Combined effects of electric toothbrushing and dentifrice on artificial stain removal : an in vitro study

This in vitro study aimed to clarify the combined effect of electric toothbrushing and dentifrice on the removal of artificial stain. Twenty-five bovine incisors were cut at the cervix and the crown was embedded in auto-cured acrylic resin. Specimens were abraded using #240 SiC paper to obtain a flat enamel surface, and 20 specimens were treated with 10% citric acid / 3% ferric chloride solution followed by 1% tannic acid solution to produce surface staining. They were divided into four groups: 1) brushing with an electric toothbrush and whitening dentifrice (group S+B); 2) brushing with an electric toothbrush and fluoride dentifrice (group S+C); 3) brushing with an electric toothbrush and no dentifrice (group S); and 4) no brushing (control group). The remaining five specimens were used as a baseline. Color values (L*, a*, and b* were measured before brushing (0 min), and at 1 min, 5 min, 10 min, and 20 min using a microscopic area spectrophotometer. The color change (?E) was calculated by subtracting the baseline values from the final color values obtained at each time point. The data were statistically analyzed using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and Tukey?s honest significant difference test as a post hoc test (p0.05). Groups S+B and S+C demonstrated greater ?E values than group S. The combination of electric toothbrushing and dentifrice removed the artificial stain more effectively than brushing without dentifrice. However, the stain removal was limited. The two dentifrices evaluated in this study exhibited similar stain removal effects

Intake of Radionuclides in the Trees of Fukushima Forests 3. Removal of Radiocesium from Stem Wood, Cryptomeria Japonica (L.f.) D. Don.

Nuclear power plant accidents have dispersed radiocesium into the atmosphere to contaminate trees with no turnover in heartwood, as occurred in Fukushima, and as has persisted for over 30 years around Chernobyl. Here we employ the ponding method, in which radiocesium can be flushed out from the cross-cut edges of Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don., stem with water due to xyloglucan degradation in tracheids. Furthermore, lab-scale ponding experiments have shown that a non-detectable level of radiocesium has been observed not only in the pool water used for 575 days but also in the water containing recombinant xyloglucanase. This traditional technology is now a new biotechnology

Association between Hardness (Difficulty of Chewing) of the Habitual Diet and Premenstrual Symptoms in Young Japanese Women

Recent evidence suggests that voluntary rhythmic movements such as chewing may increase blood serotonin and subsequently brain serotonin, which in turn acts to alleviate premenstrual symptoms. In this observational cross-sectional study, we tested the hypothesis that hardness (difficulty of chewing) of the habitual diet (i.e. dietary hardness) is associated with decreased premenstrual symptoms. Subjects were 640 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18–22 years. Dietary hardness was assessed as an estimate of masticatory muscle activity for the habitual diet (i.e. the difficulty of chewing the food). The consumption of a total of 107 foods was estimated by means of a self-administered, comprehensive diet history questionnaire, and masticatory muscle activity during the ingestion of these foods was estimated according to published equations. Menstrual cycle symptoms were assessed using the retrospective version of the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, from which total score and subscale scores (i.e. pain, concentration, behavioral change, autonomic reactions, water retention, and negative affect) in the premenstrual phase were calculated and expressed as percentages relative to those in the intermenstrual phase. Dietary hardness was not associated with total score in the premenstrual phase (P for trend = 0.48). Further, no association was seen for any subscale score in the premenstrual phase (P for trend = 0.18–0.91). In conclusion, this preliminary study failed to substantiate a hypothesized inverse relationship between hardness of the habitual diet and premenstrual symptoms. Considering the plausibility of the putative mechanism, however, further investigation using more relevant measures of chewing and premenstrual symptoms is warranted

Protective effects of glycoglycerolipids extracted from spinach on 5-fluorouracil induced intestinal mucosal injury

Glycoglycerolipids are mostly found in plants, however the beneficial effects of the glycoglycerolipids on mammalian body have not been understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of glycolipid extracts from spinach, which highly contained glycoglycerolipids, on mucosal injury induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in rats. Preadministration of glycolipid extracts from spinach (20 mg/kg body weight) prevented villous atrophy, misaligned crypts, and increased inflammatory cytokines in rat jejunum treated with 5-FU (300 mg/kg body weight) compared with the extracts from soybean. The glycolipid extracts from spinach highly contained monogalactosyl-diacylglycerol (MGDG) and diglactosyl-diacylglycerol (DGDG). In Caco-2 cells, MGDG and DGDG inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species induced by phorbol ester. We concluded that glycolipid extracts from spinach has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and the extract may be useful for prevention of drug-induced mucosal injury and other inflammatory diseases

A Myelin Galactolipid, Sulfatide, Is Essential for Maintenance of Ion Channels on Myelinated Axon But Not Essential for Initial Cluster Formation

Myelinated axons are divided into four distinct regions: the node of Ranvier, paranode, juxtaparanode, and internode, each of which is characterized by a specific set of axonal proteins. Voltage-gated N

Association between low-dose pulsed intravenous cyclophosphamide therapy and amenorrhea in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The risk for amenorrhea following treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with low-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY) has not been fully explored. Our objective was to ascertain the incidence of amenorrhea following treatment with low-dose IVCY and the association between amenorrhea and the clinical parameters of SLE.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A case-control retrospective study of premenopausal women ≤ 45 years old who had been treated for SLE with low-dose IVCY (500 mg/body/pulse) plus high-dose glucocorticoids (0.8-1.0 mg/kg/day of prednisolone; IVCY group) or glucocorticoids alone (0.8-1.0 mg/kg/day of prednisolone; steroid group) in our hospital from 2000 through 2009 was conducted using a questionnaire survey and medical record review.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty-nine subjects in the IVCY group and 33 subjects in the steroid group returned the questionnaire. A multivariate analysis revealed that age at initiation of treatment ≥ 40 years old was significantly associated with amenorrhea [<it>p </it>= 0.009; odds ratio (OR) 10.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-58.7]. IVCY treatment may display a trend for association with amenorrhea (<it>p </it>= 0.07; OR 2.9; 95% CI 0.9-9.4). Sustained amenorrhea developed in 4 subjects in the IVCY group and 1 subject in the steroid group; all of these patients were ≥ 40 years old. Menses resumed in all subjects < 40 years old, irrespective of treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although low-dose IVCY may increase the risk for amenorrhea, our data suggest that patients < 40 years old have a minimum risk for sustained amenorrhea with low-dose IVCY treatment. A higher risk for sustained amenorrhea following treatment with IVCY is a consideration for patients ≥ 40 years old.</p

自我機能の発達と病態化の研究(その1) : 自我機能の測定尺度の開発

　力動精神医学において，「自我」は人格の重要な構成基準であってさまざまな精神機能をつかさどる機関として考えられている．その自我機能の評価は，病態を把握し，治療の見通しを立てる上で，重要な手がかりとなるものである．よって，これまでにも多くの研究者たちがU一ルシャッハ・テストなどの投影法，質問紙，面接などを用いて，自我機能を評価・測定する方法をさまざまに提案してきた．その中でも特に中心的な研究は，Bellak，L．（1969，1973）のものである。Bellakは自我機能を12に分類し，臨床的面接，実験的手続き，既成の心理研究という3つの手続きによって詳細な自我機能の評価を試み，精神分裂病患者，神経症患者，正常者の比較研究を行った．このBellakの臨床的面接の質問項目を質問紙形式で取り入れ，正常から境界例に至る一般の中・高生の自我機能の評定と再適応の能力の評価を行い，指導や治療の指針を得ることを目的にして作成されたのが，中西・古市（1981）のEF1－2である．EF1－2は信頼性・妥当性について検討がなされ，標準化が行われているにもかかわらず，臨床の現場では未だ普及に至っていないのが現状である．そこで，自我機能の測定尺度について，われわれはまず以下のような問題点と今後の課題を検討した．　一つには，EF1－2はBellakの自我機能の枠組みに沿って作成されているが，そもそもBellakの枠組みをそのまま日本に適用することには無理があるのではなかろうか．むしろ，日本での臨床的な経験を踏まえて，自我機能の測定尺度を作成する必要があるのではないか．すなわち，Bellakの分類にこだわらず，例えば，「同一性」のような病態の把握にとって重要と考えられる下位尺度を盛り込む方が有用である．　また，Bellak，中西・古市，いずれの研究においても，自我機能の1下位分類である防衛機制についてはその全般的な機能水準を問題としており，個々の防衛機制の種類は捉えられていない．個々の防衛機制を測定する質問紙も別に考案されているが（DSQ：Bond，Gardner，Christian＆Sigal　1983，Bond　1986，申西　1998），他の自我機能と共には検討されていない．個々の防衛機制のあり方と自我機能との関連を同時に調べることがきわめて重要であると考えられるので，「防衛機制」についてはその種類も取り上げ，より詳細な項目で構成されるべきであろう．　以上の点を踏まえて，本研究は，新たな自我機能の測定尺度を作成することを試みるものである，また，今後，測定された自我機能を対象にして，その発達過程（その2）と病態化（その3）についても研究を展開していく予定であるが，本研究は，その一連の研究の第一段階に該当する

Impact of number of functional teeth on independence of Japanese older adults

Aim To examine the relationship between the number of present and functional teeth at baseline and future incidence of loss of independence. Methods Participants were community-dwelling older individuals who participated in a comprehensive geriatric health examination conducted in Kusatsu town, Japan, between 2009 and 2015. The primary endpoint was the incidence of loss of independence among participants, defined as the first certification of long-term care insurance in Japan. The numbers of present and functional teeth at baseline were determined via an oral examination. Demographics, clinical variables (e.g., history of chronic diseases and psychosocial factors), blood nutritional markers, physical functions, and perceived masticatory function were assessed. Results This study included 1121 individuals, and 205 individuals suffered from loss of independence during the follow-up period. Kaplan–Meier estimates of loss of independence for participants with smaller numbers of present and functional teeth were significantly greater than for those with larger numbers of teeth. Cox proportional hazard analyses indicated that a smaller number of present teeth was not a significant risk factor after adjusting for demographic characteristics. However, the number of functional teeth was a significant risk factor after the adjustment (hazard ratio: 1.975 [1.168–3.340]). Additionally, higher hazard ratios were observed in other adjusted models, but they were not statistically significant. Conclusions The number of functional teeth may be more closely related to the future incidence of loss of independence than the number of present teeth. This novel finding suggests that prosthodontic rehabilitation for tooth loss possibly prevents the future incidence of this life-event

スチームコンベクションオーブン調理と真空調理による水溶性ビタミンの調理損失の比較：かぼちゃおよび大根の煮物について

The purpose of this study is to compare and study water-soluble vitamin losses before and after cooking pumpkin and Japanese radish (daikon) with a steam convection oven (SC cooking) and a vacuum-packed pouch (V-P P cooking). Pumpkin was cut into 2.5 cm cubes and daikon into 2.0 cm cubes. For SC cooking, pumpkin was heated for 15 minutes and daikon for 60 minutes with liquid seasoning. For V-P P cooking, pumpkin and daikon were vacuum-packed with liquid seasoning and heated under the same conditions as SC cooking. For pumpkin, percentages of niacin, folic acid and pantothenic acid in uncooked samples, as well as those cooked by SC cooking and V-P P cooking were compared. For daikon, percentages of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C, niacin, folic acid and pantothenic acid in uncooked samples, as well as those cooked by SC cooking and V-P P cooking were compared. Setting the percentages of vitamins remained in uncooked samples as 100 %, those in SC and V-P P cooked samples of pumpkin were calculated as follows: niacin 93.1 %, 85.4 %; folic acid 84.0 %, 74.4 %; and pantothenic acid 97.9 %, 89.1 %, respectively. Percentages of vitamins in SCand V-P P cooked samples of daikon were as follows: vitamin B1 97.4 %, 94.0 %; vitamin B2 not detected, not detected; vitamin B6 66.6 %, 65.2 %; vitamin C 43.3 %, 52.2 %; niacin 80.0 %, 66.7 %; folic acid 37.7 %, 37.7 %; and pantothenic acid 72.0 %, 65.4 %, respectively.These results indicated that vitamin losses measured in this study were attributable to the cooking process, suggesting that the degree of vitamin losses due to the cooking process varied according to the characteristics of vitamins and cooking methods.論