X-ray CCD calibration system using fluorescent lines

We have developed a CCD calibration system using fluorescent X-ray lines with energies ranging from 1.49 keV (Al K) to 11.2 keV (Se K). The absolute X-ray flux is calibrated by a gas proportional counter, while the emerging spectra are monitored by solid-state silicon detectors. In order to suppress contaminating X-rays in the fluorescence spectra, mechanical collimators were set in the X-ray beam line, high-purity targets for fluorescent lines were used, and band-pass filters were put on the X-ray beam line. As for the purity of the fluorescent X-rays, the typical purity achieved was 98%.     

Phase-field modeling of microstructure evolutions in magnetic materials

Recently, the phase-field method has been extended and utilized across many fields of materials science. Since this method can incorporate, systematically, the effect of the coherency induced by lattice mismatch and the applied stress as well as the external electrical and magnetic fields, it has been applied to many material processes including solidification, solid-state phase transformations and various types of complex microstructure changes. In this paper, we focus on the recent phase-field simulations of real magnetic materials, and the simulation method for magnetic materials is explained comprehensively. Several applications of the phase-field method to clarifying the microstructure changes in magnetic materials, such as Ni₂MnGa ferromagnetic shape memory alloy, FePt nanogranular thin film, Co–Sm–Cu rare-earth magnet, Fe–Cr–Co spinodal magnet, and Fe–C steel with external magnetic field, are demonstrated. Furthermore, the general concept of the effective strategy for controlling microstructure in magnetic materials is proposed.     

Design and performance evaluation of amplifier modules in stackable ROADMs for low-cost CWDM access networks

Coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) network has proven to be promising lower cost network architecture for a significant cost advantage over dense wavelength division multiplexing due to the lower cost of lasers and the filters used in CWDM modules. A compatible amplifier module having bidirectional amplification capability was deployed for introducing inside stackable reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers in realizing large-scale CWDM networks. The amplifier module for use in the bidirectional IP transmission confirmed that the insertion losses of the nodes and the losses of the fibers connecting the nodes can be compensated effectively, allowing the network administrator to increase the number of nodes and fiber length of the network. However, the noise generated from the amplification due to amplified spontaneous emission must be considered in network design issues. In this paper, optical power penalties due to the bidirectional amplification were estimated by conducting experimentation on minimum detectable power of optical transceivers. After analyzing the power penalty issue, an IP-over-CWDM ring network was implemented and the performance of network was evaluated by monitoring the power and packet transmissions before and after the amplifier module was turned on.     

Bradykinin stimulates type II alveolar cells to release neutrophil and monocyte chemotactic activity and inflammatory cytokines

In the present study, we evaluated the potential of bradykinin (BK) to induce the release of neutrophil and monocyte chemotactic activity (NCA and MCA) and cytokines from an alveolar type II epithelial cell line, A549 cells. BK stimulated A549 cells to release NCA and MCA in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P < 0.001). Checkerboard analysis revealed that both NCA and MCA involved chemotactic and chemokinetic activity. Molecular sieve column chromatography showed three molecular weight masses (near 19 kd, 8 kd, and 400 d) for NCA and several molecular weight peaks (near 66 kd, 25 kd, 19 kd, 16 kd, and 400 d) for MCA. The release of NCA and MCA was inhibited by cycloheximide and lipoxygenase inhibitors (P < 0.01). The NCA and MCA were inhibited by leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor antagonist (P < 0.01), and the concentration of LTB4 was high enough for NCA and MCA. Antibodies to interleukin (IL)-8 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) attenuated NCA (P < 0.01), and antibodies to monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), G-CSF, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta attenuated MCA (P < 0.01). The levels of IL-8, G-CSF, MCP-1, and TGF-beta increased time dependently (P < 0.01). BK also stimulated the release of ILeukin-6 from A549 cells (P < 0.001). The receptors responsible for the release of NCA, MCA, and individual chemokines involved both BKB1 and BKB2 receptors. These data suggest that BK may stimulate alveolar type II pneumocytes to release inflammatory cytokines, which then may modulate the lung inflammation.     

EM574, an erythromycin derivative, is a potent motilin receptor agonist in human gastric antrum

Erythromycin and its derivatives are known to induce phase III-like contractions, which are similar to those induced by motilin, in the human gastrointestinal tract during the interdigestive state, but few detailed in vitro studies have been reported. We evaluated EM574, an erythromycin derivative, as a motilin receptor agonist in the human gastric antrum in vitro, using contraction studies of muscle strips and isolated myocytes, receptor binding assay and tissue section autoradiography. EM574 stimulated contractions of muscle strips in a concentration-dependent manner (10(-7)-10(-5) M), and this contractile effect was unaffected by pretreatment with atropine or tetrodotoxin. Isolated myocytes contracted in response to EM574 with a peak shortening at 10(-7) M, which was comparable to the response to motilin. EM574 displaced specifically 125I-motilin bound to smooth muscle homogenates with a Kd value of 7.8 x 10(-9) M, compared with 4.5 x 10(-9) M for motilin. Film autoradiograms showed that 125I-motilin-binding sites were localized in the muscle layers, and that the labeling disappeared in the presence of a 1000 times molar concentration of EM574. We conclude that EM574 directly stimulates smooth muscle cell contraction by acting on motilin receptors in the human gastric antrum in vitro.     

Early hemodynamic effects of olprinone hydrochloride after coronary artery bypass grafting

Our purpose was to evaluate the hemodynamic effects of olprinone hydrochloride early after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Fifteen patients undergoing CABG were administered a constant infusion of 0.1 microgram/kg/min of olprinone and continued for 4 hours. No bolus infusion of olprinone was administered before continuous infusion. Systolic systemic arterial pressure, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance and pulmonary vascular resistance were significantly decreased. There were no significant changes in heart rate, mean central venous pressure, mean left atrial pressure and left ventricular stroke work index. Cardiac index was significantly increased, but a correlation between cardiac index and mixed venous blood oxygen saturation was not found. Double product was significantly decreased, which described above suggest that olprinone achieved improvement of left cardiac function without more myocardial oxygen consumption. Severe transient hypotension (systolic arterial pressure < 80 mmHg) after infusion of olprinone was observed in three patients. Olprinone administered soon after CABG surgery had beneficial effects in terms of improvement of hemodynamic status without more oxygen consumption and reduction of pulmonary vascular resistance. However transient hypotension was a serious clinical problem in patients after open heart surgery, especially in CABG patients who need suitable systolic arterial pressure to keep enough blood perfusion of arterial bypass grafts.     

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is recruited to a specific site in the activated IL-1 receptor I

We have developed an on-line archive of neuronal geometry to encourage the use of realistic dendritic structures in morphometry and for neuronal modeling, located at web address www.neuro.soton.ac.uk. Initially we have included full three-dimensional representations of 87 neurons from the hippocampus, obtained following intracellular staining with biocytin and reconstruction using Neurolucida. The archive system includes a structure editor for correcting any departures from valid branching geometry and which allows simple errors in the digitisation to be corrected. The editor employs a platform-independent file format which enforces the constraints that there should be no isolated branches and no closed loops. It also incorporates software for interconversion between the archive format and those used by various neuronal reconstruction and modelling packages. The raw data from digitisation software can be included in the archive as well as edited reconstructions and any further information available. Cross-referenced tables and indexes are updated automatically and are sorted according to a number of fields including the cell type, contributor, submission date and published reference. Both the archive and the structure editor should facilitate the quantitative use of full three-dimensional reconstructions of neurons from the hippocampus and other brain regions.     

Gastrointestinal bleeding (introduction)

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common and important problem for all clinicians. Patients may present with signs of bleeding, such as hematemesis, melena, or hematochezia. The patient must first be hemodynamically stabilized. Initial assessment of patients with GI bleeding includes thorough history taking and physical examination. Patients with acute bleeding or an unstable condition must be resuscitated immediately and the source of bleeding must be localized to the upper or lower GI tract. Panendoscopy is often the initial diagnostic test and is useful to stop GI bleeding, at the same time.