Growth Differentiation Factor-15 and Clinical Outcomes in Lower Extremity Artery Disease.

Aim: Lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) is an increasingly common health problem that is associated with high mortality due to thrombotic and bleeding events. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15), a stress-response cytokine belonging to the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, is associated with cardiovascular disease and its outcomes. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of serum GDF15 levels on clinical outcomes in patients with LEAD.

Impact of estimated plasma volume status on clinical outcomes in patients with lower extremity artery disease who underwent endovascular therapy.

Lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) is an arterial occlusive disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Estimated plasma volume status (ePVS), a marker of plasma volume expansion and contraction, is gaining attention in the field of cardiovascular diseases. However, the impact of ePVS on the clinical outcomes of patients with LEAD remains unclear.

Measurement of Pa line from pellet ablation cloud in Heliotron J.

The Pa line (1875.13 nm) in the near-infrared (NIR) region was evaluated to apply Stark broadening of the line spectrum to the electron density measurement of the small-pellet ablation cloud in Heliotron J, a medium-sized helical-axis heliotron device. Pa is three-to-four times broader than the visible H line (486.

Spatially resolved measurement of helium atom emission line spectrum in scrape-off layer of Heliotron J by near-infrared Stokes spectropolarimetry.

For plasma spectroscopy, Stokes spectropolarimetry is used as a method to spatially invert the viewing-chord-integrated spectrum on the basis of the correspondence between the given magnetic field profile along the viewing chord and the Zeeman effect appearing on the spectrum. Its application to fusion-related toroidal plasmas is, however, limited owing to the low spatial resolution as a result of the difficulty in distinguishing between the Zeeman and Doppler effects. To resolve this issue, we increased the relative magnitude of the Zeeman effect by observing a near-infrared emission line on the basis of the greater wavelength dependence of the Zeeman effect than of the Doppler effect.

Subcutaneous axillary primary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: report of a rare case.

Background: Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare and slow-growing malignant vascular neoplasm composed of epithelioid endothelial cells within a distinctive myxohyaline stroma. It most commonly involves somatic soft tissue, lungs, liver and bone. Herein, we describe a case of EHE arising in the axillary region.

All-optical thermometry using a single multimode fiber endoscope and diamond nanoparticles containing nitrogen vacancy centers.

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra from diamond nanoparticles containing negative nitrogen vacancy centers were measured by using a single multimode fiber endoscope combined with a high-sensitivity spectroscopy system. A laser light spot was produced at the distal end of the endoscope and the PL spectra from a temperature-controlled ensemble of diamond nanoparticles were measured. After calibrating the sensitivity and wavelength of the spectroscopy system, the temperature dependence of the zero-phonon line peak wavelength similar to those previously reported was obtained.

Impact of Modified HFPEF Score on Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia in Patients With Lower Extremity Artery Disease Who Underwent Endovascular Therapy.

Lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) is an arterial occlusive disease characterized by an insufficient blood supply to the lower limb arteries. The HFPEF score, comprising Heavy, Hypertensive, atrial Fibrillation, Pulmonary hypertension, Elder, and Filling pressure, has been developed to identify patients at high risk of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction. This study assessed the impact of modified HFPEF scores on chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) in patients with LEAD.

Plasma Renin Activity Predicts the Improvement in Resistant Hypertension after Percutaneous Transluminal Renal Artery Angioplasty.

Objective Percutaneous transluminal renal artery angioplasty (PTRA) has been recommended for the treatment of renovascular resistant hypertension. However, large randomized trials have reported that PTRA did not improve the outcomes compared with optimal medical therapy in patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS). It is important to identify patients with renovascular hypertension who are likely to respond to PTRA.

Development of a polarization-modulation spectroscopy system for the temporally resolved measurement of linear polarization in plasma emission.

A system to measure linear polarization in the HeI 2P-3D emission line (667.8 nm) was developed for application to plasma polarization spectroscopy. To verify the system performance, the normalized Stokes parameters were evaluated.

Development of a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon-based near-infrared interference spectrometer for measurement of the HeI 2³S-2³P spectral line shape in magnetically confined torus plasmas.

In magnetically confined torus plasmas, the local emission intensity, temperature, and flow velocity of atoms in the inboard and outboard scrape-off layers can be separately measured by a passive emission spectroscopy assisted by observation of the Zeeman splitting in their spectral line shape. To utilize this technique, a near-infrared interference spectrometer optimized for the observation of the helium 2(3)S-2(3)P transition spectral line (wavelength 1083 nm) has been developed. The applicability of the technique to actual torus devices is elucidated by calculating the spectral line shapes expected to be observed in LHD and QUEST (Q-shu University Experiment with Steady State Spherical Tokamak).

Development of a high dynamic range spectroscopic system for observation of neutral hydrogen atom density distribution in Large Helical Device core plasma.

We report development of a high dynamic range spectroscopic system comprising a spectrometer with 30% throughput and a camera with a low-noise fast-readout complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor. The system achieves a 10(6) dynamic range (∼20 bit resolution) and an instrumental function approximated by a Voigt profile with Gauss and Lorentz widths of 31 and 0.31 pm, respectively, for 656 nm light.

Optical conductivity measurement of a dimer Mott-insulator to charge-order phase transition in a two-dimensional quarter-filled organic salt compound.

We report a novel insulator-insulator transition arising from the internal charge degrees of freedom in the two-dimensional quarter-filled organic salt β-(meso-DMBEDT-TTF)2PF6. The optical conductivity spectra above Tc=70 K display a prominent feature of the dimer Mott insulator, characterized by a substantial growth of a dimer peak near 0.6 eV with decreasing temperature.

Development of a compact thermal lithium atom beam source for measurements of electron velocity distribution function anisotropy in electron cyclotron resonance plasmas.

The anisotropy of the electron velocity distribution function (EVDF) in plasmas can be deduced from the polarization of emissions induced by anisotropic electron-impact excitation. In this paper, we develop a compact thermal lithium atom beam source for spatially resolved measurements of the EVDF anisotropy in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas. The beam system is designed such that the ejected beam has a slab shape, and the beam direction is variable.

Development of a polarization resolved spectroscopic diagnostic for measurements of the vector magnetic field in the Caltech coaxial magnetized plasma jet experiment.

In the Caltech coaxial magnetized plasma jet experiment, fundamental studies are carried out relevant to spheromak formation, astrophysical jet formation/propagation, solar coronal physics, and the general behavior of twisted magnetic flux tubes that intercept a boundary. In order to measure the spatial profile of the magnetic field vector for understanding the underlying physics governing the dynamical behavior, a non-perturbing visible emission spectroscopic method is implemented to observe the Zeeman splitting in emission spectra. We have designed and constructed a polarization-resolving optical system that can simultaneously detect the left- and right-circularly polarized emission.

Magnetic anisotropy and spin-glass behavior in single crystalline U2PdSi3.

We present the magnetic and transport properties of single crystalline U(2)PdSi(3) measured with the magnetic field (H) (or measuring current, I) applied along two typical crystallographic directions, i.e. H ⊥ c-axis and H c-axis (or I ⊥ c-axis and I c-axis).

Development of multiwavelength-range fine-resolution spectrometer for hydrogen emissions and its application to large helical device periphery plasmas.

We developed a spectrometer specialized for simultaneous observation of the hydrogen Balmer-alpha, -beta, -gamma lines and the Fulcher-alpha v(')=v(")=2 rovibronic transition band. The spectrometer was optimized for the light input coupled by nine optical fibers having 400 microm core diameters. The spectral resolutions were 0.

Effect of mental stress on left ventricular ejection fraction and its relationship to the severity of coronary artery disease.

To evaluate the relationship between the mental stress-induced decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the severity of exercise-induced ischaemia, 20 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent radionuclide ventriculography during mental stress testing and stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission tomography (SPET). We also examined whether changes in haemodynamic and neurohormonal parameters are related to changes in LVEF during mental stress. The LVEF decreased from 54.

Nocturnal variation in human sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity.

To determine whether or not there are nocturnal variations in sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), we measured spontaneous sympathetic BRSs in eight normal subjects (average 24.5 years old) between 2300 and 0700 h. Electrocardiogram, blood pressure, polysomnography, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSA) using microneurography were recorded.

Analysis of results of surgery performed over a 20-year period on 500 patients with cancer of the thoracic esophagus.

This study was conducted to examine the long-term outcome of 500 patients who underwent surgery for cancer of the thoracic esophagus during the past 20 years. Favorable results were obtained with postoperative adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy and there were no surgical deaths in the last 5 years. The mortality rate decreased from 17% prior to 1980 to 5% between 1981 and 1993, this being most probably attributable to the decreased incidence of suture leakage.

[A case of primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma recurred locally 10 years after the first surgery].

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare tumor of vascular origin. This tumor has a malignant potential and often recurs or metastasize. A case of primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma which recurred locally 10 years after the first surgery is presented.

[Retrospective study of sputum culture after esophagectomy].

We retrospectively investigated the sputum cultures of patients who underwent esophagectomy (n = 104) from just after operation to 11 postoperative days and evaluated the factors which influenced the cultures. We divided the 0-11 postoperative days into three periods (0-3 postoperative days (p.o.