Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) causes an increase in serum cytokine levels and systemic inflamatory responses, which may trigger the onset of various types of postoperative organ failure. In the present study, modified ultrafiltration (MUF) was applied in cases of adult cardiac surgery and an attempt was made to determine whether MUF reduces serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels. Nine patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery with CPB and MUF between June 1996 and June 1997 were compared with nine control patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery without MUF in the same period. Modified ultrafiltration was performed, based on a method proposed elsewhere. Serum IL-8 was measured by enzyme immunoassay at the start of CPB, immediately after CPB, immediately after MUF and 3 h after MUF. The mean filtrated volume was 1550.0 ± 173.2 ml. In the MUF group, haematocrit increased significantly from 21.2 ± 2.0 to 24.9 ± 3.3% (p = 0.0008), while systolic blood pressure increased from 97.5 ± 16.7 to 116.5 ± 23.9 mmHg (p = 0.0024) after MUF. In contrast, there were no changes in either haematocrit or blood pressure in the control group. In the MUF group, serum IL-8 was reduced from 69.5 ± 33.5 to 58.9 ± 32.4 pg/ml after MUF (p = 0.0029), whereas it was not reduced in the control group. The results of the present study suggest that MUF has beneficial effects on postoperative haemodynamics, and can reduce serum IL-8 levels in adult cardiac surgery.

A portable X-ray computed-tomography (CT) scanner has been developed for the nondestructive measurement of cross sections of live trees, wooden utility poles, wooden building columns, wooden statues, etc. in the field environment. Temporal resolution of CT reconstruction is good enough for observing details of annual rings of trees. The scanner will be useful in plant physiology, environment assessment, safety assurance of poles, archaeology, and dendrochronology

Presents a method for automatic setting of both constant and increasing thresholds to be used with the sequential similarity detection algorithm (SSDA) for a fast registration of digitized images. No a priori knowledge of image statistics is required. The usefulness of the method is proven in the cloud tracking

A simplified equivalent circuit which has been used for a resonator with low electromechanical coupling, is still a good approximation for a high coupling resonator, provided that the parallel capacitance is so chosen that the circuit yields the exact antiresonance frequency. All the circuit constants can be experimentally determined