Distribution of phenolic yeasts and production of phenolic off-flavors in wine fermentation

The activity of wine yeasts to decarboxylate ferulic and p-coumaric acids is one of their biological properties related to the production of phenolic off-flavors (POF) in wine-making. We examined POF productivity in 116 strains of wine yeast, 74 strains of wild yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and 23 strains of non-Saccharomyces yeast, and found that a majority of these yeasts were POF-producing strains. The frequency distribution of POF-producing strains was 81 to 95% in wine yeasts, 85 to 97% in wild yeasts and 78 to 83% in non-Saccharomyces yeasts based on the POF test with addition of ferulic and p-coumaric acids to grape juice medium. The Rhodotorula, Candida, Cryptococcus, Pichia, Hansenula, and Brettanomyces strains had high or moderate POF productivity among the 20 non-Saccharomyces species. The decomposition rate of ferulic acid correlated with POF production and the critical concentration of phenolic acid (free form) in grape must was estimated to be more than 10 mg/l. Segregation of POF phenotype and Southern blot analysis of phenolic wine yeasts suggest that POF production is controlled by the POF gene (PAD1). The results showed the frequent distribution of phenolic yeasts in the wine-making environment. These suggest the importance of controlling POF production by using wine yeast strains of low POF productivity. The grapes must be prepared by a suitable process to prevent the increase in phenolic acid content.

Clinical value of multidetector row computed tomography in detecting lymph node metastasis of early gastric cancer

AIMS

To evaluate the clinical value of multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) as a pre-operative staging tool for lymph node metastasis in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC).

METHODS

In 278 consecutive patients with EGC, lymph node metastasis was evaluated pre-operatively with MDCT at a slice thickness of 2.5mm (n=57), 5.0mm (n=188), or 7.5mm (n=33).

RESULTS

Overall accuracy of nodal category from N0 to N3 was 86% for MDCT and 95% for operative assessment. Regarding accuracy in detecting at least one metastatic lymph node, area under curves (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics for 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5-mm slices and assessment during surgery were 0.87, 0.67 and 0.47, and 0.70, which were significantly different (P<0.0001). MDCT image with 2.5-mm could discriminate the presence of lymph node metastasis with diagnostic accuracy: sensitivity 80%; specificity 92%; positive predictive value (PPV) 50%; negative predictive value (NPV) 98%, whereas assessment during surgery was as follows: sensitivity 65%; specificity 98%; PPV 72%; and NPV 97%.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that pre-operative assessment with MDCT using thinner slices may detect at least one lymph node metastasis as accurately as assessment during surgery for patients with EGC.

Follow-up assessment of the collateral circulation in patients with Kawasaki disease who underwent dipyridamole stress technetium-99m tetrofosmin scintigraphy

To assess the alteration of myocardial ischemic findings and the role of collateral vessels in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD), we used dipyridamole stress technetium-99m tetrofosmin (Tf) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A comparison study of coronary angiography and dipyridamole stress (0.70 mg/kg) Tf-SPECT was repeated at least twice in 20 patients. The subjects included 7 patients with coronary stenosis, 1 with pre- and post-coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) due to coronary stenosis, 1 with progression to coronary stenosis, and 11 with persistent coronary aneurysms. In the stenosis group, Tf-SPECT revealed that 6 of the 7 patients had some degree of ischemic findings, and 5 of these 6 did not show any change in their ischemic findings during follow-up. In 1 patient, the ischemic findings changed according to the collateral circulation changes. The patient who underwent CABG had pre-CABG ischemic changes that disappeared after CABG. In the patient whose coronary arteries progressed to stenosis, the ischemic findings progressed as the coronary stenosis progressed. In the persistent aneurysm group, there were no ischemic findings. In the future Tf-SPECT may become one of the most useful methods for monitoring the progressive changes of myocardial ischemia in KD.

Durancin L28-1A, a new bacteriocin from Enterococcus durans L28-1, isolated from soil

AIMS

To isolate, characterize and identify bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria in soil.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Thirty-four acid-producing bacteria were isolated from 87 soil samples. Antibacterial activities were detected, and one strain, L28-1 produced a bacteriocin that was active against some Gram-positive bacteria. L28-1 was identified as Enterococcus durans by 16S rDNA sequence analysis and API50CHL. This bacteriocin did not lose its activity after autoclaving (121 degrees C for 15 min), but was inactivated by protease K. The bacteriocin was purified by hydrophobic column chromatography, and Sep-Pak C(18). Tricine sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the partially purified bacteriocin contained numerous protein bands. Two bands that displayed antibacterial activities were c. 3.4 and 2.5 kDa in size. In this work, the 3.4-kDa bacteriocin was analysed with N-terminal amino acid and DNA sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry analysis. The results indicated that the 3.4-kDa bacteriocin of Ent. durans L28-1 is a new natural enterocin variant.

CONCLUSIONS

Enterococcus durans L28-1 produced a new bacteriocin.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study reports a novel bacteriocin that is produced by Ent. durans that has potential for use as a food preservative.

Mother-infant skin-to-skin contact after delivery results in early recognition of own mother's milk odour

AIM

To determine the effects of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth on infant recognition of their own mother's milk odour and breastfeeding duration until 1 y of age.

METHODS

Sixty healthy, full-term neonates were randomly assigned to group A with skin-to-skin contact and group B without. One and 4 d after birth, infant responses to the following odour stimuli were observed: own mother's milk, another mother's milk, formula, orange juice and distilled water. Infant facial action was videotaped and the frequency of mouthing movements was evaluated for each stimulus. Nutritional assessment, focused particularly on breastfeeding, was performed every 3 mo on participating infants. Statistical analysis comparing the frequency of mouthing movements with the aforementioned five different odour exposures was performed by ANOVA with Fisher's PLSD. Kaplan-Meier analysis with a log-rank test was used to compare breastfeeding rates between groups.

RESULTS

Infants in both groups responded differently to mother's milk odour (either their own or another mother's milk) compared to the other stimuli on days 1 and 4. However, infants in group A demonstrated a larger difference in mouthing movements between their own and another mother's milk odour at 4 d of age (2.6 +/- 1.6) compared to infants in group B (0.9 +/- 2.0, p = 0.01). Infants in group A were breastfed an average of 1.9 mo longer than the others.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides evidence that mother-infant skin-to-skin contact for more than 50 min immediately after birth results in enhanced infant recognition of their own mother's milk odour and longer breastfeeding duration.

Germline niche transplantation restores fertility in infertile mice

BACKGROUND

Stem cells interact closely with their microenvironment or niche, and abnormalities in niche compromise the self-renewing tissue. In testis, for example, Sertoli cells interact with germ cells, and defects in Sertoli cells compromises spermatogenesis, leading to male infertility. However, it has not been possible to restore spermatogenesis from endogenous stem cells in infertile testis with environmental defects.

METHODS AND RESULTS

When healthy Sertoli cells from infertile white spotting (W) mouse were transplanted into the seminiferous tubules of infertile Steel (Sl) mouse testis that had defective Sertoli cells, spermatogenesis occurred from Sl stem cells in the recipient testis. On average, 1.1% of the recipient tubules showed spermatogenesis. Furthermore, in a microinsemination experiment with germ cells that developed in the testis, we obtained four normal offspring from 114 successfully injected oocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that defects in male germline microenvironment can be corrected by Sertoli cell transplantation. Although further improvements are required to enhance the low efficiency of spermatogenesis, the ability to correct environmental defect by niche transplantation has important implications in developing new strategies for treating incurable disorders in self-renewing tissues.

Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria from soil using an enrichment procedure

AIMS

To survey, and identify and classify the ecological distribution of lactic acid bacteria from soil in Japan and Taiwan.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Acid-producing bacteria were isolated from 68 soil samples, collected from Japan and Taiwan, in the rhizospheres of fruit trees, from the floor of a henhouse and around a horse farm. All isolates were identified by physiological and genetic tests. Thirty-two of the 54 isolates were identified as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), 16 as spore-forming lactic acid bacteria, five as Clostridium and one as Bacillus. These lactic acid bacteria represent five genera: Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Leuconostoc and Weissella.

CONCLUSIONS

A high rate of isolating lactic acid bacteria was obtained from soil.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study suggests that soil may be a common source for the isolation of lactic acid bacteria.

Heme oxygenase-1 inhibits cigarette smoke-induced increase in the tracheal mucosal permeability in guinea pigs in vivo

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether heme oxygenase (HO)-1 inhibits cigarette smoke (CS)-induced increase in the airway mucosal permeability.

METHODS

Mucosal permeability was quantified by monitoring the rate of appearance in the circulation of horseradish peroxidase that had been instilled into the isolated tracheal segment in guinea pigs in vivo, after exposure to CS or room air.

RESULTS

Exposure to 10 puffs of CS did not increase the tracheal mucosal permeability but did increase the permeability after pretreatment with zinc protoporphyrin, a competitive inhibitor of HO-1. Moreover, pretreatment with hemin, a potent inducer of HO-1, inhibited the increase in the permeability of the tracheal mucosa induced by 20 puffs of CS exposure.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that HO-1 has an important role in suppressing the increase in the mucosal permeability induced by CS in guinea pig trachea.

Extensor mechanism laxity at the metacarpophalangeal joint as identified by a new provocative test: predisposition to dislocation

A tendon subluxation test was performed on the unaffected side in 13 patients with traumatic extensor tendon dislocation of the middle finger and on both middle fingers in 800 healthy controls to identify extensor mechanism laxity at the metacarpophalangeal joint. Ten of the 13 patients with dislocation had laxity of middle finger extensor tendon, compared with 174 of the 800 (22%) controls. The difference in these rates of extensor tendon laxity is significant (P<0.0001), and suggests that extensor mechanism laxity at the metacarpophalangeal joint may predispose to traumatic extensor tendon dislocation.

Restoration of fertility in infertile mice by transplantation of cryopreserved male germline stem cells

BACKGROUND

The development of a spermatogonial transplantation technique has provided new possibilities for the treatment of male infertility. Previous studies have shown that spermatogonial stem cells could reinitiate spermatogenesis after cryopreservation and reintroduction into the seminiferous tubules of infertile recipient males, and this raised the possibility of banking frozen stem cells for male infertility treatment. It remains unknown, however, whether germ cells from freeze-thawed stem cells are fertile, leaving the possibility that the procedure compromises the integrity of the stem cells.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Dissociated mouse testis cells were cryopreserved and transplanted into infertile recipient testes. The freeze-thawed testis cell populations contained higher concentrations of stem cells than fresh testis cell populations. Offspring were obtained from freeze-thawed stem cells transplanted into infertile males, and fertility restoration was more efficient in immature (5-10 days old) than in mature (6-12 weeks old) recipients. However, offspring were also obtained from infertile adult recipients using in-vitro microinsemination.

CONCLUSIONS

This first successful application of frozen stem cell technology in the production of offspring by spermatogonial transplantation suggests the superiority of immature recipients for clinical applications. Thus, the combination of cryopreservation and transplantation of stem cells is a promising approach to overcome male infertility.

Evaluation of floating impeller phenomena in a gyro centrifugal pump

The Gyro centrifugal pump, developed as a totally implantable artificial heart, was designed with a free impeller in which the rotational shaft (male bearing) of the impeller was completely separated from the female bearing. For this type of pump, it is very important to keep the proper magnet balance (impeller-magnet and actuator-magnet balance) to prevent thrombus formation or bearing wear. When the magnet balance is not proper, the impeller is jerked down into the bottom bearing. On the other hand, if magnet balance is proper, the impeller is lifted off the bottom of the pump housing within a certain range of pumping conditions. In this study, this floating phenomenon was investigated in detail. The floating phenomenon was proven by observation of the impeller behavior by means of a transparent acrylic pump. The impeller floating phenomenon was mapped on a pump performance curve. The impeller floating phenomenon is affected by the magnet-magnet coupling distance and the rotational speed of the impeller. To keep the proper magnet balance and to maintain the impeller floating phenomenon at the driving conditions of right and left pumps, the magnet-magnet coupling distance was altered by a spacer that was installed between the pump and actuator. It became clear that the same pump could handle different conditions (right and left ventricular assist) by changing the thickness of the spacer. When magnet balance is proper, the floating impeller phenomenon occurs automatically in response to the impeller revolution. This is called "the dynamic revolutions per minute suspension."

Aneurysm of the ventricular membranous septum: serial echocardiographic studies

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this article is to examine the frequency, timing of formation of aneurysm of the ventricular membranous septum (AVMS), and prognosis in patients with a perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD).

PATIENTS

One hundred forty-eight patients were diagnosed with a perimembranous VSD within 90 days after birth. They were classified into three groups: Group I, spontaneous closure; Group II, open; Group III, surgical closure. They were also divided into two further groups: 75 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and 73 patients without that.

METHODS

An AVMS was observed by two-dimensional echocardiography, and spontaneous closure of the VSD was confirmed by color Doppler.

RESULTS

An AVMS was formed in 69 (47%) of 148 patients: 50% in Group I, 66% in Group II, 15% in Group III. The timing of AVMS formation was at a median age of 6 months. In 14% of patients, AVMS was formed within 3 months of age. The frequency of AVMS at the time of the initial echocardiogram was low in patients with CHF (odds ratio, 3.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-8.79 p = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that AVMS formation is related to avoidance of surgical closure during early infancy in patients with a perimembranous VSD, because the frequency of AVMS during early infancy is low in patients with CHF.

A phase I trial of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte precursor-oriented peptide vaccines for colorectal carcinoma patients

In most protocols of peptide-based vaccination, no consideration has been paid to whether or not peptide-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) precursors are pre-existent in cancer patients. Initiation of immune boosting through vaccination is better than that of immune priming to induce prompt and strong immunity. In this study, 10 human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen-A24⁺ patients with advanced colorectal carcinomas were treated with up to four peptides that had been positive for pre-vaccination measurement of peptide-specific CTL precursors in the circulation (CTL precursor-oriented peptide vaccine). No severe adverse effect was observed, although local pain and fever of grade I or II were observed. Post-vaccination peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from five patients demonstrated an increased peptide-specific immune response to the peptides. Increased CTL response to cancer cells was detected in post-vaccination PBMCs of five patients. Antipeptide immunoglobulin G became detectable in post-vaccination sera of seven patients. Three patients developed a positive delayed-type hypersensitivity response to at least one of the peptides administrated. One patient was found to have a partial response; another had a stable disease, sustained through 6 months. These results encourage further development of CTL precursor-oriented vaccine for colorectal cancer patients.

A new mouse model for Down syndrome

Trisomy 21 (Ts21) is the most common live-born human aneuploidy and results in a constellation of features known as Down syndrome (DS). Ts21 is a frequent cause of congenital heart defects and the leading genetic cause of mental retardation. Although overexpression of a gene(s) or gene cluster on human chromosome 21 (Chr 21) or the genome imbalance by Ts21 has been suggested to play a key role in bringing about the diverse DS phenotypes, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the various phenotypes associated with DS. Four approaches have been used to model DS to investigate the gene dosage effects of an extra copy of Chr 21 on various phenotypes; 1) Transgenic mice overexpressing a single gene from Chr 21, 2) YAC/BAC/PAC transgenic mice containing a single gene or genes on Chr 21, 3) Mice with intact/partial trisomy 16, a region with homology to human Chr 21 and 4) Human Chr 21 transchromosomal (Tc) mice. Here we review our new model system for the study of DS using the Tc technology, including the biological effects of an additional Chr 21 in vivo and in vitro.

Surface ferromagnetism of Pd fine particles

We report clear evidence of the ferromagnetism of gas-evaporated Pd fine particles with a clean surface. The clean Pd particle is found to have a magnetic heterostructure: the surface of the particle is ferromagnetic and the rest is paramagnetic. The size dependence of the magnetic saturation component reveals that the ferromagnetic ordering occurs only on (100) facets of the particle and that the topmost two to five layers from the surface contribute to the ferromagnetism with a magnetic moment of (0.75+/-0.31)micro(B)/atom.

Time series analysis of aerobic bacterial flora during Miso fermentation

AIMS

This article reports a microbiological study of aerobic mesophilic bacteria that are present during the fermentation process of Miso.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Aerobic bacteria were enumerated and isolated from Miso during fermentation and divided into nine groups using traditional phenotypic tests. The strains were identified by biochemical analysis and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. They were identified as Bacillus subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, Kocuria kristinae, Staphylococcus gallinarum and S. kloosii. All strains were sensitive to the bacteriocins produced by the lactic acid bacteria isolated from Miso.

CONCLUSIONS

The dominant species among the undesirable species throughout the fermentation process were B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens. It is suggested that bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria are effective in the growth prevention of aerobic bacteria in Miso.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study has provided useful information for controlling of bacterial flora during Miso fermentation.

Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible-factor 1alpha(HIF-1alpha) in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma correlates with lymph node metastasis and pathologic stage

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical and histopathologic significance of hypoxia-inducible-factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) expression in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. One hundred and thirty surgically resected specimens of OSCC were immunohistochemically assessed for HIF-1alpha expression with monoclonal antibody. High HIF-1alpha immunostaining was detected in 40 specimens. The percentage of high HIF-1alpha expression cases increased with tumour stage according to pTNM system. High HIF-1alpha expression correlated with pTNM stage, depth of tumour invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion and positive surgical margin. The overall survival rate was worse in patients with high HIF-1alpha pattern than in patients with low-expression pattern. Univariate analyses identified high HIF-1alpha positivity, depth of tumour invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and a positive surgical margin as risk factors. Multivariate analyses indicated that depth of tumour invasion, lymph node metastasis and positive surgical margin, but not HIF-1alpha, were independent prognostic factors. Survival in patients with a high HIF-1alpha expression was significantly worse than in those with low expression in patient treated with adjuvant therapy.

Williams syndrome associated with complete atrioventricular septal defect

Williams syndrome is a genetic disorder associated with characteristic facies, supravalvar aortic stenosis, peripheral pulmonary stenosis, mental retardation, hypertension, premature aging of skin, and congenital cardiac defects. Many cardiac defects such as bicuspid aortic valve, mitral valve regurgitation, coarctation of the aorta, and ventricular or atrial septal defects are linked to the syndrome. Complete atrioventricular septal defect has rarely been associated with Williams syndrome and only one necropsy case has been reported in the literature. The long term follow up of Williams syndrome associated with complete atrioventricular septal defect is reported. During a 10 year follow up period, the pressure gradient in the ascending aorta did not increase despite narrowing of the ascending aorta as identified on an aortogram.

Caveolin-I overexpression is a favourable prognostic factor for patients with extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma

Extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma (EBDC) is a malignancy well known for its poor prognosis. Some clinicopathological prognostic markers have been proposed, but genetic factors have not been well investigated. We have examined expression patterns of caveolin-1, which has been shown to function as a tumour suppressor in vitro, in EBDC using immunohistochemistry. Normal tissues adjacent to the tumour cells did not show immunoreactivity for caveolin-1. A total of 22 of the 60-carcinoma tissue samples (36.7%) studied were positive for caveolin-1. Caveolin-1 immunostaining negatively correlated with the patient's age and pathological T factor (pT) in a statistically significant manner. Multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazards model identified caveolin-1 expression as an independent positive prognostic factor. Thus, our study suggests that caveolin-1 expression may be a useful prognostic marker for EBDC.

A patient with kawasaki disease showing severe tricuspid regurgitation and left ventricular dysfunction in the acute phase

We encountered a male aged 6 years 4 months with Kawasaki disease (KD) with severe tricuspid regurgitation and left ventricular dysfunction in the acute phase. His clinical course and findings of endomyocardial biopsy suggested that myocarditis was the cause of left ventricular dysfunction and responsible for the development of tricuspid regurgitation. With improvement of left ventricular function, the tricuspid regurgitation rapidly improved, then disappeared. There are no previous reports in the literature of KD complicated by severe tricuspid regurgitation.

Birth of offspring following transplantation of cryopreserved immature testicular pieces and in-vitro microinsemination

BACKGROUND

Fertility protection is an urgent clinical problem for prepubertal male oncology patients who undergo either chemotherapy or radiotherapy. As these patients do not have mature sperm to be frozen, there is as yet no effective method to preserve their fertility.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Single pieces of immature mouse (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 mm) or rabbit (2.0 x 2.0 x approximately 3.0 mm) testis were cryopreserved, thawed and transplanted into mouse testes. Histological techniques were used to determine the presence of spermatogenesis, which was restored in both mouse and rabbit testicular pieces, and led to the production of mature sperm after both cryopreservation and syngeneic or xenogeneic transplantation into mouse testes. Using sperm developed in the frozen-thawed transplants, mouse offspring were born after in-vitro microinsemination. Furthermore, rabbit offspring were obtained using rabbit sperm that developed in fresh transplants in a xenogeneic surrogate mouse.

CONCLUSIONS

This approach of 'testicular tissue banking' is a promising technique for the preservation of fertility in prepubertal male oncology patients. Xenogeneic transplantation into immunodeficient mice may provide a system for studying spermatogenic failure in infertile men.

Impact of caveolin-1 expression on prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Caveolin-1 is a major component of caveolae and plays a regulatory role in several signalling pathways. Caveolin-1 was recently identified as a metastasis-related gene in prostate cancer. The clinical effects of caveolin-1 expression in pancreatic carcinoma, however, remain unknown. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between caveolin-1 expression and the clinicopathologic variables and clinical outcome in 79 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma undergoing surgical resection. Caveolin-1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry, using a polyclonal anti-caveolin-1 antibody. Patients were divided into two groups based on the extent of caveolin-1 expression: a negative expression group (immunoreactivity in less than 50% of cells) and a positive expression group. Positive caveolin-1 immunostaining was detected in 32 cases (40.5% of total), while non-neoplastic ductal epithelium showed little or no staining. Positive caveolin-1 expression was correlated with tumour diameter (P=0.0079), histopathologic grade (P=0.0272) and poor prognosis (P=0.0008). Upon multivariate analysis with Cox's proportional hazards model, positive caveolin-1 expression was shown to be an independent negative predictor for survival (P=0.0358). These results suggest that caveolin-1 overexpression is associated with tumour progression, thereby indicating a poor prognosis for certain patients undergoing surgical resection for pancreatic carcinoma.