A Dual (Brachial and Contralateral Femoral) Approach for Subintimal Angioplasty of Long Ilio-Femoral Occlusive Disease Including the Iliac Ostium

As techniques and device technology have improved, the success rates and long patency of ilio-femoral occlusive disease have also improved. In the case of extensive iliac occlusive disease, however, wire passage and handling remain a challenge due to the relatively weak guiding catheter backup support with the contralateral femoral approach. There has been no report on methods to overcome this problem. We performed a successful percutaneous translunimal angioplasty for long ilio-femoral occlusive disease including the iliac ostium by a dual approach including simultaneous brachial and contralateral femoral arteries for subintimal angioplasty

High glucose induces MCP-1 expression partly via tyrosine kinase–AP-1 pathway in peritoneal mesothelial cells

High glucose induces MCP-1 expression partly via tyrosine kinase–AP-1 pathway in peritoneal mesothelial cells.BackgroundHigh glucose in peritoneal dialysis solutions has been implicated in the pathogenesis of peritoneal fibrosis in chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. However, the mechanisms are not very clear. Peritoneal macrophages seem to participate in the process of peritoneal fibrosis and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays a key role in the recruitment of monocytes toward the peritoneal cavity. However, little is known about the effect of high glucose on MCP-1 expression and its signal transduction pathway in human peritoneal mesothelial cells.MethodsMesothelial cells were cultured with glucose (5 to 100 mmol/L) or mannitol chronically for up to seven days. MCP-1 expression of mRNA and protein was measured by Northern blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chemotactic activity of high-glucose–conditioned culture supernatant was measured by chemotactic assay. To examine the roles of the transcription factors activator protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was performed.ResultsGlucose induced MCP-1 mRNA expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner. MCP-1 protein in cell culture supernant was also increased. Equivalent concentrations of mannitol had no significant effect. High-glucose–conditioned supernatant possessed an increased chemotactic activity for monocytes, which was neutralized by anti–MCP-1 antibody. EMSA revealed that glucose increased the AP-1 binding activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner, but not NF-κB. Curcumin, an inhibitor of AP-1, dose-dependently suppressed the induction of MCP-1 mRNA by high glucose. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as genistein (12.5 to 50 μmol/L) and herbimycin A (0.1 to 1 μmol/L) inhibited the high-glucose–induced MCP-1 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner, and also suppressed the high-glucose–induced AP-1 binding activity.ConclusionsHigh glucose induced mesothelial MCP-1 expression partly via the tyrosine kinase-AP-1 pathway

J-R FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF NUCLEAR PIPING MATERIALS UNDER EXCESSIVE SEISMIC LOADING CONDITION

ABSTRACT This study investigated the loading rate effect on the fracture resistance under cyclic loading conditions to clearly understand the fracture behavior of piping materials under excessive seismic conditions. J-R fracture toughness tests were conducted under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions at various displacement rates at room temperature (RT) and the operating temperature of nuclear power plants (NPPs), i.e., 316°C. SA508 Gr. 1a low-alloy steel (LAS) and SA312 TP316 stainless steel (SS) piping materials were used for the tests. The fracture resistance under a reversible cyclic load was considerably lower than that under monotonic load regardless of test temperature, material, and loading rate. Under both cyclic and monotonic loading conditions, the fracture behavior of SA312 TP316 SS was independent of the loading rate at both RT and 316°C. For SA508 Gr. 1a LAS, the loading rate effect on the fracture behavior was appreciable at 316°C under both cyclic and monotonic loading conditions. However, the loading rate effect diminished when the cyclic load ratio (R) was -1. Thus, it was recognized that the fracture behavior of piping materials, including seismic loading characteristics, can be evaluated when tested under a cyclic load of R = -1 at a quasi-static loading rate

GLAS/ICESat L2 Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheet Altimetry Data

We identify two previously unknown subglacial lakes beneath the stagnated trunk of the Kamb Ice Stream (KIS). Rapid fill-drain hydrologic events over several months are inferred from surface height changes measured by CryoSat-2 altimetry and indicate that the lakes are probably connected by a subglacial drainage network, whose structure is inferred from the regional hydraulic potential and probably links the lakes. The sequential fill-drain behavior of the subglacial lakes and concurrent rapid thinning in a channel-like topographic feature near the grounding line implies that the subglacial water repeatedly flows from the region above the trunk to the KIS grounding line and out beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. Ice shelf elevation near the hypothesized outlet is observed to decrease slowly during the study period. Our finding supports a previously published conceptual model of the KIS shutdown stemming from a transition from distributed flow to well-drained channelized flow of subglacial water. However, a water-piracy hypothesis in which the KIS subglacial water system is being starved by drainage in adjacent ice streams is also supported by the fact that the degree of KIS trunk subglacial lake activity is relatively weaker than those of the upstream lakes

Active subglacial lakes and channelized water flow beneath the Kamb Ice Stream

We identify two previously unknown subglacial lakes beneath the stagnated trunk of the Kamb Ice Stream (KIS). Rapid fill-drain hydrologic events over several months are inferred from surface height changes measured by CryoSat-2 altimetry and indicate that the lakes are probably connected by a subglacial drainage network, whose structure is inferred from the regional hydraulic potential and probably links the lakes. The sequential fill-drain behavior of the subglacial lakes and concurrent rapid thinning in a channel-like topographic feature near the grounding line implies that the subglacial water repeatedly flows from the region above the trunk to the KIS grounding line and out beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. Ice shelf elevation near the hypothesized outlet is observed to decrease slowly during the study period. Our finding supports a previously published conceptual model of the KIS shutdown stemming from a transition from distributed flow to well-drained channelized flow of subglacial water. However, a water-piracy hypothesis in which the KIS subglacial water system is being starved by drainage in adjacent ice streams is also supported by the fact that the degree of KIS trunk subglacial lake activity is relatively weaker than those of the upstream lakes.OAIID:RECH_ACHV_DSTSH_NO:T201501631RECH_ACHV_FG:RR00200001ADJUST_YN:EMP_ID:A079127CITE_RATE:4.906FILENAME:2016_Kim_TC.pdfDEPT_NM:지구과학교육과EMAIL:[email protected]_YN:YFILEURL:https://srnd.snu.ac.kr/eXrepEIR/fws/file/0f782ccb-87d7-4af5-89fc-9ed5599fd0f7/linkCONFIRM:

Anti-inflammatory effects of isoketocharbroic acid from brown alga, Sargassum micracanthum

During our on-going screening program designed to isolate natural compounds from marine environments, we isolated isoketochabrolic acid (IKCA) from Sargassum micracanthum, an important brown algae distributed in Jeju Island, Korea. Furthermore, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of IKCA on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-triggered macrophages. IKCA strongly inhibited NO production, with an IC50 value of 58.31 μM. Subsequent studies demonstrated that IKCA potently and concentration-dependently reduced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 cytokine production. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that IKCA isolated from S. micracanthum has a potent anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, IKCA might be useful as an anti-inflammatory health supplement or functional cosmetics

Acute Spontaneous Subdural Hematoma of Arterial Origin

Acute spontaneous subdural hematoma (SDH) of arterial origin is very rare. We report a case of acute spontaneous SDH that showed contrast media extravasation from cortical artery on angiograms. A 58-year-old male patient developed sudden onset headache and right hemiparesis. Brain CT scan demonstrated acute SDH at left convexity. The patient was drowsy mentality on admission. He had no history of head trauma. Cerebral angiography was performed and revealed a localized extravasation of the contrast media from distal cortical MCA branch. After angiography, the patient deteriorated to comatose mentality. Decompressive craniectomy for removal of SDH was performed. We verified the arterial origin of the bleeding and coagulated the bleeding focus. The histological diagnosis was aneurysmal artery. He recovered after surgery with mild disability. In a case of acute spontaneous SDH, the possibility of a cortical artery origin should be considered

Specific Radius Change of Quantum Dot inside the Lipid Bilayer by Charge Effect of Lipid Head-Group

We studied the quantum dot-liposome complex (QLC), which is the giant unilamellar vesicle with quantum dots (QDs) incorporated in its lipid bilayer. A spin coating method in conjunction with the electroformation technique yielded vesicles with highly homogeneous unilamellar structure. We observed QD size dependence of the QLC formation: QLCs form with blue, green and yellow-emission QD (core radius ~1.05 nm, 1.25 nm and 1.65 nm) but not with red-emission QD (core radius ~2.5 nm). In order to explain this size dependence, we made a simple model explaining the QD size effect on QLC formation in terms of the molecular packing parameter and the lipid conformational change. This model predicts that QDs below a certain critical size (radius ≈ 1.8 nm) can stably reside in a lipid bilayer of 4 - 5 nm in thickness for Egg-PC lipids. This is consistent with our previous experimental results. In the case of red-emission QD, QD-aggregations are only observed on the fluorescent microscopy instead of QLC. We expected that the reduction of packing parameter (P) would lead to the change of specific QD radius. This prediction could be verified by our experimental observation of the shift of the specific QD size by mixing DOPG