Since Berger's discovery of the electroencephalogram (EEG), its analysis has been generally restricted to the visual range (upmost 100Hz) and has ignored higher frequency components. One reason should be that there are no reliable methods to distinguish the brain potentials from muscle activity. We have introduced fluctuation analysis, which is popular method especially in the field of basic physiology to clinical electrophysiology. In our previous study, it was declared that power spectral density (PSD) of human high frequency EEG was composed of double Lorentzians and vanished into white level within 1kHz. Then the purpose of this study is to elucidate the "Automated Fluctuation Analysis," which enables us to evaluate these higher frequency components and its physiological meaning especially focused on conscious level from wakefulness to sleep stage 1. Seventy-four scalp recording EEGs in twenty normal subjects were studied. In short, "Automated Fluctuation Analysis" is made of three steps: amplification of EEG signal, A/D conversion and Fast Fourier Transform by signal processor and extraction of Lorentzian parameters. PSD of high frequency EEG was displayed on log-log graph and the algorithm fit to the following Lorentzian formula were mathematically based on Brown & Dennis. S(f) = S1/[1+(f/fc1)2]+S2/[1+(f/fc2)2], where S(f) is PSD (mu V2/Hz) at each frequency (f;Hz), S1 and S2 are the plateau level or zero-frequency power of the initial and second Lorentz, and fc1 and fc2 are the corner or half-power frequency of the initial and second Lorentz, respectively. As results, during wakefulness the PSD of high frequency EEG activity was composed of double Lorentzian fluctuations and the power distribution of S1 value in topographical display was frontal dominant. This pattern of S1 value disappeared and S2 value became lower during sleepiness and the second Lorentz disappeared during sleep.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fourier analysis of broad spectral EEG from a fluctuation point of view.

It is believed that the EEG is the most reliable method of evaluating brain function, but neither quantitative nor qualitative studies of the EEG have been carried out over the entire range of frequencies. Analysis of limited frequency bands of the EEG has not disclosed the whole of neuronal activity. The aim of this study is to clarify the upper limit of EEG frequency. Our EEG analytic system is composed of a high fiedlity preamplifier and signal processor with a frequency response within -3 dB below 20 kHz. Thirty adult cats were used for these experiments. The upper limit of the frequency varied in different structures: 6.9 +/- 0.8 kHz (+/- SEM) in motor cortex, 4.1 +/- 0.3 kHz in the hippocampus, 2.9 +/- 0.5 kHz in the amygdala, 9.3 +/- 0.6 kHz in the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus, and 9.9 +/- 0.5 kHz in the midbrain reticular formation. Three different types of amplitude spectra were characterized in bilogarithmic graphs. These types are named types f, f + L, and L corresponding to 1/f or Lorentzian fluctuation. In conclusion, the upper limit of frequency and the spectral types correspond to the neuronal specificity of different brain regions. Their physioanatomic significance is discussed.

Amygdala↗

PubMedDate not supplied

New oily agents for targeting chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The evaluation of new oily agents for targeting chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Five types of oily preparation were injected into the hepatic artery of 54 rabbits inoculated with VX2 carcinoma cells in order to evaluate (1) the safety of these preparations, (2) their histologic distribution and the amount of agents remaining at tumor sites, and (3) computed tomographic (CT) images obtained. Of these preparations, three were made by mixing non-iodinated poppy seed oil and a thickener and then adjusted to have a viscosity lower than, equal to, or higher than that of lipiodol. A fourth preparation was a mixture of lipiodol and a thickener with a higher viscosity than lipiodol alone, and the fifth preparation was lipiodol alone. RESULTS: (1) No injury to the hepatic parenchyma was observed hematologically or histologically. (2) With increase in the viscosity, a significantly larger amount of agent remained at the tumor site. No agent was present at normal sites 14 days after intraarterial injection, regardless of which preparation was given. (3) On CT scans following intraarterial injection, tumor cells were visibly deeply stained in the non-iodinated preparation groups, while the lipiodol groups were not evaluable because of excessively high attenuation. CONCLUSION: The non-iodinated oily preparations and highly viscous oily preparations developed in the present study were more useful than lipiodol for treatment of hepatic tumors.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatocellular carcinoma extending into the portal vein: restoration of extended-term patency by placement of uncovered Wallstents.

A 74-year-old man presented with hepatocellular carcinoma extending into the main portal vein. Two bare Wallstents were placed to maintain portal vein patency. The main portal vein remained patent for 6 months after treatment. No serious complications were observed during or after treatment.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Characterization and optimization of the flow pattern inside a diaphragm blood pump based on flow visualization techniques.

We applied two different flow visualization techniques to obtain detailed information on the inside flow of the diaphragm blood pump of our electrohydraulic total artificial heart system to determine the optimum washout effect that would result in better antithrombogenicity. Major orifice directions of the inflow and outflow Bjork-Shiley valves of the left blood pump were independently changed to create 17 varied patterns. The character and velocity of the main flow at the diaphragm-housing junction were acquired using a laser light sheet method with polyethylene tracers. Wall shear flow, a major factor governing washout in the blood pump, was estimated by a newly developed paint erosion method. In this method, quantitative evaluation for an index of washout effect was made by calculating the residual ratio of the paint on the blood pump inner surface at 30 sec of pumping. When a single circular flow was consistently observed by the laser light sheet method, the paint residual ratio become low, indicating washout was relatively good. At the lowest paint residual ratio, the center of the circular flow observed by the laser light sheet method was located at the geometric center of the blood chamber. In conclusion, the flow pattern inside the blood pump could be characterized by combined use of these two flow visualization techniques, and the significant role of circular flow in better washout was clarified.

Heart, Artificial↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of long-term nonpulsatile left heart bypass on the mechanical properties of the aortic wall.

We investigated the mechanical properties of the descending aortic wall relative to its structural change caused by reduced pulse pressure in long-term nonpulsatile left heart bypass (LHB). Fifteen adult goats (53-68 kg) were divided into three groups: five goats underwent LHB with a nonpulsatile pump for 31 to 381 days (Group N), five goats underwent LHB with a pulsatile pump for 24 to 130 days (Group P), and the other five goats were used as normal control animals (Group C). The aortic pulse wave pressure was 17+/-7 mm Hg in Group N, 43+/-1 mm Hg in Group P, and 39+/-2 mm Hg in Group C. Structural changes were evaluated using wall thickness and the volume ratio of elastin and collagen. The mechanical properties were evaluated using "beta," which was calculated according to the equation: = (In P/Ps)/(Do/Ds-1), where Ps was the standard pressure, Ds was the wall diameter at pressure Ps, and Do was the wall diameter at pressure P. The wall thickness of the aortic wall in Group N (1.6+/-0.3 mm) was significantly thinner than that in either Group P (2.2+/-0.3 mm) or Group C (2.1+/-0.2 mm). The volume ratio of elastin in Group N (51 +/- 3%) was higher than that in Group P (44+/-1%) or Group C (40+/-1%), whereas no significant difference was found in the volume ratio of collagen between those in Group N (10+/-1%), Group P (9+/-2%), and Group C (10+/-1%). The stiffness parameter, beta, in Group N (3.1+/-0.7) was slightly higher than that seen in Group P (2.9+/-0.4) or Group C (2.9+/-0.2), but there was no significant difference between the three groups. These results indicate that long-term nonpulsatile LHB caused marked structural changes in the aortic wall, whereas the change in mechanical properties were not significant with regard to stiffness.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Recombinant thrombomodulin inhibits thrombin-induced vascular endothelial growth factor production in neuronal cells.

Thrombin is a serine protease which is generated from its precursor prothrombin by the activation of the blood coagulation cascade. Thrombin converts fibrinogen to fibrin, activates platelets and several coagulation factors, and plays a central role in thrombosis and hemostasis by regulating platelet aggregation and blood coagulation. Here, we show that thrombn enhanced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in a dose- and time-dependent manner in the supernatant of cultured PC-12 cells, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thrombin receptor agonist peptide (SFLLRNPNDKYEPF, TRAP) exerted an effect similar to thrombin on VEGF production. Thrombin-induced VEGF production was significantly attenuated by recombinant human thrombomodulin (rTM) and its minimal functional domain E456. Furthermore, the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) markedly inhibited thrombin-induced VEGF production. Thus, rTM and NAC apparently inhibited the effect of thrombin on VEGF production in neuronal cells.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Features of patients with influenza virus infection examined in the emergency department of a university hospital in north-western Japan.

We aimed to determine if there were any changes in the clinical features of patients infected with influenza during an influenza epidemic in north-western Japan. We retrospectively obtained data on influenza-infected patients from an electronic database set up in the emergency department. Patients were examined in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University in 2001, 2002 or 2003. The information collected included age, sex, time of visiting the emergency department, visiting method, grade of emergency, where they were when their symptoms started to develop, influenza-related complication(s) and outcome. The retrospective data collected for the 3 years analysed (2001-2003) were similar despite the influenza epidemic in the winter of 2002/2003. These results allow us to estimate the influenza-related total medical costs and total work burden for staff in the emergency department of a university hospital during any future influenza epidemics.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The results of radiation therapy for glottic carcinoma: prognostic significance of tumor size in laryngoscopic findings.

Seventy-five patients with carcinoma of the true vocal cord were treated with curative intent by radiotherapy at Kure National Hospital between 1977 and 1997. All tumors were classified according to stage (T1, T2 and T3), degree of differentiation (well-differentiated, moderately differentiated, poorly differentiated and unknown), and size (very small, small and large). All patients were treated using a cobalt-60 unit to a total dose that ranged from 56 Gy to 64 Gy (mean, 60 Gy). The mean treatment time was 44 days (range, 38-50 days). The local control and ultimate local control rates at 5 years were 75.8% and 91.4% for all patients, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that tumor size (p=0.0350) and stage T (p=0.0416) affected local control. In multivariate analysis, tumor size was the only significant factor that affected local control (p=0.0012). The most significant factor that affected local control was tumor size in laryngoscopic findings. Tumor size was inversely related to local control.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical investigation of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of 53 patients in a single institution.

BACKGROUND: Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) has been reported to have unique clinicopathological features. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was performed using data base including 871 patients treated for primary lung cancer between 1981 and 1995. RESULTS: The patients with BAC included a larger proportion of female (P = 0.029) and smoked less (P = 0.002) than those with non-BAC. There was no difference in survival between surgically resected patients with BAC and those with non-BAC. Clinical Stage IV patients with BAC had a better response to chemotherapy than did those with non-BAC. Survival in the former group was better than that in the latter on univariate analysis, but the significance of this difference was not confirmed multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The patients with BAC included a larger proportion of females and smoked less than those with non-BAC. Treatment results for BAC was comparable to those for non-BAC.

Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the relationship between serum carcinoembryonic antigen level and treatment outcome in surgically resected clinical-stage I patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

The relationship between preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level and treatment outcome for 39 clinical-stage I patients with surgically resected non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was retrospectively studied. Serum CEA levels were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, with the upper limit of normal defined as 6.7 ng/mL based on the 95% specificity level for benign lung disease in our hospital. Patients with serum CEA > or = 6.7 ng/mL (n = 9) were more likely to have advanced disease at surgery than those with serum CEA < 6.7 ng/mL (n = 30) (77.8% vs 16.7%, p = 0.0049). This increase in disease stage at surgery was mainly due to mediastinal lymph node metastasis. The sensitivity and specificity of serum CEA in the detection of pathological N2 disease were 62.5% and 87.1%, respectively. Survival for the high CEA group was significantly worse than that for the low CEA group (median survival time, 40.2 vs 75.8 months, p = 0.0125). Relapse-free survival for the high CEA group was also poorer than that of the low CEA group (p = 0.0032). In a multivariate analysis, serum CEA level was the most dominant factor affecting relapse-free survival (hazard ratio = 6.68, p = 0.0053). These findings suggest that preoperative serum CEA level is useful not only in detection of mediastinal lymph node metastasis, but also in prediction of survival for clinical-stage I patients with NSCLC.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic study of the craniofacial growth in male rats by factor scores.

The craniofacial growth of F1 male offspring produced by a complete diallel cross of five strains of rats was observed with the use of cephalometry. Factor analysis was applied to several dimensions of dorsoventral and lateral cephalograms to assess the integration of the craniofacial complex with growth. The first three factors were chosen in each cephalogram, resulting in an explanation of 50.7% and 59.3% of the variation in the dorsoventral and lateral cephalograms, respectively, on an average throughout the period of the experiment, and disclosing that Factor I was associated most closely with the change in the craniofacial growth of rats. A further genetic analysis of the factor scores of each offspring lead to the conclusion that the growth changes of craniofacial width and length were more strongly influenced by the genetic effects; while those of upper jaw, nasal cavity, and pharyngeal part were more strongly influenced by the environmental effects.

Animals↗