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Excess biuret, a common impurity in urea fertilizers, is toxic to plants. Little is known about the mechanisms of biuret toxicity in plants. A previous study had shown that transgenic rice ( Oryza sativa) plants overexpressing bacterial biuret hydrolase improved biuret tolerance. Additionally, the biuret hydrolase-overexpressing plants showed a higher N ratio than wild-type plants when the roots were fed N-labeled biuret. Here, we determined biuret accumulation in rice seedlings by directly measuring the biuret. We found that the biuret hydrolase-overexpressing plants did not contain biuret, whereas wild-type plants accumulated biuret in shoots in the order of mmol L tissue water. We also found that the concentration of allantoin, a nitrogen-rich intermediate compound in the purine degradation pathway, in rice shoots under biuret toxicity was higher than those in control conditions. Inhibition of allantoinase activity by biuret was not detected, and allantoin accumulation appeared to be associated with changes in the expression of putative allantoin transporter genes. Furthermore, another nitrogenous compound citrulline, which is a nonprotein amino acid, accumulated in rice suspension cells under biuret toxicity. The accumulation of these two nitrogen-rich compounds suggests that rice plants subjected to biuret toxicity may need to reduce the generation of surplus ammonium ions.

Aquatic exercise is an attractive form of exercise that utilizes the various properties of water to improve physical health, including arterial stiffness. However, it is unclear whether regular head-out aquatic exercise affects aortic hemodynamics, the emerging risk factors for future cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether head-out aquatic exercise training improves aortic hemodynamics in middle-aged and elderly people. In addition, to shed light on the underlying mechanisms, we determined the contribution of change in arterial stiffness to the hypothesized changes in aortic hemodynamics. Twenty-three middle-aged and elderly subjects (62 ± 9 years) underwent a weekly aquatic exercise course for 15 weeks. Aortic hemodynamics were evaluated by pulse wave analysis via the general transfer function method. Using a polar coordinate description, companion metrics of aortic pulse pressure (PPC = √{(systolic blood pressure)2 + (diastolic blood pressure)2}) and augmentation index (AIxC = √{(augmentation pressure)2 + (pulse pressure)2}) were calculated as measures of arterial load. Brachial-ankle (baPWV, reflecting stiffness of the abdominal aorta and leg artery) and heart-ankle (haPWV, reflecting stiffness of the whole aortic and leg artery) pulse wave velocities were also measured. The rate of participation in the aquatic training program was 83.5 ± 13.0%. Aortic systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, PPC, AIxC, baPWV, and haPWV decreased after the training (P < 0.05 for all), whereas augmentation index remained unchanged. Changes in aortic SBP were correlated with changes in haPWV (r = 0.613, P = 0.002) but not baPWV (r = 0.296, P = 0.170). These findings suggest that head-out aquatic exercise training may improve aortic hemodynamics in middle-aged and elderly people, with the particular benefits for reducing aortic SBP which is associated with proximal aortic stiffness.

An inter-method variation experiment to evaluate visible spectrophotometric methods for determining carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) in blood was performed in 17 different forensic science laboratories. Three reference samples were prepared and the actual percentages of CO-Hb (%CO-Hb) in reference samples were determined with gas chromatography. The %CO-Hb values in reference samples were measured via four procedures: (1) the “Standard method of chemical analysis in poisoning 2017” (edited by the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan), (2) the isosbestic point method (developed by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Kagawa University), (3) the alkaline condition method, and (4) ISO 27368 with a slight modification. Procedures (1) and (2) gave results approximately the same as the actual values in low-%CO-Hb samples, but both methods underestimated %CO-Hb levels in blood samples with high %CO-Hb. Using a formula reported by Katsumata et al., procedure (3) overestimated %CO-Hb levels in blood samples with low %CO-Hb, while using the modified formula, gave underestimates in all samples. Procedure (4) gave %CO-Hb values relatively close to the actual values. Thus, an accuracy evaluation test was performed for this procedure and the values obtained were close to the actual CO-Hb content levels. Procedure (4) was considered sufficiently accurate and thus recommendable for use in forensic science laboratories.

Aquatic exercise is ideal for older adults because it mitigates weight-bearing stress. However, the effect of head-out aquatic exercise on arterial stiffness, a strong future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, remains unclear. We determined whether head-out aquatic exercise would mitigate arterial stiffness in middle-aged and elderly people. In 25 middle-aged and older people (9 men, mean age 64 ± 8 years), blood pressure (BP) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured before and after a supervised aquatic exercise training program (60 min, 1 session/week, 14 sessions) which mainly consisted of walking, stretching, and muscle strengthening in water. In the pooled subjects, systolic BP tended to decrease (p = 0.07) after the training intervention, whereas no significant changes were observed, including baPWV (from 1,537 ± 301 to 1,496 ± 308 cm/s). In the sub-analysis, by dividing subjects into a healthy group (n = 13) and a CVD risk group (n = 12), no significant interaction between time and group was seen in BP. On the other hand, baPWV decreased significantly in the healthy group (from 1,476 ± 299 to 1,365 ± 215 cm/s) but not in the CVD risk group (from 1,603 ± 301 to 1,637 ± 339 cm/s). The current study demonstrates that regular head-out aquatic exercise, even at a low frequency, could mitigate CVD risk in apparently healthy middle-aged and older people.

We have investigated the use of liquid penetration to evaluate and detect structural differences in dried thin films. Two different films were fabricated from slurries that consisted of solid particles and a polymer. Both slurries had the same composition, but were prepared using different mixing processes. Clear differences in the void distributions of the as-prepared films were observed using mercury porosimetry. No significant differences were observed after the films were compressed. However, cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy images showed clear structural differences, including segregated particles after compression. Liquid penetration times into the films were measured and explained using a modified kinetic model. The wettability of the films using solvents of low polarity was also evaluated and was found to be dependent upon the extent of segregation within the films. This result suggested that liquid penetration measurements could be used as a simple method to evaluate the structure of particulate films.

The edge finishing and deburring of the back surfaces of micro-through holes, such as those with a diameter smaller than 1 mm, from the front surfaces by cutting are difficult and in some cases impossible with currently available tools. We have therefore fabricated micro-cutting tools by electrical discharge machining and used them for processing the back surfaces of microholes using helical tool feeding with the assistance of ultrasonic oscillation. As a result, a hole drilled using a 0.15-mm-diameter drill in a 0.2-mm-thick plate was successfully deburred and edge-finished. This is the hole with the smallest diameter whose back surface was processed from the front surface by cutting, to the best of our knowledge. The effects of ultrasonic oscillation, namely, cutting force is reduced and the generation of secondary burrs is restrained, were also observed in this study. Moreover, cutting force was further reduced with an improved geometry of the tool's cutting part.

A processing route to disperse carbon black (CB) nanoparticles in aqueous and various organic solvents was developed by a high-shear-agitated bead milling process in water with various cationic dispersant and further surface modification using anionic surfactant. First, for dispersing CB nanoparticles in an aqueous suspension, polyethyleneimine (PEI) and a new cationic dispersant, which was synthesized by the reaction of PEI with a hydrophobic toluoyl group (T-PEI), were used to stabilize CB nanoparticles in water during the bead milling process, and their results were compared. When PEI was used as a dispersant, the conditions for obtaining CB nanoparticles in water in a dispersed state were few and most additive conditions resulted in a segregated and inhomogeneous CB suspension. However, when T-PEI was used as a dispersant, a highly dispersed CB suspension was obtained under a wide range of T-PEI additive conditions, even when the additive amount was as low as 1.0 mg/m 2 . Next, for dispersing CB nanoparticles in various organic solvents, an anionic surfactant that branched into hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) and hydrophobic alkyl segments was adsorbed on CB nanoparticles stabilized with PEI or T-PEI. It was found that CB dispersible in various solvents could be obtained successfully only when the anionic surfactant was adsorbed on PEI-stabilized CB nanoparticles. The proposed action mechanism of each surfactant on the CB surface and its effect on the stability of CB in an aqueous/organic solvent are discussed.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare, often lethal, cause of encephalitis, for which early diagnosis and prompt initiation of combination antimicrobials may improve clinical outcomes.In this study, we sequenced a full draft assembly of the Balamuthia mandrillaris genome (44.2 Mb in size) from a rare survivor of PAM, and recovered the mitochondrial genome from six additional Balamuthia strains. We also used unbiased metagenomic next-generation sequencing (NGS) and SURPI bioinformatics analysis to diagnose an ultimately fatal case of Balamuthia mandrillaris encephalitis in a 15-year-old girl.Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genome and high-copy number genes from six additional Balamuthia mandrillaris strains demonstrated remarkable sequence variation, and the closest Balamuthia homologs corresponded to other amoebae, hydroids, algae, slime molds, and peat moss. Real-time NGS testing of hospital day 6 CSF and brain biopsy samples detected Balamuthia on the basis of high-quality hits to 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA sequences present in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) nt reference database. The presumptive diagnosis of PAM by visualization of amoebae on brain biopsy histopathology and NGS analysis was subsequently confirmed at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) using a Balamuthia-specific PCR assay. Retrospective analysis of a day 1 CSF sample revealed that more timely identification of Balamuthia by metagenomic NGS, potentially resulting in a better clinical outcome, would have required availability of the complete genome sequence.These results underscore the diverse evolutionary origins of Balamuthia mandrillaris, provide new targets for diagnostic assay development, and will facilitate further investigations of the biology and pathogenesis of this eukaryotic pathogen. The failure to identify PAM from a day 1 sample without a fully sequenced Balamuthia genome in the database highlights the critical importance of whole-genome reference sequences for microbial detection by metagenomic NGS.

The turning of straight micropins with a diameter smaller than 10 µm, which has not been reported so far, was carried out using micro turning tools made of cemented tungsten carbide. Tools of 50 µm diameter were fabricated by electrical discharge machining, which is suitable for fabricating micro cutting tools because it can deal with hard materials and carry out micromachining. A turning machine designed especially for micro turning tools was used in the experiments. A brass workpiece was turned using a tool with a length of cut of 100 µm at a feed speed of 3.0 µm/s, feed per revolution of 0.06 µm and depth of cut of 10–11 µm. As a result, a straight micropin of 7.5 µm diameter and 80 µm length was successfully turned. Furthermore, turning was also performed using a tool with a length of cut of 50 µm at a feed speed of 3.0 µm/s, feed per revolution of 0.06 µm and depth of cut of 8.5–20 µm to fabricate a straight micropin of 3 µm diameter and 30 µm length. This micropin is the pin with the smallest ever diameter fabricated by turning, to the best of our knowledge, indicating the possibility of further minimization of the machinable size in turning. Turning properties were also investigated to determine the maximum depth of cut and feed speed that can be employed without tool breakage.

Polyethyleneimine (PEI) functionalized with hydrophobic toluoyl groups (T-PEI) was used to control the viscosity of silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticle aqueous suspensions. The effects of the toluoyl group ratio and molecular weight (MW) of the dispersant on the suspension viscosity were examined. For T-PEIs (MW = 1800), the suspension viscosities decreased as the toluoyl group ratios increased, whereas for T-PEIs (MW = 10000), the suspension viscosities were remarkably reduced when the toluoyl group ratios were 15% and 30%. To discuss these changes, the adsorption ratios of the dispersants on particles and the interaction forces between SiC nanoparticles were characterized using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis and colloidal probe atomic force microscopy, respectively. The dispersant adsorption ratio increased dramatically with the introduction of toluoyl groups on PEI. For T-PEIs (MW = 1800), a steric repulsive force between particles began to appear, and its strength increased as the toluoyl group ratio increased. However, for T-PEIs (MW = 10 000), whereas a large repulsive force was generated when the toluoyl group ratios were 15% and 30%, a weak repulsive force was observed when the ratio was 40%. The adsorption structure of the dispersant was suggested based on these changes in particle interaction behaviors.

Background Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare, often lethal, cause of encephalitis, for which early diagnosis and prompt initiation of combination antimicrobials may improve clinical outcomes. Methods In this study, we sequenced a full draft assembly of the Balamuthia mandrillaris genome (44.2 Mb in size) from a rare survivor of PAM, and recovered the mitochondrial genome from six additional Balamuthia strains. We also used unbiased metagenomic next-generation sequencing (NGS) and SURPI bioinformatics analysis to diagnose an ultimately fatal case of Balamuthia mandrillaris encephalitis in a 15-year-old girl. Results and Discussion Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genome and high-copy number genes from six additional Balamuthia mandrillaris strains demonstrated remarkable sequence variation, and the closest Balamuthia homologs corresponded to other amoebae, hydroids, algae, slime molds, and peat moss. Real-time NGS testing of hospital day 6 CSF and brain biopsy samples detected Balamuthia on the basis of high-quality hits to 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA sequences present in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) nt reference database. The presumptive diagnosis of PAM by visualization of amoebae on brain biopsy histopathology and NGS analysis was subsequently confirmed at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) using a Balamuthia-specific PCR assay. Retrospective analysis of a day 1 CSF sample revealed that more timely identification of Balamuthia by metagenomic NGS, potentially resulting in a better clinical outcome, would have required availability of the complete genome sequence. Conclusions These results underscore the diverse evolutionary origins of Balamuthia mandrillaris, provide new targets for diagnostic assay development, and will facilitate further investigations of the biology and pathogenesis of this eukaryotic pathogen. The failure to identify PAM from a day 1 sample without a fully sequenced Balamuthia genome in the database highlights the critical importance of whole-genome reference sequences for microbial detection by metagenomic NGS. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13073-015-0235-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Micro turning tools with outside diameters of 25–50 μm were fabricated using cemented tungsten carbide by electrical discharge machining and used for micro boring and micro face grooving. The new process used could improve the hole circularity down to 0.25 μm and provide smooth-finished surfaces. From a set of experiments, the limit depth of cut and feed rate that can prevent tool breakage were determined. Compared with previous studies, the current study paved the way for applying removing processes with micro tools to boring and face grooving.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare, often lethal cause of encephalitis, for which early diagnosis and prompt initiation of combination antimicrobials may improve clinical outcomes. In this study, we present the first draft assembly of theBalamuthia mandrillarisgenome recovered from a rare survivor of PAM, in total comprising 49 Mb of sequence. Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genome and high-copy number genes from 6 additionalBalamuthia mandrillarisstrains demonstrated remarkable sequence variation, with the closest homologs corresponding to other amoebae, hydroids, algae, slime molds, and peat moss,. We also describe the use of unbiased metagenomic next-generation sequencing (NGS) and SURPI bioinformatics analysis to diagnose an ultimately fatal case ofBalamuthia mandrillarisencephalitis in a 15-year old girl. Real-time NGS testing of a hospital day 6 CSF sample detectedBalamuthiaon the basis of high-quality hits to 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA sequences present in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) nt reference database. Retrospective analysis of a day 1 CSF sample revealed that more timely identification ofBalamuthiaby metagenomic NGS, potentially resulting in a better outcome, would have required availability of the complete genome sequence. These results underscore the diverse evolutionary origins underpinning this eukaryotic pathogen, and the critical importance of whole-genome reference sequences for microbial detection by NGS.

Since Quality of Experience of a Web service (Web-QoE) often deteriorates because of QoS degradation, it is essential to clarify relationship between QoE and QoS for the Web service. However, both QoS and QoE generally has multiple aspects each other. Consequently, the relationship is forced to be complex. This paper proposes a method of clarifying compound relationship between QoS and QoE, which adopts the path analysis and the principal component analysis. The authors performs their experiments with the proposed method, which are designated actual three Web services and utilize 29 subjects. The analytical results can clarify the complex relationship between QoE and QoS for Web services. Consequently, the effectiveness of the proposed method can be confirmed.

To improve the electrical conductivity of negative electrodes of lithium ion batteries, we applied a direct CVD synthesis of carbon nanomaterials on the surface of graphite particles. To prepare a catalyst, two alternative approaches were utilized: colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) and metal (Ni and Co) nitrate salt precursors deposited on the graphite surface. Both colloidal and precursor systems allowed us to produce carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on the graphite surface with high coverage under the optimum CVD conditions. Electrical measurements revealed that the resistivity of the actual electrodes fabricated from CNFs coated graphite particles was about 40% lower compared to the original pristine graphite electrodes.

Immune complexes in glomeruli are involved in development of diverse glomerulonephritis. The disposal process of glomerular immune complexes has been unclarified. The present studies were undertaken to determine if thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is associated with the disposal of macromolecules in the glomeruli using mice injected with aggregated bovine serum albumin (a-BSA). A-BSA promptly accumulated in the glomeruli, the level reaching a plateau at 6 hr after the injection of a-BSA, and then decreased by 48 hr. The production of glomerular TXA2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin I2 concomitantly increased with the decrease of a-BSA in the glomeruli. TXA2 synthase inhibitors and TXA2 receptor antagonists accelerated clearance of glomerular a-BSA without enhancing renal tissue blood flow. They did not affect a-BSA level in the plasma. In contrast, aminophylline, dopamine and mannitol significantly increased renal tissue blood flow, but did not decrease glomerular a-BSA. TXA2 synthase inhibitors decreased TXA2 production in the glomeruli. TXA2 synthase inhibitors and TXA2 receptor antagonists did not influence the generation of PGE2. The TXA2 analogue U-46619 significantly increased the accumulation of a-BSA in the glomeruli. We propose that TXA2 interferes with the disposal process of aggregated protein in the glomeruli. We also postulate that interception of glomerular activity of TXA2 may be an effective intervention for managing immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis and glomerulosclerosis.

As web services run on the Internet, the deterioration communication quality on the Internet has a great influence on Web usability. The communication quality(QoS) has a hierarchical structure because the Internet architecture is also hierarchical. This paper studies the relationship between multiple communication quality evaluations between layers, including quality of experience. In order to do so, we propose the evaluation method by using path analysis to evaluate the effects on Web usability. The experimental results show that satisfaction, one of the scales for Web usability, has a strong relationship with the number of packet retransmission per unit time in TCP layer and it was influenced by packetloss in IP layer indirectly. As a consequence, we confirmed the effectiveness of the evaluation method by using path analysis.

This paper studies evaluation of influence of IP performance degradation on QoE of a Web service by means of the severity rating method. The authors consider Web usability as the QoE and tackle to evaluate it by using Nielsen's severity rating. The severity on the Web usability is one of measures that represent how a problem degrades the usability of a Web service. This paper defines the concrete scales about the severity and evaluates them for the two existing online shopping services by experiments, which consist of the two stages. One is done to clarify problems caused by the IP performance degradation, and the other is for assessment of Web usability with the severity rating. From the results, this study clarifies the four problems and measures the severity for each problem; it then shows how the problems aggravate the Web usability of the services. Consequently, the authors confirm that the severity rating method is effective in evaluation of the influence of the IP quality deterioration on QoE of a Web service.

Background The traditional 1-month training blocks in pediatrics may fail to provide sufficient exposure to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes residents need for practice and may not be conducive to mentoring relationships with faculty and continuity with patients. Intervention We created a 4-month career-focused experience (CFE) for third-year residents. The CFE included block time and longitudinal experiences in different content areas related to residents' choice of urban and rural primary care, hospitalist medicine, or subspecialty care (prefellowship). Content was informed by graduate surveys, focus groups with primary care pediatricians and hospitalists, and interviews with fellowship directors. Outcomes were assessed via before and after surveys of residents' attitudes and skills, assessment of skills with an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), and interviews with residents and mentors. Results Twenty-three of 49 third-year residents took part in the first 2 years of CFE. Two residents dropped out, leaving 21 who completed the 4-month experience (9 in primary care, 2 in hospitalist medicine, and 10 in a subspecialty). Residents reported improvement in their clinical skills, increased satisfaction with faculty mentoring and evaluation, and the ability to focus on what was important to their careers. OSCE performance did not differ between residents who completed the CFE and those who did not. Administrative burden was high. Conclusions Four-month career-focused training for pediatrics residents is feasible and may be effective in meeting part of the new requirement for 6 months of career-focused training during pediatrics residency.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of arachidonic acid-induced peripheral vascular disease in rats. Injecting arachidonic acid (2 mg/leg) into the femoral artery caused hind limb gangrene. Histopathological examination revealed occlusive thrombi and marked vascular injury, including denudation of the endothelium and degeneration of the media in the paw arteries. Arachidonic acid injection markedly enhanced the platelet response to both U-46619 and collagen. Although the number of circulating platelets did not differ between sham-operation rats and arachidonic acid-injected rats, the numbers of circulating white blood cells and red blood cells were raised 10 d after arachidonic acid injection. Thrombocytopenia, induced before arachidonic acid injection, markedly suppressed arachidonic acid-induced hind limb gangrene in rats. In addition, the combined administration of aspirin (100 mg/kg/d, p.o.) and ticlopidine (300 mg/kg/d, p.o.) prevented the progression of arachidonic acid-induced hind limb gangrene. These results suggest that platelets are involved in the progression of arachidonic acid-induced hind limb gangrene. This experimental rat model may be suitable for developing novel drugs for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease.

We investigated the pharmacological characteristics of Z-335 ((+/-)-sodium[2-[4-(chlorophenylsulfonylaminomethyl)indan-5-yl]ace tate monohydrate), a new indan derivative. Z-335 inhibited the specific binding of [3H]SQ-29548 to human platelets and guinea pig platelet membranes. The IC50 values of Z-335 for human platelets and guinea pig platelet membranes were 29.9 +/- 3.1 nM with a slope of 1.09 +/- 0.05 and 32.5 +/- 1.7 nM with a slope of 1.07 +/- 0.02, respectively. Z-335 inhibited thromboxane A2 receptor-mediated human and guinea pig platelet aggregation in vitro and oral administration of this drug to guinea pigs inhibited U-46619- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation for 24 h. Z-335 dose-dependently prevented the occurrence of U-46619-induced pulmonary thromboembolism in mice and the protective effect of this drug (0.3 and 3 mg/kg, p.o.) lasted for 24 h. These results strongly suggest that Z-335 is a potent, orally active and long-lasting thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, which may be useful as an antiplatelet drug.