Efficacy of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LED) at four different peak wavelengths against Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts by inactivation assay using immunodeficient mice.

As an alternative to using ultraviolet (UV) lamps, which are made with mercury that is toxic to the environment and human health, UV light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) are expected to be effective for inactivating microorganisms in water. Although UV-LEDs have been reported to be effective against bacteria and viruses, the effectiveness of UV-LEDs against Cryptosporidium parasites has not been fully evaluated. As we report here, we have developed an in vivo quantitative inactivation assay for C.

Shaggy aorta syndrome after acute arterial macroembolism: report of a case.

We report the case of a patient who underwent treatment for a macroembolism in the right lower leg, which led to shaggy aorta syndrome. Anticoagulant therapy for the macroembolism and intra-aortic catheterization exacerbated the patient's renal function and triggered another massive microembolization of the visceral arteries, with a fatal outcome. To minimize the incremental complications inherent to this syndrome, awareness and prompt diagnosis with enhanced computed tomography or intravenous digital subtraction aortography are essential.

Hemolysis in an electromechanical driven pulsatile total artificial heart.

A motor rotation in an electromechanically-driven pulsatile total artificial heart (TAH) may influence hemolysis. This study is designed to evaluate motor rotational conditions of the TAH and choose a suitable condition to obtain the least hemolytic characteristics. The TAH was driven in two motor rotational conditions: a constant motor rotational speed (rpm) mode (mode A) and a gradually increasing rpm mode (mode B).

Improvement on the auxiliary total artificial heart (ATAH) left chamber design.

The auxiliary total artificial heart (ATAH) is an electromechanically driven artificial heart with reduced dimensions, which is able to be implanted in the right thoracic or abdominal cavities of an average human patient without removing the natural heart or the heart neurohumoral inherent control mechanism for the arterial pressure. This device uses a brushless direct current motor and a mechanical actuator (roller screw) to move two diaphragms. The ATAH's beating frequency is regulated through the change of the left preload, based on Frank-Starling's law, assisting the native heart in obtaining adequate blood flow.

Sequence and analysis of a 31 kb segment of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome in the area of the rrnH and rrnG operons.

A 31141 bp continuous nucleotide sequence in the region from trnl to pNEXT52 in the Bacillus subtilis 168 genome was determined. In the region, there were 22 ORFs, two complete rRNA operons, and five tRNA genes. It was deduced that the function of one of the ORFs was similar to that of a sigma factor belonging to the ECF (extra-cytoplasmic functions) subfamily.

Characteristics of a Blood Pump Combining the Centrifugal and Axial Pumping Principles: The Spiral Pump.

Two well-known centrifugal and axial pumping principles are used simultaneously in a new blood pump design. Inside the pump housing is a spiral impeller, a conically shaped structure with threads on the surface. The worm gears provide an axial motion of the blood column through the threads of the central cone.