Summary
Hidakakombu (Saccharina angustata) is an edible brown alga produced in the Hidaka region of Hokkaido. It is graded at the time of processing, and low‐grade products have a low market value. ...New ways to utilise Hidakakombu are needed to increase producer profits. In this study, Hidakakombu was fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 002 to determine its functional properties. Fermentation of the Hidakakombu increased its γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) content. The addition of trehalose to L. plantarum 002 in Hidakakombu inhibited the decrease in the number of L. plantarum 002, while maintaining a high level of GABA. L. plantarum 002 in trehalose‐supplemented and fermented Hidakakombu remained viable in simulated gastric juice and grew in simulated intestinal juice. L. plantarum 002‐fermented Hidakakombu has an antihypertensive function that is attributed to GABA. The addition of trehalose protected L. plantarum 002 in fermented Hidakakombu and enhanced freeze‐drying and digestive juice tolerance.
Fermentation of Hidakakombu (Low grade) with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 002 increased GABA contents and the addition of trehalose protected L. plantarum 002 in fermented Hidakakombu and enhanced freeze‐drying and digestive juice tolerance.
Early detection of breast cancer is effective for prolonging survival, but the participation rate in breast cancer screening among target Japanese women remains low. This study examined the ...relationships between tendencies in decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, health behaviors, demographics, and breast cancer screening participation in Japanese women.
Secondary analysis was performed using data from the 2017 Keio Household Panel Survey (KHPS). The study population consisted of 2945 households. Data were obtained from the KHPS for women aged 40 years or older. Breast cancer screening participation in the past year, risk aversion, time preference, health behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, and medical treatment received in the past year), and demographic variables were analyzed.
Data from 708 women were analyzed. Among the respondents, 28.8% had attended breast cancer screening in the past year. Factors found to significantly contribute to breast cancer screening participation included higher risk aversion (odds ratio OR, 2.34; 95% confidence interval CI = 1.03-5.32; p = 0.043), medical treatment received in the past year (OR, 1.56; 95% CI = 1.06-2.30; p = 0.026), higher self-rated health (OR, 1.47; 95% CI = 1.18-1.83; p = 0.001), living above the poverty line (OR, 2.31; 95% CI = 1.13-4.72; p = 0.022), and having children (OR, 1.57; 95% CI = 1.02-2.42; p = 0.042). Factors significantly associated with non-participation in breast cancer screening were smoking (OR, 0.20; 95% CI = 0.10-0.42; p < 0.000), alcohol consumption (OR, 0.56; 95% CI = 0.37-0.86; p = 0.007), being self-employed (OR, 0.22; 95% CI = 0.10-0.46; p < 0.000), and being unemployed (OR, 0.48; 95% CI = 0.26-0.90; p = 0.022). No significant relationship was observed between time preference and screening participation.
The results indicate that women who recognize the actual risk of developing breast cancer or have high awareness of breast cancer prevention tend to participate in breast cancer screening. Barriers to screening participation are not working for an organization that encourages screening and low income.
Alternations of sialic acid (SA) content on cell surface glycan chains have been implicated in numerous normal and pathological processes including developments, differentiations, and tumor ...metastasis. Overexpressions of SA have been implicated in the malignant and metastatic phenotypes for many different types of cancers, while decreased SA expression has also been identified in erythrocytes of diabetic mellitus. Techniques to conveniently monitor cell surface SA would therefore have great relevance to cytology. Preexisting methodologies to quantify SA, however, involve multiple enzymatic, dye-labeling, and lethal procedures, which are costly and time-consuming. Here we developed a potentiometric SA detection using a phenylboronic acid (PBA) compound integrated into the form of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) onto a field effect transistor (FET) extended gold gate electrode. Due to selective binding between undisassociated PBA and SA at pH 7.4 among other glycan chain constituent monosaccharides, we found that carboxyl anions of SA were exclusively detectable as the change in threshold voltage (V T) of the PBA-modified FET. The technique was applied to analyses of altered SA expressions on rabbit erythrocyte as a model for diabetes. Comparative SA expression analyses for each healthy and diseased model revealed that the disease could be feasibly diagnosed simply by placing the known-count cell suspensions onto the device without any labeling and enzymatic procedures. Such a technique may also provide a quantitative adjunct to histological evaluation of tumor malignancy and metastatic potential during intra- and postoperative diagnoses. Also advantageously, a technique herein described is all within a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) compatible format thus promising for highly efficient and low cost manufacturing with readiness of downsizing and integration by virtue of advanced semiconductor processing technologies.
Telenursing for patients with chronic respiratory failure receiving noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) is an important aid in reducing exacerbations; however, there is insufficient ...evidence. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of a telenursing intervention program in reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic respiratory failure receiving NPPV at home. We included patients receiving NPPV at home who could handle a tablet device. The intervention group (n = 15) underwent an information and communications technology-based telenursing intervention program in addition to usual care; the control group (n = 16) received the usual care only. The telenursing intervention program comprised telemonitoring and health counseling sessions via videophone. The intervention was evaluated once at enrollment and after 3 months. The primary endpoints were the number of unscheduled outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and hospital days. The secondary endpoints included the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, Euro QOL 5 Dimension score, Self-Care Agency Questionnaire (SCAQ) score, pulmonary function tests, and 6-min walking distance. We used the Mann-Whitney U test for our analysis. We found no significant differences between the intervention and control groups at enrollment. Then, the differences between the endpoints at baseline and 3 months after enrollment were calculated and used to compare both groups. At follow-up, the number of routine outpatient visits for acute exacerbations (p = .045), the number of hospitalizations (p = .037), the number of hospital days (p = .031), SGRQ (p = .039) score, and SCAQ (p = .034) score were significantly different. The increase in the number of unscheduled outpatient visits in the intervention group during follow-up was attributed to acute exacerbations and a significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations and hospital days. Hence, the telenursing intervention program may be effective in reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic respiratory failure receiving NPPV at home. Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000027657.
In a world without labels…︁ A self‐assembled phenylboronic acid monolayer on the surface of a gold electrode enabled the potentiometric detection of cell‐membrane sialic acid (SA; see diagram) and ...differentiation of healthy pneumocytes from metastatic melanoma cells on the basis of altered SA expression. This approach to the diagnosis of tumoral malignancy or the degree of metastasis holds promise for label‐free, noninvasive, real‐time cytology.
Anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies have been associated with steroid-responsive cortical encephalitis and comorbid generalized epilepsy. A 44-year-old woman developed repeated ...epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) without generalized seizures and was anti-MOG antibody-positive. Radiological abnormalities were detected in the bilateral medial frontoparietal cortices, but there were no cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities. She achieved remission with anti-epileptic drugs alone. However, encephalitis recurred four months later when pleocytosis appeared, and steroid therapy was effective. Altogether, EPC without typical cerebrospinal fluid features can be an early sign of anti-MOG antibody-positive encephalitis. Thus, patients with EPC of unknown etiology need to be screened for anti-MOG antibodies.
A copper-electrodeposited gold electrode that can quantitatively detect creatinine without being affected by urine components and can use collected urine as it is produced. In this study, the effect ...of interfering compounds was eliminated, and the linear range was expanded by increasing the concentration of Nafion covering the electrodes. Furthermore, by extending the electrodeposition time, the linear range was further expanded, and it was possible to measure concentrations up to 12.3 mM (M = mol dm−3), which is equivalent to the creatinine concentration range in the urine of healthy individuals.
To investigate melting and solidification behavior during selective laser melting (SLM), the shape of the solidified materials and energy balance during SLM were evaluated through temperature ...measurements with a two-color pyrometer. The laser power and scanning speed were selected as parameters to melt Ti-6Al-4V powder in a square area. The input energy per unit area used during SLM was 5, 10, 16, or 20 J/mm
2
. The melting depth and width increased as the input energy increased. However, the aspect ratio of the melted area was constant. The mass ratio of melted to sintered material decreased as input energy increased. It was considered that the surplus input energy was used for sintering when the energy was high. Color maps show that the surface temperature distribution around the laser irradiation area was asymmetric, in which the temperature gradient at the solidified material side was smoother than that at powder side. The temperature history showed that melting and solidification occurred repeatedly during irradiation.
In this study, the effects of TiC heterogeneous nucleation site particles on the formability and microstructure of additive manufactured (AMed) Ti-6Al-4V samples fabricated by selective laser melting ...are investigated. Laser confocal microscopy and X-ray computer tomography techniques have been applied to AMed samples for visualization of the top surface and pore structures in 3D. The density of AMed Ti-6Al-4V samples was found to be increased by the addition of TiC particles. It could be concluded that the addition of heterogeneous nucleation site particles is one of the key technologies to achieve higher formability, improved microstructure, and enhanced mechanical properties for AMed products.
Particle adhesion onto hydrogels has recently attracted considerable attention because of the potential biomedical applications of the resultant materials. A variety of interactions have been taken ...advantage of for adsorption, including electrostatic forces, hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. In this study, we report significant adsorption of submicron-sized silica particles onto hydrogel surfaces in water, purely by van der Waals (vdW) attraction. The vdW forces enabled strong adhesions between dielectric materials in air. However, because the Hamaker constant decreases in water typically by a factor of approximately 1/100, it is not clear whether vdW attraction is the major driving force in aqueous settings. We investigated the adsorption of silica particles (diameter = 25-600 nm) on poly(acrylamide) and poly(dimethylacrylamide) gels using optical microscopy, under conditions where chemical and electrostatic adsorption is negligible. The quantity of adsorbed particles decreased on decreasing the Hamaker constant by varying the refractive indices of the particles and medium (ethyleneglycol/water), indicating that the adsorption is because of the vdW forces. The adsorption isotherm was discussed based on the adhesive contact model in consideration of the deformation of the gel surface. The present findings will advance the elucidation and development of adsorption in various types of soft materials.
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