Intravascular ultrasound findings after successful primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction: predictors of abrupt occlusion

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the intravascular structure as depicted by intravascular ultrasound after successful primary angioplasty (i.e., without thrombolytic therapy) for acute myocardial infarction and to investigate the related predictors of acute coronary occlusion. BACKGROUND: The usefulness of primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction is still limited by early reocclusion. There are few data regarding the intravascular ultrasound findings after primary angioplasty. METHODS: Intravascular ultrasound was performed in 27 patients after successful primary angioplasty. Repeat coronary angiography was performed 15 min later, on the following day and 1 month after angioplasty. RESULTS: Abrupt occlusion occurred in 8 of 27 patients. Angiographic variables in patients with versus those without abrupt occlusion were not significantly different. Intravascular ultrasound disclosed a significantly smaller lumen area ([mean +/- SD] 2.49 +/- 0.72 vs. 5.06 +/- 1.52 mm2, p < 0.001) and a significantly greater percent plaque area (80.5 +/- 9.1% vs. 63.7 +/- 7.8%, p < 0.001) in patients with abrupt occlusion. There was no significant difference in external elastic membrane cross-sectional area. We classified the ultrasound appearance of the intravascular structure as smooth, irregular or filled. Abrupt occlusion occurred in none of 6 patients with a smooth intravascular structure, 24% of 17 patients with an irregular structure and in all 4 with a filled structure (p < 0.05). In the latter group, the lumen was filled with bright speckled or low echogenic material, although angiography revealed excellent coronary dilation in all these arteries. CONCLUSIONS: Intravascular ultrasound revealed a narrow lumen in coronary arteries showing abrupt occlusion after successful primary angioplasty, even though angiography disclosed successful dilation. Arteries with a lumen filled with bright speckled or low echogenic material frequently develop abrupt occlusion.     

Methane Oxidation on Perovskite-Type Ca(Mn1−xTix)O3−δ

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed to elucidate the catalytic activity of CH₄ oxidation on perovskite-type Ca(Mn_{1− x} Ti _x )O_3−δ synthesized at 1173 K in a flow of oxygen from a gel with citric acid and ethylene glycol. The Mn ion content decreases and the ratio of the Mn³⁺ ion in the Mn ion increases with increases in x . Ca(Mn_{1− x} Ti _x )O_3−δ has a high catalytic activity of CH₄ oxidation at x =0.4. These results indicate that the catalytic activity strongly depends on the Mn³⁺ ion content of the surface.     

Improved polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production in transgenic tobacco by enhancing translation efficiency of bacterial PHB biosynthetic genes

Polyhydroxybutyrate [P(3HB)] was produced in the transgenic tobacco harboring the genes encoding acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (PhaB) and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (PhaC) from Ralstonia eutropha (Cupriavidus necator) with optimized codon usage for expression in tobacco. P(3HB) contents in the transformants (0.2mg/g dry cell weight in average) harboring the codon-optimized phaB gene was twofold higher than the control transformants harboring the wild-type phaB gene. The immunodetection revealed an increased production of PhaB in leaves, indicating that the enhanced expression of PhaB was effective to increase P(3HB) production in tobacco. In contrast, codon-optimization of the phaC gene exhibited no apparent effect on P(3HB) production. This result suggests that the efficiency of PhaB-catalyzed reaction contributed to the flux toward P(3HB) biosynthesis in tobacco leaves.     

Preparation and biological evaluation of hydroxyapatite-coated nickel-free high-nitrogen stainless steel

Calcium phosphate was formed on nickel-free high-nitrogen stainless steel (HNS) by chemical solution deposition. The calcium phosphate deposition was enhanced by glutamic acid covalently immobilized on the surface of HNS with trisuccinimidyl citrate as a linker. X-ray diffraction patterns and Fourier transform infrared spectra showed that the material deposited on glutamic acid-immobilized HNS within 24 h was low-crystallinity calcium-deficient carbonate-containing hydroxyapatite (HAp). The biological activity of the resulting HAp-coated HNS was investigated by using a human osteoblast-like MG-63 cell culture. The HAp-coated HNS stimulated the alkaline-phosphate activity of the MG-63 culture after 7 days. Therefore, HAp-coated HNS is suitable for orthopedic devices and soft tissue adhesion materials.     

Study of shunt type SFCL equipped with electromagnetic repulsion switch for large capacity

Using a high‐temperature superconductor, we constructed and tested a model Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (SFCL). The SFCL that we proposed has a vacuum interrupter with electromagnetic repulsion mechanism. We set out to construct a high‐voltage‐class SFCL. We produced an electromagnetic repulsion switch equipped with a 24‐kV vacuum interrupter (VI). However, the opening speed becomes slower, because the larger vacuum interrupter needs a heavier‐weight contact. For this reason, the current which flows in a superconductor may not be interruptible within a half cycle of current. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to change the design of the coil connected in parallel and to strengthen the electromagnetic repulsion force at the time of opening the vacuum interrupter. Thus, the design of the coil was changed, and in order to examine whether the problem is solvable, a current limiting test was conducted. We carried out a current limiting test using second‐generation (2G) HTS wire. The element used in this experiment has a stainless steel stabilizer on both sides of the wire. In the experiment we succeeded in interrupting the current of a superconductor within a half cycle. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 173(4): 20–27, 2010; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21039     

Molecular weight dependence of growth and morphology of it-poly(butene-1) spherulites

Molecular weight dependence of growth and morphology of spherulites of isotactic poly(butene-1), iPB-1, and those of the mixtures with atactic poly(butene-1), aPB-1, were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM) in order to examine the mechanism of the structural evolution by the branching and re-orientation of lamellar crystals at the growth front. The width of lamellar crystals and the characteristic size of the inner structure of spherulites decreased with increasing molecular weight. The result suggests that the mobility of the melt determines the sizes in spherulites and supports the growth front instability induced by a gradient triggering the branching. The sizes in the mixtures also decreased with increasing weight-averaged molecular weight, M_w. The size dependence in low M_w region, however, was too strong and that in high M_w was too weak in comparison with the predicted dependence for the prepared M_w. It has been concluded that the peculiar behaviors should be discussed with effective M_w influenced by the occurrence of separation and exclusion of non-crystallizing aPB-1 at the growth front.     

Slow interfacial charge recombination in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell using Al2O3-coated nanoporous TiO2 films

Al₂O₃-coated TiO₂ porous films were used to fabricate solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells using CuI as hole conductor. Investigation with transient photovoltage measurements showed that the Al₂O₃ interlayer slowed down the interfacial recombination of electrons in TiO₂ with holes in CuI by forming a potential barrier at the TiO₂/CuI interface. As a consequence, the cell made from Al₂O₃-coated TiO₂ film showed superior cell performance than the cell made from TiO₂ film only, especially under relative high intensity of simulated sunlight.     

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in fecal samples of gnotobiotic mice infected with H. pylori by an immunomagnetic-bead separation technique

By an immunomagnetic-bead (IMB) separation technique, isolation of Helicobacter pylori from gastrointestinal and fecal samples of gnotobiotic mice infected with the microorganism was tried. The isolation rate of H. pylori from stomach samples after IMB separation was not higher than that of direct culture of the samples. After IMB separation of feces, H. pylori was detectable by PCR, although H. pylori was not culturable.