Inhalation of gaseous hypochlorous acid and its effect on human respiratory epithelial cells in laboratory model systems.

During the disinfection of indoor spaces using gaseous hypochlorous acid (HOCl), inhalation is the most common route of exposure for humans. In this study, an artificial human respiratory tract model was exposed to 12-140 ppb HOCl at an aspiration flow rate of 800 mL/s for 15 h in a 1 m chamber. The respiratory tract model was equipped with 5th order bronchi and all gas-contact parts were made of silicone rubber with no other chlorine-consuming substances.

Efficient reconstruction of all-in-focus images through shifted pinholes from multi-focus images for dense light field synthesis and rendering.

Scene refocusing beyond extended depth of field for users to observe objects effectively is aimed by researchers in computational photography, microscopic imaging, and so on. Ordinary all-in-focus image reconstruction from a sequence of multi-focus images achieves extended depth of field, where reconstructed images would be captured through a pinhole in the center on the lens. In this paper, we propose a novel method for reconstructing all-in-focus images through shifted pinholes on the lens based on 3D frequency analysis of multi-focus images.

Enantiodifferentiating photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid using a chiral N-(2-hydroxymethyl-4- pyrrolidinyl)benzamide template.

[Structure: see text] Supramolecular enantiodifferentiating photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid (AC) was performed in the presence of (2S,4S)-4-amino-5-chloro-2-methoxy-N-(1-ethyl-2-hydroxymethyl-4-pyrrolidinyl)benzamide (TKS159), and its stereoisomers were employed as chiral templates. The TKS template provides us with a novel hydrogen-bonding and shielding motif for enantioface-selectively binding an AC molecule. Chiral products 2 and 3 were obtained in good enantiomeric excesses (ee's) of 40% and 40%, respectively.

Analysis of the loading and hydroxylation steps in lankamycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces rochei.

The biosynthetic gene cluster of lankamycin (LM), a 14-member macrolide antibiotic, is encoded on the 210-kb linear plasmid pSLA2-L in Streptomyces rochei 7434AN4. LM contains a 3-hydroxy-2-butyl group at the C-13 position, which is different from an ethyl group in erythromycin. The following two possibilities could be considered for the origin of this starter moiety of LM biosynthesis: (i) an extra module exists in the biosynthetic gene cluster and loads an additional acetate molecule, or (ii) 3-hydroxy-2-butyrate or its equivalent is loaded and incorporated as a starter.

Cyclization mechanism for the synthesis of macrocyclic antibiotic lankacidin in Streptomyces rochei.

The lankacidin biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces rochei strain 7434AN4 was found to span 31 kb of the giant linear plasmid pSLA2-L and contain a polyketide synthase (PKS)/nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) hybrid gene (lkcA), type I PKS genes, and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) biosynthetic genes (lkcK-lkcO). Feeding of PQQ to a pqq mutant restored the lankacidin production, suggesting its crucial role in an oxidation process. However, formation of the 17-membered macrocyclic ring was not catalyzed by PQQ-dependent dehydrogenase (Orf23), but was by flavin-dependent amine oxidase (LkcE).

Infrainguinal bypass surgery for chronic arterial occlusive disease associated with essential thrombocythemia: report of a case.

A 63-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a 3-year history of intermittent claudication, and his angiogram showed a total occlusion of the bilateral infrainguinal arteries. In addition, based on a platelet count of 172 x 10(4)/mm(3) as well as the characteristic bone marrow findings, he was diagnosed to have essential thrombocythemia. After the platelet count and aggregation response improved on administration of ranimustine and antiplatelet agents, infrainguinal bypass surgery was performed using the saphenous vein and prosthetic grafts.

Clinical study of Japanese spotted fever and its aggravating factors.

Twenty-eight patients with Japanese spotted fever were clinically investigated. The diagnosis was determined by confirming an increase of specific antibody. All patients were treated with minocycline, and all recovered, excluding one patient with a fulminant course.

Fulminant Japanese spotted fever definitively diagnosed by the polymerase chain reaction method.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to the emergency ward in our hospital on July 20, 2001, because of consciousness disturbance, fever, generalized skin eruption, and severe general weakness beginning 7 days previously. Physical examination on admission revealed marked systemic cyanosis, erythema, and purpura. Laboratory findings indicated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and multiorgan failure (platelet count, 0.