In previous article, we showed a log-normal distribution of boron and lithium in human urine. This type of distribution is common in both biological and nonbiological applications. It can be observed ...when the effects of many independent variables are combined, each of which having any underlying distribution. Although elemental excretion depends on many variables, the one-compartment open model following a first-order process can be used to explain the elimination of elements. The rate of excretion is proportional to the amount present of any given element; that is, the same percentage of an existing element is eliminated per unit time, and the element concentration is represented by a deterministic negative power function of time in the elimination time-course. Sampling is of a stochastic nature, so the dataset of time variables in the elimination phase when the sample was obtained is expected to show Normal distribution. The time variable appears as an exponent of the power function, so a concentration histogram is that of an exponential transformation of Normally distributed time. This is the reason why the element concentration shows a log-normal distribution. The distribution is determined not by the element concentration itself, but by the time variable that defines the pharmacokinetic equation.
Cortisol secretion after awakening, an index of hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis activity, appears to be related to psychosocial stressors, or to symptoms caused by psychosocial stressors. The ...relationship between the quality, duration, and magnitude of psychosocial factors and cortisol secretion is however, unclear. Therefore, the effect of episodic stress associated with writing a graduation thesis on cortisol secretion after awakening was investigated. Saliva samples were collected from 10 undergraduate students at awakening, and 30, 45, and 60 min after awakening 1 month, 2 weeks, and a few days before the thesis submission and 1 week after the submission. They also completed the Short form of Profile of Moods Scale (POMS-S) on the night before each sampling. Results indicated that cortisol levels were higher a few days before the thesis submission compared to 1 month before submission. Scores of “Fatigue” and “Tension-Anxiety” in POMS-S were also higher a few days before submission. These results suggest that episodic stress associated with writing a graduation thesis caused an increase in cortisol levels after awakening.
To assess the accuracy of automatic extraction of the left ventricular inner contour on contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine magnetic resonance (MR) images, we compared the values obtained by this method ...with those obtained using intravenous digital subtraction left ventriculography. High-quality single breath-hold contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR images were obtained in all cardiac phases on horizontal and vertical long axis sections of the left ventricle. For ultrafast cine MR imaging, a phase-rewind gradient-echo (rewind-SMASH) sequence was used. Automatic extraction of the left ventricular inner contour on contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR images was performed in all cardiac phases. High-quality left ventricular images of the horizontal long axis section were obtained in 127 of 160 patients (79%). The automatic extraction of the left ventricular contour was easily performed on high-quality images with very short processing time (4 s/frame). The values for left ventricular volumes obtained with the automatic extraction method on contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR imaging were correlated well with those obtained with the manual extraction method and IV-DSA in high quality cardiac images. The biplane modified Simpson's method using automatic extraction is an accurate and highly reproducible method for evaluating left ventricular volumes.
To assess the pituitary-thyroid axis, we measured serum concentrations of thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in 311 patients with common ...cardiac diseases excluding congestive heart failure (CHF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and shock, 60 patients with AMI (36 class 1-3 patients and 24 class 4 patients, according to the Killip classification), in 30 patients with septic shock, and in 62 patients with severe chronic desease. The incidence of low T3, low T4 and low TSH levels in AMI was 75%, 28.3% and 16.7%, respectively. Low T4 and low TSH were significantly more frequent in AMI than in other common cardic diseases (T4 13.5%, TSH 1.9%). The mean serum T3 levels in cardiogenic shock, septic shock and chronic severe illnesses were 45±25, 25±15 and 33±25ng/dl, respectively. The low T3 was exceedingly advanced in septic shock and chronic severe illnesses. The mean serum T4 levels in cardiogenic shock, septic shock and chronic severe illnesses were 6.3±2.0, 3.8±1.8 and 5.4±2.2μg/dl, respectively. The low T4 was very common in septic shock. The prevalence of low T3, low T4 and low TSH was 100%, 33.3% and 25%, respectively, in cardiogenic shock, 100%, 76.7% and 40%, respectively, in septic shock, and 91%, 56.5% and 9.7%, respectively, in chronic severe illnesses. Low T4 and low TSH occurred significantly more frequently in septic shock, and as a result dysfunction of the feedback mechanism of the pituitary-thyroid axis was suspected in septic shock. The mortality in low T3 was 40% in patients with AMI, and increased to 76.5% at lower T3 levels (<50ng/dl). The mortality rate in low T4 was 70.6% in patients with AMI, and all of the patients with lower T4 levels (<4.0μg/dl) died. These findings show that serum T3 and T4 are useful prognostic and severity indices in patients with AMI. The present findings suggest that thyroid hormones and TSH frequently decrease in cardiogenic and septic shock, and diminution of these hormone levels was related to the severity and outcome of AMI and shock.
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