Structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of R2NiMnO6 (R = Eu, Gd, Tb).

The crystal structure, cryogenic magnetic properties, and magnetocaloric performance of double perovskite Eu2NiMnO6 (ENMO), Gd2NiMnO6 (GNMO), and Tb2NiMnO6 (TNMO) ceramic powder samples synthesized by solid-state method have been investigated. X-ray diffraction structural investigation reveal that all compounds crystallize in the monoclinic structure with a P21/n space group. A ferromagnetic to paramagnetic (FM-PM) second-order phase transition occurred in ENMO, GNMO, and TNMO at 143, 130, and 112 K, respectively. Maximum magnetic entropy changes and relative cooling power with a 5 T applied magnetic field are determined to be 3.2, 3.8, 3.5 J/kgK and 150, 182, 176 J/kg for the investigated samples, respectively. The change in structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric effect attributed to the superexchange mechanism of Ni2+-O-Mn3+ and Ni2+-O-Mn4+. The various atomic sizes of Eu, Gd, and Tb affect the ratio of Mn4+/Mn3+, which is responsible for the considerable change in properties of double perovskite.

Multidisciplinary clinic approach improves overall survival outcomes of patients with metastatic germ-cell tumors.

Background: To report our experience utilizing a multidisciplinary clinic (MDC) at Indiana University (IU) since the publication of the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG), and to compare our overall survival (OS) to that of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with metastatic germ-cell tumor (GCT) seen at IU from 1998 to 2014. A total of 1611 consecutive patients were identified, of whom 704 patients received an initial evaluation by our MDC (including medical oncology, pathology, urology and thoracic surgery) and started first-line chemotherapy at IU. These 704 patients were eligible for analysis. All patients in this cohort were treated with cisplatin-etoposide-based combination chemotherapy. We compared the progression-free survival (PFS) and OS of patients treated at IU with that of the published IGCCCG cohort. OS of the IU testis cancer primary cohort (n = 622) was further compared with the SEER data of 1283 patients labeled with 'distant' disease. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate PFS and OS. Results: With a median follow-up of 4.4 years, patients with good, intermediate, and poor risk disease by IGCCCG criteria treated at IU had 5-year PFS of 90%, 84%, and 54% and 5-year OS of 97%, 92%, and 73%, respectively. The 5-year PFS for all patients in the IU cohort was 79% [95% confidence interval (CI) 76% to 82%]. The 5-year OS for the IU cohort was 90% (95% CI 87% to 92%). IU testis cohort had 5-year OS 94% (95% CI 91% to 96%) versus 75% (95% CI 73% to 78%) for the SEER 'distant' cohort between 2000 and 2014, P-value <0.0001. Conclusion: The MDC approach to GCT at high-volume cancer center associated with improved OS outcomes in this contemporary dataset. OS is significantly higher in the IU cohort compared with the IGCCCG and SEER 'distant' cohort.

Mechanical properties of a Gelidium corneum edible film containing catechin and its application in sausages.

We prepared an edible Gelidium corneum (GC) film containing catechin and examined the microbial growth and quality change during storage of sausages packaged with the film. Incorporation of catechin in the film improved film tensile strength and water vapor permeability. The film's antimicrobial activity against Eschericha coli O157:H7 increased with increasing catechin concentrations and resulted in a decrease in the populations of the bacteria by 1.93 log CFU/g at 150 mg of catechin. For the sausage samples inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, the samples packed with the GC film showed a decrease in populations of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes by 1.81 and 1.44 log CFU/g, respectively, compared to the control after 5 d of storage. In addition, the sausage samples packed with the GC film had lower degrees of lipid oxidation. The results suggest that sausages can be packed with GC film to extend shelf life.

Tunable anomalous Hall effect in a nonferromagnetic system.

We measure the low-field Hall resistivity of a magnetically doped two-dimensional electron gas as a function of temperature and electrically gated carrier density. Comparing these results with the carrier density extracted from Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations reveals an excess Hall resistivity that increases with decreasing temperature. This excess Hall resistivity qualitatively tracks the paramagnetic polarization of the sample, in analogy to the ferromagnetic anomalous Hall effect. The data are consistent with skew scattering of carriers by disorder near the crossover to localization.

Survival prolongation of microencapsulated allogeneic islet by nanosized nordihydroguaiaretic acid.

Immunoisolation such as alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) microencapsulation may protect entrapped islet graft cells from destruction by cellular and humoral immunities, but cannot avoid aggregation of macrophages and fibroblasts around microcapsules, which has been known to cause late dysfunction. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a lipoxygenase inhibitor that prevents the activation and chemotaxis of macrophages. In this study, we used the dialysis method without surfactant to prepare poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles to entrap NDGA. We determined the formulation conditions suitable for sustained release when coencapsulated with the islets. Nanoparticle sizes of 0.2-0.3 microm were suitable for sustained release in electromagnetic driven APA microcapsules. In the toxicity study, we coincubated islets with PLGA-NDGA nanoparticles in vitro for 2 and 4 weeks. The glucose stimulated insulin secretion and insulin contents of islets were not influenced significantly. To test whether nanosized NDGA provides extra protection for APA islets, about 160-200 allogeneic islets of C57BL/6 mice were either encapsulated alone using APA or coencapsulated with PLGA-NDGA. At 2 and 4 weeks after implantation into the peritoneal cavities of healthy BALB/c mice, the intraperitoneal islet grafts were recovered using lavage. Mice that received islets of APA-PLGA-NDGA preparations showed a higher recovery rate of functioning grafts than those that received islets prepared using APA alone (10.1%, n = 4 vs 5.2%, n = 3). In conclusion, nanosized NDGA prolonged the graft survival of APA microencapsulated allogeneic islets.

Enhancing islet engraftment with rosiglitazone.

To study the role of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist, rosiglitazone, on islet engraftment, streptozotocin-induced diabetic C57BL/6 mice were fed daily rosiglitazone (2.4 mg/kg) for 9 and 31 days starting 2 days before transplantation with 75 and 150 syngeneic islets, respectively. After receiving 75 islets and 9 days of rosiglitazone, half of the treated diabetic mice became normoglycemic at 4 weeks, while none were normoglycemic among those mice that did not receive treatment. After transplanting 150 islets and receiving 31 days of rosiglitazone, 80% of the treated diabetic mice became normoglycemic while the incidence was only 25% for the controls. The insulin content of the islet grafts in the rosiglitazone groups was 0.8 times (75-islet group) and 1.3 times (150-islet group) higher than that of control mice. The insulin content of pancreatic remnants did not differ significantly among all groups. An in vitro study revealed that the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and insulin content of cultured islets was not different in the presence versus absence of 4.5 or 22.5 micromol/L rosiglitazone. In vitro study revealed that rosiglitazone inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced secretion of interleukin-1 beta and interferon-gamma from peritoneal exudate cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that short-term administration of rosiglitazone enhances islet engraftment.

Ischemic preconditioning and nicorandil pretreatment improve donor heart preservation.

The present study investigated the effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and nicorandil pretreatment on myocardial storage in a donor heart preservation model. Isolated rat hearts were separated into groups: group 1, non-preconditioned control group; group 2, 2.5 min of normothermic ischemia followed by 15 min of normothermic Langendorff perfusion (one IPC cycle); and group 3, 2 cycles of IPC. All hearts were subsequently stored in University of Wisconsin solution at 4 degrees C for 2, 4 and 6h, and the concentrations of high-energy phosphate metabolites were measured for each time point. Heart function parameters (aortic flow, coronary flow and cardiac output) were measured when the heart was reperfused following the 2, 4 or 6 h of preservation. The effects of nicorandil, an ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, on heart function following preservation were also evaluated. Nicorandil was injected intravenously before heart harvesting. The results showed that the energy status was well preserved in the IPC groups. The 2-cycle IPC group showed better recovery of heart function following preservation. Pretreatment with nicorandil also improved functional recovery of the heart following preservation. The present study showed that IPC of the rat heart resulted in improved myocardial energy metabolism and functional recovery after hypothermic preservation, and that nicorandil has potential for pharmacological preconditioning in heart preservation for transplantation.

Postischemic reperfusion injury can be attenuated by oxygen tension control.

Oxygen-derived free radicals cause cytotoxic damage during reperfusion after a period of ischemia and the production of these free radicals may be proportionate to oxygen tension (PO2). The present study tested the hypothesis that oxidative damage may be limited by maintaining a more physiologic PO2 following ischemia. An experimental study in Wistar rats were mounted on a Langendorff apparatus was conducted to estimate baseline aortic flow (AF), coronary flow (CF), cardiac output (CO), systolic pressure (SP), heart rate (HR), and the rate-pressure product (RPP: HRxSP). The hearts were divided into 3 groups (n=7, hearts/group): group 1, hypoxic (PO2=300+/-50 mmHg) reperfusion; group 2, middleoxic (PO2=500+/-50 mmHg) reperfusion; and group 3, hyperoxic (PO2=700+/-50 mmHg) reperfusion. Following 30 min of warm ischemia, hearts in all groups were reperfused at each oxygen pressure. The recovery of cardiac function of each heart was measured at the end of reperfusion. Concentrations of lactate (LAC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase (CK) in the coronary perfusate during reperfusion were measured. The recovery rate of CO, SP, and RPP in group 2 were all significantly better than in the other 2 groups. CK leakage in group 2 was significantly lower than in group 3. A clinical study was also conducted during elective coronary artery bypass grafts in 16 consecutive patients who underwent either hyperoxic (n=8, PO2=450-550 mmHg) or more physiologic (n=8, PO2=200-250 mmHg) cardiopulmonary bypass after aortic unclamping. The clinical study assessed CK-MB, LDH, LAC, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in patient blood prior to starting the surgical procedure and at 30 min and 3, 9, and 21 h after unclamping. Cardiac index (CI), central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, systolic arterial pressure, and the dose of cathecholamines were also measured. Although no significant differences were present in the dose of cathecholamines, the CI in the more physiologic oxygen tension group was significantly higher than in the hyperoxic group at 3 and 6 h after unclamping. The levels of MDA in the more physiologic PO2 group was significantly lower at 30 min after aortic unclamping than in the hyperoxic group. The present results suggest that in the experimental as well as in the clinical study, high PO2 leads to myocardial reperfusion damage; however, maintaining a more physiologic PO2 during reperfusion following ischemia may attenuate reperfusion injury.

[Renal autotransplantation in a patient with acute renal infarction following surgery for a dissecting aneurysm].

A 58-year-old woman experienced a sudden onset of severe chest and back pain and thus visited our center in October 1999. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a Stanford type A acute aortic dissection. The CT also demonstrated a 50 mm ascending aorta and dissection from the ascending aorta via the abdominal aorta to the level of the left renal artery. The perioperative transesophageal echocardiogram showed an intimal tear in the ascending aorta without valvular abnormality. Therefore, we performed graft replacement of the ascending aorta. On the first postoperative day, she developed oliguria and showed a sudden rise in serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, necessitating hemodialysis. She required daily hemodialysis or hemofiltration for twenty days. Thereafter, renal function recovered and dialysis was no longer performed. However, on postoperative day 26, the patient complained of sudden lumber pain. Unheralded oliguria was associated with worsening renal function. A CT scan at this point revealed infarction of the left kidney. During surgery, the left kidney was excised for heterotopic autotransplantation. Extensive thrombosis within a true lumen of the left renal artery was revealed. Following removal of the thrombus and perfusion with heparinized cold saline, renal autotransplantation to a heterotopic site in the pelvis were performed. Although the patient required hemodialysis for five days, renal function recovered gradually. She was discharged five months later. In our experience, it appears that heterotopic renal autotransplantation by which normal arterial perfusion distal to the dissection is reestablished is a good therapeutic option for reperfusion of the ischemic kidney compromised by a progressive dissection of the thoracoabdominal aorta.

Mammary lipogenic enzyme activity, trans fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids are altered in lactating dairy cows fed a milk fat-depressing diet.

The objectives of the present study were to examine the effect of a milk fat-depressing (MFD) diet on: 1) the activity of mammary acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), 2) ACC mRNA relative abundance and 3) distributions of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) and trans-18:1 fatty acids (tFA) in milk fat. Twelve lactating Holstein cows were used in a single reversal design. Two diets were fed: a control diet (60:40% forage/concentrate) and an MFD diet (25:70% forage/concentrate, supplemented with 5% soybean oil). The MFD diet decreased (P: < 0 0.001) milk fat by 43% and ACC and FAS activity by 61 and 44%, respectively. A reduced ACC mRNA relative abundance (P: < 0.001) corresponded with the lower ACC activity. The fatty acids synthesized de novo were decreased (P: < 0. 002), whereas tFA were increased from 1.9 to 15.6% due predominantly to a change in trans-10-18:1 isomer (P: < 0.001). With the MFD diet, the trans-7, cis-9 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomers were elevated (P: < 0.001), in contrast to the decrease in trans-11-18:1 (P: < 0. 001) and cis-9, trans-11-18:2. The data were consistent with a dietary effect on mammary de novo FA synthesis mediated through a reduction in ACC and FAS activity and in ACC mRNA abundance. The results were compatible with a role of trans-10, cis-12 CLA in milk fat depression, but alterations noted in tFA and other CLA isomers suggest that they also may be important during diet-induced milk fat depression.

Apparatus used for small-scale volatile extraction from ethanol-supplemented low-salt miso and GC-MS characterization of the extracted flavors.

An extraction apparatus was equipped with a nitrogen-flushing vessel to purge volatiles from a 10-g miso prepared solution at 40 degrees C, a reflux condenser to recover water, a coiled cold-trap to separate ethanol in advance, and a glass-lined stainless (GLS) trap filled with Tenax TA for flavor adsorption. Volatiles in the GLS tube were released with a thermal desorption device and condensed with a Micro-cryo trap prior to connection with GC and GC-MS for characterization. After analysis, a broad volatile profile comprising 9 categories of functional group and 97 identified compounds was achieved. As affected by ethanol supplementation for miso fermentation, most volatiles except alcohols and acetals in the low-salt products fermented with 5% NaCl and 7.5% ethanol were higher than those in the control products fermented with 9% NaCl and 0% ethanol and the high-ethanol supplemented products fermented with 5% NaCl and 15% ethanol. It reveals that supplementation of ethanol in miso at an appropriate level not only enabled a low-salt miso fermentation but also enhanced flavor formation.

Heart preservation in HTK solution: role of coronary vasculature in recovery of cardiac function.

BACKGROUND: Poor myocardial tolerance to prolonged cold ischemia remains a major concern in heart transplantation. In this study, we estimated superiority of Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) over University of Wisconsin (UW) as a cardiac preservation solution. METHODS: Isolated rat hearts were mounted on a Langendorff apparatus to estimate the baseline cardiac function. The hearts were arrested and stored at 4 degrees C in UW and HTK solution for 8 hours, and then reperfused. The aortic flow, coronary flow, cardiac output, rate pressure product, and left ventricular dp/dt in the HTK group recovered significantly more than the UW group. The values of myocardial total adenine nucleotides and the adenosine triphosphate to adenosine diphosphate ratio were higher in the HTK than in the UW group. We also examined coronary vascular responsiveness using left coronary arteries dissected from the rat hearts before flushing, before storage, after storage, and after reperfusion. RESULTS: The maximal relaxation response to acetylcholine was significantly higher in the HTK than in the UW group after reperfusion, although there were no significant differences at each stage before reperfusion. In addition, the endothelium-independent relaxation response to sodium nitroprusside in the HTK group was also well preserved after reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that HTK is superior to UW solution for cardiac preservation. HTK protects coronary vasculature during preservation, which together with reperfusion might lead to improved functional cardiac recovery following preservation.

Beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acid treatment on the recovery of cardiac function after cold storage of hyperlipidemic rats.

Cardiac effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were studied in female Wister rats fed a standard diet (control [C] diet) or a high-cholesterol (HC) diet. Subgroups of rats from these groups were treated with eicosapentaenoic acid-E (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid-95E (DHA) for 5 weeks. Although plasma total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels were higher in each group fed the HC diet versus each group fed the C diet, EPA administration with the HC diet (HC + EPA) significantly (P < .05) reduced these levels. An isolated working-heart preparation was used to determine cardiac function. Cardiac output (CO) was lower in rats fed the HC diet and HC + DHA versus any of the groups fed the C diet (P < .05). In addition, left ventricular (LV) maximum differentiation of pressure-time curve (dp/dt) was lower in the rats fed the HC diet versus any of the C diet groups (P < .05). After evaluation of cardiac function in each rat, the heart was stored in a histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution for 8 hours at 4 degrees C. The heart was then reperfused, and recovery of cardiac function was evaluated. No significant differences were observed for post-preservative cardiac function within the C diet groups. However, within the HC diet groups, HC + EPA significantly (P < .05) improved the recovery of cardiac function. In addition, HC + DHA also significantly (P < .05) improved the recovery of coronary flow (CF) and LV dp/dt. No significant differences were observed for plasma TC and TG concentrations in the C diet groups. EPA administration significantly decreased cardiac levels of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids in the HC diet groups. No significant differences were observed for cardiac levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) within the C diet groups. Cardiac EPA and DHA levels were significantly (P < .05) elevated in EPA- or DHA-treated rats compared with the other diet-fed rats. Cardiac EPA levels were also elevated in DHA-treated rats compared with untreated rats (P < .05). These results suggest that EPA attenuates coronary and myocardial preservation injuries through an increase in serum lipids and an accumulation of myocardial FFAs resulting from a HC diet.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity of methyl-4,8-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:5,4-b']dithiophene-4,8-dione derivatives.

2- and 3-Methyl-4,8-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:5,4-b']dithiophene-4,8-dione and related derivatives were synthesized and evaluated in vitro by NCI against eight cancer types. Compounds 12-15 showed significant activity against melanoma, NCI-H23 non-small cell lung cancer, and MDA-MB-435 and MDA-N breast cancer cell lines; 2-hydroxymethyl-4,8-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:5,4-b']dithiophene-4,8-dion e (13) showed the highest activity against melanoma (mean log GI50 = -7.74) and the highest overall potency (mean log GI50 = -6.99).

Abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Many cardiovascular complications have been described in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), however, aortic involvement is very rare. We are reporting abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture in a 47-year old woman with SLE. The patient was admitted to our hospital with severe abdominal pain. Emergency computed tomography of the abdomen demonstrated ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The restoration of aortic flow with vascular prosthesis was performed in emergency. Postoperative course was uneventful.

Adding learning to cellular genetic algorithms for training recurrent neural networks.

This paper proposes a hybrid optimization algorithm which combines the efforts of local search (individual learning) and cellular genetic algorithms (GA's) for training recurrent neural networks (RNN's). Each weight of an RNN is encoded as a floating point number, and a concatenation of the numbers forms a chromosome. Reproduction takes place locally in a square grid with each grid point representing a chromosome. Two approaches, Lamarckian and Baldwinian mechanisms, for combining cellular GA's and learning have been compared. Different hill-climbing algorithms are incorporated into the cellular GA's as learning methods. These include the real-time recurrent learning (RTRL) and its simplified versions, and the delta rule. The RTRL algorithm has been successively simplified by freezing some of the weights to form simplified versions. The delta rule, which is the simplest form of learning, has been implemented by considering the RNN's as feedforward networks during learning. The hybrid algorithms are used to train the RNN's to solve a long-term dependency problem. The results show that Baldwinian learning is inefficient in assisting the cellular GA. It is conjectured that the more difficult it is for genetic operations to produce the genotypic changes that match the phenotypic changes due to learning, the poorer is the convergence of Baldwinian learning. Most of the combinations using the Lamarckian mechanism show an improvement in reducing the number of generations required for an optimum network; however, only a few can reduce the actual time taken. Embedding the delta rule in the cellular GA's has been found to be the fastest method. It is also concluded that learning should not be too extensive if the hybrid algorithm is to be benefit from learning.

Refractoriness to platelet transfusion following double valve replacement in an ITP patient who had undergone splenectomy.

Reports of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) undergoing cardiac surgery are rare, and almost all of the reported cases required platelet transfusion. ITP patients, especially those having a history of splenectomy or a history of heavy bleeding, may have to undergo multiple platelet transfusions. Such transfusions may induce alloimmunization against the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and result in refractoriness to subsequent platelet transfusions. We report a case of a 63-year-old female with ITP, with a history of splenectomy and multiple platelet transfusions, who underwent aortic and mitral valve replacement. Although corticosteroid administration, high-dose immunoglobulin therapy, and repeated platelet transfusion led to a temporary increase in platelet count and successful hemostasis, refractoriness to platelet transfusion occurred postoperatively because of the presence of the anti-HLA antibody. In addition, the patient showed complications of pyothorax. Corticosteroids might have exerted an inhibitory influence on the occurrence of pyothorax.

Neonatal treatment with 192 IgG-saporin produces long-term forebrain cholinergic deficits and reduces dendritic branching and spine density of neocortical pyramidal neurons.

The role of basal forebrain-derived cholinergic afferents in the development of neocortex was studied in postnatal rats. Newborn rat pups received intraventricular injections of 192 IgG-saporin. Following survival periods ranging from 2 days to 6 months, the brains were processed to document the cholinergic lesion and to examine morphological consequences. Immunocytochemistry for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and in situ hybridization for ChAT mRNA demonstrate a loss of approximately 75% of the cholinergic neurons in the medial septum and nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca in the basal forebrain. In situ hybridization for glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNA reveals no loss of basal forebrain GABAergic neurons. Acetylcholinesterase histochemistry demonstrates a marked reduction of the cholinergic axons in neocortex. Cholinergic axons are reduced throughout the cortical layers; this reduction is more marked in medial than in lateral cortical areas. The thickness of neocortex is reduced by approximately 10%. Retrograde labeling of layer V cortico-collicular pyramidal cells reveals a reduction in cell body size and also a reduction in numbers of branches of apical dendrites. Spine densities on apical dendrites are reduced by approximately 20-25% in 192 IgG-saporin-treated cases; no change was detected in number of spines on basal dendrites. These results indicate a developmental or maintenance role for cholinergic afferents to cerebral cortical neurons.