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Background Among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stable coronary artery disease, bleeding events increased the cardiovascular events and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the effect of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) on the risk of bleeding events in these patients. Methods In the AFIRE (Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Events With Rivaroxaban in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease), patients with non-valvular AF and coronary artery disease were recruited and randomized to receive the rivaroxaban monotherapy or combination therapy with rivaroxaban plus antiplatelet drug. The present sub-analysis evaluated the risks of any bleeding events. Results Among 2,225 patients, 1,357 (61.3%) were receiving a PPI at baseline. During follow-up, 384 bleeding events were occurred, and incidence of bleeding events were significantly lower in patients with PPI compared with those without PPI (p=0.03). Among combination therapy with rivaroxaban plus antiplatelet, effect of PPI for cumulative incidence of bleeding events were significantly different between groups (p=0.01), however, these differences were not shown among rivaroxaban monotherapy patients (p=0.50, Figure 1). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis showed that PPI use had significantly lower risk of bleeding events (hazard risk 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.64–0.97, p=0.03). In addition to PPI, male, heart failure and combination therapy with rivaroxaban plus antiplatelet drug were independent predictors of bleeding events. Conclusions PPI use was significantly associated with lower risk of bleeding events among patients with AF and stable coronary artery disease. Especially, for patients at high bleeding risk, such as receiving both anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, PPI is useful to reduce bleeding events. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): The Japan Cardiovascular Foundation through a contract with Bayer Yakuhin.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI Background The presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with electrical remodeling processes that promote a substrate for the maintenance of AF itself. Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels; K+-selective and voltage-independent ion channels are key factors in the atrial electrical remodeling (2, 3). However, the mechanism of its activation remains unclear. A recent study showed that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression and activity are reduced in AF patients and that nNOS depletion causes the abbreviation of action potential duration (APD), leading to increased AF inducibility in animal experiments (4). Decreased NO production, especially driven by nNOS inhibition, might play a key role in the atrial electrical remodeling, and the downstream alteration of SK channels might result from this process. Purpose We aimed to evaluate the potential of SK channel blocking to mitigate abnormal electrophysiological properties and the inducibility of atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATA) which was induced by nNOS depletion, and to describe the related mechanism. Methods Atrial tachyarrhythmia induction and optical mapping were performed in perfused rat hearts. nNOS was pharmacologically inhibited by S-methylthiocitrulline (SMTC, 100 nM). The influence of the SK channel was examined by a specific channel inhibitor, apamin (100 nM). APD, conduction velocity, and calcium transient (CaT) parameters (CaTD, rise time, time to 50% decay, and tau) were evaluated by voltage and calcium dual optical mapping. Dominant frequency was evaluated to analyze the wave dynamics of AF. Results SMTC increased the inducibility of ATA and apamin mitigated the nNOS inhibition-induced arrhythmogenicity (0% [0/7] vs 62% [8/13] vs 15% [2/13] in control, SMTC and SMTC + apamin). SMTC caused the abbreviation and enhanced spatial dispersion of APD, which were reversed by apamin. In contrast, conduction velocity was not affected by SMTC or apamin. Moreover, apamin reduced the dominant frequency of SMTC-induced ATA. In voltage and calcium optical mapping, STMC and apamin did not alter the parameters associated with CaT, however, SMTC caused the abbreviation of APD, which was reversed by apamin (APD80: 48.4 ± 2.7 msec in control group, 30.8 ± 1.5 msec in SMTC group, p Conclusion Acute nNOS inhibition abbreviated APD via activating SK channels. A specific SK channel blocker mitigated APD abbreviation without the alteration of CaT, implying an underlying mechanism of post translational modification of SK channels.

Eight years after the Fukushima nuclear accident, mosses exposed in bags were used to investigate their ability to accumulate radiocaesium and therefore to act as biointerceptors of 134Cs and 137Cs in the evacuated area of the Fukushima territory. Bags were filled with 3 widely studied moss species (Sphagnum palustre, Hypnum cupressi-forme, and Hypnum plumaeforme) and exposed for 3, 6 or 9 weeks at 5 former residential sites within the Fukushima area and, for comparison, at three background sites located 700 km away. The radiocaesium activity concentrations found in moss bags were evaluated as function of exposure time, site conditions and moss species. In the Fukushima area, the moss bags accumulated 137Cs at all exposure sites and in all exposure periods, with S. palustre having the highest 137Cs accumulation ability. The 137Cs activity concentrations (from 28 to 4700 Bq kg- 1) measured in moss bags increased with the exposure time and were consistent with the decontamination status of each exposure site, highlighting the big potential of moss bags to discriminate among exposure sites. Time dependency of 137Cs activity concentrations measured in mosses allowed the calculation of location-specific and species-specific factors, which can be used to predict radiocaesium accumulation trends in future bio-monitoring surveys performed in the same area with the same experimental design. Autoradiography and electron microscopy analyses of the moss surfaces revealed a prevalence of soil-derived particulate form of radiocaesium, suggesting the use of moss bags as warning sensors of resuspended particles potentially harmful for local residents.

We are actively researching the use of autonomous rescue robots to search for victims buried under rubble by major earthquakes. Herein, we proposed equipping autonomous rescue robots with pyroelectric sensors and thermal cameras, and developed a victim discovery algorithm. We conducted an experiment in an environment with obstacles similar to those found in real target environments. Our results show that pyroelectric sensors can detect victims more rapidly than thermal cameras alone.

Seriola dumerili were infected experimentally with Streptococcus dysgalactiae by oral dosing or immersion. There was moderate mortality after immersion in water containing defined numbers of bacteria, regardless of the dose, whereas the effect on the oral challenge groups depended on the dose of bacteria administered. The characteristic lesions were microabscesses and/or pyogranulomatous inflammation of the caudal peduncle, pectoral and/or dorsal fin, heart and olfactory region. S. dysgalactiae antigen was found within necrotic foci at these sites. There was no difference in distribution of S. dysgalactiae antigen in fish that were exposed by oral or immersion challenge. There was no difference in antigen distribution when fish that died were compared with those that survived and were killed. Immersion exposure is therefore a more effective natural route of infection than oral challenge.

A high performance distillation system to remove krypton from xenon was constructed, and a purity level of Kr/Xe = $\sim 3 \times 10^{-12}$ was achieved. This development is crucial in facilitating high sensitivity low background experiments such as the search for dark matter in the universe., Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures

Objective When the bone flap is removed in a pterional craniotomy, the middle meningeal artery (MMA) should be gently dissected to minimize blood loss. However, when the MMA pierces a bony tunnel in the middle meningeal groove it is easily damaged upon bone flap elevation. We have performed an anatomic study of this tunnel to render pterional craniotomy safer. Methods We examined 78 sides from 39 adult skulls for the presence and length of the tunnel, the distance between the lateral border of the superior orbital fissure and the proximal part of the tunnel, and examined the relationship between the MMA piercing the tunnel to a surface landmark, i.e., the junction of the sphenoparietal, sphenosquamosal, and squamosal sutures. Results We found 59 tunnels on 78 sides (75.6%); 2 were at the branching of the MMA on one side. The tunnels were located on the temporal side of the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone. The length of the tunnel and the distance from the superior orbital fissure were 3-23 mm (mean: 12.2 mm) and 11-33 mm (mean: 18.9 mm), respectively. Most tunnels (86.4%) were bilateral; in 67.8% of the specimens the MMA piercing the tunnel was just beneath the surface landmark. Conclusion As we found a high incidence of bony tunnel formation in the middle meningeal groove, actual findings can be different from the accepted nomenclature. If a tunnel exists, the MMA is easily damaged upon cracking of the lesser wing during bone flap elevation. Recognition of this anatomy may render pterional craniotomy safer.

The intensity of scintillation light emission from liquid xenon at room temperature was measured. The scintillation light yield at 1 deg. was measured to be 0.64 +/- 0.02 (stat.) +/- 0.06 (sys.) of that at -100 deg. Using the reported light yield at -100 deg. (46 photons/keV), the measured light yield at 1 deg. corresponds to 29 photons/keV. This result shows that liquid xenon scintillator gives high light yield even at room temperature., Comment: 16pages,12figures

Near surface issues associated with sand-dunes have deleterious effects on both travel-times and amplitudes in seismic reflection data. Data recorded over the study field is no exception. In order to seismically derive porosity and fracture information from deeper reservoir levels in the field, anomalies associated with the sand-dunes have to be removed in order to analyse subtle amplitude variations associated with P-wave azimuthal anisotropy. We discuss, by way of a case-study, a method recently adopted that utilizes and incorporates well-derived reflectivity maps to guide the processing flow in an amplitude friendly manner; the resultant data is suitably prepared for porosity prediction and fracture analysis.

The acid copper plating process has been extensively applied in the formation of high density interconnections in build-up printed circuit boards (PCBs). However, deposited films obtained by acid copper plating are greatly affected by additives, and sometimes physical properties are weakened in codeposition with additives present in the deposited films. In order to avoid such a breakdown, the authors evaluated the physical properties of the copper films plated in two types of conformal acid copper plating baths that have been in use for general application and two types of acid copper plating baths for via filling. Proper selection of additives was considered to be of great importance for the acid copper plating baths for via filling. The use of additives that easily codeposit with copper was likely to cause the reduction in physical properties of the film. On the other hand, it was confirmed that a copper film with excellent physical properties can be obtained from the conformal type acid copper ...

Ultra-thin films of Cr2O3(0 0 0 1) grown on Cr(1 1 0) were investigated by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). An absorption band at 720 cm−1 is assigned to a longitudinal optical phonon of Cr2O3. With increasing O2 exposure, this absorption band shifts to higher frequency, which is qualitatively explained by a simple spring model. After successive oxidation with 18O2 and 16O2, two absorption bands corresponding to Cr 2 18 O 3 and Cr 2 16 O 3 were distinctly observed suggesting that oxygen diffusion hardly occurs during the oxide growth. Temperature dependence of the RAIRS spectrum taken from the Cr2O3 film revealed that the absorption band position shifts to lower frequency along with broadening of the band width. Anharmonic coupling with low-frequency phonons and effects of the antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition are discussed.

A complete grasp of the actual vessel traffic flow by accurate observation is essential to carry out vessel traffic management, design of vessel traffic route, plan of port construction, etc. Up to now, the observation of vessel traffic has needed many efforts such as the use of a special ship or car equipped with radar observation systems and the observation staff preparation for a considerably long period. In order to perform accurate observation of vessel traffic without such efforts, the authors have developed a completely automated radar network system covering the main traffic route of Tokyo Bay. In August 2003, as the second remote radar station attaching AIS equipment was set at East Ogishima (the first was installed at the National Defense Academy in 2002), the observing range could be enlarged and cover most traffic routes in Tokyo Bay. These two radars can observe the vessel traffic in Tokyo Bay simultaneously so as to know the traffic flow accurately on the basis of analyzing the integrated radar data. In addition to the development of a radar network system, the software to analyze observed vessel traffic flow has been developed. This software has various functions such as tracking of ship's position, automatic determination of ship's size, animation of ship's movements, superposition of successive radar images, display of ship's tracks, calculation of ship's speed distribution, extraction of dangerous ship encounters using subjective judgment value and bumper model, etc. Some analyzed results on vessel traffic flow observed by the remote radars in January and September 2003 are shown in this paper.

In Suncus murinus the ultrapotent capsaicin analogue resiniferatoxin (RTX) induced an emetic response in the dose range 1–1000 μg kg−1, s.c. The latency was inversely related to dose and ranged from 41.2±4.4 min. (1 μg kg−1, s.c.) to 2.7±0.6 min. (1000 μg kg−1, s.c.). The emetic response to RTX (10 or 100 μg kg−1, s.c.) was blocked or markedly reduced by pre-treatment with RTX (100 μg kg−1, s.c.), 8-OH-DPAT (100 μg kg−1, s.c.), morphine (2 mg kg−1, s.c.), neonatal capsaicin (100 mg kg−1, s.c.) and the NK1 receptor antagonist CP-99,994 (10–20 mg kg−1, s.c.) but not by the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist tropisetron (200 μg kg−1, s.c.). RTX (100 μg kg−1, s.c.) induced c-fos-like immunoreactivity in the area postrema and parts of the nucleus tractus solitarius. This pattern is consistent with the proposal that the emetic effect is mediated via one or both of these structures and an involvement of substance P is discussed. RTX (10 and 100 μg kg−1, s.c.) had broad-spectrum antiemetic effects in Suncus as indicated by its ability to block or markedly reduce the emetic response to motion (1 Hz, 4 cm lateral, 10 min.), cisplatin (20 mg kg−1, i.p.), intragastric copper sulphate (40 mg kg−1, p.o.), nicotine (10 mg kg−1, s.c.) and RTX (100 μg kg−1, s.c.) itself. It is proposed that the site of the anti-emetic effect is in the nucleus tractus solitarius and mechanisms involving the modulation of substance P release are discussed. The general utility of Suncus for investigations of vanilloid receptors is reviewed in the light of the exquisite sensitivity of the emetic reflex in this species to resiniferatoxin. British Journal of Pharmacology (2000) 130, 1247–1254; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0703428

The effect of angular deviation of the exchange bias field on the read performance of spin-valve (SV) heads was investigated. The calculated output voltage showed large variation when the angular deviation of the exchange bias field was increased. For a deviation angle of around 10°, wide variation was observed in the peak asymmetry. This seems to be caused by the generation of magnetic domains in the pinned layer. It is necessary to increase the exchange bias field up 800 Oe in order to diminish the asymmetry instability. Tilting the average direction of the exchange bias field was also effective in suppressing the magnetization reversal in the pinned layer.

Cortisol is one of the central hormones in osmoregulation in fish, especially in seawater adaptation. A cDNA of 453 bp was cloned from liver mRNA of freshwater-reared tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers designed for the hormone-binding domain of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in mammals and rainbow trout. The sequence of PCR product has 83% homology to the trout GR at the nucleotide level and 92% at the amino acid level. The PCR product of tilapia showed highest homology (74% at the amino acid level) to GR among human steroid hormone receptors, including mineralocorticoid receptor. The length of the receptor mRNA of tilapia was about 6.5 kb as determined by Northern blot hybridization. The mRNA concentration in the gills was relatively higher among various organs, the highest concentration being observed in blood cells. Signal intensity of the receptor message in the gills was stronger in fish reared in freshwater than in those reared in seawater or in concentrated (160%) seawater. During early development of tilapia, the highest concentration of receptor mRNA in the total RNA extracted from the whole egg was found just after fertilization, and its concentration decreased steadily toward hatching. The absolute amount of receptor mRNA per egg increased gradually before the initiation of cortisol production by the embryo. When embryos were transferred from fresh water to seawater 2 days before hatching, no difference was observed in the signal intensity of the receptor mRNA among embryos after 1, 2 (the day of hatching), 4, and 7 days.

In field measurements, monitoring of core body temperature is influenced by physical activities; therefore, the estimation of circadian rhythm from the data may not be exact. The purpose of this study is to design a core body temperature filter in order to reduce artifacts induced by physical activities using simultaneously recorded physiological data such as heart rate data.The effects of physical activities on core body temperature and heart rate are assessed through three experiments. Based on the above knowledge, a core body temperature filter was designed. The filter removes part of rectal temperature data as artifact when heart rate rises above a predetermined threshold. As a result, most of the spike-like noise was removed and the filtered temperature data showed sinusoidal variation more than the unfiltered data. The mesor of the estimated rhythm significantly decreased. This filtering method can provide more precise information about circadian rhythm, especially in field measurements.

Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin combination therapy is effective in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and normal alanine aminotransferase levels (NALT). However, it remains unclear whether the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence is actually reduced in virological responders. In this study, HCC incidence was examined for 809 patients with NALT (ALT ≤ 40 IU/mL) treated with Peg-IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin for a mean observation period of 36.2 ± 16.5 months. The risk factors for HCC incidence were analysed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. On multivariate analysis among NALT patients, the risk of HCC incidence was significantly reduced in patients with sustained virological response (SVR) or relapse compared with those showing nonresponse (NR) (SVR vs NR, hazard ratio (HR): 0.16, P = 0.009, relapse vs NR, HR: 0.11, P = 0.037). Other risk factors were older age (≥65 years vs60 years, HR: 6.0, P = 0.032, 60-64 vs60 years, HR: 3.2, P = 0.212) and male gender (HR: 3.9, P = 0.031). Among 176 patients with PNALT (ALT ≤ 30 IU/mL), only one patient developed HCC and no significant risk factors associated with HCC development were found. In conclusion, antiviral therapy for NALT patients with HCV infection can lower the HCC incidence in responders, particularly for aged and male patients. The indication of antiviral therapy for PNALT (ALT ≤ 30 IU/mL) patients should be carefully determined.

A surface fluorination was performed on the rare earth-nickel based AB5 hydriding alloy particles by employing an (F− + Ni2 +)-containing aqueous solution. The structures of fluorinated surfaces were studied in detail by means of SEM, EPMA and XPS. The treatment resulted in formation of a fluoride thin-layer with metallic Ni sited on the particle surface. The surface structure exhibits high reactivity and high tolerance to impurities in the solid-gas reaction and high discharge capacity under larger current conditions as the electrode in Ni-metal hydride batteries.

The inhibitory effect of α-tocopherol, β-carotene, 2″-O-glycosyl isovitexin (2″-O-GIV), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on malonaldehyde (MA) formation from ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was determined by gas chromatography. The levels of MA formed from 1 mg each of octadecatetraenoic acid (ODTA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) upon oxidation with Fenton's reagent were 29.8±1.5, 17.2±1.5, and 22.0±0.7 nmol, respectively. BHT was most effective toward protecting all three ω3 PUFA, whereas β-carotene did not exhibit any inhibitory effect. 2″-O-GIV inhibited MA formation from EPA and DHA by 56 and 43%, respectively, showing the second greatest inhibitory activity after BHT. α-Tocopherol inhibited MA formation from ODTA and DHA by 67 and 28%, respectively, but it did not show any activity toward EPA oxidation. The naturally occurring antioxidant, 2″-O-GIV, may be useful to prevent oxidation of ω3 PUFA.

Background: The heterogeneity of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome has been reported to be associated with the effectiveness of interferon therapy. We investigated the correlation of the viral and host factors, including the degree of sequence complexity of the HCV genome for responses to interferon-α in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Ninety-seven patients received a 26-week course of recombinant interferon-α2a therapy. The sequence complexity of the envelope 1–2 region was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction-mediated single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. Results: Of the 85 patients who completed the treatment, 31 (36%) achieved a sustained response, and 28 (33%) showed a sustained loss of HCV RNA. A low HCV RNA level, determined by the branched DNA probe assay, and serotype group 2 HCV correlated with a sustained response. In patients with serotype group 1 HCV of more than the threshold of the branched DNA probe assay, a band number on PCR-SSCP analysis of more tha...

The F-treatment of CaNi 5 and Ca 1− x La x Ni 4.7 Al 0.3 ( x = 0.2−0.8) alloys was performed under various conditions. Surface compositions and structures of the fluorinated alloys were studied by means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy. CaF 2 was found on the surface of CaNi 5 and CaF 2 + LaF 3 on the surface of Ca 1−x La x Ni 4.7 Al 0.3 after F-treatment. Metallic Ni precipitated in a sublayer after F-treatment. Also, in the case of CaNi 5 , Ni-rich and Ca-rich phases were formed on the surface by means of F-treatment. These fluoride surface layers provide an effective protection from impurities and high reactivity with hydrogen owing to the catalytic effects of segregated Ni which works catalytically to decompose H 2 molecules to atoms. This chemical treatment method offers a great possibility for wide applications of metal hydrides, especially under the existence of various impurities.

Until a few years ago, staring with mobile phones and digital cameras, a large volume of substrates for highly functional electronic devices had been manufactured in Japan. Today, represented by Smart-phones and Tablet PC's, highly functional electronic devices continue to evolve, although manufacture has shifted overseas. In overseas manufacture, from the perspective of factory labor technical ability, plating stability, and in-plane uniformity among other factors, insoluble anode copper sulfate plating prevails. However, a known demerit of insoluble anodes, as opposed to soluble anodes, is the larger consumption of additives. This may be inherent to the electrode material, for which we investigated and report here. As a result of the comparison of immersed potential of each material with the additive consumption, we found that consumption increased as the immersion potential of the electrode material increased. This suggests additive consumption significantly occurs at the anode. Meanwhile, no correlation between dissolved oxygen concentration and additive consumption was observed, despite oxygen concentration differences during plating for each anode.

Nondestructive evaluations of iron-based structural materials have been investigated by observing leakage flux distributions after saturation polarizations in strong fields and by observing thickness deformations with a Laser-CCD system from outside. The latter was found very useful and sensitive to detect the residual stresses in comparisons with those by leakage flux detections, especially for a stress range less than 1%.

This paper presents a sensorless sinusoidal driving method of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) for fans and pumps by V/f control. The proposed method is a simple method that controls DC-link peak currents by a single shunt resistor and a peak detector. Due to the damping factor from the square torque load characteristics of fans and pumps, the drives of PMSMs for fans and pumps by V/f control can be stabilized at starting and steady state. In general, pressure losses of the fluid pass of fan and pump systems are nearly constant; therefore, the flow rate and motor torque are determined by revolutions. Accordingly, high efficiency driving is possible by setting the reference currents corresponding to the q-axis currents at target revolutions. Because of the simple and low cost sensorless control, the proposed method is suitable for fan and pump motor driving systems of home appliances.

Shield tunnels traditionally have been built with single-circle cross-sections. However, considerations related to construction costs and periods, as well as safety, have led to increased use of multi-circular faces in recent years. In the multi-circular face shield tunnelling methods proposed to date, the two circles may be placed either side by side or one above the other. The characteristics of the shield tunnelling methods differ, depending on whether the circles are arranged horizontally or vertically. The H&V (Horizontal variation and Vertical variation) Shield Tunnelling Method uses a special rolling control function in spiral tunnelling with multi-circular face shields. This method allows construction of tunnels that have multi-circular face shields. It also permits construction of tunnels that have multi-circular cross-sections, with the arrangement of the circles varying continuously from vertical to diagonal to horizontal, or vice-versa, as well as ramification from a multi-circular tunnel into separate single-circle tunnels. This paper discusses the H&V Shield Tunnelling Method, the manner in which the method is used, and the construction test used to verify this construction technique.

A new bacterial disease of bellflower was found in Mie Prefecture, Japan, in the autumn of 1997. Brown spots on leaf blades and necrotic stripes on leaf petioles characterized the disease. Bacterial strains from bellflower induced symptoms the same as those on naturally infected plants and also induced the same symptoms found with lettuce bacterial varnish spot disease caused by Pseudomonas cichorii. On the basis of bacteriological characteristics, the bacterium was identified as Pseudomonas cichorii. This is the first report of bacterial brown spot disease of bellflower.

We report a case of surgical treatment for ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic valve regurgitation (AR) 24 years after operative repair of coarctation of the aorta (CoA). The patient was a 32-year-old man who had undergone operative repair of CoA and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation when 8 years old, and was followed since then. However, since 14 years after the operation, dilation of his ascending aorta and AR was observed. Then the AR deteriorated and the ascending aorta dilated, and at 24 years after operation he had symptoms of heart failure. So we performed ascending aorta replacement and aortic root replacement (reimplantation). Despite primary success of the operative repair of CoA, however. 9% of patients develop aortic aneurysms long after the operation. Therefore, long-term follow-up is needed after repair of coarctation of the aorta.

Liquid xenon is a suitable material for a dark matter search. For future large scale experiments, single phase detectors are attractive due to their simple configuration and scalability. However, in order to reduce backgrounds, they need to fully rely on liquid xenon's self-shielding property. A prototype detector was developed at Kamioka Observatory to establish vertex and energy reconstruction methods and to demonstrate the self-shielding power against gamma rays from outside of the detector. Sufficient self-shielding power for future experiments was obtained., 8 pages, 8 figures

We report a 74-year-old man with aortoesophageal fistula due to aotic aneurysm. He underwent 2 stage operations. At the 1st operation the graft replacement of thoracic aorta and esophagectomy were performed. Inflammatory reactions improved with systemic administration of antibiotics and continuous irrigation of the thoracic cavity. On the 21st postoperative day, the esophagus was reconstructed by gastrointestinal interposition technique via ante-thoracic route. On the 58th post operative day he was discharged.

Five hundred and eighty-nine patients underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using the right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) in our institute from 1993 to 2004. Early and late results were reviewed retrospectively. Early results: Patients were divided into 2 groups according to target vessel stenosis (group A: degree of stenosis 75% , n=98, 82 men and 16 women, mean age 61.4+/-8.0. Group B: degree of stenosis more than 90%, n=491, 409 men and 82 women, mean age 62.3+/-8.8). Mortality is 0% in group A and 1.0% in group B. Coronary angiography (CAG) revealed patent grafts without stenosis or string sign were 49% in group A and 96% in group B. Forty % of grafts in group A showed string sign. Neither free flow nor harvesting fashion affected the occurrence of string sign. Late results: Twenty-five patients in group A and 53 patients in group B underwent CAG in the late phase (mean interval from CABG to CAG was 4.7+/-2.0 years). Eight grafts were patent but 14 grafts showed string sign in group A. Among the 53 grafts in group B, 49 were patent without stenosis or string sign in the early phase. Forty-seven of them remained patent in the late phase. In conclusion, GEA can achieve good results when target vessels have severe stenosis.

The patient was a 67-year-old man who complained of shortness of breath. Coronary angiography showed 90% stenosis in proximal left anterior descending (LAD). He therefore underwent a directional coronary atherectomy (DCA). During the procedure, coronary artery perforation occurred at the origin of the LAD, which caused cardiac tamponade. Surgical pericardial drainage was done. Though bleeding was successfully controlled and his general condition improved, coronary angiography showed a coronary aneurysm at the site of the perforation 2 weeks later. Patch closure of the coronary aneurysm and patch angioplasty of the left main coronary artery were performed. Distal LAD was bypassed with the left internal thoracic artery in case of acute thrombosis. He recovered uneventfully and was discharged 14 days after operation.

Suction type stabilizers are popular for off-pump coronary artery bypass. However, arteries running deeply underneath fatty tissue are not stabilized well because the soft tissues act as cushions between the coronary artery and the stabilizer. We propose a simple method to stabilize and visualize intra fat coronary arteries. After dissection of target arteries, 5-0 polypropylene continuous over-and-over sutures are placed on the fat tissues along both sides of the coronary artery. These sutures are pulled laterally, and a suction stabilizer is placed so that the sutures lie under the legs of the stabilizer. Sutures fixed to the stabilizer legs with suction force reduce motion of the target vessel. Visualization of the coronary arteries is also improved because the banks of fat tissue become flat by pulling the sutures laterally.

Fish of the species Seriola dumerili were infected experimentally with the pathogen Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Intradermal (ID) injection of S. dysgalactiae resulted in moderate mortality regardless of the dose of bacteria injected, whereas intraperitoneal (IP) injection caused greatest mortality in the group of fish receiving the highest dose of bacteria (10(9) colony forming units/ml). On necropsy examination of affected fish, the most striking change was microabscessation and/or granulomatous inflammation of the heart, caudal peduncle, pectoral and/or dorsal fin and olfactory region. The lesions in the atrial myocardium and arterial cone consisted of severe arterial thrombosis, granulomatous valvular endocarditis and epicarditis. S. dysgalactiae was cultured from these lesions and S. dysgalactiae antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry within these tissues. The mortality in these fish is therefore considered to reflect bacterial septicaemia and systemic granulomatous inflammatory disease.

We report a case of tricuspid valve endocarditis in a drug addict. A 30-year-old man who had a history of intravenous drug abuse was admitted with complaints of high fever and dyspnea. Chest computed tomography showed multiple thromboembolism in the bilateral lungs. Blood culture was positive with methicillin sesitive Staphylococcus aureus, and echocardiography showed severe tricuspid valve regurgitation and vegetations attached to the tricuspid valve. Because infection was uncontrollable, he underwent surgery. We removed a part of posterior leaflet including vegetations, and performed tricuspid valve repair using the autologous pericardium. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Subsequent echocardiography showed no vegetations and regurgitation of the tricuspid valve. He has remained free from endocarditis for 10 months after surgery.

Beer samples were stored at 50 °C for 90 days, and the amount of acetaldehyde in the samples was measured periodically by gas chromatography. Acetaldehyde in the beer sample was derivatized to 2-me...

With the advent of drug eluting stents in percutaneous coronary intervention, required quality level of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been elevating. To obtain nearly perfect patency of bypass grafts, intraoperative assessment and repair of abnormal grafts are helpful. We report systematic revision and safe repair technique of arterial grafts in CABG. Side-to-side instead of commonly used end-to-side anastomosis of arterial grafts is the first step in this technique. When any abnormalities are noted in intraoperative flowmetry of a graft, the distal surgical clip is removed. Free flow of the graft is measured. A coronary probe is gently inserted into the graft and the coronary artery. Vasodilators can be injected into the graft if necessary. When direct revision of the anastomosis is indicated, the graft is cut longitudinally from the distal end up to just proximal to the anastomotic site. The shape of the anastomosis can be observed directly without removing sutures. When re-anastomosis is not indicated, the distal remnant graft tissue is folded back and utilized as a patch. Thus the graft can be easily closed without narrowing.

Recently the availability of transit time flow measurement (TTFM) is reported especially in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). But little is known about TTFM findings in on-pump CABG. We examined the correlation between the TTFM flow pattern and the angiography findings in on-pump CABG. The subjects consisted of 52 patients who underwent on-pump CABG and angiography early after operation. In these patients, 55 internal thoracic artery (ITA), 17 gastroepiploic artery (GEA), 13 saphenous vein graft (SVG) and 41 radial artery (RA) were tested with TTFM during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). TTFM demonstrated a diastolic filling pattern in 53 ITA, 16 GEA, 13 SVG and 36 RA. The angiography revealed that all these grafts were perfectly patent with the exception of a GEA with a flow competition pattern. TTFM revealed an abnormal flow pattern in 2 ITA (these 2 grafts were revised during CPB and the angiography demonstrated their perfect patency), 1 GEA (to and fro pattern), 0 SVG and 5 RA (the abnormal pattern was due to graft spasm in 3 of 5, and the angiography revealed their perfect patency, however, the angiography detected stenosis in the remaining 2 grafts). The present study found that the TTFM flow pattern during CPB correlated well with the angiography findings. TTFM during CPB was useful to detect graft failure, and grafts were revised safely during CPB.

We investigated the effects of 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), a ligand for arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR), on osteoclastogenesis. Osteoclast-like cells, in cocultures with mouse spleen cells and clonal osteogenic stromal ST2 cells, are formed from spleen cells by a combination of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) produced by ST2 cells in response to 1alpha,25(OH)(2) Vitamin D(3). 3MC dose-dependently inhibited the formation of mono- and multinuclear osteoclast-like cells. However, 3MC did not inhibit the formation of osteoclast-like cells from mouse spleen cells which was supported by the exogenous soluble RANKL and M-CSF. 3MC did not affect the formation of an actin ring and pits on slices of dentine by osteoclast-like cells, both of which are typical indices of osteoclast activity. These results suggest that 3MC affects osteoclast-supporting cells such as ST2 cells but not osteoclast precursor cells and mature osteoclastic cells. When we measured the expression levels of RANKL mRNA in ST2 cells, 3MC dose-dependently decreased the level of this mRNA. However, 3MC did not affect levels of mRNAs for osteoprotegerin (OPG), M-CSF, and the receptor of 1alpha,25(OH)(2) Vitamin D(3) in ST2 cells. Furthermore, soluble RANKL was able to counteract the inhibitory effect of 3MC on the formation of osteoclast-like cells. Our findings indicate that 3MC inhibits osteoclastogenesis via the inhibition of RANKL expression in osteoblastic cells.

CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) materials have been extensively used in racing cars because of its high stiffness and lightweight. Recently, car crash safety is becoming increasingly important even for racing cars. CFRP has also a merit on crash safety because it offers the freedom to set the material characteristics where needed and the needless of considering remaining length after the impact. In this analysis, a multi-layered shell material is applied to reproduce the crash characteristics of the CFRP structure. Fundamental crash test data of simple characteristics of CFRP, and applied to the Crash-Box of a Nissan GT500 racing car. The simulation showed good correlation with the actual test, and the final design was based on these analyses without the need of repeating impact tests. (A) For the covering abstract see ITRD E121867.

We concentrate on the rhythms of daily life that are basic for the safety and health of elderly people, and develop a measurement evaluation technology. In this report, we introduce a technology that measures body movement in bed by using an infrared sensor system to evaluate the quality of sleep. In addition, we classify daily life behavior from the viewpoint of QOL (quality of life) into about 15 kinds of body activities, and provide standard behavior for each body activity. We introduce technology that measures body activity in daily life by using acceleration sensors.

The performance and the characteristics of the cusp-magnetic-field negative heavy-ion source which has been recently developed at KEK are described. After the first successful experiment to produce intense Cu, Ni, Au, and O negative ions with pulsed beams, an effort has been made to extract various species of negative ions such as Ag, Pt, C, Si, Bi Fe, Al, Ta, W, P, As, Cr, Ti, Co, Sn, In, V, and Pd from this ion source. Large intensities of the beam current ranging to more than milliamperes were obtained for almost all of these species. The beam intensities from this ion source were found to be almost 50-100 times larger than those from the ordinary cesium sputtered negative ion source. Beam emittance was also measured for the Ni beam, and the 90% normalized emittance was about 37 p mm-mrad-(MeV)/sup 1/2/. >