Clinical Study on Causative Factors and Recurrence of Choledocholithiasis

To identify factors involved in choledocholithiasis, clinical characteristics were studied using univariate and multivariate analyses. Factors involved in recurrence were also investigated. The subjects consisted of 51 patients with calcium bilirubinate stones (B group) and 52 patients with cholesterol stones (C group). All patients had choledocholithiasis and underwent lithotripsy by endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) during the past 9 years. Twenty variables, including clinical symptoms and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) findings, were analyzed using a Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software package. Univariate analysis were done using Student's t-test and the chi-square test. Multivariate analyses were done by stepwise logistic regression analysis. In univariate analyses, there were significant differences between the B group and C group in nine variables: age, common bile duct diameter, common hepatic duct diameter, common bile duct stone diameter, cystic duct diameter, and the presence of gallbladder stones, atypical arrangement of the hepatic duct, parapapillary diverticulum, and large parapapillary diverticulum. In multivariate analysis, the four variables of no gallbladder stone, large parapapillary diverticulum, cystic duct less than 8 mm, and atypical arrangement of the hepatic duct were significant independent factors for the development of stones in the B group, with relative risks of 37.75, 16.73, 5.56, and 5.49, respectively. The results indicated that calcium bilirubinate stones were frequently associated with parapapillary diverticulum and abnormal arrangement of the bile duct. The formation of these stones was attributed to chronic biliary stasis caused by dysfunction of the biliary tract, including the papilla. In contrast, most cholesterol stones found in the common bile duct had apparently descended from the gallbladder. Common bile duct stones recurred after EST in 9 patients, all of whom had calcium bilirubinate stones. On ERCP, recurrence was found to be frequently associated with gallbladder stones, large parapapillary diverticula, and atypical arrangement of the hepatic duct. Patients with these characteristics on initial ERCP should therefore receive appropriate treatment and undergo strict follow-up observations owing to the increased risk of recurrence caused by dysfunction of the biliary tract

Structural phase diagram of LaO1-xFxBiSSe: suppression of the structural phase transition by partial F substitutions

We have investigated low-temperature crystal structure of BiCh2-based compounds LaO1-xFxBiSSe (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.5), in which anomalous two-fold-symmetric in-plane anisotropy of superconducting states has been observed for x = 0.5. From synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments, a structural transition from tetragonal to monoclinic was observed for x = 0 and 0.01 at 340 and 240 K, respectively. For x = 0.03, a structural transition and broadening of the diffraction peak were not observed down to 100 K. These facts suggest that the structural transition could be suppressed by 3% F substitution in LaO1-xFxBiSSe. Furthermore, the crystal structure for x = 0.5 at 4 K was examined by low-temperature (laboratory) X-ray diffraction, which confirmed that the tetragonal structure is maintained at 4 K for x = 0.5. Our results suggest that the two-fold-symmetric in-plane anisotropy of superconducting states observed for LaO0.5F0.5BiSSe was not originated from structural symmetry lowering.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures + 3 supplemental figure

International Medical Cooperation for the Radiation Exposed Population (Hibakusha) in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan : A Challenge from Hiroshima, the City of the World's First Atomic Bombing 【Report】

The main objective of this report is to describe the activities of a non-governmental organization(NGO), the Hiroshima Semipalatinsk Project (hereafter the Hiro-Semi Project or the Project), that sup-ports medical aid to those who were exposed to radiation from the nuclear bomb tests in Kazakhstan.The Project has carried out medical cooperation activities five times and dispatched medical missions ofdoctors, nurses, and medical technicians four times. In this report, we attempt to show the purpose of the foundation of the Hiro-Semi Project. In addition, we show the final goal of the Project. We also reporton the medical activities of the Hiro-Semi Project and touch upon the medical items provided by theHiro-Semi Project and the medical examinations from the medical missions sent by the Project. As isgenerally known, medical cooperation is an important part of international cooperation. For example,the activities of Medecins Sans Frontieres Japonand The Association of Medical Doctors of Asia arewell known. It is possible for those who are not medical doctors to conduct medical cooperation. In fact,the Hiro-Semi Project plans and conducts medical aid and dispatches medical missions. The mostimportant matter is to establish a strong cooperative relationship with specialists or experts in that field.The Hiro-Semi Project endeavors to establish such a relationship. As people concerned with internation-al cooperation, we should pay more attention to the activities of medical cooperation done by grass rootsmovements, keeping in mind that there are many approaches to international cooperation. This reportwill outline one approach and one possibility of international cooperation

Nuclear abnormalities in aspirated thyroid cells and chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of residents near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

Chromosomal studies in peripheral lymphocytes from 63 residents near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, at ages of 52–63 years old, were performed in 2001–2002. A higher rate of chromosome aberrations was observed in the two contaminated villages, Dolon and Sarjal, compared with the control village, Kokpekti. Moreover, a relationship of frequency of cells with radiation induced chromosome aberrations and the previously estimated exposure dose was observed. Furthermore, apparent nuclear abnormalities (ANA) of thyroid follicular cells were studied in 30 out of 63 residents, who were examined for chromosome aberrations. A higher rate of ANA was also found in the residents in the exposed villages compared with those in the control village. These results suggest radiation effects both on the chromosomes in peripheral lymphocytes and on the follicular cells in the thyroid

Lattice Anharmonicity in BiS2-Based Layered Superconductor RE(O,F)BiS2 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd)

We studied Gr\"uneisen parameter ({\gamma}G) to investigate lattice anharmonicity in a layered BiS2-based superconductor system REO1-xFxBiS2 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd), where in-plane chemical pressure was tuned by substituting the RE elements. With increasing in-plane chemical pressure, bulk modulus remarkably increases, and a high {\gamma}G is observed for RE = Nd. The dependence of {\gamma}G on in-plane chemical pressure exhibits a good correlation with Tc, and a higher Tc is achieved when {\gamma}G is large for RE = Nd. In addition, {\gamma}G shows a slight decrease by a decrease of F concentration (x) in REO1-xFxBiS2. Our results show that the anharmonic vibration of Bi along the c-axis is present in REO1-xFxBiS2, and the enhancement of the anharmonicity is positively linked to superconducting Tc and pairing mechanisms.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure