Photo-chemistry therapy of gastrointestinal tumor--analysis of hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) plus laser photodynamic therapy of 50 cases

This paper reports 50 cases of gastrointestinal tumors treated by photodynamic therapy. The dose of HpD was 5 mg/kg. Fourty-eight to 72 hours after HpD injection, laser (wavelength 630 nm, power density 100-250 J/cm2), transmitted through a quartz fiber, was given. The criteria of therapeutic effectiveness were: complete remission (CR), significant remission (SR), minor remission (MR) and no remission (NR). All patients received endoscopic examination 4 weeks after treatment. No severe complication was observed. Thirty-eight of 50 cases gave CR, SR or MR (76%). The factors effecting treatment are discussed.     

MR of the cerebral operculum: abnormal opercular formation in infants and children.

PURPOSETo evaluate abnormalities of the cerebral operculum in infants and children and to propose the embryogenic basis of abnormal opercular formation as determined from MR imaging findings.METHODSEighty-six infants and children who had abnormally wide interopercular distances and/or distorted opercular topography seen on MR images were studied retrospectively. Clinically, patients presented with tonal abnormalities, macrocephaly, microcephaly, seizures, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, or facial dysmorphism. The abnormal opercula were compared with developing opercula at different stages of gestation.RESULTSAmong the 86 infants and children, two categories of opercular abnormalities were identified: an underdeveloped operculum (n = 64) and a malformed operculum (n = 22). The malformed operculum was further classified into three subtypes: nonformation of the operculum with lissencephaly (n = 1, 1%), abnormal opercular formation with pachygyria (n = 11, 13%), and nonformation or abnormal formation of the operculum without pachygyria or lissencephaly (n = 10, 12%). Two subtypes of the underdeveloped operculum were identified: an open operculum without a normal insula (n = 6, 7%) and an open operculum with a normal insula (n = 58, 67%). The five subtypes of abnormal opercular configuration showed a range of maturity that was comparable to the developing operculum at different ages.CONCLUSIONOpercular anomalies appear to follow sequentially predetermined normal steps in development. Arrest in opercular development or malformation may occur after an initial insult. MR imaging is the method of choice by which to identify these abnormalities.     

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PROSTATE CANCER IN GUNMA PREFECTURE, JAPAN

Background Prostate cancer is rare in Asia, but the number of patients is increasing in Japan. We conducted an epidemiological study of prostate cancer in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, to investigate the trends and characteristics of the disease.
Methods: The subjects were 1.411 prostate cancer patients newly diagnosed between 1985 and and 656 patients who died from prostate cancer between 1981 and 1992. The incidence and mortality rates were calculated by year, demographic region and age.
Results: The yearly incidence rate showed an increase but the mortality rate showed no marked fluctuations. There was no significant difference between urban and ruraI districts in either incidence or mortality rate. The incidence rate tended to be high in the northern part of the prefecture, but no marked variation in mortality rate was seen. The incidence and mortality rates in districts with a history of manganese mining were high compared to those in districts without mining. In contrast, the incidence and mortality rates in districts with a history of zinc mining were comparatively lower. Both incidence and mortality rates showed a marked increase with age. The age-specific incidence showed a double logarithmic relationship to age.
Conclusions: The increase of the yearly incidence rate might be due to changes in lifestyle and environmental factors, improved diagnostic techniques, and increased awareness among the general public regarding prostate disease. Further investigation is needed to clarify the pattern and the causes of regional differences in the incidence and mortality rates. The possibilities that manganese and zinc might be related to prostatic carcinogenesis are suggested. Int J Urol 1995:2:191–197     

地尔硫静脉滴注治疗冠心病心绞痛

目的：观察地尔硫Ｚｈｕｏ注射液静脉滴注治疗冠心病心绞痛的疗效。方法：８６例心绞痛患者分为两组，其中治疗组４６例，用地尔硫Ｚｈｕｏ５０ｍｇ加入５％葡萄糖液２５０ｍｌ中静滴，１次／ｄ，连续１０ｄ；对照组４０例用丹参液１６ｍｌ加入５％葡萄糖液２５０ｍｌ中静滴，１次／ｄ，连续１０ｄ。结果：治疗组症状控制总有效率９８％，患者心电图改善率６１％，明显高于对照组的３７％和２８％，地尔硫Ｚｈｕｏ改善心功能效果明显     

ROBUST GUARANTEED COST CONTROL OF UNCERTAIN NON-LINEAR ROBOTIC SYSTEM USING MIXED MINIMUM TIME AND QUADRATIC PERFORMANCE INDEX

To provide better transient performance in controlling robots, a mixed minimum time and quadratic performance index is used. For known and uncertain revolute robot manipulators a conventional optimal control and a robust guaranteed cost control are proposed respectively. Asymptotic stability is also discussed based on the Lyapunov direct method. The proposed robust control is continuous and requires no knowledge of the uncertain system except for bounding functions.     

Proteolytic Processing Mechanisms in the Biosynthesis of Neuroendocrine Peptides: The Subtilisin-like Proprotein Convertases

The recent discovery of a novel family of precursor processing endoproteases has greatly accelerated progress in understanding the complex mechanisms underlying the maturation of prohormones, neuropeptides, and many other precursor-derived proteins. At least six members of this family have been found thus far in mammalian species, several having alternatively spliced isoforms, and related enzymes have been identified in many invertebrates, including molluscs, insects, nematodes, and coelenterates. The proprotein convertases are all dependent on calcium for activity and all possess highly conserved subtilisin-like domains with the characteristic catalytic triad of this serine protease (ordered Asp, His, and Ser along the polypeptide chain). Two members of this family, PC2(SPC2) and PC1/PC3(SPC3), appear to play a preeminent role in neuroendocrine precursor processing. Both convertases are expressed only in the brain and in the extended neuroendocrine system, while another important family member—furin/PACE (SPC1)—is expressed more ubiquitously, in almost all tissues, and at high levels in liver. SPC2 and SPC3 exhibit acidic pH optima and other properties which enhance their activity in the acidic, calcium-enriched environment of the dense-core secretory granules of the regulated pathway in neuroendocrine cells, while furin has a neutral pH optimum and is localized predominantly to the trans Golgi network where it is retained by a C-terminal transmembrane domain. Furin processes a wide variety of precursors in the constitutive pathway, such as those of growth factors, receptors, coagulation factors, and viral glycoproteins. Recent findings on the processing of proopiomelanocortin, proinsulin, proglucagon, and several other neuroendocrine precursors by SPC2 and SPC3 are discussed, along with information on the structure, properties, evolution, developmental expression, and regulation or the convertases. An inherited defect in the fat/fat mouse which affects the processing of proinsulin, and probably also many other prohormones, due to a point mutation in carboxypeptidase E has recently been identified and has begun to provide new insights into the functional integration of the individual processing steps.     

Inhibition of ligand binding to g protein-coupled receptors by arachidonic acid

Arachidonic acid (AA), released in response to muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) stimulation, previously has been reported to function as a reversible feedback inhibitor of the mAChR. To determine if the effects of AA on binding to the mAChR are subtype specific and whether AA inhibits ligand binding to other G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the effects of AA on ligand binding to the mAChR subtypes (M₁, M₂, M₃, M₄, and M₅) and to the μ-opioid receptor, β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂-AR), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor (5-HTR), and nicotinic receptors were examined. AA was found to inhibit ligand binding to all mAChR subtypes, to the β₂-AR, the 5-HTR, and to the μ-opioid receptor. However, AA does not inhibit ligand binding to the nicotinic receptor, even at high concentrations of AA. Thus, AA inhibits several types of GPCRs, with 50% inhibition occurring at 3–25 μM, whereas the nicotinic receptor, a non-GPCR, remains unaffected. Further research is needed to determine the mechanism by which AA inhibits GPCR function.