High energy electron observation by Polar Patrol Balloon flight in Antarctica

We accomplished a balloon observation of the high-energy cosmic-ray electrons in 10-1000GeV to reveal the origin and the acceleration mechanism. The observation was carried out for 13 days at an average altitude of 35km by the Polar Patrol Balloon (PPB) around Antarctica in January 2004. The detector is an imaging calorimeter composed of scintillating-fiber belts and plastic scintillation counters sandwiched between lead plates. The geometrical factor is about 600cm^2sr, and the total thickness of lead absorber is 9 radiation lengths. The performance of the detector has been confirmed by a test flight at the Sanriku Balloon Center and by an accelerator beam test using the CERN-SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron at CERN). The new telemetry system using the Iridium satellite, the power system supplied by solar panels and the automatic flight level control operated successfully during the flight. We collected 5.7×10^3 events over 100GeV, and selected the electron candidates by a preliminary data analysis of the shower images. We report here an outline of both detector and observation, and the first result of the electron energy spectrum over 100GeV obtained by an electronic counter

IV. Mycological Studies of the Antarctic Fungi : Part 2. Mycoflora of Lake Vanda, an Ice-Free Lake (Report of the Japanese Summer Parties in Dry Valleys, Victoria Land, 1963-1965)

南極Victoria LandのDry ValleyにあるVanda湖の湖水と土壌の菌類相の研究を行なった.本研究の全供試試料は著者らの2人,鳥居鉄也および杉山純多によって,1964年12月から1965年1月の期間にVanda湖とその周辺で採取されたものである.分離培地3種類(potato-glucose agar, Czapek's solution agar, glucose-glutamate agar),その食塩濃度(0,30g/l, 100g/l),分離温度2段階(25℃,10℃)という条件下で約200の菌株が分離された 湖の表層から湖底へいくに従い分離菌株数は増加する傾向が観察され,特に湖底の堆積物中からは,25℃の培養条件下で最も多くの菌株が分離された Vanda湖の表面から湖底までの温度とCl^-含量の変化を考慮すると,上の事実は興味深い

Eosinophilic plasmacytic conjunctivitis concurrent with gingival fistula caused by Schizophyllum commune in a captive cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

We describe for the first time the diagnosis of Schizophyllum commune infection in a captive cheetah. Eosinophilic plasmacytic conjunctivitis was detected histopathologically in a biopsy specimen. Both a second surgical specimen and drainage fluid from a gingival mass and fistula contained fungal hyphae in giant cells with granulomatous inflammation. Allergic S. commune mycosis was suspected at this point. A monokaryotic isolate was characterized morphologically, and then identified genetically. Treatment with itraconazole and pimaricin was effective. Keywords: Allergic mycosis, Basidiomycosis, Granulomatous inflammation, Felidae, Schizophyllum commun

4 ナンキョク ノ キンルイ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ 2 VANDA コ ノ キンルイソウ ナンキョク VICTORIA LAND ノ DRY VALLEY チョウサ ホウコク

南極Victoria LandのDry ValleyにあるVanda湖の湖水と土壌の菌類相の研究を行なった.本研究の全供試試料は著者らの2人,鳥居鉄也および杉山純多によって,1964年12月から1965年1月の期間にVanda湖とその周辺で採取されたものである.分離培地3種類(potato-glucose agar, Czapek\u27s solution agar, glucose-glutamate agar),その食塩濃度(0,30g/l, 100g/l),分離温度2段階(25℃,10℃)という条件下で約200の菌株が分離された 湖の表層から湖底へいくに従い分離菌株数は増加する傾向が観察され,特に湖底の堆積物中からは,25℃の培養条件下で最も多くの菌株が分離された Vanda湖の表面から湖底までの温度とCl^-含量の変化を考慮すると,上の事実は興味深い

Combined small cell lung carcinoma and giant cell carcinoma: a case report

Abstract Background Combined small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is defined as SCLC combined with elements of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), accounting for approximately 30% of cases of SCLC. However, combined SCLC and giant cell carcinoma (GC) is very rare. Case presentation A 50-year-old woman with a 45 pack-year smoking history was referred to our hospital for further investigation of an abnormal left hilar shadow. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a 28-mm solid pulmonary nodule in the left lower lobe and an enlarged left hilar lymph node adjacent to the left main pulmonary artery. CT-guided biopsy of the pulmonary nodule led to the diagnosis of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma. The preoperative clinical stage was defined as cT1bN1M0. Thus, the patient underwent left lower lobectomy with ND2a-2 lymph node dissection via thoracotomy. Pathological investigation revealed a 22-mm tumor and dense sheet-like growth of small tumor cells with scant cytoplasm and finely granular nuclear chromatin. Moreover, there was a sheet-like growth of bizarre, highly pleomorphic mono- or occasionally multinucleated giant cells, accounting for approximately 40% of the tumor. Both the small and giant cell components were thyroid transcription factor-1-positive and p40-negative and exhibited neuroendocrine differentiation, as indicated by positivity for synaptophysin and CD56 and negativity for chromogranin A. While the small cell component was E-cadherin-positive and vimentin-negative, the giant cell component was E-cadherin-negative and vimentin-positive, indicating an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Only the small cell component was found within the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. The final pathological diagnosis was combined SCLC and GC, pT1bN2M0, and pStage IIIA. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of cisplatin and irinotecan. No sign of recurrence has been noted for 1 year after the surgery. Conclusions This is the first detailed report of a unique case with combined SCLC and GC. The coexistence of SCLC and GC in the presented case might indicate several possibilities: (1) GC may arise from SCLC via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, (2) SCLC may arise from GC through phenotypic conversion, and (3) SCLC and GC may have derived from a common neuroendocrine origin. Further investigation is necessary to reveal the underlying pathological process