A study of oxidation kinetic of Fe-36Ni alloy has been investigated using thermogravimetric apparatus (TGA) in an attempt to define the basic mechanism over a range of temperature of 400 to and finally to fabricate its powder. The oxidation rate was increased with increasing temperature and oxidation behavior of the alloy followed a parabolic rate law at elevated temperature. Temperature dependence of the reaction rate was determined with Arrhenius-type equation and activation energy was calculated to be 106.49 kJ/mol. Based on the kinetic data and micro-structure examination, oxidation mechanism was revealed that iron ions and electrons might migrate outward along grain boundaries and oxygen anion diffused inward through a spinel structure, .

Although bombesin (BN) regulates colonic motility, the associated mechanism of action remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of BN on colonic motility using isolated rat colon. An isolated rat colon was perfused with Krebs solution via the superior mesenteric artery. Intraluminal pressure was measured via microtip catheter pressure transducers at both proximal and distal portions of the isolated colon. After a control period, BN was administered intraarterially in concentrations of 13, 26, 130, and 260 pM. After pretreatment with hexamethonium (10-3 M), atropine (10-5 M), or tetrodotoxin (10-6 M), BN was administered at a concentration of 260 pM (proximal colon) or 130 pM (distal colon); intraluminal pressure was then monitored. Changes in motility were expressed as the percentage change of motility index (MI) over the basal period. As a result, BN increased colonic motility and a dose-dependent increase in proximal colonic motility was observed. The stimulant effect of BN was almost completely abolished by atropine and tetrodotoxin at both the proximal and distal colon. However, BN was not inhibited by hexamethonium at both the proximal and distal colon. Therefore, the stimulant action of BN may be mediated by local cholinergic muscarinic receptors.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a rare condition characterized by multiple intramural pockets of gas filled cysts in the intestinal wall. PCI is usually found incidentally on an imaging study. Many different causes of PCI have been suggested, including mechanical, pulmonary, and bacterial causes. Treatment is usually conservative, including oxygen and antibiotic therapy. We report on two cases of PCI, without symptoms, in a 62-year-old male and a 72-year-old male. Computed tomography showed numerous, small, round, and air densities on the sigmoid colon. Colonoscopy showed numerous, variable-sized, sessile polypoid, balloon-like distended, and protruding subepithelial masses covered with normal colonic mucosa on the sigmoid colon. We observed that when the cyst was stuck with a needle, the size of the cyst was reduced and showed a flat termination. Therefore, we made a diagnosis of PCI and report on the case with references.

Resistance-breaking ability of wild brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, on resistant rice cultivars has been reported in many Asian countries. To understand the development of resistance-breaking ability of wild BPH in Korea, we conducted the nymphal survivorship test and the electrical penetration graph (EPG) on susceptible and resistant rice cultivars with four different BPH populations, which were collected in the early 1980s (S-BPH), 2005, 2006, and 2007, respectively. The S-BPH showed low survival rates on resistant rice cultivars carrying Bph1 and bph2, respectively. On the other hand, recent(2005~2007) wild BPH populations seemed to have high resistance-breaking ability because they maintained elevated survival rates on most other resistant rice cultivars except Gayabyeo (Bph1 and bph2) and Rathu Heenati (Bph3). In the EPG monitoring, however, wild BPHs could not easily feed on the phloem sap of resistant rice cultivars, Cheongcheongbyeo (Bph1), ASD7 (bph2), and Gayabyeo. Wild BPHs spent more time on reaching the phloem sieve elements of resistant cultivars. Ph waveform duration and honeydew excretion amount of wild BPHs also decreased. From the results, we suggest that though recent wild BPHs collected in Korea have high resistance-breaking ability simultaneously on rice cultivars carrying Bph1 and bph2 through the increase of survivorship, they still have to pay some cost to feed on the phloem sap of resistant rice cultivars.