An XeCl discharge laser with a high-brightness corona preionizer using a segmented columnar SrTiO/sub 3/ dielectric is discussed. A high overall efficiency of 2.35% with a laser output energy of 350 mJ was obtained using a SrTiO/sub 3/ doorknob capacitor cut by a diamond cutter as the dielectric. These characteristics are almost the same value as that obtained with an UV-spark-preionized XeCl laser using the same laser tube.< >
Chronic idiopathic neutropenia can occur in spite of the normocellular bone marrow in myeloid series with or without anti-neutrophilic antibody. We report a patient with chronic neutropenia and severe polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. The patient demonstrated a positive anti-neutrophil antibody by fluorocytometry, although granulocyte-specific anti-nuclear factor and anti-stem cell (CFU-GM) antibody were negative. Thus, neutropenia of this patient appeared to be due to the antibody-mediated destruction of neutrophils. Both neutropenia and hypergammaglobulinemia were normalized by the administration of prednisone.
The release of so called anti-diabetic, anti-obesity gut hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) from I-cells of the small intestine is stimulated by some food peptides, which in turn suppresses appetite by producing a feeling of satiety. This study investigated appetite-suppressive and CCK-releasing activity in peptides derived from proteins after enzymatic hydrolysis. The stimulatory activity was examined in a murine enteroendocrine cell (EEC) line STC-1 followed by investigating active peptides for appetite-suppression in rats. Among peptones prepared from meat and legumes, pork peptides suppressed appetite correspondingly with binding to rat small intestinal brush-border membrane and by stimulating CCK secretion from the EECs. Peptides in country bean (Dolichos lablab) had the highest stimulation in CCK-secretion. The active peptides are originated from ‘dolicholin’–a newly identified protein in country bean. Despite low peptide content, brewer’s yeast extract with ~14 kDa peptides showed very high CCK-releasing properties. These findings laid ground for elucidation of active peptide structure and understanding molecular mechanism for development of functional food for human consumption.
It was proposed that a precise thermostat used for an enzyme thermistor could be easily and accurately controlled by a microcomputer. The enzyme thermistor using the thermostat determined guaiacol, which is useful as a medicine. The temperature of the thermostat was controlled by means of a method of supervision with a short sampling period. The result demonstrated that the thermostat was controlled to an accuracy of ± 10-4K. In the pH 4.0 to 9.5 region the concentration of guaiacol was determined with the enzyme thermistor in the range of 0.1100mM. The temperature response was stable during the course of 500 runs with 10mM guaiacol.
We have previously shown that non-digestible saccharides (NDS) stimulate intestinal Ca absorption via tight junctions. However, the cellular mechanisms activated by the NDS are not yet known. We investigated the effects of four NDS, difructose anhydride (DFA) III, DFAIV, fructo-oligosaccharides, and maltitol, on intracellular Ca signalling in isolated rat small-intestinal enterocytes. The changes in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration were measured before and after the addition of capric acid (7.5 or 15 mmol/l, a positive control), glycerol, or each NDS (1 or 10 mmol/l) to fura-2-loaded enterocytes. Treatment with capric acid or each NDS caused an immediate and dose-dependent rise in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. Mechanical and osmotic stimulation achieved by adding glycerol had no effect on intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. The intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in enterocytes treated with DFAIII and fructo-oligosaccharides reached a peak level at about 30 s after stimulation, but those treated with DFAIV and maltitol showed further increases after the initial rapid rise. The maximum change in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration obtained by the application of maltitol was higher than that of DFAIII at 10 mmol/l. These findings suggest that each of the four NDS directly stimulates rat enterocytes, and increases intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. Thus, molecular structure may be more important than the size of the NDS in the induction of Ca signalling in the cells.
Abstract The volatility of ammonium chloride and nitrate was demonstrated to be responsible for the seasonal variation in size distributions that is the atmospheric fine-mode (<2 μm) chloride and nitrate aerosol were predominant in winter, but the coarse mode (>2 μm) was more pronounced in summer. An ion-balance examination and heating of winter aerosol samples demonstrated that fine-mode chloride and nitrate species are ammonium salts which are volatile at summer atmospheric temperatures. Both volatilized and unvolatilized concentrations of these chloride and nitrate species were determined both in winter and in summer to prove that the gas–solid interconversion took place in the atmosphere. The log-normal distributions of the ionic-component concentrations and the seasonal changes in the ionic composition of fine-mode aerosol were also discussed.
Short-chain fatty acids are products of nondigestible oligo- and poly-saccharides fermented by vast numbers of colonic microorganisms called microbial flora. Produced in the colon they are readily absorbed and are metabolized in the liver and muscle tissues providing energy to the human body. The colonic mucosal cells consume butyric acid, a kind of short-chain fatty acid, as a main and indispensable energy source. A deficiency in butyric acid leads to a malfunction of the colon. This means that nondigestible sugars, including prebiotics, are essential for human health. Short-chain fatty acids are not merely sources of energy; they provide beneficial physiological actions. These include improving the absorption of water and several minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, and iron, and suppressing the synthesis of liver cholesterol. Butyric acid is marked as a suppressor of colon cancer, a lifestyle-related disease. This fermentation product reduces cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in the mutated cells. Butyric acid is very likely to be effective for the prevention of this fatal disease. How do short-chain fatty acids work in various cells? This has not been revealed.The research into short-chain fatty acids may clarify the physiological implications of the colonic fermentation and prebiotics.
