[The characteristics of the fortuneteller--the trend towards the 'voluntary-knowledge' type of fortuneteller in contemporary Japanese society].

Fortunetelling is being practiced throughout contemporary Japanese society. The fortunetelling is, so to speak, one of 'social facts'. Though we usually see such a scene, we do not understand it from the viewpoint of Sociology. To find a clue in the sociological study of fortunetelling, the fortuneteller is one of the important elements. That is, the fortuneteller is an expert who controls the art and knowledge of fortunetelling. In order to analyze fortunetelling sufficiently, we first need to clarify the characteristics of the fortuneteller. The purpose of this paper is to show what characteristics the fortuneteller has, in terms of two distinctions: the first parameter of distinction is the 'ground' which legitimatizes fortunetelling; and the second is the 'opportunity' which channels people into fortunetelling. The 'ground' rests on either 'inspiration (revelation)' or 'body of art and knowledge (hereafter knowledge)'. And the 'opportunity' rests on either 'voluntary' or 'compulsion'. In analyzing the fortuneteller according to 'inspiration'/'knowledge' and 'voluntary'/'compulsion', the type of fortuneteller who has the characteristics of both 'knowledge' and 'voluntary' is prominent. Why is such a type prominent? I answer this question by analyzing the relationship between the characteristics of the fortuneteller and the social structures.

[Fortune-telling and women--contemporary characteristics of fortune-telling in Japanese society].

It is a well-known fact that women almost monopolize the field of fortune-telling in the present Japanese society--fortune-tellers and their customers (or clients) are mostly women. But once we view the relationship between women and fortune-telling in a general way, we can understand that fortune-telling is not necessarily monopolized by women. In other words, if we take for granted only the relationship between the two, we will overlook some sociological questions. Close observation of the relationship in question reveals several phenomena. One of them is 'the feminization of fortune-telling'. The feminization of fortune-telling is the process by which women's interests are channeled into fortune-telling and their monopolization of it. The purpose of this paper is to focus on this phenomenon--the feminization of fortune-telling'. By focusing on this phenomenon and analyzing its process, we can understand not only some aspects of the relationship between women and fortune-telling, but also bring up other questions regarding the image of Japanese women in the modern era.

47,XX,UPD(7)mat,+r(7)pat/46,XX,UPD(7)mat mosaicism in a girl with Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS): possible exclusion of the putative SRS gene from a 7p13-q11 region.

Maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 7 (UPD7) may present with a characteristic phenotype reminiscent of Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS). Previous studies have suggested that approximately 10% of SRS patients have maternal UPD7. We describe a girl with a mos47,XX,+mar/46,XX karyotype associated with the features of SRS. Chromosome painting using a chromosome 7 specific probe pool showed that the small marker was a ring chromosome 7 (r(7)). PCR based microsatellite marker analysis of the patient detected only one maternal allele at each of 16 telomeric loci examined on chromosome 7, but showed both paternal and maternal alleles at four centromeric loci. Considering her mosaic karyotype composed ofdiploid cells and cells with partial trisomy for 7p13-q11, the allele types obtained at the telomeric loci may reflect the transmission of one maternal allele in duplicate, that is, maternal UPD7 (complete isodisomy or homodisomy 7), whereas those at the centromeric loci were consistent with biparental contribution to the trisomic region. It is most likely that the patient originated in a 46,XX,r(7) zygote, followed by duplication of the maternally derived whole chromosome 7 in an early mitosis, and subsequent loss of the paternally derived ring chromosome 7 in a subset of somatic cells. The cell with 46,XX,r(7) did not survive thereafter because of the monosomy for most of chromosome 7. If the putative SRS gene is imprinted, it can be ruled out from the 7p11-q11 region, because biparental alleles contribute to the region in our patient.

Rotational acetabular osteotomy for severe dysplasia of the hip with a false acetabulum.

We have divided Severin group-V severely dysplastic hips with a false acetabulum into three subtypes, based on the height and shape of the socket. We performed rotational acetabular osteotomy (RAO) in 19 hips in 17 young adults with a type-1 'low' false acetabulum which had direct contact with the true acetabulum. This is a periacetabular osteotomy which gives acetabular coverage with articular cartilage and produces a nearly normal position of the head. Concomitant osteotomies of the proximal femur were carried out in 11 hips. We reviewed the patients clinically and radiologically at a mean of ten years (6 to 18) after operation. Of the 19 hips, 15 showed very good or good results. This operation is indicated in young adults with a dysplastic hip and a type-1 low false acetabulum. Subclassification of Severin group V is a convenient way of defining those patients who would benefit from the procedure.

Blood coagulation factor Xa interacts with a linear sequence of the kringle 2 domain of prothrombin.

Prothrombin is a vitamin K-dependent plasma protein composed of several functional domains, which is proteolytically activated into thrombin by factor Xa in the presence of factor Va, Ca2+, and phospholipids. During the activation, prothrombin is cleaved into three fragments: fragment 1, containing a domain rich in gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues and kringle 1 domain; fragment 2, containing the kringle 2 domain; and a protease catalytic domain, thrombin. Here we studied the interaction site for factor Xa in human prothrombin during the activation. The isolated fragment 2 inhibited the activation of prothrombin by either prothrombinase complex or factor Xa alone in a dose-dependent manner, whereas fragment 1 and diisopropylphosphate (DIP)-thrombin did not. Factor Xa directly bound to fragment 2 immobilized to microwell plates with a Kd of 9.0 x 10(-8) M, but not to fragment 1 or DIP-thrombin. Factor Xa also bound to immobilized prothrombin and prethrombin 1 with Kds of 2.0 x 10(-7) and 1.5 x 10(-7) M, respectively, suggesting that factor Xa interacts with the kringle 2 domain in these molecules. The binding of factor Xa to immobilized fragment 2 was Ca(2+)-dependent with an optimal concentration at 6 mM. In the presence of Ca2+, the interaction was enhanced by phospholipids in a concentration-dependent manner. To localize the factor Xa-binding site in the kringle 2 domain, fragment 2 was digested with lysyl endopeptidase and then trypsin after reduction and S-carboxymethylation. The resulting peptides were immobilized to microwell plates and assayed for factor Xa binding ability. The amino acid sequence of the peptide positive in the assay was determined to be residues His205 to Arg220. Factor Xa bound to a synthetic peptide corresponding to the residues His205 to Arg220 immobilized to microwell plates. The peptide inhibited factor Xa-catalyzed activation of prothrombin, but a peptide with the reversed sequence of His205 to Arg220 did not. These findings indicate that factor Xa interacts with at least a linear sequence, His205 to Arg220, in the kringle 2 domain of prothrombin during its activation into thrombin.

Avascular necrosis of the femoral epiphysis complicating a minimally displaced fracture of solitary bone cyst of the neck of the femur in a child. A case report.

Reported herein is a rare case of a patient with a pathologic fracture through a cyst in the femoral neck that resulted in avascular necrosis of the femoral epiphysis. This type of necrosis is commonly understood to follow displaced fractures of the femoral neck in children, but has also been reported to follow undisplaced fractures.

Estimation of the possible recognition sites for thrombomodulin, procoagulant, and anticoagulant proteins around the active center of alpha-thrombin.

alpha-Thrombin has several characteristic module structures around its active center. Previously we showed that a synthetic peptide, TWTANVGKGQPS, corresponding to the residues Thr147 to Ser158 of the B-chain of human thrombin, a possible interaction site of thrombomodulin near the active center of thrombin, specifically blocked the interactions between thrombin and thrombomodulin, fibrinogen, Factor V, or platelets [Suzuki, K. & Nishioka, J. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 18498-18501]. To elucidate further the role of the other module structures, we studied the effects of several synthetic peptides; FRKSPQELL, LLYPPWDKNF, RIGKHSRTRYER, LEKIYIHP, RYNWREN, DSTRIRI, EGDSGGP, and SWGEGCDRDGK, respectively corresponding to the residues Phe19 to Leu27, Leu45 to Phe54, Arg62 to Arg73, Leu81 to Pro88, Arg89 to Asn95, Asp175 to Ile181, Glu202 to Pro208, and Ser226 to Lys236 of the B-chain of human thrombin, which are located around the active center, as well as TWTANVGKGQPS, on the interaction between thrombin and thrombomodulin, protein C, fibrinogen, Factor V, antithrombin III, or hirudin. Thrombin-thrombomodulin interaction was inhibited significantly by RYNWREN as well as TWTANVGKGQPS, and partially by LLYPPWDKNF. The inhibitory effects of the two former peptides were additive and thrombomodulin directly bound to them. RYNWREN and TWTANVGKGQPS also increased the Km values 3-7 times for protein C as compared with the conditions without peptide. Thrombin-induced protein C activation in the absence of thrombomodulin was specifically blocked by EGDSGGP. Thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting was blocked by FRKSPQELL, RIGKHSRTRYER as well as TWTANVGKGQPS at lower concentrations, and by RYNWREN and DSTRIRI at higher concentrations. Thrombin-induced Factor V activation was blocked by FRKSPQELL, RIGKHSRTRYER as well as TWTANVGKGQPS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prediction of advanced puberty by height velocity in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Pubertal development was retrospectively evaluated in 58 children with cancer, mostly acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), who are in complete remission and off chemotherapy. Six girls [5 patients with ALL, and 1 with malignant lymphoma (NHL)] showed advanced puberty (25.0%, 6 of 24 female patients with ALL and NHL) through the evaluation of their growth velocity. No evidence for advanced puberty was seen in the males. All 6 girls had received cranial irradiation for central nervous system prophylaxis and systemic chemotherapy including glucocorticoid. The mean age at onset of the pubertal growth spurt in these 6 girls was significantly lower than for girls with a solid tumor [6.90 +/- 0.10 and 9.00 +/- 0.77 (mean +/- SD) years, respectively (p < 0.01)]. By simply evaluating the height velocity, we could predict advanced puberty which was ultimately associated with short stature.

Evaluation of acetabular coverage: three-dimensional CT imaging and modified pelvic inlet view.

The anterior and posterior coverages of the acetabula were evaluated by comparison of anterior edge-center-posterior edge (ACP) angle by modified inlet view and three-dimensional computed tomographic (3-D CT) images of the hip. Acetabular coverage in 3-D CT images was classified into three grades of front and rear views. The close relationship of this grading and the ACP angle was confirmed. Conventional radiographs with a modified inlet view are usually significant to evaluate the acetabular coverage, however, in the future, 3-D CT images will be routinely used in complicated hip surgery because they provide more detailed information to aid preoperative planning.

Preoperative and postoperative assessment of rotational acetabular osteotomy for dysplastic hips in children by three-dimensional surface reconstruction computed tomography imaging.

The three-dimensional relationship between the acetabulum and femoral head was evaluated using three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) reconstruction before and after rotational acetabular osteotomy. This method provides exact anatomic information on acetabular coverage so that precise operative planning is more easily made. Evaluation of six dysplastic hips indicated the possible dangers of anterolateral rotational shift of the acetabulum when there is marked posterior deficiency, such as in the case of a high decree of subluxated femoral head covered by a shallow false acetabulum. In these circumstances, it may be safer and preferable to plan a lateral shift instead of an anterolateral shift.

Rotational acetabular osteotomy in congenital dysplasia of the hip.

Rotational acetabular osteotomy was carried out in 127 patients (147 hips) with acetabular dysplasia, some of whom showed early or progressive degenerative changes. Complications occurring during and after operation were transient lesions of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in 20 patients, of the femoral nerve in 2, fracture of the acetabulum in 1, inadequate rotation of the acetabulum in 11, and infection in 3 patients. Later complications were breakage of Kirschner wires in 3, ectopic bone formation in 2 and acute chondrolysis in 3 patients. Sixty-six patients (69 hips) were followed for an average of 5 years and 4 months, and in most of them satisfactory results were achieved in spite of these complications.

Image analysis of trabecular structure of the acetabulum in cadavers.

Trabecular structure of the acetabulum was studied in adult cadavers by means of image analysis. Two groups of trabecular patterns were distinguished in terms of orientation with reference to the frontal plane: one group runs concentric to the articular surface of the acetabulum, and the other rises perpendicular from it and runs radially. The density of the trabeculae tends to decrease with age, and density differences with age are more marked in non-weight-bearing than in weight-bearing regions. Older females, in comparison with males of the same age group, show lower trabecular density in non-weight-bearing regions. Regional differences were also noted with higher density in the anterosuperior and posteroinferior regions, decreasing centripetally from the margin of the acetabular fossa. The average density in weight-bearing regions was 6 per cent higher than that of non-weight-bearing regions. According to these findings, the trabecular pattern of the acetabulum has a structure responding to compressive and tensile stresses applied to the hip joints.

Deranged metabolism of cyclic nucleotides in liver diseases.

To clarify the factor(s) responsible for changes in the plasma cyclic GMP concentration in liver diseases, we measured the plasma levels of cyclic GMP, along with cyclic AMP, in various clinical stages of chronic liver diseases and acute hepatitis. The level of cyclic GMP was found to increase significantly in the early stage of acute hepatitis, in the decompensated stage of liver cirrhosis, and in malignant diseases. In the former two states, it is postulated that decreased hepatic mass is responsible for the changes in the plasma cyclic GMP concentration. The retention rate of indocyanin green (ICGR15) was highly correlated with the plasma cyclic GMP level. The result suggests that the determination of plasma cyclic GMP is useful as an index of the reserve function of the liver in disease states.

Effects of alcohol diet from the fetal period on lipid metabolism in rats.

The effects of maternal alcohol consumption on lipid metabolism in the litter liver were examined in the rat. Rats reared from their fetal period to adulthood with liquid alcohol diet (fetal alcohol group) did not show any lipid accumulation in the livers. Liver perfusion experiments showed an increased oxygen consumption in the liver to a load of physiological concentration of palmitate. On the contrary, the response of oxygen consumption in fetal control rat livers (reared with non-alcohol liquid diet) to palmitate was found to be depressed. 14CO2 production rate from 14C-palmitate in perfused livers showed a significant increase in fetal alcohol group as compared with controls. No difference in 14C-palmitate incorporation into tissue lipid was found between fetal alcohol and fetal control groups. These data indicate that when rats are treated with alcohol from fetal period they acquire an ability to elevate FFA oxidation in the liver through metabolic adaptation.