Rationale and design of ASSAF-K (A study of the safety and efficacy of anticoagulant therapy in the treatment of atrial fibrillation in Kanagawa).

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmias associated with substantially increased risks of ischemic stroke and thromboembolism. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are the cornerstone of AF management and effectively prevent AF-related stroke. As new non-vitamin K antagonist OACs (NOACs) have become available, the landscape of stroke prevention in AF has changed.

Does massive intraabdominal free gas require surgical intervention?

We describe a rare case of an 81-year-old man who presented with severe epigastralgia. A chest radiograph showed massive free gas bilaterally in the diaphragmatic spaces. Computed tomography (CT) scan also showed massive free gas in the peritoneal cavity with portal venous gas.

Repeated Duodenal Stump Perforation Using a Stapling Device Following Subtotal Gastrectomy With Roux-en-Y Reconstruction for Advanced Gastric Cancer: Lessons From a Rare Case.

Closure of the duodenal stump using a stapling device is commonly applied in Roux-en-Y reconstruction after gastrectomy. However, serious and possibly fatal duodenal stump perforation can develop in extremely rare cases. We describe a case of subtotal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction followed by repeated duodenal stump perforations.

Changes in structure and geometric properties of human hair by aging.

To clarify hair changes by aging, the effect of age on hair properties was investigated from macro- to microscopic view points. Sensory hair luster tests were performed on 230 Japanese females from 10 to 70 years of age, revealing that hair luster decreases with age. The age dependence of the hair diameter and the ellipticity of the hair cross section could not explain luster reduction by aging.

Formation of gastrocolic fistula during treatment for peptic ulcer.

We report a case of gastrocolic fistula (GCF) caused by a gastric ulcer and rare endoscopic findings indicating the early stages of GCF formation. The patient was a 58-year-old man who was hospitalized with upper abdominal pain. He was diagnosed as having a gastric ulcer, and was prescribed a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), but did not comply with the medication.

Novel mechanism for hair shine with special optical enhancement effect on blonde hair.

Compared with dark or brunette hair, blonde hair has different characteristic features of appearance such as bright shine with a soft tonal color. In this report, novel optical mechanisms of the characteristic blonde hair appearance are reported. Optical analyses of goniophotometric measurements were carried out to elucidate the mechanisms of strong reflections observed in blonde hairs.

Functional analysis of a mutation in the SLCO1B1 gene (c.1628T>G) identified in a Japanese patient with pravastatin-induced myopathy.

In the present study, we analyzed the function of a novel mutation (c.1628T>G, p.Leu543Trp) in the solute carrier organic anion transporter (SLCO) 1B1 gene, encoding organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1, which was identified in a patient with pravastatin-induced myopathy.

Characterization of curved hair of Japanese women with reference to internal structures and amino acid composition.

The variation of hair curvature in Japanese women was quantitatively investigated and the structure of curved hair was characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and amino acid analysis. Two hundred and thirty Japanese women volunteers, aged from 10 to 70 years, were randomly selected. The evaluation of the volunteers' natural hair shape showed that 53% of Japanese women have straight hair, while the remaining 47% have curved hair (varying from a slightly wavy shape to a frizzy style).

Effect of nifekalant for acute conversion of atrial flutter: the possible termination mechanism of typical atrial flutter.

Background: Nifekalant is a class III antiarrhythmic drug, which is usually used for suppression of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation. We studied the efficacy of nifekalant for acute conversion of atrial flutter (AFL) in a prospective, open label study in the intensive care unit (ICU) of cardiovascular medicine.

Methods: This study consisted of 31 patients.

Formation of nanostructure on hair surface: its characteristic optical properties and application to hair care products.

Uneven structures on hair fiber surface, such as lift up of cuticle or build up of hair spray ingredients, generally cause a diffuse reflection which results in a dull and unhealthy appearance. However, in the case of finer structure than wavelength of visible light, the optical properties change significantly. An application of the phenomenon to hair care products is reported in this paper.

Influence of internal structures of hair fiber on hair appearance. III. Generation of light-scattering factors in hair cuticles and the influence on hair shine.

The effects of thermal treatments on hair fiber induced by blow-drying have been investigated. It was found that the hair shows whitish and powdery appearance after heat drying, especially when dark hair is rapidly dried from a wet condition. For all kinds of hair, the appearance of numerous glittering speckles was confirmed on the cuticle surface by optical microscopic observations.

A head-to-head isomer of di-mu-pivalamidato-kappa4N,O-bis[(1,10-phenanthroline-kappa2N,N')platinum(II)] dinitrate dihydrate.

In the title compound, [Pt(2)(C(5)H(10)NO)(2)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)](NO(3))(2)*-2H(2)O, the intradimer Pt-Pt distance is relatively short [2.8489 (17) A], which must be due to the strong intramolecular pi-pi-stacking interactions between the phenanthroline moieties. The dimers stack along the c axis, forming one-dimensional columns in which very intriguing d-d, pi-pi and d-pi interactions exist.

Influence of internal structure of hair fiber on hair appearance. II. Consideration of the visual perception mechanism of hair appearance.

The optical properties of hair fibers were studied, focusing on the reflections (highlights) from both the front and the back surfaces of the fiber in consideration and on the effect these have on the perceptions of hair appearance. The two reflections are distinguished from each other by sight, because only the back surface reflection is colored by melanin granules and/or dyestuffs inside the fiber. When we observe a flat plate as a model for hair without a cuticle structure, the visual angle between the two light loci correlates with the thickness of the model plate and gives an impression of depth.

Influence of internal structures of hair fiber on hair appearance. I. Light scattering from the porous structure of the medulla of human hair.

In this study the influence of the medulla structure on hair appearance was examined. Hair with a porous medulla gave a whitish and lusterless appearance because of light scattering from the fiber center, whereas in the cases without pores, a clear and brilliant appearance was observed. The optical influences of the medulla pores were measured by a spectral goniophotometer, and obtained data were analyzed in terms of the CIE L*a*b* color system.