The outcome of postoperative hemorrhaging following a hemorrhoidectomy

Purpose  

Postoperative hemorrhage (PH) is rare, but it is widely recognized as a postoperative complication of a hemorrhoidectomy. The assessment of this complication may provide information which can be used to improve the clinical outcome of a patient who has undergone a hemorrhoidectomy.     

Characterization of hepatic bile mucus glycoprotein in hepatolithiasis]

To study the characterization of hepatic bile mucus glycoprotein in hepatolithiasis cases, we isolated glycoprotein from the bile of patients with intrahepatic gallstones by gel filtration and ultracentrifugation. The carbohydrate chains of mucus glycoprotein were released by hydrazinolysis. The properties of the hepatolithiasis carbohydrate chains were compared with those of a control group. The mucus glycoprotein concentration in bile in hepatolithiasis patients (299.9 micrograms/ml) was higher than that in the controls (28.0 micrograms/ml). Both groups had no evident changes in molecular weight or amino acid composition. The quantities of N-Galactosamine and sulfate in the hepatolithiasis group were larger than in those of the control group. Carbohydrate chain lengths in the hepatolithiasis group were shorter than those in the control group. This phenomenon suggests that mucus glycoprotein of the bile in hepatolithiasis patients has a different metabolism and biological function from that of normal bile.     

Ultracytochemical localization of Ca2+-ATPase activity in the endolymphatic sac of the chick

The localization of Ca2+-ATPase activity was examined ultracytochemically in the endolymphatic sac (ES) of the 1-day-old chick. The reaction products showing Ca2+-ATPase activity were localized along the microvilli and the apical cell membranes of the epithelial cells of the ES. The lateral cell membranes also showed mild activity. These reactions were completely abolished when either Ca2+ or ATP was omitted from the incubation medium. The results suggest that Ca2+-ATPase plays a significant role as a Ca2+ pump for regulation of the Ca2+ concentration in the endolymph of the ES.     

Ultrastructural localization of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) in guinea pig stria vascularis and vestibular dark cell areas: an immunogold study.

Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) is one of the facilitated-diffusion glucose transporters, which plays a major role in the glucose transport across blood-tissue barriers. We demonstrated localization of GLUT1 in guinea pig stria vascularis (SV) and vestibular dark cell areas, using electron microscopy. GLUT1 immunoreactivity was seen mainly in the SV. Electron microscopically, immunogold particles were localized along the plasma membranes of the basal cells and the basolateral infoldings of the marginal cells. Erythrocyte membranes and the capillary walls in both the SV and the dark cell areas were also positive for GLUT1. These results indicate that GLUT1 is involved in glucose regulation for energy metabolism in the marginal cells and vestibular dark cells, and in glucose transport between blood and perilymph.     

Effect of maternal oxygenation on fetal blood gas status in shiba goat fetuses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of maternal oxygen administration on the fetal blood gas status. Five Shiba goat fetuses were used whose gestational days were 134 +/- 4 days. Maternal and fetal pH, pO2, pCO2, B.E., and hematocrit were measured every 30 minutes during 4 l/min oxygen administration for 60 minutes. Maternal arterial blood pO2 increased from 95.5 +/- 19.6 mmHg to 262.6 +/- 75.8 mmHg at 30 minutes and to 207.8 +/- 110.1 mmHg at 60 minutes. Fetal arterial blood pO2 increased significantly from 18.4 +/- 3.0 mmHg to 24.4 +/- 5.8 mmHg and 23.6 +/- 6.9 mmHg, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between maternal pO2 and fetal pO2. The increase in fetal pO2 was small when the control pO2 was less than 17 mmHg. Although maternal pH did not change significantly, fetal pH decreased significantly from 7.29 +/- 0.07 to 7.25 +/- 0.07 at 60 minutes. Also fetal hematocrit decreased significantly from 33.9 +/- 5.2% to 32.8 +/- 5.4% at 60 minutes. Neither maternal nor fetal pCO2 and B.E. changed significantly. Therefore, we concluded that the effect of maternal oxygen administration on fetal pO2 was small when the fetus was already hypoxic. Also 60 minutes' oxygen administration may cause the decrease in fetal pH and hemodilution.     

Social networks in drinking behaviors among Japanese: support network, drinking network, and intervening network]

PURPOSE: The national representative sample was analyzed to examine the relationship between respondents' drinking practice and the social network which was constructed of three different types of network: support network, drinking network, and intervening network. METHOD: Non-parametric statistical analysis was conducted with chi square method and ANOVA analysis, due to the risk of small samples in some basic tabulation cells. RESULTS: The main results are as follows: (1) In the support network of workplace associates, moderate drinkers enjoyed much more sociable support care than both nondrinkers and hard drinkers, which might suggest a similar effect as the French paradox. Meanwhile in the familial and kinship network, the more intervening care support was provided, the harder respondents' drinking practice. (2) The drinking network among Japanese people for both sexes is likely to be convergent upon certain types of network categories and not decentralized in various categories. This might reflect of the drinking culture of Japan, which permits people to drink everyday as a practice, especially male drinkers. Subsequently, solitary drinking is not optional for female drinkers. (3) Intervening network analysis showed that the harder the respondents' drinking practices, the more frequently their drinking behaviors were checked in almost all the categories of network. A rather complicated gender double-standard was found in the network of hard drinkers with their friends, particularly for female drinkers. Medical professionals played a similar intervening role for men as family and kinship networks but to a less degree than friends for females. CONCLUSION: The social network is considerably associated with respondents' drinking, providing both sociability for moderate drinkers and intervention for hard drinkers, depending on network categories. To minimize the risk of hard drinking and advance self-healthy drinking there should be more research development on drinking practice and the social network.     

Cytogenetic studies in couples with repeated spontaneous abortions

Chromosome studies were carried out on both partners of 509 couples with a history of two or more spontaneous abortions. 1) Twenty-six individuals (2.6%) were carriers of a major chromosome abnormality. This incidence is at least six to seven times higher than that in the general adult population. 2) Of these, 10 were reciprocal translocations, 10 robertsonian translocations and 6 numerical aberrations of gonosomes. None of the carriers showed abnormal phenotypes. 3) Chromosome aberrations were more frequent in the women than in their husbands. There were 19 abnormalities in females and 7 in males. 4) The use of banding techniques in chromosome analysis improves the detection of balanced reciprocal translocations. 5) Prenatal diagnosis was performed in 5 subsequent pregnancies of 4 balanced translocation carriers. The fetal karyotypes were 2 normal and 3 balanced translocations. It would seem reasonable to recommend chromosome analysis for couples with repeated spontaneous abortions.     

Cytochemical study of K+-p-nitrophenyl phosphatase (K+-NPPase) in planum semilunatum and dark cells of the squirrel monkey

We examined the ultrastructure of the planum semilunatum, and also cytochemically demonstrated K+-dependent p-nitrophenyl phosphatase (K+-NPPase) activity in planum semilunatum and ampullary dark cells of the squirrel monkey. K+-NPPase activity was found in the basal part of the planum semilunatum. The reaction products were limited to the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membranes. A more intense reaction was found in the basal infoldings and the lateral interdigitations of the dark cells. On the other hand, the apical cell surface of both cell types showed no K+-NPPase activity. The present results show that both the planum semilunatum and the dark cells may both be involved in maintaining endolymph homeostasis.