We compared phenotypic characteristics of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis derived from different sources including the intestinal tract of marine fish and freshwater fish, and cheese starter ...culture. In the phylogenetic analysis based on partial 16S rRNA gene nucleotide sequences (1371 bp), freshwater fish-, marine fish- and cheese starter culture-derived strains were identical to that of L. lactis subsp. lactis previously reported. Fermentation profiles determined using the API 50 CH system were similar except for fermentation of several sugars including l-arabinose, mannitol, amygdalin, saccharose, trehalose, inulin and gluconate. The strains did have distinct levels of halotolerance: marine fish-derived strains > cheese starter-derived strain > freshwater fish-derived isolate. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis showed extensive diversity in phenotypic adaptation to various environments. The phenotypic properties of these strains suggested that L. lactis subsp. lactis strains from fish intestine have additional functions compared with the cheese starter-derived strain that has previously described. The unique phenotypic traits of the fish intestinal tract-derived L. lactis subsp. lactis might make them useful as a probiotics in aquaculture, and contribute to the development of functional foods and novel food additives, since the strains derived from fish intestines might have additional functions such as antibacterial activity.
The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between vascularity within lymph nodes and lymph node size on Doppler ultrasound images of patients with oral cancer.
A total of ...310 lymph nodes (86 metastatic, 224 benign) from 63 patients with oral cancer were classified into 4 groups according to their short axis diameters: Group 1, short axis diameters of 4-5 mm; Group 2, 6-7 mm; Group 3, 8-9 mm; and Group 4, ≥ 10 mm. Vascular and scattering indices of lymph nodes on Doppler ultrasound images were analysed quantitatively. The vascular index was defined as the ratio of blood flow area to the whole lymph node area and the scattering index was defined as the number of isolated blood flow signal units.
For metastatic lymph nodes, the vascular index was highest in Group 1 and decreased as lymph node size increased. The vascular index of benign lymph nodes did not differ significantly among the four groups. The vascular index of metastatic lymph nodes was significantly higher than that of benign lymph nodes in Group 1. For metastatic lymph nodes, the scattering index increased as lymph node size increased and was significantly higher than that of benign lymph nodes in Groups 2-4.
An increase in vascularity is a characteristic of Doppler ultrasound findings in small metastatic lymph nodes. As the metastatic lymph node size increases, blood flow signals become scattered, and the scattering index increases.
Abstract The aim of this study was to display the lingual artery superimposed on the anatomical image and to confirm its course and relation to the adjacent structures, noninvasively. Nineteen ...volunteers participated in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study and one was excluded for excessive movement during scanning. A three-dimensional phase-contrast sequence (3D-PC) of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was used for vessel images, and a 3D-T1 high-resolution volume examination (THRIVE) was used for anatomical images. Colour-coded vessel images from 3D-PC MRA were superimposed on the 3D volume anatomical images, and the arterial course and relation to the adjacent structures were confirmed with multiplanar reconstructed cross-sectional (MPR) images. 3D-PC MRA images visualized the lingual artery in all 18 subjects and the sublingual artery in 14 subjects. In seven of 18 cases the bilateral sublingual arteries were shown to run side by side but had no contact with the sublingual veins. They ran together with the sublingual veins in four cases. Three cases showed irregular patterns. The bilateral sublingual arteries could not be identified in four cases. 3D-PC MRA images of the lingual artery superimposed on the anatomical images may be clinically useful to confirm its course and relationship to the adjacent structures before surgery, in order to prevent haemorrhage.
cDNAs encoding a novel phosphodiesterase, phosphodiesterase 11A (PDE11A), were isolated by a combination of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using degenerate oligonucleotide primers ...and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Their catalytic domain was identical to that of PDE11A1 (490 amino acids) reported during the course of this study. However, the cDNAs we isolated had N termini distinct from PDE11A1, indicating two novel N-terminal variants of PDE11A. PDE11A3 cDNA encoded a 684-amino acid protein including one complete and one incomplete GAF domain in the N-terminal region. PDE11A4 was composed of 934 amino acids including two complete GAF domains and shared 630 C-terminal amino acids with PDE11A3 but had a distinct N terminus containing the putative phosphorylation sites for cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases. PDE11A3 transcripts were specifically expressed in testis, whereas PDE11A4 transcripts were particularly abundant in prostate. Recombinant PDE11A4 expressed in COS-7 cells hydrolyzed cAMP and cGMP with Km values of 3.0 and 1.4 μm, respectively, and the Vmaxvalue with cAMP was almost twice that with cGMP. Although PDE11A3 showed the same Km values as PDE11A4, the relativeVmax values of PDE11A3 were approximately one-sixth of those of PDE11A4. PDE11A4, but not PDE11A3, was phosphorylated by both cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases in vitro. Thus, the PDE11A gene undergoes tissue-specific alternative splicing that generates structurally and functionally distinct gene products.
We study the efficiency of quantum tomographic reconstruction where the system under investigation (quantum target) is indirectly monitored by looking at the state of a quantum probe that has been ...scattered off the target. In particular, we focus on the state tomography of a qubit through a one-dimensional scattering of a probe qubit, with a Heisenberg-type interaction. Via direct evaluation of the associated quantum Cramér-Rao bounds, we compare the accuracy efficiency that one can obtain by adopting entanglement-assisted strategies with that achievable when entanglement resources are not available. Even though sub-shot noise accuracy levels are not attainable, we show that quantum correlations play a significant role in the estimation. A comparison with the accuracy levels obtainable by direct estimation (not through a probe) of the quantum target is also performed.
Objectives: To study changes in the excitability of the sensory cortex by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in humans.
Methods: Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and antidromic ...sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) were elicited by right median nerve stimulation at the wrist before and after low frequency (1 Hz) rTMS over the left motor cortex, lateral premotor cortex, sensory cortex, and also after sham stimulation. The intensity of rTMS was fixed at 1.1 times the active motor threshold at the hand area of motor cortex.
Results: N20 peak (N20p)-P25 and P25-N33 amplitudes were suppressed after rTMS over the motor cortex, whereas the N20 onset (N20o)-N20p and SNAP amplitudes were not affected. They recovered to the baseline about 100 min after the rTMS. rTMS over the premotor cortex or sensory cortex or sham stimulation had no suppressive effect on SEPs.
Conclusions: The reduction of N20p-P25 and P25-N33 components without any changes of N20o-N20p amplitude suggests that the suppression occurs in the sensory cortex. rTMS (1 Hz) of the motor cortex induces a long-lasting suppression of the ipsilateral sensory cortex even at an intensity as low as 1.1 times the active motor threshold, probably via cortico-cortical pathways between motor and sensory cortex.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in T2 values and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the masseter muscle by clenching in healthy volunteers.
37 volunteers were enrolled in the ...study. We measured bite force using pressure-sensitive paper and a T2 map. The ADC map was obtained at rest, during clenching, immediately after and 5 min after clenching. The spin-echo sequence was used to calculate T2, and single-shot spin-echo echo planar imaging was used to calculate the ADC. The motion-probing gradients (MPGs) were applied separately along the posterior-to-anterior (PA), right-to-left (RL) and superior-to-inferior (SI) directions, with b values of 0, 300 and 600 s mm(-2) in each direction. ADC-PA, ADC-RL, and ADC-SI values were obtained, and we calculated the ADC-iso for the mean diffusivity.
There were no significant differences between the stronger and weaker sides of bite force before, during or 5 min after clenching for T2 and ADC. The bite force had little effect on these parameters; thus, we used the average of the two sides for the following analyses. Time course analysis of ADC-iso, ADC-PA, ADC-RL and ADC-SI demonstrated a marked increase after clenching and a rapid decrease immediately after clenching, although they did not completely return to the initial values; however, the change in ADC-RL was significantly greater than those in ADC-PA or ADC-SI (P<0.001 each). The changes in T2 were similar to those of ADC, although not as marked.
ADC (especially ADC-RL) was altered by contraction of the masseter muscle.
RD21 (Responsive to desiccation-21) is an Arabidopsis cysteine protease which possesses a granulin-like domain at the C-terminus. Although two forms of RD21 have been identified, consisting of an ...intermediate form (iRD21) containing a granulin domain and a mature form (mRD21) lacking this domain, the enzymatic properties of these enzymes remain poorly understood. In this study, mRD21 orthologue was purified to homogeneity from the cotyledons of daikon radish (Raphanus sativus). RD21 preferentially cleaved peptide bond that had an aromatic or hydrophobic amino acid at the P2 position. Furthermore, the presence of a polar amino acid at the P1 position enhanced the cleavage susceptibility of the peptide bond, although the importance of the type of amino acid residue at the P1 and P1′ positions was not as significant as the residue located at the P2 position. The iRD21 was also identified as an oligomeric form by gel filtration and sedimentation analyses. The expression of RD21 mRNA was initiated by imbibition and continued at almost constant levels during germination. On the other hand, the enzyme activity increased markedly 5 days after imbibition. These results indicate that this elevation of RD21 activity is generated post-transcriptionally.
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