Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution decreases mortality and morbidity in high-risk patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with complex congenital heart disease: an 11-year experience from a single institution

Cardioplegic reperfusion during a long term ischemic period interrupts cardiac surgery and also increases cellular edema due to repeated solution administration. We reviewed the clinical experiences on myocardial protection of a single perfusion with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) for high-risk patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with complex congenital heart disease. This retrospective study included 101 high-risk patients undergoing arterial switch operation between March 2001 and July 2012. We divided the cohort into two groups: HTK group, myocardial protection was carried out with one single perfusion with HTK solution; and St group, myocardial protection with conventional St. Thomas' crystalloid cardioplegic solution. The duration of cardiopulmonary bypass did not differ between the two groups. The mortality, morbidity, ICU stay, post-operative hospitalization time, and number of transfusions in HTK group were lower than those in St group (P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that HTK is a statistically significant independent predictor of decreased early mortality and morbidity (P<0.05). In conclusion, HTK solution seems to be an effective and safe alternative to St. Thomas' solution for cardioplegic reperfusion in high-risk patients with complex congenital heart disease

Proposal for precision determination of 7.8 eV isomeric state in229Th at heavy ion storage ring

<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">The ultraviolet optical transition of the isomeric state in Th-229 has attracted much attention recently due to its potential application to building an atomic/nuclear clock with ultra-high precision. However, the lowest nuclear excitation energy and the lifetime of the first excited state of Th-229 were not measured directly and precisely until now, and how to precisely determine this isomer state of the Th-229 is an urgent requirement. Here an experimental approach of using a technique similar to that of dielectronic recombination to measure the transition energy of the isomer state of Th-229 at heavy ion storage rings is described. It is expected that the resonant transition can be found and determined with a precision better than several milli-eV.</span

Study of dielectronic recombination at the CSRm using lithium-like Ar15+ions

<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">The main cooler storage ring (CSRm) of the HIRFL facility in Lanzhou, China is equipped with an electron-cooler and denotes an ideal platform for dielectronic recombination (DR) experiments. In order to fully understand our DR experimental setup and especially the electron energy detuning system, we have performed a DR calibration experiment using the Li-like argon ions at the CSRm because Ar15+ has a simple electronic structure and the DR spectrum can be calculated with an ultra-high precision and be compared with the existing experimental data. The experiment was carried out over the center-of-mass energy range 0-32 eV that includes all DR resonance associated with 2S(1/2) -&gt; 2p(1/2) and most of the 2S(1/2) -&gt; 2p(3/2) excitations. We present the details of the experimental technique and the DR experimental resonance spectrum of the Ar15+.</span