Many milk fermentations use mixed cultures of lactic acid bacteria. To select a new mixed starter culture, 100 acid-producing bacterial strains were isolated from raw cow milk. Of these, 13 strains ...identified as belonging to the genera Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, or Weissella (based on phenotypic and genotypic tests) were assessed for a symbiotic effect between pairs of isolated strains during growth in milk. Among the strains tested, a mixed culture of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis strain 54 and Lactococcus raffinolactis strain 37 stimulated greater acid production during fermentation than occurred with pure fermentation. This stimulatory effect was not observed in milk supplemented with yeast extract or glucose or in constituted medium. Addition of a cell-free filtrate from milk fermented by strain 54 increased acid production by strain 37; however, the converse effect was not observed. The increased acid production by this mixed culture was, therefore, due to stimulation of strain 37 by metabolic products of strain 54, suggesting that the interaction between strains 54 and 37 is commensal. Analysis with a taste-sensing system indicated that fermented milk containing the mixed culture was more acidic, had more anionic bitterness, had greater aftertastes of anionic bitterness and astringency, and was less salty and umami than milk containing the individual cultures. This study identifies a new commensal relationship between 2 lactococcal strains that are commonly used for making dairy products.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Many kinds of solid tumour have heterogeneously a hypoxic environment. Tumour hypoxia reported to be associated with more aggressive tumour phenotypes such as high metastatic ability and resistance ...to various anti-cancer therapies which may lead to a poorer prognosis. However, the mechanisms by which hypoxia affects the aggressive phenotypes remain unclear.
We established a scirrhous gastric carcinoma cell line (OCUM-12) from ascites associated with scirrhous gastric carcinoma, and a hypoxia-resistant cancer cell line (OCUM-12/Hypo) was cloned from OCUM-12 cells by continuous exposure to 1% oxygen.
Histologic findings from orthotopic tumours derived from parent OCUM-12 cells and daughter OCUM-12/Hypo cells revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with extensive fibrosis that resembled human scirrhous gastric cancer. Necrotic lesions were frequently detected in the OCUM-12 tumours but were rarely found in the OCUM-12/Hypo tumours, although both types had multiple hypoxic loci. Apoptosis rate of OCUM-12 cells was increased to 24.7% at 1% O(2), whereas that of OCUM-12/Hypo was 5.6%. The OCUM-12/Hypo orthotopic models developed multiple metastases to the peritoneum and lymph nodes, but the OCUM-12 models did not. OCUM-12/Hypo cells showed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and high migratory and invasive activities in comparison with OCUM-12 cells. The mRNA expression levels of both E-cadherin and zonula occludens ZO-1 and ZO-2 decreased in OCUM-12/Hypo cells, and that of vimentin, Snail-1, Slug/Snail-2, Twist, ZEB-1, ZEB-2, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and MMP-2 were increased in OCUM-12/Hypo cells.
OCUM-12 and OCUM-12/Hypo may be useful for the elucidation of disease progression associated with scirrhous gastric cancer in the setting of chronic hypoxia.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Carrier transport properties of TlBr crystals grown using the Bridgman method were investigated by the time-of-flight technique. The electron and hole mobilities were measured as 20 - 27 cm 2 /Vs and ...1.0 - 2.0 cm 2 /Vs respectively at room temperature. The temperature dependence of the electron mobility increases with decreasing temperature as approximated by a well-known empirical formula reflecting the reciprocal of the LO-phonon density.
The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), growth hormone (GH) and prolactin ...(PRL) in goats, and compare the characteristics of any response with those of the response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The experiments were performed using four female goats (4–5 years old) in the luteal phase of estrous cycle. A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of 1, 5 and 10
μg/kg b.w. (0.77, 3.85 and 7.69
nmol/kg b.w.) of Kp10 stimulated the release of LH. Maximum values were observed 20–30
min after the injection. On the other hand, Kp10 did not alter plasma GH and PRL concentrations significantly. Three consecutive i.v. injections of Kp10 (5
μg/kg b.w.) or GnRH (5
μg/kg b.w.: 4.23
nmol/kg b.w.) at 2-h intervals increased both plasma LH and FSH levels after each injection (
P
<
0.05); however, the responses to Kp10 were different from a similar level of GnRH. The rate of decrease in LH and FSH levels following the peak was attenuated in Kp10-treated compared to GnRH-treated animals. These results show that Kp10 can stimulate the release of LH and FSH but not GH and PRL in female goats and suggest that the LH- and FSH-releasing effect of the i.v. injection of Kp10 is less potent than that of GnRH.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
This paper presents a new type of CMOS time-of-flight (TOF) range image sensor using single-layer gates on field oxide structure for photo conversion and charge transfer. This simple structure allows ...the realization of a dense TOF range imaging array with 1515 mum 2 pixels in a standard CMOS process. Only an additional process step to create an n-type buried layer which is necessary for high-speed charge transfer is added to the fabrication process. The sensor operates based on time-delay dependent modulation of photocharge induced by back reflected infrared light pulses from an active illumination light source. To reduce the influence of background light, a small duty cycle light pulse is used and charge draining structures are included in the pixel. The TOF sensor chip fabricated measures a range resolution of 2.35 cm at 30 frames per second and an improvement to 0.74 cm at three frames per second with a pulsewidth of 100 ns.
Objectives. Citrullination, catalysed by peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD), is the post-translational modification of peptidylarginine to citrulline, which is intimately involved in the pathogenesis ...of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fibronectin (Fn), a large glycoprotein, is expressed at high levels in arthritic joints and it mediates various physiological processes through interactions with cell-surface integrin receptors and growth factors. We investigated the citrullination of Fn and its potential contribution to the pathogenesis of RA. Methods. We localized Fn expression and citrullination in RA synovial tissue by immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation and western blotting. We also determined levels of citrullinated Fn in plasma from RA patients using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After incubating Fn with rabbit skeletal muscle PAD, we examined the binding ability of citrullinated Fn to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and integrin β1 using a solid-phase receptor binding assay as well as the effect of the citrullinated Fn on apoptosis using cultured HL-60 cells. Results. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis indicated that Fn formed extracellular aggregates that were specifically citrullinated in RA synovial tissue. No Fn deposits were observed in synovial tissues of osteoarthritis (OA). Sandwich ELISA detected higher levels of citrullinated Fn in plasma from patients with RA than from healthy controls or those with systemic lupus erythematosus. Following citrullination in vitro, the affinity of Fn for VEGF increased, but binding activity to integrin β1 decreased and Fn no longer stimulated the apoptosis of monocytes induced from cultured HL-60 cells. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the citrullination of Fn is a specific event for RA synovium, although others have detected citrullinated total proteins in inflamed synovial tissue of RA and non-RA patients. Citrullination of Fn could alter interactions between Fn and its receptors and growth factors, consequently contributing to mechanisms of RA pathogenesis such as perturbed angiogenesis and apoptosis.
Structure of magnetorheological (MR) fluids depends on the strength of the magnetic field applied and on the mode of its application. The ultrasonic wave propagation velocity changes under the effect ...of an external magnetic field as a result of formation of clusters arranged along the direction of the field in the MR fluids. Therefore, we propose a qualitative analysis of these clustering structures by measuring properties of ultrasonic propagation. Since the MR fluids are opaque, the non-contact inspection using this ultrasonic technique can be very useful. In this study, we measured ultrasonic propagation velocity in MR fluid influenced by an external magnetic field for different swept rate precisely. With increasing magnetic field intensity, the changes of the ultrasonic wave velocity are more pronounced. Sedimentation effect takes place in certain time for different swept rate due to magnetic particle size and it follows linear relationship in log scale. Significant differences of the ultrasonic wave velocity are established between the case when the field is swept at a constant rate and the case when it is stepped up.
► Structure of MR fluids depends on strength of magnetic field and on the mode of its application. ► Ultrasonic propagation velocity in MR fluids is changed under the effect of magnetic field. ► Qualitative analysis by measuring properties of ultrasonic propagation is proposed. ► Ultrasonic propagation velocity in MR fluid for different magnetic field swept rate is observed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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