Magnetic structure of phase II in U(Ru(0.96)Rh(0.04))2Si2 determined by neutron diffraction under pulsed high magnetic fields.

We report neutron diffraction measurements on U(Ru(0.96)Rh(0.04))(2)Si(2) single crystal under pulsed high magnetic fields up to 30 T applied along the tetragonal c axis. The high-field experiments revealed that the field-induced phase II above 26 T corresponds to a commensurate up-up-down ferrimagnetic structure characterized by the wave vector q=(2/3,0,0) with the magnetic moments parallel to the c axis, which naturally explains the one-third magnetization plateau and the substantially changed Fermi surface in phase II. This a-axis modulated magnetic structure indicates that the phase II near the hidden order phase is closely related to the characteristic incommensurate magnetic fluctuations at Q(1)=(0.6,0,0) in the pure system URu(2)Si(2), in contrast to the pressure-induced antiferromagnetic order at Q(0)=(1,0,0).

Relationship between periodontal status and levels of glycated hemoglobin.

The objective of this study was to assess whether there is a bi-directional relationship between periodontal status and diabetes. Study 1 included 5,856 people without periodontal pockets of ≥ 4 mm at baseline. Relative risk was estimated for the 5-year incidence of periodontal pockets of ≥ 4 mm (CPI scores 3 and 4, with the CPI probe), in individuals with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of ≥ 6.5% at baseline. Study 2 included 6,125 people with HbA1c < 6.5% at baseline. The relative risk was assessed for elevation of HbA1c levels in 5 years, with baseline periodontal status, assessed by CPI. Relative risk of developing a periodontal pocket was 1.17 (p = 0.038) times greater in those with HbA1c of ≥ 6.5% at baseline, adjusted for body mass index (BMI), smoking status, sex, and age. Relative risks for having HbA1c ≥ 6.5% at 5-year follow-up in groups with periodontal pockets of 4 to 5 mm and ≥ 6 mm at baseline were 2.47 (p = 0.122) and 3.45 (p = 0.037), respectively, adjusted for BMI, alcohol consumption, smoking status, sex, and age. The risk of developing periodontal disease was associated with levels of HbA1c, and the risk of elevations of HbA1c was associated with developing periodontal pockets of more than 4 mm.

Neutron Laue diffraction study on the magnetic phase diagram of multiferroic MnWO4 under pulsed high magnetic fields.

We have combined time-of-flight neutron Laue diffraction and pulsed high magnetic fields at the Spallation Neutron Source to study the phase diagram of the multiferroic material MnWO(4). The control of the field-pulse timing enabled an exploration of magnetic Bragg scattering through the time dependence of both the neutron wavelength and the pulsed magnetic field. This allowed us to observe several magnetic Bragg peaks in different field-induced phases of MnWO(4) with a single instrument configuration. These phases were not previously amenable to neutron diffraction studies due to the large fields involved.

Linking [Fe(III)3] triangles with "double-headed"phenolic oximes.

The use of "double-headed" phenolic oximes produces a trigonal antiprismatic [Fe(III)(3)](2) cluster with an "internal cavity" filled with an additional Fe(3+) ion. Magnetic measurements reveal that the competition between different exchange interactions leads to a low-spin ground multiplet weakly separated in energy from a complex pattern of low-lying excited levels.

Five-year incidence of periodontal disease is related to body mass index.

Numerous cross-sectional epidemiological studies suggest that obesity is associated with periodontal disease. This longitudinal study tested whether body mass index (BMI) was related to the development of periodontal disease in a sample of employed Japanese participants. Data are from the statutory medical checkups routinely collected for employees in and around Nagoya, Japan. The authors tested the relationship between BMI at baseline and the 5-year incidence of periodontal disease in a sample of 2787 males and 803 females. The hazard ratios for developing periodontal disease after 5 years were 1.30 (P < .001) and 1.44 (P = .072) in men and 1.70 (P < .01) and 3.24 (P < .05) in women for those with BMIs of 25-30 and ≥ 30, respectively, compared to those with BMI < 22, after adjusting for age, smoking status, and clinical history of diabetes mellitus. These findings demonstrate a dose-response relationship between BMI and the development of periodontal disease in a population of Japanese individuals.

Universal magnetic structure of the half-magnetization phase in Cr-based spinels.

Using an elastic neutron scattering technique under a pulsed magnetic field up to 30 T, we determined the magnetic structure in the half-magnetization plateau phase in the spinel CdCr2O4. The magnetic structure has a cubic P4{3}32 symmetry, which is the same as that observed in HgCr2O4. This suggests that despite their different zero-field ground states a universal field-induced spin-lattice coupling mechanism is at work in the Cr-based spinels.

Neutron diffraction study on the multiple magnetization plateaus in TbB4 under pulsed high magnetic field.

We present the first application of pulsed high magnetic fields up to 30 T for neutron diffraction experiments. As the first study, field variations of a couple of magnetic Bragg reflections have successfully been measured in the frustrated antiferromagnet TbB4. The results show that the conventional models fail, and a model, which is a mixture of the XY- and the Ising-type moments, matches for the half-magnetization state. We deduce an interaction that stabilizes an orthogonal moment arrangement as an origin of the unusual magnetization plateaus. Our results demonstrate the powerfulness of the present pulsed magnetic fields neutron diffraction system.

[Exposure for harvesting gastroepiploic artery graft].

We present out technique for harvesting the gastroepiploic artery (GEA). We use a Universal Stabilizer Arm and an assistant attachment to push the liver against the diaphragm, giving en enough working space to harvest the graft. Between January and December 2007, 99 isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)s were performed, and in 36 (36.4%) patients the GEA was harvested using this technique. The mean operation time was 251.1 +/- 40.5 minutes and the mean number of distal anastomosis was 3.6 +/- 0.8. The early patency rate of the GEA graft was 95%. Combined use of a Universal Stabilizer Arm and an assistant attachment provide good exposure for harvesting the GEA.

[Delayed surgery for traumatic rupture of the aortic arch with an isolated left vertebral artery; report of a case].

Although traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta has been considered a surgical emergency, we report here an example of successful delayed surgery for acute traumatic rupture of the aortic arch with an isolated left vertebral artery in an 18-year-old woman. The patient was.admitted to the intensive care unit with hemothorax and, rib fractures, and a decision was made to treat the aortic injury conservatively until the patient was stabilized. She underwent surgery after 3 months of observation. After the isolated left vertebral artery had been anastomosed to the left carotid artery, total arch replacement was performed. Delayed surgery for aortic rupture as a treatment choice may be of benefit in selected cases of complex trauma.

[Assessment of proximal aortic anastomosis device in coronary artery bypass grafting].

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of a new proximal anastomotic device (PAD) "Enclose II" in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). PAD enables the construction of a proximal aortic anastomosis without the use of partial clamp of the ascending aorta, thus reduces the incidence of adverse perioperative neurologic injury related to atheroembolic events. This device was used in 41 off-pump CABG and 11 on-pump beating heart CABG patients for performing 46 radial artery (RA) and 9 vein anastomoses to the aorta. The subjects were 43 males and 9 females, with a mean age of 63.6 years. Thirteen (25%) patients had severe atherosclerotic cerebrovascular lesions preoperatively. The mean flow in the RA graft was 52.4 +/- 26.9 ml/min and that of saphenous vein graft (SVG) was 61.1 +/- 31.9 ml/min. Angiography showed all grafts patent. There was no procedure-related adverse events or cerebrovascular complication. Enclose II device can be a valuable tool to perform RA and vein anastomoses in CABG.

Functional restoration of rabbit spinal cord using collagen-filament scaffold.

We report the first success of functional restoration of transected rabbit spinal cord using collagen-filament nerve scaffold. We grafted 5 mm-long 6000 collagen filaments parallel to the axis of the spinal cord to bridge 3 mm defects of 21 adult rabbit spinal cords; 18 rabbits were used as controls. Of the 39 rabbits, 22 survived the experimental period. At 12 weeks postoperatively, regenerated axons crossed the proximal spinal cord-implant interfaces in four out of six rabbits. At 24 weeks postoperatively, regenerated axons crossed the proximal and distal spinal cord-implant interfaces in four out of six rabbits. At 24 weeks postoperatively, the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale scores of the rabbits in the collagen-filament grafted group were 4.7 +/- 2.3, while the score in the control group was 2.8 +/- 0.5. The BBB scale scores of the grafted group were significantly better than the control group. The results suggest that the collagen-filament nerve scaffold supports the axonal regeneration of the transected spinal cord and the restoration of function when grafted parallel to the axis of the spinal cord. The functional restoration appeared to be permanent, raising the possibility of therapeutic application in humans.

A high-field magnetization study of a Nd(2)Fe(14)Si(3) single crystal.

Magnetization study of a single crystal of Nd(2)Fe(14)Si(3) (with the rhombohedral Th(2)Zn(17)-type structure) reveals that the compound is a ferromagnet with a spontaneous magnetic moment of 32.3µ(B) per formula unit (at T = 2 K) and a Curie temperature equal to 495 K. The easy-magnetization direction lies close to the b-axis, tilting slightly towards the c-axis. (The b-axis [120] is not a high-symmetry direction in the crystallographic class D(3d).) The observed strong magnetic anisotropy is attributed almost entirely to the Nd sublattice, as concluded from comparison with a Y(2)Fe(14)Si(3) single crystal. A magnetic field applied along the c-axis induces a first-order spin reorientation transition at B(FOMP) = 20 T. In the process of magnetization the Nd and Fe sublattices behave as essentially non-collinear. This is manifest particularly in the downward curvature of the first (pre-FOMP) stage of the magnetization curve. It is proposed to regard this curvature as a validity criterion for the single-sublattice approximation.

Multistep magnetization plateaus in the Shastry-Sutherland system TbB4.

We report high-field magnetization and magnetostriction measurements on the rare-earth-metal tetraboride TbB4, in which the Tb moments form a Shastry-Sutherland lattice in the tetragonal basal plane. A number of magnetization plateaus appear when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the magnetic easy plane. We propose that the magnetization plateaus arise from the combined effect of magnetic frustration and quadrupole interaction in the unique two-dimensional network.

[On-pump beating coronary artery bypass grafting with axillary cannulation in the presence of atherosclerotic lesions in the ascending aorta].

A 72-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for dyspnea and chest pain. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was scheduled because of severe stenosis of the left main trunk. Computed tomography showed severe atherosclerotic lesions in the whole aorta, especially in the ascending aorta. Although off-pump CABG was thought to be the 1st choice, we determined that it would be difficult to establish a cardiac support device due to atherosclerotic lesions in case of sudden deterioration. We performed on-pump beating CABG with axillary cannulation with an 8 mm tube graft. Postoperatively, we recognized no symptoms of stroke, and the patient was discharged on the 12th postoperative day. Axillary cannulation using a side graft was useful in the presence of atherosclerotic lesions in the ascending aorta.

Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in Japan: long-term outcome without tumor removal.

OBJECTIVE: To report the definitive diagnosis of anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis in four Japanese women previously diagnosed with "juvenile acute nonherpetic encephalitis" of unclear etiology, and to describe their long-term follow-up in the absence of tumor resection. METHODS: We extensively reviewed the case histories with current clinical and laboratory evaluations that include testing for antibodies to NR1/NR2 heteromers of the NMDAR in serum/CSF available from the time of symptom onset (4 to 7 years ago) and the present. RESULTS: All patients sequentially developed prodromal symptoms, psychosis, hypoventilation, severe orofacial dyskinesias, and bizarre immunotherapy-resistant involuntary movements that lasted 1 to 12 months. Two patients required mechanical ventilation for 6 and 9 months. Initial tests were normal or unrevealing, including the presence of nonspecific CSF pleocytosis, and normal or mild changes in brain MRI. Eventually, all patients had dramatic recovery of cognitive functions, although one had bilateral leg amputation due to systemic complications. Antibodies to NR1/NR2 heteromers were found in archived serum or CSF but not in long-term follow-up samples. An ovarian teratoma was subsequently demonstrated in three patients (all confirmed pathologically). CONCLUSION: 1) These findings indicate that "juvenile acute nonherpetic encephalitis" or a subset of this disorder is mediated by an antibody-associated immune response against NR1/NR2 heteromers of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR). 2) Our patients' clinical features emphasize that anti-NMDAR encephalitis is severe but potentially reversible and may precede by years the detection of an ovarian teratoma. 3) Although recovery may occur without tumor removal, the severity and extended duration of symptoms support tumor removal.

Estudo comparativo da reação inflamatória de feridas tratadas com açucar com (sacarose) e compostos com ácidos graxos essenciais, em ratos: estudo preliminar / Comparative study about the inflammatory esponse of wounds treated with sugar (sucrose) and fatty acids compounds, in rats: preliminary study

Introdução: o tratamento de feridas tem recebido grande atenção, atualmente, como uso de novos produtos e o abandono de terapias tradicionais. Objetivo: Estudar a reação inflamatória de feridas tratadas com açúcar e solução de ácidos graxos essenciais. Métodos: em estudo aleatório foi criada uma ferida de 400mm 2, no dorso de ratos Wistar, tratadas com deposição diária de solução fisiológica de cloreto de sódio 0,9, no grupoA (n=32), açúcar no grupo B(n=32) e solução de ácidos graxos essenciais, nos animais do grupo C(n=32), com curativo oclusivo. As aferições foram realizadas no 3º, 7º, 14º e 20º dias de pós-operatório e a reação infamatória nas feridas dos animais foi quantificada através de análise histológica. Resultados: não houve diferença significante entre os grupos em estudo. Discussão: os resultados se mostraram equivalentes na modulação da resposta inflamatória dos animais estudados.Conclusões. Não houve diferença significante na reação inflamatória durante a cicatrização de feridas tratadas com açúcar e compostos de ácidos graxos essenciais, em ratos.

Background: the attempt for wounds treatment in our days include new therapies and discharge some traditional ones. Objective: the aim of this study is to evaluate the inflammatory response of wounds treated with sugar and fatty acids compouds. Methods: into this random study a 400 mm 2 scar was performed on the back of Wistar rats and treated with daily occluded dresses. Animals of group A (n=32) received saline solution on the scar, group B received sugar and group C received fatty acids solution. Measures were taken on 3 rd, 7 th, 14th e 20 th post operative days and the inflammatory response wase valuated byhistologicalanalysis. Results:t heresults show edequival entres ponseson inflammatory modulation of the studied animals. Conclusions: there were no differences on inflammatory response of wounds treated with sugar and fatty acids solution, in rats.

[Early results of new style aortosaphenous vein graft connector in coronary artery bypass grafting].

We retrospectively studied early clinical results of PAS-Port (PP) system. Fifty patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery with saphenous vein graft (SVG) from April 2004 to May 2005 were enrolled in this study. PP was tried for 36 SVGs in 32 patients. In 2 patients, SVG 4.0 mm in diameter could not be loaded into the device. In other 2 patients, anastomosis with PP was failed and followed by hand-sewing under aortic clamp or with Heartstring. Anastomosis with PP was successfully completed for 34 SVGs in 30 patients (group P) and conventional hand-sewing was performed for 23 SVGs in 20 patients (group C). The target vessels for SVG were similar between the 2 groups. No complication occurred in the use of PP. Postoperative angiography before discharge was performed for 31 SVGs in 27 patients (90.0%) in group P and 20 SVGs in 17 patients (85.0%) in group C. The patency rate of SVG was 96.8% in group P and 100% in group C. In conclusion, early results of PP were satisfactory compared with those of conventional hand-sewing. Severely sclerotic aorta and oversized SVG should be excluded because of possibility for incomplete deployment of the inner flange in PP.

[Embolism of the lower limb caused by native aortic valve thrombosis].

Native aortic valve thrombosis is an uncommon event with heart valve disease, during cardiac catheterization, bacterial endocarditis, or a hypercoagulative state as in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We report a case of thrombus formation on a native aortic valve, which was found by the transesophageal echocardiography during thrombectomy of the lower limb. We supposed that the atheromatous plaque of aortic valve was related to thrombus formation.

[Extracardiac rupture of aneurysm of the noncoronary sinus of valsalva: report of a case].

A 78-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of sudden onset of chest pain and general fatigue. A chest X-ray showed marked cardiomegaly and computed tomography (CT) revealed pericardial effusion with left pleural effusion. Upon admission to CCU, she suddenly lost consciousness and was intubated. Echocardiography confirmed increase in the amount of the pericardial effusion, which was drained at CCU. By an emergent operation, ruptured aneurysm of the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva to the pericardial space was confirmed upon opening the chest and patch plasty of the sinus of Valsalva was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the 24th postoperative day. Extracardiac rupture of aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva is extremely rare, and the emergent operation is indispensable.