11 research outputs found
Noninvasive Demonstration of Dual Coronary Artery Fistulas to Main Pulmonary Artery with 64-Slice Multidetector-Computed Tomography: A Case Report
Coronary artery fistulas, including coronary pulmonary fistulas, are usually discovered accidently among the adult population when undergoing invasive coronary angiographies. We report here a 58-year-old woman with dual fistulas originating from the left anterior descending coronary artery and right coronary sinus to the main pulmonary artery, demonstrating noninvasively with multidetector-computed tomography (MDCT) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)
Surfactant-Free Formate/O<sub>2</sub> Biofuel Cell with Electropolymerized Phenothiazine Derivative-Modified Enzymatic Bioanode
A formate (HCOO–) bioanode was developed by utilizing
a phenothiazine-based electropolymerized layer deposited on sucrose-derived
carbon. The electrode modified with NAD-dependent formate dehydrogenase
and the electropolymerized layer synergistically catalyzed the oxidation
of the coenzyme (NADH) and fuel (HCOO–) to achieve
efficient electron transfer. Further, the replacement of carbon nanotubes
with water-dispersible sucrose-derived carbon used as the electrode
base allowed the fabrication of a surfactant-free bioanode delivering
a maximum current density of 1.96 mA cm–2 in the
fuel solution. Finally, a separator- and surfactant-free HCOO–/O2 biofuel cell featuring the above bioanode
and a gas-diffusion biocathode modified with bilirubin oxidase and
2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) was fabricated,
delivering a maximum power density of 70 μW cm–2 (at 0.24 V) and an open-circuit voltage of 0.59 V. Thus, this study
demonstrates the potential of formic acid as a fuel and possibilities
for the application of carbon materials in bioanodes
Four mutations of the spastin gene in Japanese families with spastic paraplegia
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders characterized by slowly progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. HSP is caused by failure of development or selective degeneration of the corticospinal tracts, which contain the longest axons in humans. The most common form of HSP is caused by mutations of the spastin gene (SPAST), located on chromosome 2p21-p22, which encodes spastin, one of the ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA). In this study, we detected four causative mutations of SPAST among 14 unrelated patients with spastic paraplegia. Two missense mutations (1447A-->G, 1207C-->G) and two deletion mutations (1465delT, 1475-1476delAA) were located in the AAA cassette region. Three of these four mutations were novel. Previous reports and our results suggest that the frequency of SPAST mutations is higher among Japanese patients with autosomal dominant HSP, although SPAST mutations are also observed in patients with sporadic spastic paraplegia