High-Resolution Detection of Translocation of Oral Bacteria to the Gut.

Ectopic enrichment of oral microbes in the gut is a notable alteration in gut microbial balance. These microbes are likely delivered from the oral cavity with saliva and food; however, evidence of oral-gut microbial transmission is insufficient and needs further investigation. In this observational study, we examined 144 pairs of saliva and stool samples collected from community-dwelling adults to verify the oral-gut microbial link and identify the relevant influencing factors on the increased abundance of oral microbes within the gut. The bacterial composition of each sample was determined using PacBio single-molecule long-read sequencing of the full-length 16S ribosomal RNA gene and amplicon sequence variant (ASV) analysis. Although the bacterial compositions of salivary and gut microbiota were distinctly different, at least 1 ASV was shared between salivary and gut microbiota in 72.9% of subjects. Shared ASVs accounted for 0.0% to 63.1% (median 0.14%) of the gut microbiota in each subject and frequently included abundant Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus parasanguinis. Their total relative abundance in the gut was significantly higher in older subjects or those with dental plaque accumulation. The gut microbiota with ≥5% of shared ASVs displayed a higher abundance of Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, and Klebsiella and a lower abundance of Faecalibacterium, Blautia, Megamonas, and Parabacteroides. Our study presents evidence for the translocation of oral bacteria to the gut in community-dwelling adults and suggests that aging and dental plaque accumulation contribute to an increased abundance of oral microbes in the gut, which might be relevant to the compositional shift in the gut commensals.

Sarcopenic obesity is associated with a faster decline in renal function in people with type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To evaluate the association between sarcopenic obesity and the decline in estimated GFR in people with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We enrolled 745 people with type 2 diabetes (mean age 64.6 years, 53.6% men). Body composition was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Skeletal muscle index, calculated as appendicular non-fat mass (kg) divided by height squared (m2 ), was used to determine sarcopenia. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the coexistence of sarcopenia and a ratio of android to gynoid fat mass greater than the median values in each gender. The association of sarcopenic obesity both with the annual rate of decline in estimated GFR and a >30% decline in estimated GFR was evaluated using multivariate linear regression models and Cox proportional hazard models, respectively. RESULTS: Participants with sarcopenic obesity were at an increased risk of a high annual rate of decline in estimated GFR, even after adjustment for the confounding variables (standardized ß = -0.228, P <0.001). Sarcopenic obesity was also significantly associated with risk of a >30% decline in estimated GFR (hazard ratio 4.52, 95% CI 2.16-9.47; P < 0.01) in multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenic obesity evaluated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is associated with a faster decline in renal function in people with type 2 diabetes.

Ubiquitous formation of bulk Dirac cones and topological surface states from a single orbital manifold in transition-metal dichalcogenides.

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are renowned for their rich and varied bulk properties, while their single-layer variants have become one of the most prominent examples of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene. Their disparate ground states largely depend on transition metal d-electron-derived electronic states, on which the vast majority of attention has been concentrated to date. Here, we focus on the chalcogen-derived states. From density-functional theory calculations together with spin- and angle-resolved photoemission, we find that these generically host a co-existence of type-I and type-II three-dimensional bulk Dirac fermions as well as ladders of topological surface states and surface resonances. We demonstrate how these naturally arise within a single p-orbital manifold as a general consequence of a trigonal crystal field, and as such can be expected across a large number of compounds. Already, we demonstrate their existence in six separate TMDs, opening routes to tune, and ultimately exploit, their topological physics.

Negative electronic compressibility and tunable spin splitting in WSe2.

Tunable bandgaps, extraordinarily large exciton-binding energies, strong light-matter coupling and a locking of the electron spin with layer and valley pseudospins have established transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) as a unique class of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors with wide-ranging practical applications. Using angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES), we show here that doping electrons at the surface of the prototypical strong spin-orbit TMD WSe2, akin to applying a gate voltage in a transistor-type device, induces a counterintuitive lowering of the surface chemical potential concomitant with the formation of a multivalley 2D electron gas (2DEG). These measurements provide a direct spectroscopic signature of negative electronic compressibility (NEC), a result of electron-electron interactions, which we find persists to carrier densities approximately three orders of magnitude higher than in typical semiconductor 2DEGs that exhibit this effect. An accompanying tunable spin splitting of the valence bands further reveals a complex interplay between single-particle band-structure evolution and many-body interactions in electrostatically doped TMDs. Understanding and exploiting this will open up new opportunities for advanced electronic and quantum-logic devices.

Electronic structure of a quasi-freestanding MoS2 monolayer.

Several transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit a striking crossover from indirect to direct band gap semiconductors as they are thinned down to a single monolayer. Here, we demonstrate how an electronic structure characteristic of the isolated monolayer can be created at the surface of a bulk MoS2 crystal. This is achieved by intercalating potassium in the interlayer van der Waals gap, expanding its size while simultaneously doping electrons into the conduction band. Our angle-resolved photoemission measurements reveal resulting electron pockets centered at the K̅ and K' points of the Brillouin zone, providing the first momentum-resolved measurements of how the conduction band dispersions evolve to yield an approximately direct band gap of ∼1.8 eV in quasi-freestanding monolayer MoS2. As well as validating previous theoretical proposals, this establishes a novel methodology for manipulating electronic structure in transition-metal dichalcogenides, opening a new route for the generation of large-area quasi-freestanding monolayers for future fundamental study and use in practical applications.

Transverse velocity dependence of the proton-antiproton ratio as a signature of the QCD critical point.

The presence of a critical point in the QCD phase diagram can deform the trajectories describing the evolution of the expanding fireball in the mu_B-T phase diagram. If the average emission time of hadrons is a function of transverse velocity, as microscopic simulations of the hadronic freeze-out dynamics suggest, the deformation of the hydrodynamic trajectories will change the transverse velocity (beta_T) dependence of the proton-antiproton ratio when the fireball passes in the vicinity of the critical point. An unusual beta_T dependence of the [over]p/p ratio in a narrow beam energy window would thus signal the presence of the critical point.

The immunohistochemical evaluation of estrogen receptor-alpha and progesterone receptors of normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic endometrium in 88 pet rabbits.

The expression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic endometrium in rabbits was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The tissues evaluated were 27 normal uteri, 19 cases with endometrial hyperplasia, and 42 adenocarcinomas. Sixteen of 27 cases of normal uteri (59.3%) and 13 out of 19 hyperplasias (68.4%) stained positive with both ER-alpha and PR. Adenocarcinomas were further subdivided into 26 papillary and 16 tubular/solid adenocarcinomas. Papillary adenocarcinoma infiltrated the myometrium late in the disease and caused attenuation of the myometrium. In contrast, tubular/solid adenocarcinoma invaded into the deep myometrium early in the disease without thinning of the myometrium. Twenty-one cases out of 26 (80.8%) cases of papillary adenocarcinoma were both ER-alpha and PR negative, whereas 15 out of 16 (93.8%) of the tubular/solid adenocarcinomas were positive for ER-alpha, PR, or both. The total immunoreactive scores of ER-alpha, PR, and mode of myometrial invasion were significantly different between histopathologic types. This suggests that there may be 2 different developmental pathways for uterine adenocarcinomas in the rabbit.

Detection of the virulent Marek's disease virus genome from feather tips of wild geese in Japan and the Far East region of Russia.

Marek's disease (MD) virus (MDV) is known to cause malignant lymphomas in chickens. In 2001, we first reported an MD case in a white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) in Japan. Therefore, the prevalence of MDV in the wild geese was surveyed by nested PCR using feather-tip samples in Japan and the Far East region of Russia, breeding habitats of geese migrating to Japan. MDV was detected in about 30% of analyzed white-fronted geese. Furthermore, by nucleotide sequence analysis, we confirmed that this MDV shows high homology to very virulent MDV, suggesting that highly virulent MDV is widespread in white-fronted geese migrating between Japan and Far East region of Russia.

Anomalous viscosity of an expanding quark-gluon plasma.

We argue that an expanding quark-gluon plasma has an anomalous viscosity, which arises from interactions with dynamically generated color fields. We derive an expression for the anomalous viscosity in the turbulent plasma domain and apply it to the hydrodynamic expansion phase, when the quark-gluon plasma is near equilibrium. The anomalous viscosity dominates over the collisional viscosity for weak coupling and not too late times. This effect may provide an explanation for the apparent "nearly perfect" liquidity of the matter produced in nuclear collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider without the assumption that it is a strongly coupled state.

Spontaneous scratching behaviour in DS-Nh mice as a possible model for pruritus in atopic dermatitis.

Itching is one of the major clinical symptoms in atopic dermatitis (AD) and complicates the management of this pathological condition. An animal model of AD-like pruritus would contribute to a better understanding of AD and could lead to the development of safe and effective antipruritic agents. DS non-hair (DS-Nh) mice raised under conventional conditions spontaneously develop pruritus, which is associated with a dermatitis similar to human AD. There is a significant positive correlation between disease severity and the period of scratching behaviour in DS-Nh mice. In the present study, we found that levels of histamine and nerve growth factor (NGF) in serum and/or skin tissue were higher in DS-Nh mice with AD-like dermatitis than in age-matched mice without dermatitis. The histopathological data indicated that nerve fibres extend into and mast cells infiltrate the surrounding area of the skin lesion. NGF production by XB-2 cells, which was derived from mouse keratinocytes, was enhanced by histamine via the H1 receptor. We also found that prolonged treatment with an H1-antagonist was effective against pruritus through depression of the production of NGF, which is thought to be generated by keratinocytes. We conclude that DS-Nh mice can serve as a suitable model for gaining a better understanding of pruritus in AD, and that prolonged treatment with an H1-antagonist may be beneficial in patients with AD-associated pruritus.

J/psi and eta(c) in the deconfined plasma from lattice QCD.

Analyzing correlation functions of charmonia at finite temperature (T) on 32(3)x(32-96) anisotropic lattices by the maximum entropy method (MEM), we find that J/psi and eta(c) survive as distinct resonances in the plasma even up to T approximately 1.6T(c) and that they eventually dissociate between 1.6T(c) and 1.9T(c) (T(c) is the critical temperature of deconfinement). This suggests that the deconfined plasma is nonperturbative enough to hold heavy-quark bound states. The importance of having a sufficient number of temporal data points in MEM analyses is also emphasized.

Distribution of anxiogenic-induced c-Fos in the forebrain regions of developing rats.

An anxiogenic or a pharmacological stressor, N-methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxamide (FG-7142), (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally injected) induced a dense nuclear c-Fos-like immunoreactivity in the pyriform cortex, cingulate and retrosplenial cortex, layers II-VI of the neocortex, lateral habenula, lateral septum, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, striatum, central and medial nucleus of the amygdala, but a sparse c-Fos immunostaining in the hippocampus and layer I of the neocortex in the forebrain of 56-day-old rats. Among these regions, the 8-day-old rats expressed much fewer c-Fos-positive cells in the neocortex, lateral habenula, lateral septum and medial nucleus of the amygdala than the young adult rats following the FG-7142 injection. These differences in the regional distribution of a neuronal activity marker, c-Fos, could reflect the postnatal development of neuronal populations or neuron circuits involved in stress and/or emotional response in the forebrain.

DS-Nh as an experimental model of atopic dermatitis induced by Staphylococcus aureus producing staphylococcal enterotoxin C.

DS-Nh mice raised under conventional conditions spontaneously develop dermatitis similar to human atopic dermatitis (AD), which is associated with staphylococcal infection. In the present study, we show that Staphylococcus aureus producing staphylococcus exotoxin C (SEC) was recovered from the culture of the skin lesions of DS-Nh mice with AD-like dermatitis and that the serum levels of anti-SEC antibodies from these mice were elevated. We describe here how to promote experimental AD by epicutaneous injection with SEC-producing S. aureus to DS-Nh mice. In order to assess the role of SEC in the pathogenesis of AD, the mitogenic activity, TCRBV repertoire analysis and the production of IL-4 and IFN-gamma from spleen mononuclear cells (MNC) from DS-Nh stimulated by SEC were compared with those due to SEA, SEB and TSST. The weakest was the mitogenic activity of SEC, and higher IL-4 responses and lower IFN-gamma responses to SEC showed correlation with TCRBV8S2-positive T cells, which were selectively stimulated by SEC. We also demonstrate that SEC-producing S. aureus was able to survive in DS-Nh after intradermal injection. These results suggest a possible role for SEC in the pathogenesis of AD through host-S. aureus relationships.

Hymenolepis pseudodiminuta Tenora et al. 1994 from Apodemus speciosus and H. diminuta: a comparison of experimental infections in rats.

The successful maintenance of Hymenolepis pseudodiminuta, isolated from Apodemus speciosus, is described for the first time. In the laboratory, the flour beetle, Tribolium confusum, and F344 rats could serve as intermediate and definitive hosts, respectively. In single worm infections with H. pseudodiminuta, which were carried in two groups of rats, adult worms were recovered from eight and seven out of ten rats, respectively, while Hymenolepis diminuta was found in all of ten rats 6 weeks after inoculation. The worm weight of H. pseudodiminuta in rats was significantly lower than that of H. diminuta. The egg output of H. pseudodiminuta occurred significantly earlier than that of H. diminuta. The number of eggs in the faeces of H. diminuta-infected rats was approximately twofold higher than the number in the faeces of H. pseudodiminuta-infected rats throughout the course of the infection. Mucosal mast cells in rats infected with H. pseudodiminuta were significantly more common than in rats infected with H. diminuta. No detectable IgE antibodies were found in the uninfected and H. diminuta-infected rat groups; however total IgE was detected in H. pseudodiminuta-infected rats but the concentrations were variable between individuals.

A durable, non power consumptive, simple seal for rotary blood pumps.

One of the key technologic requirements for rotary blood pumps is the sealing of the motor shaft. A mechanical seal, a journal bearing, magnetic coupling, and magnetic suspension have been developed, but they have drawbacks such as wear, thrombus formation, and power consumption. A magnetic fluid seal was developed for an axial flow pump. A magnetic fluid seal is durable, simple, and non power consumptive. Long-term experiments and finite element modeling (FEM) analyses confirmed these advantages. The seal body was composed of a Ned-Fe magnet and two pole pieces; the seal was formed by injecting ferrofluid into the gap (50 microm) between the pole pieces and the motor shaft. To contain the ferrofluid in the seal and to minimize the possibility of ferrofluid making contact with blood, a shield with a small cavity was attached to the pole piece. While submerged in blood, the sealing pressure of the seal was measured and found to be 188 mm Hg with ferrofluid LS-40 (saturated magnetization, 24.3 kA/m) at a motor speed of 10,000 rpm and 225 mm Hg under static conditions. The magnetic fluid seals performed perfectly at a pressure of 100 mm Hg for 594 + days in a static condition, and 51, 39+, and 34+ days at a motor speed of 8,000 rpm. FEM analyses indicated a theoretical sealing pressure of 260 mm Hg. The state of the magnetic fluid in the seal in water was observed with a microscope. Neither splashing of magnetic fluid nor mixing of the magnetic fluid and water was observed. The specially designed magnetic fluid seal for keeping liquids out is useful for axial flow blood pumps. The magnetic fluid seal was incorporated into an intracardiac axial flow pump.

[A case of choroidal hemangioma with bullous exudative retinal detachment treated successfully by transpupillary thermotherapy].

BACKGROUND: Choroidal hemangioma associated with bullous retinal detachment may be difficult to treat, due to varying results with conventional laser photocoagulation, radiotherapy, or surgical drainage. Here we report on a case of extensive bullous retinal detachment secondary to circumscribed choroidal hemangioma that was resolved after combined treatment with vitrectomy, silicone oil tamponade, and transpupillary thermotherapy. CASE: A 29-year-old woman presented with a large choroidal hemangioma in her right eye associated with serous retinal detachment. The tumor measured 8 disc diameters in size and was located in the inferotemporal macula, abutting the fovea. RESULTS: Laser photocoagulation of the tumor was unsuccessful in inducing absorption of subretinal fluid. Because of progressive bullous retinal detachment, surgery was performed consisting of external drainage of subretinal fluid, vitrectomy, endolaser photocoagulation of the tumor, and silicone oil tamponade. The silicone oil was removed four weeks postoperatively at which time almost complete resolution of the retinal detachment was observed. However, retinal detachment recurred eight weeks later, and transpupillary thermotherapy was then applied to the tumor. By four weeks after transpupillary thermotherapy, total reabsorption of subretinal fluid, visual acuity improvement, and decreased height of the choroidal hemangioma were noted. CONCLUSION: Transpupillary thermotherapy is an effective treatment for serous retinal detachment associated with choroidal hemangioma.

Anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathies evaluated by tissue Doppler tracking system and strain rate imaging.

OBJECTIVES: Anthracycline cardiotoxicity is known to occur from the subendocardial side of the left ventricular wall. Recent advances of tissue Doppler echocardiography may allow the evaluation of anthracycline cardiotoxicity by dividing the left ventricular wall into the subendocardial half and subepicardial half. The present study assessed the feasibility using the tissue Doppler echo tracking system (M-mode) and myocardial strain rate imaging (B-mode) to noninvasively detect anthracycline cardiotoxicity. METHODS: The tissue Doppler echo tracking system (M-mode) was used to measure systolic thickening of the subendocardial layer (delta Endo), subepicardial layer (delta Epi), and whole wall (delta Total) of the left ventricular posterior wall in 41 normal subjects and three groups of patients receiving anthracycline: 34 patients in the low dose group, 19 in the middle dose group, and 12 in the high dose group. Strain rate is the spatial gradient of local velocities, reflecting local compression and expansion rates not affected by overall heart motion. Myocardial strain rate imaging (B-mode) was used in 25 normal subjects, 9 patients in the low dose group, and 10 patients in the high dose group. The ratio of peak systolic strain rate of subendocardium to that of subepicardium (peak strain rate endo/epi), and the ratio of integrated strain rate during ejection time of subendocardium to that of subepicardium (integrated strain rate endo/epi) were measured. RESULTS: Tissue Doppler echo tracking system (M-mode) measurement of delta Endo/delta Epi showed the most distinct difference and the least overlap of the data between normal subjects and patients, whereas delta Total failed to show significant differences. Myocardial strain rate imaging (B-mode) measurement of integrated strain rate endo/epi showed the most distinct difference and the least overlap of the data between normal subjects and patients, but ejection fraction failed to show statistically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: These methods are highly sensitive tools for monitoring anthracycline cardiotoxicity.

Purification and identification of N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) from the holothuroidea Gumi, Cucumaria echinata.

N-Glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), precious sialic acid which could not be synthesized by a chemical method, occurrs in the body of holothuroidea, Gumi Cucumaria echinata. Gumi contains 85% of total sialic acid, as Neu5Gc, in the body. Neu5Gc was purified from dry powder of the body using Dowex 1-x8 (HCOO* form) anion exchange chromatography after mild acid hydrolysis with 0.1 N trifluoroacetic acid. Using GC-MS and 1H-NMR spectroscopy, the purified Neu5Gc was correctly identified to be Neu5Gc. The purity of Neu5Gc was more than 99%. This is the first report of purification and identification of Neu5Gc from holothuroidea by using anion exchange chromatography, GC-MS, and 1H-NMR.