Obscenity and homosexual depiction in Japan.

This essay serves as an historical introduction to the problem of film censorship in Japan, a country which, despite an often liberal sexual history, continues to impose baffling and even irrational censorship standards on both its domestic and imported cinema. However, whereas sexual censorship in the West is often the result of religious dogmatism, Japanese film censorship may in fact revolve around political struggles whose import is not the censoring of offensiveness per se, but is rather authoritarianism's basic yet desperate desire to assert itself in an increasingly liberal political climate. Furthermore, Japanese censorship has had the unique side effect of creating safe spaces of sexual fantasy (for children, for example) that most countries, in what is in fact a greater form of censorship, refuse to create at all.

Quantitative analysis of "synaptic" ribbon profiles in the pineal complex of male and female Pirbright-White guinea pigs.

Previous studies have pointed in the direction of sex differences as well as regional differences in the pineal gland of guinea pigs. In the present investigation these aspects were studied at the electron-microscopic level by quantitating different types of "synaptic" bodies, intrinsic to pinealocytes. The two major types of "synaptic" organelles, ribbons and spherules, did not exhibit regional or sex differences. "Synaptic" structures intermediate in appearance to ribbons and spherules were significantly larger in number in males in the distal region of the pineal gland, compared to females. As previous studies have shown that ribbon and spherule numbers undergo characteristic changes depending on the functional state of the pineal gland, it is concluded that, as far as the "synaptic" organelles are concerned, no clear-cut sex or regional differences appear to exist in the guinea pig pineal gland.

[Malignant hyperthermia. An unusual course of a rare disease]. / Maligne Hyperthermie. Ungewöhnlicher Verlauf einer seltenen Erkrankung.

An account is given of unusual course of a hyperthermic crisis in a 23-year-old male who underwent repeated anesthetics. As yet little has been reported about Isoflurane, which we presume to have been the triggering agent. In this case only the surgically untreated lower extremity developed rigor, with which malignant hyperthermia is associated, whereas the surgically treated extremity, where circulation had been stopped with a tourniquet, remained unaffected. Rigor and contracture of the affected extremity were so severe that they led to a compartment syndrome, necessitating fasciotomy. No observation of this kind has been published before. In addition to a discussion of this dissociated effect in malignant hyperthermia, a detailed account of the course of the crisis is given.

[A new cricothyreotomy set for emergencies]. / Ein neues Krikothyreoidotomie-Besteck für den Notfall.

Cardio respiratory emergencies in which intubation is by any reason not possible are rare. The traditional procedure of emergency tracheotomy can be complicated by tracheal esophageal perforation. There is now available a new emergency cricothyreotomy set "Nu-Trake" which is easy to handle even by the less experienced anaesthesiologist. As shown in our study the risk of tracheo esophageal perforation is very small with the new emergency coniotomy set. We believe the device should be part of the standard equipment of every emergency ambulance, after some improvements by the manufacturer.

[Experiences with 31 anaphylactoid reactions (author's transl)]. / Erfahrungen aus 31 anaphylaktoiden Reaktionen.

31 Anaphylactoid reactions to Dextran, Propanidid, Althesin, Ampicillin and Mepivacaine are reported. By rapid infusion of Ringer lactate and colloid solutions to an amount of 2,000-3,000 ml circulation could be restored in 30 minutes. Prednisolone did not reveal positive effects. After administration of epinephrine in 3 of 4 cases more negative than positive effects were seen.

[Efficacy of low doses of heparin to postoperative changes of blood gases after abdominal surgery (author's transl)]. / Einfluss einer Low-Dose-Heparinisierung auf das postoperative Verhalten der Blutgase nach Oberbaucheingriffen.

Arterial hypoxaemia near critical values may occur during the postoperative period after surgery under general anaesthesia. Mainly alterations of ventilation/perfusion ratio seem to be the cause for this disorder. In this study we examined the effect of low-dose-heparin in improving pulmonary perfusion and consequently reduction of postoperative hypoxaemia. In 22 elderly patients both male and female we found no significant differences in oxygen tension compared to a control group of 19 patients. In both groups duration and degree of postoperative hypoxaemia were equal with minima on the first respectively second postoperative day. As in both groups there were no significant differences in other parameters further influencing oxygen supply--such as haemoglobin, haematocrit, pH and mean arterial blood pressure--we do not believe that disturbances of perfusion caused by microembolism are mainly responsible for postoperative hypoxaemia. Likewise low dose heparin seems to have no effect on postoperative hypoxaemia.

[Haemodynamic alterations after epidural anaesthesia in geriatric patients (author's transl)]. / Hämodynamische Veränderungen nach Peridural-anästhesie mit zwei kurzwirksamen Lokalanästhetika bei hochbetagten Menschen.

In 22 elderly patients haemodynamic alterations after epidural anaesthesia with Carticain 2% (Ultracain) with epinephrine (1:200 000) were compared to those after Lidocaine 2% with epinephrine. There were no differences to be found in these agents, and a less pronounced depressing effect of Carticain on circulation could not be confirmed. Unlike young people elderly patients only develop slight and short rises of heart rate and cardiac output after epidural anaesthesia, which are not sufficient to compensate for the distinct fall of mean arterial pressure up to the 15th minute. In our study mean arterial pressure decreased to critical values which might lead to cerebral and coronary ischemia in these patients. Adequate prophylactic and therapeutic measures are discussed.

[Postoperative changes of blood gases after uncomplicated abdominal surgery in geriatric patients (author's transl)]. / Die postoperativen Veränderungen der Blutgase nach unkomplizierten Oberbaucheingriffen bei hochbetagten Menschen.

In 34 elderly male and female patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery under general anaesthesia we investigated duration and degree of postoperative hypoxaemia. In this study only patients with no signs and symptoms of pulmonary or cardiac diseases, verified by normal lung function--vital capacity and FEV1, X-ray and electrocardiographic findings were considered. Postoperative development was free of complications and temperature rises in all cases. The investigations showed occurrence of arterial hypoxaemia during the postoperative period with values near the lower limit where the organism must fall back on cardio-circulatory reserve mechanisms in order to avoid general hypoxydosis. Regarding the restricted pulmonary and cardiac capacity for adaptation and compensation in geriatric patients, we recommend to prolong the practice of O2-application for two or three hours over a period of 24 to 48 hours, especially in patients with postoperative complications such as prolonged gastric atony, temperature, haemorrhage or cardiac and coronary insufficiency. This prolonged application of oxygen by mask or nasal tube should go parallel to other physiotherapeutic measures.

[Haemodynamic effects after rapid infusion of dextrane in geriatric patients (author's transl)]. / Auswirkungen der raschen Volumensubstitution auf hämodynamische Parameter bei geriatrischen Patienten.

In 85 geriatric premedicated patients haemodynamic effects were investigated following rapid infusion of 500 ml dextrane. The data measured one day preoperative revealed typical age-related changes of the cardiovascular system: decrease of cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate; increase of peripheral vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure. After infusion of dextran central venous pressure rose by 4.9 mm Hg (mean), mean arterial pressure by 7.5 mm Hg (8.5%) and cardiac output by 1.04 1/min (24.3%). Heart rate alterations were insignificant, but total peripheral resistance decreased significantly by 12.5%. Pulmonary capillary pressure rose to 15.4 +/- 3.4 mm Hg. We conclude that it is possible to increase cardiopulmonary efficiency by extracardiac measures preoperatively even in aged patients. In no case critical left- or right ventricular filling pressure exceeded, so we cannot accept the often expressed warnings against induced hypervolaemia in patients with no cardiac failure except old age.