Application of Conductive Concrete as a Microbial Fuel Cell to Control H2S Emission for Mitigating Sewer Corrosion

Localized biogenic corrosion and extrication of annoying odors caused by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have long been a big problem in the management of urban sewer systems. H2S emission control in sewers via chemically or biologically normal oxidation processes has also been investigated extensively and is costly. The objective of this work was to develop a new technology to mitigate the concentration of H2S in sewer pipes using conductive concrete. Experimental results after 66 days show that the concentration of hydrogen sulfide significantly decreased when conductive concrete was used as a microbial fuel cell. Both ordinary Portland cement and conductive concrete were utilized for the target experiment. Elemental sulfur was observed in the coating sludge of conductive concrete, whereas this trend was not observed for ordinary Portland cement. These observations demonstrate that conductive concrete provides an electron pathway from deposited sludge in the bottom of sewer pipes to oxygen dissolved in surface water electrons generated from hydrogen sulfide oxidation in an anaerobic environment via conductive concrete. Finally, regarding the mechanism responsible for hydrogen sulfide oxidation, chemical oxidation was the dominant process, and biological processes did not play a significant role

Awareness of Complications of Dental Treatment in Patients Treated with Drugs Affecting the Immune System : A Nationwide Questionnaire Survey of Dental Practitioners in Japan

The aim of this study was to investigate the awareness and experience, among dental practitioners, of adverse events resulting from dental treatment of patients undergoing therapy with drugs that affect the immune system [angiogenesis inhibitors, biological agents, immunosuppressants, and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)]. For this purpose, a nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted. Questionnaires were sent to 2,050 dentists, of which 206 (10.1%) were completed and returned. The results showed that most dentists were aware of complications associated with dental treatment of patients treated with drugs that affect the immune system, and about half had actually experienced such complications. Delayed wound healing, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), and postoperative infections were reported. Whereas approximately 50% of dentists did not discontinue the drugs during dental treatment, about 18% did. During temporary drug discontinuation, some patients experienced aggravation of the primary disease, such as worsening of rheumatism, growth of tumors, and rejection reactions of transplanted organs. As for medical cooperation, only less than half of the dentists were asked for oral hygiene management by a physician prior to starting the drug treatment. Prospective studies are needed because evidence for dental treatments in patients treated with these drugs remains limited

Cognitive dysfunction and amyloid β accumulation are ameliorated by the ingestion of green soybean extract in aged mice

AbstractThe effects of soybean extracts were investigated in senescence-accelerated (SAMP10) mice, a mouse model of brain senescence with cognitive dysfunction. Mature soybeans are usually yellow. However, the green soybean retains green color after being ripened. Cognitive functions were significantly better-preserved in aged mice fed green soybean than age-matched control mice with or without yellow soybean feeding. Molecular mechanisms of the beneficial effect of green soybean on brain functions were examined through transcriptome analysis of SAMP10 hippocampus. The high expression of Ptgds was significantly associated with green soybean diet, which encodes lipocalin-type prostaglandin D2 synthase, a putative endogenous amyloid β(Αβ)-chaperone. In consonance, Aplp1 expression was significantly reduced, a member of amyloid precursor proteins. Furthermore, the amount of Aβ 40 and 42 was reduced in the insoluble fraction of cerebral cortex. These results suggest that the intake of green soybean ameliorates cognitive dysfunction of aged mice through the reduction of Aβ accumulation

Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer in Early Stage — The Clinical Ob­servation of Operated Cases

1. An attempt has been made to find the diagnostic criteria for early gastric cancer. It is most important to detect the evidences or suspected features of the malignant growth in incipient stage in order to attain the radical cure by surgical operation. 2. Twelve patients with early gastric cancer (groups A and B) were selected out of 476 patients who had undergone gastrectomy during the past three years in the Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital. The other 6 patients in the &#34;precancerous group&#34; (group C) were also studied, who had abnormal epithelial proliferation in the resected stomach membrane during the same period. 3. The processes of discovery of early cancer have been described. Fairly precise diagnosis can be made in the mucosal carcinoma, but it is not in the ulcer-carcinoma. It was generally difficult to estimate the degree of the malignancy and the extension of the growth preoperatively. 4. The details of the diagnostic aids are as follows. i. Negative occult blood of stool does not always mean the definite diagnostic aid. ii. The malignant gastric change may occur even in non-anacidity. Further investigations should be followed up on gastric ulcer patients if malignant alteration is under the consideration. iii. Minor roentgenological findings, such as the absence or irregularity of mucosal folds, rigid and/or overlapped contour, localized absence or decrease of the peristaltic waves and absence or bow-shaped deformity of the angulus, are of important significance. Such changes should be minutely sought for by X-ray film examination. iv. On gastroscopy and gastrocamera photography, such changes as erosion or irregular granular thickening of the membrane with abnormal reddening and edematous appearance, irregularity of ulcer edge, uneven swelling on ulcer margin with reddening and unsharpness of the edge of adherent coat on ulcer floor, must be noted in the early gastric cancer. v. It is not safe to leave a patient having stomach ulceration under a mere conservative management because it is often quite difficult to dissolve the question of malignancy of the lesion with all sorts of examinations. vi. So far as clinical examinations have indicated malignancy, histological examination must be carried out immediately at the time of operation, even when malignant lesion is absent in inspection and palpation on the exposure of the stomach. vii. On the gross observation of the resected stomach, a particular attention must be paid to erosion, depression or atrophy, irregular granular thickening and abnormal reddening on the restricted areas of the mucosal surface.</p

Defective repair of radiation-induced DNA damage is complemented by a CHORI-230-65K18 BAC clone on rat chromosome 4

AbstractThe Long Evans cinnamon (LEC) rat is highly susceptible to X-irradiation due to defective DNA repair and is thus a model for hepatocellular carcinogenesis. We constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) contig of rat chromosome 4 completely covering the region associated with radiation susceptibility. We used transient and stable transfections to demonstrate that defective DNA repair in LEC cells is fully complemented by a 200-kb BAC, CHORI-230-65K18. Further analysis showed that the region associated with radiation susceptibility is located in a 128,543-bp region of 65K18 that includes the known gene Rpn1. However, neither knockdown nor overexpression of Rpn1 indicated that this gene is associated with radiation susceptibility. We also mapped three ESTs (TC523872, TC533727, and CB607546) in the 128,543-bp region, suggesting that 65K18 contains an unknown gene associated with X-ray susceptibility in the LEC rat

Reduced Inflammatory Threshold Indicates Skin Barrier Defect in Transglutaminase 3 Knockout Mice

Recently a transglutaminase 3 knockout (TGM3/KO) mouse was generated that showed impaired hair development, but no gross defects in the epidermal barrier, although increased fragility of isolated corneocytes was demonstrated. Here we investigated the functionality of skin barrier in vivo by percutaneous sensitization to fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) in TGM3/KO (n=64) and C57BL/6 WT mice (n=36). Cutaneous inflammation was evaluated by mouse ear swelling test (MEST), histology, serum IgE levels, and by flow-cytometry from draining lymph nodes. Inflammation induced significant MEST difference (P<0.0001) was detected between KO and WT mice and was supported also by histopathology. A significant increase of CD4+ CD25+ activated T-cells (P<0.01) and elevated serum IgE levels (P<0.05) in KO mice indicated more the development of FITC sensibilization than an irritative reaction. P. acnes induced intracutaneous inflammation showed no difference (P=0.2254) between the reactivity of WT and KO immune system. As in vivo tracer, FITC penetration from skin surface followed by two-photon microscopy demonstrated a more invasive percutaneous penetration in KO mice. The clinically uninvolved skin in TGM3/KO mice showed impaired barrier function and higher susceptibility to FITC sensitization indicating that TGM3 has a significant contribution to the functionally intact cutaneous barrier.Journal of Investigative Dermatology accepted article preview online, 24 July 2013. doi:10.1038/jid.2013.307

Multifocal Motor Neuropathy

Objective: Our objective was to do an epidemiologic survey of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) in comparison with those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Japan. Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined 46 patients with MMN and 1,051 patients with ALS from major neuromuscular centers in Japan from 2005 to 2009. Diagnosis was based on the European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) and the revised El Escorial criteria. The efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was also taken into consideration in the diagnosis of MMN. Results: The ratio of MMN to ALS patients (0-0.10) varied among the centers, but mostly converged to 0.05. The prevalence was estimated to be 0.29 MMN patients and 6.63 ALS patients per 100,000 population. Conclusions: The frequency of MMN patients was around 1 out of 20 ALS patients, and MMN was possibly underdiagnosed in some centers

Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018.

Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. As we provide molecularly oriented definitions of terms including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, we discuss the utility of neologisms that refer to highly specialized instances of these processes. The mission of the NCCD is to provide a widely accepted nomenclature on cell death in support of the continued development of the field