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Deep neural network (DNN) inference for edge AI requires low-power operation, which can be achieved by implementing massively parallel matrix-vector multiplications (MVM) in the analog domain on a highly resistive memory array. We propose a 1T1R compute cell (1T1R-cell) using a ferroelectric hafnium oxide-based FET (FeFET) and TiN/SiO 2 tunneling junction of MΩ resistor (MOR) for analog in-memory computing (AiMC). The MOR exhibited a tunneling current behavior and MΩ resistance. A 1T1R-cell array-level evaluation was also performed. A random access for writing with low write disturbance scheme was confirmed from the summation-DC-current output, and binaries were successfully classified into “T” and “L.” Based on the experimental results of our proposed 1T1R-cell, we obtained a state-of-the-art energy efficiency of 13700 TOPS/W including the periphery. Furthermore, we confirmed that a high inference accuracy can be obtained with our low-resistance-variability 1T1R-cell with a properly trained model.

It is known that the pressure and contact area change contribute to hard and soft perception as a cutaneous sensation. In this study, we propose a novel method of haptic presentation based on the profiles of physical objects by using the load-displacement measurement. We fabricated a pneumatic haptic system with an elastic membrane that enables controlled pressure stimuli. We verified that the proposed method is capable of reproducing various profiles by comparing with physical objects. As a result, we found that our system could well reproduce the load-displacement profiles of a sponge and a button specimen.

In this paper, we report on a back-illuminated, global shutter, CMOS image sensor (CIS) with a pixel-parallel, single-slope analog-to-digital converter (ADC). We adopted a digital bucket relay transfer with multistage flip-flop connection, a pixel unit Cu–Cu connection, and positive-feedback circuitry, to realize a 6.9- $\mu \text{m}$ pixel-pitch, 1.46-Mpixel pixel-parallel ADC. By operating the comparator with a bias current in the subthreshold region of 7.74–111 nA, we succeeded in reducing the peak current during simultaneous ADC. In combination with an ADC standby operation, we succeeded in further reducing the pixel-parallel ADC power consumption. With these techniques, we realized a normalized figure of merit of 0.24 nJ $\cdot \text{e}-$ rms/step calculated by dividing the entire sensor power by the effective ADC resolution at a subthreshold current of 111 nA during 660 frames/s operation.

A 3.2-MP four-directional polarization image sensor with air-gap wire-grid polarizer is described. The image sensor was fabricated using a wafer process and incorporates back-illumination and an antireflection layer to minimize optical flaring and ghosting problems. In testing, the sensor achieved a polarization transmittance of 63.3% and an extinction ratio of 85 at 550 nm, thereby outperforming conventional polarization sensors. The proposed sensor also exhibited good oblique-incidence characteristics, even with small polarization pixels of $2.5~\mu \text{m}$ . Based on these results, the proposed image sensor is suitable for various megapixel fusion-imaging applications, such as reducing surface reflections, highly accurate depth mapping, and condition-robust surveillance.

The surface of a commercially available silicon nitride (SiN) substrate was modified with gold (Au) nanoparticle and then with either lactosyl derivative or monoclonal antibody. Each of the derived SiN chips carrying Au-lactose or Au-antibody was evaluated in the reflectometric interference spectroscopic (RIfS) analyses of Ricinus communis lectin (RCA 120 ) and toxin (RCA 60 ). The RIfS analysis using the Au-lactose/SiN chip enabled us to detect the plant lectin at concentrations less than 5–10 ng/mL as well as the toxin (ricin) sealed carefully in a test sample at concentration about 1 μg/mL. The RIfS analysis using the Au-antibody/SiN chip was useful for the facile and direct screening of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 strain in the presence of possible interfering materials. The overall detection was completed within 2.5 h-cultivation time without any purification process for the pathogenic bacterium.

This paper presents a 4K2K 480-fps global-shutter CMOS image sensor with a super 35-mm format for a highly realistic digital video system. The sensor employs newly developed gain-adaptive column analog-to-digital converters to obtain input-referred dark random noise of 140 $\mu \text{V}_{\mathrm {rms}}$ for an input-referred full-scale readout of 923 mV. An on-chip online correction of the error between two switchable gains maintained the nonlinearity of the output image within 0.18%. A chip-on-chip integration process realized a front-illuminated image sensor stacked with two diced logic chips through 38-K microbump interconnections. The global-shutter pixel achieved a parasitic light sensitivity of −99.6 dB. The 16-channel output interfaces with 4.752 Gbps/ch were implemented in the stacked logic chips.

Pseudomonas putida is well-known for degradation activities for a variety of compounds and its infections have been reported. Thus, P. putida includes both clinical and nonclinical isolates. To date, no reports have examined the phylogenetic relationship between clinical and nonclinical isolates of the P. putida group. In this study, fifty-nine strains of P. putida group containing twenty-six clinical, and thirty-three nonclinical, isolates, were subjected to phylogenetic and taxonomic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and nine housekeeping gene sequences, including argS, dnaN, dnaQ, era, gltA, gyrB, ppnK, rpoB, and rpoD, to obtain insights into the diversity of species in this group. More than 97.6% similarity was observed among the 16S rRNA gene sequences of all the strains examined, indicating that the resolution of 16S rRNA gene sequences is inadequate. Phylogenetic analysis based on the individual housekeeping genes listed above improved the resolution of the phylogenetic trees, which are different from each other. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on the concatenated sequences of the nine genes significantly improved the resolution of the phylogenetic tree, and yielded approximately the same results as average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis, suggesting its high reliability. ANI analysis classified the fifty-nine strains into twenty-six species containing seventeen singletons and nine strain clusters based on the 95% threshold. It also indicated the mixed distribution of clinical and nonclinical isolates in the six clusters, suggesting that the genomic difference between clinical and nonclinical isolates of the P. putida group is subtle. The P. putida type strain NBRC 14164T is a singleton that is independently located from the P. putida strains distributed among the six clusters, suggesting that the classification of these strains and the differentiation of species in the P. putida group should be re-examined. This study greatly expands insights into the phylogenetic diversity of the P. putida group.

A three-layer stacked color image sensor was formed using an organic film. The sensor decreases the false-color problem as it does not require demosaicing. Furthermore, with the 2.0-µm pixel image sensor, improved spectral characteristics owing to green adsorption by the organic film above the red/blue photodiode, were successfully demonstrated.

Blood culturing and the rapid reporting of results are essential for infectious disease clinics to obtain bacterial information that can affect patient prognosis. When gram-positive coccoid cells are observed in blood culture bottles, it is important to determine whether the strain is Staphylococcus aureus and whether the strain has resistance genes, such as mecA and blaZ, for proper antibiotic selection. Previous work led to the development of a PCR method that is useful for rapid identification of bacterial species and antimicrobial susceptibility. However, that method has not yet been adopted in community hospitals due to the high cost and methodological complexity. We report here the development of a quick PCR and DNA-chromatography test, based on single-tag hybridization chromatography, that permits detection of S. aureus and the mecA and blaZ genes; results can be obtained within 1 h for positive blood culture bottles. We evaluated this method using 42 clinical isolates. Detection of S. aureus and the resistance genes by the PCR-DNA-chromatography method was compared with that obtained via the conventional identification method and actual antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Our method had a sensitivity of 97.0% and a specificity of 100% for the identification of the bacterial species. For the detection of the mecA gene of S. aureus, the sensitivity was 100% and the specificity was 95.2%. For the detection of the blaZ gene of S. aureus, the sensitivity was 100% and the specificity was 88.9%. The speed and simplicity of this PCR-DNA-chromatography method suggest that our method will facilitate rapid diagnoses.

Multilocus sequence analysis based on hypervariable housekeeping proteins was utilized to differentiate closely related species in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Of 150 housekeeping proteins, the top 10 hypervariable proteins were selected and concatenated to obtain distance data. Distances between concatenated proteins within the family were 0.9-41.2%, whereas the 16S rRNA and atpD-gyrB-infB-rpoB concatenated sequence (4MLSA) distances were 0.8-6.0% and 0.9-22.1%, respectively. These data indicate that phylogenetic analysis by concatenation of hypervariable proteins is a powerful tool for discriminating species in the family Enterobacteriaceae. To confirm the discriminatory power of the 10 chosen concatenated hypervariable proteins (C10HKP), phylogenetic trees based on C10HKP, 4MLSA, and the 16S rRNA gene were constructed. Comparison of average bootstrap values among C10HKP, 4MLSA and 16S rRNA genes indicated that the C10HKP tree was the most reliable. Location via the C10HKP tree was consistent with existing assignments for almost all species in the family Enterobacteriaceae. However, the C10HKP tree suggested that several species (including Enterobacter massiliensis, Escherichia vulneris, Escherichia hermannii, and Salmonella subterranea) should be reassigned to different clusters than those defined in previous analyses. Furthermore, E. hermannii and S. subterranea appeared to fall onto a branch independent from those occupied by the other Enterobacteriaceae. Therefore, we propose Atlantibacter gen. nov., such that E. hermannii and S. subterranea would be transferred to genus Atlantibacter as Atlantibacter hermannii, comb. nov. and Atlantibacter subterranea. comb. nov., respectively.

Bacteria capable of degrading cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) were screened from cDCE-contaminated soil, and YKD221, a bacterial strain that exhibited a higher growth on minimal salt agar plates in the presence of cDCE than in the absence of cDCE, were isolated. Phylogenetic studies of the 16S rRNA as well as gyrB, rpoD, and recA in YKD221 indicated that this strain is closely related to the type strains of Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, monteilii, and putida. An average nucleotide identity analysis indicated that YKD221 is most closely related to P. putida strains, including the type strain, which suggests that YKD221 belongs to P. putida. Although the genome of YKD221 was very similar to that of P. putida F1, a toluene-degrading strain, the YKD221 genome has 15 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 4 insertions compared with the F1 genome. YKD221 caused the release of sufficient chloride ions from cDCE to suggest that the strain is able to completely dechlorinate and degrade cDCE. YKD221 also degraded trichloroethene but was unable to degrade trans-dichloroethene and tetrachloroethene. The degradation activity of YKD221 was elevated after growth on toluene. Inactivation of todC1, which encodes for a large subunit of the catalytic terminal component in toluene dioxygenase, resulted in a complete loss of growth on toluene and cDCE degradation activity. This is the first evidence of the involvement of todC1C2BA-coded toluene dioxygenase in cDCE degradation. YKD221 did not appear to grow on cDCE in a minimal salt liquid medium. However, YKD221 did exhibit an enhanced increase in cell concentration and volume of cells during growth on minimal salt agar plates with cDCE when first grown in LB medium. This behavior appears to have led us to misinterpret our initial results on YKD221 as an indication of improved growth in the presence of cDCE.

Rolling-shutter CMOS image sensors (CISs) are widely used [1,2]. However, the distortion of moving subjects remains an unresolved problem, regardless of the speed at which these sensors are operated. It has been reported that by adopting in-pixel analog memory (MEM) in pixels, a global shutter (GS) can be achieved by saving all pixels simultaneously as stored charges [3,4]. However, as signals from a storage unit are read in a column-wise sequence, a light-shielding structure is required for the MEM to suppress the influence of parasitic light during the reading period. Pixel-parallel ADCs have been reported as methods of implementing GS on a circuit [5,6]. However, these techniques have not been successful in operations on megapixels because they do not address issues such as the timing constraint for reading and writing a digital signal to and from an ADC in a pixel owing to increase in the number of pixels and the increase in the total power consumption of massively parallel comparators (CMs).

Pep.to.strep.to.coc.ca'ce.ae. N.L. n. Peptostreptococcus a bacterial genus, the type genus of the family; -aceae ending to denote a family; N.L. fem. pl. n. Peptostreptococcaceae the family of Peptostreptococcus. Firmicutes / “Clostridia” / Clostridiales / “Peptostreptococcaceae” Keywords: Peptostreptococcaceae fam. nov.; Peptostreptococcus; Clostridia class. nov.; Clostridiales

Fifty strains of Campylobacter jejuni/coli were detected in 108 specimens of chicken meat and organs sampled at six supermarkets and one poultry slaughterhouse (large scale) between April and October 2013 (isolation rates: 84.8% from the slaughterhouse, 29.3% from the supermarkets). 46/50 strains were successfully recovered and subjected to the E-test to examine their susceptibility to three fluoroquinolone antibacterial agents authorized for use in poultry in Japan: enrofloxacin (ERFX), ofloxacin (OFLX), and norfloxacin (NLFX). 29 isolates (63%) were resistant to all three agents and 2 isolates (4.3%) were resistant to two agents (ERFX and OFLX). The resistance rates of strains isolated fom the supermarkets and slaughterhouse were 61.9% and 72.0%, respectively. Because the chickens processed at the slaughterhouse were raised without the use of fluoroquinolone, the results did not suggest a positive relationship between the use of these agents and the distribution of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Susceptibility to macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin [EM]) was also tested in 42 strains, and one strain (2.4%), C. coli from a retailer sample, showed resistance. Previous studies have detected high rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant strains, suggesting an expanding distribution of resistant bacteria. The detection of EM-resistant bacteria downstream in the food distribution chain (i.e., closer to consumers) is a concern for human health.

A 24-μm-pitch microelectrode array (MEA) with 6912 readout channels at 12 kHz and 23.2-μVrms random noise is presented. The aim is to reduce noise in a “highly scalable” MEA with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integration circuit (CMOS-MEA), in which a large number of readout channels and a high electrode density can be expected. Despite the small dimension and the simplicity of the in-pixel circuit for the high electrode-density and the relatively large number of readout channels of the prototype CMOS-MEA chip developed in this work, the noise within the chip is successfully reduced to less than half that reported in a previous work, for a device with similar in-pixel circuit simplicity and a large number of readout channels. Further, the action potential was clearly observed on cardiomyocytes using the CMOS-MEA. These results indicate the high-scalability of the CMOS-MEA. The highly scalable CMOS-MEA provides high-spatial-resolution mapping of cell action potentials, and the mapping can aid understanding of complex activities in cells, including neuron network activities.A 24-μm-pitch microelectrode array (MEA) with 6912 readout channels at 12 kHz and 23.2-μVrms random noise is presented. The aim is to reduce noise in a “highly scalable” MEA with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integration circuit (CMOS-MEA), in which a large number of readout channels and a high electrode density can be expected. Despite the small dimension and the simplicity of the in-pixel circuit for the high electrode-density and the relatively large number of readout channels of the prototype CMOS-MEA chip developed in this work, the noise within the chip is successfully reduced to less than half that reported in a previous work, for a device with similar in-pixel circuit simplicity and a large number of readout channels. Further, the action potential was clearly observed on cardiomyocytes using the CMOS-MEA. These results indicate the high-scalability of the CMOS-MEA. The highly scalable CMOS-MEA provides high-spatial-resolution mapping of cell action potentials, and the mapping can aid u...

The required incorporation of an additional in-pixel retention node for global shutter complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors means that achieving a large saturation signal presents a challenge. This paper reports a 3.875-μm pixel single exposure global shutter CMOS image sensor with an in-pixel pinned storage (PST) and a lateral-overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC), which extends the saturation signal to 224 ke, thereby enabling the saturation signal per unit area to reach 14.9 ke/μm. This pixel can assure a large saturation signal by using a LOFIC for accumulation without degrading the image quality under dark and low illuminance conditions owing to the PST.

We isolated a cryptic genospecies of Haemophilus influenzae referred to as ‘Haemophilus quentini’ in the urethra of 3 men complaining of urethritis symptoms. H. influenzae strains, which had been isolated from the urethra in 77 of 1518 men complaining of urethritis symptoms, identified by the conventional test, and stored, were re-cultured for this study. Sixty-seven strains surviving storage were screened by a PCR-based assay specific for the cryptic genital Haemophilus genospecies. Three strains (HI09003, HI11006, and HI14016) were screened by PCR and identified as ‘H. quentini’ by 16S rRNA sequencing. The men positive for HI09003 and HI11006 were diagnosed as having non-chlamydial non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), and their demographic and clinical features were similar to those of NGU caused by other pathogens. The man positive for HI14016 was ultimately diagnosed as having condyloma acuminatum on the glans. The 3 strains of ‘H. quentini’ produced no β-lactamase and were susceptible to ampicillin and other antimicrobial agents, including cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides, recommended for treatment for urethritis. ‘H. quentini’ would be an uncommon pathogen in men with urogenital infections. Based on the clinical features of the two patients with ‘H. quentini’-positive NGU, it would be difficult to predict the presence of ‘H. quentini’ in the urethra. The 3 strains of ‘H. quentini’ were susceptible to a variety of antimicrobial agents. Further accumulation of data regarding ‘H. quentini’ infections is needed to characterize the pathogenic roles of this genospecies in urogenital infections and to establish appropriate management of ‘H. quentini’ infections.

Akira Watanabe , Katsunori Yanagihara a, b, , Tetsuya Matsumoto , Shigeru Kohno a, , Nobuki Aoki a, , Toyoko Oguri , Junko Sato , Tetsuro Muratani , Morimasa Yagisawa , Kazuhiko Ogasawara , Naoto Koashi , Tsuneo Kozuki , Akira Komoto , Yoshisaburo Takahashi , Toshikatsu Tsuji , Michinori Terada , Kunio Nakanishi , Rikizo Hattori , Yukio Hirako , Akinori Maruo , Shinichi Minamitani , Kohei Morita , Tomotaro Wakamura , Keisuke Sunakawa , Hideaki Hanaki , Yoshinobu Ohsaki , Yasuhito Honda , Shoichi Sasaoka , Hiroaki Takeda , Hideki Ikeda , Atsuko Sugai , Makoto Miki , Susumu Nakanowatari , Hiroshi Takahashi , Mutsuko Utagawa , Nobuyuki Kobayashi , Jin Takasaki , Hisami Konosaki , Yasuko Aoki , Michi Shoji , Hajime Goto , Takeshi Saraya , Daisuke Kurai , Mitsuhiro Okazaki , Yoshio Kobayashi , Yasuhiro Katono , Akihiko Kawana , Katsu Saionji , Naoki Miyazawa , Yoshimi Sato , Yuji Watanuki , Makoto Kudo , Shigeru Ehara , Hiroki Tsukada , Yumiko Imai , Nobuei Watabe , Sakura Aso , Yasuo Honma , Hiroshige Mikamo , Yuka Yamagishi , Yoshio Takesue , Yasunao Wada , Tadahiro Nakamura , Noriko Mitsuno , Keiichi Mikasa , Kei Kasahara , Kenji Uno , Reiko Sano , Naoyuki Miyashita , Yukinori Kurokawa , Mariko Takaya , Masao Kuwabara , Yaeko Watanabe , Masao Doi , Satomi Shimizu , Kiyoshi Negayama , Junichi Kadota a, , Kazufumi Hiramatsu , Yoshitomo Morinaga , Junichi Honda , Masaki Fujita , Satoshi Iwata , Aikichi Iwamoto , Takayuki Ezaki , Shoichi Onodera , Shinya Kusachi , Kazuhiro Tateda , Michio Tanaka , Kyoichi Totsuka , Yoshihito Niki , Tetsuro Matsumoto a

To follow-up anthrax in Zambia since the outbreak in 2011, we have collected samples from the environment and the carcasses of anthrax-suspected animals, and have tried to isolate Bacillus anthracis. In the process of identification of B. anthracis, we collected two isolates, of which colonies were similar to B. anthracis; however, from the results of identification using the molecular-based methods, two isolates were genetically related to the highly pathogenic B. cereus, of which clinical manifestation is severe and fatal (e.g., pneumonia). In this study, we showed the existence of bacteria suspected to be highly pathogenic B. cereus in Zambia, indicating the possibility of an outbreak caused by highly pathogenic B. cereus.

application/pdf, A quick foodborne pathogen screening method after six-hour enrichment culture with a broad-range food pathogen enrichment broth is described. Pathogenic factors of Salmonella enterica, Shigella spp., enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, and enterohemorrhagic E. coli are amplified with a cocktail primer and rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which finishes amplification in 30 min. The PCR amplicon was differentiated with a dipstick DNA chromatography assay in 5-10 min. Starting from a four- to six-hour enrichment culture, this assay was finished within 45 min. Detection sensitivity of this protocol was less than 2.5 CFU/25 g for S. enterica and 3.3 CFU/25 g for enterohemorrhagic E. coli in spiked ground meat experiments. © 2013 Masahiro Hayashi et al.

Nasal decolonization in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers using mupirocin (MUP) is a strategy that complements barrier precautions and contact isolation. However, eradication failure cases have been observed despite isolates being susceptible to MUP. This would suggest that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) alone is not the only determinant of successful eradication. In this study, we undertook a comparative analysis of MRSA isolates from cases of successful and unsuccessful MUP-eradication treatment. The analyses we carried out were: determination of mupirocin MICs, sequencing of the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (ileS) gene, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing, and the assessment of slime production. MICs for all 14 of the successful nasal decolonization cases showed susceptibility to MUP, whereas 21 (87.5 %) of the 24 unsuccessful cases were MUP-susceptible, with low-level resistance seen in 3 (12.5 %) strains. In the analysis of mutations in the ileS gene, one strain with an MIC of 4 μg/ml exhibited a G1778A point mutation that has not been previously reported. In the 14 successful nasal decolonization cases, only 1 strain (7.1 %) was an MRSA slime-producer, compared with 19 (79.7 %) of the 24 MRSA strains that could not be eradicated after MUP treatment (p < 0.05). For the eradication of MRSA by MUP, it is possible that slime may affect drug penetration. In conclusion, slime production was the only significant difference between isolates recovered from successful and unsuccessful eradication cases.

We present two cases of bacteremia caused by Leptotrichia trevisanii: a 12-year-old girl with recurrent myeloid leukemia of the mandible and a 66-year-old man with esophageal carcinoma. As this filamentous bacillus showed indefinite Gram staining and the identification based on biochemical enzymatic reactions was not definitive, identification required 16s rRNA analysis. For this organism, drug sensitivity testing showed susceptiblity to each β-lactam antibiotics and clindamycin, but resistance to fluoroquinolone and erythromycin. This filamentous bacillus needs careful identification and appropriate antibiotic treatment.

Pseudomonas putida is well-known for degradation activities for a variety of compounds and its infections have been reported. Thus, P. putida includes both clinical and nonclinical isolates. To date, no reports have examined the phylogenetic relationship between clinical and nonclinical isolates of the P. putida group. In this study, fifty-nine strains of P. putida group containing twenty-six clinical, and thirty-three nonclinical, isolates, were subjected to phylogenetic and taxonomic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and nine housekeeping gene sequences, including argS, dnaN, dnaQ, era, gltA, gyrB, ppnK, rpoB, and rpoD, to obtain insights into the diversity of species in this group. More than 97.6% similarity was observed among the 16S rRNA gene sequences of all the strains examined, indicating that the resolution of 16S rRNA gene sequences is inadequate. Phylogenetic analysis based on the individual housekeeping genes listed above improved the resolution of the phylogenetic trees, which are different from each other. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on the concatenated sequences of the nine genes significantly improved the resolution of the phylogenetic tree, and yielded approximately the same results as average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis, suggesting its high reliability. ANI analysis classified the fifty-nine strains into twenty-six species containing seventeen singletons and nine strain clusters based on the 95% threshold. It also indicated the mixed distribution of clinical and nonclinical isolates in the six clusters, suggesting that the genomic difference between clinical and nonclinical isolates of the P. putida group is subtle. The P. putida type strain NBRC 14164

Polarization information is useful in highly functional imaging. This paper presents a four-directional pixel-wise polarization CMOS image sensor using an air-gap wire grid on 2.5-μm back-illuminated pixels. The fabricated air-gap wire grid polarizer achieved a transmittance of 63.3 % and an extinction ratio of 85 at 550 nm, outperforming conventional polarization sensors. The pixel-wise polarizers fabricated with the wafer process on back-illuminated image sensors exhibit good oblique-incidence characteristics, even with small polarization pixels of 2.5 μm. The proposed image sensor realizes mega-pixel various fusion-imaging applications, such as surface reflection reduction, highly accurate depth mapping, and condition-robust surveillance.

A 4K2K 480 fps global-shutter CMOS image sensor has been developed with super 35 mm format. This sensor employs newly developed gain-adaptive column ADCs to attain a dark random noise of 140 µV rms for the full-scale readout of 923 mV. An on-chip online correction of the error between two switchable gains maintains the nonlinearity of output image within 0.18 %. The 16-channel output interfaces with 4.752 Gbps/ch are implemented in 2 diced logic chips stacked on a sensor chip with 38K micro bumps.

Bacteria capable of degrading cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) were screened from cDCE-contaminated soil, and YKD221, a bacterial strain that exhibited a higher growth on minimal salt agar plates in the presence of cDCE than in the absence of cDCE, were isolated. Phylogenetic studies of the 16S rRNA as well as gyrB, rpoD, and recA in YKD221 indicated that this strain is closely related to the type strains of Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, monteilii, and putida. An average nucleotide identity analysis indicated that YKD221 is most closely related to P. putida strains, including the type strain, which suggests that YKD221 belongs to P. putida. Although the genome of YKD221 was very similar to that of P. putida F1, a toluene-degrading strain, the YKD221 genome has 15 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 4 insertions compared with the F1 genome. YKD221 caused the release of sufficient chloride ions from cDCE to suggest that the strain is able to completely dechlorinate and degrade cDCE. YKD221 also degraded trichloroethene but was unable to degrade trans-dichloroethene and tetrachloroethene. The degradation activity of YKD221 was elevated after growth on toluene. Inactivation of todC1, which encodes for a large subunit of the catalytic terminal component in toluene dioxygenase, resulted in a complete loss of growth on toluene and cDCE degradation activity. This is the first evidence of the involvement of todC1C2BA-coded toluene dioxygenase in cDCE degradation. YKD221 did not appear to grow on cDCE in a minimal salt liquid medium. However, YKD221 did exhibit an enhanced increase in cell concentration and volume of cells during growth on minimal salt agar plates with cDCE when first grown in LB medium. This behavior appears to have led us to misinterpret our initial results on YKD221 as an indication of improved growth in the presence of cDCE.

Culture collections of human pathogenic bacteria are maintained by two universities in Gifu and Osaka, Japan. Their activities are supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) under the National Bioresource Project (NBRP1). The purpose of this project is to collect, preserve, and provide bioresources, which are basic materials for life sciences research and to upgrade the bioresources responding to scientific demands of the present age by adding higher values through developing preservation technology, genome analysis, and others. The roles of culture collections in disasters are discussed in this short report. 1. http://www.nbrp.jp/

The anti-allergic mechanism of heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 has not been fully investigated. Recent studies have reported that CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) (forkhead box P3) T regulatory (Treg) cells play important roles in controlling allergic diseases. Hence, we examined the effect of orally administered L-92 on CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) cell populations. BALB/c mice were supplemented daily with L-92 by gavage for 5 weeks. 2,4-Dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) was used to induce allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in mice. Fluorescent-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis was used to determine CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cell populations in spleen and cervical lymph nodes (CLN). Interleukin-10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and Foxp3 mRNA expressions in mouse ear skin were investigated by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cell populations were significantly increased in both spleen and CLN of L-92-fed group than vehicle and control. In addition, L-92 produced higher levels of Foxp3, IL-10 and TGF-β compared to control mice. These results suggest that L-92 can up-regulate the number of Treg cells to suppress the progression of DNFB-induced contact dermatitis in mice.

Bartonella quintana, known to cause various clinical symptoms, is increasingly recognized as one important cause of culture-negative endocarditis. We report a case of infectious endocarditis with B. quintana on the prosthetic valve, accompanied by proteinase 3-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive collagen vascular disease-like symptoms 1 year earlier.

Aerococcus urinae is a endocarditis rare causative organism with low virulene. We report an A. urinae endocarditis case treated by aortic valve replacement. An 80-year-old woman hospitalized for urinary tract infection and hydronephrosis due to three-week renal calculi. Blood culture on admission isolated Streptococcus acidominimus. During the course, she was transferred to our care for surgical intervention after developing congestive heart failure due to severe aortic regurgitation. Echocardiographic findings indicated infective endocarditis. She underwent aortic valve replacement, and gram staining of the resected valve tissue showed gram-positive cocci, although valve culture was negative. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing using the valve material matched an A. urinae sequence. The woman recovered and was discharged six weeks after antibiotic treatment.

The taxonomic characteristics of β-hemolytic streptococcal strains that reacted with Lancefield group M antisera were investigated. Group M streptococci have not been proposed as a species to date. Four strains of the group M streptococci isolated from dog were located within the pyogenic group of the genus Streptococcus on 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis; the group M strains were located a short distance away from all other members of the group. The homology values of 16S rRNA gene sequences between group M strains and all other streptococci were