Image analysis method to quantify the effect of different treatments on the visual meat/shell ratio of half-shelled green lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus).

BACKGROUND: Aquacultured green lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) is the New Zealand export leader of seafood in terms of weight. Different treatments shrink mussel meat differently and affect the consumer perception of half-shelled mussels. In order to quantify this, digital images of half-shelled green lipped mussels subjected to two postharvest treatments (ultrahigh pressure (UHP) and heat treatment (HT)) and raw controls were taken. The ratio of the view area of the meat to that of the shell (labelled as 'visual condition index' (VCI)) was measured using image analysis. A polygonal region of interest was defined on the image to depict the boundary of the meat and to calculate the view area. RESULTS: Raw mussels had a VCI of 85%. HT mussels had a much reduced VCI of 41%, indicating shrinkage of the meat due to heat. UHP treatment used as a shucking method resulted in a VCI of 83%. Since VCI is one measure of quality for the consumer, this quantitative method can be used in the optimization of shucking treatment (HT or UHP). CONCLUSION: VCI can be used to optimize postharvest treatments to minimize meat shrinkage. This method can also be applied to other shellfish such as oysters and clams.

Improving the Vertical Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites by Forming Layer-by-Layer Contact of Inorganic Crystals.

A carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) is a light and rigid composite applicable in various fields, such as in aviation and automobile industry. However, due to its low thermal conductivity, it does not dissipate heat sufficiently and thus accumulates heat stress. Here, we reported a facile and effective strategy to improve the through-thickness thermal conductivity of CFRP composites by using a layer-by-layer coating of inorganic crystals. They could provide efficient heat transfer pathways through layer-by-layer contact within the resulting composite material. The high thermally conductive CFRP composites were prepared by employing three types of inorganic crystal fillers composed of aluminum, magnesium, and copper on prepreg through the layer-by-layer coating process. The vertical thermal conductivity of pure CFRP was increased by up to 87% on using magnesium filler at a very low content of 0.01 wt %. It was also confirmed that the higher the thermal conductivity enhancement was, the better were the mechanical properties. Thus, we could demonstrate that the layer-by-layer inclusion of inorganic crystals can lead to improved through-thickness thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of composites, which might find applications in varied industrial fields.

Short-chain Fatty Acids Inhibit Staphylococcal Lipoprotein-induced Nitric Oxide Production in Murine Macrophages.

Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive pathogen, can cause severe inflammation in humans, leading to various life-threatening diseases. The lipoprotein is a major virulence factor in S. aureus-induced infectious diseases and is responsible for excessive inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO). Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) including butyrate, propionate, and acetate are microbial metabolites in the gut that are known to have anti-inflammatory effects in the host. In this study, we investigated the effects of SCFAs on S. aureus lipoprotein (Sa.LPP)-induced NO production in mouse macrophages. Butyrate and propionate, but not acetate, inhibited Sa.LPP-induced production of NO in RAW 264.7 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages. Butyrate and propionate inhibited Sa.LPP-induced expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS). However, acetate did not show such effects under the same conditions. Furthermore, butyrate and propionate, but not acetate, inhibited Sa.LPP-induced activation of NF-κB, expression of IFN-ß, and phosphorylation of STAT1, which are essential for inducing transcription of iNOS in macrophages. In addition, butyrate and propionate induced histone acetylation at lysine residues in the presence of Sa.LPP in RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, Sa.LPP-induced NO production was decreased by histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Collectively, these results suggest that butyrate and propionate ameliorate the inflammatory responses caused by S. aureus through the inhibition of NF-κB, IFN-ß/STAT1, and HDAC, resulting in attenuated NO production in macrophages.

[Differential diagnosis of diabetes mellitus caused by liver cirrhosis and other type 2 diabetes mellitus].

BACKGROUND/AIM: The liver plays important roles in the homeostasis of glucose metabolism since it acts as a major target organ for insulin and a site for gluconeogenesis and glycogen storage. Diabetes mellitus (DM) commonly develops in patients with liver cirrhosis as the result of hepatocyte dysfunction and/or inadequate mass. To assess differences between DM due to liver cirrhosis (hepatogenous DM) and the other type 2 DM, we compared the patterns of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in hepatogenous DM with those observed in type 2 DM. METHODS: 18 diabetic patients with liver cirrhosis (caused by alcohol, n=8; HBV, n=5; HCV, n=2; others, n=3) were matched with 18 type 2 diabetic patients without liver cirrhosis for age and gender. None of the patients or controls had been treated with insulin or beta-blockers. The level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PP2h), fasting plasma C-peptide and insulin were measured. RESULTS: The ratio of PP2h/FPG (2.27 vs. 1.69), fasting insulin (23.2: 11.6 microIU/mL) and HOMA-IR index (8.38 vs. 3.52) were significantly higher in hepatogenous DM than the other type 2 DM (P<0.05). PP2h, fasting C-peptide and ratio of fasting insulin/C-peptide tend to be higher in hepatogenous DM than those of controls, but which were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of PP2h/FPG and fasting plasma insulin differentiated hepatogenous DM from the other type 2 DM. Insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis was higher than the other type 2 DM, and impaired hepatic insulin degradation might be an important mechanism of hyperinsulinemia in liver cirrhosis.

Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma of the breast in an adult female.

Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a locally aggressive vascular tumor that usually occurs in infants. It is commonly associated with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome and lymphangiomatosis. It generally originates on the skin, later affecting deeper tissue by infiltrative growth. Although visceral involvement is very uncommon, several cases with bone, retroperitoneal, or mediastinal involvement have been described. However, to our knowledge, a KHE in breast tissue has never previously been reported. Furthermore, the development of this type of tumor in adolescents and adults is very rare. We treated a 32-year-old woman with a right breast mass that was diagnosed based on pathologic examination as a KHE. We performed operations several times because of recurrence of KHE and finally performed mastectomy despite the patient's young age.