Repeated pneumonia in the middle lobe caused by congenital bronchoesophageal fistula

A 52-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of repeated episodes of pneumonia in the middle lobe. She had also experienced coughing during meals. The history and chest CT findings suggested the presence of a bronchoesophageal fistula. An upper GI series revealed a fistula between an esophageal diverticulum and the superior segment bronchus of the right lower lobe. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy done immediately after the upper GI series revealed barium sulfate leaking from the superior segment bronchus of the right lower lobe into the middle lobe bronchus. These findings indicated that the repeated pneumonia in the middle lobe was caused by a congenital bronchoesophageal fistula. Examination of the resected fistula showed that it was a Braimbridge type I bronchoesophageal fistula. Although of at least 49 cases of congenital bronchoesophageal fistulas with esophageal diverticula have been reported in the Japanese medical literature, we know of no previous case in which such a fistula was associated with middle-lobe pneumonia.     

Water propagation blocking properties of submarine optical fibre cable

A submarine optical fibre cable is developed which has excellent water propagation blocking properties. Propagation is estimated to be less than 750 m/month at a depth of 8000 m. It also has low-loss properties of 0.40 dB/km at a wavelength of 1.3 ?m.     

Log‐normal distribution for a description of the molecular weight distribution of N‐acetylated chitosans depolymerized with hydrolytic enzyme

N‐acetylated chitosans (NACs) with different degrees of N‐acetylation (DAs) were enzymatically depolymerized at pH 5.1 and 40 °C, and the molecular weight distributions (MWDs) of the depolymerized NACs were then measured by size exclusion chromatography and were fitted by the log‐normal distribution function with two distribution parameters, β and M₀. We discuss also the time‐evolution of the distribution parameters derived from the experimentally obtained MWD as well as the effects of experimental conditions, such as DA and initial NAC concentration (S₀), on the distribution parameters. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Excretion of deoxynivalenol and its metabolite in milk, urine, and feces of lactating dairy cows

Corn contaminated with deoxynivalenol was added to the diets of three dairy cows for 5 d and milk, urine, and 3 d following feeding of the diets. Dietary concentrations of deoxynivalenol averaged 66 mg/kg. Following exposure to deoxynivalenol, unconjugated deepoxydeoxynivalenol, a metabolite of deoxynivalenol, was present in milk at concentrations up to 26 ng/ml. Deoxynivalenol was not detected in the milk. Approximately 20% of the deoxynivalenol fed was recovered in the urine and feces in the unconjugated forms as deepoxydeoxynivalenol (96%) and deoxynivalenol (4%). After incubating urine with beta-glucuronidase, the concentration of unconjugated deepoxydeoxynivalenol increased by 7 to 15-fold whereas unconjugated deoxynivalenol increased 1.6 to 3-fold. Detectable concentrations of unconjugated deepoxydeoxynivalenol were found in urine and feces up to 72 h after the last oral exposure. Thus, urine and feces are the diagnostic specimens of choice for the determination of deoxynivalenol exposure in cows. Feeding deoxynivalenol-contaminated diets for 5 d did not alter feed intake or milk production nor were the milk concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, or nitrogen altered.     

Classical but effective techniques for estimating cardiovasculardynamics

This article first describes the effectiveness and the limitations of classical approaches based on linear models for the cardiovascular system. The authors then introduce their own work on less-invasive and real-time estimation of cardiac output flow and pump function in the clinical setting. It is shown that system identification techniques using linear models can yield unexpectedly accurate results useful for patient care     

An automatic control algorithm for the optimal driving of theventricular-assist device

This paper presents a new method of keeping one of the most suitable driving conditions for regulating the outflow volume from the ventricular-assist device (VAD). The experimental results from a mock circulatory system have shown that the relationship between the stroke volume and the systolic duration of the VAD can be specified by the combination of characteristic curves of the positive and negative drive pressures. The optimal operating point on the characteristic curve have been defined as the point at which thrombosis on the blood-contacting surface and hemolysis due to mechanical damage can be avoided and at which the driving energy can be minimized. The present analysis has been revealed that the optimal operating point is the vertex of the triangular figure obtained from the characteristic curve. The algorithms for keeping the optimal operating point and for regulating the stroke volume have been also proposed.     

Metastasis of an adenocarcinoma of unknown origin to mediastinal lymph nodes, and transient regression

A 67-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of fever. Chest roentgenogram showed an enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes. Despite thorough examination, no definite diagnosis could be made. The mediastinal lymph nodes got smaller over the next 3 weeks and a chest roentgenogram taken 4 months later showed no mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The mediastinal lymphadenopathy and fever recurred 5 months later. She underwent thoracotomy and the mediastinal lymph nodes were excised. Microscopic examination of pretracheal lymph node specimens showed invasion of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma associated with abundant tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The other lymph nodes showed sarcoid reaction. Although she has been followed for one year and 11 months, no primary site of the cancer has been found. Metastasis of cancer of unknown origin to mediastinal lymph nodes is extremely rare. It is also interesting that the lymph node swelling diminished spontaneously. The tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and sarcoid reactions may have been immunological responses to the cancer and may have caused the transient regression.     

Preparation of hydrophilic polyethylene foam of open cell type by radiation grafting of acrylic acid

Hydrophilic polyethylene foam was synthesized by radiation grafting of acrylic acid onto polyethylene foam of open cell type using monomer solution containing Mohr's salt which inhibits homopolymerization of the monomer. The graft foam was easily dyed by cationic dyes and showed excellent moisture regain. The wicking properties were also excellent and were almost the same as those of commercially available PVA foam. The surface resistivity of 10¹⁶ ohm of the original foam decreased to 10⁶ ohm and half decay time of surface charge decreased from 8000 s to 1 s by the grafting, indicating that the grafted foam has excellent antistatic properties.     

Ultrasonic investigations on the flux state of the organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2

The flux state of the organic superconductor -(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu(NCS)₂ has been investigated by ultrasonic measurements. The magnetic field dependence in the longitudinal sound velocity, shows a remarkable dip. The amount of the dip is proportional to cos, where is the angle between the propagation direction of the sound and the magnetic field. The magnetoresistance anomaly in this salt, which is seen in the same magnetic field range as for the sound velocity, has been interpreted by the thermal fluctuation of the Josephson coupling between the superconducting layers. The sound velocity anomaly is interpreted by this mechanism. It would be concluded that such anomaly is caused by a large Grüneisen parameter in this salt.