Effect of ultrafiltration during cardiopulmonary bypass for pediatric cardiac surgery

The effect of ultrafiltration during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was evaluated for correcting ventricular septal defects with associated pulmonary hypertension in patients less than 18 months old. Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 concentrations in the blood, ultrafiltrate, and urine were measured. The blood IL-6 concentration increased to 128.4+/-20.2 pg/ml by the end of surgery, which is lower than the concentration seen in adult patients (273.1+/-48.2 pg/ml, p < 0.02). The blood IL-8 concentration was not significantly different than that of adults. The total amounts of excreted IL-6 in the ultrafiltrate and urine during CPB were 11.5+/-0.32 pg/kg and 0.32+/-0.07 pg/kg, respectively (p < 0.05). The total amounts of excreted IL-8 in the ultrafiltrate and urine were 4.64+/-0.69 pg/kg and 1.92+/-0.56 pg/kg, respectively (p < 0.05). No differences were seen in these values for excretion between children and adults. We conclude that ultrafiltration during CPB in pediatric patients is more effective in removing proinflammatory cytokines than in adults and more effective than renal filtration alone.     

Nicotine administration decreases the number of binding sites and mRNA of M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors in specific brain regions of rat neonates

Mucins, best known as the major constituent of mucus, are a family of highly glycosylated, high molecular weight (> or = 200 kDa) glycoproteins present on the surface of human epithelial cells. MUC1 has the features of an integral membrane protein. It has an extracellular tandem repeat domain that forms the major part of the core protein, and results in a highly repetitive structure, which is extremely immunogenic. In the protein there is also a proteolytic cleavage site reported in the proximal extracellular domain. The secreted form of MUC1 lacks the cytoplasmic tail, but it is not clear whether this results from alternative splicing or proteolysis and release of the free extracellular domain. The locus of the MUC1 gene is on band 21 of the long arm of chromosome 1 (1q21). Anti-adhesion properties of this mucin are probably the result of the unique structure of the molecule. In mouse uterine epithelium, the homologue MUC1 is regulated with reduced expression in the implantation period, but in humans, expression is high during the peri-implantation period. MUC1 may inhibit the interaction between trophoblast and apical epithelium adhesion molecules at the time of implantation, giving the possibility of forming a uterine barrier for implantation.     

Integrated assessment and energy analysis: Quality assurance in multi-criteria analysis of sustainability

Science for sustainability policy requires the handling of multi-dimensional and multi-scale analyses. Integrated assessment is about generating information relevant for decision-making. This generates a divide between two scientific paradigms: (1) ‘Post-Normal Science’ acknowledges the unavoidable existence of non-equivalent perceptions and representations of the reality; legitimate but contrasting perspectives found among social actors; heavy levels of uncertainty. (2) ‘Normal Science’, believes that it is possible to handle in a rigorous and rational way these challenges and that therefore it is possible to define in substantive terms ‘the best course of action’ for society. This paper is written to explain the reasons and the tools developed by scientists working within the Post-Normal Science paradigm.     

Antitumor activity of tumor necrosis factor alpha conjugated with divinyl ether and maleic anhydride copolymer on solid tumors in mice

Biogenic amines, including acetylcholine, act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the brain of mammals. Accumulated evidences suggest the relevance of these amines to the regulatory system of sleep-wakefulness cycle. Recent development of an in vivo, microdialysis technique has revealed the existence of circadian variation in the release of these amines from various brain regions related to the regulation of sleep-wakefulness. This review focuses on the characteristics of the release of these amines determined by the microdialysis method in rats and cats during sleep-wakefulness cycle, and speculates their roles in the mechanism underlying the control of sleep and arousal state.     

Positive association between plasma levels of oxidized low‐density lipoprotein and myeloperoxidase after hemodialysis in patients with diabetic end‐stage renal disease

End‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have a high prevalence of cardiovascular events. Low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) in dialysis patients has been shown to be susceptible to in vitro peroxidation; therefore, oxidized‐LDL (ox‐LDL) could be generated in these patients. Moreover, myeloperoxidase (MPO) released from activated neutrophils may play a role in the induction of LDL oxidation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma ox‐LDL levels, plasma MPO levels, and serum high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) levels during initial HD in patients with diabetic ESRD. Patients (n = 28) had serial venous blood samples drawn before and after HD at the initial, second, and third sessions. Plasma ox‐LDL levels were measured using a specific monoclonal antibody (DLH3), and plasma MPO levels were measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit. Plasma ox‐LDL levels and MPO levels after a single HD session increased significantly (ox‐LDL, P < 0.005; MPO, P < 0.0001) compared with levels before that HD session. However, the increase was transient since the levels returned to pre‐HD session levels. Additionally, plasma MPO levels showed a positive correlation with plasma ox‐LDL levels during HD (R = 0.62, P = 0.0029). No significant change was observed in serum hs‐CRP levels before and after each HD session. This study demonstrates that plasma MPO levels are directly associated with plasma ox‐LDL levels in diabetic ESRD patients during initial HD. These findings suggest a pivotal role for MPO and ox‐LDL in the progression and acceleration of atherosclerosis in patients undergoing HD.     

Aerodynamic damping properties of two transmission towers estimated by combining several identification methods

Based on full-scale measurement data, we report on several aerodynamic damping properties of two transmission towers under conditions of strong winds. In estimating the damping ratio from data that contain many components of close frequencies of tower and conductor vibrations, we cannot estimate the damping ratio of each component if we use an estimation method available for only a single-degree-of-freedom system. Therefore, we combined several identification methods and are introducing a new method of estimating damping properties. This method is applicable to the response record of a multi-degree-of-freedom system such as the coupled structure of a transmission tower-and-conductors. Using the new estimation procedure, we were able to extract the component of every vibration mode of the towers from a measured time history and estimate the accurate damping ratios individually; and, our results revealed that the wind speed dependency of the aerodynamic damping property of the coupled tower-and-conductors system had wide differing characteristics depending on the vibration mode. Moreover, using a three-dimensional nonlinear analysis, we discuss, in detail, the effects of the progressive deformation of a transmission-conductor-plane due to an increase in wind speed on the development of the aerodynamic damping of the coupled tower-and-conductors system.     

Going beyond energy accounting for sustainability: Energy,fund elements and the economic process

The main purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent the widely used energy accounting schemes are useful for dealing with sustainability issues in view of Georgescu-Roegen’s production process and its implications for the evolutionary aspects of the economic process. The first part critically examines the concept of “net energy” in relation to material elements produced and consumed in the economic process in light of Georgescu-Roegen’s bioeconomics. The first part also considers the issue of what is produced in the economic process and emphasizes the importance of matter in bulk. The second part first compares the theoretical basis of embodied energy analysis (EEA) from the point of view of Piero Sraffa, a point of view not examined by Georgescu-Roegen. The second part also examines EEA critically in terms of Georgescu-Roegen’s flow-fund model and compares Sraffa’s analysis and Georgescu-Roegen’s flow-fund model.     

The interpersonal problems of the socially avoidant: Self and peer shared variance.

We demonstrate a means of conservatively combining self and peer data regarding personality pathology and interpersonal behavior through structural equation modeling, focusing on avoidant personality disorder traits as well as those of two comparison personality disorders (dependent and narcissistic). Assessment of the relationship between personality disorder traits and interpersonal problems based on either self or peer data alone would result in counterintuitive findings regarding avoidant personality disorder. In contrast, analysis of the variance shared between self and peer leads to results that are more in keeping with hypothetical relationships between avoidant traits and interpersonal problems. Similar results were found for both dependent personality disorder traits and narcissistic personality disorder traits, exceeding our expectations for this method. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trajectories of fluid particles in a periodic water wave

We compute trajectories of fluid particles in a water wave that propagates with a constant shape at a constant speed. The Stokes drift, which asserts that fluid particles are pushed forward by a wave, is proved using a new method. Numerical examples with various gravity and surface tension coefficients are presented.