No abstract

White photoluminescence (PL) from thermally treated rice husk is demonstrated. The strongest PL is obtained after oxidation at 400 C following carbonization at 600 C. The PL intensity was strong enough to be detected by the naked eye in daylight under the irradiation of 370 nm light from a light-emitting-diode (LED)-type flashlight. Thermal treatment changes rice husk to silicon oxycarbide but the amorphous structure and cell-wall architecture of the plants are maintained. The origin of PL is speculated to be related to some centers or defects in strained silicon oxycarbide.

Tricuspid valve insufficiency rarely follows a blunt chest trauma. When the tricuspid valve is solely injured, the cardiac trauma may stay asymptomatic and tolerable, which often makes it difficult to determine the indication for surgery. We report a case of a patient with tricuspid regurgitation secondary to trauma due to a motorcycle accident. The patient was initially asymptomatic, but shortness of breath emerged two years after the accident. He underwent the tricuspid valve repair with chordae reconstruction and annuloplasty via lower partial sternotomy. We advocate that early surgical intervention prevents right heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and valve replacement.