No abstract

New fetal growth cur ye^ for Japanese. Acta Paediatr Scand, Suppl. 319 62. New fetal growth curves for Japanese have been made with the moperation of 37 major medical centers throughout Japan by the sponsorship of the Mwstry of Health. They are reliable in regard to the adequacy of the sample number, the accuracy of the data on gestatkmd age and tbe proper processes of composing growth curves. Effect of sex and parity are signUlcant on wight but not on length and head circumference growth curves. The light-for-dates infant is deflned as below mean -1.5 SD by the statistic analysis of their morbidity. Tbepo new offMel fetal growth curves will solve current confusion of sweral fetal growth c u m from different institutions in Japan. Key words: Fetal growth c u m , s d -f o r -&a& infant.

No abstract

I-V characteristics of the high T c superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 C 2 O 8 shows a strong hysteresis, producing many branches. The origin of hysteresis jumps is studied by use of the model of multi-layered Josephson junctions proposed by one of the authors (T. K.). The charging effect at superconducting layers produces a coupling between the next nearest neighbor phase-differences, which determines the structure of hysteresis branches. It will be shown that a solution of phase motions is understood as a combination of rotating and oscillating phase-differences, and that, at points of hysteresis jumps, there occurs a change in the number of rotating phase-differences. Effects of dissipation are analyzed. The dissipation in insulating layers works to damp the phase motion itself, while the dissipation in superconducting layers works to damp relative motions of phase-differences. Their effects to hysteresis jumps are discussed.

Oxytocin was measured in maternal and fetal plasma, amniotic fluid and neonatal plasma and urine using a specific radioimmunoassay, following extraction procedures with Florisil. Maternal oxytocin levels rose progressively with advancing gestation, but there were no significant differences between oxytocin levels around the onset of labor. No diurnal rhythm of oxytocin was evident in maternal plasma during the third trimester. Maternal and umbilical plasma oxytocin levels at spontaneous delivery were significantly higher than those at elective cesarean section. Maternal oxytocin levels in four cases of post-term delivery were lower than those during normal late pregnancy; all four cases experienced uterine inertia. All amniotic fluid samples had detectable oxytocin levels and there were no significant differences between oxytocin levels in the second trimester and those in the third trimester. Oxytocin levels in neonatal urine were higher than levels in amniotic fluid and lower than in the umbilical artery. Neonatal plasma oxytocin levels gradually decreased and oxytocin levels of 7-day-old infants were significantly lower than those in the umbilical artery, but higher than those in adults. In conclusion, it appears that maternal oxytocin levels may not be involved in triggering the onset of labor but may play a role in the maintenance and reinforcement of labor.

By making use of finite-size scaling and Monte Carlo simulations, we study the so-called "uniuersality concerning critical exponents of percolation in several two-dimensional lattices. In particular, our main purpose is to clarify how uniuersal is "uniuersality. " For this purpose, we choose the following five latticessquare and kagome (both periodic where the number z of nearest-neighbor sites is single valued, i.e. , z=4), dice (periodic where z is mixed valued, i.e. , z=3 and 6, the average z being four), Penrose tiling (nonperiodic where z is mixed valued, i.e. , z=3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, the average z being four), and the dual lattice of Penrose (nonperiodic where z is single valued, i.e. , z=4). For both site and bond percolation of these lattices, we analyze the results of our Monte Carlo simulations and evaluate six critica1 exponents, all of which are in good agreement with respective values predicted theoretically. Our results indicate that "universality" is really universal irrespective of classes of problems, i.e. , whether bond or site; irrespective of kinds of lattices, i.e. , whether periodic or nonperiodic; and irrespective of types of coordination, i.e. , whether sing1e valued or Inixed valued.

No abstract

The hypercoagulable state in patients with toxemia of pregnancy was investigated in comparison with normal pregnant women using new coagulation parameters, mainly thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) complexes, Α₂-antiplasmin-plasmin complexes (PIP), and D-dimer FDP. When the patients were categorized by the classification of the WHO Study Group (1985), significant increases of TAT complexes and Α₂-PIP complexes with decreases of the ATIII level were observed in the groups with preeclampsia and severe gestational hypertensive disease as compared to normal pregnant women. A significant increase of D-dimer FDP was observed in a group with severe gestational hypertensive disease. Additionally, the relationship between clinical signs and the hypercoagulable state in the patients was analyzed using canonical correlation analysis as a multivariate analysis. The clinical signs and coagulation parameters had a significantly high correlation of Λ₁ = 0.7219, p < 0.01. The results showed that clinical signs were associated with simultaneous coagulation abnormalities. The indices obtained from the results of canonical correlation analysis, which were called the clinical index and the coagulation index, should be useful in evaluating the efficacy of anticoagulation therapy.