Determination of optimum retrograde cerebral perfusion conditions

Retrograde cerebral perfusion through a superior vena caval cannula is a new technique used to protect the brain during operations on the aortic arch. We measured cerebral tissue blood flow, oxygen consumption, and cerebrospinal fluid pressure under various perfusion conditions in hypothermic (20 degrees C) mongrel dogs (n = 18, 12.8 +/- 0.6 kg) to determine the optimum conditions for retrograde cerebral perfusion. Retrograde cerebral perfusion was performed by infusion via the superior vena caval cannula and drainage via the ascending aortic cannula while the inferior vena cava and azygos vein were clamped. Retrograde cerebral perfusion was performed as the external jugular venous pressure was changed from 15 to 35 mm Hg in increments of 5 mm Hg. Cerebral tissue blood flow was measured by the hydrogen clearance method. Hypothermic retrograde cerebral perfusion with an external jugular venous pressure of 25 mm Hg provided about half the cerebral tissue blood flow of hypothermic (20 degrees C) cardiopulmonary bypass with a flow rate of 1000 ml/min (13.7 +/- 7.9 versus 32.7 +/- 8.5 ml/min per 100 gm). It decreased significantly as the external jugular venous pressure was decreased from 25 to 15 mm Hg but did not increase significantly as the external jugular venous pressure was increased from 25 to 35 mm Hg. Whole-body oxygen consumption during hypothermic retrograde cerebral perfusion with an external jugular venous pressure of 25 mm Hg was one quarter of that during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (3.4 +/- 0.7 versus 12.7 +/- 5.6 ml/min) and varied in proportion to external jugular venous pressure. The cerebrospinal fluid pressure was a little lower than the external jugular venous pressure (19.2 +/- 4.5 mm Hg versus 24.8 +/- 2.4 mm Hg) but also varied with the external jugular venous pressure. The cerebrospinal fluid pressure remained lower than 25 mm Hg so long as the external jugular venous pressure remained lower than 25 mm Hg. High external jugular venous pressure was associated with high intracranial pressure, which restricts cerebral tissue blood flow and may cause brain edema. We believe that a venous pressure of 25 mm Hg is the optimum condition for retrograde cerebral perfusion.     

Ionic current model of bipolar cells in the lower vertebrate retina

We propose an ionic current model of bipolar cells based on the published experimental data. Five types of ionic currents identified in bipolar cell bodies, Ih, IKv, IA, ICa and IK(Ca) were described by a mathematical formulation similar to the Hodgkin and Huxley (Journal of Physiology, 117, 500-544, 1952) equations. The model parameters were estimated from the voltage clamp data. In simulation, we demonstrate that the present model reproduces not only the voltage clamp responses but also the current clamp responses of the bipolar cells. As a result, the model provides a better understanding of the functional role of the ionic currents in bipolar cells in generating the electrical responses.     

A digital driving method using pulse-density modulation with a random dither matrix for higher motion image quality

We propose a new digital driving technique using pulse-density modulation (PDM) with a random dither matrix for evenness of luminance uniformity and higher motion image quality. As a digital driving technique, pulse-width modulation (PWM) is conventionally used for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays in order to improve luminance uniformity. However, in PWM driving, it is difficult to realize high-frame-rate driving for improving motion image quality. On the other hand, it is considered that PDM driving method is effective to obtain high motion image quality because of non-frame-refreshing property. In the present paper, we proposed a PDM driving technique using a random dither matrix and evaluated the relationship between the display image quality and the driving frequency in the proposed method through simulations. As a result, it is confirmed that good image quality can be obtained by using a blue-noise mask as a random dither matrix at a practical driving frequency. Moreover, we demonstrated the proposed technique using an actual AMOLED panel.     

Determination of fatty acid composition by gas chromatography: I. Analysis with use of thermal conductivity detector

For the purpose of establishing a standard method for the gas chromatographic determination of fatty acid composition, a collaborative study team has carried out replicate analyses of specified samples using gas chromatographs equipped with thermal conductivity detectors and has examined the entire set of experimental data by a statistical method. From the results of the four collaborative works it was found that deviation of analytical values from exact composition and interlaboratory scattering of data may be considerably decreased by the following means: (a) enlarging the size of narrow peaks (less than 5 mm at a half height) or peaks with low height by adjusting the attenuator range or chart speed; (b) correcting the analytical values by using correction factors determined from analysis of known mixtures having composition similar to that of an unknown sample. Presented at the JOCS-AOCS Joint Meeting, Los Angeles, April 1972.     

Cellular origin of dysiherbaine, an excitatory amino acid derived from a marine sponge

The cellular origin of dysiherbaine, a marine-sponge toxin, was investigated immunohistochemically by using an anti-dysiherbaine antibody. Dysiherbaine-like immunoreactivity was found to be localized in spherical cells harbored in the sponge mesohyl. A combination of ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) analysis and cell-morphology analysis revealed that the spherical cells were Synechocystis cyanobacteria. However, the sponge, identified as Lendenfeldia chondrodes on the basis of its rDNA sequence, appeared to contain two different chemotypes--dysiherbaine-producing (DH+) and nondysiherbaine-producing (DH-)--both of which inhabited the same region. Synechocystis cells in the DH- sponge were not labeled with antibody, although the 16S rDNA gene profile of the cyanobacteria in the DH- sponge was indistinguishable from that of the cyanobacteria in the DH+ sponge. On the basis of these results, we hypothesize that dysiherbaine is a metabolite of certain varieties of endosymbiotic Synechocystis sp.     

Digital Low-Pass Differentiation for Biological Signal Processing

Digital low-pass differentiation is often required in processing various biological or biomechanical data. However, both the nature of biological signals and the use of micro-or minicomputers in such applications imply the need for simple, low-order, and fast differentiation methods, rather than sophisticated high-order algorithms. Responding to this need, we investigate here the low-pass first- and second-order digital differentiation from both theoretical and practical points of view, in order to achieve good and simple algorithms. In contrast with most of the research works previously done in this field, whose main aim was to achieve better accuracy even in the cost of using quite high-order algorithms, we restrict ourselves in this study only to low orders, being interested not only in the accuracy achieved, but also in the simplicity of the algorithm. After discussing the theoretical considerations concerning our optimum low-pass differentiation filters, we present our simple low-order filters and show them to be not only very convenient for use, but also almost optimum.     

Synthesis of artificial N-glycopolypeptides carrying N-acetyllactosamine and related compounds and their specific interactions with lectins

Artificial N-glycopolypeptides carrying N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) or related compounds were synthesized. First, sugars were converted into their corresponding beta-glycosylamines with ammonium hydrogen carbonate. Then, the beta-glycosylamines were condensated with the carboxyl groups of poly(L-glutamic acid). N-Glycopolypeptides with different degrees of substitution of sugars were isolated by passage through a column of Sephadex G-25. These synthetic polymers were used as model compounds in the analysis of oligosaccharide-lectin interactions. Interactions with some lectins were investigated by agar-gel double-diffusion tests and in terms of inhibition of hemagglutination. A glycopolypeptide substituted with LacNAc reacted with Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin (ECA), peanut (Arachis hypogaea) agglutinin (PNA), Ricinus communis agglutinin-120 (RCA120), wheat germ (Triticum vulgaris) agglutinin (WGA) lectins, which recognize either galactosyl or N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues. Other synthetic glycopolymers carrying N-acetylisolactosamine, GlcNAc, N,N'-diacetylchitobiose, or N,N', N"-triacetylchitotriose also reacted with WGA, and these last two polymers inhibited hemagglutination most. Of these five glycopolypeptides, only the one substituted with LacNAc reacted with ECA. These sugar-substituted glycopolypeptides interacted specifically with the corresponding lectins, no matter how much shorter the sugar side chains of the glycopolymers were than those of natural glycoproteins.