Case Report: High origin of the right testicular artery coursing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

During routine dissection we observed a high origin of the right testicular artery from the abdominal aorta in a middle-aged formalin-fixed male cadaver of indigenous Kenyan descent. The artery arched above the right renal vein to course through a hiatus in the inferior vena cava at its confluence with the right renal vein.

High Origin of Radial Arteries: A Report of Two Rare Cases

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Dong Zhan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Variations in the arterial supply of the upper limb are relatively common, with reported prevalence rates ranging from 11 to 24.4%. Of these, the most commonly encountered variation in the arm is a high origin of the radial artery. However, after consecutively dissecting and examining 600 Singaporean Chinese cadavers (1,200 upper limbs, we found only two cases of this. In both cases, the brachioradial artery originated from the upper one-third of the brachial artery and continued distally as the radial artery in the forearm. The local prevalence of 0.33% of this variation is significantly lower compared against populations from other geographical regions. Although rare, recognition of the variation is of fundamental importance to clinical practice.

Small arteries can be accurately studied in vivo, using high frequency ultrasound

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, T H; Iversen, Helle Klingenberg; Tfelt-Hansen, P

1993-01-01

We have validated measurements of diameters of the superficial temporal artery and other small arteries in man with a newly developed 20 MHz ultrasound scanner with A, B and M-mode imaging. The diameter of a reference object was 1.202 mm vs. 1.205 mm as measured by stereomicroscopy (nonsignifican......-gauge plethysmography (nonsignificant). Pulsations were 4.6% in the radial artery. We conclude that high frequency ultrasound provides an accurate and reproducible measure of the diameter of small and medium sized human arteries in vivo....

Randomized trial of low versus high carbon dioxide insufflation pressures in posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy.

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Fraser, Sheila; Norlén, Olov; Bender, Kyle; Davidson, Joanne; Bajenov, Sonya; Fahey, David; Li, Shawn; Sidhu, Stan; Sywak, Mark

2018-05-01

Posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy has gained widespread acceptance for the removal of benign adrenal tumors. Higher insufflation pressures using carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) are required, although the ideal starting pressure is unclear. This prospective, randomized, single-blinded, study aims to compare physiologic differences with 2 different CO 2 insufflation pressures during posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. Participants were randomly assigned to a starting insufflation pressure of 20 mm Hg (low pressure) or 25 mm Hg (high pressure). The primary outcome measure was partial pressure of arterial CO 2 at 60 minutes. Secondary outcomes included end-tidal CO 2 , arterial pH, blood pressure, and peak airway pressure. Breaches of protocol to change insufflation pressure were permitted if required and were recorded. A prospective randomized trial including 31 patients (low pressure: n = 16; high pressure: n = 15) was undertaken. At 60 minutes, the high pressure group had greater mean partial pressure of arterial CO 2 (64 vs 50 mm Hg, P = .003) and end-tidal CO 2 (54 vs 45 mm Hg, P = .008) and a lesser pH (7.21 vs 7.29, P = .0005). There were no significant differences in base excess, peak airway pressure, operative time, or duration of hospital stay. Clinically indicated protocol breaches were more common in the low pressure than the high pressure group (8 vs 3, P = .03). In posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy, greater insufflation pressures are associated with greater partial pressure of arterial CO 2 and end-tidal CO 2 and lesser pH at 60 minutes, be significant. Commencing with lesser CO 2 insufflation pressures decreases intraoperative acidosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-Melt Carbon-Carbon Coating for Nozzle Extensions

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, James

2015-01-01

Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies, Inc. (C-CAT), has developed a high-melt coating for use in nozzle extensions in next-generation spacecraft. The coating is composed primarily of carbon-carbon, a carbon-fiber and carbon-matrix composite material that has gained a spaceworthy reputation due to its ability to withstand ultrahigh temperatures. C-CAT's high-melt coating embeds hafnium carbide (HfC) and zirconium diboride (ZrB2) within the outer layers of a carbon-carbon structure. The coating demonstrated enhanced high-temperature durability and suffered no erosion during a test in NASA's Arc Jet Complex. (Test parameters: stagnation heat flux=198 BTD/sq ft-sec; pressure=.265 atm; temperature=3,100 F; four cycles totaling 28 minutes) In Phase I of the project, C-CAT successfully demonstrated large-scale manufacturability with a 40-inch cylinder representing the end of a nozzle extension and a 16-inch flanged cylinder representing the attach flange of a nozzle extension. These demonstrators were manufactured without spalling or delaminations. In Phase II, C-CAT worked with engine designers to develop a nozzle extension stub skirt interfaced with an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engine. All objectives for Phase II were successfully met. Additional nonengine applications for the coating include thermal protection systems (TPS) for next-generation spacecraft and hypersonic aircraft.

Effects of the transcutaneous electrode temperature on the accuracy of transcutaneous carbon dioxide tension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Line C; Brage-Andersen, Lene; Greisen, Gorm

2011-01-01

The harmful effect of hypocapnia on the neonatal brain emphasizes the importance of monitoring arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2). Transcutaneous monitoring of carbon dioxide (tcPCO2) reduces the need for arterial blood sampling. Drawbacks are high electrode temperature causing risks of skin...... burning. The aim was to determine the accuracy and precision of tcPCO2 at reduced electrode temperature....

A Comparison of Po2, Pco2, Ph and Bicarbonate in Blood from the Carotid and Coccygeal Arteries of Calves

OpenAIRE

Gustin, Pascal; de Groote, A.; Dhem, A. R.; Bakima, M.; Lomba; Lekeux, Pierre

1988-01-01

A technique is described for the subcutaneous deviation of the carotid artery into the jugular groove of calves weighing between 90 and 200 kg. This makes sampling arterial blood or chronic cannulation for further experimentation very easy. Values of oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, pH and bicarbonate concentration in blood sampled from the ventral coccygeal artery were compared with the values obtained in blood from carotid artery puncture. The high correlations observed indicate that...

Bilateral Carotid Artery Dissection after High Impact Road Traffic Accident

OpenAIRE

Michael Kelly; Marcus Bradley; Ankur Srivastava

2008-01-01

A 58 year old man was involved in a high impact road traffic incident and was admitted for observation. Asymptomatic for the first 24 hours, he collapsed with symptoms and signs consistent with a cerebrovascular accident. Computed tomography angiogram (CTA) and Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) demonstrated bilateral internal carotid artery dissections and a left middle cerebral artery infarct. It was not considered appropriate to attempt stenting or other revascularistation. The patient was...

Brachial artery protected by wrapped latissimus dorsi muscle flap in high voltage electrical injury

Science.gov (United States)

Gencel, E.; Eser, C.; Kokacya, O.; Kesiktas, E.; Yavuz, M.

2016-01-01

Summary High voltage electrical injury can disrupt the vascular system and lead to extremity amputations. It is important to protect main vessels from progressive burn necrosis in order to salvage a limb. The brachial artery should be totally isolated from the burned area by a muscle flap to prevent vessel disruption. In this study, we report the use of a wrap-around latissimus dorsi muscle flap to protect a skeletonized brachial artery in a high voltage electrical injury in order to salvage the upper extremity and restore function. The flap wrapped around the exposed brachial artery segment and luminal status of the artery was assessed using magnetic resonance angiography. No vascular intervention was required. The flap survived completely with good elbow function. Extremity amputation was not encountered. This method using a latissimus dorsi flap allows the surgeon to protect the main upper extremity artery and reconstruct arm defects, which contributes to restoring arm function in high voltage electrical injury. PMID:28149236

VASOMOTOR ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION AND MICROCIRCULATION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH ISOLATED SYSTOLIC ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION: INFLUENCE OF "DRY" CARBONIC BATHS AND GENERAL LOW-FREQUENCY MAGNETOTHERAPY

OpenAIRE

Alypova, Elena

2013-01-01

Abstract. The comparative estimation of influence of the general low-frequency magnetotherapy (GLMT) and "dry" carbonic baths (DCB) on indicators of vasomotor endothelial function and microcirculation in elderly patients with isolated systolic (ISAH) arterial hypertension has been studied. The efficiency of application the combined use of the GLMT and "dry" carbonic baths DCB for correction of revealed disorders in comparing to the monovariant use of thees medical physical factors is establis...

Autofluorescence and high-definition optical coherence tomography of retinal artery occlusions

OpenAIRE

Mathew, Raeba; Papavasileiou, Evangelia; Sivaprasad, Sobha

2010-01-01

Raeba Mathew, Evangelia Papavasileiou, Sobha SivaprasadLaser and Retinal Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UKBackground: The purpose of this study is to illustrate the fundus autofluorescence and high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) features of acute and long-standing retinal artery occlusions.Design: Retrospective case series.Participants: Patients with acute and chronic retinal and cilioretinal artery occlus...

High-surface-area active carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Grady, T.M.; Wennerberg, A.N.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the preparation and properties of a unique active carbon having exceptionally high surface areas, over 2500 m 2 /gm, and extraordinary adsorptive capacities. The carbon is made by a direct chemical activation route in which petroleum coke or other carbonaceous sources are reacted with excess potassium hydroxide at 400 0 to 500 0 C to an intermediate product that is subsequently pyrolyzed at 800 0 to 900 0 C to active carbon containing potassium salts. These are removed by water washing and the carbon is dried to produce a powdered product. A granular carbon can also be made by further processing the powdered carbon by using specialized granulation techniques. Typical properties of the carbon include Iodine Numbers of 3000 to 3600, methylene blue adsorption of 650 to 750 mg/gm, pore volumes of 2.0 to 2.6 cc/gm and less than 3.0% ash. This carbon's high adsorption capacities make it uniquely suited for numerous demanding applications in the medical area, purifications, removal of toxic substances, as catalyst carriers, etc

Endovascular treatment of the subclavian artery aneurysm in high-risk patient - a single-center experience

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Marjanović Ivan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We present our first experience with endovascular treatment of 6 subclavian artery aneurysms (SAA occurring in five male and one female patient. All patients, in our studies, according to ASA classification were high risk for open repair of SAA. The etiology of the all aneurysms was atherosclerosis degeneration of the artery. Two aneurysms were of intrathoracic location, then the other were extrathoracic. Symptoms related to subclavian artery aneurysms were present in two patients, compression and chest pain in one, and hemorrhage shock in second, while the remaining patients were asymptomatic. We preferred the Viabhan endoprosthesis for endovascular repair in 5 cases. In one patient with ruptured of subclavian artery aneurysm who was high-risk for open repair we made combined endovascular procedure. First at all, we covered the origin of left subclavian artery with thoracic stent graft and after that we put two coils in proximal part of subclavian artery. There was no operative mortality, and the early patency rate was 100%. The follow-up period was from 3 months to 3 years. During this period, one patient died of heart failure and one patient required endovascular reoperation due to endoleak type I. Endovascular treatment is recommended for all patients with subclavian artery aneurysm whenever this is possible due to anatomical reasons especially in high-risk patient with intrathoracic localization of aneurysm, to prevent potential complications.

Arterial carboxyhemoglobin level and outcome in critically ill patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Melley, Daniel D; Finney, Simon J; Elia, Androula; Lagan, Anna L; Quinlan, Gregory J; Evans, Timothy W

2007-08-01

Arterial carboxyhemoglobin is elevated in patients with critical illness. It is an indicator of the endogenous production of carbon monoxide by the enzyme heme oxygenase, which modulates the response to oxidant stress. The objective was to explore the hypothesis that arterial carboxyhemoglobin level is associated with inflammation and survival in patients requiring cardiothoracic intensive care. Prospective, observational study. A cardiothoracic intensive care unit. All patients admitted over a 15-month period. None. Arterial carboxyhemoglobin, bilirubin, and standard biochemical, hematologic, and physiologic markers of inflammation were measured in 1,267 patients. Associations were sought between levels of arterial carboxyhemoglobin, markers of the inflammatory response, and clinical outcome. Intensive care unit mortality was associated with lower minimum and greater maximal carboxyhemoglobin levels (p carboxyhemoglobin was associated with an increased risk of death from all causes (odds risk of death, 0.391; 95% confidence interval, 0.190-0.807; p = .011). Arterial carboxyhemoglobin correlated with markers of the inflammatory response. Both low minimum and high maximum levels of arterial carboxyhemoglobin were associated with increased intensive care mortality. Although the heme oxygenase system is protective, excessive induction may be deleterious. This suggests that there may be an optimal range for heme oxygenase-1 induction.

Weaning mechanical ventilation after off-pump coronary artery bypass graft procedures directed by noninvasive gas measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakravarthy, Murali; Narayan, Sandeep; Govindarajan, Raghav; Jawali, Vivek; Rajeev, Subramanyam

2010-06-01

Partial pressure of carbon dioxide and oxygen were transcutaneously measured in adults after off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. The clinical use of such measurements and interchangeability with arterial blood gas measurements for weaning patients from postoperative mechanical ventilation were assessed. This was a prospective observational study. Tertiary referral heart hospital. Postoperative OPCAB surgical patients. Transcutaneous oxygen and carbon dioxide measurements. In this prospective observational study, 32 consecutive adult patients in a tertiary care medical center underwent OPCAB surgery. Noninvasive measurement of respiratory gases was performed during the postoperative period and compared with arterial blood gases. The investigator was blinded to the reports of arterial blood gas studies and weaned patients using a "weaning protocol" based on transcutaneous gas measurement. The number of patients successfully weaned based on transcutaneous measurements and the number of times the weaning process was held up were noted. A total of 212 samples (pairs of arterial and transcutaneous values of oxygen and carbon dioxide) were obtained from 32 patients. Bland-Altman plots and mountain plots were used to analyze the interchangeability of the data. Twenty-five (79%) of the patients were weaned from the ventilator based on transcutaneous gas measurements alone. Transcutaneous carbon dioxide measurements were found to be interchangeable with arterial carbon dioxide during 96% of measurements, versus 79% for oxygen measurements. More than three fourths of the patients were weaned from mechanical ventilation and extubated based on transcutaneous gas values alone after OPCAB surgery. The noninvasive transcutaneous carbon dioxide measurement can be used as a surrogate for arterial carbon dioxide measurement to manage postoperative OPCAB patients. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultra-high-resolution CT angiography of the artery of Adamkiewicz. A feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshioka, Kunihiro; Tanaka, Ryoichi; Takagi, Hidenobu [Iwate Medical University, Division of Cardiovascular Radiology, Department of Radiology, Morioka (Japan); Ueyama, Yuta; Kikuchi, Kei; Chiba, Takuya [Iwate Medical University Hospital, Center for Radiological Science, Morioka (Japan); Arakita, Kazumasa [Center for Medical Research and Development, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Otawara (Japan); Schuijf, Joanne D. [Center for Medical Research and Development Europe, Toshiba Medical Systems Europe, Zoetermeer (Netherlands); Saito, Yasuo [CT Systems Development Department, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Otawara (Japan)

2018-01-15

Preoperative identification of the artery of Adamkiewicz can help prevent postoperative spinal cord injury following thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic repair. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of evaluating the artery of Adamkiewicz using multi-detector row computed tomography (CT), but precise visualization remains a challenge. The present study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of ultra-high-resolution CT for visualizing the artery of Adamkiewicz with a slice thickness of 0.25 versus 0.5 mm in patients with aortic aneurysms. Our institutional review board approved this study. Twenty-four patients with thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms were scanned with beam collimation of 0.25 mm x 128. Images were reconstructed with slice thicknesses of 0.25 and 0.5 mm. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the aorta and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the anterior spinal artery and spinal cord were measured. Two independent observers evaluated visualization of the artery of Adamkiewicz and its continuity between the anterior spinal artery and the aorta using a four-point scale. No significant differences in the SNR of the aorta or CNR of the anterior spinal artery were observed between 0.25- and 0.5-mm slices. The average visualization score was significantly higher for 0.25-mm slices (3.58 ± 0.78) than for 0.5-mm slices (3.13 ± 0.99) (p = 0.01). The percentage of patients with nondiagnostic image quality was significantly lower for 0.25-mm slices (8.3%) than for 0.5-mm slices (33.3%) (p = 0.03). In patients with aortic aneurysms, ultra-high-resolution CT with 0.25-mm slices significantly improves visualization of the artery of Adamkiewicz compared to 0.5-mm slices. (orig.)

Increased requirement for minute ventilation and negative arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide gradient may indicate malignant hyperthermia

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Ho-Tien Lin

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Characteristic signs of malignant hyperthermia (MH include unexplained tachycardia, increased end-tidal carbon dioxide (Etco2 concentration, metabolic and respiratory acidosis, and an increase in body temperature above 38.8°C. We present the case of a patient with highly probable MH. In addition to sinus tachycardia and metabolic and respiratory acidosis, this patient also had a negative arterial to Etco2 gradient and an increased requirement for minute ventilation to maintain a normal Etco2 concentration, with signs of increased CO2 production. Despite these signs of MH, the patient's rectal temperature monitoring equipment did not show an increase in temperature, although the temperature measured in the mouth was increased. This case illustrates the unreliability of measuring rectal temperature as a means of reflecting body temperature during MH and the usefulness of increased CO2 production signs in helping to diagnose MH.

Studies on reconstruction of the carotid artery in the neck using arterial vessels irradiated by a large amount of high voltage electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Hiroshi

1978-01-01

High voltage electron beam of 2,000,000 rad was irradiated to the common carotid arteries excised from dogs. After keeping them in a frozen state, they were replaced with the common carotid arteries of other adult dogs. The border of the artery transplanted could not be identified from the x-ray films 7 - 36 months after transplantation. There was no stenosis or dilation in the artery on either x-ray films or in histopathological examinations. There was no tissue reaction in the homologous transplantation, but all the cells died and the nuclei of muscular fibers of the tunica media disappeared. However, the internal elastica and other elastic fibers were unchanged. Cells proliferated from the original artery to form a false inner coat. Noradrenergic nerves and the vasa vasorum did not enter the graft. Thus, the arteries transplanted were only substitutive vessels. A rabbit abdominal aorta which was transplanted to a dog common carotid artery, showed sacculated dilation or obstruction. In the case of obstruction, severe tissue reaction was recognized. In the case of sacculated dilation, thinning of the arterial wall at the dilated part and fragmentation of the elastic fibers of the tunica media were observed, and other tissues also tended to be destructed and absorbed. (Ichikawa, K.)

Carbon Dioxide Mitigation Benefit of High-Speed Railway in Terms of Carbon Tax

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Fu Yanbing

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper calculates the carbon dioxide mitigation benefit of high-speed railway based on the carbon dioxide tax policy. We define the carbon dioxide emission system boundary for high-speed railway in its whole life cycle and estimate the life cycle carbon dioxide inventories during its construction, application, and recovery stages. And then we establish a theoretical model to calculate the life cycle carbon dioxide mitigation quantity for high-speed railway when compared with road transport and then calculate its carbon dioxide mitigation benefit. The numerical example shows that the carbon dioxide mitigation benefit of high-speed railway is better than that of road transport from the whole life cycle perspective.

Ultrahigh Ductility, High-Carbon Martensitic Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Shengwei; Liu, Yu; Hao, Qingguo; Zuo, Xunwei; Rong, Yonghua; Chen, Nailu

2016-10-01

Based on the proposed design idea of the anti-transformation-induced plasticity effect, both the additions of the Nb element and pretreatment of the normalization process as a novel quenching-partitioning-tempering (Q-P-T) were designed for Fe-0.63C-1.52Mn-1.49Si-0.62Cr-0.036Nb hot-rolled steel. This high-carbon Q-P-T martensitic steel exhibits a tensile strength of 1890 MPa and elongation of 29 pct accompanied by the excellent product of tensile and elongation of 55 GPa pct. The origin of ultrahigh ductility for high-carbon Q-P-T martensitic steel is revealed from two aspects: one is the softening of martensitic matrix due to both the depletion of carbon in the matensitic matrix during the Q-P-T process by partitioning of carbon from supersaturated martensite to retained austenite and the reduction of the dislocation density in a martensitic matrix by dislocation absorption by retained austenite effect during deformation, which significantly enhances the deformation ability of martensitic matrix; another is the high mechanical stability of considerable carbon-enriched retained austenite, which effectively reduces the formation of brittle twin-type martensite. This work verifies the correctness of the design idea of the anti-TRIP effect and makes the third-generation advanced high-strength steels extend to the field of high-carbon steels from low- and medium-carbon steels.

A unique case of bifid left testicular artery having its anomalous high origin from renal artery

OpenAIRE

Ashwini P Aithal; Naveen Kumar; Swamy S Ravindra; Jyothsna Patil

2016-01-01

The testicular arteries are known to originate from the ventrolateral aspect of the abdominal aorta and descend obliquely to the pelvic cavity and supply the testis. An anatomical description of an uncommon variation of the left testicular artery is presented in this case report, highlighting its clinical implications. During routine dissection of a male cadaver, we found that the left testicular artery was bifid and it was arising from the left renal artery. After its origin, it then coursed...

A unique case of bifid left testicular artery having its anomalous high origin from renal artery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashwini P Aithal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The testicular arteries are known to originate from the ventrolateral aspect of the abdominal aorta and descend obliquely to the pelvic cavity and supply the testis. An anatomical description of an uncommon variation of the left testicular artery is presented in this case report, highlighting its clinical implications. During routine dissection of a male cadaver, we found that the left testicular artery was bifid and it was arising from the left renal artery. After its origin, it then coursed behind the left renal vein, passed between the left testicular vein and left ureter and at the lower pole of the left kidney, this bifid testicular artery joined to form a single testicular artery which thereafter presented a normal course. Anatomy of the testicular artery has been studied in detail because of its importance in testicular physiology, as well as its significance in testicular and renal surgery. This vascular variation shows a major significance in renal surgery, partial or total nephrectomy, and renal transplant. In addition, this anatomical variation enhances the importance of arteriography or the Doppler ultrasound examination of the renal hilum before surgeries.

Bilateral Carotid Artery Dissection after High Impact Road Traffic Accident

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Michael Kelly

2008-11-01

Full Text Available A 58 year old man was involved in a high impact road traffic incident and was admitted for observation. Asymptomatic for the first 24 hours, he collapsed with symptoms and signs consistent with a cerebrovascular accident. Computed tomography angiogram (CTA and Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA demonstrated bilateral internal carotid artery dissections and a left middle cerebral artery infarct. It was not considered appropriate to attempt stenting or other revascularistation. The patient was treated with heparin prior to starting warfarin. He made a partial recovery and was discharged to a rehabilitation facility. This case is a reminder of carotid dissection as an uncommon but serious complication of high speed motor vehicle accident, which may be silent initially. Literature Review suggests risk stratification before relevant radiological screening at risk patients. Significant advances in CTA have made it the diagnostic tool of choice, but ultrasound is an important screening tool.

Prevalence Study of Proximal Vertebral Artery Stenosis Using High-Resolution Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.H.; Lee, J.S.; Kwon, O.K.; Han, M.K.; Kim, J.H.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of proximal vertebral artery stenosis, compared with those of the distal vertebral/basilar artery and extracranial internal carotid artery, in a large population of stroke and non-stroke patients. Material and Methods: Nine-hundred-and-thirty-five patients who underwent high-resolution contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in a regional general hospital were categorized into six groups based on neurological symptoms and disease: an asymptomatic group (n ∼ 182), a minor symptom group with headache or dizziness (n ∼ 519), a cardiac group with coronary artery steno-occlusive disease (n ∼ 15), a hemorrhagic group with old cerebral hemorrhage (n ∼ 26), an anterior circulation infarct group (n ∼ 121), and posterior circulation infarct group (n ∼ 72). Prevalence of stenosis of the proximal vertebral artery, distal vertebral/basilar artery, and internal carotid artery was analyzed. Results: The prevalence of stenosis of the proximal vertebral artery, distal vertebral/basilar artery, and internal carotid artery was 12.9%, 5.5%, and 7.2%, respectively, in the study population, and rose as the age increased (P <0.0001 for all arteries). The prevalence of stenosis of the proximal vertebral artery, distal vertebral/basilar artery, and internal carotid artery was 3.3%, 0.5%, and.1%, respectively, in the asymptomatic group; 8.3%, 2.1%, and 3.7%, respectively, in the minor symptom group; 13.3%, 6.7%, and 6.7%, respectively, in the cardiac group; 19.2%, 7.7%, and 7.7%, respectively, in the hemorrhagic group; 27.3%, 8.3%, and 25.6%, respectively, in the anterior circulation infarct group; and 44.4%, 36.1%, and 16.7%, respectively, in the posterior circulation infarct group. This increasing tendency of stenosis accordingly was statistically significant ( P <0.0001 for all arteries). Conclusion: The prevalence of proximal vertebral artery stenosis was highest, compared with those of the distal vertebral/basilar artery and

Carbon nanomaterials for high-performance supercapacitors

OpenAIRE

Tao Chen; Liming Dai

2013-01-01

Owing to their high energy density and power density, supercapacitors exhibit great potential as high-performance energy sources for advanced technologies. Recently, carbon nanomaterials (especially, carbon nanotubes and graphene) have been widely investigated as effective electrodes in supercapacitors due to their high specific surface area, excellent electrical and mechanical properties. This article summarizes the recent progresses on the development of high-performance supercapacitors bas...

In vivo measurement of intracellular pH in human brain during different tensions of carbon dioxide in arterial blood. A 31P-NMR study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, K E; Thomsen, C; Henriksen, O

1988-01-01

The effect of changes in carbon dioxide tension in arterial blood upon intracellular pH in brain tissue was studied in seven healthy volunteers, aged 22-45 years. The pH changes were monitored by use of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, performed on a whole-body 1.5 Tesla Siemens imaging...

Intra-arterial papaverine and leg vascular resistance during in situ bypass surgery with high or low epidural anaesthesia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rørdam, Peter; Jensen, Leif Panduro; Schroeder, T V

1993-01-01

In situ saphenous vein arterial bypass flow was studied in 16 patients with respect to level of epidural anaesthesia. Arterial pressure and electromagnetic flow were used to evaluate arterial tone by intra-arterial (i.a.) papaverine. Eight patients had a low epidural block (... patients were operated during high epidural anaesthesia (> Th. 10). Flow increased and arterial pressure decreased after i.a. papaverine in all patients. When compared with patients operated during high epidural anaesthesia, flow increase and decrease in vascular resistance took place in patients operated...... during low epidural anaesthesia (P i.a. papaverine was not significantly different in patients operated in low epidural and general anaesthesia (n = 8). In eight patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who had low epidural anaesthesia, the increase...

Retinal artery occlusion during carotid artery stenting with distal embolic protection device.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohara, Kotaro; Ishikawa, Tatsuya; Kobayashi, Tomonori; Kawamata, Takakazu

2018-01-01

Retinal artery occlusion associated with carotid artery stenosis is well known. Although it can also occur at the time of carotid artery stenting, retinal artery occlusion via the collateral circulation of the external carotid artery is rare. We encountered two cases of retinal artery occlusion that were thought to be caused by an embolus from the external carotid artery during carotid artery stenting with a distal embolic protection device for the internal carotid artery. A 71-year-old man presented with central retinal artery occlusion after carotid artery stenting using the Carotid Guardwire PS and a 77-year-old man presented with branch retinal artery occlusion after carotid artery stenting using the FilterWire EZ. Because additional new cerebral ischaemic lesions were not detected in either case by postoperative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, it was highly likely that the debris that caused retinal artery occlusion passed through not the internal carotid artery but collaterals to retinal arteries from the external carotid artery, which was not protected by a distal embolic protection device. It is suggested that a distal protection device for the internal carotid artery alone cannot prevent retinal artery embolisation during carotid artery stenting and protection of the external carotid artery is important to avoid retinal artery occlusion.

Highly reversible lead-carbon battery anode with lead grafting on the carbon surface

KAUST Repository

Yin, Jian; Lin, Nan; Zhang, Wenli; Lin, Zheqi; Zhang, Ziqing; Wang, Yue; Shi, Jun; Bao, Jinpeng; Lin, Haibo

2018-01-01

A novel C/Pb composite has been successfully prepared by electroless plating to reduce the hydrogen evolution and achieve the high reversibility of the anode of lead-carbon battery (LCB). The deposited lead on the surface of C/Pb composite was found to be uniform and adherent to carbon surface. Because lead has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite, the embedded structure suppresses the hydrogen evolution of lead-carbon anode and strengthens the connection between carbon additive and sponge lead. Compared with the blank anode, the lead-carbon anode with C/Pb composite displays excellent charge–discharge reversibility, which is attributed to the good connection between carbon additives and lead that has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite during the preparation process. The addition of C/Pb composite maintains a solid anode structure with high specific surface area and power volume, and thereby, it plays a significant role in the highly reversible lead-carbon anode.

Highly reversible lead-carbon battery anode with lead grafting on the carbon surface

KAUST Repository

Yin, Jian

2018-03-27

A novel C/Pb composite has been successfully prepared by electroless plating to reduce the hydrogen evolution and achieve the high reversibility of the anode of lead-carbon battery (LCB). The deposited lead on the surface of C/Pb composite was found to be uniform and adherent to carbon surface. Because lead has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite, the embedded structure suppresses the hydrogen evolution of lead-carbon anode and strengthens the connection between carbon additive and sponge lead. Compared with the blank anode, the lead-carbon anode with C/Pb composite displays excellent charge–discharge reversibility, which is attributed to the good connection between carbon additives and lead that has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite during the preparation process. The addition of C/Pb composite maintains a solid anode structure with high specific surface area and power volume, and thereby, it plays a significant role in the highly reversible lead-carbon anode.

On high temperature strength of carbon steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichinose, Hiroyuki; Tamura, Manabu; Kanero, Takahiro; Ihara, Yoshihito

1977-01-01

In the steels for high temperature use, the oxidation resistance is regarded as important, but carbon steels show enough oxidation resistance to be used continuously at the temperature up to 500 deg. C if the strength is left out of consideration, and up to 450 deg. C even when the strength is taken into account. Moreover, the production is easy, the workability and weldability are good, and the price is cheap in carbon steels as compared with alloy steels. In the boilers for large thermal power stations, 0.15-0.30% C steels are used for reheater tubes, main feed water tubes, steam headers, wall water tubes, economizer tubes, bypass pipings and others, and they account for 70% of all steel materials used for the boilers of 350 MW class and 30% in 1000 MW class. The JIS standard for the carbon steels for high temperature use and the related standards in foreign countries are shown. The high temperature strength of carbon steels changes according to the trace elements, melting and heat treatment as well as the main compositions of C, Si and Mn. Al and N affect the high temperature strength largely. The characteristics of carbon steels after the heating for hours, the factors controlling the microstructure and high temperature strength, and the measures to improve the high temperature strength of carbon steels are explained. (Kako, I.)

Hierarchically structured nanoporous carbon tubes for high pressure carbon dioxide adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Patzsch

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Mesoscopic, nanoporous carbon tubes were synthesized by a combination of the Stoeber process and the use of electrospun macrosized polystyrene fibres as structure directing templates. The obtained carbon tubes have a macroporous nature characterized by a thick wall structure and a high specific surface area of approximately 500 m²/g resulting from their micro- and mesopores. The micropore regime of the carbon tubes is composed of turbostratic graphitic areas observed in the microstructure. The employed templating process was also used for the synthesis of silicon carbide tubes. The characterization of all porous materials was performed by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K, Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA, scanning electron microscopy (SEM as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The adsorption of carbon dioxide on the carbon tubes at 25 °C at pressures of up to 30 bar was studied using a volumetric method. At 26 bar, an adsorption capacity of 4.9 mmol/g was observed. This is comparable to the adsorption capacity of molecular sieves and vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The high pressure adsorption process of CO2 was found to irreversibly change the microporous structure of the carbon tubes.

Uncovering the Driving Factors of Carbon Emissions in an Investment Allocation Model of China’s High-Carbon and Low-Carbon Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shumin Jiang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the view of long-term comprehensive development, the concept of low-carbon economy has long been a concern. In this paper, we build a pure energy-economic system and explore the exact influencing factors in the investment allocation of high-carbon and low-carbon energy with the purpose of mitigating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The dynamic analysis shows that the model that we built is applicable for the current market situation and the way we adjust the investments of high-carbon and low-carbon energy are conductive to carbon abatement in the atmosphere. On the basis of the stability analysis and numerical simulation, some strategies are given to decrease the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The results show that the social consumption and public consumption behavior are the most important factors responsible for the variation in the atmospheric carbon dioxide. The cleanliness of high carbon presents an obvious mitigating effect on carbon in the atmosphere and the effect of marginal profit of high-carbon energy is the weakest. In addition, enhancing marginal profit, return on investment and investment share of low-carbon energy are beneficial to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, while a return on investment of high-carbon energy increasing is the detriment of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Finally, we provide carbon mitigation effort by considering both economic development and carbon abatement for policymakers to achieve a desirable emission-reduction effect.

Highly Flexible Freestanding Porous Carbon Nanofibers for Electrodes Materials of High-Performance All-Carbon Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Zhou, Jinyuan; Chen, Lulu; Zhang, Peng; Fu, Wenbin; Zhao, Hao; Ma, Yufang; Pan, Xiaojun; Zhang, Zhenxing; Han, Weihua; Xie, Erqing

2015-10-28

Highly flexible porous carbon nanofibers (P-CNFs) were fabricated by electrospining technique combining with metal ion-assistant acid corrosion process. The resultant fibers display high conductivity and outstanding mechanical flexibility, whereas little change in their resistance can be observed under repeatedly bending, even to 180°. Further results indicate that the improved flexibility of P-CNFs can be due to the high graphitization degree caused by Co ions. In view of electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors, this type of porous nanostructure and high graphitization degree could synergistically facilitate the electrolyte ion diffusion and electron transportation. In the three electrodes testing system, the resultant P-CNFs electrodes can exhibit a specific capacitance of 104.5 F g(-1) (0.2 A g(-1)), high rate capability (remain 56.5% at 10 A g(-1)), and capacitance retention of ∼94% after 2000 cycles. Furthermore, the assembled symmetric supercapacitors showed a high flexibility and can deliver an energy density of 3.22 Wh kg(-1) at power density of 600 W kg(-1). This work might open a way to improve the mechanical properties of carbon fibers and suggests that this type of freestanding P-CNFs be used as effective electrode materials for flexible all-carbon supercapacitors.

COMPARISON OF HIGH-DEFINITION OSCILLOMETRIC AND DIRECT ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT IN ANESTHETIZED CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS).

Science.gov (United States)

Sant Cassia, Emma V; Boswood, Adrian; Tordiffe, Adrian S W

2015-09-01

Blood pressure measurement reveals important insights into the health of conscious and anesthetized individuals. This is of particular interest in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), which in captivity are known to suffer from chronic diseases that may be associated with hypertension and which often require immobilization for transport or veterinary treatment. Invasive testing methods are considered the gold standard but are not practical in many settings. Consequently, it is important to evaluate the use of noninvasive methods in this species. Measurements for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure obtained using high-definition oscillometry (HDO) at the coccygeal artery were compared to simultaneous direct measurements obtained via catheterization of the femoral or dorsal pedal artery in eight anesthetized captive cheetahs during nine anesthetic events. Overall, HDO and direct measurements agreed most closely for mean arterial pressure, and the poorest agreement was observed for systolic pressure. There was a tendency for low diastolic pressures to be underestimated and for high diastolic pressures to be overestimated. Across all three parameters, HDO measurements from the tail overestimated directly measured pressures in the femoral artery and underestimated those in the dorsal pedal artery. HDO agreed most closely with directly measured dorsal pedal pressures. Mean arterial pressure showed the greatest precision (standard deviation of 10.2 mm Hg) and lowest bias (-1.2 mm Hg), with 75.9% of readings within 10 mm Hg of the direct dorsal pedal pressure. Agreement with systolic pressure was hindered by a high bias (-10.4 mm Hg), but if a correction factor of +10 mm Hg was applied to all systolic measurements, agreement was improved and 65.7% of readings were within 10 mm Hg of the direct pressure. When compared to criteria defined by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine for validation of blood pressure devices, results were favorable, but a

Usefulness of computed tomography angiography for the detection of high-risk aortas for carotid artery stenting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Hiromichi; Kuwayama, Naoya; Hayashi, Nakamasa; Kubo, Michiya; Endo, Shunro

2011-01-01

This study evaluated the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) angiography for the detection of high-risk aortas for carotid artery stenting (CAS). We investigated changes in the treatment method and modifications of endovascular techniques according to the information from CT angiography. CT angiography using three-dimensional and multi-planar reconstruction was performed in 43 consecutive patients with carotid artery stenoses intended to undergo CAS. Two neurosurgeons evaluated the images and estimated the risk and difficulties of CAS. CT angiography clearly depicted the entire aorta, the supra-aortic vessels, and the ilio-femoral arteries in all patients. Abnormal vascular findings were found in 17 patients. High-risk aortic lesions for CAS were detected in 5 patients, including thick aortic plaques with thrombi in 2. We changed the treatment strategy from CAS to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in these 2 patients. CT angiograms proved very useful in evaluating the approach routes of CAS in 12 patients. One patient had dissecting aneurysm of the thoracic aorta and another had aberrant right vertebral artery. In these two, the treatment strategy was changed from CAS to CEA. The treatment method was changed in 4 patients in total. CT angiography is useful for the detection of high-risk aortas for CAS and for the evaluation of safe approaches to the carotid artery. (author)

The high opening of the right bronchial artery with a non-typical course.

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Maciejewski, R; Madej, B; Anasiewicz, A

1995-01-01

Authors describing the bronchial vessels agree to the fact that they are characterised by a great variability in regard to their number and the place where they leave aorta (1, 2, 6). The characteristic feature of the right bronchial artery is that it often forms common trunks with other vessels (mainly with the first right aortic intercostal branch or with one of the upper oesophageal arteries). It can also have a common let-out trunk with the left upper bronchial artery (4). Bearing in mind that the operations on trachea and bronchi are difficult, and that it is very important to maintain the blood supply of the walls in the operated organs we have decided to publish our observations. They refer to a case, not described before, in which the right bronchial artery left the aortic arch in a high position making the vascular supply to the front lower half of the trachea and its bifurcation. Then, it went down to the membranous part of the right bronchus.

Thirty-day outcomes of direct carotid artery stenting with cerebral protection in high-risk patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veselka, J.; Cerna, D.; Zimolova, P.; Blasko, P.; Fiedler, J.; Hajek, P.; Maly, M.; Zemanek, D.; Duchonova, R.

2007-01-01

Implantation of a carotid artery stent after predilation is a standard approach in the endovascular treatment of carotid artery stenoses. Stenting without predilation may be an alternative approach in a certain subset of patients. The present prospective, single-center registry was designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of direct carotid artery stenting (DCAS) in high-risk patients. Symptomatic patients with stenosis >50% and asymptomatic patients with stenosis >70% were eligible for enrolment. Criteria for high-risk patients included: need or history of open heart surgery, history of myocardial infarction, multivessel coronary artery disease, left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction ≤40%), severe pulmonary or renal disease, significant contralateral carotid disease, previous endarterectomy, and age ≥80 years. All procedures were performed using a filter protection device. Patients underwent complete clinical examination before and after DCAS and at 30-day follow-up. A total of 83 consecutive patients (45 males, 68±9 years, 33% symptomatic) underwent 100 procedures and 103 stents were deployed successfully. The technical success rate of stenting was 100%. Predilation of carotid stenosis was necessary in 1 (1%) procedure. Carotid-artery stenoses before and after DCAS were 80±9% and 7±9%, respectively. The median fluoroscopic time for DCAS was 7 min. The overall rate of in-hospital major adverse cerebrovascular events (death, stroke, myocardial infarction) was 5% (2 minor strokes, 3 transient attacks). There was 1 (1%) minor stroke within the 30-day follow-up. DCAS is feasible and can be performed with an acceptable risk in high-risk patients. (author)

Arterial blood gas management in retrograde cerebral perfusion: the importance of carbon dioxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueno, K; Takamoto, S; Miyairi, T; Morota, T; Shibata, K; Murakami, A; Kotsuka, Y

2001-11-01

Many interventional physiological assessments for retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) have been explored. However, the appropriate arterial gas management of carbon dioxide (CO2) remains controversial. The aim of this study is to determine whether alpha-stat or pH-stat could be used for effective brain protection under RCP in terms of cortical cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2), and distribution of regional cerebral blood flow. Fifteen anesthetized dogs (25.1+/-1.1 kg) on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were cooled to 18 degrees C under alpha-stat management and had RCP for 90 min under: (1), alpha-stat; (2), pH-stat; or (3), deep hypothermic (18 degrees C) antegrade CPB (antegrade). RCP flow was regulated for a sagittal sinus pressure of around 25 mmHg. CBF was monitored by a laser tissue flowmeter. Serial analyses of blood gas were made. The regional cerebral blood flow was measured with colored microspheres before discontinuation of RCP. CBF and CMRO2 were evaluated as the percentage of the baseline level (%CBF, %CMRO2). The oxygen content of arterial inflow and oxygen extraction was not significantly different between the RCP groups. The %CBF and %CMRO2 were significantly higher for pH-stat RCP than for alpha-stat RCP. The regional cerebral blood flow, measured with colored microspheres, tended to be higher for pH-stat RCP than for alpha-stat RCP, at every site in the brain. Irrespective of CO2 management, regional differences were not significant among any site in the brain. CO2 management is crucial for brain protection under deep hypothermic RCP. This study revealed that pH-stat was considered to be better than alpha-stat in terms of CBF and oxygen metabolism in the brain. The regional blood flow distribution was considered to be unchanged irrespective of CO2 management.

Intravascular near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging of atherosclerosis: toward coronary arterial visualization of biologically high-risk plaques

Science.gov (United States)

Calfon, Marcella A.; Vinegoni, Claudio; Ntziachristos, Vasilis; Jaffer, Farouc A.

2010-01-01

New imaging methods are urgently needed to identify high-risk atherosclerotic lesions prior to the onset of myocardial infarction, stroke, and ischemic limbs. Molecular imaging offers a new approach to visualize key biological features that characterize high-risk plaques associated with cardiovascular events. While substantial progress has been realized in clinical molecular imaging of plaques in larger arterial vessels (carotid, aorta, iliac), there remains a compelling, unmet need to develop molecular imaging strategies targeted to high-risk plaques in human coronary arteries. We present recent developments in intravascular near-IR fluorescence catheter-based strategies for in vivo detection of plaque inflammation in coronary-sized arteries. In particular, the biological, light transmission, imaging agent, and engineering principles that underlie a new intravascular near-IR fluorescence sensing method are discussed. Intravascular near-IR fluorescence catheters appear highly translatable to the cardiac catheterization laboratory, and thus may offer a new in vivo method to detect high-risk coronary plaques and to assess novel atherosclerosis biologics.

Thermal Oxidation of a Carbon Condensate Formed in High-Frequency Carbon and Carbon-Nickel Plasma Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Churilov, G. N.; Nikolaev, N. S.; Cherepakhin, A. V.; Dudnik, A. I.; Tomashevich, E. V.; Trenikhin, M. V.; Bulina, N. G.

2018-02-01

We have reported on the comparative characteristics of thermal oxidation of a carbon condensate prepared by high-frequency arc evaporation of graphite rods and a rod with a hollow center filled with nickel powder. In the latter case, along with different forms of nanodisperse carbon, nickel particles with nickel core-carbon shell structures are formed. It has been found that the processes of the thermal oxidation of carbon condensates with and without nickel differ significantly. Nickel particles with the carbon shell exhibit catalytic properties with respect to the oxidation of nanosized carbon structures. A noticeable difference between the temperatures of the end of the oxidation process for various carbon nanoparticles and nickel particles with the carbon shell has been established. The study is aimed at investigations of the effect of nickel nanoparticles on the dynamics of carbon condensate oxidation upon heating in the argon-oxygen flow.

Cubic martensite in high carbon steel

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yulin; Xiao, Wenlong; Jiao, Kun; Ping, Dehai; Xu, Huibin; Zhao, Xinqing; Wang, Yunzhi

2018-05-01

A distinguished structural characteristic of martensite in Fe-C steels is its tetragonality originating from carbon atoms occupying only one set of the three available octahedral interstitial sites in the body-centered-cubic (bcc) Fe lattice. Such a body-centered-tetragonal (bct) structure is believed to be thermodynamically stable because of elastic interactions between the interstitial carbon atoms. For such phase stability, however, there has been a lack of direct experimental evidence despite extensive studies of phase transformations in steels over one century. In this Rapid Communication, we report that the martensite formed in a high carbon Fe-8Ni-1.26C (wt%) steel at room temperature induced by applied stress/strain has actually a bcc rather than a bct crystal structure. This finding not only challenges the existing theories on the stability of bcc vs bct martensite in high carbon steels, but also provides insights into the mechanism for martensitic transformation in ferrous alloys.

Liver cirrhosis and arterial hypertension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Jens Henrik; Møller, Søren

2006-01-01

blood pressure. This review considers the alterations in systemic hemodynamics in patients with cirrhosis in relation to essential hypertension and arterial hypertension of the renal origin. Subjects with arterial hypertension (essential, secondary) may become normotensive during the development......Characteristic findings in patients with cirrhosis are vasodilatation with low overall systemic vascular resistance, high arterial compliance, increased cardiac output, secondary activation of counter-regulatory systems (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, sympathetic nervous system, release...... of cirrhosis, and arterial hypertension is rarely manifested in patients with cirrhosis, even in cases with renovascular disease and high circulating renin activity. There is much dispute as to the understanding of homoeostatic regulation in cirrhotic patients with manifest arterial hypertension. This most...

High value carbon materials from PET recycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parra, J.B.; Ania, C.O.; Arenillas, A.; Rubiera, F.; Pis, J.J.

2004-01-01

Poly(ethylene) terephthalate (PET), has become one of the major post-consumer plastic waste. In this work special attention was paid to minimising PET residues and to obtain a high value carbon material. Pyrolysis and subsequent activation of PET from post-consumer soft-drink bottles was performed. Activation was carried out at 925 deg. C under CO 2 atmosphere to different burn-off degrees. Textural characterisation of the samples was carried out by performing N 2 adsorption isotherms at -196 deg. C. The obtained carbons materials were mainly microporous, presenting low meso and macroporosity, and apparent BET surface areas of upto 2500 m 2 g -1 . The capacity of these materials for phenol adsorption and PAHs removal from aqueous solutions was measured and compared with that attained with commercial active carbons. Preliminary tests also showed high hydrogen uptake values, as good as the results obtained with high-tech carbon materials

Pressure drop and arterial compliance - Two arterial parameters in one measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotman, Oren M; Zaretsky, Uri; Shitzer, Avraham; Einav, Shmuel

2017-01-04

Coronary artery pressure-drop and distensibility (compliance) are two major, seemingly unrelated, parameters in the cardiovascular clinical setting, which are indicative of coronary arteries patency and atherosclerosis severity. While pressure drop is related to flow, and therefore serves as a functional indicator of a stenosis severity, the arterial distensibility is indicative of the arterial stiffness, and hence the arterial wall composition. In the present study, we hypothesized that local pressure drops are dependent on the arterial distensibility, and hence can provide information on both indices. The clinical significance is that a single measurement of pressure drop could potentially provide both functional and bio-mechanical metrics of lesions, and thus assist in real-time decision making prior to stenting. The goal of the current study was to set the basis for understanding this relationship, and define the accuracy and sensitivity required from the pressure measurement system. The investigation was performed using numerical fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations, validated experimentally using our high accuracy differential pressure measurement system. Simplified silicone mock coronary arteries with zero to intermediate size stenoses were used, and various combinations of arterial distensibility, diameter, and flow rate were simulated. Results of hyperemic flow cases were also compared to fractional flow reserve (FFR). The results indicate the potential clinical superiority of a high accuracy pressure drop-based parameter over FFR, by: (i) being more lesion-specific, (ii) the possibility to circumvent the FFR dependency on pharmacologically-induced hyperemia, and, (iii) by providing both functional and biomechanical lesion-specific information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization of Cystic Artery Pseudoaneurysm in Acalculous Cholecystitis: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyung Ook; Lee, Young Hwan [Dept. of Radiology, Daegu Catholic University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young Hwan [Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology, Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2011-04-15

A pseudoaneurysm of the cystic artery is a rare complication of cholecystitis, and is manifested by hemobilia or hematemesis. An early diagnosis is required for the successful treatment by cholecystectomy and ligation of the cystic artery. Herein, we report a case of a pseudoaneurysm of the cystic artery diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasonography and CT, and successfully treated by transcatheter arterial embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate in a high-risk surgical patient.

Carbon Dioxide Flush of an Integrated Minimized Perfusion Circuit Prior to Priming Prevents Spontaneous Air Release Into the Arterial Line During Clinical Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Stehouwer, Marco C; de Vroege, Roel; Hoohenkerk, Gerard J F; Hofman, Frederik N; Kelder, Johannes C; Buchner, Bas; de Mol, Bastian A; Bruins, Peter

2017-11-01

Recently, an oxygenator with an integrated centrifugal blood pump (IP) was designed to minimize priming volume and to reduce blood foreign surface contact even further. The use of this oxygenator with or without integrated arterial filter was compared with a conventional oxygenator and nonintegrated centrifugal pump. To compare the air removal characteristics 60 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were alternately assigned into one of three groups to be perfused with a minimized extracorporeal circuit either with the conventional oxygenator, the oxygenator with IP, or the oxygenator with IP plus integrated arterial filter (IAF). Air entering and leaving the three devices was measured accurately with a bubble counter during cardiopulmonary bypass. No significant differences between all groups were detected, considering air entering the devices. Our major finding was that in both integrated devices groups incidental spontaneous release of air into the arterial line in approximately 40% of the patients was observed. Here, detectable bolus air (>500 µm) was shown in the arterial line, whereas in the minimal extracorporeal circulation circuit (MECC) group this phenomenon was not present. We decided to conduct an amendment of the initial design with METC-approval. Ten patients were assigned to be perfused with an oxygenator with IP and IAF. Importantly, the integrated perfusion systems used in these patients were flushed with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) prior to priming of the systems. In the group with CO 2 flush no spontaneous air release was observed in all cases and this was significantly different from the initial study with the group with the integrated device and IAF. This suggests that air spilling may be caused by residual air in the integrated device. In conclusion, integration of a blood pump may cause spontaneous release of large air bubbles (>500 µm) into the arterial line, despite the presence of an integrated arterial filter. CO 2 flushing of

Magneto-carbonization method for production of carbon fiber, and high performance carbon fibers made thereby

Science.gov (United States)

Naskar, Amit K.; Ozcan, Soydan; Eberle, Claude C.; Abdallah, Mohamed Gabr; Mackiewicz, Ludtka Gail; Ludtka, Gerard Michael; Paulauskas, Felix Leonard; Rivard, John Daniel Kennedy

2017-08-08

Method for the preparation of carbon fiber from fiber precursor, wherein the fiber precursor is subjected to a magnetic field of at least 3 Tesla during a carbonization process. The carbonization process is generally conducted at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C. and less than 2200.degree. C., wherein, in particular embodiments, the carbonization process includes a low temperature carbonization step conducted at a temperature of at least or above 400.degree. C. or 500.degree. C. and less than or up to 1000.degree. C., 1100.degree. C., or 1200.degree. C., followed by a high temperature carbonization step conducted at a temperature of at least or above 1200.degree. C. In particular embodiments, particularly in the case of a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber precursor, the resulting carbon fiber may possess a minimum tensile strength of at least 600 ksi, a tensile modulus of at least 30 Msi, and an ultimate elongation of at least 1.5%.

Identification of Detrital Carbonate in East Cepu High

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, R.; Andika, I. K.; Haris, A.; Miftah, A.

2018-03-01

East Cepu High is a part of horst – graben series which formed by extensional tectonic processes during Paleogene in North East Java Basin. Due to excellent paleogeography position, the carbonate build-up was growth very well and as the main reservoir in East Cepu High. Sea level change have important factor to provide variation of facies in each carbonate buildup, one of emerging facies is detrital carbonate. Detrital carbonate indicated by onlap horizon featured with carbonate build up body. Based on paleogeography, fluctuation of sea level change and sediment source, detrital carbonate formed in leeward area in lowstand or highstand phases. Distinguish between detrital carbonate facies with other facies, advanced seismic processing performed by using continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and seismic inversion. CWT is one method of spectral decomposition used to find the frequency that represent a facies. The result from seismic inversion will support the interpretation for facies distribution. As the result, seismic data which have interval frequency 10 – 45 Hz and Acoustic Impedance (AI) value above 35000 (from cross plot between acoustic impedance and gamma ray) can be interpreted as detrital carbonate. Based on seismic interpretation, detrital carbonate facies distributed along leeward area with geometrical spreading. The lateral facies change from detrital carbonate to shale was identified which causing this facies become potential as hydrocarbon reservoir with stratigraphic trap. Based on the earlier studies, North East Java Basin have a strong hydrocarbon migration to fill the reservoir, therefore the detrital carbonate have high chance to be a new hydrocarbon prospect in this area.

Electrochemical Hydrogen Storage in a Highly Ordered Mesoporous Carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan eLiu

2014-10-01

Full Text Available A highly order mesoporous carbon has been synthesized through a strongly acidic, aqueous cooperative assembly route. The structure and morphology of the carbon material were investigated using TEM, SEM and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The carbon was proven to be meso-structural and consisted of graphitic micro-domain with larger interlayer space. AC impedance and electrochemical measurements reveal that the synthesized highly ordered mesoporous carbon exhibits a promoted electrochemical hydrogen insertion process and improved capacitance and hydrogen storage stability. The meso-structure and enlarged interlayer distance within the highly ordered mesoporous carbon are suggested as possible causes for the enhancement in hydrogen storage. Both hydrogen capacity in the carbon and mass diffusion within the matrix were improved.

Very high coronary artery calcium score with normal myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging is associated with a moderate incidence of severe coronary artery disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuoness, Salem A.; Goha, Ahmed M.; Romsa, Jonathan G.; Akincioglu, Cigdem; Warrington, James C.; Datta, Sudip; Gambhir, Sanjay; Urbain, Jean-Luc C.; Vezina, William C. [London Health Sciences Centre, Department of Nuclear Medicine, London, ON (Canada); Massel, David R. [London Health Sciences Centre, Division of Cardiology, London, ON (Canada); Martell, Rafael [Private Practice, London, ON (Canada)

2015-09-15

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has limitations in the presence of balanced multivessel disease (MVD) and left main (LM) coronary artery disease, occasionally resulting in false-normal results despite the high cardiovascular risk associated with this condition. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of severe coronary artery disease (CAD) in the presence of a very high Agatston coronary artery calcium (CAC) score (>1,000) in stable symptomatic patients without known CAD but with normal MPI results. A total of 2,659 prospectively acquired consecutive patients were referred for MPI and evaluation of CAC score by CT. Of this patient population, 8 % (222/2,659) had ischemia without myocardial infarction (MI) on MPI and 11 % (298/2,659) had abnormal MPI (MI and/or ischemia). On presentation 1 % of the patients (26/2,659) were symptomatic, had a CAC score >1,000 and normal MPI results. The definition of normal MPI was strict and included a normal hemodynamic response without ischemic ECG changes and normal imaging, particularly absence of transient ischemic dilation. All of these 26 patients with a CAC score >1,000 and normal MPI findings underwent cardiac catheterization. Of these 26 patients, 58 % (15/26) had severe disease (≥70 % stenosis) leading to revascularization. Of this group, 47 % (7/15) underwent percutaneous intervention, and 53 % (8/15) underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. All of these 15 patients had either MVD (14/15) or LM coronary artery disease (1/15), and represented 0.6 % (15/2,659) of all referred patients (95 % CI 0.3 - 0.9 %). The majority, 90 % (8/9), had severe CAD with typical chest pain. A very high CAC score (>1,000) with normal MPI in a small subset of symptomatically stable patients was associated with a moderate incidence of severe CAD (95 % CI 37 - 77 %). Larger studies and/or a meta-analysis of small studies are needed to more precisely estimate the incidence of CAD in this population. This study also supports

High value carbon materials from PET recycling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parra, J.B.; Ania, C.O.; Arenillas, A.; Rubiera, F.; Pis, J.J

2004-11-15

Poly(ethylene) terephthalate (PET), has become one of the major post-consumer plastic waste. In this work special attention was paid to minimising PET residues and to obtain a high value carbon material. Pyrolysis and subsequent activation of PET from post-consumer soft-drink bottles was performed. Activation was carried out at 925 deg. C under CO{sub 2} atmosphere to different burn-off degrees. Textural characterisation of the samples was carried out by performing N{sub 2} adsorption isotherms at -196 deg. C. The obtained carbons materials were mainly microporous, presenting low meso and macroporosity, and apparent BET surface areas of upto 2500 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}. The capacity of these materials for phenol adsorption and PAHs removal from aqueous solutions was measured and compared with that attained with commercial active carbons. Preliminary tests also showed high hydrogen uptake values, as good as the results obtained with high-tech carbon materials.

High frequency conductivity in carbon nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Abukari

2012-12-01

Full Text Available We report on theoretical analysis of high frequency conductivity in carbon nanotubes. Using the kinetic equation with constant relaxation time, an analytical expression for the complex conductivity is obtained. The real part of the complex conductivity is initially negative at zero frequency and become more negative with increasing frequency, until it reaches a resonance minimum at ω ∼ ωB for metallic zigzag CNs and ω < ωB for armchair CNs. This resonance enhancement is indicative for terahertz gain without the formation of current instabilities induced by negative dc conductivity. We noted that due to the high density of states of conduction electrons in metallic zigzag carbon nanotubes and the specific dispersion law inherent in hexagonal crystalline structure result in a uniquely high frequency conductivity than the corresponding values for metallic armchair carbon nanotubes. We suggest that this phenomenon can be used to suppress current instabilities that are normally associated with a negative dc differential conductivity.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia stabilizes mean arterial blood pressure at high-frequency interval in healthy humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Elstad, Maja; Walløe, Lars; Holme, Nathalie L A; Maes, Elke; Thoresen, Marianne

2015-03-01

Arterial blood pressure variations are an independent risk factor for end organ failure. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is a sign of a healthy cardiovascular system. However, whether RSA counteracts arterial blood pressure variations during the respiratory cycle remains controversial. We restricted normal RSA with non-invasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) to test the hypothesis that RSA normally functions to stabilize mean arterial blood pressure. Ten young volunteers were investigated during metronome-paced breathing and IPPV. Heart rate (ECG), mean arterial blood pressure and left stroke volume (finger arterial pressure curve) and right stroke volume (pulsed ultrasound Doppler) were recorded, while systemic and pulmonary blood flow were calculated beat-by-beat. Respiratory variations (high-frequency power, 0.15-0.40 Hz) in cardiovascular variables were estimated by spectral analysis. Phase angles and correlation were calculated by cross-spectral analysis. The magnitude of RSA was reduced from 4.9 bpm(2) (95% CI 3.0, 6.2) during metronome breathing to 2.8 bpm(2) (95% CI 1.1, 5.0) during IPPV (p = 0.03). Variations in mean arterial blood pressure were greater (2.3 mmHg(2) (95% CI 1.4, 3.9) during IPPV than during metronome breathing (1.0 mmHg(2) [95% CI 0.7, 1.3]) (p = 0.014). Respiratory variations in right and left stroke volumes were inversely related in the respiratory cycle during both metronome breathing and IPPV. RSA magnitude is lower and mean arterial blood pressure variability is greater during IPPV than during metronome breathing. We conclude that in healthy humans, RSA stabilizes mean arterial blood pressure at respiratory frequency.

New technology for carbon dioxide at high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassina, Bazaze; Raouf, Zehioua; Menial, A. H.

2006-01-01

Carbon dioxide has long been the nemesis of environmentalists because of its role in global warming, but under just the right conditions-namely, high pressure and high temperature its one of nature's best and most environmentally benign solvents. Decaf-coffee lovers, for instance, benefit from its ability to remove caffeine from coffee beans.During the last few years, carbon dioxide has also made inroads in the dry-cleaning industry, providing a safe cleaning alternative to the chemical perchloroethylene. But it's on the high-tech front that carbon dioxide may make its biggest impact. T here are huge opportunities. Scientists have known for more than a century that at 75 times atmospheric pressure and 31 degree centigrade, carbon dioxide goes into and odd state that chemists called s upercritical . What's interesting to industry is that supercritical carbon dioxide may be an enabling technology for going to smaller dimensions.(Author)

Feasibility of recanalization of human coronary arteries using high-intensity ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, A; Schenk, E A; Woodlock, T J; Alliger, H; Gottlieb, S; Child, S Z; Meltzer, R S

1994-01-15

To investigate the feasibility of ultrasonic recanalization of obstructed human coronary arteries in vitro, high-intensity ultrasound was applied to 16 coronary arteries obtained at autopsy, using a prototype instrument enabling insonification through a catheter tip. It was a 119 cm long, 0.95 mm thick wire in an 8Fr catheter connected to an external ultrasonic transformer and power generator. A 5 MHz phased-array 2-dimensional echocardiography instrument was used to determine minimal luminal diameter and percent diameter narrowing before and after ultrasound application. The ultrasonic energy was delivered at 21.5 kHz and with a 52 +/- 19 micrometer average amplitude of tip displacement. The mean percent luminal diameter narrowing, flow rate and mean pressure gradient before ultrasound exposure were 74 +/- 11%, 97 +/- 61 ml/min, and 92 +/- 18 mm Hg, respectively. After recanalization, the mean percent luminal diameter narrowing decreased to 45 +/- 17% (p ultrasound application. Mechanical fracture of the wire occurred in 8 cases (50%). No signs of thermal injury were found on histology. Thus, ultrasonic recanalization of human coronary arteries in vitro is feasible. It may reduce obstruction and improve blood flow. Debris sizes are sufficiently small to minimize the hazard of peripheral embolization.

Arterial function of carotid and brachial arteries in postmenopausal vegetarians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su T

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Ta-Chen Su1, Pao-Ling Torng2, Jiann-Shing Jeng3, Ming-Fong Chen1, Chiau-Suong Liau1,41Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 4Cardiovascular Center, Taipei Buddist Tzu-Chi Hospital, Hsin-Dian, Taipei, TaiwanBackground: Vegetarianism is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. However, studies of arterial function in vegetarians are limited.Methods: This study investigated arterial function in vegetarianism by comparing 49 healthy postmenopausal vegetarians with 41 age-matched omnivores. The arterial function of the common carotid artery was assessed by carotid duplex, while the pulse dynamics method was used to measure brachial artery distensibility (BAD, compliance (BAC, and resistance (BAR. Fasting blood levels of glucose, lipids, lipoprotein (a, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and vitamin B12 were also measured.Results: Vegetarians had significantly lower serum cholesterol, high-density and low-density lipoprotein, and glucose compared with omnivores. They also had lower vitamin B12 but higher homocysteine levels. Serum levels of lipoprotein (a and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were no different between the two groups. There were no significant differences in carotid beta stiffness index, BAC, and BAD between the two groups even after adjustment for associated covariates. However, BAR was significantly lower in vegetarians than in omnivores. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age and pulse pressure were two important determinants of carotid beta stiffness index and BAD. Vegetarianism is not associated with better arterial elasticity.Conclusion: Apparently healthy postmenopausal vegetarians are not significantly better in terms of carotid beta stiffness index, BAC, and BAD, but have significantly decreased BAR than

High speed intravascular photoacoustic imaging of atherosclerotic arteries (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Piao, Zhonglie; Ma, Teng; Qu, Yueqiao; Li, Jiawen; Yu, Mingyue; He, Youmin; Shung, K. Kirk; Zhou, Qifa; Kim, Chang-Seok; Chen, Zhongping

2016-02-01

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the industrialized nations. Accurate quantification of both the morphology and composition of lipid-rich vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque are essential for early detection and optimal treatment in clinics. In previous works, intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging for detection of lipid-rich plaque within coronary artery walls has been demonstrated in ex vivo, but the imaging speed is still limited. In order to increase the imaging speed, a high repetition rate laser is needed. In this work, we present a high speed integrated IVPA/US imaging system with a 500 Hz optical parametric oscillator laser at 1725 nm. A miniature catheter with 1.0 mm outer diameter was designed with a 200 μm multimode fiber and an ultrasound transducer with 45 MHz center frequency. The fiber was polished at 38 degree and enclosed in a glass capillary for total internal reflection. An optical/electrical rotary junction and pull-back mechanism was applied for rotating and linearly scanning the catheter to obtain three-dimensional imaging. Atherosclerotic rabbit abdominal aorta was imaged as two frame/second at 1725 nm. Furthermore, by wide tuning range of the laser wavelength from 1680 nm to 1770 nm, spectroscopic photoacoustic analysis of lipid-mimicking phantom and an human atherosclerotic artery was performed ex vivo. The results demonstrated that the developed IVPA/US imaging system is capable for high speed intravascular imaging for plaque detection.

High-Resolution 3 T MR Microscopy Imaging of Arterial Walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sailer, Johannes; Rand, Thomas; Berg, Andreas; Sulzbacher, Irene; Peloschek, P.; Hoelzenbein, Thomas; Lammer, Johannes

2006-01-01

Purpose. To achieve a high spatial resolution in MR imaging that allows for clear visualization of anatomy and even histology and documentation of plaque morphology in in vitro samples from patients with advanced atherosclerosis. A further objective of our study was to evaluate whether T2-weighted high-resolution MR imaging can provide accurate classification of atherosclerotic plaque according to a modified American Heart Association classification. Methods. T2-weighted images of arteries were obtained in 13 in vitro specimens using a 3 T MR unit (Medspec 300 Avance/Bruker, Ettlingen, Germany) combined with a dedicated MR microscopy system. Measurement parameters were: T2-weighted sequences with TR 3.5 sec, TE 15-120 msec; field of view (FOV) 1.4 x 1.4; NEX 8; matrix 192; and slice thickness 600 μm. MR measurements were compared with corresponding histologic sections. Results. We achieved excellent spatial and contrast resolution in all specimens. We found high agreement between MR images and histology with regard to the morphology and extent of intimal proliferations in all but 2 specimens. We could differentiate fibrous caps and calcifications from lipid plaque components based on differences in signal intensity in order to differentiate hard and soft atheromatous plaques. Hard plaques with predominantly intimal calcifications were found in 7 specimens, and soft plaques with a cholesterol/lipid content in 5 cases. In all specimens, hemorrhage or thrombus formation, and fibrotic and hyalinized tissue could be detected on both MR imaging and histopathology. Conclusion. High-resolution, high-field MR imaging of arterial walls demonstrates the morphologic features, volume, and extent of intimal proliferations with high spatial and contrast resolution in in vitro specimens and can differentiate hard and soft plaques

Intraoperative echocardiographic imaging of coronary arteries and graft anastomoses during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass.

Science.gov (United States)

Suematsu, Y; Takamoto, S; Ohtsuka, T

2001-12-01

No accepted approach exists for the intraoperative evaluation of the quality of coronary arteries and the technical adequacy of graft anastomoses during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass. We assessed the accuracy of high-frequency epicardial echocardiography and power Doppler imaging in evaluating coronary arteries during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass. To validate measurements of coronary arteries and graft anastomoses by high-frequency epicardial echocardiography and power Doppler imaging, we compared luminal diameters determined by these methods with diameters determined histologically in a study of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in 20 dogs. Technical errors were deliberately created in 10 grafts (stenosis group). The results of these animal validation studies showed that the maximum luminal diameters of coronary arteries and graft anastomoses measured by high-frequency epicardial echocardiography (HEE) and power Doppler imaging (PDI) correlated well with the histologic measurements: HEE = 1.027 x Histologic measurements + 0.005 (P anastomoses were examined intraoperatively by high-frequency epicardial echocardiography and power Doppler imaging, and luminal diameters determined by power Doppler imaging were compared with those determined by postoperative coronary angiography. The results demonstrated that graft anastomosis by power Doppler imaging correlated well with the angiographic measurements: PDI = 1.018 x Angiographic measurements - 0.106 (P anastomoses and can detect technical errors and inadequacies during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass.

A high-performance carbon derived from polyaniline for supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Jun [Harbin Engineering University, Harbin (China). Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials and Surface Technology; College of Automation, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin (China); Wei, Tong; Fan, Zhuangjun; Li, Tianyou [Harbin Engineering University, Harbin (China). Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials and Surface Technology; Qiao, Wenming [Harbin Engineering University, Harbin (China). Coll. of Material Science and Chemical Engineering; Zhang, Lijun; Zhao, Qiankun [College of Automation, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin (China)

2010-10-15

Activated carbon derived from rod-shaped polyaniline (the diameter of 170 nm) was synthesized by carbonization and subsequent activation with KOH. The obtained activated carbon exhibits a high specific capacitance (455 F g{sup -1}) and remarkable rate capability due to its high specific surface area (1976 m{sup 2}g{sup -1}), narrow pore size distribution (< 3 nm) as well as short diffusion length. It is indicated that the promising synthetic method used in this work can pave the way for designing new carbon based materials from different polymers for high-performance energy applications. (author)

Carbon dioxide narcosis due to inappropriate oxygen delivery: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Herren, Thomas; Achermann, Eva; Hegi, Thomas; Reber, Adrian; Stäubli, Max

2017-07-28

Oxygen delivery to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be challenging because of their potential hypoxic ventilatory drive. However, some oxygen delivery systems such as non-rebreathing face masks with an oxygen reservoir bag require high oxygen flow for adequate oxygenation and to avoid carbon dioxide rebreathing. A 72-year-old Caucasian man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was admitted to the emergency department because of worsening dyspnea and an oxygen saturation of 81% measured by pulse oximetry. Oxygen was administered using a non-rebreathing mask with an oxygen reservoir bag attached. For fear of removing the hypoxic stimulus to respiration the oxygen flow was inappropriately limited to 4L/minute. The patient developed carbon dioxide narcosis and had to be intubated and mechanically ventilated. Non-rebreathing masks with oxygen reservoir bags must be fed with an oxygen flow exceeding the patient's minute ventilation (>6-10 L/minute.). If not, the amount of oxygen delivered will be too small to effectively increase the arterial oxygen saturation. Moreover, the risk of carbon dioxide rebreathing dramatically increases if the flow of oxygen to a non-rebreathing mask is lower than the minute ventilation, especially in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and low tidal volumes. Non-rebreathing masks (with oxygen reservoir bags) must be used cautiously by experienced medical staff and with an appropriately high oxygen flow of 10-15 L/minute. Nevertheless, arterial blood gases must be analyzed regularly for early detection of a rise in partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a hypoxic ventilatory drive. These patients are more safely managed using a nasal cannula with an oxygen flow of 1-2L/minute or a simple face mask with an oxygen flow of 5L/minute.

THE SODIUM PREVALENCE IN CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS SOLD IN BRAZIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Fernanda Nunes

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The carbonated soft drinks intake has changed the children eating habits. This factor may be directly associated with arterial hypertension due the high consumption of sodium present in foods and drinks industrialized. This study was to compare sodium levels between two different types of carbonated soft drinks, carbonated sugar drinks and diet drinks to define what type of drink has the lowest sodium content and alerting healthcare professionals about the presence of sodium in industrialized beverages. The study included labels of carbonated soft drinks n = 33 – sugar drinks (n = 21 or diet drinks (n = 12 – of five different flavors.All carbonated soft drinks evaluated have sodium in its composition. However, the sodium presence in carbonated sugar drinks was significantly lower when compared with carbonated diet drinks (69.05 ± 16.55 vs. 145.30 ± 47.36mg Na/l, respectively.Studies to identify children's eating habits related with increased consumption of foods and drinks manufactured are needed to identify, reduce and prevent high blood pressure.

Failure Modes of a Unidirectional Ultra-High-Modulus Carbon-Fiber/Carbon-Matrix Composite

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Zaldivar, R

1998-01-01

The objective of this study was to observe the effects of various microstructural features on the in situ, room-temperature tensile fracture behavior of an ultra-high-modulus, unidirectional carbon/carbon (C/C...

Genetics Home Reference: pulmonary arterial hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

... Home Health Conditions Pulmonary arterial hypertension Pulmonary arterial hypertension Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable Javascript ... view the expand/collapse boxes. Description Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive disorder characterized by abnormally high ...

High-strength porous carbon and its multifunctional applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wojtowicz, Marek A; Rubenstein, Eric P; Serio, Michael A; Cosgrove, Joseph E

2013-12-31

High-strength porous carbon and a method of its manufacture are described for multifunctional applications, such as ballistic protection, structural components, ultracapacitor electrodes, gas storage, and radiation shielding. The carbon is produced from a polymer precursor via carbonization, and optionally by surface activation and post-treatment.

Comparison of high-resolution contrast-enhanced 3D MRA with digital subtraction angiography in the evaluation of hepatic arterial anatomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matoba, M.; Tonami, H.; Kuginuki, M.; Yokota, H.; Takashima, S.; Yamamoto, I.

2003-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the validity of high-resolution contrast-enhanced three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in defining hepatic arterial anatomy and to compare this with digital subtraction angiography (DSA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRA and DSA were performed in 30 patients. MRA was performed with breath-hold, gadolinium-enhanced, three-dimensional, fast low-angle shot sequence with a 512 pixel matrix. MRA was compared with DSA in terms of image quality and depiction of hepatic arterial anatomy. The agreement in image quality between MRA and DSA was determined with the kappa statistic. RESULTS: With respect to image quality, there was excellent or good correlation between MRA and DSA for the common hepatic artery (κ=0.85), proper hepatic artery (κ=0.72), gastroduodenal artery (κ=0.70), left hepatic artery (κ=0.49), left gastric artery (κ=0.50), splenic artery (κ=0.84), and superior mesenteric artery (κ=0.88). Poor correlation was found for the right hepatic artery (κ=0.18) and right gastric artery (κ=0.38). With regard to hepatic arterial anatomy, MRA correlated correctly with DSA in 28 of the 29 cases, i.e. 97% of patients. CONCLUSION: MRA is a useful technique for the evaluation of the hepatic artery, and for the vast majority of patients, MRA can replace intra-arterial DSA

Transcatheter arterial embolization of a pseudoaneurysm of gastroduodenal artery: a case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Young Min; Kang, Sung Soo; Lee, Jeong Min; Chung, Jin Young; Lee, Sang Yong; Chung, Gyung Ho; Kim, Chong Soo; Sohn, Myung Hee; Choi, Ki Chul [Chonbuk National University School of Medicine, Chonju (Korea, Republic of)

1997-01-01

Gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm is a relatively rare and potentionally life-threatening complication of chronic pancreatitis, which is thought to occur because of autodigestion of arterial walls by pancreatic enzymes. Embolotherapy should probably be the first method of treatment, since surgical treatment carries a high risk of mortality and morbidity. We report the case of 30-year-old male with gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm caused by chronic pancreatitis which was successfully treated by transcatheter embolization using Gianturco spring coils.

Transcatheter arterial embolization of a pseudoaneurysm of gastroduodenal artery: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Young Min; Kang, Sung Soo; Lee, Jeong Min; Chung, Jin Young; Lee, Sang Yong; Chung, Gyung Ho; Kim, Chong Soo; Sohn, Myung Hee; Choi, Ki Chul

1997-01-01

Gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm is a relatively rare and potentionally life-threatening complication of chronic pancreatitis, which is thought to occur because of autodigestion of arterial walls by pancreatic enzymes. Embolotherapy should probably be the first method of treatment, since surgical treatment carries a high risk of mortality and morbidity. We report the case of 30-year-old male with gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm caused by chronic pancreatitis which was successfully treated by transcatheter embolization using Gianturco spring coils

Carbon-carbon composite and copper-composite bond damages for high flux component controlled fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevet, G.

2010-01-01

Plasma facing components constitute the first wall in contact with plasma in fusion machines such as Tore Supra and ITER. These components have to sustain high heat flux and consequently elevated temperatures. They are made up of an armour material, the carbon-carbon composite, a heat sink structure material, the copper chromium zirconium, and a material, the OFHC copper, which is used as a compliant layer between the carbon-carbon composite and the copper chromium zirconium. Using different materials leads to the apparition of strong residual stresses during manufacturing, because of the thermal expansion mismatch between the materials, and compromises the lasting operation of fusion machines as damage which appeared during manufacturing may propagate. The objective of this study is to understand the damage mechanisms of the carbon-carbon composite and the composite-copper bond under solicitations that plasma facing components may suffer during their life. The mechanical behaviours of carbon-carbon composite and composite-copper bond were studied in order to define the most suitable models to describe these behaviours. With these models, thermomechanical calculations were performed on plasma facing components with the finite element code Cast3M. The manufacturing of the components induces high stresses which damage the carbon-carbon composite and the composite-copper bond. The damage propagates during the cooling down to room temperature and not under heat flux. Alternative geometries for the plasma facing components were studied to reduce damage. The relation between the damage of the carbon-carbon composite and its thermal conductivity was also demonstrated. (author) [fr

A critical appraisal of the use of umbilical artery Doppler ultrasound in high-risk pregnancies: use of meta-analyses in evidence-based obstetrics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westergaard, H.B.; Langhoff-Roos, J.; Lingman, G.

2001-01-01

Doppler velocimetry; high-risk pregnancy; meta-analysis; intrauterine growth restriction; perinatal mortality; umbilical artery......Doppler velocimetry; high-risk pregnancy; meta-analysis; intrauterine growth restriction; perinatal mortality; umbilical artery...

Unilateral high bifurcation of brachial artery: a case report | Auwal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Profunda Brachii, Superior Ulnar Collateral and Inferior Ulnar Collateral arteries arose from the relatively short brachial arterial trunk. Although the documented incidence of this anatomical variation is low in Nigeria, its concomitant widespread documentation in other parts of the world makes it a sufficiently important ...

The Effects of Synthetic Cannabinoids on Alveolar-Arterial Oxygen Gradient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Egemen Kucuk

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Aim: Synthetic cannabinoids are chemicals that produce several marijuana-like effects in humans. Aim of this study is to investigate the effects of synthetic cannabinoids on to alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Material and Method: A total of 112 patients, who admitted directly to emergency clinic with synthetic cannabinoid usage, were determined between February 2014 and August 2014. Blood gases of 41 patients were determined as arterial blood gases on room air, and included in to study. Patients were evaluated according to age, sex, decade, partial pressure of arterial oxygen, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, pH, bicarbonate, metabolic status, age consistent expected alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient and calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Results: Synthetic cannabinoid using was higher in males, mean age of patients was 23.32±6.14 years. Number of patients in the third decade were significantly higher than the other decades. The calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient value of patients was significantly higher than age consistent expected alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient value. Respiratory acidosis, was significantly higher than the other types of the metabolic disorders. The best cutoff point for calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient was 12.70, with sensitivity of 90% and specifity of 85%. Area under curve was 0.70 for calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Discussion: The value of alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient has been increased due to synthetic cannabinoid usage. This can be used as a supportive parameter in the diagnosis of synthetic cannabinoid usage.

Arterial responses during migraine headache

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Helle Klingenberg; Nielsen, T H; Olesen, J

1990-01-01

The superficial temporal artery has been thought to be the main focus of pain during migraine attacks, but its diameter has never been measured directly. The use of a new, high-resolution ultrasound machine to measure arterial size in 25 migraine patients with unilateral head pain showed...... that the lumen was wider on the painful than on the non-painful side during a migraine attack. The diameters of both radial arteries and the temporal artery on the non-painful side were smaller during than between attacks. The generalised vasoconstriction was not shared by the temporal artery on the affected...... side, which suggests a local vasodilatory response. The findings suggest that cephalic arteries may play a role in migraine pathogenesis....

Carbon nanofibers grafted on activated carbon as an electrode in high-power supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gryglewicz, Grażyna; Śliwak, Agata; Béguin, François

2013-08-01

A hybrid electrode material for high-power supercapacitors was fabricated by grafting carbon nanofibers (CNFs) onto the surface of powdered activated carbon (AC) through catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). A uniform thin layer of disentangled CNFs with a herringbone structure was deposited on the carbon surface through the decomposition of propane at 450 °C over an AC-supported nickel catalyst. CNF coating was controlled by the reaction time and the nickel content. The superior CNF/AC composite displays excellent electrochemical performance in a 0.5 mol L(-1) solution of K2 SO4 due to its unique structure. At a high scan rate (100 mV s(-1) ) and current loading (20 A g(-1) ), the capacitance values were three- and fourfold higher than those for classical AC/carbon black composites. Owing to this feature, a high energy of 10 Wh kg(-1) was obtained over a wide power range in neutral medium at a voltage of 0.8 V. The significant enhancement of charge propagation is attributed to the presence of herringbone CNFs, which facilitate the diffusion of ions in the electrode and play the role of electronic bridges between AC particles. An in situ coating of AC with short CNFs (below 200 nm) is a very attractive method for producing the next generation of carbon composite materials with a high power performance in supercapacitors working in neutral medium. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Denervation of pulmonary artery during mitral valve surgery in patients with high pulmonary hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

А. В. Богачев-Прокофьев

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. Pulmonary hypertension impairs the mitral valve and often leads to more severe symptoms of heart failure, low exercise tolerance and thus higher rates of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of simultaneous radiofrequency ablation of ganglionated plexi of the pulmonary artery in patients with high pulmonary hypertension during mitral valve surgery.Methods. The inclusion criteria were based on patients’ echocardiography/right heart catheterization data. The main criteria were mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥40 mm Hg at rest and a positive reactive test with nitric oxide inhalation. From January 2014 to May 2015, 14 patients underwent radiofrequency denervation of the pulmonary artery in addition to planned mitral valve surgery. Mean patient age was 53.4±7.8 years, with 57.1% of patients being females.Results. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 116±12 minutes, mean cross-clamp time was 95±13 minutes, and mean ablation time amounted to 9.5±3.1 minutes. Pulmonary artery pressure decreased significantly from a mean of 56.5±9.8 mmHg to 32.0±7.3 mmHg immediately after the operation (p<0.001, and to 28.4±5.2 mmHg and 29.7±4.4 mmHg on the first and third days at ICU respectively. Mean ICU stay was 3.1±1.2 days. There were neither early deaths nor specific complications.Conclusions. Simultaneous radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary artery ganglionated plexi when performing mitral valve surgery in patients with pulmonary hypertension is a safe and effective procedure. Further research and long-term follow-up would help to determine whether a decrease in the mean pressure of the pulmonary artery can be interpreted as a clinical advantage.

Effect of high pressurized carbon dioxide on Escherichia coli ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Carbon dioxide at high pressure can retard microbial growth and sometimes kill microorganisms depending on values of applied pressure, temperature and exposure time. In this study the effect of high pressurised carbon dioxide (HPCD) on Escherichia coli was investigated. Culture of E. coli was subjected to high ...

Changes in endothelial function, arterial stiffness and blood pressure in pregnant women after consumption of high-flavanol and high-theobromine chocolate: a double blind randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Babar, Asma; Bujold, Emmanuel; Leblanc, Vicky; Lavoie-Lebel, Élise; Paquette, Joalee; Bazinet, Laurent; Lemieux, Simone; Marc, Isabelle; Abdous, Belkacem; Dodin, Sylvie

2018-04-16

The aim of this 2-group, parallel, double blind single-centre RCT was to evaluate the acute and chronic impacts of high flavanol high theobromine (HFHT) chocolate consumption on endothelial function, arterial stiffness and blood pressure (BP) in women at risk of preeclampsia. 131 pregnant women considered at risk of preeclampsia based on uterine artery Doppler ultrasound were divided into two groups (HFHT or low flavanol and theobromine chocolate (LFLT). Acute changes in plasma flavanol and theobromine, peripheral arterial tonometry and BP were evaluated at randomization (0, 60 and 120 min after a single 40-g dose of chocolate) and again 6 and 12 weeks after daily 30-g chocolate intake. The EndoPAT 2000 provided reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and adjusted augmentation index (AIx) as markers for endothelial function and arterial stiffness, respectively. Compared with LFLT, acute HFHT intake significantly increased plasma epicatechin and theobromine (p theobromine (p theobromine concentrations and decreased arterial stiffness, with no effect on endothelial function and a marginal increase in diastolic BP. Chronic HFHT intake increased plasma theobromine, though it did not have positive impacts on endothelial function, arterial stiffness or BP when compared to LFLT in pregnant women at risk of PE.

Liver cirrhosis and arterial hypertension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Jens Henrik; Møller, Søren

2006-01-01

blood pressure. This review considers the alterations in systemic hemodynamics in patients with cirrhosis in relation to essential hypertension and arterial hypertension of the renal origin. Subjects with arterial hypertension (essential, secondary) may become normotensive during the development...... of cirrhosis, and arterial hypertension is rarely manifested in patients with cirrhosis, even in cases with renovascular disease and high circulating renin activity. There is much dispute as to the understanding of homoeostatic regulation in cirrhotic patients with manifest arterial hypertension. This most...

Coronary CT angiography in clinical triage of patients at high risk of coronary artery disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kühl, J Tobias; Hove, Jens D; Kristensen, Thomas S

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To test if cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) can be used in the triage of patients at high risk of coronary artery disease. DESIGN: The diagnostic value of 64-detector CCTA was evaluated in 400 patients presenting with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction using...... invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference method. The relation between the severity of disease by CCTA and a combined endpoint of death, re-hospitalization due to new myocardial infarction, or symptom-driven coronary revascularization was assessed. RESULTS: CCTA detects significant (>50...... in patients with high likelihood of coronary artery disease and could, in theory, be used to triage high risk patients. As many obstacles remain, including logistical and safety issues, our study does not support the use of CCTA as an additional diagnostic test before ICA in an all-comer NSTEMI population....

High surface area carbon and process for its production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romanos, Jimmy; Burress, Jacob; Pfeifer, Peter; Rash, Tyler; Shah, Parag; Suppes, Galen

2016-12-13

Activated carbon materials and methods of producing and using activated carbon materials are provided. In particular, biomass-derived activated carbon materials and processes of producing the activated carbon materials with prespecified surface areas and pore size distributions are provided. Activated carbon materials with preselected high specific surface areas, porosities, sub-nm (<1 nm) pore volumes, and supra-nm (1-5 nm) pore volumes may be achieved by controlling the degree of carbon consumption and metallic potassium intercalation into the carbon lattice during the activation process.

Highly porous carbon with large electrochemical ion absorption capability for high-performance supercapacitors and ion capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shijie; Wang, Rutao; Zhang, Yabin; Zhang, Li

2017-11-03

Carbon-based supercapacitors have attracted extensive attention as the complement to batteries, owing to their durable lifespan and superiority in high-power-demand fields. However, their widespread use is limited by the low energy storage density; thus, a high-surface-area porous carbon is urgently needed. Herein, a highly porous carbon with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area up to 3643 m 2 g -1 has been synthesized by chemical activation of papayas for the first time. This sp 2 -bonded porous carbon has a continuous three-dimensional network of highly curved, atom-thick walls that form narrow mesopores of 2 ∼ 5 nm in width, which can be systematically tailored with varied activation levels. Two-electrode symmetric supercapacitors constructed by this porous carbon achieve energy density of 8.1 Wh kg -1 in aqueous electrolyte and 65.5 Wh kg -1 in ionic-liquid electrolyte. Furthermore, half-cells (versus Li or Na metal) using this porous carbon as ion sorption cathodes yield high specific capacity, e.g., 51.0 and 39.3 mAh g -1 in Li + and Na + based organic electrolyte. These results underline the possibility of obtaining the porous carbon for high-performance carbon-based supercapacitors and ion capacitors in a readily scalable and economical way.

Highly porous carbon with large electrochemical ion absorption capability for high-performance supercapacitors and ion capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shijie; Wang, Rutao; Zhang, Yabin; Zhang, Li

2017-11-01

Carbon-based supercapacitors have attracted extensive attention as the complement to batteries, owing to their durable lifespan and superiority in high-power-demand fields. However, their widespread use is limited by the low energy storage density; thus, a high-surface-area porous carbon is urgently needed. Herein, a highly porous carbon with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area up to 3643 m2 g-1 has been synthesized by chemical activation of papayas for the first time. This sp2-bonded porous carbon has a continuous three-dimensional network of highly curved, atom-thick walls that form narrow mesopores of 2 ˜ 5 nm in width, which can be systematically tailored with varied activation levels. Two-electrode symmetric supercapacitors constructed by this porous carbon achieve energy density of 8.1 Wh kg-1 in aqueous electrolyte and 65.5 Wh kg-1 in ionic-liquid electrolyte. Furthermore, half-cells (versus Li or Na metal) using this porous carbon as ion sorption cathodes yield high specific capacity, e.g., 51.0 and 39.3 mAh g-1 in Li+ and Na+ based organic electrolyte. These results underline the possibility of obtaining the porous carbon for high-performance carbon-based supercapacitors and ion capacitors in a readily scalable and economical way.

Locally advanced pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma: pancreatectomy with planned arterial resection based on axial arterial encasement.

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Perinel, J; Nappo, G; El Bechwaty, M; Walter, T; Hervieu, V; Valette, P J; Feugier, P; Adham, M

2016-12-01

Pancreatectomy with arterial resection for locally advanced pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma (PDA) is associated with high morbidity and is thus considered as a contraindication. The aim of our study was to report our experience of pancreatectomy with planned arterial resection for locally advanced PDA based on specific selection criteria. All patients receiving pancreatectomy for PDA between October 2008 and July 2014 were reviewed. The patients were classified into group 1, pancreatectomy without vascular resection (66 patients); group 2, pancreatectomy with isolated venous resection (31 patients), and group 3, pancreatectomy with arterial resection for locally advanced PDA (14 patients). The primary selection criteria for arterial resection was the possibility of achieving a complete resection based on the extent of axial encasement, the absence of tumor invasion at the origin of celiac trunk (CT) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and a free distal arterial segment allowing reconstruction. Patient outcomes and survival were analyzed. Six SMA, two CT, four common hepatic artery, and two replaced right hepatic artery resections were undertaken. The preferred arterial reconstruction was splenic artery transposition. Group 3 had a higher preoperative weight loss, a longer operative time, and a higher incidence of intraoperative blood transfusion. Ninety-day mortality occurred in three patients in groups 1 and 2. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence, grade, and type of complications in the three groups. Postoperative pancreatic fistula and postpancreatectomy hemorrhage were also comparable. In group 3, none had arterial wall invasion and nine patients had recurrence (seven metastatic and two loco-regional). Survival and disease-free survival were comparable between groups. Planned arterial resection for PDA can be performed safely with a good outcome in highly selected patients. Key elements for defining the resectability is based on

High performance carbon nanocomposites for ultracapacitors

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Lu, Wen

2012-10-02

The present invention relates to composite electrodes for electrochemical devices, particularly to carbon nanotube composite electrodes for high performance electrochemical devices, such as ultracapacitors.

Carbonation by fluid-rock interactions at high-pressure conditions: Implications for carbon cycling in subduction zones

Science.gov (United States)

Piccoli, Francesca; Vitale Brovarone, Alberto; Beyssac, Olivier; Martinez, Isabelle; Ague, Jay J.; Chaduteau, Carine

2016-07-01

Carbonate-bearing lithologies are the main carbon carrier into subduction zones. Their evolution during metamorphism largely controls the fate of carbon, regulating its fluxes between shallow and deep reservoirs. Recent estimates predict that almost all subducted carbon is transferred into the crust and lithospheric mantle during subduction metamorphism via decarbonation and dissolution reactions at high-pressure conditions. Here we report the occurrence of eclogite-facies marbles associated with metasomatic systems in Alpine Corsica (France). The occurrence of these marbles along major fluid-conduits as well as textural, geochemical and isotopic data indicating fluid-mineral reactions are compelling evidence for the precipitation of these carbonate-rich assemblages from carbonic fluids during metamorphism. The discovery of metasomatic marbles brings new insights into the fate of carbonic fluids formed in subducting slabs. We infer that rock carbonation can occur at high-pressure conditions by either vein-injection or chemical replacement mechanisms. This indicates that carbonic fluids produced by decarbonation reactions and carbonate dissolution may not be directly transferred to the mantle wedge, but can interact with slab and mantle-forming rocks. Rock-carbonation by fluid-rock interactions may have an important impact on the residence time of carbon and oxygen in subduction zones and lithospheric mantle reservoirs as well as carbonate isotopic signatures in subduction zones. Furthermore, carbonation may modulate the emission of CO2 at volcanic arcs over geological time scales.

ARTERIAL STIFFNESS PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH MODERATE/HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK DURING LISINOPRIL AND SIMVASTATIN TREATMENT

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V. N. Isakova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To evaluate parameters of arterial stiffness by non-invasive arteriography in patients with moderate/high cardiovascular risk receiving lisinopril and simvastatin.Material and methods. 20 patients (aged 50-55 y.o. with arterial hypertension of the 1st degree and dislipidemia are included in the study. All patients had pulse wave velocity (PWV ≥ 10 m/s and/or the corrected index of pulse wave augmentation (AI × 80 ≥ -10% according to non-invasive arteriography data; and moderate-high cardiovascular risk (≥ 3%. Patients received therapy with lisinopril and simvastatin. Blood pressure (BP levels and lipid profiles were assessed before therapy and in 1, 2, 6 and 12 month of the observation. Non-invasive arteriography was performed before therapy and in 2, 6 and 12 months later.Results. BP target levels were reached within 1 month of treatment as well as improvement of lipid profile was reached within 2 months in majority of the patients. Reference PWV and AI were reached in 85,7% of patients within one year of treatment.Conclusion. Arterial stiffness parameters help to evaluate cardiovascular risk changes accurately as the results of treatment.

Prognostic value of gasometric parameters of carbon dioxide in resuscitation of septic patients. A bibliography review.

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Lamsfus-Prieto, J Á; de Castro-Fernández, R; Hernández-García, A M; Marcano-Rodriguez, G

2016-04-01

The anaerobic metabolism is the cornerstone in physiopathology of septic shock. Nowadays we have both the central or mixed venous oxygen saturation and lactate levels to monitoring the metabolism in septic patients. Some studies have shown that normalization of systemic hemodynamic and oxygen metabolism variables not prevent progression to multiorgan damage and death. Recently has been proposed the venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference (ΔpvaCO2) as an alternative marker of tissue hypoperfusion, like Cardiac Index. High ΔpvaCO2 predicts adverse outcomes. Also has been proposed both, the ratio between the ΔpvaCO2 and arterial-to-venous oxygen content difference (ΔCavO2): ΔpvaCO2/ΔCavO2; and, the ratio between venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference (ΔCvaCO2) and ΔCavO2: ΔCvaCO2/ΔCavO2, as markers of anaerobic metabolism. Both of high ratios are related to high levels of lactate and worse prognosis. Therefore in patients with sepsis the combination of markers of resuscitation could be important to improve the outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

EFFECT OF ASCORBIC ACID ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT CORONARY ARTERIES OF MALE RABBITS FED WITH HIGH-CHOLESTEROL DIET

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Gholamreza Dashti

2010-12-01

Full Text Available   Abstract INTRODUCTION: Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in western countries. The beneficial effect of ascorbic acid on various organs has been reported. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of ascorbic acid on the right and left coronary arteries of male rabbits fed with high-cholesterol diet. methods: Twenty white male rabbits (mean weight: 950 g were weighed and randomly divided into two groups. For 40 days, group 1 (n=10 was given a high-cholesterol (1% diet, group 2 (n=10 was fed with a high-cholesterol diet and ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg. Then both of the groups were weighed and the animals were sacrificed. The right and left coronary arteries were dissected and then fixation, tissue processing, histological sectioning and H & E staining were carried out and sections were studied by light microscopy. The results were analyzed by using the Mann Whitney test. results: Group 2 which received ascorbic acid had no fatty streaks in their coronary arteries. Significant difference in mean weight was observed before and after the diet in both groups (P<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Histopathological study of the coronary arteries showed that the rabbits which received ascorbic acid diet did not develop fatty streaks. Thus ascorbic acid exerts an apparently inhibitory effect on fatty streak formation and may slow down or prevent atherosclerosis by countering the side effects of a high-fat meal.     Keywords: Ascorbic acid, cholesterol, coronary arteries.

Effects of carbonated mineral water treatment in Băile Tuşnad on chronic arterial occlusive disease – a case report

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Gabriela Dogaru

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Băile Tușnad spa is recognized for its role in the prevention and rehabilitation treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including chronic arterial occlusive disease, due to the presence of natural therapeutic factors: carbonated mineral waters through their peripheral vasodilator effects, natural mofettes, stimulating bioclimate. Aim. The current study aimed to assess the clinical efficiency of natural therapeutic factors in Băile Tuşnad for the continuation of rehabilitation treatment in a patient with chronic arterial occlusive disease, in order to encourage walking, reduce cardiovascular risk and improve quality of life. Material and method. Patient N.M., aged 75, with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. In 2013, he was diagnosed with lower limb peripheral ischemia syndrome stage II B Fontaine, predominantly left claudication at about 100 m, for which balloon angioplasty was performed. He attended rehabilitation treatment for 3 years in Baile Tuşnad, consisting of carbonated mineral water baths for 15 minutes, aerotherapy for 30 minutes daily for the stimulation of walking, massotherapy, kinesiotherapy, performed daily for 16 days, and in 2016, at the Rehabilitation Hospital Cluj-Napoca. He was clinically evaluated before and at the end of treatment by the Visual Analogue Scale, the 10-m walking test, adverse reactions, Doppler ultrasound. Results. At the end of treatment, an increase in the walking distance and speed, a significant improvement in the quality of gait was found; claudication occurred after 250 m, pain in the lower limbs was improved. There were no side reactions. Conclusions. Rehabilitation treatment with natural therapeutic factors influenced the clinical and functional picture, determining a significant improvement in the quality of gait and quality of life.

Potassium vapor assisted preparation of highly graphitized hierarchical porous carbon for high rate performance supercapacitors

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Liu, Zheng; Zeng, Ying; Tang, Qunli; Hu, Aiping; Xiao, Kuikui; Zhang, Shiying; Deng, Weina; Fan, Binbin; Zhu, Yanfei; Chen, Xiaohua

2017-09-01

Ultrahigh graphitized carbon microspheres with rich hierarchical pores (AGHPCM-1) have been successfully synthesized through the one-step activation-carbonization strategy (OACS) with porous sulfonated poly-divinylbenzene as the carbon precursor, iron as the hard template and catalyst, and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as activation agent. Through the XRD, TEM, Raman and BET analysis, AGHPCM-1 shows very high graphitization degree and rich micro-, meso- and macro-pores. More importantly, the mechanism for KOH to improve the graphitization degree of carbon materials in OACS has been illustrated by the thermodynamical theory. The tremendous heat releasing from the reaction between the catalyst precursor of Fe2O3 and potassium vapor plays a key role in the formation of graphitized carbon. It may provide a general direction to prepare highly graphitized porous carbon at a moderate temperature. Integrating the advantages of high graphitization degree and rich hierarchical porous structure, the AGHPCM-1 exhibits an excellent rate performance with a response to up to the high current density of 150 A g-1 and high scan rate of 2000 mV s-1. No obvious capacitance decay can be observed after 10000 charge/discharge cycles even at the high current density of 20 A g-1.

Highly porous activated carbons prepared from carbon rich Mongolian anthracite by direct NaOH activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byamba-Ochir, Narandalai [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Wang Geun [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungang-Ro, Suncheon, Jeollanam-Do 57922 (Korea, Republic of); Balathanigaimani, M.S., E-mail: msbala@rgipt.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Ratapur Chowk, Rae Bareli, 229316 Uttar Pradesh (India); Moon, Hee, E-mail: hmoon@jnu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • Highly porous carbon materials from Mongolian anthracite by chemical activation. • Cheaper and eco-friendly activation process has been employed. • Activated carbons with graphitic structure and energetically heterogeneous surface. • Surface hydrophobicity and porosity of the activated carbons can be controlled. - Abstract: Highly porous activated carbons (ACs) were prepared from Mongolian raw anthracite (MRA) using sodium hydroxide as an activation agent by varying the mass ratio (powdered MRA/NaOH) as well as the mixing method of chemical agent and powdered MRA. The specific BET surface area and total pore volume of the prepared MRA-based activated carbons (MACs) are in the range of 816–2063 m{sup 2}/g and of 0.55–1.61 cm{sup 3}/g, respectively. The pore size distribution of MACs show that most of the pores are in the range from large micropores to small mesopores and their distribution can be controlled by the mass ratio and mixing method of the activating agent. As expected from the intrinsic property of the MRA, the highly graphitic surface morphology of prepared carbons was confirmed from Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Furthermore the FTIR and XPS results reveal that the preparation of MACs with hydrophobic in nature is highly possible by controlling the mixing conditions of activating agent and powdered MRA. Based on all the results, it is suggested that the prepared MACs could be used for many specific applications, requiring high surface area, optimal pore size distribution, proper surface hydrophobicity as well as strong physical strength.

Asymmetric Bilateral Variations in the Musculocutaneous and Median Nerves with High Branching of Brachial Artery

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Vandana Tomar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Brachial Plexus is formed by the union of the anterior rami of cervical 5, 6, 7, 8 and thoracic 1 nerves. These nerves unite and divide to form the key nerves innervating the upper limb. Variations in the course of these nerves are clinically important to anesthetists, neurologists and orthopedicians. We report bilateral variations in the arterial and neural structures in the upper limb of a 65 year old cadaver. The muscles of the arm on one side were innervated by the median nerve with absence of musculocutaneous. While on the other side the musculocutaneous nerve contributed to the formation of the median nerve. There was a presence of high bifurcation of brachial artery on both sides. Knowledge of such variations in the innervations of muscles and the arterial supply of the limbs are important to remember before performing any reconstructive procedures or interventions on the limb.

Frequency and predictors of renal artery stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, S.S.; Hafeezullah, M.

2010-01-01

Background: Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is a common finding in patients undergoing coronary angiography. We designed this study to look for the frequency and any predictors of renal artery stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: A total of 201 consecutive patients with CAD confirmed by coronary angiography underwent an abdominal aortogram in the same sitting to screen for RAS. Patient demographics and co-morbidities were analysed for any association with RAS. Results: Forty-one of the patients were female (20.4%); ninety patients were hypertensive (44.8%); 49 patients (24.4%) were smokers; 19 patients (9.5%) had renal insufficiency; 88 patients (43.8%) had high cholesterol levels; 44 patients (21.9%) were diabetic. Thirty-two patients (15.9%) had single coronary artery disease, 59 patients (29.4%) had two vessel disease, and 110 patients (54.7%) had three vessel disease. Significant renal artery stenosis (less or equal to 50% stenosis) was present in 26 patients (12.9%). Among the variables studied, only female gender was found to be associated with a higher frequency of renal artery stenosis (24.39% vs 10.0%, p=0.01). Conclusions: The frequency of renal artery stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease is 12.9%. Female gender is associated with a higher frequency of renal artery stenosis in patients with CAD. (author)

Highly selective and stable carbon dioxide uptake in polyindole-derived microporous carbon materials.

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Saleh, Muhammad; Tiwari, Jitendra N; Kemp, K Christain; Yousuf, Muhammad; Kim, Kwang S

2013-05-21

Adsorption with solid sorbents is considered to be one of the most promising methods for the capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from power plant flue gases. In this study, microporous carbon materials used for CO₂ capture were synthesized by the chemical activation of polyindole nanofibers (PIF) at temperatures from 500 to 800 °C using KOH, which resulted in nitrogen (N)-doped carbon materials. The N-doped carbon materials were found to be microporous with an optimal adsorption pore size for CO₂ of 0.6 nm and a maximum (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) BET surface area of 1185 m(2) g(-1). The PIF activated at 600 °C (PIF6) has a surface area of 527 m(2) g(-1) and a maximum CO₂ storage capacity of 3.2 mmol g(-1) at 25 °C and 1 bar. This high CO₂ uptake is attributed to its highly microporous character and optimum N content. Additionally, PIF6 material displays a high CO₂ uptake at low pressure (1.81 mmol g(-1) at 0.2 bar and 25 °C), which is the best low pressure CO₂ uptake reported for carbon-based materials. The adsorption capacity of this material remained remarkably stable even after 10 cycles. The isosteric heat of adsorption was calculated to be in the range of 42.7-24.1 kJ mol(-1). Besides the excellent CO₂ uptake and stability, PIF6 also exhibits high selectivity values for CO₂ over N₂, CH₄, and H₂ of 58.9, 12.3, and 101.1 at 25 °C, respectively, and these values are significantly higher than reported values.

Fe-Catalyzed Synthesis of Porous Carbons Spheres with High Graphitization Degree for High-Performance Supercapacitors

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Zhu, Jun; Shi, Hongwei; Zhuo, Xin; Hu, Yalin

2017-10-01

We have developed a facile and efficient Fe-catalyzed method for fabrication of porous carbons spheres with high graphitization degree (GNPCs) using glucose as carbon precursor at relatively low carbonization temperature. GNPCs not only have relatively large accessible ion surface area to accommodate greater capacity but also high graphitization degree to accelerate ion diffusion. As a typical application, we demonstrate that GNPCs exhibit excellent electrochemical performance for use in supercapacitors, with high specific capacity of 150.6 F g-1 at current density of 1 A g-1 and good rate capability and superior cycling stability over 10,000 cycles, confirming their potential application for energy storage. Moreover, it is believed that this method offers a new strategy for synthesis of porous carbons with high graphitization degree.

Functional Carbon Nanotube/Mesoporous Carbon/MnO2 Hybrid Network for High-Performance Supercapacitors

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Tao Tao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A functional carbon nanotube/mesoporous carbon/MnO2 hybrid network has been developed successfully through a facile route. The resulting composites exhibited a high specific capacitance of 351 F/g at 1 A g−1, with intriguing charge/discharge rate performance and cycling stability due to a synergistic combination of large surface area and excellent electron-transport capabilities of MnO2 with the good conductivity of the carbon nanotube/mesoporous carbon networks. Such composite shows great potential to be used as electrodes for supercapacitors.

Bainite formation kinetics in high carbon alloyed steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luzginova, N.V.; Zhao, L.; Sietsma, J.

2008-01-01

In recent years, many investigations have been carried out on the modeling of the bainite formation. In the present work, a physical approach proposed in the literature is implemented to model the formation of lower bainite in high carbon steels (1 wt.% C). In this model, the carbon diffusion is assumed to control the kinetics of the bainite formation. Both the nucleation and the growth rates are considered in an Avrami type analysis. The effect of alloying elements is taken into account considering only the thermodynamics of the system. The results and the physical meaning of the model parameters are discussed. It is shown that the diffusional approach gives a reasonable description of bainite formation kinetics in high carbon steel. Only two fitting parameters are used: the first accounts for carbon grain-boundary diffusion and the second is the initial nucleation-site density. The model satisfactorily accounts for the effect of transformation temperature, but does not take into account the carbide precipitation during bainite formation and the effect of alloying elements on the diffusion coefficient of carbon

Oxidation kinetics and mechanisms of carbon/carbon composites and their components in water vapour at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Fei; Peng, Li-na; He, Guo-qiang; Li, Jiang; Yan, Yong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • 4D-C/C composite was fabricated using carbon fibre and coal tar pitch. • The rate of mass loss and oxidation kinetics parameters of fibres-H 2 O and matrix-H 2 O are obtained. • The rate of mass loss and oxidation kinetics parameters of C/C–H 2 O are obtained. • Oxidation rate of the fibre bundle is greater than the oxidation rate of the matrix. - Abstract: Thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the oxidation kinetics of four-direction carbon/carbon composites and their components (fibres and matrices) in a H 2 O–Ar atmosphere at high temperatures. The oxidation processes were restricted to reaction-limited oxidation. The rate of mass loss was estimated for the four-direction carbon/carbon composites and their components at high temperature. The pressure exponent for the reaction of the carbon/carbon composites with H 2 O was 0.59, and the pre-exponential factor and activation energy for the reactions of H 2 O with the carbon/carbon composites, carbon fibres and matrices were determined

High-Flux Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes for Gas Separation.

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Richter, Hannes; Voss, Hartwig; Kaltenborn, Nadine; Kämnitz, Susanne; Wollbrink, Alexander; Feldhoff, Armin; Caro, Jürgen; Roitsch, Stefan; Voigt, Ingolf

2017-06-26

Carbon membranes have great potential for highly selective and cost-efficient gas separation. Carbon is chemically stable and it is relative cheap. The controlled carbonization of a polymer coating on a porous ceramic support provides a 3D carbon material with molecular sieving permeation performance. The carbonization of the polymer blend gives turbostratic carbon domains of randomly stacked together sp 2 hybridized carbon sheets as well as sp 3 hybridized amorphous carbon. In the evaluation of the carbon molecular sieve membrane, hydrogen could be separated from propane with a selectivity of 10 000 with a hydrogen permeance of 5 m 3 (STP)/(m 2 hbar). Furthermore, by a post-synthesis oxidative treatment, the permeation fluxes are increased by widening the pores, and the molecular sieve carbon membrane is transformed from a molecular sieve carbon into a selective surface flow carbon membrane with adsorption controlled performance and becomes selective for carbon dioxide. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oxidation kinetics and mechanisms of four-direction carbon/carbon composites and their components in carbon dioxide at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Fei; Peng, Li-na; He, Guo-qiang; Li, Jiang

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Four-direction C/C composite was fabricated using carbon fibres and coal tar pitches. •Large-sized bulk matrix was prepared using same process as matrix of C/C composites. •A and E a of C/C, bulk matrix and fibres in CO 2 were determined, respectively. •Pressure exponent n was 0.62 in C/C–CO 2 . -- Abstract: Thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the oxidation kinetics of four-direction carbon/carbon composites and their components (fibres and matrix) in a CO 2 atmosphere at high temperature. The ablation processes were restricted to reaction-limited oxidation. The mass loss rate was estimated for the four-direction carbon/carbon composites and their components within the temperature of range of 600–1400 °C. The pressure exponent for the reaction of carbon/carbon composites and CO 2 was 0.62, and the pre-exponential factor and activation energy for the reactions of CO 2 and the carbon/carbon composites, carbon fibres and matrix were determined, respectively

European Registry of Carotid Artery Stenting: results from a prospective registry of eight high volume EUROPEAN institutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Stabile, Eugenio; Garg, Pallav; Cremonesi, Alberto; Bosiers, Marc; Reimers, Bernhard; Setacci, Carlo; Cao, Piergiorgio; Schmidt, Andrej; Sievert, Horst; Peeters, Patrick; Nikas, Dimitry; Werner, Martin; de Donato, Gianmarco; Parlani, Giambattista; Castriota, Fausto; Hornung, Marius; Mauri, Laura; Rubino, Paolo

2012-08-01

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the standard revascularization therapy to prevent stroke in patients with carotid artery disease. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) could be considered a potential alternative in patients at high surgical risk. Recent clinical trials have challenged this concept due a relatively high incidence of post-CAS adverse events, which occurred in low volume centers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes associated with neuroprotected CAS in selected high volume centers. From January 2007 to December 2007, 1,611 patients underwent neuroprotected CAS in eight European Centers. For each patients, clinical, procedural, and one month follow-up data from all patients have been collected. An independent clinical events committee adjudicated the events. Overall in hospital death was 0.06% (one patient), whereas in-hospital stroke was 0.49% (eight patients). Between hospital discharge and 30 days three additional patients died (0.18%) and 10 patients experienced a stroke (0.67%). Overall 30 days mortality was 0.24% (four patients) and stroke incidence 1.12% (18 patients). The 30 day stroke/death rate was 1.36%. CAS is a reasonable alternative to CEA to treat carotid artery atherosclerosis in well-experienced high volume centers. These data suggest that future prospective trials comparing CAS and CEA outcomes should include only centers highly experienced in both treatment modalities. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hybrid carbon nanostructure assemblage for high performance pseudo-capacitors

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A. K. Mishra

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Investigation of novel nanocomposites for pseudo-capacitors with high capacitance and energy density is the spotlight of current energy research. In the present work, hybrid carbon nanostructure assemblage of graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotubes has been used as carbon support to nanostructured RuO2 and polyaniline for high energy supercapacitors. Maximum specific capacitances of 110, 235 and 440 F g−1 at the voltage sweep rate of 10 mV s−1 and maximum energy densities of 7, 12.5 and 20.5 Wh kg−1 were observed for carbon assemblage and its RuO2 and polyanilne decorated nanocomposites, respectively, with 1M H2SO4 as electrolyte.

High prevalence of vertebral artery tortuosity of Loeys-Dietz syndrome in comparison with Marfan syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kono, Atsushi K.; Higashi, Masahiro; Tsutsumi, Yoshiaki; Akutsu, Koichi; Naito, Hiroaki; Morisaki, Hiroko; Morisaki, Takayuki; Sugimura, Kazuro

2010-01-01

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a connective tissue disease caused by mutations in the genes encoding the transforming growth factor-β receptor (TGFBR). LDS is associated with aneurysms or dissections of the aorta similar to Marfan syndrome (MFS) as well as arterial tortuosity and aneurysms in the peripheral arteries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the arterial diseases of LDS to differentiate it from MFS. A total of 10 LDS patients with an identified mutation in TGFBR (6 male, 4 female; mean age 36.3 years) and 20 MFS patients with an identified mutation in fibrilin-1 who were age- and sex-matched to the LDS subjects (12 male, 8 female; mean age 37.1 years) were reviewed. The prevalence of vertebral arterial tortuosity (VAT) and peripheral aneurysm (PAN) was studied using computed tomography angiography. In all, 9 of the 10 LDS patients had VAT, and five PANs were observed in 3 patients. In contrast, 8 (40%) of the MFS patients had VAT, and 1 patient had a PAN. LDS had a higher prevalence of VAT (P=0.017) by Fisher's exact test. The VAT was highly prevalent among LDS patients. Thus, the presence of VAT has the potential to differentiate LDS from MFS. (author)

High performance thiol-ene thermosets based on fully bio-based poly(limonene carbonate)s

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, C.; Johansson, M.; Sablong, R.J.; Koning, C.E.

2017-01-01

High glass transition temperature (Tg) thiol-ene networks (TENs) based on poly(limonene carbonate)s (PLCs), derived from orange oils and of potential degradability are described here. PLCs with moderate molecular weight were prepared by copolymerization of limonene oxide with CO2 and subsequent

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Perfusion MRI of High Grade Brain Gliomas Obtained with Arterial or Venous Waveform Input Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Filice, Silvano; Crisi, Girolamo

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) perfusion estimates of high-grade brain gliomas (HGG) due to the use of an input function (IF) obtained respectively from arterial (AIF) and venous (VIF) approaches by two different commercially available software applications. This prospective study includes 20 patients with pathologically confirmed diagnosis of high-grade gliomas. The data source was processed by using two DCE dedicated commercial packages, both based on the extended Toft model, but the first customized to obtain input function from arterial measurement and the second from sagittal sinus sampling. The quantitative parametric perfusion maps estimated from the two software packages were compared by means of a region of interest (ROI) analysis. The resulting input functions from venous and arterial data were also compared. No significant difference has been found between the perfusion parameters obtained with the two different software packages (P-value < .05). The comparison of the VIFs and AIFs obtained by the two packages showed no statistical differences. Direct comparison of DCE-MRI measurements with IF generated by means of arterial or venous waveform led to no statistical difference in quantitative metrics for evaluating HGG. However, additional research involving DCE-MRI acquisition protocols and post-processing would be beneficial to further substantiate the effectiveness of venous approach as the IF method compared with arterial-based IF measurement. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Metabolic effects of Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) insufflation during ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Metabolic effects of Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) insufflation during laparoscopic surgery: changes in pH, arterial partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide (PaCo 2 ) and End Tidal Carbon Dioxide (EtCO 2 ) ... Respiratory adjustments were done for EtCO2 levels above 60mmHg or SPO2 below 92% or adverse haemodynamic changes.

Lightweight, Ultra-High-Temperature, CMC-Lined Carbon/Carbon Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Matthew J.; Ramachandran, Gautham; Williams, Brian E.

2011-01-01

Carbon/carbon (C/C) is an established engineering material used extensively in aerospace. The beneficial properties of C/C include high strength, low density, and toughness. Its shortcoming is its limited usability at temperatures higher than the oxidation temperature of carbon . approximately 400 C. Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are used instead, but carry a weight penalty. Combining a thin laminate of CMC to a bulk structure of C/C retains all of the benefits of C/C with the high temperature oxidizing environment usability of CMCs. Ultramet demonstrated the feasibility of combining the light weight of C/C composites with the oxidation resistance of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and zirconium- silicon carbide (Zr-Si-C) CMCs in a unique system composed of a C/C primary structure with an integral CMC liner with temperature capability up to 4,200 F (.2,315 C). The system effectively bridged the gap in weight and performance between coated C/C and bulk CMCs. Fabrication was demonstrated through an innovative variant of Ultramet fs rapid, pressureless melt infiltration processing technology. The fully developed material system has strength that is comparable with that of C/C, lower density than Cf/SiC, and ultra-high-temperature oxidation stability. Application of the reinforced ceramic casing to a predominantly C/C structure creates a highly innovative material with the potential to achieve the long-sought goal of long-term, cyclic high-temperature use of C/C in an oxidizing environment. The C/C substructure provided most of the mechanical integrity, and the CMC strengths achieved appeared to be sufficient to allow the CMC to perform its primary function of protecting the C/C. Nozzle extension components were fabricated and successfully hot-fire tested. Test results showed good thermochemical and thermomechanical stability of the CMC, as well as excellent interfacial bonding between the CMC liner and the underlying C/C structure. In particular, hafnium-containing CMCs on

High-temperature carbonates in the Stillwater Complex, Montana, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Aird, H. M.; Boudreau, A. E.

2012-12-01

The processes involved in the petrogenesis of the sulphide-hosted platinum-group-element (PGE) deposits of the Stillwater Complex are controversial, with theories ranging from the purely magmatic to those involving an aqueous fluid. To further constrain these models, we have been examining the trace phase assemblages in rocks away from the ore zones. High-temperature carbonates have been observed in association with sulphide minerals below the platiniferous J-M Reef of the Stillwater Complex. The carbonate assemblage consists of dolomite with exsolved calcite and is found in contact with sulphide minerals: chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite in the Peridotite Zone; and pyrrhotite with pentlandite, pyrite and chalcopyrite in Gabbronorite I of the Lower Banded Series. The minimal silicate alteration and the lack of greenschist minerals in association with the mineral assemblage are consistent with a high-temperature origin for the carbonates. The calcite-dolomite geothermometer [1] yields a minimum formation temperature of ~900°C for the unmixed assemblages. A reaction rim surrounds the carbonate-sulphide assemblages, showing an alteration of the host orthopyroxene to a more Ca-enriched, Fe-depleted composition. This is consistent with diffusive exchange between carbonates and pyroxenes at high temperatures, mediated by an aqueous fluid. The highly variable molar MnO/FeO ratios in both the high-temperature carbonates and their associated altered pyroxene rims also imply their interaction with a fluid. The carbonate assemblages are consistent with Stillwater fluid inclusion studies [2], showing that fluids comprising coexisting Cl-rich brine and carbonic fluid were trapped in pegmatitic quartz at 700-715°C, some of which also contained "accidental" calcite inclusions. The high Cl-content of apatite [3] found below the platiniferous J-M Reef is further evidence that a Cl-rich fluid was migrating through the rocks beneath the Reef. Carbonates have been shown to be stabilized

High nitrogen-containing cotton derived 3D porous carbon frameworks for high-performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Li-Zhen; Chen, Tian-Tian; Song, Wei-Li; Li, Xiaogang; Zhang, Shichao

2015-01-01

Supercapacitors fabricated by 3D porous carbon frameworks, such as graphene- and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based aerogels, have been highly attractive due to their various advantages. However, their high cost along with insufficient yield has inhibited their large-scale applications. Here we have demonstrated a facile and easily scalable approach for large-scale preparing novel 3D nitrogen-containing porous carbon frameworks using ultralow-cost commercial cotton. Electrochemical performance suggests that the optimal nitrogen-containing cotton-derived carbon frameworks with a high nitrogen content (12.1 mol%) along with low surface area 285 m2 g−1 present high specific capacities of the 308 and 200 F g−1 in KOH electrolyte at current densities of 0.1 and 10 A g−1, respectively, with very limited capacitance loss upon 10,000 cycles in both aqueous and gel electrolytes. Moreover, the electrode exhibits the highest capacitance up to 220 F g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and excellent flexibility (with negligible capacitance loss under different bending angles) in the polyvinyl alcohol/KOH gel electrolyte. The observed excellent performance competes well with that found in the electrodes of similar 3D frameworks formed by graphene or CNTs. Therefore, the ultralow-cost and simply strategy here demonstrates great potential for scalable producing high-performance carbon-based supercapacitors in the industry. PMID:26472144

High nitrogen-containing cotton derived 3D porous carbon frameworks for high-performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Li-Zhen; Chen, Tian-Tian; Song, Wei-Li; Li, Xiaogang; Zhang, Shichao

2015-10-01

Supercapacitors fabricated by 3D porous carbon frameworks, such as graphene- and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based aerogels, have been highly attractive due to their various advantages. However, their high cost along with insufficient yield has inhibited their large-scale applications. Here we have demonstrated a facile and easily scalable approach for large-scale preparing novel 3D nitrogen-containing porous carbon frameworks using ultralow-cost commercial cotton. Electrochemical performance suggests that the optimal nitrogen-containing cotton-derived carbon frameworks with a high nitrogen content (12.1 mol%) along with low surface area 285 m2 g-1 present high specific capacities of the 308 and 200 F g-1 in KOH electrolyte at current densities of 0.1 and 10 A g-1, respectively, with very limited capacitance loss upon 10,000 cycles in both aqueous and gel electrolytes. Moreover, the electrode exhibits the highest capacitance up to 220 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and excellent flexibility (with negligible capacitance loss under different bending angles) in the polyvinyl alcohol/KOH gel electrolyte. The observed excellent performance competes well with that found in the electrodes of similar 3D frameworks formed by graphene or CNTs. Therefore, the ultralow-cost and simply strategy here demonstrates great potential for scalable producing high-performance carbon-based supercapacitors in the industry.

Synthesis of high luminescent carbon nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Gvozdyuk, Alina A.; Petrova, Polina S.; Goryacheva, Irina Y.; Sukhorukov, Gleb B.

2017-03-01

In this article we report an effective and simple method for synthesis of high luminescent carbon nanodots (CDs). In our work as a carbon source sodium dextran sulfate (DS) was used because it is harmless, its analogs are used in medicine as antithrombotic compounds and blood substitutes after hemorrhage. was used as a substrate We investigated the influence of temperature parameters of hydrothermal synthesis on the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and position of emission maxima. We discovered that the PL intensity can be tuned by changing of synthesis temperature and CD concentration.

Utilizing generalized autocalibrating partial parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) to achieve high-resolution contrast-enhanced MR angiography of hepatic artery: Initial experience in orthotopic liver transplantation candidates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu Pengju [Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai (China)]. E-mail: xpjbfc@163.com; Yan Fuhua [Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai (China)]. E-mail: yanfuhua@yahoo.com; Wang Jianhua [Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai (China); Lin Jiang [Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai (China); Fan Jia [Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai (China)

2007-03-15

Objective: To evaluate feasibility of using GRAPPA to acquire high-resolution 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) of hepatic artery and value of GRAPPA for displaying vessels anatomy. Materials and methods: High-resolution CE-MRA using GRAPPA was performed in 67 orthotopic liver transplantation recipient candidates. Signal intensity (SI) and relative SI, i.e., Cv-ro (vessel-to-liver contrast) of the aorta and the hepatic common artery (HCA), were measured. The SI and the relative SI were compared and analyzed using T-test. For purpose of qualitative evaluation, the vessel visualization quality and the order of depicted hepatic artery branches were evaluated by two radiologists independently and assessed by weighted kappa analysis. The depiction of hepatic arterial anatomy and variations was evaluated, and results were correlated with the findings in surgery. Results: The mean SI values were 283.29 {+-} 65.07 (mean {+-} S.D.) for aorta and 283.16 {+-} 64.07 for HCA, respectively. The mean relative SI values were 0.698 {+-} 0.09 for aorta and 0.696 {+-} 0.09 for HCA, respectively. Homogeneous enhancement between aorta and HCA was confirmed by statistically insignificant differences (p-values were 0.89 for mean SI values and 0.12 for mean relative SI values, respectively). The average score for vessel visualization ranged from good to excellent for different artery segments. Overall interobserver agreement in the visualization of different artery segments was excellent (kappa value > 0.80). The distal intrahepatic segmental arteries were well delineated for majority of patients with excellent interobserver agreement. Normal hepatic arterial anatomy was correctly demonstrated in 53 patients, and arterial anomalies were accurately detected on high-resolution MRA image of all 14 patients. Conclusion: High-resolution hepatic artery MRA acquired using GRAPPA in a reproducible manner excellently depicts and delineates small vessels and can be routinely used for

Implication of molecular vascular smooth muscle cell heterogeneity among arterial beds in arterial calcification.

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Olivier Espitia

Full Text Available Vascular calcification is a strong and independent predictive factor for cardiovascular complications and mortality. Our previous work identified important discrepancies in plaque composition and calcification types between carotid and femoral arteries. The objective of this study is to further characterize and understand the heterogeneity in vascular calcification among vascular beds, and to identify molecular mechanisms underlying this process. We established ECLAGEN biocollection that encompasses human atherosclerotic lesions and healthy arteries from different locations (abdominal, thoracic aorta, carotid, femoral, and infrapopliteal arteries for histological, cell isolation, and transcriptomic analysis. Our results show that lesion composition differs between these locations. Femoral arteries are the most calcified arteries overall. They develop denser calcifications (sheet-like, nodule, and are highly susceptible to osteoid metaplasia. These discrepancies may derive from intrinsic differences between SMCs originating from these locations, as microarray analysis showed specific transcriptomic profiles between primary SMCs isolated from each arterial bed. These molecular differences translated into functional disparities. SMC from femoral arteries showed the highest propensity to mineralize due to an increase in basal TGFβ signaling. Our results suggest that biological heterogeneity of resident vascular cells between arterial beds, reflected by our transcriptomic analysis, is critical in understanding plaque biology and calcification, and may have strong implications in vascular therapeutic approaches.

A coincidental variation of the axillary artery: the brachioradial artery and the aberrant posterior humeral circumflex artery passing under the tendon of the latissimus dorsi muscle

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Marek Konarik

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A case of anomalous terminal branching of the axillary artery was encountered and described in a left upper limb of a male cadaver. A series of 214 upper limbs of Caucasian race was dissected. A variant artery, stemming from the very end of the axillary artery followed a superficial course distally. It passed the cubital fossa, ran on the lateral side of the forearm as usual radial artery, crossed ventrally to the palm and terminated in the deep palmar arch. This vessel is a case of the brachioradial artery (incorrectly termed as the “radial artery with high origin”. Moreover, it was associated with another variation, concerning the aberrant posterior humeral circumflex artery passing under the tendon of the latissimus dorsi muscle. The anatomical knowledge of the axillary region is essential for radiodiagnostic, surgical and traumatologic procedures. The superficially located artery brings an elevated danger of heavy bleeding in all unexpected situations, its variant branching can cause problems in radial catheterization procedures and the anomalously coursing other arterial variant poses an elevated danger in surgical procedures concerning the surgical neck of humerus.

Pool boiling with high heat flux enabled by a porous artery structure

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Lizhan; Zhang, Lianpei; Lin, Guiping; Peterson, G. P.

2016-06-01

A porous artery structure utilizing the concept of "phase separation and modulation" is proposed to enhance the critical heat flux of pool boiling. A series of experiments were conducted on a range of test articles in which multiple rectangular arteries were machined directly into the top surface of a 10.0 mm diameter copper rod. The arteries were then covered by a 2.0 mm thickness microporous copper plate through silver brazing. The pool wall was fabricated from transparent Pyrex glass to allow a visualization study, and water was used as the working fluid. Experimental results confirmed that the porous artery structure provided individual flow paths for the liquid supply and vapor venting, and avoided the detrimental effects of the liquid/vapor counter flow. As a result, a maximum heat flux of 610 W/cm2 over a heating area of 0.78 cm2 was achieved with no indication of dryout, prior to reaching the heater design temperature limit. Following the experimental tests, the mechanisms responsible for the boiling critical heat flux and performance enhancement of the porous artery structure were analyzed.

Diffusion barrier coatings for high temperature corrosion resistance of advanced carbon/carbon composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh Raman, K.S.

2000-01-01

Carbon possesses an excellent combination of mechanical and thermal properties, viz., excellent creep resistance at temperatures up to 2400 deg C in non-oxidizing environment and a low thermal expansion coefficient. These properties make carbon a potential material for very high temperature applications. However, the use of carbon materials at high temperatures is considerably restricted due to their extremely poor oxidation resistance at temperatures above 400 deg C. The obvious choice for improving high temperature oxidation resistance of such materials is a suitable diffusion barrier coating. This paper presents an overview of recent developments in advanced diffusion- and thermal-barrier coatings for ceramic composites, with particular reference to C/C composites. The paper discusses the development of multiphase and multi-component ceramic coatings, and recent investigations on the oxidation resistance of the coated C/C composites. The paper also discusses the cases of innovative engineering solutions for traditional problems with the ceramic coatings, and the scope of intelligent processing in developing coatings for the C/C composites. Copyright (2000) AD-TECH - International Foundation for the Advancement of Technology Ltd

Marginal artery stump pressure in left colic artery-preserving rectal cancer surgery: a clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yuchen; Wang, Daguang; He, Liang; Zhang, Yang; Zhao, Shishun; Zhang, Luyao; Sun, Xuan; Suo, Jian

2017-07-01

The aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the influence of high and low ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery with apical lymph node dissection on the anastomotic blood supply, lymph node retrieval rate, operative time and anastomotic leakage rate in rectal cancer surgery. A total of 57 Chinese patients were randomly distributed into group A and group B and underwent radical resection of rectal cancer. Patients in group A underwent high ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery, and patients in group B underwent apical lymph node resection around the root of the inferior mesenteric artery with preservation of the left colic artery. The marginal artery stump pressure was measured after colon and artery reconstruction. Systemic pressure, distal colon length, operative time and lymph node retrieval rate were measured and recorded. The results were analysed and related to patient characteristics and post-operative complications. The anastomotic blood supply negatively and linearly correlated with age and distal colon length and showed a positive linear correlation with systemic pressure. Patients who received low ligation with apical lymph node dissection had a better anastomotic blood supply than those who received high ligation. No differences were found in lymph node retrieval rate, operative time and anastomotic leakage rate. Anastomotic leakage was associated with a worse anastomotic blood supply. Low ligation with apical lymph node dissection in rectal cancer treatment provides better anastomotic blood supply but is not associated with differences in node retrieval rate or operation time. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

High-resolution mapping of forest carbon stocks in the Colombian Amazon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. P. Asner

2012-07-01

Full Text Available High-resolution mapping of tropical forest carbon stocks can assist forest management and improve implementation of large-scale carbon retention and enhancement programs. Previous high-resolution approaches have relied on field plot and/or light detection and ranging (LiDAR samples of aboveground carbon density, which are typically upscaled to larger geographic areas using stratification maps. Such efforts often rely on detailed vegetation maps to stratify the region for sampling, but existing tropical forest maps are often too coarse and field plots too sparse for high-resolution carbon assessments. We developed a top-down approach for high-resolution carbon mapping in a 16.5 million ha region (> 40% of the Colombian Amazon – a remote landscape seldom documented. We report on three advances for large-scale carbon mapping: (i employing a universal approach to airborne LiDAR-calibration with limited field data; (ii quantifying environmental controls over carbon densities; and (iii developing stratification- and regression-based approaches for scaling up to regions outside of LiDAR coverage. We found that carbon stocks are predicted by a combination of satellite-derived elevation, fractional canopy cover and terrain ruggedness, allowing upscaling of the LiDAR samples to the full 16.5 million ha region. LiDAR-derived carbon maps have 14% uncertainty at 1 ha resolution, and the regional map based on stratification has 28% uncertainty in any given hectare. High-resolution approaches with quantifiable pixel-scale uncertainties will provide the most confidence for monitoring changes in tropical forest carbon stocks. Improved confidence will allow resource managers and decision makers to more rapidly and effectively implement actions that better conserve and utilize forests in tropical regions.

High-Level Heteroatom Doped Two-Dimensional Carbon Architectures for Highly Efficient Lithium-Ion Storage

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Zhijie Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In this work, high-level heteroatom doped two-dimensional hierarchical carbon architectures (H-2D-HCA are developed for highly efficient Li-ion storage applications. The achieved H-2D-HCA possesses a hierarchical 2D morphology consisting of tiny carbon nanosheets vertically grown on carbon nanoplates and containing a hierarchical porosity with multiscale pore size. More importantly, the H-2D-HCA shows abundant heteroatom functionality, with sulfur (S doping of 0.9% and nitrogen (N doping of as high as 15.5%, in which the electrochemically active N accounts for 84% of total N heteroatoms. In addition, the H-2D-HCA also has an expanded interlayer distance of 0.368 nm. When used as lithium-ion battery anodes, it shows excellent Li-ion storage performance. Even at a high current density of 5 A g−1, it still delivers a high discharge capacity of 329 mA h g−1 after 1,000 cycles. First principle calculations verifies that such unique microstructure characteristics and high-level heteroatom doping nature can enhance Li adsorption stability, electronic conductivity and Li diffusion mobility of carbon nanomaterials. Therefore, the H-2D-HCA could be promising candidates for next-generation LIB anodes.

Confinement of hydrogen at high pressure in carbon nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Lassila, David H [Aptos, CA; Bonner, Brian P [Livermore, CA

2011-12-13

A high pressure hydrogen confinement apparatus according to one embodiment includes carbon nanotubes capped at one or both ends thereof with a hydrogen-permeable membrane to enable the high pressure confinement of hydrogen and release of the hydrogen therethrough. A hydrogen confinement apparatus according to another embodiment includes an array of multi-walled carbon nanotubes each having first and second ends, the second ends being capped with palladium (Pd) to enable the high pressure confinement of hydrogen and release of the hydrogen therethrough as a function of palladium temperature, wherein the array of carbon nanotubes is capable of storing hydrogen gas at a pressure of at least 1 GPa for greater than 24 hours. Additional apparatuses and methods are also presented.

Spine-like Nanostructured Carbon Interconnected by Graphene for High-performance Supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sang-Hoon; Yoon, Seung-Beom; Kim, Hyun-Kyung; Han, Joong Tark; Park, Hae-Woong; Han, Joah; Yun, Seok-Min; Jeong, Han Gi; Roh, Kwang Chul; Kim, Kwang-Bum

2014-08-01

Recent studies on supercapacitors have focused on the development of hierarchical nanostructured carbons by combining two-dimensional graphene and other conductive sp2 carbons, which differ in dimensionality, to improve their electrochemical performance. Herein, we report a strategy for synthesizing a hierarchical graphene-based carbon material, which we shall refer to as spine-like nanostructured carbon, from a one-dimensional graphitic carbon nanofiber by controlling the local graphene/graphitic structure via an expanding process and a co-solvent exfoliation method. Spine-like nanostructured carbon has a unique hierarchical structure of partially exfoliated graphitic blocks interconnected by thin graphene sheets in the same manner as in the case of ligaments. Owing to the exposed graphene layers and interconnected sp2 carbon structure, this hierarchical nanostructured carbon possesses a large, electrochemically accessible surface area with high electrical conductivity and exhibits high electrochemical performance.

Highly thermal conductive carbon fiber/boron carbide composite material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiba, Akio; Suzuki, Yasutaka; Goto, Sumitaka; Saito, Yukio; Jinbo, Ryutaro; Ogiwara, Norio; Saido, Masahiro.

1996-01-01

In a composite member for use in walls of a thermonuclear reactor, if carbon fibers and boron carbide are mixed, since they are brought into contact with each other directly, boron is reacted with the carbon fibers to form boron carbide to lower thermal conductivity of the carbon fibers. Then, in the present invention, graphite or amorphous carbon is filled between the carbon fibers to provide a fiber bundle of not less than 500 carbon fibers. Further, the surface of the fiber bundle is coated with graphite or amorphous carbon to suppress diffusion or solid solubilization of boron to carbon fibers or reaction of them. Then, lowering of thermal conductivity of the carbon fibers is prevented, as well as the mixing amount of the carbon fiber bundles with boron carbide, a sintering temperature and orientation of carbon fiber bundles are optimized to provide a highly thermal conductive carbon fiber/boron carbide composite material. In addition, carbide or boride type short fibers, spherical graphite, and amorphous carbon are mixed in the boron carbide to prevent development of cracks. Diffusion or solid solubilization of boron to carbon fibers is reduced or reaction of them if the carbon fibers are bundled. (N.H.)

3D hybrid-porous carbon derived from carbonization of metal organic frameworks for high performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Weizhai; Mondal, Anjon Kumar; Xu, Jing; Wang, Chengyin; Su, Dawei; Wang, Guoxiu

2016-09-01

We report a rational design and synthesis of 3D hybrid-porous carbon with a hierarchical pore architecture for high performance supercapacitors. It contains micropores (<2 nm diameter) and mesopores (2-4 nm), derived from carbonization of unique porous metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Owning to the synergistic effect of micropores and mesopores, the hybrid-porous carbon has exceptionally high ion-accessible surface area and low ion diffusion resistance, which is desired for supercapacitor applications. When applied as electrode materials in supercapacitors, 3D hybrid-porous carbon demonstrates a specific capacitance of 332 F g-1 at a constant charge/discharge current of 500 mA g-1. The supercapacitors can endure more than 10,000 cycles without degradation of capacitance.

Feasibility of low-dose contrast medium high pitch CT angiography for the combined evaluation of coronary, head and neck arteries.

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Zhiwei Wang

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate the image quality and radiation dose of combined heart, head, and neck CT angiography (CTA using prospectively electrocardiography (ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral scan protocol, compared with single coronary CTA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 151 consecutive patients were prospectively included and randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (n = 47 underwent combined heart, neck, and head CTA using prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral (Flash scan protocol with a single-phase intravenous injection of iodinated contrast and saline flush; Group 2 (n = 51 underwent single coronary CTA with Flash scan protocol; and Group 3 (n = 53 underwent single coronary CTA with prospective sequence scan protocol. All patients were examined on a dual source CT (Definition FLASH. The image quality was determined for each CT study. RESULTS: Patients of scanning protocol Group 1, 2, and 3 showed no significant differences in age, sex, heart rates, and BMI. Evaluation of coronary artery image quality showed comparable results in the three scanning protocol groups on a per patient-based analysis. In group 1, image quality was found to be sufficient to be diagnostic in all arterial segments of carotid arteries. The mean dose-length product (DLP for group 1 was 256.3±24.5 mGy×cm and was significantly higher in comparison with group 2 (93.4±19.9 mGy×cm; p < 0.001. However, there was no significant difference of DLP between group 1 and group 3 (254.1±69.9 mGy×cm. CONCLUSIONS: The combined heart, neck, and head arteries scan using prospectively electrocardiography (ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral scan protocol in 1 single examination resulted in an excellent opacification of the aorta, the carotid arteries, and the coronary arteries and provided a good image quality with low radiation dose.

Evaluation of high-pitch dual-source CT angiography for evaluation of coronary and carotid-cerebrovascular arteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Kai [Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Li, Kuncheng, E-mail: cjr.likuncheng@vip.163.com [Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Han, Ruijuan [Department of Cardiology, Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020 (China); Li, Wenhuan; Chen, Nan; Yang, Qi; Du, Xiangying; Wang, Chen [Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Liu, Guorong; Li, Yuechun [Department of Neurology Baotou Central Hospital, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014040 (China); Zhou, Maorong [Department of Radiology, Baotou Central Hospital, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014040 (China); Li, Ligang; Heidrun, Endt [CT BM Clinic Marketing, Siemens Healthcare, Beijing 100102 (China)

2015-03-15

Objectives: To explore the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of a combined one-step high-pitch dual-source computed tomography angiography (CTA) technique for evaluation of coronary and carotid-cerebrovascular arteries. Materials and methods: 85 symptomatic patients suspected of coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease referred for simultaneous coronary and carotid-cerebrovascular CTA were included. Additional invasive angiography of the coronary and cerebral arteries was performed within 30 days in 23 and 13 patients, respectively. The objective parameters of image quality, the mean CT attenuations, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were evaluated. The subjective image quality of vessels was also assessed by 2 independent radiologists blinded to the patients’ medical history and scan protocols. The diagnostic performance of CTA including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for the detection or exclusion of significant artery stenosis was calculated using the chi-squared test of contingency and correlated with the results of invasive angiography representing the standard of reference. Results: Image quality was rated excellent (score 1) in 95.3% (1074/1127), good (score 2) in 3.3% (37/1127), adequate (score 3) in 1.0% (11/1127), and non-diagnostic (score 4) in 0.4% (5/1127) of coronary segments. Image quality of carotid and cerebral vessels was rated mostly excellent (score 1, 95.12% [78/82]; score 2, 3.66% [3/82]; score 3, 1.22% [1/82]). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for the detection of coronary stenosis were 92.2% (81.1–97.7%), 95.2% (91.7–97.5%), 79.6% (67.1–89.1%) and 98.3% (95.8–99.5%), respectively. For the detection of carotid and cerebral artery stenosis, CTA demonstrated a sensitivity of 92.8% (80.5–98.4%), a specificity of 93.5% (88.3–96.8%), a PPV of 79.6% (65.6–89.7%) and a NPV of 97.9% (94.1–99.5%). The effective

Highly Enhanced Raman Scattering on Carbonized Polymer Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Jong-Chul; Hwang, Jongha; Thiyagarajan, Pradheep; Ruoff, Rodney S; Jang, Ji-Hyun

2017-06-28

We have discovered a carbonized polymer film to be a reliable and durable carbon-based substrate for carbon enhanced Raman scattering (CERS). Commercially available SU8 was spin coated and carbonized (c-SU8) to yield a film optimized to have a favorable Fermi level position for efficient charge transfer, which results in a significant Raman scattering enhancement under mild measurement conditions. A highly sensitive CERS (detection limit of 10 -8 M) that was uniform over a large area was achieved on a patterned c-SU8 film and the Raman signal intensity has remained constant for 2 years. This approach works not only for the CMOS-compatible c-SU8 film but for any carbonized film with the correct composition and Fermi level, as demonstrated with carbonized-PVA (poly(vinyl alcohol)) and carbonized-PVP (polyvinylpyrollidone) films. Our study certainly expands the rather narrow range of Raman-active material platforms to include robust carbon-based films readily obtained from polymer precursors. As it uses broadly applicable and cheap polymers, it could offer great advantages in the development of practical devices for chemical/bio analysis and sensors.

Association between high-sensitive troponin I and coronary artery calcification in a Danish general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olson, Fredrik; Engborg, Jonathan; Grønhøj, Mette H.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: High-sensitive troponin I (hs-TnI) is an individual predictor of future cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relationship between hs-TnI and coronary artery calcification (CAC) as determined by computed tomography (CT) has not previously been investigated in a general population...

Method and device for secure, high-density tritium bonded with carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Wertsching, Alan Kevin; Trantor, Troy Joseph; Ebner, Matthias Anthony; Norby, Brad Curtis

2016-04-05

A method and device for producing secure, high-density tritium bonded with carbon. A substrate comprising carbon is provided. A precursor is intercalated between carbon in the substrate. The precursor intercalated in the substrate is irradiated until at least a portion of the precursor, preferably a majority of the precursor, is transmutated into tritium and bonds with carbon of the substrate forming bonded tritium. The resulting bonded tritium, tritium bonded with carbon, produces electrons via beta decay. The substrate is preferably a substrate from the list of substrates consisting of highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite, carbon fibers, carbon nanotunes, buckministerfullerenes, and combinations thereof. The precursor is preferably boron-10, more preferably lithium-6. Preferably, thermal neutrons are used to irradiate the precursor. The resulting bonded tritium is preferably used to generate electricity either directly or indirectly.

ARTERIAL REVASCULARIZATION WITH THE RIGHT GASTROEPIPLOIC ARTERY AND INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERIES IN 300 PATIENTS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

GRANDJEAN, JG; BOONSTRA, PW; DENHEYER, P; EBELS, T; KIRKLIN, JW

From September 1989 to September 1992, the right gastroepiploic artery in combination with one or both internal mammary arteries was used as a graft in 300 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The gastroepiploic artery was the primary choice in preference to the saphenous vein.

Algunas consideraciones sobre la hipertensión arterial en la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 Some considerations related to arterial high blood pressure in Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Ángel Yanes Quesada

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Se realizó una revisión del tema relacionado con la hipertensión arterial en el paciente diabético tipo 2, con el objetivo de actualizar algunos elementos particulares en este grupo de pacientes. Se plantea que su prevalencia es considerablemente más alta que en la población no diabética, donde la hiperinsulinemia y la disfunción endotelial cobran un papel protagónico en su etiopatogenia. La hipertensión arterial en estos pacientes clínicamente se manifiesta como un patrón non dipper, lo que incrementa la morbimortalidad por esta entidad. El tratamiento medicamentoso es habitualmente necesario, y se usan como drogas de primera línea los inhibidores de la enzima convertidora, los antagonistas de los receptores de angiotensina ll y los calcioantagonistas, aunque se pueden utilizar también los diuréticos tiacídicos a dosis bajas.Authors made a review of the topic related to arterial high blood pressure in the patient presenting with Type 2 diabetes mellitus to update some particular elements in this group of patients. We propose that its prevalence is higher than that present in non-diabetic population, where the hyperinsulinism and the endothelial dysfunction have a leading role in its ethiopathogenesis. The arterial high blood pressure in these patients clinically is manifested as a non-dipper pattern increasing the morbidity and mortality. Drug therapy is commonly necessary and as first line-drugs are used the converting-enzyme inhibitors, the agiotensin-II receptors antagonists, and the antagonists-calcium, although the low-dose thiacidic diuretics.

High-dose external beam irradiation inhibits neointima formation in stented pig coronary arteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verheye, Stefan; Coussement, Patrick K.; Salame, Mahomed Y.; Fallahi, Payam; Cui Jianhua; Chronos, Nicolas A.F.; King, Spencer B.; Crocker, Ian R.; Robinson, Keith A.

2001-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate high-dose external beam irradiation (EBRT) in a pig coronary stent preparation because low and intermediate-dose EBRT failed to show inhibition of neointima formation in stented animal models. Methods and Materials: Thirty-five stents were implanted in the coronary arteries of 17 pigs. Seven pigs were exposed to a single dose of 21 Gy EBRT immediately after stenting. Ten stented, nonirradiated pigs served as controls. After 4 weeks, the study arteries and myocardium were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. Results: Compared with controls, 21 Gy EBRT resulted in a larger lumen area (7.57±1.67 mm 2 vs. 4.00±1.63 mm 2 , p 2 vs. 3.36±2.26 mm 2 , p<0.001) and a smaller maximal intimal thickness (0.16±0.09 mm vs. 0.68±0.31 mm, p<0.001). Unresorbed intramural hemorrhages and adherent mural thrombi were present in the irradiated vessels, which also showed incomplete re-endothelialization. The irradiated hearts demonstrated diffuse interstitial and perivascular inflammation and fibrosis. Conclusions: EBRT at 21 Gy to the entire heart significantly inhibited neointima formation in stented pig coronary arteries but also resulted in incomplete re-endothelialization, myocardial inflammation, and fibrosis. Improvements in localization and delivery techniques are required to allow clinical implementation of this technique

Utilizing generalized autocalibrating partial parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) to achieve high-resolution contrast-enhanced MR angiography of hepatic artery: Initial experience in orthotopic liver transplantation candidates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Pengju; Yan Fuhua; Wang Jianhua; Lin Jiang; Fan Jia

2007-01-01

Objective: To evaluate feasibility of using GRAPPA to acquire high-resolution 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) of hepatic artery and value of GRAPPA for displaying vessels anatomy. Materials and methods: High-resolution CE-MRA using GRAPPA was performed in 67 orthotopic liver transplantation recipient candidates. Signal intensity (SI) and relative SI, i.e., Cv-ro (vessel-to-liver contrast) of the aorta and the hepatic common artery (HCA), were measured. The SI and the relative SI were compared and analyzed using T-test. For purpose of qualitative evaluation, the vessel visualization quality and the order of depicted hepatic artery branches were evaluated by two radiologists independently and assessed by weighted kappa analysis. The depiction of hepatic arterial anatomy and variations was evaluated, and results were correlated with the findings in surgery. Results: The mean SI values were 283.29 ± 65.07 (mean ± S.D.) for aorta and 283.16 ± 64.07 for HCA, respectively. The mean relative SI values were 0.698 ± 0.09 for aorta and 0.696 ± 0.09 for HCA, respectively. Homogeneous enhancement between aorta and HCA was confirmed by statistically insignificant differences (p-values were 0.89 for mean SI values and 0.12 for mean relative SI values, respectively). The average score for vessel visualization ranged from good to excellent for different artery segments. Overall interobserver agreement in the visualization of different artery segments was excellent (kappa value > 0.80). The distal intrahepatic segmental arteries were well delineated for majority of patients with excellent interobserver agreement. Normal hepatic arterial anatomy was correctly demonstrated in 53 patients, and arterial anomalies were accurately detected on high-resolution MRA image of all 14 patients. Conclusion: High-resolution hepatic artery MRA acquired using GRAPPA in a reproducible manner excellently depicts and delineates small vessels and can be routinely used for evaluating

Optimal Treatment of the ‘High-Risk’ Patient with Carotid Artery Stenosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fokkema, T.M.

2013-01-01

Four landmark randomized trials have clearly validated the use of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for the management of asymptomatic and symptomatic significant carotid artery stenosis. However, its risk-to-benefit ratio is variable for different patients. With the advent of carotid artery stenting

Carbon monoxide exposures inside an automobile traveling on an urban arterial highway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, W; Switzer, P; Willits, N

1994-08-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) exposures were measured inside a motor vehicle during 88 standardized drives on a major urban arterial highway, El Camino Real (traffic volume of 30,500-45,000 vehicles per day), over a 13-1/2 month period. On each trip (lasting between 31 and 61 minutes), the test vehicle drove the same 5.9-mile segment of roadway in both directions, for a total of 11.8 miles, passing through 20 intersections with traffic lights (10 in each direction) in three California cities (Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Los Altos). Earlier tests showed that the test vehicle was free of CO intrusion. For the 88 trips, the mean CO concentration was 9.8 ppm, with a standard deviation of 5.8 ppm. Of nine covariates that were examined to explain the variability in the mean CO exposures observed on the 88 trips (ambient CO at two fixed stations, atmospheric stability, seasonal trend function, time of day, average surrounding vehicle count, trip duration, proportion of time stopped at lights, and instrument type), a fairly strong seasonal trend was found. A model consisting of only a single measure of traffic volume and a seasonal trend component had substantial predictive power (R2 = 0.68); by contrast, the ambient CO levels, although partially correlated with average exposures, contributed comparatively little predictive power to the model. The CO exposures experienced while drivers waited at the red lights at an intersection ranged from 6.8 to 14.9 ppm and differed considerably from intersection to intersection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High-performance carbon nanotube-reinforced bioplastic

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ramontja, J

2009-12-01

Full Text Available -1 High-Performance Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Bioplastic 1. James Ramontja1,2, 2. Suprakas Sinha Ray1,*, 3. Sreejarani K. Pillai1, 4. Adriaan S. Luyt2 1. 1 DST/CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials...

Converting biomass waste into microporous carbon with simultaneously high surface area and carbon purity as advanced electrochemical energy storage materials

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Fei; Wang, Lijie; Peng, Yiting; Gao, Jihui; Pi, Xinxin; Qu, Zhibin; Zhao, Guangbo; Qin, Yukun

2018-04-01

Developing carbon materials featuring both high accessible surface area and high structure stability are desirable to boost the performance of constructed electrochemical electrodes and devices. Herein, we report a new type of microporous carbon (MPC) derived from biomass waste based on a simple high-temperature chemical activation procedure. The optimized MPC-900 possesses microporous structure, high surface area, partially graphitic structure, and particularly low impurity content, which are critical features for enhancing carbon-based electrochemical process. The constructed MPC-900 symmetric supercapacitor exhibits high performances in commercial organic electrolyte such as widened voltage window up to 3 V and thereby high energy/power densities (50.95 Wh kg-1 at 0.44 kW kg-1; 25.3 Wh kg-1 at 21.5 kW kg-1). Furthermore, a simple melt infiltration method has been employed to enclose SnO2 nanocrystals onto the carbon matrix of MPC-900 as a high-performance lithium storage material. The obtained SnO2-MPC composite with ultrafine SnO2 nanocrystals delivers high capacities (1115 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1; 402 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1) and high-rate cycling lifespan of over 2000 cycles. This work not only develops a microporous carbon with high carbon purity and high surface area, but also provides a general platform for combining electrochemically active materials.

Mechanics of arterial subfailure with increasing loading rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Stemper, Brian D; Yoganandan, Narayan; Pintar, Frank A

2007-01-01

Arterial subfailure leads to delayed symptomatology and high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly for the thoracic aorta and carotid arteries. Although arterial injuries occur during high-velocity automotive collisions, previous studies of arterial subfailure focused on quasi-static loading. This investigation subjected aortic segments to increasing loading rates to quantify effects on elastic, subfailure, and ultimate vessel mechanics. Sixty-two specimens were axially distracted, and 92% demonstrated subfailure before ultimate failure. With increasing loading rate, stress at initial subfailure and ultimate failure significantly increased, and strain at initial subfailure and ultimate failure significantly decreased. Present results indicate increased susceptibility for arterial subfailure and/or dissection under higher-rate extension. According to the present results, automotive occupants are at greater risk of arterial injury under higher velocity impacts due to greater body segment motions in addition to decreased strain tolerance to subfailure and catastrophic failure.

High performance all-carbon composite transparent electrodes containing uniform carbon nanotube networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Hyung Duk; Kwak, Jinsung; Kim, Se-Yang [School of Materials Science and Engineering & Low-Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919 (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol; Kim, Sung Youb [School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Seoktae [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Soon-Yong, E-mail: sykwon@unist.ac.kr [School of Materials Science and Engineering & Low-Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919 (Korea, Republic of); School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-05

Indium tin oxide-free, flexible transparent electrodes (TEs) are crucial for the future commercialization of flexible and wearable electronics. While carbon-based TEs containing carbon nanotube (CNT) networks show promise, they usually exhibit poor dispersion properties, limiting their performance and practicality. In this study, we report a highly efficient and bending durable all-carbon composite TE (ac-TE) that employs uniform CNT networks on a monolayer graphene/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate via a simple air spray deposition method. The air-sprayed CNT/graphene assembly was free-standing on solution, making a polymer-free transfer of carbon composites to target substrates possible. The excellent performance of the ac-TEs was attributed to the uniformly networked CNTs on the polycrystalline graphene with a well-controlled density, effectively bridging the line defects and filling the tears/voids or folds necessarily existing in the as-processed graphene. The sheet resistance of the ac-TEs was increased only 6% from its original value at a bending radius of 2.7 mm, while that of the pristine graphene/PET assembly increased 237%. Mechanical bending of the ac-TEs worsened the electrical performance by only ∼1.7% after 2000 bending cycles at a bending radius of 2.5 mm. Degradation of the performance by the bending was the result of line defects formation in the graphene, demonstrating the potential of the uniform CNT networks to achieve more efficient and flexible carbon-based TEs. Furthermore, the chemically-doped ac-TEs showed commercially suitable electronic and optical properties with much enhanced thermal stability, closer to practical TEs in flexible devices. - Highlights: • Highly efficient and bending durable all-carbon composite transparent electrodes (TEs) are designed. • The performance was strongly dependent on morphology of CNT networks on graphene. • The mechanism relies on the defect reductions in graphene by uniform CNT coating

High performance all-carbon composite transparent electrodes containing uniform carbon nanotube networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Hyung Duk; Kwak, Jinsung; Kim, Se-Yang; Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol; Kim, Sung Youb; Kang, Seoktae; Kwon, Soon-Yong

2016-01-01

Indium tin oxide-free, flexible transparent electrodes (TEs) are crucial for the future commercialization of flexible and wearable electronics. While carbon-based TEs containing carbon nanotube (CNT) networks show promise, they usually exhibit poor dispersion properties, limiting their performance and practicality. In this study, we report a highly efficient and bending durable all-carbon composite TE (ac-TE) that employs uniform CNT networks on a monolayer graphene/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate via a simple air spray deposition method. The air-sprayed CNT/graphene assembly was free-standing on solution, making a polymer-free transfer of carbon composites to target substrates possible. The excellent performance of the ac-TEs was attributed to the uniformly networked CNTs on the polycrystalline graphene with a well-controlled density, effectively bridging the line defects and filling the tears/voids or folds necessarily existing in the as-processed graphene. The sheet resistance of the ac-TEs was increased only 6% from its original value at a bending radius of 2.7 mm, while that of the pristine graphene/PET assembly increased 237%. Mechanical bending of the ac-TEs worsened the electrical performance by only ∼1.7% after 2000 bending cycles at a bending radius of 2.5 mm. Degradation of the performance by the bending was the result of line defects formation in the graphene, demonstrating the potential of the uniform CNT networks to achieve more efficient and flexible carbon-based TEs. Furthermore, the chemically-doped ac-TEs showed commercially suitable electronic and optical properties with much enhanced thermal stability, closer to practical TEs in flexible devices. - Highlights: • Highly efficient and bending durable all-carbon composite transparent electrodes (TEs) are designed. • The performance was strongly dependent on morphology of CNT networks on graphene. • The mechanism relies on the defect reductions in graphene by uniform CNT coating

MRI Assessment of Uterine Artery Patency and Fibroid Infarction Rates 6 Months after Uterine Artery Embolization with Nonspherical Polyvinyl Alcohol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Raj; Gonsalves, Michael; Vlahos, Ioannis; Manyonda, Issac; Belli, Anna-Maria

2013-01-01

Purpose: We have observed significant rates of uterine artery patency after uterine artery embolization (UAE) with nonspherical polyvinyl alcohol (nsPVA) on 6 month follow-up MR scanning. The study aim was to quantitatively assess uterine artery patency after UAE with nsPVA and to assess the effect of continued uterine artery patency on outcomes. Methods: A single centre, retrospective study of 50 patients undergoing bilateral UAE for uterine leiomyomata was undertaken. Pelvic MRI was performed before and 6 months after UAE. All embolizations were performed with nsPVA. Outcome measures included uterine artery patency, uterine and dominant fibroid volume, dominant fibroid percentage infarction, presence of ovarian arterial collaterals, and symptom scores assessed by the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life questionnaire (UFS-QOL). Results: Magnetic resonance angiographic evidence of uterine artery recanalization was demonstrated in 90 % of the patients (64 % bilateral, 26 % unilateral) at 6 months. Eighty percent of all dominant fibroids demonstrated >90 % infarction. The mean percentage reduction in dominant fibroid volume was 35 %. No significant difference was identified between nonpatent, unilateral, and bilateral recanalization of the uterine arteries with regard to percentage dominant fibroid infarction or dominant fibroid volume reduction. The presence of bilaterally or unilaterally patent uterine arteries was not associated with inferior clinical outcomes (symptom score or UFS-QOL scores) at 6 months. Conclusion: The high rates of uterine artery patency challenge the current paradigm that nsPVA is a permanent embolic agent and that permanent uterine artery occlusion is necessary to optimally treat uterine fibroids. Despite high rates of uterine artery recanalization in this cohort, satisfactory fibroid infarction rates and UFS-QOL scores were achieved

MRI Assessment of Uterine Artery Patency and Fibroid Infarction Rates 6 Months after Uterine Artery Embolization with Nonspherical Polyvinyl Alcohol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Raj, E-mail: rajdas@nhs.net; Gonsalves, Michael; Vlahos, Ioannis [St George' s Healthcare NHS Trust, Blackshaw, Department of Radiology (United Kingdom); Manyonda, Issac [St George' s Healthcare NHS Trust, Department of Gynaecology (United Kingdom); Belli, Anna-Maria [St George' s Healthcare NHS Trust, Blackshaw, Department of Radiology (United Kingdom)

2013-10-15

Purpose: We have observed significant rates of uterine artery patency after uterine artery embolization (UAE) with nonspherical polyvinyl alcohol (nsPVA) on 6 month follow-up MR scanning. The study aim was to quantitatively assess uterine artery patency after UAE with nsPVA and to assess the effect of continued uterine artery patency on outcomes. Methods: A single centre, retrospective study of 50 patients undergoing bilateral UAE for uterine leiomyomata was undertaken. Pelvic MRI was performed before and 6 months after UAE. All embolizations were performed with nsPVA. Outcome measures included uterine artery patency, uterine and dominant fibroid volume, dominant fibroid percentage infarction, presence of ovarian arterial collaterals, and symptom scores assessed by the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life questionnaire (UFS-QOL). Results: Magnetic resonance angiographic evidence of uterine artery recanalization was demonstrated in 90 % of the patients (64 % bilateral, 26 % unilateral) at 6 months. Eighty percent of all dominant fibroids demonstrated >90 % infarction. The mean percentage reduction in dominant fibroid volume was 35 %. No significant difference was identified between nonpatent, unilateral, and bilateral recanalization of the uterine arteries with regard to percentage dominant fibroid infarction or dominant fibroid volume reduction. The presence of bilaterally or unilaterally patent uterine arteries was not associated with inferior clinical outcomes (symptom score or UFS-QOL scores) at 6 months. Conclusion: The high rates of uterine artery patency challenge the current paradigm that nsPVA is a permanent embolic agent and that permanent uterine artery occlusion is necessary to optimally treat uterine fibroids. Despite high rates of uterine artery recanalization in this cohort, satisfactory fibroid infarction rates and UFS-QOL scores were achieved.

Closure of digital arteries in high vascular tone states as demonstrated by measurement of systolic blood pressure in the fingers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krähenbühl, B; Nielsen, S L; Lassen, N A

1977-01-01

by direct cooling or intra-arterial noradrenaline infusion caused a marked drop in FSP in the exposed fingers, but not in the non-exposed fingers of the same hand. The fact that the non-exposed fingers retained the normal (arm systolic) pressure level is taken to indicate that palmar arch blood pressure......Finger systolic blood pressure (FSP) was measured indirectly in normal subjects and patients with primary Raynaud phenomenon by applying a thin-walled plastic cuff around the finger and a strain gauge more distally to detect volume changes. Inducing a high vascular tone in one or more fingers...... also remained normal. In the high vascular tone state, a large transmural pressure difference must apparently be established before the digital arteries are forced open. The lowered opening pressure constitutes a manifestation of the closure phenomenon of the digital arteries described in patients...

Highly Crumpled All-Carbon Transistors for Brain Activity Recording.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Long; Zhao, Yan; Xu, Wenjing; Shi, Enzheng; Wei, Wenjing; Li, Xinming; Cao, Anyuan; Cao, Yanping; Fang, Ying

2017-01-11

Neural probes based on graphene field-effect transistors have been demonstrated. Yet, the minimum detectable signal of graphene transistor-based probes is inversely proportional to the square root of the active graphene area. This fundamentally limits the scaling of graphene transistor-based neural probes for improved spatial resolution in brain activity recording. Here, we address this challenge using highly crumpled all-carbon transistors formed by compressing down to 16% of its initial area. All-carbon transistors, chemically synthesized by seamless integration of graphene channels and hybrid graphene/carbon nanotube electrodes, maintained structural integrity and stable electronic properties under large mechanical deformation, whereas stress-induced cracking and junction failure occurred in conventional graphene/metal transistors. Flexible, highly crumpled all-carbon transistors were further verified for in vivo recording of brain activity in rats. These results highlight the importance of advanced material and device design concepts to make improvements in neuroelectronics.

Inhibition of ROS and inflammation by an imidazopyridine derivative X22 attenuate high fat diet-induced arterial injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weixin; Wang, Lintao; Huang, Weijian; Skibba, Melissa; Fang, Qilu; Xie, Longteng; Wei, Tiemin; Feng, Zhiguo; Liang, Guang

2015-09-01

Obesity is strongly associated with the cause of structural and functional changes of the artery. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a critical role in the development of obesity-induced cardiovascular disorders. Our group previously found that an imidazopyridine derivative X22 showed excellent anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated macrophages. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of X22 on high fat diet (HFD)-induced arterial injury and its underlying mechanisms. We observed that palmitate (PA) treatment in HUVECs induced a marked increase in reactive oxygen species, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis. All of these changes were effectively suppressed by X22 treatment in a dose-dependent manner, associated with NF-κB inactivation and Nrf-2 activation. In HFD-fed rats, administration of X22 at 10mg/kg significantly decreased the arterial inflammation and oxidative stress, and eventually improved the arterial matrix remodeling and apoptosis. X22 at 10mg/kg showed a comparable bioactivity with the positive control, curcumin at 50mg/kg. The in vivo beneficial effects of X22 are also associated with its ability to increase Nrf2 expression and inhibit NF-κB activation in the artery of HFD-fed rats. Overall, these results suggest that X22 may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of obesity-induced artery injury via regulation of Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress and NF-κB-mediated inflammation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrorefining of High Carbon Ferromanganese in Molten Salts to Produce Pure Ferromanganese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao S. J.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available High carbon ferromanganese is used as a starting material to prepare pure ferromanganese by electrorefining in molten salts. High carbon ferromanganese was applied as the anode, molybdenum was the cathode and Ag/AgCl was the reference electrode. The anodic dissolution was investigated by linear polarization in molten NaCl-KCl system. Then potentiostatic electrolysis was carried out to produce pure ferromanganese from high carbon ferromanganese. The cathodic product was determined to be a mixture of manganese and iron by x-ray diffraction (XRD. The content of carbon in the product was analyzed by carbon and sulfur analyzer. The post-electrolysis anode was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM. The mechanism of the anode dissolution and the distribution of the main impurity of carbon and silicon after electrolysis were discussed.

High-Intensity Statin Therapy Is Associated With Improved Survival in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, T Raymond; Singh, Gagan D; Kokkinidis, Damianos G; Choy, Ho-Hin K; Pham, Thai; Amsterdam, Ezra A; Rutledge, John C; Waldo, Stephen W; Armstrong, Ehrin J; Laird, John R

2017-07-15

The relative benefit of higher statin dosing in patients with peripheral artery disease has not been reported previously. We compared the effectiveness of low- or moderate-intensity (LMI) versus high-intensity (HI) statin dose on clinical outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease. We reviewed patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease who underwent peripheral angiography and/or endovascular intervention from 2006 to 2013 who were not taking other lipid-lowering medications. HI statin use was defined as atorvastatin 40-80 mg or rosuvastatin 20-40 mg. Baseline demographics, procedural data, and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Among 909 patients, 629 (69%) were prescribed statins, and 124 (13.6%) were treated with HI statin therapy. Mean low-density lipoprotein level was similar in patients on LMI versus HI (80±30 versus 87±44 mg/dL, P =0.14). Demographics including age (68±12 versus 67±10 years, P =0.25), smoking history (76% versus 80%, P =0.42), diabetes mellitus (54% versus 48%, P =0.17), and hypertension (88% versus 89%, P =0.78) were similar between groups (LMI versus HI). There was a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (56% versus 75%, P =0.0001) among patients on HI statin (versus LMI). After propensity weighting, HI statin therapy was associated with improved survival (hazard ratio for mortality: 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.81; P =0.004) and decreased major adverse cardiovascular events (hazard ratio: 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.37-0.92, P =0.02). In patients with peripheral artery disease who were referred for peripheral angiography or endovascular intervention, HI statin therapy was associated with improved survival and fewer major adverse cardiovascular events compared with LMI statin therapy. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Utility of the Measurement of Carboxyhemoglobin Level at the Site of Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Rural Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makoto Onodera

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. This study examined the hypothesis that correlations exist between the carbon monoxide exposure time and the carboxyhemoglobin concentration at the site of carbon monoxide poisoning, using a pulse carbon monoxide oximeter in rural areas or the carboxyhemoglobin concentration measured at a given medical institution. Background. In previous studies, no definitive relationships between the arterial blood carboxyhemoglobin level and the severity of carbon monoxide poisoning have been observed. Method. The subjects included patients treated for acute carbon monoxide poisoning in whom a medical emergency team was able to measure the carboxyhemoglobin level at the site of poisoning. We examined the relationship between the carboxyhemoglobin level at the site of poisoning and carbon monoxide exposure time and the relationships between the arterial blood carboxyhemoglobin level and carbon monoxide exposure time. Results. A total of 10 patients met the above criteria. The carboxyhemoglobin levels at the site of poisoning were significantly and positively correlated with the exposure time (rs = 0.710, p=0.021, but the arterial blood carboxyhemoglobin levels were not correlated with the exposure time. Conclusion. In rural areas, the carboxyhemoglobin level measured at the site of carbon monoxide poisoning correlated with the exposure time.

Utility of the Measurement of Carboxyhemoglobin Level at the Site of Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Rural Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Onodera, Makoto; Fujino, Yasuhisa; Kikuchi, Satoshi; Sato, Masayuki; Mori, Kiyofumi; Beppu, Takaaki; Inoue, Yoshihiro

2016-01-01

Objective. This study examined the hypothesis that correlations exist between the carbon monoxide exposure time and the carboxyhemoglobin concentration at the site of carbon monoxide poisoning, using a pulse carbon monoxide oximeter in rural areas or the carboxyhemoglobin concentration measured at a given medical institution. Background. In previous studies, no definitive relationships between the arterial blood carboxyhemoglobin level and the severity of carbon monoxide poisoning have been observed. Method. The subjects included patients treated for acute carbon monoxide poisoning in whom a medical emergency team was able to measure the carboxyhemoglobin level at the site of poisoning. We examined the relationship between the carboxyhemoglobin level at the site of poisoning and carbon monoxide exposure time and the relationships between the arterial blood carboxyhemoglobin level and carbon monoxide exposure time. Results. A total of 10 patients met the above criteria. The carboxyhemoglobin levels at the site of poisoning were significantly and positively correlated with the exposure time (rs = 0.710, p = 0.021), but the arterial blood carboxyhemoglobin levels were not correlated with the exposure time. Conclusion. In rural areas, the carboxyhemoglobin level measured at the site of carbon monoxide poisoning correlated with the exposure time.

Nitrogen-doped porous carbon derived from biomass waste for high-performance supercapacitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Guofu; Yang, Qian; Sun, Kanjun; Peng, Hui; Ran, Feitian; Zhao, Xiaolong; Lei, Ziqiang

2015-12-01

High capacitance property and low cost are the pivotal requirements for practical application of supercapacitor. In this paper, a low cost and high capacitance property nitrogen-doped porous carbon with high specific capacitance is prepared. The as-prepared nitrogen-doped porous carbon employing potato waste residue (PWR) as the carbon source, zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as the activating agent and melamine as nitrogen doping agent. The morphology and structure of the carbon materials are studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra. The surface area of the nitrogen-doped carbon which prepared under 700°C is found to be 1052m(2)/g, and the specific capacitance as high as 255Fg(-1) in 2M KOH electrolyte is obtained utilize the carbon as electrode materials. The electrode materials also show excellent cyclability with 93.7% coulombic efficiency at 5Ag(-1) current density of for 5000cycles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intravascular ultrasound for iliac artery imaging. Clinical review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vogt, K G; Schroeder, T V

2001-01-01

IVUS is able to produce trans-sectional images of the iliac arteries at a high resolution. The three layered appearance of the arterial wall can be visualized. In the atherosclerotic diseased artery calcified plaques can be discerned from non-calcified plaques, and the distribution of the plaque...

Coronary artery with aberrant origin malignant right

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozcan, E.; Bozlar, U.; Demirkol, S.; Saglam, M.

2012-01-01

Full text: Introduction: Congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries is a major cause of sudden death, especially in young patients. Objectives and tasks: In this study we aim to present a young patient with chest pain who had malignant right coronary artery (RCA) with aberrant origin. Materials and methods: 24-year-old man who applied cardiology clinic for chest pain and palpitations especially after exercise, was referred to our clinic for coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography to evaluate coronary artery anomalies. Results: In CT angiography; we detected aberrant RCA with origin of tubularly part of ascendant aorta with a malignant course between aorta and pulmonary artery. Left main coronary artery, left anterior descending and circumflex artery had normal origin and course. Conclusion: Coronary artery with malignant course may cause sudden death especially after exercise. Coronary CT angiography has an important role in diagnosis of congenital coronary artery anomalies, with high resolution multiplanner reformatted images

Hierarchical porous carbons prepared by an easy one-step carbonization and activation of phenol-formaldehyde resins with high performance for supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Zhoujun [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Graduate School, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Gao, Qiuming [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Graduate School, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University, 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191 (China)

2011-02-01

Hierarchical porous carbons are prepared by an easy one-step process of carbonization and activation derived from phenol-formaldehyde resins, in which potassium hydroxide acts as both the catalyst of polymerization and the activation reagent. The simple one-step preparation saves the cost of carbons and leads to high yield. The porous carbons have high surface areas with abundant pore structures. The plenty of micropores and small mesopores increase the capacitance and make the electrolyte ions diffuse fast into the pores. These hierarchical porous carbons show high performance for supercapacitors possessing of the optimized capacitance of 234 F g{sup -1} in aqueous electrolyte and 137 F g{sup -1} in organic electrolyte with high capacitive retention. (author)

Bilateral Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion, External Carotid Artery Stenosis, and Vertebral Artery Kinking: May It Be Asymptomatic?

Science.gov (United States)

Fatic, Nikola; Jaffer, Usman; Ivana, Saicic; Gordana, Globarevic-Vukcevic; Markovic, Dragan; Kostic, Dusan; Davidovic, Lazar

2017-10-01

The clinical spectrum of internal carotid artery occlusion ranges from being a completely asymptomatic occlusion to a devastating stroke or death. The prevalence of asymptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion is unknown, particularly for bilateral occlusion. The distal branches of the external carotid artery anastomose with distal branches of the internal carotid artery provide important sources of collateral circulation to the brain. Stenosis of the external carotid artery with ipsilateral/bilateral internal occlusion may result in ischemic sequelae. Coiling or kinking of the vertebral artery is a rare morphological entity that is infrequently reported because it remains asymptomatic and has no clinical relevance. Currently, there is little evidence to support management strategies for this disease entity and no official recommendations for asymptomatic bilateral carotid artery occlusion. We present a case of a 62-year-old female with asymptomatic bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion, bilateral external carotid artery stenoses, and bilateral kinking of the vertebral artery at the V2 segment, who has been successfully managed conservatively for over 5 years. An individualized approach to management of patients with bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion, especially in combination with external carotid artery stenosis and elongation malformations of the vertebral artery is key to a successful strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coronary artery calcium score using electron beam tomography in the patients with acute obstructive coronary arterial disease : comparative study within asymptomatic high-risk group of atherosclerosis and chronic obstructive coronary arterial disease group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Seok Jong; Choi, Byoung Wook; Choe, Kyu Ok

2001-01-01

To compare, through analysis of the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score and the risk factors for atherosclerosis, the characteristics of acute coronary syndrome between an asymptomatic high-risk group of atherosclerosis patients and a chronic coronary arterial obstructive disease(CAOD) group. The CAC scores of an asymptomatic high-risk group of atherosclerosis patients (group I, n=284), a chronic CAOD croup (group II, n=39) and an acute coronary syndrome group (group III, n=21) were measured by electron beam tomography. Forty-seven patients with CAOD from groups II and III underwent coronary angiography, and we scrutinized age, sex and risk factors including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and low high-density lipoproteinemia. The numbers of stenotic coronary arterial branches and degree of stenosis revealed by coronary angiography were also recorded. We determined the differences between the three groups in terms of CAC score and the risk factors, the relationship between CAC score and risk factors, and the characteristic features of each type of CAOD group. The mean CA score of group III (135.1) was not statistically different from that of group I (135.7) or group II (365.8). Among patients aged below 50, the mean CAC score of group III (127.4) was significantly higher than that of group I (6.2), (p=0.0006). The mean CAC score at the sixth decade was also significantly different between group I(81.5) and group II (266.9). The mean age of group III (54.2 years) was significantly lower than that of group I (58.1 years) (p=0.047) and of group II (60.1) (p=0.022). There was significant correlation between the number of stenotic coronary arterial branches and log(CAC +1) (p<.01). The square root of the CAC score and the maximal degree of stenosis was also well correlated (p<.01). There was no difference in the mean number of risk factors among the three groups, though the incidence of smoking in group III was significantly

Coronary artery calcium score using electron beam tomography in the patients with acute obstructive coronary arterial disease : comparative study within asymptomatic high-risk group of atherosclerosis and chronic obstructive coronary arterial disease group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, Seok Jong; Choi, Byoung Wook; Choe, Kyu Ok [Yonsei Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-04-01

To compare, through analysis of the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score and the risk factors for atherosclerosis, the characteristics of acute coronary syndrome between an asymptomatic high-risk group of atherosclerosis patients and a chronic coronary arterial obstructive disease(CAOD) group. The CAC scores of an asymptomatic high-risk group of atherosclerosis patients (group I, n=284), a chronic CAOD croup (group II, n=39) and an acute coronary syndrome group (group III, n=21) were measured by electron beam tomography. Forty-seven patients with CAOD from groups II and III underwent coronary angiography, and we scrutinized age, sex and risk factors including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and low high-density lipoproteinemia. The numbers of stenotic coronary arterial branches and degree of stenosis revealed by coronary angiography were also recorded. We determined the differences between the three groups in terms of CAC score and the risk factors, the relationship between CAC score and risk factors, and the characteristic features of each type of CAOD group. The mean CA score of group III (135.1) was not statistically different from that of group I (135.7) or group II (365.8). Among patients aged below 50, the mean CAC score of group III (127.4) was significantly higher than that of group I (6.2), (p=0.0006). The mean CAC score at the sixth decade was also significantly different between group I(81.5) and group II (266.9). The mean age of group III (54.2 years) was significantly lower than that of group I (58.1 years) (p=0.047) and of group II (60.1) (p=0.022). There was significant correlation between the number of stenotic coronary arterial branches and log(CAC +1) (p<.01). The square root of the CAC score and the maximal degree of stenosis was also well correlated (p<.01). There was no difference in the mean number of risk factors among the three groups, though the incidence of smoking in group III was significantly

Fundamental properties of high-quality carbon nanofoam: from low to high density

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie Frese

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Highly uniform samples of carbon nanofoam from hydrothermal sucrose carbonization were studied by helium ion microscopy (HIM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and Raman spectroscopy. Foams with different densities were produced by changing the process temperature in the autoclave reactor. This work illustrates how the geometrical structure, electron core levels, and the vibrational signatures change when the density of the foams is varied. We find that the low-density foams have very uniform structure consisting of micropearls with ≈2–3 μm average diameter. Higher density foams contain larger-sized micropearls (≈6–9 μm diameter which often coalesced to form nonspherical μm-sized units. Both, low- and high-density foams are comprised of predominantly sp2-type carbon. The higher density foams, however, show an advanced graphitization degree and a stronger sp3-type electronic contribution, related to the inclusion of sp3 connections in their surface network.

Carbonation Coefficients from Concrete Made with High-Absorption Limestone Aggregate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric I. Moreno

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Normal aggregates employed in concrete have absorption levels in the range of 0.2% to 4% for coarse aggregate and 0.2 to 2% for fine aggregate. However, some aggregates have absorption levels above these values. As the porosity of concrete is related to the porosity of both the cement paste and the aggregate and the carbonation rate is a function, among other things, of the porosity of the material, there is concern about the effect of this high porosity material in achieving good quality concrete from the durability point of view. Thus, the objective of this investigation was to study the carbonation rates of concrete specimens made with high-absorption limestone aggregate. Four different water/cement ratios were used, and cylindrical concrete specimens were exposed to accelerated carbonation. High porosity values were obtained for concrete specimens beyond the expected limits for durable concrete. However, carbonation coefficients related to normal quality concrete were obtained for the lowest water/cement ratio employed suggesting that durable concrete may be obtained with this material despite the high porosity.

Superselective intra-arterial infusion via the superficial temporal artery and occipital artery for gingival carcinoma of the mandible. Simultaneous catheter placement to the maxillary artery and facial artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwai, Toshinori; Mitsudo, Kenji; Fukui, Takafumi

2009-01-01

Superselective intra-arterial infusion via the superficial temporal artery (STA) has become useful for oral cancer. Approaching via the occipital artery (OA) enables superselective intra-arterial infusion when catheter placement via the STA is impossible. Therefore, simultaneous catheter placement via the STA and OA is possible. We report a surgical method of simultaneous catheter placement via the STA and OA to achieve retrograde superselective intra-arterial infusion for gingival carcinoma of the mandible. Preoperatively, three-dimensional computed tomography angiography was performed to identify the route of the external carotid artery and branches such as the STA, OA, maxillary artery, and facial artery (FA). Thirteen patients with mandibular gingival cancer underwent catheter placement via the STA and OA under local anesthesia. Catheter placement via the STA and OA was superselectively successful in all the patients. The mean operating time was 150.8 min. Catheter placed to the FA via the OA was dislocated during the treatment in one patient, and so the catheter was replaced. This method is useful to enable superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy to the whole gingival carcinoma of the mandible from the start of treatment compared with approaching via the STA. (author)

Carbon Dioxide Embolism during Laparoscopic Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Eun Young; Kwon, Ja-Young

2012-01-01

Clinically significant carbon dioxide embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication of anesthesia administered during laparoscopic surgery. Its most common cause is inadvertent injection of carbon dioxide into a large vein, artery or solid organ. This error usually occurs during or shortly after insufflation of carbon dioxide into the body cavity, but may result from direct intravascular insufflation of carbon dioxide during surgery. Clinical presentation of carbon dioxide embolism ranges from asymptomatic to neurologic injury, cardiovascular collapse or even death, which is dependent on the rate and volume of carbon dioxide entrapment and the patient's condition. We reviewed extensive literature regarding carbon dioxide embolism in detail and set out to describe the complication from background to treatment. We hope that the present work will improve our understanding of carbon dioxide embolism during laparoscopic surgery. PMID:22476987

Large-deformation and high-strength amorphous porous carbon nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weizhu; Mao, Shimin; Yang, Jia; Shang, Tao; Song, Hongguang; Mabon, James; Swiech, Wacek; Vance, John R.; Yue, Zhufeng; Dillon, Shen J.; Xu, Hangxun; Xu, Baoxing

2016-04-01

Carbon is one of the most important materials extensively used in industry and our daily life. Crystalline carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene possess ultrahigh strength and toughness. In contrast, amorphous carbon is known to be very brittle and can sustain little compressive deformation. Inspired by biological shells and honeycomb-like cellular structures in nature, we introduce a class of hybrid structural designs and demonstrate that amorphous porous carbon nanospheres with a thin outer shell can simultaneously achieve high strength and sustain large deformation. The amorphous carbon nanospheres were synthesized via a low-cost, scalable and structure-controllable ultrasonic spray pyrolysis approach using energetic carbon precursors. In situ compression experiments on individual nanospheres show that the amorphous carbon nanospheres with an optimized structure can sustain beyond 50% compressive strain. Both experiments and finite element analyses reveal that the buckling deformation of the outer spherical shell dominates the improvement of strength while the collapse of inner nanoscale pores driven by twisting, rotation, buckling and bending of pore walls contributes to the large deformation.

Calcium carbonate as a possible dosimeter for high irradiation doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negron M, A.; Ramos B, S.; Camargo R, C.; Uribe, R. M.; Gomez V, V.; Kobayashi, K.

2014-08-01

The aim of this work is to analyze the interactions of 5 MeV electron beam radiation and a 290 MeV/u Carbon beam with calcium carbonate (powder) at 298 K and at different irradiation doses, for the potential use of calcium carbonate as a high-dose dosimeter. The irradiation doses with the electron beam were from 0.015 to 9 MGy, and with Carbon beam from 1.5 kGy to 8 kGy. High-energy radiation induces the formation of free radicals in solid calcium carbonate that can be detected and measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). An increase of the EPR response for some of the free radicals produced in the sample was observed as a function of the irradiation dose. The response of one of the radicals decreased with the dose. These measurements are reproducible; the preparation of the sample is simple and inexpensive; and the signal is stable for several months. The response curves show that the dosimeter tends to saturate at 10 MGy. Based on these properties, we propose this chemical compound as a high-dose dosimeter, mainly for electron irradiation. (author)

Calcium carbonate as a possible dosimeter for high irradiation doses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Negron M, A.; Ramos B, S.; Camargo R, C. [UNAM, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Uribe, R. M. [Kent State University, College of Technology, Kent OH (United States); Gomez V, V. [UNAM, Instituto de Quimica, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Kobayashi, K., E-mail: negron@nucleares.unam.mx [Yokohama National University (Japan)

2014-08-15

The aim of this work is to analyze the interactions of 5 MeV electron beam radiation and a 290 MeV/u Carbon beam with calcium carbonate (powder) at 298 K and at different irradiation doses, for the potential use of calcium carbonate as a high-dose dosimeter. The irradiation doses with the electron beam were from 0.015 to 9 MGy, and with Carbon beam from 1.5 kGy to 8 kGy. High-energy radiation induces the formation of free radicals in solid calcium carbonate that can be detected and measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). An increase of the EPR response for some of the free radicals produced in the sample was observed as a function of the irradiation dose. The response of one of the radicals decreased with the dose. These measurements are reproducible; the preparation of the sample is simple and inexpensive; and the signal is stable for several months. The response curves show that the dosimeter tends to saturate at 10 MGy. Based on these properties, we propose this chemical compound as a high-dose dosimeter, mainly for electron irradiation. (author)

Nitrogen doped carbon derived from polyimide/multiwall carbon nanotube composites for high performance flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dae Kyom; Kim, Nam Dong; Park, Seung-Keun; Seong, Kwang-dong; Hwang, Minsik; You, Nam-Ho; Piao, Yuanzhe

2018-03-01

Flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors are desirable as potential energy storage systems for wearable technologies. Herein, we synthesize aminophenyl multiwall carbon nanotube (AP-MWCNT) grafted polyimide precursor by in situ polymerization method as a nitrogen-doped carbon precursor. Flexible supercapacitor electrodes are fabricated via a coating of carbon precursor on carbon cloth surface and carbonization at high temperature directly. The as-obtained electrodes, which can be directly used without any binders or additives, can deliver a high specific capacitance of 333.4 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 (based on active material mass) and excellent cycle stability with 103% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles in a three-electrode system. The flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor device exhibits a high volumetric capacitance of 3.88 F cm-3 at a current density of 0.02 mA cm-3. And also the device can deliver a maximum volumetric energy density of 0.50 mWh cm-3 and presents good cycling stability with 85.3% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. This device cell can not only show extraordinary mechanical flexibilities allowing folding, twisting, and rolling but also demonstrate remarkable stable electrochemical performances under their forms. This work provides a novel approach to obtain carbon textile-based flexible supercapacitors with high electrochemical performance and mechanical flexibility.

Systemic Arterial-to-Pulmonary Artery Shunt Utilization

African Journals Online (AJOL)

multiruka1

In certain circumstances, such as cyanotic neonates with tetralogy of Fallot (4) or cyanotic patients with. Tetralogy of Fallot and hypoplastic pulmonary arteries. (5), better outcomes are obtained if definitive surgery. (total correction or palliation) is preceded by creation of a systemic arterial-to-pulmonary artery shunt (SAPAS).

High-dose superselective intra-arterial cisplatin and concomitant radiation therapy for carcinoma of the oral cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Gen; Tanaka, Norimitsu; Ogo, Etuyo

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-dose superselective intra-arterial cisplatin and concomitant radiation therapy for carcinoma of the oral cavities. The subjects consisted of 18 patients with carcinoma of the oral, and cavity treated with superselective intra-arterial infusion of high dose cisplatin (100 mg/body) concomitant with delivery of external beam radiotherapy (median total dose, 60.8 Gy) between 2001 and 2004. Sodium thiosulfate was administered intravenously to provide effective cisplatin neutlization. They were International Union Against Cancer (UICC)1997 stage II-IV (stage II: 4 patients, stage III: 4 patients, stage IV: 10 patients). Patients ranged from 43-81 years of age, with a median of 60 years, and included 14 men and 4 women. A follow-up period was 6 months minimum from the atart of the radiation therapy, the median follow up period at 28 months. The three-year overall survival rate was 71%. The three-year disease free rate and local control rate were 60% and 65%, respectively. Three-year local control rate of the T2-3 was achieved at 83%, and that for T4 at 50%. There was borderline significant difference in local control rate between T2-3 and T4 (p=0.05). We conclude that the high-dose superselective intra-arterial cisplatin and concomitant radiation therapy provides effective results in organ preservation for cancer of oral cavities. Further studies are also required to determine the validity of this method. (author)

Effect of high pressure hydrogen on the mechanical characteristics of single carbon fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Sang Koo; Kwon, Oh Heon; Jang, Hoon-Sik; Ryu, Kwon Sang; Nahm, Seung Hoon

2018-02-01

In this study, carbon fiber was exposed to a pressure of 7 MPa for 24 h in high pressure chamber. The tensile test for carbon fiber was conducted to estimate the effect on the high pressure hydrogen in the atmosphere. To determine the tensile strength and Weibull modulus, approximately thirty carbon fiber samples were measured in all cases, and carbon fiber exposed to high pressure argon was evaluated to verify only the effect of hydrogen. Additionally, carbon fiber samples were annealed at 1950 °C for 1 h for a comparison with normal carbon fiber and then tested under identical conditions. The results showed that the tensile strength scatter of normal carbon fiber exposed to hydrogen was relatively wider and the Weibull modulus was decreased. Moreover, the tensile strength of the annealed carbon fiber exposed to hydrogen was increased, and these samples indicated a complex Weibull modulus because the hydrogen stored in the carbon fiber influenced the mechanical characteristic.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with chest pain, high troponin levels and absence of coronary artery obstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avegliano, G.P.; Costabel, J.P.; Kuschnir, P.; Thierer, J.; Alves de Lima, A.; Sanchez, G.; Ronderos, J.; Huguet, M.; Petit, M.; Frangi, A.A.

2011-01-01

The prevalence of myocardial infarction with angiographically normal coronary arteries is approximately 7-10%. The etiological diagnosis is sometimes difficult and is important in terms of clinical practice and prognosis. The goal of our study was to show a series of consecutive patients with an initial diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome with high troponin levels and absence of coronary artery obstruction in which cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) gave a description of the myocardial lesion, orientating towards the etiological diagnosis. From January 2005 to December 2009, 720 consecutive patients with an initial diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and elevated troponins were included; 64 of these patients did not present angiographically significant coronary artery stenosis. Within 72 ± 24 h after coronary angiography, these patients underwent CMRI using b-SSFP sequences for cine imaging in short-axis, 2-, 3- and 4- chamber views for the evaluation of segmental wall motion, with T2-weighted and delayed enhancement (DE) images of the myocardium with an 'inversion-recovery' sequence. The following diagnoses were made: myocarditis (39 patients); myocardial infarction (12 patients); Tako-Tsubo syndrome (8 patients); apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (2 patients); 3 patients remained without diagnosis. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of CMRI in the clinical scenario of patients with chest pain, inconclusive ECG findings and high troponin levels with angiographically normal coronary arteries. The presence and distribution pattern of DE make it possible to define the etiological diagnosis and interpret the physiopathological process. (authors) [es

Effects of hypoxia on the closing pressure of the canine systemic arterial circulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sylvester, J T; Gilbert, R D; Traystman, R J; Permutt, S

1981-10-01

We studied the relationships among closing pressure (Pc) and indices of systemic arterial resistance (Ra) and compliance (Ca) during hypoxic hypoxia (HH) and carbon monoxide hypoxia (COH) in anesthetized dogs with cardiac bypass and constant ventilation. Closing pressure was measured as the lowest level to which arterial pressure (Pa) fell after inflow to the arterial bed was reduced suddenly to zero. Since the fall of Pa to Pc could be well-described as a single exponential function of time and since Pc was always greater than outflow (venous) pressure. Ra and CA were determined by applying a "vascular waterfall" model to the arterial bed. During HH, Pc increased while Ra and Ca decreased. During COH, Pc and Ra decreased, but Ca did not change. The Pc results indicate that during HH, but not COH, a large portion of the systemic arterial bed experienced a marked increase in vasomotor tone, a qualitative difference that would have been missed if Pc had not been measured. The relationship among Pc, Ra, and Ca during hypoxia suggest these indices may have been determined largely by different portions of the arterial bed in which tone changed independently.

Carbon monoxide, smoking, and atherosclerosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Astrup, P

1973-10-01

Studies on the effects of carbon monoxide and smoking on atherosclerosis are reviewed. Nonsmokers do not run the risk of getting significantly elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels from automobile exhaust in the streets, however, they do run the risk of getting elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels from exposure to CO in closed areas such as garages and tunnels. Carboxyhemoglobin levels up to 20 percent may also be found in smokers. The central nervous system seems to be influenced by carboxyhemoglobin concentrations up to 20 percent. The myocardium may also be affected. Experimental work with rabbits exposed to carbon monoxide and cholesterol is described which proved that CO has a damaging effect on arterial walls, leading to increased permeability for various plasma components, to the formation of subendothelial edema, and to increased atheromatosis. The results indicate that the much higher risk of smokers of developing arterial disease in comparison to nonsmokers is mainly due to the inhaled CO in the tobacco smoke and not to nicotine. (Air Pollut. Abstr.)

STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PATENTED HIGH-CARBON WIRE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ju. Borisenko

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of bainite structure on mechanical characteristics of wire of steel 80 after patenting is studied. The quantity and structure state of bainite, providing high complex of mechanical characteristics of high-carbon wire, is determined.

Low pulmonary artery flush perfusion pressure combined with high positive end-expiratory pressure reduces oedema formation in isolated porcine lungs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schumann, Stefan; Schließmann, Stephan J; Wagner, Giskard; Goebel, Ulrich; Priebe, Hans-Joachim; Guttmann, Josef; Kirschbaum, Andreas

2010-01-01

Flush perfusion of the pulmonary artery with organ protection solution is a standard procedure before lung explantation. However, rapid flush perfusion may cause pulmonary oedema which is deleterious in the lung transplantation setting. In this study we tested the hypotheses that high pulmonary perfusion pressure contributes to the development of pulmonary oedema and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) counteracts oedema formation. We expected oedema formation to increase weight and decrease compliance of the lungs on the basis of a decrease in alveolar volume as fluid replaces alveolar air spaces. The pulmonary artery of 28 isolated porcine lungs was perfused with a low-potassium dextrane solution at low (mean 27 mmHg) or high (mean 40 mmHg) pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) during mechanical ventilation at low (4 cmH 2 O) or high (8 cmH 2 O) PEEP, respectively. Following perfusion and storage, relative increases in lung weight were smaller (p < 0.05) during perfusion at low PAP (62 ± 32% and 42 ± 26%, respectively) compared to perfusion at high PAP (133 ± 54% and 87 ± 30%, respectively). Compared to all other PAP–PEEP combinations, increases in lung weight were smallest (44 ± 9% and 27 ± 12%, respectively), nonlinear intratidal lung compliance was largest (46% and 17% respectively, both p < 0.05) and lung histology showed least infiltration of mononuclear cells in the alveolar septa, and least alveolar destruction during the combination of low perfusion pressure and high PEEP. The findings suggest that oedema formation during pulmonary artery flush perfusion in isolated and ventilated lungs can be reduced by choosing low perfusion pressure and high PEEP. PAP–PEEP titration to minimize pulmonary oedema should be based on lung mechanics and PAP monitoring

Thermodynamic diagrams for high temperature plasmas of air, air-carbon, carbon-hydrogen mixtures, and argon

CERN Document Server

Kroepelin, H; Hoffmann, K-U

2013-01-01

Thermodynamic Diagrams for High Temperature Plasmas of Air, Air-Carbon, Carbon-Hydrogen Mixtures, and Argon provides information relating to the properties of equilibrium gas plasmas formed from hydrocarbons, from air without argon, from pure argon, and from mixtures of air and carbon at various compositions, temperatures and pressures. The data are presented in graphical rather than tabular form to provide a clearer picture of the plasma processes investigated. This book is composed of four chapters, and begins with the introduction to the characteristics of plasmas, with emphasis on their th

Carbon nanotube transistor based high-frequency electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Schroter, Michael

At the nanoscale carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have higher carrier mobility and carrier velocity than most incumbent semiconductors. Thus CNT based field-effect transistors (FETs) are being considered as strong candidates for replacing existing MOSFETs in digital applications. In addition, the predicted high intrinsic transit frequency and the more recent finding of ways to achieve highly linear transfer characteristics have inspired investigations on analog high-frequency (HF) applications. High linearity is extremely valuable for an energy efficient usage of the frequency spectrum, particularly in mobile communications. Compared to digital applications, the much more relaxed constraints for CNT placement and lithography combined with already achieved operating frequencies of at least 10 GHz for fabricated devices make an early entry in the low GHz HF market more feasible than in large-scale digital circuits. Such a market entry would be extremely beneficial for funding the development of production CNTFET based process technology. This talk will provide an overview on the present status and feasibility of HF CNTFET technology will be given from an engineering point of view, including device modeling, experimental results, and existing roadblocks. Carbon nanotube transistor based high-frequency electronics.

Single Coronary Artery with Aortic Regurgitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsetos, Manny C.; Toce, Dale T.

2003-01-01

An isolated single coronary artery can be associated with normal life expectancy; however, patients are at an increased risk of sudden death. A case is reported of a 54-year-old man with several months of chest pressure with activity. On exercise Sestamibi stress testing, the patient developed a hypotensive response with no symptoms and minimal electrocardiographic changes. Nuclear scanning demonstrated reversible septal and lateral perfusion defects consistent with severe ischemia. Coronary angiography revealed a single coronary artery with the right coronary artery arising from the left main. There were high-grade stenotic lesions in the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries with only moderate atherosclerotic disease in the right coronary artery. An aortogram showed 2-3+ aortic regurgitation, with an ejection fraction of 45% on ventriculography. The patient underwent four-vessel revascularization and aortic valve replacement and did well postoperatively

High coronary artery calcium score affects clinical outcome despite normal stress myocardial perfusion imaging and normal left ventricular ejection fraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Claus Juul; Andersen, Kim F; Zerahn, Bo

2013-01-01

Normal myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) indicates a low risk for cardiac death and new ischaemic events. However, the impact of normal MPI combined with a high coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is not clear. The aims of this study were to evaluate the risk of severely elevated CACS and to id......Normal myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) indicates a low risk for cardiac death and new ischaemic events. However, the impact of normal MPI combined with a high coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is not clear. The aims of this study were to evaluate the risk of severely elevated CACS...

High methanol oxidation activity of electrocatalysts supported by directly grown nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes on carbon cloth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, C.-H.; Shih, H.-C.; Tsai, Y.-T.; Du, H.-Y.; Chen, L.-C.; Chen, K.-H.

2006-01-01

The microstructure and electrochemical activity of the Pt-Ru supported by nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes (CN x NTs) directly grown on the carbon cloth have been investigated. The CN x NTs directly grown on the carbon cloth (CN x NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode) were synthesized using microwave-plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition first and then use as the template to support the Pt-Ru nanoclusters subsequently sputtered on. The ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox reaction in cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements showed a faster electron transfer on the CN x NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode than the one with carbon cloth alone. Comparing their methanol oxidation abilities, it is found that the Pt-Ru nanoclusters supported by the CN x NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode have considerably higher electrocatalytic activity than the carbon cloth counterpart. This result suggests high performance of the CN x NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode, and demonstrates its suitability for direct methanol fuel cell applications

High methanol oxidation activity of electrocatalysts supported by directly grown nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes on carbon cloth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, C.-H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Shih, H.-C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Institue of Materials Science and Nano Technology, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Y.-T. [Institue of Materials Science and Nano Technology, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Du, H.-Y. [Institue of Materials Science and Nano Technology, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chen, L.-C. [Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chen, K.-H. [Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China) and Institue of Atomic and Molecular Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China)]. E-mail: chenkh@pub.iams.sinica.edu.tw

2006-12-01

The microstructure and electrochemical activity of the Pt-Ru supported by nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes (CN {sub x} NTs) directly grown on the carbon cloth have been investigated. The CN {sub x} NTs directly grown on the carbon cloth (CN {sub x} NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode) were synthesized using microwave-plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition first and then use as the template to support the Pt-Ru nanoclusters subsequently sputtered on. The ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox reaction in cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements showed a faster electron transfer on the CN {sub x} NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode than the one with carbon cloth alone. Comparing their methanol oxidation abilities, it is found that the Pt-Ru nanoclusters supported by the CN {sub x} NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode have considerably higher electrocatalytic activity than the carbon cloth counterpart. This result suggests high performance of the CN {sub x} NTs-carbon cloth composite electrode, and demonstrates its suitability for direct methanol fuel cell applications.

Testicular artery arising from an aberrant right renal artery | Suluba ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This case report we discovered the rare variation of the origin of the right testicular artery arising from the right aberrant renal artery with double renal artery irrigating both left and right kidneys. These variations in the testicular arteries and renal arteries have implication to surgical procedures such as orchidopexy repair for ...

Arterial hypertension and chronic liver disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl; Møller, S

2005-01-01

, calcitonin gene-related peptide, nitric oxide, and other vasodilators, and is most pronounced in the splanchnic area. This provides an effective (although relative) counterbalance to raised arterial blood pressure. Subjects with arterial hypertension (essential, secondary) may become normotensive during......This review looks at the alterations in the systemic haemodynamics of patients with chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) in relation to essential hypertension and arterial hypertension of renal origin. Characteristic findings in patients with cirrhosis are vasodilatation with low overall systemic...... vascular resistance, high arterial compliance, increased cardiac output, secondary activation of counterregulatory systems (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, sympathetic nervous system, release of vasopressin), and resistance to vasopressors. The vasodilatory state is mediated through adrenomedullin...

Patterned growth of carbon nanotubes obtained by high density plasma chemical vapor deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Mousinho, A. P.; Mansano, R. D.

2015-03-01

Patterned growth of carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition represents an assembly approach to place and orient nanotubes at a stage as early as when they are synthesized. In this work, the carbon nanotubes were obtained at room temperature by High Density Plasmas Chemical Vapor Deposition (HDPCVD) system. This CVD system uses a new concept of plasma generation, where a planar coil coupled to an RF system for plasma generation was used with an electrostatic shield for plasma densification. In this mode, high density plasmas are obtained. We also report the patterned growth of carbon nanotubes on full 4-in Si wafers, using pure methane plasmas and iron as precursor material (seed). Photolithography processes were used to pattern the regions on the silicon wafers. The carbon nanotubes were characterized by micro-Raman spectroscopy, the spectra showed very single-walled carbon nanotubes axial vibration modes around 1590 cm-1 and radial breathing modes (RBM) around 120-400 cm-1, confirming that high quality of the carbon nanotubes obtained in this work. The carbon nanotubes were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy too. The results showed that is possible obtain high-aligned carbon nanotubes with patterned growth on a silicon wafer with high reproducibility and control.

A doped activated carbon prepared from polyaniline for high performance supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Limin; Liu, Enhui; Li, Jian; Yang, Yanjing; Shen, Haijie; Huang, Zhengzheng; Xiang, Xiaoxia; Li, Wen [Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China)

2010-03-01

A novel doped activated carbon has been prepared from H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}-doped polyaniline which is prepared by the oxypolymerization of aniline. The morphology, surface chemical composition and surface area of the carbon have been investigated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunaner-Emmett-Teller measurement, respectively. Electrochemical properties of the doped activated carbon have been studied by cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements in 6 mol l{sup -1} KOH. The specific capacitance of the carbon is as high as 235 F g{sup -1}, the specific capacitance hardly decreases at a high current density 11 A g{sup -1} after 10,000 cycles, which indicates that the carbon possesses excellent cycle durability and may be a promising candidate for supercapacitors. (author)

Pharmacokinetics of superselective intra-arterial and intravenous [11C]BCNU evaluated by PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyler, J.L.; Yamamoto, Y.L.; Diksic, M.; Theron, J.; Villemure, J.G.; Worthington, C.; Evans, A.C.; Feindel, W.

1986-01-01

The pharmacokinetics of i.v. and superselective intra-arterial carbon-11 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea ([ 11 C]BCNU) were directly compared for the first time in ten patients with recurrent gliomas using positron emission tomography (PET). Intra-arterial administration of [ 11 C]BCNU achieved concentrations of the drug in the tumor that averaged 50 times higher than with a comparable i.v. dose. These preliminary results suggest that the degree of early metabolic trapping of BCNU in tumor correlates with the clinical response to this chemotherapy

Bland-White-Garland syndrome of anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA): a historical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowles, Robert A.; Berdon, Walter E.

2007-01-01

The landmark 1933 case report from Massachusetts General Hospital by Bland, White and Garland (Am Heart J 8:787-801) described a 3-month-old child with progressive feeding problems, cardiomegaly on chest radiography, and EKG evidence of left ventricular damage. Of interest was the fact that the vigilant father of the infant was Aubrey Hampton, a radiologist and future chairman of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. At autopsy, the left coronary artery originated from the pulmonary artery rather than from the aorta. Effective treatment for this condition was not available until 1960 when Sabiston, Neill and Taussig showed that the blood flowed from the left coronary artery toward the pulmonary artery. The anomalous left coronary artery was ligated at its junction with the pulmonary artery and the child survived. This historical review of Bland-White-Garland syndrome, now known as anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA), stresses the continued diagnostic significance of cardiomegaly on chest radiography and EKG changes suggesting left ventricular damage in 2- to 3-month-old infants with feeding intolerance or irritability. With a high index of suspicion, an echocardiogram can be obtained to confirm the diagnosis. Modern surgical methods involve left coronary artery translocation and afford excellent outcomes. (orig.)

Direct synthesis of highly porous interconnected carbon nanosheets and their application as high-performance supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevilla, Marta; Fuertes, Antonio B

2014-05-27

An easy, one-step procedure is proposed for the synthesis of highly porous carbon nanosheets with an excellent performance as supercapacitor electrodes. The procedure is based on the carbonization of an organic salt, i.e., potassium citrate, at a temperature in the 750-900 °C range. In this way, carbon particles made up of interconnected carbon nanosheets with a thickness of <80 nm are obtained. The porosity of the carbon nanosheets consists essentially of micropores distributed in two pore systems of 0.7-0.85 nm and 0.95-1.6 nm. Importantly, the micropore sizes of both systems can be enlarged by simply increasing the carbonization temperature. Furthermore, the carbon nanosheets possess BET surface areas in the ∼1400-2200 m(2) g(-1) range and electronic conductivities in the range of 1.7-7.4 S cm(-1) (measured at 7.1 MPa). These materials behave as high-performance supercapacitor electrodes in organic electrolyte and exhibit an excellent power handling ability and a superb robustness over long-term cycling. Excellent results were obtained with the supercapacitor fabricated from the material synthesized at 850 °C in terms of both gravimetric and volumetric energy and power densities. This device was able to deliver ∼13 Wh kg(-1) (5.2 Wh L(-1)) at an extremely high power density of 78 kW kg(-1) (31 kW L(-1)) and ∼30 Wh kg(-1) (12 Wh L(-1)) at a power density of 13 kW kg(-1) (5.2 kW L(-1)) (voltage range of 2.7 V).

Comparison of diamond-like carbon-coated nitinol stents with or without polyethylene glycol grafting and uncoated nitinol stents in a canine iliac artery model

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J H; Shin, J H; Shin, D H; Moon, M-W; Park, K; Kim, T-H; Shin, K M; Won, Y H; Han, D K; Lee, K-R

2011-01-01

Objective Neointimal hyperplasia is a major complication of endovascular stent placement with consequent in-stent restenosis or occlusion. Improvements in the biocompatibility of stent designs could reduce stent-associated thrombosis and in-stent restenosis. We hypothesised that the use of a diamond-like carbon (DLC)-coated nitinol stent or a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-DLC-coated nitinol stent could reduce the formation of neointimal hyperplasia, thereby improving stent patency with improved biocompatibility. Methods A total of 24 stents were implanted, under general anaesthesia, into the iliac arteries of six dogs (four stents in each dog) using the carotid artery approach. The experimental study dogs were divided into three groups: the uncoated nitinol stent group (n = 8), the DLC-nitinol stent group (n = 8) and the PEG-DLC-nitinol stent group (n = 8). Results The mean percentage of neointimal hyperplasia was significantly less in the DLC-nitinol stent group (26.7±7.6%) than in the nitinol stent group (40.0±20.3%) (p = 0.021). However, the mean percentage of neointimal hyperplasia was significantly greater in the PEG-DLC-nitinol stent group (58.7±24.7%) than in the nitinol stent group (40.0±20.3%) (p = 0.01). Conclusion Our findings indicate that DLC-coated nitinol stents might induce less neointimal hyperplasia than conventional nitinol stents following implantation in a canine iliac artery model; however, the DLC-coated nitinol stent surface when reformed with PEG induces more neointimal hyperplasia than either a conventional or DLC-coated nitinol stent. PMID:21325363

Aloe vera Derived Activated High-Surface-Area Carbon for Flexible and High-Energy Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Karnan, M; Subramani, K; Sudhan, N; Ilayaraja, N; Sathish, M

2016-12-28

Materials which possess high specific capacitance in device configuration with low cost are essential for viable application in supercapacitors. Herein, a flexible high-energy supercapacitor device was fabricated using porous activated high-surface-area carbon derived from aloe leaf (Aloe vera) as a precursor. The A. vera derived activated carbon showed mesoporous nature with high specific surface area of ∼1890 m 2 /g. A high specific capacitance of 410 and 306 F/g was achieved in three-electrode and symmetric two-electrode system configurations in aqueous electrolyte, respectively. The fabricated all-solid-state device showed a high specific capacitance of 244 F/g with an energy density of 8.6 Wh/kg. In an ionic liquid electrolyte, the fabricated device showed a high specific capacitance of 126 F/g and a wide potential window up to 3 V, which results in a high energy density of 40 Wh/kg. Furthermore, it was observed that the activation temperature has significant role in the electrochemical performance, as the activated sample at 700 °C showed best activity than the samples activated at 600 and 800 °C. The electron microscopic images (FE-SEM and HR-TEM) confirmed the formation of pores by the chemical activation. A fabricated supercapacitor device in ionic liquid with 3 V could power up a red LED for 30 min upon charging for 20s. Also, it is shown that the operation voltage and capacitance of flexible all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors fabricated using aloe-derived activated carbon could be easily tuned by series and parallel combinations. The performance of fabricated supercapacitor devices using A. vera derived activated carbon in all-solid-state and ionic liquid indicates their viable applications in flexible devices and energy storage.

Detection of patent ductus arteriosus with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in a patient undergoing closure of coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyata, Yuka; Hayashi, Yukio

2017-01-01

Coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula is an unusual vascular anomaly, and the shunt ratio of this fistula is usually small. We report anesthetic management of a 55-year-old female with annuloaortic ectasia, aortic valve regurgitation, and coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula undergoing radical repair. We calculated the left-to-right shunt ratio after placement of a pulmonary artery catheter and found that the ratio was unexpectedly high. Thus, we explored the presence of another shunt by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and found patent ductus arteriosus undiagnosed before operation. A combination of a pulmonary artery catheter and transesophageal echocardiography is useful to explore the presence of another shunt, such as patent ductus arteriosus during anesthesia.

The Mechanism of High Ductility for Novel High-Carbon Quenching-Partitioning-Tempering Martensitic Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Shengwei; Liu, Yu; Hao, Qingguo; Wang, Ying; Chen, Nailu; Zuo, Xunwei; Rong, Yonghua

2015-09-01

In this article, a novel quenching-partitioning-tempering (Q-P-T) process was applied to treat Fe-0.6C-1.5Mn-1.5Si-0.6Cr-0.05Nb hot-rolled high-carbon steel and the microstructures including retained austenite fraction and the average dislocation densities in both martensite and retained austenite were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The Q-P-T steel exhibits high strength (1950 MPa) and elongation (12.4 pct). Comparing with the steel treated by traditional quenching and tempering (Q&T) process, the mechanism of high ductility for high-carbon Q-P-T steel is revealed as follows. Much more retained austenite existing in Q-P-T steel than in Q&T one remarkably enhances the ductility by the following two effects: the dislocation absorption by retained austenite effect and the transformation-induced plasticity effect. Besides, lower dislocation density in martensite matrix produced by Q-P-T process plays an important role in the improvement of ductility. However, some thin plates of twin-type martensite embedded in dislocation-type martensite matrix in high-carbon Q-P-T steel affect the further improvement of ductility.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Neonatal Arterial Switch Surgery for Correction of Transposition of the Great Arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Domínguez Manzano, Paula; Mendoza Soto, Alberto; Román Barba, Violeta; Moreno Galdó, Antonio; Galindo Izquierdo, Alberto

2016-09-01

There are few reports of the appearance of pulmonary arterial hypertension following arterial switch surgery in the neonatal period to correct transposition of the great arteries. We assessed the frequency and clinical pattern of this complication in our series of patients. Our database was reviewed to select patients with transposition of the great arteries corrected by neonatal arterial switch at our hospital and who developed pulmonary hypertension over time. We identified 2 (1.3%) patients with transposition of the great arteries successfully repaired in the first week of life who later experienced pulmonary arterial hypertension. The first patient was a 7-year-old girl diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension at age 8 months who did not respond to medical treatment and required lung transplantation. The anatomic pathology findings were consistent with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. The second patient was a 24-month-old boy diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension at age 13 months who did not respond to medical therapy. Pulmonary hypertension is a rare but very severe complication that should be investigated in all patients with transposition of the great arteries who have undergone neonatal arterial switch, in order to start early aggressive therapy for affected patients, given the poor therapeutic response and poor prognosis involved. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Clinical factors useful for the differentiation of acute arterial embolism from acute arterial thrombosis of the lower extremities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Caifeng; Gu Jianping; Lou Wensheng; He Xu; Chen Liang; Chen Guoping; Su Haobo; Song Jinhua; Wang Tao

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the clinical factors useful for the differentiation of acute arterial embolism from acute arterial thrombosis in patients with acute lower extremity ischemia. Methods: A total of 73 patients with acute arterial embolism or acute arterial thrombosis of lower extremity, who were admitted to the hospital during the period from May 2005 to June 2010, were enrolled in the study. Depending on the DSA findings, the patients were divided into arterial embolism group (n=52) and arterial thrombosis group (n=21). The clinical data, including general information, the onset of the disease, the obstructed sites, the condition of the diseased limb, the clinical manifestations and the severity of ischemia, were retrospectively analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results: The acute arterial embolism occurred usually on the iliofemoral artery (χ 2 =5.44, P 2 =4.15, P 2 =9.42, P 2 =18.10, P 2 =10.01, P 2 =5.44, P 2 =12.37, P 2 =7.96, P = 8.18, P 2 =14.00, P 2 =4.24, P<0.05) was only seen in patients with acute arterial embolism. Conclusion: The clinical factors helpful for differentiating acute arterial embolism from acute arterial thrombosis include: clinical manifestations (dyskinesia, impaired sensation and peripheral pulse condition of the healthy limb), the obstructed sites, the history of intermittent claudication and previous arterial embolism, the severity of ischemia, and the high-risk factors of the peripheral vascular disease (atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking habit). (authors)

Feasibility Study of Ex Ovo Chick Chorioallantoic Artery Model for Investigating Pulsatile Variation of Arterial Geometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kweon-Ho Nam

Full Text Available Despite considerable research efforts on the relationship between arterial geometry and cardiovascular pathology, information is lacking on the pulsatile geometrical variation caused by arterial distensibility and cardiomotility because of the lack of suitable in vivo experimental models and the methodological difficulties in examining the arterial dynamics. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of using a chick embryo system as an experimental model for basic research on the pulsatile variation of arterial geometry. Optical microscope video images of various arterial shapes in chick chorioallantoic circulation were recorded from different locations and different embryo samples. The high optical transparency of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM allowed clear observation of tiny vessels and their movements. Systolic and diastolic changes in arterial geometry were visualized by detecting the wall boundaries from binary images. Several to hundreds of microns of wall displacement variations were recognized during a pulsatile cycle. The spatial maps of the wall motion harmonics and magnitude ratio of harmonic components were obtained by analyzing the temporal brightness variation at each pixel in sequential grayscale images using spectral analysis techniques. The local variations in the spectral characteristics of the arterial wall motion were reflected well in the analysis results. In addition, mapping the phase angle of the fundamental frequency identified the regional variations in the wall motion directivity and phase shift. Regional variations in wall motion phase angle and fundamental-to-second harmonic ratio were remarkable near the bifurcation area. In summary, wall motion in various arterial geometry including straight, curved and bifurcated shapes was well observed in the CAM artery model, and their local and cyclic variations could be characterized by Fourier and wavelet transforms of the acquired video images. The CAM artery model with

Mechanical design in arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Shadwick, R E

1999-12-01

The most important mechanical property of the artery wall is its non-linear elasticity. Over the last century, this has been well-documented in vessels in many animals, from humans to lobsters. Arteries must be distensible to provide capacitance and pulse-smoothing in the circulation, but they must also be stable to inflation over a range of pressure. These mechanical requirements are met by strain-dependent increases in the elastic modulus of the vascular wall, manifest by a J-shaped stress-strain curve, as typically exhibited by other soft biological tissues. All vertebrates and invertebrates with closed circulatory systems have arteries with this non-linear behaviour, but specific tissue properties vary to give correct function for the physiological pressure range of each species. In all cases, the non-linear elasticity is a product of the parallel arrangement of rubbery and stiff connective tissue elements in the artery wall, and differences in composition and tissue architecture can account for the observed variations in mechanical properties. This phenomenon is most pronounced in large whales, in which very high compliance in the aortic arch and exceptionally low compliance in the descending aorta occur, and is correlated with specific modifications in the arterial structure.

Two cases of upper gingival cancer with a new superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy method from superficial temporal artery. Combined with arterial redistribution and preoperative embolization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tange, Kazuhisa; Fukuta, Kohta; Higa, Teruo

2007-01-01

We have begun to apply arterial redistribution and preoperative embolization in superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy from the superficial temporal artery. This study examines two typical cases of upper gingival cancer. Case 1 was a male, age 61, with T4N0M0 upper gingival cancer. Drug dosage began with 50-100 mg/m 2 /day of 5-fluorouracil (FU), while 15 mg/m 2 /hour of Docetaxel was also given once a week for three weeks. At the same time, radiation therapy with a total of 30 Gy (2 Gy at a time) was given. Immediately before the operation, embolization in the internal maxillary artery was performed in order to limit bleeding. Case 2 was a female, age 73, with T3N0M0 upper gingival cancer. This patient was also given 5-FU and Docetaxel for four weeks respectively with a total of 40 Gy radiation therapy. No operation was performed. Both cases gained complete response (CR) with a sole side effect of grade 3 mucositis. Superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy with arterial redistribution in the oral area is highly effective due to local, concentrated dosage of anticancer drug and reduced side effects. It is a promising method to replace surgical operation especially in cases of upper gingival cancer, whose tumor is often limited to the internal maxillary artery alone. (author)

High-Dose versus Low-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation and Arterial Stiffness among Individuals with Prehypertension and Vitamin D Deficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Zaleski

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the onset and progression of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD. However, mechanisms underlying vitamin D deficiency-mediated increased risk of CVD remain unknown. We sought to examine the differential effect of high-dose versus low-dose vitamin D supplementation on markers of arterial stiffness among ~40 vitamin D deficient adults with prehypertension. Methods. Participants were randomized to high-dose (4000 IU/d versus low-dose (400 IU/d oral vitamin D3 for 6 months. 24 hr ambulatory blood pressure (BP, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and pulse wave analyses were obtained at baseline and after 6 months of vitamin D supplementation. Results. There were no changes in resting BP or pulse wave velocity over 6 mo regardless of vitamin D dose (all p>0.202. High-dose vitamin D decreased augmentation index and pressure by 12.3 ± 5.3% (p=0.047 and 4.0 ± 1.5 mmHg (p=0.02, respectively. However, these decreases in arterial stiffness were not associated with increases in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D over 6 mo (p=0.425. Conclusion. High-dose vitamin D supplementation appears to lower surrogate measures of arterial stiffness but not indices of central pulse wave velocity. Clinical Trial Registration. This trial is registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (Unique Identifier: NCT01240512.

Activated Biomass-derived Graphene-based Carbons for Supercapacitors with High Energy and Power Density.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, SungHoon; Myung, Yusik; Kim, Bit Na; Kim, In Gyoo; You, In-Kyu; Kim, TaeYoung

2018-01-30

Here, we present a facile and low-cost method to produce hierarchically porous graphene-based carbons from a biomass source. Three-dimensional (3D) graphene-based carbons were produced through continuous sequential steps such as the formation and transformation of glucose-based polymers into 3D foam-like structures and their subsequent carbonization to form the corresponding macroporous carbons with thin graphene-based carbon walls of macropores and intersectional carbon skeletons. Physical and chemical activation was then performed on this carbon to create micro- and meso-pores, thereby producing hierarchically porous biomass-derived graphene-based carbons with a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of 3,657 m 2  g -1 . Owing to its exceptionally high surface area, interconnected hierarchical pore networks, and a high degree of graphitization, this carbon exhibited a high specific capacitance of 175 F g -1 in ionic liquid electrolyte. A supercapacitor constructed with this carbon yielded a maximum energy density of 74 Wh kg -1 and a maximum power density of 408 kW kg -1 , based on the total mass of electrodes, which is comparable to those of the state-of-the-art graphene-based carbons. This approach holds promise for the low-cost and readily scalable production of high performance electrode materials for supercapacitors.

Angiographic manifestation and transcatheter arterial embolization of proper esophageal artery in hemoptysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Sen; Zhu Xiaohua; Sun Xiwen; Zhi Wenxiang; Jie Bing; You Zhengqian; Yu Dong; Peng Gang

2008-01-01

Objective: To investigate the angiographic manifestation of the proper esophageal artery (PEA), the high risk factors for the presence of the anomalous PEA in hemoptysis and to evaluate the safety of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of the PEA using gelatin sponge (GS). Methods: Selective esophageal arteriography was performed in forty-three patients with hemoptysis, including 15 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, 18 cases of bronchiectasis, 7 cases of posttuberculous bronchiectasis and three cases of lung cancer. One case experienced failure of bronchial arterial embolization. The angiographic manifestation of the PEAs was studied. The complications of the procedure and clinical results were observed in the patients who underwent TAE using GS. Results: Thirty-nine PEAs were catheterized selectively in 37 patients (86.0%). Eighteen anomalous PEAs (46.2%) were catheterized selectively in 17 patients (45.9%). The anomalous PEAs showed tortuosity, dilatation, hyperplasia, shunting with pulmonary artery and anastomosis with the bronchial artery. All lesions involved basal segment of inferior pulmonary lobar. Bronchiectasis was the most frequent disease for PEA abnormality. No complications occurred and satisfactory curative effect was achieved with TAE of the anomalous PEAs. Conclusions: It is necessary to perform selective proper esophageal arteriography when the lesion involves basal segment of inferior pulmonary lobar in hemoptysis. Supplemental TAE of the anomalous PEA using GS is safe and valuable in the management of hemoptysis. (authors)

Effect of high surface area activated carbon on thermal degradation of jet fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gergova, K.; Eser, S.; Arumugam, R.; Schobert, H.H. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

1995-05-01

Different solid carbons added to jet fuel during thermal stressing cause substantial changes in pyrolytic degradation reactions. Activated carbons, especially high surface area activated carbons were found to be very effective in suppressing solid deposition on metal reactor walls during stressing at high temperatures (425 and 450{degrees}C). The high surface area activated carbon PX-21 prevented solid deposition on reactor walls even after 5h at 450{degrees}C. The differences seen in the liquid product composition when activated carbon is added indicated that the carbon surfaces affect the degradation reactions. Thermal stressing experiments were carried out on commercial petroleum-derived JPTS jet fuel. We also used n-octane and n-dodecane as model compounds in order to simplify the study of the chemical changes which take place upon activated carbon addition. In separate experiments, the presence of a hydrogen donor, decalin, together with PX-21 was also studied.

Evidence of arterial wall uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose on imaging can indicate recent or future cardiovascular events in high-risk patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulmier, B.; Khayat, R.; Duet, M.; Pierquet-Ghazzar, N.; Maunoury, C.; Sauvaget, E.; Faraggi, M.; Laissy, J.P.

2007-01-01

With this study, we sought to identify plaque inflammation as assessed by 18 FDG uptake on positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) as an independent cardiovascular risk factor in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. We compared 31 consecutive cancer patients presenting with visually enhanced 18 FDG uptake in arterial walls on PET/CT (Group 1) to a selection of 34 matched cancer patients not showing arterial uptake (Group 2). All patients were followed for two years before and six months after PET/CT... Cardiovascular events were classified as older (>6 months before PET/CT) or recent ( 18 FDG uptake was computed on non-attenuation corrected data by a AW/L ratio: mean Arterial Wall uptake/Lung uptake in a normal area, and by SUV on corrected data. A calcium score (CS) was also calculated. 18 FDG uptake and CS were higher in Group 1 than Group 2 (both p = 0.02), and older and recent cardiovascular events were significantly more frequent in Group 1 than Group 2 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03. respectively). Among the following parameters: number of conventional risk factor, calcium score and presence of 18 FDG uptake, only the latter was significantly related to the occurrence of a recent event by multivariate analysis (p = 0.02). Patients with elevated arterial 18 FDG uptake have a high risk of immediate or future cardiovascular events. Arterial 18 FDG uptake is an indicator of evolving atherosclerotic process and can indicate future cardiovascular events. (authors)

Performance of CVD and CVR coated carbon-carbon in high temperature hydrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, J. W.; Barletta, R. E.; Svandrlik, J.; Vanier, P. E.

As a part of the component development process for the particle bed reactor (PBR), it is necessary to develop coatings which will be time and temperature stable at extremely high temperatures in flowing hydrogen. These coatings must protect the underlying carbon structure from attack by the hydrogen coolant. Degradation which causes small changes in the reactor component, e.g. hole diameter in the hot frit, can have a profound effect on operation. The ability of a component to withstand repeated temperature cycles is also a coating development issue. Coatings which crack or spall under these conditions would be unacceptable. While refractory carbides appear to be the coating material of choice for carbon substrates being used in PBR components, the method of applying these coatings can have a large effect on their performance. Two deposition processes for these refractory carbides, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and chemical vapor reaction (CVR), have been evaluated. Screening tests for these coatings consisted of testing of coated 2-D and 3-D weave carbon-carbon in flowing hot hydrogen at one atmosphere. Carbon loss from these samples was measured as a function of time. Exposure temperatures up to 3,000 K were used, and samples were exposed in a cyclical fashion cooling to room temperature between exposures. The results of these measurements are presented along with an evaluation of the relative merits of CVR and CVD coatings for this application.

Physical Activity and Characteristics of the Carotid Artery Wall in High-Risk Patients-The SMART (Second Manifestations of Arterial Disease) Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Boss, H Myrthe; van der Graaf, Yolanda; Visseren, Frank L J; Van den Berg-Vos, Renske M; Bots, Michiel L; de Borst, Gert Jan; Cramer, Maarten J; Kappelle, L Jaap; Geerlings, Mirjam I

2017-07-23

Physical activity reduces the risk of vascular disease. This benefit is not entirely explained through an effect on vascular risk factors. We examined the relationship of physical activity and characteristics of the carotid artery wall in patients with vascular disease or risk factors. Cross-sectional analyses were performed in 9578 patients from the SMART (Second Manifestations of Arterial Disease) study, a prospective cohort study among patients with vascular disease or risk factors. Physical activity was assessed using questionnaires. Carotid intima-media thickness and carotid artery stenosis of both common carotid arteries was measured. In a subset of 3165 participants carotid diastolic diameter and distension were assessed. Carotid stiffness was expressed as the distensibility coefficient and Young's elastic modulus. Regression analyses adjusted for vascular risk factors showed that physical activity was inversely associated with diastolic diameter (fifth versus first quintile B=-0.13 mm; 95% CI, -0.21 to -0.05) and decreased risk of carotid artery stenosis (relative risk, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.48-0.69). A light level of physical activity was associated with less carotid stiffness (second versus first quintile; Young's elastic modulus B=-0.11 kPa -1 ×10 -3 ; 95% CI, -0.16 to -0.06; distensibility coefficient B=0.93 kPa×10 3 ; 95% CI, 0.34-1.51), but there was no additional benefit with increasing levels of physical activity. In patients with vascular disease, physical activity was inversely associated with common carotid intima-media thickness, but not in patients with vascular risk factors. In patients with vascular disease or risk factors, increased physical activity was associated with smaller carotid diastolic diameter, decreased risk of carotid artery stenosis, and less carotid stiffness, but it only showed benefits on carotid intima-media thickness in patients with vascular disease. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart

Converting biowaste corncob residue into high value added porous carbon for supercapacitor electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Wen-Hui; Xu, Yuan-Yuan; Lu, An-Hui; Zhang, Xiang-Qian; Li, Wen-Cui

2015-08-01

In this report, corncob residue, the main by-product in the furfural industry, is used as a precursor to prepare porous carbon by a simple and direct thermal treatment: one-step activation without pre-carbonization. As a consequence, the corncob residue derived porous carbon achieves a high surface area of 1210 m(2) g(-1) after ash-removal. The carbon material has the advantages of low cost and low environmental impact, with a superior electrochemical performance compared to those polymer-based synthetic carbons as electrode material for a supercapacitor. The carbon electrode exhibits a high capacitance of 314 F g(-1) in 6M KOH electrolyte. The corresponding sample also shows a superb cycling stability. Almost no capacitance decay was observed after 100,000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance is due to the combination of a high specific surface area with a fraction of mesopores and highly stable structure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the population at high risk of stroke detected with carotid artery ultrasonography in Tianjin urban communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei YUE

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objective To investigate the features of carotid atherosclerosis in a population at high risk of stroke in urban communities of Tianjin, so as to provide inspiration for carotid ultrasonography to play a greater role in the prevention and control of stroke.  Methods A total of 956 residents at high risk of stroke were selected from 4 urban communities in Tianjin using cluster random sampling method. Doppler ultrasound screening was performed in bilateral common carotid artery (CCA, internal carotid artery (ICA, external carotid artery (ECA, vertebral artery (VA, subclavian artery (SCA and innominate artery of the population. The intima-media thickness (IMT, atherosclerotic plaque formation and its location and size, vascular stenosis or occlusion, and flow spectrum were detected. The results and features of carotid ultrasound screening were analyzed and compared among different gender and age groups.  Results 1 The detection rate of carotid atherosclerosis was 71.55% (684/956, and the detection rate in males was significantly higher than that in females (79.08% vs 65.87%; χ2 = 20.067, P = 0.000. 2 Among the population with carotid atherosclerosis, the most common manifestation was the formation of atherosclerotic plaques (81.58%, 558/684, secondly intima-media thickening (13.01%, 89/684, followed by moderate to severe stenosis or occlusion (5.41%, 37/684. The proportion of intima-media thickening in males was lower than that in females (7.08% vs 18.38%; χ2 = 19.269, P = 0.000. The proportion of carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation in males was higher than that in females (86.46% vs 77.16%; χ2 = 9.824, P = 0.002. The median rating of carotid atherosclerosis was 1.79, with males higher than females [1.98 (0.70, 3.26 vs 1.52 (0.20, 2.84; Z = 2.304, P = 0.042]. The site of plaque formation was most commonly located in carotid bulb (36.61%, secondly SCA (22.18%. Of the type of carotid stenosis, ICA stenosis was detected in 30 cases, VA

Agreement between arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide and saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen values obtained by direct arterial blood measurements versus noninvasive methods in conscious healthy and ill foals.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, David M; Alcott, Cody J; Wang, Chong; Bornkamp, Jennifer L; Young, Jessica L; Sponseller, Brett A

2011-11-15

To determine agreement between indirect measurements of end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PetCO(2)) and saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen as measured by pulse oximetry (SpO(2)) with direct measurements of PaCO(2) and calculated saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen in arterial blood (SaO(2)) in conscious healthy and ill foals. Validation study. 10 healthy and 21 ill neonatal foals. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed on healthy and ill foals examined at a veterinary teaching hospital to determine direct measurements of PaCO(2) and PaO(2) along with SaO(2). Concurrently, PetCO(2) was measured with a capnograph inserted into a naris, and SpO(2) was measured with a reflectance probe placed at the base of the tail. Paired values were compared by use of Pearson correlation coefficients, and level of agreement was assessed with the Bland-Altman method. Mean ± SD difference between PaCO(2) and PetCO(2) was 0.1 ± 5.0 mm Hg. There was significant strong correlation (r = 0.779) and good agreement between PaCO(2) and PetCO(2). Mean ± SD difference between SaO(2) and SpO(2) was 2.5 ± 3.5%. There was significant moderate correlation (r = 0.499) and acceptable agreement between SaO(2) and SpO(2). Both PetCO(2) obtained by use of nasal capnography and SpO(2) obtained with a reflectance probe are clinically applicable and accurate indirect methods of estimating and monitoring PaCO(2) and SaO(2) in neonatal foals. Indirect methods should not replace periodic direct measurement of corresponding parameters.

Persistent cyclestability of carbon coated Zn–Sn metal oxide/carbon microspheres as highly reversible anode material for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Guoqing; Kaneko, Shingo; Liu, Weiwei; Xia, Bingbo; Sun, Hongdan; Zhang, Ruixue; Zheng, Junwei; Li, Decheng

2013-01-01

Development of high-capacity anode materials equipped with strong cyclestability is a great challenge for use as practical electrode for high-performance lithium-ion rechargeable battery. In this study, we synthesized a carbon coated Zn–Sn metal nanocomposite oxide and carbon spheres (ZTO@C/CSs) via a simple glucose hydrothermal reaction and subsequent carbonization approach. The carbon coated ZTO/carbon microspheres composite maintained a reversible capacity of 680 mAh g −1 after 345 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g −1 , and furthermore the cell based on the composite exhibited an excellent rate capability of 470 mAh g −1 even when the cell was cycled at 2000 mA g –1 . The thick carbon layer formed on the ZTO nanoparticles and carbon spheres effectively buffered the volumetric change of the particles, which thus prolonged the cycling performance of the electrodes

Low-Cost Bio-Based Carbon Fibers for High Temperature Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, Ryan Michael [GrafTech International, Brooklyn Heights, OH (United States); Naskar, Amit [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-08-03

GrafTech International Holdings Inc. (GTI), under Award No. DE-EE0005779, worked with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under CRADA No. NFE-15-05807 to develop lignin-based carbon fiber (LBCF) technology and to demonstrate LBCF performance in high-temperature products and applications. This work was unique and different from other reported LBCF work in that this study was application-focused and scalability-focused. Accordingly, the executed work was based on meeting criteria based on technology development, cost, and application suitability. High-temperature carbon fiber based insulation is used in energy intensive industries, such as metal heat treating and ceramic and semiconductor material production. Insulation plays a critical role in achieving high thermal and process efficiency, which is directly related to energy usage, cost, and product competitiveness. Current high temperature insulation is made with petroleum based carbon fibers, and one goal of this protect was to develop and demonstrate an alternative lignin (biomass) based carbon fiber that would achieve lower cost, CO2 emissions, and energy consumption and result in insulation that met or exceeded the thermal efficiency of current commercial insulation. In addition, other products were targeted to be evaluated with LBCF. As the project was designed to proceed in stages, the initial focus of this work was to demonstrate lab-scale LBCF from at least 4 different lignin precursor feedstock sources that could meet the estimated production cost of $5.00/pound and have ash level of less than 500 ppm in the carbonized insulation-grade fiber. Accordingly, a preliminary cost model was developed based on publicly available information. The team demonstrated that 4 lignin samples met the cost criteria. In addition, the ash level for the 4 carbonized lignin samples was below 500 ppm. Processing as-received lignin to produce a high purity lignin fiber was a significant accomplishment in that most industrial

The Critical Role of Pulmonary Arterial Compliance in Pulmonary Hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

Prins, Kurt W.; Pritzker, Marc R.; Scandurra, John; Volmers, Karl; Weir, E. Kenneth

2016-01-01

The normal pulmonary circulation is a low-pressure, high-compliance system. Pulmonary arterial compliance decreases in the presence of pulmonary hypertension because of increased extracellular matrix/collagen deposition in the pulmonary arteries. Loss of pulmonary arterial compliance has been consistently shown to be a predictor of increased mortality in patients with pulmonary hypertension, even more so than pulmonary vascular resistance in some studies. Decreased pulmonary arterial compliance causes premature reflection of waves from the distal pulmonary vasculature, leading to increased pulsatile right ventricular afterload and eventually right ventricular failure. Evidence suggests that decreased pulmonary arterial compliance is a cause rather than a consequence of distal small vessel proliferative vasculopathy. Pulmonary arterial compliance decreases early in the disease process even when pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance are normal, potentially enabling early diagnosis of pulmonary vascular disease, especially in high-risk populations. With the recognition of the prognostic importance of pulmonary arterial compliance, its impact on right ventricular function, and its contributory role in the development and progression of distal small-vessel proliferative vasculopathy, pulmonary arterial compliance is an attractive target for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. PMID:26848601

Peripheral arterial disease in a female using high-dose combined oral contraceptive pills.

Science.gov (United States)

Pallavee, P; Samal, Sunita; Samal, Rupal

2013-01-01

The association between oral contraceptive (OC) pills and vascular diseases is well-known, although, the present generation of pills is considered to be relatively safer in this regard. Hormonal treatment for severe abnormal uterine bleeding is usually considered after ruling out malignancy, when such bleeding is resistant to all other forms of treatment. We report a case of severe peripheral arterial disease in a female, who had been on high-dose OC pills for an extended period of time for severe uterine bleeding.

Transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of coronary arteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamek-Kosmider, A.; Kasprzak, J.; Kosmider, M.; Krzeminska-Pakula, M.

1993-01-01

The study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of TEE for evaluation of morphology and flow in coronary arteries. TEE (2D, spectral and color Doppler imaging) and coronary angiography were performed in 75 patients - 41 with valvular heart disease and 34 with ischemic heart disease. Proximal coronary artery stenosis was detected by coronarography in 11 pts (9-left main coronary artery, 2-right coronary artery). TEE visualization of proximal coronary arteries was possible in all pts. Echocardiographic features of artery stenosis were: the narrowing of the vessel in 2D image (9 pts), high flow velocity spectral Doppler (4 pts, mean 135 cm/s vs 55 cm/s in normal arteries) and mosaic, turbulent flow in color Doppler (10 pts). Sensitivity and specificity of TEE for coronary artery stenosis detection was respectively 81%/98% for 2D imaging and 90%/100% for color Doppler. TEE is a new, noninvasive and safe method for the evaluation of proximal coronary arteries. Detection of LMCA stenosis prior to atheterization may enhance the safety of coronary angiography. (author)

Transpedal approach for iliac artery stenting: A pilot study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zachariah, Jips J., E-mail: jzachariah@chpnet.org [Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, New York, NY (Israel); Ratcliffe, Justin A.; Ruisi, Michael; Puma, Joseph [Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, New York, NY (Israel); Bertrand, Olivier [Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec (Canada); Kwan, Tak [Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, New York, NY (Israel)

2016-12-15

Objective: To demonstrate the safety and feasibility of the transpedal approach as an alternate arterial access site for iliac artery intervention. Background: The common femoral artery is the traditional access site for the endovascular treatment of iliac artery stenoses. However, this approach is associated with complication rates as high as 2%, including retroperitoneal bleeding which carries high patient morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the standard femoral approach is associated with longer recovery times and longer time to ambulation which are important considerations especially when performing procedures in an ambulatory setting. Methods: Twelve patients were prospectively followed after treatment for symptomatic iliac artery stenosis via transpedal access. Under ultrasound guidance, one of the pedal arteries was visualized and accessed, and stenting of the iliac arteries were performed as per protocol. The patient was monitored immediately post procedure and clinical follow up was performed at one week and one month later. Results: The average age of the patients was 71 years old. 58% were male. Most patients had Rutherford class III symptoms. Successful stent placement was achieved in all 12 patients via transpedal access. No conversion to femoral access was required. No complications immediately post procedure nor at any time period during follow up were noted. Lower extremity arterial duplex at one month showed patent stents and patent pedal access site vessels in all patients. Conclusion: Transpedal arterial access may be a safe and feasible approach for iliac artery stenting. Given the possible benefits of avoiding femoral artery access, larger studies should be conducted directly comparing the different approaches.

Highly porous carbon from a natural cellulose fiber as high efficiency sorbent for lead in waste water.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilangovan, Manikandan; Guna, Vijaykumar; Olivera, Sharon; Ravi, Ashwini; Muralidhara, H B; Santosh, M S; Reddy, Narendra

2017-12-01

The persistence of hollow centre in the carbon obtained from milkweed floss provides exceptional sorption characteristics, not seen in common biomasses or their derivatives. A considerably high sorption of 320mg of lead per gram of milkweed carbon was achieved without any chemical modification to the biomass. In this research, we have carbonized milkweed floss and used the carbon as a sorbent for lead in waste water. A high surface area of 170m 2 g -1 and pore volume of 1.07cm 3 g -1 was seen in the carbon. Almost complete removal (>99% efficiency) of lead could be achieved within 5min when the concentration of lead in the solution was 100ppm, close to that prevailing in industrial waste water. SEM images showed that the carbon was hollow and confocal images confirmed that the sorbate could penetrate inside the hollow tube. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Axillary artery to left anterior descending coronary artery bypass with an externally stented graft: a technical report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Loris

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract With the proliferation of minimally invasive cardiac surgery a number of alternative inflow sites for coronary artery bypass grafting have been utilized, especially in higher risk patients. The use of axillary-coronary artery bypass is a safe and effective alternative especially in the case of patients requiring redo coronary revascularization. However, the length and convoluted course of the axillary-coronary vein graft makes is susceptible to twisting, trauma and neointimal hyperplasia. We therefore report a case of an axillary-coronary artery bypass in a high risk patient in which a Dacron conduit was used to externally support and protect the vein graft to the left anterior descending artery. Surgical technique and considerations are presented and discussed.

Individual differences as predictors of dietary patterns among menopausal women with arterial hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Gacek

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze selected individual determinants of dietary choices, important for etiology and prevention of degenerative cardiovascular disorders, in a group of menopausal women diagnosed with arterial hypertension. Material and methods: The study included a group of 160 women from the Małopolska region, aged between 45 and 60 years and diagnosed with arterial hypertension. A questionnaire assessing the frequency of food product consumption was used, along with standardized psychological tests (GSES, LOT-R, and SWLS. Spearman’s coefficients of rank correlation and the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: We revealed that higher levels of self-efficacy were associated with more frequent consumption of whole grains, oatmeal, raw vegetables, fruit, semi-skimmed milk, natural yoghurt, marine fish, legume seeds, soy products, nuts, plant oils, and fruit and vegetable juices, as well as with less frequent consumption of whole milk, high-fat cottage cheese, and sweetened carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages. The levels of optimism and satisfaction with life correlated positively with the consumption frequency of brown rice, whole grains, oatmeal, fruit, marine fish, legumes, soy products, nuts, butter, and fruit juices, and were inversely correlated with the consumption of white bread, high-fat cottage cheese, pork meat and sausages, and sweets and pastries. Conclusions : Postmenopausal women with arterial hypertension who were characterized by lower levels of self-efficacy, optimism, and satisfaction with life made less rational dietary choices which could negatively affect the efficacy of the secondary prevention of cardiovascular degenerative disorders.

Effect of alkali metal content of carbon on retention of iodine at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, A.G.

1975-01-01

Activated carbon for filters in reactor confinement systems is intentionally impregnated with iodine salts to enhance the removal of radioiodine from air streams containing organic iodides. When a variety of commercial impregnated carbons were evaluated for iodine retention at elevated temperatures (4 hours at 180 0 C), wide variations in iodine penetration were observed. The alkali metal and iodine content of carbon samples was determined by neutron activation analysis, and a strong correlation was shown between the atom ratio of iodine to alkali metals in the carbons and the high-temperature retention performance. Carbons containing excess alkali (especially potassium) have iodine penetration values 10 to 100 times lower than carbons containing excess iodine. Both low I/K ratios and high pH values were shown essential to high efficiency iodine retention; therefore, conversion of elemental iodine to ionic iodine is the basic reaction mechanism. The natural high K + content and high pH coconut carbons make coconut the preferred natural base material for nuclear air cleaning applications. Studies show, however, that treatment of low potassium carbons with a mixture of KOH and I 2 may produce a product equal to or better than I 2 -impregnated coconut carbons at a lower cost. (U.S.)

Polyfurfuryl alcohol derived activated carbons for high power electrical double layer capacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz, V. [CSIRO Division of Energy Technology, Box 312, Clayton South, Vic. 3169 (Australia); Pandolfo, A.G., E-mail: tony.pandolfo@csiro.a [CSIRO Division of Energy Technology, Box 312, Clayton South, Vic. 3169 (Australia)

2010-10-30

Polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) derived activated carbons were prepared by the acid catalysed polymerization of furfuryl alcohol, followed by potassium hydroxide activation. Activated carbons with apparent BET surface areas ranging from 1070 to 2600 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, and corresponding average micropore sizes between 0.6 and 1.6 nm were obtained. The porosity of these carbons can be carefully controlled during activation and their performance as electrode materials in electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) in a non-aqueous electrolyte (1 M Et{sub 4}NBF{sub 4}/ACN) is investigated. Carbon materials with a low average pore size (<{approx}0.6 nm) exhibited electrolyte accessibility issues and an associated decrease in capacitance at high charging rates. PFA carbons with larger average pore sizes exhibited greatly improved performance, with specific electrode capacitances of 150 F g{sup -1} at an operating voltage window of 0-2.5 V; which corresponds to 32 Wh kg{sup -1} and 38 kW kg{sup -1} on an active material basis. These carbons also displayed an outstanding performance at high current densities delivering up to 100 F g{sup -1} at current densities as high as 250 A g{sup -1}. The exceptionally high capacitance and power of this electrode material is attributed to its good electronic conductivity and a highly effective combination of micro- and fine mesoporosity.

High tie versus low tie of the inferior mesenteric artery in colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yafan; Wang, Guiying; He, Jingli; Zhang, Jianfeng; Xi, Jinchuan; Wang, Feifei

2018-04-01

Colorectal cancer surgery includes "high tie" and "low tie"of the inferior mesenteric artery(IMA). However, different ligation level is closely related to the blood supply of anastomosis, which may increase the leakage rate, and it is unclear which technique confers a lower anastomotic leakage rate(AL) and survival advantage. To compare the effectiveness and impact of inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) high ligation versus IMA low ligation on anastomotic leakage, lymph nodes yield rates and 5-year survival. A list of these studies, published in English from 1990 to 2017, was obtained independently by two reviewers from databases such as PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect and Web of Science. Anastomotic leakage rate, the yield of lymph nodes and 5-year survival were compared using Review Manager 5.3. There was no significant difference in anastomotic leakage, number of lymph nodes retrieved and 5-year survival rate for both techniques. Neither the high tie nor the low tie strategy has an evidence in terms of anastomotic leakage rate, harvested lymph nodes, and the 5-year survival rate. Further RCT is needed. Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pumpkin-Derived Porous Carbon for Supercapacitors with High Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Suying; Tan, Guangqun; Li, Xiaoqin; Zhao, Qian; Meng, Yan; Wang, Yujue; Zhang, Yongzhi; Xiao, Dan

2016-06-21

Pumpkin has been employed for the first time as a renewable, low-cost precursor for the preparation of porous carbon materials with excellent performance. Unlike most other precursors, pumpkin is rich in sugars and starch, and it has advantageous properties for large-scale production. The as-prepared materials adopted a unique morphology that consisted of numerous fused sphere-like carbon grains with a high specific surface area (2968 m(2)  g(-1) ), abundant micro and mesopores, and excellent electrochemical properties. The pumpkin-derived activated carbon (PAC) material not only exhibited a high specific capacitance of 419 F g(-1) , but also showed considerable cycling stability, with 93.6 % retention after 10 000 cycles. Moreover, a symmetrical supercapacitor that was based on PAC showed a high energy density of 22.1 W h kg(-1) in aqueous electrolyte. These superior properties demonstrate that PAC holds great promise for applications in electrochemical energy-storage devices. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polyfurfuryl alcohol derived activated carbons for high power electrical double layer capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, V.; Pandolfo, A.G.

2010-01-01

Polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) derived activated carbons were prepared by the acid catalysed polymerization of furfuryl alcohol, followed by potassium hydroxide activation. Activated carbons with apparent BET surface areas ranging from 1070 to 2600 m 2 g -1 , and corresponding average micropore sizes between 0.6 and 1.6 nm were obtained. The porosity of these carbons can be carefully controlled during activation and their performance as electrode materials in electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) in a non-aqueous electrolyte (1 M Et 4 NBF 4 /ACN) is investigated. Carbon materials with a low average pore size ( -1 at an operating voltage window of 0-2.5 V; which corresponds to 32 Wh kg -1 and 38 kW kg -1 on an active material basis. These carbons also displayed an outstanding performance at high current densities delivering up to 100 F g -1 at current densities as high as 250 A g -1 . The exceptionally high capacitance and power of this electrode material is attributed to its good electronic conductivity and a highly effective combination of micro- and fine mesoporosity.

Cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy with preservation of a right coronary artery bypass graft using the right gastro-epiploic artery: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Homsy, K; Paquay, J-L; Farghadani, H

2018-02-20

Pancreatic cancer is a rare disease with a high mortality rate, for which complete surgical resection, when possible, is the preferred therapeutic. Pancreaticoduodenectomy represents the surgical technique of choice. Abdominal surgeons can be faced with the challenge of patients with a history of coronary artery bypass graft in which the right gastro-epiploic artery is used. We report the case of a patient with an adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head, stage IIA, having previously undergone a triple coronary artery bypass, one of which being a right gastro-epiploic graft. Our challenge was underlined by the necessity of a complete oncological resection through a cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy while preserving the necessary cardiac perfusion via the right gastro-epiploic artery. We have been able to preserve a right gastro-epiploic artery as a coronary bypass during a cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy for a cephalic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We have successfully been able to preserve and re-implant the right gastro-epiploic artery to the origin of the gastroduodenal artery while insuring R0 resection of the tumor. A coronary artery bypass using the right gastro-epiploic artery should therefore not be considered as an obstacle to a Whipple's procedure if total oncological resection is obtainable.

Anomalous origin of the coronary artery from the wrong coronary sinus evaluated with computed tomography: ''High-risk'' anatomy and its clinical relevance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupinski, Maciej; Urbanczyk-Zawadzka, Malgorzata; Laskowicz, Bartosz; Irzyk, Malgorzata; Banys, Robert; Klimeczek, Piotr; Gruszczynska, Katarzyna; Baron, Jan

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess coronary arteries arising from the wrong coronary sinus, including CT-evaluated high-risk anatomic features, clinical symptoms and cardiac events during follow-up. A total of 7,115 patients scheduled for 64-slice or dual-source cardiac CT were screened for the presence of isolated anomalous origin of the coronary artery from the wrong coronary sinus. Anomalous origin of the coronary artery was found in 54 (0.76 %) patients (29 men, 25 women, mean age 60.9 ± 11.6 years). Sixteen (30 %) patients with abnormal right coronary origin (ARCA) more commonly had a slit-like orifice (15 vs. 3; p < 0.001), intramural course (15 vs. 3; p < 0.001) and interarterial course (11 vs. 0; p < 0.001) than 22 (41 %) and 13 (24 %) individuals with abnormal circumflex artery (ALCx) and left coronary artery (ALCA) origin, respectively. Patients with ALCA presented less frequently with chest pain than subjects with ARCA and ALCx (25 vs. 3; p = 0.03). Patients with ARCA tended to show higher occurrence of cardiac events in the follow-up than individuals with ALCA and ALCx (5 vs. 4; p = NS). High-risk anatomy features are most common in patients with ARCA and these patients also have higher prevalence of chest pain and cardiac events in the follow-up than individuals with ALCA and ALCx. (orig.)

Prognostic Value of Coronary Computed Tomography Imaging in Patients at High Risk Without Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dedic, Admir; Ten Kate, Gert-Jan R; Roos, Cornelis J; Neefjes, Lisan A; de Graaf, Michiel A; Spronk, Angela; Delgado, Victoria; van Lennep, Jeanine E Roeters; Moelker, Adriaan; Ouhlous, Mohamed; Scholte, Arthur J H A; Boersma, Eric; Sijbrands, Eric J G; Nieman, Koen; Bax, Jeroen J; de Feijter, Pim J

2016-03-01

At present, traditional risk factors are used to guide cardiovascular management of asymptomatic subjects. Intensified surveillance may be warranted in those identified as high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aims to determine the prognostic value of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) next to the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in patients at high CVD risk without symptoms suspect for coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 665 patients at high risk (mean age 56 ± 9 years, 417 men), having at least one important CVD risk factor (diabetes mellitus, familial hypercholesterolemia, peripheral artery disease, or severe hypertension) or a calculated European systematic coronary risk evaluation of >10% were included from outpatient clinics at 2 academic centers. Follow-up was performed for the occurrence of adverse events including all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or coronary revascularization. During a median follow-up of 3.0 (interquartile range 1.3 to 4.1) years, adverse events occurred in 40 subjects (6.0%). By multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, gender, and CACS, obstructive CAD on CCTA (≥50% luminal stenosis) was a significant predictor of adverse events (hazard ratio 5.9 [CI 1.3 to 26.1]). Addition of CCTA to age, gender, plus CACS, increased the C statistic from 0.81 to 0.84 and resulted in a total net reclassification index of 0.19 (p value and risk reclassification benefit beyond CACS in patients without CAD symptoms but with high risk of developing CVD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Carbonated Beverage Intake on Blood Gases and Some Biochemical Parameters in Male Albino Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taha, M.S.; Osman, H.F.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of carbonated beverage (colourless or black coloured drinks) on arterial blood gases, kidney function, bone mineral density (BMD), glucose and insulin. The rats were divided into three groups; ten rats per each group. Group (I) used as control, group (II) rats supplemented with colourless carbonated beverage (10 ml /100 ml water) and group (III) rats supplemented with black coloured carbonated beverage (10 ml /100 ml water) for three months. The arterial blood gases were evaluated by measuring ph PO 2 , , PCO 2 , , H + a nd HCO 3 -. Rats receiving the coloured drinks showed high significant increase in ph while PO 2 showed very high significant decrease in both groups. PCO 2 showed high significant decrease in groups (II) and (III) while H + showed high significant decrease in group (III) only. HCO 3 - showed high significant increase in group III. All these changes were related to carbonic acid dissolved in water and the increased ph lead to alkalinity of the blood and it is inversely proportional to the number of hydrogen ions (H + ). Non-significant changes were observed in sodium ions while potassium ions showed significant increase in group (II) and high significant increase in group (III). The level of urea showed high and very high significant increase in groups (II) and (III), respectively. Creatinine level showed non-significant increase in group (III). The histopathology changes were observed in kidney tissues in rats of groups (II) and (III). From these results, it appears that black coloured beverage can increase the risk of kidney problems more than colourless beverages. Ca + and inorganic phosphorous levels showed non- significant change except Ca ions showed a significant decrease in rats of group (III). The acidity of carbonated beverage leads to weak bones by promoting the loss of calcium. The decrease of bone mineral density was more pronounced in some parts of femur of rats receiving black

Double profunda brachii artery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gavishiddappa A Hadimani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Brachial artery (BA is a continuation of the axillary artery at the lower border of teres major. In the cubital fossa, BA divides into radial artery and ulnar artery as terminal branches. Large branch given from the BA in the upper part is profunda brachii artery. In the present case, we noticed double profunda brachii that arises from the BA. They are profunda brachii artery 1 and profunda brachii artery 2. Profunda brachii artery 1 arises in the proximal part of the BA and profunda brachii artery 2 arises distal to the profunda brachii artery 1. Both the arteries run inferolaterally in the spiral groove along with radial nerve. Variations of profunda brachii artery are important during harvesting of the lateral arm flaps and may lead to inadvertent injury during percutaneous arterial catheterization or injection of drugs.

Sulfurized activated carbon for high energy density supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yunxia; Candelaria, Stephanie L.; Li, Yanwei; Li, Zhimin; Tian, Jianjun; Zhang, Lili; Cao, Guozhong

2014-04-01

Sulfurized activated carbon (SAC), made by coating the pore surface with thiophenic sulfur functional groups from the pyrolysis of sulfur flakes, were characterized and tested for supercapacitor applications. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the sulfur content in the SAC was found to be 2.7 at%. Electrochemical properties from potentiostatic and galvanostatic measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to evaluate the effect of sulfur on porous carbon electrodes. The SAC electrode exhibits better conductivity, and an obvious increase in specific capacitance that is almost 40% higher than plain activated carbons (ACs) electrode at a high current density of 1.4 A g-1. The proposed mechanism for improved conductivity and capacitive performance due to the sulfur functional groups on ACs will be discussed.

Aberrant overian artery originating from the Ilolumbar artery: A case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ji Eun; Lee, Jae Myeong [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Here, we report a case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with primary postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony. She received uterine artery embolization (UAE). During left internal iliac arteriography, an aberrant left ovarian artery originating from the left iliolumbar artery was visualized. The aberrant left ovarian artery was connected to the left uterine artery via prominent collateral vessels. It supplied a significant amount of blood to the fundus of the uterus. Bilateral hypertrophied uterine arteries were embolized very carefully so that the embolic material did not reflux into the aberrant left ovarian artery. After the procedure, her vaginal bleeding was successfully controlled. Accurate understanding of anatomical variations of the ovarian artery is essential to avoid failure in controlling postpartum hemorrhage with UAE.

Aberrant overian artery originating from the Ilolumbar artery: A case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ji Eun; Lee, Jae Myeong

2016-01-01

Here, we report a case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with primary postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony. She received uterine artery embolization (UAE). During left internal iliac arteriography, an aberrant left ovarian artery originating from the left iliolumbar artery was visualized. The aberrant left ovarian artery was connected to the left uterine artery via prominent collateral vessels. It supplied a significant amount of blood to the fundus of the uterus. Bilateral hypertrophied uterine arteries were embolized very carefully so that the embolic material did not reflux into the aberrant left ovarian artery. After the procedure, her vaginal bleeding was successfully controlled. Accurate understanding of anatomical variations of the ovarian artery is essential to avoid failure in controlling postpartum hemorrhage with UAE

Achieving high performance in intermediate temperature direct carbon fuel cells with renewable carbon as a fuel source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao, Wenbin; He, Xiaojin; Mi, Yongli

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Bamboo fiber and waste paper were pyrolyzed to generate bamboo carbon and waste paper carbon as anode fuels of IT-DCFC. • Superior cell performance was achieved with the waste paper carbon. • The results suggested the high performance was due to the highest thermal reactivity and the catalytic inherent impurities. • Calcite and kaolinite as inherent impurities favored the thermal decomposition and the electrooxidation of carbon. - Abstract: Three kinds of carbon sources obtained from carbon black, bamboo fiber and waste paper were investigated as anode fuels in an intermediate temperature direct carbon fuel cell. The carbon sources were characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, etc. The results indicated that the waste paper carbon was more abundant in calcite and kaolinite, and showed higher thermal reactivity in the intermediate temperature range compared with the other two carbon sources. The cell performance was tested at 650 °C in a hybrid single cell, using Sm 0.20 Ce 0.80 O 2−x as the electrolyte. As a result, the cell fed with waste paper carbon showed the highest performance among the three carbon sources, with a peak power density of 225 mW cm −2 . The results indicated that its inherent impurities, such as calcite and kaolinite, might favor the thermal gasification of renewable carbon sources, which resulted in the enhanced performance of the intermediate temperature direct carbon fuel cell

Relationship between Renal Artery Stenosis and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Coronary Atherosclerotic Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amirfarhang Zandparsa

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of the present investigation was to explore probable association of renal artery stenosis (RAS with coronary artery disease (CAD and the prevalence of renal artery stenosis (RAS in patients with CAD. Patients and methods: This study comprised 165 consecutive patients with CAD, including 52.7% males and 47.2% females with respective mean ages of 60.3 ±8.9 and 59.5±10.1. The patients underwent simultaneous coronary and renal angiographies, and the lumen reduction of 50% or more was considered as significant stenosis. Indeed, stenosis of more than 70% of the arterial lumen was regarded as severe. Results: According to our findings, the prevalence of renal artery stenosis in our hypertensive and normotensive patients were 46.2% and 19.5% respectively (p=0.002. Renal artery angiography revealed that 64 (38.8% of the patients had simultaneous renal artery stenosis. RAS is more common in females than males (p=0.031. Multivariate analysis revealed that among all examined factors, hypertension and serum creatinine were associated with RAS. There was no correlations found between gensini score and RAS (p=0.63. Conclusion: We found a relatively high prevalence of RAS including 46.2% in hypertensive and 19.5% in normotensive patients in our patients with CAD.

Cerebellar arteries originating from the internal carotid artery: angiographic evaluation and embryologic explanations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Young; Han, Moon Hee; Yu, In Gyu; Chang, Ki Hyun; Kim, Eui Jong; Kim, Dae Ho

1997-01-01

To find and describe the cerebellar arteries arising from the internal carotid artery, explain them embryologically, and evaluate their clinical implication. To determine the point in the internal carotid artery from which the cereballar artery arose anomalously, consecutive angiographic studies performed in the last three years were reviewed. The distribution of such anomalous cerebellar arteries, the point in the internal carotid artery from which the anomalous vessels originated, and associated findings were analyzed. Five anomalous origins of cerebellar arteries arising arising directly from the internal carotid artery were found in five patients. Three anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (AICA) and one common trunk of an AICA and a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) were found to originate from the internal carotid artery at a point close to the origin of the primitive trigeminal artery. A PICA arose from an artery presenting a course similar to the proatlantal intersegmental artery. Intracranial aneurysms in two patients, Moyamoya disease in one, and facial arteriovenous malformation in one. In our series, AICAs supplied from the arteries considered to be persistent trigeminal artery variants were the most common type. A correlation between type of anomalous cerebellar artery and type of carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomosis may exist. Cerebellar arteries originating anomalously from the internal carotid artery seem to occur as a result of the persistence of carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses associated with incomplete fusion of the longitudinal neural arteries. An understanding of these anomalous cerebellar arteries may help prevent accidents during therapeutic embolization and surgical treatment, as well as misinterpretation

Highly ordered three-dimensional macroporous carbon spheres for determination of heavy metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yuxiao; Zhang, Jianming; Liu, Yang; Huang, Hui; Kang, Zhenhui

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres (MPCSs) were prepared. ► MPCS was covalently modified by cysteine (MPCS–CO–Cys). ► MPCS–CO–Cys was first time used in electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions. ► Heavy metal ions such as Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ can be simultaneously determined. -- Abstract: An effective voltammetric method for detection of trace heavy metal ions using chemically modified highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres electrode surfaces is described. The highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres were prepared by carbonization of glucose in silica crystal bead template, followed by removal of the template. The highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres were covalently modified by cysteine, an amino acid with high affinities towards some heavy metals. The materials were characterized by physical adsorption of nitrogen, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. While the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the functional groups on the surface of carbon spheres. High sensitivity was exhibited when this material was used in electrochemical detection (square wave anodic stripping voltammetry) of heavy metal ions due to the porous structure. And the potential application for simultaneous detection of heavy metal ions was also investigated.

Anatomical variation of celiac axis, superior mesenteric artery, and hepatic artery: Evaluation with multidetector computed tomography angiography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Farghadani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The celiac axis, superior mesenteric artery (SMA, and hepatic artery are the most important branches of abdominal aorta due to their vascularization field. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of different anatomical variation of celiac axis, SMA, hepatic artery, and its branches with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT angiography of upper abdomen arteries. Materials and Methods: MDCT of 607 kidney donor and traumatic patients that referred to MDCT unit at Al Zahra Hospital in Isfahan from 2012 to 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. We excluded patients with history of abdominal vascular surgery and hepatic or pancreatic surgery. Computed tomography images of the patient were obtained with 64-row MDCT scanner and anatomical variations were analyzed. Results: Three hundred and eighty-eight (63.9% of the 607 patients had classic arterial anatomy and 219 (36.1% patients had variant types. The most common type of variation was the origin of the right hepatic artery (RHA from SMA (9.6%, and the next common variation was the origin of the left hepatic artery (LHA from the left gastric artery (6.9%. Variations in the origin of the common hepatic artery (CHA were seen in 16 (2.6% patients. Buhler arc was identified in two patients. The RHA originated from the celiac axis in 11 (1.8% patients and from the aorta in 8 (1.3% patients. Trifurcation of CHA into gastroduodenal artery, RHA, and LHA was detected in 11 (1.8% patients. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that anatomical variation occurs in a high percentage of patients. Detection of these variations can guide surgical and radiological interventional planning.

Aberrant ovarian artery arising from the common Iliac artery: Case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Won Kyung [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Seung Boo; Lee, Jae Myeong [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Gumi (Korea, Republic of); Goo, Dong Erk; Kim, Yong Jae; Chang, Yun Woo [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-01-15

A 46-year-old Vietnamese woman received embolization therapy in order to control postpartum hemorrhage. Angiography revealed an aberrant ovarian artery arising from the right common iliac artery. Superselective catheterization and subsequent embolization of the aberrant ovarian artery and bilateral uterine arteries were performed. Precise knowledge of the anatomic variations of the ovarian artery is important for successful embolization.

Aberrant ovarian artery arising from the common Iliac artery: Case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won Kyung; Yang, Seung Boo; Lee, Jae Myeong; Goo, Dong Erk; Kim, Yong Jae; Chang, Yun Woo

2013-01-01

A 46-year-old Vietnamese woman received embolization therapy in order to control postpartum hemorrhage. Angiography revealed an aberrant ovarian artery arising from the right common iliac artery. Superselective catheterization and subsequent embolization of the aberrant ovarian artery and bilateral uterine arteries were performed. Precise knowledge of the anatomic variations of the ovarian artery is important for successful embolization.

Hierarchical porous carbon aerogel derived from bagasse for high performance supercapacitor electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Pin; Zhao, Zhenhuan; Tian, Jian; Li, Haidong; Sang, Yuanhua; Yu, Guangwei; Cai, Huaqiang; Liu, Hong; Wong, C P; Umar, Ahmad

2014-10-21

Renewable, cost-effective and eco-friendly electrode materials have attracted much attention in the energy conversion and storage fields. Bagasse, the waste product from sugarcane that mainly contains cellulose derivatives, can be a promising candidate to manufacture supercapacitor electrode materials. This study demonstrates the fabrication and characterization of highly porous carbon aerogels by using bagasse as a raw material. Macro and mesoporous carbon was first prepared by carbonizing the freeze-dried bagasse aerogel; consequently, microporous structure was created on the walls of the mesoporous carbon by chemical activation. Interestingly, it was observed that the specific surface area, the pore size and distribution of the hierarchical porous carbon were affected by the activation temperature. In order to evaluate the ability of the hierarchical porous carbon towards the supercapacitor electrode performance, solid state symmetric supercapacitors were assembled, and a comparable high specific capacitance of 142.1 F g(-1) at a discharge current density of 0.5 A g(-1) was demonstrated. The fabricated solid state supercapacitor displayed excellent capacitance retention of 93.9% over 5000 cycles. The high energy storage ability of the hierarchical porous carbon was attributed to the specially designed pore structures, i.e., co-existence of the micropores and mesopores. This research has demonstrated that utilization of sustainable biopolymers as the raw materials for high performance supercapacitor electrode materials is an effective way to fabricate low-cost energy storage devices.

High-energy, short-pulse, carbon-dioxide lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenstermacher, C.A.

1979-01-01

Lasers for fusion application represent a special class of short-pulse generators; not only must they generate extremely short temporal pulses of high quality, but they must do this at ultra-high powers and satisfy other stringent requirements by this application. This paper presents the status of the research and development of carbon-dioxide laser systems at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, vis-a-vis the fusion requirements

Venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference in the resuscitation of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaztagle Fernández, J J; Rodríguez Murcia, J C; Sprockel Díaz, J J

2017-10-01

The way to assess tissue perfusion during the resuscitation of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock is a current subject of research and debate. Venous oxygen saturation and lactate concentration have been the most frequently used criteria, though they involve known limitations. The venous-to-arterial difference of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 delta) is a parameter than can be used to indicate tissue perfusion, and its determination therefore may be useful in these patients. A qualitative systematic review of the literature was made, comprising studies that assessed pCO 2 delta in adult patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, and published between January 1966 and November 2016 in the Medline-PubMed, Embase-Elsevier, Cochrane Library, and LILACS databases. There was no language restriction. The PRISMA statement was followed, and methodological quality was evaluated. Twelve articles were included, all of an observational nature, and including 10 prospective studies (9 published since 2010). Five documented greater mortality among patients with high pCO 2 delta values, in 3 cases even when achieving venous oxygen saturation targets. In 4 studies, a high pCO 2 delta was related to lower venous oxygen saturation and higher lactate levels, and another 3 documented lesser percentage lactate reductions. The parameter pCO 2 delta has been more frequently assessed in the management of patients with severe sepsis during the last few years. The studies demonstrate its correlation to mortality and other clinical outcomes, defining pCO 2 delta as a useful tool in the management of these patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

High-resolution forest carbon stocks and emissions in the Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Asner, Gregory P; Powell, George V N; Mascaro, Joseph; Knapp, David E; Clark, John K; Jacobson, James; Kennedy-Bowdoin, Ty; Balaji, Aravindh; Paez-Acosta, Guayana; Victoria, Eloy; Secada, Laura; Valqui, Michael; Hughes, R Flint

2010-09-21

Efforts to mitigate climate change through the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) depend on mapping and monitoring of tropical forest carbon stocks and emissions over large geographic areas. With a new integrated use of satellite imaging, airborne light detection and ranging, and field plots, we mapped aboveground carbon stocks and emissions at 0.1-ha resolution over 4.3 million ha of the Peruvian Amazon, an area twice that of all forests in Costa Rica, to reveal the determinants of forest carbon density and to demonstrate the feasibility of mapping carbon emissions for REDD. We discovered previously unknown variation in carbon storage at multiple scales based on geologic substrate and forest type. From 1999 to 2009, emissions from land use totaled 1.1% of the standing carbon throughout the region. Forest degradation, such as from selective logging, increased regional carbon emissions by 47% over deforestation alone, and secondary regrowth provided an 18% offset against total gross emissions. Very high-resolution monitoring reduces uncertainty in carbon emissions for REDD programs while uncovering fundamental environmental controls on forest carbon storage and their interactions with land-use change.

Hollow Carbon Nanofiber-Encapsulated Sulfur Cathodes for High Specific Capacity Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Guangyuan

2011-10-12

Sulfur has a high specific capacity of 1673 mAh/g as lithium battery cathodes, but its rapid capacity fading due to polysulfides dissolution presents a significant challenge for practical applications. Here we report a hollow carbon nanofiber-encapsulated sulfur cathode for effective trapping of polysulfides and demonstrate experimentally high specific capacity and excellent electrochemical cycling of the cells. The hollow carbon nanofiber arrays were fabricated using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, through thermal carbonization of polystyrene. The AAO template also facilitates sulfur infusion into the hollow fibers and prevents sulfur from coating onto the exterior carbon wall. The high aspect ratio of the carbon nanofibers provides an ideal structure for trapping polysulfides, and the thin carbon wall allows rapid transport of lithium ions. The small dimension of these nanofibers provides a large surface area per unit mass for Li2S deposition during cycling and reduces pulverization of electrode materials due to volumetric expansion. A high specific capacity of about 730 mAh/g was observed at C/5 rate after 150 cycles of charge/discharge. The introduction of LiNO3 additive to the electrolyte was shown to improve the Coulombic efficiency to over 99% at C/5. The results show that the hollow carbon nanofiber-encapsulated sulfur structure could be a promising cathode design for rechargeable Li/S batteries with high specific energy. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

[Arterial hypertension secondary to endocrine disorders].

Science.gov (United States)

Minder, Anna; Zulewski, Henryk

2015-06-01

Endocrine hypertension offers a potentially curative therapy if the underlying cause is identified and treated accordingly. In contrast to the high prevalence of arterial hypertension especially in the elderly, the classical endocrine causes remain a rare entity. Among patients with arterial hypertension the prevalence of Cushing's syndrome or pheochromocytoma is less than 1%. Primary hyperaldosteronism is more frequent with a reported prevalence of up to 9%. In order to avoid unnecessary, costly and potentially harmful evaluations and therapies due to the limited sensitivity and specificity of the critical endocrine tests it is mandatory to limit the exploration for endocrine causes to preselected patients with high pretest probability for an endocrine disorder. Younger age at manifestation of arterial hypertension or drug resistant hypertension together with other clinical signs of an endocrine disorder should raise the suspicion and prompt the appropriate evaluation.

Access to the ophthalmic artery by retrograde approach through the posterior communicating artery for intra-arterial chemotherapy of retinoblastoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pham, Chi-Tuan; Blanc, Raphael; Pistocchi, Silvia; Bartolini, Bruno; Piotin, Michel [Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Paris (France); Lumbroso-Le Rouic, Livia [Institut Curie, Department of Ocular Oncology, Paris (France)

2012-08-15

Intra-arterial infusion of chemotherapy into the ophthalmic artery for treatment of retinoblastoma has been realized after catheterization of the internal carotid and temporary balloon occlusion beyond the orifice of the ophthalmic artery, or more recently after superselective canulation of the ophthalmic artery by a microcatheter. The superselective catheterization of the ophthalmic artery could be cumbersome because of the implantation of the ostium on the carotid siphon or because of the tortuosity of the carotid siphon. We report our experience of using a retrograde approach through the posterior communicating artery that allows a more direct angle of access to the origin of the ophthalmic artery. (orig.)

Method for creating high carbon content products from biomass oil

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Reginald; Seames, Wayne

2012-12-18

In a method for producing high carbon content products from biomass, a biomass oil is added to a cracking reactor vessel. The biomass oil is heated to a temperature ranging from about 100.degree. C. to about 800.degree. C. at a pressure ranging from about vacuum conditions to about 20,700 kPa for a time sufficient to crack the biomass oil. Tar is separated from the cracked biomass oil. The tar is heated to a temperature ranging from about 200.degree. C. to about 1500.degree. C. at a pressure ranging from about vacuum conditions to about 20,700 kPa for a time sufficient to reduce the tar to a high carbon content product containing at least about 50% carbon by weight.

Circumflex coronary artery with aberrant origin and atherosclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozcan, E.; Bozlar, U.; Celik, T.; Tasar, M.

2012-01-01

Full text: Introduction: Circumflex (Cx) coronary artery congenital anomaly is reported to be less than 1% incidence. Coronary arteries with aberrant origin are more likely to have atherosclerosis according to some published literatures. Objectives and tasks: In this study we aim to present computed tomography (CT) angiography findings of a patient, who has Cx artery with aberrant origin and atherosclerotic. Materials and methods: 57-year-old woman without any symptoms who has risk factors to atherosclerosis was referred to our clinic for coronary CT angiography. Results: In CT angiography; we detected Cx coronary artery with aberrant origin (right sinus of valsalva) and retroaortic course. Also we saw intimal irregularities and calcified plaque causing severe narrowing in the proximal segment of artery. Right coronary and left anterior descendant arteries had mild atherosclerosis. Conclusion: Coroner CT angiography, which allows multiplanar imaging with high resolution, is an effective diagnostic tool for coronary artery disease, like not only congenital anomalies but also acquired atherosclerotic disease

Factors for vertebral artery injury accompanied by cervical trauma

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Murata, Masaaki; Shingu, Hikosuke; Kimura, Isao; Nasu, Yoshiro; Shiotani, Akihide [San-in Rosai Hospital, Yonago, Tottori (Japan). Spine and Low Back Pain Center

2001-09-01

Injury of the vertebral artery with cerebellar and brain stem infarction is a complication of cervical vertebral trauma. However, the pathogenesis and etiological factors remain to be clarified. In this study, we investigated patients with cervical vertebral and cord injury. This study included 51 patients with cervical vertebral and cord injury who were treated in our department. In these patients, plain X-ray, CT, MRI, and MRA findings were examined. The incidence of vertebral arterial injury was 33.3% (17 of 51 patients with cervical vertebral trauma). In 11 of the 17 patients, dislocation fracture was noted, comprising a markedly high percentage (64.7%). Particularly, vertebral arterial injury was commonly observed in patients with a large dislocation distance and severe paralysis. Cerebellar and brain stem infarction related to vertebral arterial injury was observed in 5 of the 17 patients (29.4%). No infarction developed in patients 50 years old or younger. Infarction was detected in relatively elderly patients. Vertebral arterial injury and cerebellar/brain stem infarction related to cervical vertebral trauma were frequently observed in patients with high energy injury. However, these disorders commonly occurred in elderly patients. Therefore, age-related factors such as arteriosclerosis may also be closely involved. In the acute stage, the state of the vertebral artery should be evaluated by MRA and MRI. Among patients with vertebral arterial injury, caution is needed during follow-up those with risk factors such as high energy injury and advanced age. (author)

Factors for vertebral artery injury accompanied by cervical trauma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murata, Masaaki; Shingu, Hikosuke; Kimura, Isao; Nasu, Yoshiro; Shiotani, Akihide

2001-01-01

Injury of the vertebral artery with cerebellar and brain stem infarction is a complication of cervical vertebral trauma. However, the pathogenesis and etiological factors remain to be clarified. In this study, we investigated patients with cervical vertebral and cord injury. This study included 51 patients with cervical vertebral and cord injury who were treated in our department. In these patients, plain X-ray, CT, MRI, and MRA findings were examined. The incidence of vertebral arterial injury was 33.3% (17 of 51 patients with cervical vertebral trauma). In 11 of the 17 patients, dislocation fracture was noted, comprising a markedly high percentage (64.7%). Particularly, vertebral arterial injury was commonly observed in patients with a large dislocation distance and severe paralysis. Cerebellar and brain stem infarction related to vertebral arterial injury was observed in 5 of the 17 patients (29.4%). No infarction developed in patients 50 years old or younger. Infarction was detected in relatively elderly patients. Vertebral arterial injury and cerebellar/brain stem infarction related to cervical vertebral trauma were frequently observed in patients with high energy injury. However, these disorders commonly occurred in elderly patients. Therefore, age-related factors such as arteriosclerosis may also be closely involved. In the acute stage, the state of the vertebral artery should be evaluated by MRA and MRI. Among patients with vertebral arterial injury, caution is needed during follow-up those with risk factors such as high energy injury and advanced age. (author)

Intracranial cerebral artery stenosis with associated coronary artery and extracranial carotid artery stenosis in Turkish patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alkan, Ozlem [Department of Radiology, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara (Turkey)], E-mail: yalinozlem@hotmail.com; Kizilkilic, Osman; Yildirim, Tulin [Department of Radiology, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara (Turkey); Atalay, Hakan [Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara (Turkey)

2009-09-15

Purpose: Although it has been demonstrated that there is a high prevalence of extracranial carotid artery stenosis (ECAS) in patients with severe coronary artery disease, intracranial cerebral artery stenosis (ICAS) is rarely mentioned. We evaluated the prevalence of ICAS in patients with ECAS having elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery to determine the relations between ICAS, ECAS and atherosclerotic risk factors. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the digital subtraction angiography findings of 183 patients with ECAS {>=} 50% preparing for CABG surgery. The analyses focused on the intracranial or extracranial location and degree of the stenosis. The degree of extracranial stenoses were categorized as normal, <50%, 50-69%, 70-89%, and 90-99% stenosis and occluded. The degree of intracranial stenosis was classified as normal or {<=}25%, 25-49%, and {>=}50% stenosis and occluded. Traditional atherosclerotic risk factors were recorded. Results: ECAS < 70% in 42 patients and ECAS {>=} 70% in 141 patients. ICAS was found in 51 patients and ICAS {>=} 50% in 30 patients. Regarding risk factors, we found hypertension in 135 patients, diabetes mellitus in 91 patients, hyperlipidemia in 84 patients, and smoking in 81 patients. No risk factor was significant predictors of intracranial atherosclerosis. The severity of ICAS was not significantly associated with that of the ECAS. Conclusions: We found ICAS in 27.8% of the patients with ECAS > 50% on digital subtraction angiography preparing for CABG. Therefore a complete evaluation of the neck vessels with magnetic resonance or catheter angiography seems to be indicated as well as intracranial circulation for the risk assessment of CABG.

Bacteria of leg atheromatous arteries responsible for inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Olszewski, Waldemar Lech; Rutkowska, Joanna; Moscicka-Wesolowska, Maria; Swoboda-Kopec, Ewa; Stelmach, Ewa; Zaleska, Marzanna; Zagozda, Malgorzata

2016-09-01

Ischaemia of the lower limbs is frequently followed by inflammation and, in advanced cases, necrosis of peripheral tissues. Whether this is caused by arterial hypoperfusion only or by the presence of bacteria in the arterial walI as well remains unclear. The aim of the study was to prove the presence and source of bacteria in arterial specimens and evaluate their chemotactic properties resulting in the formation of periarterial cellular infiltrates. Bacterial culture and testing for 16sRNA were performed in fragments of popliteal artery harvested from amputated limbs. Carotid artery plaques served as controls. Fragments of arteries were transplanted into scid mice to evaluate their chemotactic activity for macrophages. a) higher prevalence of isolates and 16sRNA in atherosclerotic popliteal than carotid arteries, b) high density of plaque and periarterial infiltrates and mRNA level for pro-inflammatory cytokines in popliteal arteries, c) prevalent microbes were Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Enterococci, d) foot skin and arterial bacterial phenotypes and DNA revealed evident similarities, and e) more intensive mouse macrophage accumulation in popliteal than carotid implants into scid mice. The presence of bacteria in the lower limb arterial wall was documented. They may predispose to inflammation secondary to ischaemic changes.

Arterial scan versus radiographic angiography in detection of shallow arterial ulcers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollak, E.W.; Webber, M.M.; Cragin, M.D.; Wolfman, E.F. Jr.

1977-01-01

A comparison of 99m-technetium albumin aggregated arterial scan and radiographic angiography for detection of shallow intimal carotid artery ulcerations was made in a series of 12 anesthetized dogs, having a total of 16 acute arterial ulcerations. Radiographic angiography showed positive findings related to presence of stenosis or mural thrombosis in 12 instances. Direct visualization of ulceration was only exceptionally encountered. Arterial scan detected 14 of 16 intimal ulcers. The radionuclide method was reliable even in absence of stenosis or when only minimal mural thrombosis was present. Moreover, autopsy scan of the isolated arterial segments detected all 16 intimal lesions. These results indicate that the arterial scan was a more reliable method for detection of shallow arterial ulcers in this experimental model than radiographic angiography, especially when arterial lumen stenosis or mural thrombosis was minimal or absent

Prediction of parent artery of anterior communicating artery aneurysm on CT angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Jin Young; Han, Tae Il; Kim, Dae Hong; Han, Hyun Young; Kim, Hyun Jung; Song, Mun Kab

1999-01-01

To determine whether CT angiography can predict the parent artery of an anterior communicating aneurysm on the basis of characteristics of the aneurysm and precommunication anterior cerebral artery. Eighteen patients with anterior communication aneurysm were studied prospectively using CT angiography and conventional angiography. The parent artery of an aneurysm was predicted by evaluating aneurysm neck location, direction of aneurysm projection, and size of the precommunicating anterior cerebral artery, as seen on CT angiography. A somatom Plus-4 spiral CT scanner was used and shaded-surface display three-dimensional images were constructed. Aneurysm neck was located near the parent artery in 12 cases(66.7%), and aneurysm projection was against the parent artery in 11 cases(61.1%). The parent artery of the anterior cerebral artery was larger in 15 cases(83.3%), including ten cases of hypoplasia or agenesis of the contralateral anterior cerebral artery. In 17 of 18 aneurysms(94.4%) the parent artery seen on DSA was correctly predicted by CT angiography. The parent artery of an anterior communicating aneurysm can be predicted by evaluating aneurysm neck location, direction of aneurysm projection, and precommunicating anterior cerebral artery, as seen on CT angiography

Peripheral Artery Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... pressure High blood cholesterol Coronary heart disease Stroke Metabolic syndrome Screening and Prevention Taking action to control your risk factors can help prevent or delay peripheral artery disease (P.A.D.) and its complications. Know your family history of health problems related to P.A. ...

Monitoring carbon dioxide in mechanically ventilated patients during hyperbaric treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregård, Asger; Jansen, Erik

2012-01-01

Measurement of the arterial carbon dioxide (P(a)CO(2)) is an established part of the monitoring of mechanically ventilated patients. Other ways to get information about carbon dioxide in the patient are measurement of end-tidal carbon dioxide (P(ET)CO(2)) and transcutaneous carbon dioxide (PTCCO2......). Carbon dioxide in the blood and cerebral tissue has great influence on vasoactivity and thereby blood volume of the brain. We have found no studies on the correlation between P(ET)CO(2) or P(TC)CO(2), and P(a)CO(2) during hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)....

Permeability of the arterial endothelium of spontaneously hypertensive rats to plasma macromolecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yurukova, Z.B.; Georgiev, P.G.

1979-01-01

By means of vascular labelling technique at cellular level, the permeability of the arterial endothelium of spontaneously hypertensive rats has been studied. For this purpose colloidal carbon and plasma lipoproteins were introduced into the jugular vein of the animals. Material for light- and electron-microscopic and radioautographic examinations was taken from the thoracic and abdominal parts of the aorta. The results show that in long-term hypertension substances from plasma enter the aortic wall in increased amounts through two main pathways. First, through the selective physiological pathways of transendothelial transport (through cell junctions and vesicular transport) and secondly, through discontinuities of the endothelial lining (separation of the intercellular junctions, areas of loss of one to several endothelial cells). The alteration of the arterial endothelium barrier function in chronic hypertension seems to be an important mechanism for the progression of hypertensive arterial lesions. (A.B.)

Coronary artery anomalies in Turner Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Viuff, Mette H; Trolle, Christian; Wen, Jan; Jensen, Jesper M; Nørgaard, Bjarne L; Gutmark, Ephraim J; Gutmark-Little, Iris; Mortensen, Kristian H; Gravholt, Claus Højbjerg; Andersen, Niels H

Congenital heart disease, primarily involving the left-sided structures, is often seen in patients with Turner Syndrome. Moreover, a few case reports have indicated that coronary anomalies may be more prevalent in Turner Syndrome than in the normal population. We therefore set out to systematically investigate coronary arterial anatomy by computed tomographic coronary angiography (coronary CTA) in Turner Syndrome patients. Fifty consecutive women with Turner Syndrome (mean age 47 years [17-71]) underwent coronary CTA. Patients were compared with 25 gender-matched controls. Coronary anomaly was more frequent in patients with Turner Syndrome than in healthy controls [20% vs. 4% (p = 0.043)]. Nine out of ten abnormal cases had an anomalous left coronary artery anatomy (absent left main trunk, n = 7; circumflex artery originating from the right aortic sinus, n = 2). One case had a tubular origin of the right coronary artery above the aortic sinus. There was no correlation between the presence of coronary arterial anomalies and karyotype, bicuspid aortic valve, or other congenital heart defects. Coronary anomalies are highly prevalent in Turner Syndrome. The left coronary artery is predominantly affected, with an absent left main coronary artery being the most common anomaly. No hemodynamically relevant coronary anomalies were found. Copyright © 2016 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. All rights reserved.

Carbon Nanofiber-Based, High-Frequency, High-Q, Miniaturized Mechanical Resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Kaul, Anupama B.; Epp, Larry W.; Bagge, Leif

2011-01-01

High Q resonators are a critical component of stable, low-noise communication systems, radar, and precise timing applications such as atomic clocks. In electronic resonators based on Si integrated circuits, resistive losses increase as a result of the continued reduction in device dimensions, which decreases their Q values. On the other hand, due to the mechanical construct of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators, such loss mechanisms are absent, enabling higher Q-values for both BAW and SAW resonators compared to their electronic counterparts. The other advantages of mechanical resonators are their inherently higher radiation tolerance, a factor that makes them attractive for NASA s extreme environment planetary missions, for example to the Jovian environments where the radiation doses are at hostile levels. Despite these advantages, both BAW and SAW resonators suffer from low resonant frequencies and they are also physically large, which precludes their integration into miniaturized electronic systems. Because there is a need to move the resonant frequency of oscillators to the order of gigahertz, new technologies and materials are being investigated that will make performance at those frequencies attainable. By moving to nanoscale structures, in this case vertically oriented, cantilevered carbon nanotubes (CNTs), that have larger aspect ratios (length/thickness) and extremely high elastic moduli, it is possible to overcome the two disadvantages of both bulk acoustic wave (BAW) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators. Nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS) that utilize high aspect ratio nanomaterials exhibiting high elastic moduli (e.g., carbon-based nanomaterials) benefit from high Qs, operate at high frequency, and have small force constants that translate to high responsivity that results in improved sensitivity, lower power consumption, and im - proved tunablity. NEMS resonators have recently been demonstrated using topdown

High-performance supercapacitors based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Byungwoo; Kim, Woong; Chung, Haegeun

2012-01-01

We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ∼75 F g −1 , ∼987 kW kg −1 and ∼27 W h kg −1 , respectively. The high power performance was consistently indicated by a fast relaxation time constant of 0.2 s. In addition, electrochemical oxidation of the carbon nanotubes improved the specific capacitance (∼158 F g −1 ) and energy density (∼53 W h kg −1 ). Both high power and energy density could be attributed to the fast ion transport realized by the alignment of carbon nanotubes and the wide operational voltage defined by the ionic liquid. The demonstrated carbon-nanotube- and nonaqueous-electrolyte-based supercapacitors show great potential for the development of high-performance energy storage devices. (paper)

High-performance supercapacitors based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byungwoo; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Woong

2012-04-20

We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ~75 F g(-1), ~987 kW kg(-1) and ~27 W h kg(-1), respectively. The high power performance was consistently indicated by a fast relaxation time constant of 0.2 s. In addition, electrochemical oxidation of the carbon nanotubes improved the specific capacitance (~158 F g(-1)) and energy density (~53 W h kg(-1)). Both high power and energy density could be attributed to the fast ion transport realized by the alignment of carbon nanotubes and the wide operational voltage defined by the ionic liquid. The demonstrated carbon-nanotube- and nonaqueous-electrolyte-based supercapacitors show great potential for the development of high-performance energy storage devices. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd

High-performance supercapacitors based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byungwoo; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Woong

2012-04-01

We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ˜75 F g-1, ˜987 kW kg-1 and ˜27 W h kg-1, respectively. The high power performance was consistently indicated by a fast relaxation time constant of 0.2 s. In addition, electrochemical oxidation of the carbon nanotubes improved the specific capacitance (˜158 F g-1) and energy density (˜53 W h kg-1). Both high power and energy density could be attributed to the fast ion transport realized by the alignment of carbon nanotubes and the wide operational voltage defined by the ionic liquid. The demonstrated carbon-nanotube- and nonaqueous-electrolyte-based supercapacitors show great potential for the development of high-performance energy storage devices.

Cognitive outcomes in elderly high-risk patients after off-pump versus conventional coronary artery bypass grafting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Birte Ostergaard; Hughes, Pia; Rasmussen, Lars S

2006-01-01

It has been suggested that the risk of cerebral dysfunction is less with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) than with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CCAB). However, evidence for this statement is preliminary, and additional insight is needed.......It has been suggested that the risk of cerebral dysfunction is less with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) than with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CCAB). However, evidence for this statement is preliminary, and additional insight is needed....

Double profunda brachii artery

OpenAIRE

Gavishiddappa A Hadimani; Jyoti V Hadimani; Ishwar B Bagoji; Shardha Bai Rathod; Balappa M Bannur

2016-01-01

Brachial artery (BA) is a continuation of the axillary artery at the lower border of teres major. In the cubital fossa, BA divides into radial artery and ulnar artery as terminal branches. Large branch given from the BA in the upper part is profunda brachii artery. In the present case, we noticed double profunda brachii that arises from the BA. They are profunda brachii artery 1 and profunda brachii artery 2. Profunda brachii artery 1 arises in the proximal part of the BA and profunda brachii...

Highly ordered three-dimensional macroporous carbon spheres for determination of heavy metal ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yuxiao; Zhang, Jianming [Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Liu, Yang, E-mail: yangl@suda.edu.cn [Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Huang, Hui [Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Kang, Zhenhui, E-mail: zhkang@suda.edu.cn [Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

2012-04-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres (MPCSs) were prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MPCS was covalently modified by cysteine (MPCS-CO-Cys). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MPCS-CO-Cys was first time used in electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Heavy metal ions such as Pb{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} can be simultaneously determined. -- Abstract: An effective voltammetric method for detection of trace heavy metal ions using chemically modified highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres electrode surfaces is described. The highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres were prepared by carbonization of glucose in silica crystal bead template, followed by removal of the template. The highly ordered three dimensional macroporous carbon spheres were covalently modified by cysteine, an amino acid with high affinities towards some heavy metals. The materials were characterized by physical adsorption of nitrogen, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. While the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the functional groups on the surface of carbon spheres. High sensitivity was exhibited when this material was used in electrochemical detection (square wave anodic stripping voltammetry) of heavy metal ions due to the porous structure. And the potential application for simultaneous detection of heavy metal ions was also investigated.

Anomalous external carotid artery-internal carotid artery anastomosis in two patients with proximal internal carotid arterial remnants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Chang Hun [Dept. of Neurology, Stroke Center, Myongji Hospital, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Young Dae; Kang, Hyun Seung; Kim, Jeong Eun; Han, Moon Hee [Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Seung Chai [Dept. of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Jun Hyong [Dept. of Neurosurgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

Two angiographic instances of anomalous external carotid artery (ECA) and internal carotid artery (ICA) anastomosis are described, each occurring at the C2-3 level and bearing remnants of proximal ICA. The ICA remnant of one patient (identifiable immediately upon bifurcation of the common carotid artery) was hypoplastic, and that of the other patient was an occluded arterial stump. These features are not typical of non-bifurcating ICA. The occipital artery originated from an anomalous connection in one instance and from the main trunk of the ECA (just past the ECA-ICA connection) in the other.

Sex differences in flexibility-arterial stiffness relationship and its application for diagnosis of arterial stiffening: a cross-sectional observational study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masato Nishiwaki

Full Text Available Arterial stiffness might be related to trunk flexibility in middle-aged and older participants, but it is also affected by age, sex, and blood pressure. This cross-sectional observational study investigated whether trunk flexibility is related to arterial stiffness after considering the major confounding factors of age, sex, and blood pressure. We further investigated whether a simple diagnostic test of flexibility could be helpful to screen for increased arterial stiffening.According to age and sex, we assigned 1150 adults (male, n = 536; female, n = 614; age, 18-89 y to groups with either high- or poor-flexibility based on the sit-and-reach test. Arterial stiffness was assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index.In all categories of men and in older women, arterial stiffness was higher in poor-flexibility than in high-flexibility (P<0.05. This difference remained significant after normalizing arterial stiffness for confounding factors such as blood pressure, but it was not found among young and middle-aged women. Stepwise multiple-regression analysis also supported the notion of the sex differences in flexibility-arterial stiffness relationship. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that cut-off values for sit-and-reach among men and women were 33.2 (area under the curve [AUC], 0.711; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.666-0.756; sensitivity, 61.7%; specificity, 69.7% and 39.2 (AUC, 0.639; 95% CI, 0.592-0.686; sensitivity, 61.1%; specificity, 62.0% cm, respectively.Our results indicate that flexibility-arterial stiffness relationship is not affected by BP, which is a major confounding factor. In addition, sex differences are observed in this relationship; poor trunk flexibility increases arterial stiffness in young, middle-aged, and older men, whereas the relationship in women is found only in the elderly. Also, the sit-and-reach test can offer a simple method of predicting arterial stiffness at home or elsewhere.

Association of Parental Hypertension With Arterial Stiffness in Nonhypertensive Offspring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Charlotte; Quiroz, Rene; Enserro, Danielle

2016-01-01

High arterial stiffness seems to be causally involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that offspring of parents with hypertension may display higher arterial stiffness before clinically manifest hypertension, given that hypertension is a heritable condition. We compa......, in this community-based sample of young, nonhypertensive adults, we observed greater arterial stiffness in offspring of parents with hypertension. These observations are consistent with higher vascular stiffness at an early stage in the pathogenesis of hypertension.......High arterial stiffness seems to be causally involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that offspring of parents with hypertension may display higher arterial stiffness before clinically manifest hypertension, given that hypertension is a heritable condition. We...... compared arterial tonometry measures in a sample of 1564 nonhypertensive Framingham Heart Study third-generation cohort participants (mean age: 38 years; 55% women) whose parents were enrolled in the Framingham Offspring Study. A total of 468, 715, and 381 participants had 0 (referent), 1, and 2 parents...

Collapse of accreting carbon-oxygen white dwarfs induced by carbon deflagration at high density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, K.

1986-01-01

A critical condition is obtained for which carbon deflagration induces collapse of an accreting C + O white dwarf, not explosion. If the carbon deflagration is initiated at central density as high as 10 10 g cm -3 and if the propagation of the deflagration wave is slower than ∼ 0.15 υ/sub s/ (υ/sub s/ is the sound speed), electron capture behind the burning front induces collapse to form a neutron star. This is the case for both conductive and convective deflagrations. Such a high central density can be reached if the white dwarf is sufficiently massive and cold at the onset of accretion and if the accretion rate is in the appropriate range. Models for Type Ia and Ib supernovae are also discussed. 66 refs., 8 figs

Risk of High Dietary Calcium for Arterial Calcification in Older Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip J. Klemmer

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Concern has recently arisen about the potential adverse effects of excessive calcium intakes, i.e., calcium loading from supplements, on arterial calcification and risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVD in older adults. Published reports that high calcium intakes in free-living adults have relatively little or no beneficial impact on bone mineral density (BMD and fracture rates suggest that current recommendations of calcium for adults may be set too high. Because even healthy kidneys have limited capability of eliminating excessive calcium in the diet, the likelihood of soft-tissue calcification may increase in older adults who take calcium supplements, particularly in those with age or disease-related reduction in renal function. The maintenance of BMD and bone health continues to be an important goal of adequate dietary calcium consumption, but eliminating potential risks of CVDs from excessive calcium intakes needs to be factored into policy recommendations for calcium by adults.

Carbon nanotubes as nanotexturing agents for high power supercapacitors based on seaweed carbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Raymundo-Piñero, Encarnación; Cadek, Martin; Wachtler, Mario; Béguin, François

2011-07-18

The advantages provided by multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as backbones for composite supercapacitor electrodes are discussed. This paper particularly highlights the electrochemical properties of carbon composites obtained by pyrolysis of seaweed/CNTs blends. Due to the nanotexturing effect of CNTs, supercapacitors fabricated with electrodes from these composites exhibit enhanced electrochemical performances compared with CNT-free carbons. The cell resistance is dramatically reduced by the excellent conductivity of CNTs and by the good propagation of ions favored by the presence of opened mesopores. As a consequence, the specific power of supercapacitors based on these nanocomposites is very high. Another advantage related to the presence of CNTs is a better life cycle of the systems. The composite electrodes are resilient during the charge/discharge of capacitors; these are able to perfectly accommodate the dimensional changes appearing in the active material without mechanical damages. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of cinnamon on gastric emptying, arterial stiffness, postprandial lipemia, glycemia, and appetite responses to high-fat breakfast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trinick Tom R

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cinnamon has been shown to delay gastric emptying of a high-carbohydrate meal and reduce postprandial glycemia in healthy adults. However, it is dietary fat which is implicated in the etiology and is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine the effect of 3 g cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum on GE, postprandial lipemic and glycemic responses, oxidative stress, arterial stiffness, as well as appetite sensations and subsequent food intake following a high-fat meal. Methods A single-blind randomized crossover study assessed nine healthy, young subjects. GE rate of a high-fat meal supplemented with 3 g cinnamon or placebo was determined using the 13C octanoic acid breath test. Breath, blood samples and subjective appetite ratings were collected in the fasted and during the 360 min postprandial period, followed by an ad libitum buffet meal. Gastric emptying and 1-day fatty acid intake relationships were also examined. Results Cinnamon did not change gastric emptying parameters, postprandial triacylglycerol or glucose concentrations, oxidative stress, arterial function or appetite (p half and 1-day palmitoleic acid (r = -0.78, eiconsenoic acid (r = -0.84 and total omega-3 intake (r = -0.72. The ingestion of 3 g cinnamon had no effect on GE, arterial stiffness and oxidative stress following a HF meal. Conclusions 3 g cinnamon did not alter the postprandial response to a high-fat test meal. We find no evidence to support the use of 3 g cinnamon supplementation for the prevention or treatment of metabolic disease. Dietary fatty acid intake requires consideration in future gastrointestinal studies. Trial registration Trial registration number: at http://www.clinicaltrial.gov: NCT01350284

Fatores de risco associados à pressão arterial elevada em adolescentes Risk factors associated with high blood pressure in adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly Samara da Silva

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Níveis elevados de pressão arterial (PA na infância e adolescência têm sido freqüentemente associados a outros fatores de risco cardiovasculares, além de hipertensão arterial na fase adulta da vida. O presente estudo objetivou identificar fatores de risco associados à PA elevada em adolescentes. Participaram do estudo 674 adolescentes de escolas públicas e privadas, de ambos os sexos (303 rapazes e 371 moças, com idade de 14 a 17 anos (16,5 DP 0,9, da cidade de João Pessoa, Paraíba. Mediante aplicação de um questionário, foram levantadas informações sobre: a indicadores sociodemográficos; b nível de prática da atividade física; c hábitos alimentares; c índice de massa corporal; e fumo e bebidas alcoólicas; e foram realizadas medidas de PA. A prevalência de PA elevada foi de 7,4%, sendo maior nos rapazes (10,2% quando comparada com a das moças (5,1%, p High levels of arterial blood pressure in childhood and adolescence have been often associated with other cardiovascular risk factors apart from arterial hypertension in the adult stage of life. The present study aimed at identifying risk factors associated with high blood pressure in adolescents. The subjects were 674 adolescents from public and private schools in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba. These subjects were of both sexes (i.e., 303 boys and 371 girls and their ages spanned from 14 to 17 years old. By means of a questionnaire, information about the following aspects was gathered: a socio-demographic status; b physical activity levels; c eating habits; d body mass index; e consumption of alcohol and smoking. Moreover, measurements of arterial pressure (AP showed that the prevalence of high AP was 7.4 %, being higher in boys (10.2% when compared with girls (5.1%, p < 0.01. The results of the multivaried analysis indicated that overweight adolescents displayed from five to six times more chance of having high AP than adolescents with light/normal weight (boys: OR

Percutaneous closure of patent arterial ducts in patients from high altitude: a sub-Saharan experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Tefera, Endale; Qureshi, Shakeel A; Bermudez-Cañete, Ramòn; Rubio, Lola

2015-01-01

At high altitude, patent arterial ducts tend to be larger and associated with pulmonary hypertension. Patent ductus arteriosus device closure in this background could be challenging. We report our experience with percutaneous closure of patent arterial ducts using a variety of devices in patients residing in a high altitude. This is a retrospective review of the case records of 145 patients (age 9 months-20 years, mean 5.6 ± 3.9 years, and weight 7-54 kg, mean 17.7 ± 9.4) with duct sizes ranging between 2 and 21 mm, (mean, 5.8 ± 2.7) who underwent percutaneous closure of patent arterial ducts. One hundred thirty-six (93.8%) of the patients were from a geographic area of 2100-2800 m above sea level. Successful device closure was achieved in 143 cases. It was difficult to achieve device stability in two patients with expansile ducts. Therefore, they were treated surgically. The devices used were various types of duct occluder devices in 131 patients, while atrial and ventricular septal occluders were used in eight patients. For the group, mean systolic pulmonary artery (PA) pressure decreased from 47.0 ± 16.7 mmHg before occlusion to 29.0 ± 7.4 mmHg after occlusion (P ≤ 0.001)., mean diastolic PA pressure from 25.0 ± 10.9 mmHg to 14.8 ± 6.0 mmHg and the average mean PA pressure decreased from 35.9 ± 13.5 mmHg to 21.1 ± 6.5 mmHg. Complications (4.8%) included device and coil embolization, bleeding, and pulse loss. On follow-up (mean duration of 36.1 ± 12.1 months, range 12-62 months), 137 patients were in functional class 1, 3 had residual shunt, 2 had device migration and one patient had persisting pulse loss. Successful duct closure was achieved in the vast majority of patients, even though the ducts were larger and significant number of them had pulmonary hypertension in this high altitude group. There was a relatively higher incidence of residual shunts and device migration in this series, generally due to the nonavailability of optimal device and

Highly Sensitive Detection of Glucose by a "Turn-Off-On" Fluorescent Probe Using Gadolinium-Doped Carbon Dots and Carbon Microparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Meixin; Qi, Jianrong; Ruan, Jing; Shen, Guangxia

2018-06-01

Carbon dots, as a potential substitute for semiconductor quantum dots, have drawn great interest in recent years. The preparation of fluorescent carbon dots has been made easy with many significant advances, but the complicated purifying processes, low quantum yield, and blue emission wavelength still limit its wider application in biosensors, biomedicine, and photonic devices. Here we report a strategy to synthesis Gd-doped carbon dots (Gd-Cdots) of super-high quantum yield with a microwave assisted hydrothermal method. The Gd-Cdots, with a diameter of 47∼8 nm, can be purified easily with conventional centrifugal techniques. Carbon microparticles (CMPs) have also been synthesized with a similar procedure. Meanwhile, we demonstrated a novel "turn-off-on" fluorescent biosensor, which has been developed for highly sensitive detection of glucose using Gd-doped carbon dots as probes. The proposed biosensor has exhibited low-cost and non-toxic properties, with high sensitivity and good specificity. In addition, the results in real blood samples further confirmed it as a promising application in diabetes diagnosis.

Amorphous carbon nanofibres inducing high specific capacitance of deposited hydrous ruthenium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barranco, V.; Pico, F.; Ibanez, J.; Lillo-Rodenas, M.A.; Linares-Solano, A.; Kimura, M.; Oya, A.; Rojas, R.M.; Amarilla, J.M.; Rojo, J.M.

2009-01-01

Composites consisting of ruthenium oxide particles deposited on amorphous carbon nanofibres are prepared by a repetitive impregnation procedure. The choice of amorphous carbon nanofibres as support of amorphous ruthenium oxide leads to composites in which the deposited oxide consists of aggregates of extremely small primary particles (1-1.5 nm-size) and showing high porosity (specific surface area of 450 m 2 g -1 ). This special deposition of the oxide seems to favour: (i) high oxide capacitance (1000 Fg -1 ) at high oxide loadings (up to 20 wt%) and (ii) high capacitance retention (ca. 80% from the initial oxide capacitance) at high current densities (200 mA cm -2 ). Amorphous carbon nanofibres are suitable supports for amorphous ruthenium oxide and perhaps for other amorphous oxides acting as active electrode materials.

Coronary artery disease - strategies for primary prevention in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.H.

2000-01-01

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death among middle aged and elderly population. The increase in prevalence of coronary artery disease in Pakistan, has also involved the younger population and about 30% of the patients of coronary artery disease are below the age of 40 years. It seems that with this high prevalence of coronary artery disease, we will be entering in the new millennium with coronary artery disease as number one killer in young adults in Pakistan. This is the time, though belated, we must embark on strategies for primary prevention of this disease so that we are able to reduce the incidence of the disease and the economic burden it entails on the national exchequer. Before suggesting the strategies for the prevention of coronary artery disease in Pakistan, let us briefly review the significance of modifiable risk factors for coronary artery disease. Several studies have been found a significant relationship between physical inactivity and coronary artery disease. (A.B./orig.)

Nanoporous Activated Carbon Derived from Rice Husk for High Performance Supercapacitor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huaxing Xu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nanoporous activated carbon material was produced from the waste rice husks (RHs by precarbonizing RHs and activating with KOH. The morphology, structure, and specific surface area were investigated. The nanoporous carbon has the average pore size of 2.2 nm and high specific area of 2523.4 m2 g−1. The specific capacitance of the nanoporous carbon is calculated to be 250 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1 and remains 80% for 198 F g−1 at the current density of 20 A g−1. The nanoporous carbon electrode exhibits long-term cycle life and could keep stable capacitance till 10,000 cycles. The consistently high specific capacitance, rate capacity, and long-term cycle life ability makes it a potential candidate as electrode material for supercapacitor.

Elastin in large artery stiffness and hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

Wagenseil, Jessica E.; Mecham, Robert P.

2012-01-01

Large artery stiffness, as measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), is correlated with high blood pressure and may be a causative factor in essential hypertension. The extracellular matrix components, specifically the mix of elastin and collagen in the vessel wall, determine the passive mechanical properties of the large arteries. Elastin is organized into elastic fibers in the wall during arterial development in a complex process that requires spatial and temporal coordination of numerous proteins. The elastic fibers last the lifetime of the organism, but are subject to proteolytic degradation and chemical alterations that change their mechanical properties. This review discusses how alterations in the amount, assembly, organization or chemical properties of the elastic fibers affect arterial stiffness and blood pressure. Strategies for encouraging or reversing alterations to the elastic fibers are addressed. Methods for determining the efficacy of these strategies, by measuring elastin amounts and arterial stiffness, are summarized. Therapies that have a direct effect on arterial stiffness through alterations to the elastic fibers in the wall may be an effective treatment for essential hypertension. PMID:22290157

The evaluation of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries with CT values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takemoto, Akiko

1990-01-01

In 50 patients with ischemic heart disease, X-ray computed tomography (CT) and coronary arteriography (CAG) were performed to compare CT values and CAG-proven stenosis in the left main trunk, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary artery. Luminal stenosis was graded as normal (no stenosis), minimal (between normal and significant), and significant (more than 50% in the left main trunk; more than 75% in the other arteries). CT values were significantly correlated with coronary artery stenosis; -5.4 in the normal group (71 arteries), +5.0 in the minimal group (63 arteries), and +31.8 in the significant group (51 arteries). In the normal group, CT values were independent of aging; -4.9 for patients younger than 50 years, -8.0 for those aged 50 to 59 years, and -0.4 for those more than 60 years. Increased CT values were associated with severer coronary artery disease shown on CAG. In determining significant coronary artery stenosis, CT values of more than 35 had a positive predictive value of 73.3%, a sensitivity of 43.1%, a specificity of 94.0%, an accuracy of 80.0%, and a likelihood ratio of 7.18. Measurement of CT values for the coronary arteries seems to be a noninvasive method for predicting significant stenosis. For patients younger than 60 years, high CT values even in a single artery seem to be associated with a high likelihood of significant stenosis and multivessel disease. (N.K.)

The value of MDCT in diagnosis of splenic artery aneurysms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Cong; Liu Cheng; Wang Ximing; Wang Daoping

2008-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT) in the diagnosis and planning the treatment of splenic aneurysms. Methods: Eight cases with splenic artery aneurysms (SAA) were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty four-slice spiral CT scans were performed. Intravenous contrast material was injected at 4 ml/s, and arterial and venous phase images were obtained. Subsequently, arterial phase images were analyzed and made for CT angiography. The diagnosis was made by using axial and reconstructive images. All of the patients were also performed Doppler color echocardiography. Results: All patients showed splenic artery and splenic artery aneurysms clearly with CT arterial phase images. Among them, six patients had splenic artery aneurysms, one had giant splenic artery aneurysms (GSAA) and one had splenic artery pseudoaneurysms. Ultrasound examination only diagnosed six of them. Conclusion: MDCT is a noninvasive and valuable method in diagnosis of splenic artery aneurysms and has high value in determination of treatment plan

The value of MDCT in diagnosis of splenic artery aneurysms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun Cong [Shandong University, Shandong Provincial Medical Imaging Institute, Road jing-wu No. 324, Jinan, Shandong 250021 (China)], E-mail: suncong03@163.com; Liu Cheng; Wang Ximing; Wang Daoping [Shandong University, Shandong Provincial Medical Imaging Institute, Road jing-wu No. 324, Jinan, Shandong 250021 (China)

2008-03-15

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT) in the diagnosis and planning the treatment of splenic aneurysms. Methods: Eight cases with splenic artery aneurysms (SAA) were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty four-slice spiral CT scans were performed. Intravenous contrast material was injected at 4 ml/s, and arterial and venous phase images were obtained. Subsequently, arterial phase images were analyzed and made for CT angiography. The diagnosis was made by using axial and reconstructive images. All of the patients were also performed Doppler color echocardiography. Results: All patients showed splenic artery and splenic artery aneurysms clearly with CT arterial phase images. Among them, six patients had splenic artery aneurysms, one had giant splenic artery aneurysms (GSAA) and one had splenic artery pseudoaneurysms. Ultrasound examination only diagnosed six of them. Conclusion: MDCT is a noninvasive and valuable method in diagnosis of splenic artery aneurysms and has high value in determination of treatment plan.

Prevalence of coronary artery disease in Japanese patients with cerebral infarction. Impact of metabolic syndrome and intracranial large artery atherosclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshino, Atsushi; Enomoto, Satoko; Kawahito, Hiroyuki; Nakamura, Takashi; Kurata, Hiroyuki; Nakahara, Yoshifumi; Ijichi, Toshiharu

2008-01-01

Patients with cerebral infarction have a high prevalence of asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) and other vascular diseases, but there is a lack of such data for Japanese patients, so the present study investigated the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Japanese patients and determined the predictors of CAD. The study group comprised 104 patients with cerebral infarction who had no history of CVD. All patients underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography, and systematic evaluation was done on the basis of the presence of other vascular diseases, CVD risk markers, and the degree of atherosclerosis. Of the total, 39 patients (37.5%) had CAD, 9 (8.7%) had carotid artery stenosis, 9 (8.7%) had peripheral artery disease of the lower limbs, and 3 (2.9%) had atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. Multiple regression analysis showed that the presence of CAD was independently associated with metabolic syndrome (odds ratio (OR) 5.008, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.538-16.309; p<0.01) and intracranial large artery atherosclerosis (OR 4.979, 95% CI 1.633-15.183; p<0.01). Japanese patients with cerebral infarction have a high prevalence of CVD, especially asymptomatic CAD. Both metabolic syndrome and intracranial large artery atherosclerosis may be potential predictors for identifying patients with cerebral infarction who are at the highest risk of asymptomatic CAD. (author)

Unchanged cerebral blood flow and oxidative metabolism after acclimatization to high altitude

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Kirsten; Paulson, Olaf B; Hornbein, Thomas F.

2002-01-01

The authors investigated the effect of acclimatization to high altitude on cerebral blood flow and oxidative metabolism at rest and during exercise. Nine healthy, native sea-level residents were studied 3 weeks after arrival at Chacaltaya, Bolivia (5,260 m) and after reacclimatization to sea level....... At high altitude at rest, arterial carbon dioxide tension, oxygen saturation, and oxygen tension were significantly reduced, and arterial oxygen content was increased because of an increase in hemoglobin concentration. Global cerebral blood flow was similar in the four conditions. Cerebral oxygen delivery...... and cerebral metabolic rates of oxygen and glucose also remained unchanged, whereas cerebral metabolic rates of lactate increased slightly but nonsignificantly at high altitude during exercise compared with high altitude at rest. Reaction time was unchanged. The data indicate that cerebral blood flow...

Association between internal carotid artery dissection and arterial tortuosity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saba, Luca; Piga, Mario; Argiolas, Giovanni Maria; Siotto, Paolo; Sumer, Suna; Wintermark, Max; Raz, Eytan; Sanfilippo, Roberto; Montisci, Roberto

2015-01-01

Carotid artery dissection is an important cause of ischemic stroke in all age groups, particularly in young patients. The purpose of this work was to assess whether there is an association between the presence of an internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) and the arterial tortuosity. This study considered 124 patients (72 males and 52 females; median age 57 years) with CT/MR diagnosis of ICAD of the internal carotid artery were considered in this multi-centric retrospective study. The arterial tortuosity was evaluated and, when present, was categorized as elongation, kinking, or coiling. For each patient, both the right and left sides were considered for a total number of 248 arteries in order to have the same number of cases and controls. Fisher's exact test was applied to test the association between elongation, kinking, coiling, dissection, and the side affected by CAD. Fisher's exact test showed a statistically significant association between the ICAD and kinking (p = 0.0089) and coiling (p = 0.0251) whereas no statistically significant difference was found with arterial vessel elongation (p = 0.444). ICAD was more often seen on the left side compared to the right (p = 0.0001). These results were confirmed using both carotid arteries of the same patient as dependent parameter with p = 0.0012, 0.0129, and 0.3323 for kinking, coiling, and elongation, respectively. The presence of kinking and coiling is associated with ICAD. (orig.)

Association between internal carotid artery dissection and arterial tortuosity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saba, Luca; Piga, Mario [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Department of Radiology, Monserrato, Cagliari (Italy); Argiolas, Giovanni Maria; Siotto, Paolo [Azienda Ospedaliero Brotzu (A.O.B.), Department of Radiology, di Cagliari (Italy); Sumer, Suna; Wintermark, Max [Neuroradiology Division, Neuroradiology, UVA Department of Radiology, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Raz, Eytan [New York University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Rome (Italy); Sanfilippo, Roberto; Montisci, Roberto [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Department of Vascular Surgery, di Cagliari (Italy)

2014-10-18

Carotid artery dissection is an important cause of ischemic stroke in all age groups, particularly in young patients. The purpose of this work was to assess whether there is an association between the presence of an internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) and the arterial tortuosity. This study considered 124 patients (72 males and 52 females; median age 57 years) with CT/MR diagnosis of ICAD of the internal carotid artery were considered in this multi-centric retrospective study. The arterial tortuosity was evaluated and, when present, was categorized as elongation, kinking, or coiling. For each patient, both the right and left sides were considered for a total number of 248 arteries in order to have the same number of cases and controls. Fisher's exact test was applied to test the association between elongation, kinking, coiling, dissection, and the side affected by CAD. Fisher's exact test showed a statistically significant association between the ICAD and kinking (p = 0.0089) and coiling (p = 0.0251) whereas no statistically significant difference was found with arterial vessel elongation (p = 0.444). ICAD was more often seen on the left side compared to the right (p = 0.0001). These results were confirmed using both carotid arteries of the same patient as dependent parameter with p = 0.0012, 0.0129, and 0.3323 for kinking, coiling, and elongation, respectively. The presence of kinking and coiling is associated with ICAD. (orig.)

High power density carbonate fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuh, C.; Johnsen, R.; Doyon, J.; Allen, J. [Energy Research Corp., Danbury, CT (United States)

1996-12-31

Carbonate fuel cell is a highly efficient and environmentally clean source of power generation. Many organizations worldwide are actively pursuing the development of the technology. Field demonstration of multi-MW size power plant has been initiated in 1996, a step toward commercialization before the turn of the century, Energy Research Corporation (ERC) is planning to introduce a 2.85MW commercial fuel cell power plant with an efficiency of 58%, which is quite attractive for distributed power generation. However, to further expand competitive edge over alternative systems and to achieve wider market penetration, ERC is exploring advanced carbonate fuel cells having significantly higher power densities. A more compact power plant would also stimulate interest in new markets such as ships and submarines where space limitations exist. The activities focused on reducing cell polarization and internal resistance as well as on advanced thin cell components.

Normal variation of hepatic artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Inn; Nam, Myung Hyun; Rhim, Hyun Chul; Koh, Byung Hee; Seo, Heung Suk; Kim, Soon Yong

1987-01-01

This study was an analyses of blood supply of the liver in 125 patients who received hepatic arteriography and abdominal aortography from Jan. 1984 to Dec. 1986 at the Department of Radiology of Hanyang University Hospital. A. Variations in extrahepatic arteries: 1. The normal extrahepatic artery pattern occurred in 106 of 125 cases (84.8%) ; Right hepatic and left hepatic arteries arising from the hepatic artery proper and hepatic artery proper arising from the common hepatic artery. 2. The most common type of variation of extrahepatic artery was replaced right hepatic artery from superior mesenteric artery: 6 of 125 cases (4.8%). B. Variations in intrahepatic arteries: 1. The normal intrahepatic artery pattern occurred in 83 of 125 cases (66.4%). Right hepatic and left hepatic arteries arising from the hepatic artery proper and middle hepatic artery arising from lower portion of the umbilical point of left hepatic artery. 2. The most common variation of intrahepatic arteries was middle hepatic artery. 3. Among the variation of middle hepatic artery; Right, middle and left hepatic arteries arising from the same location at the hepatic artery proper was the most common type; 17 of 125 cases (13.6%)

Massive cerebral arterial air embolism following arterial catheterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, C.W. [Northwestem University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Chicago, IL (United States); Yang, B.P. [Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery, Chicago, IL (United States)

2005-12-01

Microscopic cerebral arterial air embolism (CAAE) has been described in many patients undergoing cardiac surgery as well as other invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. However, massive CAAE is rare. We report a 42-year-old woman who initially presented with thalamic and basal ganglia hemorrhages. Shortly after a radial arterial catheter was inserted, the patient suffered a generalized seizure and CT demonstrated intra-arterial air in bilateral cerebral hemispheres. (orig.)

Traumatic Anterior Cerebral Artery Pseudoaneurysmal Epistaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qing Lin; Xue, Hao; Qi, Chang Jing; Zhao, Peng; Wang, Dong Hai; Li, Gang

2017-04-01

Pseudoaneurysmal epistaxis is a rare but emergent condition. We report a case of traumatic anterior cerebral artery pseudoaneurysmal epistaxis and review the published literature. A 49-year-old man sustained severe head trauma. He was diagnosed with multiple skull bone fractures, left subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, pneumocephalus, and right frontal hematoma. Subdural hematoma evacuation was done at a local hospital. In the following months, he experienced repeated epistaxis that required nasal packing to stop the bleeding. Digital subtraction angiography showed an anterior cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm protruding into the posterior ethmoid sinus. Embolization of the aneurysm was performed with microcoils, and the parent artery was occluded by thrombosis. The patient presented 1 month later with another epistaxis episode. Digital subtraction angiography showed recanalization of the parent artery and recurrence of the aneurysm. The parent artery was occluded for the second time with coils and Onyx embolic agent. Pseudoaneurysmal epistaxis is rare, and this is the first report of an anterior cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm that manifested with epistaxis. Endovascular intervention has become the first choice of treatment for this disease. The high recurrence rate is the main disadvantage of endovascular intervention. Aneurysm trapping with bypass surgery is another treatment option. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Allowable carbon emissions for medium-to-high mitigation scenarios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tachiiri, Kaoru; Hargreaves, Julia C.; Annan, James D.; Kawamiya, Michio [Research Inst. for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, (Japan)], e-mail: tachiiri@jamstec.go.jp; Huntingford, Chris [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford (United Kingdom)

2013-11-15

Using an ensemble of simulations with an intermediate complexity climate model and in a probabilistic framework, we estimate future ranges of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions in order to follow three medium-high mitigation concentration pathways: RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and SCP4.5 to 2.6. Uncertainty is first estimated by allowing modelled equilibrium climate sensitivity, aerosol forcing and intrinsic physical and biogeochemical processes to vary within widely accepted ranges. Results are then constrained by comparison against contemporary measurements. For both constrained and unconstrained projections, our calculated allowable emissions are close to the standard (harmonised) emission scenarios associated with these pathways. For RCP4.5, which is the most moderate scenario considered in terms of required emission abatement, then after year 2100 very low net emissions are needed to maintain prescribed year 2100 CO{sub 2} concentrations. As expected, RCP2.6 and SCP4.5 to 2.6 require more strict emission reductions. The implication of this is that direct sequestration of carbon dioxide is likely to be required for RCP4.5 or higher mitigation scenarios, to offset any minimum emissions for society to function (the 'emissions floor'). Despite large uncertainties in the physical and biogeochemical processes, constraints from model-observational comparisons support a high degree of confidence in predicting the allowable emissions consistent with a particular concentration pathway. In contrast the uncertainty in the resulting temperature range remains large. For many parameter sets, and especially for RCP2.6, the land will turn into a carbon source within the twenty first century, but the ocean will remain as a carbon sink. For land carbon storage and our modelling framework, major reductions are seen in northern high latitudes and the Amazon basin even after atmospheric CO{sub 2} is stabilised, while for ocean carbon uptake, the tropical ocean regions will be a

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with stenting for proximal left anterior descending coronary artery disease?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drenth, Derk Jan

2005-01-01

This thesis describes and discusses the results of a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial comparing percutaneous coronary angioplasty with stenting (stenting) and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with a left internal mammary artery (surgery) in patients with a high-grade stenosis

Acute arterial occlusion - kidney

Science.gov (United States)

... main artery to the kidney is called the renal artery. Reduced blood flow through the renal artery can hurt kidney function. ... need include: Duplex Doppler ultrasound exam of the renal arteries to test blood flow MRI of the kidney arteries, which can show ...

Highly conductive porous Na-embedded carbon nanowalls for high-performance capacitive deionization

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Liang; Hu, Yun Hang

2018-05-01

Highly conductive porous Na-embedded carbon nanowalls (Na@C), which were recently invented, have exhibited excellent performance for dye-sensitized solar cells and electric double-layer capacitors. In this work, Na@C was demonstrated as an excellent electrode material for capacitive deionization (CDI). In a three-electrode configuration system, the specific capacity of the Na@C electrodes can achieve 306.4 F/g at current density of 0.2 A/g in 1 M NaCl, which is higher than that (235.2 F/g) of activated carbon (AC) electrodes. Furthermore, a high electrosorption capacity of 8.75 mg g-1 in 100 mg/L NaCl was obtained with the Na@C electrodes in a batch-mode capacitive deionization cell. It exceeds the electrosorption capacity (4.08 mg g-1) of AC electrodes. The Na@C electrode also showed a promising cycle stability. The excellent performance of Na@C electrode for capacitive deionization (CDI) can be attributed to its high electrical conductivity and large accessible surface area.

Climate policy and the optimal extraction of high- and low-carbon fossil fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smulders, S.; Van der Werf, E.

2005-01-01

We study how restricting CO2 emissions affects resource prices and depletion over time. We use a Hotelling-style model with two non- renewable fossil fuels that differ in their carbon content (e.g. coal and natural gas) and that are imperfect substitutes in final good production. We study both an unexpected constraint and an anticipated constraint. Both shocks induce intertemporal substitution of resource use. When emissions are unexpectedly restricted, it is cost-effective to use high-carbon resources relatively more (less) intensively on impact if this resource is relatively scarce (abundant). If the emission constraint is anticipated, it is cost-effective to use relatively more (less) of the low-carbon input before the constraint becomes binding, in order to conserve relatively more (less) of the high-carbon input for the period when climate policy is active in case the high-carbon resource is relatively scarce (abundant)

Carotid artery surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Carotid endarterectomy; CAS surgery; Carotid artery stenosis - surgery; Endarterectomy - carotid artery ... through the catheter around the blocked area during surgery. Your carotid artery is opened. The surgeon removes ...

The Features of Extrahepatic Collateral Arteries Related to Hepatic Artery Occlusion and Benefits in the Trans arterial Management of Liver Tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, L.; Zhang, X.M.; Ren, Y.J.; Miao, N.D.; Huang, X.H.; Dong, G.L.

2013-01-01

To investigate the extrahepatic collateral arteries related to hepatic artery occlusion (HAO) and to determine its benefits in the trans arterial management of liver tumors. Methods and Findings. Eleven patients (7 hepatocellular carcinomas, 3 liver metastases, and 1 with hemangioma) with HAO confirmed with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were admitted to our hospital. Of the 11 patients, 7 were men and 4 were women, with an average age of 41.5 ± 15.5 years (range: 29 to 70 years). DSA was performed to evaluate the collateral routes to the liver. In the 11 patients with HAO, DSA showed complete occlusion of the common hepatic artery in 9 patients and the proper hepatic artery (PHA) in 2 patients. Extrahepatic collateral arteries supplying the liver were readily evident. The collateral arteries originated from the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in 8 patients, from the gastroduodenal artery in 2 patients, and from the left gastric artery (LGA) in 1 patient. Transcatheter treatment was successfully performed via the collateral artery in all patients except the one who had hemangioma. Conclusions. DSA is an effective method for detecting collateral circulation related to HAO and may provide information to guide transcatheter management decisions.

High activity carbon sorbents for mercury capture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stavropoulos George G.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available High efficiency activated carbons have been prepared for removing mercury from gas streams. Starting materials used were petroleum coke, lignite, charcoal and olive seed waste, and were chemically activated with KOH. Produced adsorbents were primarily characterized for their porosity by N2 adsorption at 77 K. Their mercury retention capacity was characterized based on the breakthrough curves. Compared with typical commercial carbons, they have exhibited considerably enhanced mercury adsorption capacity. An attempt has been made to correlate mercury entrapment and pore structure. It has been shown that physical surface area is increased during activation in contrast to the mercury adsorption capacity that initially increases and tends to decrease at latter stages. Desorption of active sites may be responsible for this behavior.

Engineering the Pores of Biomass-Derived Carbon: Insights for Achieving Ultrahigh Stability at High Power in High-Energy Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Thangavel, Ranjith; Kaliyappan, Karthikeyan; Ramasamy, Hari Vignesh; Sun, Xueliang; Lee, Yun-Sung

2017-07-10

Electrochemical supercapacitors with high energy density are promising devices due to their simple construction and long-term cycling performance. The development of a supercapacitor based on electrical double-layer charge storage with high energy density that can preserve its cyclability at higher power presents an ongoing challenge. Herein, we provide insights to achieve a high energy density at high power with an ultrahigh stability in an electrical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) system by using carbon from a biomass precursor (cinnamon sticks) in a sodium ion-based organic electrolyte. Herein, we investigated the dependence of EDLC performance on structural, textural, and functional properties of porous carbon engineered by using various activation agents. The results demonstrate that the performance of EDLCs is not only dependent on their textural properties but also on their structural features and surface functionalities, as is evident from the electrochemical studies. The electrochemical results are highly promising and revealed that the porous carbon with poor textural properties has great potential to deliver high capacitance and outstanding stability over 300 000 cycles compared with porous carbon with good textural properties. A very low capacitance degradation of around 0.066 % per 1000 cycles, along with high energy density (≈71 Wh kg -1 ) and high power density, have been achieved. These results offer a new platform for the application of low-surface-area biomass-derived carbons in the design of highly stable high-energy supercapacitors. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of kidneys in renal artery stenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yildirim, Erkan; Kirbas, Ismail; Teksam, Mehmet; Karadeli, Elif; Gullu, Hakan; Ozer, Ismail

2008-01-01

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate perfusion and diffusion of kidneys in renal artery stenosis (RAS) and any correlation between stenosis and ADC values and whether this imaging modality may be a noninvasive complementary assessment technique to MR angiography before interventional procedures. Materials and methods: Twenty consecutive patients suspected of having renal artery stenosis were evaluated with renal MR angiography to exclude stenosis and were then included in the study. Transverse DW multisection echo-planar MR imaging was performed. In the transverse ADC map, rectangular regions of interest were placed in the cortex on 3 parts (upper, middle, and lower poles) in each kidney. ADCs of the kidneys were calculated separately for the low, average, and high b-values to enable differentiation of the relative influence of the perfusion fraction and true diffusion. The ADC values of 39 kidneys (13 with renal artery stenosis and 26 normal renal arteries) were compared, and the relationship between stenosis degree and ADC values was calculated. Results: RAS was detected in 11 of 20 (55%) patients with MRA. Thirteen of 39 kidneys demonstrated RAS, and 26 were normal. The ADC low (1.9 ± 0.2 versus 2.1 ± 0.2; P = .020), ADC average (1.7 ± 0.2 versus 1.9 ± 0.1; P = .006), and ADC high (1.8 ± 0.2 versus 2.0 ± 0.1; P = .012) values were significantly lower in patients with kidneys with arterial stenosis than that in patients with kidneys with normal arteries. Statistical analysis revealed that stenosis degree correlated strongly with ADC low (r = -.819; P = .001), ADC average (r = -.754; P = .003), and ADC high (r = -.788; P = .001). The ADC low , ADC average , and ADC high values were significantly lower in patients with kidneys with arterial stenosis than that in patients with kidneys with normal arteries. Conclusion: We think that DW MR imaging of kidneys with RAS can help determine the functional status of a renal artery stenosis

Effect of supplementing a high-fat, low-carbohydrate enteral formula in COPD patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Baiqiang; Zhu, Yuanjue; Ma, Y i; Xu, Zuojun; Zao, Y i; Wang, Jinglan; Lin, Yaoguang; Comer, Gail M

2003-03-01

One of the goals in treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who suffer from hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and malnutrition is to correct the malnutrition without increasing the respiratory quotient and minimize the production of carbon dioxide. This 3-wk study evaluated the efficacy of feeding a high-fat, low-carbohydrate (CHO) nutritional supplement as opposed to a high-carbohydrate diet in COPD patients on parameters of pulmonary function.S METHODS: Sixty COPD patients with low body weight (diet (15% protein, 20% to 30% fat, and 60% to 70% CHO), or the experimental group, which received two to three cans (237 mL/can) of a high-fat, low-CHO oral supplement (16.7% protein, 55.1% fat, and 28.2% CHO) in the evening as part of the diet. Measurements of lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s or volume of air exhaled in 1 s of maximal expiration, minute ventilation, oxygen consumption per unit time, carbon dioxide production in unit time, and respiratory quotient) and blood gases (pH, arterial carbon dioxide tension, and arterial oxygen tension) were taken at baseline and after 3 wk. Lung function measurements decreased significantly and forced expiratory volume increased significantly in the experimental group. This study demonstrates that pulmonary function in COPD patients can be significantly improved with a high-fat, low-CHO oral supplement as compared with the traditional high-CHO diet.

High-resolution coronary MR angiography for evaluation of patients with anomalous coronary arteries: visualization of the intramural segment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biko, David M. [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oakland, CA (United States); The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Chung, Claudia; Chung, Taylor [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oakland, CA (United States); Hitt, David M. [Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH (United States); Kurio, Gregory [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Cardiology, Oakland, CA (United States); Reinhartz, Olaf [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Oakland, CA (United States)

2015-08-15

Anomalous origin of the coronary artery from the contralateral coronary sinus is a rare coronary anomaly associated with sudden death. The inter-arterial course is most closely associated with sudden death, but it has been suggested that the presence of an intramural segment of a right anomalous coronary is associated with more symptoms and therefore may be an important criterion for intervention in these patients. To demonstrate that MR angiography can accurately determine the presence or absence of an intramural segment in an anomalous coronary artery. All studies of children who underwent MR angiography for the evaluation of an anomalous coronary artery were retrospectively reviewed by two pediatric radiologists in consensus. Criteria for an intramural anomalous coronary artery were the presence of a small or slit-like ostium and the relative smaller size of the proximal intramural portion of the coronary artery in relation to the more distal epicardial coronary artery. The anomalous coronary artery was classified as not intramural if these two findings were absent. These findings were correlated with operative reports confirming the presence or absence of an intramural segment. Twelve patients (86%) met MR angiography criteria for the presence of an intramural course. Only 2 patients (14%) met MR angiography criteria for a non-intramural course. When correlating with intraoperative findings, MR angiography was successful in distinguishing between intramural and non-intramural anomalous coronary arteries in all cases (P = 0.01). MR angiography may be able to reliably identify the intramural segment of an anomalous coronary artery in older children using the imaging criteria of a small or slit-like ostium and relative decrease in size of the proximal portion of the anomalous coronary artery compared to the distal portion of the anomalous coronary artery. Determining the presence of the intramural segment may help with surgical planning and may be an important

Selective ex-vivo photothermal ablation of human pancreatic cancer with albumin functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mocan, Lucian; Tabaran, Flaviu A; Mocan, Teodora; Bele, Constantin; Orza, Anamaria Ioana; Lucan, Ciprian; Stiufiuc, Rares; Manaila, Ioana; Iulia, Ferencz; Dana, Iancu; Zaharie, Florin; Osian, Gelu; Vlad, Liviu; Iancu, Cornel

2011-01-01

The process of laser-mediated ablation of cancer cells marked with biofunctionalized carbon nanotubes is frequently called "nanophotothermolysis". We herein present a method of selective nanophotothermolisys of pancreatic cancer (PC) using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with human serum albumin (HSA). With the purpose of testing the therapeutic value of these nanobioconjugates, we have developed an ex-vivo experimental platform. Surgically resected specimens from patients with PC were preserved in a cold medium and kept alive via intra-arterial perfusion. Additionally, the HSA-MWCNTs have been intra-arterially administered in the greater pancreatic artery under ultrasound guidance. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy combined with immunohistochemical staining have confirmed the selective accumulation of HSA-MWCNTs inside the human PC tissue. The external laser irradiation of the specimen has significantly produced extensive necrosis of the malign tissue after the intra-arterial administration of HSA-MWCNTs, without any harmful effects on the surrounding healthy parenchyma. We have obtained a selective photothermal ablation of the malign tissue based on the selective internalization of MWCNTs with HSA cargo inside the pancreatic adenocarcinoma after the ex-vivo intra-arterial perfusion.

Safety analysis of urban arterials at the meso level.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jia; Wang, Xuesong

2017-11-01

Urban arterials form the main structure of street networks. They typically have multiple lanes, high traffic volume, and high crash frequency. Classical crash prediction models investigate the relationship between arterial characteristics and traffic safety by treating road segments and intersections as isolated units. This micro-level analysis does not work when examining urban arterial crashes because signal spacing is typically short for urban arterials, and there are interactions between intersections and road segments that classical models do not accommodate. Signal spacing also has safety effects on both intersections and road segments that classical models cannot fully account for because they allocate crashes separately to intersections and road segments. In addition, classical models do not consider the impact on arterial safety of the immediately surrounding street network pattern. This study proposes a new modeling methodology that will offer an integrated treatment of intersections and road segments by combining signalized intersections and their adjacent road segments into a single unit based on road geometric design characteristics and operational conditions. These are called meso-level units because they offer an analytical approach between micro and macro. The safety effects of signal spacing and street network pattern were estimated for this study based on 118 meso-level units obtained from 21 urban arterials in Shanghai, and were examined using CAR (conditional auto regressive) models that corrected for spatial correlation among the units within individual arterials. Results showed shorter arterial signal spacing was associated with higher total and PDO (property damage only) crashes, while arterials with a greater number of parallel roads were associated with lower total, PDO, and injury crashes. The findings from this study can be used in the traffic safety planning, design, and management of urban arterials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All

Energy Saving High-Capacity Moderate Pressure Carbon Dioxide Storage System, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Our approach to high-pressure carbon dioxide storage will directly address the challenges associated with storage of compressed carbon dioxide - the need to reduce...

Preoperative mapping of arterial spinal supply using 3.0-T MR angiography with an intravasal contrast medium and high-spatial-resolution steady-state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mordasini, Pasquale; El-Koussy, Marwan; Schmidli, Jürg; Bonel, Harald Marcel; Ith, Michael; Gralla, Jan; Schroth, Gerhard; Hoppe, Hanno

2012-01-01

Introduction: Preoperative mapping of the arterial spinal supply prior to thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair is highly relevant because of high risk for postoperative ischemic spinal cord injuries such as paraparesis or paraplegia. Methods: Twenty-four consecutive patients prior to surgical thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair were investigated. All patients underwent steady-state MR angiography (MRA) of the spinal vasculature with 3-T MRI. The sequence used was a steady-state coronary 3D FLASH with 0.7-mm isotropic voxels. MRA was performed using an intravasal contrast agent. Studies were evaluated by three readers including delineation of arterial spinal supply including both aortic origin and spinal canal entry by three readers. Results: Identification and localization of the Adamkiewicz artery and its spinal canal entry was successful in all patients. Overall depiction of the vascular anatomy was graded as very good in 3 (12.5%), good in 14 (58.4%), sufficient in 5 (20.8%), and poor in 2 (8.3%) patients. Depiction of segmental artery aortic exit level was graded as good in 6 (25.0%), sufficient in 10 (41.7%), poor in 4 (16.7%) and not identifiable in 4 (16.7%) patients. Delineation of segmental artery entry level into the spinal canal was graded as very good in 4 (16.7%), good in 11 (45.8%), sufficient in 6 (25.0%), and poor in 3 (12.5%) patients. Conclusions: The use of 3-T MRA with an intravascular contrast agent and steady-state enables AKA localization including its segmental arteries with regard to the level of aortic origin and spinal canal entry in most patients.

[Efferent innervation of the arteries of human leptomeninx in arterial hypertension].

Science.gov (United States)

Chertok, V M; Kotsiuba, A E; Babich, E V

2009-01-01

Structure of the efferent nerve plexuses (adrenergic, acetylcholinestherase- and cholinacetyltranspherase-positive, NO-dependent), was studied in the arteries of human leptomeninx with different diameters. Material was obtained from the corpses of the healthy people and of the patients with initial stages of arterial hypertension (AH). It was shown that the concentrations of cholinergic and adrenergic nerve fibers and varicosities in axon terminal part, innervating the arteries with the diameters ranging from 450 till 100 microm, were not significantly different. In these arteries, NO-ergic plexuses were also detected. In patients with AH, regardless the arterial diameters, the significant increase (up to 15-20%) of adrenergic nerve fiber and varicosity concentrations was found. The changes in cholinergic nerve fiber concentration were found to depend on the vessel diameter: the significant decrease of these parameter was observed only in arteries with the diameter of 100-200 microm. No significant changes in nerve plexus concentration was noticed in the arteries with greater or smaller diameter. In NO-ergic neural conductors, the enzyme activity decreased only in the large arteries, and remained almost unchanged in the small vascular branches. The changes in the vasomotor innervation described in AH, are interpreted as a vasomotor innervation dysfunction of the leptomeninx arteries that may result in the hemodynamic disturbances.

Fabrication of mesoporous and high specific surface area lanthanum carbide-carbon nanotube composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biasetto, L.; Carturan, S.; Maggioni, G.; Zanonato, P.; Bernardo, P. Di; Colombo, P.; Andrighetto, A.; Prete, G.

2009-01-01

Mesoporous lanthanum carbide-carbon nanotube composites were produced by means of carbothermal reaction of lanthanum oxide, graphite and multi-walled carbon nanotube mixtures under high vacuum. Residual gas analysis revealed the higher reactivity of lanthanum oxide towards carbon nanotubes compared to graphite. After sintering, the composites revealed a specific surface area increasing with the amount of carbon nanotubes introduced. The meso-porosity of carbon nanotubes was maintained after thermal treatment.

Biomass-derived nitrogen-doped porous carbons with tailored hierarchical porosity and high specific surface area for high energy and power density supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Junting; Niu, Jin; Liu, Mengyue; Ji, Jing; Dou, Meiling; Wang, Feng

2018-01-01

Porous carbon materials with hierarchical structures attract intense interest for the development of high-performance supercapacitors. Herein, we demonstrate a facile and efficient strategy to synthesize nitrogen-doped hierarchically porous carbons with tailored porous structure combined with high specific surface area (SSA), which involves a pre-carbonization and a subsequent carbonization combined with KOH activation of silkworm cocoon precursors. Through adjusting the mass ratio of the activator (KOH) to pre-carbonized precursor in the activation process, the hierarchically porous carbon prepared at the mass ratio of 2 (referred to as NHPC-2) possesses a high defect density and a high SSA of 3386 m2 g-1 as well as the relatively high volumetric proportion of mesopores and macropores (45.5%). As a result, the energy density and power density of the symmetric supercapacitor based on NHPC-2 electrode are as high as 34.41 Wh kg-1 and 31.25 kW kg-1 in organic-solvent electrolyte, and are further improved to 112.1 Wh kg-1 and 23.91 kW kg-1 in ionic-liquid electrolyte.

Environmental variation, vegetation distribution, carbon dynamics and water/energy exchange at high latitudes

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, A.D.; Wirth, C.; Apps, M.; Beringer, J.; Clein, J.; Epstein, H.; Kicklighter, D.W.; Bhatti, J.; Chapin, F. S.; De Groot, B.; Efremov, D.; Eugster, W.; Fukuda, M.; Gower, T.; Hinzman, L.; Huntley, B.; Jia, G.J.; Kasischke, E.; Melillo, J.; Romanovsky, V.; Shvidenko, A.; Vaganov, E.; Walker, D.

2002-01-01

The responses of high latitude ecosystems to global change involve complex interactions among environmental variables, vegetation distribution, carbon dynamics, and water and energy exchange. These responses may have important consequences for the earth system. In this study, we evaluated how vegetation distribution, carbon stocks and turnover, and water and energy exchange are related to environmental variation spanned by the network of the IGBP high latitude transects. While the most notable feature of the high latitude transects is that they generally span temperature gradients from southern to northern latitudes, there are substantial differences in temperature among the transects. Also, along each transect temperature co-varies with precipitation and photosynthetically active radiation, which are also variable among the transects. Both climate and disturbance interact to influence latitudinal patterns of vegetation and soil carbon storage among the transects, and vegetation distribution appears to interact with climate to determine exchanges of heat and moisture in high latitudes. Despite limitations imposed by the data we assembled, the analyses in this study have taken an important step toward clarifying the complexity of interactions among environmental variables, vegetation distribution, carbon stocks and turnover, and water and energy exchange in high latitude regions. This study reveals the need to conduct coordinated global change studies in high latitudes to further elucidate how interactions among climate, disturbance, and vegetation distribution influence carbon dynamics and water and energy exchange in high latitudes.

Aberrant Ovarian Collateral Originating from External Iliac Artery During Uterine Artery Embolization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Joon Ho; Kim, Man Deuk, E-mail: mdkim@yuhs.ac; Lee, Kwang-hun; Lee, Myungsu; Lee, Mu Sook; Won, Jong Yun; Park, Sung Il; Lee, Do Yun [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital (Korea, Republic of)

2013-02-15

We report a case of a 35-year-old woman who underwent uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic multiple uterine fibroids with collateral aberrant right ovarian artery that originated from the right external iliac artery. We believe that this is the first reported case in the literature of this collateral uterine flow by the right ovarian artery originated from the right external iliac artery. We briefly present the details of the case and review the literature on variations of ovarian artery origin that might be encountered during UAE.

Aberrant Ovarian Collateral Originating from External Iliac Artery During Uterine Artery Embolization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Joon Ho; Kim, Man Deuk; Lee, Kwang-hun; Lee, Myungsu; Lee, Mu Sook; Won, Jong Yun; Park, Sung Il; Lee, Do Yun

2013-01-01

We report a case of a 35-year-old woman who underwent uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic multiple uterine fibroids with collateral aberrant right ovarian artery that originated from the right external iliac artery. We believe that this is the first reported case in the literature of this collateral uterine flow by the right ovarian artery originated from the right external iliac artery. We briefly present the details of the case and review the literature on variations of ovarian artery origin that might be encountered during UAE.

Hepatic falciform artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaques, Paul F.; Mauro, Matthew A.; Sandhu, Jeet

1997-01-01

The hepatic falciform artery is an occasional terminal branch of the left or middle hepatic artery, and may provide an uncommon but important collateral route when the principal visceral arteries are occluded

Effects of Changes in Arterial Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen Partial Pressures on Cerebral Oximeter Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Schober, Andrew; Feiner, John R; Bickler, Philip E; Rollins, Mark D

2018-01-01

Cerebral oximetry (cerebral oxygen saturation; ScO2) is used to noninvasively monitor cerebral oxygenation. ScO2 readings are based on the fraction of reduced and oxidized hemoglobin as an indirect estimate of brain tissue oxygenation and assume a static ratio of arterial to venous intracranial blood. Conditions that alter cerebral blood flow, such as acute changes in PaCO2, may decrease accuracy. We assessed the performance of two commercial cerebral oximeters across a range of oxygen concentrations during normocapnia and hypocapnia. Casmed FORE-SIGHT Elite (CAS Medical Systems, Inc., USA) and Covidien INVOS 5100C (Covidien, USA) oximeter sensors were placed on 12 healthy volunteers. The fractional inspired oxygen tension was varied to achieve seven steady-state levels including hypoxic and hyperoxic PaO2 values. ScO2 and simultaneous arterial and jugular venous blood gas measurements were obtained with both normocapnia and hypocapnia. Oximeter bias was calculated as the difference between the ScO2 and reference saturation using manufacturer-specified weighting ratios from the arterial and venous samples. FORE-SIGHT Elite bias was greater during hypocapnia as compared with normocapnia (4 ± 9% vs. 0 ± 6%; P oxygen saturation and mixed venous oxygen tension, as well as increased oxygen extraction across fractional inspired oxygen tension levels (P oxygen extraction (P < 0.0001). Changes in PaCO2 affect cerebral oximeter accuracy, and increased bias occurs with hypocapnia. Decreased accuracy may represent an incorrect assumption of a static arterial-venous blood fraction. Understanding cerebral oximetry limitations is especially important in patients at risk for hypoxia-induced brain injury, where PaCO2 may be purposefully altered.

Carotid artery stenting in high surgical risk patients using the FiberNet embolic protection system: the EPIC trial results.

Science.gov (United States)

Myla, Subbarao; Bacharach, J Michael; Ansel, Gary M; Dippel, Eric J; McCormick, Daniel J; Popma, Jeffrey J

2010-05-01

The multicenter EPIC (FiberNet Embolic Protection System in Carotid Artery Stenting Trial) single-arm trial evaluated the 30-day outcomes of a new design concept for embolic protection during carotid artery stenting (CAS). Embolic protection filters available for use during CAS include fixed and over-the-wire systems that rely on embolic material capture within a "basket" structure. The FiberNet Embolic Protection System (EPS), which features a very low crossing profile, consists of a three-dimensional fiber-based filter distally mounted on a 0.014 inch guidewire with integrated aspiration during filter retrieval. The trial enrolled 237 patients from 26 centers. Demographics, clinical and lesion characteristics, as well as adverse events through a 30-day follow-up were recorded. The mean age of the patients was 74 years, 64% were male and 20% had symptomatic carotid artery disease. The combined major adverse event (MAE) rate at 30 days for all death, stroke, and myocardial infarction was 3.0%. There were three major strokes (two ischemic and one hemorrhagic) and two minor strokes (both ischemic) for a 2.1% 30-day stroke rate. The procedural technical success rate was 97.5% and macroscopic evidence of debris was reported in 90.9% of the procedures. The FiberNet EPS, used with commercially available stents, produced low stroke rates following CAS in high surgical risk patients presenting with carotid artery disease. The unique filter design including aspiration during retrieval may have contributed to the low 30-day stroke rate reported during CAS in patients considered at high risk for complications following carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Increased norepinephrine release from dog pulmonary artery caused by nitrous oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rorie, D.K.; Tyce, G.M.; Sill, J.C.

1986-01-01

The effects of nitrous oxide on the release and metabolism of norepinephrine (NE) at neuroeffector junctions in dog pulmonary artery were examined. Helical strips of artery were incubated in Krebs-Ringer solution containing L-( 3 H)NE and mounted for superfusion. The arterial strips were studied in the presence of 95% oxygen-5% carbon dioxide, 70% nitrogen-30% oxygen, or 70% nitrous oxide-30% oxygen. During the 60 min of each experiment, five samples of superfusion fluid were collected for analysis and the effluxes of ( 3 H)NE and its radiolabeled metabolites were measured before and during electrical stimulation and during recovery from stimulation. ( 3 H)Norepinephrine was separated from its metabolites in the superfusate and in extracts of artery by column chromatography and quantitated by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Nitrous oxide significantly increased the fractional loss of total radioactivity and the amount of NE in the superfusate both during resting conditions and during stimulation. Nitrous oxide had no effect on the proportions of radioactivity among metabolites of NE in the superfusate or on the profile of NE metabolites remaining in the tissue after experimentation. These findings are consistent with increased NE release as a direct effect of nitrous oxide on nerve endings

Feeding Arteries of Primary Tongue Cancers on Intra-arterial Infusion Chemotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamitani, Takeshi, E-mail: kamitani@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Kawanami, Satoshi, E-mail: kawanami-01@mac.com [Kyushu University, Department of Molecular Imaging and Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Asayama, Yoshiki, E-mail: asayama@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Matsuo, Yoshio, E-mail: yymatsuo@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Yonezawa, Masato, E-mail: ymasato@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Yamasaki, Yuzo, E-mail: yyama@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Nagao, Michinobu, E-mail: minagao@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Molecular Imaging and Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Yamanouchi, Torahiko, E-mail: tora0228@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Yabuuchi, Hidetake, E-mail: h-yabu@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Nakamura, Katsumasa, E-mail: nakam@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Nakashima, Torahiko, E-mail: nakatora@qent.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan); Honda, Hiroshi, E-mail: honda@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Kyushu University, Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Japan)

2016-02-15

PurposeTo evaluate the frequency and the predictive factor of each feeding artery on intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy (IAIC) in primary tongue cancer.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated 20 patients who received IAIC for primary tongue cancer. The main and accompanying feeding arteries were identified on super-selective angiography of the branches of the external carotid artery. Tumor diameter, and extension to the contralateral side, tongue extrinsic muscles (TEMs), and lateral mesopharyngeal wall were determined based on magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography findings.ResultsThe main feeding artery was the ipsilateral lingual artery (LA) in 15 of the 20 examined tumors and the contralateral LA in the other 5. Ten cancers had only one feeding artery, and multiple feeding arteries were detected in the remaining 10. Tumors >4 cm (n = 9), those with extension to the contralateral side (n = 13), and those with extension to TEMs (n = 15) were supplied by significantly larger numbers of feeding arteries compared to tumors without these features (P = 0.01, 0.049, and 0.02, respectively). The frequency of feeding from the contralateral LA was 64 % (9/14) and 17 % (1/6) in tumors with and without extension to the contralateral side, respectively. Feeding from a facial artery (FA) was not detected in tumors ≤4 cm, while 5 of the 9 (56 %) tumors >4 cm were supplied by a FA (P = 0.01).ConclusionA careful search for feeding arteries is required, especially in large tumors with extension to the contralateral side or to TEMs.

Feeding Arteries of Primary Tongue Cancers on Intra-arterial Infusion Chemotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamitani, Takeshi; Kawanami, Satoshi; Asayama, Yoshiki; Matsuo, Yoshio; Yonezawa, Masato; Yamasaki, Yuzo; Nagao, Michinobu; Yamanouchi, Torahiko; Yabuuchi, Hidetake; Nakamura, Katsumasa; Nakashima, Torahiko; Honda, Hiroshi

2016-02-01

To evaluate the frequency and the predictive factor of each feeding artery on intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy (IAIC) in primary tongue cancer. We retrospectively evaluated 20 patients who received IAIC for primary tongue cancer. The main and accompanying feeding arteries were identified on super-selective angiography of the branches of the external carotid artery. Tumor diameter, and extension to the contralateral side, tongue extrinsic muscles (TEMs), and lateral mesopharyngeal wall were determined based on magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography findings. The main feeding artery was the ipsilateral lingual artery (LA) in 15 of the 20 examined tumors and the contralateral LA in the other 5. Ten cancers had only one feeding artery, and multiple feeding arteries were detected in the remaining 10. Tumors >4 cm (n = 9), those with extension to the contralateral side (n = 13), and those with extension to TEMs (n = 15) were supplied by significantly larger numbers of feeding arteries compared to tumors without these features (P = 0.01, 0.049, and 0.02, respectively). The frequency of feeding from the contralateral LA was 64 % (9/14) and 17 % (1/6) in tumors with and without extension to the contralateral side, respectively. Feeding from a facial artery (FA) was not detected in tumors ≤4 cm, while 5 of the 9 (56 %) tumors >4 cm were supplied by a FA (P = 0.01). A careful search for feeding arteries is required, especially in large tumors with extension to the contralateral side or to TEMs.

Hierarchically porous carbon with high-speed ion transport channels for high performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Haoyuan; Li, Qingwei; Guo, Jianhui; Song, Aixin; Gong, Chunhong; Zhang, Jiwei; Zhang, Jingwei

2018-01-01

Hierarchically porous carbons (HPC) are considered as promising electrode materials for supercapacitors, due to their outstanding charge/discharge cycling stabilities and high power densities. However, HPC possess a relatively low ion diffusion rate inside the materials, which challenges their application for high performance supercapacitor. Thus tunnel-shaped carbon pores with a size of tens of nanometers were constructed by inducing the self-assembly of lithocholic acid with ammonium chloride, thereby providing high-speed channels for internal ion diffusion. The as-formed one-dimensional pores are beneficial to the activation process by KOH, providing a large specific surface area, and then facilitate rapid transport of electrolyte ions from macropores to the microporous surfaces. Therefore, the HPC achieve an outstanding gravimetric capacitance of 284 F g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1 and a remarkable capacity retention of 64.8% when the current density increases by 1000 times to 100 A g-1.

Effect of cinnamon on gastric emptying, arterial stiffness, postprandial lipemia, glycemia, and appetite responses to high-fat breakfast

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Markey, Oonagh

2011-09-07

Abstract Background Cinnamon has been shown to delay gastric emptying of a high-carbohydrate meal and reduce postprandial glycemia in healthy adults. However, it is dietary fat which is implicated in the etiology and is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine the effect of 3 g cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) on GE, postprandial lipemic and glycemic responses, oxidative stress, arterial stiffness, as well as appetite sensations and subsequent food intake following a high-fat meal. Methods A single-blind randomized crossover study assessed nine healthy, young subjects. GE rate of a high-fat meal supplemented with 3 g cinnamon or placebo was determined using the 13C octanoic acid breath test. Breath, blood samples and subjective appetite ratings were collected in the fasted and during the 360 min postprandial period, followed by an ad libitum buffet meal. Gastric emptying and 1-day fatty acid intake relationships were also examined. Results Cinnamon did not change gastric emptying parameters, postprandial triacylglycerol or glucose concentrations, oxidative stress, arterial function or appetite (p < 0.05). Strong relationships were evident (p < 0.05) between GE Thalf and 1-day palmitoleic acid (r = -0.78), eiconsenoic acid (r = -0.84) and total omega-3 intake (r = -0.72). The ingestion of 3 g cinnamon had no effect on GE, arterial stiffness and oxidative stress following a HF meal. Conclusions 3 g cinnamon did not alter the postprandial response to a high-fat test meal. We find no evidence to support the use of 3 g cinnamon supplementation for the prevention or treatment of metabolic disease. Dietary fatty acid intake requires consideration in future gastrointestinal studies. Trial registration Trial registration number: at http:\\/\\/www.clinicaltrial.gov: NCT01350284

Kirishites, a new type of natural high-carbon compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, Yu. B.; Skublov, G. T.; Yushkin, N. P.

2010-01-01

On the right-hand bank of the Volkhov River, in the natural area of tektite-like glasses (Volkhovites), fragments of shungites and slags with bunches of hairlike dark brownish enclosures were found. The filament thickness ranged from 20 to 100 μm, and separate “hairlines” were 3 cm in length. The composition of shungites and “hairlines” was found to be identical, which allowed us to consider the latter as aposhungite carbon formations. The high-carbon hairline structures associated with volkhovites are called kirishites. Kirishites are a new type of high-carbon structures that formed simultaneously with volkhovites in the case of explosion-type delivery of carbon slag and shungite fragments to the daylight surface during Holocene explosive activity. Under sharply reductive conditions, the slags partially melted, the melts were segregated, and carbonaceous-silicate and carbonaceous-ferriferous glasses formed with subsequent decompression-explosive liberation of carbon-supersaturated structures, which were extruded from shungite and slag fragments in the form of a resinoid mass. The “hairlines” were found to be zonal in structure: the central axial zones are composed of high-nitrogen hydrocarbon compounds, and peripheral regions are essentially carbonaceous with a high content of organic-mineral compounds and numerous microanomalies of petrogenic, volatile, rare, and ore elements. Infrared spectroscopy identified in kirishites proteinlike compounds, diagnosed in absorption bands (in cm-1) 600-720 (Amid V), 1200-1300 (Amid III), 1480-1590 (Amid II), 1600-1700 (Amid I), 3000-3800 (vibrations in NH2 and II groups). Gas chromatography, with the possibility of differentiation of left- and right-handed forms, revealed a broad spectrum of amino acids in kirishites, with their total content found to be the absolutely highest record for natural bitumens, an order of magnitude higher than the largest amino acid concentrations ever revealed in fibrous high

A New High-Resolution Spectral Approach to Noninvasively Evaluate Wall Deformations in Arteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivonne Bazan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available By locally measuring changes on arterial wall thickness as a function of pressure, the related Young modulus can be evaluated. This physical magnitude has shown to be an important predictive factor for cardiovascular diseases. For evaluating those changes, imaging segmentation or time correlations of ultrasonic echoes, coming from wall interfaces, are usually employed. In this paper, an alternative low-cost technique is proposed to locally evaluate variations on arterial walls, which are dynamically measured with an improved high-resolution calculation of power spectral densities in echo-traces of the wall interfaces, by using a parametric autoregressive processing. Certain wall deformations are finely detected by evaluating the echoes overtones peaks with power spectral estimations that implement Burg and Yule Walker algorithms. Results of this spectral approach are compared with a classical cross-correlation operator, in a tube phantom and “in vitro” carotid tissue. A circulating loop, mimicking heart periods and blood pressure changes, is employed to dynamically inspect each sample with a broadband ultrasonic probe, acquiring multiple A-Scans which are windowed to isolate echo-traces packets coming from distinct walls. Then the new technique and cross-correlation operator are applied to evaluate changing parietal deformations from the detection of displacements registered on the wall faces under periodic regime.

A New High-Resolution Spectral Approach to Noninvasively Evaluate Wall Deformations in Arteries

Science.gov (United States)

Bazan, Ivonne; Negreira, Carlos; Ramos, Antonio; Brum, Javier; Ramirez, Alfredo

2014-01-01

By locally measuring changes on arterial wall thickness as a function of pressure, the related Young modulus can be evaluated. This physical magnitude has shown to be an important predictive factor for cardiovascular diseases. For evaluating those changes, imaging segmentation or time correlations of ultrasonic echoes, coming from wall interfaces, are usually employed. In this paper, an alternative low-cost technique is proposed to locally evaluate variations on arterial walls, which are dynamically measured with an improved high-resolution calculation of power spectral densities in echo-traces of the wall interfaces, by using a parametric autoregressive processing. Certain wall deformations are finely detected by evaluating the echoes overtones peaks with power spectral estimations that implement Burg and Yule Walker algorithms. Results of this spectral approach are compared with a classical cross-correlation operator, in a tube phantom and “in vitro” carotid tissue. A circulating loop, mimicking heart periods and blood pressure changes, is employed to dynamically inspect each sample with a broadband ultrasonic probe, acquiring multiple A-Scans which are windowed to isolate echo-traces packets coming from distinct walls. Then the new technique and cross-correlation operator are applied to evaluate changing parietal deformations from the detection of displacements registered on the wall faces under periodic regime. PMID:24688596

Nacre-Templated Synthesis of Highly Dispersible Carbon Nanomeshes for Layered Membranes with High-Flux Filtration and Sensing Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Meng; Li, Mingjie; Shang, Ruoxu; Wu, Jingyu; Yan, Peisong; Xu, Dongmei; Li, Chaoxu

2018-01-24

Marine shells not only represent a rapidly accumulating type of fishery wastes but also offer a unique sort of hybrid nanomaterials produced greenly and massively in nature. The elaborate "brick and mortar" structures of nacre enabled the synthesis of carbon nanomeshes with <1 nm thickness, hierarchical porosity, and high specific surface area through pyrolysis, in which two-dimensional (2D) organic layers served as the carbonaceous precursor and aragonite platelets as the hard template. Mineral bridges within 2D organic layers templated the formation of mesh pores of 20-70 nm. In contrast to other hydrophobic carbon nanomaterials, these carbon nanomeshes showed super dispersibility in diverse solvents and thus processability for membranes through filtration, patterning, spray-coating, and ink-writing. The carbon membranes with layered structures were capable of serving not only for high-flux filtration and continuous flow absorption but also for electrochemical and strain sensing with high sensitivity. Thus, utilization of marine shells, on one hand, relieves the environmental concern of shellfish waste, on the other hand, offers a facile, green, low-cost, and massive approach to synthesize unique carbon nanomeshes alternative to graphene nanomeshes and applicable in environmental adsorption, filtration, wearable sensors, and flexible microelectronics.

Analysis of Arterial and Venous Blood Gases in Healthy Gyr Falcons ( Falco rusticolus ) Under Anesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Raghav, Raj; Middleton, Rachael; BSc, Rinshiya Ahamed; Arjunan, Raji; Caliendo, Valentina

2015-12-01

Arterial and venous blood gas analysis is useful in the assessment of tissue oxygenation and ventilation and in diagnosis of metabolic and respiratory derangements. It can be performed with a relatively small volume of blood in avian patients under emergency situations. Arterial and venous blood gas analysis was performed in 30 healthy gyr falcons ( Falco rusticolus ) under anaesthesia to establish temperature-corrected reference intervals for arterial blood gas values and to compare them to temperature-corrected venous blood gas values with a portable point-of-care blood gas analyzer (i-STAT 1, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA). Statistically significant differences were observed between the temperature-corrected values of pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco2), and partial pressure of oxygen (Po2) and the corresponding nontemperature-corrected values of these parameters in both arterial and venous blood. Values of temperature-corrected pH, temperature-corrected Pco2, bicarbonate concentrations, and base excess of extra cellular fluid did not differ significantly between arterial and venous blood, suggesting that, in anesthetized gyr falcons, venous blood gas analysis can be used in place of arterial blood gas analysis in clinical situations. Values for hematocrit, measured by the point-of-care analyzer, were significantly lower compared with those obtained by the microhematocrit method.

Empirical High-Temperature Calibration for the Carbonate Clumped Isotopes Paleothermometer

Science.gov (United States)

Kluge, T.; John, C. M.; Jourdan, A.; Davis, S.; Crawshaw, J.

2013-12-01

The clumped isotope paleothermometer is being used in a wide range of applications related to carbonate mineral formation, focusing on temperature and fluid δ18O reconstruction. Whereas the range of typical Earth surface temperatures has been the focus of several studies based on laboratory experiments and biogenic carbonates of known growth temperatures, the clumped isotope-temperature relationship above 70 °C has not been assessed by direct precipitation of carbonates. We investigated the clumped isotope-temperature relationship by precipitating carbonates between 20 and 200°C in the laboratory. The setup consists of a pressurized vessel in which carbonate minerals are precipitated from the mixture of two solutions (CaCl2, NaHCO3). Both solutions are thermally and isotopically equilibrated before injection in the pressure vessel. Minerals precipitated in this setup generally consist of calcite. Samples were reacted with 105% orthophosphoric acid for 10 min at 90°C. The evolved CO2 was continuously collected and subsequently purified with a Porapak trap held at -35°C. Measurements were performed on a MAT 253 using the protocol of Huntington et al. (2009) and Dennis et al. (2011). Clumped isotope values from 20-90°C are consistent with carbonates that were precipitated from a CaCO3 super-saturated solution using the method of McCrea (1950). This demonstrates that the experimental setup does not induce any kinetic fractionation, and can be used for high-temperature carbonate precipitation. The new clumped isotope calibration at high temperature follows the theoretical calculations of Schauble et al. (2006) adjusted for phosphoric acid digestion at 90°C. We gratefully acknowledge funding from Qatar Petroleum, Shell and the Qatar Science and Technology Park.

Unsteady 3D flow simulations in cranial arterial tree

Science.gov (United States)

Grinberg, Leopold; Anor, Tomer; Madsen, Joseph; Karniadakis, George

2008-11-01

High resolution unsteady 3D flow simulations in major cranial arteries have been performed. Two cases were considered: 1) a healthy volunteer with a complete Circle of Willis (CoW); and 2) a patient with hydrocephalus and an incomplete CoW. Computation was performed on 3344 processors of the new half petaflop supercomputer in TACC. Two new numerical approaches were developed and implemented: 1) a new two-level domain decomposition method, which couples continuous and discontinuous Galerkin discretization of the computational domain; and 2) a new type of outflow boundary conditions, which imposes, in an accurate and computationally efficient manner, clinically measured flow rates. In the first simulation, a geometric model of 65 cranial arteries was reconstructed. Our simulation reveals a high degree of asymmetry in the flow at the left and right parts of the CoW and the presence of swirling flow in most of the CoW arteries. In the second simulation, one of the main findings was a high pressure drop at the right anterior communicating artery (PCA). Due to the incompleteness of the CoW and the pressure drop at the PCA, the right internal carotid artery supplies blood to most regions of the brain.

Effect of small addition of Cr on stability of retained austenite in high carbon steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hossain, Rumana; Pahlevani, Farshid, E-mail: f.pahlevani@unsw.edu.au; Sahajwalla, Veena

2017-03-15

High carbon steels with dual phase structures of martensite and austenite have considerable potential for industrial application in high abrasion environments due to their hardness, strength and relatively low cost. To design cost effective high carbon steels with superior properties, it is crucial to identify the effect of Chromium (Cr) on the stability of retained austenite (RA) and to fully understand its effect on solid-state phase transition. This study addresses this important knowledge gap. Using standard compression tests on bulk material, quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis, nano-indentation on individual austenitic grains, transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction–based orientation microscopy techniques, the authors investigated the effect of Cr on the microstructure, transformation behaviour and mechanical stability of retained austenite in high carbon steel, with varying Cr contents. The results revealed that increasing the Cr %, altered the morphology of the RA and increased its stability, consequently, increasing the critical pressure for martensitic transformation. This study has critically addressed the elastoplastic behaviour of retained austenite – and provides a deep understanding of the effect of small additions of Cr on the metastable austenite of high carbon steel from the macro- to nano-level. Consequently, it paves the way for new applications for high carbon low alloy steels. - Highlights: • Effect of small addition of Cr on metastable austenite of high carbon steel from the macro- to nano-level • A multi-scale study of elastoplastic behaviour of retained austenite in high carbon steel • The mechanical stability of retained austenite during plastic deformation increased with increasing Cr content • Effect of grain boundary misorientation angle on hardness of individual retained austenite grains in high carbon steel.

A study on the carotid artery ultrasonography for the metabolic syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, Hye Jung; Cho, Pyong Kon; Kang, Young Han

2013-01-01

The primary goal of this study was to ascertain the primary factors to the affect for the carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and other risks can possibly influence the carotid artery IMT. All patients data (total specimens: 289, male: 197, female: 92) including the carotid artery ultrasonography examination. The all data were analyzed by the use of SPSS software, version 21.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL USA), with the descriptive statistics method. The Results of this study was found to be highly increased in the males than the females. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in all of the participants was 30.5 percentages. The carotid artery IMT in the subjects with metabolic syndrome was significantly high in both genders, compared to the rest, who were without metabolic syndrome. The Pearsons correlation coefficient of metabolic syndrome and CIMT was 0.378(p<0.01). In conclusions, the present study also supports the association between the carotid artery IMT and the metabolic syndromes with cardiovascular risk factors. Usage of B-mode ultrasonography to measure the carotid artery IMT was found to be highly effective in the current analysis

A study on the carotid artery ultrasonography for the metabolic syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kong, Hye Jung; Cho, Pyong Kon [Dept. of Radiological Science, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Young Han [Dept. of Radiology, Catholic University Hospital of Daegu, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2013-09-15

The primary goal of this study was to ascertain the primary factors to the affect for the carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and other risks can possibly influence the carotid artery IMT. All patients data (total specimens: 289, male: 197, female: 92) including the carotid artery ultrasonography examination. The all data were analyzed by the use of SPSS software, version 21.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL USA), with the descriptive statistics method. The Results of this study was found to be highly increased in the males than the females. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in all of the participants was 30.5 percentages. The carotid artery IMT in the subjects with metabolic syndrome was significantly high in both genders, compared to the rest, who were without metabolic syndrome. The Pearsons correlation coefficient of metabolic syndrome and CIMT was 0.378(p<0.01). In conclusions, the present study also supports the association between the carotid artery IMT and the metabolic syndromes with cardiovascular risk factors. Usage of B-mode ultrasonography to measure the carotid artery IMT was found to be highly effective in the current analysis.

High-definition computed tomography for coronary artery stents imaging: Initial evaluation of the optimal reconstruction algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Xiaoming; Li, Tao; Li, Xin; Zhou, Weihua

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo performance of four image reconstruction algorithms in a high-definition CT (HDCT) scanner with improved spatial resolution for the evaluation of coronary artery stents and intrastent lumina. Thirty-nine consecutive patients with a total of 71 implanted coronary stents underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA) on a HDCT (Discovery CT 750 HD; GE Healthcare) with the high-resolution scanning mode. Four different reconstruction algorithms (HD-stand, HD-detail; HD-stand-plus; HD-detail-plus) were applied to reconstruct the stented coronary arteries. Image quality for stent characterization was assessed. Image noise and intrastent luminal diameter were measured. The relationship between the measurement of inner stent diameter (ISD) and the true stent diameter (TSD) and stent type were analysed. The stent-dedicated kernel (HD-detail) offered the highest percentage (53.5%) of good image quality for stent characterization and the highest ratio (68.0±8.4%) of visible stent lumen/true stent lumen for luminal diameter measurement at the expense of an increased overall image noise. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the ISD and TSD measurement and spearman correlation coefficient between the ISD measurement and stent type were 0.83 and 0.48, respectively. Compared with standard reconstruction algorithms, high-definition CT imaging technique with dedicated high-resolution reconstruction algorithm provides more accurate stent characterization and intrastent luminal diameter measurement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recanalization of superficial femoral artery by retrograde approach via popliteal artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Kyu; Kim, Hyung Kil; Yun, Ung; Seo, Jeong Jin; Kang, Heoung Keun

1995-01-01

To recanalize the occlusive lesion of superficial femoral artery at origin site by retrograde approach via popliteal artery. 15 patients, who were poor surgical candidates due to coronary artery disease and who had severe occlusive lesion of superficial femoral artery close to its origin with good distal runoffs to popliteal artery, were selected. Patients were all men and range of age were from 53 years to 66 years (mean age: 63 years). Range of lesion length were from 15 cm to 30 cm (mean length: 22.4 cm). Localization of popliteal artery was done with Doppler stethoscope or 'road-map' DSA. The method of recanalization were transluminal endarterectomy catheter (TEC), TEC and angioplasty, thrombolysoangioplasty (TLA). Retrograde puncture of popliteal artery was done in 15 patients successfully. TEC and PTA was performed in 9 patients, TEC only in 2 patients, and TLA and PTA in 2 patients. During the follow-up period of 5 months to 2 years reocclusion did not occur in 10 patients except for 1 patient with poor cardiac output in whom it occurred 1 day later. Remained 4 patients were lost in follow up. Any neurologic or vascular complication did not occur. Retrograde approach of superficial femoral artery via popliteal artery in patients with difficult vascular intervention by common method provides a useful, alternative recanalization method

Recanalization of superficial femoral artery by retrograde approach via popliteal artery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jae Kyu; Kim, Hyung Kil; Yun, Ung; Seo, Jeong Jin; Kang, Heoung Keun [Chonnam University Medical School, Kwangju (Korea, Republic of)

1995-09-15

To recanalize the occlusive lesion of superficial femoral artery at origin site by retrograde approach via popliteal artery. 15 patients, who were poor surgical candidates due to coronary artery disease and who had severe occlusive lesion of superficial femoral artery close to its origin with good distal runoffs to popliteal artery, were selected. Patients were all men and range of age were from 53 years to 66 years (mean age: 63 years). Range of lesion length were from 15 cm to 30 cm (mean length: 22.4 cm). Localization of popliteal artery was done with Doppler stethoscope or 'road-map' DSA. The method of recanalization were transluminal endarterectomy catheter (TEC), TEC and angioplasty, thrombolysoangioplasty (TLA). Retrograde puncture of popliteal artery was done in 15 patients successfully. TEC and PTA was performed in 9 patients, TEC only in 2 patients, and TLA and PTA in 2 patients. During the follow-up period of 5 months to 2 years reocclusion did not occur in 10 patients except for 1 patient with poor cardiac output in whom it occurred 1 day later. Remained 4 patients were lost in follow up. Any neurologic or vascular complication did not occur. Retrograde approach of superficial femoral artery via popliteal artery in patients with difficult vascular intervention by common method provides a useful, alternative recanalization method.

High Gradient Accelerating Structures for Carbon Therapy Linac

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kutsaev, Sergey; Agustsson, R.; Faillace, L.; Goel, A.; Mustapha, B.; Nassiri, A.; Ostroumov, P.; Plastun, A.; Savin, E.

2016-05-01

Carbon therapy is the most promising among techniques for cancer treatment, as it has demonstrated significant improvements in clinical efficiency and reduced toxicity profiles in multiple types of cancer through much better localization of dose to the tumor volume. RadiaBeam, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, are developing an ultra-high gradient linear accelerator, Advanced Compact Carbon Ion Linac (ACCIL), for the delivery of ion-beams with end-energies up to 450 MeV/u for 12C6+ ions and 250 MeV for protons. In this paper, we present a thorough comparison of standing and travelling wave designs for high gradient S-Band accelerating structures operating with ions at varying velocities, relative to the speed of light, in the range 0.3-0.7. In this paper we will compare these types of accelerating structures in terms of RF, beam dynamics and thermo-mechanical performance.

Sponges with covalently tethered amines for high-efficiency carbon capture

KAUST Repository

Qi, Genggeng

2014-12-12

© 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Adsorption using solid amine sorbents is an attractive emerging technology for energy-efficient carbon capture. Current syntheses for solid amine sorbents mainly based on physical impregnation or grafting-to methods (for example, aminosilane-grafting) lead to limited sorbent performance in terms of stability and working capacity, respectively. Here we report a family of solid amine sorbents using a grafting-from synthesis approach and synthesized by cationic polymerization of oxazolines on mesoporous silica. The sorbent with high amount of covalently tethered amines shows fast adsorption rate, high amine efficiency and sorbent capacity well exceeding the highest value reported to date for lowerature carbon dioxide sorbents under simulated flue gas conditions. The demonstrated efficiency of the new amine-immobilization chemistry may open up new avenues in the development of advanced carbon dioxide sorbents, as well as other nitrogen-functionalized systems.

Selective arterial thrombolysis with urokinase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jae Hyung; Park, Kil Sun; Chung, Jin Wook; Han, Joon Koo; Kim, Sang Joon [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dae Young [Choong Buk University College of Medicine, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

1991-07-15

Seven patients with thrombotic occlusions of the peripheral arteries or grafts were treated with urokinase by direct intraarterial selective infusion. During the infusion, simultaneous heparin infusion was used to reduce the frequency of thrombus formation on the infusion catheter or recurrent thrombosis. In 4 patients in whom a complete thrombolysis occurred, urokinase was infused by a high-dose transthrombus bolus technique followed by continuous infusion. There other patients, in whom thrombolysis was partially accomplished and then surgical thrombectomy was performed, were treated only by continuous urokinase infusion. Small hematomas developed at the infusion catheter entry site in 2 patients, but transfusion or operation was not required. Other significant complications were not found. Our results suggest that selective arterial infusion of urokinase with a transthrombus bolus technique can accomplish a complete arterial thrombolysis without any significant complications.

Selective arterial thrombolysis with urokinase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jae Hyung; Park, Kil Sun; Chung, Jin Wook; Han, Joon Koo; Kim, Sang Joon; Kim, Dae Young

1991-01-01

Seven patients with thrombotic occlusions of the peripheral arteries or grafts were treated with urokinase by direct intraarterial selective infusion. During the infusion, simultaneous heparin infusion was used to reduce the frequency of thrombus formation on the infusion catheter or recurrent thrombosis. In 4 patients in whom a complete thrombolysis occurred, urokinase was infused by a high-dose transthrombus bolus technique followed by continuous infusion. There other patients, in whom thrombolysis was partially accomplished and then surgical thrombectomy was performed, were treated only by continuous urokinase infusion. Small hematomas developed at the infusion catheter entry site in 2 patients, but transfusion or operation was not required. Other significant complications were not found. Our results suggest that selective arterial infusion of urokinase with a transthrombus bolus technique can accomplish a complete arterial thrombolysis without any significant complications

Nano-micro carbon spheres anchored on porous carbon derived from dual-biomass as high rate performance supercapacitor electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shaobo; Zhao, Yang; Zhang, Baihui; Xia, Hui; Zhou, Jianfei; Xie, Wenke; Li, Hongjian

2018-03-01

Hierarchical nano-micro carbon spheres@rice straw-derived porous carbon composites are successfully synthesized by the in situ decoration of the porous carbon with carbon spheres from glucose under the assistance of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide micelles and further activated by KOH. The scanning electron microscope images clearly show the carbon spheres disperse homogeneously and orderly onto the surface and in the inner macropores of the porous carbon. The diameter of the carbon spheres varies from 475 nm to 1.6 μm, which can be easily controlled by introducing extra inducing agent. The optimal composites exhibit a large specific surface area (1122 m2 g-1), rich content of oxygen (14.2 wt %), and tunable hierarchical porous structure. When used as supercapacitor electrodes, the novel composites with abundant fruits present a high specific capacitance of 337 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, excellent rate retention of 83% from 1 to 20 A g-1 and a good cycling stability with 96% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. In this strategy, the thought of shared ion-buffering reservoirs is proposed and the mutual promotion effects between the carbon spheres and porous carbon in the composites are also practically demonstrated to contribute the enhanced electrochemical performances.

Hepatic artery aneurysms (HAAs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nosratini, H.

2004-01-01

The hepatic artery aneurysms are rare, especially in interahepatic branches, The frequency consists of 75-80% extrahepatic and 20-25% intrahepatic. Catheterization is achieved usually from common femoral artery, other methods implemented in the case of unsuccessful catheterization from femoral artery, are translumbar and brachial catheterization. The study consist of 565 patients that were referred to the angiography ward, During seven years of assessment, five cases of hepatic artery aneurysm were found; this is a rare condition reported in the English literature. In the literature as well as in this case report the hepatic artery aneurysms are rare. In reported series the extrahepatic artery aneurysms are found more often than in the intrahepatic artery aneurysm but in this case report intrahepatic artery aneurysms are more than extrahepatic one. (author)

Arterial stiffness in junior high school students: Longitudinal observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujiwara, Hiroshi; Nakajima, Hisakazu; Inoue, Fumio; Kosaka, Kitaro; Asano, Hiroaki; Yoshii, Kengo

2018-02-01

Early atherosclerotic change is found even in childhood, and there is an urgent need to clarify the factors causing childhood atherosclerosis and take preventive measures. Early detection of the contributing risk factors is crucial to facilitate preventive measures. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a widely used technique for the assessment of atherosclerosis in children. Lifestyle questionnaire, brachio-ankle PWV (baPWV) and anthropometric data were obtained from junior high school students in an urban area of Japan between 2006 and 2008, from seventh to ninth grades. Mean baPWV increased from 867.4 ± 99.5 m/s to 944.5 ± 117.5 m/s in boys, and from 864.0 ± 99.5 m/s to 923.0 ± 101.3 m/s in girls. Obese students had higher baPWV than non-obese students in both genders across each grade. On logistic regression analysis of ninth grade student data, high baPWV was dependent on systolic blood pressure (SBP), time watching television (TV) and symptoms of depression and anxiety, whereas low baPWV was dependent on time playing video games, light exercise, sleep and indoor play, as well as good friendship and motivation. Systolic blood pressure, time watching TV, and symptoms of depression and anxiety may contribute to arterial stiffness and be related to obesity in junior high school students. © 2017 The Authors Pediatrics International published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Pediatric Society.

Basilar artery angulation and vertigo due to the hemodynamic effect of dominant vertebral artery.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosar, Murat; Yaman, Mehmet; Eser, Olcay; Songur, Ahmet; Ozen, Oguz A

2008-01-01

Vertebral arteries form the basilar artery at the pontobulbar junction. The vertebral artery may have dominancy in one of them. The branches of basilar arteries supply blood for the vestibular nuclei and its connections. Vertigo is seen generally in the upper middle aged patients. Vertigo can be observed in dolichoectasia of basilar artery such as angulation and elongation, because of the diminished blood supply and changed hemodynamic factors of vestibular nuclei and its connections. We hypothesized that angulation or elongation of basilar artery can be estimated according to the unilateral vertebral artery dominant hypertensive patients. The basilar artery can angulate from the dominant side of vertebral artery to the recessive side. These angulation and elongation can effect the hemodynamic factors in absence of growing collateral arteries. So, the vertigo attacks may occur in these patients.

An unusual neonatal presentation of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery.

Science.gov (United States)

Garty, Y; Guri, A; Shinwell, E S; Matitiau, A

2008-01-01

We describe a previously unreported neonatal presentation of an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery. This is a full-term female infant after normal pregnancy and delivery. The baby was diagnosed at 2 days of age due to weak femoral pulses noted on the routine nursery discharge examination. The cardiac examination revealed weak pulses everywhere and mild tachypnea and tachycardia. An electrocardiogram showed clear signs of ischemia. Echocardiography demonstrated an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery with bidirectional blood flow. There was a severely depressed left ventricular function and mild mitral valve regurgitation. At 4 days of age, the infant underwent complete successful surgical repair with reimplantation of the anomalous coronary artery to the aorta. She recovered slowly but well. Fifteen months later she is doing well with no cardiac residua. A neonatal presentation is very unusual due to protective high pulmonary resistance after birth, with gradual decline in pressure and gradual onset of heart failure. This case may be related to an unusually rapid drop in pulmonary vascular resistance causing very early cardiac ischemia. (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Triconstituent co-assembly to ordered mesostructured polymer-silica and carbon-silica nanocomposites and large-pore mesoporous carbons with high surface areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ruili; Shi, Yifeng; Wan, Ying; Meng, Yan; Zhang, Fuqiang; Gu, Dong; Chen, Zhenxia; Tu, Bo; Zhao, Dongyuan

2006-09-06

Highly ordered mesoporous polymer-silica and carbon-silica nanocomposites with interpenetrating networks have been successfully synthesized by the evaporation-induced triconstituent co-assembly method, wherein soluble resol polymer is used as an organic precursor, prehydrolyzed TEOS is used as an inorganic precursor, and triblock copolymer F127 is used as a template. It is proposed for the first time that ordered mesoporous nanocomposites have "reinforced concrete"-structured frameworks. By adjusting the initial mass ratios of TEOS to resol, we determined the obtained nanocomposites possess continuous composition with the ratios ranging from zero to infinity for the two constituents that are "homogeneously" dispersed inside the pore walls. The presence of silicates in nanocomposites dramatically inhibits framework shrinkage during the calcination, resulting in highly ordered large-pore mesoporous carbon-silica nanocomposites. Combustion in air or etching in HF solution can remove carbon or silica from the carbon-silica nanocomposites and yield ordered mesoporous pure silica or carbon frameworks. The process generates plenty of small pores in carbon or/and silica pore walls. Ordered mesoporous carbons can then be obtained with large pore sizes of approximately 6.7 nm, pore volumes of approximately 2.0 cm(3)/g, and high surface areas of approximately 2470 m(2)/g. The pore structures and textures can be controlled by varying the sizes and polymerization degrees of two constituent precursors. Accordingly, by simply tuning the aging time of TEOS, ordered mesoporous carbons with evident bimodal pores at 2.6 and 5.8 nm can be synthesized.

To assess the intimal thickness, flow velocities, and luminal diameter of carotid arteries using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound doppler imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Vemuru, Madhuri; Jabbar, Afzal; Chandra, Suman

2004-04-01

Carotid imaging is a Gold Standard test that provides useful information about the structure and functions of carotid arteries. Spectral imaging helps to evaluate the vessel and hemodynamic changes. High resolution B-mode imaging has emerged as one of the methods of choice for determining the anatomic extent of atherosclerosis and its progression and for assessing cardiovascular risks. The measurements made with Doppler correlate well with pathologic measurements. Recent prospective studies have clearly demonstrated that these measurements of carotid intimal thickness are potent predictors of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke. This method appears very attractive as it is non-invasive, extremely safe, well accepted by the patient and relatively inexpensive. It can be performed serially and has the advantage of visualizing the arterial wall in contrast to angiographic techniques which provide only an outline of the arterial lumen. Recently, there has been an interest in the clinical use of this technique in making difficult clinical decisions like deciding on preventive therapies. 30 subjects aged 21-60 years and 30 subjects aged 61-85 years of both sexes are selected after doing a baseline study to exclude Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity and Hyperlipidemia. The carotid arteries were examined for intimal thickening, blood flow velocities and luminal diameter. With aging there is a narrowing of the carotid vessels and significant increase in intimal thickening with a consequent increase in the blood flow velocities. Inter-observer, intra-observer and instrument variations are seen and there is no significant change in the values when the distal flow pattern is considered for measurements. Aging produces major cardiovascular changes including decreased elasticity and compliance of great arteries leading to structural and functional alterations in heart and vessels. With aging there is increased intimal thickness and increased pulse wave velocity which is clearly

Endovascular rescue from arterial rupture and thrombosis during middle cerebral artery stenting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, J.Y.; Chung, Y.S. [Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Pundang CHA Hospital, 351 Yatap-ding, Pundang-gu, 463-712, Sungnam (Korea); Lee, B.H. [Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, College of Medicine, Pundang CHA Hospital, 351 Yatap-dong, Pundang-gu, 463-712, Sungnam (Korea); Kim, O.J. [Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Pundang CHA Hospital, 351 Yatap-dong, Pundang-gu, 463-712, Sungnam (Korea)

2003-08-01

Intravascular stents are being used with increasing frequency in interventional neuroradiology. Iatrogenic arterial rupture is an uncommon but serious complication. We present a case of arterial rupture and subarachnoid haemorrhage during middle cerebral artery stenting, treated by emergency additional, overlapping stenting and balloon tamponade of the dissected vessel. Thrombotic occlusion of the artery was managed by intra-arterial abciximab. Normal vessel patency was re-established within 20 min and the patient recovered with no neurological deficit. (orig.)

Experiment Plan of High Temperature Steam and Carbon dioxide Co-electrolysis for Synthetic Gas Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Duk-Joo; Ko, Jae-Hwa

2008-01-01

Currently, Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) come into the spotlight in the middle of the energy technologies of the future for highly effective conversion of fossil fuels into electricity without carbon dioxide emission. The SOFC is a reversible cell. By applying electrical power to the cell, which is solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), it is possible to produce synthetic gas (syngas) from high temperature steam and carbon dioxide. The produced syngas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) can be used for synthetic fuels. This SOEC technology can use high temperature from VHTRs for high efficiency. This paper describes KEPRI's experiment plan of high temperature steam and carbon co-electrolysis for syngas production using SOEC technology

Pathologic implications of severely stenotic carotid artery in disparity to the contralateral asymptomatic artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacayorin, E.D.; Schwartz, R.A.; Park, S.H.

1989-01-01

In 15 patients (eight women, seven men; age range 56-67 years), arteriography showed severely stenotic internal carotid artery in contrast to the contralateral asymptomatic carotid artery. The patients with recent neurologic manifestations of transient ischemic attack and amaurosis fugax underwent carotid endarterectomy and were subsequently proved to have hemorrhagic atheromatous plaques on gross and histologic examinations. The disparity was unusually significant: 80%-95% stenosis for the symptomatic side, and 0%-20% stenosis for the asymptomatic side. The authors conclude that this arteriographic finding suggests high likelihood of focal subintimal hemorrhage occurring locally; such pathologic change might actually precipitate a cerebroembolic event

Circulating Anti-Elastin Antibody Levels and Arterial Disease Characteristics: Associations with Arterial Stiffness and Atherosclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung-Hyun; Shin, Kihyuk; Park, Sungha; Kang, Seok-Min; Choi, Donghoon; Lee, Seung-Hyo; Lee, Sang-Hak

2015-11-01

Elastin is a major arterial structural protein, and elastin-derived peptides are related to arterial change. We previously reported on a novel assay developed using aortic elastin peptides; however, its clinical implications remain unclear. In this study, we assessed whether anti-elastin antibody titers reflect the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) or its characteristics. We included 174 CAD patients and 171 age- and sex-matched controls. Anti-elastin antibody titers were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Parameters of arterial stiffness, including the augmentation index (AI) and heart-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (hfPWV), were measured non-invasively. The clinical and angiographic characteristics of CAD patients were also evaluated. Associations between anti-elastin levels and vascular characteristics were examined by linear regression analysis. The median blood level of anti-elastin was significantly lower in the CAD group than in the controls [197 arbitrary unit (a.u.) vs. 63 a.u., pelastin were significantly lower in men and in subjects with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, or high hfPWV. Nevertheless, anti-elastin levels were not dependent on atherothrombotic events or the angiographic severity of CAD. In a multivariate analysis, male sex (β=-0.38, pelastin levels. Lower levels of anti-elastin are related to CAD. The association between antibody titers and CAD is linked to arterial stiffness rather than the advancement of atherosclerosis.

Valuing carbon assets for high-tech with application to the wind energy industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Liyan; Liu, Yang; Lin, Qiang; Huang, Gubo

2015-01-01

In contrast to the traditional methods for high-tech evaluation, we introduce a new, more active idea for considering the carbon asset effect, in addition to the economic and technological considerations for strategic significance. The method proposed in this paper considers a reduced amount of carbon emissions, less than that of the current industry baseline, to be an asset that is beneficial to a firm that adopts a new technology. The measured carbon asset values vary across different technologies, in different industries and over time. The new method is applied to the valuing of wind energy technology and uses the Weibull distribution to estimate the wind energy capacity and a concrete sensitivity analysis. These applications support the validity of the new method and show that the impact of the fluctuations of carbon sinks on the values of carbon assets is significantly greater than that of volatility in the production output. The paper also presents some policy recommendations based on the results. - Highlights: • Carbon asset dimension for high-tech evaluation. • Valuing wind energy technology by Weibull distribution. • Greater impact of the carbon sink price on the carbon asset value than that of production output. • The environmental risk could be measured based on the carbon asset assessment.

Low–Cost Bio-Based Carbon Fiber for High-Temperature Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naskar, Amit K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Akato, Kokouvi M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Tran, Chau D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Paul, Ryan M. [GrafTech International Holdings, Inc., Brooklyn Heights, OH (United States); Dai, Xuliang [GrafTech International Holdings, Inc., Brooklyn Heights, OH (United States)

2017-02-01

GrafTech International Holdings Inc. (GTI), worked with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under CRADA No. NFE-15-05807 to develop lignin-based carbon fiber (LBCF) technology and to demonstrate LBCF performance in high-temperature products and applications. This work was unique and different from other reported LBCF work in that this study was application-focused and scalability-focused. Accordingly, the executed work was based on meeting criteria based on technology development, cost, and application suitability. The focus of this work was to demonstrate lab-scale LBCF from at least 4 different precursor feedstock sources that could meet the estimated production cost of $5.00/pound and have ash level of less than 500 ppm in the carbonized insulation-grade fiber. Accordingly, a preliminary cost model was developed based on publicly available information. The team demonstrated that 4 lignin samples met the cost criteria, as highlighted in Table 1. In addition, the ash level for the 4 carbonized lignin samples were below 500 ppm. Processing asreceived lignin to produce a high purity lignin fiber was a significant accomplishment in that most industrial lignin, prior to purification, had greater than 4X the ash level needed for this project, and prior to this work there was not a clear path of how to achieve the purity target. The lab scale development of LBCF was performed with a specific functional application in mind, specifically for high temperature rigid insulation. GTI is currently a consumer of foreignsourced pitch and rayon based carbon fibers for use in its high temperature insulation products, and the motivation was that LBCF had potential to decrease costs and increase product competitiveness in the marketplace through lowered raw material costs, lowered energy costs, and decreased environmental footprint. At the end of this project, the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) remained at 5 for LBCF in high temperature insulation.

Porous carbon-free SnSb anodes for high-performance Na-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jeong-Hee; Ha, Choong-Wan; Choi, Hae-Young; Seong, Jae-Wook; Park, Cheol-Min; Lee, Sang-Min

2018-05-01

A simple melt-spinning/chemical-etching process is developed to create porous carbon-free SnSb anodes. Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) incorporating these anodes exhibit excellent electrochemical performances by accomodating large volume changes during repeated cycling. The porous carbon-free SnSb anode produced by the melt-spinning/chemical-etching process shows a high reversible capacity of 481 mAh g-1, high ICE of 80%, stable cyclability with a high capacity retention of 99% after 100 cycles, and a fast rate capability of 327 mAh g-1 at 4C-rate. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction and high resolution-transmission electron microscopy analyses demonstrate that the synthesized porous carbon-free SnSb anodes involve the highly reversible reaction with sodium through the conversion and recombination reactions during sodiation/desodiation process. The novel and simple melt-spinning/chemical-etching synthetic process represents a technological breakthrough in the commercialization of Na alloy-able anodes for SIBs.

Carbon Bioavailability in a High Arctic Fjord Influenced by Glacial Meltwater, NE Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria L. Paulsen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The land-to-ocean flux of organic carbon is increasing in glacierized regions in response to increasing temperatures in the Arctic (Hood et al., 2015. In order to understand the response of the coastal ecosystem metabolism to the organic carbon input it is essential to determine the bioavailability of the different carbon sources in the system. We quantified the bacterial turnover of organic carbon in a high Arctic fjord system (Young Sound, NE Greenland during the ice-free period (July-October 2014 and assessed the quality and quantity of the 3 major organic carbon sources; (1 local phytoplankton production (2 runoff from land-terminating glaciers and a lowland river and (3 inflow from the ocean shelf. We found that despite relatively low concentrations of DOC in the rivers, the bioavailability of the river–DOC was significantly higher than in the fjord, and characterized by high cell-specific bacterial production and low C:N ratios. In contrast, the DOC source entering via inflow of coastal shelf waters had high DOC concentrations with high C:N and low specific bacterial production. The phytoplankton production in the fjord could not sustain the bacterial carbon demand, but was still the major source of organic carbon for bacterial growth. We assessed the bacterial community composition and found that communities were specific for the different water types i.e., the bacterial community of the coastal inflow water could be traced mainly in the subsurface water, while the glacial river community strongly dominated the surface water in the fjord.

Arterial stiffness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ursula Quinn

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Measurements of biomechanical properties of arteries have become an important surrogate outcome used in epidemiological and interventional cardiovascular research. Structural and functional differences of vessels in the arterial tree result in a dampening of pulsatility and smoothing of blood flow as it progresses to capillary level. A loss of arterial elastic properties results a range of linked pathophysiological changes within the circulation including increased pulse pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy, subendocardial ischaemia, vessel endothelial dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis. With increased arterial stiffness, the microvasculature of brain and kidneys are exposed to wider pressure fluctuations and may lead to increased risk of stroke and renal failure. Stiffening of the aorta, as measured by the gold-standard technique of aortic Pulse Wave Velocity (aPWV, is independently associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes across many different patient groups and in the general population. Therefore, use of aPWV has been proposed for early detection of vascular damage and individual cardiovascular risk evaluation and it seems certain that measurement of arterial stiffness will become increasingly important in future clinical care. In this review we will consider some of the pathophysiological processes that result from arterial stiffening, how it is measured and factors that may drive it as well as potential avenues for therapy. In the face of an ageing population where mortality from atheromatous cardiovascular disease is falling, pathology associated with arterial stiffening will assume ever greater importance. Therefore, understanding these concepts for all clinicians involved in care of patients with cardiovascular disease will become vital.

Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Highly Efficient Energy Generation and Storage Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-24

solution processing methods, including filtration, solution-casting, electrophoretic deposition, and Langmuir - Blodgett deposition. However, most...supercapacitors with environmentally friendly ionic liquid electrolytes. These new nanocomposite electrodes consist of the high-surface-area activated...carbons, carbon nanotubes, and ionic liquids as the integrated constituent components. The resultant composites show significantly improved charge

One-pot synthetic method to prepare highly N-doped nanoporous carbons for CO2 adsorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Long-Yue; Park, Soo-Jin

2014-01-01

A one-pot synthetic method was used for the preparation of nanoporous carbon containing nitrogen from polypyrrole (PPY) using NaOH as the activated agent. The activation process was carried out under set conditions (NaOH/PPY = 2 and NaOH/PPY = 4) at different temperatures in 600–900 °C for 2 h. The effect of the activation conditions on the pore structure, surface functional groups and CO 2 adsorption capacities of the prepared N-doped activated carbons was examined. The carbon was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2/77 K full isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The CO 2 adsorption capacity of the N-doped activated carbon was measured at 298 K and 1 bar. By dissolving the activation agents, the N-doped activated carbon exhibited high specific surface areas (755–2169 m 2 g −1 ) and high pore volumes (0.394–1.591 cm 3 g −1 ). In addition, the N-doped activated carbons contained a high N content at lower activation temperatures (7.05 wt.%). The N-doped activated carbons showed a very high CO 2 adsorption capacity of 177 mg g −1 at 298 K and 1 bar. The CO 2 adsorption capacity was found to be dependent on the microporosity and N contents. - Highlights: • A one-pot synthetic method was used for the preparation of N-doped nanoporous carbons. • Polypyrrole (PPY) were activated with NaOH under set conditions (NaOH/PPY = 2 and 4). • N-doped activated carbon exhibited high specific surface areas (2169 m 2 g −1 ). • The carbons showed a very high CO 2 adsorption capacity of 177 mg g −1 at 298 K

Warfarin-induced Primary Dissection of Lower Peripheral Arteries: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jae A; You, He Chul; Han, Young Min; Kwak, Hyo Sung [Chonbuk National University Hospital and Medical School, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

2010-12-15

Primary dissection of a peripheral artery without involvement of the aorta is a rare entity. Warfarin is currently used as the standard oral anticoagulant in a variety of clinical settings. We report here on a case of focal dissection of the common iliac artery and the superficial femoral artery following prophylactic treatment with warfarin for a prosthetic heart valve. The patient's laboratory results showed a high international normalized ratio and prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time. Angiography showed a dissection of the left common iliac artery and the right superficial femoral artery. His symptoms immediately disappeared after deploying stents to the arterial dissections

Warfarin-induced Primary Dissection of Lower Peripheral Arteries: A Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae A; You, He Chul; Han, Young Min; Kwak, Hyo Sung

2010-01-01

Primary dissection of a peripheral artery without involvement of the aorta is a rare entity. Warfarin is currently used as the standard oral anticoagulant in a variety of clinical settings. We report here on a case of focal dissection of the common iliac artery and the superficial femoral artery following prophylactic treatment with warfarin for a prosthetic heart valve. The patient's laboratory results showed a high international normalized ratio and prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time. Angiography showed a dissection of the left common iliac artery and the right superficial femoral artery. His symptoms immediately disappeared after deploying stents to the arterial dissections

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of supra-aortic arteries especially the internal carotid artery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kachel, R.; Basche, S. (Medizinische Akademie, Erfurt (Germany, F.R.). Radiologische Klinik); Heerklotz, I.; Grossmann, K. (Medizinische Akademie, Erfurt (Germany, F.R.). Klinik fuer Innere Medizin); Endler, S. (Medizinische Akademie, Erfurt (Germany, F.R.). Klinik fuer Neurologie und Psychiatrie)

1991-06-01

We present our experience with 105 patients in whom percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was performed in 112 stenosed or occluded supra-aortic arteries. Symtoms of cerebrovascular and/or vertebrobasilar insufficiency were present in 104 of the 105 patients. The angioplasty was successful in 35 stenoses of the internal carotid artery, 2 stenoses of the common carotid artery, 1 stenosis of the external carotid artery, 15 stenoses of the vertebral artery, 3 stenoses of the innominate artery and 44 stenoses of the subclavian artery. There were only 4 minor-complications (2 haematomas, 1 transient ischemic attack, 1 small thrombus of the internal carotid artery which was detected by 111-indium platelet scintigraphy and treated by thrombendarterectomy before the appearance of neurological symptoms). All patients were symptom free after angioplasty. During the observations period of 3 to 109 months (average 58 months) there were only two cases with re-stenosis after subclavian angioplasty. The results of more than 700 personal and international published percutaneous transluminal angioplasties of supra-aortic arteries are presented. The results suggest that angioplasty of supra-aortic arteries is an effective method. On strict definition of the indications, the complication rate for angioplasty of the supra-aortic arteries is not likely to be higher than that for operative treatment. (orig.).

MDCTA diagnosis of cerebral vessel disease among patients with arterial hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanko-Hrushchak, Nataliya

2013-01-01

to study changes involving cerebral vessels in patients with hypertension and various levels of total cardiovascular risk. One hundred and thirty-four patients underwent CT-angiography of intracranial vessels. Ninety-eight of them were diagnosed with hypertension. Taking into consideration high blood pressure, presence of risk factors and target organ damage subjects were divided into 4 groups: with low, medium, high and very high total cardiovascular risk. Control group included 36 patients. They were not diagnosed with hypertension at the time of examination. One hundred and five patients were examined using a 4-slice CT scanner (Toshiba Asteion 4, Toshiba Medical System, Japan), and 29 patients were examined using a 128-slice scanner (Siemens Definition AS+, Siemens Healthcare, Germany) with an injection system. We used iodine-containing contrast agents such as iodixanol and iopromide for angiography. Anatomical and topographic changes of cerebral vessels were most frequently found in hypertensive patients with high and very high total cardiovascular risk. Narrowing of vertebral vessels was the most common change (27 patients (27.55%), 21 patients (21.43%) had narrowing of the right artery, and 6 (6.12%) subjects – of the left one). Tortuous course of internal carotid arteries at the neck level was visualized in 11 patients (11.22%). Narrowing of A1 segment of anterior cerebral artery was noted in 9 patients (9.18%), of the right one – in 8 patients (8.16%), of the left one – in 1 patient (1.02%). Aneurysmal dilation of intracranial vessels was visualized in 6 patients (6.12%). Saccular aneurysm of left internal carotid artery was diagnosed in 2 patients (2.04%), one patient (1.02%) had right internal carotid artery aneurysm and one patient (1.02%) had an aneurysm of the basilar artery. the most common changes of cerebral vessels diagnosed in MDCTA among patients with hypertension included various degrees of narrowing of vertebral vessels, anterior

Hardness of high-pressure high-temperature treated single-walled carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawasaki, S.; Nojima, Y.; Yokomae, T.; Okino, F.; Touhara, H.

2007-01-01

We have performed high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) treatments of high quality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) over a wide pressure-temperature range up to 13 GPa-873 K and have investigated the hardness of the HPHT-treated SWCNTs using a nanoindentation technique. It was found that the hardness of the SWCNTs treated at pressures greater than 11 GPa and at temperatures higher than 773 K is about 10 times greater than that of the SWCNTs treated at low temperature. It was also found that the hardness change of the SWCNTs is related to the structural change by the HPHT treatments which was based on synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements

Can flavonoid-rich chocolate modulate arterial elasticity and pathological uterine artery Doppler blood flow in pregnant women? A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

von Wowern, Emma; Olofsson, Per

2018-09-01

Dark chocolate has shown beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and might also modulate hypertensive complications in pregnancy and uteroplacental blood flow. Increased uteroplacental resistance is associated with systemic arterial stiffness. We aimed to investigate the short-term effect of flavonoid-rich chocolate on arterial stiffness and Doppler blood flow velocimetry indexes in pregnant women with compromised uteroplacental blood flow. Doppler blood flow velocimetry and digital pulse wave analysis (DPA) were performed in 25 women pregnant in the second and third trimesters with uterine artery (UtA) score (UAS) 3-4, before and after 3 days of ingestion of chocolate with high flavonoid and antioxidant contents. UtA pulsatility index (PI), UtA diastolic notching, UAS (semiquantitative measure of PI and notching combined), and umbilical artery PI were calculated, and DPA variables representing central and peripheral maternal arteries were recorded. Mean UtA PI (p = .049) and UAS (p = .025) significantly decreased after chocolate consumption. There were no significant changes in UtA diastolic notching or any DPA indexes of arterial stiffness/vascular tone. Chocolate may have beneficial effects on the uteroplacental circulation, but in this pilot study, we could not demonstrate effects on arterial vascular tone as assessed by DPA.

Carbon nanotubes for high-performance logic

OpenAIRE

Chen, Zhihong; Wong, H.S. Phillip; Mitra, Subhasish; Bol, Aggeth; Peng, Lianmao; Hills, Gage; Thissen, Nick

2014-01-01

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were discovered in 1993 and have been an area of intense research since then. They offer the right dimensions to explore material science and physical chemistry at the nanoscale and are the perfect system to study low-dimensional physics and transport. In the past decade, more attention has been shifted toward making use of this unique nanomaterial in real-world applications. In this article, we focus on potential applications of CNTs in the high-performanc...

Multislice CT Angiography in Renal Artery Stent Evaluation: Prospective Comparison with Intra-Arterial Digital Subtraction Angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raza, Syed A.; Chughtai, Aamer R.; Wahba, Mona; Cowling, Mark G.; Taube, David; Wright, Andrew R.

2004-01-01

Purpose: To assess the role of multislice computed tomography angiography (MCTA) in the evaluation of renal artery stents, using intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the gold standard. Methods: Twenty consecutive patients (15 men, 5 women) with 23 renal artery stents prospectively underwent both MCTA and DSA. Axial images, multiplanar reconstructions and maximum intensity projection images were used for diagnosis. The MCTA and DSA images were each interpreted without reference to the result of the other investigation. Results:The three cases of restenosis on DSA were detected correctly by MCTA; in 19 cases where MCTA showed a fully patent stent, the DSA was also negative. Sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) of MCTA were therefore 100%. In four cases, MCTA showed apparently minimal disease which was not shown on DSA. These cases are taken as false positive giving a specificity of 80% and a positive predictive value of 43%. Conclusion: The high sensitivity and NPV suggest MCTA may be useful as a noninvasive screen for renal artery stentrestenosis. MCTA detected mild disease in a few patients which was not confirmed on angiography

Performance of Novel Randomly Oriented High Graphene Carbon in Lithium Ion Capacitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahul S. Kadam

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The structure of carbon material comprising the anode is the key to the performance of a lithium ion capacitor. In addition to determining the capacity, the structure of the carbon material also determines the diffusion rate of the lithium ion into the anode which in turn controls power density which is vital in high rate applications. This paper covers details of systematic investigation of the performance of a structurally novel carbon, called Randomly Oriented High Graphene (ROHG carbon, and graphite in a high rate application device, that is, lithium ion capacitor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows that ROHG is less resistive and has faster lithium ion diffusion rates (393.7 × 10−3 S·s(1/2 compared to graphite (338.1 × 10−3 S·s(1/2. The impedance spectroscopy data is supported by the cell data showing that the ROHG carbon based device has energy density of 22.8 Wh/l with a power density of 4349.3 W/l, whereas baseline graphite based device has energy density of 5 Wh/l and power density of 4243.3 W/l. This data clearly shows advantage of the randomly oriented graphene platelet structure of ROHG in lithium ion capacitor performance.

Separation and determination of high-carbon alcohols using method of column chromatographic and gas-chromatographic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang Zhongrong; Li Biping; Zeng Yongchang

1988-01-01

This paper describes the separation and determination of high-carbon alcohols from amine extractant by using the method of column chromatography of aluminium oxide and gas-chromatographic analysis. The total conent of high-carbon alcohols is determined by the method of column chromatography, while the components of the high-carbon alcohols and their relative contents are determined by the method of gas-chromatography. A simple reliable and practical method is provided for the analysis of high-carbon alcohol from the amine extractant in this paper

High-Density Lipoproteins-Associated Proteins and Subspecies Related to Arterial Stiffness in Young Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoting Zhu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Lower plasma levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL in adolescents with type 2 diabetes (T2D have been associated with a higher pulse wave velocity (PWV, a marker of arterial stiffness. Evidence suggests that HDL proteins or particle subspecies are altered in T2D and these may drive these relationships. In this work, we set out to reveal any specific proteins and subspecies that are related to arterial stiffness in youth with T2D from proteomics data. Plasma and PWV measurements were previously acquired from lean and T2D adolescents. Each plasma sample was separated into 18 fractions and evaluated by mass spectrometry. Then, we applied a validated network-based computational approach to reveal HDL subspecies associated with PWV. Among 68 detected phospholipid-associated proteins, we found that seven were negatively correlated with PWV, indicating that they may be atheroprotective. Conversely, nine proteins show positive correlation with PWV, suggesting that they may be related to arterial stiffness. Intriguingly, our results demonstrate that apoA-I and histidine-rich glycoprotein may reverse their protective roles and become antagonistic in the setting of T2D. Furthermore, we revealed two arterial stiffness-associated HDL subspecies, each of which contains multiple PWV-related proteins. Correlation and disease association analyses suggest that these HDL subspecies might link T2D to its cardiovascular-related complications.

Long-term facial artery catheter implantation for serial arterial blood sampling and invasive arterial blood pressure measurement in horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Deborah Penteado Martins; Teixeira, Luisa Gouvêa; Canola, Paulo Aléscio; Albernaz, Raquel Mincarelli; Marques, José Antônio; Neto, José Corrêa de Lacerda

2012-06-01

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate surgical catheter implantation in the facial artery of horses and the long-term maintenance of such arteries using heparin and ascorbic acid as filling solution. Nine horses were implanted with a polyurethane catheter. The catheters were flushed with a heparin/ascorbic acid solution every 8h and remained patent for 25 days. Arterial blood samples were collected twice a day, and one exercise test that included serial blood samples and arterial pressure recordings was performed on a treadmill. Polyurethane catheters surgically implanted in the facial artery can be kept patent by filling with a heparin/ascorbic acid solution and provide convenient invasive arterial access in horses which is suitable for use for serial blood sampling and blood pressure recordings, even during exercise on treadmill. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Congenital coronary artery fistula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Yeon Hee; Kim, Hong; Zeon, Seoc Kil; Suh, Soo Jhi

1986-01-01

Congenital coronary artery fistula (CCAF) is communication of a coronary artery or its main branch with one of the atria or ventricles, the coronary sinus, the superior vena cava, or the pulmonary artery. In Korean peoples, only 4 cases of the CCAF were reported as rare as worldwide and authors want to report another case of CCAF, confirmed by operation. 10-year-old girl shows a fistula between sinus node artery of the right coronary artery and right atrium on root aortogram with left-to-right shunt and Qp/Qs=1.58, in which simple ligation of the sinus node artery from right coronary artery was performed. All of the 5 Korean CCAF (4 were previously reported and 1 of authors) were originated from right coronary artery, and of which 4 were opening into right ventricle and 1 of authors were into right atrium. Associated cardiac anomaly was noted in only 1 case as single coronary artery. Ages were from 9 months of age to 10 years old and no adult left case were found. 3 were female and 2 were male patients.

Dense high-aspect ratio 3D carbon pillars on interdigitated microelectrode arrays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amato, Letizia; Heiskanen, Arto; Hansen, Rasmus

2015-01-01

In this work we present high-aspect ratio carbon pillars (1.4 μm in diameter and ∼11 μm in height) on top of interdigitated electrode arrays to be used for electrochemical applications. For this purpose, different types of 2D and 3D pyrolysed carbon structures were fabricated and characterised...... of pyrolysed carbon films with increased film resistance due to oxidation during storage....

Cavitation-induced reactions in high-pressure carbon dioxide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijpers, M.W.A.; van Eck, D.; Kemmere, M.F.; Keurentjes, J.T.F.

2002-01-01

The feasibility of ultrasound-induced in situ radical formation in liquid carbon dioxide was demonstrated. The required threshold pressure for cavitation could be exceeded at a relatively low acoustic intensity, as the high vapor pressure of CO2 counteracts the hydrostatic pressure. With the use of

Arterial occlusion to treat basilar artery dissecting aneurysm

NARCIS (Netherlands)