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Background Proactive dosing based on drug monitoring of adalimumab has been reported to be associated with higher rates of clinical remission in children with Crohn’s disease (CD). We aimed to investigate whether proactive drug monitoring of infliximab (IFX) is associated with higher rates of endoscopic healing (EH) in paediatric patients with CD. Methods We conducted a nonblinded, randomized controlled trial of 112 children with CD who were biologic naïve and had responded to induction treatment with IFX at 4 centers in South Korea from July 2017 to November 2020. Patients were randomly assigned to groups that received dosing based on proactive monitoring or clinically based dosing. The primary endpoint was EH at 1 year treatment. Results The primary endpoint was achieved in 80.0% (40/50) of the proactive dosing group and 57.1% (28/49) of the clinically based dosing group (P = 0.025). Transmural healing was achieved in 37.8% (17/45) of the proactive dosing group and 30.8% (12/39) of the clinically based dosing group (P = 0.657). Sustained corticosteroid-free clinical remission was achieved in 89.5% (51/57) of the proactive dosing group and 70.9% (39/55) of the clinically based dosing group (P = 0.025). Sustained durability of infliximab was observed in 94.7% (54/57) of the proactive dosing group and 92.7% (51/55) of the clinically based dosing group (P = 0.714). Conclusion Dosing based on proactive monitoring was superior to clinically based dosing in terms of endoscopic healing in a randomized controlled trial of paediatric CD.

We have previously reported that relaxin (Rln) expression from the ovary is upregulated by orthodontic tooth movement. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that Rln family peptides (Rxfps), the G-protein-coupled Rln receptor, is induced in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells to modulate the molecules involved in periodontal tissue remodeling while applying biophysical force. Rats were implanted with orthodontic appliances to investigate changes to Rxfps in vivo. An in vitro biophysical force analysis was performed to measure the level of Rxfp 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) in primary human PDL cells. The levels of Rxfp 2 transcription and translation increased in a time-dependent manner during tooth movement. Rxfp 2 was localized in the PDL by immunofluorescence. In vitro analyses revealed that the level of Rxfp 1 mRNA in PDL cells increased significantly with both compression and tension force. The levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, MMP-2, interleukin-6, and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA, which are important for periodontal tissue remodeling, also changed under force application and Rln treatment. PDL cells responded to Rln to modulate effector molecules for periodontal tissue remodeling by upregulating Rxfps expression under a biophysical force. Rln and Rxfps may serve as a PDL turnover molecule complex to control orthodontic tooth movement.

article i nfo End-stage renal failure deteriorates bone mass and increases fracture risk. However, there are conflicting re- ports in the literature regarding the effects of mild to moderate renal dysfunction on bone mineral density (BMD). We investigated the association between renal function and BMD at the spine and hip and bone me- tabolism markers in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. From 2174 male volunteers aged ≥65 years, we examined 1477 men after excluding those with diseases or medications known to affect bone metabo- lism. Renal function was assessed by serum cystatin C and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calcu- lated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. Bone metabolism was evaluated using levels of serum amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) and tartrate-resistant acid phospha- tase isoenzyme 5b (TRACP-5b), which represent bone metabolic status independent of renal function. eGFR was inversely associated with BMD after adjusting for potential confounders (P b 0.01). Cystatin C showed a weaker but significant association with BMD. eGFR was modestly positively associated with PINP levels (P = 0.04), although cystatin C concentrations were neither associated with PINP nor TRACP-5b levels. Since BMD integrates bone metabolism from the past to present, inverse associations between renal function and BMD may be attributed to past factors, such as obesity. Our findings suggest that low renal function does not affect bone metabolism in a population of community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. Longitudinal studies will be necessary to clarify whether low renal function affects bone loss.

We evaluated the effectiveness of 2 selective enrichment broths, Rappaport-Vassiliadis Soy (RVS) and Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate with novobiocin (MKTTn), for the isolation of Salmonella from chicken carcasses obtained from 3 different types of retail markets. We also compared a chromogenic agar, chromID Salmonella agar (SM-ID 2), with a classic plating medium, xylose lysine deoxycholate agar (XLD). Salmonella were isolated from 118 of the 180 samples (65.5%). Salmonella were detected in 105 samples (88%) plated on XLD and 111 samples (94%) plated on SM-ID 2 when RVS broth was used for enrichment, and 43 samples (36.4%) plated on XLD and 67 samples (56.8%) plated on SM-ID 2 when the MKTTn broth was used. The highest sensitivity was found in the RVS-XLD combination (0.99), followed by RVS-SM-ID 2 (0.97). The specificity of the RVS-SM-ID 2 combination was the highest (0.89), but that of the MKTTn-XLD combination was zero. The results of this study indicate that the selective enrichment broths had a great effect on the sensitivity and specificity of plating media, and our study confirms that the RVS broth is the most suitable enrichment for the investigation of Salmonella in chicken carcasses. This observation suggests that use of RVS broth for selective enrichment and SM-ID 2 for selective isolation may be the best combination to determine the presence of Salmonella in chicken carcasses.

Recent animal studies have demonstrated that undercarboxylated osteocalcin upregulates insulin secretion via osteoblast-insulin signaling. However, it remains unclear whether such a pathway exists in humans. This study showed that serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels were inversely associated with fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A(1c), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men.Undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) was reported to increase insulin secretion and improve glucose tolerance via osteoblast-insulin signaling in animal-based studies. Whether this pathway also exists in humans is unknown. We aimed to clarify whether serum ucOC levels are associated with glycemic status and insulin resistance in the general Japanese population.We included 2,174 Japanese men (≥65 years) who were able to walk without aid from others and lived at home in four cities of Nara Prefecture. We excluded participants with a history of diseases or medications that affect bone metabolism, other than type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin A(1c), and HOMA-IR levels were determined as outcome measures.Of the 1,597 participants included in the analysis, both intact OC (iOC) and ucOC levels showed significant inverse correlations with all outcome measures, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Mean values of outcome measures showed a significant decreasing trend with higher quintiles of iOC or ucOC after adjusting for confounders. This trend remained significant for ucOC quintiles after further adjustment for iOC levels, but was not significant for iOC quintiles after adjusting for ucOC levels. These results were attenuated, but still apparent, after excluding participants receiving drug therapy for T2DM.Levels of ucOC, but not iOC, were inversely associated with glycemic index and insulin resistance in a population of Japanese men. These findings will need to be confirmed with longitudinal studies.

A cross-sectional analysis of 1,662 community dwelling elderly Japanese men suggested that habitual natto intake was significantly associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD). When adjustment was made for undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels, this association was insignificant, showing the natto–bone association to be primarily mediated by vitamin K. Low vitamin K intake is associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, but reports have been inconsistent on its effect on BMD. Our first aim was to examine the association between BMD and intake of fermented soybeans, natto, which contain vitamin K1 (20 μg/pack) and K2 (380 μg/pack). Our second aim was to examine the association between undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a biomarker of vitamin K intake, and BMD to evaluate the role of vitamin K in this association. Of the Japanese men aged ≥65 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, 1,662 men without diseases or medications known to affect bone metabolism were examined for associations between self-reported natto intake or serum ucOC levels with lumbar spine or hip BMD. The subjects with greater intake of natto showed significantly lower level of serum ucOC. Analysis after adjustment for confounding variables showed an association of greater intake of natto with both significantly higher BMD and lower risk of low BMD (T-score

Our cross-sectional analysis of 1,576 men aged ≥65 years examined smoking effects on bone status. Number of smoking years was associated with decreased bone mineral density (BMD), after adjusting for age, height, weight, and number of cigarettes smoked daily. Smoking did not affect biochemical marker serum values for bone turnover.The impact of smoking on bone status in men has not been conclusively established. We examined how smoking and its cessation influence bone status and metabolism in men.We analyzed 1,576 men among a baseline survey of Japanese men aged ≥65 years, the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, conducted during 2007-2008.Lumbar spine (LS) BMD values among never, former, and current smokers were 1.045 ± 0.194, 1.030 ± 0.189, and 1.001 ± 0.182 g/cm(2) (P = 0.005), respectively, while total hip (TH) BMD values were 0.888 ± 0.120, 0.885 ± 0.127, and 0.870 ± 0.124 (P = 0.078), respectively. The significant trend for LS BMD remained after adjusting for the covariates; age, height, weight, physical activity, milk consumption, and drinking habit (P = 0.036). Among never and ever (current and former) smokers, LS and TH BMD decreased with the number of pack years or the number of smoking years, respectively, adjusted for those covariates. Among ever smokers, LS and TH BMD decreased with the number of smoking years after adjusting for age, height, weight, and number of cigarettes smoked daily. Smoking did not reveal significant effect for serum osteocalcin or tartrate resistant acid phosphatase isoenzyme 5b.The impact of smoking on bone status is mainly associated with the number of smoking years in elderly men.

The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance of various species of enterococci isolated from mastitic bovine milk samples. A total of 105 enterococci isolates were examined: Enterococcus faecalis (n = 47), Enterococcus faecium (n = 39), Enterococcus gallinarum (n = 6), Enterococcus avium (n = 6), Enterococcus hirae (n = 5) and Enterococcus durans (n = 2). All the isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, gentamicin and vancomycin, and only a single E. hirae isolate was resistant to ampicillin. In general, the most frequently observed resistance among the enterococcal isolates was to tetracycline (69.5%), followed by penicillin (64.7%), erythromycin (57.1%) and cephalothin (44.7%). A similar antimicrobial resistance pattern was observed among individual species except E. durans, which exhibited only tetracycline resistance. Resistance observed among isolates of E. hirae and E. gallinarum was almost as high as E. faecium and E. faecalis. Of 105 isolates, only six (5.7%) strains of E. faecium were susceptible to all the antimicrobials tested and about 52% (55/105) showed resistance to more than three antimicrobials. The most common multiple resistance pattern was penicillin, tetracycline and erythromycin, which was observed in 32 of 105 (30.4%) isolates. This study demonstrates that enterococcal isolates belonging to minor species showed antimicrobial resistance rates as high as those of E. faecium and E. faecalis, and that monitoring of antimicrobial resistance should not be restricted only to those two major species.

Background: The ethnic Korean community in Japan has witnessed the increasing aging of their population structure. The purpose of our study was to clarify the differences in standards of living between elderly ethnic Korean and elderly Japanese populations living in Japan, and to examine whether there is any difference in subjective well-being between the two populations. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey that consisted of items addressing ethnicity, age, gender, literacy, living conditions, mental health, “sense of purpose in life”, activities of daily living (ADL), medical history, quality of life (QOL), and receipt of pension benefits and public assistance; the participants were 425 elderly people (ethnic Korean residents in Japan, n = 204; Japanese, n = 221) aged 65 and older living in a community in Osaka City. Findings from the two groups were compared using the Student's t-test and the χ2 test. We also employed multiple linear regression analysis. Results: We found that the ethnic Korean group had less formal education (P

The somatic cell count (SCC) is one of the international standards for monitoring milk quality, and it is a useful indicator of mastitis. The current reference method for determining the SCC in raw milk is direct microscopic analysis, but this method requires well-trained staff to maintain its accuracy and reproducibility. To overcome these inconveniences, we developed a portable system (the C-reader system) that utilizes the capillary flow of a microfluidic chamber by surface modification of the hydrophilicity. The microfluidic technology of disposable microchips allows for low consumption of reagents, and a combination of ready-to-use reagents makes the daily work easier. The repeatability test of the C-reader using 10 composite bovine milk samples satisfied the recommended values for SCC equipment. In addition, an acceptable accuracy level of the natural logarithmic-transformed SCC [ln(SCC/1,000): +/- 0.059 to 0.112] was achieved using composite raw milk samples and various somatic cell standard solutions from the American Eastern Laboratory and the Korean National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service. After testing 875 composite milk samples, the C-reader showed a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.935 to 0.964) and a low mean difference value in log-transformed SCC (-0.088 to 0.004) compared with 3 automatic commercialized somatic cell counters (Fossomatic 4000, Somacount 150, and Somascope). In conclusion, the C-reader system is a new, easy-to-use automatic on-farm method with acceptable repeatability and accuracy for measuring SCC in large dairies and smaller laboratories.

We investigated antibiogram and coagulase gene diversity in staphylococcal enterotoxin (StE)-producing Staphylococcus aureus isolated from raw milk samples of cows infected with mastitis from 140 dairy farms in Korea between 1997 and 2004. Of the 696 Staph. aureus isolates collected in this study, 164 isolates (23.6%) produced one or more staphylococcal enterotoxins (A to D), and 19 isolates (2.7%) were methicillin-resistant. The percentage of StE-producing Staph. aureus (SES) isolates resistant to methicillin, kanamycin, neomycin, amikacin, and tetracycline was greater than that of non-SES. Ten coagulase genotype patterns were observed, including 4 main types comprising I (25.4%), II (13.9%), VII (13.2%), and VIII (17.8%). More than 4 Staph. aureus types were isolated from each of 82 dairy farms in different geographic locations, and only 1 coagulase genotype pattern was observed in 39 of the herds (47.6%). There was no significant correlation between coagulase genotypes harbored by Staph. aureus and their specific StE type. The percentage of isolates producing major StE types (A, B, AC, and ABCD) and being resistant to cephalothin and methicillin was greater among the Staph. aureus isolates with the 4 predominant coagulase genotypes (I, II, VII, and VIII) than among the isolates harboring the 6 rare coagulase types (III, IV, V, VI, IX, and X). Based on coagulase gene polymorphisms, our data indicate that a broad distribution of identical or closely related enterotoxin-producing Staph. aureus strains seem to contribute to bovine mastitis in the Republic of Korea.

Childhood and adolescent obesity may lead to obesity and related complications in adulthood. Biomarkers of obesity can be useful for screening for obesity complications and promoting early intervention during school age. Thus, the metabolomic differences in obese children and adolescents should be investigated for identification of potential biomarkers.We investigated urinary biomarkers to distinguish metabolomic characteristics between obesity and normal weight in adolescents.Adolescent subjects were divided into non-obese (n = 91) and obese (n = 93) groups according to body mass index. Untargeted and targeted metabolomic profiling of urine was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (LC)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS), LC-MS/MS and flow injection analysis-MS/MS systems, respectively.Multivariate statistical analysis showed clear discrimination between the untargeted metabolomes of non-obese and obese groups. Seven endogenous metabolites were distinguished in the obese group, and inflammation-related metabolite markers showed strong predictive power for group classification. From targeted metabolomics, 45 metabolites mostly related to inflammation were significantly different in the obese group.Significantly different metabolome signatures were identified between normal-weight and obese adolescents. Combined untargeted and targeted metabolomics demonstrated that inflammation-driven insulin resistance, ammonia toxicity and oxidative stress may represent crucial metabolomic signatures in obese adolescents.

Bacterial wilt of potatoes, which used to be a widespread disease in tropics and subtropics, has become a threat to potato production in temperate region. The diploid species Solanum commersonii has several desirable characteristics including cold tolerance and resistance to several diseases. Selected somatic hybrids between S. tuberosum dihaploid and bacterial-wilt-resistant S. commersonii clones were cross pollinated with S. tuberosum cultivars for further selection of bacterial wilt resistance. The chromosome numbers of the fusion parents were confirmed as 24, and the three fusion hybrids crossed were all tetraploids. The chromosome number of 11 backcross 1 progenies (BC1) was 48 and that of the other six was close to the tetraploid number. Backcross 2 progenies (BC2) were obtained from only three of the 44 BC1 clones crossed. The S. commersonii parent clone, LZ3.2, was the most resistant to bacterial wilt among wild species clones tested. The first sexual progenies segregated for resistance, with one clone highly susceptible and four clones highly resistant. Three highly resistant BC1 clones, CT02-4, CT08-4, and CT10b-4, were backcrossed to cultivars. Two cross combinations produced mostly susceptible BC2 progenies; however seven clones were resistant or highly resistant for both race 1 and race 3. The highly resistant three clones, CT204-3, CT206-9 and CT206-10, were selected for the further testing as cultivars or breeding materials.

We have tried to find the most suitable conditions for the deposition process of silicon carbide thin films as a material for MEMS techniques. We have also studied its application to semiconductor processes. To do this, we have tried to fabricate several dimensions of cantilevers with these silicon carbide thin films. High quality silicon carbide thin films are grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). This process employs single molecular precursors such as diethylmethylsilane (DEMS), 1,3-disilabutane (DSB) at a pressure of 1 × 10−3 Pa and a growth temperature in the range of 700–1000 °C. Two fabrication methods are tested for initial fabrication of cantilevers. First, deposit SiC thin films on Si based atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers. Second, used the lift-off process. To get three-dimensional cantilever-shaped SiC thin films, moreover, we chemically etched silicon substrate with strong alkaline solution such as TMAH at 80 °C. In addition, a high resolution of probe tips on the cantilevers was achieved using electron-beam deposition in a carbon atmosphere.

Microcapsules with good mechanical stability were prepared using an appropriate mixture of alginate and acrylic terpolymer. It was found from the microscopic observation that the microcapsules had a porous structure with interconnected pores, with a size of 50-150 nm. The results of the permeability experiment of microcapsules using FITC-dextrans showed that the capsule had a molecular mass cut-off of 120 kDa. The hepatocytes encapsulated in both alginate and acrylic terpolymer with gelatin and PVA rapidly aggregated in the core. The aggregated cells showed high albumin synthesis and ammonia removal, suggesting good metabolic function.

Two experiments were conducted. In expt. 1, a total of fifty-four pigs (L×Y×D, 56.14±1.7 kg) were used for a feeding trial to determine the effect of wet feeding of a commercial-type diet without food waste (FW). Treatments were dry (Control), wet (WF) and wet+dry feeding (WDF). For wet feeding, the diet was mixed with water at a ratio of 1:2.5 (feed:water). A wet feed was given during the whole experimental period for the WF group, but the dry feed was given during the finisher period for the WDF group. In expt. 2, a total of fifty-four pigs (L×Y×D, 55.7±1.8 kg) were used for a feeding trial to determine the effect of wet feeding of FW. Treatments were a commercial-type dry (Control), wet fermented food waste (WFFW) and WFFW+dry feeding (WFFW+DF). For wet feeding of fermented food waste, however, some ingredients (concentrate) were added to make nutrient contents comparable to the control diet. The FW collected was ground (≤5 mm), heated with a steam jacket (140±3°C) and fermented with probiotics for one day in a steel container at 30-40°C. For the WFFW group, the wet feed was given during the whole experimental period, but a dry feed was given during finisher period for the WFFW+DF group. In expt. 1, during the grower period, pigs fed wet feed showed higher average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those fed only dry feed (p

Studies using natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) identification indicated that cattle could be selected for immunity. Several studies performed on intracellular organisms such as Mycobacterium, Salmonella, Brucella and Leishmania in human and mouse revealed that resistance against these bacteria was dependent on high activity of NRAMP\ in macrophages. However, hardly any researches have been done on Staphylococcus aureus in bovine mastitis, which is an intracellular organism and the main cause of bovine mastitis. The objectives of this study were to establish reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods, through which NRAMP\ mRNA expression could be compared and analyzed between mastitis-resistant and -susceptible cows. NRAMP\ gene and its expression were investigated using 20 cows (Holstein Friesian) in Korea. Cows were evenly split into two groups, with and without histories of clinical mastitis. Equivalent numbers of cows were randomly selected from each group. Monocytes were isolated from the bovine peripheral blood of each selected cows and activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). mRNA was separated from the monocytes and cDNA of NRAMP\ was synthesized and amplified using RT-PCR with amplification of β-actin as a control. The difference in NRAMP\ expressions of mastitis-resistant (n=10) and -susceptible (n=10) Holstein cows was analyzed. Results demonstrate that resistant cows produced more NRAMP\ mRNA than the susceptible ones, and ratios of NRAMP1:β-actin expression were higher in resistant cows with or without LPS activation. Therefore, this study could be applied to select bovine mastitis resistant cows before infection based on the expression of NRAMP1.

The influence of the mixture concentration on densification of Fe-Cr, Fe-Mo, and Ti-Cu compacts during solid state sintering were investigated. The hypothesis was put forward before that only S and V shaped curves for concentration dependencies of densification exist as a result of solid phase sintering of mixtures. It was shown, in this paper, that the above idea on the existence only two types of the plots was correct. These curve shapes can be explained on the basis of diffusion interaction of metals, applying the multiparticle model of a two component compact.

An attempt was made of using a liquid phase sintered alloy, which will be a liquid phase coexisting with solid particles at the bonding temperature, as an interlayer for bonding metals. With an aim of revealing the fundamental features of this modified TLP bonding, investigated were the kinetics concerned with the isothermal solidification process and the growth of solid particles in Fe-4.5wt%P and Fe-1.16wt%B interlayers for bonding pure iron. The movement of the bond interface was linearly dependent on t1/2 with higher slope than expected in the normal TLP bonding. The higher slope is attributed to the contribution of the solid particles distributed in the interlayer. The solid particles have shown no growth. However, when pure Fe particles are allowed to coexist with the liquid of equilibrium composition, they grows very rapidly. Discussion was made on the growth kinetics of the pure Fe particles.

We report on our work on the double electron layer tunneling transistor (DELTT), based on the gate-control of two-dimensional -- two-dimensional (2D-2D) tunneling in a double quantum well heterostructure. While previous quantum transistors have typically required tiny laterally-defined features, by contrast the DELTT is entirely planar and can be reliably fabricated in large numbers. We use a novel epoxy-bond-and-stop-etch (EBASE) flip-chip process, whereby submicron gating on opposite sides of semiconductor epitaxial layers as thin as 0.24 microns can be achieved. Because both electron layers in the DELTT are 2D, the resonant tunneling features are unusually sharp, and can be easily modulated with one or more surface gates. We demonstrate DELTTs with peak-to-valley ratios in the source-drain I-V curve of order 20:1 below 1 K. Both the height and position of the resonant current peak can be controlled by gate voltage over a wide range. DELTTs with larger subband energy offsets ({approximately} 21 meV) exhibit characteristics that are nearly as good at 77 K, in good agreement with our theoretical calculations. Using these devices, we also demonstrate bistable memories operating at 77 K. Finally, we briefly discuss the prospects for room temperature operation, increases in gain, and high-speed.

We demonstrate the double electron layer tunnelling transistor (DELTT), based on the gate control of two-dimensional-two-dimensional tunnelling in a double quantum well. Unlike previously proposed resonant tunnelling transistors, the DELTT is entirely planar and can be easily fabricated in large numbers. At 1.5 K we demonstrate peak-to-background ratios of :1 in source-drain conductance versus gate voltage and peak-to-valley ratios of :1 in the source-drain current versus source-drain voltage. Using a single DELTT in series with a load resistor, we demonstrate low-power bistable memories at 1.5 K. We also demonstrate a unipolar complementary static RAM by connecting two DELTTs in series.

We describe the first demonstration of dual-side electron beam lithography in achieving independent submicron gating in double quantum well devices. The technique utilizes the epoxy-bond and stop-etch process to remove the substrate material which allows the backside gates to be placed in close proximity (less than 1 m) to the frontside gates. The use of electron beam lithography allows both the definition of submicron features and the precise alignment of the front and back features to each other. We have applied this technique to the fabrication of double quantum point contacts on coupled AlGaAs/GaAs double quantum wells. Low-temperature transport measurements clearly show the formation of coupled, independently controllable mesoscopic structures in each of the two quantum wells.

We have measured the $1/f$ resistance noise of quench-condensed mesoscopic Li wires as a function of magnetic field over the range 0--9 T at low temperatures. The noise versus field reflects the crossover behavior of universal conductance fluctuations. Since Li has negligible spin-orbit scattering, the $1/f$ noise versus magnetic field shows two distinct reductions by factors of 2. The first results from the breaking of time-reversal invariance and the second from Zeeman splitting of the conduction-electron-spin degeneracy. In the experiment the thermal energy is larger than the Thouless energy; in this case the former energy governs the characteristic magnetic-field scale for the Zeeman crossover. In mesoscopic Li wires with finite spin-flip scattering due to magnetic impurities, the $1/f$ noise also shows a reduction by a factor of 2 in a weak magnetic field. At high magnetic field, however, the $1/f$ noise increases dramatically when the Zeeman splitting of the magnetic impurities is larger than the temperature. We analyze the data from both experiments quantitatively and find good agreement with theory.

We experimentally determine the propagation direction of fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) edge states via the symmetry properties of the multiterminal capacitances of two dimensional electron gases. Although strong asymmetries with respect to zero magnetic field appear, no asymmetries with respect to even denominator Landau level filling factor {nu} are seen. This indicates that current-carrying FQHE edge states propagate in the same direction as integer QHE edge states, consistent with a composite fermion gauge effective electric field. We also observe anomalous capacitance features indicative of enhanced bulk conduction at {nu}=1/2 , 3/2 , and 3/4 . {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

Background and Objective Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a tryptophan-oxidizing enzyme with immune-inhibitory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of IDO by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of gram-negative bacteria, in human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. Material and Methods Human PDL cells and gingival fibroblasts (GFs) were prepared from explants of human PDLs and from gingival tissues of clinically healthy donors, respectively. Real-time RT-PCR, western blotting and the IDO enzyme assay were performed to determine the expression of IDO following LPS treatment of cells. LPS was injected into mice tail veins to evaluate the effects of LPS in vivo in the maxillary first molar. Immunofluorescence staining and histological analysis were followed to localize IDO in mouse PDL. Results The level of expression of IDO mRNA in primary human PDL cells after LPS treatment was increased in a dose-dependent manner, reaching a peak 8 h after LPS treatment. The expression and activities of IDO protein were significantly increased in comparison with those of the control. In addition, the increased production of kynurenine in culture medium was observed 72 h after LPS treatment. In the immunofluorescence findings, stronger immunoreactivities were shown in PDL than in gingival tissues in the maxillae. In accordance with the immunofluorescence findings, LPS treatment induced a strong up-regulation of IDO mRNA in human PDL cells, whereas human GFs showed only a weak response to LPS. Conclusion These results clearly show that IDO was induced by LPS in primary human PDL cells, suggesting that PDL might be involved in the regulation of oral inflammatory disease.

Equipment that is one-tenth the size of the steam generators for the Westinghouse 900-MW(electric) nuclear power plants is used to study the swell and shrinkage of the water level. The cyclic aspect of level swell and shrinkage occurring during low-power operation of the nuclear power plants is realized by sequential steam dump valve control. Experimental results show that a simple mathematical model based on the amount of steam generated during depressurization provides a good approximation for predicting level swell and shrinkage. Steam generation also causes water movement between the downcomer area and the inner part of the vessel, the effect of which during the initial steam dump period is estimated and applied to adjust this model.

We report a prototype side-gated asymmetric resonant interband tunneling device (RITD) fabricated with an AlSb∕InAs∕GaSb∕AlSb heterostructure for Rashba spin filter applications. This device features independent control gates along the sides of an RITD mesa structure that can be used to provide an electric field orthogonal to the resonant tunneling current. The distribution of lateral wave vectors for electrons approaching the RITD active layers obtains a nonzero average through the application of the orthogonal electric field, a requirement for Rashba spin filter operation. Measured current–voltage curves show a modulation of the tunneling current with a side gate bias, demonstrating lateral electric-field projection into the resonant tunneling mesa structure. The prototype device was fabricated to submicron dimensions utilizing a conformal and scalable processing scheme.

To establish an efficient genetic transformation protocol for Leuconostoc species, methods for competent-cell preparation and electroporation conditions were optimized.Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides ATCC8293 cells were sequentially treated with penicillin G and lysozyme, and the plasmid pLeuCM was subsequently transformed into the cells. Our results demonstrated that transformation efficiencies were significantly increased (100-fold), and increased electric field strength also contributed to enhance transformation efficiency. Maximum transformation efficiency (1×10(4) or more transformants per μg DNA) was achieved when cells were grown in De Man, Rogosa, Sharpe (MRS) media containing 0·25 mol l(-1) sucrose and 0·8 μg ml(-1) penicillin G, followed by treatment with 600 U ml(-1) lysozyme and electroporation at a field strength of 10 kV cm(-1). When this protocol was used to transform pLeuCM into Leuc. mesenteroides, Leuconostoc gelidum, Leuconostoc fallax and Leuconostoc argentinun, successful transformations were obtained in all cases. Furthermore, this procedure was applicable to species belonging to other genera, including Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Weissella confusa.The results demonstrate that the transformation efficiency for Leuconostoc spp. could be increased via optimization of the entire electroporation procedures.These optimized conditions can be used for the extensive genetic study and the metabolic engineering of not only Leuconostoc spp. but also different species of lactic acid bacteria.

Thirteen outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were reported in pigs and cattle in Korea between 8 April and 4 June 2010. The FMD virus (FMDV) isolates were of serotype O, indicating that they were related to the virus strains of the Southeast Asia topotype that are circulating in East Asian countries. Animals carrying the viruses were identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) during a 29-day period between 8 April and 6 May, 2010. Prior to this outbreak, these FMDVs had not been detected in Korea and may therefore have been introduced from neighbouring countries into Ganghwa Island and subsequently spread inland to other areas, including Gimpo, Chungju and Cheongyang. Tests conducted to lift restrictions on animal movements lead to detection of two additional FMD-positive farms. Through appropriate responses, including swift diagnoses and culling policies, Korea was able to quickly regain its recognition as being free of FMD, without vaccination, by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on 27 September 2010.

The cytoarchitecture was studied in a segment of the ferret suprasylvian gyrus containing at least two and possibly four somesthetic representations of the face that were observed in the primary somatosensory cortex. These representations were restricted to the crown of the gyrus and were surrounded by somesthetically unresponsive cortex that extended down both sides to the base of adjacent sulci. Numerous cytoarchitectonic subdivisions were found on a qualitative basis, and were confirmed quantitatively by cluster analyses and relevant statistical tests of 10 prominent features from layers III, IV, and V. Four distinct cytoarchitectonic subdivisions, each with a well-developed and homogeneous granular layer IV, were found distributed from anterior to posterior along the crown of the gyrus at sites corresponding to the locations of the four facial representations. The surrounding unresponsive cortex had a fragmented cytoarchitecture, especially along the medial bank and base of the coronal sulcus. This unresponsive cortex separated the facial representations from the body representations, which were located on the adjacent posterior cruciate gyrus. Most of the unresponsive subdivisions had a heterogeneous or agranular layer IV and fairly well-developed sublamination in layer III, which may be indicative of extensive corticocortical connections. One set of unresponsive subdivisions had comparable cytoarchitectures that directly bordered the facial representations. Another set of unresponsive subdivisions with comparable architectures occupied most of the lateral bank of the gyrus. The implications of multiple representations and cytoarchitectonic fragmentation of the ferret primary somatosensory cortex are discussed in relation to the organization of the primary somatosensory cortex in other species.

There are no data concerning a relationship between alcohol and bone status from a large-scale community-based study of elderly Japanese men. The baseline survey for the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men Study was performed in 2174 male participants during the period from 2007 to 2008 in Nara Prefecture, Japan. Among them 1665 fitted the following inclusion criteria: (a) age ≥65years, (b) no diseases or drug therapy that could affect bone mineral density (BMD). We analyzed 1421 men with complete information about alcohol intake. We found that alcohol intake and BMD were positively correlated after adjustment for age, body mass index, natto intake, milk intake, smoking, physical activity, education, marital status, and hypertension. Adjusted total hip BMD of men with alcohol intake >39g/day was 0.90g/cm(2) and that of abstainers was 0.85g/cm(2). With regard to bone turnover markers, alcohol intake was inversely associated with serum levels of osteocalcin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoenzyme 5b. A two-piece linear regression model revealed a positive relationship between alcohol intake and crude mean BMD for the total hip in those with alcohol intake of less than 55g/day. In contrast, alcohol intake and BMD in those with an alcohol intake of 55g/day or more was inversely correlated. The present large-scale study of elderly Japanese men revealed that although an alcohol intake of

A total of 1,444 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) isolates from bovine mastitic milk samples collected during 2003-2008 in Korea were identified to the species level. Of 14 species identified, S. simulans, S. haemolyticus, and S. sciuri accounted for over 60% of the isolates. All the CNS isolates were tested for susceptibility to eight antimicrobials commonly used in dairy cattle. With a few exceptions, similar resistance patterns were observed among the CNS species: penicillin and ampicillin showed the lowest activity, whereas amikacin, cephalothin, and gentamicin were highly effective. About 39% (557/1,444) of the CNS isolates were pan-susceptible, whereas 12% (175/1,444) showed resistance to four or more antimicrobials tested.

Tooth eruption at the early postnatal period is strictly controlled by the molecules secreted mainly from follicular tissues, which recruit monocytes for osteoclast formation. In this study, it was hypothesized that different molecules can be expressed according to the stages of tooth eruption. Rat molar germs together with follicles were extracted and DD-PCR was performed from the root formation stage 2nd molars germs (after eruptive movement) and cap stage 3rd molar germs (before movement) at postnatal day 9. Cxcl-14, a potent chemoattractant, was detected as one of the differentially expressed molecules from DD-PCR. Its expression increased significantly at the root formation stage, compared with the cap or crown formation stage at both transcription and translation levels. The expression patterns of cxcl-14 were consistent with those of MCP-1 and CSF-1, and opposite to OPG. Immunofluorescence showed that cxcl-14 was localized in the dental follicular tissues only at the root formation stage overlaying the proximo-occlusal region of the molar germs. Many osteoclasts appeared on the surface of the alveolar bone which overlayed the occlusal region of the root formation stage 2nd molar germs and underwent resorption. Cxcl-14 expression was reduced considerably at both the translation and transcription levels by an alendronate treatment. These results suggest that cxcl-14 may be implicated in the formation of the eruptive pathway of tooth germs via osteoclastogenesis.

The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance of various species of enterococci isolated from mastitic bovine milk samples. A total of 105 enterococci isolates were examined: Enterococcus faecalis (n = 47), Enterococcus faecium (n = 39), Enterococcus gallinarum (n = 6), Enterococcus avium (n = 6), Enterococcus hirae (n = 5) and Enterococcus durans (n = 2). All the isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, gentamicin and vancomycin, and only a single E. hirae isolate was resistant to ampicillin. In general, the most frequently observed resistance among the enterococcal isolates was to tetracycline (69.5%), followed by penicillin (64.7%), erythromycin (57.1%) and cephalothin (44.7%). A similar antimicrobial resistance pattern was observed among individual species except E. durans, which exhibited only tetracycline resistance. Resistance observed among isolates of E. hirae and E. gallinarum was almost as high as E. faecium and E. faecalis. Of 105 isolates, only six (5.7%) strains of E. faecium were susceptible to all the antimicrobials tested and about 52% (55/105) showed resistance to more than three antimicrobials. The most common multiple resistance pattern was penicillin, tetracycline and erythromycin, which was observed in 32 of 105 (30.4%) isolates. This study demonstrates that enterococcal isolates belonging to minor species showed antimicrobial resistance rates as high as those of E. faecium and E. faecalis, and that monitoring of antimicrobial resistance should not be restricted only to those two major species.

We describe a digital technique for measuring the spectral density of resistance fluctuations with simultaneous background subtraction. The technique implements either of two equivalent ac bridge techniques that rely on extremely good orthogonality between the two channels of a dual‐phase lock‐in amplifier. We use a digital signal processor (DSP) chip and a personal computer in place of both the lock‐in amplifier and spectrum analyzer. The digital system can measure sample 1/f noise that is 100 times smaller than the experimental background noise; this performance equals or surpasses that of any analog system. The system is low cost, very flexible, and can function as a stand‐alone digital lock‐in amplifier or low‐frequency spectrum analyzer.

Background Osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in men are significant public health problems in an aging society. However, information on male osteoporosis remains impressively lacking, especially for Asians. We designed the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study as an ancillary study of a cohort study, the Fujiwara-kyo study, to determine risk factors for osteoporotic fractures in Japanese men. Methods/Design Design: A community-based single-centre prospective cohort study with at least a 5-year follow-up Subjects: All the male participants of the Fujiwara-kyo study who were living in the four cities studied, aged 65 years and older, and able to walk without aid from others. Primary outcome: Incidence of osteoporotic fractures including vertebral and clinical non-vertebral fractures. Additional outcomes: Change in bone mineral density (BMD), change in hip geometry, onset of receiving benefits from Long-term Care Insurance (LCI), health-related quality of life, and mortality. Baseline measurements: BMD at the lumbar spine (LS) and hip (TH), hip geometry, vertebral deformity assessment, bone turnover markers, physical and cognitive performance, various medical and lifestyle factors, and geriatric psychosocial measures confirmed by interviews based on self-administrated questionnaires. Outcome surveillance: Annual mail surveys and a follow-up survey at the fifth year comprising similar items to the baseline study will be used to determine the outcomes. Receipt of benefits from LCI and mortality will be obtained from the city governments. Current status: The baseline study was conducted for 2174 eligible men, and 2012 completed the study and were eligible for follow-up. Prevalence rates of osteoporosis (BMD 2.5 SD or more below the young adult mean (YAM)) and low BMD (BMD 1 SD or more below YAM) in at least one of LS and TH were calculated to be 4.4% and 41.8%, respectively. The proportion of men with low BMD only at TH showed a significant increasing trend with aging (p < 0.0001) while that only at LS showed a decreasing trend (p = 0.0386). The prevalence rate of osteoporosis was underestimated when diagnosed using only BMD at LS. Other baseline measurements were successfully obtained. Discussion FORMEN baseline study was performed as designed and the FORMEN cohort study was successfully launched.

We demonstrate unipolar complementary circuits consisting of a pair of resonant tunneling transistors based on the gate control of 2D-2D interlayer tunneling, where a single transistor - in addition to exhibiting a welldefined negative-differential-resistance can be operated with either positive or negative transconductance. Details of the device operation are analyzed in terms of the quantum capacitance effect and band-bending in a double quantum well structure, and show good agreement with experiment. Application of resonant tunneling complementary logic is discussed by demonstrating complementary static random access memory using two devices connected in series.

Prospective nationwide multicentre studies that have evaluated endoscopic findings and reflux symptoms using a well-designed questionnaire are very rare.To compare the prevalence rates of and risk factors for erosive oesophagitis and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) in the Korean population.A gastroscopic examination was performed on 25 536 subjects who visited 40 Healthcare Centers for a health check-up. A gastro-oesophageal reflux questionnaire and multivariate analysis were used to determine the risk factors for erosive oesophagitis and NERD.2019 (8%) and 996 subjects (4%) had erosive oesophagitis and non-erosive reflux disease, respectively; only 58% of subjects with erosive oesophagitis had reflux symptoms. Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors for erosive oesophagitis and NERD differed, i.e. those of erosive oesophagitis were male, a Helicobacter pylori eradication history, alcohol, body mass indexor =25 and hiatal hernia. In contrast, the risk factors for NERD were female, age40 andor =60 vs. 40-59 years, body mass index23 and a monthly income$1000, glucoseor =126 mg/dL, smoking, a stooping posture at work and antibiotic usage.The prevalence rates of erosive oesophagitis and NERD were 8% and 4%, respectively, in Korean health check-up subjects. The risk factors for erosive oesophagitis and NERD were found to differ, which indicates that their underlying pathogeneses are distinct.

Finite element analysis (FEA) is an effective tool for the analysis of bioelectromagnetism. It has been successfully applied to various problems over other conventional methods such as boundary element analysis and finite difference analysis. However, its use has been limited due to overwhelming computational load despite of its analytical power. We have previously developed a novel mesh generation scheme that produces FE meshes that are content-adaptive to given images. These image content-adaptive FE meshes (cMeshes) represent the electrically conducting domain more effectively with less numbers of nodes and elements, thus lessen the computational load. However, their impacts on FEA have not been assessed yet. In this study, we evaluated the impact of cMeshes on FEA via comparing the forward solutions with various cMesh head models to the solutions from the reference FE head model in which fine and equidistant FEs constitute the model. Correlation coefficient (CC), relative error (RE), and computation time (CT) are used as performance indices. The results show that there is a significant gain in computation time with minor loss in numerical accuracy. We believe that cMeshes should be useful in the FEA of bioelectromagnetic problems.

Staphylococcus aureus belongs to the group of major contagious mastitis pathogens, whereas the coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are also capable of causing opportunistic bovine mastitis. Many of these strains are resistant to penicillin or ampicillin because of the long-term use of beta-lactam antibiotics in agricultural and healthcare settings. Based on the simple and highly specific coagulase genotyping by PCR-RFLP used for discriminating among Staph. aureus strains, the relationship between phenotypic antibiogram and the polymorphism of coagulase gene was determined in this study. The staphylococci strains (835 Staph. aureus and 763 CNS) were isolated from 3,047 bovine mastitic milk samples from 153 dairy farms in 8 provinces from 1997 to 2004 in the Republic of Korea. Twenty-one (2.5%) Staph. aureus and 19 (2.4%) CNS strains were resistant to methicillin [oxacillin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) > or = 4 microg/mL]. The mecA gene was also found in 13 methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus (MRSA) and 12 methicillin-resistant CNS (MRCNS) isolates with a significantly higher detection rate of the mecA gene in MRSA with high MIC (> or = 16 microg/mL) compared with those with MIC < or = 8 microg/mL. Methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus and MRCNS were also more resistant to other antibiotics (ampicillin, cephalothin, kanamycin, and gentamicin) than methicillin-susceptible staphylococci. Among 10 different coa PCR-RFLP patterns (A to J) in 706 Staph. aureus strains, the main types were A (26.9%), B (17.0%), G (10.5%), and H (15.4%), with the frequent observation of the A and H types (6 and 10 isolates) in MRSA. This study indicates that major epidemic Staph. aureus clones may be spread between different dairy farms, and the profile of coa genotype can be applied for epidemiological investigations and control of bovine mastitis, particularly one caused by MRSA with specific prevalent coa types.

We observe unusually strong magnetoresistance commensurability oscillations in two different types of artificial arrays of scattering centers, multiparallel focusing slits and a square antidot lattice, both fabricated on a two-dimensional electron gas by electron-beam lithography and damageless wet etching. The strength of the magnetoresistance peaks is attributed to a high reflection specularity and a small effective antidot cross section. The absence of commensurability effects near Landau level filling factor υ=3/2 is attributed to the composite fermion mean free path being smaller than the slit and antidot spacings. The mechanism for the observed commensurability is discussed.

It has been reported that the spin sprayed ferrite film shows better magnetic properties at high frequency than the ferrite by co-firing over 800 /spl deg/C . Besides, there is no limitation to select the substrate materials because it can be processed with low temperature below 100 /spl deg/C. Therefore, we fabricated a film inductor as a passive device for DC-DC converter by a use of spin sprayed Ni-Zn ferrite film on the polyimide layer without insulating layer. After, cover-lay film was laminated on the top of that. Finally, embedded form was completed by via hole process of pad opening. The magnetic properties of Ni-Zn ferrite were 6.0 k gauss of saturation magnetization and 110 of effective permeability. And 1,6 micro H of L, 25 of Q at 5 MHz were measured with spiral 16 turn inductor. The rated current of inductor was measured 897 mA.

We demonstrate a novel quantum device, the double electron layer tunneling transistor (DELTT). The DELTT's operating principle is based on the gate-control of 2D-2D resonant tunneling between the two electron layers in an AlGaAs-GaAs double quantum well heterostructure. Unlike other quantum transistors, the DELTT does not require small lateral dimensions, but is entirely planar in configuration, enabling ease in fabrication. We demonstrate static memories at 77 K, and unipolar complementary static memories at 1.5 K, using half as many transistors as conventionally required.

Even though only 33 cases of Erythromelanosis follicularis faciei et colli (EFFC) have been reported around the world, there have been no quantitative clinicopathological studies yet. The purpose of this study is to examine quantitatively clinical and histopathological evaluations of EFFC using image analysis system.Clinical grading of its severity was assessed. Many parameters of the horny layer, granular layer, epidermis and the dermal components were measured and compared to controls by image analysis. The correlation between the histological findings and clinical grading was assessed.Thickness and compactness of the horny layer was significantly increased in EFFC. There were no significant differences in the number of melanocytes and severity of pigmentation between EFFC and controls; however, melanization was slightly increased in EFFC. The percent area of the superficial blood vessels was significantly increased and correlated with visual grading of erythema. Diameters of hair shafts and outer root sheaths, and thickness of inner root sheaths were decreased. Basal layer pigmentation was correlated with the clinical features of pigmentation.This study supported the findings of hyperkeratosis and dilatation of superficial dermal blood vessels in EFFC. The pigmentation of the basal layer and the percent area of the inner spaces of the superficial dermal blood vessels may reflect the clinical severity more than the other parameters. Although follicular plugging is a characteristic clinical feature of EFFC, enlargement of hair follicles and hair shafts were not characteristic pathologic changes EFFC in our study.