Shunsuke Otani

The effects of body temperature control on cytokine production in a rat model of ventilator-induced lung injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Injurious ventilation with high peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) is known to cause systemic inflammatory response through cytokine production. This study was performed to examine whether body temperature could regulate cytokine production in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) model. METHODS After performing anesthesia, tracheostomy, and catheter insertion, rats were ventilated with 17cmH(2)O of PIP in the low-pressure (LP) group or 35cmH(2)O in the high-pressure (HP) group. Then, each group was divided into three subgroups; hyperthermia (39 degrees C), normothermia (37 degrees C), and hypothermia (34 degrees C) group. Six groups were observed for 6h. RESULTS Plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-a and IL-6 at 1h after the start of observation were highest in 39 degrees C-HP group and were lowest in 34 degrees C-HP group. Furthermore, sustained high plasma levels of IL-6 were observed only in 39 degrees C-HP group. In contrast, plasma levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10 at 1h were highest in 34 degrees C-HP group, and lowest in 39 degrees C-HP group. CONCLUSION The body temperature significantly affects cytokine production in a model of VILI. Body temperature control may be a potentially effective therapeutic modality to regulate cytokine production in VILI.

RC Building Damage Statistics and SDF Response with Design Seismic Forces

This paper introduces the damage statistics of reinforced concrete buildings after the 1985 Mexico earthquake, the 1990 Ruzon (Philippines) earthquake, the 1992 Erzincan (Turkey) earthquake, and the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake. These data were obtained in severely damaged areas in each earthquake through the inventory damage investigation of the Architectural Institute of Japan teams. The damage statistics indicated severer damage in taller buildings and significantly less damage in low-rise buildings. A series of nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom systems having minimum code required lateral resistance were analyzed using the earthquake motions recorded near the area of damage survey. Contrary to the statistics, the nonlinear response analysis results showed higher ductility demand (damage) in lower buildings.

Outcome prediction in sepsis combined use of genetic polymorphisms - A study in Japanese population.

Genetic polymorphisms have recently been found to be related to clinical outcome in septic patients. The present study investigated to evaluate the influence of genetic polymorphisms in Japanese septic patients on clinical outcome and whether use of genetic polymorphisms as predictors would enable more accurate prediction of outcome. Effects of 16 genetic polymorphisms related to pro-inflammatory mediators and conventional demographic/clinical parameters (age, sex, past medical history, and APACHE II score) on ICU mortality as well as disease severity during ICU stay were examined in the septic patients (n=123) admitted to the ICU between October 2001 and November 2007 by multivariable logistic regression analysis. ICU mortality was significantly associated with TNF -308GA, IL1β -31CT/TT, and APACHE II score. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis demonstrated that, compared with APACHE II score alone (ROC-AUC=0.68), use of APACHE II score and two genetic parameters (TNF -308 and IL1β -31) enabled more accurate prediction of ICU mortality (ROC-AUC=0.80). Significant association of two genetic polymorphisms, TNF -308 and IL1β -31, with ICU mortality was observed in septic patients. In addition, combined use of these genetic parameters with APACHE II score may enable more accurate prediction of outcome in septic patients.

Maximum seismic displacement of inelastic systems based on energy concept

The energy balance and energy input of Single-Degree-of-Freedom (SDF) systems under earthquake motion is studied for elastic and inelastic systems. The maximum displacement of an inelastic system is related to that of an elastic system having the same initial stiffness and mass by considering the earthquake energy input per cycle of oscillation. With an assumption that the cyclic energy input is equal for both elastic and inelastic system for intermediate- and long-period systems, a simplified relation is suggested. Newmarks equal energy rule is shown to be the upper bound of the simplified relation; the lower bound of maximum response displacement is also derived in this paper. The numerical analysis results were mostly shown to fall between the proposed upper and lower bounds. A separate approximate relation is proposed for short-period systems. The reason for divergence from the suggested relations is discussed for short-period systems. Copyright

Earthquake-Resistance Design of Shearwalls With One Opening

Shearwalls with one opening have been designed according to the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) standard for structural calculation of reinforced concrete structures using allowable stresses. However, effective reinforcement details have been developed by current research in the search for a new and rational design method. This paper reports the outline of earthquake-resistant design of shearwalls with openings according to a method based on ultimate capacity.

Clinical application of cytokine-related gene polymorphism analysis using a newly developed DNA chip in critically ill patients

OBJECTIVES To investigate the usefulness of analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) using a newly developed DNA chip assay involving single base extension(SBE) and subsequent hybridization in cytokine-related genes in critical care patients. DESIGN AND METHODS Genotyping was performed in 76 ICU patients admitted to the ICU. First, the DNA samples from 58 patients were subjected to PCR and SBE conditioning for DNA. Second, another 18 patients were subjected to genotyping for SNPs in IL-6 -596G/A, -572C/G, -174G/C, TNF-alpha -308G/A, -238G/A, IL-1beta -511C/T and -31T/C by both TaqMan and DNA chip method, and by DNA direct sequencing prospectively. RESULTS First, PCR and SBE condition were established with initial sample sets, which were consistent with results by TaqMan method. Second, no difference was observed between two assay methods in prospective validation set. CONCLUSIONS The genotyping assay using the new chip was developed and its usefulness was confirmed.

A japanese view of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake disaster

During the period from 20 May to 26 June 1906, Professor Toshikata Sano of the Imperial University of Tokyo investigated the building damage caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire disaster. The main findings of Sanos investigation were (1) the number of casualties was deliberately reported smaller than it was known to be by the local government, (2) the fire disaster was extensive in San Francisco, (3) the damage to buildings in San Francisco was more severe in the reclaimed land than on the hills, (4) the intensity of ground shaking was estimated to be 0.1 g on the hills and 0.25 g in the reclaimed land in San Francisco, (5) the performance of steel structures was generally good under shaking, (6) the performance of the two reinforced concrete buildings in San Francisco was good, and (7) the failure of brick and masonry construction was attributed to poor material quality and workmanship.

LOAD-DEFORMATION RELATIONSHIP OF HIGH-STRENGTH REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS

Synopsis: Force-deformation relationship of high-strength reinforced concrete beam members observed in the laboratory test was idealized by a trilinear relation for use in a nonlinear earthquake response analysis. Methods to evaluate the relationship were examined and the reliability of the methods were discussed with respect to the observed relations. Calculated initial stiffness is shown to significantly underestimate the observed value; a large coefficient of variation was attributed to accidental and shrinkage cracking in the specimen prior to the test. A similar large coefficient of variation was observed in the evaluation of cracking moment. Yield and ultimate moments could be favorably estimated by the theory. An empirical formula was proposed to evaluate yield deformation. An importance of controlling the elastic modulus of concrete in construction is emphasized if a structure is expected to behave as designed during an earthquake.

JAPANESE 'PRESSS' DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDINGS

Synopsis: The paper briefly introduces an ultimate strength design method for reinforced concrete buildings on the basis of the capacity design concept. A design guideline was developed in Japan as a part of the U.S.-Japan PRESSS (Precast Seismic Structural System) project. The design for earthquake loading is specified for the serviceability limit state and ultimate limit state. This paper introduces the concept of earthquake resistant design for the ultimate limit state using a nonlinear static analysis under monotonically increasing force.

Thomas Paulay 1923-2009

The life of Thomas Paulay—a life that left a strong imprint on the many people who knew him personally and that affected many more around the world through his accomplishments in earthquake engineering—ended 28 June 2009 in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he had lived and spent many years on the faculty of the University of Canterbury. Over the previous year, his health had declined from cancer, but he had remained active in the earthquake engineering field, and in his correspondence with friends and colleagues, well into his eighties. Paulay was born in Sopron, Hungary, 26 May 1923. Like his father, he became an officer in the cavalry of the Hungarian army. He graduated from the Royal Hungarian Military Academy in 1943, having just turned 20, and a year later, was the second in command of a cavalry unit. When his superior officer was killed, the young Paulay found himself in charge of 283 men and 308 horses. He was critically wounded three times, returning to duty each time. After the war, he struggled to complete an engineering degree at the Technical University of Budapest under difficult conditions. He later recalled how snow fell through a hole in the bombed-out roof of the lecture hall where he sat for mathematics lectures. Having been an officer in the Hungarian army, which fought against the Soviet Union in the war, and because he was living in Catholic student housing and had a well-to-do family background, he was marked for arrest as the communists took over the political and academic institutions of Hungary. After several dangerous adventures, he made his escape to Austria and then to West Germany. Paulay and his wife Herta met at the very end of World War II as he led a group of Hungarian hospital evacuees into Austria. After Paulay escaped communist Hungary in 1948 as the Iron Curtain was being constructed, they were reunited and married in 1949 and then enjoyed 58 years of marriage before Herta passed away in 2007. Paulay is survived by his two daughters, Dorothy and Esther, his son Gregory, and six grandchildren.