Hyperventilation as a specific test for diagnosis of coronary artery spasm

Xanthomas may be associated with benign or malignant lymphoproliferative diseases, often with associated hypergammaglobulinema. In human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) disease, there is a high lymphoproliferative rate despite the immunodeficiency and increased cell death. We report three HIV-1-positive patients with facial papular xanthomatosis eruptions associated with hypergammaglobulinema, and an immunoglobulin A (IgA) gammopathy. Histopathologic features include lipid-laden macrophages, extracellular nuclear dust with phagocytosized nuclear debris, and hyalinization with areas of hyaline necrosis of collagen fibers. These distinctive papular xanthomas may be a marker of HIV-1 disease and of a pattern of immunodysregulation, immunodeficiency, and lymphoid proliferation seen in HIV-1 disease.     

Built-in folded monopole antenna for handsets

A built-in folded monopole antenna for handsets (BFMA) is introduced and investigated. The characteristics of the BFMA are compared with those of a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA), which is one of the conventional handset antennas. As a result, it has been confirmed that the BFMA has smaller size and wider bandwidth compared with the PIFA.     

Immunohistochemical detection of estrogen and progesterone receptors in spermatozoa of infertile men

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical implication of sex steroidal actions on human spermatozoa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Human spermatozoa were obtained from 20 males. Immunohistochemical staining for estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) was conducted by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. RESULTS: Positive immunohistochemical staining of ER and PR was observed in all 8 cases of fertile couples. From infertile couples, ER were detected in 8/12 cases, including 3 with normozoospermia, 2 with oligozoospermia, 1 with asthenozoospermia, and 2 with teratozoospermia, but not in 4/12 cases, 1 with normozoospermia, 1 with asthenozoospermia, and 2 with oligoasthenozoospermia. PR were undetectable in all cases of negative ER and in 1 case (normozoospermial) of positive ER. CONCLUSION: Negative ER and/or PR in spermatozoa from infertile couples might be involved in cases of male infertility.     

Treatment results of intermittent and cyclic regimen with ATRA and chemotherapy in childhood acute promyelocytic leukemia. Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group

An intermittent and cyclic regimen with All-Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA) and intensive chemotherapy was conducted due to pharmacokinetic studies on ATRA for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in children. We have treated 17 children with APL using ATRA for remission induction followed by an intermittent schedule of ATRA plus intensive chemotherapy (APL-ATRA protocol). There were 10 males and 7 females. The median age was 9.0 years old. The median baseline white blood cell count was 12.1 x 10(3)/microliter, hemoglobin 7.8 g/dl, platelet 4.5 x 10(4) microliters at diagnosis. Sixteen patients showed t(15; 17) translocation. RT-PCR analysis was available in 15 patients and showed PML/RAR alpha rearrangement in all patients. Overall, 13 or 17 newly diagnosed patients (88%) achieved complete remission and EFS was 67%. Compared to the control (same chemotherapy without ATRA regimen), remission induction and EFS were significantly increased. The toxicity of ATRA consisted of retinoic acid syndrome in 1 and pseudotumor cerebli in another. Other toxicities included headache, chelitis, gastrointestinal trouble and bone pain. These results suggest that intermittent and cyclic regimen with ATRA and intensive chemotherapy (APL-ATRA protocol) is highly effective for APL patients.     

Ouabain suppresses ATP elevation in response to fuel secretagogues in pancreatic islets

The alterations of the ATP concentration in response to fuel secretagogues such as glucose, glyceraldehyde, and ketoisocaproate (KIC) were investigated in a single islet. The intraislet ATP concentration was transiently elevated and then decreased to a level slightly higher than basal. To asses the ATP content under conditions of reduced ATP consumption, the Na-K pump blocker ouabain was used. The elevation of ATP concentration was found unexpectedly to be suppressed under ouabain in the islet, even when incubated with any of the secretagogues. High glucose did not elevate the intracellular creatine phosphate during incubation with ouabain. Since the suppression rate for the intraislet ATP elevation was considerably smaller with KIC than with glyceraldehyde and glucose, we conclude that ouabain inhibits ATP production, at least in part, in the glycolytic pathway through a feedback mechanism.     

Combined surgery for mitral regurgitation associated with extensive annular calcification and left main coronary artery disease

Although extensive calcification of the mitral annulus is encountered infrequently, it presents a formidable problem in mitral valve surgery. We describe a case of severely calcified mitral annulus associated with grade IV mitral regurgitation in addition to left main coronary artery disease. The patient was a 66-year-old woman who successfully underwent thorough excision of the calcified bar, annular reconstruction with a autologous pericardial strip, mitral valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis, and double coronary artery bypass grafting using arterial grafts.     

Cluster migration in the earliest growth stages of gold films on carbon

A process has been developed for forming dense, adherent aluminized layers on Ni-Cr-type alloys. This process development was based on a previous discovery that cobalt additions of 2–20% significantly affect the morphology of aluminized coatings. To enrich the surface region of the Ni-Cr in cobalt, a layer of cobalt about (2–8) × 10^-3 mm thick is applied by physical vapor deposition, sputtering or any other suitable process. The cobalt-coated substrate is heat treated using time-temperature conditions sufficient to cause the cobalt atoms to diffuse into the substrate to the required depth prior to the second step of aluminization. The desired cobalt concentration is greater than 2 wt.% in the substrate surface.Aluminization of the substrate after surface treatment with cobalt is achieved using conventional pack cementation or any other suitable process. It is shown that the oxidation resistance of Ni-20Cr is improved when this alloy is coated with a layer of cobalt of thickness 2.5 × 10^-3mm, then heat treated for 5 h at 1160°C and finally pack aluminized.It is also shown that a duplex-aluminized physically vapor-deposited (PVD) NiCoCr coating has a significantly different morphology from a similarly aluminized PVD Ni-Cr coating.     

A 110-MHz/1-Mb synchronous TagRAM

A 4-way set associative TagRAM with 1.189-Mb capacity has been developed which can handle a secondary cache system of up to 16 Mbytes. A 9-ns cycle operation and clock to D_out of 4.7 ns are achieved by use of circuit techniques such as a pipelined decoding scheme, a single PMOS load BiCMOS main decoder, a BiCMOS sense-amplifying comparator, doubly placed self-timed write circuits, and highly linear VCO for a PLL. The device is successfully implemented with 0.7-μm double polysilicon double-metal BiCMOS technology     

Potential contribution of endothelin to renal abnormalities in glycerol-induced acute renal failure in rats

We studied the possible participation of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathogenesis of renal damage in glycerol-induced acute renal failure (ARF). Cortical mRNA expression of ET-1 increased, peaking at 10 hr postinjury, but this did not occur in the medulla, plasma concentration and urinary excretion of ET-1 also increased in this model. There was no change in ETA receptor mRNA, whereas the ETB receptor tended to be down-regulated in the kidney after glycerol administration. In situ hybridization study demonstrated that elevated expression of prepro ET-1 was predominantly localized in cells in the proximal tubules of the nephritic kidney. The administration (30-3 mg/kg) of S-0139, (+)-disodium 27-[(E)-3-[2-[(E)-3-carboxylatoacryloylamino]-5-hydroxyphenl ]acrylayl oxy]-3-oxoolean-12-en-28-oate, an ETA selective antagonist, after initiation of insult offered dose-dependent prevention against ARF, demonstrating preventing of renal function impairment and mortality. These findings indicate that ET-1 participates in the pathogenesis of acute tubular injury in glycerol-induced ARF and that ETA antagonist may be useful in the treatment of some types of human ARF.