Myocardial perfusion abnormality and necrosis in a patient with isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium: evaluation by myocardial perfusion SPECT and magnetic resonance imaging.

A 39-year-old woman presented with left ventricular failure. Coronary angiography revealed normal coronary arteries and endomyocardial biopsy from the right ventricular apex was normal. Myocardial perfusion SPECT revealed no perfusion in the inferior wall segment and mild hypoperfusion in the apico-lateral segment.

Model-based definition of population heterogeneity and its effects on metabolism in sporulating Bacillus subtilis.

The soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis forms dormant, robust spores as a tactic to ensure survival under conditions of starvation. However, the sporulating culture includes sporulating and non-sporulating cells, because a portion of the cell population initiates sporulation in wild-type strain. We anticipated that the population effect must be considered carefully to analyse samples yielding population heterogeneity.

Nematicidal activity of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furoic acid against plant-parasitic nematodes.

A nematicide, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furoic acid (1), was isolated from cultures of the fungus Aspergillus sp. and its structure was identified by spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 showed effective nematicidal activities against the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans without inhibitory activity against plant growth, but 1 did not show any effective nematicidal activity against Pratylenchus penetrans.

Transgene-induced silencing of the zoosporogenesis-specific NIFC gene cluster of Phytophthora infestans involves chromatin alterations.

Clustered within the genome of the oomycete phytopathogen Phytophthora infestans are four genes encoding spore-specific nuclear LIM interactor-interacting factors (NIF proteins, a type of transcriptional regulator) that are moderately conserved in DNA sequence. NIFC1, NIFC2, and NIFC3 are zoosporogenesis-induced and grouped within 4 kb, and 20 kb away resides a sporulation-induced form, NIFS. To test the function of the NIFC family, plasmids expressing full-length hairpin constructs of NIFC1 or NIFC2 were stably transformed into P.

Immobilized triazine-type dehydrocondensing reagents for carboxamide formation: ROMP-Trz-Cl and ROMP(OH)-Trz-Cl.

New triazine-type dehydrocondensing reagents, such as ROMP-Trz-Cl and ROMP(OH)-Trz-Cl, were synthesized by a ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) method, and these showed higher loading than conventional polymer-supported condensing reagents. These polymers effect the formation of amides in good yields by addition of a mixture of carboxylic acid, amine and NMM. ROMP(OH)-Trz-Cl, which contains hydroxyl groups in the polymer chain, gave amides in good yields even in MeOH.

Monitoring patient improvement and treatment outcomes in managed behavioral health.

This study examined the use of outcome reports sent to clinicians by a managed behavioral healthcare organization to monitor patient progress and its relation to treatment outcome. Results showed that clinicians who reported using outcome information had patients who also reported greater improvement at 6 months from baseline. Improvement per session was greatest among patients whose clinicians reported reading the outcome report and using outcome measures in their clinical practice.

A case of vasospastic angina showing resolution of coronary vasospasm in acetylcholine provocation test corresponding to regression of coronary atherosclerosis.

We experienced a case of vasospastic angina showing resolution of vasospasm in the acetylcholine provocation test corresponding to regression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque following treatment with a combination of benidipine and pravastatin.

Performance of a tetracycline-responsive transactivator system for regulating transgenes in the oomycete Phytophthora infestans.

The oomycete genus Phytophthora includes many important plant pathogens for which extensive genome data exist, but lacking is an inducible expression system to study contributions of their genes to growth and pathogenicity. Here the adaptation of the reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA) system to P. infestans is described.

Resuscitative value of B-type natriuretic peptide in comatose survivors treated with hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to cardiac causes.

Background: Two randomized studies have shown a neurological benefit of therapeutic hypothermia in comatose survivors after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but there are no studies of the cardiac neurohormone of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients treated with hypothermia.

Methods And Results: A prospective study was conducted of 109 comatose patients who were treated with mild hypothermia after out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest due to cardiac causes and whose BNP level was measured on arrival at the emergency room. The primary endpoint was a favorable neurological outcome at the time of hospital discharge.

Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium mimicking ischemic cardiomyopathy.

A 68-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of left ventricular failure. Myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography demonstrated a non-reversible perfusion defect in the anterolateral left ventricular segments and reduced ejection fraction, findings consisted with ischemic cardiomyopathy accompanied by lateral wall infarction. Coronary angiogram was normal, but the left ventriculogram showed prominent trabeculations in the apical and anterolateral segments.

Multidetector row computed tomographic findings in a patient with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva.

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) is a rare congenital anomaly, which may cause myocardial ischemia and sudden death. However, the causes of myocardial ischemia remain uncertain. Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) was performed in a 22-year-old woman who had exercise-induced myocardial ischemia.

Increasingly well-preserved left ventricular function in hospital survivors with acute myocardial infarction: effect of early and complete reperfusion strategy on left ventricular remodeling.

Background: Progress in reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has greatly reduced acute phase mortality, but few data exist regarding the time trends in left ventricular (LV) remodeling in hospital survivors of AMI.

Methods And Results: The study enrolled 813 patients with AMI who had received reperfusion therapy and survived to hospital discharge. The patients were divided into chronological groups: first treatment received between 1989 and 1992, n=196; 1993 and 1995, n=193; 1996 and 1998, n=211; and 1999 and 2002, n=213.

Development of a new E. coli strain to detect oxidative mutation and its application to the fungicide o-phenylphenol and its metabolites.

Oxidative mutation is mainly induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as the superoxide anion radical (O(2)(-)) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). However, in Escherichia coli (E. coli), ROS are eliminated by enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, which are coded by sodAB and katEG genes.

Construction of a safety management system for drug use by using an RFID tag.

We constructed a safety management system for narcotic drug use by using an RFID tag with barcode. In this system, RFID tags are mainly used for postscript of information, while barcodes, especially standardized unit drug codes for distribution, are used for drug identification. The outline of the system is described in the present paper.

Spontaneous membrane fusion induced by chemical formation of ceramides in a lipid bilayer.

Mere chemical generation of ceramide and related double-chain lipids in the membrane of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) induces fusion of the vesicles. The lipids can be successfully prepared by dehydrocondensation between single-chain lipids (fatty acids and sphingosine or its analogues) in a lipid bilayer of the SUV by using a combination of 2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine and amphiphilic tertiary amine catalysts, a process that can be compared to a successive enzyme model system for a fatty acyl-CoA synthetase followed by acyltransferase. The SUV spontaneously undergoes membrane fusion upon this internal chemical stimulation by the artificial enzyme system.

Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum presenting as sick sinus syndrome.

Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum is a benign cardiac mass characterized by fat accumulation in the interatrial septum. Cardiac arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation, atrial premature contractions and atrioventricular block may occur as a consequence of involvement of the atrial wall and atrioventricular conduction pathways. We describe a patient with lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum associated with sick sinus syndrome.

Successful treatment of primary cardiac B-cell lymphoma: depiction at multislice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Primary cardiac malignant lymphomas are extremely rare and the majority of lymphomas are aggressive B-cell lymphomas. We describe a patient with primary cardiac B-cell lymphoma presenting with superior vena caval syndrome and dyspnea. The tumors manifested as hypoechoic immobile masses on echocardiography, poorly enhancing masses on contrast-enhanced multislice computed tomography and iso-intense masses on T1-weighted and hyper-intense masses on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images.

[Intraoperative photodynamic diagnosis for spinal ependymoma using 5-aminolevulinic acid: technical note].

Objective: The fluorescence-guided resection using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a well established method for the treatment of brain tumor, especially malignant glioma. However, there is no report on photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) for spinal tumor. In the present study, we evaluated the usefulness of PDD for spinal ependymoma using 5-ALA.

Coronary artery abnormalities after Kawasaki disease in an adult: depiction at whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography.

Whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was performed in a 57-year-old man with a provisional diagnosis coronary artery aneurysm due to Kawasaki disease. MRA revealed aneurysms in the left anterior descending artery and the left circumflex artery. It also revealed stenosis in the left anterior descending artery and occlusion in the right coronary artery with a collateral vessel connecting between the proximal and distal sites of the occlusion.

Reperfusion strategy for acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients aged 75 to 80 years.

The increasing elderly population will influence the treatment policies adopted in cases of acute myocardial infarction. Considering reperfusion therapy in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction, we compared three strategies, as follows: primary percutaneous coronary intervention (primary PCI: n = 26), facilitated PCI with half the standard dose of mutant tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) (half + PCI: n = 24), and facilitated PCI with a standard dose of mutant t-PA (standard + PCI: n = 15) between patients 75 and 80 years of age. The rate of acquisition of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI-3) flow on initial coronary arteriography was significantly lower in the primary PCI group than in the other two groups (7.

Isolated subvalvular pulmonary stenosis: depiction at whole heart magnetic resonance imaging.

Isolated subvalvular pulmonary stenosis is a rare condition and its morphological evaluation is obscure. Whole heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new, totally non-invasive technique which allows three-dimensional comprehension of the cardiac structure. We describe a patient with isolated subvalvular pulmonary stenosis, in whom whole heart MRI was useful to detect and evaluate the right ventricular outflow obstruction.

Safety and reliability analysis in a polyvinyl chloride batch process using dynamic simulator-case study: Loss of containment incident.

In this paper, a novel methodology in batch plant safety and reliability analysis is proposed using a dynamic simulator. A batch process involving several safety objects (e.g.

Whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography for the detection of coronary artery stenosis and atherosclerotic coronary artery plaque in a patient with unstable angina.

Whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has been established as a totally noninvasive diagnostic modality for the assessment of coronary artery disease. We report a case with unstable angina, in whom coronary artery stenosis with an atherosclerotic plaque was detected by whole heart coronary MRA. Intravascular ultrasound in the stenotic lesion revealed a soft plaque containing focal calcification, corresponding to a low-signal mass containing a no-signal mass on MRA.

Decreased basal mucus secretion by Slp2-a-deficient gastric surface mucous cells.

Synaptotagmin-like protein (Slp) 2-a is a putative Rab27A/B-effector protein and is implicated in intracellular membrane transport. However, the precise tissue distribution of Slp2-a protein and its functions remain largely unknown. In this study we used a specific anti-Slp2-a antibody to investigate the tissue distribution of Slp2-a in mice and found that Slp2-a is most abundantly expressed in mouse stomach.