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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are representative indoor air pollutants that negatively affect the human body owing to their toxicity. One of the most promising methods for VOC removal is photocatalytic degradation using TiO2. In this study, the addition of carbon black (CB) and heavy metal nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated to improve the efficiency of a TiO2-based photocatalytic VOC decomposition system combined with ultrasonic atomization and ultraviolet irradiation, as described previously. The addition of CB and Ag NPs significantly improved the degradation efficiency. A comparison with other heavy metal nanoparticles and their respective roles are discussed.

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The characterization of a novel Rickettsia species, first isolated from Ixodes ovatus ticks in Japan in 1993, is described for which the name Rickettsia asiatica sp. nov. is proposed. Using multilocus sequence comparison, five rickettsial isolates from I. ovatus collected at various locations in Japan were found to be identical but belonged to a novel species. Serotyping also demonstrated this rickettsia to be distinct from previously described Rickettsia species. The type strain of Rickettsia asiatica sp. nov. is IO-1(T) (=CSUR R2(T)). Following discussions held at the meeting of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) and its Judicial Commission (JC) in San Francisco, 2005, and in anticipation of the published minutes of the JC and ICSP, a committee consisting of the chairman of the ICSP, the chairman of the Judicial Commission of the ICSP and the Editor of the IJSEM has granted an exception in this case to the Rule governing the deposit of type material in two different collections in two different countries.

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Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a primary glomerular disease that is characterized by progressive proteinuria and declining renal function. Secondary FSGS is known to be associated with various diseases. However, an association of FSGS with essential thrombocythemia (ET) has been reported in few cases. We report a 76-year-old man who presented with nephrotic syndrome and hepatosplenomegaly. He had thrombocythemia after a splenectomy, which had been carried out at a nearby hospital. A renal biopsy showed that he had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), while assessment of the bone-marrow specimen revealed that he had ET. A possible relationship between FSGS, which occurred in association with a dramatic increase of thrombocytes after a splenectomy in a patient with ET, and increased serum levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB was suggested.

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Atherosclerosis and its related complications are the leading causes of death in the hemodialysis (HD) population. Aortic calcification index (ACI), intima-media thickness (IMT) in common carotid arteries, and electrocardiogram (ECG) are atherosclerotic parameters that are available in usual clinical outpatient settings. Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) play important roles in atherosclerosis. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 133 outpatients on maintenance HD in a single HD outpatient center. We measured serum levels of MCSF and MCP-1, determined the ACI using computed tomography scan and the IMT using high-sensitivity ultrasound B-mode imaging, and performed ECGs. RESULTS: Stepwise multivariate regression analysis revealed that the MCSF level correlated with age-adjusted mean and maximum IMT (F = 10.811, p = 0.001, and F = 6.784, p = 0.010, respectively) as well as with the diastolic blood pressure. Age and MCSF level (F = 4.866, p = 0.029) were independently related to an increased ACI. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was not related to IMT and ACI. The hsCRP level (chi2 = 5.002, p = 0.025) correlated with ECG changes followed by MCSF (chi2 = 3.940, p = 0.047). MCP-1 was not related to the above atherosclerotic parameters. CONCLUSION: A head-to-head comparison between MCSF and hsCRP revealed that MCSF was more closely associated with IMT and ACI in HD patients.

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In order to investigate the effect of high carbohydrate/low fat diet on glucose tolerance and on lipid profiles, we performed a 4-week crossover study. Japanese subjects (30 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 15 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and 8 subjects with normal glucose tolerance) were allocated either 55% standard carbohydrate/30% fat (sc) or 70% high carbohydrate/15% low fat (hc) diet for four weeks, and evaluated by OGTT and various parameters. Then, the diet was crossed over to another diet, and identical parameters were re-evaluated after four weeks. Area under the glucose concentration-time curve (AUG) or triglyceride did not show significant changes between the two diets. HDL-Cholesterol and body mass index decreased significantly by hc diet. Free fatty acids and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index showed a tendency to be decreased by hc diet. AUG hc/sc ratio was inversely correlated with AUG or free fatty acids on standard carbohydrate diet. In conclusion, the present 4-week high carbohydrate/low fat diet may be useful to reduce body weight and insulin resistance. The 4-week high carbohydrate/low fat diet did not affect glucose tolerance as a whole. Although the 4-week high carbohydrate/low fat diet decreased HDL-Chol, it did not increase triglyceride.

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The purpose of this study was to establish broadband ultrasonic attenuation (BUA: dB/MHz) as bone mineral density (BMD) norms for healthy young Japanese and to evaluate the standard values for an ultrasonic bone analyzer (Cuba Clinical, McCue Ultrasonics Ltd., Winchester, England), which facilitates BMD measurement without exposure to radiation. The subjects were 472 healthy young individuals with no endocrine or skeletal disorders, 197 males (mean age 16 y 5 m) and 275 females (mean age 15 y 7 m) aged from 5 to 29 years. BUA was measured at the left calcaneus. The subjects were divided into five age-stratified different age groups of five years intervals. The mean BUA values (dB/MHz) obtained were 40.6, 60.9, 78.0, 90.4 and 86.0 for males, and 41.9, 61.0, 73.4, 68.4 and 70.8 for females in the 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24 and 25-29 age groups, respectively. A significant positive correlation was observed between BUA and age in both males and females except in the male 25-29 age group and the female 20-24 and 25-29 age groups. A significantly different BUA between males and females was found in the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups (p < 0.001). The BUA values obtained in this study may serve as BMD norms for children and young adults. It might be thought that measuring BUA from childhood through early adulthood made it possible to determine peak values and peak periods of BMD, providing useful information for assessment of growth and development.

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