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Objectives: Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rTM) has recently been used as a promising therapeutic natural anti-coagulant drug for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Here we investigated the safety and efficacy of rTM after aortic surgery in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods: A total of 316 patients diagnosed with AAD underwent emergent ascending aortic replacement or total arch replacement between 2010 and 2019. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical information of 62 patients with the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine's acute-stage DIC diagnostic criteria (JAAM criteria) with a score of ≥ 4. We assigned 62 patients to two groups, either non-rTM group (n = 29) or rTM group (n = 33). Patient characteristics, surgical procedures, and postoperative outcome data including coagulation function and the JAAM DIC score in both groups were collected. Results: The decrease in the number of platelets was clearly suppressed on days 1–3 in the rTM group. On days 1–4, fibrin degradation product levels were upregulated in the non-rTM group but significantly downregulated in the rTM group. Five operative deaths occurred within 30 days postoperative (two [6.9%] in the non-rTM group vs. three [9.1%] in the rTM group). The JAAM DIC score showed a gradually improving trend from postoperative day 1 in the rTM group. Conclusions: Postoperative rTM administration for AAD may be a safe and promising novel treatment strategy for improving the JAAM DIC score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of gram-negative bacteria have a quorum-sensing system and produce N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone (AHL) that they use them as a quorum-sensing signal molecule. Pantoea ananatis is reported as a common colonist of wheat heads at ripening and causes center rot of onion. In this study, we demonstrated that P. ananatis SK-1 produced two AHLs, N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) and N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL). We cloned the AHL-synthase gene (eanI) and AHL-receptor gene (eanR) and revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of EanI/EanR showed high identity to those of EsaI/EsaR from P. stewartii. EanR repressed the ean box sequence and the addition of AHLs resulted in derepression of ean box. Inactivation of the chromosomal eanI gene in SK-1 caused disruption of exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis, biofilm formation, and infection of onion leaves, which were recovered by adding exogenous 3-oxo-C6-HSL. These results demonstrated that the quorum-sensing system involved the biosynthesis of EPS, biofiim formation, and infection of onion leaves in P. ananatis SK-1.

A series of N-acyl cyclopentylamides is synthesized with acyl chain lengths ranging from 4 to 12 and their inhibitory effects on prodigiosin production in AS-1are estimated. It is observed that N-nonanoyl-cyclopentylamide ([C.sub.9]-CPA) is an effective quorum-sensing inhibitor for Serratia marcescens AS-1.

Research has been conducted on Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. The insertional phoU gene inactivation in this strain and the intracellular polyphosphate level increase in the mutant are discussed.

Research reveal that extracellular product of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp strain A28 possesses algicidal activity mediated by protease. Studies with the purified enzyme and protease minus mutants show that extracellularly produced serine protease is responsible for the algicidal activity against the diatom.

Research has been conducted on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results indicate that P. aeruginosa possesses two chemoreceptors for inorganic phosphate.

Research has been conducted on the PmeI digests of Nitrosomonas sp. strain ENI-11 chromosome. The results of the PmeI pulsed-field electrophoresis are discussed.

The synthesis, fluorescence spectra, lifetimes and guest-dependent properties of monensin-incorporated Nalpha-dansyl-L-lysine-beta-cyclodextrin (CD) have been studied by using Nalpha-dansyl-L-lysine-beta-CD and Nepsilon-benzyloxycarbonyl-Nalpha-dansyl-L-lysine-beta-CD as the reference compounds. Results indicate that monensin can change the environment around the cyclodextrin cavity by forming a ring-like conformation with a sodium ion in the center.

The synthesis and characterization of fluorophore-amino acid-cyclodextrin (CD) triads as molecular sensors were carried out. The fluorescent CDs, which displayed variable fluorescence and absorption intensities upon addition of a guest molecule, were N-dansyl-L-leucine-modified and N-dansyl-D-leucine-modified beta-CD, and N-dansyl-L-leucine-modified and N-dansyl-D-leucine-modified gamma-CD.

A ternary inclusion complex of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) with alcohol and azulene is studied by induced circular dichroism (ICD) and 1H NMR techniques. The complex consists of two beta-CD's, two alcohols and one azulene. The fluorescence spectra of azulene aqueous solution with varying concentration of beta-CD and the ICD spectra with beta-CD and with both beta-CD and 1-propanol are presented.