Diurnal incidence of acute myocardial infarction in a Japanese population (From the Takashima AMI Registry, 1988–2004)

Background

We examined the circadian periodicity of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) onset to identify any existing specific pattern using 17-year AMI registration data.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Takashima AMI Registry, which covered a stable population of approximately 55,000 in Takashima County in central Japan. Out of 429 registered first-ever AMI events from 1988–2004, there were 352 events with classifiable onset time. AMI onset was categorized as occurring at night (midnight to 6 a.m.), morning (6 a.m. to noon), afternoon (noon to 6 p.m.) or evening (6 p.m. to midnight).

Results

There was a significant diurnal variation in AMI incidence (P < 0.001) with the highest proportion in the morning (32.4%, 95% CI: 27.7–37.5) and lowest in the nighttime (17.4%, 95% CI: 13.7–21.7). An excess AMI incidence in the morning was observed in both genders and in subjects ?65 years old. A second surge was also observed during the later part of the day. The morning excess of AMI incidence was similar across seasons and days of the week. For all AMIs, the age and gender adjusted risk was 1.82 (95% CI: 1.33–2.49) times higher in the morning than at night.

Conclusion

A diurnal pattern of AMI onset was observed in a Japanese population with a morning peak and nighttime trough, and the pattern was similar across seasons of the year and days of the week.     

Increased risk of acute myocardial infarction during colder periods is independent of the conventional cardiovascular risk factors: Takashima AMI Registry, Japan

We investigated the association of the variability of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurrences between warm and colder periods and the conventional cardiovascular risk-factors. For the registered 429 first-ever-AMI event, the odd of suffering an AMI during the colder period was significantly higher (OR 1.47, 95%CI: 1.21–1.78). None of the conventional cardiovascular risk factors explains the excess risk of AMI during the colder period pointing towards the influence of AMI triggering factors in the time preceding onset of AMI irrespective of presence or absence of cardiovascular risk-factors.     

Frontal intraparenchymal schwannoma

Intraparenchymal schwannomas are rare. The usual presentation is of a classical intracranial mass lesion. We report a frontal intraparenchymal schwannoma in a pediatric patient with a history of seizure. An MRI scan revealed a uniformly enhancing tumor with perilesional edema. This type of tumor is rarely found in this location. It is important to recognize and distinguish a schwannoma from other more common frontal brain tumors as the outcome is good and recurrence is rare.     

受精第3天胚胎的融合程度与植入潜能

背景：虽然辅助生殖技术发展迅速,但是胚胎植入率仍不理想,关于胚胎融合程度与植入潜能的关系尚无定论。 目的：探讨受精第3天胚胎早期融合与植入率的相关性。 方法：回顾性分析420例(共移植胚胎1 016个)患者在超促排卵、体外受精及胚胎移植后,植入成功胚胎早期融合情况与未植入成功胚胎早期融合情况的差别。 结果及结论：受精第3天移植早期融合胚胎共200个,其中植入成功48个;受精第3天移植未早期融合胚胎共816个,其中植入成功133个,两组比较差异显著(P < 0.05)。植入胚胎中有3个早期融合胚胎妊娠率达71.43%,有2个为31.91%,有1个为51.06%,0个为39.81%。可见,在目前的胚胎选择标准下,胚胎早期融合可以显著提高胚胎的植入率,但是其具体机制,还有待进一步研究。     

Childhood tumors of the brain: demographic pattern over a ten-year period in the Kashmir Valley

Brain tumors in children represent the second most frequent tumors in this age group after hematologic malignancies. We highlight the demographic pattern after retrospective analysis of brain tumors in children from geographically and ethnically distinct Kashmir Valley managed in our center between 2000 and 2009. We had a total of 248 pediatric patients with brain tumors. The parameters analyzed were age, gender, location of tumors and histopathological subtypes as well as WHO grade of tumor. We also did a comparison between the frequencies of common varieties of tumor in the first and second 5-year periods. We found that 111 tumors (44.75%) were supratentorial, and 137 (55.25%) were infratentorial. The male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1. The proportions of low-grade and high-grade tumors were 60 and 40%, respectively. The most common tumor in our series was astrocytoma. The most common tumors in the supratentorial and infratentorial compartments were craniopharyngioma and medulloblastoma, respectively. Our experience reflects a different demographic profile of pediatric brain tumors as compared with other regions of the world.     

受精第3天胚胎的融合程度与植入潜能

背景:虽然辅助生殖技术发展迅速,但是胚胎植入率仍不理想,关于胚胎融合程度与植入潜能的关系尚无定论.目的:探讨受精第3天胚胎早期融合与植入率的相关性.方法:回顾性分析420例(共移植胚胎1016个)患者在超促排卵、体外受精及胚胎移植后,植入成功胚胎早期融合情况与未植入成功胚胎早期融合情况的差别.结果及结论:受精第3天移植早期融合胚胎共200个,其中植入成功48个;受精第3天移植未早期融合胚胎共816个,其中植入成功133个,两组比较差异显著(P＜0.05).植入胚胎中有3个早期融合胚胎妊娠率达71.43%,有2个为31.91%,有1个为51.06%,0个为39.81%.可见,在目前的胚胎选择标准下,胚胎早期融合可以显著提高胚胎的植入率,但是其具体机制,还有待进一步研究.     

Surface protection of copper by azoles in borate buffers-voltammetric and impedance analysis

The inhibitory action of five azoles namely benzotriazole (BTA), mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), benzimidazole (BIMD), mercaptobenzimidazole (MBIMD) and thiadiazole (TDA) on copper was examined in sodium borate solution of pH 6.4, 8.4 and 10.4 using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A considerable drop off in the corrosion rate of copper was detected in the presence of the investigated compounds. CV showed that the inhibitors were of mixed type that they affect both the anodic and cathodic currents. Impedance spectra were characterized in terms of the charge transfer resistance and transport of copper ions through the oxide layer. The results indicate that the surface layer is of dielectric nature, and its protection increases with increasing inhibitor concentration and solution pH. On the basis of calculated adsorption data the process was concluded as chemisorption. Some quantum chemical parameters were also calculated using ab initio Hartree–Fock 6-31G*basis set and were used to complement the experimental results. The relative inhibition efficiencies of the azoles in controlling the copper corrosion was found to be in order of MBT > TDA > MBIMD≈BIMD > BTA.     

Electrochemical adsorption studies of urea on copper surface in alkaline medium

The inhibitive action of urea on the corrosion behavior of copper was investigated in borate buffer pH (8.4) by means of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A consistent trend of increase in inhibition efficiency was observed as a function of concentration of urea. The adsorption of urea on copper surface was found to obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm with ΔG = −35.2 kJ/mole and adsorption constant K = 2.7 × 10⁴ dm³/mole. Impedance spectroscopic measurements confirmed that charge transfer resistance increases in presence of urea upon increasing its concentration.