Effect of Air or Medium Temperature on Occurrence of Leaf-yellow-spot in Chrysanthemum 'Seikou-no-makoto'

Leaf-yellow-spot, a physiological abnormality occurring in leaves of several chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) cultivars is a very serious production problem in Japan. High temperature or high irradiation are possible physiological factors, which may lead to leaf-yellow-spot. In the present study, effects of air or medium temperature on the occurrence of leaf-yellow-spot in 'Seikou-nomakoto' were investigated. The nodal position with spotted leaves and rate of leaf-yellow-spot increased with increasing day/night temperature. The nodal position with spotted leaves and rate of leaf-yellow-spot of plants grown on 30°C night air temperature were smaller than those grown on 25°C or ambient night air temperature. The days to first occurrence of leaf-yellow-spot showed no differences among medium temperatures. As occurrence of leaf-yellow-spot was not affected by root zone temperature, we recognized that occurrence of leaf-yellow-spot was promoted by high temperature or solar radiation on shoot, especially leaf. Occurrence of leaf-yellow-spot was reduced by long period high temperature and/or high solar radiation as plant growth reduced. Therefore, we thought that occurrence of leaf-yellow-spot was promoted by environmental condition as plant growth would promote.キク（Chrysanthemum × morifolium）‘精興の誠’の葉身で発生する黄斑に及ぼす気温および培地温度の影響を調査した．昼夜温を40/30℃，35/25℃，なりゆきの3区で栽培した場合，昼夜温が高いほど生育は抑制され，黄斑の発生は早くなったが，黄斑発生度は40/30℃区と比較してなりゆき区で高くなる傾向がみられた．夜温を30℃，25℃となりゆき区で栽培した場合，黄斑発生度は30℃区と比較してなりゆき区で有意な差がみられた．生育が抑制されるほどの長期間の強光や高温は黄斑発生を抑制させたことから，生育が旺盛な環境条件における外的要因により黄斑発生は助長されると考えられた．地下部の温度は黄斑発生に影響しなかったことから黄斑発生は地上部，特に葉身部位の高温により助長されることが明らかになった

Effect of Day Length, Supplemental Lighting Strength, Shading Period and Minimum Night Temperature on Occurrence of Abnormal Inflorescence in Gypsophila paniculata ‘Altair’

As occurrence of abnormal inflorescence in Gypsophila paniculata ‘Altair’ is caused by environmental conditions, effects of day length, supplemental lighting strength, shading period and minimum night temperature on occurrence of abnormal inflorescence were investigated. Abnormal inflorescence was classified into four types : normal, pattern 1 (Short-flower stalk), pattern 2 (Coalescent two-flower stalk) and pattern 3 (Looping and irregular-flower stalk). Neither of 12h, 16h, 20h or 24h day length by fluorescent lamp, nor 24h by incandescent lamp affected occurrence of abnormal inflorescence. Effects of four levels of light intensity (fluorescent lamp : PPFD 1μmol・m−2・s−1, incandescent lamp : PPFD 3μmol・m−2・s−1, metal halide lamp : PPFD 14μmol・m−2・s−1 and high-pressure sodium lamp : PPFD 48μmol・m−2・s−1) were examined in 16h photoperiod. Occurrence of abnormal inflorescence was not affected by different light intensities, neither was it affected by shading period. Occurrence of abnormal inflorescence at 15°C was however significantly reduced compared to that at 8°C. In particular, patterns 2 and 3 at 15°C were significantly reduced compared to those at 8°C. There was a strong negative correlation between average night temperature from starting the treatment to flower budding (7.1°C, 9.0°C, 9.2°C, 11.6°C and 16.4°C) and incidence of pattern 3 (13.1%, 8.7%, 7.1%, 1.1% and 0.7%). Therefore, as average night temperature increased, occurrence of abnormal inflorescence decreased. The results show that low night temperature may be the main factor inducing occurrence of abnormal inflorescence.シュッコンカスミソウ‘アルタイル’の形態異常花序の発生には環境要因が関与していると考えられたので，日長，補光強度，遮光時期および最低夜温が形態異常花序発生に及ぼす影響を調査した．形態異常程度は４種類のパターン (０：正常，１：茎が短いもの，２：２本の茎が癒着，3：ひどく湾曲し変形したもの) に分類し，その影響を受けた小花の割合を求めた．蛍光灯による日長処理（12時間，16時間，20時間，24時間）や白熱灯による日長処理（自然日長，24時間）は形態異常花序発生率に影響を及ぼさなかった．蛍光灯（PPFD 1μmol・m-2・s-1），白熱灯（PPFD 3μmol・m-2・s-1），メタルハライドランプ（PPFD 14μmol・m-2・s-1），高圧ナトリウムランプ（PPFD 48μmol・m-2・s-1）を用いて16時間の補光を行った．異なる光源による光強度でも形態異常発生率に一定の傾向は認められなかった．遮光時期を変えても形態異常発生率に一定の傾向は認められなかった． 最低夜温を15℃に上げると８℃区と比較して15℃区の形態異常発生は大きく減少した．特にパターン２と３の発生率は大幅に低下した．各実験の処理開始から発蕾までの平均夜温（7.1℃，9.0℃，9.2℃，11.6℃，16.4℃）と，パターン３の形態異常発生率（13.1%，8.7%，7.1%，1.1%，0.7%）との間に高い負の相関（R2＝0.849）が認められ，処理開始から発蕾までの平均夜温が高いほど形態異常発生率は低下した．以上のことから，形態異常花序発生には夜間の温度が大きく関与しているのではないかと推察された

Clinical characteristics of elderly depressive patients with low metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake

BACKGROUND: Recently, depression with Lewy body pathology before the appearance of parkinsonism and cognitive dysfunction has been drawing attention. Low cardiac metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake is helpful for early differentiation of Lewy body disease (LBD) from late-onset psychiatric disorders even before parkinsonism or dementia appears. In this study, we used MIBG uptake as a tool in suspected LBD, and evaluated the relationship of MIBG results to clinical characteristics and depressive symptoms. METHODS: Fifty-two elderly inpatients with depression were included in this study. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was administered at admission, and 123 I-MIBG cardiac scintigraphy was performed. Of 52 patients, 38 had normal and 14 had reduced MIBG uptake. RESULTS: Correlation analyses of the late phase heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) ratio on the MIBG test and each item of the HDRS revealed that the H/M ratio was significantly correlated with scores of 'agitation', 'anxiety-somatic', and 'retardation' on the HDRS. Mean HDRS composite scores of 'somatic and psychic anxiety (Marcos)' and 'somatic anxiety/somatization factor (Pancheri)' were higher in the low uptake group than in the normal uptake group. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with depression who manifested an obvious somatic anxiety tend to show low MIBG uptake, and are more likely to have Lewy body pathology

Plasma substance p levels in patients with persistent cough.

Background: Substance P (SP) is involved in the pathogenesis of cough in animal models. However, few studies in humans have been reported and the roles of SP in clinical cough remain obscure. Objectives: To clarify the relevance of plasma levels of SP in patients with persistent cough. Methods: We studied 82 patients with cough persisting for at least 3 weeks and 15 healthy controls. Patients were classified as having asthmatic cough (cough-variant asthma and cough-predominant asthma; n = 61) or nonasthmatic cough (n = 21; postinfectious cough, n = 6; gastroesophageal reflux disease, n = 5; idiopathic cough, n = 5, and others, n = 5). Correlations were evaluated between plasma SP levels as measured with ELISA and methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness (airway sensitivity and airway reactivity), capsaicin cough sensitivity, sputum eosinophil and neutrophil counts, and pulmonary function. Results: Plasma SP levels were significantly elevated in patients with both asthmatic and nonasthmatic cough compared with controls [31.1 pg/ml (range 18.0-52.2) and 30.0 pg/ml (range 15.1-50.3) vs. 15.4 pg/ml (range 11.3-23.7); p = 0.003 and p = 0.038, respectively] but did not differ between the two patient groups (p = 0.90). Plasma SP levels correlated with airway sensitivity (threshold dose of methacholine) in the patients with asthmatic cough (r = -0.37, p = 0.005) but not with airway reactivity, cough sensitivity, FEV(1) values, or sputum eosinophil and neutrophil counts in either group. Conclusions: Increased levels of SP in plasma are associated with persistent cough in humans and might be related to airway sensitivity in asthmatic cough

Validation of Addenbrooke's cognitive examination III for detecting mild cognitive impairment and dementia in Japan

BACKGROUND:Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia is very important to begin appropriate treatment promptly and to prevent disease exacerbation. We investigated the screening accuracy of the Japanese version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) to diagnose MCI and dementia. METHODS:The original ACE-III was translated and adapted to Japanese. It was then administered to a Japanese population. The Hasegawa Dementia Scale-revised (HDS-R) and Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) were also applied to evaluate cognitive dysfunction. In total, 389 subjects (dementia = 178, MCI = 137, controls = 73) took part in our study. RESULTS:The optimal ACE-III cut-off scores to detect MCI and dementia were 88/89 (sensitivity 0.77, specificity 0.92) and 75/76 (sensitivity 0.82, specificity 0.90), respectively. ACE-III was superior to HDS-R and MMSE in the detection of MCI or dementia. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and inter-rater reliability of ACE-III were excellent. CONCLUSIONS:ACE-III is a useful cognitive test to detect MCI and dementia. ACE-III may be widely useful in clinical practice

Do Japanese Style Acupuncture and Moxibustion Reduce Symptoms of the Common Cold?†

We summarize the results from a series of investigations of Japanese style acupuncture and moxibustion therapies on symptoms of the common cold that have been conducted (FTLE 1999–03, supported by the Foundation for Training and Licensure Examination in Anma- Massage- Acupressure, Acupuncture and Moxibustion). We also discuss the various interventions and concerns that we faced during these investigations. The subjects were students and teachers. The pilot study (FTLE1999) of a two arm (real and non-treatment control) RCT at a Japanese acupuncture school showed that manual acupuncture to a specific needling point at the throat clearly reduced symptoms of the common cold. The first multi-center (five centers) RCT (FTLE 2000) revealed a significant reduction in cold symptoms, by general linear model analysis (between groups, P = 0.024). To reduce the technical variation, we employed indirect moxibustion to the neck points as a uniform intervention in the next project (FTLE 2001) without statistically significant results. Then we elongated the periods of treatment from 2 to a maximum of 12 weeks (FTLE 2002) with different interventions accompanied by 4 weeks follow-up. The results were still not statistically significant. As the final project, we tried to develop a new experimental design for individualized intervention by conducting n-of-1 trials using elderly subjects in a health care center but without detecting a clear effect. In conclusion, the safety of Japanese acupuncture or moxibustion was sufficiently demonstrated; however, a series of clinical trials could not offer convincing evidence to recommend the use of Japanese style acupuncture or moxibustion for preventing the common cold. Further studies are required as the present trials had several limitations

Maternal septic shock due to Acinetobacter lwoffii infection: a case report

The incidence of Acinetobacter infections has increased in recent years. Acinetobacter infections are resistant to most antibiotics and can be found in hospitalized patients. Pregnancies complicated by severe sepsis or septic shock are associated with a higher rate of preterm labor and delivery, fetal infection, and operative delivery. This case report describes septic shock due to Acinetobacter lwoffii infection in the 31st week of gestation. A 47-year-old woman, with a gestation of 31 weeks and one day, presented with a fever, and signs of bacterial infection on laboratory tests. Although the patient was started on tazobactam/piperacillin, she went into septic shock, and was transferred to our hospital. Cesarean section was performed at a gestation of 31 weeks and 4 days because of severe maternal pneumonia and non-reassuring fetal status. A. lwoffii was detected in blood cultures collected at the previous hospital, and susceptibility to piperacillin and meropenem to A. lwoffii was confirmed. The pneumonia responded to antibiotic treatment and there were no findings of infection in the neonate. Maternal sepsis is an infrequent but important complication, causing significant maternal and fetal morbidity and fetal and neonatal mortality; therefore, early antibiotic therapy is required to improve the clinical outcome

Altered expression of a putative progenitor cell marker DCAMKL1 in the rat gastric mucosa in regeneration, metaplasia and dysplasia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Doublecortin and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-like-1 (DCAMKL1) is a candidate marker for progenitor cells in the gastrointestinal mucosa. Lineage cells in the gastric mucosa are derived from progenitor cells, but this process can be altered after injury. Therefore, we explored DCAMKL1 expression under pathological conditions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An immunohistochemical analysis was performed in rat stomach with acute superficial injury, chronic ulcer, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>DCAMKL1 was exclusively expressed in immature quiescent cells in the isthmus of normal fundic glands, where putative progenitor cells are thought to reside. DCAMKL1-positive cells and proliferating cells shed into the lumen after superficial injury and re-appeared during the regenerative process, mainly in the superficial mucosa. In the marginal mucosa around the active ulcer, parietal and chief cells diminished, foveolar hyperplasia was evident, and trefoil factor family 2 (TFF2)/spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) emerged at the gland base. DCAMKL1 cells re-emerged in the deep mucosa juxtaposed with SPEM and proliferating cells. In the healing ulcer, the TFF2 cell population expanded and seemed to redifferentiate to chief cells, while proliferating cells and DCAMKL1 cells appeared above and below the TFF2 cells to promote healing. SPEM appeared and PCNA cells increased in the intestinalized mucosa, and DCAMKL1 was expressed in the proximity of the PCNA cells in the deep mucosa. DCAMKL1, PCNA and TFF2 were expressed in different dysplastic cells lining dilated glands near SPEM.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ultrastructural appearance of DCAMKL1-positive cells and the expression patterns of DCAMKL1 in normal and pathological states indicate that the cells belong to a progenitor cell population. DCAMKL1 expression is closely associated with TFF2/SPEM cells after injury. DCAMKL1 cells repopulate close to proliferating, hyperplastic, metaplastic and dysplastic cells, and the progenitor zone shifts according to the pathological circumstances.</p

Influence of antimicrobial regimen on decreased in-hospital mortality of patients with MRSA bacteremia

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important causes of bacteremia. Recently, several epidemiological and microbiological changes have become evident in MRSA infections. The purposes of this study were to assess clinical characteristics of patients with MRSA bacteremia and microbiological changes in MRSA. We conducted a retrospective observational study on patients with MRSA bacteremia who were hospitalized between 2008 and 2011. We used univariate and multivariate analysis to evaluate the predictors associated with 30-day mortality. The 7-day and 30-day mortality rates were 12.0% and 25.3%, respectively. According to multivariate analysis, the independent predictors that associated with 30-day mortality were leukopenia, low serum albumin, high sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and quinolone use within 30 days. Compared to previous data (2003-2007), the SOFA score of the new data set remained unchanged, but in-hospital mortality decreased significantly. In particular, the mortality associated with use of vancomycin (VCM) was significantly lower. Although the minimuminhibitory concentration of VCM required to inhibit the growth of 90% of organisms (MIC90) had not changed, the trough value of VCM changed significantly; a VCM trough value of 10 or greater was significantly higher compared to previous data. Of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types, SCCmec II values decreased significantly, and SCCmec I and IV values increased significantly. Our results indicate that changes in VCM usage might contribute to decreased in-hospital mortality