a passive InGaAs/InAlAs multiquantum well waveguide is evaluated for TE and TM modes at 1.55 mu m wavelength and room temperature. A quarter wavelength change in the optical path length is observed at an input pump light power of 6.5 mW for 1.47 mu m wavelength in a 960 mu m long device. Nonlinear refractive index n/sub 2/ is evaluated to be -1.2*10/sup 6/ and -0.5*10-6cm/sup 2//W for the TE and the TM modes, respectively.<>     

Phosphoramidon, an inhibitor of endothelin-converting enzyme, prevents indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is produced from inactive precursor big ET-1 by endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), a membrane-bound metalloprotease, structurally similar to another metalloprotease, neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP). Although both phosphoramidon and thiorphan are metalloprotease inhibitors, the ECE activity is inhibited by phosphoramidon but not by thiorphan, a specific inhibitor of NEP. Therefore, to investigate whether an ECE inhibitor can prevent indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats, we compared the effects between the two metalloprotease inhibitors on both gastric mucosal integrity and the levels of ET-1 and big ET-1 in gastric tissue. Phosphoramidon significantly decreased ET-1 levels, causing a concomitant big ET-1 increase and dose-dependently attenuated indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage. By contrast, thiorphan neither changed the ratio of ET-1/big ET-1 nor attenuated the damage. In conclusion, the prevention of gastric mucosal damage by an ECE inhibitor indicates that endogenous ET-1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage.     

Entirely intracanalicular meningioma: contrast-enhanced MR findings in a rare entity

We report an unusual case of an entirely intracanalicular meningioma in a 51-year-old woman. Contrast-enhanced MR images showed an enhancing lesion filling the lateral portion of the left internal auditory canal. Our findings suggest that meningiomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of entirely intracanalicular masses.