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1. The DNA contents in mature lymphocytes of the mouse, rat and man are kept almost constant. 2. The variety in the DNA contents in tumor cells is attributed to the rapid DNA synthesis taking place at the interphase, though the degenerating cells and the cells in abnormal mitosis can not be discarded as the source of the variety in DNA content. 3. The RNA content in AH-130 (ascites hepatoma) is less than that in normal liver cells.

Using the erythroid cells of Rana nigromaculata the hemoglobin synthesis has been studied in the relation of DNA and RNA contents. Results showed that the hemoglobin synthesis starts in the early stage of erythroblast but becomes marked just before the complete maturation. RNA contents drops markedly in the later stage of maturation. Measurement of DNA contents by Feulgen reaction suggested the termination of the mitosis just before the prematuration. From these results the author concludes that the RNA which will act as the template for the globin synthesis, develops from the early stage of erythroblast but the templation is accelerated in the terminal stage of maturation and the marked acceleration in hemoglobin synthesis in this stage.

Sick preterm infants often have thrombocytopenia at birth, and this is often associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), or birth weights less than the 10th percentile. The pathogenesis of the thrombocytopenia and its importance in IUGR are still unclear. We studied the characteristics of preterm IUGR infants with thrombocytopenia. Twenty-seven singleton Japanese preterm IUGR infants were born between January 2002 and June 2007 at Okayama University Hospital. Infants with malformation, chromosomal abnormalities, alloimmune thrombocytopenia, sepsis, and maternal aspirin ingestion were excluded. The infants were divided into group A (n＝8), which had thrombocytopenia within 72h after birth, and group B (n＝19), which did not. There were significant differences in birth weight, head circumference, umbilical artery (UA)-pulsatility index (PI), middle cerebral artery-PI, UA-pH, UA-pO2, and UA-pCO2. The infants in group A were smaller, had abnormal blood flow patterns, and were hypoxic at birth. We speculate that the infants with thrombocytopenia were more severely growth-restricted by chronic hypoxia. Thrombocytopenia is an important parameter for chronic hypoxia in the uterine.

We discuss the concept of social capital, which has received much attention recently. Social capital is important for the following 2 key reasons:(1) a highly democratic polity and a strong economic performance that attaches great importance to the public good can be achieved on the basis of high social capital;and (2) social capital can effect health status in the human population, and widening of income inequality harms human health through the erosion of social capital. In addition, there are 3 political implications of social capital for Japanese society:(1) social capital has implications for the political decision of whether Japanese society should adopt a “medium burden for medium welfare” or a “low burden for small welfare” model together with the concept of social overhead capital;(2) reciprocity, which is one of the primary components of social capital, is similar to the philosophy underlying the health care system of Japan;(3) Japanese society needs to change from a society that emphasizes the relationships between its members to a society that is open to outsiders and has sufficient opportunities.