Successful surgical repair for a patient with atrial septal defect and severe pulmonary hypertension--its surgical indication and prostaglandin E1 use for postoperative pulmonary hypertensive crisis

A 45-year-old woman with atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension was admitted for surgical repair. Cardiac catheterization data revealed pulmonary to systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) of 1.81, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of 82/30 mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) of 10.8 unit. Open lung biopsy was added to evaluate pulmonary vascular obstructive disease (PVOD) which was shown Heath-Edwards grade 3 PVOD. Following closure of the defect, PAP (systolic) exceeded momentarily systemic level after cardiopulmonary bypass. Prostaglandin E1 drip was remarkably effective to bring down PAP during early postoperative period. Although PAP has not been shown significant decrease on catheterization of one year after surgery, great symptomatic improvement has been achieved.     

Fracture behavior of niobium by hydrogenation and its application for fine powder fabrication

Fracture behavior of pure niobium (Nb) by several hydrogenation procedures has been investigated to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of hydrogen pulverization, which can then be used to produce fine Nb powders with high purity. Concentric cracks and microcracks were introduced in recrystallized Nb specimens, leading to pulverization, when they absorb hydrogen enough to form a large volume of the face-centered orthorhombic β-NbH phase. This hydride phase exhibits anisotropic expansion of Nb lattice and embrittlement. Thus, the fracture of Nb plates occurs in the following sequence: hydrogen absorption, the formation of the ordered hydride phase, strain generation arising from the phase transformation, and crack nucleation and propagation. The authors also show that Nb powders less than 1 μm were prepared by hydrogenation and ball-milling at a temperature below 203 K, in which hydrogen was removed by dehydrogenation at above 724 K. Thus, fine and contamination-free Nb powders can be effectively fabricated by using hydrogenation, ball-milling, and dehydrogenation procedures.     

Antiarrhythmic effect related to the plasma concentration of pentisomide in vivo and the antiarrhythmic-concentration relationship in vitro

Pentisomide, 2-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl)-4-methyl-2-(pyridyl)- pentanamide, is a novel antiarrhythmic agent structurally related to disopyramide. Using a glass bead arrhythmic model, the authors studied the antiarrhythmic effect of pentisomide in dogs by monitoring the plasma concentrations. When pentisomide was infused at 1 mg/kg/min for 20 min, the ventricular tachycardia was significantly reduced at 5 min after starting the infusion; the arrhythmias were reduced to less than 5% at the end of the 20 min infusion. The plasma-free concentration of pentisomide was about 3 micrograms/ml at 5 min; it increased to about 10 micrograms/ml at the end of 20 min infusion. With 0.3 mg/kg/min infusion, the arrhythmias were reduced to about 60% but were not significant at 20 min of infusion. The plasma-free concentration of pentisomide did not reach 3 micrograms/ml until 20 min of infusion. The 3 micrograms/ml plasma-free concentration for pentisomide seems to be a critical concentration in inducing a significant antiarrhythmic effect. Pentisomide dose-dependently inhibited ischaemia-reperfusion arrhythmia at doses of 30 microM and higher concentrations in vitro. In conclusion, pentisomide inhibits arrhythmias dependent with the plasma concentration or with the concentration of the external solution. The critical plasma-free concentration for inhibition of arrhythmias was 3 micrograms/ml (not equal to 10 microM) and the in vitro effect also had a similar concentration. Therefore, the in vivo and in vitro antiarrhythmic concentrations were well correlated.     

Endothelin-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in glomerular mesangial cells from normotensive and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

1. Kinase assay in myelin basic protein (MBP) containing polyacrylamide gels revealed that endothelin-1 (ET-1) and ET-3 increased MBP kinase activities in glomerular mesangial cells (MC) from Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP). ET-1 stimulated MBP kinase activities more potently than ET-3. 2. Immunoprecipitation with anti-41-kDa MAPK antiserum showed that the MBP kinases activated by ET-1 correspond to 43- and 41-kDa MAPK. 3. Since Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, a direct activator of protein kinase C, also activated MAPK, protein kinase C was suggested to mediate ET-induced activation of MAPK. 4. These results suggest that MAPK may mediate the ET actions in glomerular mesangial cells from normotensive rats as well as spontaneously hypertensive rats. Since ET is produced by vascular endothelial cells of the kidney and glomerular mesangial cells, the ET signalling pathway may have some physiological and pathophysiological significance in vivo glomerulus.     

Sex differences in audiovisual discrimination learning by Bengalese Finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica).

Both visual and auditory information are important for songbirds, especially in developmental and sexual contexts. To investigate bimodal cognition in songbirds, the authors conducted audiovisual discrimination training in Bengalese finches. The authors used two types of stimulus: an artificial stimulus, which is a combination of simple figures and sound, and a biological stimulus, consisting of video images of singing males along with their songs. The authors found that while both sexes predominantly used visual cues in the discrimination tasks, males tended to be more dependent on auditory information for the biological stimulus. Female responses were always dependent on the visual stimulus for both stimulus types. Only males changed their discrimination strategy according to stimulus type. Although males used both visual and auditory cues for the biological stimulus, they responded to the artificial stimulus depending only on visual information, as the females did. These findings suggest a sex difference in innate auditory sensitivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In situ high temperature TEM observation of interaction between multi-walled carbon nanotube and in situ deposited gold nano-particles

Interaction between multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and deposited gold nano-particles has been dynamically observed in a 200 kV transmission electron microscope (TEM) using a specimen heating holder. Gold particles with diameters of several tens of microns were mixed with MWNTs to mount on the heating element of a specimen heating holder. The gold particles were instantaneously heated to 1373 K to deposit gold nano-particles on the MWNTs from a very short distance. The MWNTs were then heated to 1073 K to observe interaction between the deposited gold nano-particles and MWNTs. Some gold nano-particles drilled through the wall of the MWNT and entered the capillary space of the MWNTs. To characterize the mechanism of the transition of the gold nano-particles into the capillary space of the MWNT, high resolution TEM observation of the deformed wall of MWNT was also carried out.     

Preparation of diamondlike carbon films using nanopulse generator employing SI thyristor

Diamondlike carbon (DLC) films show high hardness, high electric resistivity, and the self‐lubricant characteristic, and many applications and synthesis methods have been reported. Pulse plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the synthesis methods suitable for DLC films on complicated form work, such as molding and extruding die. Ordinary, microsecond‐order pulse is used in this method. This paper describes the development of the synthesis method using nanosecond‐order pulse plasma CVD for DLC films. To realize this process, a static induction (SI) thyristor with an inductive energy storage (IES) circuit was used. Compared with microsecond, nanosecond‐order pulse plasma CVD method shows the characteristics of high electron temperature and exponential relationship between pulse frequency and growth rate. The characteristics of the thus‐obtained DLC films show two broad peaks of the disordered band at 1360 cm^?1 and the graphitic band at 1580 cm^?1 by Raman spectroscopy and hardness of 16.0 GPa and elastic modulus of 170 GPa. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 159(4): 1–7, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20341     

Graphite formation on Ni film by chemical vapor deposition

Thin film formation of graphite by chemical vapor deposition using 2-methyl-1,2′-naphthyl ketone as a starting material was carried out on Ni film substrates. On Ni films directly deposited on quartz glass, the graphite films were obtained when the Ni film thickness was above 1 000 Å and above 5 000 Å at 700 °C and 1 000 °C, respectively. Depositions on thinner Ni film substrates comprise amorphous carbon (a-C) or graphite tubes which was owing to the thermal coagulation of the Ni film into droplets. On the other hand, graphite film was obtained on the Ni film with thickness 10 Å when a-C was inserted between the Ni film and the quartz glass. The coagulation of the Ni film is considered to be avoided by inserting a-C layer.     

Automated 360° profilometry of a three-dimensional diffuse object and its reconstruction by use of the shading model

The 360° profilometry of a three-dimensional (3-D) diffuse object by use of the light intersection and its image reconstruction by surface shading are presented. The lack of data in one direction, which was due to occlusion, was compensated by the projection of two lines of light from different directions. Some experiments to profile objects and their reconstruction by computer are shown. The entire surface model was constructed, and a real shading image was obtained by means of computer graphics.