A Molecular Line Observation toward Massive Clumps Associated with Infrared Dark Clouds

We have surveyed the N2H+ J=1-0, HC3N J=5-4, CCS J_N=4_3-3_2, NH3 (J, K) = (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), and CH3OH J=7-6 lines toward the 55 massive clumps associated with infrared dark clouds by using the Nobeyama Radio Observatory 45 m telescope and the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment 10 m telescope. The N2H+, HC3N, and NH3 lines are detected toward most of the objects. On the other hand, the CCS emission is detected toward none of the objects. The [CCS]/[N2H+] ratios are found to be mostly lower than unity even in the Spitzer 24 micron dark objects. This suggests that most of the massive clumps are chemically more evolved than the low-mass starless cores. The CH3OH emission is detected toward 18 out of 55 objects. All the CH3OH-detected objects are associated with the Spitzer 24 micron sources, suggesting that star formation has already started in all the CH3OH-detected objects. The velocity widths of the CH3OH J_K=7_0-6_0 A+ and 7_{-1}-6_{-1} E lines are broader than those of N2H+ J=1-0. The CH3OH J_K=7_0-6_0 A+ and 7_{-1}-6_{-1} E lines tend to have broader linewidth in the MSX dark objects than in the others, the former being younger or less luminous than the latter. The origin of the broad emission is discussed in terms of the interaction between an outflow and an ambient cloud.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Coronary angioplasty ameliorates hypoperfusion-induced endothelial dysfunction in patients with stable angina pectoris

Objectives.This study sought to investigate the effect of coronary angioplasty on chronic hypoperfusion-induced endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary heart disease.Background.The endothelium is an important component for organ flow regulation. Ischemia with or without reperfusion is known to cause endothelial dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that chronic hypoperfusion impairs endothelial function in the angiographically normal coronary artery segment distal to stenosis and that the impairment by chronic hypoperfusion is reduced by coronary angioplasty.Methods.In 13 patients with stable angina pectoris, substance P (10, 30 and 100 pmol) and nitroglycerin (200 μg) were sequentially infused into the coronary artery in a cumulative manner on the day after coronary angioplasty. In 10 of these patients, vascular responses to these agents were again investigated 3 months after angioplasty. Changes in vascular diameter were evaluated in vessels located proximal and distal to the target lesion, both of which were angiographically normal, by performing computer-assisted quantitative coronary angiography. In five patients, the transstenotic pressure gradient was also measured with a pressure sensor-mounted guide wire before angioplasty.Results.On the day after angioplasty, the magnitude of dilation by substance P in distal segments was significantly less than that in proximal segments and inversely correlated with the transstenotic pressure gradient (p < 0.05) and lesion stenosis (p < 0.05). There was no difference in nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation between the two vessel segment groups. Three months later, the impaired response to substance P in the distal segment was restored to normal.Conclusions.We conclude that chronic hypoperfusion impairs endothelium-dependent dilation of coronary artery distal to critical stenosis in patients with ischemic heart disease and that coronary angioplasty ameliorates the endothelial dysfunction within 3 months

Chronic heart failure in Japan: Implications of the CHART studies

Nobuyuki Shiba, Hiroaki ShimokawaDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Evidence-Based Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai City, JapanAbstract: The prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) still remains poor, despite the recent advances in medical and surgical treatment. Furthermore, CHF is a major public health problem in most industrialized countries where the elderly population is rapidly increasing. Although the prevalence and mortality of CHF used to be relatively low in Japan, the disorder has been markedly increasing due to the rapid aging of the society and the Westernization of lifestyle that facilitates the development of coronary artery disease. The Chronic Heart Failure Analysis and Registry in the Tohoku District (CHART)-1 study was one of the largest cohorts in Japan. The study has clarified the characteristics and prognosis of Japanese patients with CHF, demonstrating that their prognosis was similarly poor compared with those in Western countries. However, we still need evidence for the prevention and treatment of CHF based on the large cohort studies or randomized treatment trials in the Japanese population. Since the strategy for CHF management is now changing from treatment to prevention, a larger-size prospective cohort, called the CHART-2 study, has been initiated to evaluate the risk factors of CHF in Japan. This review summarizes the current status of CHF studies in Japan and discusses their future perspectives.Keywords: heart failure, aging, Japanes

Outcome- and Sign-Dependent Time Preferences : An Incentivized Intertemporal Choice Experiment Involving Effort and Money

Previous research consistently identified differences in time preferences between effort and monetary decisions. However, the root cause of this difference—whether it stemmed from the intrinsic nature of the outcomes or the associated pleasurable or unpleasurable experiences—remained undefined. In response, we devised a novel two-stage experiment employing a 2 × 2 design contrasting outcomes (money and effort) and domains (pleasant and unpleasant). This approach allowed for the incentivization of all decisions, including those involving future monetary losses. Our study reveals sign-dependent preferences, showing varying degrees of impatience across pleasant or unpleasant experiences in monetary or effort-related choices. We also observed outcome-dependent preferences, particularly highlighting a higher level of impatience in unpleasant monetary choices compared with their effort-based counterparts. However, the degree of present bias did not differ across the four conditions