Different roles of flocculus and ventral paraflocculus for oculomotor control in the primate.

Responses of Purkinje cells were compared in the monkey flocculus and ventral paraflocculus. During vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) eye movements, flocculus Purkinje cells exhibited simple spike modulation related to head velocity, while ventral paraflocculus Purkinje cells exhibited modulation with no such head velocity preference. During smooth tracking of a sinusoidally moving small target, ventral paraflocculus Purkinje cells exhibited simple spike modulation related to target velocity or position, while the flocculus Purkinje cells exhibited a smaller modulation with no such target preference. Visual suppression of the VOR enhanced the simple spike responses in the ventral paraflocculus, but not in the flocculus. These results suggest that the primate flocculus and the ventral paraflocculus control differentially VOR and smooth pursuit eye movements, respectively.     

Improved Static Compression Behaviors and Tablettabilities of Spherically Agglomerated Crystals Produced by the Spherical Crystallization Technique with a Two-Solvent System

Purpose. Poorly compressible crystals of acebutolol hydrochloride were agglomerated by the spherical crystallization technique with a two-solvent system to improve the compressibility for direct tabletting. The mechanism of improvements in static compression behaviors and tablettabilities of the spherically agglomerated crystals were investigated. Methods. The improvement of static compression behaviors of the agglomerated crystals was determined by measuring the stress relaxations and elastic recoveries of compressed powder of original and agglomerated crystals. The improved tablettability of agglomerated crystals was evaluated by the pressure transmission ratio upon compression, the ejection pressure for releasing the tablet from the die and the tablet strength, i.e., tensile strength required for breaking. Results. The higher relaxation pressure and the lower elastic recovery of the agglomerated crystals than of the original crystals were found. The pressure transmission ratio data showed that the friction pressures of the two crystals were similar during the compression period. The ejection pressure of the agglomerated crystals was lower than that of the original crystals. The tensile strength of the tablet of agglomerated crystals was greater than that of the original crystals. Conclusions. The compressibility and tablettability of the spherically agglomerated crystals prepared by the spherical crystallization technique were much improved due to their increased plastic property and reduced adhesive property compared to the original crystals.     

Fecal stream is essential for adaptive induction of glucose-coupled sodium transport in the remnant ileum after total proctocolectomy

Our previous studies demonstrated that sodium glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT-1) was induced in the remnant ileum of total colectomized rats via the action of factors other than hyperaldosteronism. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether fecal stream is required for the enhancement of SGLT-1-mediated sodium transport. Twenty-seven pairs of ileal tissues were obtained from the proximal and distal side, respectively, of loop ileostomy after total proctocolectomy. Mucosae were mounted in an Ussing chamber to evaluate glucose-coupled sodium transport. Levels of SGLT-1 mRNA in proximal and distal mucosae were compared by Northern blotting. Villous height and crypt depth were measured to test for correlations between mucosal structure and SGLT-1-mediated sodium transport or mRNA expression levels. Both glucose-coupled sodium transport and expression of SGLT-1 mRNA were significantly lower in distal mucosae relative to proximal mucosae. In distal mucosae, villous height, but not crypt depth, was significantly lower than in proximal mucosae, demonstrating a positive correlation between villous height and SGLT-1 function and expression. Comparative studies of proximal and distal mucosae demonstrated that in addition to hormonal changes, fecal stream is required for full induction of the sodium transport system (which includes SGLT-1-mediated transport) in the remnant ileum following total proctocolectomy. Presented in part at the Forty-Sixth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Chicago, Illinois, May 14–19, 2005 (poster presentation). This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research 10557118 and 14657295 from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan to K. Fukushima, and by Kanae Foundation to K. Fukushima.     

Prognostic factors in patients with ipsilateral pulmonary metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer is classified as an advanced disease stage, with limited indications for surgical treatment. However, the prognosis of patients with pulmonary metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer is better than that of patients with distant metastases. The purpose of the present study was to analyze and detect possible prognostic factors in surgically treated patients with ipsilateral pulmonary metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: Among 1198 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent surgery at Kurashiki Central Hospital (Okayama, Japan) from April 1982 to March 2004, a total of 48 (4.0%) patients with pathologically diagnosed ipsilateral pulmonary metastasis were retrospectively evaluated. The median follow-up time was 20.5 months (range 1-103 months) and 37 patients (77.1%) were completely followed up until their death or more than 5 years after the operation. RESULTS: Among the 48 patients, 31 (64.6%) patients had metastatic nodules in the same lobe as the primary tumor (PM1) and 17 (35.4%) patients had metastatic nodules in different ipsilateral lobes (PM2). There was no significant difference in survival between patients with PM1 and the other patients with pT4-stage IIIB, or between patients with ipsilateral PM2 and the other patients with stage IV. Univariate analysis of postoperative survival stratified according to clinicopathologic factors revealed significant differences for the radicality of resection (complete vs. incomplete), tumor size (0-30 vs. >30mm) and pathological nodal (pN) factor (among pN0, pN1 and pN2-3). Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size (0-30 vs. >30mm) and pN factor (pN0-1 vs. pN2-3) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that undergoing a complete resection, having a tumor size of 30mm or less and having no mediastinal lymph node metastases were better prognostic factors for surgically treated patients with ipsilateral pulmonary metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer.     

The Role of Donor Bone Marrow Infusions in Withdrawal of Immunosuppression in Adult Liver Allotransplantation

We investigated the role of donor bone marrow cell (DBMC) infusions in immunosuppression withdrawal in adult liver transplantation. Patients enrolled were at least 3 years post-transplantation, with stable graft function. Forty-five (study group: G1) received DBMC, and 59 (control group: G2) did not. Immunosuppression was reduced by one third upon enrollment, by another third the second year of the study and was completely withdrawn the third year. Patient and graft survival were similar between the two groups. Although rejection episodes were significantly less in G1 the first 2 years of the study (35% vs. 57%, p = 0.016), there was no significant difference overall (74% vs. 81%, p = 0.14). Until February 2004, 20 patients, 10 in each group, were immunosuppression free for 1-3 years. Approximately 20% of long-term survivors of liver transplantation can successfully discontinue their immunosuppression. DBMC infusions, do not increase this likelihood.     

Preoperative identification of subthalamic nucleus for deep brain stimulation using three-dimensional phase sensitive inversion recovery technique.

PURPOSE: We assessed the feasibility of utilizing three-dimensional (3D) phase sensitive inversion recovery (IR) images for preoperatively determining deep brain stimulator position. METHODS: We measured geometric distortion with a grid phantom and evaluated images of 3 volunteers to determine optimum imaging parameters for 3D phase sensitive IR. RESULTS: Geometric distortion measured less than 1.0%. Respective inversion and recovery times, which provided high T(1) contrast between the subthalamic nucleus and adjacent tissue, were 200 and 4000 ms. In studies of 3 volunteers and 2 patients, the subthalamic nucleus was clearly depicted in 3D phase sensitive IR images. The measured coordinates of the subthalamic nucleus agreed well with those calculated by conventional estimation from midpoint of the anterior and posterior commissure. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional phase sensitive inversion recovery was useful in visualizing the subthalamic nucleus for effective deep brain stimulation.     

Denture mobility with six degrees of freedom during function

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was (1) to assemble and verify a system to measure the three‐dimensional (3‐D) movement of the upper and lower complete dentures and the movement of the mandible simultaneously, and (2) to analyse the relation between denture movements and the path of closure of the mandible during function. A 3‐D motion capture system with four infrared TV cameras was used for this purpose. The relation between the dentures and the mandibular movements was analysed through the change of the inner product of normal vectors of the denture occlusal planes and mandibular planes. The mandibular movements were classified into two types the normal stroke (the path of closure was on the ipsilateral side of mastication) and the reverse stroke (on the contralateral side). The results showed that the system could measure the denture mobility within a 0·3 mm error. The mobility of the upper dentures had a correlation to the path of closure of the mandible regardless of the working side or nonworking side, and the lower dentures had a tendency to move toward the working side.