Improvement in Photocatalytic Effects of Dye Sensitized Titanium Dioxide by Hydroxyapatite Coating

Applying photocatalytic n-semiconductor effect of titanium dioxide, performance of TiO2 anode with copper oxides cathode as a wet solar cell in seawater is being studied. This research aimed to study photocatalytic effects of dye sensitized TiO2 electrode coated by hydroxyapatite (HAp). TiO2 electrode was manufactured double layered by screen printing method and copper oxides electrode by vacuum deposition on Type 329J4L stainless steel base substrate. N719 Ruthenizer dye was used for sensitizing on TiO2 electrode and HAp was coated on the electrode surface by squeegee printing method. Four types of TiO2 electrodes were studied; TiO2 electrode, dye-sensitized TiO2, HAp coated TiO2, and dye-sensitized TiO2 with HAp coating. Cell voltage and current density was measured under irradiated and dark conditions. The power densities of electrode with HAp coating was found higher than other electrodes without HAp. The current flow was enhanced by introducing HAp coating while dye sensitizing reduced current flow.  Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) analysis were performed. EIS analysis showed HAp coating increased capacitance values of each electrodes.  The surface of electrodes analysed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Electron Dispersion X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) indicated that HAp was dispersed on TiO2 surface but was not formed as a layer

Specific Removal of Monocytes from Peripheral Blood of Septic Patients by Polymyxin B-immobilized Filter Column

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the major causes of septic shock. The polymyxin B-immobilized filter column (PMX) was developed for the adsorption of endotoxin by direct hemoperfusion and has been used for the treatment of LPS-induced septic shock. In this study, we demonstrated that PMX also specifically bound monocytes from the peripheral blood leukocytes of septic patients by mean of an analysis of bound cells using immunocytochemical and electron microscopic techniques. The specific removal of monocytes from septic patients may produce beneficial effects by reducing the interaction between monocytes and functionally associated cells including vascular endothelial cells

Severe Eosinophilia in Myelodysplastic Syndrome With a Defined and Rare Cytogenetic Abnormality

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group clonal disorders of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis that lead to variable grades of impaired blood cell production. Chromosomal aberrations are often detected in MDS patients and thus cytogenetic analysis is useful for the diagnosis of these disorders. Common recurring chromosomal defects, such as the −5/5q- and −7/7q- are relatively well characterized cytogenetic abnormalities in MDS, however, the biological significance of uncommon cytogenetic alterations is unknown. We report here, two cases of peripheral blood and bone marrow hypereosinophilia in patients with MDS harboring the unbalanced translocation der(1;7)(q10;p10), a poorly characterized cytogenetic abnormality that is found in certain myeloid malignancies, including MDS. The patients reported here presented hypereosinophilia that was refractory to steroids and cytotoxic therapy, leading to severe target tissue damage that ultimately resulted in fatal end-organ failure. Potential roles of the der(1;7)(q10;p10) aberrations in the pathogenesis of aggressive eosinophilia and disease prognosis are discussed here

Usefulness of right ventriculography compared with computed tomography for ruling out the possibility of lead perforation before lead extraction

Purpose High-risk patients can be identified by preprocedural computed tomography (CT) before lead extraction. However, CT evaluation may be difficult especially for lead tip identification due to artifacts in the leads. Selective right ventriculography (RVG) may enable preprocedural evaluation of lead perforation. We investigated the efficacy of RVG for identifying right ventricular (RV) lead perforation compared with CT in patients who underwent lead extraction. Methods Ninety-five consecutive patients who were examined by thin-section non-ECG-gated multi-detector CT and RVG before lead extraction were investigated retrospectively. Newly recognized pericardial effusion after lead extraction was used as a reference standard for lead perforation. We analyzed the prevalence of RV lead perforation diagnosed by each method. The difference in the detection rates of lead perforation by RVG and CT was evaluated. Results Of the 115 RV leads in the 95 patients, lead perforation was diagnosed for 35 leads using CT, but the leads for 29 (83%) of those 35 leads diagnosed as lead perforation by CT were shown to be within the right ventricle by RVG. Three patients with 5 leads could not be evaluated by CT due to motion artifacts. The diagnostic accuracies of RVG and CT were significantly different (p < 0.001). There was no complication of pericardial effusion caused by RV lead extraction. Conclusion RVG for identification of RV lead perforation leads to fewer false-positives compared to non-ECG-gated CT. However, even in cases in which lead perforation is diagnosed, most leads may be safely extracted by transvenous lead extraction

Long-term Antibiotics and Simple TEVAR for Treatment of Infectious Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

Purpose: The principle treatment of infectious aortic aneurysm is to remove the infected aneurysm and replace it with Rifampicin-soaked prosthesis by omentopecxy. This study aimed to clarify the efficacy of long-term antibiotics and subsequent thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) for infectious thoracic aortic aneurysm. Methods: Between July 2011 and December 2015, 213 TEVARs were performed at Hiroshima University Hospital. Six patients (2.8%) had infectious aneurysm and received long-term antibiotic therapy and secondary TEVAR. L ong-term antibiotic therapy and subsequent TEVAR is paradoxical. This study aimed to clarify the timing of TEVAR for infectious thoracic aortic aneurysm. Results: All patients presented with fever and back pain, and had positive blood cultures; five patients had significant co-morbidities. Bacteraemia was caused by Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) (2), Streptococcus sanguinis (1), Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) (1), Chryseobacterium meningosepticum (1), and Enterococcus faecalis (1). B lood examination at admission revealed a WBC count ranging from 10,470 to 16,170/μl and CRP ranging from 7.9 to 16.4 mg/dl. Long-term antibiotic therapy was continued until WBC and CRP were within the normal range. TEVAR was performed emergently in 3 cases and electively in 3 cases. The time from admission to TEVAR ranged from 7 to 26 days. One stent-graft was deployed in all 6 cases. All patients survived and were followed for an average of 48 months; they were free from re-infection. Conclusion: Long-term antibiotics and simple TEVAR may be a feasible treatment for infectious thoracic aortic aneurysms