Pressure Effect on Transport Properties of EuNi(Si1-xGex)3 Compounds

AbstractThe compounds of EuNi(Si1−xGex)3 order antiferromagnetically. At the temperature TC below the Ńeel temperature TN, EuNiSi3 (x = 0) shows an additional magnetic transition into ferro-magnetic state. TN decreases monotonously with increasing the Ge composition x. The Curie temperature TC decreases rapidly with increasing x and vanishes at the critical composition x ≈ 0.3. We have measured the electrical resistivity and thermopower of EuNi(Si0.8Ge0.2)3, which is a compound near to the boundary between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic ground states in the phase diagram for EuNi(Si1−xGex)3 system, under pressures up to 1.8GPa at temperatures from 2 to 300K. The anomalies in ρ(T) and S(T) curves of EuNi(Si0.8Ge0.2)3 are observed at TC = 16K and TN = 34K at ambient pressure. Both TC and TN increase linearly with increasing pressure. The temperature variations of ρ and S of EuNi(Si0.8Ge0.2)3 at P = 1.8GPa are almost the same as those of EuNi(Si0.9Ge0.1)3 (x=0.1) at ambient pressure, revealing that the effect of pressure on TN and TC is the same as that of the increase of Si concentration. The pressure and atomic composition dependences of the magnetic transition temperatures TN and TC can be expressed by using the Grüneisen parameters. These results indicate that the changes of TN and TC are attributed to the change of atomic volume induced by the applying pressure or the atomic substitution

Association between PPARGC1A polymorphisms and the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genetic factors as well as environmental factors are important in the development of NAFLD and in this study we investigated associations between polymorphisms of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α polymorphism (<it>PPARGC1A</it>) and NAFLD.</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>We recruited 115 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD, 65 with NASH and 50 with simple steatosis, and 441 healthy control subjects and investigated 15 SNPs of <it>PPARGC1A</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SNP rs2290602 had the lowest <it>p </it>value in the dominant mode (<it>p </it>= 0.00095), and the odds ratio for NAFLD (95% CI) was 2.73 (1.48 – 5.06). rs2290602 was significantly associated with NAFLD even when the most conservative Bonferroni's correction was applied (<it>p </it>= 0.0143). The frequency of the T allele of rs2290602 was significantly higher in the NASH patients than in the control subjects (<it>p </it>= 0.00093, allele frequency mode), and its frequency in the NASH patients tended to be higher than in the simple steatosis patients (<it>p </it>= 0.09). The results of the real-time RT-PCR study showed that intrahepatic mRNA expression of <it>PPARGC1A </it>was lower in the TT group than in the GG or GT group at SNP rs2290602 (p = 0.0454).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first study to demonstrate a significant association between genetic variations in <it>PPARGC1A </it>and NAFLD. This finding suggested that <it>PPARGC1A </it>polymorphism and lower expression of <it>PPARGC1A </it>mRNA in the liver are an important genetic contribution to etiology of NAFLD.</p

ECMO in neonates

Background: There have been few reports on the outcome of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in newborn Japanese infants. Methods: A review was carried out of 61 neonates with ECMO between January 1995 and December 2015 at a single center. ECMO was used in neonates with oxygenation index >20 after conventional treatment. Background factors, such as etiology, vascular access mode (veno-venous [VV] or veno-arterial [VA]), number of days with ECMO, and early ECMO (within 24 h after birth), were analyzed in relation to outcome with respect to survival to hospital discharge (SHD). Results: Survival to hospital discharge was achieved in 35 infants (57%), while the remaining 26 died during hospital stay. Gestational age at birth was significantly higher and number of days with ECMO was significantly lower in SHD infants compared with those with adverse outcome (median, 4.0 vs 5.5 days, respectively; P = 0.008). The SHD rate was significantly higher for those with VV than VA vascular access mode (78%, 18/23 vs 45%, 17/38, respectively; P = 0.016), and for those with than without early ECMO (72%, 28/39 vs 32%, 7/22, respectively; P = 0.003). The SHD rate was relatively high in neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome (86%, 12/14), persistent pulmonary hypertension associated with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (75%, 6/8), and emphysema (80%, 4/5). On stepwise logistic regression analysis two independent factors of SHD were identified: early ECMO (OR, 9.63; 95%CI: 2.47-37.6) and ECMO length <8 days (OR, 8.05; 95%CI: 1.94-33.5). Conclusions: Neonates with early ECMO and those with ECMO duration <8 days may benefit from ECMO with respect to SHD