Ultrastructural Differences Between Longitudinal and Circular Muscle Cells of the Guinea Pig Stomach

The ultrastructure of the longitudinal and circular muscle cells of the guinea pig stomach, known to display different contractile responses, was compared. The longitudinal muscle layer consisted of about 20 layers of smooth muscle cells and the extracellular space occupied about 12.1% of the cross sectional area. The circular muscle layer consisted of closely packed muscle bundles arranged side by side. The extracellular space within the bundle represented about 4.4% of the cross sectional area. Nexuses were consistently found in the circular muscle layer but could not be found in the longitudinal muscle layer. Numbers of both mitochondria and microtubules per unit area of smooth muscle cell were larger in the longitudinal than in the circular muscle. The cell area occupied by the sarcoplasmic reticulum was about 4.7% in the longitudinal muscle cell, twice as much as in the circular muscle cell (2.3%). Numbers of caveolae per micrometer of the cell perimeter were almost the same in both tissues. There were approximately 25 and 50 thick filaments per 0.5 μm2 of cytoplasmic area in the longitudinal and circular muscle cell, respectively. A lower pH fixative (cacodylate, pH 6.6) gave a better contrast of specimens than other fixatives used, and an organic buffered (PIPES) fixative led to a more regular arrangement of myofilaments. But the characteristic distribution of the thick filaments between both muscles was not different among the specimens fixed with these fixatives

The Change of Oral Bacterial Count after Professional Oral Hygiene Care with a Newly Developed Gel and Suctioning

目的：非経口摂取高齢入院患者を対象に「水を使わない口腔ケアシステム」を実施し，口腔細菌数の変化を検証することを目的とした。 方法：非経口摂取高齢入院患者100名を，「水を使わない口腔ケアシステム」（以下，新法）と従来の口腔衛生管理（以下，従来法）の2群に無作為に分け，1日1回連続5日間，歯科衛生士が口腔衛生管理を実施した。1日目の管理直前（以下，ベースライン），管理直後，1時間後と5日目の管理1時間後の計4回，口腔細菌数を測定した。測定値を対数変換して，二元配置分散分析を行った。有意水準は5％とした。 さらにベースラインで細菌数レベル4以上を口腔不潔者とし，5日目に細菌数レベル3以下になった者を「改善あり」，4以上の者を「改善なし」として，χ2検定を行った。 なお本研究は，特定医療法人北九州病院倫理委員会の承認を得て実施した（第15-3号）。 結果：ベースラインと管理直後においては，新法群と従来法群の口腔細菌数に有意差はなく，管理1時間後と5日目においては新法群の細菌数は従来法群よりも有意に低値であった。新法群は，ベースラインと比べて管理直後，1時間後および5日目の細菌数は有意に低下し，管理直後よりも5日目は有意に低下した。従来法群は，ベースラインと比べて管理直後および管理1時間後の細菌数は有意に低下した。また，口腔不潔者のうち，新法群では29名に改善がみられ，従来法群の7名よりも有意に多かった。 結論：本研究における口腔細菌数の変化の結果から，「水を使わない口腔ケアシステム」は従来の方法よりも効果的である可能性が示された。Aim：This study aimed to clarify the change of oral hygiene status after performing a new method of professional oral hygiene care using a newly-developed gel and suctioning with a probe in elderly patients without oral intake based on oral bacterial count. Methods：One hundred elderly patients without oral intake were randomly divided into two groups：the new oral hygiene method using a newly-developed gel and sustained-suctioning with a probe was performed in one group, and the conventional method was performed in the other group. One dental hygienist performed the oral hygiene care for all subjects once a day for five consecutive days. The number of oral bacteria was counted using a bacterial counter four times：at the baseline, immediately after, and 1 hour after the oral hygiene care on the first day, and 1 hour after on the fifth day. The data was statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Additionally, the number of subjects with poor hygiene（level 4 and over）was compared among the two groups at the baseline and at the fifth day and statistically analyzed using the chi-squared test. Results：The oral bacteria count in the new method group was significantly less than that in the conventional method group at immediately after, 1 hour after, and the fifth day. In the new method group, the count at the fifth day was significantly less than at the baseline and immediately after the care. In addition, the number of subjects whose oral hygiene status improved was significantly more in the new method group（29 of 49）than in the conventional group（7 of 47）. Conclusions：The change of oral bacterial count found in this RCT suggested that the new professional oral hygiene method could be more effective than the conventional method

Risk-adjusted therapy for pediatric non-T cell ALL improves outcomes for standard risk patients: results of JACLS ALL-02

This study was a second multicenter trial on childhood ALL by the Japan Childhood Leukemia Study Group (JACLS) to improve outcomes in non-T ALL. Between April 2002 and March 2008, 1138 children with non-T ALL were enrolled in the JACLS ALL-02 trial. Patients were stratified into three groups using age, white blood cell count, unfavorable genetic abnormalities, and treatment response: standard risk (SR), high risk (HR), and extremely high risk (ER). Prophylactic cranial radiation therapy (PCRT) was abolished except for CNS leukemia. Four-year event-free survival (4yr-EFS) and 4-year overall survival (4yr-OS) rates for all patients were 85.4% ± 1.1% and 91.2% ± 0.9%, respectively. Risk-adjusted therapy resulted in 4yr-EFS rates of 90.4% ± 1.4% for SR, 84.9% ± 1.6% for HR, and 66.5% ± 4.0% for ER. Based on NCI risk classification, 4yr-EFS rates were 88.2% in NCI-SR and 76.4% in NCI-HR patients, respectively. Compared to previous trial ALL-97, 4yr-EFS of NCI-SR patients was significantly improved (88.2% vs 81.2%, log rank p = 0.0004). The 4-year cumulative incidence of isolated (0.9%) and total (1.5%) CNS relapse were significantly lower than those reported previously. In conclusion, improved EFS in NCI-SR patients and abolish of PCRT was achieved in ALL-02

A new oral care gel to prevent aspiration during oral care

目的：口腔細菌は，誤嚥性肺炎を含めた全身の疾患と密接に関係していると考えられている．誤嚥性肺炎の予防には口腔ケアが極めて重要であるが，その方法は施設や術者により様々であり，中には誤嚥のリスクを伴う口腔ケア方法も存在する．口腔ケア中の誤嚥性肺炎起炎菌を含む洗浄水の誤嚥のリスクを低下させるため，本研究では，水を使わない口腔ケアに必要かつ適正な物性を持つジェルを開発し，その物性およびプラークの除去，咽頭への流入しにくさについて評価・検討を行った．方法：ジェルの物性評価は，医療従事者31名を評価者とし，VASを用いた主観的物性評価と口腔内官能評価から，試作ジェル3種類（A～C）と市販の保湿ジェル3種類（D～F）を比較した．プラーク除去効果の評価は，健常者20名を対象とし，物性評価において最も評価が高かったジェルをジェル使用時，水道水を水使用時とし，歯科衛生士によるブラッシングにより評価を行った．評価はModified PCR を用い，ブラッシング前後のプラークの減少率を比較した．また，ブラッシング時の吸引回数をカウントし，咽頭への流入しにくさについてジェル使用時と水使用時における差を評価した．結果：物性評価において，試作ジェルBはその他5種類のジェルに比べ，有意に評価が高かった．プラークの除去効果において，Modified PCRの減少率はジェル使用時の方が水使用時よりも有意に高かった．また，吸引回数はジェル使用時の方が有意に少なかった．結論：新規に開発した試作品ジェルBは物性評価にて良好な結果を得た．さらにプラークの除去効果や咽頭への流入しにくさにて有効性を確認した．洗浄水ではなくジェルBを使用することにより口腔ケア時に流入しにくくなる可能性があるため，今後の臨床試験に期待したい．Aim: Although oral care is important in the prevention of aspiration pneumonia, the different institutions and practitioners employ various oral care methods, some of which are associated with the risk of aspiration. We have developed a new gel with the physical properties needed for waterless oral care. In the present study, we evaluated and investigated the properties and effectiveness of this gel. Methods: The physical properties of the trial gel and commercial moisturizing gels were compared using a VAS scale. The effects of plaque elimination were evaluated in healthy volunteers. Brushing was carried out by a dental hygienist using the gel and water. The number of throat suctions performed during brushing was also counted, and the difference was evaluated. Results: In the evaluation of physical characteristics, trial Gel B showed a significantly higher rating than the other gels. In plaque elimination, the rate of decrease in a modified PCR was significantly greater with the gel trial. Suctioning was also performed significantly fewer times with the trial gel. Conclusions: Good results were obtained with the newly developed trial Gel B with regard to the physical properties and the sensory evaluations. Its effectiveness was also confirmed in plaque elimination and in the evaluated risk of aspiration. The use of Gel B may have the potential to decrease the risk of aspiration during oral care and reduce the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia

Taxonomic Richness of Yeasts in Japan within Subtropical and Cool Temperate Areas

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>An understanding of the role of yeasts in the environment has been uncertain because estimates of population size and diversity have often been based on species identifications that were determined from a limited number of phenotypic characteristics. DNA-based species identification has now become widely used, allowing an accurate assessment of species in different habitats. However, there are still problems in classification because some genera are polyphyletic. Consequently, the identification of yeasts and measurement of their diversity at the genus level remains difficult, as does assignment of genera to higher taxonomic ranks.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>A total of 1021 yeast strains was isolated from soil samples and plant materials collected from Japan’s subtropical Iriomote Island and the cool temperate Rishiri Island. Based on sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domain of the LSU rRNA gene, these 1021 strains were tentatively classified into 183 species, with apparent new species accounting for approximately half of the total species isolated (60 and 46, Iriomote and Rishiri, respectively). The yeast species composition was statistically different between the two sites with only 15 species in common. Rarefaction curves of respective sources/areas gave distinctive patterns when the threshold of sequence identity became broader, indicating that the yeast diversity was distinct at the different taxonomic levels compared.</p> <h3>Conclusions/Significance</h3><p>Our isolation study of yeasts in Japan has enabled us to expand the inventory of species diversity because a large number of new species was observed in the sampling areas. Further, we propose use of a particular diversity threshold as an “indicator” to recognize species, genera and higher taxonomic ranks.</p> </div

A neighbor-joining tree of isolates based on the D1/2 region unique sequences.

<p>The evolutionary distance (refer to the bar) was calculated according to Kimura <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0050784#pone.0050784-Kimura1" target="_blank">[26]</a>. Bootstrap values <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0050784#pone.0050784-Felsenstein1" target="_blank">[27]</a> were summarized by black dots (indicating at least 90% support) or by black rings (indicating at least 60% support). Blue solid ring, new species candidate isolated from a plant of Iriomote Island; blue open ring, described species isolated from a plant of Iriomote; blue solid square, new species candidate isolated from soil of Iriomote; blue open square, described species isolated from soil of Iriomote; blue solid ring, new species candidate isolated from a plant of Rishiri Island; red open ring, described species isolated from a plant of Rishiri; red solid square, new species candidate isolated from soil of Rishiri; red open square, described species isolated from soil of Rishiri. Numerals in brackets after ring or square indicate the number of isolates. Yellow color on OTUs indicates this species was isolated from both islands.</p

Comparison of rarefaction curves among plant and soil samples of Iriomote and Rishiri Islands.

<p>Rarefaction values were obtained using the MOTHUR program <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0050784#pone.0050784-Schloss1" target="_blank">[25]</a> and data of some particular thresholds of a respective group are plotted. Numerals in the boxes indicate the value of chao (chao_lci – chao_hci) of distances unique, 0.005, 0.03 and 0.01 from the top in the respective group.</p