The sarcoplasmic Ca²⁺-ATPase was reduced with 300 mM 2-mercaptoethanol at elevated temperatures (40－45℃) with a concomitant loss of ATPase activity. The reduction and inactivation of the Ca²⁺-ATPase proceeded rapidly in the absence of Ca²⁺. The Ca²⁺-ATPase was also inactivated with 2-mercaptoethanol in the presence of diluted SDS (0.4 mg/ml) even at 20℃. In contrast to the (Na⁺, K⁺) ATPase, the inactivated Ca²⁺-ATPase in the presence of diluted SDS was sedimented by the centrifugation at 100,000 × g for 30 min.

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Plasma lipid peroxide levels were measured in a group of 40 healthy controls and 11 patients with jaundice. In the case of these 11 patients, we checked the plasma lipid peroxide concentrations prior to and after choledocholithotomy. Before choledocholithotomy, there were significantly higher mean concentrations of plasma lipid peroxides and bilirubin in patients with jaundice than in the control cases (11.8±2.3 vs. 2.0±0.1 nmol/ml and 10.3±1.82 vs. 0.7±0.03 mg/dl, respectively, P< 0.05). In addition, patients with jaundice had lower plasma vitamin E levels in comparison to the controls (8.2±0.6 vs. 12.2±0.5 μg/ml, P<0.05). In patients with jaundice, the increased plasma lipid peroxides were clearly related to the serum levels of bilirubin (r = 0.87, P< 0.05). After surgery, the higher plasma levels of lipid peroxide and bilirubin were reduced markedly (11.8±2.3 vs. 3.7±0.4 nmol/ml and 10.3±1.82 vs. 3.1±0.47 mg/dl, respectively, P<0.05) with the restoration of bile flow which was associated with improvement in liver function tests. Consequently, these results suggest that there is an involvement of lipid peroxidation in liver cells damaged by obstructive jaundice in patients with cholelithiasis, and that these high plasma lipid peroxide levels may correlate with the severity of the disease.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between a dance performer's ability of creative expression and her creative thinking, her sense of rhythm, and her personality. To statistically examine this relationship, a sample of 46 female students was selected who had taken dance lessons for one year and a half. Each of the students was asked to take three kinds of dance performance tests: improvisation, structural movement, and composition. These tests included thirteen check points in total, eleven of which were evaluated by four dance instructors. The obtained scores were then factor-analyzed to generate the dominant first factor (with the contribution of 45.7%) which contains all the check points of the composition test. As the dependent variable of the regression equation, the first factor scores were used to measure the students' ability of creative expression. On the other hand, creative thinking, sense of rhythm, and personality were measured with the S-A, the Seashore, and the Y-G Tests, respectively. Since the resulting four Y-G types of personality were separated by three dummy variables, the number of the independent variables was five in total. As a result of the regression analysis, the overall explanatory power of the independent variables turned out to be 26.3% at the 5% level of significance. Out of the five, the sense of rhythm had a positive beta coefficient with the 5% significance, and the A-Type of personality (Average) showed a negative beta with the 1% significance.

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For the purpose of evaluating the significance of obesity in a young population as a risk factor toward various chronic diseases, a multiple regression analysis was performed on the data from the annual physical checkup of medical students of UOEH in 1991. The following results were obtained. (1) The average obesity index of the students showed a progressive and significant increase in the past 13 years from 1979 to 1991. (2) A close correlation between the obesity index and serum GPT was recognized by elevation of the standard partial regression coefficient of serum GPT to obesity index and that of obesity index to serum GPT when the data from all 617 students was analysed in one group. This finding was intensified in 142 obese students with an obesity index of over 1O%, but it was not seen in the remaining non-obese students. (3) The correlation between the obesity index and serum GPT was found solely in the group of students with constant obesity; i. e., whose obesity index was always more than 1O% during a maximum of 9 years in the past. (4) Systolic blood pressure was related to the red blood cell count rather than to the obesity index in this young population. (5) No particularly close correlation to serum cholesterol was found with any of 10 representative items examined in this physical checkup, including the obesity index, indicating that the other factors should be related to serum cholesterol levels. From the above findings, it can be concluded that constant obesity in students is related to liver dysfunction, probably due to fatty liver frequently seen in the precise examination of these individuals.

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The analysis of blood Esterase D (ESD) phenotypes was performed by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The hemolysate was first treated with a cation exchanger to remove hemoglobin, injected into HPLC on a weak anion exchange column, and developed to become fluorescent with reaction reagent. The chromatogram of each ESD phenotype was distinct from those of the other phenotypes. ESD protein was confirmed by isoelectric focusing in the HPLC fraction that was referred for ESD typing. This HPLC method can be used to determine the common ESD phenotypes in blood.

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This is a case report of a 69-year-old woman with sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which was diagnosed clinically as hemangioma She was first admitted to our university hospital, complaining of general fatigue in December, 1988, and cholelithiasis and liver cirrhosis with hepatic tumor in Segment 8 were diagnosed. The serum AFP level was within normal range, and the tumor was diagnosed as hemangioma radiologically. She underwent only cholecystectomy and was well without any therapy for the liver tumor up until March in 1991 when she was readmitted to our university hospital due to rapidly progressive liver dysfunction. The size of the liver tumor was unchanged. Despite intensive care, she died of hepatic failure due to cirrhosis in a decompensation state. At autopsy, a well defined yellowish white tumor of 3 cm in maximum diameter was seen in the cirrhotic liver. Although the largest part of the tumor revealed necrosis and hyalinization, a sarcomatoid part composed of spindle-shaped cells was noted in the peripheral portion. In addition, some necrotic ghost cells, probably hepatocellular carcinoma, were also noted Low molecular cytokeratin, which is always found in HCCs, was seen in spindle-shaped sarcomatoid cells. The liver tumor was diagnosed as sarcomatoid HCC from these pathological findings. We report this histologically unusual HCC with an immunohistchemical study.

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In recent years with the development of an information-oriented society, office automation has been progressing rapidly. This paper investigates the effects of the progress in office automation on white collar workers, especially in view of the variation in the status of these workers. It has been found while the progress in office automation functions and the importance of professional and technical workers has tended to increase, functions of line managers are being reduced. In other words, a fairly large part of such tasks as planning and decision-making and major duties of middle management, is being absorbed by specialists and technical employees. As a result, fewer middle management personnel will be promoted to participate in important decision making, while the majority of the remaining personnel will occupy positions involving routine work. Moreover, with the progress in office automation, the number of white collar workers is increasing and jobs for general office workers who perform simple, supplementary tasks involving computers are being created. Thus, a differentiation of social strata among white collar workers is being brought about.

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