Solid-state cultivation of multiple industrial strains of koji mold on different Thai unpolished rice cultivars: biotransformation of phenolic compounds and their effects on antioxidant activity.

Colored rice is abundant in polyphenols, and koji molds have potential for biotransformation. This study aimed to produce Thai-colored rice koji to study its polyphenolic biotransformation. Four industrial koji mold strains: Aspergillus oryzae 6001, A.

Multifunctional-separation-mode ion chromatography method for determining major metabolites during multiple parallel fermentation of rice wine.

Facile and effective analysis methods are desirable for elucidating the behaviours of metabolites during fermentation reactions. Herein, a multifunctional-separation-mode ion chromatography (MFS-IC) method was developed for the simultaneous monitoring of major metabolites during multiple parallel fermentation, including those related to central carbon metabolism (saccharification, glycolysis, alcoholic fermentation, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle). The use of two types of sulfo-modified size-exclusion columns and phthalic acid as the eluent allowed the separation of oligosaccharides (disaccharides, trisaccharides, and tetrasaccharides), glucose, pyruvate, and major organic acids during the TCA cycle (-aconitate, citrate, -citrate, malate, fumarate, and succinate but not α-ketoglutarate) from other non-target analytes.

Analysis of nitrogen source assimilation in industrial strains of Aspergillus oryzae.

Nitrogen source assimilation is important for the biological functions of fungi, and its pathway has been deeply studied. Aspergillus oryzae mutants defective in nitrogen source assimilation are known to grow poorly on Czapek-Dox (CD) medium. In this study, we found an industrial strain of A.

Comparison of taste characteristics between koji mold-ripened cheese and Camembert cheese using an electronic tongue system.

Koji mold, classified in the genus Aspergillus, is used to produce traditional Japanese fermented foods such as miso, soy sauce, and sake. In recent years, the application of koji mold to cheese ripening has attracted attention, and cheese surface-ripened with koji mold (koji cheese) has been studied. In this study, to evaluate the taste characteristics of koji cheese, an electronic tongue system was employed to measure the taste values of cheese samples ripened using 5 strains of koji mold in comparison with commercial Camembert cheese.

Preparation of egg-koji for developing a novel food.

While chicken eggs contain many nutrients necessary for humans and there are various cooking methods, the nutritional components are used as they are, and there are no traditional foods that utilize microorganisms. Koji-mold, containing Aspergillus oryzae, A. sojae, and A.

Volatile and soluble metabolite profiles in surface-ripened cheeses with Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae.

To determine the impact of traditional koji molds on chemical characteristics of soft-type natural cheese, novel surface mold-ripened cheeses with Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae were studied by non-targeted metabolite profiling. Comprehensive water-soluble and volatile metabolite profiles of koji cheese were evaluated among five Aspergillus strains and other mold-ripened cheeses. Time-course changes in the metabolite profiles and degrading enzyme activities were also compared with those of an industrial Penicillium candidum starter culture.

Koji Starter and Koji World in Japan.

Koji is made by culturing koji mold on grains. Koji has wide-ranging applications, for example, in alcoholic beverages and seasonings. The word 'mold' generally has a bad image, but in Japan, koji mold is valued for its usefulness, and over the years, efforts have been made to make safe, stable, and delicious food products from it.

Single assistant versus dual assistant robotic surgery for robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy using da Vinci Xi or X.

Background: To verify the usefulness of single assistant robotic surgery (SA-RS) using da Vinci Xi or X performed for total hysterectomy.

Methods: The SA-RS group (S-group) includes surgeries in which the surgeon performed all surgical operations other than that of the uterine manipulator, while the dual assistant robotic surgery group (D-group) includes surgeries performed by the surgeon with two assistants. In S-group, the forceps and camera were replaced during surgery in cases of a large uterus with limited range of motion of the instrument.

Rapid noninvasive monitoring of freshness variation in frozen shrimp using multidimensional fluorescence imaging coupled with chemometrics.

Shrimp is one of the most delicious and popular food commodities worldwide due to its exceptional taste and characteristics. Freshness is considered as a key factor for shrimp consumers because freshness has a significant relationship with taste and shelf-life of shrimp. However, post-mortem metabolism of shrimp differs from that of fish as they are highly susceptible to post-harvest quality loss, and it is hard to distinguish the freshness variation of shrimp at frozen state instantly.

Prostate carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation successfully treated by early detection with imaging examination.

Introduction: Clinicopathological features of neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate carcinoma have not been totally clarified yet. It is known to be associated with poor prognosis.

Case Presentation: A patient with growing prostate-specific antigen was diagnosed with prostate carcinoma and treated by laparoscopic prostatectomy.

[Current Status of Prostate Cancer and Its Relation to Home Medical Care].

Because ofboth the indolent and aggressive nature ofprostate cancers, it is not easy to select the best treatment for patients receiving home medical care who already have many diseases. Since the growth ofprostate cancer is generally slow and all treatments adversely affect the quality of life to some degree, conservative treatment may well be the best option for these patients with prostate cancer. However, it is also true that we often encounter home medical care patients with a locally advanced cancer who had symptoms such as difficulty to urine, macrohematuria and/or lumbago.

Gleason Pattern 5 is a Possible Pathologic Predictor for Biochemical Recurrence after Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy.

Objective: Several prognostic factors for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy have been reported, including initial prostate-specific antigen level, Gleason score, positive surgical margin, and seminal vesicle invasion. Here we investigate whether Gleason pattern 5 is a predictor for biochemical recurrence. Methods: This retrospective study included 168 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy from 2006 to 2015.

[Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Kidney].

A 59-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with the finding of an incidentaloma in her right kidney. Computed tomographyand magnetic resonance imaging showed a solid tumor, approximately8 cm in diameter, at the lower pole of the right kidney. Partial nephrectomy was performed without a renal vessel clamp.

Effectiveness of a Self-monitoring Device for Urinary Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio on Dietary Improvement in Free-Living Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Reducing the urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio is important for reducing both blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. Among free-living Japanese individuals, we carried out a randomized trial to clarify the effect of lifestyle modification for lowering urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio using a self-monitoring device.

Methods: This was an open, prospective, parallel randomized, controlled trial.

Phase Transition during Heating of Nanostructured Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Membranes.

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) membranes were prepared using biaxial melt-drawing and subsequent melt-shrinking. Electron microscopy observations indicate that the former membrane has more extended-chain crystals (ECCs), whereas the latter is mainly composed of folded-chain crystals (FCCs). Corresponding double-melting endotherms are recorded on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements.

Six random specimens of daytime casual urine on different days are sufficient to estimate daily sodium/potassium ratio in comparison to 7-day 24-h urine collections.

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal number and type of casual (spot) urine specimens required to estimate an individual's urinary sodium/potassium (Na/K) ratio. A total of 48 participants, 25 men and 23 women, aged between 25 and 59 years, was recruited from healthy volunteers. The Na/K ratio in each casual urine and 7-day 24-h urine sample was measured.

Dasatinib is preclinically active against Src-overexpressing human transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium with activated Src signaling.

Dasatinib is an orally administered multitargeted kinase inhibitor that targets Src family tyrosine kinases, Abl, c-Kit, and PDGFR. A preclinical study was conducted to evaluate dasatinib alone or combined with cisplatin for human transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Expression of Src in a human TCC tissue microarray was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

Cost comparison of curative therapies for localized prostate cancer in Japan: a single-institution experience.

Purpose: In addition to open surgery, curative therapies for prostate cancer now include endoscopic surgery and radiation therapies. Because of the expansion and subdivision of treatment methods for prostate cancer, the medical fee point schedule in Japan was revised in fiscal year 2006. We examined changes in medical income and expenditure after this revision of the medical fee system.

Enzastaurin shows preclinical antitumor activity against human transitional cell carcinoma and enhances the activity of gemcitabine.

Enzastaurin, an oral serine/threonine kinase inhibitor, suppresses signaling through protein kinase C (PKC)-beta and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathways. We preclinically evaluated enzastaurin alone and in combination with gemcitabine for transitional cell cancer (TCC). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was done on 105 human samples from a microarray to show the expression of PKC-beta.

[Incidental inverted papilloma during the clinical follow-up of superficial transitional cell carcinoma in the urinary bladder].

A 76-year-old woman presented with gross hematuria. She had received transurethral resections (TURBT) twice for superficial bladder tumors near the right orifice. All pathologic findings demonstrated low grade superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC).

Five years experience of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound using the Sonablate device in the treatment of localized prostate cancer.

Background: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a minimally invasive technique used in achieve coagulation necrosis. We evaluated biochemical disease-free survival rates, predictors of clinical outcome and morbidity in patients with localized prostate cancer treated with HIFU.

Methods: A total of 181 consecutive patients underwent HIFU with the use of Sonablate (Focus Surgery, Indianapolis, IN, USA).

[Metastatic small intestinal tumor associated with transitional cell carcinoma: a report of 2 cases and review of cases in Japan].

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) frequently metastasizes to lymph nodes, liver, lungs and bone. However, metastasis to the gastrointestinal tract is rare. We report two cases of bladder tumor which metastasized to the ileum.

[A case of squamous metaplasia of the ureter].

This paper reports a 73-year-old man who developed ureteral squamous metaplasia. Preoperative drip infusion pyelography showed a ureteral tumor with a major axis measuring 2.5 cm, which had a smooth surface and a broad base.

[Experience with the memotherm stent in high-risk urinary retention patients].

Purpose: We report on our experience with the Memotherm stent implanted in high-risk patients who had an indwelling catheter.

Patients And Methods: Seventeen patients (mean age 80.6 years, range 55 to 93) who had an indwelling catheter were treated by placement of the Memotherm stent.