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A new correction method which is appropriate for the evaluation of Young's modulus of crystalline compounds has been examined and established to correct the size effect. Using a nanoindentation test and the established correction method, Young's moduli of primary Si phase, Al–(Fe,Mn)–Si and Al–Ni compound phases in the hypereutectic Al–Si die cast alloys were evaluated to be 182±9, 208±29 and 170±4 GPa respectively. The rule of mixtures for Young's modulus and the area fraction of each phase were applied to evaluate the Young's modulus of aluminium die cast alloys. The Young's modulus calculated by the rule of mixtures is in good agreement with the value obtained by a tensile test. The combination of the rule of mixtures and nanoindentation test is an effective approach to the precise evaluation of the Young's modulus of aluminium die cast alloys having complicated microstructures.

Study design: Case report of an infected Charcot spine following spinal cord injury. Objective: To describe this very rare pathological condition and the results of surgical treatment. Setting: A department of orthopaedic surgery in Japan. Methods: A 44-year-old man presented with a destructive lesion in the lumbo-sacral spine and a fistula in his back. Anterior bone graft, percutaneous external spinal fixation, and suction/irrigation of the wound were performed. After 4 months, posterior spinal instrumentation surgery was carried out. Results: Primary closure of the fistula and complete bone fusion was achieved after the operation. Conclusion: Infection of a Charcot spine, although a rare clinical entity, should be considered as a diagnostic possibility in the spinal cord-injured patients. External spinal fixation is a useful method for the unstable spinal lesion with infection.

POSTER PRESENTATION, Proceedings of 20th Pediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) Congress / 25-29 September 2013 / Ljubljana, Slovenia

Background. It has been shown that the R(‐) isomer of 1-methyl-5-phenyl-5-propyl barbituric acid (MPPB) induces loss of the righting reflex (LRR), while S(+)-MPPB causes pure excitatory effects, including convulsions, in vivo. Methods. We studied the effects of the depressant and convulsant MPPB stereoisomers on rat hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) release in vivo, using a brain microdialysis technique in freely moving animals. Results. R(‐)-MPPB 60 and 90 mg kg ‐1 i.p. decreased ACh release from the rat hippocampus by 44.1 (8.2)% and 60.8 (8.2)%, respectively. In the hippocampus, the local application of bicuculline, a g-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor antagonist, 1 mmol litre ‐1 antagonized the inhibitory effects of R(‐)-MPPB 90 mg kg ‐1 i.p. In contrast, R(‐)-MPPB, S(+)-MPPB 60 and 90 mg kg ‐1 i.p. increased ACh release to 151.8 (6.8)% and 169.6 (11.1)% of the basal release, respectively. Conclusions. Our results demonstrated that R(‐)-MPPB decreased, while S(+)-MPPB increased, rat hippocampal ACh release and that the inhibitory effects of R(‐)-MPPB may involve the GABAA receptor in vivo. These data imply that changes in hippocampal ACh due to these agents may be related to their central inhibitory and stimulatory actions in vivo.

High depth-resolution terahertz three-dimensional tomography was developed by monocycle-like terahertz pulses using ultra-short pulse fiber lasers. We designed novel photoconductive devices such as a thin-film LT-GaAs detector on Si substrates and an LT-InGaAs emitter for the monocycle waveforms. The depth resolution exhibited under 20 µm in the air and three-dimensional imaging was successfully obtained for multi-layer semiconductor devices.

We experienced a case of a huge hemangioma occupying the oropharyngeal space in an 11-year-old child. Although urgent surgical tracheostomy under local anesthesia was suggested initially, medical interview and findings of computerized tomography and fiberoptic laryngoscopy revealed that the airway of the patient was relatively stable when she was in the semi-left decubitus position. General anesthetic induction would have had potential risks of airway obstruction. Thus, after placing the patient in the semi-left decubutus position, we chose semi-awake induction to secure the airway. With a small dose of fentanyl, we accomplished orotracheal intubation. In this report, we discuss the importance of referring to an airway management algorithm when encountering a difficult airway.

In this paper, specially assembled connectors concatenated were tested under long term reliability tests by polishing ferrules endface as just exceeding the border value of the above proposed parameters. The proposed dimensions were experimentally verified. Water immersion tests done for both GCF-using connectors and ZrF-using connectors showed that GCF is highly reliable in the severest outside conditions like FTTH.

Background. The aim of this study was to examine ethanol-consumption-related changes in the effects of propofol on rat hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) release. Methods. Male Sprague–Dawley rats received a solution of ethanol (20% v/v) for 24 weeks while controls received tap water. The effects of propofol were examined by in vivo microdialysis, with ACh release from the hippocampal regions determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC–ECD). Results. Propofol 50 mg kg−1 i.p. significantly decreased basal hippocampal ACh release in ethanol-treated and control rats by 50.4 ( sem 4.7)% and 38.3 (11.1)%, respectively. Propofol 100 mg kg−1 i.p. significantly decreased basal hippocampal ACh release in ethanol-treated and control rats by 67.5 (3.7)% and 55.9 (7.4)%, respectively. The reduction in hippocampal ACh release induced by 50 or 100 mg kg−1 i.p. propofol was not significantly different between ethanol-treated and control rats. There was no significant difference in the duration of sleep between the two groups. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that chronic ethanol consumption does not augment the inhibitory actions of propofol on rat hippocampal ACh release. These findings appear to be inconsistent with the notion that chronic ethanol intake enhances the propofol-induced inhibition of the hippocampal cholinergic system and related mental dysfunction.

High-flow nasal canulae (HFNC) deliver high-flow humidified gas at up to 60 l/minute. There are two types of respiratory circuit to generate mix gas flow, Blender type (typeB) and Venturi type (typeV). The therapy is well established in the pediatric population and HFNC use has been described in the adult population. It has been reported that HFNC provide higher FIO2 compared with low-flow canulae, and also create mild positive pharyngeal airway pressure, but the effect on alveolar pressure is unknown. We aimed to investigate the effect of HFNC on alveolar pressure, by measuring intratracheal pressure in patients with a cricothyrotomy catheter (CTC). At the same time, we measured the actual gas flow rate (AGFR) by flowmeter and compared it with assumed flow.