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A 79-year-old woman with a history of open heart surgery presented with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Computed tomography (CT) showed chronic type B aortic dissection (TBAD) between the distal aortic arch and the left common iliac artery. After careful consideration, we planned transfemoral (TF)-transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using a 20-Fr long sheath to minimize contact with the false lumen of the aorta. TAVI was performed under general anesthesia, guided by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). A transcatheter aortic valve was successfully implanted. TEE, immediately after valve implantation, showed no remarkable changes in the descending thoracic aorta. Repeated post-procedural CT examinations showed no obvious changes in the aorta. The patient was stable without sequelae at the 12-month follow-up. This case demonstrates that TF-TAVI using a long sheath under TEE guidance can be a treatment option for patients with severe AS and chronic TBAD.

Background Little has been reported on the outcome of contact force (CF)-guided radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) and second generation cryoballoon ablation (CBA). Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of CF-guided RFCA and second generation CBA for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Methods We enrolled the consecutive 364 patients with PAF who underwent initial ablation between September 2014 and July 2018 in our hospital. We compared the late recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia more than three months after ablation between RFCA group and CBA group. All RFCA procedures were performed using CF-sensing catheter and all CBA procedures were performed using second generation CB. Results There were significant differences in background characteristics: chronic kidney disease, serum brain natriuretic peptide level, and left ventricular ejection fraction. After propensity score matched analysis (Table), atrial tachyarrhythmia free survival was significantly higher in CBA group than in RFCA group (Figure). Conclusions Second generation CBA showed a significantly lower late recurrence rate compared to CF-guided RFCA. Kaplan-Meier Curve Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Background Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has become well-established as the main therapy for patients with drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and various isolation methods including radiofrequency ablation (RFA), cryoballoon ablation (CBA) and laser balloon ablation (LBA) were available. Pathological findings in each ablation methods such as myocardial injury and inflammation are thought to be different. High sensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-TnI), subunit of cardiac troponin complex, is a sensitive and specific marker of myocardium injury. High-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a biomarker of inflammation and is elevated following cardiomyocyte necrosis. Relationship between myocardial injury and inflammation after ablation using RFA, CBA and LBA and early recurrence of atrial fibrillation (ERAF) remains unclear. Methods We enrolled consecutive PAF patients from Osaka Rosai Atrial Fibrillation (ORAF) registry who underwent PVI from January 2019 to October 2019. We compared the clinical characteristics including age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, history of heart failure, CHADS2Vasc score, renal function, serum BNP level and echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular dimensions, left atrial diameter (LAD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between RFA, CBA and LBA groups. We investigated the difference of relationship between myocardial injury marker (hs-TnI), inflammation markers (white blood cell change (DWBC) from post to pre PVI, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio change (DNLR) from after to before PVI and hs-CRP) at 36–48 hours after PVI and ERAF ( Results We enrolled 187 consecutive PAF patients who underwent PVI. RFA, CBA and LBA groups comprised 108, 57 and 22 patients, respectively. There were no significant differences of age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, history of heart failure, CHADS2Vasc score, renal function, serum BNP level and echocardiographic parameters between each group. Serum hs-TnI in RFA group and LBA group were significantly lower than in CBA group (2.643 ng/ml vs 5.240ng/ml, 1.344 ng/ml vs 5.240 ng/ml, p Conclusion LBA may cause less myocardial injury than RFA and CBA, on the contrary LBA may cause more inflammation than CBA. Incidence of ERAF in LBA was highest between each procedure. Inflammation markers and ERAF Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Introduction ILUMIEN III trial has reported that non-inferiority of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to intravascular ultrasound-guided PCI for postprocedural minimum stent area. In the trial, external elastic lamina (EEL)-based stent sizing criteria was introduced, however OCT has limitations including incomplete visualization of EEL in severale lesions. Purpose The aim of the study is to investigate real-world clinical impact of EEL-based stent sizing criteria. Methods The study included consecutive patients who underwent OCT-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for de novo lesions in our institution between September 2016 and April 2018. EEL visibility, mean EEL diameter, mean lumen diameter and plaque morphology were assessed at proximal and distal references. The plaque morphology at references was categorized according to its most prevalent component as follows: normal, fibrous plaque, lipid plaque, and calcified plaque. Both references were divided into 3 groups according to visibility of EEL. Results Among 205 lesions, 31 lesions had artifacts at references (16 proximal and 17 distal references). EEL visibility was summarized in a table. Out of 174 lesions with both analyzable references, 111 lesions (63.8%) had >180-degree EEL visibility at both references. Proportion of plaque morphology were significantly different among 3 groups at proximal and distal references as shown in a figure. Conclusions EEL-based stent sizing criteria was usable for 63.8% of all the lesions. Vessel size and plaque morphology were significantly associated with EEL visibility. Proportion of plaque morphology Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Background Complete right bundle branch block (CRBBB) is one of the most frequent alterations of the electrocardiogram (ECG). Several studies have shown that CRBBB was a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and the appearance of CRBBB in patients hospitalized for exacerbated heart failure (HF) was associated with a worse prognosis. Various alternations of ECG such as early repolarization pattern and intraventricular conduction disturbance were associated with high recurrence ratio of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). However clinical outcome after PVI in patients with CRBBB remains unclear. Methods We enrolled consecutive AF patients who underwent PVI from September 2014 to November 2018 rom Osaka Rosai Atrial Fibrillation (ORAF) registry. We excluded patients with other wide QRS (left bundle branch block, ventricular pacing and unclassified intraventricular conduction disturbance) and divided into 2 groups; CRBBB (QRS duration ≥120msec) group and no-CRBBB (QRS duration Results We enrolled 736 consecutive AF patients who underwent PVI. CRBBB patients comprised 55 patients (7.5%). There were no significant differences of age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, history of heart failure, history of stroke, CHADS2Vasc score, PAF, renal function, plasma BNP level and echocardiographic parameters (LVDd, LVDs, LVEF and LAD) between the 2 groups. Incidence of AF/AT recurrence after PVI was significantly higher in CRBBB group than no-CRBBB group (Figure). CRBBB was an independently and significantly associated with late recurrence of AF/AT after PVI by multivariate Cox analysis (hazard ratio: 1.923, 95% CI: 1.190–2.961, p=0.009) in addition to female (p Conclusion CRBBB may be a strong predictor of AF/AT late recurrence after PVI. AF/Ar recurrence after PVI Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Background BIOSCIENCE randomized trial which compared biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stents with ultra-thin (60μm) strut (ultra-thin BP-SES) and durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stents with thin (81μm) strut (thin DP-EES) have reported that definite stent thrombosis within 1 year had more frequently occurred in ultra-thin BP-SES (0.9%) than in thin DP-EES group (0.4%) although it was not statistically significant. It suggests that neointimal coverage after stent implantation within 1 year might be different between ultra-thin BP-SES and thin DP-EES. Recently, two types of biogradable-polymer sirorimus eluting stents, thin (80μm) strut type (thin BP-SES) and ultra-thin (60μm) strut type (ultra-thin BP-SES), can be available in clinical settings. Purpose We compared neointimal coverage conditions between ultra-thin BP-SES and thin BP-SES by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Consecutive Forty-six patients who underwent 21 ultra-thin BP-SESs or 25 thin BP-SESs implantation were enrolled. We compared incidences of acute coronary syndrome, type B2/C lesion, atherectomy device use, stent size, stent length, maximum inflation pressure, and 8-month follow-up OCT parameters including proportions of uncovered struts (%Uncovered), malapposed struts, (%Mallaposed) and mean neointimal hyperplasia thickness (mean NHT) between the two groups. Results %Uncovered and %malapposed were significantly higher and mean NHT was significantly lower in ultra-thin BP-SES than in thin BP-SES (Table). The other parameters were similar between the two groups. Conclusion Ultra-thin BP-SES showed worse neointimal coverage as compared to thin BP-SES within 1 year after stent implantation, which may increase stent thrombosis. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Background New generation drug eluting stents (DES) have improved target vessel failure as compared with early generation DES and bare metal stent. Contemporary several new generation DES are different each other regarding strut thickness and drug and polymer type. A little is known about which stent induces a more favorable vascular healing at follow up. Purpose In this study, we compared the vascular healing at 8-month follow up by optical coherence tomography (OCT) between 4 different kinds of new generation DES. Methods We enrolled 112 consecutive patients (121 lesions) who underwent PCI using 4 kinds of new generation DES including biodegradable-polymer everolimus-eluting stents (BP-EES), biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (BP-SES), durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stents (DP-EES) and durable-polymer zotarolimus-eluting stents (DP-ZES) and who underwent 8-month follow up angiogram and OCT between July 2016 and April 2018. We compared the OCT parameters including percentage of covered struts, uncovered struts, well-apposed and uncovered struts, malapposed strut and mean neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) thickness between them. Results BP-EES consisted of 29 lesions, BP-SES consisted of 25 lesions, DP-EES consisted of 38 lesions and DP-ZES consisted of 29 lesions. A total of 734 frames with 5163 struts in BP-EES, 481 frames with 4214 struts in BP-SES, 783 frames with 6119 struts in DP-EES and 583 frames with 4708 struts in DP-ZES were analyzed. As shown in a table, mean NIH thickness was significantly higher in BP-EES and BP-SES. Thus, we compared the OCT parameters between durable-polymer (DP) group including DP-ZES and DP-EES and biodegradable-polymer (BP) group including BP-EES and BP-SES. The percentage of uncovered struts was significantly lower and mean NIH thickness was significantly higher in BP group than DP group. Results of OCT parameters BP-EES (n=29) BP-SES (n=25) DP-EES (n=38) DP-ZES (n=29) P value BP group (n=54) DP group (n=67) P value Covered struts (%) 89.5±13.6 92.4±8.6 85.5±17.5 85.0±17.7 0.29 90.9±11.6 85.3±17.4 0.08 Uncovered struts (%) 8.8±10.8 7.1±8.7 14.5±17.5 15.0±17.7 0.14 8.0±9.9 14.7±17.4 0.03 Well-apposed and uncovered struts (%) 7.9±9.9 5.9±7.7 11.7±13.1 12.3±14.0 0.15 7.0±8.9 11.9±13.4 0.04 Malapposed struts (%) 0.8±1.6 1.3±2.2 2.7±5.8 2.7±4.7 0.33 1.0±1.9 2.7±5.3 0.07 Mean NIH thickness (μm) 102±57 121±48 78±28 88±33 Conclusion The present OCT study demonstrated that delayed neointimal healing characterized by the presence of uncovered struts and lower mean NIH thickness was less common in BP group than DP gruop. Biodegradable-polymer may be more favorable than durable-polymer from the point of view of vascular healing.

Background Recent reports revealed that residual area stenosis (% AS) ≤30% after lesion preparation is a suitable predictor for target lesion revascularization (TLR) after drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment for in-stent restenosis (ISR). Excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) can obtain larger lumen area and may be more useful for lesion preparation than plain old ballooning (POBA). On the other hands, it has been reported that in-stent neoatherosclerosis (NA) is major cause of restenosis. It is unclear the correlation between NA of ISR and the effect of ELCA. Thus, we compared the influence of NA which was evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) on % AS for ISR treatment between ELCA and DCB (ELCA) group and POBA and DCB (non-ELCA) group and their clinical outcome. Methods We enrolled 58 consecutive ISR lesions which were treated by OCT guidance between July 2014 and July 2018 in our hospital. The lesions were divided into NA and non-NA lesions according to OCT findings. In each lesion, we compared post procedural % AS and % AS change which was calculated by the difference between pre and post procedural % AS between ELCA and non-ELCA groups. In addition, we compared 8-month major advance cardiac events (MACE) defined by composite of binary restenosis and target lesion revascularization (TLR) between ELCA and non-ELCA group in NA lesions. Results There were 19 NA (33.3%) and 39 non-NA lesions. In NA lesions, ELCA group can obtain significantly lower % AS (p=0.02) and significantly larger % AS change (p Results of %AS NA lesions (n=19) P value non-NA lesions (n=39) P value ELCA group (n=6) non-ELCA group (n=13) ELCA group (n=17) non-ELCA group (n=22) Post %AS (%) 2±21 26±25 0.02 7±29 23±19 0.07 %AS change (%) 71±15 38±19 Conclusion Although neoatherosclerosis is correlated with refractory restenosis, ELCA can improve residual area stenosis in neoatherosclerosis lesions and can achieve better clinical outcomes for in-stent neoatherosclerosis.

Background Several studies using optical coherence tomography (OCT) have shown that the prevalence of irregular protrusion was associated with the incidence of adverse cardiac events. However, the correlation between cardiac events and protrusion area is not well investigated. Method One hundred twenty-nine consecutive patients with 138 clesions with 2nd and 3rd generation drug-eluting stents (DES) which had pre-stenting and post-stenting OCT imaging between April 2016 and April 2018 were evaluated. We compared baseline characteristics, procedure findings and OCT findings including minimum stent area, protrusion type and maximum protrusion area between target lesion revascularization (TLR) group and non-TLR group. Results TLR occurred in 12 (9.3%) in 129 patients. The baseline characteristics and procedure findings were similar between TLR group and non-TLR group. Univariate analysis revealed that maximum irregular protrusion area was significantly larger (0.51 [0.00–0.63] vs 0.00 [0.00–0.27], p=0.036) in TLR group than non-TLR group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the suitable cutoff value of maximum irregular protrusion area were 0.43mm2 for TLR. In multivariate analysis using the parameters with p value Odd's ratio (95% CI) P value Major irregular protrusion (≥0.43mm2) 17.3 (3.63–82.6) Conclusion Major irregular protrusion (>0.43mm2) in post-stenting OCT findings may be a powerful predictor of TLR in the patients with new generation DES.

Background Over the last decade, drug-eluting stents (DES) have undergone substantial modifications with thinner struts and more biocompatible durable polymer (DP) or biodegradable polymer (BP). In DP-based DES, after drug elusion has been completed, DP remnants may trigger of local inflammatory vascular reactions and promote delayed healing, leading to accelerated neoatherosclerosis (NA). Thus, BPs have been developed to reduce the above-mentioned risks. Recently, poor strut coverage and in-stent NA are increasingly recognized the cause of late stent failure, but it is unclear whether BPs can reduce the incidence of NA and the poor stent coverage as compared to DPs. Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of NA and the stent coverage using optical coherence tomography (OCT) between the DPs and the BPs. Methods Between July 2016 and April 2018, 127 consecutive patients with new-generation DES who underwent 8-month follow up OCT imaging were enrolled. Patients were divided into the two groups: DP group who had the new-generation durable polymer everolimus-eluting and zotarolimus-eluting stents and BP group who had the new-generation biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting and everolimus-eluting stents. We compared patient characteristics including hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus and 8-month follow up OCT findings including NA, uncovered struts and malapposed struts between the two groups. Results The DP group comprised 64 patients (50.4%. The incidence of NA, uncovered struts and malapposed struts were similar between the two groups (DPs vs BPs, 1.56% vs 7.94%, P=0.11; 7.80% vs 5.88%, P=0.16 and 2.76% vs 2.01%, P=0.43, respectively) (table). The other parameters were also similar between the two groups. Table 1 DP group (n=64) BP group (n=63) P value Hypertension 44 (68.8%) 50 (79.4%) 0.2251 Dyslipidemia 39 (60.9%) 37 (58.7%) 0.8573 Diabetes mellitus 25 (39.1%) 30 (47.6%) 0.3731 8 month OCT follow up findings Neoatherosclerosis 1 (1.6%) 5 (7.9%) 0.1147 Uncovered struts 7.8% (2.8–20.4) 5.9% (0.7–16.7) 0.1616 Malapposed struts 0.2% (0–2.8) 0% (0–2.8) 0.4392 Conclusions The new-generation DP based-DES may have similar effects on vascular response compared to the new-generation BP-based DES during 8-month follow-up period.

Background Several reports have revealed that minimum lumen area (MLA) is associated with target lesion failure even with newer-generation drug-eluting stents, and calcified lesions usually induced inadequate lumen area because of stent under expansion. Contemporary debulking devices such as rotational/orbital atherectomy can modify severe calcified lesions before stenting. However, there are no optimal criteria to indicate necessity for calcium modification to obtain adequate acute gain. Therefore, we investigated useful calcium parameters correlating with MLA in the calcified lesions after stenting. Methods We enrolled 71 consecutive calcified lesions (71 patients) who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between September 2016 and January 2019. Exclusion criteria included acute coronary syndrome, in-stent restenosis and lesions without any calcium or treated with rotational atherectomy. If there were several calcium lesions in one patient, we selected maximum calcium angle lesion. We compared mean reference area, pre lumen area and various calcium parameters including calcium arc, maximum thickness, depth, area, longitudinal length and calcium ratio that was maximum calcium thickness divided by nearest reference diameter in disease-free segments as much as possible in pre-PCI OCT evaluation with post-PCI lumen area at that site by simple and multiple regression analysis. Results Calcium ratio was an independent predictor for post-PCI lumen area in addition to mean reference area, while the others were not associated with post-PCI lumen area (table). Results of OCT parameters Univariate analysis Multivariate analysis P value P value β Mean reference area Conclusion The novel calcium measurement, calcium ratio, may be a useful predictor for post-PCI lumen area for calcified lesions.

Background Several reports have revealed that stent under expansion is associated with target lesion failure and calcified lesions usually induced inadequate stent expansion. Contemporary debulking devices such as rotational/orbital atherectomy can modify severe calcified lesions before stenting. However, it is uclear which calcium parameter is most useful predictor for stent expansion in the calcified lesions. Thus, we investigated useful calcium parameters correlating with stent expansion in the calcified lesions. Methods We enrolled 43 consecutive calcified lesions (43 patients) who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between September 2016 and January 2019. We evaluated the lesions treated with post dilatation by non-compliant balloon due to stent under expansion after stenting. Exclusion criteria included acute coronary syndrome, in-stent restenosis and lesions without any calcium or treated with rotational atherectomy. If there were several calcium lesions in one patient, we selected maximum calcium angle lesion. Stent expansion defined as post-PCI lumen area divided by the values predicted by the manufactures compliance charts. We compared mean reference area, pre lesion area stenosis, calcium parameters including calcium arc, maximum thickness, area and longitudinal length in pre-PCI OCT evaluations with post-PCI stent expansion at that site. Results Maximum calcium thickness showed significant correlation with stent expansion, while the others did not show a significant correlation with stent expansion (table). The optimal thresholds of maximum calcium thickness for the prediction of acceptable stent expansion defined by 80% of the values predicted by the manufactures compliance charts was 870mm (area under curve (AUC): 0.65) (figure). Results of OCT parameters Univariate analysis P value Mean reference area 0.41 Pre % area stenosis 0.16 Calcium parameters Calcium arc 0.37 Calcium maximum thickness 0.04 Calcium area 0.20 Calcium longitudinal length 0.43 Conclusion A maximum calcium thickness

Background High sensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-TnI), subunit of cardiac troponin complex, is a sensitive and specific marker of myocardium injury as troponin T. Several studies showed hs-TnI was associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes but relationship between serum hs-TnI level in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and AF recurrence remains unclear. Methods We enrolled 444 consecutive AF patients who underwent PVI from May 2017 to September 2018. We investigated the difference of relationship between serum hs-TnI, inflammation markers at 48 hours after PVI and early or late recurrence of AF (ERAF, Results RFA and CBA were performed in 328 and 116 patients, respectively. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between RFA group and CBA group. Serum hs-TnI in RFA group was significantly lower than in CBA group (1.93 ng/ml±3.28 vs 5.08 ng/ml±4.29, p TnI and CRP between RFA and CBA RFA (n=328) CBA (n=116) P value hs-TnI 1.93±3.28 5.08±4.29 Conclusion CBA may cause more myocardial injury than RFA, on the contrary RFA may cause more inflammation than CBA. These markers did not affect ERAF and LRAF after PVI.

Electromagnetic radiation in a corner reflector consisting of metallic circular rods of perfect conductor is formulated using a model of layered cylindrical arrays. Radiation from Hertzian dipole coupled to the uniform and tapered corner reflectors is analyzed. The formulation is rigorous. It is shown that the directivity in forward direction is prominently enhanced in both H-plane and E-plane, when the corner reflector is composed of metallic circular rods with radii linearly increasing from the origin. Comparisons with radiation patterns of conventional two plate corner reflector are also presented.

A novel simple single-layer single-feed asymmetric cross-slot rectangular patch antenna with air dielectric (er = 1) substrate providing hexa, penta, quad, and tri frequency bands operation is proposed and experimentally studied.The same antenna is giving hexa, penta, quad, and tri frequency bands of operation by changing the feed position only. The measured hexa frequency bands of operations are at 1.11, 1.89, 2.61, 3.12, 3.52, and 3.84 GHz. The measured penta frequency bands of operations are at 1.12, 1.89, 2.58, 3.49, and 3.82 GHz. The measured quad frequency bands of operations are at 1.47, 2.44, 3.49, and 3.85 GHz. The measured tri frequency bands of operations are at 1.92, 2.62, and 3.14 GHz. These values are in good agreement with simulation results. The measured radiation patterns at each measured frequency are also shown. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1348–1353, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25202

The two-dimensional scattering of a Gaussian beam by a periodic array of circular cylinders is studied. The incident Gaussian beam is expressed as a superposition of plane waves of different amplitudes and different incident angles, using the plane-wave spectrum technique based on Fourier optics. For each plane wave, the scattered field is calculated with the T-matrix of an isolated circular cylinder and its lattice sums characterizing a periodic arrangement of the circular cylinders. The circular cylinders may be perfect conductors, dielectric or gyrotropic cylinders, as long as their T-matrices are known.

Polarization characteristics of Ag–(Sc0.10Ce0.01) Zr0.89O2, SSZ, cermet cathodes were investigated in order to develop a new cathode for reduced temperature solid oxide fuel cells, SOFCs. Ag–SSZ cermet cathode was prepared by mixing Ag powder with SSZ powder using a high-energy ball mill in a vacuum and pasting the cermet onto yttria-stabilized zirconia, YSZ, electrolyte. An Ag–SSZ cermet cathode achieved as high as 0.8 S/cm2 of interfacial conductivity, σE, at 773 K in air. Morphology and the σE of this Ag/SSZ cermet cathode were unchanged at 773 K in air by application of cathodic DC bias of 0.5 V. These results suggest that this Ag–SSZ cermet cathode has enough electrode reactivity and durability for a 773-K operating SOFCs for 700 h. This high-electrode reactivity can be originated from an increase of reaction site and a small activation energy, Ea. These results suggested that an Ag–SSZ might be a suitable cathode material for SOFCs operated at 773 K. These observations show the Ag/SSZ ratio for cathode of SOFCs operated at 773 K, suggesting that morphology of cermet would have a large effect on cathode property.

The oxygen nonstoichiometry of (La,Sr)(Co,Cu)O 3− δ (LSCC) was measured thermogravimetrically. It was found that LSCC has no oxygen excess region. Its behavior is similar to (La,Sr)FeO 3− δ (LSF) but not to (La,Sr)MnO 3± δ (LSM). The electrical conductivity decreases as compared to (La,Sr)CoO 3− δ (LSC). However, it was expected that the ionic conductivity in LSCC would increase, as is suggested from electrical conductivity measurement and oxygen nonstoichiometry measurements. High temperature XRD analysis showed the elimination of phase transformations by addition of Cu yet with no reduction in the thermal expansion coefficient. The cathode activity of LSCC, the electrode interfacial conductivity, σ E , was 15.32 S cm −2 in air at 1073 K. The electrode activity of LSCC is better than that of LSC, although the electrical conductivity of LSCC is lower.

In order to develop a cathode for reduced-temperature solid oxide fuel cells, cermetting effect of LSCF with Pt was investigated. The effect of cermetting was observed. However, the obtained cathode activity was only an order of 0.5 S/cm2 at 973 K. The activation energy at low and high LSCF/Pt ratios was smaller than that at medium LSCF/Pt ratio region. The cathode interfacial conductivity, σE, of the very low Pt containing LSCF cermet cathode increased with increasing cathode thickness, whereas with high Pt content, σE showed optimum. These results suggested that Pt has both enhancing and obstructing functions. Based on SEM observation, the main reason of these complicated results was considered to be due to poor porosity and narrow surface area due to high electrode sintering temperature. Pt may enhance sintering of LSCF. So reduced-temperature cathode sintering should be investigated for LSCF/Pt cathode preparation.

We measured and compared levels of plasma free 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl (ethylene)glycol (pMHPG), a major metabolite of noradrenaline, and natural killer (NK) cell activity in 26 patients prior to their undergoing an operation for cardiovascular diseases; 11 of whom expressed delirium and 15 who did not. In conclusion, we found that pMHPG levels before an operation were higher in patients with postoperative delirium than in the patients without, while NK cell activity showed no difference between the two groups. It is possible that hyperactivity of noradrenargic neurons is connected with the development of postoperative delirium. Furthermore, we considered that measurement of pMHPG level before operation might be a useful tool to predict the occurrence of postoperative delirium.

Cytochrome p4501A1 gene (CYP1A1) and glutathione S-transferase mu gene (GSTM1) are involved in the metabolic activation or detoxification of environmental carcinogens including benzo[a]pyrene in tobacco smoke. Individuals with both Val/Val and C type of CYP1A1 (CYP1A1; Val/Val and CYP1A1; C) or homozygous null (-/-) genotype of GSTM1 gene (GSTM1; -/-) show increased susceptibility to lung cancer. The incidence of p53 gene mutations are related to the smoking index of the lung cancer patients. Therefore we determined genotypes of these enzymes and screened p53 gene mutations in 123 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. p53 gene mutations were found in 35% (43/123) of the patients. The incidence of p53 gene mutation CYP1A1; Val/Val (60.0%), CYP1A1; C (50.0%) tended to be higher than those of CYPIAI; Ile/Ile and Ile/Val (40.4%) or CYP1A1; A and B (40.5%). We conclude that the incidence of the p53 mutations does not seem to be significantly affected by only CYP1A1 or GSTM1 polymorphisms in lung cancer patients.

Periodic dielectric or metallic structures are a subject of continuing interest because of their wide use for microwave and optical wave components. A periodic array of circular cylinders is typical of a discrete periodic structure. If the periodic array extends to infinite length, the Floquet theorem can be applied and the scattering from the infinite periodic array can be accurately analyzed using the lattice sum technique [1]. If the array is comprised of a finite number of cylinders, however, we must rely on other solution methods. Various analytical or numerical techniques have been developed over the years to formulate the electromagnetic scattering from the multiple circular cylinders [2].

In order to determine the critical conditions for internal crack formation, tensile tests of cylindrical ingots with liquid core have been carried out. It was found that internal cracking occurred in the solid-fraction range between 0.99 and 0.80 corresponding to zero ductility temperature (ZDT) and zero strength temperature (ZST) respectively, only when strain given in this range exceeded critical value (1.6 %). This critical value was not influenced by strain rate and manner of deformation. At a lower strain rate, successive strain which exceeded the critical value between ZDT and ZST made the cracks longer with solidification progress. New evaluation of strain for internal crack formation in a continuous casting strand was found out.

Histone H2B was demonstrated to be an immunoreactive material recognized by the human mono­ clonal antibody HB4C5, which had been already established to be specific for lung cancers. The inhibitory effect of histone H2B on the activity of HB4C5 antibody to immunostain the cytoplasmic antigen in lung adenocarcinoma tissue indicated that histone H2B at least had antigenic determinant comparable to the cytoplasmic antigen. A mouse anti-histone H2B monoclonal antibody could immu­ nostain the cytoplasm of lung adenocarcinoma cells in sliced tissue sections in the same manner as the human monoclonal antibody HB4C5. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of HB4C5 antibody on plastic immunoplates coated with histone H2B also showed specific reactivity of this antibody with histone H2B, and the reaction was effectively inhibited when extra histone H2B or mouse anti-histone H2B monoclonal antibody was added to the reaction mixture. These results consistently lead us to a conclusion that histone H2B possesses antigenicity to the human monoclonal antibody HB4C5.

Protein from hog which is recognized by human monoclonal antibody (HB4C5), generated from a patient with large cell lung carcinoma, was identified as carboxypeptidase A by comparison of the protein with carboxypeptidase A in enzymatic activity, immunologic reactivity, and amino acid se­ quence, Carboxypeptidase A activity was also found in human cancer tissue, and purified antigen from cancer tissue recognized by the antibody HB4C5 was reacted with rabbit anti-carboxypeptidase A serum, indicating that carboxypeptidase A is an antigen of HB4C5, Since large amounts of carboxy­ peptidase A can be obtainedfrom porcine sources, a simple methodfor its purification was established, The fraction which was most reactive with HB4C5 was obtained from acetone powder of porcine pancreas by successive applications of water extraction, ammonium sulfate precipitation, trypsin treatment, and Mono Q column chromatography, Its apparent molecular weight was 40,000, according to SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When the reactivity of IgG in sera with the purified car­ boxypeptidase A was measured, the detection rates for lung, ovary, larynx, uterus, and liver cancer were more than 50%, while the rates for stomach and breast cancer were around 30%, and pancreatic cancer, benign diseases, and normal controls were minimally detected.

Few reports on recurrence after thoracoscopic bullectomy for spontaneous pneumothorax specify the follow-up period and follow-up ratio. Because of the variation in follow-up periods, many reported recurrence rates were not comparable. Some reports compared simple recurrence rate (number of recurrent cases/number of operated cases) of different groups with different follow-up periods. In this study, we employ the Kaplan-Meier method along with a set of optimal follow-up periods and ratios in order to determine a more reliable recurrence rate. Consecutive 68 patients (74 surgical procedures) underwent thoracoscopic bullectomy for spontaneous pneumothorax at our institution between November 2000 and December 2005. A follow-up survey was conducted by phone to determine the rate of recurrent pneumothorax. The follow-up ratio and the mean follow-up period were 92.6% and 1,316 +/- 481 days, respectively. Postoperative recurrence was confirmed for 4 patients. The interval up to recurrence was 144, 345, 476 and 616 days after the bullectomy, respectively. All cases of recurrent pneumothorax occurred within 2 years following the bullectomy. The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year cumulative recurrence rate was 3.0%, 6.3% and 6.3%, respectively. In light of these findings, we feel that comparison analysis of pneumothorax recurrence rates should be evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, furthermore, our data suggests that a follow-up period of 2 or more years is advisable.

The wavelength response of a metal-coated five-layer planar waveguide with a corrugated long-period grating is analyzed using the coupled-mode theory. The phase-matching characteristics between the core mode and the cladding modes are discussed for the coating with different metals and the different thicknesses of the cladding layers. Numerical results demonstrate that the rejection bands for the TE and TM polarizations can be well separated when both top and bottom surfaces of the waveguide are coated with aluminum films and the thicknesses of the cladding layers are optimized.

A numerical approach for analyzing two-dimensional photonic crystal circuits are proposed. The method uses a technique of concatenation between the local normal modes and the Floquet modes through the scattering matrices based on the Fourier mode analysis. Numerical examples for several circuit components are presented for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Somatically acquired mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in lung cancer are associated with significant clinical responses to gefitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that targets EGFR. In our previous report, 42.2% of adenocarcinoma patients has EGFR mutations, and these mutations were more frequently found in women than in men, in well differentiated tumors than poorly differentiated tumors, and in patients who were never smokers than in patients who were current/former smokers. Retrospectively, we screened the EGFR gene of tumors in 37 NSCLC patients who had been treated with gefitinib. EGFR mutations were found in 22 patients. Gefitinib was effective (CR/PR) in 15 of 22 (68.2%) patients with mutations compared with none of 15 patients without mutations. Patients with EGFR mutations survived for a longer period than without the mutations after initiation of gefitinib treatment (p = 0.0005). Gefitinib was not effective in 3 patients with K-ras mutations. Three of 4 tumors obtained from patients with acquired resistant to gefitinib, had a secondary T790M mutation. No T790M mutation was detected in pretreatment tumors. Molecular targeted therapy using TKI indicates an effective therapy specifically in lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations, and analyses of mechanisms of resistance to TKI are necessary for establishment of tailor-made therapy.

The present state of understanding of surface cracking in low C low alloy steel slabs in the continuous casting (CC) and direct rolling (DR) processes is outlined. Hot cracking of the CC slab surfa...

The distribution of laminin in tumor-associated basement membrane was immunohistochemically investigated in 115 cases of adenocarcinoma of the lung. The distribution of laminin was classified into continuous and discontinuous staining patterns. The incidence of the discontinuous pattern was less in early-stage disease than that in advanced stages (P less than 0.01). In patients with stage I, the incidence of discontinuous patterns was greater in short-term survivors than in long-term survivors (P less than 0.05). By contrast, in patients with stage III, the discontinuous pattern of laminin was frequently seen in both long-term survivors and short-term survivors, with no difference between the two groups. These data suggest that the discontinuous pattern of laminin in tumor-associated basement membrane reflects the spread and dissemination of tumor, hence a close relationship to the prognosis.

Fresh erythrocytes obtained from senescence-accelerated mice, both prone (SAM-P/1) and resistant (SAM-R/1) strains, were separated into 4 different cell density, i. e. cell age, fractions by densitygradient centrifugation. The specific activities of pyruvate kinase and hexokinase, which are known to be marker enzymes of cell age for erythrocytes, decreased with increased erythrocyte cell density in both strains of mouse, and in some cell fractions were higher in SAM-P/1 than in SAM-R/1. The specific activity of glutathione reductase decreased with increased cell density in both strains. The specific activity of glutathione peroxidase also decreased with increased cell density in both strains, but was lower in most fractions from SAM-P/1 than in the corresponding fractions from SAM-R/1.The level of oxidized protein assessed by reactivity with 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine increased with the increase in cell density in both strains of mouse and was higher in all the fractions from SAM-P/1 than in those from SAM-R/1. These results are interpreted to indicate that the aging process is accelerated in the erythrocytes of SAM-P/1, and that this acceleration is partly associated with some defect in the cellular oxidant defense mechanism, including glutathione peroxidase.

Two-dimensional radiation by a relativistic sheet electron beam propagating parallel to a reflection grating composed of a sinusoidally corrugated conducting surface is studied rigorously using the mode-matching method. Accurate dispersion curves for the eigenmodes that govern the Smith-Purcell radiation and the instability of the electromagnetic surface wave are presented. The imaginary parts of the eigenwavenumber and eigenfrequency give the leakage coefficient of space-charge waves and the growth rate of electromagnetic surface waves. Their dependences on the dimensions of the radiating structure are discussed. Optimum parameters for achieving the maximum leakage coefficient and the growth rate are determined. The method is general and can be applied to any two-dimensional system of electron beam coupled to an open periodic structure of arbitrary profile. >