Pathological and radiological correlation in an autopsy case of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema

We report an educational autopsy case of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Radiological patterns of the upper lung were considered as mostly emphysema, but pathological observation revealed significant interstitial fibrosis of usual interstitial pneumonia as a major pathology. The patient eventually developed acute exacerbation of background interstitial pneumonia. Careful radiological and pathological correlation of the current case indicates that regions with distal acinar emphysema on computed tomography image may possess histologically marked dense fibrosis of lethal interstitial pneumonia

21セイキ ノ カンドウミャク インターベンション

Coronary intervention has come to achieve good results with the use of new devices, such as Rotablator (ROTA), new directional coronary atherectomy (DCA), and a special guide wire, even for lesions in which good results were not obtained with plain old balloon angioplasty. In the present study, we evaluated the initial results in patients who underwent ROTA procedures, coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion (CTO), and new DCA procedures in our hospital between January and December 2001. (1) There were 99 patients who underwent ROTA, with an average age of 68±12 years, a lesion length of 15.9±9.9 mm, a reference vessel diameter of 2.7±0.6 mm, and a success rate of 98%. Among these 99 patients, there were 82 patients (83%) with B2 or C type lesion, which is difficult to treat. (2) There were 61 patients with CTO who underwent coronary intervention, with an average age of 63±9 years, an occlusion length of 22.8±13.3 mm, a reference vessel diameter of 2.6±0.7 mm, and a success rate of 82%. (3) There were 5 patients who underwent DCA for ostial lesion of left anterior desending artery and the target lesion was successfully dilated in all these patients. These results indicated that new devices for coronary intervention have made it possible to treat a wider range of lesions, but restenosis still remains to be solved. In Europe and the U.S.A., restenosis is reported to have been drastically reduced by drug eluting stents, which are expected to be introduced in Japan in the future

ジンソクナ バイスタンダー シンパイ ソセイホウ ニヨリ トツゼンシ オ マヌガレ シャカイ フッキ デキタ コウコウセイ ノ 2 ショウレイ

Bystander CPR means that people who find cardiopulmonary arrest perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the spot. Quick CPR contributes to increase in the rate of returning to the society as well as one-month survival rate and neurological prognosis. We report our experience with two high school students who underwent quick Bystander CPR, avoided sudden death, and returned to the society. ［Case 1］ Eighteen-year-old man : He collapsed suddenly in his home. Bystander CPR was performed by his family until emergency crews arrived there. Automated external defibrillator （AED） worked twice and his heartbeat started again. In electrocardiogram, coved type ST elevation in lead V1 was observed, and he was diagnosed as Brugada syndrome. We implanted an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Since his condition was stable, he was discharged on the 19th day. ［Case 2］ Seventeen-year-old woman : She collapsed suddenly walking with her family. Her father confirmed that she had no response, and started Bystander CPR. Her father got AED quickly and AED worked once, and she started to breathe again. She was admitted to our hospital for a work-up. Torsades de pointes （TdP） was observed in monitor electrocardiogram, and her QTc time was 513 msec in 12‐lead electrocardiogram. She was diagnosed as congenital long QT syndrome because genetic test showed that she had LQT2. Her QTc time was improved （approximately 350 msec） by medication, and she was discharged on the 25th day. Utstein-style statistics in Japan shows that the rate of returning to the society can be doubled by performing Bystander CPR on patients with cardiopulmonary arrest. However, performing rate of Bystander CPR is less than 50％ in Japan. In order to increase survival rate of patients with cardiopulmonary arrest for the future, it is important to inform people about CPR and to promote CPR, and in fact, we have been promoting CPR

Transport of carbon-bearing dusts from Iraq to Japan during Iraq\u27s War

Rainwater collected during the period of February-April, 2003 in Kanazawa University and Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, was investigated by ion chromatography of the dissolved ions, and Scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive analyzer (SEM-EDX), electron microprobe analyzer (EPMA), transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analyses of the filtered samples. The pH, Eh, EC, dissolved oxygen (DO) and depleted U (DU) of the rainwater were also measured. The results show a rare case with low pH value of rain and high value of electrical conductivity (EC) in the rainwater during certain period. The NO 3 -, SO 4 2- and NH 4 + concentrations on 26th March, show quite high values after oil field fires on 21st March 2003. The powdery dust and carbon-bearing nm sized particles contained in the rainwater have characteristics different from that of the Asian dust (Kosa). Since 21 March, 2003 the Iraq plunged into the war, the 9 oil field fires were reported on 25 March, 2003 in Rumaylah oil field near the borderline of Kuwait. The first precipitation was caught in Kanazawa on 24 March, 2003. The pH value of the rainwater indicated a strong acid rain (pH 3.6) with black powdery dusts. The acid rain on 27th March to 2nd April (pH 3.4-4.3; 5-17mm) associated with WNW wind (2.7-4.1m/s) has continued to the first 10 days of April in Kanazawa, during the 9 oil fields were burning in Iraq. The EC in rainwater collected from 24 March to 15 April, 2003, shows high concentrations of ions, suggesting high contents of water soluble-carbon particles and soot. In the meantime, it was the highest season of sandstorms at bare dried land in Iraq from the end of March to the beginning of April. Westerly wind blew around 5500m high, and the sandstorm with 2000m wide was transported by strong wind to Zagros 3000m high mountains. The hot wind hit the Zagros Mountains and easily to join and rise to Westerly wind high by a rising air current. The 234U/ 238U activity (around 0.2) in typical depleted uranium (DU) is quite low compared with that (around 1.0) in natural uranium. The contamination of DU from the Iraq conflict may be, if any, negligibly small on undetectable level. On the other hand, the powdery dusts and carbon-bearing particles of rainwater have been produced by combustion of oil field in Iraq and they are directly cycling in our planet by Westerly wind. Black carbon particles are a product of incomplete combustion, and are the principal light-absorbing atmospheric aerosol. The result reminds us of the scientific values of short-term atmospheric environment records during Iraq\u27s War. This has consequences for primary production of powdery dusts coming from Iraq to the atmosphere over half the globe away. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Analysis of the shallow root system of maize grown by plowing upland fields converted from paddy fields: effects of soil hardness and fertilization

The root system of maize tends to be shallower with plowing tillage than with rotary tilling in upland fields converted from paddy fields. Soil hardness and fertilizer distribution differ between plowing tillage and rotary tilling; thus, we investigated the maize root system at different growth stages with or without fertilizer application in both of these tillage methods. We evaluated the effect of soil hardness on the root system by comparing plowing tillage and rotary tilling in unfertilized plots, and the effect of fertilization by comparing responses to fertilizer application with plowing tillage and rotary tilling since the effects of tillage and fertilization cannot be separated in each tillage method. Root depth index (RDI), which indicates average root depth, was about 20% smaller with plowing tillage than with rotary tilling after the 7th leaf growth stage (V7) in unfertilized plots. Although RDI in fertilized plots was similar or slightly smaller than that in unfertilized plots, the interaction between fertilization and tillage was not significant, except at the tassel formation stage in 2016. Analysis of root distribution indicated that root length density at soil depths of 0–5 cm tended to be higher with plowing tillage than with rotary tilling after V7, but the effect of the interaction between fertilization and tillage was not significant. These results suggest that the root system of maize becomes shallower after V7 with plowing tillage than with rotary tilling mainly due to higher soil penetration resistance in upland fields converted from paddy fields

Growth and yield of maize using two tillage systems in crop rotation of paddy fields

Plowing is a more efficient tillage method than conventional rotary tilling in paddy fields. We thus investigated growth, grain yield, and quality of maize (Zea mays L.) using two tillage systems in crop rotation of paddy fields at Morioka (Andosol) and Hanamaki (Gleysol). Maize was grown with rotary tilling after growing transplanted rice with puddling and leveling, and alternatively, with plowing (chisel plowing plus power harrow) after direct seeding of rice with plowing and compaction. There was no significant difference in seedling establishment between the two tillage treatments. Although silking was slightly earlier and root lodging was less severe in plowing than in rotary tilling, there was no significant difference in plant height, SPAD value, dry weight at maturity, Kernel number, grain weight, grain yield, starch content, crude protein content, or mycotoxin accumulation, irrespective of soil type. These results indicate that growth and yield of maize were similar for the plowing system and the rotary tilling system. Thus, the plowing system could improve work efficiency for maize cultivation in crop rotation of paddy fields for large-scale farm management