Efficacy of heat-killed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactococcus lactis</Emphasis> JCM 5805 on immunity and fatigue during consecutive high intensity exercise in male athletes: a randomized,placebo-controlled,double-blinded trial

Background

Lactococcus lactis JCM 5805 (LC-Plasma) is a unique lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which activates plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC). We aimed to evaluate the effect of LC-Plasma on dendritic cell (DC) activity and subjective indices of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and fatigue in athletes under high intensity exercise.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial. Fifty-one male subjects belonging to a university sports club were randomized into placebo (n?=?25) and LC-Plasma (n?=?26) groups. Individuals ingested placebo capsules containing cornstarch or LC-Plasma capsules containing 100 billion cells of heat-killed LC-Plasma per day for 13 days. During the intervention period, subjects performed high intensity exercise according to their sports club training regime. Blood and saliva sampling were obtained at days 1 and 14, and physical conditions were recorded in a diary. We investigated expression of maturation markers on DCs, muscle damage and stress markers and used student’s t test adjusted by Bonferoni’s method for multiple comparison between groups. These data were presented as mean?±?SD. We also investigated cumulative days of symptoms regarding infections and fatigue and used Chi-square test for comparison between groups. These data were presented as cumulative number.

Results

CD86 as maturation marker on pDC was significantly increased in the LC-Plasma group at day 14 (Placebo: 296?±?70 vs. LC-Plasma: 365?±?115; Mean Fluorescent Intensity; p?=?0.013). Cumulative days of URTI were significantly lower in the LC-Plasma group (Placebo: URTI positive 56, URTI negative 256 vs. LC-Plasma: URTI positive 39, URTI negative 299; days; p?=?0.028) and symptoms like sneeze or running nose were significantly lower in the LC-Plasma group (Placebo: Symptom positive 52, Symptom negative 258, vs. LC-Plasma: Symptom positive 36, Symptom negative 301; days; p?=?0.032). Moreover, the cumulative days of fatigue were significantly fewer in the LC-Plasma group (Placebo: Symptom positive 128, Symptom negative 182, vs. LC-Plasma: Symptom positive 110, Symptom negative 225; days; p?=?0.032). Markers of muscle damage and stress markers were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusion

We consider that heat-killed LC-Plasma supplementation relieves morbidity and symptoms of URTI via activation of pDC and decreases fatigue accumulation during consecutive high intensity exercise in athletes. However, LC-Plasma ingestion did not affect markers of muscle damage and stress.

Trial registration

UMIN-CTR, UMIN000020372. Registered 28 December 2015.

     

Incremental statistical learning for integrating motion primitives and language in humanoid robots

We describe a novel approach that allows humanoid robots to incrementally integrate motion primitives and language expressions, when there are underlying natural language and motion language modules. The natural language module represents sentence structure using word bigrams. The motion language module extracts the relations between motion primitives and the relevant words. Both the natural language module and the motion language module are expressed as probabilistic models and, therefore, they can be integrated so that the robots can both interpret observed motion in the form of sentences and generate the motion corresponding to a sentence command. Incremental learning is needed for a robot that develops these linguistic skills autonomously . The algorithm is derived from optimization of the natural language and motion language modules under constraints on their probabilistic variables such that the association between motion primitive and sentence in incrementally added training pairs is strengthened. A test based on interpreting observed motion in the forms of sentence demonstrates the validity of the incremental statistical learning algorithm.     

Monohexosylceramides of larval and adult forms of the tapeworm,spirometra erinacei

The occurrence of glycosphingolipids with unique carbohydrate structures in different species of cestode, Platyhelminth, which had been shown, previously, prompted us to study the molecular species of the monohexosylceramides (cerebrosides) in the pseudophyllidean cestode,Spirometra erinacei. The purpose of the study was to obtain a basis for future investigations of the physiological role of glycolipids in parasitism. Cerebrosides were isolated froms. erinacei at two growth stages, i.e., from the larval form (plerocercoid) and from the adult tapeworms (intestinal form). The cerebrosides were separated into four subfractions by silica gel column chromatography, and their constituents were analyzed by gasliquid chromatography, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The hexoses of the cerebrosides consisted primarily of galactose in both growth stages, while only a small amount of glucose was detected. The ceramides were composed of sphinganine (d18∶0) and phytosphingosine (t18∶0) as sphingoid bases, and of nonhydroxy fatty acids ranging from C₁₆ to C₃₀ and hydroxy stearic acid (18h∶0). The cerebrosides of adult tapeworms contained more 18h∶0 than those of plerocercoids. The combination of hexoses and ceramides in the cerebroside molecules was slightly different in the two growth stages: the glucocerebrosides of plerocercoids contained only d18∶0-nonhydroxy fatty acids in their ceramide moieties, whereas those of adult tapeworms contained varying ceramide moieties. Our data indicate that the molecular species of glycolipids present were essentially homeostatic throughout growth in spite of the entirely different environmental conditions, although there were slight differences in the hexose distribution in the two growth stages.     

NOx reduction behavior on alumina with discharging nonthermal plasma in simulated oxidizing exhaust gas

The NO_x reduction activity on γ‐alumina was significantly improved by discharging nonthermal plasma in a simulated oxidizing exhaust gas under conditions of a high space velocity. On the other hand, those on a Pt‐loaded catalyst and Cu‐ZSM‐5 could not be improved. The discharging nonthermal plasma converted NO to NO₂ and hydrocarbons to partial‐oxidized hydrocarbons, such as aldehydes, under the oxidizing conditions. From the relationship between the NO_x reduction activities and the properties of several alumina catalysts, it was found that the NO_x reduction activity was correlated with the number of acid sites on the alumina based on the NH₃ adsorption measurement. Therefore, it is concluded that the NO_x reduction occurred at the acid sites of the alumina, and the discharging nonthermal plasma improves the NO_x reduction activity by NO₂ formation and partial‐oxidation of hydrocarbons. These results suggest that a catalytic reaction assisted by the discharging nonthermal plasma could be a promising technology for NO_x reduction in lean‐burn and diesel exhaust gases even under the conditions of high space velocity. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Hemodialysis membrane prepared from cellulose/N‐methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide solution. III. The relationship between the drying condition of the membrane and its permeation behavior

The effects of drying condition on the performance (ultrafiltration rate, diffusive solute permeability, and sieving) of hemodialysis membranes prepared from cellulose/N‐methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide (NMMO) solution (NMMO membrane) and cellulose/cuprammonium solution (cuprammonium membrane; the referential membrane) were studied. The drying condition investigated was the glycerin concentration of the solution, which was used to substitute glycerin for the water in the membrane before the membrane was dried. A lower glycerin concentration in the solution brought about a lower reswelling degree (water content) in the dried membrane in pure water, which resulted in a drop in the performance of the as‐cast membrane. The NMMO membrane had a high water content and a high membrane performance compared with the cuprammonium membrane when both the membranes were treated under the same drying condition. The differences in the performance between both membrane series is discussed on the basis of the results of the observation of the membrane morphology by scanning electron microscopy, the observation of the crystallinity of the membranes by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and the estimation of the pore structure of the membranes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1671–1681, 2003     

A method of estimating energy saving effect and its application to factory energy supply systems

In order to carry out energy saving service, it is indispensable to calculate the energy saving effect quantitatively by presuming the energy cost at the time of not executing the energy saving measure. However, it is difficult because the energy cost changes when environment (energy demand, unit prices of fuel or electric power, and so on) changes even if an energy saving measure is not executed. Although the effect has been conventionally evaluated by the difference between the energy costs before and after the energy saving measure, the effect cannot be calculated correctly when there is environmental change. In this paper, we propose the method of estimating the energy saving effect by presuming the energy cost after an energy saving measure, assuming that the measure is not executed, and show the results of its application to the practical power plants. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 168(4): 14–20, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20880     

Synthesis of an amphiphilic conjugated polymer through block copolymerization of phenylacetylene and (p-trityloxycarbonylphenyl)acetylene and the subsequent hydrolysis

Summary The polymerization of (p-trityloxycarbonylphenyl)acetylene (p-TrOCOPA) with [(nbd)RhCl]₂/Ph₂C=C(Ph)Li/Ph₃P ternary catalyst proceeded in a living fashion to provide polymer with low polydispersity index (M _w/M _n∼1.1) in good yield. Block copolymerizations of p-TrOCOPA with phenylacetylene (PA) selectively formed the corresponding block copolymers regardless of the order of monomer addition. The hydrolysis of the homo- and block copolymers of p-TrOCOPA catalyzed by hydrochloric acid gave carboxyl-containing hydrophilic homopolymer and amphiphilic block copolymers, respectively. The amphiphilic block copolymer formed micelles in solution and monomolecular membrane at the air-water interface. Received: 2 April 2001/Accepted: 17 April 2001     

Effects of urea–formaldehyde resin mole ratio on the properties of particleboard

The use of urea–formaldehyde (UF) resins with lower contents of free formaldehyde in the board industry has led to products with very low emissions of formaldehyde. This study gives a detailed account of the influence on the mechanical and physical properties of the particleboard using UF resins with different mole ratios of formaldehyde:urea within the range 0.97–1.27. The mole ratio influenced not only the thickness swelling (TS) and water absorption (WA) but also the internal bond strength (IB) and the modulus of rupture (MOR) if the manufacturing process was optimized. The investigation revealed clearly that at mole ratios of formaldehyde giving the emission class El the MOR, IB, TS, and WA of particleboard deteriorated. Compensation for the deterioration could be provided through a higher dosage of resin or through the modification of UF resin. However, both alternatives meant that the product would be more expensive.     

A basic study of a face-to-face image presentation system

Recently, broadband networks have made great progress and various interactive visual communication systems including video conferencing, video telephones and video networks for meetings are becoming increasingly popular. However, unnatural eye contact in the displays used by these communication systems has presented a barrier to natural conversation between communicators. We confirmed the possibility of realizing the feeling of eye contact that is part of natural face-to-face conversation. This paper also describes experimental results on the permissible eye-line angle that gives a sense of eye contact and the influence of image resolution.