Using a photon-ion merged-beam apparatus, the relative photoion-yield spectra for doubly- and triply-charged ions from Xe
+, Ba
+ and Eu
+ ions were measured in the 4d ionization region. The giant ...resonance peak appears for all target ions. The peak of Xe
+ is broad and that of Eu
+ is relatively narrow, similar to those observed in the neutral atoms. The spectrum of Xe
3+ shows some structures around 87 and 93 eV. The summit of the giant resonance peak of Eu
2+ is obviously split into two. These structures observed in the Xe
3+ and Eu
2+ spectra are not observed in the photoion spectra of the neutral targets. Some small peaks are observed in the Xe
+ spectrum between 70 and 76 eV. A multi-configuration Dirac-Fock calculation reveals that these peaks are attributed to 4
d-n
p and 4
d-n
f transitions. It was also found that the broad peak centered at 100 eV corresponds to shake-up resonance (4
d
105
s
25
p
5→4
d
94
f5
s
25
p
4n
p n=6.7) processes. Some prominent peaks that do not appear in the neutral Ba spectrum are observed clearly in the Ba
+ one. These peaks are most probably due to the 4
d-n
f transition followed by Auger processes.
We studied the clinical characteristics of epileptic aura with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in children, by retrospectively reviewing medical records of 33 patients whose first seizures developed ...under 15 years of age. The diagnosis of TLE was made by interictal EEG and head MRI/SPECT, both of which demonstrated a temporal lesion. The patients were classified into 24 with mesial TLE syndrome, 3 with a temporal lobe tumor, 3 with temporal lobe dysplasia and 3 with other causes. The epileptic aura was not recognized in 5 patients (15%). The age at onset of aura ranged from 4 to 10 years with a median age at 7. In patients older than 10, it was always followed by impairment of consciousness. It was manifested with nausea in 14 patients (42%), vertigo, a sense of fear, palpitation and heating sensation on the back in three patients (9%) each. Thus, clinical manifestations of epileptic aura in children with TLE were largely identical to those of adult patients. Detailed history taking about the aura may provide a clue to the diagnosis of TLE even in children.
Recent studies have demonstrated an important role of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the pathogenesis of nephritis. In the present study, renal biopsy specimens from patients with ...proliferative and crescentic glomerulonephritis were subjected to immunoelectron microscopy using an anti-VCAM-1 monoclonal antibody. In control normal kidney tissue, VCAM-1 expression was restricted to the free surface of parietal epithelial cells. In diseased glomeruli, VCAM-1 was expressed on the free surface of parietal and visceral epithelial cells, on the luminal surface of capillary endothelial cells, on infiltrating monocyte/macrophage-like cells, on mesangial cells, and in the matrix of the expanded mesangium. There was also VCAM-1 expression on almost all cell types in the crescents, including macrophage-like cells, fibroblast-like cells, and epithelial cells. Some cells also showed VCAM-1 positivity in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the perinuclear space. Both the glomerular capillary lumen and urinary spaces of Bowman's capsule contained positive reaction products, which were often associated with exocytosis by the surrounding cells. VCAM-1 was predominantly expressed on the basal and lateral surfaces of a few proximal tubules, but it could not be localized ultrastructurally. These findings suggest that production and secretion of VCAM-1 by both infiltrating monocyte/macrophages and resident glomerular cells may be related to the pathogenesis of proliferative and crescentic glomerulonephritis.
We investigated the anesthetic management of patients with congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis (CIPA) in Japan. CIPA is a rare inherited disease characterized by a lack of pain sensation ...and thermoregulation. Although lacking pain sensation, some patients do have tactile hyperesthesia. Thus, anesthetics are a necessity during operations. We also determined that because patients with CIPA have problems with thermoregulation, temperature management is a concern during the perioperative period and sufficient sedation is necessary to avoid accidental fractures. Additionally, it was found that the use of muscle relaxants does not present a problem, malignant hyperthermia is not associated with CIPA, and that the possibility of abnormalities in the autonomic nervous system must be taken into consideration. Therefore, patients with CIPA can be safely managed with anesthesia.
We investigated the anesthetic management of patients with congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis. We clarified the following three important points: anesthesia is necessary, temperature management must be maintained, and there must be sufficient perioperative sedation in the anesthetic management of patients with congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis.
In this study, a total of 60 patients with acute bronchitis, 71 patients with bronchial asthma and 20 healthy volunteers were serologically and bacteriologically analyzed to investigate whether ...Chlamydia pneumoniae infection is associated with the onset and the exacerbation with acute bronchitis and bronchial asthma. Antibody titers to Chlamydia pneumoniae were also measured and compared by ELISA method. The antibody-positive rate in the patients with acute bronchitis (88.4%) was significantly higher than that in the patients with bronchial asthma (73.3%) or that in the healthy volunteers (60%). And the levels of the IgA antibody in the patients with acute bronchitis were significantly higher than those in the patients with bronchial asthma or those in the healthy volunteers. The rate of acute C. pneumoniae infection in the patients with acute bronchitis (20%) did not show significantly differences compared with that in the patients with bronchial asthma (15.5%) or that in the healthy volunteers (10%). The cases of acute C. pneumoniae infection had both as a single etiologic agent and as a mixed infection, most often with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Therefore, we demonstrated that the acute C. pneumoniae infection may be associated with the onset and the exacerbation in acute bronchitis and bronchial asthma.
Periodic annual net increment of stand volume and stand structure dynamics were analyzed by using data collected in long-term monitoring during a 77-year period in a sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) ...natural forest located in Akita Prefecture, Northeastern Japan. Forest age was estimated at the end of the monitoring period to be 244 years. The research forest was thinned twice during the monitoring period, first at 168 years old and again at 190 years old. The periodic annual net increment of stand volume peaked at about 10 years after each of the thinning operations. The increase in volume growth of individual trees following each thinning operation may be seen as a cause of the peaks in periodic annual net increment of stand volume. After each of the two peaks mentioned, the periodic annual net increment markedly decreased from 32.2 to 6.1 m3ha-1yr-1 just before the second thinning operation, and decreased from 14.9 to 3.7 m3ha-1yr-1 at the end of the monitoring period. Both thinning operations had a strong impact on the distributions of DBH and tree height; the research forest transformed from a multi-storied forest to a single-storied forest. The tree height growth declined earlier than basal area growth. Therefore, the stem volume growth of old-growth trees is produced by basal area growth rather than height growth.
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