Influence of normal to high stroke volume on congestive heart failure development after transcatheter aortic valve implantation:case series

Aortic stenosis(AS)is the most common valvular disease in the older adults'population,and its prevalence will likely continue to increase with the aging society.[1]Surgical aortic valve replacement(SAVR)for elderly patients is known as a high-risk procedure.[2-4]Transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)is a reasonable alternative to SAVR for older and inoperable patients with AS,and TAVI significantly improves outcomes in elderly patients with severe AS and serious comorbidities,[5,6]TAVI achieves a 20%relative reduction in mortality compared with SAVR.     

Hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity values of low-molecular-weight phenolic compounds containing carbon,hydrogen, and oxygen

The antioxidant capacity of an antioxidant reflects its ability to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, the hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC) method was used to quantitatively evaluate the antioxidant capacities of natural phenols and their derivatives against peroxyl radicals. This method was comprehensively applied to low-molecular-weight phenols to construct a database. Although no macroscopic correlation was observed for values related to the antioxidant capacity expression, we observed a difference in the trend of the H-ORAC values for each functional group. Thus, this database will serve as a new benchmark and tool for molecular design.

The hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-OARC) assay measures the antioxidant capacity of compounds against the peroxyl radical, a reactive oxygen species.     

Elucidation of the reaction mechanism on dry reforming of methane in an electric field by in situ DRIFTs

With increasing expectations for carbon neutrality, dry reforming is anticipated for direct conversion of methane and carbon dioxide: the main components of biogas. We have found that dry reforming of methane in an electric field using a Pt/CeO₂ catalyst proceeds with sufficient rapidity even at a low temperature of about 473 K. The effect of the electric field (EF) on dry reforming was investigated using kinetic analysis, in situ DRIFTs, XPS, and DFT calculation. In situ DRIFTs and XPS measurements indicated that the amount of carbonate, which is an adsorbed species of CO₂, increased with the application of EF. XPS measurements also confirmed the reduction of CeO₂ by the reaction of surface oxygen and CH₄. The reaction between CH₄ molecules and surface oxygen was promoted at the interface between Pt and CeO₂.

In the dry reforming of methane in an electric field, the reaction between CH₄ molecules and surface oxygen was promoted at the interface between Pt and CeO₂.     

Persistent Hypoglycemia Induced by Long-acting Insulin Degludec

A 58-year-old Japanese man was brought to the emergency room due to disturbance of consciousness. He regained consciousness on the day of admission and started taking hospital meals, but he needed intravenous glucose administration for eight days. The total amount of glucose administration was 4,464 g. It took over three weeks for exogenous insulin to be almost undetectable. While degludec binds to albumin and exerts glucose-lowering effects for a long time, the above-mentioned period of three weeks was consistent with the half-life of albumin. Hypoglycemia induced by massive dose of insulin degludec is persistent and prominent.     

Cellular biological differences between human myeloma cell lines KMS-12-PE and KMS-12-BM established from a single patient

To clarify cellular biological varieties of myeloma cells, biological differences were analyzed between 2 human myeloma cell lines, KMS-12-PE and KMS-12-BM, derived from pleural effusion and bone marrow, respectively, of a single patient. Although both lines were considered to be derived from the same clone because both had the same chromosomal marker and immunoglobulin H rearrangement, several biological differences were noted. CD11a and CD20 were highly expressed in the KMS-12-BM line, whereas the KMS-12-PE line showed a higher expression of CD7 and CD95/Fas. Although growth was stimulated in KMS-12-BM by interleukin-6 and interferon-alpha, it was inhibited in KMS-12-PE. In addition, apoptosis inhibitors Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) were highly expressed in KMS-12-BM cells. Because KMS-12-PE was cultivated 2 months before KMS-12-BM, these differences might be related to their origin (pleural effusion and bone marrow) or the phases of disease progression. However, these biological differences may help clarify myeloma cell biology and lead to improvement in treatment for myeloma patients.     

Etiology of liver cirrhosis in Japan: a nationwide survey

Background  

Little is understood about worldwide changes in the epidemiological distribution of the etiology of liver cirrhosis (LC). The present study examines the etiology of liver cirrhosis in Japan using a nationwide survey.     

A questionnaire-based survey on the etiopathogenesis of chronic constipation during a medical check-up in Japan

The study group of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology released evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for chronic constipation (CC) in 2017, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was treated as one of the causes of CC. We examined the differences in characteristics between IBS and non-IBS subjects with CC who underwent a medical check-up in Japan. A total of 10,658 subjects participated in this study, and we focused on 467 subjects who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of CC using a questionnaire survey. The number of IBS subjects was 21, and they had sleep disorders, were more symptomatic (e.g., abdominal pain, abdominal bloating/distension, feeling stressed, annoyance, lack of motivation, fatigue upon waking, and feeling depressed), and had more episodes of sensation of incomplete evacuation and anorectal obstruction/blockage during defecation than non-IBS subjects. Furthermore, stool frequency of IBS subjects was significantly different from non-IBS subjects. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that the factors associated with a higher stool frequency were IBS [odds ratio (OR), 2.46; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00–6.05; p = 0.049], male sex (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.20–3.23; p = 0.007), and regular exercise (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.05–3.07; p = 0.033). These findings suggest that IBS has unique characteristics in subjects with CC.     

Effects of solvents on the early stage stiffening rate of demineralized dentin matrix

OBJECTIVES: To monitor the stiffening rate of demineralized dentin matrix at the early stages after exposure to different neat solvents. METHODS: Dentin beams approximately 0.8x0.7x8.0 mm were obtained from human third molars. After covering their ends with resin composite, the middle exposed length of 4.0mm (gauge-length) was demineralized in 0.5 M EDTA (pH 7.0) for 7 days. The specimens were gripped by a testing machine, pre-loaded to 10 g and cyclically stressed in tension to 5% strain, for 30 repeated cycles (total 20 min) at 0.6 mm/min while immersed in water (control). Then, water was replaced by either 100% acetone, methanol, ethanol, propanol, HEMA or air and the specimens subjected to the same cyclic protocol. The maximum apparent modulus of elasticity (E(Max)) was calculated for every cycle, plotted as a function of time and subjected to regression analysis. Stiffening rate was calculated as changes in E (min). Regression analysis examined the relationship between E and time for each solvent. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls test at alpha=0.05. RESULTS: Regression analysis showed that E increased significantly with time in all water-free solvents (R2=0.8-0.99). Stiffening rate was higher for acetone (0.9 MPa/min) and ethanol (0.8 MPa/min), intermediate for air (0.7 MPa/min), methanol (0.6 MPa/min) and propanol (0.5 MPa/min), lower for HEMA (0.2 MPa/min) and practically none for water (0.07 MPa/min) with p<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The solvent-induced stiffening rate of demineralized dentin matrix is both time and solvent-dependent. The ability of solvents to promptly stiffen the demineralized dentin matrix may be important in maintaining the resin-infiltrated matrix expanded during the solvent evaporation stage of resin bonding.     

Age-related changes in hardness and modulus of elasticity of dentine

OBJECTIVES: Little knowledge has been clarified about the relationship between the morphological and physical changes of dentine during aging. The purpose of this study was to clarify the modulus of elasticity and hardness related to the morphological changes of dentine by aging using a transmitted light microscope (TLM) and a nano-hardness tester (NHT). METHODS: Aged human molars and young third molars were used. The dentine morphology was observed under a TLM. The hardness and Young's modulus of elasticity related to the morphologic study were evaluated with an NHT. RESULTS: The thickness of mantle dentine and globular dentine of aged teeth were less than that of young teeth. Transparent dentine was observed only underneath the attrition of young teeth. Reactionary tertiary dentine formed and a "dark zone" was found at the junction between physiologic secondary and reactionary dentine only in aged teeth. At the mantle dentine, hardness and modulus of elasticity of aged dentine were higher than those of young dentine. The reactionary dentine in aged teeth and newly developed secondary dentine in young teeth demonstrated lower modulus of elasticity and hardness than those of other circumpulpal dentine. Relatively low modulus of elasticity and hardness were observed at the zone between secondary and reactionary dentine. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in dentine due to aging resulted in transformation of morphological features causing changes to their hardness and modulus of elasticity at the explicit areas such as the increase of hardness and modulus of elasticity at mantle dentin and the reduction of these properties at the "dark zone" that found in aged teeth.