Effects of Six Different Starter Cultures on Mutagenicity and Biogenic Amine Concentrations in Fermented Sausages Treated with Vitamins C and E.

This study was performed to determine changes in mutagenicity and biogenic amine concentrations in sausages fermented with six different starter cultures treated with vitamins C and E. Six different types of fermented sausages with different combination of starter cultures were manufactured. T1, Pediococcus acidilactici; T2, P. pentosaceus and Staphylococcus carnosus; T3, S. carnosus, S. xylosus, Debaryomyces hansenii, Lactobacillus curvatus, and P. pentosaceus; T4, S. carnosus and L. sakei; T5, S. xylosus and L. plantarum; and T6, Penicillium nalgiovensis. After treatment with vitamins C and E in fermented sausages, changes in mutagenicity and biogenic amine concentrations were measured. The sausages fermented with Staphylococcus xylosus and Lactobacillus plantarum starter cultures showed the most effective antimutagenic activity (p<0.05). The mutagenicity was further decreased in the sausages treated with vitamins C and E (p<0.05), regardless of the starter cultures. The use of Pediococcus acidilactici, S. xylosus, L. plantarum, and Penicillium nalgiovensis as starter cultures was effective in decreasing biogenic amine concentrations (p<0.05). In addition, vitamin E was more effective in decreasing the biogenic amine concentrations than vitamin C. In conclusion, we recommend the use of S. xylosus and L. plantarum as starter cultures, in addition to the use of vitamins C and E, to reduce the potential risk of meat mutagens in fermented sausages.

Short-Term Outcomes and Influencing Factors After Ankle Fracture Surgery.

The present study investigated the factors influencing the early clinical outcomes after ankle fracture surgery. We included 88 patients, who had undergone implant removal surgery at 1 year after ankle fracture surgery, with ankle computed tomographic (CT) scans obtained before ankle fracture surgery and at implant removal available. We collected demographic information, including age, sex, the presence of diabetes mellitus, level of trauma energy, and fracture classification from the medical records. We also recorded the fracture height using the radiographs and CT images. The medial joint space and articular incongruity were assessed on the follow-up radiographs and CT scans. Bone attenuation was measured by placing a circular region of interest around the ankle joint on the preoperative CT image. The postimplant removal outcomes were assessed using 2 functional questionnaires, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS). Significant factors related to the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scale scores and FAOS were identified through univariate analysis using age, sex, radiographic measurements, and CT findings as explanatory variables, followed by multiple regression analysis. On multiple regression analysis, the total FAOS was independently related to the AO classification (p = .003) and Lauge-Hansen classification (p = .003). The total AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scale score was related to articular incongruity (p = .044). The early clinical outcomes after ankle fracture surgery were affected by involvement of the ankle joint fracture rather than the lateral malleolus fracture height. Female sex and the presence of postoperative articular incongruity correlated with inferior early clinical outcomes.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Belzebub intermedius (Decapoda, Dendrobranchiata, Luciferidae).

We determined the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of Belzebub intermedius (Hansen, 1919). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first complete mitogenome in the family Luciferidae. The complete mitogenome of B. intermedius is 16,001 bp in length, with 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and a control region (CR). The gene arrangement of B. intermedius is almost identical to that of the same sergestoid species, Acetes chinensis Hansen, 1919, except that there is no additional trnS1. A maximum-likelihood tree, constructed using 18 decapod mitogenomes, confirmed that B. intermedius occupied the most basal position within the suborder Dendrobranchiata.

Jagged1 Instructs Macrophage Differentiation in Leprosy.

As circulating monocytes enter the site of disease, the local microenvironment instructs their differentiation into tissue macrophages (MΦ). To identify mechanisms that regulate MΦ differentiation, we studied human leprosy as a model, since M1-type antimicrobial MΦ predominate in lesions in the self-limited form, whereas M2-type phagocytic MΦ are characteristic of the lesions in the progressive form. Using a heterotypic co-culture model, we found that unstimulated endothelial cells (EC) trigger monocytes to become M2 MΦ. However, biochemical screens identified that IFN-γ and two families of small molecules activated EC to induce monocytes to differentiate into M1 MΦ. The gene expression profiles induced in these activated EC, when overlapped with the transcriptomes of human leprosy lesions, identified Jagged1 (JAG1) as a potential regulator of MΦ differentiation. JAG1 protein was preferentially expressed in the lesions from the self-limited form of leprosy, and localized to the vascular endothelium. The ability of activated EC to induce M1 MΦ was JAG1-dependent and the addition of JAG1 to quiescent EC facilitated monocyte differentiation into M1 MΦ with antimicrobial activity against M. leprae. Our findings indicate a potential role for the IFN-γ-JAG1 axis in instructing MΦ differentiation as part of the host defense response at the site of disease in human leprosy.

Preoperative Radiographic and CT Findings Predicting Syndesmotic Injuries in Supination-External Rotation-Type Ankle Fractures.

BACKGROUND: The Lauge-Hansen classification system does not provide sufficient data related to syndesmotic injuries in supination-external rotation (SER)-type ankle fractures. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors helpful for the preoperative detection of syndesmotic injuries in SER-type ankle fractures using radiographs and computed tomography (CT). METHODS: A cohort of 191 consecutive patients (104 male and eighty-seven female patients with a mean age [and standard deviation] of 50.7 ± 16.4 years) with SER-type ankle fractures who had undergone operative treatment were included. Preoperative ankle radiographs and CT imaging scans were made for all patients, and clinical data, including age, sex, and mechanism of injury (high or low-energy trauma), were collected. Patients were divided into two groups: the stable syndesmotic group and the unstable syndesmotic group, with a positive intraoperative lateral stress test leading to syndesmotic screw fixation. Fracture height, fracture length, medial joint space, extent of fracture, and bone attenuation were measured on radiographs and CT images and were compared between the groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors that significantly contributed to unstable syndesmotic injuries. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated, and cutoff values were suggested to predict unstable syndesmotic injuries on preoperative imaging measurements. RESULTS: Of the 191 patents with a SER-type ankle fracture, thirty-eight (19.9%) had a concurrent unstable syndesmotic injury. Age, sex, mechanism of injury, fracture height, medial joint space, and bone attenuation were significantly different between the two groups. In the binary logistic analysis, fracture height, medial joint space, and bone attenuation were found to be significant factors contributing to unstable syndesmotic injuries. The cutoff values for predicting unstable syndesmotic injuries were a fracture height of >3 mm and a medial joint space of >4.9 mm on CT scans, and a fracture height of >7 mm and medial joint space of >4.5 mm on radiographs. CONCLUSIONS: Fracture height, medial joint space, and bone attenuation were useful factors for the preoperative detection of unstable syndesmotic injuries in SER-type ankle fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.