Prospective study to assess the clinical efficacy of bone scintigraphy--some analyses of clinical data

The value of preoperative bone scans in patients with primary breast and prostate cancer was evaluated prospectively. Of 414 patients with breast cancer, clinical stage I is 14, II is 219, IIIA is 59, IIIB is 39 and IV is 14. Of 88 patients with prostate cancer, clinical stage I is 14, II is 15, III is 18 and IV is 41. 11 percent of patients with breast cancer and 54 percent of patients with prostate cancer had bone metastases. Clavicle, ribs, thoracic spine, lumbar spine and pelvis metastasized most frequently. The incidences of bone metastases were 18.4% with Scirrhous carcinoma, 15.4% with Medullary tubular carcinoma and 3.8% with Papillotubular carcinoma. The methodology and results of ROC analysis were described in our other papers. Some results of data analysis were described in this paper.     

Alkynylzirconation of alkynes and application to one-pot bisalkynylation of alkynes

Stereocontrolled alkynylzirconation of unactivated alkynes was achieved by the reaction of an alkyne with Cp2ZrEt2 and alkynyl halide in this order. After hydrolysis of the alkynylzirconation product, trisubstituted enyne derivatives were obtained in good yields. Functionalized enynes were also prepared by the reaction of the alkynylzirconation products with a variety of electrophiles. Subsequent addition of the second alkynyl halide to the alkynylzirconation products provided an in situ protocol for bisalkynylation of alkynes into (Z)-enediynes in good yields.     

Fibrinolytic effect of tissue plasminogen activator on cerebral embolism in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

To study the thrombolytic effect of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) on cerebral emboli, we characterized cerebral embolization in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs) and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs). [125I]Fibrin clot particles (20-100 microns diameter) were injected twice at an interval of 90 min into the left internal carotid artery of WKYs and SHRSPs. After each injection, spontaneous embolus dissolution was monitored with a gamma-ray detector placed on the head of the embolic rats. Embolus dissolution was spontaneously generated in 15 min after the injection of fibrin clots. In WKYs, 21% and 42% of the clots were dissolved 30 and 90 min after the second embolization, respectively. On the other hand, the spontaneous embolus dissolution in SHRSPs was significantly lower than that of WKYs, indicating that the endogenous fibrinolytic ability of SHRSPs is less potent than that of normotensive rats. The intravenous administration of t-PA at doses of 75, 250 and 750 micrograms/kg caused a dose-dependent embolus dissolution in SHRSPs. Furthermore, systematically applied t-PA produced embolus dissolution without causing systemic plasminogen activation, fibrinogen breakdown or bleeding. In conclusion, the intravenous administration of t-PA produces selective embolus dissolution without systemic fibrino(geno)lysis in a cerebral embolic SHRSP.     

The S2 emission characteristics of several organic sulfur compounds obtained by molecular emission cavity analysis and pyrolysis

Emission profiles of several organic sulfur compounds are investigated by modified molecular emission cavity analysis (MECA). Thiourea, 1,3-diethylthiourea, S-methyl- cysteine and taurine are pyrolyzed in a hydrogen stream and the pyrolytic products are determined by gas chromatography. The S₂ emission mechanism is discussed on the basis of emission profiles and the composition of the pyrolytic products. Although some compounds give multipeaked responses, the splitting disappears when a worn surface cavity is used or oxalic acid is added to the sulfur compound in the cavity. When the emission profile from thiourea is compared with that from 1,3-diethylthiourea, it is clear that the multipeaked response is due to quenching by degradation products of the latter compound. The main product of pyrolysis is hydrogen sulfide. The emission intensity is related to the yield of hydrogen sulfide in pyrolysis. As methylmercaptan was not detected in the pyrolysis products, it is suggested that the quenching by the organic fragments results from their hydrogen consumption rather than their reaction with sulfur species. The S₂ emission from sulfur-containing compounds is rapidly complete in the presence of oxalic acid, and it is suggested that such compounds are subject to reductive breakdown in the cavity.     

A study of novel heat-resistant polymers: Preparation of photosensitive fluorinated polybenzoxazole precursors and physical properties of polybenzoxazoles derived from the precursors

A series of novel photosensitive polybenzoxazole precursors were prepared from polycondensation of 2,2-bis(3,3′-amino-4,4′-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane with photosensitive dicarboxylic acid chlorides such as p-phenylenediacryloyl chloride and benzophenone-4,4′-dicarboxylic chloride. The precursors are soluble in common organic solvents owing to the presence of perfluoromethyl groups in the chain structure, and insolubilized in the solvents on irradiation with the light. Polybenzoxazole patterns with high resolution as well as high aspect ratio were reproduced by baking the precursor patterns at 300°C. The pattern shrinkage on the conversion to polybenzoxazole was slight. The polybenzoxazole films offered good heat-resistance up to 400°C in addition to good electrical properties.     

Antithrombogenicity of cultured endothelial cell-detached surface

To examine the antithrombogenicity of cultured endothelial cell-detached surface, a simple hybrid vascular model tube consisting of a glass tube and endothelial cells was constructed. To detach the endothelial cells from the inner surface of the model tube, a steady shear stress of 2 or 8 N m(-2) was imposed onto the surface of endothelial cell monolayer by means of a coaxial double cylinder rotational-type apparatus. Coagulation of blood in contact with the endothelial cell-detached surface was examined using a damped oscillation rheometer. Coagulation of whole blood in the cell-detached tube occurred at about 40 min, which was almost the same as that in the endothelial cell-coated tube. A few platelets without shape change adhered to the endothelial cell-detached surface. These data suggest that the endothelial cell-detached surface may exhibit antithrombogenic and anticoagulant surfaces. Biochemical analyses showed that the glass surface, where endothelial cell was detached, was covered with components such as collagen type IV that is considered to be produced from the endothelial cells on the glass surface.     

Stereoselective acid-catalyzed homoallylic rearrangement of cyclopropylsilylmethanols: an efficient route to Z-homoallyl derivatives

Treatment of cyclopropylsilylmethanols derived from cyclopropyl silyl ketones with acid catalyst gives the corresponding silyl-substituted homoallyl derivatives in high yields with good stereoselectivity, independent of the substituents on the cyclopropyl ring. Cyclopropylsilylmethanols having a n-, s-butyl or phenyl group on the carbinyl carbon react to afford the E-homoallyl derivatives selectively. On the other hand, the reaction of cyclopropylsilylmethanols having a tert-butyl group gives Z-isomers exclusively. The following protiodesilylation of the resulting homoallyl derivatives proceeds with retention of configuration.     

Self-assembly patterning of colloidal crystals constructed from opal structure or NaCl structure

We developed a novel self-assembly process to fabricate an orderly array of particle wires constructed from a close-packed colloidal crystal without preparation of patterned templates. A substrate was immersed vertically into a SiO2 colloidal solution, and the liquid surface moved downward upon evaporation of solution. Particles formed a mono-/multiparticle layer, which was cut by the periodic drop-off of solution. The orderly array of particle wires was successfully fabricated, showing the suitability of the self-assembly process for the fabrication of nano-/microstructures constructed from nano-/microparticles or blocks. The mechanism of the assembly process and control of thickness, width, and interval of particle wires were further discussed. Moreover, an array of particle wires constructed not from close-packed face-centered cubic (or hexagonal close packed) structure but from two kinds of particles was realized to fabricate an array of particle wires with NaCl structure by this self-assembly process.     

Rheology of PVC plastisol--VI: criteria for yielding and fracture of an immobilized layer

PVC plastisol exhibits pseudo-plastic flow in steady shear; that is, viscosity decreases with the increasing shear rate. At higher shear rates viscosity reaches a minimum and then increases, i.e., dilatant behavior. Previously, pseudo-plastic behavior was explained by a mechanism in which the suspended particles partition into an immobilized layer and a mobile phase. The development of the immobilized layer with the increase in shear rate was shown to quantitatively account for pseudo-plastic behavior. In higher shear rates dilatation of the immobilized layer was shown to be the cause of dilatacy. At even higher shear rates the immobilized layer fractures. In this paper the viscosity minimum was interpreted as the yielding of the immobilized layer. Subsequently, data in the literature were analyzed to find criteria for the yielding and fracture of the immobilized layer. Yielding was found to obey Coulomb's criterion, from which the coefficient of friction and the cohesive strength of the immobilized layer were evaluated. These properties were controlled by the nature of particle assembly in the immobilized layer and the plasticizer type had only a minor effect. The value of the coefficient of friction was on the lower side and within the range of values found in the literature for other materials. There were two modes of fracture of the immobilized layer, one with low strength, low strain to break, and the other with high strength, high strain to break. The former is analogous to the brittle fracture of solids and the latter ductile failure. The strength of brittle fracture was somewhat higher than cohesive strength, which was evaluated from yielding data. This is akin to Griffith's criterion for brittle fracture of a solid. Ductile failure occurred when the shear stress exceeded normal stress.     

Determination of 21-hydroxycorticosteroids in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection for the determination of nineteen 21-hydroxycorticosteroids is described. The corticosteroids are oxidized by cupric acetate to form the corresponding glyoxal derivatives. The derivatives are converted into fluorescent quinoxalines by reaction with 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene, a fluorogenic reagent for alpha-dicarbonyl compounds. The quinoxalines are separated within 70 min on a reversed-phase column (TSK gel ODS-120T) by stepwise elution with mixtures of methanol, acetonitrile, and 1.0 M ammonium acetate. The detection limits are 0.14-29.4 pmol at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 in a 50-microliter injection volume. This sensitivity permits precise determination of hydrocortisone, cortisone, corticosterone, and their tetrahydro derivatives in 500 microliters of normal human urine.