Strongyloidiasis associated with nephrotic syndrome

We report a nephrotic syndrome patient with eosinophilia who developed ileus, epigastralgia and malabsorption due to strongyloidiasis which became symptomatic by steroid therapy. The patient was then treated with thiabendazole and recovered. A percutaneous renal biopsy revealed minimal change nephrotic syndrome. This renal injury may be brought on by severe infection of Strongyloides stercoralis. It is important to rule out strongyloidiasis prior to corticosteroid therapy to patients from eosinophilia endemic areas.     

Detection method of emerging leading papers using time transition

To survive worldwide competitions of research and development in the current rapid increase of information, decision-makers and researchers need to be supported to find promising research fields and papers. But finding those fields from an available data in too much heavy flood of information becomes difficult. We aim to develop a methodology supporting to find emerging leading papers with a bibliometric approach. The analyses in this work are about four academic domains using our time transition analysis. In the time transition analysis, after citation networks are constructed, centralities of each paper are calculated and their changes are tracked. Then, the centralities are plotted, and the features of the leading papers are extracted. Based on the features, we proposed ways to detect the leading papers by focusing on in-degree centrality and its transition. This work will contribute to finding the leading paper, and it is useful for decision-makers and researchers to decide the worthy research topic to invest their resources.     

Simple Method for Measuring the Peroxide Value in a Colored Lipid

We developed a simple method for quantification of the peroxide value (PV) in colored lipids on the basis of the reaction between triphenylphosphine (TPP) and oxidized oil to afford triphenylphosphineoxide (TPPO). Diphenylphosphineoxide (DPPO) was employed as internal standard. The formed TPPO was analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography–UV spectroscopy with absorption at 260 nm. The conditions that gave the highest correlative calibration curve between the peak area on the chromatogram and peroxide value were identified: the optimum TPP–oxidized oil mix ratio, reaction temperature, and reaction time were found to be 2:1, 40 °C, and 30 min, respectively. Linear calibration curves, passing through the origin, were obtained for PV versus TPPO and TPPO versus DPPO. The quantification limit for this method was 2.01 pmol hydroperoxyl group, which corresponds to a PV value of 0.2 meq/kg in a 10-mg oil sample. This method was used to measure the PV in colored fats and oils or lipids extracted from dark meat and processed food containing a coloring agent. Though the official method could not measure the PVs in the colored lipids, the method proposed here, which uses an inexpensive chemical reagent and machine, could. The developed method could play an important role for food quality control.     

Ironmaking with ammonia at low temperature

This paper describes the reduction of hematite with ammonia for ironmaking, in which the effect of temperature on the products was examined. The results showed that the reduction process began at 430 °C during heating, and with an increase in temperature, the reduction mechanism changed apparently from a direct reduction of ammonia (Fe(2)O(3) + 2NH(3) → 2Fe + N(2) + 3H(2)O) to an indirect reduction via the thermal decomposition of ammonia (2NH(3) → N(2) + 3H(2), Fe(2)O(3) + 3H(2) → 2Fe + 3H(2)O) at temperatures over 530 °C. The final product obtained at 600 and 700 °C was pure metallic iron, in contrast with that formed at 450 °C, that is, a mixture of metallic iron and iron nitride. The results suggest the possibility of using ammonia as a reducing agent for carbonless ironmaking, which is operated at a much lower temperature than 900 °C in conventional coal-based ironmaking.     

Effect of skimmed milk and its fractions on the inactivation of Escherichia coli K12 by high hydrostatic pressure treatment

We investigated the effects of skimmed milk and its protein fractions (casein, whey, globulin, and albumin) on the injury and inactivation of Escherichia coli K-12 by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment. The protective effect of skimmed milk on HHP-mediated inactivation and injury of E. coli increased with increases in the skimmed milk concentration. However, protein fractions derived from skimmed milk did not exhibit this protective effect. Microscopy analysis by DAPI/PI staining indicated that some cells were localized in the solid portion of skimmed milk, and some of these cells were alive. The coagulated fraction derived from the autoclaved whey fraction also showed a significant protective effect. We speculate that the solid portion in skimmed milk could provide the protective effect to bacterial cells.     

Electrodeposition of amorphous gold alloy films

The process for electroplating amorphous gold-nickel-tungsten alloy that we developed previously based on the addition of a gold salt to a known amorphous Ni-W electroplating solution was investigated further using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method for the purpose of quickly surveying the effects of various experimental variables on the microstructure of the alloy. In this system the gold concentration in the plating bath was found to be critical; i.e., when it is either very low or very high, the deposit becomes crystalline to XRD. The deposit composition varies linearly with the mole ratio of Au to Ni in solution, and the alloy deposit is amorphous to XRD when the atomic ratio of Au/Ni in the deposit is between 0.5 and 1.5. At suitable concentrations of the metal ions, the deposit contains essentially no tungsten. By extending the work on the Au-Ni-W system, an amorphous Au-Co alloy plating process was also developed.     

Developmental competence, after transfer to recipients, of porcine oocytes matured, fertilized, and cultured in vitro

The objective of this study was to evaluate the developmental ability of early porcine embryos produced in vitro and transferred to recipient gilts. Porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured in modified North Carolina State University-37 solution for 44-46 h (in vitro maturation, IVM). In vitro fertilization (IVF) was performed with frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa. Inseminated oocytes were cultured in vitro (IVC) for 0, 24, or 48 h in modified NCSU-37 solution. Embryos were surgically transferred to the oviducts of recipients in which estrus had been synchronized with eCG and hCG. On the 29th day post-IVF, the uteri of some recipients were surgically examined for pregnancy; then pregnant females were hysterectomized in order to examine number and weight of the fetuses. Developmental rates to fetuses for IVM/IVF oocytes cultured for 24 and 48 h were significantly lower (p < 0.05, 1.7% and 2.0%, respectively) than that of IVM/IVF oocytes without IVC (6.7%). However, the weights of fetuses (1.0-1.2 g) did not differ among the experimental groups. The other recipients were examined for pregnancy using an ultrasound pregnancy detector, and pregnant females were allowed to go to term. Healthy piglets were delivered by some recipients to which embryos cultured for 0 or 24 h had been transferred; however, no farrow was obtained from embryos cultured for 48 h before the transfer. The results indicate that the viability of in vitro-produced porcine embryos is decreased by IVC after IVF; however, these embryos have competence to develop to term. An improved IVC system of porcine IVM/IVF oocytes is needed to generate advances in this field.