Association of life habits and fermented milk intake with stool frequency, defecatory symptoms and intestinal microbiota in healthy Japanese adults.

Few studies have examined the effects of smoking habit, the frequency of alcohol drinking, exercise, and fermented milk consumption on defecatory symptoms and gut microbiota composition, and particularly their interactive effects. We examined the effect of these lifestyle factors on bowel movements and gut microbiota composition in 366 healthy Japanese adults by analysis of covariance. Smoking did not affect defecatory symptoms but was negatively correlated with total bacteria and Enterococcus counts. Drinking frequency was significantly positively correlated with a feeling of incomplete evacuation and counts of the Bacteroides fragilis group and Acidaminococcus groups. Exercise frequency tended to be negatively correlated with the Bristol Stool Form Scale score and was significantly negatively correlated with the counts of Enterobacteriaceae and positively correlated with the Prevotella counts in the faeces. The frequency of fermented milk consumption was not significant but tended to be positively correlated with stool frequency. The frequency of fermented milk consumption was significantly positively correlated with the counts of the Atopobium cluster, Eubacterium cylindroides group, Acidaminococcus group, Clostridium ramosum subgroup, and Lactobacillus in the faeces. The frequency of consumption of probiotic Lactobacillus casei-containing fermented milk was significantly positively correlated with stool frequency. The counts of probiotic Lactobacillus casei in the stool was positively correlated with the counts of Bifidobacterium and total Lactobacillus. These results suggest that smoking, alcohol drinking, exercise, and consumption of fermented milk, particularly containing probiotic L. casei, differently affect bowel movements and gut microbiota composition in healthy Japanese adults.

XAFS study of LiCo1-xFexO2 cathode for rechargeable lithium battery by laboratory XAFS spectrometer.

The change of local structure in layered-rock-salt-type iron doped lithium cobaltate LiCo(1-x)Fe(x)O2 under electrochemical Li de-intercalation (charge) /re-intercalation (discharge) was studied by a laboratory type XAFS spectrometer. In Co K-XANES and Fe K-XANES of LiCo0.85Fe0.15O2 the absorption peak shifted to higher energy by 1.5-2eV for Co K-edge and by 2-2.5eV for Fe K-edge, respectively, after the first charge. The spectra returned close to initial position and had almost original shape after the first discharge. In Co K- and Fe K-EXAFS of LiCo0.85Fe0.15O2 during the first charge and discharge the reversible change of the local structure was observed mainly around the Co atoms although the partly irreversible change of the local structure was found around the Fe atoms. The variation of local structure occurred in similar manner for the samples with x=0.05 and 0.25. This indicates that both Co3+/Co4+ and Fe3+/Fe4+ redox reactions occur reversibly during the first charge and discharge.

[Clinical evaluation of cases of remission induction failure in acute myelogenous leukemia].

Among 73 patients who were admitted to our hospital between 1972 and 1983, 9 died before starting chemotherapy, 29 achieved complete remission (CR) with an initial regimen of induction chemotherapy, while the remaining 35 patients failed to achieve CR with this initial regimen. Patients with high initial WBC counts (greater than 100,000/cmm), old age, temperature (greater than 38 degrees C) and antecedent hematological disorders, were more prone to failure of remission induction therapy. Comparing CR patients and non-CR patients, there seemed to be no difference in sex distribution, initial platelet counts, initial LDH, percentage of blasts in the blood and bone marrow, the incidence of DIC and the regimen used for remission induction. According to Preisler's criteria, remission induction failure cases were further subdivided into various types and the numbers of each type were as follows: Type I (absolute drug resistance) 1, Type II (relative drug resistance) 16, Type III (regeneration failure) 0, Type IV (hypoplastic death) 6 and Type V (early death) 11. Among 18 M1 cases, 8 were Type II or Type V. Four out of 7 M2 cases belonged to Type II and all 3 M3 cases were Type V. Six out of the 35 remission induction failure patients entered CR with the 2nd chemotherapy regimen and 19 patients died during induction treatment with the initial induction regimen. Causes of death were infection (5 cases), bleeding (6 cases), infection and bleeding (3 cases) and organ failure (5 cases).