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Polyomaviruses (PyVs) infect a wide range of animals and provoke wasting diseases, particularly in immunosuppressed hosts. Recently, a novel Rattus norvegicus polyomavirus 2 (RatPyV2) has been identified in a colony of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) rats in the United States. Here, we describe the first report of the RatPyV2 infection in an X-SCID rat colony in Japan. The affected rats exhibited adult-onset wasting. Histologically, we observed large basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies within the hyperplastic or dysplastic epithelial cells in the salivary glands, Harderian glands, extraorbital lacrimal glands, and in respiratory and reproductive tissues. Among these organs, the parotid salivary, Harderian, and extraorbital lacrimal glands were most obviously affected. In particular, the parotid salivary glands were the most severely and diffusely affected and atrophic lesions were prominent even at 1 month of age, which suggested that the parotid salivary glands would be highly susceptible to RatPyV2 in X-SCID rats. RatPyV2 inclusion bodies were also detected in the tail of the epididymis and deferent duct. Such reproductive lesions developed significantly in the later stage of breeding age, and therefore may be associated with the reduced fecundity observed in the infected X-SCID rats. We also established a simple, rapid, and non-invasive diagnostic method based on the Amp-FTA method, using buccal swabs for the detection of RatPyV2 in immunodeficient rats. Our findings contribute to the early detection and diagnosis of RatPyV2 infections.

The Noda epileptic rat (NER) exhibits generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS). A genetic linkage analysis identified two GTCS-associated loci, Ner1 on Chr 1 and Ner3 on Chr 5. The wild-type Ner1 and Ner3 alleles suppressed GTCS when combined in double-locus congenic lines, but not when present in single-locus congenic lines. Global expression analysis revealed that cholecystokinin B receptor (Cckbr) and suppressor of tumorigenicity 5 (St5), which map within Ner1, and PHD finger protein 24 (Phf24), which maps within Ner3, were significantly downregulated in NER. De novo BAC sequencing detected an insertion of an endogenous retrovirus sequence in intron 2 of the Phf24 gene in the NER genome, and PHF24 protein was almost absent in the NER brain. Phf24 encodes a Gαi-interacting protein involved in GABAB receptor signaling pathway. Based on these findings, we conclude that Cckbr, St5, and Phf24 are strong candidate genes for GTCS in NER.

Radio frequency (RF) waves including helicon waves can readily produce high-electron-density (ne up to 1013 cm-3) plasmas with a broad range of external operating parameters. Various featured RF and helicon sources in a wide range of scales are suitable for plasma propulsion schemes. Electrodeless RF plasmas have no direct contact between electrodes and antennas, which enables long-life operation. However, one of the crucial problems is to reduce the plasma size for future applications in nano- and pico-satellites. Diagnostics of the plasma parameters in a small area should also be improved. Furthermore, to increase plasma performance, it is important to consider the radial electron density (ne) profile with an increasing upper limit, observed in high-density helicon sources due to the depletion of neutrals. This problem may be controlled by the location of neutral gas feeding and knowledge of the gas pressure distribution. Here, production of RF plasmas, with extremely small diameters from 3-mm down to 0.5-mm including 1-mm, was demonstrated, and characterization of ne and the electron temperature was performed with a collisional radiative model. Finally, to improve plasma performance such as ne and the thrust force, internal gas feeding was demonstrated using a developed Pirani gauge to measure neutral density.

Both genetic and environmental factors have been considered causative agents for schizophrenia (SZ). However, no single gene has been shown responsible for the development of SZ. Furthermore, the pathophysiological roles of environmental factors including psychological stress, autoimmunity, and microbial infection have not been fully understood. Previous studies have suggested the involvement of one of the human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), HERV-W, in SZ. In this study, prevalence of antibodies against the HERV-W Syncytin-1 protein was examined using a newly developed ELISA test. Fifty percent of patients with SZ (24 out of 48 cases) were antibody-positive, with a specificity of greater than 95% (less than 5% of control cases, 3 out of 79). No significant effect of medication was evident, nor did any SZ cases become seropositive after diagnosis. These findings indicate a possible involvement of HERV-W expression in the development of SZ and support its applicability to laboratory diagnoses.

Although Slc:Wistar rats are used widely in biomedical research as outbred rats, close similarities in growth curves, survival rates, and immunological and biochemical phenotypes have been reported between Slc:Wistar and F344 inbred rats. We reported previously that nine genetic variations that were fixed in Slc:Wistar rats had identical genotypes in F344 rats. Here, we examined the genetic characteristics of Slc:Wistar rats using 27 simple-sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) markers and compared them with other Wistar stocks available in Japan and with some F344 strains. Among 27 SSLP loci, 23 (85%) were fixed in the Slc:Wistar rats, which was the highest among the other Wistar stocks. The 23 fixed loci shared identical genotypes with corresponding loci in F344 rats. Further, the predominant allele types in the unfixed loci had allele frequencies as high as 80%, and these alleles were identical in the F344 rats. When the nine genetic variations reported previously are added, a total of 32 (89%) out of the 36 loci examined were fixed and identical in the Slc:Wistar and F344 rat genomes. These findings indicate the low genetic variation in Slc:Wistar rats and the high genetic similarity between the Slc:Wistar and F344 inbred rats. This study demonstrates the importance of characterizing outbred rats and the need to pay ample attention to the genetic characteristics the Slc:Wistar rats for their proper use.

Following PCR amplification and sequencing, nucleotide sequence alignment analyses demonstrated the presence of two kinds of 16S-23S rDNA internal spacer regions (ISRs), namely, long length ISRs of 837–844 base pair (bp) [n = six for urease-negative (UN) Campylobacter lari isolates, UN C. lari JCM2530T, RM2100, 176, 293, 299 and 448] and short length ISRs of 679–725 bp [n = six for UN C. lari: n = 14 for urease-positive thermophilic Campylobacter (UPTC) isolates]. The analyses also indicated that the short length ISRs mainly lacked the 156 bp sequence from the nucleotide positions 122–277 bp in long length ISRs for UN C. lari JCM2530T. The 156 bp sequences shared 94.9–96.8 % sequence similarity among six isolates. Surprisingly, atypical tRNAAla gene segment (5′ end 35 bp), which was extremely truncated, occurred within the 156 bp sequences in the long length ISRs, as an unexpected tRNAAla pseudogene. An order of the intercistronic tRNA genes within the short nucleotide spacer of 5′-16S rDNA-tRNAAla-tRNAIle-23S rDNA-3′ occurred in all the C. lari isolates examined.

Antibiotic resistance in clinical pathogens in humans may be traced back to resistance mechanisms in environmental bacteria and any factors, which are likely to alter (upregulate) resistance in environmental organisms, is of potential and eventual consequence to human pathogens. Furthermore, sublethal doses of gamma radiation to environmental organisms may cause sublethal stress and a selective pressure, which may lead to mutational events that alter the bacterium's susceptibility profile. A gamma (γ) radiation simulation experiment was performed to emulate the exposure of four environmental bacteria, including Listeria innocua, Bacillus subtilis, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to levels of radiation in and around Fukushima, Japan, equating to 1, 10 and 100 years equivalence exposure. Alteration to susceptibility to 14 antibiotics was measured as the primary endpoint. There was no significant alteration in the susceptibility of the Gram-positive organisms, whereas both Gram-negative organisms became slightly more susceptible to the antibiotics tested over time. These data indicate that such radiation exposure will not increase the antibiotic resistance profile of these organisms and hence not add to the global public health burden of increased antibiotic resistance in human bacterial pathogens.

Background: Fc receptor-mediated macrophage activation is a major cause of glomerular damage in crescentic glomerulonephritis. Results: We investigated the role of a novel rat Fc receptor, Fcgr3-rs, in human and rat macrophage activation. Conclusion: We showed that this receptor prevents the cell signaling of its paralogue (Fcgr3). Significance: These results provide a novel way to inhibit Fc receptor-mediated cell activation in macrophages., Crescentic glomerulonephritis (Crgn) is a complex disease where the initial insult is often the glomerular deposition of antibodies against intrinsic or deposited antigens in the glomerulus. The role of Fc receptors in the induction and progression of Crgn is increasingly recognized, and our previous studies have shown that copy number variation in Fcgr3 partially explains the genetic susceptibility of the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat to nephrotoxic nephritis, a rat model of Crgn. The Fcgr3-related sequence (Fcgr3-rs) is a novel rat-specific Fc receptor with a cytoplasmic domain 6 amino acids longer than its paralogue, Fcgr3. The Fcgr3-rs gene is deleted from the WKY rat genome, and this deletion is associated with enhanced macrophage activity in this strain. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which the deletion of Fcgr3-rs in the WKY strain leads to increased macrophage activation. By lentivirus-mediated gene delivery, we generated stably transduced U937 cells expressing either Fcgr3-rs or Fcgr3. In these cells, which lack endogenous Fcgr3 receptors, we show that Fcgr3-rs interacts with the common Fc-γ chain but that Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis and signaling are defective. Furthermore, in primary macrophages, expression of Fcgr3-rs inhibits Fc receptor-mediated functions, because WKY bone marrow-derived macrophages transduced with Fcgr3-rs had significantly reduced phagocytic activity. This inhibitory effect on phagocytosis was mediated by the novel cytoplasmic domain of Fcgr3-rs. These results suggest that Fcgr3-rs may act to inhibit Fcgr3-mediated signaling and phagocytosis and could be considered as a novel mechanism in the modulation of Fc receptor-mediated cell activation in autoimmune diseases.

There has been no description of the prevalence of intervening sequences (IVSs) within the 23S rRNA genes in clinical Campylobacter jejuni isolated from humans, and, moreover, no studies have yet appeared describing the correlation between nucleotide sequences of 23S rRNA genes and erythromycin (Ery) resistance in human isolates. Minimum inhibitory concentration of 49 human clinical C. jejuni isolates isolated in Asia, Europe, and North America were determined, and 8 isolates were resistant to Ery (≥ 8 μg/ml; 16%). Following sequencing and alignment analyses, no correlations between the nucleotide sequences of the V domain and the IVSs within 23S rRNA gene sequences and Ery resistance occurred in the human clinical C. jejuni isolates examined. In addition, no point mutations occurred at any expected and putative positions in the V domain with the isolates. In addition, no correlations were seen between the occurrence of the IVSs and random amplified polymorphic DNA subtypes of the C. jejuni isolates. Therefore, ABC efflux pump and other resistance mechanisms(s) may be involved in the resistance to Ery in the human clinical C. jejuni isolates examined in the present study.

This study aims to characterise biochemically urease from an atypical Campylobacter lari, namely urease-positive thermophilic Campylobacter (UPTC). Urease was purified from cells of a Japanese UPTC isolate (CF89-12) using phenyl-Sepharose chromatography. Two protein components (estimates molecular masses 24 kDa and 61 kDa) were obtained that appeared to be structural proteins of urease (subunits A and B), and these were fractionated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The native molecular weight for the final purified UPTC urease was estimated to be approximately 186,000 Da which is close to the calculated molecular weight (182,738 Da) based on all six open reading frames of UPTC CF89-12 urease genes (ureA, B, E, F, G and H), as described previously. Moreover, an active band was observed on phenol red staining after a nondenaturing native PAGE of the crude extract from the UPTC cells. In addition, the purified urease of UPTC CF8912 showed enzyme activity over a broad pH range (pH 6-10), with maximal activity at pH 8.0. The urease was also stable against heat treatment, with almost no loss of enzyme activity seen following 60-min incubation at temperatures of 20-60 degrees C. Urease subunits A and B were identified immunologically by Western blot analysis with rabbit anti-urease alpha (A) and beta (B) raised against Helicobacter pylori.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was carried out on 21 isolates of atypical Campylobacter sputorum (n=14) and C. curvus (n=7) using a primer pair to amplify the helix 11 region within 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences. Following sequencing and alignment analysis, 14 C. sputorum (100%) and six C. curvus (86%) isolates were shown to carry intervening sequences (IVSs) in this region. Interestingly, the nucleotide sequences of all the IVSs were identical among the 14 C. sputorum isolates (n=5 C. sputorum biovar [bv] paraureolyticus; n=5 by fecalis; n=4 by sputorum). In addition, two different nucleotide lengths and sequences of IVSs were identified among the six C. curvus isolates. On the first prediction of the secondary structure model of the IVSs in 16S rRNA genes, stem and loop structures were identified. In the purified RNA fractions from the 20 Campylobacter isolates carrying IVSs, no 16S rRNA was evident. Instead, other smaller RNA fragments were identified. Thus, the primary 16S rRNA transcripts may have been fragmented in the 20 isolates. This is the first demonstration of atypical C. sputorum and C. curvus isolates carrying IVSs in the helix 11 region in 16S rRNA genes.

Molecular and comparative analyses of the full-length cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) gene operon and its adjacent genetic loci (2.7-9.4 kilo base pairs in length) are carried out with 12 urease-positive thermophilic Campylobacter (UPTC) isolates using several polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer pairs. Three putative open reading frames (ORFs) for cdtA, cdtB and cdtC, two putative promoters and a hypothetically intrinsic rho-independent transcription terminator were identified in all the operons of the 12 UPTC isolates examined. Although the number of amino acid residues slightly varied for the putative cdtA and cdtC ORFs, those for the cdtB were similar among all the UPTC isolates, as well as the six urease-negative (UN) C. lari examined previously. Regarding the cdt genes in UPTC CF89-12, each ORF commenced with an ATG start codon and terminated with a TAG stop codon for cdtA and cdtB and a TAA for cdtC. Start and stop codons of the three ORFs for the other 11 UPTC isolates were identical to those from the UPTC CF89-12 isolate except for the TTG start codon for cdtC in the two isolates (NCTC12892 and 12893) and the TGA stop codon for cdtA in five isolates (A1, A2, A3, 89049 and 92251). Two putative promoter structures, consisting of sequences at the -35-like (TTAATA) and -10-like (TATTAA) regions, as well as the start codon (ATG), were identified for the transcriptional promoter, immediately upstream of the cdtA gene in all the 12 isolates, Although the genetic heterogeneity of the cdtB gene locus occurred in all 28 C. lari isolates (n = 16 UN C. lari; n = 12 UPTC) examined, all nine amino acid-specific DNase residues were completely conserved in all their cdtB genes. Variable gene insertions with heterogeneous order and combinations occurred between cdtC and lpxB genes in the all UPTC organisms examined.

An emulsion-counter hybrid experiment (KEK E176) was carried out to search for double strangeness systems such as double- Λ hypernuclei and H -dibaryons. More than 10% of Ξ − hyperons produced in the (K − , K + ) reaction were brought to rest in the nuclear emulsion. We have obtained 98 candidate events of nuclear capture at rest of Ξ − hyperons which are described in this report. Among those, four events were identified as sequential weak decay of double- Λ hypernuclei. The binding energies of Ξ − -( 12 C, 14 N and 16 O) states have been estimated for two events which emit twin single- Λ hypernuclei back to back from the capture point. The Σ − p decay vertex of an H -dibaryon was searched for near the capture point and no evidence was observed. Upper limits for the branching ratio of H emission are 5–10% for a lifetime less than 0.1 ns at the 90% confidence level. The trapping probabilities of single and double strangeness to a nuclear fragment following Ξ − capture at rest have been studied.

Almost 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had been identified in the RT1 complex, the major histocompatibility complex of the rat, but less than approximately 0.5% have been characterized. In the context of the incomplete characterization of most SNPs, simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) marker development is still valuable for understanding the involvement of genes in the RT1 in controlling disease susceptibility, since SSLPs are user-friendly and cost-effective genetic markers in rat genome analysis. In this study, we developed a set of 67 SSLP markers, including 57 novel markers, to cover the entire RT1 complex and then created genetic profiles across 67 rat strains. These markers are located almost every 50 kb in the RT1 complex and show comparable polymorphism; the average number of alleles was 8.04 +/- 3.44 and the average polymorphic rate was 71 +/- 23%. Interestingly, markers failing to amplify polymerase chain reaction products were highly observed in all strains except for BN/SsNHsd, which suggests the existence of highly variable genomic sequences or genomic rearrangements in the RT1 region across rat strains. Based on the phylogenic tree and individual genotyping data, we identified 28 SSLP marker haplotypes in the RT1 region that roughly consisted of three genomic regions. These findings provided new insight into the genomic organization of the RT1 complex and we recognized the need of additional RT1 genome sequences in different strains. Owing to the accuracy and ease of determination, PCR-based SSLP genotyping could replace serological typing in genetic analyses and characterization of rat major histocompatibility.

Single pan thermal analyses (SPTA) have been performed on Cu-14.5 wt.% Sn, Cu-21.3 wt.% Sri and Cu-26.8 wt.% Sit peritectic alloys. For this purpose, a SPTA assembly has been built and calibrated. As the latent heat is a function of temperature and composition during solidification of alloys, a new heat flow model coupled to a Cu-Sn thermodynamic database has been defined for the calculation of the corresponding evolutions of the solid mass fraction, f(s)(T). To verify the accuracy of this model, a close comparison with a micro-segregation model that includes back-diffusion in the primary alpha-solid phase has also been conducted successfully. The thermal analyses have finally shown that the Cu-Sn phase diagram recently assessed in the review of Liu et al. is the most reliable. (C) 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polymorphisms that have been proven to influence gene functions are called functional polymorphisms. It is significant to know the distribution of functional polymorphisms in the rat, widely used in animal models for human diseases. In this study, we assessed 16 functional polymorphisms consisting of 3 coat color and 13 disease-associated genes in 136 rat strains, as a part of the genetic profiling program of the National Bio Resource Project for the Rat (NBRP-Rat). Polymorphisms of Cdkn1a, Fcgr3, Grp10, Lss, and Fdft1, which were proven to function in prostate tumorigenesis, glomerulonephritis, hyperphagia, and cholesterol biosynthesis, were shared among various inbred strains. These findings indicated that most rat strains harbored the disease-associated alleles and suggested that many unidentified functional polymorphisms might exist in inbred rat strains. The functional polymorphisms shared in inbred strains were also observed within outbred stocks available commercially. Therefore, this implies that experimental plans based on either rat inbred strains or outbred stocks need to be carefully designed with a full understanding of the genetic characteristics of the animals. To select the most suitable strains for experiments, the NBRP-Rat will periodically improve and update the genetic profiles of rat strains.

Probiotics are live microorganisms ingested for the purpose of conferring a health benefit on the host. Development of new probiotics includes the need for safety evaluations that should consider factors such as pathogenicity, infectivity, virulence factors, toxicity, and metabolic activity. Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588® (CBM 588®), an anaerobic spore-forming bacterium, has been developed as a probiotic for use by humans and food animals. Safety studies of this probiotic strain have been conducted and include assessment of antimicrobial sensitivity, documentation of the lack of Clostridium toxin genes, and evaluation of CBM 588® on reproductive and developmental toxicity in a rodent model. With the exception of aminoglycosides, to which anaerobes are intrinsically resistant, CBM 588® showed sensitivity to all antibiotic classes important in human and animal therapeutics. In addition, analysis of the CBM 588® genome established the absence of genes for encoding for α, β, or ε toxins and botulin neurotoxins types A, B, E, or F. There were no deleterious reproductive and developmental effects observed in mice associated with the administration of CBM 588®. These data provide further support for the safety of CBM 588® for use as a probiotic in animals and humans.

KCNQ1 forms K+channels by assembly with regulatory subunit KCNE proteins and plays a key role in the K+homeostasis in a variety of tissues. In the heart, KCNQ1 is coassembled with KCNE1 to produce a cardiac delayed rectifier K+current. In the inner ear, the KCNQ1/KCNE1 complex maintains the high concentration of K+in the endolymph. In the stomach, KCNQ1 is coassembled with KCNE2 to form the K+exflux channel that is essential for gastric acid secretion. In the colon and small intestine, KCNQ1 is coassembled with KCNE3 to play an important role in transepithelial cAMP-stimulated Cl−secretion. For further understanding of Kcnq1 function in vivo, an animal model has been required. Here we reported the identification of a coisogenic Kcnq1 mutant rat, named deafness Kyoto ( dfk), and the characterization of its phenotypes. WTC- dfk rats carried intragenic deletion at the Kcnq1 gene and showed impaired gain of weight, deafness, and imbalance resulting from the marked reduction of endolymph, prolonged QT interval in the electrocardiogram (ECG), and gastric achlorhydria associated with hypertrophic gastric mucosa. Surprisingly, WTC- dfk rats showed hypertension, which suggested that Kcnq1 might be involved in the regulation of blood pressure. These findings suggest that WTC- dfk rats could represent a powerful tool for studying the physiological functions of KCNQ1 and for the establishment of new therapeutic procedures for Kcnq1-related diseases.

We found that differential scattering cross sections for medium and low energy He+ and Ne+ impact on high Z-atoms were significantly enhanced compared with those calculated from the inter-atomic potential based on the Hartree–Fock–Slater atomic model coupled with the bare nuclear charge of a projectile. The enhanced scattering cross sections determined experimentally are reproduced well by a simple model that the center of gravity of target electrons is shifted toward the projectile during a large-angle collision. The shift d→ from the target nucleus is expressed as a function of inter-nuclear distance r→ in terms of a dipole moment μ→=Z2ed→=αZ1er→/r3 (Z1 and Z2: atomic numbers of projectile and target, α: polarizability, e: electron charge). The effective polarizability β (≡αZ1/Z2) is expressed as a function of ion velocity v [107 cm/s], in the form β = 0.079 exp[−0.46v].

HbA(1)c concentrations are known to be associated with all-cause excess mortality risk in Caucasians. However, the relationship has not been clarified well in the Japanese. In addition, studies of the relationship between HbA(1)c and mortality from malignant neoplasms are scarce.HbA(1)c was measured for 3,710 people of a cohort composed of A-bomb survivors and controls. At baseline they were divided into five groups: a normal HbA(1)c group of 1,143 individuals with HbA(1)c of5.5%, a slightly high but normal HbA(1)c group of 1,341 individuals with HbA(1)cor =5.5% to6.0%, a slightly high HbA(1)c group of 589 individuals with HbA(1)cor =6.0% to6.5%, a high HbA(1)c group of 259 individuals with HbA(1)cor =6.5%, and a group of 378 individuals known to have type 2 diabetes. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, hazard ratios based on comparisons with the normal HbA(1)c group were obtained.During the observation period there were 754 deaths. For all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, a significant increase of the hazard ratio was observed for the slightly high HbA(1)c group. A similar increase in malignant neoplasm-related mortality was observed for both the high HbA(1)c group and the diabetes group.Our results suggest that individuals in the Japanese population with HbA(1)c levels of 6% or more might have increased mortality risk. The results indicate that HbA(1)c measurements should be sought even for people who have not been diagnosed with diabetes.

The phase separation of liquid-liquid two-phase flow at a T-junction has been studied using kerosene and deionized water as working fluids and a T-junction with a horizontal main pipe and a vertically upward side arm. Separation data are evaluated by a new criterion: separation efficiency. The results show that the T-junction is highly efficient at separating two immiscible liquids when the flows approaching the T-junction are stratified and when the fractional mass take offs close to the inlet kerosene mass fraction. A new model has been proposed for the phase separation. Comparison between the model and the experimental data shows that the data is well represented by the model. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006

(2013). Antibiotic resistance reversal (ARR) in Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens employing electric fields. British Journal of Biomedical Science: Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 81-83.

Time of flight impact-collision ion scattering (TOF-ICISS) has been used to investigate the heteroepitaxial growth of 3 ML of Au or Ag on Ni(1 1 1), and Ag on Cu(1 1 1) over a wide temperature range from 170 through 680 K. We found that two different types of epitaxial growth exist: M(1 1 1)[ 1 1 2 ]/Sub(1 1 1)[ 1 1 2 ] (normal mode) and M(1 1 1)[ 1 1 2 ]//Sub(1 1 1))[ 1 1 2 ] (reverse mode) (M represents Au or Ag, and Sub represents Ni or Cu, respectively). Moreover the relative amounts of these two growth modes show an observed oscillatory dependence on the growth temperature during metal deposition. It is our belief that this is previously unobserved phenomena. It is sufficiently general to encompass metal-on-metal systems.

We have investigated the structure of Bi-adsorbed Si(1 0 0) 2×n surfaces with various Bi coverages by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy (ICISS). Intensities of He+ scattered from Bi and Si atoms were measured as a function of ion incidence angle. Bi–Bi interatomic distances for the toplayer including Bi-dimers were estimated by the shadow-cone technique. Bi-signal peaks appeared even at considerably large angles of incidence, which are attributed to collisions with Bi atoms in sub-surface layers. Bi adsorption is not completed at a mono-layer level, but continues to form multiple layers, fitted in the Si lattice, in the Frank-van der Merwe growth mode.

We have investigated the structures of Cu(1 1 1)(√3×√3)R30°-Sb using time of flight-impact collision ion-scattering spectroscopy. The experimental data and computer simulations support a structural model for the Cu(1 1 1)(√3×√3)R30°-Sb structure in which Sb atoms displace up to 1/3 of the first layer of Cu atoms and incorporate them into the first Cu layer with the Sb atoms displaced outward 0.40 A with respect to the first-layer Cu atoms. The outermost first layer of Sb and Cu atoms shift from fcc- to hcp-hollow sites (only the top layer of Sb and Cu atoms occupies hcp hollow sites).

A new beige-like coat color mutant was identified in the ACI/N rat colony. Other features characteristic of beige mutants, such as giant granule cells in various tissues, and prolonged bleeding time were also observed. The genetic complementation test, mating beige-like mutant with the authentic beige mutant rat, DA/Ham-Lystbg, revealed that the mutant gene is allelic to Lystbg. The new beige mutant allele was denoted Lystbg-Kyo. Molecular genetic analysis revealed deletion of exons 28, 29, and 30 of the Lyst gene owing to recombination between L1 elements in the mutant rats. Although the deletion was similar to that identified in DA/Ham-Lystbg rats, the putative deletion break points in L1 elements were different in the two strains. Further characterization of the ACI/N-Lystbg-Kyo rats should make it useful as an animal model for human Chediak-Higashi syndrome.

(2012). Examination of the antibacterial properties of sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.) and its significance with turf burning in Ireland. British Journal of Biomedical Science: Vol. 69, No. 4, pp. 178-180.

A total of 57 Taylorella equigenitalis ( n = 22) and Taylorella asinigenitalis ( n = 35) isolates was shown not to carry any intervening sequences (IVSs) within 16S rRNA gene sequences. By contrast, we have already shown the genus Taylorella group to carry several kinds of IVSs within the 23S rRNA gene sequences.

SummaryWhat is known and objective Antibiotic resistance has become a global public health issue. Most antibiotics are prescribed in the community, although there is less stewardship of such agents in the community compared to secondary and tertiary care. Few studies have attempted to examine the prescribing practices in General Practice and its impact on antibiotic resistance and, therefore, a study was performed in order to compare antibiotic susceptibilities of commensal viridans group streptococci (VGS) obtained from patient cohorts in General Practices (GP), who were high and low prescribers of oral antibiotics. Method Sixty-five patients (

WNIN (Wistar/NIN) is an inbred rat strain maintained at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) for more than 90 years, and WNIN/Ob is an obese mutant originated from it. To determine their genetic relatedness with major rat strains in biomedical research, they were genotyped at various marker loci. The recently identified markers for albino and hooded mutations which clustered all the known albino rats into a single lineage also included WNIN and WNIN/Ob rats. Genotyping using microsatellite DNA markers and phylogenetic analysis with 49 different rat strains suggested that WNIN shares a common ancestor with many Wistar originated strains. Fst estimates and Fischer’s exact test suggest that WNIN rats differed significantly from all other strains tested. WNIN/Ob though shows hyper-leptinemia, like Zucker fatty rat, did not share the Zucker fatty rat mutation. The above analyses suggest WNIN as a highly differentiated rat strain and WNIN/Ob a novel obese mutant evolved from it.

The high level cloudiness has increased over Alaska during the second half of this century, a period for which reliable data exist. This increase is most pronounced in areas close to the much traveled air routes from Europe to Anchorage which could be demonstrated by a comparison with two remote stations in western Alaska. This might be taken as an indication that the observed high cloudiness increase is caused by jet contrails. Seasonally, summer and spring give the greatest increases. Cloudiness is, of course, an important parameter for climatic change, and increased high level cloud amount in arctic and subarctic areas would lead to warmer temperature; these have been observed in Alaska.

Quantum electron transport through nano-structures such as metal atomic wires or molecular bridges is investigated with various theoretical approaches. The diAerence of the quantization feature between Na and Al atom wires is explained based on the eigenchannel analyses combined with the recursion-transfer matrix calculation. The eigenchannels are calculated self-consistently for Au atom wires at finite bias voltage and the nonlinear conductance is explored in relation to the oAset energies of d band channels. As for molecular bridges, we find that a remarkable metalization is caused, if the coupling of the molecule with the metal electrode is enhanced. Internal current distribution within the molecular networks is discussed and exotic properties of the quantum transport is found. In particular, a strong induced loop current is revealed circulating the ring part of the molecule. The direction of the loop current is switched sharply when the electron incident energy sweeps a degenerate molecular level. 7 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 6 is localized on the dendrites of ON bipolar cells in mammalian retina, and is responsible for synaptic transmission from photoreceptors to ON bipolar cells. We have previously provided electrophysiological evidence that metabotropic glutmate receptor subtype 6-deficient mice have an impairment in the ON visual pathway. In this study, we compared, between metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 6-deficient ( n =9) and wild-type mice ( n =7), their daily wheel-running activity in constant dark and light–dark cycle environments. There was no difference in their free-running rhythmicity in a constant dark environment nor in their ability to entrain their active/rest phase to the phase-shifted light–dark cycle environment, indicating that the circadian system in mutant mice was functioning normally. However, the wheel-running activity was suppressed immediately after light onset of the light–dark cycle in wild-type mice (suppressive effect), whereas that of mutant mice was prolonged for several hours in spite of light onset (very weak suppressive effect). The suppression of activity in wild-type mice is a “masking effect” of the endogenous circadian rhythm in response to light stimuli. The results indicate that the failure of mutant mice to suppress their activity upon light onset is not due to abnormality in their circadian system, but to their lack of response to light stimuli. This study clearly demonstrates that the dysfunction of the ON visual pathway in metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 6-deficient mice impairs their behavioral responsiveness to light and yet preserves their circadian system.

In this study the induced loop current inside the molecular bridge structure is confirmed, and its dependence on the electron energy and the strength of the coupling between the molecule and the electrodes is investigated. The model of the molecular bridge is a simple tight-binding model. Calculation is executed using the Landaner–Buttiker formula, the transfer matrix method and the eigenchannel analysis. Using the molecular orbitals of the isolated molecule, the necessary conditions for the existence of the large loop current is clarified.

With the increase in the number of senior citizens, there has been a growing demand for human-friendly wheelchairs as mobility aids. This paper proposes the concept of an intelligent wheelchair to meet this need. It can understand human intentions by observing the user's nonverbal behaviors and can move as the user wishes with minimal human operations. It also describes our experimental robotic wheelchair system. Human intentions appear most on his/her face. Thus, the experimental system observes the human face, computing the direction of the face. As the first step toward the intelligent wheelchair, we have performed experiments on controlling the system's motion according to the direction of the face. Experimental results prove our approach promising.

A study of 1.66 GeV c K − beam induced ( K − ,K + ) reactions in the nuclear emulsion target is presented and 796 ( K − , K + ) reaction vertices ( p K + ⩾ 1 GeV /c ) containing 18 single hyperfragments are identified. There is no clear(spatially separated) double hyperfragment nor twin single hyperfragment in the identified 796 ( K − ,K + ) reactions. These events are classified and their characteristics are described in detail. In the region p K + ⩾ 1 GeV /c where the quasifree K − (p) → K + Ξ − is the dominant process, the probability of Ξ − emission from the reaction vertex is determined to be 73.9 −4.6 +4.5 %. From this value, the mean free path of Ξ − in a nucleus is estimated to be 4.7 −1.0 +1.5 fm for 〈p Ξ − 〉 ∼ 0.6 GeV /c by assuming a simple model of uniform nuclear matter.

Time of flight impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy (TOF-ICISS) have been used to investigate the heteroepitaxial growth of 3 ML of Ag on Ni(111). We found that two different of preferred epitaxial growth exist depending on the substrate temperature during Ag deposition: Ag[112]//Ni[112] and Ag[112]//Ni[112]. These experimental results strongly suggest that the growth modes can be manipulated on the heteroepitaxial system, Ag(111)/Ni(111) by controlling the substrate temperature during Ag deposition.

The technique low-energy recoil scattering (LERS) is applied to detect hydrogen on a Ni(1 1 1) surface at 220 K. Recoiling spectra induced by pulsed 1 keV-Ne + primary-ion beams were monitored as a function of polar and azimuth angles. It was found that the H atoms occupy both the fcc- and hcp-adsorption sites on the Ni (1 1 1) terraces at a height of apporximately 1.1–1.5 A above the plane of the first layer of Ni atoms.

Using data collected in the region of the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance with the CLEO-II detector, they report on the first observation of exclusive decays of the B meson to final states with a charmed baryon. They have measured the branching fractions {Beta}(B{sup -} {yields} {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{bar p}{pi}{sup -}) = (0.62{sub -0.20}{sup +0.23} {+-} 0.11 {+-} 0.10) x 10{sup -3} and {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{bar p}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) = (1.33{sub -0.42}{sup +0.46} {+-} 0.31 {+-} 0.21) x 10{sup -3}. In addition, they report upper limits for final states of the form {bar B} {yields} {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{bar p}(n{pi}) and {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{bar p}(n{pi}){pi}{sup 0} where (n{pi}) denotes up to four charged pions.

We have shown that low-energy recoil scattering (LERS) can be used to detect hydrogen on a Pt(111) surface at 150 K and that this method provides a direct probe for locating the positions of adsorb ...