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This paper aims to characterize boundedness of composition operators on Besov spaces B p , q s of higher order derivatives s > 1 + 1 / p on the one-dimensional Euclidean space. In contrast to the lower order case 0 < s < 1 , there were a few results on the boundedness of composition operators for s > 1 . We prove a relation between the composition operators and pointwise multipliers of Besov spaces, and effectively use the characterizations of the pointwise multipliers. As a result, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the boundedness of composition operators for general p, q, and s such that 1 < p ≤ ∞ , 0 < q ≤ ∞ , and s > 1 + 1 / p . In this paper, we treat, as a map that induces the composition operator, not only a homeomorphism on the real line but also a continuous map whose number of elements of inverse images at any one point is bounded above. We also show a similar characterization of the boundedness of composition operators on Sobolev spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The universality of neural networks with sigmoidal or discriminatory functions are characterized on functional Banach lattices. This study is an extension of a previous study on a similar problem of an unbounded exponent in variable Lebesgue spaces, which contain essentially bounded measurable functions. However, the notion of functional Banach lattices includes other fundamental function spaces and our result is a natural generalization of the well-known result by Cybenko. We examine the structure of bounded uniformly continuous functions for this purpose and provide functional Banach lattices over unbounded domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the boundedness of composition operators acting on Morrey spaces and weak Morrey spaces. The primary aim of this study is to investigate a necessary and sufficient condition on the boundedness of the composition operator induced by a diffeomorphism on Morrey spaces. In particular, detailed information is derived from the boundedness, i.e., the bi-Lipschitz continuity of the mapping that induces the composition operator follows from the continuity of the composition mapping. The idea of the proof is to determine the Morrey norm of the characteristic functions, and employ a specific function composed of a characteristic function. As this specific function belongs to Morrey spaces but not to Lebesgue spaces, the result reveals a new phenomenon not observed in Lebesgue spaces. Subsequently, we prove the boundedness of the composition operator induced by a mapping that satisfies a suitable volume estimate on general weak-type spaces generated by normed spaces. As a corollary, a necessary and sufficient condition for the boundedness of the composition operator on weak Morrey spaces is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontal regeneration using EDTA or PDGF showed promising results, but the effect of combined application was still unclear. This study aimed to verify the effect of EDTA and/or PDGF application on root adhesion and proliferation of PDL fibroblast cells. Eighty specimens were prepared from forty periodontitis teeth and made five groups: (1) diseased (untreated), (2) SRP (scaling root planing), (3) EDTA (24%), (4) PDGF (25 ng/ml) and (5) Combined application of EDTA and PDGF. Periodontal ligament cells were cultured on the above conditioned dentin plate, and SEM examination was preformed and cells were counted within a representative standard area for both cell morphology and density. All groups including untreated showed significantly increase of adhered cells from baseline to 7 days. Among them, rate of increase was much higher in EDTA, PDGF, and combined groups. ANOVA test indicated that the number of cells in PDGF and combined groups was significantly higher than diseased group at 1 day. On day 7, PDGF and combined groups showed significantly higher number of adhesion cells than that found in the diseased, SRP and EDTA groups. Thus, root conditioning with EDTA enhanced cell adhesion more than SRP alone. There was no significant difference of cell number between PDGF and combined group. Combined application of EDTA and PDGF increased significantly PDL cell adhesion than EDTA alone. PDGF alone, however, also showed comparable effect to combined application at all periods. Thus, synergistic effect between PDGF and EDTA was not observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser is now increasingly used in periodontal therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Er:YAG laser irradiation on the morphology of periodontopathic bacteria and to compare the bacterial elimination effect of the laser and the ultrasonic scaler on diseased root surfaces in vitro. Colonies of Porphyromonas gingivalis were exposed to a single-pulse Er:YAG laser at 40 mJ and were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, 20 pairs of periodontally diseased root surfaces with subgingival calculi of freshly extracted teeth were treated by Er:YAG laser scaling at 40 mJ/pulse (14.2 J/cm(2) per pulse) and 10 Hz with water spray or ultrasonic scaling, or were not treated. The efficiency of each treatment was determined as the area treated per second, and the treated surfaces were examined by SEM. The material scraped from the treated root surfaces was cultured in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and the numbers of colony forming units (CFUs) were compared. SEM and TEM showed that the Er:YAG laser had easily ablated the bacterial colony, leaving an ablation spot with a crater and the surrounding affected area showing melted branch-like structures. The laser irradiation was as equally effective and efficient as the ultrasonic scaler in performing root surface debridement. The CFUs after laser treatment were significantly fewer than those after ultrasonic scaling in aerobic and anaerobic culture conditions. Er:YAG laser ablates periodontopathic bacteria with thermal vaporization, and its bacterial elimination effect on the diseased root surfaces appears to be superior to that of the ultrasonic scaler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preoperative assessment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) complicated with acquired renal cystic disease in a 63-year-old male patient on long-term hemodialysis (30 years and 8 months) that was difficult because of no or poor contrast enhancement by dynamic CT scan is reported. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with perflubutane microbubbles and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) with 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose (FDG) in addition to dynamic CT were effective and useful for preoperative assessment of this patient. The pathological subtype of RCC in this patient was acquired cystic disease-associated RCC (ACD-associated RCC), which has been newly defined by Tickoo et al. (Am J Surg Pathol 30:141-153, 2006). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontal-ligament-derived cells (PDL cells) have stem-cell-like properties and, when implanted into periodontal defects in vivo, can induce periodontal regeneration including the formation of new bone, cementum, and periodontal ligament. We have previously demonstrated that PDL cell sheets, harvested from temperature-responsive cell culture dishes, have a great potential for periodontal regeneration. The purpose of this study has been to validate the safety and efficacy of human PDL (hPDL) cell sheets for use in clinical trials. hPDL tissues from three donors were enzymatically digested, and the obtained cells were cultured with media containing autologous serum in a cell-processing center (CPC). The safety and efficacy of hPDL cell sheets were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro studies showed that the hPDL cell sheets had high alkaline phosphatase activity and periostin expression (known PDL markers) and no contamination with microorganisms. In vivo studies revealed that hPDL cell sheets, implanted with dentin blocks, induced the formation of cementum and PDL-like tissue in immunodeficient mice. The hPDL cells presented no evidence of malignant transformation. Thus, hPDL cell sheets created in CPCs are safe products and possess the potential to regenerate periodontal tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the use of high-level Er:YAG laser irradiation has been increasing in periodontal and peri-implant therapy, the effects of low-level Er:YAG laser on surrounding tissues and cells remain unclear. In the present study, the effects of low-level Er:YAG laser irradiation on osteoblast proliferation were investigated. Cells of the osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 were treated with low-level Er:YAG laser irradiation with various combinations of laser settings (fluence 0.7-17.2 J/cm(2)) and in the absence or presence of culture medium during irradiation. On day 1 and/or day 3, cell proliferation and death were determined by cell counting and by measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. Further, the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in laser-enhanced cell proliferation was investigated by inhibiting the MAPK pathways and then measuring MAPK phosphorylation by Western blotting. Higher proliferation rates were found with various combinations of irradiation parameters on days 1 and 3. Significantly higher proliferation was also observed in laser-irradiated MC3T3-E1 cells at a fluence of approximately 1.0-15.1 J/cm(2), whereas no increase in LDH activity was observed. Further, low-level Er:YAG irradiation induced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MAPK/ERK) 5 to 30 min after irradiation. Although MAPK/ERK 1/2 inhibitor U0126 significantly inhibited laser-enhanced cell proliferation, activation of stress-activated protein kinases/Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) and p38 MAPK was not clearly detected. These results suggest that low-level Er:YAG laser irradiation increases osteoblast proliferation mainly by activation of MAPK/ERK, suggesting that the Er:YAG laser may be able to promote bone healing following periodontal and peri-implant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buerger disease (BD) is an occulusive vascular disease of unknown etiology. Although cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor of BD, genetic factors may also play a role in the etiology. Because chronic bacterial infection such as oral periodontitis is suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of BD, gene polymorphisms involved in the infectious immunity might be associated with BD as the genetic factor(s). We have previously reported that HLA-DRB1*1501 and B54 was associated with BD in Japanese. In this study, polymorphisms in HLA-DPB1, DRB1 and B were analyzed in 131 Japanese BD patients and 227 healthy controls. In addition, we investigated a functional promoter polymorphism, −260 C > T, of CD14 that is a main receptor of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. It was found that the frequencies of CD14 TT genotype [37.4 vs. 24.2%, P = 0.008 OR = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.18, 2.97], DRB1*1501 (34.4 vs. 13.2%, P c = 4.4 × 10−5, OR = 3.44, 95%CI; 2.06, 5.73) and DPB1*0501 (79.4 vs. 55.1%, P c = 4.7 × 10−5, OR = 3.14, 95%CI; 1.93, 5.11) were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls, demonstrating that at least three genetic markers were associated with BD. Stratification analyses of these associated markers suggested synergistic roles of the genetic factors. Odds ratios ranged from 4.72 to 12.57 in individuals carrying any two of these three markers. These findings suggested that the susceptibility to BD was in part controlled by genes involved in the innate and adaptive immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Er:YAG laser on degranulation and implant surface debridement in peri-implant infection. The peri-implant infection was experimentally induced in dogs, and the treatment was performed using an Er:YAG laser or a plastic curet. Animals were sacrificed after 24 weeks, and undecalcified histological sections were prepared and analyzed. Degranulation and implant surface debridement were obtained effectively and safely by Er:YAG laser. Histologically, a favorable formation of new bone was observed on the laser-treated implant surface, and the laser group showed a tendency to produce greater bone-to-implant contact than the curet group. These results indicate that the Er:YAG laser therapy has promise in the treatment of peri-implantitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. It has been reported that an acute load of beefsteak (200 g) significantly enhanced the glomerular filtration rate (GFR; inulin clearance and creatinine clearance) in healthy human subjects compared to that in the same subjects in the fasted state. However, no comparative study of the effects of the same amount of vegetable protein on GFR has been reported to date. Methods. We attempted to compare changes in the GFR (inulin clearance and creatinine clearance) in six healthy male subjects following consumption of the same amount of beefsteak or baked skim soy with soy sauce (protein, 86.9 g) after fasting. The clearance study was performed by conventional methods. Inulin was measured by the anthrone method. Creatinine was measured by the Jaffe rate assay method. Amino-acid analysis of the beefsteak and baked skim soy with soy sauce was done by acid or hydroxide hydrolysis and an amino-acid analyzer. Results. A significant enhancement of the GFR (both inulin clearance and creatinine clearance) was observed following acute loading with beefsteak or baked skim soy with soy sauce, compared to the GFR in the fasted state. No significant difference was observed between the results with beefsteak and the results with baked skim soy with soy sauce. Amino-acid analysis revealed that the total amount of three amino acids (glycine, alanine, and arginine; or serine, alanine, and proline) was almost identical in beefsteak (animal protein) and baked skim soy with soy sauce (vegetable protein). Conclusions. The present study demonstrated that vegetable protein with the same amino-acid composition could enhance the GFR in healthy subjects as much as animal protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 34-year-old man who had been on dialysis for about 6 years, and had acquired renal cystic disease, received a renal transplantation. However, in spite of the success of the transplantation, one area without cyst regression was observed in the original kidney. Therefore, carcinoma was suspected and nephrectomy was performed. Histology revealed cystic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). No case of cystic RCC occurring in a dialysis patient has previously been reported. Cystic RCC should be suspected in a cystic mass in the original kidney which does not regress after successful renal transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B-1 cells are physically and functionally unique B cells that produce polyreactive natural antibody. This study examined the activation of B-1 cells in inflamed gingival tissue. Serum IgG antibodies to phosphorylcholine, E. coli LPS, DNA, and some commensal bacteria were examined in adult periodontitis patients and healthy subjects. In addition, the proportion of B-1a (CD20+ CD5+) cells and the amount of IL-6 and IL-10 in the inflamed gingival tissues were examined. The serum levels of IgG antibodies to phosphorylcholine, E. coli LPS, and commensal bacteria were significantly higher in the adult periodontitis patients than the healthy subjects. The proportion of B-1a cells and the amount of IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly higher in the inflamed gingival tissues than in peripheral blood from the healthy subjects. These results suggest the activation of B-1 cells in the inflamed gingival tissue of adult periodontitis patients, and that B-1 cells may serve as the first line of defense by producing polyreactive antibodies to phosphorylcholine, LPS, and commensal bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of unilateral renal cystic disease in a 68-year-old man. He had no family history of renal cystic disease, and his serum creatinine level was 1.2 mg/dL. The computed tomographic scan revealed near-complete replacement of the right kidney by numerous cysts and almost no residual parenchyma. The left kidney was normal, and there were no hepatic or pancreatic cysts. Magnetic resonance imaging showed numerous cysts in the right kidney and a normal left kidney. The cysts showed homogeneously low intensity on T1-weighted images and homogeneously high intensity on T2-weighted images. The disease in our patient was compatible with unilateral renal cystic disease as defined by Levine and Huntrakoon, and was distinct from autosomal dominant polycystic disease and other unilateral cystic diseases of the kidney. Our literature survey revealed no report of unilateral renal cystic disease in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A patient with primary hepatic cancer (combined cell type) demonstrated two episodes of obstructive jaundice and palpable gallbladder in her clinical course. On autopsy, the common bile duct was completely obstructed at the portion of the papilla of Vater by necrotic tumor mass separated from the hepatic cancer of the left hepatic lobe. It appeared that two episodes of jaundice and distended gallbladder might be caused by the same mechanisms. Obstruction of the common bile duct in primary hepatic cancer is very rarely reported in the literature. The ease reported here may be the first example of recurrent jaundice and distended gallbladder in the clinical course of primary hepatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of acquired left ventricle (LV) to right atrial (RA) communication through an aneurysm of the atrioventricular septum caused by infectious endocarditis. A severe aortic valve regurgitation and destruction of the aortic valve was detected by echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a flail aortic valve with vegetation and abnormal shunt flow from the LV to RA with ruptured aneurysm of the membranous septum. An abscess cavity of the aortic ring was introduced. Because of worsening congestive heart failure, the patient underwent emergency aortic valve replacement and patch closure of the communication of the membranous septum. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case with a single wedge-shaped high-density area of the kidney that persists after urography was observed by CT scan. This might be an aberrant form of acute renal failure with multiple wedge-shaped contrast enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]