Left ventricular diastolic properties of hypertensive patients measured by pulsed tissue Doppler imaging

Examination of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients has been based on parameters obtained from the transmitral flow velocity during pulsed Doppler echocardiography. However, these parameters are affected by loading conditions. We evaluated LV diastolic function along the longitudinal and transverse axes by pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in 50 hypertensive (HT) patients and 36 age-matched healthy volunteers (N). Transmitral flow velocity was recorded by pulsed Doppler echocardiography. LV posterior wall motion velocity along the longitudinal and transverse axes also was recorded by pulsed TDI. In both groups, peak early diastolic velocity of the LV posterior wall (Ew) along the transverse axis (N: 15.8+/-5.2 cm/s, HT: 12.2+/-4.4 cm/s) was higher than that along the longitudinal axis (N: 12.7+/-3.1 cm/s, HT: 9.5+/-3.3 cm/s). Peak atrial systolic velocity of the LV posterior wall (Aw) along the longitudinal axis (N: 9.1+/-1.8 cm/s, HT: 9.7 +/-2.6 cm/s) significantly exceeded that along the transverse axis (N: 8.0+/-2.2 cm/s, HT: 8.4+/-2.4 cm/s) in both groups. The Ews were lower and the Aws were higher along both axes in the patient group than in the control group. The time intervals from the aortic component of the second heart sound to the peak of the early diastolic wave (IIA-Ews) along both the transverse (N: 142+/-18 ms, HT: 154+/-19 ms) and longitudinal (N: 151 16 ms, HT: 162+/-20 ms) axes were longer in the patient group. In 29 patients, Ews along both axes correlated negatively (transverse: r = -0.80, P < .0001; longitudinal: r = -0.71, P < .0001) and IIA-Ews correlated positively (transverse: r = 0.81, P < .0001; longitudinal: r = 0.74, P < .001) with the time constant of the LV pressure decay during isovolumic diastole. The Aws along both axes in the 24 patients without pseudonormalization in transmitral flow velocity correlated positively (transverse: r = 0.60, P < .001; longitudinal: r = 0.74, P < .0001) with the LV end-diastolic pressure. In conclusion, LV relaxation and filling along the longitudinal and transverse axes were impaired in many patients with hypertension. Pulsed TDI was useful for evaluating LV diastolic dynamics in this disease.     

Fabrication of TiO2-based transparent conducting oxide on glass and polyimide substrates

We report on preparation and properties of anatase Nb-doped TiO₂ transparent conducting oxide films on glass and polyimide substrates. Amorphous Ti_0.96Nb_0.04O₂ films were deposited at room temperature by using sputtering, and were then crystallized through annealing under reducing atmosphere. Use of a seed layer substantially improved the crystallinity and resistivity (ρ) of the films. We attained ρ = 9.2 × 10^− 4 Ω cm and transmittance of ~ 70% in the visible region on glass by annealing at 300 °C in vacuum. The minimum ρ of 7.0 × 10^− 4 Ω cm was obtained by 400 °C annealing in pure H₂.     

Psychological Stress Exacerbates Inflammation of the Ileum via the Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone-Mast Cell Axis in a Mouse Model of Eosinophilic Enteritis

The effects of psychological stress on eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders have not been elucidated. This study investigated the effects of psychological stress in a mouse model of eosinophilic enteritis (EoN). BALB/c mice were treated with ovalbumin (OVA) to create an EoN model and subjected to either water avoidance stress (WAS) or sham stress (SS). Microscopic inflammation, eosinophil and mast cell counts, mRNA expression, and protein levels of type 2 helper T cell (Th2) cytokines in the ileum were compared between groups. We evaluated ex vivo intestinal permeability using an Ussing chamber. A corticotropin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor (CRH-R1) antagonist was administered before WAS, and its effects were analyzed. WAS significantly increased diarrhea occurrence and, eosinophil and mast cell counts, and decreased the villus/crypt ratio compared to those in the SS group. The mRNA expression of CRH, interleukin IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, eotaxin-1, and mast cell tryptase β2 significantly increased, and the protein levels of IL-5, IL-13, and OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) also significantly increased in the WAS group. Moreover, WAS significantly increased the intestinal permeability. The CRH-R1 antagonist significantly inhibited all changes induced by WAS. Psychological stress exacerbated ileal inflammation via the CRH-mast cell axis in an EoN mouse model.     

Bone Tissue Engineering in Rat Calvarial Defects Using Induced Bone-like Tissue by rhBMPs from Immature Muscular Tissues In Vitro

This study aimed to induce bone-like tissue from immature muscular tissue (IMT) in vitro using commercially available recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP)-2, rhBMP-4, and rhBMP-7, and then implanting this tissue into a calvarial defect in rats to assess healing. IMTs were extracted from 20-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) fetal rats, placed on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) with 10 ng/μL each of rhBMP-2, BMP-4, and BMP-7, and cultured for two weeks. The specimens were implanted into calvarial defects in 3-week-old SD rats for up to three weeks. Relatively strong radiopacity was observed on micro-CT two weeks after culture, and bone-like tissue, comprising osteoblastic cells and osteoids, was partially observed by H&E staining. Calcium, phosphorus, and oxygen were detected in the extracellular matrix using an electron probe micro analyzer, and X-ray diffraction patterns and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra of the specimen were found to have typical apatite crystal peaks and spectra, respectively. Furthermore, partial strong radiopacity and ossification were confirmed one week after implantation, and a dominant novel bone was observed after two weeks in the defect site. Thus, rhBMP-2, BMP-4, and BMP-7 differentiated IMT into bone-like tissue in vitro, and this induced bone-like tissue has ossification potential and promotes the healing of calvarial defects. Our results suggest that IMT is an effective tissue source for bone tissue engineering.     

Self-assembly of three dimensional micro mechanisms using thermal shrinkage of polyimide

This paper describes three-dimensional microstructures fabricated using a simple self-assembly process involving the thermal shrinkage of polyimide. The proposed method enables hinged structures to be automatically rotated out of the wafer plane and to remain bent without the need to use any interlocking mechanisms. The hinged structures were fabricated using surface micromachining techniques involving heating in a furnace. An increase in the bending angle due to the shrinkage of polyimide was observed with increasing heating temperature, heating time, and length of the polyimide hinge. Of these three parameters, the heating time was found to be the most suitable for precise control of the bending angle. Furthermore, microcubes were fabricated by this method and the self-assembly process was successfully visualized using a CCD camera.     

Mechanism of the noise reduction method by superposition ofhigh-frequency current for semiconductor injection lasers

Semiconductor injection lasers sometimes reveal excess noise called the mode hopping noise, which is associated with the mode hopping phenomena among longitudinal modes. The mode hopping phenomena are caused by coupling effects among lasing modes. To reduce this kind of noise superposition of high-frequency (HF) current on the injection current is frequently used. This reduction method is theoretically analyzed based on the mode competition theory and is compared with experimental measurements. It is confirmed that the coupling effect among the longitudinal modes is released with the HF superposition because of enhanced vibration of the injected electron, resulting in reduction of the mode hopping noise     

A 32×32-bit multiplier using multiple-valued MOS current-modecircuits

A 32×32-bit multiplier using multiple-valued current-mode circuits has been fabricated in 2-μm CMOS technology. For the multiplier based on the radix-4 signed-digit number system, 32×32-bit two's complement multiplication can be performed with only three-stage signed-digit full adders using a binary-tree addition scheme. The chip contains about 23600 transistors and the effective multiplier size is about 3.2×5.2 mm², which is half that of the corresponding binary CMOS multiplier. The multiply time is less than 59 ns. The performance is considered comparable to that of the fastest binary multiplier reported     

Circularly polarized dielectric-loaded planar antenna excited bythe parallel feeding waveguide network

A new receiving planar array antenna for DBS (direct broadcasting satellite) is proposed. The element antenna is a short waveguide aperture mounted in the ground plane, loaded with a dielectric and polarizers, and excited through its side wall by another feeding rectangular waveguide. The gain of the element antenna loaded with a dielectric is so high that the grating lobes can be reduced sufficiently even if the element spacing in the array is wider than the wavelength in free space. Therefore we can reduce the number of the array elements, and parallel feeding by the low loss waveguide network can be feasible to provide a planar array antenna. This paper describes the experimental results of several kinds of the circularly polarized dielectric-loaded element antennas and the planar antennas fed by the waveguide network. In the 12 GHz band the planar antenna with 64-element radiators has a maximum gain of 31.9 dBi with an aperture efficiency of 94.7%, the 1 dB-down frequency bandwidth of the gain is about 800 MHz (6.7% for a center frequency of 11.85 GHz), and the frequency bandwidth of the axial ratio is less than 1 dB of 850 MHz (7.2%)     

Simulated crepitus and its reality-based specification using wearable patient dummy

Physical therapists are trained in manual examination techniques to test the impaired motor functions of patients. In this study, we have introduced a wearable robotic dummy joint to simulate disordered joint resistances or behaviors to support physical therapists in learning such techniques. We developed a discontinuous joint friction model based on a stick-slip phenomenon to simulate knee joint resistances caused by crepitus, a typical symptom accompanied by osteoarthritis. Practicing therapists participated in a reality-based evaluation test and specified acceptable parameter sets to adjust the simulated crepitus for the exoskeletal patient robot. The simulated crepitus and wearable dummy joint are expected to support the training of physical therapists.     

Comparison of Re�CC Fixed-Point Cells and Their T90 Temperatures Between NMIJ and VNIIOFI

The comparison of Re?CC fixed-point cells built at NMIJ and VNIIOFI was carried out. Both cells were built using 5N purity rhenium of the same supplier, and the crucibles had similar dimensions. The cells were heated in the same furnace and measured on consecutive days using a radiation thermometer. To eliminate the effect of possible instability of the thermometer, a third Re?CC cell was used as a reference: it was placed in another furnace and was measured each day just after the cell to be compared. The melting-temperature difference of the NMIJ cell to the VNIIOFI cell was 0.045 °C with a standard uncertainty of 0.033 °C. In the course of this comparison, a comparison of the temperature scales between the NMIJ and the VNIIOFI at the Re?CC point (2475 °C) was performed using the NMIJ Re?CC cells as transfer standards. The difference between the NMIJ and the VNIIOFI scales was found to be ?0.8 °C, which was within the combined uncertainty of 1.4 °C (k = 2).