Envelope-kinetic analysis of the electron kinetic effects on Raman backscatter and Raman backward laser amplification

The electron kinetic effects on Raman backscattering and Raman backward laser amplification were analyzed. The analysis is based on the envelope-kinetic equations of a plasma wave, which are composed of the conventional envelope equation of a fluid plasma and the kinetic term. One major goal of this paper is to close the envelope-kinetic model by analyzing the kinetic term, which was not fully covered in the previous work [M. S. Hur et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 115003 (2005)]. It was found that the closed envelope-kinetic equation in the nontrapping regime takes the same form as the envelope equation of the fluid plasma used in the three-wave model. For the closure in the trapping-dominant regime, the test particle technique is employed to calculate the kinetic term. Results from the full kinetic and test particle simulations agree well with each other, while the latter has a great advantage in computation speed. The frequency shift and resonance breaking by the trapped particles are discussed with the help of a new diagnostic inserted in the full kinetic averaged particle-in-cell code.open5

Caroli's Syndrome with Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease in a Two Month Old Infant

Caroli's syndrome is a rare congenital disorder that involves intrahepatic bile duct ectasia and congenital hepatic fibrosis, frequently seen with concomitant autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). Literature on infants with ARPKD is rare. Here, we present a case of a two month old boy who was diagnosed with Caroli's syndrome and ARPKD

Prognostic Value of Postoperative CEA Clearance in Rectal Cancer Patients with High Preoperative CEA Levels

PURPOSE: We determined the prognostic value of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) clearance after tumor resection with serial evaluation of postoperative CEA levels in rectal cancer. METHODS: Between 1994 and 2004, we retrospectively reviewed 122 patients with rectal cancer whose serum CEA levels were measured on the preoperative day and postoperative days 7 and 30. Patients with preoperative CEA levels <5.0 ng/ml were excluded. An exponential trend line was drawn using the three CEA values. Patients were categorized into three groups based on R(2) values calculated through trend line, which indicates the correlation coefficient between exponential graph and measured CEA values: exponential decrease group (group 1: 0.9 < R(2) < or = 1.0), nearly exponential decrease group (group 2: 0.5 < R(2) < or = 0.9), and randomized clearance group (group 3: 0.5 < or = R(2)). We then analyzed the CEA clearance pattern as a prognostic indicator. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 57 months, the 5-year overall survival was 62.3% vs. 48.1% vs. 25% and the 5-year disease-free survival was 58.6% vs. 52.7% vs. 25% among groups 1, 2, and 3 (P = 0.014, P = 0.027, respectively) in patients with stage III rectal cancer. For those with stage II rectal cancer, the 5-year overall survival rate of group 1 was significantly better than groups 2 and 3 (88.8% vs. 74.1%, respectively, P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: the postoperative pattern of CEA clearance is a useful prognostic determinant in patients with rectal cancer. Patients with a randomized pattern of CEA clearance after tumor resection should be regarded as having the possibility of a persistent CEA source and may require consideration of intensive follow-up or adjuvant therapy.ope

Chemical Stability of Conductive Ceramic Anodes in LiCl–Li2O Molten Salt for Electrolytic Reduction in Pyroprocessing

AbstractConductive ceramics are being developed to replace current Pt anodes in the electrolytic reduction of spent oxide fuels in pyroprocessing. While several conductive ceramics have shown promising electrochemical properties in small-scale experiments, their long-term stabilities have not yet been investigated. In this study, the chemical stability of conductive La0.33Sr0.67MnO3 in LiCl–Li2O molten salt at 650°C was investigated to examine its feasibility as an anode material. Dissolution of Sr at the anode surface led to structural collapse, thereby indicating that the lifetime of the La0.33Sr0.67MnO3 anode is limited. The dissolution rate of Sr is likely to be influenced by the local environment around Sr in the perovskite framework

A Case of Occupational Rhinitis Caused by Porcine Pancreatic Extract Developing into Occupational Asthma

Porcine pancreatic extracts (PPE), which are widely used as a digestive drug in Korea, are composed of α-amylase and lipase. Such enzymes are commonly described as occupational allergens. This is the first report of occupational rhinitis caused by PPE developing into occupational asthma in a hospital nurse. She showed strong positive response in the skin prick test (SPT) (5+, wheal ratio of allergen to histamine) and had a high serum-specific IgE level to PPE, but showed a negative response in the methacholine bronchial challenge test (MBT). She had been exposed to PPE intermittently with intermittent medications for rhinitis. Two years later, she presented with rhinitis and additional asthmatic symptoms. In contrast to her first visit, she showed a positive response in the MBT, and developed bronchoconstriction in the PPE-bronchial provocation test (BPT). These findings suggest that inhalation of PPE powder can induce IgE-mediated occupational rhinitis in a hospital setting, which will develop into occupational asthma if avoidance is not complete

Medium Access Control for Opportunistic Concurrent Transmissions under Shadowing Channels

We study the problem of how to alleviate the exposed terminal effect in multi-hop wireless networks in the presence of log-normal shadowing channels. Assuming node location information, we propose an extension of the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol that sched-ules concurrent transmissions in the presence of log-normal shadowing, thus mitigating the exposed terminal problem and improving network throughput and delay performance. We observe considerable improvements in throughput and delay achieved over the IEEE 802.11 MAC under various network topologies and channel conditions in ns-2 simulations, which justify the importance of considering channel randomness in MAC protocol design for multi-hop wireless networks

Impact of the Metabolic Syndrome on the Clinical Outcome of Patients with Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

We sought to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and its effect on clinical outcomes. Employing data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry, a total of 1,990 patients suffered from acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) between November 2005 and December 2006 were categorized according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria of MS. Primary study outcomes included major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during one-year follow-up. Patients were grouped based on existence of MS: group I: MS (n=1,182, 777 men, 62.8±12.3 yr); group II: Non-MS (n=808, 675 men, 64.2±13.1 yr). Group I showed lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P=0.005). There were no differences between two groups in the coronary angiographic findings except for multivessel involvement (P=0.01). The incidence of in-hospital death was higher in group I than in group II (P=0.047), but the rates of composite MACE during one-year clinical follow-up showed no significant differences. Multivariate analysis showed that low LVEF, old age, MS, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol and multivessel involvement were associated with high in-hospital death rate. In conclusion, MS is an important predictor for in-hospital death in patients with STEMI