BACKGROUND We examined perioperative predictors of sustained sinus rhythm (SR) in patients undergoing the Cox maze operation and concomitant cardiac surgery for structural heart disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS From October 1999 to December 2008, 90 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) underwent the Cox maze operation and other concomitant cardiac surgery. Eighty-nine patients, all except for...

Based on a master equation formalism for mesoscopic, unimolecular biochemical reactions, we show the periodic oscillation arising from severe nonequilibrium pumping is intimately related to the periodic motion in recently studied stochastic resonance (SR). The white noise in SR is naturally identified with the temperature in the biochemical reactions; the drift in the SR is associated with the ...

Antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of Sida rhombifolia was determined by DPPH free radical, hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays, reducing power, total antioxidant capacity using phosphomolybdenum method, and rapid radical scavenging screening methods. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the extract of S. rhombifolia leaves (SR-L), stem (SR-S) and roots (SR-R) possesses ph...

Strontium (atomic symbol Sr) is a silvery-white alkaline earth metal that exists in several stable (e.g., Sr-86 and Sr-88) and several radioactive (e.g., Sr-89 and Sr-90) isotopic states. Stable strontium and its salts have many industrial uses, such as providing the red color in pyrotechnic devices such as tracer bullets, distress signal rockets, flares, and fireworks. In medicine, strontium b...

improved force frequency relationships in the presence of CaMKII inhibitors (KN-93 and AIP). Increased postrest twitches after CaMKII inhibition indicated an improved sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca loading. This was confirmed in isolated myocytes by a reduced SR Ca spark frequency and hence SR Ca leak, resulting in increased SR Ca load when inhibiting CaMKII. Ryanodine receptor type 2 phosphory...

Cardiac calsequestrin–null mice (Casq2 / ) display catecholaminergic ventricular tachycardia akin to humans with CASQ2 mutations. However, the specific contribution of Casq2 deficiency to the arrhythmia phenotype is difficult to assess because Casq2 / mice also show significant reductions in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) proteins junctin and triadin-1 and increased SR volume. Furthermore, it ...

BACKGROUND The Hoarding Rating Scale-Self-Report (HRS-SR) is a five-item scale that assesses the symptoms of hoarding. These symptoms include excessive acquisition, difficulty in discarding, and excessive clutter that causes distress. We conducted three studies to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Japanese version of the HRS-SR (HRS-SR-J). METHODS Study 1 examined...

OBJECTIVES The bony shoulder stability ratio (BSSR) allows for quantification of the bony stabilisers in vivo. We aimed to biomechanically validate the BSSR, determine whether joint incongruence affects the stability ratio (SR) of a shoulder model, and determine the correct parameters (glenoid concavity versus humeral head radius) for calculation of the BSSR in vivo. METHODS Four polyethylene...

Previous studies have shown lower systolic intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)](i)) and reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)-releasable Ca(2+) contents in myocytes isolated from rat hearts 3 wk after moderate myocardial infarction (MI). Ca(2+) entry via L-type Ca(2+) channels was normal, but that via reverse Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange was depressed in 3-wk MI myocytes. To elucidate mechanism...

Since strontium (Sr) is known for its anabolic and anticatabolic effect on bone, research has been focused on its potential impact on osseointegration. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of nanotopographic implants with a Sr-functionalized titanium (Ti) coating (Ti-Sr-O) with respect to osseointegration in osteoporotic bone. The trial was designed to examine the effe...