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Koji mold, which belongs to the Aspergillus section Nigri, is used in the production of shochu. The section Nigri is composed of very morphologically similar members that in some cases produce mycotoxins, which rises concerns as to whether the presence of mycotoxin-producing fungi in shochu producing sites can compromise consumer safety. Thus, we examined the presence of mycotoxin-producing sec. Nigri fungi in six shochu factories (named A-F) in Japan. Airborne fungal levels in the factories were determined, and a traditional koji called "kona-koji" made from the mold naturally present in factory C (Aogashima village) was analyzed. Isolates of sec. Nigri fungi were identified morphologically and confirmed via cytochrome b gene analysis. In factory A (Nago city), airborne fungal levels of sec. Nigri were 4,000 and 100 cfu/m3 in the koji-making and fermentation rooms, respectively. In factories B, C, and D, the levels were 40, >104 cfu/m3, and 100 cfu/m3, respectively. In factory F (Iki city), there were high levels of airborne white-koji mold (a white mutant of Asp. luchuensis). The most dominant fungal species of sec. Nigri was isolated and identified as Asp. luchuensis via genetic analysis. This is likely to have originated from the commercial fermentation culture used. Asp. niger and Asp. luchuensis were isolated from kona-koji. Mycotoxin production (ochratoxin and fumonisin B2) by Asp. luchuensis (eight strains) and Asp. niger (three strains) was virtually inexistent; only one strain of Asp. niger was positive for fumonisin B2. This study clearly shows that mycotoxin-producing fungi are not dominant in the fungal flora present in the shochu factories examined and therefore, that the liquor can be safely fermented.Implications: In this study, we examined the presence of mycotoxin-producing Aspergillus sec. Nigri fungi in six shochu (Japanese distilled beverage) factories. The most dominant fungal species of sec. Nigri was isolated and identified as Aspergillus luchuensis (black-koji mold). The proportion of mycotoxin-producing Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius was very small. In addition, the Asp. niger isolated from koji mold did not have the ability to produce ochratoxins or fumonisin B. This study clearly shows that shochu can be safely fermented.

Household air conditioners are known to be contaminated with dematiaceous fungi such as genus Toxicocladosporium and genus Cladosporium. We frequently encounter cases in which a large amount of fungi, which are presumed to belong to the family Cordycipitaceae, are isolated from the blowout air of the household air conditioners. Therefore, the Cordycipitaceae isolated in the survey of four cases of the air conditioners were identified by genetic analyses. As a result, all of them were found to be Simplicillium sympodiophorum. The concentration of airborne fungi, S. sympodiophorum in the blowout air was high (> 104 cfu/m3) as exceeding the upper limit of quantification in three of four cases, and 5,000 cfu/m3 in one case. This study revealed that S. sympodiophorum contaminated multiple air conditioners. Genus Toxicocladosporium was also isolated from the two air conditioners, and it was found to be Toxicocladosporium irritans by the genetic analysis.

Household air conditioners are known to be contaminated with dematiaceous fungi such as genus Toxicocladosporium and genus Cladosporium. We frequently encounter cases in which a large amount of fungi, which are presumed to belong to the family Cordycipitaceae, are isolated from the blowout air of the household air conditioners. Therefore, the Cordycipitaceae isolated in the survey of four cases of the air conditioners were identified by genetic analyses. As a result, all of them were found to be Simplicillium sympodiophorum. The concentration of airborne fungi, S. sympodiophorum in the blowout air was high (10

Koji mold, which belongs to the

In recent years, >100 cases of coronary artery stenotic lesions due to Kawasaki disease were treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Surgical indications include stenosis of >75%, myocardial infarction history, electrocardiographic changes, and ischemia, as detected by myocardial scintigraphy and electrocardiography, due to drugs or exercise. Some centers have reported good patency rates, even in infants. The advantages of CABG in younger patients are minimal loss of left ventricular function, early elimination of post-operative ischemia risk, and improved quality of life. However, the disadvantage of performing CABG in younger patients is the small coronary artery diameter and the thin vessel wall, which can lead to post-operative occlusion, especially when performed by inexperienced surgeons. The optimal timing of CABG varies by institution and case, which depends on the presence or absence of complications, such as left ventricular dysfunction or valve regurgitation, and surgeon's experience. Importantly, unlike adult surgery, childhood CABG needs to be kept open for the very longest possible period of time to determine the optimal conditions for surgery. We report two pediatric cases of giant coronary artery aneurysms diagnosed in infancy. During school age, the patients had a mild decline of left ventricular ejection function. In one case, there were no clinical symptoms because of the development of collateral vessels and limitation of exercise. Both patients underwent surgery with good results. The gastric gastroepiploic artery could be anastomosed owing to the development of collateral blood vessels, although it was obstructed. At 1 year after surgery, both patients had a good post-operative course without complications of anastomotic stenosis or myocardial damage due to aneurysm resection. If conditions are favorable, bypass surgery can be postponed to several years until the coronary arteries are sufficiently large to warrant a delay in coronary artery stenosis in cases of infantile Kawasaki disease.

We report a case of early onset sepsis caused by (CTX for cefotaximase and M for Munich)-type extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL E. coli) in a preterm infant weighing 601 g. He was given meropenem and treated for endotoxin absorption with polymyxin B-immobilized fibers with only 8 mL of priming volume. The patient survived without any short-term neurological or respiratory sequelae. The choice of antibiotics is particularly important in seriously ill neonates with sepsis due to ESBL-producing organisms. Polymyxin B hemoperfusion might be an innovative therapy for severe neonatal sepsis and could improve outcome even in an extremely low-birthweight infant.

The fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin has previously been classified using morphological characteristics, but morphology cannot reveal the phylogenetic relationships among conventionally classified strains. High levels of homology have been found in gene sequences among various B. bassiana strains, complicating the determination of their evolutionary relationships. To elucidate phylogenetic relationships among conventionally known Beauveria species, we analyzed 57 major strains of B. bassiana and 3 strains of B. brongniartii (Saccardo) Petch isolated from Japan by analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and genome profiling (GP) based on temperature gradient gel electrophoresis of random PCR products. The ITS sequence analysis placed the 57 conventional B. bassiana strains into two clusters, B. bassiana and Beauveria pseudobassiana Rehner et Humber. In contrast, GP analysis produced five clusters of B. bassiana strains that included B. pseudobassiana clusters. These results suggested that GP was more accurate than ITS sequence analysis for determining phylogenetic relationships within B. bassiana. In addition, our findings suggested that conventional strains of B. bassiana isolated from Japan include both B. bassiana and B. pseudobassiana groups.

Four patients with a thrombus in a coronary artery aneurysm due to Kawasaki disease (KD) were treated at our hospital between 1994 and 2009. All the cases were treated with intravenous coronary thrombolysis (IVCT) therapy and the cases with acute myocardial infarction were treated with additional intracoronary thrombolysis therapy. Although both thrombolytic therapies were effective, IVCT required more time than intracoronary thrombolysis to resolve the thrombus. We concluded that IVCT can be used as the first-line thrombolytic therapy for KD, except in cases with acute myocardial infarction.

Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner has previously been classified via the serological identification of flagellar antigens. However, the phylogenetic relationships among strains of B. thuringiensis cannot be investigated by serotyping. Furthermore, high levels of homology have been found in gene sequences among various strains, complicating the determination of their evolutionary relationships. In order to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships within B. thuringiensis, we analyzed 40 strains belonging to typical serotypes using two approaches: an analysis of small subunit (SSU) rRNA sequences and genome profiling (GP) based on temperature gradient gel electrophoresis of random PCR products. The SSU rRNA analysis resulted in all 40 strains forming a single cluster with Bacillus cereus Frankland & Frankland. The distances among the subclusters were too small to further classify the strains. On the other hand, the phylogenetic analysis based on GP resulted in three clusters of B. thuringiensis strains. These results suggest that GP is a better method for the determination of phylogenetic relationships within B. thuringiensis.

In order to evaluate the potential application of microsporidia as a microbial control agent against lepidopteran insect pests, microsporidian infection in a field population of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), was surveyed in vegetable crop fields in Can Tho City, Vietnam, in March 2007. The infection rate of microsporidia was 46.7% (99/212 individuals) in adult S. litura, and 16 samples of infected adults were used to characterize the microsporidia at the molecular level. Analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) sequences indicated that microsporidian strains isolated from S. litura were closely related to Nosema bombycis from the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Linnaeus); however, phylogenetic analysis based on genome profiling produced a different result from the SSU rRNA sequences. Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis profiles of 12 microsporidian strains from S. litura were closely related to N. bombycis strains, while the profiles of three microsporidian strains formed a different cluster. The Vietnamese strains did not form a single group, but were classified into at least three groups. These results suggested that the microsporidia isolated from S. litura in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, are genetically diverse.

Background: Ghrelin has effects on appetite and growth. Recent reports suggest effects on cardiac function, but no study has evaluated the ghrelin levels of congenital heart disease (CHD) infants with heart failure. The purpose of the present study was therefore to investigate the relationship between ghrelin level and growth and cardiac function in CHD infants. Methods: Twenty-eight infants with CHD were eligible for the study. Blood samples were obtained at the time of insertion of intracardiac catheter and correlation was examined between ghrelin plasma level and anthropometric parameters, including z score of height and weight, body mass index (BMI), and %bodyweight gain rate, severity of heart failure, and the levels of leptin and insulin-like growth factor-1. Results: In the CHD group, active ghrelin (A-Ghr) had a significant negative correlation with z score of bodyweight, and a significant positive correlation with cardiac function. There were no correlations, however, with height and BMI. A-Ghr levels were significantly higher in the high heart failure index score group. Significant correlation between A-Ghr and desacyl-ghrelin in the CHD group was observed. Conclusions: A-Ghr is involved in cardiac function and has little effect on their physique in infants with CHD.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a multisystem disorder of unknown etiology and characterized by accumulation of histiocytes in various tissues.A 3-year-old, previously healthy girl presented with progressive flattening of the parietal convexity for 6 months and seborrheic eczema of the scalp. At presentation, the patient showed no neurological deficit. The eczemas were extensively distributed over the scalp, but not found in any other site of the body. Blood examination revealed a marked increase in soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels. Neuroimages revealed multiple calvarial defects that were replaced by well-demarcated, enhancing extracerebral masses. A biopsy surgery confirmed the diagnosis as LCH.LCH may cause progressive calvarial defects. If seborrheic eczemas are concurrent, they may suggest prompt histological verification and treatments be initiated.

Four patients with a thrombus in a coronary artery aneurysm due to Kawasaki disease (KD) were treated at our hospital between 1994 and 2009. All the cases were treated with intravenous coronary thrombolysis (IVCT) therapy and the cases with acute myocardial infarction were treated with additional intracoronary thrombolysis therapy. Although both thrombolytic therapies were effective, IVCT required more time than intracoronary thrombolysis to resolve the thrombus. We concluded that IVCT can be used as the first-line thrombolytic therapy for KD, except in cases with acute myocardial infarction.

Ghrelin has effects on appetite and growth. Recent reports suggest effects on cardiac function, but no study has evaluated the ghrelin levels of congenital heart disease (CHD) infants with heart failure. The purpose of the present study was therefore to investigate the relationship between ghrelin level and growth and cardiac function in CHD infants.Twenty-eight infants with CHD were eligible for the study. Blood samples were obtained at the time of insertion of intracardiac catheter and correlation was examined between ghrelin plasma level and anthropometric parameters, including z score of height and weight, body mass index (BMI), and %bodyweight gain rate, severity of heart failure, and the levels of leptin and insulin-like growth factor-1.In the CHD group, active ghrelin (A-Ghr) had a significant negative correlation with z score of bodyweight, and a significant positive correlation with cardiac function. There were no correlations, however, with height and BMI. A-Ghr levels were significantly higher in the high heart failure index score group. Significant correlation between A-Ghr and desacyl-ghrelin in the CHD group was observed.A-Ghr is involved in cardiac function and has little effect on their physique in infants with CHD.

Background and purpose It remains controversial whether Kawasaki disease (KD) is a risk factor for the early onset of atherosclerosis. The purpose of the present study was to assess endothelial function and arterial stiffness as markers of the early onset of atherosclerosis in adult patients with a history of KD. Methods and subjects We compared 14 adult patients with a history of KD with 41 healthy controls. To assess arterial endothelial function, we measured the reactive hyperemia-peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) index and augmentation index adjusted to 75 bpm (AIx@75) using the Endo-PAT 2000 (Itamar Medical, Caesarea, Israel). In addition, we analyzed medical history, blood pressure, lifestyle habits, and atherosclerosis-related serum biochemical markers [asymmetric dimethylarginine, adiponectin, lipoprotein (a), cholesterols, atherogenic index of plasma]. Results There was no difference between the KD and control groups with regard to the RH-PAT index values (2.10 ± 0.43 and 1.84 ± 0.49, respectively; p = 0.19). However, in the KD group, the RH-PAT index values were negatively correlated with the febrile period in the acute phase of disease (r2 = 0.458, p = 0.048). In addition, the AIx@75 values were higher in KD patients compared to healthy controls (−7.69 ± 11.86% and −15.87 ± 8.72%, respectively; p = 0.01). No significant differences existed between the KD and control groups with regard to the serum biomarkers of atherosclerosis. Conclusions We speculate that endothelial dysfunction in former KD patients is affected by the febrile period of the acute phase, and antiplatelet drugs may improve endothelial function. The increased arterial stiffness of patients caused by post-inflammatory fibrotic changes in the arterial wall indicates that adults with a history of KD have an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis.