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Recently, analyzing cancer genome is attracted to personalize cancer treatment. The ratio of cancer cells in a specimen is essential for precise analysis of the genome. In our group, a terahertz chemical microscope (TCM) has been proposed and developed to measure the number of cancer cells in solution. In this study, a biotin-tagged AE1/AE3 was immobilized on a sensing plate using avidin-biotin reaction, and we succeed in detecting lung cancer cells in solutions.

Many multiresidue methods for the determination of pesticides in vegetables and fruits have been reported to date. However, few such methods have been employed to investigate pesticide residues in animal tissue. In this study, an LC-MS/MS multiresidue method coupled with modified QuEChERS extraction was developed and validated for the investigation of eight pesticide residues: prallethrin (PR), resmethrin (RMT), imidacloprid (IMC), diflubenzuron (DFB), cyromazine (CYR), etofenprox (EFP), dinotefuran (DNT) and phthalthrin (PTLT). This method involves initial extraction in a water/acetone system, the addition of salts and a subsequent extraction/partitioning step and, finally, a clean-up step utilising dispersive solid-phase extraction (SPE). The mean recoveries of seven of the pesticides (the exception being CYR) ranged between 74.7% and 113.5%, and the CVs of the livestock tissue – bovine, swine, and chicken muscle and liver tissue spiked at 10 ng g–1 (50 ng g–1 for RMT and DNT) and 100 ng g–1 – w...

In human skin, the serine proteases kallikrein-related peptidase (KLK)5 and KLK7 degrade corneodesmosome proteins, leading to desquamation. Serine protease activity of the skin is tightly regulated by the interplay between such proteases and serine protease inhibitors, including lymphoepithelial Kazal-type related inhibitor (LEKTI), encoded by SPINK5; secretory leucocyte peptidase inhibitor (SLPI); and elafin. Expression of KLK5 and KLK7 is controlled and upregulated by stimulants such as calcium, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin DTo understand the effect of calcium, 1,25(OH)We stimulated normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) with high calcium, 1,25(OH)High calcium, but not 1,25(OH)High calcium, but not 1,25(OH)

Aims: Ethidium bromide monoazide (EMA) has been determined to cause delay in DNA amplification from dead bacteria at real-time PCR. However, there is concern that the increasing EMA concentration to suppress amplification from high number of dead bacteria also affects live bacteria. The aim is to disclose a novel application of EMA for food hygienic test. Methods and Results: We performed a low-dose double EMA treatment. Live or heat-dead Enterobacter sakazakii (reclassified as Cronobacter spp.) in 10% powdered infant formula (PIF) solution was subjected to a treatment with 20 μg ml−1 of EMA followed by a treatment with 10 μg ml−1 of EMA without washing, and direct real-time PCR. We observed that DNA amplification from 107 cells ml−1 of dead Ent. sakazakii was completely suppressed within 50 cycles of PCR, whereas 102–103 cells ml−1 of viable cells could be detected. When a 3-h enrichment step in liquid medium was included after the first EMA treatment, live Ent. sakazakii could be detected at initial levels of 100–102 cells ml−1. We compared the low-dose double-treated EMA-PCR with the culture method using 80 samples of PIF, and completely correlative results were obtained for both methods. Conclusions: We concluded that the newly developed low-dose double-treated EMA-PCR is a very effective tool for live Ent. sakazakii detection in PIF. Significance and Impact of the Study: We focused on the specific nature of photoreactive compound that residual EMA is cancelled by irradiation. We were successful in treating bacteria with EMA in gradient concentration to increase live and dead distinction ability.

The effects of whipping temperature (5 to 15 degrees C) on the whipping (whipping time and overrun) and rheological properties of whipped cream were studied. Fat globule aggregation (aggregation ratio of fat globules and serum viscosity) and air bubble factors (overrun, diameter, and surface area) were measured to investigate the mechanism of whipping. Whipping time, overrun, and bubble diameters decreased with increasing temperature, with the exception of bubble size at 15 degrees C. The aggregation ratio of fat globules tended to increase with increasing temperature. Changes in hardness and bubble size during storage were relatively small at higher temperatures (12.5 and 15 degrees C). Changes in overrun during storage were relatively small in the middle temperature range (7.5 to 12.5 degrees C). From the results, the temperature range of 7.5 to 12.5 degrees C is recommended for making whipped creams with a good texture, and a specific temperature should be decided when taking into account the preferred overrun. The correlation between the whipped cream strain hardness and serum viscosity was high (R(2)=0.906) and persisted throughout the temperature range tested (5 to 15 degrees C). A similar result was obtained at a different whipping speed (140 rpm). The multiple regression analysis in the range of 5 to 12.5 degrees C indicated a high correlation (R(2)=0.946) in which a dependent variable was the storage modulus of whipped cream and independent variables were bubble surface area and serum viscosity. Therefore, fat aggregation and air bubble properties are important factors in the development of cream hardness. The results of this study suggest that whipping temperature influences fat globule aggregation and the properties of air bubbles in whipped cream, which alters its rheological properties.

The effect of conventional continuous freezer parameters [mix flow (L/h), overrun (%), drawing temperature ( degrees C), cylinder pressure (kPa), and dasher speed (rpm)] on the hardness of ice cream under varying measured temperatures (-5, -10, and -15 degrees C) was investigated systematically using response surface methodology (central composite face-centered design), and the relationships were expressed as statistical models. The range (maximum and minimum values) of each freezer parameter was set according to the actual capability of the conventional freezer and applicability to the manufacturing process. Hardness was measured using a penetrometer. These models showed that overrun and drawing temperature had significant effects on hardness. The models can be used to optimize freezer conditions to make ice cream of the least possible hardness under the highest overrun (120%) and a drawing temperature of approximately -5.5 degrees C (slightly warmer than the lowest drawing temperature of -6.5 degrees C) within the range of this study. With reference to the structural elements of the ice cream, we suggest that the volume of overrun and ice crystal content, ice crystal size, and fat globule destabilization affect the hardness of ice cream. In addition, the combination of a simple instrumental parameter and response surface methodology allows us to show the relation between freezer conditions and one of the most important properties-hardness-visually and quantitatively on the practical level.

A systematic analysis was carried out by using response surface methodology to create a quantitative model of the synergistic effects of conditions in a continuous freezer [mix flow rate (L/h), overrun (%), cylinder pressure (kPa), drawing temperature ( degrees C), and dasher speed (rpm)] on the principal constituent parameters of ice cream [rate of fat destabilization (%), mean air cell diameter (mum), and mean ice crystal diameter (mum)]. A central composite face-centered design was used for this study. Thirty-one combinations of the 5 above-mentioned freezer conditions were designed (including replicates at the center point), and ice cream samples were manufactured and examined in a continuous freezer under the selected conditions. The responses were the 3 variables given above. A quadratic model was constructed, with the freezer conditions as the independent variables and the ice cream characteristics as the dependent variables. The coefficients of determination (R(2)) were greater than 0.9 for all 3 responses, but Q(2), the index used here for the capability of the model for predicting future observed values of the responses, was negative for both the mean ice crystal diameter and the mean air cell diameter. Therefore, pruned models were constructed by removing terms that had contributed little to the prediction in the original model and by refitting the regression model. It was demonstrated that these pruned models provided good fits to the data in terms of R(2), Q(2), and ANOVA. The effects of freezer conditions were expressed quantitatively in terms of the 3 responses. The drawing temperature ( degrees C) was found to have a greater effect on ice cream characteristics than any of the other factors.

This paper clarifies the scalability of spectrum-sliced dense wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) transmission systems primarily intended for metro access applications. A theoretical analysis elucidates the tradeoff between the loss budget and the sliced bandwidth (i.e., the number of channels with assuming light sources with a fixed bandwidth). Moreover, the use of forward error correction (FEC) to expand scalability is studied. Based on the analysis, two spectrum-sliced DWDM transmission schemes are introduced. One demonstrates 1.25-Gb/s, eight channel spectrum-sliced DWDM transmission through the use of directly modulated super-luminescent diodes (SLDs), and the other confirms 10-Gb/s, eight channel spectrum-sliced DWDM transmission with the channel spacing of 200 GHz through the use of FEC

The influence of a nocturnal blood pressure dip on cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) has not yet been clarified. We attempted to examine a correlation with the nocturnal blood pressure dip and CADASIL. We monitored circadian blood pressure patterns by the use of a portable blood pressure monitoring device in five patients with CADASIL and 10 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Based on nocturnal fall in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), we classified patients into extreme dippers (nocturnal reduction of MABPor =20%), dippers (or =10% but20%), nondippers (10% butor =0%), and inverted dippers (0%). Three patients revealed non-dipper and two inverted dipper. Nighttime MABP fall was significantly lower in patients compared with control subjects (P0.01). This study suggests that a lower nocturnal blood pressure fall may be partly associated with incidence and/or worsening of deep white matter lesions in CADASIL.

This paper proposes a novel and simply configured broad-band optical access network that uses coherence multiplexing (CM) and half-duplex bidirectional transmission. It allows the on-demand use of broad bandwidth on existing fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) access lines. The design of the proposed CM network considers degradation factors in CM systems. This paper introduces two analyses. The first one is a numerical simulation to optimize the tradeoff between available user number and fiber dispersion degradation, and the second estimates acceptable access-line loss in the network. These analyses show that 16 users/spl times/100 Mb/s (or 12 users/spl times/155 Mb/s) bandwidth Is possible on a standard single-mode fiber access line whose loss and length are under 9 dB and 10 km (and 7 km), respectively. The feasibility and scalability of the proposed network are verified by an experiment in which eight-channel 155-Mb/s half-duplex optical packet transmission is successfully demonstrated on a 7-km standard fiber access line with bit error rates better than 1/spl times/10/sup -9/. This study shows that the capacity of existing FTTH access lines that employ star couplers can be significantly enhanced.

Nonlinear waveform reshaping transmission using dispersion decreasing transmission fibres (DDTFs) and narrow-band sliding filters is numerically analysed. This transmission technique can remove the pulse distortion due to higher order group-velocity dispersion (GVD) and self-phase modulation (SPM) while strongly suppressing the accumulation of timing jitter. The transmission distance is investigated with estimating the SNR, which is obtained from the P factor and timing jitter. The sliding rate and the filter bandwidth are optimized against the DDTF input power to maximise the transmission distance. Numerical results show that more than 5,300 km transmission can be achieved at the bit rate of 80 Gb/s.

The system design strategy of basing soliton transmission on the signal frequency sliding technique is discussed while considering amplitude noise and timing jitter. The dependence of system performance on various parameters associated with signal frequency sliding are investigated at given bit rates and transmission distances; the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to amplitude noise is theoretically estimated. These estimated are well supported by the results of recirculating loop experiments at 10 Gb/s. The total SNR is then maximized by optimizing the fiber dispersion, through the tradeoff between the effect of amplitude noise and that of timing jitter.

We previously reported that supplementation with Bifidobacterium breve B-3 reduced body weight gain and accumulation of visceral fat in a dose-dependent manner, and improved serum levels of total cholesterol, glucose and insulin in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. In this study, we investigated the expression of genes in the liver using DNA microarray analysis and q-PCR to reveal the mechanism of these anti-obesity effects in this mouse model. Administration of B. breve B-3 led to regulated gene expression of pathways involved in lipid metabolism and response to stress. The results indicate that these regulations in the liver are related to the anti-metabolic syndrome effects of B. breve B-3.

The rat placental PRL family consists of molecules structurally similar to PRL and GH, and to date, seven members have been identified. During investigation of pregnancy stage-specific placental factors by the differential display method, we obtained a complementary DNA (cDNA) fragment (199 bp) encoding a peptide homologous to PRL-like protein (PLP)-C. By using the 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends method, a full-length cDNA was cloned and tentatively named PLP-D. The cDNA encoded a mature protein of 240 amino acids, including a 29-amino acid signal sequence. PLP-D contains one putative N-glycosylation site and six cysteine residues that are highly conserved in the placental PRL family. Sequence comparison between PLP-D and other members of the placental PRL family showed that PLP-D is highly homologous to PLP-C (80%) and decidual PRL-related protein (73%). Northern blot analysis revealed that PLP-D messenger RNA (mRNA) first appeared at day 14 of pregnancy, and that its expression increased until term. In situ hybridization analysis indicated that PLP-D mRNA was specifically expressed in spongiotrophoblast cells and trophoblast giant cells of the placental junctional zone. Differentiated Rcho-1 cells also expressed PLP-D mRNA, whereas undifferentiated Rcho-1 cells did not.

The administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) has recently been reported to be favorable for treating malignant hemangioendothelioma (MHE).Two patients with MHE responded well to intralesional injections of recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2) without major side effects. The purpose of this study was to characterize cells infiltrating the regressing tumor following rIL-2 treatment. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on biopsy specimens taken from rIL-2-injected lesional skin.It was shown that CD8+ lymphocytes and CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells infiltrated at the rIL-2-injection sites, suggesting that these cells contributed to the tumor regression. In addition, MHE cells bore intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) whose expression was augmented by rIL-2 injections.These findings suggested, that rIL-2 not only induces lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and NK cells, but also facilitates these cytotoxic cells to adhere to MHE cells by enhancing ICAM-1 expression of tumor cells.

Antidesmoglein (anti-Dsg) 3 serum antibody titres are usually correlated with the disease activity of pemphigus vulgaris (PV), but some patients retain high titres even in remission.The aim of our study was to determine whether anti-Dsg3 antibodies in PV sera recognized calcium (Ca(2+) )-dependent or non-Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes, and to evaluate their pathogenicity.Dsg3 baculoprotein-coated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) plates were treated with 0.5 mmol L(-1) ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The binding ability of anti-Dsg3 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was analysed. Eight of the 83 patients with PV who were screened had elevated Dsg3 ELISA index values00 in remission. The binding ability of these PV sera was analysed. We evaluated the pathogenicity of anti-Dsg3 serum antibodies against the non-Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes using a dissociation assay.The reactivity of pathogenic anti-Dsg3 mAbs against the Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes diminished markedly in the EDTA-treated ELISA, whereas no such reduction was observed in mAbs against the non-Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes. The sera of all the patients contained antibodies against both Ca(2+) -dependent and non-Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes. In six out of the eight patients, the ratio of antibodies against Ca(2+) -dependent to non-Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes decreased in remission. EDTA-treated Dsg3 baculoproteins adsorbed anti-Dsg3 serum antibodies against the non-Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes, but the remnant PV antibodies retained the ability to induce acantholysis in the dissociation assay.We have established an assay to measure indirectly the titres of anti-Dsg3 serum antibodies against the Ca(2+) -dependent epitopes, based on the differences between EDTA-untreated and EDTA-treated ELISA index values, as a routine laboratory test to reflect the pathogenic anti-Dsg3 serum antibody titres more accurately.

We achieve a 512-channel super-dense wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) transmission with a 12.5 GHz channel spacing over 320 km (80 km/spl times/4) of standard single-mode fiber in the C+L-bands. Optical carrier supply modules, which are based on a flattened sideband generation scheme, are applied to generate the 512 wavelengths from only 64 distributed-feedback laser diodes with a frequency spacing of 100 GHz. Arrayed-waveguide gratings with a 12.5 GHz spacing are used in this super-dense WDM experiment.

Information about nutrients is a critical part of food selection in living creatures. Each animal species has developed its own way to safely seek and obtain the foods necessary for them to survive and propagate. Necessarily, humans and other vertebrates have developed special chemosensory organs such as taste and olfactory organs. Much attention, recently, has been given to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract as another chemosensory organ. Although the GI tract had been considered to be solely for digestion and absorption of foods and nutrients, researchers have recently found taste-signalling elements, including receptors, in this tissue. Further studies have revealed that taste cells in the oral cavity and taste-like cells in the GI tract appear to share common characteristics. Major receptors to detect umami, sweet and bitter are found in the GI tract, and it is now proposed that taste-like cells reside in the GI tract to sense nutrients and help maintain homeostasis. In this review, we summarize recent findings of chemoreception especially through sweet and umami sensors in the GI tract. In addition, the possibility of purinergic transmission from taste-like cells in the GI tract to vagus nerves is discussed.

The gram-positive bacterial genus Lactococcus has been taxonomically classified into seven species (Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus garvieae, Lactococcus piscium, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus chungangensis and Lactococcus fujiensis). This study aimed to develop a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer set for the identification of the seven lactococcal species, as well as to differentiate the two industrially important dairy subspecies, L. lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. cremoris.A multiplex PCR primer set was designed based on the nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA gene of the seven lactococcal species. The specificity of the established one-step multiplex PCR scheme was verified using more than 200 bacterial strains, in which a complete sequence match was confirmed by partial sequencing of their 16S rRNA gene.The one-step multiplex PCR enables the identification and speciation of bacterial strains belonging to the genus Lactococcus and the differentiation of strains of L. lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. cremoris.This work provides an efficient method for identification of lactococcal strains of industrial importance.

We describe the serial changes of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a patient with chronic cryptococcus meningo-encephalitis. In the subacute phase, MRI revealed a focal lesion with hyperintensity on T2-weighted image (WI) in the left thalamus. At 11 months after the onset, MRI showed a focal lesion with hyperintensity on T2-WI in the right pons that was enhanced with gadolinium (Gd). At 13 months after the onset, the lesion in the left thalamus became rim enhanced with Gd. After antifungal therapy (amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine), the rim enhancement in the left thalamus and the high signal intensity area in the right pons decreased. Cryptococcoma should be in the differential from other ring enhancing lesions.

Ethidium bromide monoazide (EMA) has been determined to cause delay in DNA amplification from dead bacteria at real-time PCR. However, there is concern that the increasing EMA concentration to suppress amplification from high number of dead bacteria also affects live bacteria. The aim is to disclose a novel application of EMA for food hygienic test.We performed a low-dose double EMA treatment. Live or heat-dead Enterobacter sakazakii (reclassified as Cronobacter spp.) in 10% powdered infant formula (PIF) solution was subjected to a treatment with 20 μg ml(-1) of EMA followed by a treatment with 10 μg ml(-1) of EMA without washing, and direct real-time PCR. We observed that DNA amplification from 10(7) cells ml(-1) of dead Ent. sakazakii was completely suppressed within 50 cycles of PCR, whereas 10(2) -10(3) cells ml(-1) of viable cells could be detected. When a 3-h enrichment step in liquid medium was included after the first EMA treatment, live Ent. sakazakii could be detected at initial levels of 10(0) -10(2) cells ml(-1) . We compared the low-dose double-treated EMA-PCR with the culture method using 80 samples of PIF, and completely correlative results were obtained for both methods.We concluded that the newly developed low-dose double-treated EMA-PCR is a very effective tool for live Ent. sakazakii detection in PIF.We focused on the specific nature of photoreactive compound that residual EMA is cancelled by irradiation. We were successful in treating bacteria with EMA in gradient concentration to increase live and dead distinction ability.

We achieve 1 Tb/s (100/spl times/10 Gb/s) super-dense WDM (super DWDM) transmission with 25-GHz channel spacing (0.4 bit/s/Hz spectral efficiency) in the zero-dispersion region over a 4/spl times/80 km dispersion-shifted fiber by employing backward pumped distributed Raman amplification and forward error correction. By adopting bi-directional pumping, we present experimental results showing that the transmission distance is extended approximately threefold to 1040 km.

This is the first report of a patient presenting with a combination of Wallenberg and posterior spinal artery syndromes. The patient developed right hemiplegia and sensory disturbances on the right side of the face and over the whole body. MRI showed infarcts of the cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and upper cervical cord. These lesions were in the territory of the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) and the right posterior spinal artery (PSA). The combination was due to severe stenosis of the right vertebral artery.

Aims: Human bifidobacteria are more sensitive to external environmental factors than animal bifidobacteria, and it is difficult to ensure their stable survival in yogurt. The purpose of this investigation was to observe the survival of human bifidobacteria in yogurts produced under various production conditions. Methods: Frozen or lyophilized bifidobacteria starters containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536 originally isolated from an infant, and commercial lyophilized yogurt starters were used for yogurt preparation. After producing yogurts under various conditions, the survival of bifidobacteria in these yogurts over various storage periods was observed. Results: Although there were some differences in bifidobacterial survival in yogurt between various production conditions, more than 1·0 × 107 CFU g−1 of Bif. longum survived in yogurt after 35 days’ storage at 5°C. Lower fermentation temperature (37°C) and inclusion of Lactococcus lactis in the starter significantly (P

We studied in vivo binding sites of pemphigus foliaceus (PF) autoantibodies by immuno-gold labelling technique, and compared them with those of pemphigus vulgaris (PV). In early acantholytic lesions of PF, the bound antibodies indicated by 5 nm protein A-colloidal gold particles were observed on the surface of keratinocytes, with particular affinity for desmosomes and separated attachment plaques. Nondesmosomal cell surfaces were sparsely labeled with the gold particles. A similar binding pattern was seen in the epidermal sheets obtained from a PV patient utilizing the Nikolsky phenomenon. These findings indicate that both PF and PV antigen-antibody complexes are densely located on the desmosomal areas in early pemphigus lesions, suggesting the pathogenic importance of functional impairment of desmosomes by the autoantibodies.

An interferometric fiber-optic sensor using a local laser is proposed. An Er-doped-fiber ring-laser is injection locked to a signal carrier using a fiber coupler, and the extracted carrier is directly homodyned with the signal light at the output of the coupler. With a feedback loop suppressing the local laser instability, demodulation linearity over two decades and minimum detection in the 10/sup -3/ rad range are attained. The Er-doped fiber ring laser constructed for this work has a linewidth of less than 1.4 kHz. Acceptable signal frequency ranges and the linearity and sensitivity of the proposed sensor are examined. Also discussed is the applicability of this configuration to simple, long-spanned sensors. >

A two-coupler-type Er-doped-fiber ring resonator that compensates for the round-trip optical loss by optical amplification is proposed. Also proposed is a mode-filtered heterodyne method for resonant-linewidth measurements which does not demand narrow-linewidth light sources, but uses the beat noise between two uncorrelated lights filtered by the resonator passband. With this method, a finesse >or=500 and a resonant linewidth >

In this presentation, I will mention the next generation optical access systems with over 10 Gbps, focusing on WDM-PON. After introducing a brief background of technical trend for a large-scale bandwidth of optical access system, the issues and requirements related to the next generation optical access systems will be presented.

Endogenous pancreatic prostaglandin production in control and obstructive jaundice was investigated using isolated and parfused dog pancreas. In both groups, spontaneous production of prostaglandin E 2 and prostaglandin I 2 was recorded, and the levels did not change in both groups. The production of both prostaglandins in jaundice, however, was higher than that in the control on stimulation by 8 x 10 -11 mol of cholecystokinin-octapeptide. Amylase release with cholecystokinin-octapeptide at an amount of 8 x 10 -11 mol in jaundice was higher than in the control. The amylase release in both groups, however, showed further elevation on indomethacin pretreatment. On incubation of pancreatic dispersed cells in both groups, prostaglandin production in jaundiced cells was higher than that in control cells. These data showed that enhanced endogenous prostaglandin in obstructive jaundice might be caused by the characteristic change of pancretic cells, which increased susceptibility to cholecystokinin-octapeptide because of long-term exposure to abnormal blood components, and enhanced prostaglandins might act as a cytoprotector of acinar cells in the pancreas damaged by cholecystokinin-octapeptide administration.

In this paper, we propose a wavelength locker free, simple and cost effective wavelength setting and monitoring method that estimates wavelength on a software basis. This method uses preliminarily measured wavelengths at selected sets of drive current and device temperature, which are stored in the memory of the transceiver module. We then determine the relationship among the wavelength, the drive current, and the device temperature as a linear function. This function enables us to estimate the wavelength by setting and monitoring the drive current and device temperature. The same procedure is done for output power estimation. We measured the wavelength estimation accuracy using two practical DFB-LDs and confirmed that the discrepancy between the estimated wavelength and the measured wavelength was less than ±1 GHz.

We have previously reported the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that found the intake of yogurt supplemented with a probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium longum BB536, alleviates symptoms and affects blood parameters in individuals with Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCPsis) during the pollen season.In the present study, fecal microbiota were investigated to examine whether any changes occur during the pollen season and whether any influence is exerted by probiotic intake.Yogurt either with BB536 (BB536 yogurt) or without BB536 (placebo yogurt) was administered for 14 weeks at 2 x 100 g per day to 40 subjects (17 men, 23 women) with a clinical history of JCPsis. Fecal samples were obtained from 23 subjects (placebo group, n=13; BB536 group, n=10) before and during the intervention (weeks 4, 9 and 13) and fecal microbiota were analyzed using terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods.From the fluctuation patterns of terminal-restriction fragments, the Bacteroides fragilis group and bifidobacteria were among the species that changed most with pollen dispersion. Real-time PCR analyses indicated that the cell numbers of the B fragilis group increased significantly along with pollen dispersion in both BB536 and placebo groups. Cell numbers of bifidobacteria were significantly higher in the BB536 group compared with the placebo group (P.05 at weeks 4 and 9). The ratio of cell numbers of the B fragilis group to bifidobacteria increased significantly during the pollen season in the placebo group (P.01 at weeks 9 and 14), but not in the BB536 group. An in vitro study using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from JCPsis subjects indicated that strains of the B fragilis group induced significantly more helper T cell (T(H)) type2 cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6) but fewer T(H)1 cytokines (IL-12 and interferon) compared with those of bifidobacteria.These results suggest a relationship between fluctuation in intestinal microbiota and pollinosis allergy. Furthermore, intake of BB536 yogurt appears to exert positive ihfluences on the formation of anti-allergic microbiota.

Probiotic microorganisms have been shown to be effective in the treatment of allergic inflammation and food allergy, but their efficacy remains controversial. This study tested the effect of a yogurt supplemented with a probiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum BB536 in the treatment of Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCPsis). Forty subjects with a clinical history of JCPsis were given yoghurt either containing BB536 (BB536 yoghurt) or without BB536 (placebo yoghurt) at 2 X 100 g per day for 14 weeks, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Subjective symptoms and self-care measures were recorded daily and blood samples were taken before and during the intervention (at weeks 4, 9, and 14) to measure the blood parameter levels related to JCPsis. Yoghurt supplemented with BB536 significantly alleviated eye symptoms compared with placebo yoghurt (odds ratio 0.31; 95% confidence interval 0.10-0.97; p = 0.044). Although no statistically significant differences were detected, nasal symptoms such as itching, rhinorrhea, and blockage, as well as throat symptoms tended to be relieved with the BB536 yoghurt. BB536 tended to suppress the decreasing blood levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-y) and the increasing blood eosinophil rates; a significantly higher IFN-gamma level was observed for the difference from baseline at week 4. A decreased trend in the difference from baseline levels of JCP-specific IgE levels was also observed at week 4 in the BB536 group compared with the placebo group. In conclusion, these results suggest that intake of BB536-supplemented yoghurt may relieve JCPsis symptoms, probably through a modulating effect on Th balance.

The authors performed nerve conduction studies in nine PARK2 and eight idiopathic Parkinson disease patients and found a significant reduction of sural sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude in eight PARK2 patients who mostly remained asymptomatic. These data suggest that sensory axonal neuropathy may be a common clinical feature of PARK2 and a reduced amplitude of sural SNAP could be a diagnostic indicator of PARK2.

To understand the role of calcium ions in thigmotaxis inParamecium caudatum, the effects of caffeine, ruthenium red and lanthanum (LaCl3) on thigmotaxis were examined. Thigmotaxis in the CNR mutant, which lacks voltage-dependent Ca2+-channels in the ciliary membrane, was also examined. Ruthenium red and LaCl3 suppressed thigmotaxis inP. caudatum, while caffeine enhanced it. The CNR mutant showed hardly any thigmotaxis. It can be thought that an increase in Ca2+ influx and the intraciliary concentration of Ca2+ ions induces thigmotaxis inParamecium.

We demonstrated a two-fiber WDM ring network that handles 12.5-GHz-spaced 256 wavelengths using a tapped-type optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) consisting of small-scale 12.5-GHz-spaced arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) and BPFs. The feasibility of the network employing the prototype OCSM was shown by transmission experiments.

This paper first described design guidelines of multi-wavelength-band WDM transmission systems that avoid the degradation caused by inter- and intra-wavelength-band nonlinear interactions. The guidelines indicate the best combination of wavelength bands for realizing triple-wavelength-band WDM transmission. After discussing the performance of multi-wavelength-band WDM transmission systems, a 1000-channel WDM carrier generator was demonstrated for realizing advanced triple-wavelength-band WDM transmission systems.

We report two patients with severe amicrobial pustular dermatosis with immunological abnormalities: a 63-year-old woman with a 30-year-history of discoid lupus erythematosus and sicca syndrome, and a 35-year-old woman with high levels of gamma-globulinemia and positive antinuclear antibodies. Both patients presented with crusty and eroded erythematous plaques studded with aseptic pustules on the back, face, and scalp. Histological examination showed acanthosis, neutrophilic exocytosis to the epidermis, and neutrophilic and lymphocytic infiltration with nuclear dust in the dermis. These patients were diagnosed as having "amicrobial pustulosis associated with autoimmune diseases". The eruptions improved with combination treatment of oral prednisolone with cyclosporin A or diaminodiphenylsulphone. Although the pathogenesis remains unclear, amicrobial pustular dermatosis might be one of the cutaneous complications in autoimmune diseases.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leucoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a rare hereditary stroke disease. In the present study, a Japanese CADASIL family was first reported with missense mutation of Arg141Cys of Notch3 and a unique lesion of corpus callosum. Upon neuropsychological examination, our case 1 showed only right-handed constructional apraxia associated with corpus callosum lesion. No other callosal disconnection signs were present. Sagittal T2 weighted image of case 1 showed multiple small lesions along with the pericallosal branches from the truncus to the posterior part of the splenium in the corpus callosum. Although detailed mapping of the corpus callosum for functional fractionation in humans remains incomplete, the constructional apraxia on the right may be related to callosal dysfunction from the truncus to the posterior part of the splenium in the corpus callosum.

Aberrant activation of the hedgehog pathway has been identified in various human tumours, including familial and sporadic basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). It has been postulated that binding of sonic hedgehog protein (SHH) to its receptor, patched protein (PTC), releases the inhibitory effect of PTC against smoothened protein (SMO), another protein of the SHH signalling pathway. The positive SMO signalling is not downregulated in BCCs because of the mutational inactivation of PTC. Recently, hedgehog-interacting protein (HIP) was found to bind to SHH directly and attenuate SHH signalling like PTC, while its expression was induced by SHH signals.To examine the expression patterns of HIP, SHH and PTC gene mRNA by human BCCs, in comparison with those by normal human skin and various skin tumours.We performed quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses with a series of samples from BCCs, other skin tumours and normal skin.We found that the mRNA expression of both HIP and PTC genes was enhanced in all samples of BCCs, whereas none of the other skin tumours tested exhibited an increased level of such mRNAs as compared with normal skin. The transcription of the SHH gene, however, was at a baseline level in most BCCs.These results indicate that both HIP and PTC gene expression are specifically involved in the development of BCCs, and that the production of HIP is linked with the expression of the PTC gene but not the SHH gene.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a rare hereditary disease characterized by recurrent transient ischemic attacks (TIA) and strokes, and vascular dementia with Notch3 gene mutations as the cause of the disease. To date, there are only a few Japanese families ever reported with a mutation in the gene. Here, we report two more Japanese CADASIL families carrying a missense mutation in the Notch3 gene (R141C) with a unique lesion in the corpus callosum. This is the first report of two unrelated Japanese CADASIL families with a R141C mutation in the Notch3 gene. Although the disease is very rare among the Japanese population, our result suggests a possible relationship of this particular mutation (R141C) with the lesions of the corpus callosum.

We amplified the capsid protein gene fragments of 30 Japanese isolates of feline calicivirus (FCV), including the C, D, and E regions, by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), followed by direct sequencing. Alignment of the predicted amino acid sequences, together with other published sequences from the isolates obtained in other countries, demonstrated a marked heterogeneity among the isolates, confirming the current definition of hypervariable regions within the capsid protein: these regions give rise to the antigenic variations seen in FCV isolates. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences could not identify significant geographically or temporally separated clusters of FCV isolates, supporting the theory of a single genotype.

An 81-year-old woman developed a necrotic plaque and a surrounding purple-red, irregularly shaped macule on her scalp. The diagnosis of angiosarcoma was confirmed histologically. A wide surgical excision was made followed by a split-thickness skin graft from her right buttock. Nine months later, she noticed a dark purple-red lesion on the donor site which grew rapidly into a large mass. Histological examination revealed irregular clefts and vascular channels lined by atypical endothelial cells. Lung metastasis and pneumothorax were also noted. The secondary tumor appeared to represent Koebner phenomenon in a patient with angiosarcoma of the scalp.

We report a 55-year-old woman with neuro-Behçet's disease with HLA B54 and predominant cerebral white matter lesions. She showed a cryptogenic high fever and cerebral cortical symptoms such as perseveration, limbkinetic apraxia and dementia. CSF study showed an increase of cell count and protein and a decrease of sugar. MRI showed diffuse T2-high signal intensity mainly in the subcortical white matter of left parieto-occipital lobes and basal ganglia. Her clinical signs greatly improved after administration of prednisolone. Her HLA type was not B51 but B54. Though our patient did not completely satisfy clinical criteria for neither neuro-Behçet's disease nor Sweet's syndrome, she showed partial features of both Behçet's disease and Sweet's syndrome.

We report a case of subcorneal pustular dermatosis (SPD)-type IgA pemphigus arising in a 49 year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis who had been treated with chrysotherapy. Scaly erythemic plaques containing vesicles and pustules occurred on her chest and abdomen during the course of anti-rheumatic treatments using prednisolone at 11 mg/day and thiol compounds (bucillamine and gold sodium thiomalate). Histological investigations revealed subcorneal pustules containing many neutrophils and a few acantholytic cells, and intercellular IgA deposits at the upper epidermis of the eruptions without any other immunoglobulins and complement component C3. Circulating IgA antibodies directed against intercellular spaces of the epidermis were found by prolonged incubation of normal skin specimens in medium containing 20% patient's serum in an explant culture, although standard indirect immunofluorescence for IgA antibodies was negative. The eruptions were treated successfully with prednisolone, 30 mg/day, dapsone, 50 mg/day, and discontinuance of the thiol compound. In addition to the coexistent rheumatoid arthritis, both thiol compounds might have been responsible for the development of the eruptions.

Although deep trichophytic infection often occurs in immunocompromised patients, the immune deficiency in such patients has not been clarified. A 28-year-old man who suffered from recalcitrant trichophytic granuloma and tinea universalis during treatment for SLE with corticosteroid is described here to define the immunological abnormalities. In addition to routine immunological tests, we evaluated the patient's innate and specific immune functions to dermatophytes, including T cell, natural killer (NK) cell and neutrophil functions and activation of the complement cascade. We measured the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of itraconazole for the isolated fungus and its concentrations in the patient's serum and pus. Trichophyton (T.) rubrum was constantly isolated from the exudates of the patient's skin lesions, although the concentrations of itraconazole in his serum (198 ng/ml) and lesions (210 ng/ml) were sufficient to inhibit the growth of the isolated fungus in vitro. Specific cell-mediated immune responses, determined by T cell stimulation and IFN-gamma production, were evoked following stimulation with trichophytic antigens. The patient's innate immunity, assessed by activation of the complement cascade and neutrophil-mediated phagocytosis, was not impaired. The number of circulating NK cells was markedly decreased (0.2% of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells), and was associated with low NK cell activity against K-562 cells even though lymphopenia had improved. The deficiency of innate immunity mediated by NK cells might be responsible for a part of the persistence of trichophytic granuloma in our case. Dermatophytes usually affect the horny layer of the skin and do not invade the living layers because the host immune system uses various mechanisms to eliminate the fungi. Both specific T cell-mediated immunity and nonspecific immunological mechanisms provide host defense against fungal infections. An adaptive immune response is usually preceded by innate immune responses mediated by neutrophils, NK cells, and circulating proteins such as complement components and anti-microbial peptides. However, in patients with localized or systemic immunological defects, granulomatous cutaneous infection of dermatophytes mostly caused by trichophytic fungi may occur [1]. Trichophytic granuloma includes Majocchi's granuloma [2] and disseminated trichophytic granuloma [3]. Recently, we experienced a patient with trichophytic granuloma and tinea universalis caused by Trichophyton (T.) rubrum infection during treatment with corticosteroid for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We describe the clinical details of this patient, focusing on his immunological defects which led to the persistence of the fungal infection.

Intrathecal administration of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd) was performed in patients with meningeal dissemination of malignant tumors during the period from January 1996 to September 1998, and they were followed up until February 1999. The study population consisted of 23 patients: 12 with lung cancer, 4 with breast cancer, 2 with colon cancer, 1 with malignant lymphoma, 2 with glioblastoma and 2 with metastatic brain tumors of unknown origin. FdUrd was administered intrathecally through an Ommaya reservoir placed in the lateral ventricle initially at a dose of 1 microg twice per week, and the dose was increased to 10 microg and administration schedule was also increased every day. Headache and nuchal pain were relieved in all patients regardless of responsiveness to intrathecal FdUrd therapy as determined from the findings in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Patients showed no side effects during the course of intrathecal chemotherapy except for slight nausea in two patients and dull headache in one. Sixteen of the 23 patients showed decreased cell number in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Positive cytological findings in CSF became negative in 6 of the 23 patients, and the levels of CSF tumor markers were decreased in 14. Responsiveness to intrathecal administration of FdUrd was defined as 'response' when both the cell number and tumor markers were decreased in both ventricular and spinal CSF or when the cell number was decreased in cases in which the tumor markers were not detected. Overall, 16 of the 23 patients (70%) showed complete or partial responses to intrathecal FdUrd therapy as determined from CSF findings. These results demonstrated the efficacy of intrathecal FdUrd chemotherapy without apparent neurotoxicity for treatment of meningeal dissemination of malignant tumors.