Sepsis-induced modulation of long-term potentiation induced by theta burst stimulation in the rat hippocampus

We investigated the influences of sepsis on central synaptic plasticity in vitro. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was performed by creating rat sepsis models, which were divided into early and late sepsis groups (8 and 16 h after CLP, respectively). In the CA1 of the rat hippocampal slices, orthodromically elicited population spikes (PSs) and field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were simultaneously recorded, and their long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced by theta burst stimulation (TBS). TBS induced LTPs of PSs and fEPSPs in all groups. In the sham and early sepsis groups, there was no significant difference in LTPs between PSs and fEPSPs. However, in the late sepsis group, the LTP of PSs was greater than that of fEPSPs (p < 0.05) and was greater than the LTPs of PSs in the sham and early sepsis groups (p < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase, administered immediately before CLP, inhibited the enhancement of LTP in PS, as observed in the late sepsis group. The initial rapid potentiation component of LTP in fEPSPs was suppressed or reduced in all groups that underwent CLP. The results indicate that CLP-induced sepsis modulates hippocampal synaptic plasticity, depressing excitatory synaptic transmissions and facilitating somatic excitability, which is induced by septic oxygen superoxide

Ectopic Varices Rupture in the Gastroduodenal Anastomosis Successfully Treated with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate Injection

The term &#34;ectopic varices&#34; is used to describe dilated portosystemic collateral veins in unusual locations other than the gastroesophageal region. We recently experienced a rare case of ectopic varices that developed in the gastroduodenal anastomosis after subtotal gastrectomy. A 70-year-old male with liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus infection was admitted for hematemesis and tarry stool. He had received a subtotal gastrectomy with the Billroth-I method for gastric ulcer at 46 years of age. Although emergency endoscopy revealed esophageal and gastric fundal varices, there were no obvious bleeding points. After removal of the coagula, ectopic varices and a fibrin plug were observed on the gastroduodenal anastomosis. During the observation, blood began to spurt from the fibrin plug. N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate with lipiodol injection succeeded in hemostasis. Splenic angiography showed gastric varices feeding from a short gastric vein and the posterior gastric vein. The blood flow around the bleeding point, as indicated by lipiodol deposition, had decreased, and no feeding vein was observed. Endoscopic and angiographic findings are shown and the treatment for such lesions is discussed.</p

3s photoemission spectra of Fe/Cu(100)… films

A simple cluster model calculation scheme which successfully describes the line shape and intensity ratio of recent spin resolved Fe 3s spectra of metallic Fe has been developed. From fitting the 3s spectra of bcc-bulk Fe, we found that the configuration interaction effect is important to the understanding of the 3s spectra. This model was applied to the Fe 3s spectra obtained from the ultrathin [0.7, 1.7, and 2 monolayer (ML)] Fe overlayers on Cu(100), and the 3s spectra of thin films were described well within our cluster model framework. Indeed the difference between the Fe 3 s spectra of ultrathin films and bulk-bcc Fe was found to be consistent with the fact that the local magnetic moment of ultrathin films is smaller than that of the bcc bulk in our model. However, we did not find significant changes of the experimental 3s spectra between 0.7-, 1.7-, and 2-ML-thin films, which means that local magnetic moments of thin films do not change much below 2 ML

Quantitative Measurement of Electron Density in Method of Dual-Energy X-Ray CT

The electron density is indispensable to the treatment planning for heavy-ion radiotherapy, so that the precise measurement of that is important for advancing radiotherapy. Usually the electron density for the radiotherapy is derived from an image based on CT number by conventional CT. CT number include ambiguilty due to the beam hardening. In a method of dual-energy x-ray CT, the information on an electron density can be obtained directly using monochromatic x-rays. The precision of the electron density was experimentally proved to be about 1%.The 8th Conference on Biology and Synchrotron Radiatio

Fluctuating Local Magnetic Moments in Ferromagnetic Ni Observed by the Spin-Resolved Resonant Photoemission

We have measured the spin- and angle-resolved resonant photoemission spectra of ferromagnetic Ni(110) near the 3p threshold in the temperature range from T/TC=0.5 to 1.05. The spin polarization of the 6 eV satellite decreases with increasing temperature. The photon energy dependence of the spin polarization of the 6 eV satellite shows a dip profile near the 3p threshold, while its spectra feature remians unaltered at elevated temperature. These results indicate the evidence of the fluctuating local magnetic moments in ferromagnetic Ni