Outcomes and Treatments of Mal Fractures Caused by the Split-Crest Technique in the Mandible

In this study, we investigated cases of mal fracture occurring during the split-crest procedure. In all subjects (six patients), the free cortical bone segment caused by the mal fracture was carefully maintained in the lateral position without fixation using a titanium plate or screw. On pre- and postoperative multiplanar reconstruction CT, the average total alveolar increase was 5.0 mm in the lower portion 1 mm from the top of the alveolar ridge, and the average total alveolar increase in the lower portion 11 mm from the top of the alveolar ridge was 2.2 mm. A total of 11 dental implants were placed immediately at the same time as the split-crest procedure, while three dental implants were placed after a waiting period of 4-11 months from bone augmentation. During an average follow-up of 27.8 months, there were no complications or cases of failed implants. Consequently, among the patients who experienced mal fracture during the split-crest technique, a sufficient volume of alveolar bone was obtained without the need for rigid fixation of the free bone segment, and the dental implants placed within the area of the mal fracture showed a good prognosis

The impact of uncertainty in society on the use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine: a comparative study on visits to alternative/traditional/folk health care practitioners

Background: While traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) is gaining increased interest worldwide, the structural factors associated with the usage of TCAM at the social level have not been sufficiently explored. We aim to understand the social structure of uncertainty in society that affects the TCAM usage for men and women. Methods: We studied 32 countries using data from the International Social Survey Programme and the World Bank. In this study, we defined TCAM usage as visits to an alternative/traditional/folk health care practitioner during the past 12 months. We performed a correlation analysis and used a generalized linear model . Results: The prevalence of TCAM usage in terms of visits to practitioners was 26.1% globally, while usage varied across the 32 countries. Generalized linear models showed that unemployment rate was associated with the prevalence of TCAM usage in terms of visits to practitioners. Conclusions: At the social-structural level TCAM usage involving visits to practitioners was related to job insecurity. Job insecurity led to a decrease in TCAM usage regarding visits to practitioners. These findings suggest that it is necessary to consider the social-structural factors of uncertainty in society when designing health policies related to TCAM

Accelerated tumor growth in mice deficient in DNAM-1 receptor

Since the identification of ligands for human and mouse DNAM-1, emerging evidence has suggested that DNAM-1 plays an important role in the T cell– and natural killer (NK) cell–mediated recognition and lysis of tumor cells. However, it remains undetermined whether DNAM-1 is involved in tumor immune surveillance in vivo. We addressed this question by using DNAM-1–deficient mice. DNAM-1–deficient cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and NK cells showed significantly less cytotoxic activity against DNAM-1 ligand-expressing tumors in vitro than wild-type (WT) cells. The methylcholanthrene (MCA)-induced fibrosarcoma cell line Meth A expressed the DNAM-1 ligand CD155, and DNAM-1–deficient mice showed increased tumor development and mortality after transplantation of Meth A cells. Moreover, the DNAM-1–deficient mice developed significantly more DNAM-1 ligand-expressing fibrosarcoma and papilloma cells in response to the chemical carcinogens MCA and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), respectively, than did WT mice. These results indicate that DNAM-1 plays an important role in immune surveillance of tumor development

Differences in Ocular Complications Between Candida albicans and Non-albicans Candida Infection Analyzed by Epidemiology and a Mouse Ocular Candidiasis Model

Objectives:Candida species are a major cause of hospital infections, including ocular candidiasis, but few studies have examined the propensities of specific species to invade the eye or the unique immunological responses induced. This study examined the frequency and characteristics of species-specific Candida eye infections by epidemiology and experiments using a mouse ocular candidiasis model.Methods: We reviewed medical records of candidemia patients from January 2012 to March 2017. We also evaluated ocular fungal burden, inflammatory cytokine and chemokine profiles, and inflammatory cell profiles in mice infected with Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, or Candida parapsilosis.Results: During the study period, 20 ocular candidiasis cases were diagnosed among 99 candidemia patients examined by ophthalmologists. Although C. parapsilosis was the most frequent candidemia pathogen, only C. albicans infection was significantly associated with ocular candidiasis by multivariate analysis. In mice, ocular fungal burden and inflammatory mediators were significantly higher during C. albicans infection, and histopathological analysis revealed invading C. albicans surrounded by inflammatory cells. Ocular neutrophil and inflammatory monocyte numbers were significantly greater during C. albicans infection.Conclusion:Candida albicans is strongly associated with ocular candidiasis due to greater capacity for invasion, induction of inflammatory mediators, and recruitment of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes

Increased Soluble CD155 in the Serum of Cancer Patients

Emerging evidence suggests that DNAM-1 (CD226) play an important role in the recognition of tumor cells and their lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and NK cells. Although the DNAM-1 ligand CD155 is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues, many human tumors significantly upregulate the expression of CD155; DNAM-1 on CTL and NK cells may be involved in tumor immunity. However, unlike those in mice, human tissues also express soluble isoforms of CD155 (sCD155) that lack the transmembrane region. Here, we show that sCD155 levels were significantly higher in the sera of 262 patients with lung, gastrointestinal, breast, and gynecologic cancers than in sera from healthy donors. In addition, the sCD155 levels were significantly higher in patients with early stage (stages 1 and 2) gastric cancer than in healthy donors, and were significantly higher in patients withadvanced stage (stages 3 and 4) disease than in patients in those with early stage disease and healthy donors. Moreover, the sCD155 levels were significantly decreased after surgical resection of cancers. Thus, sCD155 level in serum may be potentially useful as a biomarkerfor cancer development and progression

Heterogeneous fibroblasts underlie age-dependent tertiary lymphoid tissues in the kidney

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinical condition defined as a rapid decline in kidney function. AKI is a global health burden, estimated to cause 2 million deaths annually worldwide. Unlike AKI in the young, which is reversible, AKI in the elderly often leads to end-stage renal disease, and the mechanism that prevents kidney repair in the elderly is unclear. Here we demonstrate that aged but not young mice developed multiple tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs) in the kidney after AKI. TLT size was associated with impaired renal function and increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and homeostatic chemokines, indicating a possible contribution of TLTs to sustained inflammation after injury. Notably, resident fibroblasts from a single lineage diversified into p75 neurotrophin receptor(+) (p75NTR(+)) fibroblasts and homeostatic chemokine-producing fibroblasts inside TLTs, and retinoic acid-producing fibroblasts around TLTs. Deletion of CD4(+) cells as well as late administration of dexamethasone abolished TLTs and improved renal outcomes. Importantly, aged but not young human kidneys also formed TLTs that had cellular and molecular components similar to those of mouse TLTs. Therefore, the inhibition of TLT formation may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for AKI in the elderly.</p

口腔乾燥の改善に関する研究 : Capparis属植物配合タブレットの味覚特性と口腔内の潤い感について

本研究では、口腔乾燥を自覚したひとへのCapparis masaikai(マビンロウ)を配合したタブレット(MT)の応用にあたって、MTの嗜好性及び口腔内の潤い感を把握するため、成人を対象に官能評価を行った。その結果、1.MTは、甘味・渋味・苦味・粉っぽさがあり、爽やかさが少ないと評価された。2.MTの若年女性の嗜好性に対する評価が低かった。このことから、MTは味の嗜好性の評価や総合評価を向上させる必要性があると考えられた。3.MTは口腔内での潤い感が60分持続し、その効果が特に高齢者群で高かった。このことから、今後口腔乾燥症を有する成人・高齢者に口腔内の潤い感を付与する有効な手立ての一つとなると考えられた。As the taste characteristic of the tablet which mixed Capparis masaikai, a sensory evaluation was carried out among young panelists (23 men, average age 25.5 and 31 women, average age 22.2) and elderly panelists (15 men, average age 72.1 and 17 women, average age 74.3) in order to grasp the preference of taste and moisture sensation in the oral cavity. The sample of the sensory evaluation was made to be two kinds of the tablets of MT (the tablet including the 15% Capparis masaikai extract) and N-MT (the tablet of the identical composition without the Capparis masaikai extract). The sensory evaluation items were made to be the time until the tablets melted in the oral cavity, and strength and weakness and preference, total evaluation of the taste of the tablet in licking and after the licking. The following results were obtained: 1. MT was evaluated that sweetness, astringent taste and bitterness and powder were stronger than N-MT, but it was evaluated that refreshingness was weaker than N-MT. 2. An evaluation for the preference of the young women of MT was low. From this result, there seemed to be a necessity of improving evaluation and total evaluation of the preference of taste of MT. 3. Moisture sensation in the oral cavity kept 60 minutes on MT, and the effect was especially high in the elderly panelists. From this result, MT seemed to be one of the effective ways that gave moisture sensation in the oral cavity to adult and elderly people who would be conscious of the dry mouth in future

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead