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Non‐vitamin K dependent oral anticoagulants (NOAC) are now widely used in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) for stroke prevention and in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) for the treatment and secondary prevention of the disease. Among NOAC, edoxaban demonstrated noninferiority to warfarin for stroke prevention in NVAF and for VTE treatment, with superior safety. EMIT‐AF/VTE (Edoxaban Management in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures) ({"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT02950168","term_id":"NCT02950168"}}NCT02950168) is a multicenter, prospective, and noninterventional registry study designed to collect detailed information on the periprocedural management of patients with NVAF and VTE receiving edoxaban. The primary objective of EMIT‐AF/VTE is to document the periprocedural management of patients receiving edoxaban and to collect data on safety and other outcomes in these patients. The primary safety outcome is the rate of major bleeding. Other assessments include the evaluation of efficacy outcomes, periprocedural dosing, and timing of edoxaban. The observation period will start 5 days prior to the procedure and end 30 days post‐procedure. EMIT‐AF/VTE will aim to prospectively enroll up to approximately 1400 procedures from Europe. Enrollment commenced in December 2016 and will be completed in July 2018. As of July 2018, before database lock and with several procedure forms still temporarily inserted, a preliminary number of 1204 patients have been enrolled, who underwent a total of 1453 procedures. The prospective EMIT‐AF/VTE registry program will expand the knowledge of periprocedural management of patients with NVAF and VTE receiving edoxaban in clinical practice.

In many flowering plants, floral scents are a significant trait for visitors, playing an important role in attracting pollinators and/or detracting herbivores. The evolution of flowering plants from hermaphroditism to dioecy is often accompanied by sexual dimorphism in floral scent. In this study, floral scents emitted by different sexual morphs of the subdioecious shrub Eurya japonica Thunb. were collected using a dynamic headspace method, and sexual and temporal variations were evaluated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Two volatiles, α‐pinene and linalool, were identified as the major components of floral scents in females, hermaphrodites, and males. The males emit higher amounts of floral scents, particularly α‐pinene, compared to females or hermaphrodites. Floral scents emitted by males generally decrease as flowers enter senescence, whereas those from females or hermaphrodites do not significantly differ. Intraspecific variations in floral scents of subdioecious species provided by this study would contribute to better understanding of sexual dimorphism in floral scent.

Purpose The study aims to provide a theoretical guidance of postmaxillary implant in the augmented sinus without grafting materials by establishing a three-dimensional model of this new implant restorative technique, evaluating failure risk of sinus augmentation without grafting materials of different alveolar ridge heights, and analyzing stress distribution of different healing stage. Materials and Methods Seventeen three-dimensional finite element models of a posterior maxillary region with sinus mucosa and different elevation heights were constructed according to anatomical data of sinus area, and the standard implant model based on Nobel Biocare implant system were created via computer-aided design software. All materials were assumed to be isotropic and linearly elastic. Axial force of 150 N was applied. The von Mises stress, stress distribution, and implant displacement were calculated with software. Results With the height of the alveolar ridge reducing, the maximum von Mises stress of tissues and the displacement of the implant are on the rise, especially when the height of the bone is less than 7 mm. When the height decreased to 4 mm, the data may be doubled. After the stiff callus stage, the stress and displacement were close to the control model. Conclusion For maxillary sinus augmentation without grafting material implant technique, the stress of different tissues and the displacement of the implant were not increased much when the height of alveolar ridge is more than 7 mm. But if the alveolar bone height is less than 4 mm, this implant technique is not suggested. Immediately loading is not suggested and the loading opportunity should be after the stiff callus stage at least to improve the success rate.

Initially, we investigated the distribution of chemicals in dried wood samples using a standard TOF-SIMS and obtained two-dimensional images of chemical distribution in various wood samples. However, during drying as part of the sample preparation, some artifacts could occur because water-soluble chemicals could be moved, drained, or changed at that time. To understand the function of chemicals in living trees, it is important to reveal the distribution of chemicals in planta. For this purpose, we developed the new cryo-TOF-SIMS/SEM system to analyze chemical distribution in frozen-hydrated samples. This new system consists of a glove box, a cryo-SEM, and a cryo-TOF-SIMS, which are interconnected by a cryo-vacuum shuttle. This system was then applied to freeze-fixed Cryptomeria japonica xylem. Potassium, ferruginol, a major wood chemical of C. japonica, and water were simultaneously detected in frozen-hydrated wood tissues. For accurate detection, the sublimation of ice from sample surfaces must be prevented. After the TOF-SIMS analysis of the surface, the sample was cut to make the next sample surface in the glove box and cryo-TOF-SIMS analysis was performed again. Continuing with this procedure, we obtained a three-dimensional analysis data of TOF-SIMS images. The maximum height was 1000 µm. These results suggest that this new system is useful for revealing the chemical distribution of wood tissue in planta. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lignin, one of the main structural polymer of plant cell walls, varies in amount and monomeric composition among tissue and cell types, as well as among plant species. However, few analytical methods are available that can conveniently and accurately determine the morphological distribution of lignin units at the cellular level. In this report, we used time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to directly map guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S) lignin units in several successive growth rings of the maple xylem. TOF-SIMS imaging and a semiquantitative approach revealed clear difference in the annual distribution of lignins between the fiber and vessel. While the vessel walls were constantly G-rich with varied S/G ratios through a growth ring, the fibers showed fairly regular annual distribution of lignins in which the earlywood was S-rich with an almost constant S/G ratio and the latewood was G-rich resulting from a decrease of the S unit. The reliability of TOF-SIMS results was demonstrated by its high correlation with the results of thioacidolysis on radial distribution of the S/G ratio in several contiguous tree rings and also in the latewood and earlywood of each ring. These results indicate that TOF-SIMS allows direct visualization of lignin composition in plant tissues.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the magnitude of immediate loading on peri-implant bone in an animal model of dental implantation. Material and methods Eight weeks after the extraction of maxillary and mandibular premolars, three implants were inserted bilaterally in the mandibles of six Beagle dogs. One implant was unloaded (UL) as a control, and two implants were loaded immediately with 10 N (mild loading: ML) or 50 N (excessive loading: EL) laterally using a cyclic loading device twice a week for 3 weeks. Fluorescent bone markers were injected to examine bone formation around the implants. The animals were sacrificed 3 weeks after implantation. Peri-implant osteogenesis was assessed by histomorphometric procedures, i.e., measuring bone-implant contact (BIC) and bone density (BD). Results The UL and ML groups had no peri-implant infection, and newly formed bone was observed over a wide area from the implant neck toward the tip, and in direct contact with the implant surface. In contrast, in the EL group, newly formed bone was rarely observed around the implant neck and there were signs of infection. Both BIC and BD in the ML group were significantly greater than those in the other groups. BIC and BD in the EL group were significantly lower than those in the other groups. Conclusion A suitable magnitude of load applied immediately after dental implantation promotes peri-implant osteogenesis.

Purpose The aim of this article is to qualitatively describe the characteristics of spontaneous reporting systems, signal detection methods, and observational databases in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Methods National statistics and published literature were reviewed to determine the annual number of spontaneous reports and the main source (reporters) for each country. The data items collected for spontaneous reports, mode of transmission, availability of reports, and quantitative methods for signal detection were compared across the countries. The characteristics of the national insurance claims databases also were summarized. Results The number of annual domestic spontaneous reports in 2007 from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan were 3751, 32 391, and 6971, respectively, which increased to 26 827, 34 649, and 10 320, respectively, over the next 2 years. If adjusted by total population, the latter would be 5.59, 2.71, and 4.49 per 10 000 persons, respectively. The reports were directly submitted mainly by physicians (51%) in Korea and hospital pharmacists (65%) in Taiwan, whereas 89% of the reports in Japan were submitted by manufacturers. Routine data mining of the national spontaneous report database has been implemented in Japan and will be in Korea and Taiwan. Conclusions Differences in quantity and submission practice of spontaneous reports should be noted for potential comparison among these countries/regions, as well as with those from Western countries, even after the full implementation of national data mining system. Nationwide claims databases with nearly 100% coverage are great assets for pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology and can be major contributors to global pharmacovigilance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to objectively assess bone quality with density values obtained by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to determine the correlations between bone density and primary stability of dental implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighteen Straumann implants were inserted into 18 fresh femoral heads of swine. The bone densities of implant recipient sites were preoperatively determined by the density value using CBCT. The maximum insertion torque value of each implant was recorded using a digital torque meter. Resonance frequency, which represented a quantitative unit called the implant stability quotient (ISQ), was measured using an Osstell Mentor immediately after the implant placement. Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the correlations among density values, insertion torques, and ISQs at implant placement. RESULTS The density values ranged from 98 to 902. The mean density value, insertion torque, and ISQ were 591 ± 226, 13.4 ± 5.2 Ncm, and 67.1 ± 8.1, respectively. Statistically significant correlations were found between the density values and insertion torque (r(s) =0.796, P

The lignin syringyl to guaiacyl (S/G) ratio, the composition of monomeric units, is an important parameter that is widely used to obtain information on the complex polymer structure of lignin present in plant cell walls. We assessed the reliability of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) for determining the S/G ratio using monomer, dimer and polymer model compounds of lignin. In the case of the monomer and dimer, the S/G ratios were much higher than the actual molar S/G ratios. In contrast, for the aryl ether 8-O-4'-linked polymers, the S/G ratios estimated were similar to the actual S/G molar ratios, suggesting that the ionization efficiencies of the characteristic ions of S and G units detected from the synthetic lignin polymer compounds were similar. The results suggest that TOF-SIMS is useful for rapid and convenient determination of the lignin S/G ratio in plants.

Human hair damage is caused by chemical treatments and various daily factors. A number of cosmetic ingredients have been developed to repair hair damage. It is important to know the localization of cosmetic ingredients distributed on human hair to understand the interaction mechanism of these ingredients with the hair. In this work, the distribution of cosmetic ingredients on damaged hair was investigated using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). We examined the penetration of L-theanine and the adsorption of cationic chitosan. The TOF-SIMS imaging analysis revealed that L-theanine penetrated deep and was distributed uniformly inside the damaged hair. Further, cationic chitosan was uniformly adsorbed on the hair surface. The analysis results showed that TOF-SIMS is one of the most convenient methods to estimate the distribution of cosmetic ingredients on the hair.

Purpose To assess the influence of pravastatin therapy on cancer morbidity and mortality by a meta-analysis of individual patient data (IPD) from three independent Japanese large-scale clinical trials. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of IPD collected from three large-scale prospective studies, the Management of Elevated Cholesterol in the Primary Prevention Group of Adult Japanese (MEGA) Study, Kyushu Lipid Intervention Study (KLIS), and Hokuriku Lipid Coronary Heart Disease Study-Pravastatin Atherosclerosis Trial (Holicos-PAT), which compared cardiovascular outcomes with pravastatin therapy and non-statin therapy in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia over a follow-up period of >or=4 years. The incidence of cancer or cancer death in the pravastatin and non-statin therapy groups was compared by multivariate Cox proportional hazard models stratified by trial. Subgroup analyses by sex and age were also conducted using the same methods. Results In a total of 13 724 patients (mean age, 58 years; women, 48%) included in the analyses, pravastatin was not associated with an increased risk of developing cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 0.81-1.19). Similarly, pravastatin therapy did not statistically affect cancer death (HR, 0.86; 95%CI, 0.61-1.21). Moreover, in subgroups analyses, no influence was observed on cancer incidence or death in relation to sex and age. Conclusion Pravastatin did not increase the rate of cancer incidence or cancer death in a large population of Japanese patients followed for >70,000 patient-years.

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was used to investigate the distribution of cationic starch on pulp fiber. To identify the characteristic fragment ions of the cationic starches, deuterium-labeled cationic starches were prepared and analyzed using ToF-SIMS. The starch 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride derivative generated characteristic fragments at m/z 58 and 59, which were identified as [H2CN(CH3)2]+ and [N(CH3)3]+·, respectively. The fragmentation patterns were also suggested. From the imaging analysis, the adsorption of the cationic starch on fibers was uneven on individual fibers, as well as between fibers. This may have been on account of fiber morphology and structure. On examining scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, the quaternary ammonium starch derivative (QS) did not penetrate the fiber. No migration of cationic starch was observed under various drying conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The preparation of dispersants with carboxyl groups from acid lignin (a byproduct in the saccharification process of woody materials that are renewable resources) was investigated, and their dispersion efficiency was evaluated. In this study, sulfuric acid lignin (SAL) was selected as a representative acid lignin. To convert SAL to water-soluble polymers, it was first subjected to phenolation with sulfuric acid to enhance its chemical reactivity. The introduction of a carboxy group was carried out with two methods. One was carboxymethylation with bromoacetic acid, and the other was the Mannich reaction with glycine, sarcosine, and iminodiacetic acid. The carboxymethylation product [carboxymethylated phenolized sulfuric acid lignin (CP-SAL)] with 1.4 carboxymethyl groups per phenolated phenylpropane lignin base unit was soluble in water. The Mannich reaction products were also soluble in water with a lower addition of carboxyl groups than that for CP-SAL. Surprisingly, all the prepared water-soluble polymers possessed a higher dispersibility for gypsum paste than commercial lignosulfate. This may be due to the higher molecular weights of acid lignin derivatives. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 2508–2513, 2005

The tracking of vehicles on images is important as a baseline technology for applying ITS image processing to the detection of abnormal phenomena such as accidents. However, up to now one of the most difficult problems in vehicle tracking has been occlusion, which creates a difficult environment for realizing stable tracking. This has been particularly true in our research, because our objects of study are large intersections in which an average of 20 vehicles are present at the same time, of various sizes and shapes, and so on. The various motions of these vehicles also generate various conditions under which occlusion can occur. In tracking under these circumstances, it is necessary to use a paradigm different from those used previously, which assume a model of rectilinear motion, largely vacant intersections, predictions based on straight-line trajectories, and specific vehicle shapes. To solve this problem, we developed an algorithm that makes use of the Markov random field (MRF) model, generalized beyond a single image to include temporal sequences of images, and evaluated its degree of accuracy based on spatiotemporal correlation of textures from one image to the one immediately following it and the connection of loci followed by the moving bodies. The results were further optimized by stochastic relaxation of the energy distributions exhibited by images from this space-time MRF, which makes the tracking robust against various forms of occlusion. We applied this space-time MRF to image data taken over about 25 minutes, tracking 3214 vehicles moving through an intersection under conditions of heavy congestion. Our results showed that the tracking was successful with a 99% probability when the vehicles being tracked generated no occlusions, while for the 541 cars that did cause occlusions the probability of successfully tracking multiple cars and distinguishing the separate vehicles through the occlusions was 95%. Because this algorithm uses information obtained from black-and-white images only, and can be implemented without any prior hypotheses about the vehicle's shape etc., it is useful over long periods of time and under a broad range of conditions. For this reason, we anticipate that it will be effective for detecting accidents and other anomalies in traffic at intersections. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 86(9): 73–86, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www. interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.10110

This study focuses on the development of biobased flame-retardant resins. Lignin and α,ω-alkanediols are used, which can be obtained from biomass. To introduce intumescent properties, phosphoryl chloride and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole are introduced into kraft lignin prior to it being resinified with the α,ω-alkanediols. In simple combustion tests using a gas burner at 1300 °C, the resins prepared exhibit nonburnable properties, producing only a swollen char. According to dynamic mechanical analysis, the glass transition temperature decreases with an increase in the carbon number and amount of the alkanediols introduced. The mechanical loss tangent (tan δ) value of the prepared resins is below 1, indicating that the resins would not drip flaming particles during burning. Indeed, the specimens do not generate particles in the simple combustion tests. According to the results of cone calorimeter testing, the total heat release and the peak heat release rate are significantly smaller than those of a commercial phenol-formaldehyde-resin-containing flame retardant.