Panoramic-Environmental Description as Robots\u27 Visual Short-Term Memory

Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Leuven, Belgium, May 199

An adult case of chronic myelogenous leukemia with myeloblastic involvement of the central nervous system.

A 31-year-old female with chronic myelogenous leukemia, who developed myeloblastic involvement of the central nervous system during acute myeloblastic transformation of the disease, was treated with methotrexate intrathecally. The therapy produced prompt clinical response and complete reversal of abnormal cerebrospinal fluid findings. However, the patient expired 10 months following the acute blastic crisis.</p

AN ESTIMATION OF THERMODYNAMIC AND TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF CRYOGENIC HYDROGEN USING CLASSICAL MOLECULAR SIMULATION

ABSTRACT In this paper, we estimated the thermodynamic and transport properties of cryogenic hydrogen using classical molecular simulation to clarify the limit of classical method on the estimation of those properties of cryogenic hydrogen. Three empirical potentials, the Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential, twocenter Lennard-Jones (2CLJ) potential, and modified Buckingham (exp-6) potential, and an ab initio potential model derived by the molecular orbital (MO) calculation were applied. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed across a wide density-temperature range. Using these data, the equation of state (EOS) was obtained by Kataoka&quot;s method, and these were compared with NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) data according to the principle of corresponding states. Moreover, we investigated transport coefficients (viscosity coefficient, diffusion coefficient and thermal conductivity) using time correlation function. As a result, it was confirmed that the potential model has a large effect on the estimated thermodynamic and transport properties of cryogenic hydrogen. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the principle of corresponding states, we obtained the same results from the empirical potential models as from the ab initio potential, showing that the potential model has only a small effect on the reduced EOS: the classical MD results could not reproduce the NIST data in the high-density region. This difference is thought to arise from the quantum effect in actual liquid hydrogen. INTRODUCTION Currently liquid hydrogen is used as fuel for fuel cells and propellant for liquid rocket engines and the demand for liquid hydrogen is increasing. Therefore, it is very important to accurately ascertain the thermal flow phenomena which occur in the liquid hydrogen for safety and efficient use. Especially, in the case of analysis of nanoscale phenomena, molecular simulation is a powerful method. In recent years, studies that clarify the thermodynamic and transport properties of liquid hydrogen using molecular simulation [1-4] have attracted attention. It is possible to calculate macroscopic thermodynamic properties from the microscopic information using an intermolecular interaction. However there is a problem in the molecular simulation of liquid hydrogen. It is how to treat lowtemperature quantum effect. The rotational characteristic temperature of hydrogen is higher than those of other liquids, and the thermal de Broglie wavelength is on the same order as the molecular diameter of hydrogen. Therefore, it is not possible to simply apply the classical method to simulations of liquid hydrogen. Clearly, the non-classical approach for approximating quantum effects should be applied for such a system. It is especially desired in physics and chemistry to reproduce the time evolution of quantum many-body system, such as liquid hydrogen. Accordingly many studies of such simulations have been conducted and new methods have been propose

Effects of a high-fat diet on the electrical properties of porcine atria

AbstractBackgroundBecause obesity is an important risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), we conducted an animal study to examine the effect of a high-fat diet (HFD) on atrial properties and AF inducibility.MethodsTen 8-week-old pigs (weight, 18–23kg) were divided into two groups. For 18 weeks, five pigs were fed a HFD (HFD group) and five were fed a normal diet (control group). Maps of atrial activation and voltages during sinus rhythm were created for all pigs using the EnSite NavX system. Effective refractory period (ERP) and AF inducibility were also determined. When AF was induced, complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) mapping was performed. At 18 weeks, hearts were removed for comparing the results of histological analysis between the two groups. Body weight, lipid levels, hemodynamics, cardiac structures, and electrophysiological properties were also compared.ResultsTotal cholesterol levels were significantly higher (347 [191–434] vs. 81 [67–88]mg/dL, P=0.0088), and left atrium pressure was higher (34.5 [25.6–39.5] vs. 24.5 [21.3–27.8]mmHg, P=0.0833) in the HFD group than in the control group, although body weight only increased marginally (89 [78–101] vs. 70 [66–91]kg, P=0.3472). ERPs of the pulmonary vein (PV) were shorter (P<0.05) and AF lasted longer in the HFD group than in the control group (80 [45–1350] vs. 22 [3–30]s, P=0.0212). Neither CFAE site distribution nor histopathological characteristics differed between the two groups.ConclusionsThe shorter ERPs for the PV observed in response to the HFD increased vulnerability to AF, and these electrophysiological characteristics may underlie obesity-related AF

Nanocellulose Paper Semiconductor with a 3D Network Structure and Its Nano-Micro-Macro Trans-Scale Design

Semiconducting nanomaterials with 3D network structures exhibit various fascinating properties such as electrical conduction, high permeability, and large surface areas, which are beneficial for adsorption, separation, and sensing applications. However, research on these materials is substantially restricted by the limited trans-scalability of their structural design and tunability of electrical conductivity. To overcome this challenge, a pyrolyzed cellulose nanofiber paper (CNP) semiconductor with a 3D network structure is proposed. Its nano-micro-macro trans-scale structural design is achieved by a combination of iodine-mediated morphology-retaining pyrolysis with spatially controlled drying of a cellulose nanofiber dispersion and paper-crafting techniques, such as microembossing, origami, and kirigami. The electrical conduction of this semiconductor is widely and systematically tuned, via the temperature-controlled progressive pyrolysis of CNP, from insulating (1012 ω cm) to quasimetallic (10-2 ω cm), which considerably exceeds that attained in other previously reported nanomaterials with 3D networks. The pyrolyzed CNP semiconductor provides not only the tailorable functionality for applications ranging from water-vapor-selective sensors to enzymatic biofuel cell electrodes but also the designability of macroscopic device configurations for stretchable and wearable applications. This study provides a pathway to realize structurally and functionally designable semiconducting nanomaterials and all-nanocellulose semiconducting technology for diverse electronics.Koga H., Nagashima K., Suematsu K., et al. Nanocellulose Paper Semiconductor with a 3D Network Structure and Its Nano-Micro-Macro Trans-Scale Design. ACS Nano, 16(6), 8630-8640, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.1c10728

Double chambered right ventricle with severe calcification of the tricuspid valve in an elderly woman: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Double chambered right ventricle is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly in which the right ventricle is divided into two chambers by an anomalous muscle bundle. The diagnosis of this disorder is difficult in adults. Calcification of the tricuspid valve is extremely rare, and very few cases have been reported. Most cases of tricuspid valve calcification had a congenital disorder with high pressure in the right ventricle.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a rare case of a 71-year-old Japanese woman who presented with chest discomfort, and was found to have a double chambered right ventricle with severe calcification of the tricuspid valve. This abnormality was found by echocardiography, and the diagnosis was confirmed by multislice cardiac computerized tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiac catheterization. Our patient rejected surgical repair, and medical therapy with carvedilol was effective to reduce her symptoms.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Calcification of the tricuspid valve is extremely rare, and considered to be due to high pressure in the right ventricle. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other reported cases of this combination of double chambered right ventricle and calcification of the tricuspid valve.</p

Evaluation of the tetrodotoxin uptake ability of pufferfish Takifugu rubripes tissues according to age using an in vitro tissue slice incubation method

The tetrodotoxin (TTX) uptake ability of pufferfish Takifugu rubripes tissues and its growth-associated changes were investigated using an in vitro tissue slice incubation method. Tissue slices prepared from the liver, skin, and intestine of a non-toxic cultured adult T. rubripes (20 months old) and incubated with incubation buffer containing 25 μg/mL TTX for 1?48 h showed a time-dependent increase in the TTX content in all tissues. The TTX contents of the skin and intestine slices were comparable to or slightly higher than that of the liver slices, with a similar transition pattern, suggesting similar TTX uptake ability among the skin, intestine, and liver. The TTX uptake ability of the liver and intestine did not differ significantly between young (8 months old) and adult (20 months old) fish, but the skin slices of young fish took up approximately twice as much TTX as that of adult fish, suggesting that the TTX uptake ability of the skin is involved in the growth-dependent changes in the toxin distribution inside the body in T. rubripes. To estimate the TTX uptake pathway in each tissue, an immunohistochemical technique was used to observe temporal changes in the intra-tissue microdistribution of TTX during incubation. The findings suggested that TTX is transferred and accumulates from pancreatic exocrine cells to hepatic parenchymal cells in the liver, from connective tissues to basal cells in the skin, and from villi epithelial cells via the lamina propria to the muscle layer in the intestine

Case report: First isolation of Exophiala dermatitidis from subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in a cat

Phaeohyphomycosis, which is caused by the opportunistic black yeast-like fungus Exophiala dermatitidis, has been reported in humans and dogs. However, no previous studies describing E. dermatitidis infections in cats have been published. Herein, we report a case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by E. dermatitidis. A 12-year-old, castrated male Japanese domestic short-haired cat presented with a solitary subcutaneous abscess on the left side of the neck, where an esophageal tube for force-feeding had been placed previously. The cat was diagnosed with hepatitis and was treated with prednisolone. The subcutaneous abscess was incised using a scalpel blade and the pus was excreted. The cytology of the pus revealed hyphae with neutrophil and macrophage infiltration. Although the cat was treated with oral itraconazole or an infusion of topical ketoconazole cream applied to the lesion, it died. The fungal culture of the pus specimen developed dark-green, waxy, smooth, yeast-like colonies. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1–4 regions of the ribosomal DNA of the pus specimen showed 100% identity with that of the standard strains of E. dermatitidis. Based on these results, the cat was diagnosed with subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by E. dermatitidis. The antifungal susceptibility test revealed that the fungus showed low or moderate susceptibility to the antifungal drugs examined, except for amphotericin B, which exhibited high in vitro antifungal activity. This is the first case report to provide definitive evidence of E. dermatitidis infection in cats and antifungal susceptibility test results against clinically isolated E. dermatitidis