Probing dynamics of carbon dioxide in a metal-organic framework under high pressure by high-resolution solid-state NMR

The application of high-resolution NMR analysis for CO2 adsorbed in an MOF under high pressure is reported for the first time. The results showed that CO2 adsorbed in MOF-74 had a unusual slow mobility (τ ~ 10-8 s). CO2–CO2 interactions suppressed the mobility of CO2 under high pressure, which, in turn, would have contributed to the stability of CO2 at adsorption sites

Dealers and the formation of premium brands in the German car industry : Audi AG (1990–2020)

This article discusses how dealers contributed to the formation of premium brands in the German car industry in the 1990s. Using literature on luxury business, it tackles the case of Audi to explore the changing role that dealers have played and their integration into Audi’s brand management strategy when the company became autonomous within the Volkswagen Group. The article demonstrates that dealers were not mere sellers of vehicles but rather places that transmitted experience value to customers. Like mono-brand stores in the luxury industry, Audi dealers were strongly integrated in the firm and physically embodied the brand through a standardized, worldwide architectural model.論

Open Abdominal Management Among Non-Trauma Patients: The Appropriate Duration and a New Clinical Index

Purpose Despite widespread adoption of open abdominal management (OAM), there is currently no threshold criterion for OAM duration for non-trauma patients. Moreover, there is a positive relationship between morbidity and the duration of OAM, but an uncertain relationship with patients’ age. Therefore, a novel clinical index for the duration of open abdominal management (IDOM) was developed based on the patient’s age and risk of severe complications following OAM to indicate the maximum tolerable number of days of OAM based on the individual’s age. The utility of this new index was evaluated. Methods This retrospective study included 65 non-trauma patients managed with an open abdomen (OA) from August 2015 to August 2018. The IDOM was developed based on the patient’s age. The result indicated the maximum number of OA days. Patients’ demographic and operative variables were examined and patient data was assigned to one of two groups according to whether the actual number of OA days was above or below the calculated IDOM. Prevalence of complications between these groups was compared. Measures of validity were employed to assess the utility of the IDOM for patient complications. Results Sixty-five patients were included. The above-the calculated IDOM group exhibited a significantly longer OA and higher rates of wound complications and postoperative respiratory complications compared with the below the calculated IDOM group. The IDOM predicted the incidence of OA-related complications with a sensitivity of 72.4%, and a specificity of 80.6%. Conclusion The IDOM is a potentially useful tool for appropriate duration at the outset of OA

Gauged Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with extra dimensions

We investigate phase structure of the D (> 4)-dimensional gauged Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model with $\delta(=D-4)$ extra dimensions compactified on TeV scale, based on the improved ladder Schwinger-Dyson (SD) equation in the bulk. We assume that the bulk running gauge coupling in the SD equation for the SU(N_c) gauge theory with N_f massless flavors is given by the truncated Kaluza-Klein effective theory and hence has a nontrivial ultraviolet fixed point (UVFP). We find the critical line in the parameter space of two couplings, the gauge coupling and the four-fermion coupling, which is similar to that of the gauged NJL model with fixed (walking) gauge coupling in four dimensions. It is shown that in the presence of such walking gauge interactions the four-fermion interactions become ``nontrivial'' even in higher dimensions, similarly to the four-dimensional gauged NJL model. Such a nontriviality holds only in the restricted region of the critical line (``nontrivial window'') with the gauge coupling larger than a non-vanishing value (``marginal triviality (MT)'' point), in contrast to the four-dimensional case where such a nontriviality holds for all regions of the critical line except for the pure NJL point. In the nontrivial window the renormalized effective potential yields a nontrivial interaction which is conformal invariant. The exisitence of the nontrivial window implies ``cutoff insensitivity'' of the physics prediction in spite of the ultraviolet dominance of the dynamics. In the formal limit D -> 4, the nontrivial window coincides with the known condition of the nontriviality of the four-dimensional gauged NJL model, $9/(2N_c) < N_f - N_c < 9/2 N_c$.Comment: 34 pages, 6 figures, references added, to appear in Phys.Rev.D. The title is changed in PR

Cytoplasmic Accumulation and Aggregation of TDP-43 upon Proteasome Inhibition in Cultured Neurons

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are characterized by intraneuronal deposition of the nuclear TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) caused by unknown mechanisms. Here, we studied TDP-43 in primary neurons under different stress conditions and found that only proteasome inhibition by MG-132 or lactacystin could induce significant cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, a histopathological hallmark in disease. This cytoplasmic accumulation was accompanied by phosphorylation, ubiquitination and aggregation of TDP-43, recapitulating major features of disease. Proteasome inhibition produced similar effects in both hippocampal and cortical neurons, as well as in immortalized motor neurons. To determine the contribution of TDP-43 to cell death, we reduced TDP-43 expression using small interfering RNA (siRNA), and found that reduced levels of TDP-43 dose-dependently rendered neurons more vulnerable to MG-132. Taken together, our data suggests a role for the proteasome in subcellular localization of TDP-43, and possibly in disease

Predictive Factors for a Long Postoperative Stay after Emergency Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using the 2013 Tokyo Guidelines: A Retrospective Study

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is widely used for treating early acute cholecystitis (AC) and substantially reduces hospital costs. This study aimed to identify and evaluate risk factors associated with long postoperative hospital stays (PHSs) in patients undergoing emergency LC for AC according to the 2013 Tokyo Guidelines (TG13). Clinical data of patients who underwent emergency LC for AC between 2011 and 2017 were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into early discharge (ED, discharge in three days or less postoperatively) and late discharge (LD, discharge in more than three days postoperatively) groups based on clinical progression and PHS after LC. Preoperative characteristics and perioperative outcomes were analysed as potential risk factors for LD. Among 149 patients, 104 (69.8%) were discharged within 3 days postoperatively, whereas 45 (30.2%) had long PHSs. Main causes of LD were fever and inflammation. Univariate analysis of preoperative risk factors revealed significant differences in age, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, total bilirubin (T-bil), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels; anticoagulation therapy; and TG13 severity grade. Multivariate analysis revealed that TG13 severity grade II, age >65 years, and elevated T-bil and ALP levels are independent factors for long PHS. Older age, worse biliary function, and increased TG13 severity grade might predict prolonged PHSs in AC patients undergoing emergency LC

Laparoscopic two-stage procedure for gallstone ileus

Gallstone is a rare cause of bowel obstruction and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Here, we report a case of gallstone ileus treated by laparoscopic two-stage procedure. A 65-year-old man, without a history of any surgery, presented to our hospital with abdominal pain and vomiting. His abdominal computed tomography revealed gallstone ileus with cholecystoduodenal fistula. Then, enterolithotomy was performed as an emergency laparoscopic surgery. After 1 year of the surgery, a second laparoscopic procedure was performed for cholecystectomy and fistula closure. The patient was discharged on the 7th postoperative day. Laparoscopic two-stage procedure is a safe and an efficient approach for the management of gallstone ileus. This definitive treatment is minimally invasive, thereby suitable for treating elderly patients

Intraluminal Apple as a Rare Cause of Small Bowel Obstruction

Small bowel obstruction due to ingested foreign bodies is rare in adults. A 48-year-old male visited our hospital with abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed intestinal obstruction by a 3 × 4 cm apple-shaped foreign body. Emergency surgery was performed to clear the obstruction which, upon inspection, was caused by a sexual toy made of rubber. Flexible rubber products that are ingested should be carefully followed after they pass thorough the pylorus. For obstructions related to sexual behavior, the patient’s sense of shame often delays the process of seeking medical attention, thereby making preoperative diagnosis difficult