Plommonsorter i Sverige

Huvuddelen av plommonproduktionen i Sverige är Prunus domestica-sorter och stora produktionssorter är Herman, Opal, Victoria och Jubileum. De olika sorterna ha olika mognadstid och bördighet. Plommonen mognar fram under augusti-september och fruktens korta hållbarhet gör att plommonproduktionen har minskat i Sverige de senaste åren eftersom odlarna inte hinner sälja frukten under den korta perioden. Genbanker har stort ansvar att bevara det mest intressanta och värdefulla av vad som växer i Sverige. De växtgenetiska resurserna i genbanken har stor betydelse för att förbättra plommonen med hänsyn till bland annat kommande klimatförändring och sjukdomar. Det har stor betydelse att genbanker bevarar viktiga plommonsorter för framtida forskning och växtförädling. Viktiga anledningar till förädling av plommon har varit att förbättra fruktens kvalitet och även en stabil plommonproduktion har varit viktigt ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv. Nu fokuserar man mer och mer på förbättringar hos plommonsorter som resistens mot sjukdom och härdighet för klimatförändringar i framtiden. I arbetet beskrivs odlingshistoria, egenskaper hos de olika plommonarterna och viktiga egenskaper hos plommon som kan användas vid förädling. Vidare ingår också kortbeskrivningar av 50 plommonsorter som bevaras på Balsgårds genbank

Acupuncture Treatment for Dystonia

This article introduces acupuncture for dystonia, especially cervical dystonia and upper limb dystonia. In our acupuncture treatment, the meridians corresponding to the affected muscles are identified, and stimulation of the acupuncture points located on the meridians away from the affected muscles is used. Affected muscles may have problems of hypotonia as well as hypertonia. We will introduce a method of suppressing muscle tone using acupuncture points and a method of promoting muscle tone. Furthermore, since shortening of muscles and skin may affect posture abnormalities and movement abnormalities, we will also introduce the treatment. This article presents a case for our therapeutic effect

The effect of modifiable healthy practices on higher-level functional capacity decline among Japanese community dwellers

This study aimed to clarify the effects of the accumulation of 8 modifiable practices related to health, including smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, sleeping hours, body mass index, dietary diversity, ikigai (life worth living), and health checkup status, on higher-level functional capacity decline among Japanese community dwellers. Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences - Longitudinal Study of Aging. Subjects comprised 1269 men and women aged 40 to 79 years at baseline (1997–2000) who participated in a follow-up postal survey (2013). Higher-level functional capacity was measured using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (total score and 3 subscales: instrumental self-maintenance, intellectual activity, and social role). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for a decline in higher-level functional capacity in the follow-up study according to the total number of healthy practices were analyzed using the lowest category as a reference. Multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for the total score of higher-level functional capacity, which declined according to the total number of healthy practices (0–4, 5–6, 7–8 groups) were 1.00 (reference), 0.63 (0.44–0.92), and 0.54 (0.31–0.94). For the score of social role decline, multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CIs) were 1.00 (reference), 0.62 (0.40–0.97), and 0.46 (0.23–0.90), respectively (P for trend = 0.04). Having more modifiable healthy practices, especially in social roles, may protect against a decline in higher-level functional capacity among middle-aged and elderly community dwellers in Japan

うどん,そーめん,そばおよび中華そばのクッキング速度式に関する研究

各種のクッキング装置を,設計,制御化をしていくためにクッキング速度式の設定が必要である。前報において,米1～5),その他6～10)に対し,クッキング速度式に関する研究を行なってきた。 本報では,前報のスパゲティとひやむぎ10)に引続き,うどん,そーめん,そばおよび中華そばのクッキング速度式に関する研究を行なった。これらのめん類のクッキング速度を,クッキング温度70～99.5℃において,重量測定法により求めることができた。クッキング速度式は,2種の形で表わされた。一つの形は,n次の経験的速度式,もう一つの形は,殻状吸水モデルに基づいた半理論的速度式である。前者の速度式に対する活性化エネルギーの値は,うどん,そーめん,そばおよび中華そばに対し,それぞれ約13,8,11および10kcal/g-molとなった。これらの値は,前報において,スパゲティとひやむぎに対し得られた値9と11kcal/g-molによく似た値である。以上の結果より,めん類のクッキング速度は,おそらく水の拡散速度に律速され,デンプン成分と水の化学的反応速度が無視できるのではないかと推察される。In order to design and to control automatically various cooking apparatuses, it is necessary to determine the cooking-rate equations. In previous papers, we have studied the cooking rate equations of rice1-5) and so on6-10). In the present paper, we took up the cooking-rate equations of udon, somen, soba and Chuka soba following the one of spagetti and hiyamugi10). The cooking rates of noodles were obtained by the weighing method at the cooking temperature of 70~99.5°C. The cooking-rate equations were postulated in two types; one type is a n-th order empirical rate equation and the other is a semi-theoritical rate equation based on the water-soaking-shell model. The activation energy for the former rate equation was about 13, 8, 11 and 10 kcal/g-mol on the cooking of udon, somen, soba and Chuka soba, respectively. These values are very similar to the values of 9 and 11 kcal/g-mol obtained for spagetti and hiyamugi in the previous paper10). From the results, we may deduce that the cooking rate of noodles is perhaps limited by the diffusion rate of water, and the chemical reaction rate of starch components with water is perhaps negligible

Senescence marker protein 30 inhibits angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction

AbstractBackground and objectiveSenescence marker protein 30 (SMP30) is assumed to behave as an anti-aging factor. Recently, we have demonstrated that deficiency of SMP30 exacerbates angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction and remodeling, suggesting that SMP30 may have a protective role in the heart. Thus, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that up-regulation of SMP30 inhibits cardiac adverse remodeling in response to angiotensin II.MethodsWe generated transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of SMP30 gene using α-myosin heavy chain promoter. Transgenic mice and wild-type littermate mice were subjected to continuous angiotensin II infusion (800ng/kg/min).ResultsAfter 14days, heart weight and left ventricular weight were lower in transgenic mice than in wild-type mice, although blood pressure was similarly elevated during angiotensin II infusion. Cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction in response to angiotensin II were prevented in transgenic mice compared with wild-type mice. The degree of cardiac fibrosis by angiotensin II was lower in transgenic mice than in wild-type mice. Angiotensin II-induced generation of superoxide and subsequent cellular senescence were attenuated in transgenic mouse hearts compared with wild-type mice.ConclusionsCardiac-specific overexpression of SMP30 inhibited angiotensin II-induced cardiac adverse remodeling. SMP30 has a cardio-protective role with anti-oxidative and anti-aging effects and could be a novel therapeutic target to prevent cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling due to hypertension

Removal of accidentally ingested large foreign object via the anus after watchful waiting

One of the commonest complaints, for which a patient arrives in hospitals, is the presence of foreign body. It could be due to accidental ingestion or any other cause which leads to presences of a foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that foreign objects larger than 5–6 cm in size are unlikely to pass through the duodenum. Here, we describe a case wherein the patient accidentally swallowed a 7-cm-sized mouthguard that could not be removed by emergency upper gastrointestinal endoscopy but was subsequently removed via the anus after a period of watchful waiting

Elevated Serum IgE against MGL_1304 in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis and Cholinergic Urticaria

ABSTRACTBackground: MGL_1304 secreted by Malassezia globosa is contained in human sweat and induces histamine release from basophils in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) at a high positive rate. The aims of this study were to establish the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measuring specific immunoglobulins against MGL_1304 and to investigate the levels of these immunoglobulins in sera of patients with various allergic diseases.Methods: Purified MGL_1304 from human sweat (QRX) and recombinant MGL_1304 (rMGL_1304) were prepared for ELISA. To quantify the amount of MGL_1304-specific immunoglobulins, the standard serum was created by pooling sera of 20 patients with AD whose basophils released histamine in response to QRX. A monoclonal antibody which exhibited the highest neutralizing ability against QRX was established as Smith-2, and used as a capture antibody for the assay of QRX-specific IgE. A total of 156 subjects [normal controls (n = 23), AD (n = 63), cholinergic urticaria (CU) (n = 24), bronchial asthma (n = 32), and allergic rhinitis (n = 14)] were enrolled in this study.Results: ELISA methods to quantify the specific IgE, IgG and IgG4 against MGL_1304 in sera were successfully established. Levels of QRX-specific IgE in sera of patients with AD and CU were significantly higher than those of normal controls. Moreover, the levels of QRX-specific IgE and rMGL_1304-specific IgE in patients with AD were significantly correlated with their disease severities.Conclusions: These ELISA methods to quantify the specific immunoglobulins against MGL_1304 are easy and useful means to assess allergy to MGL_1304. MGL_1304 contained in sweat is an important antigen for patients with AD and CU