Development of an experimental platform for the investigation of laser-plasma interaction in conditions relevant to shock ignition regime.

The shock ignition (SI) approach to inertial confinement fusion is a promising scheme for achieving energy production by nuclear fusion. SI relies on using a high intensity laser pulse (≈1016 W/cm2, with a duration of several hundred ps) at the end of the fuel compression stage. However, during laser-plasma interaction (LPI), several parametric instabilities, such as stimulated Raman scattering and two plasmon decay, nonlinearly generate hot electrons (HEs). The whole behavior of HE under SI conditions, including their generation, transport, and final absorption, is still unclear and needs further experimental investigation. This paper focuses on the development of an experimental platform for SI-related experiments, which simultaneously makes use of multiple diagnostics to characterize LPI and HE generation, transport, and energy deposition. Such diagnostics include optical spectrometers, streaked optical shadowgraph, an x-ray pinhole camera, a two-dimensional x-ray imager, a Cu Kα line spectrometer, two hot-electron spectrometers, a hard x-ray (bremsstrahlung) detector, and a streaked optical pyrometer. Diagnostics successfully operated simultaneously in single-shot mode, revealing the features of HEs under SI-relevant conditions.

Comparison of short-term outcomes of 35-weeks' gestation infants cared for in a level II NICU vs mother-baby, a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Late preterm infants are at high risk for medical complications and represent a growing NICU population. While 34-weeks' gestation infants are generally admitted to the NICU and 36-weeks'gestation infants stay in mother-baby, there is wide practice variation for 35-weeks'gestation infants. The objective of this study was to compare short-term outcomes of 35-weeks' gestation infants born at two hospitals within the same health system (DUHS), where one (DRH) admits all 35-weeks' gestation infants to their level II NICU and the other (DUH) admits all 35-weeks' gestation infants to mother-baby, unless clinical concern. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 35-weeks' gestation infants born at DUHS from 2014-2019. Infant specific data were collected for birth, demographics, medications, medical therapies, LOS, ED visits and readmissions. 35-weeks' gestation infants at each hospital (DRH vs DUH) that met inclusion criteria were compared, regardless of unit(s) of care. RESULTS: 726 infants of 35-weeks' gestation were identified, 591 met our inclusion criteria (DUH -462, DRH -129). Infants discharged from DRH were more likely to receive medical therapies (caffeine, antibiotics, blood culture, phototherapy, NGT), had a 4 day longer LOS, but were more likely to feed exclusively MBM at discharge. There were no differences in ED visits; however, more infants from DUH were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest admitting 35-weeks' gestation infants directly to the NICU increases medical interventions and LOS, but might reduce hospital readmissions.

Simulated Soil Organic Carbon Responses to Crop Rotation, Tillage, and Climate Change in North Dakota.

Understanding how agricultural management and climate change affect soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is particularly important for dryland agriculture regions that have been losing SOC over time due to fallow and tillage practices, and it can lead to development of agricultural practice(s) that reduce the impact of climate change on crop production. The objectives of this study were: (i) to simulate SOC dynamics in the top 30 cm of soil during a 20-yr (1993-2012) field study using CQESTR, a process-based C model; (ii) to predict the impact of changes in management, crop production, and climate change from 2013 to 2032; and (iii) to identify the best dryland cropping systems to maintain or increase SOC stocks under projected climate change in central North Dakota. Intensifying crop rotations was predicted to have a greater impact on SOC stocks than tillage (minimum tillage [MT], no-till [NT]) during 2013 to 2032, as SOC was highly correlated to biomass input ( = 0.91, = 0.00053). Converting from a MT spring wheat (SW, L.)-fallow rotation to a NT continuous SW rotation increased annualized biomass additions by 2.77 Mg ha (82%) and SOC by 0.22 Mg C ha yr. Under the assumption that crop production will stay at the 1993 to 2012 average, climate change is predicted to have a minor impact on SOC (approximately -6.5%) relative to crop rotation management. The CQESTR model predicted that the addition of another SW or rye ( L.) crop would have a greater effect on SOC stocks (0- to 30-cm depth) than conversion from MT to NT or climate change from 2013 to 2032.

Simple microfluidic formation of highly heterogeneous microfibers using a combination of sheath units.

This paper presents the formation of complex cross-sectional microfibers using three-dimensional microfluidic devices. The compartments and shapes of core and shell layers in the microfibers were independently controlled via three-dimensional fluidic channels fabricated by the combination of sheath units. The number of layers is easily expanded by the stacking of these units. Therefore, the highly heterogeneous microfibers of alginate hydrogel are obtained in polydimethylsiloxane structures. This widely expandable method has great potential for the development of functional and complex fiber-shaped materials.

Cryopreservation of in vitro Shoot Tips of Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus Cal.) Using D Cryo-Plate Method.

　　BACKGROUND: Maintenance of in vitro collections of ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus Cal.) is cumbersome and costly in an ex-situ genebank. An alternative method for long term preservation which is safe and cost-effective is required. OBJECTIVE: To apply a novel cryopreservation procedure using the cryo-plate system to improve the long-term conservation of ulluco. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initially V and D cryo-plate methods were tested, subsequently the D cryo-plate method was selected for ulluco cryopreservation. The D cryo-plate procedures were optimized for post-LN regrowth procedures including cold-hardening, sucrose addition in alginate gel, and duration of LS treatment. Optimized procedures were tested with 11 ulluco lines. RESULTS: Shoot tips were isolated from cold-hardened shoots for 3-4 weeks at 5 degree C were excised to 1.0-1.5 mm long and 0.5 mm wide and precultured for 16h at 25 degree C on MS with 0.3 M sucrose. The shoot tips were attached on the cryo-plates by alginate gel with 0.4M sucrose. The cryo-plates with attached shoot tips were treated with 2.0 M glycerol and 1.0 M sucrose solution for 90 min at 25 degree C and dehydrated on filter paper in a Petri dish by air current flow at 25 degree C for 45 min before direct immersion in LN. This optimized procedure was applied to shoot tips of 11 ulluco lines, resulting regrowth ranging from 73 % to 97 %, with an average of 90 % post-LN regrowth. CONCLUSION: D cryo-plate is a practical and simple procedure for cryo-storage of in vitro grown ulluco shoot tips in an ex situ genebank.

Effect of different anesthetic agents on left ventricular systolic function assessed by echocardiography in hamsters.

Determination of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using in vivo imaging is the cardiac functional parameter most frequently employed in preclinical research. However, there is considerable conflict regarding the effects of anesthetic agents on LVEF. This study aimed at assessing the effects of various anesthetic agents on LVEF in hamsters using transthoracic echocardiography. Twelve female hamsters were submitted to echocardiography imaging separated by 1-week intervals under the following conditions: 1) conscious animals, 2) animals anesthetized with isoflurane (inhaled ISO, 3 L/min), 3) animals anesthetized with thiopental (TP, 50 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), and 4) animals anesthetized with 100 mg/kg ketamine plus 10 mg/kg xylazine injected intramuscularly (K/X). LVEF obtained under the effect of anesthetics (ISO=62.2±3.1%, TP=66.2±2.7% and K/X=75.8±1.6%) was significantly lower than that obtained in conscious animals (87.5±1.7%, P<0.0001). The K/X combination elicited significantly higher LVEF values compared to ISO (P<0.001) and TP (P<0.05). K/X was associated with a lower dispersion of individual LVEF values compared to the other anesthetics. Under K/X, the left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVdD) was increased (0.60±0.01 cm) compared to conscious animals (0.41±0.02 cm), ISO (0.51±0.02 cm), and TP (0.55±0.01 cm), P<0.0001. The heart rate observed with K/X was significantly lower than in the remaining conditions. These results indicate that the K/X combination may be the best anesthetic option for the in vivo assessment of cardiac systolic function in hamsters, being associated with a lower LVEF reduction compared to the other agents and showing values closer to those of conscious animals with a lower dispersion of results.

Demonstrating the relationships of length of stay, cost and clinical outcomes in a simulated NICU.

OBJECTIVE: Health-care leaders place significant focus on reducing the average length of stay (ALOS). We examined the relationships among ALOS, cost and clinical outcomes using a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) simulation model. STUDY DESIGN: A discrete-event NICU simulation model based on the Duke NICU was created. To identify the relationships among ALOS, cost and clinical outcomes, we replaced the standard probability distributions with composite distributions representing the best and worst outcomes published by the National Institutes of Health Neonatal Research Network. RESULT: Both average cost per patient and average cost per ⩽28 week patient were lower in the best NICU ($16,400 vs $19,700 and $56,800 vs $76,700, respectively), while LOS remained higher (27 vs 24 days). CONCLUSION: Our model demonstrates that reducing LOS does not uniformly reduce hospital resource utilization. These results suggest that health-care leaders should not simply rely on initiatives to reduce LOS without clear line-of-sight on clinical outcomes as well.

Ischemic Preconditioning Enhances Muscle Endurance during Sustained Isometric Exercise.

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) enhances whole-body exercise endurance. However, it is poorly understood whether the beneficial effects originate from systemic (e. g., cardiovascular system) or peripheral (e. g., skeletal muscle) adaptations. The present study examined the effects of IPC on local muscle endurance during fatiguing isometric exercise. 12 male subjects performed sustained isometric unilateral knee-extension exercise at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction until failure. Prior to the exercise, subjects completed IPC or control (CON) treatments. During exercise trial, electromyography activity and near-infrared spectroscopy-derived deoxygenation in skeletal muscle were continuously recorded. Endurance time to task failure was significantly longer in IPC than in CON (mean±SE; 233±9 vs. 198±9 s, P<0.001). Quadriceps electromyography activity was not significantly different between IPC and CON. In contrast, deoxygenation dynamics in the quadriceps vastus lateralis muscle was significantly faster in IPC than in CON (27.1±3.4 vs. 35.0±3.6 s, P<0.01). The present study found that IPC can enhance muscular endurance during fatiguing isometric exercise. Moreover, IPC accelerated muscle deoxygenation dynamics during the exercise. Therefore, we suggest that the origin of beneficial effects of IPC on exercise performance may be the enhanced mitochondrial metabolism in skeletal muscle.

Antenatal magnesium sulfate and spontaneous intestinal perforation in infants less than 25 weeks gestation.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP)/death among extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants before, during and after initiation of an antenatal magnesium for neuroprotection protocol (MgPro). STUDY DESIGN: We tested associations between SIP/death and magnesium exposure, gestational age (GA) and interactions with GA and magnesium exposure in a cohort of inborn ELBW infants before, during and after MgPro. RESULT: One hundred and fifty-five ELBW infants were included, 81 before, 23 during and 51 after MgPro. ELBW infants (78.3%) were exposed to Mg during MgPro compared with 50.6% and 60.8% before and after, respectively. Incidence of SIP on protocol was 30.4% vs 12.9% off protocol (P=0.03). GA was strongly associated with SIP (P<0.01). Antenatal Mg dose was also associated with SIP/death regardless of epoch (odds ratio 9.3 (1.04-104.6)), but increased SIP/death was limited to those <25 weeks gestation. CONCLUSION: Higher Mg dose was associated with higher SIP and death risk among infants with the lowest birthweights. Validation of this observation in larger populations is warranted.

Efficacy and safety of switching from basal insulin to sitagliptin in Japanese type 2 diabetes patients.

Basal-supported oral therapy (BOT) is often used to treat poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. However, patients sometimes experience nocturnal and early morning hypoglycemia. Thus, maintaining targeted glycemic control by BOT is limited in some patients. We assessed the efficacy and safety of replacing basal insulin by sitagliptin therapy in Japanese type 2 diabetes patients on BOT. Forty-nine subjects were sequentially recruited for the 52-week, prospective, single arm study. Patients on BOT therapy were switched from basal insulin to sitagliptin. The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c in 52 weeks. The secondary endpoints were dropout rate, changes in body weight, frequency of hypoglycemia, and relationship between change in HbA1c and insulin secretion capacity evaluated by glucagon loading test. The average dose of basal insulin was 15.0±8.4 units. Sixteen subjects (31.3%) were dropped because replacement by sitagliptin was less effective for glycemic control. In these subjects, diabetes duration was longer, FPG and HbA1c at baseline were higher, and insulin secretion capacity was lower. Change in HbA1c in 52 weeks was - 4 mmol/mol (95% CI - 5 to - 4 mmol/mol) (p<0.05). Change in body weight was - 0.71 kg (95% CI - 1.42 to - 0.004 kg) (p<0.05). Frequency of hypoglycemia was decreased from 1.21±1.05 to 0.06±0.24 times/month. HbA1c level was improved if C-peptide index (CPI) was over 1.19. In conclusion, basal insulin in BOT can be replaced by sitagliptin with a decrease in HbA1c level and frequency of hypoglycemia in cases where insulin secretion capacity was sufficiently preserved.

Electrophoretic deposition of thermites onto micro-engineered electrodes prepared by direct-ink writing.

This work combines electrophoretic deposition (EPD) with direct-ink writing (DIW) to prepare thin films of Al/CuO thermites onto patterned two- and three-dimensional silver electrodes. DIW was used to write the electrodes using a silver nanoparticle ink, and EPD was performed in a subsequent step to deposit the thermite onto the conductive electrodes. Unlike conventional lithographic techniques, DIW is a low-cost and versatile alternative to print fine-featured electrodes, and adds the benefit of printing self-supported three-dimensional structures. EPD provides a method for depositing the composite thermite only onto the conductive electrodes, and with controlled thicknesses, which provides fine spatial and mass control, respectively. EPD has previously been shown to produce well-mixed thermite composites which can pack to reasonably high densities without the need for any postprocessing. Homogeneous mixing is particularly important in reactive composities, where good mixing can enhance the reaction kinetics by decreasing the transport distance between the components. Several two- and three-dimensional designs were investigated to highlight the versatility of using DIW and EPD together. In addition to energetic applications, we anticipate that this combination of techniques will have a variety of other applications, which would benefit from the controlled placement of a thin film of one material onto a conductive architecture of a second material.

Isolation of a novel Saccharophagus species (Myt-1) capable of degrading a variety of seaweeds and polysaccharides.

A bacterial strain, Myt-1, was isolated in Toyama Bay in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Myt-1 was capable of reducing the thalli of various seaweed species to single cell detritus particles. A 16S rDNA homology search revealed that the closest relative of Myt-1 was Saccharophagus degradans 2-40 (CP000282; 100% similarity), which was first isolated in Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, USA. The Myt-1 strain was capable of degrading more than 10 polysaccharides, almost all of which were also degraded by S. degradans 2-40. Analyses of alginase gene DNA sequence homology, DNA-DNA homology, and zymogram analysis of obtained polysaccharidases suggested that Myt-1 was a new species of Saccharophagus. Thus, Myt-1 is only the second species in this genus, which has contained only one strain and species since 1988, and was tentatively designated Saccharophagus sp. Myt-1. Myt-1 has considerable potential for reducing the volume of seaweed wastes, and for producing functional materials from seaweed substrate.

Sitagliptin add-on to low dosage sulphonylureas: efficacy and safety of combination therapy on glycaemic control and insulin secretion capacity in type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: To assess the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with sitagliptin and low dosage sulphonylureas on glycaemic control and insulin secretion capacity in Japanese type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Eighty-two subjects were sequentially recruited for the 52-week, prospective, single arm study. Sitagliptin was added on to sulphonylureas (glimepride or gliclazide) with or without metformin. The primary endpoint was a change in A1C. The secondary endpoints were changes in BMI, insulin secretion capacity, blood pressure and urinary albumin excretion, unresponsive rate, and hypoglycaemia. Insulin secretion capacity was evaluated by glucagon loading test. RESULTS: Change in A1C was -0.80% (95% CI -0.90 to -0.68) (p < 0.001). Change in BMI, systemic and diastolic blood pressure, and urinary albumin excretion were -0.38 kg/m(2) (95% CI -0.72 to -0.04) (p < 0.05), -6.7/-3.6 mmHg (95% CI -10.0 to -3.4/-4.8 to -2.4) (p < 0.001), and -43.2 mg/gCr (95% CI -65.7 to -20.8) (p < 0.001) respectively. Mild hypoglycaemia was observed in three cases. The unresponsive rate was 6.1%. Glucagon loading test showed that 0-min and 6-min CPR at baseline and 52-week were not significantly changed: 0-min CPR, 1.58 ± 0.58-1.71 ± 0.73 ng/ml; 6-min CPR, 3.48 ± 1.47-3.58 ± 1.21 ng/ml. Insulin secretion capacity, CPI and SUIT index at baseline did not predict the efficacy of the combination therapy. The final dosages of glimepiride and gliclazide were 1.44 ± 0.90 mg and 34.5 ± 15.3 mg respectively. The dosage of sitagliptin was increased from 50 mg to 69.0 ± 24.5 mg in 52-week. CONCLUSIONS: The combination therapy with sitagliptin and low dosage sulphonylureas was safe and effective for glycaemic control. Glucagon loading test indicated that 1 year administration of sitagliptin and sulphonylureas preserved insulin secretion capacity.

Absorption spectroscopy of gold nanoisland films: optical and structural characterization.

Nanoisland films prepared by annealing thin gold films at high temperatures were imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy, and optically characterized through absorption spectroscopy. Thin gold films of effective thicknesses 2, 5 and 7 nm annealed at 500, 700 and 900 degrees C were fabricated and studied experimentally. The measured absorption characteristics in support of theoretical calculations showed that the shapes of gold islands were partial spheres. The position of the peak absorption wavelength measured with s-polarized light or at normal incidence confirmed that the island shape grew from a near-hemisphere towards a sphere with increasing annealing temperature. The SEM images confirmed that the size of islands increased from 15 nm in diameter to 40 nm in diameter as film thickness increased from 2 to 5 nm. The affect of the index of the substrate material on absorption characteristics were also studied by comparing the absorption spectra of gold island films on quartz and LaSF15 glass substrates. The use of gold nanoisland films for preparing localized surface plasmon resonance substrates was suggested as they held advantages over the gold colloid films.

[Does transradial cardiac catheterization affect coronary artery bypass grafting?].

Recent technological advances have enabled the miniaturization of catheters for coronary angiography and intervention. As a result of this advancement, the transradial approach is becoming more popular. The advantages of this approach include a lower incidence of access site complications, earlier patient ambulation, improved patient satisfaction, and lower cost. The cardiologists of our institute have introduced this technique without delay and have taken the initiative in Japan. However, there are concerns regarding the effect of transradial cardiac catheterization on the condition of radial artery grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In this study, we evaluated the influence of transradial catheterization on CABG. We retrospectively evaluated 157 patients who had undergone CABG using the radial artery. The condition of the grafts was assessed intraoperatively. Postoperative coronary angiography was carried out 3 months after the surgical intervention. The patency of the grafts was assessed by 2 cardiologists. One-quarter of the radial artery grafts were affected by transradial catheterization. Since most of them were located only at the puncture site, the graft itself was capable of being used for grafting after the resection of its affected distal end. The patency rate was not affected by transradial catheterization.

Administration of anti-type II collagen antibody sustains footpad swelling of mice caused by a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and induces severe arthritis.

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) is an immune reaction induced by antigen. In the mice footpads at which DTH is elicited, transient swellings which usually peaks at 24-48 h after the antigen challenge are observed. We found that the footpad swellings of mice are sustained for at least 7 days after the antigen challenge if the mice were injected with anti-type II collagen monoclonal antibody (anti-CII MoAb) before the antigen challenge. A histological section of the swelled hindpaw revealed that severe joint inflammation and bone destruction was induced. These features were not observed in the footpads of the DTH-induced mice. Analysis of the inflammatory reaction induced by both the DTH and the anti-CII MoAb injection, here named as DTH arthritis, revealed the following: (1) DTH arthritis is elicited in an antigen-specific manner; and (2) the development of DTH arthritis is mediated by antigen-specific T cells, especially CD4+ T cells.

Distribution of emm genotypes among group A streptococcus isolates from patients with severe invasive streptococcal infections in Japan, 2001-2005.

We surveyed emm genotypes of group A streptococcus (GAS) isolates from patients with severe invasive streptococcal infections during 2001-2005 and compared their prevalence with that of the preceding 5 years. Genotype emm1 remained dominant throughout 2001 to 2005, but the frequency rate of this type decreased compared with the earlier period. Various other emm types have appeared in recent years indicating alterations in the prevalent strains causing severe invasive streptococcal infections. The cover of the new 26-valent GAS vaccine fell from 93.5% for genotypes of isolates from 1996-2000 to 81.8% in 2001-2005.

Surveillance of severe invasive group-G streptococcal infections and molecular typing of the isolates in Japan.

The number of patients with severe invasive group-G streptococcal (Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis) infections has been increasing in Japan. The emm genotypes and SmaI-digested pulsed-field gel electrophoresis DNA profiles were variable among the strains isolated, suggesting there has not been clonal expansion of a specific subpopulation of strains. However, all strains carried scpA, ska, slo and sag genes, some of which may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Changing prevalent T serotypes and emm genotypes of Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome (TSLS) patients in Japan.

We surveyed T serotypes and emm genotypes of Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome (TSLS) patients. T1 (emm1) remained dominant through 1992 to 2000, but the dominant T3 (emm3.1) strains from 1992 to 1995 disappeared during 1996-2000. Strains of several emm genotypes emerged during 1996-2000, indicating alterations in the prevalent strains causing TSLS.