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Living systems (LSs) must solve the problem of adapting to their environment by identifying external states and acting appropriately to maintain external relationships and internal order for survival and reproduction. This challenge is akin to the philosophical enigma of how the self can escape solipsism. In this study, a comprehensive model is developed to address the adaptation problem. LSs are composed of material entities capable of detecting their external states. This detection is conceptualized as "cognition", a state change in relation to its external states. This study extends the concept of cognition to include three hierarchical levels of the world: physical, chemical, and semiotic cognitions, with semiotic cognition being closest to the conventional meaning of cognition. This radical extension of the cognition concept to all levels of the world provides a monistic model named the cognizers system model, in which mind and matter are unified as a single entity, the "cognizer". During evolution, LSs invented semiotic cognition based on physical and chemical cognitions to manage the probability distribution of events that occur to them. This study proposes a theoretical model in which semiotic cognition is an adaptive process wherein the inverse causality operation produces particular internal states as symbols that signify hidden external states. This operation makes LSs aware of the external world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms through which algae evolve physiological characteristics related to endosymbiotic associations with heterotrophic organisms remain unclear. We previously showed that a green alga (Micractiniumsp.) was able to evolve a host (ciliate)-benefiting phenotype that prolonged the longevity ofTetrahymena thermophilain the absence of bacteria during a 5-year culture period in an experimental microcosm. Comparative experiments between the ancestral alga (i.e. original) and evolved algal clones of the same lineage can be performed to analyse the mechanisms that underlie algal evolution during interactions with ciliates. Here, we investigated the effects of acidic conditions on algal physiology because the acidic conditions within the food vacuoles ofTetrahymenacould potentially affect algal evolution during long-term interactions. It might be expected that algal clones isolated fromT. thermophilahosts would have developed the ability to resist acidic conditions in order to establish within the host, when compared with the ancestral strain. Unexpectedly, comparative analyses demonstrated that acidic conditions with pH values ranging from 3.9 to 4.3 limited the growth of the isolated algal clones SC9-1 and SC10-2, whereas the ancestral strain could grow under these conditions. Acidic conditions were responsible for significantly lower chlorophylla/chlorophyllbratios in the isolated algal clones, and the isolated clone SC9-1 exhibited a high cellular content of chlorophyllideaduring a short exposure to acidic conditions, suggesting that degradation of chlorophyllaoccurred. Furthermore, acidic conditions increased the release of extracellular glycerol and sucrose in the SC9-1 clone. These results indicated that the ancestral strain showed phenotypic changes related to acidic conditions, which may reflect the ongoing development of an algal phenotype suited to symbiosis. Hypotheses are proposed to explain the limited growth of the isolated clones, and implications for theMicractinium–Tetrahymenaassociation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the distribution of Cryptosporidium in pigs in Japan by immunofluorescence staining of fecal samples and characterization of isolates by multilocus sequencing. The 344 animals sampled on eight farms included pre-weaned piglets (<1 month old; n = 55), weaned piglets (1-2 months old; n = 65), finished pigs (2-4 months old, n = 105) and of 4-6 months old ( n = 67), sows ( n = 36), and boars ( n = 16). Average prevalence of Cryptosporidium on farms was 32.6 %, ranging from 4.9 to 58.1 %, decreasing with animal age (prevalences of <1 month old, 1-2 months old, 2-4 months old, 4-6 months old, sows, and boars were 27.3, 47.7, 41.9, 22.4, 11.1, 18.8 %, respectively). Piglets (<1 and 1-2 months old) showing signs of diarrhea shed relatively more oocysts (5.28 in average log scale of oocysts per gram) in feces than piglets with normal or loose stools (those of 4.90). Thirty seven successful sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene among 62 examined samples revealed that all of the identified isolates were Cryptosporidium suis or Cryptosporidium scrofarum, which are generally specific to pigs, and that other species, such as zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum, were absent. Interestingly, C. suis was frequently found in piglets younger than 2 months old, while C. scrofarum infection was more prevalent in older pigs which also showed increased prevalence of mixed C. suis and C. scrofarum infections. Sequencing of actin gene loci revealed the existence of variants of both Cryptosporidium species in pigs in Japan. Although the number of pigs examined in this study was relatively low, our results suggest that Cryptosporidium infection is widespread among pigs in Japan. In addition, the possibility of age-related specificity and pathogenicity in pig infections is also suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent phylogenetic studies ofChlorella-like algae revealed that this group has diversified into free-living and endosymbiotic niches, the latter within protists and invertebrate organisms. Our previous studies using a long-term culture composed of an alga (Chlorella vulgaris, rDNA sequence unknown), a bacterium (Escherichia coli) and a ciliate (Tetrahymena thermophila), suggested that some clones in the algal population developed an endosymbiotic ability withT. thermophilawhile others developed an ectosymbiotic ability withE. colifrom a non-associated stage. In this paper, an rDNA (18S, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2)-based phylogeny of the ancestral strain and derived clones isolated from 5-year microcosm cultures was constructed and revealed that the alga belongs to the genusMicractinium. This result was supported by analysis of the secondary structure of the rRNA gene. No difference was observed in the sequence between the ancestral and derived clones. On the other hand, some morphological and physiological traits of the ancestral strain and the derived clones were analysed and revealed that several phenotypic changes had occurred among the algal clones. In particular, the derived clones obtained from long-term cultures had increased in cell size, changed in their ability to grow at pH 4.0, and developed a tendency for cell-aggregation or sedimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is well-known that laundry waste water contributes to water pollution, and the need to reduce the amount of detergent used is widely recognized. Predominantly, research has focused on the washing effects of microbubbles and nanobubbles, and mechanical work was found to account for about 50 % of the washing effect on the cloth. In the present research, mixed nanobubble and microbubble water and four types of surfactants (including a commercial cleaning liquid) were investigated in an alternating flow system. The nanobubble water achieved a washing rate greater than that of ion-exchanged water. However, the microbubble water had the same washing rate as ion-exchanged water. Moreover, nanobubbles mixed with an aqueous solution of surfactant exhibited a washing rate that depended on the ionization of the surfactant: the mixture with nanobubbles and anionic surfactant exhibited a washing rate that was higher than that of aqueous anionic surfactant solution without nanobubbles. The surface tensions of nanobubble water and mixed nanobubble anionic surfactant were lower than those without nanobubble, respectively. Also, there was no advantage in mixed microbubble liquids. These results provide evidence of an enhanced washing effect by nanobubble mixtures in liquids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two cases of women in their thirties with past histories of atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis developed a low grade fever, followed by a butterfly-shaped erythema, swelling of their fingers, and polyarthralgia. Despite such symptoms that overlap with those of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the diagnostic criteria for SLE were not fulfilled. Due to positive results for human parvovirus B19 (HPV-B19) IgM antibodies in the serum, diagnoses of HPV-B19 infection were made in both cases. Although acetaminophen failed to improve their deteriorating symptoms, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), loxoprofen, completely removed the symptoms immediately after the administration. In those cases, since the patients were predisposed to atopic disorders, an increased immunological response based on the lymphocyte hypersensitivity was likely to be involved in the pathogenesis. The immunomodulatory property of NSAID was thought to repress such lymphocyte activity and thus provided a rapid and sustained remission of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated directly an early stage of the development of an endosymbiosis between an alga and a ciliate, beginning from a non-associated stage by conducting a long-term microcosm culture composed of a green alga ( Chlorella vulgaris), a bacterium ( Escherichia coli) and a ciliate ( Tetrahymena thermophila) for three years. During this culture, Chlorella-harboring Tetrahymena appeared and increased in frequency. We examined the adaptive characteristics of the T. thermophila in association with the C. vulgaris derived from a well-established microcosm culture maintained for 1164–1400 days, and compared it with the original culture of T. thermophila. The T. thermophila with the associated, intracellular C. vulgaris grew at a lower density of E. coli than the original T. thermophila with the original C. vulgaris, and the former survived longer than the latter in the absence of E. coli. These results suggest that this induced algal-ciliate association confers some fitness advantage at least to the host under the conditions of less or no available food such as E. coli. Although the algal-ciliate association is not completely stable, this quasi-stable association may enable the host to exploit a new niche through the advantages of mixotrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is essential to evaluate the organ function of the recipient before bone marrow transplantation (BMT). This study investigated the usefulness of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels as indicators of cardiac function. Seventy-five consecutive patients undergoing allogeneic BMT were enrolled. All of them had an ejection fraction of 55% or more on echocardiography. Six of the 75 patients died of heart failure after transplantation and these 6 patients were compared with the other 69 patients to assess the prognostic value of the two natriuretic peptides. Both peptides remained normal from before conditioning until recovery from leukopenia in all 69 surviving patients. Among the 6 patients who died of heart failure, however, BNP was increased in all 6 patients and ANP was increased in five of them at an average of 43.6 ± 16.7 days before the onset of heart failure. Monitoring of these peptides may not only be useful for assessment of cardiac function but also for predicting the occurrence of heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate risk factors for thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), the levels of three clotting factors (7, 9 and 10) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were measured. Among 46 consecutive patients who underwent BMT, six developed TMA and 40 did not. The levels of the clotting factors and HGF did not differ significantly between the six patients with TMA and the 40 patients without it. In two patients who developed TMA during the earlyperiod after BMT, however, the levels of the three clotting factors were significantly decreased even before BMT, along with a significant increase of HGF. These findings suggest that patients with severe hepatic dysfunction before BMT, especially those with impaired protein synthesis, had an increased risk of developing TMA soon after BMT. It was also suggested that measurement of clotting factors (7, 9 and 10) and HGF may be useful to predict the occurrence of TMA in the early period after BMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced-intensity (RI) conditioning followed by cord blood transplantation (CBT) is a new treatment modality, but failure to engraft is a major concern. We describe 12 patients with advanced hematologic malignancies who underwent RI conditioning and CBT with a conditioning regimen consisting of 200 mg/m(2) fludarabine (Flu), 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide (CY), and 3 Gy total body irradiation (TBI). Cyclosporin A and/or methotrexate were used for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. Cord blood grafts were not mismatched for more than 2 serologically defined HLA alleles but were later found by high-resolution DNA typing to be mismatched for 2 to 4 alleles in most cases. Short tandem repeat analysis of bone marrow cells at day 14 showed complete donor chimerism in 6 of the patients and mixed chimerism in 5, indicating rapid engraftment in the bone marrow, whereas the remaining patient experienced graft rejection. Neutrophil recovery was achieved at a median of day 17 (range, days 11-24) in 10 of the 11 patients with marrow chimerism at day 14. Of these 10 patients, however, transplantation-related mortality within 100 days occurred in 4 patients who showed failed platelet recovery and a lack of durable engraftment. Overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 41.7% and 33.3%, respectively. These results show that CB mismatched at 2 to 4 HLA alleles and transplanted with the Flu/CY/3 Gy TBI regimen is able to engraft in the bone marrow as early as day 14. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Takatsuka H, Nakajima T, Nomura K, Wakae T, Toda A, Itoi H, Okada M, Misawa M, Hara H. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibody and the pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy after stem cell transplantation.Clin Transplant 2005: 19: 418–422.© Blackwell Munksgaard, 2005Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) that occurs after stem cell transplantation (SCT) is generally regarded as being different from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), because it is reportedly not associated with deficiency of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease, whereas this enzyme is deficient in TTP. However, better understanding of the pathogenesis of this condition is still required. Accordingly, we investigated the relationship between TMA occurring after SCT and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a condition related to low-dosed heparin therapy that features thrombocytopenia and generalized thrombotic disorders. Thirty-nine consecutive patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation were divided into a TMA group and a non-microangiopathy group (10 and 29 patients, respectively). Before SCT, the serum platelet factor 4 (PF4) levels of the TMA and non-microangiopathy groups were 0.123 ± 0.023 and 0.132 ± 0.025, respectively (p = NS). One week after recovery of the white blood cell count following transplantation, the TMA group (0.2902 ± 0.0678) had a significantly higher PF4 level than the non-microangiopathy group (0.1548 ± 0.0312) (p < 0.001,t-test). Thus, PF4 increased after engraftment of the transplanted stem cells in the patients who developed TMA. In patients who developed TMA, there was a significant correlation between the PF4 level and the grade of angiopathy according to the Zeigler grading system (p < 0.01 by linear regression analysis).These results suggest that a HIT antibody produced by donor cells may be involved in the development of TMA after SCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living systems (entities) possess the property of maintaining their organization by continual renewal or production of components by themselves. Based on this self-maintenance ability, they reproduce systems of similar organization. This two-fold property forms unique hierarchical organizations, foreign to physical systems. This paper explores how the living world is organized by the two-fold property, where two types of hierarchical organizations, or part-whole relationships, are distinguished: one is synchronic participation in organizing an entity; the other is diachronic. The former implies that the composition of an entity is fixed through time, regardless of organizational patterns, while the latter involves changes in composition to maintain a pattern. Both types of organization are mathematically formalized, and organizational hierarchies of the living world are analyzed in biological space-time. This analysis reveals that biological systems are arrayed in a complex two-dimensional hierarchical matrix of synchronic and diachronic organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was compared after cord blood transplantation (CBT) and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The severity of GVHD was also analyzed in relation to serum elastase and antithrombin-3 (AT-3) levels. There was no significant difference in the average grade of acute GVHD between 49 BMT patients and 20 CBT patients (χ2-test). However, there was a lower incidence of patients without acute GVHD (grade 0) or patients with severe acute GVHD (grade 3 or 4) in CBT compared with BMT group. Linear regression analysis found no significant correlation between the serum elastase level and the grade of acute GVHD, between the serum AT-3 level and the grade of acute GVHD, or between the serum levels of elastase and AT-3 before conditioning and after engraftment. The AT-3 level after engraftment was significantly higher in the CBT group than in the BMT group and it did not fail along with the elevation of elastase in the CBT group (p < 0.01 by the Mann-Whitney U-test vs. the BMT group). In conclusion, the lower risk of severe acute GVHD in the CBT group may have been related to the smaller decrease of AT-3 after transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) remains unclear since ADAMTS13, which is implicated in primary thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), has been shown to have no role in this condition. We investigated whether the onset of TMA after BMT could be predicted by measuring heparin-cofactor II (HC II), a marker for thrombosis of unknown etiology. In 30 consecutive BMT patients, the serum HC II level was measured before conditioning and one week after recovery from leukopenia. Four of the 30 patients developed TMA, and 26 did not. Before conditioning, the mean serum HC II level was 1.748 ± 0.37 U/mL in the TMA group and 0.889 ± 0.25 U/mL, in the non-TMA group, being higher in the former group ( p [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and probability are common words used in scientific investigations. However, information and probability both involve epistemic (subjective) and ontic (objective) interpretations under the same terms, which causes controversy within the concept of entropy in physics and biology. There is another issue regarding the circularity between information (or data) and reality: The observation of reality produces phenomena (or events), whereas the reality is confirmed (or constituted) by phenomena. The ordinary concept of information presupposes reality as a source of information, whereas another type of information (known as it-from-bit) constitutes the reality from data (bits). In this paper, a monistic model, called the cognizers-system model (CS model), is employed to resolve these issues. In the CS model, observations (epistemic) and physical changes (ontic) are both unified as "cognition", meaning a related state change. Information and probability, epistemic and ontic, are formalized and analyzed systematically using a common theoretical framework of the CS model or a related model. Based on the results, a perspective for resolving controversial issues of entropy originating from information and probability is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]