Electroglottographic studies in myasthenia gravis patients--swallowing in exacerbation and remission stage]

We quantitatively evaluated the electroglottographic changes in swallowing in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis during exacerbation and remission stages. Five patients with myasthenia gravis (Osserman's stage IIB, 55.3 +/- 3.1 years old) and 6 healthy control subjects (55.3 +/- 1.1 years old) were examined. The instrument delivered a 450 microA. 52 kHz carrier signal to a pair of surface electrodes on each side of the larynx at the level of the thyroid lamina. Tissue impedance across the neck was recorded via electroglottography (EGG) while swallowing 10 ml of water. Four trials were performed for each subject, and the EGG waveform was analyzed. The EGG waveform during the exacerbation stage exhibited a more significantly increased number of phases and longer duration than that during remission. In myasthenia gravis patients, the number of phases and the duration from exacerbation to remission was more significantly reduced than those in controls at an interval of 3 years (p < 0.001, p < 0.02). These findings suggest that changes in the number of phases and duration of the EGG waveform are objective and quantitative parameters for measuring therapeutic effectiveness in treating swallowing disturbance due to myasthenia gravis. EGG is a useful and noninvasive technique for evaluating swallowing change in myasthenia gravis patents.     

Sorting using networks of deques

The number of required deques for sorting all sequences of n items in a parallel or series network of deques is considered. It is shown that the optimal number of required deques is $\text{O(n}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{)}$ for a parallel network, while it is O(log n) for a series network. These orders, $\text{O(n}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{)}$ and O(log n), also remain valid for the networks of restricted deques.     

Lipid profile of mysid Neomysis intermedia and its changes by feeding DHA-rich marine lipids

There has been no information on lipids of brackish water mysid Neomysis intermedia, which is the most important mysid for human food in Japan. The present study revealed their lipid content, lipid class composition, and fatty acid compositions of total lipids (TL) and major lipid classes. Lipid content of the mysid was 1.0% on wet-weight base. Major lipid classes were phosphatidylcholines (PC, 26%), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE, 24%), and phosphatidylinositols (PI, 14%), whereas the content of triacylglycerols (TAG) was relatively low (7%). Major fatty acids of the TL were 16:0 (21%), 18:1n-9 (12%), 20:5n-3 (EPA; 19%) and 22:6n-3 (DHA; 14%), and the latter two polyunsaturated fatty acids were concentrated in PI (totally 47%) and PE (43%) fractions rather than in PC (20%) and TAG (18%). Arachidonic acid (4%) was also higher in the PI (7%) and PE (5%). When the mysid was fed tri-, di- and monoacylglycerols prepared from DHA-rich fish oil, DHA mainly increased in the TAG fraction of the mysid. The mysid appeared to primarily incorporate exogenous DHA into TAG fraction.     

Spin control by application of electric current and voltage in FeCo-MgO junctions

Efficient control and detection of spins are the most important tasks in spintronics. The current and voltage applied to a magnetic tunnel junction may exert a torque on the magnetic thin layer in the junction and cause its reversal or continuous precession. The discovery of the giant tunnelling magnetoresistance effect in ferromagnetic tunnelling junctions using an MgO barrier enabled us to obtain a large signal output from the magnetization reversal and precession. Also, the interplay of large spin configuration-electric conduction coupling provides highly nonlinear effects like the spin-torque diode effect. The negative resistance effect and amplification using it are predicted. A new discovery about a voltage-induced magnetic anisotropy change in Fe ultrathin films is also discussed.     

Silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles cause pregnancy complications in mice

The increasing use of nanomaterials has raised concerns about their potential risks to human health. Recent studies have shown that nanoparticles can cross the placenta barrier in pregnant mice and cause neurotoxicity in their offspring, but a more detailed understanding of the effects of nanoparticles on pregnant animals remains elusive. Here, we show that silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles with diameters of 70 nm and 35 nm, respectively, can cause pregnancy complications when injected intravenously into pregnant mice. The silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles were found in the placenta, fetal liver and fetal brain. Mice treated with these nanoparticles had smaller uteri and smaller fetuses than untreated controls. Fullerene molecules and larger (300 and 1,000 nm) silica particles did not induce these complications. These detrimental effects are linked to structural and functional abnormalities in the placenta on the maternal side, and are abolished when the surfaces of the silica nanoparticles are modified with carboxyl and amine groups.     

Effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum fermented milk on Helicobacter pylori and serum pepsinogen levels in humans

Helicobacter pylori infection is an important risk factor for gastric diseases. Some probiotics are useful for suppressing H. pylori infection. Bifidobacterium bifidum YIT 4007 can improve the experimental gastric injury in rats and the disease stages on the gastric mucosa in peptic ulcer patients. We evaluated the fermented milk using a clone (BF-1) having the stronger ability to survive in the product than this parent strain to clarify the in vitro suppressive effect of BF-1 on H. pylori and the in vivo efficacy of BF-1 fermented milk on H. pylori and gastric health. In the mixed culture assay of BF-1 and H. pylori, the number of pathogens was decreased such that it was not detected after 48 h in the Brucella broth with a decrease in pH values. In the cell culture experiment with human gastric cells, the H. pylori infection-induced IL-8 secretion was suppressed by the preincubation of BF-1. In a human study of 12-wk ingestion (BF-1 group, n = 40; placebo group, n = 39) with a randomized double-blind placebo-control design, the H. pylori urease activity and gastric situation were evaluated using a urea breath test (UBT) and the serum pepsinogen (PG) levels as biomarkers for inflammation or atrophy, respectively. In the H. pylori-positive subjects, the difference (ΔUBT) of the UBT value from the baseline value in the BF-1 group (n = 34) was lower than that in the placebo group (n = 35) at 8 wk. The baseline UBT values showed a negative correlation with ΔUBT values at 8 and 12 wk in the BF-1 group but not in the placebo. In the PG-positive subjects classified by the PG test method, the BF-1 group was lower in ΔUBT values than the placebo group at 8 and 12 wk. In the active gastritis class by PG levels, the BF-1 group was lower in their ΔUBT values than the placebo at 8 and 12 wk. The PG I levels in the BF-1 group were lower than the placebo at 12 wk. The PG II levels in the BF-1 group did not change during the ingestion period, but the placebo was increased. The PG I/II ratios slightly decreased from baseline at 12 and 20 wk in the BF-1 and placebo groups. These patterns were also observed in the H. pylori-positive subjects. The improving rates of upper gastrointestinal symptomatic subjects and total symptom numbers in the BF-1 group were higher than those in the placebo. These results indicate that BF-1 fermented milk may affect H. pylori infection or its activity, gastric mucosal situation, and the emergence of upper gastrointestinal symptoms.