Degradation of thiometon in ethyl acetate

When performing multiresidue analysis of pesticides, the recovery of thiometon was less than 20% from carrots and eggplants, but about 100% from garlic chives and welsh onions. The recovery of thiometon was found to depend on the lot of ethyl acetate. A 2-year-old lot of ethyl acetate caused degradation of thiometon, but a fresh lot of ethyl acetate did not. Analysis showed that ethyl acetate stored for 2 years contained about 5 microL/mL of acetaldehyde. Thiometon was also degraded by acetone or acetonitrile, when acetaldehyde was added to them, in the same manner as by aged ethyl acetate. The fact that the recovery of thiometon from welsh onions was about 100% indicated that some of the mercaptans in allium vegetables may prevent thiometon degradation. Mercaptans such as L-cysteine and 3-mercaptoproionic acid were confirmed to prevent the degradation of thiometon and disulfoton. These findings show that mercaptans may be useful additives for analyzing thiometon and disulfoton.     

Characterisation of optically driven microstructures for manipulating single DNA molecules under a fluorescence microscope

Optical tweezers are powerful tools for manipulating single DNA molecules using fluorescence microscopy, particularly in nanotechnology‐based DNA analysis. We previously proposed a manipulation technique using microstructures driven by optical tweezers that allows the handling of single giant DNA molecules of millimetre length that cannot be manipulated by conventional techniques. To further develop this technique, the authors characterised the microstructures quantitatively from the view point of fabrication and efficiency of DNA manipulation under a fluorescence microscope. The success rate and precision of the fabrications were evaluated. The results indicate that the microstructures are obtained in an aqueous solution with a precision ∼50 nm at concentrations in the order of 10⁶ particles/ml. The visibility of these microstructures under a fluorescence microscope was also characterised, along with the elucidation of the fabrication parameters needed to fine tune visibility. Manipulating yeast chromosomal DNA molecules with the microstructures illustrated the relationship between the efficiency of manipulation and the geometrical shape of the microstructure. This report provides the guidelines for designing microstructures used in single DNA molecule analysis based on on‐site DNA manipulation, and is expected to broaden the applications of this technique in the future.Inspec keywords: DNA, molecular biophysics, fluorescence, optical microscopy, radiation pressure, biological techniquesOther keywords: optically driven microstructures, single DNA molecule analysis, fluorescence microscopy, optical tweezers, nanotechnology‐based DNA analysis, manipulation technique, aqueous solution, fine tune visibility, yeast chromosomal DNA molecules, geometrical shape, on‐site DNA manipulation     

Analysis of Organisation-Committed Human Error by Extended CREAM

This report analyses the results of the human error classification scheme of CREAM applied to organisation-committed human errors related to six departments. These human errors were not caused by the tasks spotlighted by CREAM, but were concentrated on managerial or administrative tasks, so that the authors have corrected and analysed the definitions and links of cause–effect relations related to the large organisation by means of an extended method of CREAM. Considering human errors on the basis of these analyses, findings have allowed the authors to come up with effective relations between organisation-related causal factors and person-related ones. This has demonstrated that organisation-caused human errors are sufficiently analysable by means of the extended method of CREAM.     

Retrohepatic cavoatrial shunt with a ringed polytetrafluoroethylene graft for the Budd-Chiari syndrome. A case report

This report describes a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome who was operated on successfully by means of shunt formation with polytetrafluoroethylene graft between the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium. The patient is a sixty-two-year-old woman suffering from persistent edema of the lower limbs for four years. The examination disclosed complete obstruction of the IVC at the level of the diaphragm with a patent right inferior hepatic vein. Following the operation, edema of the limbs disappeared, hypersplenism improved, and the serum ammonium concentration decreased to the normal range. In conclusion, a retrohepatic cavoatrial shunt is feasible and useful in treating a patient with the Budd-Chiari syndrome who has patent major hepatic veins.     

Mechanism of carbon microbead formation from paraffin-pitch mixtures

We have proposed a model of carbon microbead formation from the mixture of coal-tar pitch and n-paraffin under mild conditions, supported by results obtained by high-temperature and high-pressure¹H nuclear magnetic resonance and electron spin resonance in conjunction with thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The data obtained by different techniques are in good agreement with each other.     

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase attenuates osmotic thirst in the rat

Changes in water intake after intraperitoneal injection of a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor was studied in the rat. Administration of NW-nitro-L arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) at a dose of 50 mg/kg attenuated osmotic thirst induced by intraperitoneal injection of hypertonic saline, but did not affect spontaneous intake of water and thirst induced by subcutaneous injection of angiotension II. Pretreatment with L-arginine significantly attenuated the inhibition of osmotic thirst evoked with subsequent L-NAME. Administration of NW-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (D-NAME) altered neither the spontaneous nor the osmotic drinking behavior. These findings suggest that NO may affect the osmotically induced drinking.     

Role of nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in the cytokine-induced sustained myocardial dysfunction in dogs in vivo

Studies in vitro suggested that inflammatory cytokines could cause myocardial dysfunction. However, the detailed mechanism for the cytokine-induced myocardial dysfunction in vivo remains to be examined. We thus examined this point in our new canine model in vivo, in which microspheres with and without IL-1beta were injected into the left main coronary artery. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was evaluated by echocardiography for 1 wk. Immediately after the microsphere injection, LVEF decreased to approximately 30% in both groups. While LVEF rapidly normalized in 2 d in the control group, it was markedly impaired in the IL-1beta group even at day 7. Pretreatment with dexamethasone or with aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, prevented the IL-1beta-induced myocardial dysfunction. Nitrotyrosine concentration, an in vivo marker of the peroxynitrite production by nitric oxide and superoxide anion, was significantly higher in the myocardium of the IL-1beta group than in that of the control group or the group cotreated with dexamethasone or aminoguanidine. There was an inverse linear relationship between myocardial nitrotyrosine concentrations and LVEF. These results indicate that IL-1beta induces sustained myocardial dysfunction in vivo and that nitric oxide produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase and the resultant formation of peroxynitrite are substantially involved in the pathogenesis of the cytokine-induced sustained myocardial dysfunction in vivo.     

Outcomes of 50 leukemia patients who received bone marrow transplants from unrelated donors]

In this study, we examined the ability of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) to stimulate the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase homologues p42/44 MAP kinase, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase and its effect upon DNA synthesis in primary cultures of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). TNF strongly stimulated p38 MAP kinase and JNK activity in both a time- and concentration-dependent manner. By contrast, TNF was a very poor activator of p42/44 MAP kinase relative to the known activator of p42/44 MAP kinase in endothelial cells, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). TNF-stimulated activation of p38 MAP kinase, and MAPKAP kinase-2, a known downstream target of p38 MAP kinase, was strongly inhibited by pre-incubation with the p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580, whereas the minor activation of p42/44 MAP kinase was abolished by pre-incubation of the cell with the novel MAP kinase kinase 1 inhibitor PD098059. Addition of TNF resulted in a 50-60% decrease in DNA synthesis in BAECs. Pre-incubation with PD098059 or co-incubation with ATP failed to modify the inhibitory effect of TNF upon DNA synthesis. SB203580 reduced basal DNA synthesis by approximately 50%; however, if failed to modify the inhibition mediated by TNF. These results indicate that TNF strongly activates both p38 MAP kinase, JNK and, to a minor extent, p42/p44 MAP kinase. It is likely that only one of these kinases, JNK, plays a role in the regulation of DNA synthesis in these cells.     

Anesthetic management for a patient with pheochromocytoma using magnesium sulfate and epidural block

A 54-year-old woman with pheochromocytoma was anesthetized using magnesium sulfate infusion. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental and fentanyl, and maintained with 0.5% sevoflurane in nitrous oxide/oxygen and 60 mg.hr-1 of epidurally infused lidocaine. Muscle relaxation was achieved with intermittent administration of vecuronium under neuromuscular monitoring. Magnesium 2 g was infused prior to the tracheal intubation and followed by continuous infusion of 2 g.hr-1. These anesthetic techniques made hemodynamic state stable, and no additional vasoactive agents were needed. However, the infusion rate of magnesium was reduced to a half because of PQ interval prolongation. Magnesium is believed to be useful for anesthetic management for patients with pheochromocytoma, but the proper dose and the way of administration should be further investigated for their safe clinical use.     

Placement of the Dumon stent using a flexible bronchofiberscope via tracheostomy

In this paper, we report on a new technique of Dumon stent placement using a flexible bronchofiberscope. This procedure was used to insert Dumon stents in two bronchial obstruction and two bronchofistula cases. The stenting technique described here can be used through either a tracheostoma or the oral cavity; it presents a very straightforward and safe procedure that does not require the use of a rigid bronchoscope.