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Flux growth is a promising method that allows one to control over the crystalline phase, crystal shape, crystal size, and crystal surface through the selection of a suitable flux. In this work, lanthanum titanate (La2Ti2O7) crystals with different morphologies were grown using the Na2MoO4, K2MoO4, NaCl, and mixed NaCl + K2MoO4 (molar ratio = 3:7) fluxes, and their nitridability to form LaTiO2N crystals under a high-temperature NH3 atmosphere was also investigated. The effects of the solute concentration and cooling rate on the growth of the La2Ti2O7 crystals were also studied. The X-ray diffraction results revealed that the {100} plane was dominant in the La2Ti2O7 platelet crystals grown using the alkali-metal molybdate fluxes. When the solute concentration was increased from 1 to 20 mol %, the average size of the crystals decreased without considerable alteration of the overall crystal morphology. The La2Ti2O7 crystals with the preferred 010〉 and 001〉 growth directions along the b and c axes were grown using the Na2MoO4 and K2MoO4 fluxes, respectively. Compared to the Na2MoO4 flux, the K2MoO4 flux did not show a cooling-rate-dependent effect on the growth of the La2Ti2O7 crystals. It was found that conversion of the La2Ti2O7 crystals to the LaTiO2N crystals was strongly dependent on the flux used to grow the precursor La2Ti2O7 crystals. That is, the La2Ti2O7 crystals grown using the K2MoO4 and NaCl fluxes were nearly completely converted into the LaTiO2N crystals, while conversion of the La2Ti2O7 crystals grown using the Na2MoO4 and mixed NaCl + K2MoO4 fluxes to the LaTiO2N crystals seemed to be not completed yet even after nitridation at 950 °C for 15 h using NH3 because of the larger crystal size and the presence of unintentional impurities (sodium and molybdenum from the flux) in the La2Ti2O7 crystal lattice. Nevertheless, the LaTiO2N crystals fabricated by nitriding the La2Ti2O7 crystals grown using the K2MoO4 and NaCl fluxes should be suitable for direct solar water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly crystalline, well-developed potassium titanoniobate (KTiNbO5and KTi3NbO9) crystals were successfully grown at temperatures ranging from 700 to 1000 °C by a KCl flux cooling method. Colourless and transparent KTiNbO5crystals with a smallest average size of 750 nm were grown at a relatively low temperature of 700 °C. The sizes of grown crystals were observed to greatly dependent on the holding temperature and solute concentration. HRTEM observations indicated that the flux-grown KTiNbO5crystals were of high quality. The band gap energies of the fabricated KTiNbO5and KTi3NbO9crystals, as estimated from their absorption edges in UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra, were approximately 3.54 and 3.35 eV, respectively. Furthermore, these crystals exhibited good photocatalytic activities under UV light irradiation. The photodecomposition of TCE gas occurred viaa photocatalytic process under UV light irradiation. This study demonstrates that KCl flux cooling is an environmentally friendly and nature-mimetic process for growing high-quality, well-developed, and photocatalytic KTiNbO5and KTi3NbO9crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the fourth reported case of central diabetes insipidus with oligohydramnios. Central diabetes insipidus does not adversely affect pregnancy; it can present with oligohydramnios, which can be improved by treating central diabetes insipidus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 35-year-old female patient with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) wanted to have a child. She had been treated with imatinib and had achieved major molecular remission, after which imatinib was intentionally discontinued, and interferon-a treatment was initiated. After three failed cycles of artificial insemination with her husband's semen, the patient underwent treatment with assisted reproductive technology. After two cycles of in vitro fertilization, two embryos (8-cell stage and blastocyst) were cryopreserved. The patient again had elevated major BCR-ABL mRNA levels; thus, infertility treatment was discontinued. After 18 months of dasatinib treatment, major molecular remission was again observed, and the patient underwent vitrified-warmed embryo transfer with a single blastocyst. After that, she became pregnant. Discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with the timely initiation of infertility treatments, including assisted reproductive technology, might thus be useful for treating women with CML who wish to become pregnant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  There are many difficulties for young women with a Starr-Edwards ball valve who want to attempt pregnancy. There is no consensus regarding whether they should maintain anticoagulation therapy throughout pregnancy with the risk of a thromboembolism or to undergo a reoperation with bioprosthetic heart valves, followed by a third operation when the valve deteriorates. This report presents two cases of young women who underwent mitral valve replacement (MVR) with Starr-Edwards ball valves (model 6120: 1M) during their childhood. Although they did not have any cardiac symptoms, transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac catheterization data demonstrated that both the patients had asymptomatic mild relative mitral stenosis. They both wished to bear a child. After the patients and their family provided thorough informed consent, redo MVRs were preformed safely with biological prostheses. The presence of significant pannus formation along the strut and sewing ring of the excised valves could also have a positive impact on the decision to undergo reoperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]