Relationship between the Thermodynamic Quantities and Coordination Structure of Oxide Ions in CaCl-Based Chloride Melts.

Measuring the thermodynamic quantities and coordination structure of oxide ions in CaCl-based melts is essential for comprehensively understanding the relationship between the thermodynamic and microscopic behaviors of high-temperature molten salts. In this study, the standard formal chemical potentials of oxide ion, μ , and activity coefficient, γ , in NaCl-CaCl, NaCl-KCl-CaCl, and LiCl-KCl-CaCl melts at 873 K, were evaluated by measuring the dependence of potential of O/O on the oxygen partial pressure by using non-consumable ceramic electrodes; the μ was -527 ± 0.3, - 535 ± 0.

Coordination Structure of Si(II) Ions in Binary Melts (LiF-KF, LiF-NaF, and NaF-KF) and Ternary Melt (LiF-NaF-KF).

The formation of Si(II) by the comproportionation reaction between electrodeposited silicon and Si(IV) ions [Si(IV) + Si ⇄ 2Si(II)] in fluoride melts has been discussed in many previous reports on the electrochemical processing of silicon. In this study, the coordination structure of Si(II) ions in LiF-KF, LiF-NaF, NaF-KF, and LiF-NaF-KF melts was investigated by high-temperature Raman spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculation based on density functional theory. The formation of Si(II) ions was induced by mixing metallic silicon powder as the source of Si, with the melts containing hexafluoro silicate or silicon dioxide as the source of Si(IV) ions.

Intravenous infusion of cardiac progenitor cells in animal models of single ventricular physiology.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to identify the practical applications of intravenous cell therapy for single-ventricle physiology (SVP) by establishing experimental SVP models.

Methods: An SVP with a three-stage palliation was constructed in an acute swine model without cardiopulmonary bypass. A modified Blalock-Taussig (MBT) shunt was created using an aortopulmonary shunt with the superior and inferior venae cavae (SVC and IVC, respectively) connected to the left atrium (n = 10).

Less demand on stem cell marker-positive cancer cells may characterize metastasis of colon cancer.

Background: CD44 and CD133 are stem cell markers in colorectal cancer (CRC). CD44 has distinctive isoforms with different oncological properties like total CD44 (CD44T) and variant CD44 (CD44V). Clinical significance of such markers remains elusive.

Expansion of iNKT Cells Promotes Liver Repair Following Hepatic Ischemia Reperfusion Injury.

Background/aim: Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are involved in the initiation and resolution of inflammatory responses. We previously reported that activated iNKT cells facilitate liver repair after hepatic ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury by accelerating macrophage polarization during the early phase of hepatic I/R injury. Upon activation with α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), iNKT cell numbers transiently decrease before increasing within 72 h of stimulation.

Short- and long-term outcomes of robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Whether rectal cancer surgery by robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery provides beneficial advantages remains controversial. Although favorable outcomes in terms of the safety and technical feasibility of robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery have been demonstrated for rectal cancer, long-term oncological outcomes for robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery have only been examined in a few studies. This retrospective study of subjects who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery evaluated short- and long-term outcomes of consecutive rectal cancer patients.

Effect of Minocycline Pleurodesis in Infants With Refractory Chylothorax After Palliative Surgery for Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

Chylothorax is a critical complication after surgery for congenital heart disease, which markedly compromises the postoperative course with increased mortality. As the cardiovascular load additively causes stagnation of the thoracic duct, chylothorax after palliative cardiac surgery can be highly refractory to the therapies. Here we report a case of two patients with refractory chylothorax attributed to hemodynamic load which was successfully treated with minocycline pleurodesis.

Distal arch replacement for aortic aneurysm associated with pseudocoarctation through the L-incision approach.

We report the case of a 16-year-old boy in whom we successfully repaired a distal aortic arch aneurysm associated with pseudocoarctation using double aortic cannulation and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion through the L-incision approach. This approach provided excellent exposure from the ascending aorta to the descending aorta, which enabled total body perfusion. We avoided cardiac arrest and hypothermic circulatory arrest during the surgery.

Activation of iNKT Cells Facilitates Liver Repair After Hepatic Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Through Acceleration of Macrophage Polarization.

Macrophage polarization is critical for liver tissue repair following acute liver injury. However, the underlying mechanisms of macrophage phenotype switching are not well defined. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells orchestrate tissue inflammation and tissue repair by regulating cytokine production.

Recovery of Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells Following Monocrotaline-induced Liver Injury.

Background/aim: Although the pathology of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is characterized by damage to liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), the processes underlying LSEC repair are incompletely understood. The angiopoietin (Ang)/Tie system contributes to angiogenesis. The present study aimed to examine the processes of LSEC repair and the involvement of the Ang/Tie pathway in LSEC recovery.

Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Using Open Proximal Anastomosis Under Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest.

Proximal aortic clamping under normothermia is generally adequate for operative repair of abdominal aortic rupture; however, the hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) technique is not as common. Proximal exposure and clamping are sometimes difficult due to the risk of bleeding, rerupture, and ischemia. We present a successful case of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) that was repaired using cardiopulmonary bypass with HCA.

Intrapulmonary artery septation for unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery.

We describe a seven-month-old boy with tetralogy of Fallot and an absent left pulmonary artery. Due to the diminutive size of the left pulmonary artery, we performed a native tissue left pulmonary artery reconstruction and intrapulmonary artery septation procedure with a left modified Blalock-Taussig shunt. After confirming left pulmonary artery growth, the patient underwent tetralogy of Fallot repair, removal of septation patch, and division of the Blalock-Taussig shunt.

Coronary artery bypass grafting for an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery: is it a valid surgical procedure?

The right internal thoracic artery to the right coronary artery bypass with ligation of the proximal native vessel is a simple and reliable option for the treatment of an anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery arising from the left sinus of Valsalva without an intramural course. Coronary artery bypass grafting is an uncomplicated option for elderly patients, those with connective tissue diseases, and those for whom combined aortic valve procedures are planned. Herein, we present four cases of this anomaly that underwent right internal thoracic artery anastomosis to the distal right coronary artery along with proximal right coronary artery ligation using a surgical clip.

Visualizing "featureless" regions on mammograms classified as invasive ductal carcinomas by a deep learning algorithm: the promise of AI support in radiology.

Purpose: To demonstrate how artificial intelligence (AI) can expand radiologists' capacity, we visualized the features of invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) that our algorithm, developed and validated for basic pathological classification on mammograms, had focused on.

Materials And Methods: IDC datasets were built using mammograms from patients diagnosed with IDCs from January 2006 to December 2017. The developing dataset was used to train and validate a VGG-16 deep learning (DL) network.

Platelets prevent the development of monocrotaline-induced liver injury in mice.

Destruction of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) is an initial event in sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) that leads to accumulation of platelets in the liver. Herein, we explored the role of platelets during progression of experimental SOS induced by monocrotaline (MCT) in mice. Depletion of platelets using an anti-CD41 antibody or anti-thrombocyte serum exacerbated MCT-induced liver injury in C57BL/6 mice, as indicated by an increase in the alanine transaminase (ALT) level, which was associated with hemorrhagic necrosis.

Assessment of the right ventricle in donation after circulatory death hearts.

In donation after circulatory death heart transplantation, the donor heart is exposed to circulatory load. The right ventricle, due to its structure, has high compliance for volume load but is particularly vulnerable to increased pressure load. This study used a porcine model to conduct a functional assessment of the hemodynamics of the heart, with a focus on the right ventricle.

Outcomes of Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction in Children: Retrospective Comparison Between Bovine Jugular Vein and Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Conduits.

Bovine jugular vein (BJV) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) conduits have been described as alternatives to the homograft for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction. This study compared RVOT reconstructions using BJV and ePTFE conduits performed in a single institution. The valve functions and outcomes of patients aged < 18 years who underwent primary RVOT reconstruction with a BJV or ePTFE conduit between 2013 and 2017 were retrospectively investigated.

Lymphangiogenesis and accumulation of reparative macrophages contribute to liver repair after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Hepatic tissue repair plays a critical role in determining the outcome of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Hepatic lymphatics participate in the clearance of dead tissues and contribute to the reparative process after acute hepatic injury; however, it remains unknown whether lymphangiogenesis in response to hepatic inflammation is involved in liver repair. Herein, we determined if hepatic lymphangiogenesis improves liver repair after hepatic I/R injury.

EP3 signaling in dendritic cells promotes liver repair by inducing IL-13-mediated macrophage differentiation in mice.

Macrophage plasticity is essential for liver wound healing; however, the mechanisms underlying macrophage phenotype switching are largely unknown. Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical initiators of innate immune responses; as such, they orchestrate inflammation following hepatic injury. Here, we subjected EP3-deficient (Ptger3 ) and wild-type (WT) mice to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and demonstrate that signaling via the prostaglandin E (PGE) receptor EP3 in DCs regulates macrophage plasticity during liver repair.

The Fibrosis-4 Index Is Useful for Predicting Mortality in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension due to Left Heart Disease.

Heart failure causes increased venous pressure, leading to liver dysfunction. The fibrosis-4 index is a simple index for liver fibrosis and has been reported to be useful for predicting prognosis in heart failure; however, its impact on patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD) has not yet been fully elucidated.We enrolled consecutive 230 hospitalized patients who had been diagnosed as having PH-LHD.

Impact of Cardiac Progenitor Cells on Heart Failure and Survival in Single Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease.

Rationale: Intracoronary administration of cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) in patients with single ventricles resulted in a short-term improvement in cardiac function.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that CDC infusion is associated with improved cardiac function and reduced mortality in patients with heart failure.

Methods And Results: We evaluated the effectiveness of CDCs using an integrated cohort study in 101 patients with single ventricles, including 41 patients who received CDC infusion and 60 controls treated with staged palliation alone.

Intracoronary Cardiac Progenitor Cells in Single Ventricle Physiology: The PERSEUS (Cardiac Progenitor Cell Infusion to Treat Univentricular Heart Disease) Randomized Phase 2 Trial.

Rationale: Patients with single ventricle physiology are at high risk of mortality resulting from ventricular dysfunction. The preliminary results of the phase 1 trial showed that cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) may be effective against congenital heart failure.

Objective: To determine whether intracoronary delivery of autologous CDCs improves cardiac function in patients with single ventricle physiology.

Transseptal puncture and catheter ablation via the superior vena cava approach for persistent atrial fibrillation in a patient with polysplenia syndrome and interruption of the inferior vena cava: contact force-guided pulmonary vein isolation.

Aims: We sought to establish the technical feasibility of transseptal puncture and left atrial (LA) ablation through the right internal jugular vein via the superior vena cava (SVC) approach in patients with an interrupted inferior vena cava (IVC).

Methods And Results: A 34-year-old man with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and polysplenia syndrome (hypoplasia of the left kidney, aplasia of the pancreas tail, bilaterally bilobed lungs, and an interrupted IVC) was referred to our hospital for radiofrequency ablation. Because transseptal puncture and LA ablation would be impossible by a standard IVC approach via the femoral vein, we performed transseptal puncture and LA ablation through the right internal jugular vein via the SVC approach using a manually curved Brockenbrough needle and intracardiac echocardiographic guidance.