Long-pulse beam acceleration of MeV-class H(-) ion beams for ITER NB accelerator.

In order to realize neutral beam systems in International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor whose target is to produce a 1 MeV, 200 A/m(2) during 3600 s D(-) ion beam, the electrostatic five-stages negative ion accelerator so-called "MeV accelerator" has been developed at Japan Atomic Energy Agency. To extend pulse length, heat load of the acceleration grids was reduced by controlling the ion beam trajectory. Namely, the beam deflection due to the residual magnetic field of filter magnet was suppressed with the newly developed extractor with a 0.

Predictor of rehabilitation outcome for dysphagia.

Objective: Predicting whether dysphagia will resolve is very difficult, but is obviously important for patients and their families as well as for physicians. This study retrospectively evaluated potential prognostic indicators for dysphagia in order to examine the feasibility of predicting the outcome.

Methods: Data on 123 patients who received initial treatment for dysphagia between April 2008 and March 2010 were reviewed.

Direct negative chronotropic action of desflurane on sinoatrial node pacemaker activity in the guinea pig heart.

Background: Desflurane inhalation is associated with sympathetic activation and concomitant increase in heart rate in humans and experimental animals. There is, however, little information concerning the direct effects of desflurane on electrical activity of sinoatrial node pacemaker cells that determines the intrinsic heart rate.

Methods: Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments were conducted on guinea pig sinoatrial node pacemaker cells to record spontaneous action potentials and ionic currents contributing to sinoatrial node automaticity, namely, hyperpolarization-activated cation current (If), T-type and L-type Ca currents (ICa,T and ICa,L, respectively), Na/Ca exchange current (INCX), and rapidly and slowly activating delayed rectifier K currents (IKr and IKs, respectively).

A core-expanded subphthalocyanine analogue with a significantly distorted conjugated surface and unprecedented properties.

The introduction of a seven-membered-ring unit in the place of a five-membered-ring unit in the structure of subphthalocyanine resulted in significant distortion of the bowl-shaped structure of the conjugated molecule as well as the following unprecedented properties: the preferential formation of the axially fluoro substituted species, the fluttering-dynamic-motion-induced rapid exchange of P and M enantiomers, markedly split Q-band absorption, and a clear difference in the ring-current effects arising from the convex and concave surfaces.

Control of the development and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of food animal origin in Japan: a new approach for risk management of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products in Japan.

Antimicrobial agents are essential for controlling bacterial disease in food-producing animals and contribute to the stable production of safe animal products. The use of antimicrobial agents in these animals affects the emergence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria isolated from animals and animal products. As disease-causing bacteria are often transferred from food-producing animals to humans, the food chain is considered a route of transmission for the resistant bacteria and/or resistance genes.

V-ATPase-dependent luminal acidification is required for endocytic recycling of a yeast cell wall stress sensor, Wsc1p.

Wsc1p is a major cell wall sensor protein localized at the polarized cell surface. The localization of Wsc1p is maintained by endocytosis and recycling from endosomes back to the cell surface, but changes to the vacuole when cells are subjected to heat stress. Exploiting this unique property of Wsc1p, we screened for yeast single-gene deletion mutants exhibiting defects in Wsc1p trafficking.

Geobacter sulfurreducens subsp. ethanolicus, subsp. nov., an ethanol-utilizing dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacterium from a lotus field.

An ethanol-utilizing Fe(III)-reducing bacterial strain, OSK2A(T), was isolated from a lotus field in Aichi, Japan. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of OSK2A(T) and related strains placed it within Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA(T). Strain OSK2A(T) was shown to be a Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped bacterium, strictly anaerobic, 0.

Relationships between self-rated oral health, subjective symptoms, oral health behavior and clinical conditions in Japanese university students: a cross-sectional survey at Okayama University.

Background: Self-rated oral health is a valid and useful summary indicator of overall oral health status and quality of life. However, few studies on perception of oral health have been conducted among Japanese young adults. This study investigated whether oral health behavior, subjective oral symptoms, or clinical oral status were associated with self-rated oral health in Japanese young adults.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells confer tumor-suppressive functions on natural killer cells via polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid treatment in mouse tumor models.

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a synthetic double-stranded RNA, acts on myeloid cells and induces potent antitumor immune responses including natural killer (NK) cell activation. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) systemically exist in tumor-bearing hosts and have strong immunosuppressive activity against antitumor effector cells, thereby dampening the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Here we tested what happened in MDSCs in poly I:C-treated mice.

Sagittal Alignment of Spine and Spinal Cord for Upper Cervical Irreducible Atlantoaxial Kyphosis in Elderly Patients.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objective: To evaluate clinical and radiographic outcome of posterior decompression and occipito-cervical/thoracic (OCT) fusion in patients with irreducible atlantoaxial kyphosis (IAK).

Summary Of Background Data: Posterior OCT fusion is an effective surgical procedure for treating IAK in the elderly.

Remifentanil has a minimal direct effect on sinoatrial node pacemaker activity in the Guinea pig heart.

Background: Whereas remifentanil administration is associated with severe bradycardia, it has yet to be fully investigated whether the negative chronotropic action of remifentanil is mediated by its direct action on sinoatrial (SA) node pacemaker activity in the heart versus indirect results of enhanced vagal activity.

Methods: We examined the effects of remifentanil and fentanyl on the spontaneous action potentials of guinea pig SA node cells at concentrations of 5, 10, 100, and 1000 nM using the amphotericin B-perforated whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Isolated guinea pig hearts were perfused in a Langendorff mode with 5, 10, 100, and 1000 nM remifentanil.

Online tool for calculating null points in various inversion recovery sequences.

Accurate equations for calculating the inversion time of the null point (TInull) in inversion recovery (IR) sequences are required for adequate suppression of fat or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) but are not widely known. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the process of deriving accurate TInull equations using schematic diagrams that allow the equations to be easily understood, and to devise a convenient online tool for instant calculation of TInull. We investigated various IR sequences in which a 180° inversion pulse is followed by spin echo (SE) type sequences, termed IR-SE-type sequences, including FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery), STIR (short inversion time inversion recovery), and SPAIR (spectral adiabatic inversion recovery, spectral attenuated inversion recovery).

Phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Part 6: design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of PDE4-inhibitory pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridines with anti-inflammatory activity.

We previously identified KCA-1490 [(-)-6-(7-methoxy-2-trifluoromethyl-pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-4-yl)-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-3-(2H)-pyridazinone], a dual PDE3/4 inhibitor. In the present study, we found highly potent selective PDE4 inhibitors derived from the structure of KCA-1490. Among them, N-(3,5-dichloropyridin-4-yl)-7-methoxy-2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-4-carboxamide (2a) had good anti-inflammatory effects in an animal model.

Aggravation of inflammatory bowel diseases by oral streptococci.

Objectives: Streptococcus mutans can aggravate colitis in mice. We evaluated the virulence of colitis using type strains as well as blood isolates of several oral streptococcal species.

Materials And Methods: We investigated the susceptibility of blood isolates of several oral streptococci to phagocytosis, adhesion to and invasion of hepatic cells and interferon-γ secretion.

Dental caries is correlated with knowledge of comprehensive food education in Japanese university students.

In Japan, the "Food Education Basic Law" (The Basic Law on Shokuiku, food education) was enacted in 2005. The comprehensive food education programs, namely Shokuiku, aim to improve dietary practices to reduce lifestyle-related diseases. Dental caries is one of the diseases associated with inappropriate dietary habits.

Dimerized glycosaminoglycan chains increase FGF signaling during zebrafish development.

Proteoglycans (PGs) modulate numerous signaling pathways during development through binding of their glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains to various signaling molecules, including fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). A majority of PGs possess two or more GAG side chains, suggesting that GAG multivalency is imperative for biological functions in vivo. However, only a few studies have examined the biological significance of GAG multivalency.

Molecular epidemiology of avian bornavirus from pet birds in Japan.

Recently, Avian bornavirus (ABV) was detected in proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) affected-birds and feather picking diseases affected-birds. However, the pathogenicity of ABV has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we surveyed ABV in pet birds in Japan.

Identification of mutations involved in the requirement of potassium for growth of typical Melissococcus plutonius strains.

Melissococcus plutonius is a fastidious honeybee pathogen, and the addition of KH(2)PO(4) to culture medium is required for its growth. Using genome sequences and a newly developed vector, we showed that mutations in genes encoding Na(+)/H(+) antiporter and cation-transporting ATPase are involved in the potassium requirement for growth.

Sevoflurane protects ventricular myocytes against oxidative stress-induced cellular Ca2+ overload and hypercontracture.

Background: Oxidative stress is implicated in pathogenesis of cardiac reperfusion injury, characterized by cellular Ca overload and hypercontracture. Volatile anesthetics protect the heart against reperfusion injury primarily by attenuating Ca overload. This study investigated electrophysiological mechanisms underlying cardioprotective effects of sevoflurane against oxidative stress-induced cellular injury.

Assessment of interleukin-6 receptor inhibition therapy on periodontal condition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic periodontitis.

Background: Overproduction of interleukin (IL)-6 may play a pathologic role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic periodontitis (CP). The present study assesses IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) inhibition therapy on the periodontal condition of patients with RA and CP.

Methods: The study participants were 28 patients with RA and CP during treatment with IL-6R inhibitor, and 27 patients with RA and CP during treatment without IL-6R inhibitor.

Diversity of plasmid replicons encoding the bla(CMY-2) gene in broad-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli from livestock animals in Japan.

Broad-spectrum cephalosporin (BSC) resistance has increased in Escherichia coli isolates from broiler chickens in Japan since 2004. The purpose of this study was to understand the epidemiology of BSC-resistant E. coli in livestock animals.

Hepatocyte growth factor promotes lung carcinogenesis in transgenic mice treated with diethylnitrosamine.

Background: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was initially discovered as a mitogen for hepatocytes, but it is also known to be related to carcinogenesis in many other organs. However, the role of HGF in lung carcinogenesis is not fully-understood. In this study, we investigated the role of HGF in lung carcinogenesis using HGF transgenic mice.