Fast Spectrometry System with Using Tunable Laser Diode

Basic prohlems are discussed about a local, realtime and very sensitive air-pollution monitoring using a laser diode. The method employs the second derivative spectrometry replacing the incoherent light source and mechanical choppers in a traditional method with the laser diode and a newly developed electronic system. Etalon fringes at this system becomes the dominant noise source and its statistic and dynamical features are to be understood. Numerical examination was done for the optimal width of optical frequency modulation. A very fast measurement of weak absorption spectra became possible by the development of lock-in-amplifiers with finite integration time instead of a low-pass filter. Spectra of methane in 7.6 μm region and a time-dependent spectrum of the etaIon fringe are shown

Accuracy and Etalon Fringe Phenomena in Methane-gas Spectrometry Employing Tunable Diode Lasers

A method to monitor atmospheric gas concentration employing a tunable diode laser is proposed. An apparatus was built and experiments were made. The tunable diode laser employed was of'PbSnTe with its wavenumber about 1200 cm(-1) at a temperature of 77 K. Methane concentration in laboratory atmosphere was measured on the experiments. The inquired gas-density is obtained by a hardwired microcomputer incorporating the measured absorption spectrum over a prescribed range instead of an absorption at a single wavenumber. By this, drift type noises are suppressed. After an analysis based on experimental data, an attainable sensitivity for methane was found to be 1 ppb.m. This value may increase if an etalon fringe interference exists. The natural concentration, about 1 ppm, of atmospheric methane was actually measured with a short optical path of only one meter

Haemodynamic Changes in the Superior Mesenteric Artery Induced by Acupuncture Stimulation on the Lower Limbs

Acupuncture is commonly performed on acupoints. A comparison of quantitative physiological alterations induced by stimulation on different acupoints has never been performed in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in humans. Therefore, we investigated changes in blood flow volume (BFV) in the SMA as an indicator of physiological effects induced by stimulation on 3 points. Thirty healthy participants aged 29 ± 10 years (mean ± SD) were enrolled. All participants underwent stimulations on 3 points located in the lower legs: ST36, LR3, and a non-acupoint. Control pertains to a condition with no-stimulation. Stimulation was performed bilaterally with manual rotation of the needles. BFV was measured by ultrasonography before insertion and 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes after stimulation. Following acupuncture on ST36, BFV increased significantly 20 and 30 minutes after stimulation, compared to BFV before insertion (P < 0.05). Following stimulation on LR3 and the non-acupoint, no significant differences in BFV could be found. Relative to the no-stimulation group, stimulation on LR3, and the non-acupoint, stimulation on ST36 elicited a significant increase in BFV (P < 0.05). The results suggest that stimulation on the different points causes distinct physiological effects in BFV in the SMA

A Pediatric Case of Cauda Equina Dermoid Cyst Resected by Minimally Invasive Unilateral Hemilaminectomy

A 3-year-old boy had difficulty sitting up and walking for several months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an intradural tumor at the L3-4 level. The tumor was successfully resected by unilateral hemilaminectomy and diagnosed as dermoid cyst. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course without pain, and MRI found no recurrence after surgery. A small bone defect remained that might be favorably reconstructed with autologous and artificial bone. Hemilaminectomy allowed us to resect the cauda equina dermoid cyst with minimal invasiveness. Pediatric patients require follow-up as they are more likely to experience spinal deformity or instability after surgery

Two Somatic Biallelic Lesions Within and Near SMAD4 in a Human Breast Cancer Cell Line

Loss of chromosome arm 18q is a common event in human pancreatic, colon, and breast cancers and is often interpreted as representing loss of one or more tumor-suppressor genes. In this article, we describe two novel biallelic deletions at chromo- some band 18q21.1 in a recently characterized human breast cancer cell line, HCC-1428. One lesion deletes a fragment of approximately 300 kb between SMAD4 and DCC that encodes no known genes. The second lesion is an in-frame SMAD4 dele- tion (amino acids 49–51) that affects the level of SMAD4 protein but not the SMAD4 message. This change accelerates 26S proteasome–mediated degradation of both endogenous and exogenous mutant SMAD4. Examination of normal DNA from the same patient demonstrated that both lesions are somatic and associated with loss of both normal alleles. These data sup- port the concept that two independent tumor-suppressor loci exist at chromosome segment 18q21.1, one at SMAD4 and the other potentially at an enhancer of DCC or an unrelated novel gen

Transplantation of modified human bone marrow-derived stromal cells affords therapeutic effects on cerebral ischemia in rats

Aims SB623 cells are human bone marrow stromal cells transfected with Notch1 intracellular domain. In this study, we examined potential regenerative mechanisms underlying stereotaxic transplantation of SB623 cells in rats with experimental acute ischemic stroke. Methods We prepared control group, empty capsule (EC) group, SB623 cell group (SB623), and encapsulated SB623 cell (eSB623) group. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed on day 0, and 24 h after MCAO, stroke rats received transplantation into the envisioned ischemic penumbra. Modified neurological severity score (mNSS) was evaluated, and histological evaluations were performed. Results In the mNSS, SB623 and eSB623 groups showed significant improvement compared to the other groups. Histological analysis revealed that the infarction area in SB623 and eSB623 groups was reduced. In the eSB623 group, robust cell viability and neurogenesis were detected in the subventricular zone that increased significantly compared to all other groups. Conclusion SB623 cells with or without encapsulation showed therapeutic effects on ischemic stroke. Encapsulated SB623 cells showed enhanced neurogenesis and increased viability inside the capsules. This study reveals the mechanism of secretory function of transplanted SB623 cells, but not cell-cell interaction as primarily mediating the cells' functional benefits in ischemic stroke

Successful laparoscopic resection of virilizing ovarian steroid cell tumor, not otherwise specified, in a 22-year-old woman: a case report and evaluation of the steroidogenic pathway

Objective: Ovarian steroid cell tumor (SCT) is a rare tumor with steroid-producing ability. We report a 22-year-old woman with secondary amenorrhea and hirsutism caused by an ovarian SCT-not otherwise specified (NOS), who underwent successfully laparoscopic resection of the tumor. Case report: A 22-year-old null gravida woman presented to a hospital, having amenorrhea for 18 months and increasing facial hair. Physical examination revealed obesity (body mass index, 37.3 kg/m2) with evident facial and trunk hair. Total and free serum testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were found to be elevated. Levels of serum adrenocorticotropic hormone, gonadotropins, cortisol, aldosterone, and ovarian steroids were observed to be within reference intervals. Although polycystic ovaries were not found, a hyperechogenic solid tumor (3 cm) was detected on transvaginal ultrasonography. Laparoscopic resection of the tumor was performed. One month post-surgery, total and free testosterone levels were observed to have decreased, and menstruation resumed two months thereafter. The patient was histologically diagnosed with ovarian SCT-NOS. Expression of ovarian steroidogenic enzymes, which are related to hyperandrogenism, was observed. No disease recurrence has been reported for more than 5 years post-surgery