Influence of water immersion stress on peripheral nerve recovery in the rat

Previously, we have shown that embryonic day 12 thymus anlage cultured alone cannot develop into the mature organ but degenerates. In the present study, we investigated the cause of this insufficient organogenesis of embryonic day 12 thymus anlage in organ culture. We cocultured embryonic day 12 thymus anlages with various cell lines as pellets formed by centrifugation. In coculture with fibroblastic cell lines, but not with thymic epithelial cell lines, embryonic day 12 thymus anlages developed to support full T cell differentiation, and expressed mature stromal cell markers, Ia and Kb. By pellet culture of thymus anlages and fibroblastic cell lines transfected with a beta-galactosidase expression vector, we analyzed the distribution of added fibroblastic cells in pellets. The added fibroblastic cells constituted neither thymic capsule nor septa but disappeared after about 2 weeks in culture. Moreover, immunohistochemical studies indicated that added fibroblastic cells were adjacent to mesenchymal cells of thymus anlage. Our results strongly suggest that added fibroblastic cells support the development of the thymus anlage through interaction with its mesenchymal cells.     

A novel therapeutic approach for rectal varices: a case report of rectal varices treated with double balloon-occluded embolotherapy

We present a patient with continuous melena, diagnosed as rectal varices bleeding. She had a history of esophageal varices, which was treated by endoscopic ligation therapy. Eight years after the treatment of esophageal varices, the continuous melena began. Colonoscopic examination showed that the melena was caused by rectal varices, which were so severe that they could not be treated by either endoscopic sclerotherapy or surgical devascularization. Taking into considering the overall risk of treating rectal varices, we chose the approach of double balloon-occluded embolotherapy (DBOE) with 5% ethanolamine oleate with iopamodol as a liquid embolic material. DBOE is one of the interventional radiology techniques (Morita et al., Acta Hepatol Jpn 1994;35:109-120), but in this case was a completely new and novel clinical procedure for rectal varices. After the DBOE therapy, the condition of rectal varices was markedly improved. Thus, DBOE might be a new tool for treating inoperable rectal varices.     

Prognostic factors in radiation-treated esophageal carcinoma

Prognostic factors in esophageal carcinoma treated with irradiation were examined. The prognosis of 111 patients without metastasis who had received more than 60 Gy was analyzed. Significant associations were found between survival rates and tumor length, stage, radioresponse of the primary tumor and the s.c. X-P classification based on barium contrast radiography; superficial type (tumor limited to the surface of the esophageal wall), tumorous type (solid mass without ulceration), Ul-A type (tumor with shallow ulceration with regular margin), Ul-B type (tumor with deep ulceration or irregular ulcer margin), and funneled type (tumor invading the esophageal wall in a scirrhous pattern). In multiple regression analysis, the X-P classification had the strongest correlation with survival and the survival rates of patients with the superficial type, the tumorous type and the s.c. Ul-A type were significantly higher than those of patients with the other tumor types (p < 0.001).     

Application of an interpenetrating network model to the solid deformation of a quenched isotactic polypropylene film

The molecular orientation and deformation mechanisms of a quenched isotactic polypropylene (iPP) film deformed at temperatures between 303 K and the melting point are studied. At draw temperature T_E less than 400 K where the degree of crystallinity does not change markedly, a linear relationship between molecular orientations of the crystalline and the amorphous phases is revealed and the slope is estimated about 1.82. The interpenetrating network (IPN) model, that takes into account the plastic response of the crystalline (C) network formed by a small portion of crystallites adhered through intercrystalline links and the pseudo-affine deformation of the crystallite enhanced amorphous matrix (CEAM) network, is able to account for inhomogeneous deformation behavior on the mesoscale accompanied with the localized necking in this T_E range. Meanwhile, the initial Young's modulus and the true yield stress exerted by the deformation of the rigid C network exhibit the Arrhenius type of dependence on T_E. The apparent shear modulus of the CEAM network as a function of T_E is discussed in relation to variations in numbers and average molecular weights of the crystalline and the amorphous sequences being manifested by small consecutive endothermic and exothermic peaks in the DSC curve. The IPN model becomes invalid for deformations above T_E=400 K where morphological changes are induced due to melting of crystallites as proved from the DSC measurement.     

Liquid crystalline side-chain polysiloxanes containing mesogenic groups attached by esterification

Summary Liquid crystalline side-chain polysiloxanes were prepared without metal complex catalyst. Mesogenic groups such as cholesteryl, 4-cyano-4-biphenyl and 4-methoxy-4-biphenyl group were introduced into polysiloxane by esterification and from DSC measurements they were compatible with other liquid crystalline polysiloxanes reported previously.     

Microhardness measurements and the Hall-Petch relationship in an AlMg alloy with submicrometer grain size

An Al-3% Mg solid solution alloy was subjected to intense plastic deformation, using either equal-channel angular (ECA) pressing or torsion straining, to produce grain sizes in the submicrometer range. Static annealing at elevated temperatures led to grain growth and average grain sizes of up to > 100 μm. As-fabricated and statically annealed specimens were used to determine the variation in microhardness with grain size, and results confirm that the Hall-Petch relationship persists down to at least the finest grain size examined experimentally (∼90 nm). The results provide no evidence to support the claims of a negative Hall-Petch slope when the average grain size is very small, but there is evidence of a decrease in the slope of the Hall-Petch plot at the very finest grain sizes (< 150 nm); this is attributed to the increased participation of mobile extrinsic dislocations in the boundary regions when taking the hardness measurements.     

Experimental evaluation of a new expression for the far field of a diode laser beam

The validity of a newly derived expression for the far field of a diode laser beam is examined by comparison of the measured intensity profiles with the calculated ones for typical double-heterostructure diodes. I also clarify which of the new and conventional expressions for the intensity profiles in the plane normal to the junction is more useful. The cause of the observed discrepancy between the measured and calculated profiles in the plane parallel to the junction is investigated by consideration of the higher-order Hermite-Gaussian modes. Further, I examine how the axial intensity varies with the propagation distance.