On-chip all-electrical determination of the magnetoelastic coupling constant of magnetic heterostructures

We have developed an approach to determine the magnetoelastic coupling constant of magnetic layers in thin film heterostructures. The film is formed on a piezoelectric substrate between two interdigital transducers (IDT), a platform often used to construct a surface acoustic wave device. With the substrate piezoelectricity, strain is induced into the film by applying a dc voltage to the IDTs. The strain causes changes in the magnetization direction of the magnetic layer, which is probed by measuring changes, if any, in the transverse resistance of the heterostructure. We find the extracted magnetoelastic coupling constant of the magnetic layer (CoFeB) depends on the film stacking. Such change can be accounted for provided that the elastic properties of the layers that constitute the heterostructures are taken into account. The on-chip all-electrical approach described here provides a versatile means to quantitatively assess the magnetoelastic coupling constant of thin film heterostructures

Dynamic absorber for ropeway gondola using Coriolis force

Wind-induced swinging of ropeway gondola can be reduced using dynamic absorbers. To maximize the performance of conventional dynamic absorbers, their location should be as high as possible. However, absorbers can not be installed at high positions due to interference issues with structures such as towers and stations. To address this problem, a new type of dynamic absorber that moves vertically is proposed. This absorber is composed of a mass supported by a spring. The mass moves in the radius direction (up and down) and it induces Coriolis force in the circumference direction to prevent the swing of gondola. If the natural frequency of the absorber is tuned to twice that of the gondola, the absorber moves spontaneously with a large amplitude due the resonance. This absorber is more effective when it is located at lower positions. The experiment with a small model and an actual gondola for 10 passengers were carried out and the results agreed well with the theoretical predictions

A case of mediastinal goiter treated surgically using a clavicle-lifting technique

AbstractIntroductionMediastinal goiter is a benign disease, which is defined as a goiter with the greater portion of its mass lying below the thoracic inlet. It is controversial whether the cervical approach is the best approach for all mediastinal goiter surgeries.Case presentationA 71-year-old woman presented with respiratory discomfort during exertion. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a mediastinal goiter extending to the arch of the aorta. Surgical resection was performed using a clavicle-lifting technique. The excised specimen was 13×10×5cm in size and weighed 220g. The pathological diagnosis was nodular goiter.DiscussionThe clavicle-lifting technique is a simple and safe technique that involves lifting the clavicles with a pediatric extension retractor (Kent Retractor Set, Takasago Medical Industry, Tokyo, Japan). This is a good choice for surgery on upper mediastinal lesions such as mediastinal goiters as it obviates the need for a median sternotomy.ConclusionAlthough further study is necessary, it appears that a transcervical approach using the clavicle-lifting technique may be an acceptable treatment for mediastinal goiters that extend to the aortic arch

Implementing genetic algorithms to CUDA environment using data parallelization

Računarske metode rješavanja paralelnih problema korištenjem grafičkih obradnih jedinica (GPUs) zadnjih su godina pobudile veliki interes. Paralelno izračunavanje može se primijeniti na genetske algoritme (GAs) u odnosu na proces evaluacije jedinki u populaciji. Ovaj rad opisuje još jednu metodu primjene GAs na CUDA okruženje gdje je CUDA računarsko okruženje opće namjene za GPUs koje daje NVIDIA. Osnovna karakteristika ovog istraživanja leži u tome da se paralelna obrada koristi ne samo za jedinke nego i za gene u jedinki. Predložena implementacija se procjenjuje kroz osam ispitnih funkcija. Ustanovili smo da predložena metoda implementacije daje 7,6-18,4 puta brže rezultate od onih kod primjene CPU.Computation methods of parallel problem solving using graphic processing units (GPUs) have attracted much research interests in recent years. Parallel computation can be applied to genetic algorithms (GAs) in terms of the evaluation process of individuals in a population. This paper describes yet another implementation method of GAs to the CUDA environment where CUDA is a general-purpose computation environment for GPUs provided by NVIDIA. The major characteristic point of this study is that the parallel processing is adopted not only for individuals but also for the genes in an individual. The proposed implementation is evaluated through eight test functions. We found that the proposed implementation method yields 7,6-18,4 times faster results than those of a CPU implementation

Implementing genetic algorithms to CUDA environment using data parallelization

Računarske metode rješavanja paralelnih problema korištenjem grafičkih obradnih jedinica (GPUs) zadnjih su godina pobudile veliki interes. Paralelno izračunavanje može se primijeniti na genetske algoritme (GAs) u odnosu na proces evaluacije jedinki u populaciji. Ovaj rad opisuje još jednu metodu primjene GAs na CUDA okruženje gdje je CUDA računarsko okruženje opće namjene za GPUs koje daje NVIDIA. Osnovna karakteristika ovog istraživanja leži u tome da se paralelna obrada koristi ne samo za jedinke nego i za gene u jedinki. Predložena implementacija se procjenjuje kroz osam ispitnih funkcija. Ustanovili smo da predložena metoda implementacije daje 7,6-18,4 puta brže rezultate od onih kod primjene CPU.Computation methods of parallel problem solving using graphic processing units (GPUs) have attracted much research interests in recent years. Parallel computation can be applied to genetic algorithms (GAs) in terms of the evaluation process of individuals in a population. This paper describes yet another implementation method of GAs to the CUDA environment where CUDA is a general-purpose computation environment for GPUs provided by NVIDIA. The major characteristic point of this study is that the parallel processing is adopted not only for individuals but also for the genes in an individual. The proposed implementation is evaluated through eight test functions. We found that the proposed implementation method yields 7,6-18,4 times faster results than those of a CPU implementation

Suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression by 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol requires de novo protein synthesis in activated macrophages

Liver X receptors (LXRs) play an important role in lipid metabolism. Recently, a role for these proteins was identified in suppressing the inflammatory response. However, it is not known whether the natural ligands of LXRs, e.g. 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol (22R-HC), can suppress the inflammatory response after the onset of inflammation. We demonstrate here that treatment of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophages with 22R-HC markedly suppressed nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA expression. Additionally, 22R-HC did not affect the DNA binding activity of NF-κB, AP-1 and C/EBP(s), important transcriptional factors for iNOS and COX-2 genes expression. Furthermore iNOS and COX-2 mRNA suppression by 22R-HC was diminished by cellular treatment with cycloheximide. These results suggest that 22R-HC suppresses the expression of iNOS and COX-2 genes through de novo protein synthesis of an unidentified protein in LPS-activated macrophages. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

RGMa inhibition promotes axonal growth and recovery after spinal cord injury

Repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) is a protein implicated in both axonal guidance and neural tube closure. We report RGMa as a potent inhibitor of axon regeneration in the adult central nervous system (CNS). RGMa inhibits mammalian CNS neurite outgrowth by a mechanism dependent on the activation of the RhoA–Rho kinase pathway. RGMa expression is observed in oligodendrocytes, myelinated fibers, and neurons of the adult rat spinal cord and is induced around the injury site after spinal cord injury. We developed an antibody to RGMa that efficiently blocks the effect of RGMa in vitro. Intrathecal administration of the antibody to rats with thoracic spinal cord hemisection results in significant axonal growth of the corticospinal tract and improves functional recovery. Thus, RGMa plays an important role in limiting axonal regeneration after CNS injury and the RGMa antibody offers a possible therapeutic agent in clinical conditions characterized by a failure of CNS regeneration

Precise Prediction of Right Atrium Position within Expiratory Phase Thorax

Fifteen patients who underwent CT during both the inspiratory and expiratory phases were retrospectively reviewed. The anterior posterior (AP) diameter of the thorax, the largest vertical distance from the uppermost RA level to the back surface (RA height), and the ratio of RA height to AP diameter of the thorax (RA thorax ratio) were determined. We then attempted to predict the expiratory RA height using the following 2 methods. Formula 1: Predicted expiratory RA height = Average inspiratory RA thorax ratio × Expiratory AP diameter of thorax. Formula 2: Predicted expiratory RA height = Each inspiratory RA thorax ratio × Expiratory AP diameter of thorax. In a Bland-Altman plot with Formula 1, the bias was –0.34 mm and limit of agreement ranged from –19.44 to 18.75 mm, whereas those were –1.31 mm and –9.72 to 7.10 mm with Formula 2. Our findings indicate that inspiratory CT imaging and expiratory phase thorax diameter can be used to precisely predict expiratory phase RA height in individual patients

Open MRI Operating Room with Automatic Electronic Recording of Medical Equipment Provided by Wireless LAN - Anesthesia Care Experience of ２５ Cases in Hiroshima University Hospital

オープンMRI設置手術室で25例の麻酔を経験した。MRI設置手術室では術中にMRI画像を判断材料として手術をすすめるため，MRI画像へのノイズ混入対策が必要である。また，MRI磁場の影響で術中にモニター機器や麻酔器が誤動作を起こす可能性があるため，MRI非対応機器からの画像ノイズの遮断対策として，電子機器から発生するノイズの軽減には特殊シールドボックスやイキソルメッシュを使用し，手術室外からのノイズには手術室全体にシールド工事を行った。MRIが発生させる磁場による電子機器の誤動作・故障対策は，オープンMRIの磁場が5ガウス以下となる範囲に電子機器や手術器具を置くことで対応した。問題の克服に加えて，医療機器からのデータの無線通信により，ケーブル類をなくすことでMRI撮影時の患者移動の簡素化をはかり，安全性を高めることができた。We provided anesthesia care for 25 patients in an open MRI operating room and summarized here our experience. When surgeons use MRI during surgery, the presence of noise in the images caused by other electronic equipment in the area often hinders accurate diagnosis.　In addition, malfunction of monitoring and anesthesia equipment during surgery due to the MRI magnetic field created during an MR examination can occur. In order to prevent imaging interference affecting equipment not compatible with MRI, we utilized 2 specially prepared shield boxes and wrapped the personal computer used for coordinating the data with a mesh-like cloth made by Ixol-mesh.　In addition, we prepared a shielded operating room in order to block noise from the outside. To prevent malfunction of the surgical and electronic instruments, we kept them outside the magnetic field of 5 Gauss or lower to minimize the magnetic effect generated with MRI.　Furthermore, patient safety during MRI imaging was improved by establishing a wireless communication system to feed data from medical devices, which allowed elimination of cabling