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International audience; The protocooperation between Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus relies on metabolite exchanges that accelerate acidification during yogurt fermentation. Conflicting results have been obtained in terms of the effect of the Strep. thermophilus urease and the NH3 and CO2 that it generates on the rate of acidification in yogurt fermentation. It is difficult to perform a systematic study of the effects of urease on protocooperation because it is necessary to distinguish among the direct, indirect, and strain-specific effects resulting from the combination of the strains of both species. To evaluate the direct effects of urease on protocooperation, we generated 3 urease-deficient mutants (Delta ureC) of fast- and slow-acidifying Strep. thermophilus strains and observed the effects of NH3 or CO2 supplementation on acidification by the Delta ureC strains. Further, we examined 5 combinations of 3 urease-deficient Delta ureC strains with 2 CO2-responsive or CO2 -unresponsive strains of L. bulgaricus. Urease deficiency induced a shortage of ammonia nitrogen and CO2 for the fast- and slow-acidifying Strep. thermophilus and for the CO2-responsive L. bulgaricus, respectively. Notably, the shortage of ammonia nitrogen had more severe effects than that of CO2 on yogurt fermentation, even if coculture with L. bulgaricus masked the effect of urease deficiency. Our work established (1) that urease deficiency inhibits the fermentative acceleration of protocooperation regardless of the Strep. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus strain combinations, and (2) that urease is an essential factor for effective yogurt acidification.

Although population characteristics and antimicrobial prescribing practices suggest that the hospitalized population in Japan is at high risk of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), the epidemiology of CDI in Japan is poorly understood.This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of CDI at 12 hospitals in Japan.Patients with clinically significant diarrhoea (CSD) were enrolled. Stool specimens were tested for C. difficile by toxin A and/or B enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in the hospital laboratories, and a toxigenic culture and nucleic acid amplification tests were performed at a central laboratory. The risk factors of CDI and the impact of CDI on mortality were investigated.In total, 566 patients with CSD were included in the analyses. A total of 152 patients received the diagnosis of CDI by Toxin A/B EIA, toxigenic culture, or nucleic acid amplification test. Factors associated with CDI included low albumin (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-2.34) and length of hospital stay before stool collection18 days (aOR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.09-2.75). CDI was associated with an increased mortality on univariate analysis (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0-2.6) but was not associated with an increased risk of mortality on multivariable analysis.Risk factors for CDI in Japan were similar to those identified in the USA and Europe. However, CDI was not associated with an increased risk of mortality in this population of patients with CSD.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of orexin A to LPS-activated microglia by investigating the morphological change. The effect of orexin on the level of LPS-activated microglia activation during the transition to the M1 phenotype was determined, which can be studied by measuring the cell area of the body.

Background Health related quality of life (HRQOL) of Giant cell Arthritis (GCA) patients is improtant because it adds depth to our understanding of how a disease and its treatments affect them. Though only one previous study has addressed the short term impact of GCA on HRQOL, the long term impact has not fully been investigated. Objectives The aim of our study is to assess the long term HRQOL outcomes of GCA patients using the Japanese version of EuroQol 5 Dimention (EQ-5D). Methods 40 GCA patients who admitted to our hospital from November 2004 to June 2014 were enrolled. All patients were received prednisolone over 2 years. Patients who had lost their eyesight were excluded because vision concern for HRQOL nor it is difficult to mesure by using EQ-5D. This is a retrospective study and deta were collected by telephone interview. Patients evluated their health status using five dimensions. The EQ-5D score were calculated based on the Japanese version of the value set. Primary outcome is the mortality rate and the norm of EQ-5D score. As a secondary analysis, we classified the patients as follows and compare the mortality rate and EQ-5D score between two groups. Group 1: GCA patients who received prednisolone over 5 years. Group 2: GCA patients who received prdnisolone less than 5 years. Results There were 16 male (40%) and 24 female (60%). The median age was 83.5 (95% CI 79.24–87.76). The mortality rate was 37.5% (15 patients). Kaplan-Meier curve is shown in Figure1. The median EQ-5D score was 0.746 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.852–0.640) and it is lower than Japanese norm (0.853 in male and 0.808 in female). In the secondary analysis, the mortality rate was 56.0% (14 patients) in Group1 and 6.6% (1 patient) in Group2. It was significantly higher in Group 1 (P Conclusions This study focused on GCA patients with prednisolone therapy over 2 years. It showed that EQ-5D was decreased compared with the Japanese norm but it didn9t clearly decrease after 2 years of treatment. These findings suggest the value of measuring health status in GCA patients by EQ-5D at least first 2 years of treatment, because it would allow comprehensive evaluation of the patient9s health condition and add another dimension to the subjective symptoms and laboratory data. References Arthritis and Rheumatism Vol.49,No6, December 15,2003,pp819–825. J Neuroophthalmol. 2001 Dec;21(4):266–73. Disclosure of Interest None declared

International audience; The present understanding of the structure of the Hoyle state in 12C is reviewed. It is pointed out that a crucial test of any theory is the good reproduction of the experimental results for the inelastic form factor from ground to the Hoyle state. The performances of the so-called THSR wave function are outlined confirming the α particle condensation hypothesis proposed 15 years back in A. Tohsaki et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 87 (2001) 192501.

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus) and Streptococcus thermophilus are traditionally used for the manufacture of yogurt. It is said that a symbiotic relationship exists between Strep. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus and this decreases fermentation time. It is well known that L. bulgaricus is stimulated by the formate produced by Strep. thermophilus, and Strep. thermophilus is stimulated by free amino acids and peptides liberated from milk proteins by L. bulgaricus in symbiotic fermentation. We found that acid production by starter culture LB81 composed of L. bulgaricus 2038 and Strep. thermophilus 1131 was greatly accelerated by decreasing dissolved oxygen (DO) to almost 0 mg/kg in the yogurt mix (reduced dissolved oxygen fermentation) and that DO interferes with the symbiotic relationship between L. bulgaricus 2038 and Strep. thermophilus 1131. We attributed the acceleration of acid production of LB81 by reduced dissolved oxygen fermentation mainly to the acceleration of formate production and the suppression of acid production of LB81 by DO mainly to the suppression of formate production.

The yogurt starters Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are well-known facultatively anaerobic bacteria that can grow in oxygenated environments. We found that they removed dissolved oxygen (DO) in a yogurt mix as the fermentation progressed and that they began to produce acid actively after the DO concentration in the yogurt mix was reduced to 0 mg/kg, suggesting that the DO retarded the production of acid. Yogurt fermentation was carried out at 43 or 37 degrees C both after the DO reduction treatment and without prior treatment. Nitrogen gas was mixed and dispersed into the yogurt mix after inoculation with yogurt starter culture to reduce the DO concentration in the yogurt mix. The treatment that reduced DO concentration in the yogurt mix to approximately 0 mg/kg beforehand caused the starter culture LB81 used in this study to enter into the exponential growth phase earlier. Furthermore, the combination of reduced DO concentration in the yogurt mix beforehand and incubation at a lower temperature (37 degrees C) resulted in a superior set yogurt with a smooth texture and strong curd structure.

Twelve high schools in Japan (of which six are in Fukushima Prefecture), four in France, eight in Poland and two in Belarus cooperated in the measurement and comparison of individual external doses in 2014. In total 216 high-school students and teachers participated in the study. Each participant wore an electronic personal dosimeter 'D-shuttle' for two weeks, and kept a journal of his/her whereabouts and activities. The distributions of annual external doses estimated for each region overlap with each other, demonstrating that the personal external individual doses in locations where residence is currently allowed in Fukushima Prefecture and in Belarus are well within the range of estimated annual doses due to the terrestrial background radiation level of other regions/countries. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Alkali-earth-doped yttrium orthoaluminate crystals grown in a reducing atmosphere are found to show bright photoluminescence (PL) in visible wavelength regions under the excitation by UV light source. From the results of transmission, PL, PL excitation and time-resolved PL spectra for the samples with different types and concentrations of dopants and the comparison to the results for the samples grown under different conditions, the origin of principal emission is determined to be color centers stabilized by heterovalent ions. The observed fast lifetime and high quantum yield of the luminescence can be explained by dipole-allowed transition between the levels localized in a vacancy. Comparing the effects on the optical properties from several types of dopant ions and taking influence from the UV irradiation into account, a model for the structure of emission centers is proposed.

In adult human beings, remodeling creates nearly all of new bone tissue. However, Frost hypothesized that modeling can go on in trabeculae throughout life. As this hypothesis has not been verified, we looked for histologic evidence of trabecular modeling (minimodeling) during bone histomorphometry of transiliac bone biopsy specimens obtained from 34 patients (age range, 38-81 years; mean age, 58.4 years; female, 31/34) at the time of total hip arthroplasty. Before the bone biopsy study, we performed quantitative bone scintigraphy of bilateral hip joints and bilateral iliac crests in 10 other patients with unilateral hip disease and confirmed that the bone biopsy site was not affected by ipsilateral hip joint disease. Patients who had metabolic bone diseases or who had taken medications known to affect bone metabolism were excluded from the study. During modeling where bone formation and bone resorption are not coupled, bone formation can occur on quiescent bone surfaces without preceding bone resorption and create smooth cement lines. Therefore, the combination of fluorochrome labeling and a smooth cement line without interruption of surrounding collagen fibers was regarded as evidence of minimodeling. Histologic evidence of minimodeling was detected in 21 of the entire 34 specimens (62%) and 17 of 27 specimens obtained from postmenopausal patients (63%). Bone volume of minimodeling sites was less than 1% of the trabecular bone volume, and these sites accounted for less than 2% of the entire bone surface on average. However, osteoid volume of minimodeling sites comprised approximately one-tenth of the entire osteoid volume, and their labeled surface constituted one-fourth to half of the entire labeled surface on average. Therefore, when performing bone histomorphometry of adult cancellous bone, minimodeling should be taken into account when dealing with parameters related to osteoid volume and mineralization. A comparison of specimens with and without minimodeling demonstrated that the presence of minimodeling was correlated with smaller physique of patients, accelerated mineralization (as indicated by the higher mean MS/BS and MAR values and the shorter mean Omt), and higher metabolic turn-over of bone (as indicated by the higher mean BFR/BV value). Although the findings still need to be verified in a larger number of normal subjects without hip joint disease, they support Frost's hypothesis that minimodeling can continue throughout human life.

We examined whether topical administration of a bisphosphonate clodronate could prevent alveolar bone loss in rats with experimental periodontitis.On day 0, elastic rings were placed around the cervix of the right and left maxillary first molars (M1) to induce inflammatory periodontitis. Fifty microl of clodronate solution at a concentration of either 0 (0.9% NaCl), 20, 40, or 60 mM was injected into the subperiosteal palatal area adjacent to the interdental area between M1 and M2 on either the left or right (experimental) side on days 0, 2, 4, and 6. The contralateral side served as a control and received 0.9% NaCl solution without clodronate. The animals were sacrificed on day 7.Histological examination and determination of bone mineral density in the interdental alveolar bone area between M1 and M2 revealed that placement of an elastic ring caused severe vertical and horizontal bone resorption on the control side, while the topical administration of clodronate significantly prevented such alveolar bone loss. The number of osteoclasts on the experimental side was decreased compared with the control side. Furthermore, many of the osteoclasts on the experimental side were detached from the surface of the alveolar bone and had degenerated appearances, such as rounded shapes and a loss of polarity.These results suggest that topical administration of clodronate may be effective in preventing osteoclastic bone resorption in periodontitis.

IgG4-related IPTs have been reported in various sites and may form part of the spectrum of systemic IgG4-related sclerosing disease. Some pseudotumors are clinically and radiologically indistinguishable from malignant tumors. We present the first case of an IgG4-related IPT of the trigeminal nerve diagnosed histopathologically without involvement of any of the common sites. The trigeminal nerve pseudotumor may represent a component of IgG4-related sclerosing disease.

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of pregnancy and lactation on the bone mineral density (BMD) of alveolar bone in rats fed diets containing different amounts of calcium (Ca). The effects of different levels of Ca intake by the mothers on the BMD of alveolar bone in their pups were also examined.Ten-week-old female Wistar rats were housed with male rats for breeding and were divided into 3 groups fed diets containing 0.9, 0.3, and 0.02% Ca, respectively. They were further divided into 2 groups according to pregnancy or non-pregnancy. Animals in the pregnant group were raised with their own pups for lactation. After the experiment, all animals were sacrificed, their mandibles were dissected, and soft x-ray microradiographs were taken to determine BMD in the interdental area with an image analyzer.In both groups, BMD in alveolar bone decreased based on the amount of Ca in the diet, but the magnitude of this decrease was much greater in the pregnant group than in the non-pregnant group. There was no significant difference in BMD between 2 groups fed a 0.9% Ca diet. The BMD of alveolar bone in the pups also decreased depending on the amount of Ca in the diet.The above results suggest that pregnancy and subsequent lactation could be risk factors for alveolar bone loss, especially under conditions of Ca insufficiency or deficiency and that Ca insufficiency or deficiency in the mother caused decreases in the BMD of alveolar bone in the pups.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder covering the 13.56 MHz band was adapted to minimize its volume so that it could be placed in the pulp chamber of an endodontically treated human tooth. The minimized transponder had a maximum communication distance of 30 mm. In an animal experiment, the transponder was fixed in the cavity of a mandibular canine of a dog. An RFID reader positioned close to the dog's face could communicate with the transponder in the dog's tooth. In certain cases, the system is applicable for the personal identification procedures for hospitalized patients instead of an identification wristband.

C H dissociation is known to be responsible for the formation of radiation damage of hydrocarbon crystals such as color centers or radicals. Recently, Auger electron photoion coincidence (AEPICO) spectroscopy has allowed us to get detailed information on microscopic processes of radiation damage, because AEPICO spectroscopy can pick up only the fundamental processes, excluding effects due to secondary electrons. In this work, in an attempt to study which electronic state is responsible for the C H bond dissociation, AEPICO spectra of benzene solid were measured at 80 K as a function of photon energy. AEPICO measurements were examined at three photon energies, i.e. 285 eV(π*(e2u) ← 1s), 287 eV(σ*(C H) ← 1s), and 430 eV(ionization← 1s). Relative magnitudes of the AEPICO yieldY(hv), which reflects the C H dissociation yield, were estimated by dividing AEPICO signals with intensities of Auger electron yield. Experimental results showed thatY(287eV)/Y(430eV)≈ 1, whereasY(287eV)/Y(430eV)≈ 0.13. A relation between the small value ofY(287eV)/Y(430eV) with the small values of the radiation damage yieldη(hv) near 285 eV is discussed. In that case,η(nearKedge)η(overKedge)≈ 0.1∼0.3 [5] [A. Kimura, K. Nakagawa, K. Tanaka, M. Kotani, R. Katoh, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Phys. Res. B91 (1994) 67].

We have examined the reactions of fluorinated layers on Si(100) induced by hyperthermal Xe atoms. Thick fluorinated layers were prepared by the exposure of XeF 2 on silicon surfaces at 480 K. The incident kinetic energies of the Xe atoms varied up to about 5 eV. When the Xe atom beams were impinged on the fluorinated surfaces with an energy exceeding 2 eV, desorption of fluoride (SiF 3 or SiF 4 ) from the fluorinated layers was observed. After the Xe irradiation the SiF 3 + peak disappeared in the temperature-programmed desorption spectra. A collision-induced reaction of the fluorinated layer by hyperthermal Xe atoms is clearly demonstrated.

The present study was designed to examine whether systemic administration of a bisphosphonate, risedronate, could prevent alveolar bone resorption in rats with experimental periodontitis. On Day 1, an elastic ring was placed around the neck of the right mandibular 1st molar to induce inflammatory periodontitis. The animals were given daily injections of either 0.9% NaCl (control group), or 0.8, 1.6 or 3.2 mumoles/kg (s.c.) of risedronate (experimental groups) from Days 1 to 7, and were killed on Day 8. Histological examinations and determination of bone mineral density in the interdental area between the 1st and 2nd molars with an image analyzer revealed that the presence of the elastic ring induced a loss of attachment and bone resorption in the control group. Vigorous bone resorption, with appearance of a large number of osteoclasts, was observed in the interdental and bifurcation areas. In the experimental groups, however, the resorption of alveolar bone and the loss of bone mineral content in these areas were prevented in a dose-dependent fashion, especially at doses of 1.6 and 3.2 mumoles/kg. Many osteoclasts were detached from the surface of the alveolar bone and had degenerated appearances, such as rounded shapes, loss of polarity and pyknosis. These results suggest that administration of risedronate is effective in preventing bone resorption in periodontitis.

Cation-exchanged montmorillonite (M{sup n+}-mont; M{sup n+} = Ce{sup 3+}, Zr{sup 4+}, Fe{sup 3+}, Al{sup 3+}, Zn{sup 2+}, H{sup +}, and Na{sup +}) was evaluated as a catalyst for the acetalization of carbonyl compounds with methanol. Cyclohexanones, benzaldehydes, and acid-sensitive 2-furancarboxaldehyde were efficiently acetalized in methanol in the presence of Ce{sup 3+}-mont. 30 refs., 2 tabs.

A Sm 2 Fe 17 C block sample produced by solidification of Sm 2 Fe 17 and C exhibited a much higher stability than a pulverized Sm 2 Fe 17 C sample after a heat treatment in Ar at 1373 K for 15-20 h. The powder sample was fully decomposed into a-Fe and Sm oxycarbide. The powder samples of partially substituted Sm 2 (Fe 1-x Co x ) 17 M Y C (M=Be, Mg, Al, Si, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Ga, Ge, Mo, In, Ta or W) exhibited similar decompositions after a similar heat treatment. Sm 2 (Fe 1 - x CO x ) 17 Cr O.5 C exhibited decreasing saturation magnetization at x>0.3 and increasing coercivity at 0.2

The effects of N, C and B additions on the crystal structure of Sm 2 Fe 17 were investigated using X-ray diffraction. Also, the changes in the saturation magnetization, Curie temperature and magnetic anisotropy of Sm 2 Fe 17 N x , Sm 2 Fe 17 C , and Sm 2 Fe 17 B x were measured as functions of the concentrations of N, C or B interstitial atom. The basic Sm 2 Fe 17 lattice structure was found to be decomposed by the excess solutions of C at x>1.5 for Sm 2 Fe 17 C x , and by those of B at x>0.2 for Sm 2 Fe 17 B x . The measurements of the magnetic anisotropies of these interstitial compounds yielded concentration regions where the anisotropy field changes from the basal plane to the c axis at x>0.4-0.8 for Sm 2 Fe 17 N x , at x>0.3-0.4 for Sm 2 Fe 17 C x and at x>0.01-0.03 for Sm 2 Fe 17 B x .

腫瘤型進行大腸癌の特徴を明らかにするため,最近10年間で教室において切除された腫瘤型大腸癌50例の臨床病理学的事項について同時期の潰瘍型(530例)と比較検討し,さらに4亜型に分類し検討した.腫瘤型は潰瘍型に比較し,リンパ節転移率や肝転移率が低く,pm癌の割合が高かった.さらに脈管侵襲が潰瘍型に比べ少なく,組織学的進行度も進行していない症例が多かった.したがって,生存率は腫瘤型が有意に良好であった.4亜型の中では結節隆起型が最も一般的であり,小結節扁平隆起型はリンパ管侵襲やリンパ節転移ぷ多いがpmまでにとどまる例が多く,生存率は最も良好であった.結節亀裂型は結節隆起型が進行した型と推測され,予後は最も不良であった.以上より腫瘤型は潰瘍型より予後良好であるが,そのなかでも癌の進行度や臨床病理学的所見さらには予後に差があるので,肉眼形態より亜型に分類して検討することは意義のあることと考える.

Nb 5 Ge 1.5 Sn 1.5 , M r =751.45, tetragonal, I4/mcm, a=10.451 (1), c=5.1920 (7) A, V=567.0 (1) A 3 , Z=4, D x =8.80 Mg m -3 , λ(Mo Kα)=0.71069 A, μ=24.05 mm -1 , F(000)=1312, roomtemperature, final R=0.044, wR=0.042 for 245 [|Fo|>3σ(F o )] unique reflections. The title compound is isomorphous with W 5 Si 3 . The 16(k) and 4(a) sites are only occupied by Nb, and the 4(b) sites only by Ge

Low density states near the 3α and 4α breakup threshold in 12C and 16O, respectively, are discussed in terms of the α‐particle condensation. Calculations are performed in OCM (Orthogonality Condition Model) and THSR (Tohsaki‐Horiuchi‐Schuck‐Ropke) approaches. The 02+ state in 12C and the 06+ state in 16O are shown to have dilute density structures and give strong enhancement of the occupation of the S‐state c.o.m. orbital of the α‐particles. The possibility of the existence of α‐particle condensed states in heavier nα nuclei is also discussed.