Antifungal activity of the fermentation product of herbs by lactic acid bacteria against tinea

The fermentation product of herbs by lactic acid bacteria (FHL), in which Enterococcus faecalis TH10 predominated, was assayed for antifungal activity against tinea. The antifungal activity of FHL was as high as that of a synthetic fungicide. Autoclaving FHL did not reduce its antifungal activity, whereas neutralizing it did. The results suggested that nonproteinaceous compounds or organic acids in FHL could inhibit the growth of the dermatophyte tinea under low-pH conditions, and that malonic acid and acetic acid could have especially high antifungal activity against tinea.     

Evaluation of longitudinal chromatic dispersion

The relationship between changes in the refractive index along a fiber and chromatic dispersion is investigated theoretically. The variance of the chromatic dispersion along a fiber is approximately proportional to that of longitudinal structural fiber parameters. To control the dispersion to within ±1 ps/km/nm, theoretical results indicate that the longitudinal deviations of the core radius and relative index difference must be less than 0.04 μm and 0.014%, respectively, for W-type dispersion-flattened fiber. Measurements of the standard deviation of the change in the longitudinal parameter for W-type dispersion-flattened fiber fabricated by the vapour axial deposition VAD method show that chromatic dispersion deviation is mainly caused by longitudinal core radius deviation. The effective standard deviation of the core radius is estimated to be within 0.03 μm     

Fabrication of transparent TiO2 film with high adhesion by using self-assembly methods: Application to super-hydrophilic film

A transparent and super-hydrophilic TiO₂ film with high adhesion was prepared by simple self-assembly methods from aqueous solution at low temperature. The excellent adherence of TiO₂ films was accomplished by introducing a buffer layer with sulfonate-modified surfaces and nanoasperity. Moreover, the structure and morphology of the films were successfully controlled by deposition temperature and the pH of precursor solution. By optimizing the several parameters of solution as well as the surface functionality of the substrate, the nano-structured TiO₂ film with high adhesion showed a water contact angle of below 5° and the relative transmittance to slide glass of over 90%. The fabricated TiO₂ film deposited under the optimized condition is not removed from substrate after several Scotch tape (STT) tests and immersing into several kinds of solvent.     

The levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the plasma of the bone marrow aspirate in various hematological disorders

We developed a sensitive method of measurement of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which we applied in the plasma of the bone marrow aspirate in 70 patients with various hematological disorders. The lowest limit of detection by this method is 2 pg/ml. G-CSF was detected in all but two of the patients. Compared to the G-CSF level in normal healthy controls, those in non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma, aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis and multiple myeloma were significantly higher, while the level in refractory anemia was not different. The G-CSF level in acute myelogenous leukemia patients was either elevated or decreased regardless of the French-American-British subgroup. The level in acute lymphoblastic leukemia was not different from the normal value, as was that in refractory anemia with an excess of blasts, and that in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A patient with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia showed initial elevation of G-CSF with normalization after entering complete remission. The G-CSF level in chronic myelogenous leukemia was significantly decreased, although one patient in hematological remission who was under alpha-interferon therapy showed normal levels. The level in polycythemia vera was not significantly different from the normal value. The G-CSF level for the entire group showed an inverse, although not statistically significant, correlation with the percentages of myeloid cells of the bone marrow (r = -0.174, p = 0.1703, n = 80). These results are thought to reflect the regulatory mechanism of granulopoiesis in the bone marrow in various hematological disorders, and it is concluded that this method may be of clinical use in the treatment of patients with these disorders and in the selection of candidates likely to benefit from G-CSF administration.     

Corrosion of copper and silver plates by volcanic gases

Corrosion products that had been formed on copper and silver plates exposed in Miyake Island, where suffered a volcanic eruption in 2000, were analyzed by X-ray techniques to get better understanding of copper and silver corrosion in harsh environment. The exposure experiment was carried out from September 2004 to April 2005. Many kinds of patina were found on copper such as cuprite (Cu₂O), posnjakite (Cu₄SO₄(OH)₆ · H₂O), brochantite (Cu₄SO₄(OH)₆), antlerite (Cu₃SO₄(OH)₄), and geerite (Cu₈S₅). For silver, silver chloride (AgCl) and silver sulfide (Ag₂S) were formed. Although the volcanic activity had greatly subsided, the atmospheric corrosion of copper and silver plates exposed on Miyake Island was mainly affected by volcanic gases, wet-dry cycles in the environment, and sea-salt aerosols.     

Suitable definition of mode field diameter in view of splice loss evaluation

The definition of the mode field diameter is investigated theoretically and experimentally from a practical viewpoint of the splice loss estimation. The difference of mode field diameter defined by various definitions becomes larger as theV-value decreases. This tendency agrees with the experimental result. As a result, the definition of mode field diameter obtained from RMS width of far-field intensity is useful.     

Hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and impaired endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in mice lacking insulin receptor substrate-1

Insulin resistance is often associated with atherosclerotic diseases in subjects with obesity and impaired glucose tolerance. This study examined the effects of insulin resistance on coronary risk factors in IRS-1 deficient mice, a nonobese animal model of insulin resistance. Blood pressure and plasma triglyceride levels were significantly higher in IRS-1 deficient mice than in normal mice. Impaired endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation was also observed in IRS-1 deficient mice. Furthermore, lipoprotein lipase activity was lower than in normal mice, suggesting impaired lipolysis to be involved in the increase in plasma triglyceride levels under insulin-resistant conditions. Thus, insulin resistance plays an important role in the clustering of coronary risk factors which may accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis in subjects with insulin resistance.     

Characteristics of dispersion-shifted dual shape core single-mode fibers

The structural design, bending loss, and dispersion characteristics of the dual shape core (DSC) single-mode fiber with zero dispersion at 1.55 μm are described. It is clarified that the bending loss of the DSC fiber is less than one tenth of that of a step-index fiber, and that the dispersion sensitivity due to a small change of the core radius is less than half of that of a step-index fiber. The explanation for the small bending loss is presented. A greater reduction of bending loss is expected from the replacement of the center core profile with a Gaussian or triangular profile.