Silver nanoparticles in orthodontics, a new alternative in bacterial inhibition: in vitro study

Background The purpose of the study is to assess the antiadherent and antibacterial properties of surface-modified different orthodontic brackets with silver nanoparticles against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, using radiomarker. Methods In this study evaluated quantitatively the adherence of Streptococci to orthodontic brackets, 300 samples of orthodontic brackets were selected and classified in to 10 groups as follow: GIn (InVu-Roth), GIIn (System-AlexanderLTS), GIIIn (Gemini-Roth), GIVn (NuEdge-Roth), GVn (Radiance plus-Roth), GVI (InVu-Roth), GVII (System-AlexanderLTS), GVIII (Gemini-Roth), GIX (NuEdge-Roth), GX (Radiance plus-Roth). All the samples were sonicated and Streptococci were cultivated by gender. A radioactive marker (3H) was used to codify the bacteria and measure them. After that, the brackets were submerged in a radiolabelled solution, and the radiation was measured. The statistical analysis was calculated with ANOVA test (Sheffè post hoc). Results The results showed significant differences were found among the groups. GIIIn shown the lowest scores for both bacteria; in contrast, GIX for Streptococcus mutans and GVI for Streptococcus sobrinus were the highest values. Conclusions Surface modification of orthodontic brackets with silver nanoparticles can be used to prevent the accumulation of dental plaque and the development of dental caries during orthodontic treatment

Haplotypes and a Novel Defective Allele of CES2 Found in a Japanese Population

ABSTRACT: Human carboxylesterase 2 (hCE-2) is a member of the serine esterase superfamily and is responsible for hydrolysis of a wide variety of xenobiotic and endogenous esters. hCE-2 also activates an anticancer drug, irinotecan (7-ethyl-10-[4-(1-piperidino)-1-piperidino]-carbonyloxycamptothecin, CPT-11), into its active metabolite, 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38). In this study, a comprehensive haplotype analysis of the CES2 gene, which encodes hCE-2, in a Japanese population was conducted. Human carboxylesterases are members of the serine esterase superfamily and are responsible for hydrolysis of a wide variety of xenobiotic and endogenous esters. They metabolize esters, thioesters, carbamates, and amides to yield soluble acids and alcohols or amines Although both hCE-1 and hCE-2 show broad substrate specificities, hCE-2 is relatively specific for heroin, cocaine (benzoyl ester), 6-acetylmorphine, procaine, and oxybutynin 1865 camptothecin (SN-38), a topoisomerase inhibitor, by carboxylesterases Previously, 12 exons and their flanking regions of CES2 were sequenced from 153 Japanese subjects, who received irinotecan or steroidal drugs, and 12 novel SNPs, including the nonsynonymous SNP, 100CϾT (Arg 34 Trp), and the SNP at the splice acceptor site of intron 8 (IVS8-2AϾG) were found Materials and Methods Chemicals. Irinotecan, SN-38, and SN-38G were kindly supplied by Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). Patients. A total of 262 Japanese subjects analyzed in this study consisted of 85 patients with allergies who received steroidal drugs and 177 patients with cancer who received irinotecan. The ethical review boards of the National Cancer Center, National Center for Child Health and Development, and National Institute of Health Sciences approved this study. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. DNA Sequencing. Total genomic DNA was extracted from blood leukocytes or Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphocytes and used as a template in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence data of the CES2 gene from 72 patients and 81 cancer patients were described previously Linkage Disequilibrium and Haplotype Analyses. LD analysis was performed by the SNPAlyze software (version 5.1; Dynacom Co., Yokohama, Japan), and a pairwise two-dimensional map between SNPs was obtained for the DЈ and rho square (r 2 ) values. All allele frequencies were in HardyWeinberg equilibrium. Some haplotypes were unambiguously assigned in the subjects with homozygous variations at all sites or a heterozygous variation at only one site. Separately, the diplotype configurations (combinations of haplotypes) were inferred by LDSUPPORT software, which determines the posterior probability distribution of the diplotype configuration for each subject on the basis of estimated haplotype frequencies Administration of Irinotecan and Pharmacokinetic Analysis. The demographic data and eligibility criteria for 177 cancer patients who received irinotecan in the National Cancer Center Hospitals (Tokyo and Chiba, Japan) were described elsewhere Each patient received a 90-min i.v. infusion at doses of 60 to 150 mg/m 2 , which varied depending on regimens/coadministered drugs: i.e., irinotecan dosages were 100 or 150 mg/m 2 for monotherapy and combination with 5-FU, 150 mg/m 2 for combination with mitomycin C (MMC), and 60 (or 70) mg/m 2 for combination with platinum anticancer drugs. Heparinized blood was collected before administration of irinotecan and at 0 min (end of infusion), 20 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h after infusion. Plasma concentrations of irinotecan, SN-38, and SN-38G were determined as described previously Expression of Wild-Type and Variant CES2 Proteins in COS-1 Cells. Expression of wild-type and variant CES2 proteins in COS-1 cells was examined as described previously and ZERO-Dscan software (Raytest, Straubenhardt, Germany). The relative expression levels are shown as the means Ϯ S.D. of three separate transfection experiments. Determination of CES2 mRNA by Real-Time RT-PCR. Total RNA was isolated from transfected COS-1 cells using the RNeasy Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Tokyo, Japan). After RNase-free DNase treatment of samples to minimize plasmid DNA contamination, first-strand cDNA was prepared from 1 g of total RNA using the High-Capacity cDNA Archive Kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) with random primers. Real-time PCR assays were performed with the ABI7500 Real Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems) using the TaqMan Gene Expression Assay for CES2 (Hs01077945_m1; Applied Biosystems) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The relative mRNA levels were determined using calibration curves obtained from serial dilutions of the pooled wild-type CES2 cDNA. Samples without reverse transcriptase were routinely included in the RT-PCR reactions to measure possible contributions of contaminating DNA, which was usually less than 1% of the mRNA-derived amplification. Transcripts of ␤-actin were quantified as internal controls using TaqMan ␤-Actin Control Reagent (Applied Biosystems), and normalization of CES2 mRNA levels were based on ␤-actin concentrations. Enzyme Assay. CPT-11 hydrolyzing activity of the postmitochondrial supernatants (microsomal fraction plus cytosol) was assayed over the substrate concentration range of 0.25 to 50 M as described previously Statistical Analysis. Statistical analysis of the differences in the AUC ratios among CES2 diplotypes, coadministered drugs. or irinotecan dosages was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test, or Spearman rank correlation test (Prism 4.0, GraphPad Software, Inc., San Diego, CA). The t test (Prism 4.0) was applied to the comparison of the average values of protein expression and mRNA levels between wild-type and variant CES2. Results CES2 Variations Detected in a Japanese Population. Previously, the promoter region, all 12 exons, and their flanking introns of the CES2 gene were sequenced from 72 allergic patients and 81 cancer patients and resulted in the identification of 12 novel SNPs The nonsynonymous SNP 424GϾA (V142M) reported by our group LD and Haplotype Analysis. Using the detected SNPs, LD analysis was performed, and the pairwise values of r 2 and DЈ were obtained. A perfect linkage (r 2 ϭ 1.00) was observed between SNPs Ϫ363CϾG and IVS10-87GϾA. A close association (r 2 ϭ 0.85) was found between SNPs IVS10-108GϾA and 1749AϾG. Other associations were much lower (r 2 Ͻ 0.1). Therefore, the entire CES2 gene was analyzed as one LD block. The determined/inferred haplotypes are summarized i

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1.平均栄養摂取量は,19歳女子普通労作の栄養所要量と比較すると,ビタミンC以外は不足の状態であり,特にカルシウムの不足が目立った。また摂取栄養量には個人差がかなりみられ所要量の±10%以内の者は,エネルギーにおいては36.8%,脂質においてはわずか21.1%であった。 2.朝食・昼食・夕食・間食における栄養摂取量の比率においては,間食の占める割合が比較的多い傾向にあり,これは女子短大生の特徴といえる。 3.栄養比率については,エネルギーの栄養素別摂取構成比は,たんぱく質14.8%,脂質26.9%,糖質58.3%であり,厚生省の示している適正比率目標にほぼ一致していた。また動物性たんぱく質比は50%,糖質エネルギー比は45.6%脂質エネルギーは27.2%であり,これらの比率も適当であると思われる。しかし個人的には問題のある者もかなりみられた。 4.食品群別摂取量については,高居ら^7)の示す食糧構成案と比較すると,パン類・めん類・いも類・菓子・獣鳥肉類・卵類においては充足されているが,他の食品群は不足し,特に米類・砂糖・みその不足が目立った。 5.主食の種類は,その頻度において全体として米飯を主体とする傾向にあるが,朝食ではパンが,昼食では麺類が比較的多く摂られていた。 6.外食の状況は,その頻度においては,昼食・夕食・朝食の順であり,その主食の種類は,全体では米飯・パン・麺類がはぼ同数であったが朝食ではパンが,夕食では米飯が多かった。 7.欠食状況は,朝食では34.2%,昼食では,23.7%,夕食では7.9%の者が欠食しており,国民栄養調査(昭和56年度15～20歳)^2)と比較するといずれも高い比率であった。また朝食における欠食が最も多く,朝食を5日間連続欠食した者も2.6%あった。なお1日に1回以上欠食した者としなかった者とでは,エネルギー摂取量に250kcalの差がみられた。 8.食品添加物の1人1日当たりの摂取品目は10～69品目,平均43品目であり,摂取量は平均4.4gであった。これは谷村^15),藤井ら^16)の述べているものと近い数値であった。以上のごとく,栄養摂取量の不足や食品の摂り方における量不足と偏り,間食の摂り過ぎや欠食の多いことなど,問題点が多くみられた。従ってこれらのことがらについてきめ細かい指導の必要性を強く感じた

Characteristics of Child-Rearing Environments Related to Social Development in Early Childhood

This study aimed to determine the characteristics of childrearing environments related to social development in early childhood. A questionnaire survey was conducted with the caregivers of children attending an urban preschool to identify the characteristics of the childrearing environment in relation to social development in early childhood. The TK Infant Development Test was used to assess social development. The Index of Child Care Environment (13 items in four domains) was used to assess the childrearing environment. Six of the items were used to assess parent–child interaction at home. The correlation coefficients between the social development and childrearing environment items were calculated. Multiple regression analysis was conducted with social development (DQ) as the dependent variable and the childcare environment items as the independent variables. Two types of analyses were conducted: forced entry (model 1) and stepwise (model 2). The results of our univariate and multivariate analyses showed a significant association between the social development items and childrearing environment items after adjusting for the target attributes. This finding suggests that an appropriate childrearing environment promotes social development in early childhood

食品安全性に配慮して生産された牛肉の消費者評価

The purpose of this paper was to verify the stability of consumers\u27 evaluations of food safety by conducting the identical choice experiments questionnaire survey at the same site two different times. The two surveys, measuring the consumers\u27 evaluations of beef derived from cattle fed in accordance with improved food safety measures were　conducted in January 2003 (n = 83) and March 2004 (n = 369) in Kiyota ward of Sapporo city in Hokkaido, Japan. A comparison of the results of the two surveys suggests that social issues related to the choice experiment questions can significantly influence the consumers\u27 inferred values for food safety on the basis of the questions

A non-compensatory choice modeling analysis of Japanese consumers’ preferences for beef: A choice experiment approach

The purpose of this paper is to examine, using choice experiments, the Japanese consumers’ valuation of domestic Wagyu beef, domestic dairy beef, Australian beef, and US beef when considering their bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) test status. Some Japanese consumers give high priority to food safety while purchasing beef; this is expected to cause a non-compensatory valuation of food safety. As compared to the results derived from a compensatory utility model, a random parameters logit (RPL) with a non-compensatory utility model provides estimation results that are fitter for the respondents’ decision-making rules and also provides more valid willingness to pay (WTP) for each type of beef. The results suggest that the RPL with the non-compensatory utility model is more suitable for measuring the valuation of food safety with regard to beef by the food safety conscious Japanese consumers. Moreover, the WTP for each BSE-tested type of beef reveals that the Japanese consumers seem to regard the BSE test to be very important for ensuring the food safety of beef

ADHESION OF Candida albicans AND Streptococcus mutans TO SILVER NANOPARTICLE-MODIFIED POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE

"This in vitro study independently evaluated the adhesion of Candida albicans (ATCC 18804) and Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) blocks modified with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). A total of 160 samples were used, separat