Puissance and the Art of Worlding: Arts NPO and the Civic Coproduction of Yokohama City, Japan.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017

¿Forzado a regresar? La facilitación del retorno de los refugiados a Myanmar

A pesar de los recientes acontecimientos políticos en Myanmar y de las difíciles condiciones en Tailandia, existe una renuncia generalizada y profundamente arraigada entre los refugiados a participar en el mecanismo oficial de retorno

A New Microarray System to Detect Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes

Streptococcus pneumoniae, one of the most common gram-positive pathogens to colonize the human upper respiratory tract, is responsible for many severe infections, including meningitis and bacteremia. A 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine is available to protect against the 23 S. pneumoniae serotypes responsible for 90% of reported bacteremic infections. Unfortunately, current S. pneumoniae serotype testing requires a large panel of expensive antisera, assay results may be subjective, and serotype cross-reactions are common. For this study, we designed an oligonucleotide-based DNA microarray to identify glycosyltransferase gene sequences specific to each vaccine-related serotype. Out of 56 isolates representing different serotypes, only one isolate, representing serotype 23A, was not detected correctly as it could not be distinguished from serotype 23F. Our data suggest that the microarray provides a more cost-effective and reliable way of monitoring pneumococcal capsular types

Odor of ar-turmerone, α-curcumene, and limonene derivatives depending on their chirality

The combination of many kinds of odor molecules produces the characteristic aromas of natural odor materials. We found that the odors of such materials were expressed by a set of constituents with similar structures by the investigations of the aroma profiles of several incenses [1]. Recent studies about the olfactory mechanism show that several olfactory receptors interact with one odorant molecule with different intensities and one olfactory receptor responds to different odorant molecules with similar structures. The consequences of this mechanism are that the interactions of several constituents with similar structures are important for the aroma profile. We investigated the relationship between odorant structure and the aroma characteristics of odor molecules focusing on their chirality.                Stereoisomers of ar-turmerone, α-curcumene, and limonene (Fig. 1) have been reported to have different odors. We synthesized a series of derivatives of these compounds to get insight into their structural similarities, especially those relating to the chirality and its interaction with olfactory receptors. We investigated the structure-odor relationships and found important structural factors (molecular skeleton, groups containing oxygen, isoprene moiety) for the onset of specific odors

Effect of cyclic bis(3′–5′)diguanylic acid and its analogs on bacterial biofilm formation

Cyclic bis(3′–5′)diguanylic acid (cyclic-di-GMP) functions as a second messenger in diverse species of bacteria to trigger wide-ranging physiological changes. We measured cyclic-di-GMP and its structural analogs such as cyclic bis(3′–5′)guanylic/adenylic acid (cyclic-GpAp), cyclic bis(3′–5′)guanylic/inosinic acid (cyclic-GpIp) and monophosphorothioic acid of cyclic-di-GMP (cyclic-GpGps) for effects on the biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We constructed a knockout mutant of SA0701, which is a GGDEF motif protein relevant to diguanylate cyclase from S. aureus 2507. We confirmed that the biofilm formation of this mutant (MS2507ΔSA0701) was reduced. Cyclic-di-GMP corresponding to physiological intracellular levels given in the culture recovered the biofilm formation of MS2507ΔSA0701, whereas its analogs did not, indicating that unlike a previous suggestion, cyclic-di-GMP was involved in the positive regulation of the biofilm formation of S. aureus and its action was structurally specific. At a high concentration (200 μM), cyclic-di-GMP and its analogs showed suppression effects on the biofilm formation of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, and according to the quantification study using costat analysis, the suppression potential was in the order of cyclic-di-GMP, cyclic-GpGps, cyclic-GpAp and cyclic-GpIp, suggesting that the suppression effect was not strictly specific and the change of base structure quantitatively affected the suppression activity

Expression of fractalkine and its receptor, CX3CR1, in atopic dermatitis: Possible contribution to skin inflammation

Background: Fractalkine (FKN) induces activation and adhesion of leukocytes expressing its receptor, CX3CR1. FKN is released from the cell surface through proteolytic cleavage as soluble FKN (sFKN). Objective: We sought to assess FKN and CX3CR1 expression in the skin, serum sFKN levels, and CX3CR1 expression on blood leukocytes in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: FKN and CX3CR1 expression in the skin was examined immunohistochemically. mRNA expression of FKN, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine, and macrophage-derived chemokine in the skin was assessed by means of real-time RT-PCR. Serum sFKN levels were assessed by using ELISA. Blood leukocytes were stained for CX3CR1 by means of flow cytometric analysis. Results: FKN was strongly expressed on endothelial cells in skin lesions of patients with AD and psoriasis but not in normal skin. FKN mRNA levels in AD lesional skin increased to a similar extent to thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and macrophage-derived chemokine mRNA levels. CX3CR1-expressing cells in the affected skin of patients with AD or psoriasis increased compared with those in normal skin. Serum sFKN levels were increased in patients with AD but not in patients with psoriasis relative to levels in healthy control subjects. Serum sFKN levels were associated with the disease severity and decreased with the improvement of skin lesions in patients with AD. CX3CR1+ cell frequencies and CX3CR1 expression levels were decreased in CD8+ T cells, monocytes, and natural killer cells from patients with AD, but this was not observed in patients with psoriasis. Conclusions: These results suggest that through functions in both membrane-bound and soluble forms, FKN plays an important role in the trafficking of CX3CR1+ leukocytes during the inflammation caused by AD

Primary leiomyoma of the bladder

The case presented is of a 47-year-old patient with an extravesical pedunculated bladder leiomyoma, which was difficult to distinguish from a retroperitoneal tumor. Preoperatively, it was suspected to be a retroperitoneal tumor and a laparotomy with tumor resection was performed. lntraoperatively, the bladder and tumor were connected by a cord-like tissue. A retrospective review of preoperative images revealed that cord-like tissue, identified intraoperatively, was also present. Bladder leiomyomas can grow as extravesical pedunculated tumors. Therefore, when the continuity between the bladder and tumor is only a cord-like object, the finding of continuity is useful to diagnose with bladder leiomyoma

Prognostic Factors in Endodontic Surgery Using an Endoscope: A 1 Year Retrospective Cohort Study

This retrospective study clarified the success rate of endoscopic endodontic surgeries and identified predictors accounting for successful surgeries. In this retrospective study, 242 patients (90 males, 152 females) who underwent endoscopic endodontic surgery at a single general hospital and were diagnosed through follow-up one year later were included. Risk factors were categorized into attributes, general health, anatomy, and surgery. Then, the correlation coefficient was calculated for the success or failure of endodontic surgery for each variable, the odds ratio was calculated for the upper variable, and factors related to the surgical prognosis factor were identified. The success rate of endodontic surgery was 95.3%, showing that it was a highly predictable treatment. The top three correlation coefficients were post, age, and perilesional sclerotic signs. Among them, the presence of posts was the highest, compared with the odds ratio, which was 9.592. This retrospective study revealed the success rate and risk factors accounting for endoscopic endodontic surgeries. Among the selected clinical variables, the presence of posts was the most decisive risk factor determining the success of endodontic surgeries

The Effectiveness of Pre-Operative Screening Tests in Determining Viral Infections in Patients Undergoing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

We analyzed the rate of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection diagnosed by pre-operative screening and estimated its cost. We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent elective surgery at our maxillofacial surgery department between April 2014 and March 2022. We compared the number of patients with each infection identified by pre-operative screening and a pre-operative questionnaire. We also compared the prevalence of infections with varying age, sex, and oral diseases, and calculated the cost of screening per positive result. The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV was 0.39% (62/15,842), 0.76% (153/15,839), and 0.07% (10/12,745), respectively. The self-reported rates were as follows: HBV, 63.4% (26/41); HCV, 50.4% (62/123); HIV, 87.5% (7/8). Differences in sex were statistically significant for all infectious diseases; age significantly affected HBV and HCV rates. There was no association between the odds ratio of oral disease and viral infections. The cost per positive result was $1873.8,$905.8, and $11,895.3 for HBV, HCV, and HIV, respectively. Although self-assessment using questionnaires is partially effective, it has inadequate screening accuracy. Formulating an auxiliary diagnosis of infectious diseases with oral diseases was challenging. The cost determined was useful for hepatitis, but not HIV

Incidence and Risk of Anti-Resorptive Agent-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw after Tooth Extraction: A Retrospective Study

Bone-modifying agents (BMA) such as bisphosphonates and denosumab are frequently used for the treatment of bone metastases, osteoporosis, and multiple myeloma. BMA may lead to anti-resorptive agent-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (ARONJ). This study aimed to clarify the risk factors for and probabilities of developing ARONJ after tooth extraction in patients undergoing BMA therapy. In this study, the records of 505 target sites of 302 patients undergoing BMA who presented with mandibular fractures at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, from March 2014 to January 2022, were retrospectively analyzed for the onset of ARONJ after tooth extraction. The following variables were investigated as attributes: anatomy, health status, and dental treatment. The correlation coefficient was calculated for the success or failure of endodontic surgery for each variable, the odds ratio was calculated for the upper variable, and the factors related to the onset of ARONJ were identified. The incidence rate of ARONJ was found to be 3.2%. Hypoparathyroidism was an important factor associated with ARONJ development. Thus, systemic factors are more strongly related to the onset of ARONJ after tooth extraction than local factors