[Traumatic aortic regurgitation complicating chronic bronchitis; report of a case].

A 61-year-old man with diabetes mellitus and chronic bronchitis was brought to the hospital after falling from a roof accidentally. He received blunt trauma to the left chest wall including left rib fractures, pneumothorax, hemothorax and a fracture of left scapula. After endotracheal intubation and chest drainage, he was transferred to the intensive care unit. Sixteen days later, congestive heart failure appeared. Echocardiography showed a severe aortic valve regurgitation with a prolapse of non-coronary cusp. Eight months after the injury, his heart failure deteriorated. He underwent aortic valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis. Upon examining the aortic valve, we noted 2 perforations in the non-coronary cusp of the aortic valve. Postoperative course was uneventful.

Highly degenerate canted spin structure in bilayer manganite La1.1Sr1.9Mn2O7.

We have observed magnetic diffuse signals of the bilayer manganite La1.1Sr1.9Mn2O7 by neutron scattering. Even at the low temperature, 20 K, there is a diffuse signal, which is much stronger than that observed in the high temperatures, 144 and 288 K. This signal cannot be characterized by a bilayer structure as observed at 144 K nor by a monolayer structure as at 288 K, but by a high degeneracy of a canted spin structure. Thus, an observation of this diffuse signal is the direct evidence for the establishment of the canted spin structure in La1.1Sr1.9Mn2O7.

[Sequential bypass grafting with arterial grafts can be functioned? Assessment of evaluation for function of sequential bypass grafting from theoretical model].

As total arterial revascularization in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been recommended, a sequential bypass technique using arterial grafts has been induced. We evaluate whether a sequential bypass graft can be functioned or not by using a simple simulation model for coronary circulation analogous to the electrical circuit based on Ohm law. The ratio of flow between graft and native coronary artery was determined by the severity of stenosis in the bypassed vessels and the graft diameter. In selection for sequential bypass technique, these factors should be taken into consideration.

Spin chirality, Berry phase, and anomalous Hall effect in a frustrated ferromagnet.

An electron hopping on non-coplanar spin sites with spin chirality obtains a complex phase factor (Berry phase) in its quantum mechanical amplitude that acts as an internal magnetic field, and is predicted to manifest itself in the Hall effect when it is not cancelled. The present combined work of transport measurement, neutron scattering, and theoretical calculation provides evidence that the gigantic anomalous Hall effect observed in Nd2Mo2O7, a pyrochlore ferromagnet with geometrically frustrated lattice structure, is mostly due to the spin chirality and the associated Berry phase originating from the Mo spin tilting.

Blood cardioplegia infusion using a recirculation type circuit generates bradykinin in significant amounts during open heart surgery.

The single pass type (SP) of blood cardioplegia is commonly used in North America during open heart surgery. However the recirculation type (RC) of blood cardioplegia is still widely used in other areas including Japan. Infusion blood cardioplegia using the latter technique often decreases the perfusion pressure. To determine the cause for this, blood levels of bradykinin (BK) were measured in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and the 2 types of blood cardioplegic circuits. As the BK levels in the RC cardioplegia (>3,000 pg/ml) rose, the perfusion pressure decreased abruptly with the increase of the BK levels in the CPB circuit. With SP cardioplegia, the BK level was not increased either during cardioplegia (p < 0.009) or CPB (p < 0.009), and the perfusion pressure was not decreased (p < 0.02). We concluded that the SP circuit is superior to the RC one because of the lesser production of BK and thus lesser fluctuation of perfusion pressure.

[Influence of recirculation type blood cardioplegia on perfusion pressure in open heart surgery].

Infusion blood cardioplegia often decreases the perfusion pressure during open heart surgery. The blood level of bradykinin (BK) was measured in both the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and blood cardioplegia circuit. Infusion cardioplegia with recirculation type circuit increased the BK level of cardioplegia and the perfusion pressure decreased abruptly with the increase BK level in the CPB circuit. In the case of single pass type circuit the BK level was not increased either in cardioplegia or CPB and perfusion pressure was not decreased. We concluded that the single pass type of cardioplegia circuit is superior to the recirculation type because of less production of BK.

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma in a stallion.

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma found in a 6-year-old Anglo-Arabian stallion was investigated histologically, immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. The animal showed a large mediastinal mass and generalized lymph node involvement. The neoplastic cells were in various differentiation stages of small lymphocyte, centrocyte, centroblast, immunoblast and plasma cell. Some neoplastic cells showed positive cytoplasmic reactivity for mu and lambda chains. There were well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and Golgi complexes in plasmacytoid cells, and slightly developed RER or a few long strands of RER in medium-sized to large lymphoid cells. These findings suggest that this neoplasm is of B-cell origin.

[A case of bilateral atrial myxoma].

A case of 47-year-old female who underwent the surgery for the bilateral atrial myxoma two times was reported. At the first operation both tumors were attached to the same level of the atrial septum and were removed simultaneously followed by the resection of the left atrial wall. Six months later, she complained of dyspnea and easy fatigability for the recurrence of the tumor. She was operated again for the removal of the tumor. But she died of the re-recurrence of the tumor 4 months after the second operation.

Sero- and CPE-types of porcine enteroviruses isolated from healthy and diarrheal pigs: possible association of CPE type II with diarrhea.

Porcine enteroviruses (PEV) were isolated from feces of healthy and diarrheal domestic Japanese pigs, and examined for their serotypes. Each virus of the isolates corresponded not only to the Japanese version of the reference serotype, but also to its corresponding world version of the reference serotype. Twenty-two samples (75.9%) of 29 isolates from the feces of healthy pigs exhibited a characteristic of CPE I. On the other hand, 69.2% (27/39) of all diarrheal pigs showed a characteristic of CPE II. This would suggest the PEV with CPE II has a closer association with the enteric pathogenicity than that with CPE I.

[A case of membranous septal aneurysm associated with infective endocarditis].

A 43-year-old man with membranous septal aneurysm associated with infective endocarditis was reported. In this case, the stream of the shunt through VSD was directly oriented toward the atrial surface of the tricuspid anterior cusp and made it unusual form. The focus of infective endocarditis was located on that cusp, and he underwent tricuspid valve replacement with VSD closure. The post-operative course was uneventful. We discussed the tricuspid anterior cusp deformed by the jet stream of the shunt and the relationship between the aneurysm and the infective endocarditis.

[A case of two staged operation of pericardial abscess after left-ventricular aneurysmectomy].

A 54-year-old man who had undergone the left ventricular aneurysmectomy and double saphenous vein bypass grafting for the old myocardial infarction suffered from the pericardial abscess 6 years after the first operation. He was operated upon the persistent drainage of the lesion and returned to his daily life. Two years after the 2nd operation, he recognized pulsatile bleeding from the fistula and was admitted to our hospital. He underwent the radical operation for the cardio cutaneous fistula under the cardiopulmonary bypass. The post operative course was uneventful and he has continued to do well. We discussed the treatment for this kind of complication and stressed the limited usage of Teflon felt and other artificial materials.