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Background and objective Body weight of patients with obstructive sleep apnea after initiation of nasal continuous positive airway pressure appears to increase. We hypothesized that intermittent hypoxia (IH) will decrease energy expenditure (EE), and that normoxic recovery will lead to body weight gains. Methods C57BL/6 J male mice were exposed to either 12 h/day of mild IH (alternating FIO2-10-11% and 21%; 640 s cycle), or severe IH (FIO2-6-7%-21%; 180 s cycle) or sham IH daily for 4 or 8 weeks. After exposures, EE was evaluated while mice were kept under normoxia for 5 weeks and organ histology was evaluated. Results EE was not decreased by IH. However, visceral white adipocyte size after normoxic recovery was significantly increased in severe IH in an intensity-dependent manner. Conclusion Our hypothesis that IH would decrease EE was not corroborated. However, IH and normoxic recovery seem to promote severity-dependent enlargement of visceral adipocytes, likely reflecting altered energy preservation mechanisms induced by IH.

Objectives: Recent reports on venous blood gas analysis have shown that venous bicarbonate concentration is useful in the evaluation of the body acid-base status. Most of these reports have been based on the Bland-Altman analysis comparing arterial and venous blood gas values. We intended to elucidate any factors that decrease the agreement between venous and arterial bicarbonate concentrations, which might impair the usefulness of venous blood gas analysis. Methods: Healthy volunteers and patients with various diseases (n = 141) were evaluated by simultaneous arterial and venous blood sampling and Bland-Altman analysis. The venous-arterial bicarbonate concentration difference was compared between healthy volunteers and untreated respiratory alkalosis patients. Intentional hyperventilation (30 or 60 breaths/min, for 3 min) was also performed on 6 healthy volunteers and the venous-arterial bicarbonate concentration difference was evaluated. Results: The relative average bias in bicarbonate concentration was 2.00 mEq/l with venous bicarbonate higher than arterial bicarbonate with 95% limits of agreement of ±4.15 mEq/l. Hyperventilation challenges increased the venous-arterial bicarbonate concentration difference in an intensity-dependent manner. The venous-arterial bicarbonate concentration difference was higher in untreated respiratory alkalosis patients than in healthy volunteers (P Conclusion: Although venous bicarbonate may be useful to evaluate the body acid-base status, hyperventilation increases the venous-arterial bicarbonate concentration difference. Physicians should keep this phenomenon in mind.

Objective: The Japanese drug use system allowed the “once-daily use” of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) fluticasone furoate (FF) combined with a long acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) vilanterol (VI) against asthma for the first time in 2013. Until then, patients with asthma had to use ICS at least twice-daily. We investigated the real-world efficacy and problems of this drug (FF/VI). Methods: This was an open-label, uncontrolled, within-group time-series (before-after) design. Prior treatments of asthma (twice-daily use of ICS with or without LABA) were switched to once-daily use of FF/VI (200 μg/25 μg). Subjects were evaluated by lung function tests prior to, and 2–3 months after, the initiation of FF/VI. Questions on the asthma control test (ACT) and preference of drugs were asked to patients. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight Japanese asthma outpatients were enrolled from 2014–2018 and 107 subjects completed the study. Peak flow, instantaneous flow at 75% of the forced vital capacity (V75), V50, maximum mid-expiratory flow rate, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, and ACT score in FF/VI-using subjects were significantly increased (all p

Microplasma technology was used in many applications from biomedical to surface treatment of polymers. A new application could be the surface treatment of glass panels for the electronic industry in order to improve the surface wettability. The remote microplasma method is proposed for the surface treatment of glass. It can be easily applied as an industrial process due to the relatively low discharge voltage around 1 kV and small size of the reactor. This paper presents the surface treatment of glass by microplasma using Ar and mixtures of Ar with N2 and O2. A microplasma process was analyzed by the emission spectroscopy method. A Marx generator with MOSFET switches, a neon transformer, and a pulsed power supply were used to energize the electrodes. The emission spectrum was measured by an intensified charge-coupled device camera and a spectrometer. An optic fiber was used to have an accurate measurement of a small part of the microplasma discharge. Surface wettability of glass was confirmed, measuring the contact angle before and after the microplasma treatment. The surface of glass was modified due to the action of the radicals and active species generated by microplasma. The emission spectrum of the microplasma discharge in Ar and mixtures of Ar with and showed ArI peaks, OH peaks, second positive band system peaks, and first positive band system peaks.

Microplasma can be found in many applications. The technology is also used for surface treatment of polymers. The process of surface treatment by microplasma is environmental friendly, and it could be realized at low cost due to the relatively low discharge voltage (around 1 kV) even under atmospheric pressure and the small size of the power supply and reactor. This paper presents the surface treatment by microplasma of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) film using Ar gas and mixtures of Ar with N2 and O2. The microplasma process was analyzed by the emission spectroscopy method. An experimental Marx generator with MOSFET switches was used as a pulsed high-voltage power supply. The emission spectra were measured by an intensified charge coupled device camera, a spectrometer, and a photomultiplier tube. Surface wettability of the PEN film was confirmed by measuring the contact angle before and after the microplasma surface treatment. It was observed that the contact angle of the PEN film decreased, especially with the O2/Ar mixture. The analysis using an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer showed the decrease of C1s, which correspond to the C-H bond. The emission spectrum of the microplasma discharge in the N2/Ar mixture showed Ar peaks, OH peaks, N2 second positive band system peaks (N2 SPS), N2 first positive band system peaks ( N2 FPS), and decrease in the peak intensities of ArI and OH for microplasma discharge in the O2/Ar mixture. The lifetime emission signals for the N2 SPS for the microplasma discharge in 0.25% N2 in Ar were around 1 μs. The calculation of the microplasma rotational and electron temperatures shows low rotational and high electron temperatures.

5-Methoxycarbonylmetyl-2′-deoxyuridine residue was incorporated into oligoDNAs containing either an exclusive thymidine residue (dT) or all four natural deoxynucleoside residues (dA, dG, dC, dT) via a phosphoramidite method. The treatment of the fully protected oligomer bound to controlled pore glass (CPG), with a variety of polyamine resulted in the release of the oligomer from CPG and the incorporation of the polyamine at the 5-position of the uracil component, simultaneously and in good yields.

Smoking cessation decreases oxidative stress and restores vascular endothelial function. However, a recent meta-analysis suggests that the use of varenicline, a α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, increases the risk of cardiovascular events. This study was designed to determine the effect of varenicline-assisted smoking cessation on vascular endothelial function. Study subjects were 11 healthy Japanese males (mean age, 54.4 years) without evidence of cardiovascular disease who were eager to quit smoking. Each subject was treated with varenicline titrated up to 1.0 mg twice daily. We evaluated serum derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) as a marker of oxidative stress, and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery as a marker of vascular endothelial function. Both measurements were performed before and 3 months after completing smoking cessation. All subjects gained weight (average, 1.7 kg) after smoking cessation. However, there were no significant differences in the following parameters before and after smoking cessation: systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose and hemoglobin A1c. Serum d-ROM levels significantly decreased from 340.7±70.4 to 300.0±43.2 U.CARR (P=0.012), and FMD significantly increased from 3.36±1.26 to 5.25±1.33% (P=0.00067) after smoking cessation. There was an inverse correlation between FMD and serum d-ROM levels (R=-0.377; P=0.043). Our observations suggest that varenicline-assisted smoking cessation restores vascular endothelial function, and this is associated with decreased oxidative stress, despite an increase in body weight. As varenicline-assisted smoking cessation possibly has beneficial effects on vascular endothelial function, it might also reduce cardiovascular risk.

Objectives: A meta-analysis suggested that the use of varenicline, which is a partial agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and is effective in smoking cessation, increases the risk of cardiovascular events within 52 weeks of starting treatment. Defining these events as occurring during drug treatment (usually for 12 weeks) or within 30 days of discontinuation, another meta-analysis showed that the risk was statistically insignificant. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the effect of varenicline-assisted smoking cessation on vascular endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD). Design: Before–after and time-series. Setting: Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Participants: Data of 85 participants who visited nicotine-dependent outpatient services were reviewed. FMD was repeatedly measured in 33 of the 85 participants. Inclusion criteria: 20 years and older, Brinkman index ≥200, Tobacco Dependence Screener ≥5 and stated motivation to quit smoking. Interventions: Each participant was treated with varenicline titrated up to 1.0 mg twice daily (for 12 weeks in total). Primary and secondary outcome measures: Participants were evaluated by FMD prior to, and 3 months after, complete smoking cessation. Follow-up FMD measurements were carried out every 3 months if possible. Changes in FMD during varenicline use were also evaluated. Results: FMD was significantly increased from 4.0±1.8% to 5.5±2.2% (p

Microplasma technology was used in the last years for various applications such as NOx removal, sterilization of bacteria or surface treatment. The advantages of microplasma consist in reduced size of the reactor and low discharge voltage. Phenomena of microplasma could be analyzed using emission spectroscopy method. Our microplasma is atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma. It is a dielectric barrier discharge generated between perforated metallic electrodes covered by a dielectric layer at small discharge gaps between 0 -100 μm. Thus the discharge voltage is around 1 kV Nitrogen, oxygen and argon were used as discharge gases. The emission spectra were measured by an ICCD camera, a spectrometer and a photomultiplier tube. Microplasma was pulsed powered by a Marx Generator and a high voltage amplifier.

In the beginning stage of MITI micromachine project, the committee on the standardization established in Micromachine Center recognized the importance of measurement technique for the promotion and the systemization of the micromachine technology. Micromachine Center is the organizing body for private sectors working in the MITI micromachine project which started in 1991. MITI stands for Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Japan. In order to known the requirements on the measurement technologies, the questionnaire was organized by the measurement working group in the committee. This talk covers the questionnaire and its results, and some research results obtained at National Research Laboratory of Metrology working as a member in the project.

In order to assess the physiological abnormalities and the pathogenesis of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), especially that associated with pulmonary fat embolism, acute lung injury caused by monounsaturated nonsterified fat oleic acid (cis-9-octadecenoic acid) has been widely used in animal experiments. This lung injury results in an extensive, multifocal, and heterogeneously distributed lung damage with alveolar flooding, interstitial edema and microatelectasis. The ability to reduce the perfusion entering into damaged and edematous areas is essentially important in preserving blood oxygenation in ARDS.

Hypoxie pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) is of importance in egulating the distribution of blood flow in the lung, thus allowing the lung to maintain a pertinent matching between ventilation and blood flow. Recently, several authors (cf. Archer et al, 1989b) have reported that endogenous products of reactive O2 species (ROS) in the lung are the important factor for initiating HPV.

We developed a method for estimating the distribution of ventilation V A ) and of diffusing capacity (G) to perfusion (Q) in the lungs. We used O 2 , CO 2 and CO together with six inert gases of widely differing solubility and assumed that mass transfer efficiency of each gas in a gas exchange unit is limited by both V A /Q and G/Q ratios. The underlying lung model comprised 20 units along both the V A Q and G/Q axes. Using numerical analysis, we transformed the data into a virtually continuous distribution of Q in the V A /Q-G/Q field. We tested the precision of the numerical procedure by examining the recovery of various artificial distributions, and found that distributions with up to two modes could be recovered with reasonable accuracy. Analytical results from 15 patients with interstitial pneumonia of unknown etiology (IPF) revealed the following features. (1) In an early disease stage, most of the lung was operating in the range of normal V A /Q, without a significant contribution of diffusion limitation. (2) An advanced stage of the disease exhibited a widening of V A /Q distribution and either broad unimodal or bimodal distribution of G/Q, extending to G/Q below 10 −3 ml (STPD)/(ml·Torr) with diffusion-limited O 2 exchange. (3) Severe diffusion limitation causing disequilibrium of inert gas across the blood-gas barrier was observed in three (far advanced fibrosis; active interstitial inflammation) out of 15 patients. These findings suggest that inhomogeneity of G/Q does exist and may play an appreciable role in causing impairment of gas exchange in patients with interstitial pneumonia.

A potential effect of saturation of hemoglobin with O2 (SO2) as well as of pH in the blood on blood-gas partition coefficients (λ = blood/gas concentration ratio in equilibrium) for certain inert gases has been postulated by several authors (Steen, 1963; Robertson et al., 1986). Since such variation in X might affect inert gas exchange in the lung, the present study systematically reinvestigated SO2 and pH dependence of λ using human blood.

The piezoelectric constant of a zinc oxide thin film on a silicon fixed beam was evaluated by a new method using a metal bar (Davies' bar) and a laser interferometer. The beam was fabricated by silicon micromachining techniques, and the ZnO film was deposited on it by rf sputtering. The film attached to the end of the Davies' bar was accelerated by striking the other end of the bar with a projectile, and the piezoelectric constant of the film was calculated from the strain and the electric charge. A reasonable value of e 31=0.43 C/m2 was obtained for the test specimen.

Oxidation of 3,6-dihydro-2H-selenopyrans with an electron-withdrawing group at the 2 position proceeded via an unprecedented ring-contraction to afford selenophenes.