An autopsy case of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) with degeneration of the fronto-pontine tracts of the midbrain and pons, and without grumose degeneration of the dentate nucleus is reported. A 72-year-old woman was suffering from dysarthria and gait disturbance. Moderate dementia was noted and gradually worsened. Pyramidal and extrapyramidal signs and cerebellar ataxia were not observed. Eye movements were fully preserved. Brain CT showed cerebellar atrophy. Three years later, she was unable to stand or move, and became mutistic. At the age of 75, she died suddenly. The duration of her illness was approximately 4 years. Clinical diagnosis was LCCA (late cortical cerebellar atrophy). Neuropathological examination revealed gliosis of the deep layers of the cerebral cortex around the precentral gyrus, fronto-pontine tracts degeneration (posterior part of the anterior crus, genu and anterior part of the posterior crus of the internal capsule, cerebral peduncles of the midbrain, pontine base and pyramis of the medulla oblongata). Also, atrophy of the pons and marked degeneration of the superior colliculi and substantia nigra were observed. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and glial fibrillary tangles (GFTs) were found in the subcortical nuclei. These findings were almost consistent with PSP. However, the following differed from those of previously reported typical PSP cases: firstly, mild gliosis in the reticular formation of the midbrain; secondly, few NFTs in the pontine nuclei and superior colliculi and; thirdly, no grumose degeneration in the dentate nucleus. In addition, clinical symptoms of the present case are not consistent with PSP. Therefore, we concluded this case to be an atypical PSP both clinically and neuropathologically.
A nondestructive inspection method to detect wire breakage in power transmission lines using an HTS SQUID gradiometer was examined. Hard-aluminum transmission lines composed of 19 twisted Al wires, with or without wire breakage, were prepared as specimens. While applying AC voltage to the specimens to induce the equivalent current in each wire, distributions of magnetic field gradient above the transmission lines were scanned by the gradiometer. A periodic pattern in the gradient distribution due to wire breakage was observed in the results of the line with wire breakage, while such pattern was not observed in that of the line without wire breakage. The effect of wire breakage in the transmission line appearing in field gradient generated by the line with current was also investigated by computer simulation, and the result was in approximate agreement with the experimental results.
To improve thermal power plant efficiency, we proposed a water treatment system with a high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) system using a superconducting magnet, which is applicable in high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. This is a method to remove the scale from feed-water utilizing magnetic force. One of the issues for practical use of the system is how to extend the continuous operation period. In this paper, we succeeded in solving the problem by eliminating the deviation of captured scale quantity by each filter. In fact, in the HGMS experiment using the solenoidal superconducting magnet, it was shown that a decrease in separation rate and an increase in pressure loss were prevented, and the total quantity of captured scale increased by proper filter design. The design method of the magnetic filter was proposed and will be suitable for long-term continuous scale removal in the feed-water system of the thermal power plant.
The current consensus guidelines for managing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) suggest that one of anesthetic risk factors is the use of volatile anesthetics. However, in clinical settings, it is rare to perceive propofol to be superior to volatile anesthetics for the prevention of PONV. To assess whether PONV is related to the type of anesthetic delivered, we compared the incidence and duration of PONV between propofol anesthesia and sevoflurane anesthesia.We performed a retrospective review of an institutional registry containing 21606 general anesthesia cases conducted following ethics board approval. Anesthesia for all patients was managed with propofol or sevoflurane. To avoid channeling bias, a propensity score analysis was used to generate a set of matched cases (propofol anesthesia) and controls (sevoflurane anesthesia), yielding 2554 matched patient pairs. The incidence and sustained rate of symptoms were compared as the primary outcomes.In the unmatched population, a higher incidence of PONV occurred following propofol anesthesia compared to sevoflurane anesthesia (propofol vs. sevoflurane anesthesia: 18.9% vs. 15.3%, respectively, p < 0.0001). The sustained rate of PONV over the course after propofol anesthesia was also higher than that following sevoflurane anesthesia (p < 0.001). Conversely, less PONV occurred after propofol compared to sevoflurane after propensity matching (propofol vs. sevoflurane anesthesia: 20.4% vs. 23.3%, respectively, p = 0.01). However, the sustained rate of PONV over the course after propofol anesthesia did not differ from that following sevoflurane anesthesia (p = 0.09).Propofol could decrease the incidence of PONV compared with sevoflurane, although the duration of PONV was not affected as found in previous reports.
We have been developing the scale removal system utilizing superconducting magnet that can remove iron scale from boiler feed-water in a thermal power plant. The scale removal prevents the plants from the reduction in power generation efficiency. Iron oxide scale consists of the ferromagnetic and the paramagnetic particles, and the optimal separation conditions largely differ depending on the magnetic properties of the particles. So, single separation condition may cause the filter blockage by over capture or inadequate capture. We proposed the two-stage magnetic separation according to the magnetic properties of the aggregates, where the ferromagnetic particles are captured in the 1st stage in low magnetic field and field gradient, and then the paramagnetic ones are captured in the 2nd stage in high magnetic field and field gradient. It was shown that two-stage magnetic separation system for the mixture of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic particles is possible by utilizing one superconducting solenoidal magnet.
