No abstract

No abstract

Predominance of 018 (smz) and 369 (trf) resistance against gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, erythromycin and clindamycin were observed in the PCR-ribotype 018 isolates. Interestingly, all trf isolates were toxin A-negative, toxin B-positive, but they did not correspond to PCR-ribotype 017, thus being assigned a new ribotype (PCRribotype 369). In conclusion, PCR-ribotypes 018 (smz) and 369 (trf) were identified as major circulating strains in both outbreak and non-outbreak settings in Japan. Given their epidemiological relevance, molecular investigations are warranted to clarify potential evolutionary links with related strains found elsewhere, such as PCR-ribotypes 018 and 017 from Europe and North America.

Electrical characterization of radio frequency sputtered hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide films Structural and electrical studies of radio frequency sputtered hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide films Stable hydrogenated amorphous silicon films deposited from silane and dichlorosilane by radio frequency plasma chemical vapor deposition Hydrogenated amorphous silicon films were deposited using the tetrode rf sputtering method by changing the hydrogen partial pressure ratio 5 to argon in atomospheric gas H2/ Ar, under the following conditions: one is the oxygen contaminated condition and the ether is the condition which prevents the oxygen contamination with gas filtration and Ar-plasma cleaning. The effect of oxygen incorporated in the films on the optical and electrical properties of deposited films was studied comparing the properties of the films deposited under both conditions. From the experimental results, we found that (1) in the dependence of the properties of the oxygen contamina ted films on ~e, an irreversible phase transition with respect to 5 observed at g > 10% is a phenomenon which is assisted by oxygen incorporated in the mms.(2) The strong infrared absorption at 650 cm 1 observed in the oxygen contaminated films is one of vibration mode of -Si-O-Si-H bonds formed by oxygen incorporated in the films.

No abstract

Malignant duodenocolic fistula is a rare complication of gastrointestinal malignancy. We present herein the case of a 34-year-old female in whom a large duodenocolic fistula was caused by advanced transverse colonic carcinoma. Right hemicolectomy combined with pancreaticoduodenectomy enabled en bloc resection of the tumor, and the patient has been free of disease for 1 year and 8 months postoperatively. A review of the international literature, including 33 cases reported in Japan, indicates that if the disease is curable, the treatment of choice is right hemicolectomy with pancreaticoduodenectomy, whereas if it is not curable but locally resectable, the best palliation appears to be right hemicolectomy with partial duodenectomy to include the fistulous tract. Dehiscence of the duodenal wound closure associated with partial duodenectomy can be prevented by using the mucosal or serosal patch techniques with intestinal loops. These therapeutic principles are also applicable for colonic carcinoma which massively involves the duodenum without fistula formation.

No abstract

We have previously reported that purified Shiga–like toxins (SLT), SLT–I and SLT–II coupled with liposomes induced a substantial amount of anti–SLT–I and anti–SLT–II IgG antibody production, respectively, in mice. The levels of anti–SLT antibody in the sera of SLT–liposome–immune mice correlated well with the protection against subsequent challenge with SLT. In this study, mice were immunized intraperitoneally with the mixture of SLT–I–liposome and SLT–II–liposome and protection against oral infection with cytotoxin–producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 was evaluated. All of the mice that received immunization with the mixture of SLT–I–liposome and SLT–II–liposome were protected against subsequent intravenous challenge with 10 LD₅₀ of either SLT–I or SLT–II. Eight weeks after primary immunization, mice were inoculated intragastrically with 10⁹ CFU of E. coli O157:H7 strain 96–60. All SLT–liposome–immune mice tested survived without any apparent symptom while control mice died within 5 days. In addition, as shown by other antigen–liposome conjugates, SLT–liposome induced undetectable anti–SLT IgE antibody production while they induced substantial amounts of anti–SLT IgG antibodies. These results suggest that SLT–liposome conjugate may serve as a candidate vaccine that induces protection against cytotoxin–producing E. coli infection.