To directly access the sub-seafloor microbial communities, seafloor drilling has been done in a deep-sea hydrothermal field of the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Western Pacific. In the present study, crustal fluids were collected from the boreholes, and the bacterial and archaeal communities in the fluids were investigated by culture-independent molecular analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Bottom seawater, sands, rocks, sulfide mound, and chimneys were also collected around the boreholes and analyzed for comparisons. Comprehensive analysis revealed the characteristics of the microbial community composition in the crustal fluids. Phylotypes closely related to cultured species, e.g., Alteromonas, Halomonas, Marinobacter, were relatively abundant in some crustal fluid samples, whereas the phylotypes related to Pelagibacter and the SUP05-group were relatively abundant in the seawater samples. Phylotypes related to other uncultured environmental clones in Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were relatively abundant in the sand, rock, sulfide mound, and chimney samples. Furthermore, comparative analysis with previous studies of the Suiyo Seamount crustal fluids indicates the change in the microbial community composition for 3 years. Our results provide novel insights into the characteristics of the microbial communities in crustal fluids beneath a deep-sea hydrothermal field.
Objective. To verify whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-proven joint injury is sensitive as compared with joint injury determined by physical examination. Methods. MRI of the wrist and finger joints of both hands was examined in 51 early-stage rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by both plain and gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-enhanced MRI. Synovitis, bone edema, and bone erosion (the latter two included as bone lesions at the wrist joints); metacarpophalangeal joints; and proximal interphalangeal joints were considered as MRI-proven joint injury. Japan College of Rheumatology-certified rheumatologists had given a physical examination just before the MRI study. The presence of tender and/or swollen joints in the same fields as MRI was considered as joint injury on physical examination. The association of MRI-proven joint injury with physical examination-proven joint injury was examined. Results. A total of 1,110 sites were available to be examined. MRI-proven joint injury was found in 521 sites, whereas the other 589 sites were normal. Physical examination-proven joint injury was found in 305 sites, which was significantly low as compared with MRI-proven joint injury (P ؍ 1.1 ؋ 10 ؊12 versus MRI). Joint injury on physical examination was not found in 81.5% of the sites where MRI findings were normal. Furthermore, an association of the severity of MRI-proven joint injury with that of joint injury on physical examination was clearly demonstrated (P ؍ 1.6 ؋ 10 ؊15 , r s ؍ 0.469). Conclusion. Our present data suggest that MRI is not only sensitive but accurately reflects the joint injury in patients with early-stage RA.
Our findings suggest that MRI bone edema is closely associated with the development of RRP in patients with early-stage RA. Physicians should carefully control the disease activity when MRI bone edema is observed in patients with early RA.
A new polyrotaxane was formed by the polycondensation of p-tert-butylphenol (BP) with paraformaldehyde in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol)s, (PEG)s, of various molecular weights. The polyrotaxane of BP oligomers with PEG was obtained when the PEG of average molecular weights between 1000 and 10 000 were used in the polycondensation. The polyrotaxane yield and the composition were dependent on the molecular weight of PEG. The molecular structure was determined by FT-IR and 1 H NMR spectroscopies and the thermal properties by DSC measurements. 1 H NMR spectra of the complexes showed a pair of doublets in the methylene region, which correspond to the methylene protons between phenolic rings in p-tert-butylcalixarenes. The FT-IR spectra and DSC curves were different from those of the blend of linear p-tert-butylphenolic resins with PEG and pure p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene, respectively. Calixarenes slipped off the backbone PEG by heating the polyrotaxane in ethylene glycol at 180 °C. The structure of the dethreaded calixarenes was determined by 1 H NMR, and they were found to be p-tertbutylcalix[8]arenes and a few p-tert-butylcalix [4]arenes. From the characteristic results it was found that the polyrotaxane obtained by the in situ polycondensation of BP was composed of p-tert-butylcalix[8]arenes penetrated by PEG; that is, this was a calix[8]arene-based polyrotaxane.
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