We fabricated a multilayered medium by a laminating process with pressure-sensitive adhesives. It was possible to reduce the thickness variations of both photosensitive layers and transparent layers by applying laminating films. This method is easy to use to pile up many layers for a multilayered medium. We fabricated twenty recording layers and demonstrated the capability to record with significant reading results. The recorded data in each layer were read out without crosstalk. We evaluated the signal-to-noise ratio and crosstalk between neighboring layers. It was found that the signal-to-noise ratio of a multilayered medium was higher than 50 dB.

Previous research has shown that habitual chocolate intake is related to cognitive performance and that frequent chocolate consumption is significantly associated with improved memory. However, little is known about the effects of the subchronic consumption of dark chocolate (DC) on cognitive function and neurotrophins. Eighteen healthy young subjects (both sexes; 20–31 years old) were randomly divided into two groups: a DC intake group (n = 10) and a cacao-free white chocolate (WC) intake group (n = 8). The subjects then consumed chocolate daily for 30 days. Blood samples were taken to measure plasma levels of theobromine (a methylxanthine most often present in DC), nerve growth factor (NGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and to analyze hemodynamic parameters. Cognitive function was assessed using a modified Stroop color word test and digital cancellation test. Prefrontal cerebral blood flow was measured during the tests. DC consumption increased the NGF and theobromine levels in plasma, enhancing cognitive function performance in both tests. Interestingly, the DC-mediated enhancement of cognitive function was observed three weeks after the end of chocolate intake. WC consumption did not affect NGF and theobromine levels or cognitive performance. These results suggest that DC consumption has beneficial effects on human health by enhancing cognitive function.

We report about the Suzaku observation of two ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), X-1 and X-2, in NGC1313, together with their spectra by XMM-Newton. During the observation, both showed intensity-correlated spectral changes. The brighter source, X-1, exhibited the highest luminosity (∼ 3 × 10 40 erg s −1 ) ever recorded from this source. Its spectral variation is ascribed to a strong power-law like component with a mild high energy curvature, while about 10% of the flux is carried by a stable soft component modeled by a cool disk emission. These properties suggest that the source was in the "very high" state, wherein the disk emission is strongly Comptonized and the optically-thick disk is truncated at a large radii or cooled off. The spectrum of X-2 is best represented, in its fainter phase, by a multicolor disk model with the innermost disk temperature of 1.2-1.3 keV, and becomes flatter as the source gets brighter. Hence X-2 is interpreted to be in a slim disk state. These results suggest that the two ULXs host black holes of a few tens to a few hundreds solar masses.at University of Birmingham on June 9, 2015 http://ptps.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from

Propionibacterium acnes is a Gram-positive anaerobic to aero-tolerant bacterium and part of the skin microbiota in humans. It colonizes areas of skin rich in sebaceous glands, such as the scalp and face. The amount of P. acnes in skin is related to the activity of the sebaceous glands; the population increases after the maturation of sebaceous gland function following puberty. 1)P. acnes is the major etiological agent of inflammatory acne, and multiple mechanisms are involved in this inflammatory process. P. acnes stimulates the release of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and activates the complement system. This microorganism also produces free fatty acids via the hydrolysis of sebaceous gland triglycerides by its lipase. A wide range of antibiotic classes are effective against acne vulgaris due to P. acnes, such as clindamycin, erythromycin, quinolones, and the tetracycline family. In the last decade, the appearance of antibiotic-resistant P. acnes has increased.2) A European surveillance study suggested that 15.1% of clinical isolates were resistant to clindamycin and 17.1% to erythromycin. 3)In the 1980s, a double-blind trial of a lotion containing 2% miconazole (MCZ) and 5% benzoyl peroxide was performed in patients with acne vulgaris. 4) High efficacy was seen in 88% of the combination group compared to the group using benzoyl peroxide alone, with a significant reduction in inflammatory lesions. Although MCZ is an imidazole antifungal agent, the compound is also active against Gram-positive bacteria, such as P. acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Corynebacterium spp. in vitro.5) The compound causes the release of cellular K ϩ , which may be related to membrane damage.6,7) More than 20 years have passed since the clinical effectiveness of MCZ against acne vulgaris due to P. acnes was first elucidated. Since then, several azole agents have been introduced for the clinical treatment of fungal infections. In this study, we reassessed the in vitro activities of several azole antifungal agents against P. acnes. MATERIALS AND METHODSMaterials Thirty-two clinical P. acnes isolates were obtained from patients with acne vulgaris. Of them, eight were resistant to both erythromycin [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), 8-16 mg/ml] and clindamycin (MIC, 32-64 mg/ml), while all were susceptible to penicillin G (MIC, Ͻ0.25 mg/ml), ampicillin (MIC, Ͻ0.25 mg/ml), piperacillin (MIC, Ͻ8 mg/ml), cefozopran (MIC, Ͻ4 mg/ml), cefmetazole (MIC, Ͻ4 mg/ml), latamoxef (MIC, Ͻ4 mg/ml), imipenem/ cilastatin (MIC, 1 mg/ml), clindamycin (MIC, 0.5 mg/ml), minocycline (MIC, Ͻ1 mg/ml), chloramphenicol (MIC, 4 mg/ml), and tosufloxacin (MIC, Ͻ0.5-1 mg/ml). MCZ, fluconazole (FLZ), itraconazole (ITZ), and voriconazole (VRZ) were purchased from ASTY (Kyokuto Pharmaceutical, Tokyo, Japan); ketoconazole (KTZ) was obtained from Jassen Pharmaceutical (Tokyo, Japan).Drug Susceptibility Testing The in vitro activities of the five azole agents were determined at concentrations of 0.125-8 mg/ml in reduced Brucella broth ...

Good or poor family relationships were significantly related to psychological strains and might determine the institutionalized rate in nursing homes.