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This study investigated the sex differences of the inflammatory mediator level at the time of itch onset in patients with chronic venous disease (CVD). Twenty-seven CVD patients (nineteen women, eight men) and nine healthy controls (five women, four men) participated. CVD-associated itching was observed in both men and women. Before sclerotherapy, both sexes had elevations in several itch-related mediators. Among these, women had significantly higher tryptase, whereas men had significantly higher β-endorphin and adrenocorticotropic hormone. After sclerotherapy, all levels normalized in both sexes. In this study, itching was increased tryptase in women and increased adrenocorticotropic hormone and β-endorphin in men.

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common venous disease of the lower extremities and patients often develop symptoms of itching and skin roughness. An easy to use and objective skin examination was recently developed that allows measurement of the level of stratum corneum content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which can indicate the status of the barrier function of the stratum corneum. Previous studies demonstrated that histamine production from mast cells, and tryptase and matrix metalloprotease-9 levels were associated with skin inflammation. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between dry skin and inflammatory mediators that mediate the skin symptoms of CVD subjects. The study enrolled 27 subjects with CVD and a control group consisting of 9 volunteers. The itching onset frequency was higher in women (70.4%) compared with men (50.0%). To analyze the mechanisms involved in itching we measured blood inflammatory mediators pre- and post-sclerotherapy. There was a significant decrease in Substance P, histamine, IgE, and tryptase levels post-sclerotherapy compared with those at pre-sclerotherapy. These levels were associated with the severity of itching. In addition, compared with the control subjects, there was a significant increase in the stratum corneum water content and a decrease in the TEWL in the 27 patients with CVD. This was associated with a decrease in the itching symptoms. Our findings indicate that sclerotherapy decreased levels of inflammatory mediators, increased stratum corneum water content and decreased TEWL, which coincided with reduced itching in CVD patients, indicating they might be therapeutic targets.

Antithrombin III (ATIII) deficiency is a rare disorder in which thrombosis can be induced by stimuli that do not usually lead to thrombus formation, including minor injuries and surgery. Therefore, patients with ATIII deficiency undergoing cardiovascular surgery that involves heparinization require careful perioperative management. We experienced five patients with ATIII deficiency who underwent cardiovascular surgery and were managed with ATIII replacement. By administration of ATIII concentrate, preoperative ATIII activity was maintained at ≥120% and postoperative ATIII activity at ≥80%. All five patients were treated successfully without postoperative complications such as hemorrhage or thrombosis. In patients with ATIII deficiency undergoing cardiac surgery, it is important to perform ATIII replacement to achieve preoperative ATIII activity ≥120% and postoperative ATIII activity ≥80%, while the activated clotting time (ACT) is maintained at >400 seconds during cardiopulmonary bypass. In addition, long-term postoperative anticoagulant therapy is necessary in hereditary ATIII deficiency patients with a history of thrombosis.

A 76-year-old woman who had been on hemodialysis for 3 years developed ischemic mitral valve insufficiency, tricuspid insufficiency, and chronic atrial fibrillation, and underwent cardiac surgery. On the 4th postoperative day, she experienced a sudden disturbance of consciousness, aphasia, and limb ataxia. Brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormalities. Wernicke’s encephalopathy was suspected and the patient was given vitamin B1, whereupon her symptoms gradually improved. On the 42nd postoperative day, she was free of neurological symptoms and discharged.

Background Varicose veins commonly occur in the lower extremities and can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area. Many patients with varicose veins suffer from itching, but its cause has not been sufficiently explained. In recent years, the role of zinc in maintaining the integrity of skin has been reported, and zinc supplementation has been suggested to be effective in relieving itching. The objective of this study is to elucidate the relationship between itching and serum zinc concentration in patients with varicose veins. Methods We measured the stratum corneum water content, TEWL and zinc levels in each participant. The study subjects were 11 patients with varicose veins who were experiencing itching (2 males and 9 females, mean age: 65.9 ± 9.4 years old) and 13 patients without itching (6 males and 7 females, mean age: 59.3 ± 9.5 years old). The control group was comprised of 9 healthy individuals without varicose veins (mean age: 41.7 ± 7.0 years old). Results The level of stratum corneum water content was significantly lower in the patients experiencing itching compared to those without the symptom, and it was significantly lower in both patient groups than in the control group. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was significantly higher in the patients experiencing itching than those without the symptom, and it was significantly higher in both patient groups than in the control group. In addition, zinc level was significantly lower in the patients with itching compared to those without itching or the control group. For all study participants, relationships between the stratum corneum water content and TEWL against serum zinc were examined. There was a positive correlation between the stratum corneum water content and serum zinc, and a negative correlation was found between TEWL and serum zinc. Conclusion Our novel findings suggested that the development of varicose veins leads to decrease in serum zinc, causing dry skin which could contribute to itching.

The subcritical steam gasification of coal was performed with a calcium-based CO2 sorbent (Ca(OH)2) in a laboratory-scale batch reactor to examine the gasification kinetics with respect to the effects of partial pressure of steam and coal quality. The study was intended to support the hydrogen production by a reaction-integrated novel gasification (HyPr-RING) process in which coal is gasified with subcritical steam in a fluidized bed containing Ca(OH)2. Conducting subcritical steam gasification at 600–727 °C and 3–20 MPa produced zero emissions of CO2 because the rate of CO2 sorption by Ca(OH)2 was faster than that of CO2 generation by gasification. The gasification reaction mechanism was represented by a parallel first-order reaction model of the components of volatiles and char in coal. Hydrogen was mainly produced via tar from volatiles. The optimal partial pressure of steam preferred for hydrogen generation was 3 MPa, rather than 20 MPa. More volatiles in coal increased hydrogen yield in the gasificat...

In order to induce adhesion of electroless CuNiP deposition to polyimide (PI) film substrate, surface modification of PI film with an aqueous dispersion of ozone micro–nano bubbles was investigated. The treatment resulted in maximum adhesion strength of 1·14 kN m−1 for a treatment time of 5 min. Structure of the modified PI surface, the PI/plating interface, mechanism for adhesion and laminate properties were analysed. Despite increased adhesion, surface roughness of PI was not notably changed by the ozone induced surface modification. Contact of PI surface with high ozone concentration micro–nano bubbles with sufficient frequency was found to modify the surface with a low total ozone concentration of the aqueous dispersion. Cross-sectional observation of the interface suggested that formation of a thin nanoporous anchor layer on the PI surface was responsible for plating adhesion. This method provides an environment friendly and improved process for plating on PI using low concentration ozone treatment.

The surfaces of the connector terminals used for electrical connection of components are electroplated with Sn, Au, or Ag in order to improve reliability. For electronic devices that require particularly high reliability, hard gold is used. The characteristics of gold deposits of various surface morphologies were examined. Gold films with increased surface roughness exhibited superior friction and wear properties without a large increase in contact electrical resistance after friction testing. Increasing the surface roughness also resulted in higher solder adhesion strength and improved corrosion resistance to sulfur dioxide gas.

In recent years, with the miniaturization of electric devices, the demand for flexible printed circuits (FPCs) using polyimide has increased, because of its excellent heat resistance and size stability. Polyimide also has good flexibility and surface smoothness. However, polyimide absorbs moisture readily and is highly permeable to gas. In contrast, Cyclo Olefin Polymer (COP) has low moisture absorption, excellent size stability and excellent high frequency electrical properties. Therefore, COP is attractive as a substrate for FPCs. However, it is difficult to form a metal film using electroless plating on the COP with conventional processes. We could form a copper film with high adhesion strength while maintaining a smooth resin surface by modifying the surface using UV irradiation. Surface modification by UV irradiation was effective to achieve good adhesion (about 1.0 kN/m) between the COP resin and the deposited metal without roughening the COP surface. The interface electric conductivity of the printed circuit on COP produced by this method indicated a value of approximately 80% up to around 30 GHz.

1999年5月から2004年8月までに経験した慢性透析患者の弁膜症手術症例43例を対象として術後成績と問題点を明らかにし,代用弁の選択について検討した.手術術式は大動脈弁置換術(AVR)20例,僧帽弁置換術(MVR)9例,AVR+MVR8例,僧帽弁形成術(MVP)6例,代用弁の種類はAVRで機械弁23例,生体弁5例,MVRで機械弁13例,生体弁4例であった.病院死亡を3例(7%)に認め,死因は心不全1例,肺炎1例,敗血症1例であった.遠隔期死亡は10例(23%)で心不全2例,肺炎2例,創部感染1例,脳梗塞1例,悪性腫瘍2例,閉塞性動脈硬化症1例,不明1例であった.1,3,5年生存率はそれぞれ81%,74%,47%,出血・血栓塞栓症といった合併症は術後早期・遠隔期を通して機械弁を使用した群(機械弁群)では29例中3例(10%),生体弁を使用した群(生体弁群)で9例中0例(0%)であり,両群間に有意差は認めなかった(p=0.25).また,生体弁の早期劣化(19ヵ月,24ヵ月,50ヵ月)による再手術を3例経験した.慢性透析患者における代用弁の選択は,機械弁群と生体弁群で出血・血栓塞栓症といった合併症に差はなく,諸外国に比べ比較的予後の良好なわが国では,生体弁の早期劣化による再手術の危険性を考慮すると,基本的には機械弁を選択するのが良いと考えられた.

バッチ制御のための操作手順は，プラントに関する情報と製品処方（レシピ）に関する情報をもとに，生産計画，スケジューリングなどに関する意思決定を行うことによって作成されると考えられる．しかしながら，限られた装置・資源を共有したり，製品の処方が異なる場合，矛盾のない操作手順を作成するのは困難になることが予想されるため，その合理的な合成法の開発が望まれる．本研究では，プラントに関する情報とレシピに関する情報をそれぞれペトリネットによりモデル化し，それらから制御系全体のモデルを構成し，そのモデルで発生可能な動作を調べることによって操作手順を求める方法について検討した．

The microstructure of milled mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers (mMPCFs) that have been developed as an anode material for Li ion batteries have been studied as a function of heat treatment temperature (HTT), by SEM, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. And the results obtained are compared with those by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM observations, for the characterization of specific structural features of mMPCFs as a promising anode material.

Recently, with increasing worldwide consumption of oil and the ongoing aging of transport fleets, a number of oil spill accidents have had highly negative effects on ocean and coastal environments. In 1997, for example, anacc ident involving the Russian tanker Nakhodka occurred in very rough mid -winter sea conditions in the Sea of Japan just off the Japanese coast. The recovery operation was hampered by high waves, and the biggest problem was the lack of equipment capable of c ollecting spilled oil in stormy weather.In 1998 the Association for Structural Improvement of the Shipbuilding Industry (ASIS) initiated a research and development project on large -scale oil recovery systems for severe sea conditions, based on grants from the Japanese Ministry of Transport. One of the items included in this project is research and development for oil booms to be used in severe sea conditions. This report presents the results of associated work carried out in fiscal 1998, the goal of whi ch was to develop concepts of high performance oil boom and operation system.First, several kinds of basic measurements on oil containment performance using pellets were carried out in an experimental tank in order to evaluate the oil boom type, and oil containment performance data were also obtained. Next, basic experiments of oil boom system in rough sea using actual oil were performed in a tank to decide the appropriate concept among them. Finally, based on these experiments, basic design for the operation system was undertaken.

いくつかの動作が同時進行的に, あるいは互いに影響を及ぼしながら進んでいくバッチプロセス制御系を設計するにあたっては, システム全体の動作をいくつかの部分に分解し, このもとで個々に設計された各モジュールを統合することによって全体を設計するモジュラ設計が有効である. 本論文では, バッチプロセス制御系に頻出するシーケンス制御系のモデルにペトリネットのサブクラスである条件/事象ネットを用い, そのもとで, 各モジュールごとに構成されたモデルからシステム全体を表すモデルを構成するための方法について検討した. また, こうして得られた制御系を表す条件/事象ネットモデルから, 実際のコントローラを作成する方法についても検討した.

Mesophase pitch-based short carbon fibers prepared by the melt blown method exhibited diameters 6 to 16 μm distributed along the filament. The transverse surfaces of the thicker and thinner parts of the filament were very different. The thicker part showed a skin/core texture where very thick and long domains run parallel to the core while the thinner one had a PAN-AM texture where sets of straight domains run along the equator. Such unique shapes and textures were prepared through melt blown spinning and different extents of stabilization according to the diameter of the filament.

The structures and anode performance of graphitized and boron-doped milled mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers (mMPCFs) have been comparatively studied and the results obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements are discussed. The boron doping at the level of 2.66 at.% (2.4 wt.%) enhances the growth of the crystallite thickness, Lc(002), of the host mMPCF. The B-doped mMPCFs show a strong Raman peak near 1365 cm−1, and a well-defined peak at 1620 cm−1. The E2g2 graphite Raman band at 1580 cm−1 is shifted to 1590 cm−1 due to B-doping. On the basis of the integrated intensity ratio R(ID/IG), it is suggested that the substitutional boron in the mMPCFs is homogeneously distributed within the graphene layer in the fiber form. Boron doping leads to about an 11% increase in charge capacity and also an improved cyclic efficiency. The electrochemical Li intercalation takes place at a higher voltage in boron-doped mMPCFs than in undoped mMPCFs by about 40 mV, presumably because the substitutional boron acts as an electron acceptor in the graphite lattice as well as affecting the exposed dislocation edge-type surface.

The microstructure of milled mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers (mMPCFs) that have been developed as an anode material for Li ion batteries has been studied as a function of heat treatment temperature (HTT) mainly by Raman spectroscopy, and the results obtained are compared with those by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. As a functional material, SEM measurements indicate that these mMPCFs have a characteristic controlled cross-sectional morphology like a bamboo skin structure which is different to that of conventional mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers for composite use. The mMPCFs with HTT>2000°C clearly show the 110 and 112 XRD peaks indicating the development of three-dimensional graphite stacking from a turbostratic structure. The mMPCFs heat-treated at temperatures >2000°C contain larger domain sizes along their longitudinal surface that those along the periphery of the fiber, as demonstrated by microprobe Raman scattering experiments. These mMPCFs could be promising as a functional material for applications, such as to Li ion batteries, but not for composite applications.

A discrete event system is a dynamical system which evolves according to asynchronous, concurrent and sequential occurrence of discrete state changes. Petri nets are a promising mathematical tool for modeling and analysis of discrete event systems. Partial languages give a correct description of how Petri nets behave. In this paper, we first review partial languages and show that they are useful for analysis of Petri nets. We then propose a synthesis of condition/event nets (a subclass of Petri nets), in which the objective is to construct a net to exhibit the desired behavior specified as a partial language. We last discuss the outline of a synthesis technique.

Although percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) has been the established treatment of symptomatic patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), the efficacy for specific HOCM is not elucidated. We report a successful case of PTSMA for heart failure with severe left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction due to sigmoid-shaped interventricular septum and diffuse left ventricular hypertrophy with Monckeberg’s arteriosclerosis and aortic valvular stenosis. While the PTSMA relieved LVOT obstruction and symptoms in the acute phase, the modest recurrence was confirmed 6 months later, which is rare in the case of idiopathic HOCM. The possible mechanisms of LVOT obstruction and recurrence are discussed.

Mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers (MPCF) have been prepared by a melt-brow method and applied to Li ion secondary battery. To improve the reversible capacity, B was doped to the fiber about 1 at % by adding B4C to the pre-carbonized milled fibers and then heat-treated up to 3000°C in Ar. The structure of B-doped fibers was characterized and compared with that of non-doped standard fibers, and also anode performances for Li ion battery were evaluated. The capacity of B-doped fibers was 340 mAh/g, while the non-doped fiber showed 300 mAh/g. The voltammograms of both fibers were different from each other. The mechanism of anode reaction is discussed based on the unique structure of B-doped fibers. It is suggested that B doping to the MPCF is very effective for the anode performance.

バッチプロセス, およびその制御系は事象が生起することによって状態が遷移する離散事象系としてとらえることができる.本論文では, 離散事象系をペトリネットのサブクラスである条件/事象ネットでモデル化し, その動作を半言語で表す.そして, 離散事象系の制御問題を, 条件/事象ネットでモデル化された制御対象と, 半言語で記述された目標動作を表す仕様が与えられたとき, その動作を実現するようなコントローラを表す条件1事象ネットを求める問題として定式化し, この問題が解をもつための条件, およびその解法について考察する.また, これに基づいたシーケンス制御系の一つの設計法を提案する.

An 88-year-old woman developed an acute massive pulmonary embolism after off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. She experienced dyspnea while walking on the sixth day after operation. Her chest radiograph showed pleural effusion. Initially, she was treated for heart failure due to bypass graft occlusion. A repeat echocardiogram revealed enlargement of the right ventricle. Multislice computed tomography showed a massive embolus in the pulmonary artery. Surgical embolectomy was performed, and her postoperative course was easy. Recently, the incidence of pulmonary embolism in Japanese people has been rising. In addition, widespread implementation of off-pump coronary artery bypass compromises the protective effect against pulmonary embolus after cardiac surgery. Although the incidence of pulmonary embolism after coronary artery bypass surgery is still low in Japan in comparison to that in Western countries, prophylaxis against pulmonary embolism after off-pump coronary artery surgery is becoming more important.

Clinical Summary A 61-year-old man presented with dyspnea 3 years after coronary artery bypass surgery. He had multiple cerebral infarctions 1 year after the operation. Because pulse oximetry was 92% in room air at his physician’s consultation, he started home oxygen therapy. After 3 years, his dyspnea got worse. Redo work-up, including ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scanning and computed tomographic scanning, was done. The result of the V/Q scan was normal. Computed tomographic scanning showed an abnormal cyst above the heart. The cyst contained liquid and showed a compressed right atrium and right ventricular outflow (Figure 1). He consulted with our institution to perform an extensive work-up. Physical examination revealed a regular pulse, a blood pressure of 103/81 mm Hg, and no murmur in cardiac auscultation. Arterial blood gas analysis in a sitting posture showed a PaO2 of 53.8 mm Hg and a PaCO2 of 24.6 mm Hg with 15 L of oxygen supplementation by means of a face mask and a PaO2 of 63.2 mm Hg and a PaCO2 of 25.1 mm Hg in the supine position. Common blood count showed polycythemia, with a hematocrit value of 52.4%. Chest radiographic film showed any apparent pulmonary disease that could be a cause of the dyspnea. Electrocardiography revealed sinus rhythm and left atrial load. Echocardiography was performed and revealed right atrial compression. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed an atrial septal aneurysm and patent foramen ovale and a right-to-left shunt through the foramen ovale. These shunts increased in a sitting posture. Cardiac catheterization was performed and revealed a small right-to-left shunt (27.3%). A small portion of blood flowed from the superior vena cava influx directly into the inferior vena cava. Blood flowed from the inferior vena cava influx into the left atrium through the foramen ovale. The previous bypass graft (ie, the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending artery) was patent. All of the right-sided intracardiac pressure measurements were normal (Table 1). Surgical removal of the cyst was performed. There were polytetrafluoroethylene* sheets surrounding the heart. There was a cyst surrounding the right atrium from the right side of the left atrium to the right ventricle. The cyst had a thick scar tissue and contained 300 mL of old, black serous liquid. Just after opening the cyst, the pulse oximetry improved, from 79% to 100%. The right atriotomy was performed during ventricular fibrillation with cardiopulmonary bypass. There was a patent foramen ovale, and the slit was closed in a continuous fashion. Because the right ventricle was covered with thick pericardium and expressed constrictive pericarditis, a complete pericardiectomy was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and weaning from mechanical ventilation was quite easy. The patient could be withdrawn from oxygen supplementation and was discharged on postoperative day 15.

The burning-off characteristics by joule heating of mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers (MPCFs) in air have been studied, in order to evaluate the current capacity for electrical applications of the fibers. It is indicated that MPCFs have very high current capacity, as around 2.5×105 J/mm2, up to burning-off by joule heating, increasing with modulus of the fibers. The cross-section morphologies of the fibers are emphasized after burning-off, which characterize the structure of the original fibers. Similar experiments has been done for the pitch-based activated carbon fibers, and shown the characteristic feature of burning-off caused by the porous structure.