Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids with High Conductivities and Wide Electrochemical Windows

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium (RMPyr⁺) and N-alkyl-N-methylpiperidinium (RMPip⁺) fluorohydrogenates formulated by RMPyr( HF )₂.₃F and RMPip( HF )₂.₃F ( R = ethyl, propyl, and butyl), have been synthesized by the reactions of the corresponding chlorides and anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. These RTILs exhibit relatively low viscosities (11.5-34.4 cP), high conductivities (12.3-74.6 mS cm⁻¹), and wide electrochemical widows around 5 V using glassy carbon electrodes. The fluorohydrogenate salts of symmetric cations, N, N-dimethylpyrrolidinium (DMPyr⁺) and N, N-dimethylpiperidinium (DMPip⁺) obtained by evacuation at room temperature are solids, exhibiting the composition of DMPyrF-2HF and DMPipF-2HF

The Effect of the Anion Fraction on the Physicochemical Properties of EMIm(HF)nF (n= 1.0−2.6)

A series of molten salts EMIm(HF)nF's with different n values has been synthesized by the reaction of EMImHF2 and anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. The salts contain EMIm cation and some oligomeric fluorohydrogenate anions, (HF)nF-, of which the fraction changes with the change of n. A phase diagram of EMIm(HF)nF's (n = 1.0−2.6) has been constructed which suggests the presence of the stoichiometric compounds, EMIm(HF)1.5F and EMIm(HF)2F, in this range. Compared to the EMIm(HF)2.3F previously reported, EMIm(HF)nF's (n = 1.8−2.0) possess wider liquid temperature ranges because of their similar melting points and superior thermal stabilities at elevated temperatures. The electrochemical windows of EMIm(HF)nF's (n = 1.0−2.6) falls in the range of 2.9−3.4 V. The conductivity of EMIm(HF)nF's (n = 1.0−2.6) increases with the increase of n

Antiplatelet Therapy for Prevention of Thromboembolic Complications Associated with Coil Embolization of Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms

Background: Antiplatelet agents are used during endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms to prevent thromboembolic complications. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of clopidogrel for the prevention of thromboembolic complications during elective coil embolization of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Methods: Sixty-three patients prospectively received oral clopidogrel 75mg/day from 3 days before and for 1 day after the procedure at our institute (Kohnan Hospital, Sendai, Japan) during 2007. Results: At 24 hours post-coiling, significantly less high-intensity areas, detected by MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (MRI-DWI), were observed in clopidogrel-treated patients compared with a historical control cohort of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)-treated patients (13/63 [20.6%] vs 27/69 [39.1%]; p = 0.02), primarily due to a statistically significantly lower rate during repair of small (<10mm) lesions (p = 0.008).Also, the rate of periprocedural thromboembolic events was lower in the clopidogrel than the aspirin cohort (2/63 [3.2%] vs 5/69 [7.2%]; p = 0.3). Conclusions: Clopidogrel was generally well tolerated with no signs of hemorrhagic complications or liver dysfunction

Treatment with flunitrazepam of continuous spikes and waves during slow wave sleep (CSWS) in children

SummaryWe describe our treatment of two boys with continuous spikes and waves during slow wave sleep (CSWS). One of the boys was suffering from non-convulsive status epilepticus and the other from conscious disturbance with automatism. Their ictal EEG readings showed continuous diffuse spike and wave complexes, which were considered to show electrical status. The boys were diagnosed as having CSWS, and were later diagnosed with Landau–Kleffner syndrome (LKS). EEG readings returned to normal on intravenous injection of flunitazepam (FZP) at a dose of 0.02mg/kg, suggesting that FZP is an effective treatment for CSWS

Effect of intracoronary thrombectomy on 30-day mortality in non-diabetic patients with acute hyperglycemia after acute myocardial infarction

SummaryBackgroundThere is limited evidence about useful therapeutic interventions for patients with acute hyperglycemia (AH) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).MethodsWe studied 2433 consecutive non-diabetic AMI patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 24h after the onset. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of AH (admission serum glucose level ≥11.1mmol/l). We assessed the association between intracoronary thrombectomy and the clinical outcome in AMI patients with AH.ResultsPatients with AH had more risk factors than those without AH. The 30-day mortality rate of patients with AH was significantly higher than that of those without (11.7% vs 1.7%, p<0.001). Among patients with AH, the 30-day mortality rate was significantly lower for those with intracoronary thrombectomy than those without it (4.9% vs 17.2%, p=0.004). Among patients without AH, however, the 30-day mortality rate was similar between those with and without intracoronary thrombectomy (1.5% vs 1.9%, p=NS). Multivariate analysis showed that intracoronary thrombectomy was associated with an improved 30-day mortality rate for patients with AH (hazard ratio: HR 0.184, 95% CI 0.057–0.598, p=0.005).ConclusionsIn AMI patients with AH, intracoronary thrombectomy prior to PCI might improve the 30-day mortality rate

Dysregulated Aire expression and autoimmunity

Deficiency for AIRE/Aire in both humans and mice results in the development of organ-specific autoimmune disease. We tested whether augmented and/or dysregulated AIRE/Aire expression might be also prone to the breakdown of self-tolerance. To define the effect of augmented Aire expression on the development of autoimmunity, antigen-specific clonal deletion and production of clonotypic regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the thymus were examined using mice expressing two additional copies of Aire in a heterozygous state (3xAire-knockin mice: 3xAire-KI). We found that both clonal deletion of autoreactive T cells and production of clonotypic Tregs in the thymus from 3xAire-KI were impaired in a T-cell receptor-transgenic system. Furthermore, 3xAire-KI females showed higher scores of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein than wild-type littermates, suggesting that augmented Aire expression exacerbates organ-specific autoimmunity under disease-prone conditions. In humans, we found that one patient with amyopathic dermatomyositis showed CD3–CD19– cells expressing AIRE in the peripheral blood before the treatment but not during the remission phase treated with immunosuppressive drugs. Thus, not only loss of function of AIRE/Aire but also augmented and/or dysregulated expression of AIRE/Aire should be considered for the pathogenesis of organ-specific autoimmunity. We suggest that further analyses should be pursued to establish a novel link between organ-specific autoimmune disease and dysregulated AIRE expression in clinical settings

Identification of novel mast cell genes by serial analysis of gene expression in cord blood-derived mast cells

AbstractThe gene expression profile of human cord blood-derived mast cells (MCs) was investigated using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). A total of 22 914 tags, representing 9181 unique transcripts, were sequenced. By selecting tags that were detected more frequently in MCs than in other tissues, genes characteristic of MCs were enriched. Reverse transcription-PCR and the high-density oligonucleotide array hybridization confirmed the validity of our SAGE result. About 70% of the selected genes were previously uncharacterized. Northern blot analysis showed the MC-specific expression of selected genes. This inventory will be useful to identify novel genes with important functions in MCs

Sternoclavicular joint septic arthritis following paraspinal muscle abscess and septic lumbar spondylodiscitis with epidural abscess in a patient with diabetes: a case report

BACKGROUND: Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) is extremely rare, and usually appears to result from hematogenous spread. Predisposing factors include immunocompromising diseases such as diabetes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old man with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus presented to our emergency department with low back pain, high fever, and a painful mass over his left SCJ. He had received two epidural blocks over the past 2 weeks for severe back and leg pain secondary to lumbar disc herniation. He did not complain of weakness or sensory changes of his lower limbs, and his bladder and bowel function were normal. He had no history of shoulder injection, subclavian vein catheterization, intravenous drug abuse, or focal infection including tooth decay. CT showed an abscess of the left SCJ, with extension into the mediastinum and sternocleidomastoid muscle, and left paraspinal muscle swelling at the level of L2. MRI showed spondylodiscitis of L3-L4 with a contiguous extradural abscess. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from cultures of aspirated pus from his SCJ, and from his urine and blood. The SCJ abscess was incised and drained, and appropriate intravenous antibiotic therapy was administered. Two weeks after admission, the purulent discharge from the left SCJ had completely stopped, and the wound showed improvement. He was transferred to another ward for treatment of the ongoing back pain. CONCLUSION: Diabetic patients with S. aureus bacteremia may be at risk of severe musculoskeletal infections via hematogenous spread