A study has been carried out on the quantitative analysis of Ru, Rh, Pd, Te, Mo and Zr, which are main components of undissolved materials dispersed in nitric acid dissolver solutions of spent ...pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuels, using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The dissolution of the insoluble residues filtrated from the dissolver solutions by acid digestion bomb technique and the separation of Ru, Rh, Pd, Te, Mo and Zr from U and transuranous elements in the filtrate by ion exchange, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) extraction chromatography were discussed in detail. The applicability and versatility of the proposed separation procedure combined with ICP-AES analysis were evaluated by chemically characterizing the spent PWR fuels with burnups from 36,000 to 39,000
MWd/MtU.
Influence of antimony (Sb) as a surfactant and annealing on the structural and optical properties of InGaAsN/GaAs multiple quantum-well (MQW) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) ...is studied. It was found that an increase in compressive strain from an analysis of the satellite peaks in high-resolution X-ray diffraction was observed with increasing interruption time and annealing temperature. The photocurrent (PC) peak of as-grown MQW is blue-shifted with introduction time of excess Sb flux during growth interruption process. It seems to be due to the improvement of structure properties at interface by a surfactant suppressing surface diffusion phenomenon. After annealing process, the PC peak is blue-shifted with increasing annealing temperature for all samples. It seems to be related with the compressive strain and QW intermixing.
Background
Periostin is a matricellular protein, and its synthesis in airway epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts is induced by interleukin (IL)‐4 and IL‐13. The significance of periostin as a ...biomarker of TH2‐induced airway inflammation, and (importantly) as a measure of the response to TH2‐targeted therapy, has recently been emphasized. We explored the relationship between periostin and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in asthmatic children.
Methods
The study included 83 children aged 6–15 years in an asthmatic group (n = 54) and healthy controls (n = 29). We measured the periostin levels in serum and performed methacholine and mannitol provocation challenges. The responses to mannitol were expressed as the provocative dose causing a 15% fall in the FEV1 (the PD15 dose).
Results
Of the 54 subjects with asthma, all had positive methacholine bronchial provocation test (BPT) results and 38 had positive mannitol BPT results. Children with asthma had significantly higher periostin levels than controls 76.0 (65.0–91.8) vs 71.0 (57.5–80.0) ng/mL; P = 0.017. Periostin levels were significantly correlated with both the methacholine PC20 and mannitol PD15 values.
Conclusion
Serum levels of periostin, a new biomarker induced by IL‐13, were higher in asthmatic children, and were associated with AHR to methacholine and mannitol.
The authors report their experiences with the problems encountered during and after stent-graft placement in patients with aortic dissections.
Between July 1994 and December 2003, stent-graft ...placement was performed in 60 patients with aortic dissections, 9 patients with Stanford type A dissection and 51 patients with type B. Ten patients had acute dissection and 50 patients had chronic dissection. Each patient was followed for 12 to 107 months (mean, 33 mo). All cases were retrospectively reviewed for any problem that occurred during and after the procedure.
During the procedure, there were two cases (3%) of stent-graft migration, one case (2%) of stent-graft torsion, two cases (3%) of stent-graft folding due to oversizing, three cases (5%) of persistent thoracic false lumen flow by the appearance of a hidden intimal tear, one case (2%) of new intimal tear that resulted in retrograde type A dissection, and 12 cases (20%) of type I endoleaks on aortograms taken immediately after the procedure. During the follow-up period, one case (2%) of transient cerebral ischemia, six cases (10%) of persistent type I endoleaks, two cases (3%) of type II endoleaks through the intercostal artery, four cases (7%) with progressive dilatation of abdominal false lumen, six cases (10%) of new intimal tears which resulted in saccular aneurysms (n=4) or new dissections (n=2) on either or both ends of the stent-graft, and two cases (3%) of mechanical failure were observed. Overall, five patients (8%) required surgical conversion, and there were no cases of procedure-related mortality.
Various problems can occur during and after stent-graft placement in aortic dissection. The thorough evaluation of preoperative imaging and close follow-up are mandatory to optimize the management of such problems.
We studied whether eugenol provides neuroprotection against delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 region following a 5 min occlusion of the common carotid arteries bilaterally under either ...free-regulating temperature (TF) or maintained temperature (TM, 37ºC) conditions in gerbils. Right after occlusion of the carotid arteries, we injected eugenol intraperitoneally at concentrations of either 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg. There was significant preservation of neuronal cells in the CA1 region in the eugenol-treated groups 7 days after the ischemic insult in the TF condition, with respective survival values of 26, 43, and 68%. In the TM condition, however, significant neuroprotection was only seen with eugenol concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg (32% and 52%, respectively). When the rectal temperature was maintained at 38ºC for 30 min after occlusion of the carotid arteries, no reduction in CA1 damage was observed with any dose of eugenol. These results suggest that eugenol may provide neuroprotection against ischemic damage by its hypothermic action.
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