Big insulin-like growth factor II-producing hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hypoglycemia

A 76-year-old female with a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was hospitalized because of fasting hypoglycemia. Her sera contained a low concentration of immunoreactive insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, while the IGF-II level was normal. However, most of the IGF-II consisted of the high molecular weight form (big IGF-II). The tumor tissue contained fetal type of IGF-II mRNA (6.0 kb). Furthermore, we found that one of the four patients examined with HCV-related HCC had big IGF-II in serum. This indicates that non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) in HCV-related HCC might be accompanied by production of big IGF-II by the tumor.     

A device in reconstruction method after distal subtotal gastrectomy: special reference to double tract method with jejunal pouch

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify existing problems in the coordination between the different levels of the pediatric care system and suggest possible solutions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A poll of 66% of the health center pediatricians (HCP) of the greater metropolitan area of Valencia (city + 30 km) on the problems in the coordination between HCP and hospital pediatricians (HP), possible solutions and the number of patients per HCP per day, including the average and range, was performed. RESULTS: Answers were received from 54% of the HCP (n = 51), which represented 81% of the sample. Problems were identified in coordination (100%), institutional organization (98%), communication (96%), access to reports from outpatient clinics (84%), lack of time and mobility of the HCP (33%), and in the structure of the emergency service for primary child care (ESPCC; 4%). The suggested solutions were; None (6%), global institutional organization (94%) by creating a hierarchy in the HP and HCP, meetings and protocols by consensus, rotation of HP, HCP and pediatric residents between health centers and hospitals, institutionalized intercommunication, allotting time and work mobility to HCP, limiting patients per day and planning ESPCC in hospitals. The average number of patients per day was 32 +/- 8 patients/day (pd), range: 5-100 pd, with 92% of the HCP seeing > 20 pd, 63% > 30 pd, 17% > 40 pd and 2% > 50 pd. At > 6 km from the city there is no coordination and the number of patients/day is greater (p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There is no institutionalized coordination between HP and NCP. The greater the distance from the city, the greater the overload and the lower the coordination. There is a lack of institutional organization.     

Hemarthrosis of the knee and bone contusion

The displacement of porcine [125I] insulin bound to rat and lamprey isolated hepatocytes with unlabeled lamprey and porcine insulins was investigated. Binding affinity of lamprey insulin for insulin receptor of rat was similar to that of porcine insulin. In contrast, the binding affinity of lamprey insulin for its own insulin receptor was higher than for a rat receptor. To determine the binding affinity constants of lamprey insulin receptor, the competition binding experiments were carried out on isolated lamprey hepatocytes using lamprey insulin as unlabeled ligand and tracer. The affinity of the same binding sites on lamprey hepatocytes was assessed in similar experiments but employing porcine insulin as unlabeled ligand and tracer. It was found that while Kd of low affinity binding sites on lamprey hepatocytes were similar for lamprey and porcine insulins, the Kd of high affinity binding sites was different: the displacement curve for lamprey insulin being shifted to the left as compared to the curve for porcine insulin. The number of high and low affinity binding sites, calculated independently in Scatchard plots, was equal. We conclude that the high affinity insulin binding sites of lamprey but not of rat hepatocytes reveal some species specificity in ligand-receptor interaction.     

Effects of genistein and staurosporine on angiotensin II-induced DNA synthesis, protein synthesis and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in vascular smooth muscle cells

This study examines the effects of protein kinase inhibitors and activator on angiotensin II-induced DNA synthesis and protein synthesis of rat aortic smooth muscle cells. In quiescent confluent cells, angiotensin II induced a concentration-dependent increase in thymidine incorporation and leucine incorporation. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein caused an inhibition of the angiotensin II-induced DNA synthesis but not of the agent-induced protein synthesis. The protein kinase C inhibitors staurosporine and calphostin C caused an inhibition of the angiotensin II-induced protein synthesis but not of the agent-induced DNA synthesis. The protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate stimulated protein synthesis. Angiotensin II stimulated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and the angiotensin II-induced MAP kinase activation was inhibited by genistein but not by staurosporine. These findings suggest that angiotensin II-induced DNA synthesis is at least partly mediated via protein-tyrosine phosphorylation and angiotensin II-induced protein synthesis is at least partly mediated by activation of protein kinase C. It seems likely that MAP kinase activation is involved in DNA synthesis but not in protein synthesis induced by angiotensin II.     

New system for linear accelerator radiosurgery with a gantry-mounted video camera

PURPOSE: We developed a positioning method that does not depend on the positioning mechanism originally annexed to the linac and investigated the positioning errors of the system. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A small video camera was placed at a location optically identical to the linac x-ray source. A target pointer comprising a convex lens and bull's eye was attached to the arc of the Leksell stereotactic system so that the lens would form a virtual image of the bull's eye (virtual target) at the position of the center of the arc. The linac gantry and target pointer were placed at the side and top to adjust the arc center to the isocenter by referring the virtual target. Coincidence of the target and the isocenter could be confirmed in any combination of the couch and gantry rotation. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the positioning, a tungsten ball was attached to the stereotactic frame as a simulated target, which was repeatedly localized and repositioned to estimate the magnitude of the error. The center of the circular field defined by the collimator was marked on the film. RESULTS: The differences between the marked centers of the circular field and the centers of the shadow of the simulated target were less than 0.3 mm.     

Unilateral labyrinthectomy downregulates glutamate receptor delta-2 expression in the rat vestibulocerebellum

Subcortical damage in neonates often has more severe consequences than in adults. Unilateral electrolytic hippocampal lesions in adult rats typically result in transient memory deficits, whereas neonatal lesions cause lasting memory impairments. We hypothesized that unilateral lesions made at birth may affect synaptic physiology in the contralateral hippocampus. Consequently, the ability to sustain long-term potentiation (LTP), a form of synaptic plasticity believed to underlie certain forms of memory, was compared between slices from the remaining hippocampus of rats lesioned as newborns and as adults. Initial studies showed that a train of 10 stimulation bursts patterned after the hippocampal theta rhythm produced robust and stable LTP both in slices from controls and rats lesioned at birth. However, a theta burst pattern of stimulation closer to intrinsic physiology (five burst pairs separated by 30 s each), induced significantly less LTP in slices from rats lesioned at birth compared to those from controls and rats lesioned as adults. To investigate possible mechanisms underlying the deficit, the degree of paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) as well as the amount of depolarization occurring between two successive theta bursts were analyzed. The lesion did not detectably change PPF characteristics, suggesting that presynaptic mechanisms are normal. However, the extent to which a burst response was increased by a prior burst was significantly diminished in slices from rats lesioned at birth compared to those from controls and rats lesioned as adults, indicating that postsynaptic factors involved in the initial triggering events of LTP are affected by the lesion. Reduced ability to sustain LTP in the remaining hippocampus may contribute to impaired memory function after unilateral neonatal hippocampal lesion.     

A series‐connected hybrid triple converter system

This paper proposes a hybrid multiconverter system aiming at a large‐capacity high‐voltage high‐efficiency converter system free from harmonics in its input/output. The system consists of n (n: integer) GTO converters and a single neutral‐point‐clamped IGBT converter connected in series by n + 1 output transformers. The GTO converters operate in a square‐wave switching mode while the IGBT converter operates in a PWM switching mode. The former produces a base part of the resultant output voltage. The latter not only produces an additional part of the resultant output voltage, but offsets the voltage harmonics generated by the GTO converters. A basic voltage control strategy for the hybrid converter system is proposed, and its validity is verified by experimental results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 153(3): 64–70, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20210     

Serological study of Japanese encephalitis in Nepal

Antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) were examined in 356 serum samples from individuals visiting Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital using neutralization test. A total of 13.2% (47/356) seropositivity was observed. Antibody positivity against both Nakayama-NIH and Beijing-1 strains was seen in 7.9% subjects. Infection by Nakayama-NIH strain alone was seen to be 4.2% while 1.1% of study populations were found to be infected only by Beijing-1 strain. High antibody titer was observed in the 20-40 years age-group and did not increase with age. Seropositivity was more common in zone-A (Tarai) area compared to zone-B (Hills) and zone-C (Mountains). Spectrum of antigenicity of JEV in zone-A as shown by neutralization test was identical to Indian isolates (strains). Difference in seropositivity was observed against Nakayama-NIH and Beijing-1 strain in zone-B and C indicating recent spread of JEV in these areas.