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Candida albicans is a commensal microorganism of the human microbiota that can be associated with superficial to disseminated infections. This species possesses several attributes that contribute to pathogenesis and virulence, such as the ability to transition from yeast to hyphae forms. During this transition, several changes occur in the fungal cell wall, which is the first point of contact between the pathogen and the host. The cell wall is a bi-layered structure, containing chitin, glucan, and proteins, the latter of which play important roles in pathogenesis. Given the importance of this structure, particularly in filamentation, this review focuses on the studies of C. albicans mutants for genes that encode cell wall-associated proteins that have an important role in the virulence, and also have a role in hyphal morphogenesis. Thus, we highlight some proteins whose mutation is associated with attenuated virulence in vivo and have defective filamentation. We also provide examples of proteins whose inactivation does not impair the filamentation yet are still important for C. albicans virulence.

Advanced regenerator materials of erbium and holmium binary nitrides, Er x Ho1-x N (x = 0 - 1) were studied. Its specific heat vs. temperature curve, possesses a peak due to the magnetic phase transition at their Curie temperature. The cooling power at 4.2 K of a commercial 4K-GM cryocooler filled with the binary nitride of x = 0.625, 0.75, 0.875 or 1 was evaluated. It was found that the cooling power at 4.2 K has a good linear correlation with the heat quantity, which is calculated by integrating C with respect to T in the region of 4.2 - 7.0 K. Three binary nitrides (x = 0.625, 0.875 and 1) filled in series along the regenerator column gave 26% higher cooling power than that filled with HoCu2.

Aims: Industrial wastewater can be processed by physical, chemical and biological treatment. Most biological treatment have no negative impact on environment and can minimize more cost. The aim of this study was to reduce ammonia in urea fertilizer industrial wastewater by Bacillus bacterial consortium. This strategy tried to develop biological processing of ammonia in wastewater with nitrification process. Methodology and results: Bacterial consortium consisted of three isolates: isolate W1.6 identified as Bacillus sp. A16ZZ, isolate W2.5 identified as Bacillus sp. BNPK-13, and isolate S2.6 identified as B. cereus strain CP1. Consortium culture was made based on shortest generation time on each isolate in order to be in exponential phase when it was used. Bacterial consortium was able to decrease ammonia concentration in wastewater seven days after incubation. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Consortium of heterotrophic nitrification works optimally with concentration of 350 mg/L ammonia and decrease 96.28%. This consortium has potency to be developed as alternative biological agent in reducing ammonia compounds in high-concentrated urea fertilizer industrial wastewater.

Summary Objective Chondrocyte hypertrophy followed by cartilage destruction is a crucial step for osteoarthritis (OA) development, however, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. The objectives of this study are to identify the gene that may cause cartilage hypertrophy and to elucidate its role on OA pathogenesis. Design Gene expression profiles of cartilages from OA patients and normal subjects were examined by microarray analysis. Expression of deiodinases, enzymes for regulation of triiodothyronine (T3) biosynthesis, in human and rat articular cartilage (AC) were examined by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Rat ACs and chondrocytes were treated with T3 to investigate its role on chondrocyte hypertrophy and inflammatory reaction. Cartilage-specific Type II deiodinase (DIO2) transgenic rats were generated using bacterial artificial chromosome harboring the entire rat Col2a1 and human DIO2 gene. An experimental OA model was created in the animal to examine the role of DIO2 on cartilage degeneration. Results DIO2 is highly expressed in OA patient AC compared to normal control. In rat AC, DIO2 is specifically expressed among deiodinases and dominantly expressed the same as in brown adipose tissue. T3 induces hypertrophic markers in articular chondrocyte and cartilage explant culture, and enhances the effect of IL-1α on induction of cartilage degrading enzymes. Importantly, cartilage-specific DIO2 transgenic rats are more susceptible to knee joint destabilization and develop severe AC destruction. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that upregulated expression of DIO2 in OA patient cartilage might be responsible for OA pathogenesis by enhancing the chondrocyte hypertrophy and inflammatory response.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors play an important role in tumor progression; however, there is no report regarding this factor in uterine sarcoma. Thirty-nine patients with uterine sarcoma, 14 carcinosarcomas, 4 endometrial stromal sarcomas, and 21 leiomyosarcomas, were studied. By immunohistochemical staining, VEGF was not detected in normal uterine smooth muscle, but VEGF receptor-1 (flt-1) and VEGF receptor-2 (flk-1) were observed in 14 and 4 of 14 normal smooth muscles, respectively. Of 39 sarcomas, 25 expressed VEGF, and 38 and 34 sarcomas expressed flt-1 and flk-1 at various intensities, respectively. The staining intensity of VEGF, flt-1, and flk-1 was significantly higher in sarcoma than in normal uterine smooth muscle, but that of phospho-flt-1 (p-flt-1) was significantly lower in sarcoma than in normal uterine smooth muscle. When sarcomas were divided into two groups according to staining intensity, a significant difference in survival curves was observed in only p-flt-1 of leiomyosarcoma (P = 0.008), and in all sarcomas, a lower survival curve was also observed in the high staining intensity group than in the low staining intensity group, although there was no significant difference (P = 0.102). In conclusion, VEGF and its receptors are suggested to be involved in progression of uterine sarcoma, but only the p-flt-1 level significantly affected the survival of leiomyosarcoma patients.

Effects of migration-enhanced-epitaxy-grown AlN (MEE-AlN) on polarities of GaN were investigated in low-pressure metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (LP-MOVPE). AlN was grown on extensively nitrided sapphire substrate by alternatively supplying trimethyl-aluminium (TMA) and ammonia with 2-second purging in between. It was found that the polarities of GaN depend on the growth temperatures of MEE-AlN. With increase of the growth temperature of the MEE-AlN layer, the Ga-polar ratio in GaN epilayer decreased. At the same growth temperature of MEE-AlN, the formation of Ga-polarity could be promoted by prolonging the TMA pre-flow time in the first cycle of MEE-AlN growth. The experimental results well reveal the kinetic selection process of GaN polarity in the MOVPE growth.

A pipelined delay-sum architecture based on bucket-brigade devices is proposed as an analog beamformer for integrated far-field steering scanning of a micromachined piezoelectric ultrasonic sensor phased array. The prototype beamformer, fabricated with an 8-/spl mu/m standard CMOS process, exhibits a total harmonic distortion of -45 dB, dynamic range of more than 65 dB, and beamforming imperfection of less than -50 dB using a 100-kHz input signal with peak voltage of 400 mV.

ResumenExaminamos la relación entre dosis y eficacia, y los predictores de la respuesta al milnaciprán. No hubo diferencias entre las dosis de 50 y 100 mg. Sin embargo, la dosis de 100 mg tuvo un comienzo más rápido de acción que la dosis de 50 mg. La edad y el episodio han sido predictores del milnaciprán.

The development of countless types and trends of high viscosite and flowable composite resins, with different physical and chemical properties applicable to their broad use in dental clinics calls for further studies regarding their radiopacity level.The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiopacity levels of high viscosity and the flowable composite resins, using digital imaging.96 composite resin discs 5 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick were radiographed and analyzed. The image acquisition system used was the Digora® Phosphor Storage System and the images were analyzed with the Digora software for Windows. The exposure conditions were: 70 kVp, 8 mA, and 0.2 s. The focal distance was 40 cm. The image densities were obtained with the pixel values of the materials in the digital image.Most of the high viscosity composite resins presented higher radiopacity levels than the flowable composite resins, with statistically significant differences between the trends and groups analyzed (P0.05).Among the high viscosity composite resins, Tetric®Ceram presented the highest radiopacity levels and Glacier® presented the lowest. Among the flowable composite resins, Tetric®Flow presented the highest radiopacity levels and Wave® presented the lowest.

In group key agreement protocols, it is important to consider the effects of existence of malicious insiders. In this paper, we define a type of key-control attacks and the security against them for group key agreement protocols with malicious insiders. Then, we give a first ideal functionality of group key agreement that takes key-control attacks (as well as key-integrity attacks) into consideration, and construct a group key agreement protocol that securely realizes the ideal functionality. The construction is efficient enough for practical uses, being comprised of 2 rounds and n messages for n-party groups.

Six calves, aged between 55 days and 15 months, were presented between September and November 2006 with neurological signs including limb weakness and circling. Microscopical examination of the brain and spinal cord revealed the presence of non-suppurative encephalitis in all animals. Perivascular cuffing of lymphocytes and macrophages and diffuse gliosis was prominent in the cerebrum and degeneration and/or necrosis of neurons with vacuolation of the neuropil was present in the brainstem. Neuronal necrosis and neuronophagia were noted in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. The distribution of the lesions was closely related to the clinical signs displayed by each calf. Five calves presenting with astasia with low head carriage or torticollis had lesions throughout the central nervous system (CNS). The oldest calf displayed astasia caused by weakness of the "hindlimb" one word and had lesions largely restricted to the caudal spinal cord. Akabane virus (AKAV) antigens were detected immunohistochemically within neurons and axons in lesional tissue. Virus was not isolated from CNS tissue but the AKAV S gene was detected in this tissue from five calves by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It is suggested that AKAV infection is likely to have occurred during the early life period in the calves of this study.

Objective The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of new caries detecting dye Caries Check Blue (CCB) with Caries Check (CC) and Caries Detector (CD) using a laser fluorescence device (DIAGNOdent). Method Primary and permanent teeth with dentin caries were stained with polypropylene glycol (MW = 300) based new caries detecting dyes CCB, CC, or propylene glycol (MW = 76) based CD. In the CCB and CC groups, stained dentin was completely removed. In the CD groups, pink-stained dentin was retained according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Cavities before and after caries removal were measured with the DIAGNOdent. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Fisher’s PLSD multiple comparison test at α = 0.05. Regression analyses were performed between DIAGNOdent readings and scores obtained from the clinical parameters. Results The DIAGNOdent readings after caries removal were: primary-CCB (13.2 ± 10.4), primary-CC (14.3 ± 16.7), primary-CD (9.0 ± 5.2), permanent-CCB (22.7 ± 13.4), permanent-CC (10.6 ± 6.8) and permanent-CD (9.7 ± 9.0). Significant differences were identified between the permanent-CCB and all other groups. Correlation coefficients between DIAGNOdent readings and clinical parameters were low. Conclusions When dentin stained with Caries Check Blue or Caries Check was completely removed, the DIAGNOdent readings were higher than those recorded when palely-stained pink dentin was retained with the Caries Detector, with significant difference observed for the permanent-CCB group. Caries Check Blue may be used clinically to avoid excessive removal of caries-affected or sound dentin in permanent teeth but not in primary teeth.

An experimental verification of a 3-D eddy current analysis code based on the T-method was performed by applying it to an eddy-current testing (ECT) problem. Specifically, signal trajectories for ECT of a block with a flaw were measured. The experiment was performed for the ECT benchmark problem defined by the TEAM Workshops for two frequencies. Numerical results for 500 Hz and 1 kHz agreed well with measured values, demonstrating the validity of the method and the code for 3-D eddy-current problems. >

Oriental medicine, which emphasizes individual physical condition in medical treatment, has gained notice globally. In order to construct a health supporting system based on oriental medicine, we examined the usefulness of an oriental medicine health questionnaire that was created with the goal of identifying individual physical condition. Our results suggest that the oriental medicine health questionnaire is useful in the construction of a health supporting system based on oriental medicine.

Background Little is known of the fibrinolytic host immune mechanisms responsible for induction of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN), defined as a loss in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) caused by tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis, often with fibrous intimal thickening in the small arteries. However, chronic rejection has been reported to be associated with decreased activity of the fibrinolytic system. In our previous study, [Deamino-Cys 1 , d -Arg 8 ]-vasopressin (dDAVP) induced urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) release from human peripheral T lymphocytes via arginine vasopressin (AVP) V 2 -receptor-mediated reaction enhanced by an AVP V 1 -receptor antagonist. Therefore, we examined the level of uPA released from peripheral T lymphocytes by AVP in transplant patients with CAN in comparison with control groups. Patients and Methods In this study, we evaluated in vitro uPA releasing activity of lymphocytes obtained from renal allograft patients with well-functioning grafts (n = 9), CAN (n = 5), or acute rejection episodes (n = 5) compared with lymphocytes from healthy volunteers with normal renal function (n = 12) or patients with renal insufficiency (n = 5). Results Lymphocytes prepared from patients with chronic allograft nephropathy showed a significantly lower increase in uPA release induced by the combination of the V 1 -receptor antagonist and dDAVP compared with those from the other groups. Conclusion This finding suggested that a decrease in uPA release from human peripheral blood lymphocytes by AVP-related peptides may be potentially involved in the pathophysiology of CAN.

In this paper we propose a new algorithm for an adaptive notch filter implemented using an allpass filter, for elimination of multiple sinusoids. The notch filter is implemented using cascades of second order notch filters, each of which has been realized using a second order direct form allpass filter. We also present an analysis which indicates that the proposed algorithm has a reduced bias in the estimation of the input sinusoids. Simulation results that have been provided confirm this analysis.

In this paper, we present a new method for the implementation of pipelined finite impulse response (FIR) adaptive digital filter (ADF). The proposed method reduces the length of the critical path, while simultaneously limiting the latency and the maximum delay of the coefficients of the FIR ADF to two and a fourth of the order of the filter, respectively. The latency of the proposed method is also independent of the order of the filter. Furthermore, since the FIR filter portion of the ADF incorporates only a single delay element, the proposed pipelining method can also be applied to pipelined IIR ADF.

The role of activated T cells in graft arteriosclerosis, which is observed in chronic renal allograft nephropathy, and the involvement of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) incompatibility remain to be determined. We examined the effect of T lymphocytes that were obtained from renal transplant patients undergoing chronic rejection treated with cyclosporine (CsA) on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced proliferation of cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) and compared the proliferation activity of T lymphocytes with MHC incompatibility, especially DRB 1 mismatch.Renal transplant patients with continued allograft function, who survived more than 1 year after transplantation, were recruited. Chronic rejection was documented by graft-biopsy findings together with increasing serum creatinine levels (10-20% per year). After the incubation of supernatant (conditioning medium) of cultured T cells from CsA-treated renal transplant patients with chronic rejection (n=18) and with normal renal function (n=14) as control, normal subjects (n=11) and chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients (n=5) with cultured SMC in the presence or absence of PDGF, DNA synthesis (3H-thymidine uptake) of SMC was examined. The in vitro effects of CsA on DNA synthesis of cultured SMC were also evaluated.The supernatant of cultured T cells from renal transplant patients with chronic rejection stimulated PDGF-induced DNA synthesis of SMC in a dose-dependent manner, showing significant enhancement as compared with control transplant patients, normal subjects, and chronic HD patients. The supernatant itself did not significantly stimulate DNA synthesis of SMC. No significant in vitro stimulation of CsA on DNA synthesis was observed. The supernatant of T cells obtained from recipients undergoing chronic rejection with two DRB 1 mismatches showed significantly higher enhanced activity of PDGF-induced DNA synthesis than the supernatant from those recipients without mismatch of DRB 1. On the other hand, no significant correlation of the enhanced activity by T cell supernatant to HLA A and B mismatch numbers was observed.Growth factor-promoting factors(s) derived from activated T cells associated with MHC class II DR expression, which promotes PDGF-induced proliferation of SMC, exists in renal transplant patients with chronic renal allograft nephropathy, and is probably involved in arteriosclerosis of the graft kidney.

To investigate the influence of contamination by water, human saliva, and blood on the bonding of metal brackets with a 4-META/MMA/TBB resin to etched enamel.For compressive shear bond strength measurements, the surfaces of bovine enamel were prepared either by etching with 37% phosphoric acid solution for 10, 30, or 60 s and then dried with oil-free compressed air for 10 s, or by contaminating with water, human saliva, and blood. Brackets were applied with Super Bond under loads of 200, 400, or 600 g. The bonded samples were immersed in water for 1 d or thermo-cycled for 500 cycles, and the mean shear bond strengths were compared using two-way ANOVA and Scheffé's multiple comparisons test at P = 0.05.The bond strengths to enamel etched for 60 s were independent of the variable load, regardless of the type of contamination. A short etching duration provided higher bond strengths than extended etching of samples contaminated with saliva and blood. The bond strengths to enamel etched for 10 s after thermal stress and immersion in water were from 11.4 to 30.4 MPa. The samples contaminated by saliva showed the lowest bond strength, and thermal stress did not reduce the bond strengths.

Cervical carcinomas develop as a result of multiple genetic alterations, and specific alterations lead to specific clinical behavior. However, the effect of such alterations on the recurrence of cervical cancer after radiotherapy remains unknown. Chromosome arm 6p is one of those most frequently involved in a loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in patients with cervical carcinoma. The aim of this study was to identify the correlation between the LOH on chromosome 6p21.2 and the recurrence of cervical cancer after radiotherapy. A total of 62 patients with cervical cancer (stage I, 4 patients; stage II, 9 patients; stage III, 37 patients; and stage IV, 12 patients) were included in this study. All patients were treated with definitive radiotherapy. We analyzed specimens from the tumors and venous blood of all patients. Tumors and normal DNA were analyzed by PCR for genetic losses at three polymorphic microsatellite loci (D6S276, D6S1624, and D6S1583). Chromosome 6p21.2 is involved in the LOH in 46.8% (29 of 62) of the informative carcinomas. Ten patients had a local recurrence, 4 had distant metastases, and 13 had both local recurrence and distant metastases after radiotherapy. To evaluate the relationship between the recurrence after radiotherapy and LOH on chromosome 6p21.2, we divided the patients into those with cancer recurrence (n = 27) and those without recurrence (n = 35). LOH on chromosome 6p21.2 was correlated with recurrence after radiotherapy (P = 0.006). The tumors in patients with recurrence were significantly larger than those in patients without recurrence (P = 0.003). However, there was no correlation between the sizes and stages of tumors and the LOH on chromosome 6p21.2. In addition, both overall survival and relapse-free survival were significantly worse for the patients with LOH as compared with those without LOH (P = 0.02 and P = 0.002, respectively). The results of this study suggest that LOH on 6p21.2 is correlated with recurrence of cervical carcinoma after radiotherapy.

The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between the serum level of the Lens culinaris agglutinin A-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) and the clinical features including sex, age, Child's classification, virus markers, tumour size, tumour stage, distant metastasis, histopathologic findings, portal thrombus and outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We measured the AFP-L3 levels in 170 HCC cases at the time of diagnosis using lectin-affinity electrophoresis followed by antibody-affinity blotting. The patients were divided into two groups, those who were AFP-L3 positive (n=56; AFP-L3 >/=15% relative to the total alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration) and those who were AFP-L3 negative (n=114; AFP-L3

Collagenase infusion into the pancreatic duct is an essential step in human islet isolation. We developed a new method for ductal canulation and collagenese infusion.A total of 53 pancreata were divided into two groups: group 1 (n=23), the new tube method, and group 2 (n=30), the standard angiocatheter method. In group 1, a polyethylene tube was inserted into the duct and pushed to the tail. The tail was first expanded, followed by expansion of the body and then the head, by pulling out the tube.Total islet number and number/g pancreas (mean+/-SE) were significantly higher in group 1 (481,123+/-43,218 and 8,010+/-722) (mean+/-SE) than in group 2 (300,974+/-35,122 and 5,090+/-515, P0.01). Total islet equivalent number and islet equivalent number per gram pancreas were also significantly higher in group 1 (319,176+/-39,354 and 5,455+/-652) than in group 2 (202,022+/-23,331 and 3,722+/-468, P0.04). Islet purity and fragmentation showed no differences between the groups.The tube method improved islet yields. We recommended this method for human islet isolation.

Fifty-nine methacarn-fixed, paraffin-embedded human breast carcinomas were immunostained by QB-END/10 (an antibody to CD34 antigen) to observe microvessels and by PC10 (an antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen; PCNA) to determine tumor cell proliferation; 9 normal human breast tissue specimens were also immunostained by QB-END/10. The number of microvessels in the periphery of the breast carcinoma was significantly greater than both that in the center of the breast carcinoma and that in the normal breast. There was also a significant relationship between the number of microvessels in the periphery of breast carcinomas and the histological tumor size and lymph node status. However, there was no significant relationship between the tumor cell proliferation activity (PCNA positive cell ratio) and any clinical or histopathological variables. The number of microvessels and the tumor cell proliferation activity showed a weak negative correlation.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a systematized methodology of medical treatment, based subjective information from the five senses. We proposed a diagnostic system for tongue inspection using fuzzy theory and applied this system to healthy volunteers based on traditional Chinese medicine. This system diagnosed syndromes such as deficiency syndrome, excess syndrome, coldness syndrome, and heat syndrome. We mainly focused on the evaluation of the coldness syndrome and the heat syndrome. The results suggested that this diagnostic system is useful for tongue inspection of traditional Chinese medicine.