ABSTRACT
We performed a search for cosmic-ray antideuterons using data collected during four BESS balloon flights from 1997 to 2000. No candidate was found. We derived, for the first time, an upper limit of 1.9 x 10(-4) (m2s sr GeV/nucleon)(-1) for the differential flux of cosmic-ray antideuterons, at the 95% confidence level, between 0.17 and 1.15 GeV/nucleon at the top of the atmosphere.
ABSTRACT
The energy spectra of cosmic-ray low-energy antiprotons ( *p's) and protons ( p's) have been measured by BESS in 1999 and 2000, during a period covering reversal at the solar magnetic field. Based on these measurements, a sudden increase of the *p/p flux ratio following the solar magnetic field reversal was observed, and it generally agrees with a drift model of the solar modulation.
ABSTRACT
A previously healthy 43-year-old male was admitted to the hospital because of the impared consciousness. Although a passage of the bile duct was good, the patient was in severe biliary sepsis and cardiac arrest occurred repeatedly. Plasma concentration of TNF increased markedly suggesting a pathogenic role of TNF in the course of the patient. Plasma exchange was effective for hemodynamic stabilization. Recent advances in treatment of acute cholangitis has been brought by early drainage of the obstruction in the bile duct using endoscopic or percutaneous drainage. However this case suggests that only drainage of the infection focus is not sufficient for the life saving in such a patient and other therapeutic approach such as an inactivation of TNF activity should be considered.
Subject(s)
Cholangitis/complications , Heart Arrest/etiology , Klebsiella Infections/complications , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysis , Acute Disease , Adult , Cholangitis/therapy , Cholestasis/complications , Drainage , Humans , Klebsiella Infections/therapy , Male , Plasma ExchangeABSTRACT
Interstitial pneumonia is well known as one of the complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While interleukin-2 (IL-2) regulates the immune response through IL-2 receptor (IL-2R), the exact role of the soluble form of IL-2R (sIL-2R), recognized as a part of the alpha chain or IL-2R, is still obscure. So, the immunological significance of sIL-2R in serum and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of those of RA patients with or without interstitial pneumonia was studied. The sIL-2R was measured with an ELISA kit (T-Cell Science Ltd). The levels of sIL-2R in the sera of RA patients without interstitial pneumonia were significantly higher than those of normal controls. Furthermore, the levels of sIL-2R showed a statistically significant correlation with ESR and Lansbary's index. The levels of sIL-2R of RA patients with interstitial pneumonia were higher than in those without interstitial pneumonia although the evaluation of class and stage of arthritis in those RA patients with or without interstitial pneumonia revealed no significant difference. A high sIL-2R/albumin ratio in BALF of RA patients with interstitial pneumonia was shown in comparison with those of normal control. These data indicate that the estimation of sIL-2R in RA patients could be useful in estimating the disease activity and that high levels of sIL-2R reflect the active immune response in the lungs of RA patients with interstitial pneumonia.
