Emphysema severity is independently associated with a rapid annual decline in FEV1 in COPD. Sustainers and Rapid decliners warrant specific attention in clinical practice.

Streptococcus mutans is an etiological agent in human dental caries. A method for the detection of S. mutans directly from human dental plaque by polymerase chain reaction has been developed. Oligonucleotide primers specific for a portion of the dextranase gene (dexA) of S. mutans Ingbritt (serotype c) were designed to amplify a 1272-bp DNA fragment by polymerase chain reaction. The present method specifically detected S. mutans (serotypes c, e and f), but none of the other mutans streptococci: S. cricetus (serotype a), S. rattus (serotype b), S. sobrinus (serotypes d and g), and S. downei (serotype h), other gram-positive bacteria (16 strains of 12 species of cocci and 18 strains of 12 species of bacilli) nor gram-negative bacteria (1 strain of 1 species of cocci and 20 strains of 18 species of bacilli). The method was capable of detecting 1 pg of the chromosomal DNA purified from S. mutans Ingbritt and as few as 12 colony-forming units of S. mutans cells. The S. mutans cells in human dental plaque were also directly detected. Seventy clinical isolates of S. mutans isolated from the dental plaque of 8 patients were all positive by the polymerase chain reaction. These results suggest that the dexA polymerase chain reaction is suitable for the specific detection and identification of S. mutans.

A previously unidentified 120-kDa protein was detected in Streptococcus mutans strain Z1 and was involved in the cold-agglutination of the strain. We have identified the gene, designated cnm, as being involved in the agglutination of strain Z1 following random mutagenesis. The amino acid sequence of the deduced Cnm protein exhibited high similarity to those of collagen-binding adhesins from staphylococci and other organisms. To confirm whether the protein is involved in collagen-binding, we cloned a cnm gene fragment, overexpressed it in E.coli, and prepared crude extracts. The extracts containing recombinant protein exhibited binding to immobilized collagen and laminin but not to fibronectin. Compared with the parental strain Z1, the cold-agglutination-negative mutant 05A02 exhibited reduced binding to collagen and laminin but retained that to fibronectin. This gene was detected in some strains of S. mutans. Therefore, the cnm gene encoded a new strain-specific member of the collagen-binding adhesin family.

Oligonucleotide primers were designed based upon a comparison of the dextranase gene (dex) sequences from Streptococcus sobrinus and S. mutans. The primers ampli®ed a 1610-bp long DNA fragment on the dex gene by a PCR. The pair of primers was speci®c to S. sobrinus as the other members of the mutans streptococci ± S. mutans, S. downei, S. cricetus, S. rattus, S. macacae and S. ferus ± gave no PCR products. Other grampositive oral bacteria (15 strains of 10 species of cocci and 18 strains of 12 species of rods) and gram-negative oral bacteria (3 strains of 3 species of cocci and 31 strains of 22 species of rods) also gave negative results in the PCR. The PCR procedure was able to detect as little as 100 fg of puri®ed chromosomal DNA or as few as 9 cfu of S. sobrinus NIDR6715. Seven clinical isolates of S. sobrinus were also positive in the dex PCR. This laboratory developed the S. mutans-speci®c PCR (dexA PCR) method with the primers speci®c for a portion of the dextranase gene of S. mutans Ingbritt. Primers for the dex and dexA PCR methods detected two species exclusively from the mutans streptococci. Furthermore, these two species were effectively differentiated by the species-speci®c amplicons with different lengths. The application of the PCR method to human dental plaque showed that the prevalence of S. sobrinus (83%) in oral cavities was higher than currently supposed (0±50%). These results suggest that the described PCR method is suitable for the speci®c detection and identi®cation of human cariogenic bacteria, S. sobrinus and S. mutans.

We report on highly efficient polymer light-emitting devices (PLEDs) achieved using a phosphorescent polymer, which is a copolymer that has bis(2-phenylpyridine)iridium (acetylacetonate) [Ir(ppy)2(acac)], N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-diamine (TPD) and 2-(4-biphenyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD) as a side group. The phosphorescent polymer has an ambipolar charge-transport ability. An increase in PBD unit concentration allows an improvement in the efficiency of the PLEDs. Ba and Cs were used for electron-injection layers as well as Ca, to improve the electron injection. An external quantum efficiency of 11.8% and a power efficiency of 38.6lm∕W were obtained by using Cs. The results indicate that this can be attributed to an improvement in the charge balance of electrons and holes.