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A man in his 70s visited our department for dyspnea with pulmonary infiltrate that was unresolved by antibiotics. He had been taking Sansoninto for five years and doubled its dose a month ago. After discontinuing Sansoninto without any additional medications, his symptoms gradually disappeared, and pulmonary infiltration improved. Drug lymphocyte stimulation tests showed a positive result for Sansoninto. We diagnosed this patient with Sansoninto-induced lung injury. Sansoninto is a combination drug that consists of sansonin, bukuryo, senkyo, chimo, and kanzo. This paper reports the first case of Sansoninto-induced lung injury and discusses the mechanism considering its components.

The author found conscription inspection records for each municipality in Iwate Prefecture in 1928 and 1929. From these data, 4207 men from 17 areas or municipalities were analyzed. The average height of the subjects from Morioka, the prefectural capital, and two coastal towns/villages was 161 cm, which was taller than the national average of 160 cm. However, that of three inland areas was 159 cm. People in inland areas at that time ate little meat, eggs, milk, and fish, with poor medication, which probably contributed to their short stature. Poverty in rural areas seemed to be more serious than the deterioration of the living environment due to urbanization in Japan.

Dietary nitrate has several beneficial effects, including blood pressure reduction and improved oxygen consumption efficiency, but in order to do so it must first be reduced to nitrite by oral bacteria. Veillonella spp., a strictly anaerobic group, are the most prevalent nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity. In response to some early studies that have hinted at inter- and intra-individual variation in salivary nitrate-nitrite conversion capacity, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence of and variation in the Veillonella species V. atypica, V. dispar, and V. rogosae by direct PCR and to assess salivary nitrate-nitrite conversion capacity and its reproducibility after dietary nitrate consumption in 24 elderly individuals. V. atypica, V. dispar, and V. rogosae were detected in 10 (41.7%), 24 (100%), and 14 (58.3%) participants, respectively. The coefficients of correlation between the first and second experiments on increased nitrate/nitrite were 0.637 and 0.583, respectively, both of which were statistically significant (P 1.0 mM Δ nitrite). The data suggested that V. dispar was the most prevalent species, being present even in individuals producing low levels of salivary nitrite.

Dietary nitrate is reduced to nitrite and nitric oxide by microbial flora, and this activity is beneficial to vascular health. It has been reported that this bacterial process is inhibited by chlorhexidine mouthwash, although the effects of other products are largely unknown. This study examined the effects of several treatments on salivary nitrate/nitrite and nitrate-reducing bacteria. Twelve university staff and students performed mouth-washing with water (control), essential oil, 0.35% povidone-iodine, or 0.0025% chlorhexidine and then ate 100 g lettuce (110 mg nitrate content), followed by collection of saliva and tongue bacteria at the baseline, and 1, 5, and 10 h thereafter. The individual treatments were separated by an interval of one week. Salivary nitrate/nitrite was measured by the calorimetric method, and a representative nitrate-reducing bacterial species, Veillonella dispar, was detected and semi-quantified using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Significant increases in salivary nitrate/nitrite were observed for all treatments (all P < 0.05). The PCR assay showed that water, essential oil, and povidone-iodine mouthwash had little effect, whereas V. dispar DNA bands were markedly inhibited after washing with chlorhexidine. These results suggest that essential oil and povidone-iodine mouthwash have little effect on oral nitrate-reducing activity. Salivary nitrite production was not reduced by chlorhexidine, but the fainter band of V. dispar DNA suggests that longer daily use might blunt this nitrate-reducing activity.

Dietary nitrate has several beneficial effects, including blood pressure reduction and improved oxygen consumption efficiency, but in order to do so it must first be reduced to nitrite by oral bacteria. Veillonella spp., a strictly anaerobic group, are the most prevalent nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity. In response to some early studies that have hinted at inter- and intra-individual variation in salivary nitrate-nitrite conversion capacity, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence of and variation in the Veillonella species V. atypica, V. dispar, and V. rogosae by direct PCR and to assess salivary nitrate-nitrite conversion capacity and its reproducibility after dietary nitrate consumption in 24 elderly individuals. V. atypica, V. dispar, and V. rogosae were detected in 10 (41.7%), 24 (100%), and 14 (58.3%) participants, respectively. The coefficients of correlation between the first and second experiments on increased nitrate/nitrite were 0.637 and 0.583, respectively, both of which were statistically significant (P0.01). In both experiments, 6 participants produced relatively low levels of nitrite (0.5 mM Δ nitrite) while 7 produced relatively high levels (1.0 mM Δ nitrite). The data suggested that V. dispar was the most prevalent species, being present even in individuals producing low levels of salivary nitrite.

Summary Background The cross-sectional visual rating scale (c-VRS) is an easy and effective method of evaluating medial temporal atrophy (MTA). In evaluating longitudinal morphological change, c-VRS cannot express slight changes as precisely as volumetry. Methods We selected 87 people ≤65 years old from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. Their high resolution magnetic resonance images, brain structural volume data, and cognitive performances, were downloaded. We evaluated the temporal lobe atrophy in the baseline images, and the longitudinal alterations by judging the widening of the parahippocampal cerebrospinal fluid space one year and two years later. These results from c-VRS and longitudinal VRS (l-VRS) were also compared with the volume data derived from the FreeSurfer. Results The cross-sectional and longitudinal visual rating assessments showed significant differences between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal subjects. In a receiver operating characteristic (ROC), the longitudinal assessment showed higher sensitivity/specificity and area-under curve than did the cross-sectional assessment. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that longitudinal visual rating is a useful tool for detecting longitudinal morphological alterations caused by MCI, and would improve diagnostic accuracy.

The outcomes of Helicobacter pylori infection vary geographically. H pylori strains, disease presentation, and environments differ markedly in Bhutan and Dominican Republic. The aims were to compare the strains, histology, and expression of interleukin (IL) 8 and IL-10 from gastric mucosa from the 2 countries. H pylori status was assessed by the combination of rapid urease test, culture, and histology. Histology was evaluated using the updated Sydney System, and cytokines in gastric biopsies were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). There were 138 subjects from Bhutan and 155 from Dominican Republic. The prevalence of H pylori infection was 65% and 59%, respectively. The genotype of cagA was predominantly East Asian type in Bhutan versus Western type in Dominican Republic. Gastritis severity was significantly higher in H pylori-infected subjects from Bhutan than those from Dominican Republic. IL-8 expression by H pylori infection was 5.5-fold increased in Bhutan versus 3-fold in Dominican Republic (P.001); IL-10 expression was similar. IL-8 expression levels among H pylori-infected cases tended to be positively correlated with polymorphonuclear leucocyte and monocyte infiltration scores in both countries. IL-8 expression among those with grade 2 and 3 polymorphonuclear leucocyte and monocyte infiltration was significantly higher in Bhutan than in Dominican Republic. The difference in IL-8 expression in the 2 countries is reflected in the different disease pattern between them. Whether the dominant factor is differences in H pylori virulence, in host-H pylori-environmental interactions, genetic factors or all remains unclear. However, severity of inflammation appears to be a critical factor in disease pathogenesis. We compared IL-8 messenger RNA levels between the high gastric cancer risk country, Bhutan (mainly East Asian-type H pylori), and the lower gastric cancer risk country, Dominican Republic (mainly Western-type H pylori).

Although the incidence of gastric cancer in the Dominican Republic is not high, the disease remains a significant health problem. We first conducted a detailed analysis ofHelicobacter pyloristatus in the Dominican Republic. In total, 158 patients (103 females and 55 males; mean age 47.1±16.2 years) were recruited. The status ofH. pyloriinfection was determined based on four tests: rapid urease test, culture test, histological test and immunohistochemistry. The status ofcagAandvacAgenotypes inH. pyloriwas examined using PCR and gene sequencing. The overall prevalence ofH. pyloriinfection was 58.9 %. No relationship was found between theH. pyloriinfection rate and the age range of 17–91 years. Even in the youngest group (patients aged H. pyloriinfection rate was 62.5 %. Peptic ulcer was found in 23 patients and gastric cancer was found in one patient. TheH. pyloriinfection rate in patients with peptic ulcer was significantly higher than that in patients with gastritis (82.6 versus 54.5 %,PcagA-positive/vacAs1m1 genotype was the most prevalent (43/64, 67.2 %). Compared withH. pylori-negative patients,H. pylori-positive patients showed more severe gastritis. Furthermore, the presence ofcagAwas related to the presence of more severe gastritis. All CagA-positive strains had Western-type CagA. In conclusion, we found thatH. pyloriinfection is a risk factor for peptic ulcer in the Dominican Republic. Patients withcagA-positiveH. pyloricould be at higher risk for severe inflammation and atrophy.

Face-to-face restacking is one of the main reasons for low surface utilization of multilayered graphene. In this study, multilayered reduced graphene oxide/polymer architecture was fabricated by gas phase or chemical reduction of thin films composed of graphene oxide monolayers using poly(diallyldimethylammonium) as the cationic binder deposited by layer-by-layer self-assembly. The electrochemical behavior of the thin films in acidic and neutral electrolytes was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A transmission line model was adopted to simulate the electrochemical impedance data. The electrochemical data were analyzed and deconvoluted into charge storage due to non-Faradaic electrical double layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance arising from Faradaic surface redox reactions. Pseudocapacitance observed in acidic electrolyte is proportional to the amount of surface functional groups. An overall volumetric capacitance as high as 364 F cm–3 was achieved for...

In Japan, there is a higher incidence of childhood obesity in the Tohoku district than in other areas. It is known that reduced physical activity is associated with increased body weight, but little is known about the physical activity patterns of children in this area. Accordingly, this study was designed to measure the physical activity of 145 children (73 boys and 72 girls) in Hashikami Town, Aomori Prefecture. Physical activity was assessed through a questionnaire as well as through two weeks of pedometer use. Boys spent more time engaging in physical activity than girls did, reporting 9.5 (0.6-22.0) versus 7.0 (1.2-21.5) hours per week [median (range)] (p=0.002). On school days, boys took an average of 13,586+/-4,386 (mean+/-SD) steps per day, while girls took 12,248+/-4,112; on holidays, boys took 9,531+/-4,557, while girls took 9,419+/-4,524. There was no significant sex-based difference in the number of steps per day (F=1.197, p=0.276), but both boys and girls significantly reduced the number of steps they took on holidays (F=116.537, p

To investigate the level of walking activity among residents of the Tohoku district in northern Japan, where no widespread public transport system has been developed, winter is severe. The participants were 50 town hall employees with an average age of 43.6+/-10.8 (SD) years. The walking activity of each participant was assessed using a pedometer for one week in summer and one week in winter. The participants' lifestyles, including their commuting methods, were assessed using a questionnaire. Forty-six participants (92%) usually commute to work by private car. The average numbers of steps/day on workdays and holidays were, in summer, 6,560+/-2,600 and 7,016+/-4,679, respectively, and, in winter, 5,236+/-2,253 and 4,770+/-3,039; these numbers were somewhat lower than those recorded in previous reports. We observed a significant reduction in walking during winter (F=19.016, p=0.0001), but no significant differences between workdays and holidays (F=0.001, p=0.966). A significant correlation between BMI and steps/day (r=-0.420, p0.01) was obtained on workdays in winter. The unexpectedly low level of these participants' physical activity, especially in winter, is probably due to the fact that most of them commute by private car, which is likely a cause of the high incidence of obesity in this district. In addition, a seasonal effect should also be considered when physical activity is assessed, especially in cold climates.

Obese people may succeed in reducing their weight temporarily, but most of them regain the lost weight within a few years. We, therefore, recommend moderate long-term changes in habit rather than a strict temporary program. The purpose of this study was to examine whether physical activity of 40 minutes, mainly walking, was effective in improving or preventing metabolic syndrome when combined with dieting. Participants, all of whom had a waist circumferenceor= 85 cm (men) oror= 90 cm (women), were assigned into one of two groups: the control group (10 men and 11 women, age: 64.2 +/- 3.4 [SD] years) and the intervention group (10 men and 12 women, age: 62.4 +/- 4.2 years). Participants (n = 22) enrolled in a 52-week program; their diets were assessed using a 3-day dietary record and daily steps were measured with a pedometer. No significant change was seen in their dietary records, but the mean number of daily steps increased from 5,806 to 8,000-9,000. In the intervention group, BMI, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased significantly by week 12 (all p0.001) and remained low until week 52. In fact, no significant change was seen between weeks 12 and 52. The control group showed no significant changes in all variables. These results indicate that gentle exercise of about 40 minutes in combination with dieting is effective in preventing metabolic syndrome among a sedentary population, although its effect may be limited.

Recently, many cross-sectional studies observed that body mass index (BMI) and percentage of body fat (%BF) were inversely associated with pedometer-determined physical activities, but studies on Asian populations, including the Japanese, are sparse. Height, weight, body fat percentage (%BF, bioelectrical impedance analyzer), and waist circumference were measured on 117 women (62.8+/-4.5 years, 22.2+/-2.2 kg/m(2)) and 62 men (64.0+/-4.6 years, 23.6+/-2.5 kg/m(2)). Pearson correlations and partial correlation coefficients after controlling for age were calculated between steps/day and variables. Furthermore, participants were classified into four groups as follows:5,000, 5,000-7,499, 7,500-9,999, andor=10,000 steps/day, and analyzed using ANOVA across activity groups. In women, a significant correlation was found between steps/day and BMI (r=-0.217, p=0.018), %BF (r=-0.292, p=0.0014), and the relationship was still significant after controlling for age. The relationship between steps/day and waist circumference was not significant. In men, a significant relationship was not observed between steps/day and obesity indices. The correlations between steps/day and both BMI and %BF were significant in Japanese women, but weak compared with Caucasian and African-American women as reported previously. A possible cause is racial difference in degree of obesity and body shape. The effects of physical activity on body shape and composition may differ according to race.

Many epidemiologic studies have shown that moderate alcohol intake, approximately 20 to 30 g/d, is associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease. Although alcohol intolerance is more frequently seen in Japanese, almost the same results were obtained in many studies. On the other hand, even moderate alcohol consumption increases the risks of other diseases, such as hypertension, liver cirrhosis, and chronic pancreatitis. Thus we assume that the moderate amount of alcohol intake should be examined by various indices other than the incidence of coronary heart disease. We assessed the physical characteristics, blood components, especially gamma-glutamyl transferase, a marker for excessive alcohol intake, and nutrient intake of 1802 men and 708 women in routine medical checkups. The participants were classified by alcohol intake, and linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relationship between this intake and the variables of each sex. Although alcohol intake had a beneficial effect on lipoproteins in both sexes, significantly increased levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase and a higher incidence of those whose levels exceeded the reference range (7-60 U/L) were seen in the 10.1 to 20 g/d male group compared with the no-intake group (26 [19-41] vs 31 [22-50] U/L, median [interquartile range], 10.0% vs 17.7%; both P

Milk consumption is considered to have favorable effects on obesity, blood pressure, and cholesterol. However, studies conducted on Japanese populations are sparse, and a positive association between milk intake and increased level of serum total cholesterol (TC) was reported. We measured body mass index, % of body fat (% BF), blood pressure, and blood constituents of 566 men and 462 women during a medical checkup. Milk consumption, including whole milk, low-fat milk, and yogurt, and nutrient intakes were evaluated by using a brief diet history questionnaire. All participants were classified according to the frequency of milk consumption and by sex. Associations between milk consumption and other variables were examined by using multiple linear regression analysis. No association was observed between milk intake and body weight, % BF, blood pressure, and blood constituents such as glucose, HbA1c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or triacylglycerols. On the other hand, we observed a significant association with TC in male participants (β = 0.113, P = .007). Milk consumption seems to have little effect on body mass index, % BF, blood pressure, and blood constituents apart from TC in Japanese. The positive association between milk consumption and TC suggests that low-fat milk and/or yogurt are preferable for individuals who require cholesterol control.

Summary Background & aims Small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SBBO) may be associated with malnutrition, diarrhea, and weight loss. Recently, bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with SBBO was reported to be lower, and SBBO may be an important factor in the development of metabolic bone disease. However, the subjects in these studies were relatively young patients with intestinal diseases. There is no information on the effect of SBBO on BMD in older people. Method Seventeen relatively active and 33 disabled older people participated in this study. SBBO was determined by a breath hydrogen (H2) test after ingestion of a glucose solution. BMD of the lumbar spine and femur were measured using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (DEXA). Results One healthy control and 11 disabled subjects were SBBO-positive. The Z-scores of the lumbar spine were not statistically different between groups, and a high incidence of disorders, >70%, was seen in all groups. On the other hand, there were significant differences in the femoral BMD between the healthy controls and the SBBO-negative ( P 0.001 ) and SBBO-positive ( P 0.05 ) groups. No significant difference was seen in femoral BMD between SBBO-positive and SBBO-negative institutionalized people. Conclusion SBBO seems to have little effect on BMD in people approximately 80 years old.

A method of feedback control that minimizes the total acoustic potential energy in a sound field excited by an unknown disturbance is introduced. A state-space description of an acoustic plant is derived using common acoustical pole and zero modeling of room transfer functions, which we consider an effective scheme for experimental system identification. The feedback controller was designed using H∞ control theory to achieve both robust performance and high stability. Computer simulations verified that the resonant peaks in the frequency spectrum of the total acoustic potential energy could be attenuated in the low-frequency range involved in the nominal model of the plant without exciting the residual dynamics in the high-frequency range. A practical control system was built for experimental verification of the theory. Experimental results showed that the proposed control method provided the desired performance in real-time.

The antibacterial effects of salivary nitrate/nitrite on the growth of three Desulfovibrio species were examined. The bacteria did not grow on plates with ≥ 0.2 mM nitrate or ≥ 1.0 mM nitrite. They were also incubated in filter-sterilized saliva. D. desulfuricans was reduced on the order of10(2) compared with the control solution (phosphate-buffered saline) in nine out of the 10 participants.

Although titanium dioxide photocatalysts having anatase phase are a promising substrate for photodegradation of pollutants in water and air, their photocatalytic activities show only under ultraviolet (UV) light. For us to utilized a wide range of incident light such as solar light, development of the photocatalysts whose activities show under visible light is one of the most important strategies. We have synthesized chemically modified titanium dioxide photocatalysts in which S (S4+) substitutes for some of the lattice titanium atoms. They show strong absorption for visible light and high activities for degradation of methylene blue, 2-propanol in aqueous solution and partial oxidation of adamantane under irradiation at wavelengths longer than 440 nm. The oxidation state of the S atoms incorporated into the TiO2 particles is determined to be mainly S4+ from X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) spectra.

Background: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methanthiol (CH3SH) have been implicated as bacterially derived toxins which may be damaging to the gut mucosa. The addition of nitrate and metals that bind sulfide could potentially reduce the concentrations of these toxic gases. In this study, the effects of iron, zinc, bismuth and nitrate on free H2S concentrations in fecal batch cultures were investigated. Methods: Stool samples were collected from six healthy subjects. Ten percent fecal slurries was made up with phosphate buffer. One milliliter of fecal slurry and 1 ml of metal solution were added to 28 ml anaerobic broth in a 30-ml vial giving final metal concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mmol/l. For a control, the metal iron solution was replaced by 1 ml of water. After 24 h of incubation at 37 °C, 1 ml of the supernatant from the broth was distilled by microdistillation and sulfide determined by HPLC using amperometric detection. Results: A significant reduction in H2S (P

Photocatalyzed oxidation of adamantane has been investigated using several kinds of TiO 2 powders in a mixed solvent of acetonitrile and butyronitrile under aerated conditions. 1-Adamantanol, 2-adamantanol, and 2-adamantanone are obtained as the main products, in which 1-adamantanol is produced at the highest yield. The quantum efficiencies for the production of 1-adamantanol, 2-adamantanol, and 2-adamantanone reach 6.4, 1.0 and 2.1%, respectively. Generally, anatase powders show higher activity than rutile powders. However, by addition of hydrogen peroxide to the solution, the activity of rutile powders is remarkably enhanced and becomes much higher than that of anatase powders. The rate for the production of 1-adamantanol is increased by more than 10 times, and the quantum efficiency for the production of 1-adamantanol reached as high as 25%.

Pentane is a widely used index of lipid peroxidation. Although isopentane, an isomer of pentane, is a major component of ambient air in urban areas, many studies have disregarded the possibility that this compound is coeluted in the measurement of breath pentane. In the present study, a gas chromatograph equipped with a cold trap apparatus and a large-bore glass capillary column was used for determination of pentane, isopentane and isoprene in breath and ambient air. Isoprene was detected in all subjects at a concentration higher than that in the ambient air. However, the concentrations of breath pentane and isopentane were similar to, or less than, those of the ambient air. We suggest that great care is required in the measurement of breath pentane so that endogenous isoprene and ambient isopentane are not coeluted.

We have previously reported that ingestion of vegetables containing high nitrate (NO3-) increases breath nitrous oxide (N2O) concentration, probably due to denitrification. In the present study, we estimated NO3- metabolism in the intestine by determining exhaled breath N2O concentration after the ingestion of vegetables by 16 healthy Chinese and Japanese. Breath samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 4 hr after subjects ingested 180 g of vegetable juice or 50 g of lettuce. Breath N2O concentration was measured by an IR-PAS analyzer. Lettuce but not vegetable juice increased N2O concentrations similarly in Japanese and Chinese. In control subjects who ingested nothing, there were significant differences between Chinese and Japanese in peak N2O concentrations (334 +/- 91 vs 140 +/- 24 ppb, P = 0.027) and total excretions (535 +/- 143 vs 214 +/- 36 microg, P = 0.036). Although the reason for this difference is unclear, Chinese subjects could produce breath N2O from other metabolic pathways than denitrification of dietary NO3.

Fasting breath nitrous oxide (N2O) concentration was determined in relation to pH, nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) concentrations in gastric juice, and Helicobacter pylori infection in 86 successive patients. N2O was measured with an infrared-photoacoustic analyzer. NO3− and NO2− were measured using the Griess reaction. Fasting breath N2O concentration in controls (87 ± 21 ppb) was not significantly different from that in patients with gastric ulcer or other gastric lesions. Breath N2O was significantly correlated with gastric NO3−(P < 0.01) and was higher in patients with elevated gastric NO2− (246 ± 87 ppb) than in patients without NO2− (75 ± 13 ppb). Breath N2O did not differ significantly between subjects who were positive or negative for H. pylori. In conclusion, fasting breath N2O concentration is in some manner related to intragastric NO3− and NO2− concentrations. The possible use of measuring breath N2O as predictors of cancer needs further research.

We have demonstrated nitrous oxide(N2O), a metabolite of the reduction ofnitrate (NO3-) by microflora, inexhaled air. The purpose of this study is to examine theeffect of ingesting vegetables, which contain high levels ofNO3-, on breath N2Olevels. We measured breath N2O in six healthysubjects aged 20-41 years at 15-min intervals after thefollowing: (1) no ingestion; (2) ingestion of 180 g ofvegetable juice; and (3) ingestion of 50 g of lettuce.N2O levels were measured with aninfrared-photoacoustic (IR-PAS) analyzer. N2Owas detectable in all subjects regardless of treatmentprotocol. Lettuce and vegetable juice significantly increased breathN2O levels. Total excretions in breathN2O were significantly higher in the lettucegroup (P = 0.028) and the vegetable juice group (P =0.046) than controls. Breath N2O increases after vegetableingestion, probably due to denitrification ofNO3- by normal microflora in theintestinal tract.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced by denitrification, i.e. by microbial reduction of nitrate (NO3−). Our previous studies have established an analytical method for demonstrating the existence of N2O in exhaled air, and we showed that levels of N2O in exhaled air increase with age after puberty. However, the source of this change and its biological significance are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the oral microorganisms are the main source of N2O. We measured exhaled N2O in 35 young adults (aged 19–29 years) and 34 older adults (aged 61–79 years) before and after mouth cleansing. N2O was measured using an infrared-photoacoustic analyzer equipped with an optical filter (UA0985, 2215 cm−1). Participants were classified as producers and non-producers according to the levels of exhaled N2O relative to the level in the atmosphere. N2O production differed significantly between the young adult producers and the older adult producers. Mouth cleansing resulted in an immediate reduction in exhaled N2O in both groups. We only found seven (20.0%) producers in the young, and 32 (94.1%) producers in the older after mouth washing. The differences before and after mouth cleansing were significant in both groups (P

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is commonly used to measure the percentage of body fat (%BF), but its accuracy is controversial. In addition, the equations are specific to the group for which they were established. As far as we know, there is no study examining the accuracy of BIA in Japanese middle-aged and older people. We compared %BF assessed using BIA with that of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in 102 female and 51 male local residents aged 40 to 78 y. Simple correlation coefficients were 0.79 for females and 0.69 for males, which are statistically significant (p

Background and Aims. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is not widely used in large colorectal lesions because of technical difficulty and possible complications. We aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of ESD for large colorectal neoplasms. Patients and Methods. During the past 5 years, 608 cases of colorectal neoplasm (≧20 mm) were treated by ESD. They were divided into Group A (20–49 mm, 511 cases) and Group B (≧50 mm, 97 cases). Results. The average age, lesion size, and procedure time were 67.4 years, 30.0 mm, and 60.0 min in Group A, and they were 67.1 years, 64.2 mm, and 119.6 min in Group B. En bloc resection rates were 99.2% and 99.0% (), and complication rates were 4.1% and 9.9% (). Complications in Group A consisted of perforation (2.7%), bleeding (1.2%), and ischemic colitis (0.2%). Those in Group B were perforation (8.2%) and bleeding (1.0%). Two cases in Group A and none in Group B required emergency surgery for perforation. Conclusions. There was no difference in efficacy between Groups A and B. Complications were more frequent in Group B, but all perforations in Group B were successfully managed conservatively. ESD can be effective and safe for large colorectal tumors.

In this research we develop a mobile-based learning system for Japanese language based on smart devices such as Apple iPhone and iPad. The research also utilizes machine learning techniques for facial recognition to understand the learners' conditions and respond with an appropriate learning recommendations that can fit with the learners' current condition.

Graphene has been studied as a candidate for electrochemical capacitor electrodes owing to its good electronic conductivity and theoretically high specific surface area. Chemically-derived graphene, or reduced graphite oxide (rGO) nanosheets, have advantages including moderate surface area, high volumetric density and scalability. In order to fully take advantage of the 2D nanostructure, the complex pore structure and fundamental capacitive behavior particularly in a monolayer state needs to be better understood. In this study, a series of thin films with 1 to 10 mono-layers of rGO were were fabricated by layer-by-layer deposition as simplified model electrodes with well-defined, countable graphene layers.[1] Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry were conducted in neutral and acidic electrolytes in order to investigate the (pseudo)capacitive behavior of chemical graphene. A transmission line model (TLM) was adopted to simulate the electrochemical impedance data. The model structure is composed of layers of rGO with slit pores with lateral size the same as the gold substrate (1×1 cm) (Fig. 1). The equivalent circuit inside the interlayer gaps can be expressed as Z TLM (Fig. 2), which has a total impedance according to the de Levie model, -Equation 1- where X is the length of the slit pore along the ion penetration direction, Z* is the impedance per unit length in the slit pores, Z** is the impedance per unit area, l is the total length of perimeter of cross-section of the slit pores, j is the imaginary unit and, ω (=2πf, where f is frequency) is the angular frequency. The length of the slit pore along the ion penetration direction for all samples is equal to the geometric size of the electrode (X=1 cm) and the perimeter of the slit pores is l =2 cm × n layers. C TLM and R*TLM were obtained from TLM-simulation of (PDDA/rGO)10 reduced either by gas phase H2 or chemical reduction with N2H4. In Na2SO4, the frequency response will reflect only the electric double- layer capacitive behavior with no contribution from pseudo-capacitance. (PDDA/rGO)10-H2 shows a C TLM of ~25 μF/cm2 at 0.2-1.0 V and ~10 μF/cm2 at 1.2 V. (PDDA/rGO)10-N2H4 shows C TLM of 12-20 μF/cm2 between 0.2-1.2 V. R*TLM was higher for the N2H4-reduced (O/C=0.10) film compared to the H2-reduced counterpart (O/C=0.21). Samples with lower O/C have lower ionic conductivity due to lower hydrophobicity and higher electronic conductivity. Thus, R*TLM is suggested to be dominated by ionic conductivity. (PDDA/rGO)10-H2, with higher O/C and lower electronic conductivity, has higher C TLM and lower R TLM. These results imply that leaving a certain amount of surface functionalities seems to be advantageous for non-Faradaic electric double layer charging, which can be due to better wettability of the surface. R*TLM is higher in Na2SO4 compared to that in H2SO4, which can be attributed to the lower ionic conductivity of the electrolyte in the slit pores. In H2SO4, R*TLM for the H2-reduced samples (O/C=0.21) shows slightly higher values compared to the N2H4-reduced counterparts (O/C=0.10). From the results, we conclude that R*TLM is influenced more by ionic conductivity in Na2SO4, and more by the electronic conductivity of rGO in H2SO4. [1] Z. Lei, T. Mitsui, H. Nakafuji, M. Itagaki, and W. Sugimoto, J. Phys. Chem. C, 118(13), 6624–6630 (2014). Figure 1

Moraxella catarrhalis is a Gram-negative aerobic diplococcus that is currently the third most frequent cause of bacterial acute otitis media (AOM) in children. In this study, we developed an experimental murine AOM model by inoculating M. catarrhalis in the middle ear bulla and studied the local response to this inoculation, and modulation of its course by the pili of M. catarrhalis. The pili-positive and pili-negative M. catarrhalis showed differences in bacterial clearance and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the middle ear. Pili-negative M. catarrhalis induced a more delayed and prolonged immune response in the middle ear than that of pili-positive M. catarrhalis. TLR2, -4, -5 and -9 mRNA expression was upregulated in neutrophils that infiltrated the middle ear cavity during AOM caused by both pili-positive and pili-negative bacteria. TLR5 mRNA expression and TLR5 protein in the neutrophils were induced more robustly by pili-positive M. catarrhalis. This immune response is likely to be related to neutrophil function such as toll-like 5-dependent phagocytosis. Our results show that mice may provide a useful AOM model for studying the role of M. catarrhalis. Furthermore, we show that pili play an important role in enhancing M. catarrhalis clearance from the middle ear that is probably mediated through neutrophil-dependent TLR5 signaling.

Small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SBBO) is defined as an abnormal increase in the number of bacteria in the small intestine, and may be occult in older adults. The aim of this study was to determine whether small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SBBO) is found in healthy older people as a concomitant of normal aging or is seen only in disabled or frail older people, excluding patients with intestinal disease and those who had undergone upper intestinal or gastric surgery.Forty-one relatively healthy older people, aged 74.6 +/- 1.7 (mean +/- SE) years, who engage in regular exercise, and 42 variously disabled older people, average age 78.8 +/- 1.1 years, who commute to a day-care center participated in this study. SBBO was determined by a breath hydrogen (H2) test after ingestion of 50g of glucose solution dissolved in 200mL of water. Physical activity was judged from the number of steps walked per day as measured by a pedometer. Food intake was assessed by an interview.No SBBO-positive subject was seen among the healthy, while 11 (25.6%) of the disabled older adults were positive. The number of steps/day taken by the disabled subjects was extremely low, only 22.3% of that of the healthy (P0.001). No significant difference was seen between the groups in food intake. The mean age of the SBBO-positive patients was relatively high, 81.5 +/- 2.2 years, and 5 (45.4%) of them were underweight, with a BMI18.5.Our results and previous studies indicate that SBBO is seen only in patients with intestinal disease and disabled or frail older people.

Background : Toxic nitrite and N -nitroso compounds due to gastric bacterial growth are often detected in the stomach of patients with atrophic gastritis and partial gastrectomy. The aim of this study is to investigate whether breath N 2 O, a major metabolite of denitrification, detected after ingestion of nitrate is associated with atrophic gastritis and partial gastrectomy. Methods : Nine young, 16 normal older, nine atrophic gastritis and six partial gastrectomy subjects ingested 100 g lettuce, equal to 130 mg nitrate, and breath N 2 O was measured at 15-min intervals for 5 h. N 2 O was analyzed using an infrared-photoacoustic analyzer, and atrophic gastritis was diagnosed by pepsinogen test. Results : The mean breath N 2 O concentrations were higher in the following order at all times: partial gastrectomy>atrophic gastritis>normal>young. The maximum N 2 O concentrations in the patients with partial gastrectomy and atrophic gastritis were 1655±296 and 1350±200 (mean±S.E.) ppb, respectively, which were higher than that of the normal subjects, 827±91 ppb ( P 2 O concentration in young people was 527±86 ppb, which was lower than that of the normal older people ( P Conclusion : These higher N 2 O concentrations in gastric patients reflect bacterial growth in the stomach due to the reduction of gastric acid.

We compared two lactase preparations derived from Aspergillus orizae (AOL) and Penicillinase multicolor (PML) for stability in the stomach and overall enzymatic activity in 10 asymptomatic subjects with lactase deficiency. The subjects were given 10,000 FCC units of either AOL or PML 30 min prior to or simultaneously with 300 ml of milk. Gastric juice was withdrawn through a nasogastric tube immediately after and every 15 min for 60 min, and breath was sampled before and every 15 min for 6 h after the milk ingestion. When lactase was given simultaneously with the milk, gastric juice lactase activity and galactose concentration were significantly higher than the control levels. When lactase preparations were given 30 min prior to the milk, neither lactase activity nor galactose was detected in the gastric juice. The pH of the gastric juice was about 6.0 after the milk ingestion. Breath hydrogen did not increase when milk was ingested simultaneously with enzymes, but did increase if enzymes were given 30 min prior to milk ingestion. There were no significant differences in lactase activity, galactose concentration in gastric juice, or breath hydrogen when AOL and PML were compared. In conclusion, with exogenous lactase, digestion of lactose begins in the stomach when pH is raised to 6.0 by the buffering action of milk. Lactase preparations are effective assessed by breath hydrogen analysis in asymptomatic individuals with lactase deficiency if the enzymes are given simultaneously with milk.

The toxicity of dietary nitrate (NO3-) is controversial. One reason is nitrate metabolism in the intestine is so complicated that it is far from fully understood. There is no study measuring breath nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O) after ingesting vegetables and high-nitrate food at the same time.Breath samples from 10 healthy young and 10 healthy old subjects were collected at 15-min intervals for 5 h after ingestion of 100 g of lettuce and during fasting (control). Breath NO and N2O were analyzed by a chemiluminescence and an IR-PAS analyzer respectively.N2O maximum concentration and excretions increased significantly after ingesting lettuce in each group [303 (30) vs. 750 (81) ppb, 771 (72) vs. 1668 (146) microg in young; 442 (52) vs. 1092 (109) ppb, 1088 (125) vs. 2100 (183) microg in old subjects; mean (SE), P0.01], while NO did not. In addition, breath NO was strongly influenced by ambient NO, which varied greatly. N2O maximum level in old subjects after ingesting lettuce was higher than that of young subjects (750 vs. 1092 ppb, P0.05), and significantly higher N2O concentration levels were seen at 30, 45, 60, and 105 min in old subjects.A large amount of N2O produced in the intestine and normal nitrate intake do not influence the breath NO concentration, probably due to its relatively small production. Higher maximum N2O concentration after ingesting lettuce in old subject is probably because more bacteria, which rapidly reduce dietary nitrate in the upper intestinal tract, inhabit the gut in old age. Our results suggested that breath N2O is a useful noninvasive maker to estimate dietary nitrate reduction in the intestinal tract.

This study was conducted to determine whether and under what circumstances exercise causes nausea. Twelve healthy volunteers (20-37 years), including six athletes, participated in the study. Subjects were studied on seven occasions. Each subject performed low and high-intensity exercise without eating, immediately after eating a beef patty and 60 min after eating. Besides these exercise experiments, effect of meal on nausea was studied in each subject for 180 min without exercise. Exercise was done on a bicycle ergometer for 60 min at 40-50% maximal heart rate reserve and 20 min at 70-80% maximal heart rate reserve. Subjects were tested for nausea by visual analogue scales. Both low and high-intensity exercise caused nausea. Scores for nausea were greater during exercise at fasting state and immediately after eating than those without exercise (p0.05 during low-intensity exercise, and p0.01 during high-intensity exercise). Immediately after eating, scores for nausea were greater during high-intensity exercise than during low-intensity exercise (p0.05). During high-intensity exercise, scores for nausea were greater immediately after eating than without eating (p0.05). There were no differences in ratings for nausea between the sexes in any of the experimental conditions. Training did not decrease exercise-induced nausea. In conclusion, exercise causes nausea, the severity of which is related to exercise intensity and food intake, but not sex differences nor physical training.

Trace gases in exhaled air have been used as a simple means of assessing metabolic reactions. The investigations of trace gases derived from bacteria in human exhalation are usually hydrogen (H2) or methane (CH4). On the other hand, nitrous oxide (N2O) is also derived from microorganisms, especially denitrifying bacteria. Although many kinds of denitrifying bacteria have been isolated on and in the human body, there has been few concerning N2O. We studied 222 healthy people from the age of 5 to 85 years. The analysis of N2O in exhaled air was carried out by a infrared-photoacoustic (IR-PAS) analyzer. It was found that N2O ranged from 0 to 1670 ppbv in exhaled air and that 59% (131) of the subjects were producers of N2O. A highly significant relationship was observed between age and concentrations of N2O (r = 0.40, P0.01). The rate of production in young children and in the aged was significantly higher than that in adults aged 20-39 years (P0.01), and less than 30% were producers during puberty. The change of normal microflora on and in human body with aging may have caused the significant relationship between age and emissions of N2O.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a relatively stable compound, present at ∼310 nL/L in the atmosphere. It is produced predominantly by microbial reduction of nitrate (NO3−). This process, called denitrification, is the conversion of nitrate to gaseous nitrogen compounds, resulting in a product of nitrogen (N2) or nitrous oxide under most conditions. Many kinds of denitrifying bacteria have been isolated from the human oral cavity, upper respiratory tract, and alimentary tract (e.g.) (1)(2)(3)(4), including pathogens of Pseudomonas , Neisseria , and Campylobacter. Taking these studies into consideration, it is proper to assume that the concentrations of N2O in exhaled air exceed those in the atmosphere, although no studies have been published related to N2O in exhaled air. The purpose of this study is to establish an analytical method for detection of N2O in exhaled air by using gas chromatography (GC) and infrared-photoacoustic spectrometry …

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Tax1-binding protein 1 (Tax1bp1) negatively regulates NF-κB by editing the ubiquitylation of target molecules by its catalytic partner A20. Genetically engineered TAX1BP1-deficient (KO) mice develop age-dependent inflammatory constitutions in multiple organs manifested as valvulitis or dermatitis and succumb to premature death. Laser capture dissection and gene expression microarray analysis on the mitral valves of TAX1BP1-KO mice (8 and 16 week old) revealed 588 gene transcription alterations from the wild type. SAA3 (serum amyloid A3), CHI3L1, HP, IL1B and SPP1/OPN were induced 1,180-, 361-, 187-, 122- and 101-fold respectively. WIF1 (Wnt inhibitory factor 1) exhibited 11-fold reduction. Intense Saa3 staining and significant I-κBα reduction were reconfirmed and massive infiltration of inflammatory lymphocytes and edema formation were seen in the area. Antibiotics-induced 'germ free' status or the additional MyD88 deficiency significantly ameliorated TAX1BP1-KO mice's inflammatory lesions. These pathological conditions, as we named 'pseudo-infective endocarditis' were boosted by the commensal microbiota who are usually harmless by their nature. This experimental outcome raises a novel mechanistic linkage between endothelial inflammation caused by the ubiquitin remodeling immune regulators and fatal cardiac dysfunction.

In order to effectively utilize visible light in photocatalytic reactions, we have developed S-doped TiO2 particles. They show strong absorption for visible light and high activities for degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution under irradiation at wavelengths longer than 440 nm. The oxidation state of the S atoms incorporated into the TiO2 particles is determined to be S6+ from the XPS spectra.

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