Search

Background and Purpose: The spectrum of brain infarction in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) has not been well characterized. Our objective was to define the frequency and pattern of brain infarcts detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among patients with recent ESUS participating in a clinical trial. Methods: In the NAVIGATE ESUS trial (New Approach Rivaroxaban Inhibition of Factor Xa in a Global Trial Versus ASA to Prevent Embolism in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source), an MRI substudy was carried out at 87 sites in 15 countries. Participants underwent an MRI using a specified protocol near randomization. Images were interpreted centrally by those unaware of clinical characteristics. Results: Among the 918 substudy cohort participants, the mean age was 67 years and 60% were men with a median (interquartile range) of 64 (26–115) days between the qualifying ischemic stroke and MRI. On MRI, 855 (93%) had recent or chronic brain infarcts that were multiple in 646 (70%) and involved multiple arterial territories in 62% (401/646). Multiple brain infarcts were present in 68% (510/755) of those without a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack before the qualifying ESUS. Prior stroke/transient ischemic attack ( P 0 ( P P =0.01) were associated with multiple infarcts. Topographically, large and/or cortical infarcts were present in 89% (757/855) of patients with infarcts, while in 11% (98/855) infarcts were exclusively small and subcortical. Among those with multiple large and/or cortical infarcts, 57% (251/437) had one or more involving a different vascular territory from the qualifying ESUS. Conclusions: Most patients with ESUS, including those without prior clinical stroke or transient ischemic attack, had multiple large and/or cortical brain infarcts detected by MRI, reflecting a substantial burden of clinical stroke and covert brain infarction. Infarcts most frequently involved multiple vascular territories. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02313909.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The rate at which the chance of a good outcome of endovascular stroke therapy (EVT) decays with time when eligible patients are selected by baseline diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI-MRI) and whether ischaemic core size affects this rate remain to be investigated. METHODS This study analyses a prospective multicentre registry of stroke patients treated with EVT based on pretreatment DWI-MRI that was categorized into three groups: small [Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (DWI-ASPECTS)] (8-10), moderate (5-7) and large (

The run away supergiant star HIP13962 (spectral type G0Ia) was recently pointed as a possible former binary companion of young pulsar PSRJ0826+2637. The spectraof HIP13962 wereo btained in Haute-Provence observatory (France), in Bohuynsan observatory (Korea), and also in NARIT (Thailand) with1.9, 1.8, and 2.4 meter telescopes respectively. The spectra were obtained in 1995, 2003, 2005, 2014, and 2015. Significant variations of the spectrum are detected. The cores of strong lines show complicated structure, the brightness of the star is variable. The cycles of photometric variations have been changed. We analyzed the spectral observations and present the preliminarychemical composition for elements from iron to lead. The abundance pattern cannot be fitted by solar system r&s process abundance distribution.

We investigated the period variation for 79 eclipsing binary systems using 20 years (1990-2009) of EROS, Macho, and OGLE survey observations. We discovered 9 apsidal motions, 8 mass transfers, 5 period increasing and decreasing systems, 12 light-travel-time effects, 5 eccentric systems and 40 other systems showing no period variations. We select 3 representative eclipsing binary systems; EROS 1052 for apsidal motion, EROS 1056 for mass transfer, and EROS 1037 for the light-travel-time effect. We determine the period variation rate (dP/dt), orbital parameters of the 3rd body (e3, ⍵₃, f(m₃), P₃, T₃), apsidal motion parameters (d⍵/dt, U, Ps, Pa, e) and apsidal motion period by analyzing the light curves and O-C diagrams.

The optical properties and the glass-forming region of the K2O-Sm2O3-TeO2 glass system are studied. In the K2O-Sm2O3-TeO2 system, only the 5K2O-5Sm2O3-90TeO2 composition gives a transparent glass. The refractive index, n, and the optical band-gap energy, E g , of the 5K2O-5Sm2O3-90TeO2 glass are n = 2.04 ± 0.003 and E g = 3.2 eV, respectively. A single Sm2Te6O15 phase is found to be formed by a two-step thermal treatment process at 370 °C for 5 h and 390 °C for 5 h. This is the first report on the crystallization and the preparation of the K2O-Sm2O3-TeO2 glass system.

In this Letter, a near-field communication method using smart-phone liquid-crystal-display luminescence is proposed. The proposed system is composed of three parts: colour pattern generation, smartphone detection and colour pattern decoding. When the user inputs digital data such as text or numbers, the sender section converts the digital data into RGB colour pattern images using a previously prepared pattern generation method. The receiver section detects these colour pattern images using a camera, extracts the colour values and decodes them into original digital data. The data transfer accuracy to show that this system can work in real situations is tested.

This study aimed to investigate the association of multiple candidate genes with weight gain and appetite change during antipsychotic treatment.A total of 233 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 60 candidate genes were genotyped. BMI changes for up to 8 weeks in 84 schizophrenia patients receiving antipsychotic medication were analyzed using a linear mixed model. In addition, we assessed appetite change during antipsychotic treatment in a different group of 46 schizophrenia patients using the Drug-Related Eating Behavior Questionnaire.No SNP showed a statistically significant association with BMI or appetite change after correction for multiple testing. We observed trends of association (P0.05) between 19 SNPs of 11 genes and weight gain, and between 7 SNPs of 5 genes and appetite change. In particular, rs696217 in GHRL showed suggestive evidence of association with not only weight gain (P=0.001) but also appetite change (P=0.042). Patients carrying the GG genotype of rs696217 exhibited higher increase in both BMI and appetite compared to patients carrying the GT/TT genotype.Our findings suggested the involvement of a GHRL polymorphism in weight gain, which was specifically mediated by appetite change, during antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia patients.

The 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the nigrostriatal dopamine system in rat can develop neuropathological and neurochemcial changes similar to those seen in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the N-acetylaspartate level (NAA), regarded as neuronal marker would be decreased after 6-OHDA lesions in rat brain and to determine whether metabolic alteration are correlated with behavioral deficit. The animals were undergone adjusting stepping test and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). In vivo 1H-NMR spectra (TR/TE = 2500/144 ms) were acquired from both left (contralateral region) and right striatum (ipsillateral region). There was a highly significant impairment in left forepaw performance and significant reductions in NAA/total creatine (tCr) ratios were observed in the ipsillateral striatum of rat (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between left forepaw performance and NAA/tCr level on the whole sample (Spearman correlation test, ρ = 0.634, P = 0.011). Our results suggest that the NAA/tCr ratio may be a valuable criterion for evaluation of functional impairment of the striatum in 6-OHDA rat model of PD.

We synthesized CdSe and CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals having various surface conditions by controlling the amounts of organic solvents and using the chemical colloidal method, and we measured their optical properties. We showed that the ZnS-capped CdSe nanocrystals exhibited a large enhancement of the fluorescence intensity, and that the eciency of the quantum yield and the decay times of photoluminescence changed. We observed the changes in photoluminescence decay times for various surface conditions of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals by using time-resolved spectroscopy.

Vacuum chambers have wide application for a variety of purposes such as material processing, vacuum gauge calibration, etc. As the dynamic pressure generated in such chamber is non-uniform, in many industrial as well as research processes, it is vital to know the non-uniform gas distribution with associated gas flow regimes and the ways of minimizing these pressure non-uniformities. In the present work, the behavior of gas flow in a vacuum chamber, during continuous gas flow, is described in the pressure range 0.1-133 Pa and the effect of baffle plate in minimizing the pressure non-uniformities is investigated. It was observed that maximum deviations in the pressure occur near the gas inlet point and that the effect of baffle plate in minimizing the pressure non-uniformities is more obvious in the transitional flow regime.

Regardless of high capacity and stability during lithium extraction, LiFePO4 materials have difficulty in the applications for high electrical density because of low electrical conductivities. In order to optimize this problem, we synthesized carbon coated LiFePO4 by adding humic acid using solid state reaction method. We characterized the synthesized compounds via the crystallinity, the valence states of Fe ions, and their shapes. We found the carbon coating using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). We also found that the iron ion is substituted from 3+ to 2+ through XPS measurement. We showed that the carbon coating increased the electrochemical behavior by measuring the charge-discharge characteristics.

The diffusion behavior of hydroxyl protons (OH) in quercetin in 100% DMSO-d6 (deuterium dimethylsulfoxide) and a 90% DMSO-d6 solution containing 10% H2O was investigated with 600 MHz 1H pulsed field gradient (PFG) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Only resonances of the 5-hydroxyl protons (OH5) were well resolved in NMR spectra of quercetin for all solutions under study. This phenomenon is explained by the intramolecular hydrogen bonding between OH5 protons and the 4-carbonyl oxygen (CO4). During diffusion experiments, the OH5 protons showed a biexponential diffusion decay, indicating an exchange process with water. As water content in the solvents increased, the lifetime (τ q) of the OH5 protons decreased from 96.7±10.0 ms in 100% DMSO-d6 to 14.3±1.4 ms in the 90% DMSO-d6 solution containing 10% H2O, indicating an increase in the exchange rate (k q = l/τ q) of the OH5 protons. This study demonstrates that the diffusion approach with PFG-NMR is much faster and easier for estimating the short lifetime or fast exchange rate of hydroxyl protons in quercetin.

The nitridation behavior of Si under a microwave-heating source was studied. Si preforms were produced via an aqueous gel-casting route with 45 vol.% solids loading. Preforms up to 10 mm thick could be produced without cracking. Microwave nitridation of the Si preforms was carried out using a fiberboard insulation box without packing powders in order to cause an inverse temperature gradient. Nitridation began at the unusually low temperature of 950°C. Up to 74% nitridation was achieved by nitriding at 1120°C for 5 hr. Preforms displayed an inverse temperature gradient, with sintering and melting occurring in the center of the preforms.

Temperature dependences of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation time of 51 V in BiVO 4 single crystals, undoped and doped with 1 mol% of Eu 2 O 3 , respectively, were measured in the temperature range of 140-400K. The spin-lattice relaxation times, T 1s , of both samples were divided into the long and short components. For the doped crystal, the long component of the relaxation time is much shorter than those of the undoped crystal since the paramagnetic relaxation through Eu 3+ ions was dominant. From data of the undoped BiVO 4 , it is found that the slow motion leads to the phase transition starting at 260 K, and its thermal activation energy is 0.033 eV. That is, we observed the thermally activated motion in ferroelastic which precedes the paraelastic phase transition.

The effect of ferric and manganese oxides dopants on thermal and physicochemical properties of Mn-oxide/Al 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 systems has been studied separately. The pure and doped mixed solids were thermally treated at 400-1000°C. Pyrolysis of pure and doped mixed solids was investigated via thermal analysis (TG-DTG) techniques. The thermal products were characterized using XRD-analysis. The results revealed that pure ferric nitrate decomposes into Fe 2 O 3 at 350°C and shows thermal stability up to 1000°C. Crystalline Fe 3 O 4 and Mn 3 O 4 phases were detected for some doped solids precalcined at 1000°C. Crystalline γ-Al 2 O 3 phase was detected for all solids preheated up to 800°C. Ferric and manganese oxides enhanced the formation of α-Al 2 O 3 phase at 1000°C. Crystalline MnAl 2 O 4 and MnFe 2 O 4 phases were formed at 1000°C as a result of solid-solid interaction processes. The catalytic behavior of the thermal products was tested using the decomposition of H 2 O 2 reaction.

Laser-induced excitation and fluorescence spectra and X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) of the U{sup 6+} L{sub 3} edge (2p-5d) transitions indicate that uranyl ions in B{sub 2}O{sub 3} glass have ordered local structure. Based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, four oxygen ions bind with each linear uranyl in the equatorial plane to form a stable crystalline UO{sub 6} cluster that binds with four groups of BO{sub 2}. A charge transfer-lattice interaction model for the UO{sub 6} cluster formation in B{sub 2}O{sub 3} glass is developed to explain the strong local lattice ordering and extraordinary stability of this cluster. The model is based on self-consistent oxygen-oxygen and oxygen-uranium charge transfer accompanied by lattice distortion both in the framework of pseudo-Jahn-Teller scheme.

The temperature and particle size dependencies of the linewidth of spectral holes burned in the ${}^{7}{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{{F}_{0}}}^{5}{D}_{0}$ transition of ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{3+}$ ions in ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ are calculated and compared with experiment. The power-low temperature behavior $\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{7},$ well-known experimentally and theoretically for the bulk, is observed to be strongly weakened to $\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{3}$ for the nanoparticles. A calculation is performed that assumes a two-phonon Raman-scattering mechanism involving the discrete phonon modes of a homogeneous nanoparticle with stress-free boundary conditions. The experimental results are successfully described assuming that the phonon modes broaden with frequency as $\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}.$ A quantitative comparison of the calculations with experiment allows the determination of the linewidth of the phonon resonances of the nanoparticles. The calculations predict that the size dependence of the hole linewidth is $\ensuremath{\sim}{D}^{\ensuremath{-}2.5},$ in close agreement with experiment.

In an alexandrite single crystal four sets of NMR spectra for 27Al (I=5/2) were observed in the crystallographic ab, be, and ca planes. The AI (I) center has four magnetically inequivalent Al sites, whereas the AI (II) center has two. The nuclear quadrupole coupling constant and asymmetry parameter of Al(I) and AI(II) in an alexandrite crystal were determined. Within the experimental accuracy, our parameters turned out to have the same values as those of a chrysoberyl crystal.

We have studied the organic superconductor (TMTSF)2PF6 using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. The spin–lattice (T1) and the spin–spin relaxation time (T2) measurements manifested a divergence associated with a structural phase transition at 160 K.

The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics of patients with resistant hypertension (RH) and predictors among elderly Korean hypertensives. This prospective, multi-center, observational study evaluated 2439 elderly hypertensive patients between December 2008 and November 2011, who visited secondary hypertension clinics for high blood pressure (BP). Patients were categorized as resistant if their BP was ≥140/90 mm Hg and if they reported using antihypertensive medications from three different drug classes, including a diuretic or drugs from ≥4 antihypertensive drug classes, regardless of BP. Characteristics of patients with RH were compared with those of patients who were controlled with one or two antihypertensive medications after 6-month antihypertensive treatment. In comparison with 837 patients with non-RH, 404 patients with RH were more likely to be aware of their status of high BP before enrollment and have a high baseline systolic BP ≥160 mm Hg, microalbuminuria, high body mass index (BMI) ≥24 kg m(-2) and diabetes mellitus (DM). In drug-naive patients, awareness of hypertension at baseline was the only independent predictor for RH. In elderly Korean hypertensives, BMI (≥24 kg m(-2)), baseline systolic BP (≥160 mm Hg), microalbuminuria, DM and awareness of hypertension showed an association with RH.

Molecular motions in an organic superconductor, (TMTSF) 2 PF 6 , were investigated by means of 19 F NMR. The temperature dependence of the spin–lattice relaxation rate was fitted with two distinct molecular motions, indicating two different modes ascribed to the distorted octahedral anion sublattice. As a result, anisotropic anionic motions, which may trigger the subtle mesoscopic electronic instability in this quasi-1D conductor, were revealed.

A method for the determination of glyphosate (Glyph) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in environmental water was developed with the emphasis on the clean-up procedure. The organic compounds in the environmental water were extracted with dichloromethane and the sample was concentrated by rotary evaporation. The concentrated sample was then passed through a strong anion-exchange (SAX) cartridge with an additional 2 ml of resin in the hydroxide form packed above the SAX packing. Glyph and AMPA were eluted with citrate buffer at pH 5.00 and determined directly by high-performance liquid chromatography with a postcolumn reactor and fluorescence detector. The detection limit and average recovery for both components were 85%, respectively.

It has not been clarified whether the disparity in ischemic stroke outcome between populations is caused by ethnic and geographic differences or by variations in case mix. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis can overcome some analytical problems but is rarely used in stroke outcome research. This study was to compare the ischemic stroke case-fatality between two PSM cohorts of Sweden and Korea.Prognostic variables related to baseline characteristics and stroke care were included in our PSM model. Then, we selected 7675 Swedish and 1220 Korean patients with ischemic stroke from each stroke registers and performed one-to-one matching based on propensity scores of each patient.After PSM, all measured variables were well balanced in 1163 matched subjects, and the 90-day case-fatality was identical 6.2% (HR 0.997, 95%CI 0.905-1.099) in Sweden and Korea.No difference is found in the 90-day case-fatality in propensity score-matched Swedish and Korean patients with ischemic stroke.

The optical and electronic properties of CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) show a strong size and shape dependence. NQDs have a high ratio of surface to volume and the surface of NQDs prepared with a chemical method has a complex condition due to organic ligands. Therefore, the complex surface condition of colloidal NQDs plays an important role in determining quantum yield (QY), carrier relaxation, and recombination process. The asymmetric crystal field and electron‐hole exchange interaction in CdSe splits the lowest exciton state, (1se‐1s2/3h), into five levels which includes the ‘dark’ and ‘bright’ exciton states.CdSe NQDs are synthesized in wurtzite structure using the chemical colloidal method in this study. CdSe NQDs are prepared as having various surface conditions, which induces QY to be changed. The photoluminescence and time resolved spectra are obtained over a broad temperature range (4 ∼ 300 K). The dark and bright exciton states are observed at a low temperature regime.

Rp1 is a disease resistance complex and is the terminal morphological marker on the short arm of maize chromosome 10. Several restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), which map within 5 map units of Rp1, were examined to determine if they are also complex in structure. Two RFLP loci, which mapped distally to Rp1, BNL3.04 and PIO200075, existed in a single copy in all maize lines examined. These two loci cosegregated perfectly in 130 test cross progeny. Two RFLP loci that map proximally to Rp1 had unusual structures, which have not yet been reported for maize RFLPs; the loci were complex, with variable numbers of copies in different maize lines. One of the loci, NP1285, occasionally recombined in meiosis to yield changes in the number of copies of sequences homologous to the probe. The other proximal locus, detected by the probes NPI422, KSU3, and KSU4, was relatively stable in meiosis and no changes in the number of restriction fragments were observed. The similarity in map position between Rp1 and the complex RFLP loci indicate there may be genomic areas where variable numbers of repeated sequences are common. The structure of these complex loci may provide insight into the structure and evolution of Rp1.

Escherichia coli K12 strain W3110/SM bearing a plasmid containing the traT gene (traT+ strain) was more resistant to the bactericidal activity of guinea pig serum than the same strain bearing this plasmid without the traT gene (traT- strain). A murine mAb was generated against synthetic TraT peptide (86-99). This antibody reacted only with denatured TraT protein, but it was used for monitoring TraT protein by immunoblotting during purification of the protein. Six mAb were then generated against partially purified traT protein from the solubilized membrane fraction of the traT+ strain. These mAb reacted with the native protein even on living cells, and their F(ab) fragments were found to suppress the inhibitory effect of the TraT protein on the bactericidal activity of serum. TraT protein was purified from solubilized membranes of the traT+ strain by ion exchange and gel filtration chromatographies. The purified TraT protein inhibited the lysis of sensitized erythrocytes by serum complement. Its inhibitory action was mainly on the C6 step. It strongly inhibited the reaction of C6 with EAC14b2a3b and excess C5, C7, C8, and C9. TraT protein also inhibited the reaction of C7-deficient human serum with guinea pig erythrocytes when it was activated by cobra venom factor. It did not inhibit the reaction of preformed C5b6 complexes. However, TraT did not have any effect on the cleavage of 125I[C5] to 125I[C5b] in similar conditions. It also partially inhibited the reaction steps of C4, C5, and factor B and limited guinea pig complement serum in 0.1% gelatin veronal buffered saline, pH 7.4, containing 10 mM EDTA with their respective preceding intermediate cells. It had no effect on either the binding of C3 to EAC14b2a or the cleavage of C3b by factors H and I. TraT protein probably inhibits the formation of C5b6 complex or causes structural alteration of the complex to a nonfunctional form.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of antihypertensive agents on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in hypertensive patients with previous ischemic stroke.In this double-blind, multi-center, non-inferiority trial, 196 patients were randomized to cilnidipine 10-20 mg or losartan 50-100 mg once daily for 4 weeks. Baseline and follow-up CBF as measured by single photon emission computed tomography were obtained in 167. The primary endpoint was the global CBF change. The secondary endpoints were the CBF change in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the index stroke, non-impairment of global CBF and blood pressure (BP) reduction.Global CBF increased significantly in the cilnidipine arm (9.0 +/- 29.6%, P = 0.0071) and the losartan arm (11.4 +/- 31.4%, P = 0.0012), and these changes were not different between the two groups (P = 0.607). However, the estimated difference in percentage global CBF change between the two groups was -2.43% (97.5% CI, -13.06% to 8.21%), which crossed the predetermined non-inferiority margin of -8.6%. Ipsilesional hemispheric CBF change, non-impairment of global CBF and BP reduction were similar in the two groups.This trial failed to prove the non-inferiority of cilnidipine to losartan regarding global CBF change. Both the treatments, however, increase the global CBF despite BP lowering.

We report the results of our recent investigation on acoustically-induced mode-coupling in few-mode photonic crystal fibers. The potential applications of such acousto-optic devices in tunable optical filters, switches and interferometric sensors will be discussed.

Oriental cholangiohepatitis is characterized by recurrent attacks of abdominal pain, fever, chill, and jaundice and grossly dilated extrahepatic and intrahepatic ducts containing soft, pigmented stone and pus. Sonograms were studied in 48 patients in whom the diagnosis was later proved during surgery (n = 34) or on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (n = 14). The sonographic findings included intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile duct stones (n = 47); moderate to severe dilatation of the extrahepatic ducts with relatively mild or no dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts (n = 41); localized dilatation of the lobar or segmental bile ducts, especially the left hepatic lobe (n = 16); and gallstones (n = 22). Our experience suggests that the preoperative diagnosis of oriental cholangiohepatitis can be strongly suggested by sonographic findings.

We have studied the microscopic structure and dynamics in a proton-irradiated $\mathrm{K}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ single crystal. Our $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ and $^{31}\mathrm{P}$ nuclear magnetic resonance measurements indicate that proton irradiation gives rise to a decrease in the local dipolar order of the rigid lattice protons and an increase in interstitial protons as well as structural distortion of the $\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ tetrahedra.

In this study, we sought to elucidate whether phenylpropanolamine (PPA) in cold remedies (small and divided doses) increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HS). PPA exposure significantly increased the risk, and the risk was much higher in women. In women, linear trends were also found in recency, duration, and dosage of PPA exposure. PPA contained in cold remedies increases the risk of HS, particularly in women.

We report our recent work on photonic sensors and devices based on air-silica photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), including splicing PCFs to single mode fibers, two-mode index-guiding PCFs and their applications in sensors and wavelength tuning devices, long period gratings written on index-guiding and photonic bandgap (PBG) PCFs, and low-contrast PBG PCFs made by filling the holes of air-silica hollow-core PBG PCFs with liquid of index lower than silica, and gas detection with index-guiding and PBG PCFs.

A ${\mathrm{KH}}_{2}{\mathrm{PO}}_{4}$ (KDP) crystal, irradiated by a $1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}$ hydrogen ion beam to a dose of ${10}^{15}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ions}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, was studied by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD), $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and dielectric constant measurements. The XRD pattern for the $a$-cut KDP crystal revealed a decrease in the lattice constant along the $a$ axis after the proton irradiation. According to the $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements, the proton irradiation gave rise to reduction in the activation energy in the paraelectric phase, from 0.42 to $0.28\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$, in agreement with the temperature dependent second moment measurements indicating the proton motion is more activated after the proton irradiation. Besides, analysis of the temperature-dependent dielectric constants using a mean-field approximation revealed a change in the hydrogen bond induced by the proton irradiation.

We have studied a high-temperature phase transition in the organic superconductors $(\mathrm{TMTSF}{)}_{2}{\mathrm{PF}}_{6}$ and $(\mathrm{TMTSF}{)}_{2}{\mathrm{ClO}}_{4}$ (where $\mathrm{TMTSF}$ indicates tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene) by means of $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ laboratory-frame and rotating-frame nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurements. The $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ NMR spin-lattice $({T}_{1})$ and spin-spin relaxation time $({T}_{2})$, representing dynamics of the $\mathrm{TMTSF}$ donor molecules, manifested a divergence associated with the structural phase transition at $160\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. As no anomalies were observed in the $^{19}\mathrm{F}$ NMR ${T}_{1}$ measurements representing dynamics of the ${\mathrm{PF}}_{6}$ anion, the $\mathrm{TMTSF}$ donor molecules and the anions are shown to be well decoupled regarding the critical fluctuations accompanying the structural phase transition.

Using neutron pair distribution function analysis over the temperature range from 1000 to 15 K, we demonstrate the existence of local polarization and the formation of medium-range, polar nanoregions (PNRs) with local rhombohedral order in a prototypical relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3. We estimate the volume fraction of the PNRs as a function of temperature and show that this fraction steadily increases from 0% to a maximum of approximately 30% as the temperature decreases from 650 to 15 K. Below T approximately 200 K the volume fraction of the PNRs becomes significant, and PNRs freeze into the spin-glass-like state.

Using neutron pair distribution function analysis over the temperature range from 1000 to 15 K, we demonstrate the existence of local polarization and the formation of medium-range, polar nanoregions (PNRs) with local rhombohedral order in a prototypical relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3. We estimate the volume fraction of the PNRs as a function of temperature and show that this fraction steadily increases from 0% to a maximum of approximately 30% as the temperature decreases from 650 to 15 K. Below T approximately 200 K the volume fraction of the PNRs becomes significant, and PNRs freeze into the spin-glass-like state.

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between varying depths of the patellar tendon bar in trans-tibial prosthesis sockets and the pressures exerted by other regions within the socket, such as the tibial crest, medial and lateral tibial condyles, lateral femoral condyle and the distal tibial end. Five (5) patients selected from a population of trans-tibial amputees in Singapore. Patellar-tendon-bearing (PTB) sockets were made for them. Polypropylene spacers 2 mm thick were used to simulate the increasing depths of the patellar tendon bar. P-Scan pressure transducers were inserted into the sockets to measure the pressures exerted by the socket and the data collected were analysed statistically to see if there was a relationship between varying PTB depths and pressures exerted from selected parts of the socket.

To report diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) findings and postulate the pathogenic mechanism of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE).A 47-year-old-woman presented with altered consciousness, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. DWI revealed the abnormal signal changes in periaqueductal gray matter, mamillary bodies and bilateral medial thalami. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map revealed the high signal intensity lesions in bilateral medial thalami, suggestive of vasogenic edema. The abnormal signal intensity lesions disappeared on follow-up imaging with clinical improvement.Vasogenic edema plays an important role in the pathogenesis of WE and can be reversed by proper management. DWI findings in the early stage of WE may provide useful information about the prognosis.

A 23-year-old woman visited the outpatient clinic for recently aggravating headache, limb weakness, hypesthesia, gait disturbance, diplopia, right hearing loss and dysarthria. Neurological symptoms had begun with right arm weakness 4 years previously. Cerebrovascular lesion had been diagnosed at the other hospital without subsequent treatment. On examination, there was haemangioma on the right side of the face and tongue which was said to exist from birth …

In this study, we sought to elucidate whether phenylpropanolamine (PPA) in cold remedies (small and divided doses) increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HS). PPA exposure significantly increased the risk, and the risk was much higher in women. In women, linear trends were also found in recency, duration, and dosage of PPA exposure. PPA contained in cold remedies increases the risk of HS, particularly in women.

Escherichia coli B/SM, strain 1-1, was killed dose dependently by human hereditary C9-deficient serum (C9DHS), which was shown to contain no C9 Ag by an ELISA method. On the other hand, human hereditary C7-deficient serum did not kill the bacteria under similar conditions. The bactericidal activity of C9DHS was inhibited by rabbit anti-C5 antibody but not by murine anti-C9 mAb. The anti-C9 antibody decreased the bactericidal activity of normal human serum (NHS) to the level of that with C9DHS. Sheep anti-human lysozyme antibody did not affect the bactericidal activity of C9DHS or NHS even when added at more than twice the concentration required to block the serum lysozyme activity on Micrococcus luteus. After treatment with C9DHS and washing, surviving Escherichia coli were killed by C9, but not by lysozyme, transferrin, or both. Other strains of E. coli (K12 W3110, C600, and NIHJ) and Salmonella typhimurium (strain NCTC 74), all maintained in the laboratory, were also killed by C9DHS. However, pathogenic strains recently isolated from patients with traveler's diarrhea and some strains of S. typhimurium were resistant to both C9DHS and NHS, at least at the serum concentration tested. A concentration of 0.1 M Tris did not increase the susceptibility of serum-resistant strains of bacteria to C9DHS, but made one strain of S. typhimurium tested susceptible to NHS, but not to C9DHS. These results clearly showed that C9DHS kills bacteria that are sensitive to NHS through activation of C up to the step of C8 in the same way that C9-deficient C serum lyzed sensitized erythrocytes.

We report an all-fiber acousto-optic tunable filter based on a two-mode photonic crystal fiber. The properties of photonic crystal fiber allow us to demonstrate a notch filter tunable from below 700to1700nm with a single acoustic transducer. The extreme dynamic range coupled with small insertion loss and fast response time (∼100μs) makes this device promising for ultrawideband optical systems.