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This paper reports on the performance analysis of an embankment over a soft soil deposit during construction. The study section is part of the duplication of the Brazilian federal highway, BR 470, a major infrastructure project that crosses several soft clay deposits in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. To guarantee stability and accelerate the landfill consolidation, the project provided geotechnical solutions as follows: basal reinforcement with geogrids, equilibrium berms, stage constructions of the landfill (slow construction), preloading and prefabricated vertical drains. The performance during field construction was mostly evaluated through instrumentation considering the evolution of horizontal displacements (distortion and distortion rates) and the Asaoka method to evaluate the stabilisation of settlements. Given the limitations of the methods used for control during construction, and a discrepancy between field settlements and original project predictions, the soil profile and geotechnical parameters were revaluated during construction and used in a revised performance analysis. Some important considerations were observed from this back-analysis that could have been used to modify the construction process during execution. In addition, to analyse the effects of the inherited variability, a sensitivity analysis to determine levels of possible settlements and time of consolidation was performed.

Environmental disturbances owing to human activity and habitat fragmentation are considered as threats to wildlife populations and migrations. The construction of railroads in southern Mongolia could lead to further habitat fragmentation that could disrupt the long-distance movement of ungulates such as the Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa). In this study, we used tracking and environmental data to construct habitat suitability maps for wintering Mongolian gazelles to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in habitats for regions that could be fragmented by the presence of new railroads. Habitat suitability in winter was high in areas with a short duration of snow cover and a high normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We noted significant interannual variability in the spatial distribution of winter habitat suitability in the potentially fragmented area, which suggests a serious threat posed by railroad construction, although the tracked gazelles had not crossed the area of planned railroads during the entire one-year tracking period. Maintaining accessibility to habitat by creating enough accessible animal crossings over the new railroad area would be crucial for wild ungulate conservation in this region.

The impact of increasing numbers of livestock on wild ungulates has been a concern in Mongolia. We used DNA barcoding via next generation sequencing to reveal detailed food habits and assess the extent of potential resource competition among ungulates in the desert steppe of southern Mongolia. From feces of 2 wild (Mongolian gazelle [Procapra gutturosa], Asiatic wild ass [Equus hemionus]) and 4 domestic (sheep [Ovis aries], goat [Capra hircus], horse [Equus caballus], camel [Camelus bactrianus]) ungulates collected in June 2014, we identified 25 plant families (39 to genus and 18 to species). Dietary diversity was the highest for sheep (Levins' standardized index = 0.351), followed by goats (0.342), and the lowest for gazelles (0.220). Gazelles had a high dietary overlap with goats (Pianka's index = 0.654) and sheep (0.630). Wild asses had the highest dietary overlap with horses (0.847), followed by goats (0.727) and sheep (0.719). The high dietary overlaps may be explained by similar digestive systems and body sizes among gazelles, sheep, and goats and between wild asses and horses, and by the high dietary diversity of sheep and goats. The present study shows more diverse food compositions than previous studies, suggesting that because of the high dietary diversity of sheep and goats and their overlap with wild species, their increasing number is a potential risk for the survival of wild ungulates.

[Purpose] “Judgment error,” defined as a difference between the actual and the imagined performance, is often observed in elderly persons. The aims of this study were to assess subjective judgment errors in elderly persons, and to evaluate the relationship between physical function and judgment error in walking speed. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 106 community-dwelling elderly individuals participated. Subjects observed video footage of a model walking an obstacle course, and were asked to subjectively compare the model’s gait speed with their own gait speed. When the subjective comparison differed from the actual difference, it was considered as a judgment error. Physical function was compared between those with and without judgment error. [Results] Significant interaction effects between the actual performance and subjective perception were found for the walking time on the obstacle course and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale score (utilized as an index of self-confidence in own balance ability and a fear of falling). [Conclusion] The results demonstrate that some elderly persons tend to overestimate their balance and ambulation function compared to another person, even though they had low physical function and low self-confidence in terms of balance. These elderly individuals might have a high risk of accidents.

Owing to the growing resistance among isolates of Candida species to usual antifungal agents and the well-known therapeutic potential of curcumin, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a vaginal formulation containing this substance and to evaluating its effectiveness in the treatment of experimental vulvovaginal candidiasis. Curcumin was incorporated in a vaginal cream in three concentrations (0.01%, 0.1% and 1.0%). The different concentrations of the cream and its controls were intravaginally administered in an immunosuppressed rat model to evaluate the efficacy in the treatment of experimental vulvovaginal candidiasis. Samples of the cream were also subjected to centrifugation and physical stability tests and an analytical method for quantification of curcumin was validated based on HPLC. The formulation was stable and the HPLC method could be considered suitable for the quantitative determination of curcumin in the cream. After 6 days of preclinical study, the number of infected animals was 1/6 in all groups treated with curcumin vaginal cream and the fungal burden showed a progressive reduction. Reduction in the inflammatory infiltrate was observed in the group treated with 1.0% cream. Vaginal cream containing curcumin could be considered a promising effective antifungal medicine in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Objetivos: Avaliar clinicamente e classificar de acordo com o risco de novas complicações pacientes portadores de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 após internação hospitalar por condição sensível à atenção primária. Métodos: Foi conduzido um estudo transversal. Pacientes foram avaliados após 18 meses de internação. Foi aplicado um questionário com questões sociodemográficas e clínicas, avaliação clínica e laboratorial, além de eletrocardiograma. Um escore representado pelo somatório dos riscos cardiovascular, doença renal crônica e pé diabético foi elaborado. Um modelo de regressão linear foi ajustado para avaliar sexo e idade como fatores associados a uma maior probabilidade de aumento do escore. Resultados: Dentre os 98 pacientes elegíveis 37 foram entrevistados. A taxa de mortalidade observada 18 meses após a internação foi 32,6% (32/98). Sexo masculino e maior idade se apresentaram como fatores associados com um maior risco de complicações. Quando comparados, homens tiveram 3,89 mais pontos no escore do que as mulheres e a cada ano de idade representou um aumento de 16 pontos a mais. Discussão: Pacientes que foram internados por complicações sensíveis à atenção primária apresentaram alta mortalidade, avaliação clínica e quadro grave com alto risco para o desenvolvimento de novas complicações e piora das existentes. Conclusão: Os resultados apontam para uma situação de risco em que a hospitalização não representou uma mudança no acompanhamento clínico desses pacientes, mostrando a falta de diálogo entre a atenção terciária e a primária.

[Purpose] The present study compared assessments utilized to evaluate judgment errors in the elderly. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 94 community-dwelling elderly participants in an examination of physical fitness for health promotion and health guidance in a rural area in Japan were included. Spatially and temporally predictive tasks were used to evaluate judgment errors. Distances measured on the Functional Reach and upward reaching tests were used to assess spatial prediction, and times measured on the Timed Up and Go test and Standardized Walking Obstacle Course were used to assess temporal prediction. Differences between the self-predicted values and actual results were deemed judgment errors. [Results] Significant differences were observed between self-predicted abilities and the patients' performances. Participants underestimated their abilities in spatially predictive tasks and overestimated them in temporally predictive tasks. On comparing the four tasks, there were significant differences in judgment error ratios between them. Statistical analysis indicated a significant difference in the judgment error ratio for the Standardized Walking Obstacle Course correlated with a history of falls. [Conclusion] Judgment errors were identified using both spatially and temporally predictive tasks. A temporally predictive task like the Standardized Walking Obstacle Course might better evaluate judgment errors in the elderly.

［目的］本研究では歩行周期各相の相対的時間比率に着目して脳卒中片麻痺患者の歩行パターンを検討した。［対象］回復期病棟に入院中の脳卒中片麻痺患者18名を対象とした。［方法］歩行時の下肢の動きをビデオ撮影し，両側の立脚開始および遊脚開始の時期を抽出した。これらの時期を重複歩時間で正規化し，歩行周期各相の比率を算出した。歩行パターンは各対象者が歩行可能になってから退院するまでの期間，3週間に1回の頻度で反復測定した。［結果］歩行周期各相の比率はブルンストロームステージIIとIIIの間，およびIVとVの間で有意に異なっていた。［結語］今後は縦断的な分析も加えて，運動麻痺の回復と歩行パターンの変化の関係についてより詳細に検討したい。

The incidence and clinical manifestations of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) were examined in patients with a range of underlying disorders. Out of 1,882 patients suspected as having DIC, 204 cases were diagnosed as suffering from DIC and included in this study. The underlying disorders experienced by the patients were solid tumors (33.8%), hematologic malignancies (12.7%), aortic aneurysm (10.8%), infections (6.4%), post-operative complications (4.4%), liver disease (2.9%), obstetric disorders (2.5%), and miscellaneous diseases (26.5%). The incidence of DIC was 10.8% out of all patients suspected of having DIC, and the etiologies were 10.9% in solid tumors, 10.1% in hematological malignancies, 20.4% in aortic aneurysm, 12.7% in infections, 15.5% in post-operative complications, 15.8% in liver disease, 3.7% in obstetric disorders, and 9.8% in miscellaneous diseases. The clinical manifestations of DIC patients were varying dependent on their etiologies. Most DIC patients with aortic aneurysm (95.5%) and post-operative complications (88.9%) did not reveal any clinical manifestations. Although all of the patients with obstetric disorders had bleeding, only 20.0% of the patients had organ failure. In contrast, although only 15.4% of the patients with infections had bleeding, 76.9% of these patients had organ failure. Bleeding was observed in 31.9-50.0% of DIC patients with liver disease, hematologic malignancies, and solid tumors. Organ failure was observed in 21.7-33.3% of DIC patients with liver disease, hematological malignancies, and solid tumors. Analysis by measurement of plasma levels of antiplasmin and plasmin-antiplasmin complex suggested that excessive fibrinolysis might contribute to the development of bleeding in these DIC patients. Differences in plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex and cross-linked fibrin degradation products could not account for the differences in the incidence of organ failure in the patients. These findings suggest that the clinical manifestation of DIC varies and might not only be a reflection of microthrombus formation but also a reflection of the other underlying pathomechanisms.

Human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3 is an established model of the human blood-brain barrier (BBB). The purpose of the present study was to determine, by means of quantitative targeted absolute proteomics, the protein expression levels in hCMEC/D3 cells of multiple transporters, receptors and junction proteins for comparison with our previously reported findings in isolated human brain microvessels. Among 91 target molecules, 12 transporters, 2 receptors, 1 junction protein and 1 membrane marker were present at quantifiable levels in plasma membrane fraction of hCMEC/D3 cells. ABCA2, MDR1, MRP4, BCRP, GLUT1, 4F2hc, MCT1, ENT1, transferrin and insulin receptors and claudin-5 were detected in both hCMEC/D3 cells and human brain microvessels. After normalization based on Na(+)/K(+) ATPase expression, the differences in protein expression levels between hCMEC/D3 cells and human brain microvessels were within 4-fold for these proteins, with the exceptions of ENT1, transferrin receptor and claudin-5. ABCA8, LAT1, LRP1 and γ-GTP were below the limit of quantification in the cells, but were found in human brain microvessels. ABCA3, ABCA6, MRP1 and ATA1 were found only in hCMEC/D3 cells. Furthermore, compared with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as reference nonbrain endothelial cells, MDR1 was found only in hCMEC/D3 cells, and GLUT1 expression was 15-fold higher in hCMEC/D3 cells than in HUVECs. In conclusion, this is the first study to examine the suitability and limitations of the hCMEC/D3 cell line as a BBB functional model in terms of quantitative expression levels of transporters, receptors and tight junction proteins.

In the conventional polyelectrolyte titration, toluidine blue (TB) has been used exclusively as an indicator. This is a very convenient method for analyses of polyelectrolytes with fairly high charge density, but it is very difficult, or impossible, to analyze samples with low charge density such as commercial cationic starches because of the unclear color change of TB at the end point. Also analyses of polyelectrolytes with ultrahigh molecular weights over 107 (such as common flocculants) are often accompanied by serious errors. Usually, the concentration of standard titrant is around 0.2 × 10−3N. On the other hand, the standard titrant with very dilute concentration such as 1 × 10−4N can be used in the polyelectrolyte titration using a fluorescent indicator because the sensitivity of fluorescence detection is extremely high. It has been elucidated that this method can be employed for accurate analyses of cationic starches, cationic and anionic flocculants, and also for determination of sulfonic and carboxyl groups contained in the same molecule by the titration at pH 2.8 and 9.5, respectively. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The polyelectrolyte titration, which was originally called colloid titration, is based on the stoichiometric reaction between positively charged colloidal particles and negatively charged ones. In the conventional method, the metachromatic color change of the indicator, toluidine blue, from blue to red-purple has been applied for the determination of the end point in the titration. 2.5 × 10−3N potassium polyvinylsulfonate (KPVS) is usually used as the standard titrant. In this work, fluorescent indicators such as 6-(p-toluidino)-2-naphthalene sulfonate (TNS), acridine orange, etc., have been introduced. The fluorescence intensity was measured using the spectrophotometer equipped with magnetic stirrer and connected with a vinyl tube attached to the hand piston burette. For example, TNS is practically nonfluorescent, but it exhibits strong fluorescence when it is bound to a cationic polyelectrolyte (CP). The fluorescence of the TNS–CP complex is diminished by titration with KPVS standard solution since TNS is liberated from the complex by substitution with KPVS. After the equivalent point, the fluorescence intensity becomes constant and the end point can thus be detected by that point. It has been elucidated that the very dilute standard solution like 1 × 10−4N can be used because the sensitivity of fluorescence detection is extremely high. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ATLは臨床的に腫瘍細胞数、血清LDH、血清Ca、臨床症状などをとにくすぶり型、慢性型、急性型と非白血性のリンパ腫型に分類される。この分類はATLの進行と重症度を反映しており病型分類というよりも病期分類であるが、その基準はかなり曖昧でおおまかな分類であり、各病型の中にも様々な病態のATLが含まれていることが多い。したがって臨床的に治療方針の確立、治療効果の評価、予後判定等に用いるには問題点も多い。他方ATL細胞の細胞膜抗原についてみると、ATLに共通した特徴と各病型によって異なる特徴がみられる。したがってこれらの膜抗原の特徴をもとにATLの重症度を数量化することができれば、病型分類よりも客観的なより現実に即した重症度の評価が可能と考えられる。そこでALT細胞の膜抗原による重症度の数量化の試みと症例、その臨床的有用性について検討した。, Although there is clinical classification of ATL which reflects severity of disease, its criteria is not essentially objective. As surface antigen profiles of ATL cells reveal some kinds of characteristics depending on each clinical type of ATL, we quantified clinical severity of ATL as severity score by multiple regression analysis with CD4, CD25, CD29 and CD45RA. The severity score significantly correlated with survival time and degree of organ involvement. But LDH value correlated only with the latter. And corrected calcium level did not correlate with the both. We could estimate prognosis of patients of ATL by making regression formula which calculated one year survival rate and 50% survival time with severity score. Improvement of severity score seemed to relate with survival time, so we speculated that severity score was useful to estimate both the treatment effect and the severity in ATL.

The influence of the continuous-flow automated blood cell separator. Fenwal CS-3000, on blood coagulation and the fibrinolytic system in blood donors was studied. Blood samples were taken from the collection line of donors undergoing extracorporeal circulation, before and after platelet pheresis. Of the molecular markers, prothrombin fragment-F1 + 2 (PF1 + 2) markedly increased from 0.8 +/- 0.3 to 2.9 +/- 2.0 nM/ml (P < .004), thrombin antithrombin III complex (TAT) also markedly increased from 2.6 +/- 1.3 to 56.0 +/- 24.0 micrograms/L (P < .001), fibrinopeptide A (FPA) increased slightly from 0.8 +/- 0.9 to 3.8 +/- 4.2 micrograms/L (P < .05), and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2-PI) decreased slightly from 95 +/- 8 to 91 +/- 9% (P < .05). In one donor with the highest level of PF1 + 2, TAT, FPA, and plasmin inhibitor complex after platelet pheresis, protein C, protein S, C4b-binding protein, ATIII, plasminogen, alpha 2-PI, and coagulation factors were decreased. In blood donors undergoing platelet pheresis using the continuous-flow automated blood cell separator, Fenwal CS-3000, a hypercoagulable state was observed. Changing the materials of the plastic disposables to a more thromboresistant material may prevent the hypercoagulable state in donors induced by platelet pheresis using the blood cell separator.

A 2-month-old cockatiel was evaluated for diarrhea, dyspnea, and death. Histologic examination of lesions in the crop mucosa revealed hyperkeratosis and the presence of blastoconidia and hyphae. Positive immunohistochemical staining of the organisms was achieved with an antibody directed against Candida spp. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA from crop lesion material with internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) primers yielded fragments of approximately 300 bp, which demonstrated 95% DNA homology with the corresponding sequence from a strain of Candida parapsilosis deposited in the GenBank data base. The Candida species in the lesion of the crop mucosa was therefore identified by DNA sequence analysis as C. parapsilosis.

Summary: Within the region of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome assigned to us in the genome sequencing project, we found a gene, the product of which is similar to the DnaB protein (replicative DNA helicase) of Escherichia coli. Three B. subtilis dna gene mutations, dnaC30 and ts56 causing defects in elongation and ts199 causing a defect in the initiation of replication, were mapped in the gene by transformation and DNA sequencing. Both dnaC30 and ts56 have been located near the amino-terminal end of the B. subtilis DnaC protein. In contrast, ts199 has been located near the carboxy-terminal of the protein. Our results indicate that the B. subtilis dnaC gene encodes a counterpart of the E. coli dnaB helicase.

A comparative study was conducted on the adsorptions of cobalt(II) and nickel(II) from aqueous ammonium nitrate solutions on a Levextrel resin containing acidic organophosphinate extractant, Cyanex 272, as an active component and on chelating resins containing phosphorus-based acidic functional groups. It was found that the Levextrel resin has much higher selectivity for cobalt(II) over nickel(II) then the chelating resins. The origins of the low selectivity of the chelating resins are qualitatively discussed.