Physical and clinical examinations and food iron surveys using three day dietary records were carried out in two groups of adult women from different areas of Ibaraki Prefecture. The number and ages of one group were 148 and 37.0±7.9 years (mean and standard deviation) and those of the other were 52 and 53.0±11.5 years.
1) Although the average ages of the two groups were significantly different, all subjects could be summed up as belonging statistically to the same group because of the correspondence of their physical conditions to the norm in the national census of each age. Heights, weights and Kaup indices were within normal ranges, while low Hb (<12 g/dl) occurred in 14.5% of the group, low SF (<12 pg/l) in 37.5% and low TS (<16%) in 17%.
2) Daily ingested energy, protein, fat, food iron (heme and nonheme iron), ascorbate, sodium chloride and fat-energy ratio were computed according to the Tables of Standard Food Composition in Japan (4th ed.). The amounts of all items except food iron were adequate or rather in excess of the Japanese Recommended Dietary Allowances.
3) The occurrence of latent iron deficiency and that of iron deficiency anemia in menstruating women (n : 159) were 30.8% and 13.2% respectively and those in climacteric women (n : 41) were 9.8% and 2.4%.
4) Linear regressions and correlation coefficients were calculated within sets of physical, clinical and nutritional records. Although each set within Hb, SF and TS correlated significantly, there was no positive correlation between the above three variables and food composition.
5) The variables such as age, Hb, energy, protein, food iron etc. were divided into two groups dependent on clinical cutoff points and the average values within the subgroups were compared statistically. Within subgroups of food iron, the statistical difference was observed only in those divided by "menstruating or postmenopausal women".
6) Food habits such as the use of iron pans, vitamins and iron tablets, diet or preference for tea or coffee had no influence on Hb and SF concentrations or TS.

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Rat intestinal maltase and sucrase-isomaltase were isolated from the supernate after papain solubilisation of the brush border membrane, which was prepared by calcium precipitation, with repeated chromatographies of Sepharose 6 B and DEAE-cellulose columns for maltase or with those of Sepharose 6 B, DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-200 columns for sucrase-isomaltase. The level of purification of the original mucosal homogenate was approximately 220-fold in maltase and 130-fold in sucrase-isomaltase. The purity of both enzymes was recognized by the single band in 6% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a single precipitation arc in immunoelectrophoresis with antiserum to the papain supernate. Double immunodiffusion of the purified enzymes against antisera, individually developed from the two purified enzymes, showed no cross-reactions, indicating the independence of the immunoreaction between these two enzymes.
The enzyme activities for maltose, lactose and sucrose were determined from the papain supernate and the enzyme protein were measured by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Specific activities were determined from the combination of these two procedures. There were 12 units/ mg in maltase, 17 units/mg in lactase and 6 units/mg in sucrase-isomaltase. Although the enzyme activities of maltase and sucrase-isomaltase were detected in the intestinal extracts of the pups immediately after birth, only maltase was recognised immunochemically'at birth. Ten days after birth sucrase-isomaltase was detectable, The two activities increased with the age of the animals, and the specific activities for the enzyme proteins were 15 units/mg in maltase and 5. 5 units/mg in sucrase-isomaltase on the 21st day. These were similar to that found in the adult rats. The change of the specific activities of maltase and sucrase-isomaltase was followed throughout the whole day. Although the activities and enzyme proteins were greater during the feeding period (midnight) compared with the resting period (at noon), the specific activity of sucrase-isomaltase against the enzyme protein was significantly less at the feeding period than at the resting period, which suggested the presence of an ineffective enzyme at the feeding period.

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It has been reported that procedures for purifying of the B-cell for pancreas islet's cells can be made more efficient by applying the affinity chromatography technique.
The immunoabsorbent of affinity chromatography was prepared by using agarose beads treated with an antibovine insulin antibody. The islet's cells were obtained from the collagenase-isolated rat's islets by Dispase-treatment, and then, they were incubated with the immunoabsorbent described above.
About 30 percent of the cells were absorbed. The cells were identified as B-cells by aldehyde fuchsin staining and by the enzyme labeled antibody technique.
The results show that treatment with a high concentration of glucose in the incubationmedium always produces increases of insulin-release from the cells and their O₂ consumption. The procedures are recommended as useful in studies on the insulin-release mechanism of the B-cell.

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For quantitative analysis of Thallium-201 myocardial imaging, the computer program "CMBF" in Scintipac-1200 (Shimazu) was used in 50 patients with antero-septal myocardial infarction. In "CMBF", the Thallium myocardial image was divided into 8 areas, then Thallium Uptake Index (T.U.I.) was calculated in each area by this Formula;
T.U.I. Counts of the area/Pixels of the area /Total counts of 8 areas/Total pixels of 8 areas
In most patients, T.U.I. was obtained under 0.7, having a close correlation to the diagnosis made by imaging.

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One hundred and thirty-seven unilateral kidneys of 70 children (ranging from 6 months to 15 years old) were examined sonographically with a water load stress test with diuretics administration. The renal regions were scanned longitudinally and transversely. The maximum AP (antero-posterior) diameter of the renal pelvis with transverse views of the kidney was recorded. Scanning studies were performed three times in each child as follows, the first scan was done 30 minutes after oral water load, the second scan, about 30 minutes after oral administration of diuretics (furosemide 0.5 mg/kg). After the second scan children were forced into urination. The third scan was performed about 10 minutes after urination. The variations of the AP diameter of the renal pelvis in three different conditions were observed. Nineteen unilateral kidneys of 18 children whose diagnosis of upper urinary tract obstruction was made by intravenous urograms (IVUs), renograms with diuretics and clinical course had a positive response to a simple water load and a water load with diuretics. The increasing rate of the renal pelvic AP diameter of 19 renal units after diuretics administration ranged from. 21% to 114% (mean 58%) and was significantly high compared with non-obstructive renal units. Of 19, renal pelvic AP diameter of 6 renal units in which the increasing rate was less than 50% exceeded 20mm after administration of diuretics, despite the relatively low increasing rate. The renal pelvic AP diameter of those obstructive renal units remained unchanged or increased after urination. The renal pelvic AP diameter of 69 normal renal units in IVUs did not exceed 10mm after a water load without diuretics and of 69, those of 3 renal units exceeded 10 mm after a water load with diuretics.
Sonographic evaluation of upper urinary tract obstruction using a water load stress test with diuretics administration was as follows: the renal unit filled with the following 1) or 2) condi-tions may be upper urinary tract obstruction (sensitivity 95%, specificity 98%, accuracy 97%).
1) The AP diameter of the renal pelvis should exceed 10mm after hydration without diuretics and simultaneously the increasing rate of the renal pelvic AP diameter should be more than 50%; there should be no decreasing of AP diameter after urination.
2) The renal pelvic AP diameter should exceed 10 mm after a simple water load, if the increasing rate of the renal pelvic AP diameter is less than 50%, the AP diameter should exceed 20 mm after hydration with diuretics and there should be no decreasing of AP diameterafter urination.
The renal sonography in a water load with diuretics is an indispensable functional screening test to examine patients who are suspected of suffering from obstructive uropathy and are placed on the post-operative follow-up study. This method proved to be one of the most versatile techniques for patients who undergo frequent invasive techniques in the course of a clinical follow-up as this technique remains non-invasive and causes fewer clinical symptoms.

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Since the peripheral circulation in chronic liver diseases was almost unknown, peripheral hemodynamics were studied in 23 patients with chronic hepatitis (CH), 41 with liver cirrhosis (LC) and in 33 healthy subjects (HS) by means of venous occlusion pneumoplethysmography (Winsor Vasograph, EMI Co.).
Forearm blood flow (FBF) of the patients with CH (2.58±1.18 ml/dl/min) and with LC (3.01±1.30) were significantly higher than that of HS (1.75±0.69). Concerning calf blood flow (CBF) of the 3 groups, however, no significant difference was found among them.
In those with CH and LC, FBF were significantly higher than CBF, although in HS no difference was noted between them. Forearm vascular resistance (FVR) of those with CH (41.5±20.5 mmHg/ml/dl/min) and with LC (33.6±13.2) were lower than that of HS (60.0±27.3). On the contrary, there was no difference in calf vascular resistance (CVR) among the 3 groups. FVR was lower than CVR in those with chronic liver disease, while no difference was noticed in HS.
Furthermore, deep body temperature (DBT), another index of blood flow, was measured at forearm and calf with Coretemp (CTM 201). FDBT was significantly higher than CDBT in those with LC and CH, but no difference was found in HS. These results showed the evidence of heterogeneity of peripheral circulation in chronic liver disease.
To evaluate. the pathogenesis of the heterogeneity, the cirrhotic patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of heterogeneity: Group A, 15 patients in which FBF-CBF score was more than 1 ml/dl/min, Group B, 26 patients with the score less than 1 ml/dl/min. There was no significant difference between the two groups concerning frequency of vascular spider and palmar erythema, levels of cardiac index, total peripheral resistance and wedged hepatic venous pressure, respectively. When the reactivity of vasculature to stimulus (cold pressor test) was examined, FVR and CVR increased significantly in Group B and healthy subjects, while in Group A FVR did not respond to the stimulus. There was no significant difference in arteriovenous oxygen difference between Group A and B.
From these results, it is concluded that chronic liver diseases had heterogeneity of peripheral circulation, which was partly due to impaired autonomic reflex of the vasculature.

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Non-frozen murine bone marrow preserved at various temperatures was tested for viability of the committed and pluripotent stem cells. Each stem cell examined retained its proliferative capacity most actively when stored at 4°C in α-medium containing 15% fetal calf serum. Under these experimental conditions, the recovery of the colony-forming ability of CFU-C and CFU-M was 50% and 74% respectively after storage for four days, while it was 26% and 14% respectively for CFU-E and BFU-E after storage for the same period of time. The proliferative capacity of the pluripotent stem cells which was prerequisite for successful bone marrow transplantation was preserved at satisfactory levels; the mean recovery on the 4th day of storage at 4°C being 67% for CFU-S and 45% for CFU-Mix.
The result indicates that a conventional CFU-C assay offers an useful index for judging proliferative capacity of the pluripotent stem cells in non-frozen bone marrow stored for transplantation.

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A two-dimensional echocardiography and a two-dimensionally directed M-mode echocardiography were performed on 168 normal human fetuses ranging from 20 to 39 weeks of gestation to assess the growth pattern, relative left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) sizes, function and volumes. These findings were compared with those in postmortem hearts of normal human fetuses ranging from 18 to 36 weeks of gestation. LV amd RV diameters, wall thicknesses, mitral and tricuspid valve diamiters, and the aortic diameter all increased linearly with gestational age, biparietal diameter and estimated body weight. However, the ratios of LV and, RV diameters, mitral and tricuspid valve diameters and LV, RV and septal wall thicknesses were constant and approximated at 1.0 throughout the period studied in the echocardiograms and postmortem hearts. Moreover, the ratio of LV and RV volumes in postmortem hearts were constant (1.02±.17). The percent changes in ventricular diameters and wall thicknesses as indexes of systolic function did not change significantly throughout and were similar between LV and RV. LV volume in the postmortem hearts was best approximated by an ellipsoid model (r=.95). The estimated LV volumes from echocardiograms by this model increased linearly with gestational age (r=.85), but LV ejection fraction and output per estimated body weight remained constant throughout the period studied. These findings indicate. that fetal hearts show a linear growth pattern and that LV and RV are similar insize, and systolic function remains constant, throughout the second half of gestation. LV volume of the fetal heart may, be estimated by an ellipsoid model.

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