We have detected visible photons emitted from the thermally populated electronic excited state, namely recurrent fluorescence (RF), of C_{6}^{-} stored in an electrostatic ion storage ring. Clear ...evidence is provided to distinguish RF from normal fluorescence, based on the temporal profile of detected photons synchronized with the revolution of C_{6}^{-} in the ring, for which the time scale is far longer than the lifetime of the intact photoexcited state. The relaxation (cooling) process via RF is likely to be commonplace for isolated molecular systems and crucial to the stabilization of molecules in interstellar environments.
Laser-induced delayed electron detachment from Si2 – stored in an electrostatic ion storage ring was observed on the 10 microsecond time scale. The excitation spectra for photon energies near ...threshold show well-resolved multipeak structures, which are attributed to rovibronic transitions to the electronic excited state. This structure appears only in the signal measured with the delay. The occurrence of delayed detachment on such a long time scale is unusual for diatomic molecules, suggesting that both the autodetachment and fluorescence are slow.
Aim
Branched‐chain amino acids (BCAA) are valuable in the treatment of liver cirrhosis because they increase serum albumin levels. Poor adherence to BCAA may adversely affect prognosis, but little is ...known about factors predicting adherence. We undertook a survey of patients prescribed BCAA for the treatment of cirrhosis.
Methods
Pharmacists carried out face‐to‐face interviews with patients (or their representatives) prescribed any of nine BCAA formulations. Question categories included patient characteristics, prescription of BCAA granules, and perceptions of BCAA administration, including adherence and possible factors that might impact adherence. “Poor adherence” was defined as “not taking the medication appropriately” or “forgetting to take the medication”.
Results
Overall, 253 patients (or representatives) completed the survey, of whom 135 were men, 114 were women, and 148 were ≥70 years old. Most patients (163) were prescribed BCAA for ≥2 years and were using three packs per day. Thirty‐two patients did not take their medication appropriately and 69 sometimes forgot to administer it. Weariness of taking the medication (P < 0.001) and the perceived unpleasantness (P = 0.023) of the medication in terms of its taste and volume were significantly associated with poor adherence. The patients reported that the most influential educators were general practitioners, followed by certified hepatologists, then pharmacists.
Conclusion
Most patients had good adherence to BCAA in clinical practice. Poor adherence was associated with weariness with taking medication, and the unpleasantness of the medication itself. Patient education from general practitioners and hepatologists combined with adherence counseling from pharmacists may help improve adherence.
A 7-month-old boy presented to the hospital with fever, vomiting, and appetite loss and was admitted with a diagnosis of dehydration due to gastroenteritis. Although he stopped drinking and eating, ...he continued to vomit. The day after admission, systolic murmur, tachypnea, and retractive breathing appeared, and echocardiography showed mitral regurgitation resulting from chordal rupture. Although the vomiting and pleural effusion were improved with medical therapy, retractive breathing persisted. Mitral valve plastic surgery was performed. Mitral valve chordal rupture in infants is rare and presents with nonspecific symptoms. Because most patients need surgical treatment, early and appropriate diagnosis is necessary.
Outcome of univentricular repair in patients with Down syndrome Furukawa, Takeshi, MD; Park, In-Sam, MD; Yoshikawa, Tadahiro, MD ...
Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery/The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery/The journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery,
12/2013, Volume:
146, Issue:
6
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Objective Total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) is rarely performed for a functional single ventricle in children with Down syndrome; therefore, the postsurgical outcomes are not well known. We ...evaluated mortality and related factors after TCPC in children with Down syndrome. Methods Between January 2004 and March 2010 we identified 8 patients with Down syndrome among 235 patients who had undergone TCPC. The preoperative clinical course, preoperative data, and postoperative clinical course were evaluated. In addition, clinical parameters and postoperative clinical course were compared between children with Down syndrome (n = 8) and a non-Down syndrome group (n = 227). Results The median age at the time of TCPC was 4.1 years (range, 3.4-5.5 years), and the preoperative mean pulmonary artery pressure was 13.9 ± 1.81 mm Hg. We observed respiratory complications in 2 patients, surgical site infection in 3 patients, and chylothorax in 2 patients. No significant difference was observed in preoperative data and mortality rate (1 of 8 patients 12.5% in the Down syndrome group; 5 of 227 patients 2.2% in the non-Down syndrome group) between the groups of children with and without Down syndrome. However, when the postoperative clinical course was examined, the durations of intensive care unit stay ( P = .009) and hospital stay ( P = .007) were found to be significantly prolonged in the Down syndrome group. Conclusions Patients with Down syndrome tend to show prolonged recovery after TCPC. However, as opposed to previous reports, the mortality rate of patients undergoing TCPC is lower with no significant difference from that of children without Down syndrome.
The degree of freedom of spin in quantum systems serves as an unparalleled laboratory where intriguing quantum physical properties can be observed, and the ability to control spin is a powerful tool ...in physics research. We propose a method for controlling spin in a system of rare isotopes which takes advantage of the mechanism of the projectile fragmentation reaction combined with the momentum-dispersion matching technique. The present method was veried in an experiment at the RIKEN RI Beam Factory, in which a degree of alignment of 8% was achieved for the spin of a rare isotope 32Al. The gure of merit for the present method was found to be greater than that of the conventional method by a factor of more than 50.
In recent years, >100 cases of coronary artery stenotic lesions due to Kawasaki disease were treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Surgical indications include stenosis of >75%, ...myocardial infarction history, electrocardiographic changes, and ischemia, as detected by myocardial scintigraphy and electrocardiography, due to drugs or exercise. Some centers have reported good patency rates, even in infants. The advantages of CABG in younger patients are minimal loss of left ventricular function, early elimination of post-operative ischemia risk, and improved quality of life. However, the disadvantage of performing CABG in younger patients is the small coronary artery diameter and the thin vessel wall, which can lead to post-operative occlusion, especially when performed by inexperienced surgeons. The optimal timing of CABG varies by institution and case, which depends on the presence or absence of complications, such as left ventricular dysfunction or valve regurgitation, and surgeon's experience. Importantly, unlike adult surgery, childhood CABG needs to be kept open for the very longest possible period of time to determine the optimal conditions for surgery. We report two pediatric cases of giant coronary artery aneurysms diagnosed in infancy. During school age, the patients had a mild decline of left ventricular ejection function. In one case, there were no clinical symptoms because of the development of collateral vessels and limitation of exercise. Both patients underwent surgery with good results. The gastric gastroepiploic artery could be anastomosed owing to the development of collateral blood vessels, although it was obstructed. At 1 year after surgery, both patients had a good post-operative course without complications of anastomotic stenosis or myocardial damage due to aneurysm resection. If conditions are favorable, bypass surgery can be postponed to several years until the coronary arteries are sufficiently large to warrant a delay in coronary artery stenosis in cases of infantile Kawasaki disease.
Background: This study analyzed the change in liver fibrosis markers after the Fontan operation and investigated their clinical usefulness as an index of congestive liver fibrosis.
Methods: The ...study enrolled 24 patients who underwent the Fontan operation between January 1994 and December 2008. We subdivided the postoperative period into four intervals and then compared the hepatological markers during each. Eighteen patients underwent postoperative cardiac catheterization and the correlation between hepatological markers and the inferior vena cava (IVC) pressure was analyzed.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 138.6 months and the mean interval between the Fontan operation and the examination was 97.8 months. Type IV collagen was extremely high in every interval (I, 286 ± 93; II, 265 ± 93; III, 305 ± 143; IV, 206 ± 70), while none of the laboratory variables changed significantly in each interval. A significant positive correlation was observed between type IV collagen and the IVC pressure, but no significant correlation with any other hepatological marker was detected.
Conclusions: No specific parameter that reflects the progress in liver fibrosis was identified in this study. The possibility exists that type IV collagen reflects the degree of hepatic congestion.
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