Evaluation of Streptococcus pneumoniae in bile samples: A case series review

Although Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important pathogen of humans, pneumococcal cholangitis is rare because of the rapid autolysis of S. pneumoniae. The aim of this case series was to review patients with bile cultures positive for S. pneumoniae. This study was a single center retrospective case series review of patients with S. pneumoniae in their bile at a tertiary-care cancer center between September 2002 and August 2015. Subjects consisted of all patients in whom S. pneumoniae was isolated in their bile during the study period. Bile specimens for culture were obtained from biliary drainage procedures such as endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage, endoscopic nasobiliary drainage, and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. There were 20 patients with bile cultures positive for S. pneumoniae during the study period. All patients presented with extrahepatic obstructive jaundice due to hepatopancreatobiliary tumors. Nineteen of 20 patients underwent the placement of plastic intrabiliary tubes. The mean time between the first-time drainage and the positive culture was 26 days (range 0-313 days). Although 12 of 20 patients met our definition of cholangitis, 5 were clinically treated with antibiotics based on a physician's assessment of whether there was a true infection. The present study is the largest case series of patients with S. pneumoniae in their bile. Based on our findings, the isolation of S. pneumoniae from bile may be attributed to the placement of biliary drainage devices.

Y chromosome haplogroup D2a1 is significantly associated with high levels of luteinizing hormone in Japanese men

The association between the Y chromosome haplogroup D2 and risk of azoospermia and low sperm motility has been previously studied, and it was indicated that haplogroups DE (YAP lineage) are associated with prostate cancer risk in Japanese males. Our assumption had been that Y chromosome haplogroups may be associated with sex hormone levels, because sex hormones have been deemed responsible for spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis. In this study, we assessed the association between Y chromosome haplogroups and sex hormone levels, including those of testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), inhibin-B, and calculated free testosterone (cFT), in 901 young men from the general Japanese population (cohort 1) and 786 Japanese men of proven fertility (cohort 2). We found that the haplogroup D2a1 was significantly associated with high LH levels in a combined analysis involving two cohorts (β = 0.068, SE = 0.025, p = 0.0075), following correction for multiple testing. To date, this result is the first evidence that implicates Y chromosome haplogroups in an association with sex hormone levels.

Threshold levels for wettability in nano- and micro-meter periodic structures

The purposes of this study are to clarify the relationship between surface wettability and the pitch and size of periodic structures on the surface and to determine the thresholds at which the wettability switches from being hydrophobic to hydrophilic. To this various nano- and micro-meter scale periodic structures were fabricated. By applying a fine periodic structure to the surface, the wettability can be controlled between + 50° (hydrophobic) and -55° (hydrophilic). The pitch of the periodic structure at which the wettability switches from hydrophilic to hydrophobic was found to between 500 and 1,000 nm. Additionally, the height of the periodic structure at which the wettability switches from hydrophobic to hydrophilic was found to between 300 and 700 nm.

The characteristics of muscle fiber types of longissimus thoracis muscle and their influences on the quantity and quality of meat from Japanese Black steers

Forty-four Japanese Black fattening steers from four groups, produced in four districts and consisting of differing genetic backgrounds were slaughtered to examine the characteristic differences in muscle fiber types at the 6th thoracic vertebra of the M. longissimus thoracis (LT). The influence of percentage, diameter, and relative area of each muscle fiber type on the carcass characteristics and some quantity and quality traits of beef taken from LT, were also investigated. Significant differences in the characteristics of the muscle fiber types were observed among the four groups, except for muscle fiber diameter in the αR fiber, and the relative area of each αW fiber. For all steers, the average percentages and diameters of each muscle fiber type, βR, αR and αW were 26.8, 18.5 and 54.7% and 51.4, 50.6 and 52.4 μm, respectively. The relative area of each fiber type was similar to those of muscle fiber composition. αR Fiber content had significant negative correlations with marbling score (p<0.05), intramuscular fat content (p<0.05) and ultimate pH value (p<0.05). Significant correlations between the diameter of each fiber type, and the quantity or quality traits of the meat were not found, with the exception of red fiber types (βR and αR) and meat color a(∗) values (p<0.05) which were positively correlated.

Dermal absorption of amorphous nanosilica particles after topical exposure for three days

The skin penetration and cellular localization of well-dispersed amorphous nanosilica particles (nSPs) with a diameter of 70 nm was analyzed in mice. Our results suggest that after topical exposure for three days the particles penetrate the skin barrier and are transported to the lymph nodes. These findings underscore the need to examine biological effects following dermal exposure to nSPs for the development of safer use of nSPs.

Amorphous nanosilica particles induce ROS generation in Langerhans cells

Generation of total intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured in XS52 cells, a Langerhans cell-like line, treated with different sized amorphous silica particles. The results suggested that exposure to amorphous nanosilica particles (nSPs) with a particle size of 70 nm induced a higher level of ROS generation than did exposure to micron-sized amorphous silica particles. This finding means that it is essential to examine the biological effects of ROS generated after exposure to nSPs, which will provide useful information for hazard identification as well as the design of safer nanomaterials.

Detection of titanium dioxide particles on frozen tissue sections using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis

Recent studies into the in vivo absorption and biological influence of particulate matter, especially nanomaterials (NMs), have raised worldwide concerns over their safety. However, it is often technically difficult to conduct these studies because NMs are too small to be observed by optical microscopy. Here, we attempted to establish a new method to visually detect NMs on tissue samples. Specifically, we have analyzed titanium dioxide particles with a diameter of 5 microm, which are widely used in cosmetics, using frozen tissue sections by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis.

Size-dependent immune-modulating effect of amorphous nanosilica particles

The immune-modulating effect following intradermal injection of various-sized amorphous silica particles was analyzed in terms of induction of ovalbumin-specific CD8+ T cells in vivo. IFN-gamma ELISPOT assays revealed that only nanosilica particles with a diameter of less than 100 nm significantly enhanced CD8+ T cell responses against ovalbumin. These results indicate that the size of nanomaterials is a critical determinant in terms of their safe use.

[Anesthesia for nephrectomy in a functional hemirenal patient]

A 79-year-old woman was scheduled for resection of right renal cell carcinoma. She was a functional hemire-nal patient because of atrophy of the left kidney. To prevent overhydration, we maintained CVP at 4-6 cmH2O and SVV at 20-30% with FloTrac System during the surgery. As the result, urgent postoperative hemodialysis was successfully avoided.

Rh(I)-catalyzed intramolecular [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition of allenenes: Construction of bicyclo[4.3.0]nonenones with an angular methyl group and tricyclo[6.4.0.0]dodecenone

The [RhCl(CO)dppp]₂-catalyzed intramolecular carbonylative [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition of allenenes was developed to prepare bicyclo[4.3.0]nonenones possessing a methyl group at the ring junction, which is difficult to achieve by the Pauson–Khand reaction of the corresponding enynes. This method also provided a new procedure for the construction of the tricyclo[6.4.0.0^1,5]dodecenone framework in a satisfactory yield.

Microstructure and Texture of Electroplated Copper in Damascene Structures

The transition from Al to Cu for advanced ULSI interconnects involves changes in architecture and deposition technique that will influence the microstructure and texture of the metal. Cu interconnects are typically formed within the confines of pre-patterned trenches and vias using an electroplating process with a sputtered Cu conduction layer deposited over a refractory metalbased diffusion barrier layer. In this paper, we focus on the influence of the barrier layer (PVD Ti/TiN, Ta, TaN, CVD TiN) and the effect of a vacuum break between barrier and conduction layer depositions, on the texture of the Cu lines, as examined by X-ray diffraction pole figure analysis.

A preferred (111) orientation was observed for all samples. The samples with no vacuum break between barrier and conduction layer deposition exhibited in plane anisotropy that was particularly pronounced for the Ta and TaN samples compared with the Ti/TiN sample. Focused ion beam images and transmission electron micrographs showed Cu grain size to be on the order of the trench width with a high degree of twinning, and no boundary could be distinguished between the PVD Cu conduction layer and the electroplated Cu.