Relationship between Psychological Stress Determined by Voice Analysis and Periodontal Status: A Cohort Study

In modern society, evaluation and management of psychological stress may be important for the prevention of periodontal disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between psychological stress (vitality and mental activity) evaluated by Mind Monitoring System (MIMOSYS) and periodontal status. Forty students of Okayama University underwent the oral examination and self-reported questionnaire on the first day (baseline) and the 14th day (follow-up). Voice recording was performed every day with the MIMOSYS app during the whole study period. The participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline and at follow-up. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to determine the significance of correlations among variables. The PHQ-9 and BDI scores were negatively correlated with vitality in the morning. Change in vitality in the morning was significantly correlated with changes in periodontal inflammation. Mental activity was significantly correlated with change in mean probing pocket depth. This result shows that measurement of psychological stress using a voice-based tool to assess mental health may contribute to the early detection of periodontal disease

Evaluation of the Luciferase Assay-Based In Vitro Elicitation Test for Serum IgE

ABSTRACTBackgroundAn in vitro elicitation test employing human high-affinity IgE receptor-expressing rat mast cell lines appears to be a useful method for measuring mast cell activation using a patient's IgE and an allergen; however, such cell lines are sensitive to human complements in the serum. We have recently developed a new luciferase-reporting mast cell line (RS-ATL8) to detect IgE crosslinking-induced luciferase expression (EXiLE) with relatively low quantities of serum IgE.MethodsA total of 30 patients suspected of having egg white (EW) allergy were subjected to an oral food challenge (OFC) test; then, the performances of EW-specific serum IgE (CAP-FEIA), EW-induced degranulation, and EXiLE responses in RS-ATL8 cells were compared using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The patients' sera were diluted to 1:100, which causes no cytotoxicity when sensitizing the RS-ATL8 cells for the degranulation and EXiLE tests.ResultsThe area under the ROC curves was highest in the EXiLE test (0.977), followed by CAP-FEIA (0.926) and degranulation (0.810). At an optimal cutoff range (1.648-1.876) calculated from the ROC curve of the EXiLE test, sensitivity and specificity were 0.944 and 0.917, respectively. A 95% positive predictive value was given at a cutoff level of 2.054 (fold increase in luciferase expression) by logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: In contrast to in vivo tests, the EXiLE test appears to be a useful tool in diagnosing patients suspected of having IgE-dependent EW allergy without the risk of severe systemic reactions

ヘモグロビンM症の病態生化学的研究

Two new 3-fold interpenetrated 3D microporous metal-organic coordination polymers (MOCPs) of Cu(II), [Cu<SUB>3</SUB>(bipy)<SUB>1.5</SUB>(2,6-ndc)<SUB>3</SUB>]<SUB>n</SUB> (1) and {[Cu(bpe)<SUB>0.5</SUB>(2,6-ndc)]·0.5H<SUB>2</SUB>O}<SUB>n</SUB> (2) (bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine; bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane; and 2,6-ndc = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate), have been synthesized using a mixed-ligand system and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. Room-temperature reaction of Cu(II) with bipy and 2,6-ndc affords 1, whereas reaction with bpe and 2,6-ndc yields 2. Structure determination reveals that in both cases, a 2D square grid made by Cu(II) and 2,6-ndc with the aid of Cu<SUB>2</SUB>(CO<SUB>2</SUB>)<SUB>4</SUB> paddlewheel building block is connected by bipy (1) or bpe (2) organic pillar results 3D &#x00391;-polonium type frameworks. Framework 1 is rigid and robust without any guest molecules, whereas 2 is flexible, realized by the guest induced structural transformations. Both the frameworks show high thermal stability. Framework 1 and dehydrated form of 2, i.e 2′ contains 16.6% and 21.4% void space, respectively and Langmuir surface area calculated from nitrogen adsorption study for 1 and 2′ is 113.0 and 337.5 m<SUP>2</SUP>/g, respectively. Both the frameworks can store approximately 1 wt % of molecular hydrogen at 77 K and 15 bar, in particular, the density of adsorbed hydrogen in 1 is one of the highest reported so far in porous MOCPs. Compounds 1 and 2′ can also store 11.0 and 13.2 wt % carbon dioxide at 195 K

CLASSIFICATION OF BIPOLAR DISORDER, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, AND HEALTHY STATE USING VOICE

Objective: In this study, we propose a voice index to identify healthy individuals, patients with bipolar disorder, and patients with major depressive disorder using polytomous logistic regression analysis.Methods: Voice features were extracted from voices of healthy individuals and patients with mental disease. Polytomous logistic regression analysis was performed for some voice features.Results: With the prediction model obtained using the analysis, we identified subject groups and were able to classify subjects into three groups with 90.79% accuracy.Conclusion: These results show that the proposed index may be used as a new evaluation index to identify depression

A prospective compound screening contest identified broader inhibitors for Sirtuin 1

Potential inhibitors of a target biomolecule, NAD-dependent deacetylase Sirtuin 1, were identified by a contest-based approach, in which participants were asked to propose a prioritized list of 400 compounds from a designated compound library containing 2.5 million compounds using in silico methods and scoring. Our aim was to identify target enzyme inhibitors and to benchmark computer-aided drug discovery methods under the same experimental conditions. Collecting compound lists derived from various methods is advantageous for aggregating compounds with structurally diversified properties compared with the use of a single method. The inhibitory action on Sirtuin 1 of approximately half of the proposed compounds was experimentally accessed. Ultimately, seven structurally diverse compounds were identified

Tokyo Guidelines 2018 management bundles for acute cholangitis and cholecystitis

Management bundles that define items or procedures strongly recommended in clinical practice have been used in many guidelines in recent years. Application of these bundles facilitates the adaptation of guidelines and helps improve the prognosis of target diseases. In Tokyo Guidelines 2013 (TG13), we proposed management bundles for acute cholangitis and cholecystitis. Here, in Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18), we redefine the management bundles for acute cholangitis and cholecystitis. Critical parts of the bundles in TG18 include the diagnostic process, severity assessment, transfer of patients if necessary, and therapeutic approach at each time point. Observance of these items and procedures should improve the prognosis of acute cholangitis and cholecystitis. Studies are now needed to evaluate the dissemination of these TG18 bundles and their effectiveness. Free full articles and mobile app of TG18 are available at: . Related clinical questions and references are also include

療養所訪問を通してハンセン病問題を考える (5)

これまで『ハンセン病回復者と北海道をむすぶ会』では、2回にわたって台湾楽生院を訪問し、ハンセン病回復者の方々との交流を深めてきた。本報告は、2013年3月29-31日に台湾楽生院を訪問の際、ハンセン病回復者の方々から伺った話、および2013年10月、2014年1月に札幌などで行われたハンセン病回復者の方の講演などから、ハンセン病療養所の現状をまとめ、今後の課題を明らかにしたい

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: initial management of acute biliary infection and flowchart for acute cholangitis

The initial management of patients with suspected acute biliary infection starts with the measurement of vital signs to assess whether or not the situation is urgent. If the case is judged to be urgent, initial medical treatment should be started immediately including respiratory/circulatory management if required, without waiting for a definitive diagnosis. The patient's medical history is then taken; an abdominal examination is performed; blood tests, urinalysis, and diagnostic imaging are carried out; and a diagnosis is made using the diagnostic criteria for cholangitis/cholecystitis. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, initial medical treatment should be started immediately, severity should be assessed according to the severity grading criteria for acute cholangitis/cholecystitis, and the patient's general status should be evaluated. For mild acute cholangitis, in most cases initial treatment including antibiotics is sufficient, and most patients do not require biliary drainage. However, biliary drainage should be considered if a patient does not respond to initial treatment. For moderate acute cholangitis, early endoscopic or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is indicated. If the underlying etiology requires treatment, this should be provided after the patient's general condition has improved; endoscopic sphincterotomy and subsequent choledocholithotomy may be performed together with biliary drainage. For severe acute cholangitis, appropriate respiratory/circulatory management is required. Biliary drainage should be performed as soon as possible after the patient's general condition has been improved by initial treatment and respiratory/circulatory management. Free full articles and mobile app of TG18 are available at: http://www.jshbps.jp/modules/en/index.php?content_id=47 . Related clinical questions and references are also include