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Objective To comprehensively evaluate diagnostic algorithms for myocardial infarction using a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay. Patients and methods We prospectively enrolled patients with suspected myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation from nine emergency departments in Japan. The diagnostic algorithms evaluated: (i) based on hs-cTnI alone, such as the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1-h or 0/2-h and High-STEACS pathways; or (ii) used medical history and physical findings, such as the ADAPT, EDACS, HEART, and GRACE pathways. We evaluated the negative predictive value (NPV), sensitivity as safety measures, and proportion of patients classified as low or high-risk as an efficiency measure for a primary outcome of type 1 myocardial infarction or cardiac death within 30 days. Results We included 437 patients, and the hs-cTnI was collected at 0 and 1 hours in 407 patients and at 0 and 2 hours in 394. The primary outcome occurred in 8.1% (33/407) and 6.9% (27/394) of patients, respectively. All the algorithms classified low-risk patients without missing those with the primary outcome, except for the GRACE pathway. The hs-cTnI-based algorithms classified more patients as low-risk: the ESC 0/1-h 45.7%; the ESC 0/2-h 50.5%; the High-STEACS pathway 68.5%, than those using history and physical findings (15–30%). The High-STEACS pathway ruled out more patients (20.5%) by hs-cTnI measurement at 0 hours than the ESC 0/1-h and 0/2-h algorithms (7.4%). Conclusions The hs-cTnI algorithms, especially the High-STEACS pathway, had excellent safety performance for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction and offered the greatest improvement in efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on multiphase thin film growth of the Bi-Mn-O system on SrTiO3 (100) substrates. By varying the deposition oxygen partial pressure, the dominant phase formed in the film can be continuously changed from single phase epitaxal multiferroic BiMnO3 to epitaxally grown ferromagnetic Mn3O4. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that epitaxial multiferroic nanocomposites consisting of BiMnO3 and Mn3O4 form when the deposition pressure is ≈10 mTorr. The magnetic properties of the films were found to change as a function deposition pressure in a manner consistent with the variation in the nanocomposite microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize a novel vacuum-atmosphere interface that does not require a large differential pumping system, a robust cascade arc discharge source called a plasma window is constructed and tested for long-term operation. By modifying a test plasma with a direct current discharge, a vacuum interface with a high gas pressure ratio of 1/407 between the discharge and expansion sections is demonstrated for currents as high as 20 A. No significant damage to the electrodes is observed during the operation. Analysis of the visible emission spectra reveals that a stationary, stable argon plasma having a temperature of 1 eV and a density of 1.5 × 1016 cm-3 is generated in the plasma channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unconditional stability of the Crank-Nicolson Finite Difference Time Domain (CN-FDTD) method permits us to use time steps over the Courant-Friedrich-Lewy (CFL) limit of conventional FDTD method. However, in this work it was realized that, when the time step is set above CFL limit the coefficient matrix arising from Crank-Nicolson method is no longer diagonally dominant and iterative solvers require longer solution time in each FDTD iteration. Frequency dependent CN-FDTD (FD-CN-FDTD) scheme for Debye media is formulated and numerical tests are performed with two widely used sparse iterative solvers, Bi-Conjugate Gradient Stabilised (BiCGStab) and Generalised Minimal Residual (GMRES), for comparison. BiCGStab outperforms GMRES in every aspect of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graded glass coating for Vitallium®, a Co-Cr alloy, has been prepared using a simple enameling technique. The composition of the glasses has been tailored to match the thermal expansion of the alloys. The optimum glass composition and firing conditions (temperature and time) needed to fabricate homogeneous coatings with good adhesion to the alloy were determined. The final coating thickness ranged between 25 and 60 µm. Coatings fired under optimum conditions do not delaminate during indentation tests of adhesion. Excellent adhesion to the alloy has been achieved through the formation of 100 nm thick interfacial chromium-oxide (CrOx) layers. The graded glass (consisting of BIG and 6P50 layers) can be successfully coated to a Co-Cr alloy, and forms hydroxyapatite (HA) on the coating surface when immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) for 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface tensions ofxPbO-(100-x) B2O3 (x= 30-80 mol%) andxBi2O3-(100-x) B2O3 (x= 0-100 mol%) melts were measured using the ring method over the temperature range 973 to 1373 K. The compositional and temperature dependences of surface tension were investigated. Addition of PbO and Bi2O3 to B2O3 increased the surface tensions of their respective PbO-B2O3 and Bi2O3-B2O3 melts. The surface tension showed a maximum at 60 mol% PbO in the PbO-B2O3 melts and at 70-80 mol% Bi2O3 in the Bi2O3-B2O3 melts. The temperature coefficient of surface tension was examined on the basis of its relationship to the structure, and it was suggested that the temperature coefficient of surface tension decreases with an increasing content of four-coordinated boron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Interleukin (IL) 17 is a cytokine which exerts strong proinflammatory activities. In this study we evaluated changes in IL-17 expression in the inflamed mucosa and in the serum of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Tissue samples were obtained endoscopically or surgically from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) (n=20), Crohn's disease (CD) (n=20), infectious colitis (n=5), ischaemic colitis (n=8), and normal colorectal tissues (n=15). IL-17 expression was evaluated by a standard immunohistochemical procedure. Serum IL-17 levels were determined by ELISA. IL-17 mRNA expression was analysed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results: IL-17 expression was not detected in samples from normal colonic mucosa, infectious colitis, or ischaemic colitis. In the inflamed mucosa of active UC and CD patients, IL-17 expression was clearly detectable in CD3[sup +] T cells or CD68[sup +] monocytes/macrophages. The average number of IL-17[sup +] cells was significantly increased in active UC and CD patients compared with inactive patients. IL-17 mRNA expression was not detected in normal mucosa but was detectable in the mucosa from active UC and CD patients. IL-17 was not detected in the sera from normal individuals, infectious colitis, or ischaemic colitis patients but IL-17 levels were significantly elevated in IBD patients. Conclusions: IL-17 expression in the mucosa and serum was increased in IBD patients. It is likely that IL-17 expression in IBD may be associated with altered immune and inflammatory responses in the intestinal mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colonic subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMFs) may play a role in the regulation of a number of epithelial cell functions and in the mucosal repair process. In this study, we evaluated the changes in alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA)- and vimentin-positive SEMFs in the inflamed mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Tissue samples were surgically obtained from patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 5) and active Crohn's disease (CD) (n = 5). Normal intestinal tissues were also obtained (n = 5). The SMA and vimentin expression was evaluated by standard immunohistochemical procedures. In normal intestinal mucosa, SMA- and vimentin-positive SEMFs were located immediately subjacent to the basement membrane, juxtaposed against the bottom site of the epithelial cells. In the inflamed mucosa of active UC patients, there were relatively more SMA-positive cells compared with normal mucosa. In particular, the increase in SMA-positive cells was greatest at the marginal area of deep ulcers of UC patients. In active CD mucosa, SMA-positive cells were increased in all samples, and a marked increase was observed in two samples. The number of SMA-positive SEMFs was relatively higher in CD mucosa than in UC mucosa. An [3H]thymidine incorporation study demonstrated that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I significantly increased the uptake of [3H]thymidine into isolated SEMFs. In particular, PDGF had a strong stimulatory effect. We concluded that colonic SEMFs may play an important role in the repair process of IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conditions of the outermost surfaces of Al films deposited on to a glass substrate were modified systematically in two different ways. In one, the surfaces of the Al films were indented by a Vickers indenter with different loads. In the other, overcoating layers with different thicknesses were deposited on to the original Al films. The effects of the Vickers indentation and the overcoating layer on the formation of hillocks and whiskers were studied systematically. Modification of the outermost surfaces leads to both suppression and enhancement of formation of hillocks and whiskers. It is concluded that the strength of the natural oxide layer governs whether or not whiskers and hillocks are formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling process in single twitch fibres from frog toe muscle was inhibited selectively by phenylglyoxal (PGO), a specific guanidyl modifying reagent. A new protein (31.5 kDa), which has PGO-binding ability and seems to play a key role in the E-C coupling process, was solubilized from transverse tubule membrane-junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum complexes (TTM-JSR) of frog skeletal muscles, usingC-PGO. The monoclonal antibody against this protein applied extracellularly inhibited the E-C coupling process of the single fibres. This protein appears to constitute the very first step of input for E-C coupling. It is considered to behave as an indispensable part of an 'electrometer' to measure membrane potentials. Therefore, the name 'electrometrin' is suggested for the new protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new glycoprotein of 31,500 dalton, which has a high affinity for ouabain, and is independent of (Na−K)-ATPase, was solubilized from transverse tubule membrane and junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum complexes (TTM-JSR) of cat cardiac muscle. This protein could be extracted only in small amounts from sarcolemmaplasma membrane (SLM-PL) fragments, suggesting that it indeed originates from the TTM-JSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measured soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from patients with interstitial pneumonia of unknown etiology (IP) (n = 17), sarcoidosis (n = 8) and normal control subjects (n = 10), to investigate its role in pulmonary diseases. Soluble IL-6R was determined by an ELISA. The volume of epithelial lining fluid (ELF) in BALF was estimated using an urea method. We found that levels of sIL-6R in serum, BALF, and ELF from patients with IP or sarcoidosis were significantly higher than those from normal subjects. Furthermore, levels of sIL-6R in BALF or ELF were significantly correlated with those of albumin, indicating that sIL-6R, together with albumin, may enter ELF as a result of the increased permeability caused by pulmonary inflammation. Thus most of the sIL-6R in ELF would be from serum, and relatively small amounts of it might be produced locally. However, sIL-6R levels in ELF, but neither serum nor BALF, were significantly correlated with levels of C-reactive protein in patients with IP. These results suggest that both systemic and local production of sIL-6R are increased, and raised sIL-6R is involved in the modulation of systemic and local inflammatory responses in patients with IP and sarcoidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A custom developed 6Li glass scintillator (APLF80+3Pr) for down-scattered neutron diagnostics in inertial confinement fusion experiments is presented. 6Li provides an enhanced sensitivity for down-scattered neutrons in DD fusion and its experimentally observed 5-6 ns response time fulfills the requirement for down-scattered neutron detectors. A time-of-flight detector operating in the current mode using the APLF80+3Pr was designed and its feasibility observing down-scattered neutrons was demonstrated. Furthermore, a prototype design for a down-scattered neutron imaging detector was also demonstrated. This material promises viability as a future down-scattered neutron detector for the National Ignition Facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the discovery of a lead-free morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in Sm doped BiFeO3 with a simple perovskite structure using the combinatorial thin film strategy. The boundary is a rhombohedral to pseudo-orthorhombic structural transition which exhibits a ferroelectric to antiferroelectric transition at approximately Bi0.86Sm0.14FeO3 with dielectric constant and out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficient comparable to those of epitaxial (001) oriented PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) thin films at the MPB. The discovered composition may be a strong candidate of a Pb-free piezoelectric replacement of PZT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the growth and multiferroic properties of epitaxial BiCrO3 thin films. Single phase epitaxial thin films were grown on LaAlO3 (001), SrTiO3 (001), and NdGaO3 (110) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The films display weak ferromagnetism with the Curie temperature of 120 K. Piezoelectric response and tunability of the dielectric constant were detected in the films at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the controlled multiphase thin film growth in the Bi–Fe–O system. By varying the deposition oxygen pressure, the dominant phase formed in the film continuously changes from ferroelectric BiFeO3 to a mixture of α-Fe2O3 and ferromagnetic γ-Fe2O3. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy have revealed that epitaxial multiferroic nanocomposites consisting of BiFeO3 and Fe2O3 are formed when the deposition pressure is ≈5 mTorr. In order to investigate the previously reported anomalous enhancement in magnetization in BiFeO3, we have fabricated a thickness gradient pure BiFeO3 film. The out-of-plane lattice constant was found to increase continuously as the thickness is decreased from 300 to 5 nm, but no significant enhancement in magnetization was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was performed to determine the effect of ouabain on Ca release from fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum (FSR) isolated from cat cardiac muscles. The results clearly demonstrate that ouabain potentiates the Ca release from FSR by changing the ionic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency delta-sigma modulation (FDSM) technique was applied to the microphone sensors. The FDSM is a superior analogue-to-digital conversion technique, which outputs wide band, large dynamic range digital signals without precision analogue components. In this implementation, a microwave cavity resonator having movable membrane on its one end, together with a gain block consisting of a heterojunction field effect transistor, was used for sound-frequency converter. The output of this converter (frequency modulated intermediate signal) was sampled and converted to 1-bit delta sigma modulated digital signals. The noise shaping behaviour with a clear signal peak was demonstrated for the fabricated devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency delta‐sigma modulation (FDSM) technique was applied to the microphone sensors. The FDSM is a superior analogue‐to‐digital conversion technique, which outputs wide band, large dynamic range digital signals without precision analogue components. In this implementation, a microwave cavity resonator having movable membrane on its one end, together with a gain block consisting of a heterojunction field effect transistor, was used for sound‐frequency converter. The output of this converter (frequency modulated intermediate signal) was sampled and converted to 1‐bit delta sigma modulated digital signals. The noise shaping behaviour with a clear signal peak was demonstrated for the fabricated devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article about hepatic sinusoidal obstructive syndrome treatment with recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin in the May 9, 2011 issue.