Listening evaluation of cochlear implant users: comparison of subjective and objective evaluation by visual analogue scale.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to use short-form visual analogue scale cochlear implantation questionnaires to evaluate subjective aspects at each out-patient visit. The correlation between subjective hearing tests using the short-form visual analogue scale and objective hearing outcomes was evaluated. METHOD: This study was conducted in a single centre. Cochlear implant users (n = 199) evaluated their hearing on a scale of 0 to 100 for the right, left and both ears. The Japanese speech perception test (CI-2004) Japanese monosyllable speech perception test (67-S) and cochlear implantation threshold were used for the objective cochlear implantation evaluation. RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between the short-form visual analogue scale questionnaire and objective hearing outcome, for words (r = 0.64) and sentences (r = 0.62) in CI-2004 and 67-S (r = 0.56) tests. No significant correlation was found between the short-form visual analogue scale score and cochlear implantation threshold (r = -0.18). CONCLUSION: Short-form visual analogue scale cochlear implantation questionnaires mean cochlear implant users spend less time answering subjective visual analogue scale questionnaires, and clinicians estimate a patient's cochlear implantation hearing and abnormality by chronological evaluation.

Age-related differences in the functional properties of lips compared with skin.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lips can easily become dry and rough and their biggest problems are drying and chapping. The cause of those problems is considered to be that the stratum corneum (SC) moisture is small and its barrier function is low. However, those problems decrease in subjects as they approach 40 years of age, after which problems due to their shape and color increase. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between SC properties of the lips during aging and to clarify the cause(s) of lip problems. METHODS: One hundred and 38 Japanese female subjects with normal skin ranging in age from 16 to 78 years were enrolled in the study. The capacitance and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) values, viscoelasticity, and color of their lips were measured and compared with their cheeks. RESULTS: The capacitance values for the lip and the cheek increased and TEWL values for both areas decreased with age. TEWL values for the lip decreased until ~30 years of age and this is considered to be related to the problem of drying. Although the maximum amplitude Uf of the lip increased with age, the Ur /Uf had no correlation with age. As for color, the L* and a* values decreased with age. CONCLUSION: Age-related changes with regard to SC functions, viscoelasticity and color of the lips have been clarified for the first time, and it is clear that these changes are related to problems of the lips. Compared with the cheeks, differences with the lips are more apparent.

Improved survival with an innovative approach to the treatment of severely burned patients: development of a burn treatment manual.

The management of severely burned patients remains a major issue worldwide as indicated by the high incidence of permanent debilitating complications and poor survival rates. In April 2012, the Advanced Emergency & Critical Care Medical Center of the Okayama University Hospital began implementing guidelines for severely burned patients, distributed as a standard burn treatment manual. The protocol, developed in-house, was validated by comparing the outcomes of patients with severe extensive burns (SEB) treated before and after implementation of these new guidelines at this institution. The patients included in this study had a burn index (BI) ≥30 or a prognostic burn index (PBI = BI + patient's age) ≥100. The survival rate of the patients with BI ≥30 was 65.2% with the traditional treatment and 100% with the new guidelines. Likewise, the survival rate of the patients with PBI ≥100 was 61.1% with the traditional treatment compared to 100% with the new guidelines. Together, these data demonstrate that the new treatment guidelines dramatically improved the treatment outcome and survival of SEB patients.

La prise en charge des patients gravement brûlés est toujours un problème majeur dans le monde, avec une mortalité élevée et de lourdes séquelles chez les survivants. En Avril 2012, le Centre de l'Hôpital de l'Université d'Okayama a commencé à distribuer un manuel pour le traitement des patients gravement brûlés. Notre protocole a été validé en comparant les résultats des patients souffrant de brûlures étendues traités avant et après la mise en oeuvre de ces nouvelles lignes directrices. Les patients inclus dans cette étude avaient une surface brûlée (SB) ≥30% ou un index de Baux (IBx= SB + âge du patient) ≥100. Le taux de survie chez les patients atteints sur ≥30% SB était de 65.2% avant et 100% après. Le taux de survie chez les patients avec un IBx ≥100 était de 61.1% avant et 100% après. Ces données démontrent que les nouvelles lignes directrices de traitement ont amélioré considérablement la survie chez ces patients.

Illumination enhances methane production from thermophilic anaerobic digestion.

Incandescent lamp illumination enhanced methane production from a thermophilic anaerobic digestion reactor (55 degrees C) supplied with glucose. After 10 days of operation, the volume of methane produced from light reactors was approximately 2.5 times higher than that from dark reactors. A comparison of the carbon balance between light and dark conditions showed that methane produced from hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the light reactors was higher than that from the dark reactors. When hydrogen or acetate was fed into the reactors, methane production with added hydrogen was faster and higher under light conditions than under dark conditions. The use of blue light-emitting diodes also enhanced methane production over that under dark conditions. The 16S rRNA gene copy numbers for Methanothermobacter spp. in the light reactor and in the dark reactor were at the same level. The copy number for Methanosarcina spp. in the light reactors was approximately double than that in the dark reactors. These results suggest that blue light enhances the methanogenic activity of hydrogenotrophic methanogens.

Phylogenetic description of immobilized methanogenic community using real-time PCR in a fixed-bed anaerobic digester.

After immobilization of anaerobes on polyurethane foam in a thermophilic, fixed-bed, anaerobic digester supplied with acetate, the results of real-time PCR analysis indicated that the major immobilized methanogenic archaea were Methanosarcina spp., and that the major free-living methanogenic archaea were Methanosarcina and Methanobacterium spp. 16S rRNA gene densities of Methanosarcina spp. and Methanobacterium spp. immobilized on the polyurethane foam were 7.6x10(9) and 2.6x10(8) copies/cm3, respectively. Immobilized methanogenic archaea could be concentrated 1000 times relative to those in the original anaerobically digested sludge from a completely mixed thermophilic digester supplied with cattle waste. On the other hand, immobilized bacteria could be concentrated only 10 times. The cell densities of the immobilized methanogenic archaea and bacteria were higher than those of the free-living methanogenic archaea and bacteria in the reactor. The results of clone analysis indicate that the major methanogenic archaea of the original thermophilic sludge are members of the order Methanomicrobiales, and that the major methanogenic archaea immobilized on the polyurethane foam are Methanosarcina spp., and those of the liquid phase are Methanobacterium spp. The results of the real time PCR analysis approximately agree with those of the clone analysis. These results indicate that real-time PCR analysis is useful for quantitatively describing methanogenic communities.

Ovariectomy is sufficient to accelerate spontaneous skin ageing and to stimulate ultraviolet irradiation-induced photoageing of murine skin.

BACKGROUND: Wrinkling and sagging of the skin during photoageing is physiologically associated with diminished elasticity, which can be attributed to increased fibroblast-derived elastase activity. This degrades the dermal elastic fibres needed to maintain the three-dimensional structure of the skin. We previously reported that ovariectomy accelerates ultraviolet (UV)B-induced wrinkle formation in rat hind limb skin by altering the three-dimensional structure of elastic fibres. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we used hairless mice to assess the effects of ovariectomy with or without chronic UVA or UVB radiation on sagging and wrinkling of skin, on the elasticity of skin, as well as on matrix metalloproteinase activities in the skin. METHODS: Ovariectomies or sham operations were performed on 6-week-old female ICR/HR hairless mice. RESULTS: Even in the ovariectomy group without UV irradiation, the skin elasticity was significantly decreased during the 3-13 weeks after ovariectomy, which was accompanied by a significant increase in elastase activity in the skin. After UVA or UVB irradiation, skin elasticity was significantly decreased to a greater extent in the ovariectomy group than in the sham operation group, and this was accompanied by a reciprocal increase in elastase activity but not in the activities of collagenases I or IV in the skin. Consistent with the decreased skin elasticity, UVA irradiation for 12 weeks elicited more marked sagging in the ovariectomy group than in the sham operation group. UVB irradiation for 12 weeks also induced more marked wrinkle formation in the ovariectomy group than in the sham operation group. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ovariectomy alone is sufficient to accelerate skin ageing and to increase UV sensitivity, which results in the further deterioration of the skin and photoageing, and may account for the accelerated skin ageing seen in postmenopausal women.

Removal of 3-chlorobenzoate using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor under light conditions.

The possibility of 3-chlorobenzoate removal from water using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor without the addition of any extra dechlorinating culture under light conditions has been studied on a laboratory scale. Benzoate removal was observed in the first three months of operation under light conditions, but the 3-chlorobenzoate removal was not observed. After three months of operation under light conditions, the 3-chlorobenzoate concentration in the UASB reactor effluent gradually decreased to less than 1 mg x h(-1). The 3-chlorobenzoate concentration in the effluent did not increase under dark conditions. The DOC concentration in the effluent decreased according to the removal of the 3-chlorobenzoate by the UASB granules. These results indicated that granules in the UASB reactor provided the 3-chlorobenzoate removability after 80-100 d of adaptation to the 3-chlorobenzoate, and that the UASB reactor is useful for 3-chlorobenzoate removal.

Quantitative two-dimensional analysis of facial wrinkles of Japanese women at various ages.

To evaluate individual differences in the recognition of facial wrinkles, we asked 40 Japanese female observers to identify wrinkles using transparent sheets over frontal facial photos of four females aged 20, 39, 55 or 75 years. We then measured the number and length of those wrinkles by image analysis. Wrinkles identified by those 40 observers showed aged-related increases in the standard deviation (SD) values for number and length but age-related decreases in the coefficient of variation (CV)%. Therefore, to clarify factors affecting the degree of wrinkle detection, wrinkles were identified by two groups of age-matched male and female observers, by two groups that differed by age, and by two other groups, one of which who felt that there was an improvement in their wrinkles after application of an antiwrinkle agent and another group who did not feel that there was any improvement after the same treatment. Improvement was observed by replica image analysis in all groups. The degree of wrinkles identified was not affected by the age or by the sex of the observer group. However, the group who felt that there was an improvement in their wrinkles after treatment with the antiwrinkle agent identified a significantly higher number of wrinkles than did the group who did not feel that there was an improvement. These results suggest marked individual differences in the recognition of wrinkles. Fine wrinkles in relatively young subjects are difficult to detect, but moderate to marked wrinkles in middle-aged and in aged subjects can easily be detected. Concerning the cause of individual differences in the extent of wrinkle detection, observers who identified a large number of wrinkles tended to recognize not only pronounced wrinkles but also recognized fine wrinkles as 'wrinkles'. This seems to have also affected their feelings about the success of treatment with the antiwrinkle agent.

Dermal fluid translocation is an important determinant of the diurnal variation in human skin thickness.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography has been used as a non-invasive approach to measure skin thickness. To date there have been no studies on diurnal variations in skin thickness. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate diurnal variations in skin thickness and to compare these with corresponding echogenicity and skin elasticity. METHODS: Measurements by ultrasonography B-mode and by Cutometer SEM 575 were carried out in the morning and in the afternoon on 20 men and 20 women (mean age 30 years) on three areas of the face (forehead, corner of the eye and cheek), the forearm and the upper arm, and the flank, thigh and calf. RESULTS: From the morning to the afternoon, the skin thickness in both sexes significantly decreased on three areas of the face, the forearm and the upper arm, but significantly increased on the thigh and calf. In parallel, the echogenicity significantly increased from the morning to the afternoon on the three areas of the face, the forearm and the upper arm, but decreased significantly on the thigh and calf. Measurements of mechanical properties at four sites demonstrated that from the morning to the afternoon, the major parameters of skin elasticity Ue* and Uf* increased significantly in both sexes on two areas of the face and slightly on the forearm, but decreased significantly on the calf. CONCLUSIONS: The diurnal profiles of skin thickness and skin elasticity in the upper half of the body are the reverse of those in the lower half of the body. These findings suggest that shifts of dermal fluid from the face to the leg by gravity during the day cause the diurnal variation in skin thickness.

Anticancer agent E7070 inhibits amino acid and uracil transport in fission yeast.

E7070 is a novel sulfonamide anticancer agent that inhibits cell cycle progression in G1 in mammalian cells, but its action targets are not known. We recently employed the genetically amenable fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model organism to search for its targets. Here, we show that E7070 inhibits imports of amino acid and uracil into S. pombe cells. Unlike their prototrophic counterparts, leucine- and uracil-auxotrophic strains are sensitive to E7070 and are unable to proliferate with a delayed G1-S transition in low-glucose yeast extract-polypeptone medium containing this drug because this chemical markedly inhibits the uptake of leucine and uracil in low glucose medium. Furthermore, addition of leucine or uracil to the culture medium or overexpression of genes encoding an amino acid or uracil transporter suppresses the E7070-imposed growth inhibition of these auxotrophic strains. Thus, some of the molecular targets for E7070 action in S. pombe are likely to be leucine and uracil transporters.

Low-dose tissue plasminogen activator followed by planned rescue angioplasty reduces time to reperfusion for acute myocardial infarction treated at community hospitals.

The time from admission to reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was compared according to the type of hospital and treatment strategy. A total of 164 patients with a first AMI within 12h of onset were enrolled at one tertiary emergency center (TEC) and 6 community hospitals (CHs). The subjects were randomly assigned to receive either primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) (TEC-primary PTCA and CHs-primary PTCA groups) or 800,000 units of intravenous monteplase, half the standard dose of a mutant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), followed by rescue PTCA if the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade was 2 or less (TEC-monteplase and CHs-monteplase groups) on the first coronary angiogram. Sixty minutes after admission, TIMI flow grade 3 rates of the study groups were as follows, in descending order: TEC-monteplase group, CHs-monteplase group, TEC-primary PTCA group, and CHs-primary PTCA group (56%, 41%, 36%, and 8%, respectively; p<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the final TIMI flow grade 3 rate among the 4 groups. In the CHs, the peak creatine kinase tended to be lower in the monteplase group than in the primary PTCA group. The results suggest that low-dose monteplase followed by rescue PTCA is an effective strategy for promoting early reperfusion in patients with AMI, especially those who are treated at CHs.

Inhibitory effect of an extract of Sanguisorba officinalis L. on ultraviolet-B-induced photodamage of rat skin.

We previously reported that chronic Ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation causes wrinkle formation, decreases skin elasticity, and damages/curls dermal elastic fibers. Those UVB-induced wrinkles can be improved by treatment with retinoic acid or with a CO2 laser which results in a recovery of skin elasticity and a repair of elastic fiber linearity. We showed further that topical application of N-phenetyl-leucyl-tryptophane, an agent that specifically inhibits fibroblast-derived elastase, immediately after UVB irradiation inhibited UVB-induced wrinkle formation, maintained skin elasticity, and inhibited changes in the three-dimensional structure of dermal elastic fibers in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, the effects of an extract of Sanguisorba officinalis L., which also inhibits fibroblast-derived elastase, was evaluated for possible inhibition of UVB induced wrinkle formation, maintenance of skin elasticity, and prevention of damage to the 3-dimensional structure of dermal elastic fibers. Hind limb skins of 3-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with UVB at a suberythemal dose 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Simultaneously, an extract of Sanguisorba officinalis L. (at 0.2% (v/v) or 1% (v/v)) was topically applied 5 times per week immediately following each UVB irradiation and 1 d later. The extract of Sanguisorba officinalis L. inhibited wrinkle formation, maintained skin elasticity, and inhibited the decrease of dermal elastic fiber linearity in the rat hind limb skin in a dose-dependent manner. We have confirmed that the inhibition of elastase activity in fibroblasts immediately after UVB irradiation using an extract of Sanguisorba officinalis L. prevents chronic photodamage following UVB irradiation.

Selective inhibition of skin fibroblast elastase elicits a concentration-dependent prevention of ultraviolet B-induced wrinkle formation.

We previously reported that wrinkle formation in the skin following long-term ultraviolet B irradiation is accompanied by decreases in skin elasticity and the curling of elastic fibers in the dermis. We further showed that wrinkles could be repaired by treatment with retinoic acid and that this was concomitant with the recovery of skin elasticity ascribed to the repair of damaged elastic fibers. Those studies suggested that decreasing the tortuosity of dermal elastic fibers is an important factor involved in inhibiting or repairing wrinkle formation. Therefore, it is of particular interest to determine whether the inhibition of elastase activity in vivo would prevent the damage of dermal elastic fibers and might abolish wrinkle formation associated with the loss of skin elasticity. Because the major elastase in the skin under noninflammatory conditions is skin fibroblast elastase, we used a specific inhibitor of that enzyme to assess its biologic role in wrinkle formation. The hind limb skins of Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with ultraviolet B at a suberythemal dose three times a week for 6 wk. During that period, 0.1-10.0 mM N-phenetylphosphonyl-leucyl-tryptophane, an inhibitor of skin fibroblast elastase, was applied topically five times a week. N-phenetylphosphonyl-leucyl-tryptophane application at concentrations of 0.1-1.0 mM abolished wrinkle formation in a concentration-dependent manner, with a peak for inhibition at 1.0 mM. This inhibition was accompanied by a continued low tortuosity of dermal elastic fibers and a maintenance of skin elasticity. Measurement of elastase activity after 6 wk of ultraviolet B irradiation demonstrated that whereas phosphoramidon-sensitive elastase activity was significantly enhanced in the ultraviolet B-exposed skin, there was no significant increase in that activity in the ultraviolet B-exposed, N-phenetylphosphonyl-leucyl-tryptophane-treated skin. These findings suggest that skin fibroblast elastase plays an essential part in the degeneration and/or tortuosity of elastic fibers induced by cumulative ultraviolet B irradiation.

New formulation of chemical peeling agent: histological evaluation in sun-damaged skin model in hairless mice.

BACKGROUND: chemical peelings injure the superficial skin, which is then restored by healing of the wound. OBJECTIVES: to document the acute and chronic histological changes produced by applying chemical peeling agents used clinically to the UVB-irradiated skin of hairless mice, which served as a model of sun-damaged skin. DESIGN: three chemical peeling agents, 30% salicylic acid, dissolved in macrogol (a new formulation), 35% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) dissolved in distilled water and 20% glycolic acid dissolved in glycerin were applied to the backs of UVB-irradiated hairless mice. Untreated, irradiated areas of skin served as controls. Specimens were evaluated histologically at 3, 14, 28, and 70 days. RESULTS: chronic UVB irradiation produced an irregular hypertrophy of the epidermis. The treated areas of irradiated skin recovered by day 70. At 28 days, all skin specimens treated with chemical peeling agents exhibited a unique connective tissue layer composed of fine collagen fibers beneath the epidermis. While 35% TCA produced severe tissue damage marked by inflammation up to day 14, no inflammatory infiltrates were seen with 30% salicylic acid in macrogol at 70 days. CONCLUSIONS: chemical peeling with 30% salicylic acid dissolved in macrogol led to reorganization of the epidermis and a rebuilding of the superficial dermal connective tissue important in reducing wrinkles, and without evidence of inflammatory infiltrates in an animal model of sun-damaged skin. Findings suggest a possible clinical benefit.

Ovariectomy accelerates photoaging of rat skin.

We have previously reported the formation of wrinkles, a decrease in skin elasticity and a loss in the linearity of dermal elastic fibers in rat hind limb skin irradiated with ultraviolet radiation in wavelength ranging 290-320 nm (UVB) at a suberythemal dose for 6 weeks. Estrogens are considered effective in preventing photoaging in postmenopausal females, but the role of estrogen in the skin remains unclear. In this study we have evaluated the influence of short-term chronic UVB irradiation at a suberythemal dose on the skin of ovariectomized rats. An ovariectomy or a sham operation was performed on each 3 week-old female Sprague-Dawley rat. Starting 1 week after the operation the hind limb skin of each rat was irradiated with UVB at a suberythemal dose (130 mJ/cm2) three times a week for 3 or 6 weeks. Decreases in elasticity and wrinkle formation in the skins of ovariectomized animals were induced more quickly than in the skins of sham-operated animals following UVB irradiation. The linearity of elastic fibers in the ovariectomy group decreased significantly compared with the sham-operation group, but erythema in the ovariectomy group was induced more readily than in the sham-operation group following UVB irradiation. These findings suggest that decreases in the estrogen levels after ovariectomy accelerate photoaging in terms of the morphology and physical properties of the skin surface and the three-dimensional structure of elastic fibers.

Analytical method to examine the effects of carbon dioxide lasers on skin: a study using wrinkles induced in hairless mice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the wrinkle smoothing process elicited by CO(2) laser treatment is important for understanding the mechanism involved in their repair. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hairless mice with wrinkles induced in their dorsal skin by long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation in the wavelength range of 290-320 nm were treated with a CO(2) laser. By using this model, we investigated the external appearance, histologic changes, and the mechanical properties of the skin during the wrinkle repair. RESULTS: Laser treatment with an appropriate intensity caused wrinkles to smooth completely. In the healing process, reepithelialization and collagen tissue regeneration in the upper dermis was observed. However, marked changes in the skin were noted, such as increases in the collagen layer and in the skin thickness, and changes in the mechanical properties of the skin, despite the favorable external appearance. CONCLUSIONS: An abnormal state characterized by excessive collagen regeneration and other changes in the dermis occur concomitantly with wrinkle smoothing.

[Efficacy of low-dose mutant tissue-type plasminogen activator followed by planned rescue percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty as reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of injection of a low-dose mutant tissue-type plasminogen activator (mt-PA), monteplase, followed by planned rescue percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was compared with that of primary PTCA. METHODS: A total of 164 patients with acute myocardial infarction within 12 hr from onset were randomly assigned to a treatment with 80 x 10(4) U bolus of monteplase (Group M) or no administration (Group P) by the envelope method, followed by immediate angiography with angioplasty in patients with Thombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade 0, 1 or 2. RESULTS: There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Initial angiography showed a higher reperfusion rate (TIMI 2 + 3: 21% + 38% vs 13% + 9%, p < 0.001) and the median time to TIMI 3 was shorter (63 vs 78 min, p < 0.005) in Group M than in Group P, but the final TIMI 3 rate was similar (93% vs 96%). Peak creatine kinase was lower, and predischarge left ventricular ejection fraction measured in 70% of all patients was higher (59 +/- 9% vs 54 +/- 14%, p = 0.02) in Group M than in Group P. Recurrent ischemia with ST elevation occurred in three patients in Group M, but death, re-acute myocardial infarction or stroke did not occur in either group and the rate of bleeding complication was similar (4.9% vs 3.7%). PTCA was performed less frequently in Group M, but medical expenses were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose mt-PA followed by rescue PTCA is effective for early recanalization and preservation of left ventricular function without increases in bleeding complications or medical expenses. These results suggest that low-dose mt-PA should be given to all patients with acute myocardial infarction who are scheduled to undergo primary PTCA.

Carbon dioxide laser treatment promotes repair of the three-dimensional network of elastic fibres in rat skin.

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that ultraviolet (UV) B irradiation induces a loss of linearity in the three-dimensional structure of dermal elastic fibres, which results in the reduction of elastic properties of the skin and leads to wrinkle formation. We further reported that repair of wrinkles by all-trans retinoic acid is accompanied by recovery of the linearity of elastic fibres. Carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers are widely used for treating wrinkles in cosmetic surgery. OBJECTIVES: To perform CO2 laser treatment of wrinkles induced in rat skin by UVB irradiation and to evaluate changes in the three-dimensional structure of dermal elastic fibres during wrinkle repair. METHODS: Wrinkles were induced in the hind limb skin of Sprague-Dawley rats by UVB irradiation (130 mJ cm-2 three times weekly for 6 weeks), followed by CO2 laser treatment (11.3 J cm-2). The surface appearance of the skin was evaluated by replica observation 6 and 10 weeks after CO2 laser treatment followed by measurement of mechanical properties using a Cutometer. Subsequently, perfusion fixation and digestion with formic acid were performed and elastic fibres were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Image analysis of SEM micrographs was carried out to evaluate the linearity in the three-dimensional structure of elastic fibres. RESULTS: Six weeks after CO2 laser treatment, all parameters of skin mechanical properties in the UVB-irradiated group recovered to levels of the control non-irradiated group, accompanied by repair of wrinkles and a significant increase in linearity of the three-dimensional structure of elastic fibres. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that CO2 laser treatment has a therapeutic potential to repair wrinkles to non-irradiated levels through recovery of the three-dimensional structure of elastic fibres.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe och1(+) encodes alpha-1,6-mannosyltransferase that is involved in outer chain elongation of N-linked oligosaccharides.

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe attaches an outer chain containing mannose and galactose to the N-linked oligosaccharides on many of its glycoproteins. We identified an S. pombe och1 mutant that did not synthesize the outer chains on acid phosphatase. The S. pombe och1(+) gene was a functional homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae OCH1, and its gene product (SpOch1p) incorporated alpha-1,6-linked mannose into pyridylaminated Man(9)GlcNAc(2), indicating that och1(+) encodes an alpha-1,6-mannosyltransferase. Our results indicate that SpOch1p is a key enzyme of outer chain elongation. The substrate specificity of SpOch1p was different from that of S. cerevisiae OCH1 gene product (ScOch1p), suggesting that SpOch1p may have a wider substrate specificity than that of ScOch1p.

Characterization of lighted upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (LUASB) method under sulfate-rich conditions.

Growth of phototrophic bacteria was induced from granules in a lighted upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (LUASB) reactor supplied with an organic-acid-based medium containing 141.7 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under light conditions (100 microE.m(-2).s(-1)). We investigated the population dynamics of phototrophic bacteria in the LUASB reactor and the performance of the LUASB reactor for wastewater treatment and poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production under anaerobic light and sulfate-rich conditions. In vivo absorption spectra and a colony count suggested that populations of Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Blastochloris sulfoviridis in the LUASB reactor supplied with a medium containing 574.4 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under light conditions were lower than those supplied with a medium containing 1.0 or 141.7 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under parallel conditions. Removal efficiencies of ammonium and phosphate in the LUASB reactor supplied with the medium containing 141.7 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) under light conditions were higher than those under parallel conditions but without illumination. The difference in the results of runs under light or dark conditions suggested that the ammonium and phosphate ion removal efficiencies were improved by increasing the amount of phototrophic bacterial biomass in the LUASB reactor under sulfate-rich conditions. The average PHB production rates of the bacterial cells recovered from the effluent of the LUASB reactor supplied with a medium containing 141.7, 283.5 or 574.4 mg S.l(-1) of SO4(2-) were 1.0-2.9 mg.l(-1)-reactor.d(-1) and the average PHB content based on the dry bacterial biomass was 1.4-3.6%.