Effect of Intake of Bifidobacteria and Dietary Fiber on Resting Energy Expenditure: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Comparison Study.

subsp. GCL2505 in combination with inulin has been shown to have several health benefits, including an improvement in the intestinal microbiota and a reduction in human visceral fat. Previous studies have suggested that the visceral fat reduction of GCL2505 and inulin may be achieved by improving daily energy expenditure.

Effect of Continuous Ingestion of Bifidobacteria and Inulin on Reducing Body Fat: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Comparison Study.

subsp. GCL2505 has been shown to have several positive health effects, including improved defecation frequency and reduced visceral fat. It is known that combined intake of GCL2505 and inulin increases the total number of bifidobacteria compared with ingestion of GCL2505 alone.

Effect of daily ingestion of Bifidobacterium and dietary fiber on vascular endothelial function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparison study.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 (GCL2505) improves the intestinal microbiota and reduces human visceral fat. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted to examine the effects of inulin, a prebiotic dietary fiber, and GCL2505 on vascular endothelial function in healthy subjects (n = 60).

Effect of Continuous Ingestion of Bifidobacteria and Dietary Fiber on Improvement in Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

subsp. GCL2505 has been shown to have some positive effects on health, including improved defecation frequency and reduced visceral fat. These effects are thought to be due to GCL2505's unique ability to reach the intestine in a viable form and proliferate after a single intake.

Osteochondral regeneration of the femoral medial condyle by using a scaffold-free 3D construct of synovial membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells in horses.

Background: Medical interventions for subchondral bone cysts in horses have been extensively studied. This study investigated the regeneration of articular cartilage and subchondral bone with scaffold-free three-dimensional (3D) constructs of equine synovial membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SM-MSCs) isolated from three ponies and expanded until over 1.0 × 10 cells at passage 2 (P2).

Weakly coupled 10-mode-division multiplexed transmission over 48-km few-mode fibers with real-time coherent MIMO receivers.

For weakly coupled mode-division multiplexed (MDM) transmission systems, we design and implement optical coherent receiver prototypes with real-time multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) digital signal processing to equalize two degenerate linearly polarized modes with dual polarization. Using field programmable gate array circuits, we implement real-value 8 × 2 MIMO adaptive equalization with externally separated phase compensators based on the least mean square algorithm, which enables not only training equalization but also fast carrier-phase tracking. With the optical coherent MIMO receiver prototype, we demonstrate real-time weakly coupled 10 × MDM wavelength-division multiplexed dual-polarization quadrature phase shift keying transmission over 48-km few-mode fibers.

Fabrication of Micro-Punch Array by Plasma Printing for Micro-Embossing into Copper Substrates.

Copper substrates were wrought to have micro-grooves for packaging by micro-stamping with use of a AISI316 stainless steel micro-punch array. The micro-texture of this arrayed punch was first tailored and compiled into CAD data. A screen film was prepared to have the tailored micro-pattern in correspondence to the CAD data.

Initial clinical experience of a prototype ultra-high-resolution CT for assessment of small intracranial arteries.

Purpose: Diagnostic and neurosurgical procedures require the precise localization of small intracranial arteries, but this may be difficult using conventional computed tomography angiography (CTA). This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of CTA images acquired using a prototype ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT) system compared with those acquired using a conventional computed tomography (C-CT) system.

Materials And Methods: From July through September 2015, 10 adult patients (6 women and 4 men) previously scanned by C-CT were examined using U-HRCT to locate and assess cerebral aneurysms.

Phantom Study of In-Stent Restenosis at High-Spatial-Resolution CT.

Purpose To examine the diagnostic performance of high-spatial-resolution (HSR) CT with 0.25-mm section thickness for evaluating renal artery in-stent restenosis. Materials and Methods A 0.

Ultra-high-resolution CT angiography of the artery of Adamkiewicz: a feasibility study.

Purpose: Preoperative identification of the artery of Adamkiewicz can help prevent postoperative spinal cord injury following thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic repair. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of evaluating the artery of Adamkiewicz using multi-detector row computed tomography (CT), but precise visualization remains a challenge. The present study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of ultra-high-resolution CT for visualizing the artery of Adamkiewicz with a slice thickness of 0.

Comparison of pharmacokinetics of tramadol between young and middle-aged dogs.

This study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetics of tramadol between young and middle-aged dogs. Tramadol (4 mg/kg) was administered intravenously (IV) to young and middle-aged dogs (2 and 8-10 years, respectively). Plasma concentrations of tramadol were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and its pharmacokinetics best fit a two-compartment model.

Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography of the Lung: Image Quality of a Prototype Scanner.

Purpose: The image noise and image quality of a prototype ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT) scanner was evaluated and compared with those of conventional high-resolution CT (C-HRCT) scanners.

Materials And Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board. A U-HRCT scanner prototype with 0.

Diagnostic imaging of intra-abdominal cyst in heifer using the computed tomography.

A 10-month-old Japanese black heifer was diagnosed as having an intra-abdominal cyst using computed tomography (CT). Through a posterior ventral midline incision, the cyst was removed, and the heifer completely recovered after the surgery. CT scans enabled detection of the intra-abdominal cyst and measurements of the diameter of the cyst before the surgery.

Simultaneous ingestion of high-methoxy pectin from apple can enhance absorption of quercetin in human subjects.

Chronic ingestion of apple pectin has been shown to increase the absorption of quercetin in rats. The present study was designed to elucidate whether the simultaneous ingestion of quercetin with apple pectin could enhance the absorption of quercetin in humans, and the effects of dose dependency and degree of pectin methylation on quercetin absorption were also investigated. Healthy volunteers (n 19) received 200 ml of 0.

Usefulness of a glass-free medical three-dimensional autostereoscopic display in neurosurgery.

Purpose: Many stereoscopic displays require glasses that are awkward or inappropriate for use in a neurosurgical operating room. A glass-free three-dimensional autostereoscopic display (3DAD) monitor was developed and tested for neurosurgical applications.

Methods: Our 3DAD system uses images acquired from nine directions projected into the viewer's eyes through 1,280 lenticular lenses (1,280 x 720 pixels).

Effects of administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 on defecation frequency and bifidobacterial microbiota composition in humans.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in endogenous bifidobacteria and administered Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (B. lactis) GCL2505 (GCL2505) in the intestine after administration of GCL2505 by means of a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind, cross-over study.

Streptococcus thermophilus ST28 ameliorates colitis in mice partially by suppression of inflammatory Th17 cells.

The effects of Streptococcus thermophilus ST28 on cytokine production by murine splenocytes stimulated with transforming growth factor-β plus interleukin- (IL-) 6 were evaluated. The addition of ST28 significantly repressed IL-17 production compared to ATCC 19258 (type strain). ST28 also decreased the number of Th17 cells in the stimulated splenocytes.

Chronic ingestion of apple pectin can enhance the absorption of quercetin.

The effect of apple pectin (AP) on quercetin and rutin bioavailability was investigated. Rats received a basal (control) or AP-containing diet for 6 weeks followed by orally administered quercetin or rutin. With quercetin administration, the maximum concentration and area under the curve of concentration-time from 0 to 24 h for the sum of quercetin metabolites in the plasma were significantly higher in AP-fed rats than in the control group.

Bifidobacterium infantis suppresses proinflammatory interleukin-17 production in murine splenocytes and dextran sodium sulfate-induced intestinal inflammation.

Interleukin (IL)-17 acts as a potent inflammatory cytokine, and IL-17-producing cells (Th17 cells) have received much attention. However, the involvement of commensal and/or probiotic bacteria in IL-17 production has not been evaluated. In this study, we examined the suppressive effects of five bacteria species on IL-17 production in vitro and ex vivo.

Quantification of lung volume at different tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressures in a porcine model by using retrospective respiratory gated 4D-computed tomography.

Purpose: This feasibility study in healthy animals should prove the concept that it is possible to quantitatively assess the effects of different ventilatory settings on the lung parenchyma during ongoing ventilation in respiratory gated 4-dimensional (D)-computed tomography (CT). For this purpose, the influence of different tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on quantitative assessment of lung volumes (LVs) and lung compartments was analyzed.

Methods: Five anesthetized and ventilated (20 breaths/min, inspiratory/expiratory ratio of 1:2) healthy pigs underwent 16-row multidetector CT with retrospective respiratory gating using a noncontact charge-coupled device camera as a gating device.

Molecular cloning of porcine RP105/MD-1 involved in recognition of extracellular phosphopolysaccharides from Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris.

In this study, we cloned the cDNAs encoding porcine RP105 (poRP105) and porcine MD-1 (poMD-1) from Peyer's patches of adult swine. The complete open reading frames of poRP105 and poMD-1 contain 1986 and 480bp and encode 661 and 159 amino acid residues, respectively. These two proteins were more similar to the human (77.

Investigation of retrospective respiratory gating techniques for acquisition of thin-slice 4D-Multidetector-computed Tomorgraphy (MDCT) of the lung: Feasibility study in a large animal model.

Respiratory gated 3D-MDCT acquisition of the whole chest over time (4D-MDCT) allow retrospective reconstruction of raw data at any point of the respiratory cycle might be beneficial in severely ill or sedated patients. Aim of this feasibility study was to investigate 2 prototype devices as input for retrospective respiratory gating in order to calculate lung volumes (LVs) and mean lung densities (MLDs) over time. Sixteen-row MDCT data were acquired in 5 ventilated pigs using a laser sensor and charge-coupled devine (CCD) camera and retrospectively reconstructed at every 10% of the respiratory cycle.

Free-breathing three-dimensional computed tomography of the lung using prospective respiratory gating: charge-coupled device camera and laser sensor device in an animal experiment.

Purpose: The aim was to investigate the feasibility and image quality of prospective respiratory gating for 3-D computed tomography (CT) of the lung.

Material And Methods: Eight anesthetized pigs underwent prospectively gated multidetector computed tomography using 2 devices: a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and a laser sensor. The output signal of both gating devices was connected to the scanner instead of ECG unit.

Prototype heel effect compensation filter for cone-beam CT.

The prototype cone-beam CT (CBCT) has a larger beam width than the conventional multi-detector row CT (MDCT). This causes a non-uniform angular distribution of the x-ray beam intensity known as the heel effect. Scan conditions for CBCT tube current are adjusted on the anode side to obtain an acceptable clinical image quality.