Development of a survival model with piecewise Weibull baselines for the analysis of length of productive life of Holstein cows in Japan.

A total of 100,000 records of Holstein dairy cows in Hokkaido, Japan, were used to study the current characteristics of their length of productive life, to build up a suitable model for genetic survival analysis, and to apply the piecewise Weibull baseline model. The data for this analysis only included records of cows belonging to herds in which more than 60% of cows had type score. Compared with other studies, the proportions of cows with only 1 or 2 calvings were low (24 and 46%, respectively), indicating a very low culling rate in first or second parity in Hokkaido. The median length of productive life was about 1,250 d (3 yr and 5 mo). Four different definitions of stages of lactation were studied. The best fit of the data was obtained when stages of lactation were chosen with cutpoints at 0, 60, 250, and 350 d after calving. Whatever the definition of stages of lactation, the piecewise Weibull baseline model was better than a unique baseline model. The estimated shape Weibull parameters rho for the different parity x stage of lactation combinations varied greatly (1.0 to 5.0). The estimated hazard functions based on the piecewise Weibull baseline model were smooth and reflected the important changes in observed hazard within lactation. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of a genetic model for sire evaluation and to genetic improvement of length of productive life of Holstein cattle in Hokkaido, Japan.

MSW fly ash stabilized with coal ash for geotechnical application.

The solidification and stabilization of municipal solid waste (MSW) fly ash for the purpose of minimizing the geo-environmental impact caused by toxic heavy metals as well as ensuring engineering safety (strength and soaking durability) are experimentally evaluated. The mixtures of MSW fly ash stabilized with cement and fluidized bed combustion coal fly ash (FCA) were used for unconfined compressive strength tests, leachate tests, and soaking tests. The behavior of soluble salts contained in the MSW fly ash significantly affects strength development, soaking durability, and the hardening reaction of the stabilized MSW fly ash mixtures. The cement stabilization of the MSW fly ash does not have enough effect on strength development and soaking durability. The addition of cement only contributes to the containment of heavy metals due to the high level of alkalinity. When using FCA as a stabilizing agent for MSW fly ash, the mixture exhibits high strength and durability. However, the Cd leachate cannot be prevented in the early stages of curing. Using a combination of cement and FCA as a MSW fly ash stabilizer can attain high strength, high soaking durability, and the containment of heavy metals. The stabilized MSW fly ash with cement and FCA can be practically applied to embankments.

Evidence for the induction of a tumour associated cell surface protease on cytologically normal epithelial cells present in the sputum of patients possessing lung tumours.

Sputum obtained from healthy subjects and patients with known lung tumours has been challenged with fluorescent probes for the presence of an active cell surface protease. The mature epithelial cells from healthy patients' sputum lacked ability to bind these fluorescent probes whilst the majority of mature epithelial cells in the tumour patients' sputum bound these probes and consequently fluoresced. This demonstrable difference in the cell surface chemistry of mature epithelial cells was linked to the presence of lung tumour cells, which also possessed this cell surface protease. The mechanism of this induced cell surface enzyme appearance is not understood.

Early detection of bronchial lesions using lung imaging fluorescence endoscope.

The performance of the Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscope (LIFE) system was compared with conventional bronchoscopy in 158 patients: 68 patients with invasive cancer, 42 patients with abnormal sputum cytology findings (12 early cancer and 26 dysplasia), 17 cases with resected lung cancer and 31 smokers with symptoms. The respective results of conventional bronchoscopy and LIFE for detection of dysplasia were; sensitivity 52% and 90% (biopsy basis), 62% and 92% (patient basis). Fluorescence bronchoscopy may be an important adjunct to conventional bronchoscopy to improve the localization of subtle lesions of bronchus.

Fluorescent location of lung tumour cells.

Cells were collected on glass slides by touching tumour surfaces (A) and normal regions (B) of the lung. The slides were stained with a nuclear stain and a fluorescent probe for a tumour associated cell surface protein. The (B) slides from the normal regions lacked fluorescent epithelial cells. The tumour slides (A) contained typical tumour cells and dyskaryotic cells which exhibited cell surface fluorescence.

[Clinical efficacy and reduction effect on prostatic volume of chlormadinone acetate combined with tamsulosin hydrochloride in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients insufficiently treated with tamsulosin hydrochloride only].

Alpha adrenergic blocker has become the first choice in the medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The efficacy of alpha adrenergic blocker has been suggested to be related to the prostatic tissue components, and to be ineffective in treating the clinical symptoms caused by BPH in some cases. The efficacy and prostate reduction of an anti-androgenic agent, chlormadinone acetate, combined with alpha adrenergic blocker, tamsulosin hydrochloride, were evaluated using 40-BPH patients insufficiently treated with tamsulosin hydrochloride alone. Fifty mg of chlormadinone acetate and 0.2 mg of tamsulosin hydrochloride were administered orally once a day for 16 weeks to patients with a prostate subjective symptoms score, I-PSS, of greater than 13 or a peak flow rate of less than 12 ml/s, even after the treatment with 0.2 mg of tamsulosin hydrochloride alone for more than four weeks. Total I-PSS decreased significantly after four weeks. The total irritative symptom score did not change for 16 weeks, but the total obstructive symptom score decreased significantly, as did the total I-PSS. In objective data, the estimated volume of both total prostate and the transition zone on transrectal ultrasonogram decreased significantly at the end of the treatment, and the peak flow rate decreased significantly after 12 weeks. These findings suggest that the addition of chlormadinone acetate may be a reasonable alternative in the treatment of BPH patients responding insufficiently to tamsulosin hydrochloride alone, and that combination therapy using chlormadinone acetate and tamsulosin hydrochloride may be useful for BPH patients with serious obstructive symptoms.

Sputum cells from lung tumor patients carry a cell surface marker not found in normal sputum.

Cells were collected from sites of known lung tumours and corresponding control areas of these lungs. Fluorescent staining demonstrated that the tumour cells and epithelial cells (cytologically these cells appeared normal) both possessed a receptor for these fluorescent probes. Fluorescent labelling of sputum cells from these tumour patients also resulted in fluorescent labelling of these "cyto logically normal" epithelial cells. No such fluorescent epithelial cells were observed in sputum samples collected from control subjects or in cells collected from the control areas of the tumour patients' lungs. We conclude that a cell surface protein receptor is expressed in lung tumour-associated epithelial cells but is absent from control sputum epithelial cells.

Presence of Turner stigmata in a case of dysgenetic male pseudohermaphroditism with 45,X/46,X+mar karyotype.

A case is reported of dysgenetic male pseudohermaphroditism (DMPH) having Turner stigmata and 45,X/46,X+mar karyotype. The marker chromosome of this patient consisted of most if not all of the short arm, including the sex determining region of the Y chromosome. Although this karyotype is relatively common in Turner's syndrome and occasionally observed in mixed gonadal dysgenesis, DMPH is usually exemplified by a 46,XY karyotype except for one patient reported with 45,X/46,XY mosaicism. Turner stigmata have not previously been reported in DMPH. The present patient is an intermediate case between mixed gonodal dysgenesis and typical DMPH, and this indicates that 45,X/ 46,X +mar karyotype abnormality can result in a wide range of phenotype such as DMPH, mixed gonodal dysgenesis and Turner's syndrome.

[A resected case of intralobar pulmonary sequestration with increased serum tumor markers, CA19-9, CA125 and NCC-ST-439].

A 39-year old female was found to have intralobar pulmonary sequestration with a high serum level of the tumor markers, CA19-9, CA125 and NCC-ST-439. The lesion was located in the left S10 and an aberrant artery from the aorta was noted. After partial resection of the left lower lobe, serum levels of the tumor markers (CA19-9 2418U/ml, CA125 50.3U/ml, NCC-ST-439 13.0U/ml) gradually returned to normal. The half-life of serum CA19-9 was about 7 days. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that CA19-9 was being produced in the bronchial epithelium of the sequestered lung. Increased serum levels of CA19-9 may be helpful in diagnosing pulmonary sequestration.

[Clinical evaluation of tamsulosin hydrochloride on bladder outlet obstruction associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia: effect on urethral pressure profile and cystometrogram].

The efficacy and safety of tamsulosin hydrochloride were evaluated in 54 patients with bladder outlet obstruction associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Oral tamsulosin hydrochloride 0.2 mg was administered once daily for 7 weeks. The international prostate symptom score, residual urine, uroflowmetrogram, urethral pressure profile and cystometrogram were obtained before and after treatment. The international prostate symptom score improved significantly, and the residual urine volume and ratio of residual urine decreased significantly. In uroflometry, voided volume, maximum flow rate and average flow rate increased significantly. In urethral pressure profile, prostatic urethral pressure decreased significantly. In cystometry, bladder capacity at the first sensation increased significantly. No adverse reactions except for slight elevation in laboratory data in 3 patients were observed. In conclusion, tamsulosin hydrochloride is a useful drug in the treatment of bladder outlet obstruction associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Photodynamic therapy with a diode laser for implanted fibrosarcoma in mice employing mono-L-aspartyl chlorin E6.

The authors performed photodynamic therapy (PDT), avoiding any hyperthermic effects, using a newly developed diode laser and photosensitizer, mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 (NPe6), of Meth-A fibrosarcoma implanted in mice and achieved tumor therapeutic benefit. The photodynamic light treatment was performed 5 h following the photosensitizer administration. With 5.0 mg/kg NPe6 and light doses of 50, 100, 150 and 200 J/cm2, the tumor cure rates were 20, 50, 70 and 90%, respectively. With 100 J/cm2 laser exposure and NPe6 doses of 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 mg/kg, the tumor cure rates were 0, 20, 50, 70 and 90%, respectively. A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera system was employed to measure the NPe6 fluorescence intensity correlating with the residual amount of the photosensitizer at deferent depth from the tumor surface. The ratios of the NPe6 fluorescence intensity at 3 mm from the tumor surface following 50, 100, 150 and 200 J/cm2 laser exposure to no laser exposure were 0.73, 0.36, 0.22 and 0.16, respectively. With samples sectioned at 1 mm depth, after 50 J/cm2 and the same photosensitizer dose (5 mg/kg) this ratio was 0.19. These results suggest that a certain increase in the tumor tissue level of NPe6 and a certain increase of laser light dose reaching deeper layer of tumor caused an increase in percent cure. In addition, the effectiveness of PDT depends on the total laser dose reaching deeper layers of tumors. Furthermore, the effectiveness of PDT tends to correlate with the amount of NPe6 photobleaching by PDT.

Photodynamic therapy using a diode laser with mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 for implanted fibrosarcoma in mice.

We have developed a new high-power red (664 nm) laser diode system for photodynamic therapy (PDT) with mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 (NPe6). Meth-A fibrosarcoma cells (1 x 10(6)) were implanted subcutaneously in the right hind leg of 4-week-old BALB/c female mice. One week later, diode laser irradiation was applied 5 h after the intravenous administration of NPe6 to each tumor-bearing mouse. In the first study, the time course of intratumor temperature increase during PDT was measured by using a 23-guage thermocouple hypodermic needle at a depth of 2 mm from the tumor surface. In the second study, 6 groups of 10 to 17 tumor-bearing mice were treated with the diode laser 5 h after intravenous administration of NPe6 at the dose of 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 or 7.5 mg/kg i.v. per mouse. Total photoirradiation ranged from 0 to 150 J/cm2 and the dose rate was adjusted to 100 mW/cm2. Percentages of cures were determined from numbers of mice apparently disease-free 50 days after treatment. The results showed that this diode laser is effective in PDT of implanted fibrosarcoma after NPe6 administration. It also confirmed that the therapeutic effects of PDT were not due to hyperthermia. Moreover, the diode laser beam was demonstrated by CCD technology to be uniform in intensity throughout the photoirradiated field.

[Coincident renal cell carcinoma and renal angiomyolipoma in tuberous sclerosis: a case report].

The coincidence of renal cell carcinoma and renal angiomyolipoma in tuberous sclerosis is extremely rare, although the coexistence of tuberous sclerosis and renal angiomyolipoma is well recognized. A case of bilateral renal angiomyolipomas and left renal cell carcinoma in a patient with tuberous sclerosis is reported. A 40-year-old male was referred to our hospital for further evaluation and treatment of left flank masses. Tuberous sclerosis was diagnosed on the basis of adenoma sebaceum, seizures, mental retardation and periventricular calcification. Contrast enhanced CT scan demonstrated irregularly enhanced masses in the upper pole and the middle portion of the left kidney, and multiple small low density nodules in the bilateral kidneys. Selective left renal angiography showed hypervascular areas in the upper pole and the middle portion of the left kidney. From the findings obtained, a clinical diagnosis of left renal cell carcinoma associated with bilateral renal angiomyolipomas was made. Left radical nephrectomy was performed. The histopathological examination revealed renal cell carcinoma and multiple renal angiomyolipoma nodules. The diagnostic considerations, particularly differential diagnosis between renal angiomyolipoma and renal cell carcinoma by imaging features, are discussed.

Photodynamic effect using a diode laser with mono-l-aspartyl chlorin e6 (NPe6) for implanted mouse tumor.

A new red diode laser has been developed that is suited for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT). The new laser can be used with NPe6, a photosensitizer that does not prolong normal skin sensitiveness. This study examined the effectiveness of PDT using the diode laser and compound for treatment of fibrosarcoma implanted in BALB/c mice.

[Quantitative cytochemical analysis of T1 breast cancer].

The authors attempted to estimate the relationship between three biological parameters (nuclear DNA content, PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen)/cyclin, HER-2/neu oncoprotein) and lymph node metastasis. We evaluated 37 breast cancers which were less than 2 cm in maximum dimension. Quantitative analysis was performed using a CAS 200 Image Analysis System, after Feulgen staining and immunochemical staining using anti-PCNA/cyclin monoclonal antibody and anti-HER-2/neu oncoprotein polyclonal antibody. In lymph node-negative cases 20.0% were aneuploid, while in lymph node-positive cases 58.8% were aneuploid. A total of 20.0% lymph node-negative cases were in the high proliferation group, as opposed to 52.9% of lymph node-positive cases. This analysis revealed a significant relationship between cell proliferation and lymph node metastasis. Analysis of the expression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein revealed no significant relationship between overexpression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein and lymph node metastasis, but the expression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein was significantly related to a shorter relapse-free survival.

[A study of bladder function in benign prostatic hyperplasia].

A study of bladder function was performed on 106 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 21 of whom had cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The incidence of overactive bladder in 21 patients with CVD was 57% and was significantly higher than the 25% in 86 patients without CVD. The incidence of cases having residual urine of over 100 ml, was in the order of low compliance bladder, overactive bladder and normal bladder. The mean value of maximum voiding pressure in overactive bladder was higher than that in normal bladder. The high pressure was improved after the operation for BPH. Improvement of overactive bladder after the operation was seen in 9 of 13 patients without CVD while in 2 of 6 patients with CVD.

[Clinical effects of distigmine bromide (Ubretid), a cholinesterase inhibitor, on micturition disturbance by benign prostatic hypertrophy--comparative study of distigmine bromide and the combination of distigmine bromide and adrenergic blocker].

We report the results of a comparative study on the clinical efficacy of the single use of distigmine bromide and its combined use with prazosin hydrochloride in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy. The single use and combined use groups were administered 10 mg/day of distigmine bromide and the same with 1 mg/day of prazosin hydrochloride for a period of 8 weeks respectively. In the single administration group, marked improvement was found in one patient (9%), moderate improvement in 4 patients (36.3%), slight improvement in 3 patients (27.2%) and aggravation in 3 patients. In the combined use group, marked improvement was found in one patient (11.0%), moderate improvement in 5 patients (55.5%), and slight improvement in 3 patients (33.3%). No significant differences were found in the improvement rate between the two groups. However, significant improvements were found in both groups for the subjective symptoms of urinary disturbance, diurnal and nocturnal frequency. As a result of the examination of objective findings, a significant decrease in residual urine ratio was also shown in both groups, while significant improvement for average flow and maximum flow rates were found in only the combined use group. In conclusion, distigmine bromide and distigmine bromide+prazosin hydrochloride are considered very useful for the treatment of miturition disturbance due to benign prostatic hypertrophy.