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We reported a case of a 51-year-old woman with acute respiratory failure for whom ventricular septumdefect combined with right-left shunt was successfully performed with the use of high-flow nasal cannulaoxygenation (HFNCO) therapy. She had suffered from ventricular septum defect (VSD) and pulmonaryartery banding was performed at four-year old. However, residual VSD had not been pointed out. Untiltoday, she had been able to work and do housework. When she suffered from pneumonia and admitted to thehospital, she also pointed out chronic cardiac failure combined with pulmonary hypertension (pulmonaryarterial pressure 115/45(76) mmHg, pulmonary vascular resistance 874 dyne/sec/cm5). Thereafter, homeoxygen therapy (HOT) was started (2 L/min O2). This time, she suffered from pneumonia and hypoxemiaunder HOT (SpO2 84 %). She complained of dyspnea even at rest and had labored breathing through pursedlips after a short conversation, defined as class IV in the Hugh-Jones classification. She was transferred toour intensive care unit (ICU) and underwent HFNCO (Flow rate 60 L/min, FiO2 0.6). After starting HFNCO,respiratory rate was decreased from 35 to 25 times/min and dyspnea was improved immediately. Day 5, shetransferred to regular ward. Day 7, HFNCO was stopped and conventional oxygen therapy was started. Thepatient was transferred back to the local hospital for rehabilitation on Day 15.

Titanium based compounds, such as TiO 2 , Li 5 Ti 4 O 12 and Na 2 Ti n O 2n+1 (where n = 3–8), have been pursued intensively for high energy and high power sodium and lithium ion batteries (NIBs and LIBs). Beside high rate and long life, the relatively higher capacity, higher tap density, scalable preparation process and low production cost are also essential factors for promising anode materials to progress from laboratory scale to pilot scale and finally to commercially scale up. Therefore, a dual-metal-organic crystal derived NiTiO 3 mesoporous micro-prism is developed by a scalable and unique self-assembly process. The interesting assembling mechanism is also clearly discussed based on the colour and microstructure evolutions of the reaction solution at different stage. The obtained NiTiO 3 hexagonal micro-prism features interconnected grain-boundary-rich and mesoporous structure, endowing highly conductive path for charge transportation and shortcut for ion diffusion. Together with a high tap density (2.5 g cm −3 ), this anode materials can deliver a high capacity of 373 and 562 mAh g −1 with superior rate and capacity retention for both sodium and lithium ion storage, respectively. It is also noteworthy that even after cycling for 1000 cycles at 5000 mA g −1 , the capacity retention ratio is maintained at 44.3% and 60.4% for sodium and lithium ion storage, respectively. The superior electrochemical properties, coupled with the low cost, dense structure and the scalable preparation method, will bring NiTiO 3 micro-prism to the fore as a promising contender anode material for long durability and high power compact NIBs and LIBs.

New record efficiencies have been achieved on Cd-free Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 thin-film photovoltaic submodules prepared by a two-step sulfurization after selenization process. Aperture area efficiencies of 19.2% and 19.8% were independently confirmed on a 30 cm × 30 cm submodule (841 cm2) and on a 7 cm × 5 cm minimodule (24.2 cm2), respectively. These achievements were brought about by transferring several key techniques, especially atomic layer deposited (Zn,Mg)O second buffer layer and K treatment of the absorber surface, from the fundamental study of small-area cell development. The former technique was applied to the submodule and both techniques were implemented into the minimodule. The (Zn,Mg)O second buffer layer increases transmittance of the window layer and improves junction quality resulting in the reduced interface recombination. The K treatment, which was developed by reference to the postdeposition treatment widely used in the co-evaporation process, significantly enhances open-circuit voltage and fill factor. Several material and device characterizations performed to illuminate the effects of the K treatment showed that increased free carrier concentration and reduced carrier recombination throughout the whole absorber film contributed to the improved performance. Contrary to the conventional postdeposition treatment in the co-evaporation process, significant depletion of Cu at the absorber surface was not observed, which can be attributed to S-rich circumstances of our absorber surface. The achievement of nearly 20% efficiency on the minimodule having identical structure to the production modules ensures further performance improvements in industrial Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 modules in the near future.

Magnesium batteries (MBs) have been considered as one of the most promising safe and low cost energy storage systems. Herein, vanadium phosphates, prepared by the electrochemical de-lithiation of Li3V2(PO4)3, are investigated as a high-voltage cathode host for Mg2+ (de)-intercalation. The reversible (de)-intercalation of Mg2+ into (from) the host structure of V2(PO4)3 are verified by the comprehensive analysis of the results from the electrochemical tests, synchrotron X-ray diffraction and absorption, and inductively coupled plasma measurements. Its exceptional high average working voltage (∼3.0 V vs. Mg/Mg2+) surpasses other reported values of cathode hosts for MBs.

The affinity of [ 3 H]benzylpenicillin for penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 3A was reduced in 25 clinical isolates of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin (AMP)-resistant (BLNAR) Haemophilus influenzae for which the AMP MIC was ≥1.0 μg/ml. The affinities of PBP 3B and PBP 4 were also reduced in some strains. The sequences of the ftsI gene encoding the transpeptidase domain of PBP 3A and/or PBP 3B and of the dacB gene encoding PBP 4 were determined for these strains and compared to those of AMP-susceptible Rd strains. The BLNAR strains were classified into three groups on the basis of deduced amino acid substitutions in the ftsI gene, which is thought to be involved in septal peptidoglycan synthesis. His-517, near the conserved Lys-Thr-Gly (KTG) motif, was substituted for Arg-517 in group I strains ( n = 9), and Lys-526 was substituted for Asn-526 in group II strains ( n = 12). In group III strains ( n = 4), three residues (Met-377, Ser-385, and Leu-389), positioned near the conserved Ser-Ser-Asn (SSN) motif, were replaced with Ile, Thr, and Phe, respectively, in addition to the replacement with Lys-526. The MICs of cephem antibiotics with relatively high affinities for PBP 3A and PBP 3B were higher than those of AMP and meropenem for group III strains. The MICs of β-lactams for H. influenzae transformants into which the ftsI gene from BLNAR strains was introduced were as high as those for the donors, and PBP 3A and PBP 3B showed decreased affinities for β-lactams. There was no clear relationship between 7-bp deletions in the dacB gene and AMP susceptibility. Even though mutations in another gene(s) may be involved in β-lactam resistance, these data indicate that mutations in the ftsI gene are the most important for development of resistance to β-lactams in BLNAR strains.

Clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae from Japan (n = 296) and the United States (n = 100) were tested by the microdilution method for susceptibility in vitro to 10 beta-lactam antibiotics and molecular mechanisms of beta-lactam resistance. For all isolates, PCR was used to identify six elements, including beta-lactamase-producing ampicillin (AMP)-resistance (BLPAR) and beta-lactamase-nonproducing AMP-resistance (BLNAR) genes as follows: (1) TEM-1 type beta-lactamase gene, (2) ROB-1 type beta-lactamase gene, (3) part of normal ftsI gene encoding PBP3, which is involved in septal peptidoglycan synthesis, (4) a portion of the ftsI gene possessing some amino acid substitutions commonly detected in BLNAR strains, (5) p6 gene encoding P6 membrane proteins specific to H. influenzae, and (6) serotype b capsule gene. In Japanese and U.S. isolates, respective prevalences of each resistance class in Japan and the United States were 55.1% and 46% for beta-lactamase-nonproducing, AMP-susceptible (BLNAS); 3.0% and 26% for the TEM-1 type beta-lactamase gene; 0% and 10% for the ROB-1 type; 26.4% and 13% for low-BLNAR with a low degree of AMP resistance; and 13.2% and 0% for BLNAR strains. A few remaining isolates were beta-lactamase-producing strains with a mutation in the ftsI gene. MICs of all beta-lactam agents against low-BLNAR strains were 2-8 times higher than against BLNAS. MICs of cephalosporin antibiotics against BLNAR strains were 16-32 times higher than against BLNAS. The rank order of beta-lactam MIC90 values against BLNAR strains was piperacillin = ceftriaxone = cefditoren (0.25 microg/ml), meropenem (0.5), cefotaxime (1), AMP = cefpodoxime (8), cefdinir (16), amoxicillin (16), and cefaclor (64). Serotype b isolates were few in both countries (2.4% in Japan, 3% in the United States). Differences in proportions of respective AMP-resistant genes in H. influenzae isolates between the two countries might reflect differences in antibiotic agents ordinarily given to outpatients with community-acquired bacterial infections.

LixMn2O4 is attracting much interest as a positive electrode material for Li-ion rechargeable batteries. Redox orbitals of LixMn2O4 under the charge or discharge process are not fully understood yet. Some band calculations have pointed out that intercalated Li 2s electrons occupy Mn sites or down-spin Mn 3d bands [1,2]. On the other hand molecular orbital calculation has reported the Li 2s electrons occupy O sites [3]. To clarify the redox orbital is important to understand the electrochemical reaction in the electrodes. In this study we have investigated the redox orbitals in LixMn2O4 by X-ray Compton scattering. Compton profiles were measured at BL08W of SPring-8, Japan. The energy of incident X-rays were 115keV and the scattering angle was 165 degrees. Energy spectra of Compton scattered X-rays were measured using a two-dimensional position sensitive detector. The measurements were performed under room temperature and vacuum conditions. Samples are polycrystalline of LixMn2O4 (x=0.5, 1.1, 1.2, 1.8 and 2.0). In order to clarify the redox orbitals of LixMn2O4, we obtained difference Compton profiles which represent the incremental electronic states on Li intercalation. Comparing the results with KKR-CPA and DFT calculations, we found that the O 2p bands play an important role for the redox process in LixMn2O4 with 0