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Since the woody plants are important bio-materials for paper, chemical and energy production, strategies for improvement of their properties are of considerable interest. We examined the expression of Eucalyptus camaldulensis transcription factor (TF) genes in xylem tissues using an oligo-microarray gene analysis technique. As a result, we isolated 21 TF genes related to xylem development. Following a functional investigation of 7 TFs in vitro, we selected the xylem TF gene EcHB1, which encodes a HD-Zip class II, for investigation as a transgene. EcHB1 expression was driven by the CaMV35S promoter in transgenic tobacco plants, which showed greater fiber length (≤20%) and plant height (≤50%) than wild-type plants. In addition, leaf, root and stem growth were significantly enhanced in the transgenic lines, which also had a lower acid-soluble lignin and hemicellulose content than wild-type. Our results indicate that metabolic flexibility might be involved in these improvements to xylem cell wall biosynthesis and that in addition to providing a growth advantage, such modifications may confer long-term structural integrity to the woody perennials.

Leptothrix cholodnii is a sheathed bacterium often found in metal-rich and oligotrophic aquatic environments. A bacterial strain that is able to degrade the NaOH-treated sheath of L. cholodnii was isolated. The isolate was a Gram-negative, aerobic and prosthecate bacterium. The optimum growth temperature and pH were 30 degrees C and pH 7.0, respectively. The DNA G+C content was 62.9 mol%. The major respiratory quinone was MK-6. A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene indicated that the isolate is a member of the genus Prosthecobacter. The nearest relative was the type strain of Prosthecobacter vanneervenii, with a similarity of 97.1 %. However, the isolate does not possess the bacterial tubulin genes, btubA and btubB, unique to known species of the genus Prosthecobacter. It is proposed that the isolate represents a novel species, Prosthecobacter fluviatilis sp. nov. The type strain is HAQ-1(T) (=JCM 14805(T) =KACC 12649(T) =KCTC 22182(T)).

In the present study, crystallized ferrite (an intermediate between Fe 3 O 4 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 ) films prepared by spin-spray technique exhibited strong magnetic losses at high frequencies and are applicable as GHz conducted noise suppressors. The reaction (metal ions) and oxidizing (pH buffers and oxidizing agent) solutions were separately sprayed onto the substrates (90 °C) mounted on a rotating disc. Two types of films were prepared on the basis of the different oxidizing solutions; CH 3 COONa + NaNO 2 in the case of film-A and CH 3 COONa + (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 + NaNO 2 + NaOH for film-B. The as-prepared films were heat-treated under a condition similar to that of the reflow soldering process (265 °C). The effects of the preparation conditions and film morphology on the electrical and magnetic properties before and after the heat treatment were studied. The results revealed that film-B had a relatively smaller initial permeability ( μ ′) compared to film-A. However, it had a high-imaginary permeability ( μ ″), resonance frequency ( f r ) and surface resistivity ( ρ s ) even after heat treatment. Also, the noise suppressing properties of film-B were relatively good, hence ideal for use as conducted noise suppressors.

A new phase retrieval method using an active contour model (snake) for image reconstruction is proposed. The proposed method reconstructs a target image by retrieving the phase from the magnitude of its Fourier transform and the measured area of the image. In general, the measured area is different from the true area where the target image exists. Thus a snake, which can extract the shape of the target image, is utilized to renew the measured area. By processing this renewal iteratively, the area obtained by the snake converges to the true area and as a result the proposed method can accurately reconstruct a target image even when the measured area is different from the true area. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Artificial nutrition, including tube feeding, continues to be given to dementia patients in numerous geriatric facilities in Japan. However, the clinical characteristics of patients receiving artificial nutrition have not been fully investigated. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the clinical features of those patients in this study.Various clinical characteristics of all inpatients at 18 of 20 psychiatric hospitals in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, nasogastric tube, or total parenteral nutrition were evaluated.Two hundred twenty-one patients (5.4% of all inpatients) had been receiving artificial nutrition for more than 1 month, and 187 (130 women, 57 men; 84.6% of 221 patients) were fully investigated. The mean age was 78.3 years old, and the mean duration of artificial nutrition was 29.8 months. Eighty-four patients (44.7% of 187 patients) were receiving artificial nutrition for more than 2 years. Patients with Alzheimer's disease (n = 78) formed the biggest group, schizophrenia (n = 37) the second, and vascular dementia (n = 26) the third.About one-fifth of the subjects receiving artificial nutrition were in a vegetative state. More than a few patients with mental disorders, including schizophrenia, also received long-term artificial nutrition. We should pay more attention to chronic dysphasia syndrome in mental disorders.

We investigated the association of urinary potassium and sodium excretion with the incidence of renal failure and cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.A total of 623 Japanese type 2 diabetic patients with eGFR≥60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) were enrolled in this observational follow-up study between 1996 and 2003 and followed-up until 2013. At baseline, a 24-hour urine sample was collected to estimate urinary potassium and sodium excretion. The primary end point was renal and cardiovascular events (RRT, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease). The secondary renal end points were the incidence of a 50% decline in eGFR, progression to CKD stage 4 (eGFR30 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)), and the annual decline rate in eGFR.During the 11-year median follow-up period, 134 primary end points occurred. Higher urinary potassium excretion was associated with lower risk of the primary end point, whereas urinary sodium excretion was not. The adjusted hazard ratios for the primary end point in Cox proportional hazards analysis were 0.56 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.33 to 0.95) in the third quartile of urinary potassium excretion (2.33-2.90 g/d) and 0.33 (95% CI, 0.18 to 0.62) in the fourth quartile (2.90 g/d) compared with the lowest quartile (1.72 g/d). Similar associations were observed for the secondary renal end points. The annual decline rate in eGFR in the fourth quartile of urinary potassium excretion (-1.3 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)/y; 95% CI, -1.5 to -1.0) was significantly slower than those in the first quartile (-2.2; 95% CI, -2.4 to -1.8).Higher urinary potassium excretion was associated with the slower decline of renal function and the lower incidence of cardiovascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients with normal renal function. Interventional trials are necessary to determine whether increasing dietary potassium is beneficial.

Lately, the Central Council for Education came up with a new policy to break the institutional and cognizant barriers between kindergarten and the lower grades in elementary school and to build up a closer connection between them. The aim of this study is to clarify the differences in creative and expressive physical activities between kindergarten pupils and the lower graders in elementary school presupposing that there are no significant differences between them. The experimenters carried out the experiment by using an application software which had been already used in teaching physically expressive movements, 'Representative Rhythm Play' in elementary physical education. The software was a teaching material called "Animal Land" which used the images of animal movements and was considered to be suitable for the first graders in elementary school. In the class, instructing kindergarten pupils to create movements based on the images of animals such as penguins, monkeys, snake and lions, the experimenters videotaped the children's reactive and expressed movements. The movement data were examined by the experimenters, classified based on the components, either single or consecutive. Then the single movements were analyzed in terms of gesture and meaning. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. As for the single movements, the significant differences could not be seen between kindergarten pupils and the lower graders in elementary school. 2. It was clear that even kindergarten pupils selected the consecutive movements. 3. It was clear that kindergarten pupils can create movements by utilizing the computer software. 4. It was inevitable for experimenters to interview orally with the kindergarten pupils as they are illiterate at their ages and they cannot express their feelings and thoughts through words.

This study was conducted to investigate the career history and perceptions about dental hygiene education programs among the alumni (1952-1999 graduates) of the School of Dental Hygiene in Tokyo Medical and Dental University. A questionnaire containing demographic, practice characteristics and views on the programs was mailed to 997 alumni in 1999, and 576 alumni (57.8%) responded. Three hundred and forty-one respondents worked as dental hygienists. The majority who responded were in clinical practice. One hundred and thirty-one of the respondents worked in private clinics, 76 in public health centers, and 72 in clinics in companies. The rate of them who worked in public health centers was much higher than the national average cited in the Statistical Report on Public Health Administration and Services. Two hundred and ninety-one respondents reported inadequate programs. The rate of them who reported inadequate programs was significantly higher in alumni who were working than in alumni who were not. The items cited as insufficiently taught at the school were clinical practice, instrumentation, foreign language, psychology, counseling, and nursing related subjects. Thus, many alumni suggested the need for better programs and continuing education. From these results, it was suggested that dental hygienists need to change their education programs in order to meet the present and future needs of more diversified society. This view was particularly prevalent among alumni who were working. The result showed that dental hygiene educators and dental hygienists urgently need to reconsider the professionalism of their field.

Sphaerotilus natans is a filamentous sheath-forming bacterium. A method of selective fluorescent-labeling of its sheath using conventional reagents was developed. Terminal expansion of the sheath was confirmed by this method. In addition, ubiquitous cell growth was revealed by sequential phase-contrast microscopy of a filament. Based on this and earlier reports, a model of the sheath formation is proposed.

A questionnaire survey and oral health examination were conducted in 2000. The subjects were students of dental and dental hygiene schools at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Subjects totaled 101 (48 males, 53 females), and the average age was 22.0 +/- 3.3. The relationship among eating habits, lifestyles, and oral health status of the students was analyzed. The following results were obtained. 1. Almost half of the students did not eat one of the three main meals; that is, breakfast, lunch, or supper. Most of them skipped breakfast. 2. The students who ate rice (traditional Japanese-style food) for breakfast had less DMFT compared with those who ate other foods, such as bread or noodles, or who did not eat breakfast. 3. The amount of stimulated saliva of the students who ate rice for breakfast was greater than that of others. 4. The oral health behavior and nutrition balance of the students who ate rice for breakfast was better than that of others. 5. The students' eating habits were related to their living styles, such as living alone or with the family. From these results, it was suggested that educational emphasis on nutrition balance and eating habits is needed for dental students and dental hygiene students, because in the future they must advise patients on good oral health and general health through good eating habits, as dental professionals.

Anti‐diabetic agent‐related hypoglycemia is a serious complication in type 2 diabetic patients on hemodialysis. Therefore, we assessed the efficacy and tolerability of 24 weeks of monotherapy with vildagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase four inhibitor, which is a new class of antidiabetic agent. This open‐label, single‐arm clinical trial was performed on 26 patients on hemodialysis. The primary assessments were changes in postprandial glucose level and glycated albumin (GA). During the study, three patients dropped out, and data from 23 patients were analyzed. Significant reductions were seen in postprandial glucose (−2.60 ± 3.80 mmol/L, P

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the bactericidal activity of a new antiseptic agent, ozone nano-bubble water (NBW3), against periodontopathogenic bacteria and to assess the cytotoxicity of NBW3 against human oral cells. The bactericidal activities of NBW3 against representative periodontopathogenic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) were evaluated using in vitro time-kill assays. The cytotoxicity of NBW3 was evaluated using three-dimensional human buccal and gingival tissue models. The numbers of colony forming units (CFUs)/mL of P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans exposed to NBW3 dropped to below the lower limit of detection (

A survey of dental diseases carried out by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2003 revealed that more than 40% of people aged between 5 and 25 suffer from periodontal diseases and the average number of DMFT has been decreasing. The lifestyle of junior and senior high school students in particular has changed drastically. This study investigated the relationship between dietary habits and oral diseases in junior and senior high school students in Tokyo. Survey responses were received from 813 of 848 students. There was a significant correlation between the presence of untreated teeth and student's dietary habits, or the presence of periodontal diseases. These results suggest that dental hygienists need to consider providing advice on appropriate eating habits during dental hygiene instruction to students.

A sheath-forming and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, Thiothrix fructosivorans, was heterotrophically cultured. The sheath, which is an extracellular microtube, was prepared by selectively removing the cells using lysozyme, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and sodium hydroxide. Solid-state 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum revealed that the sheath is assembled from a glycan possessing acetyl and methyl groups. When the sheath was deacetylated, the original microtube structure was lost and the sheath became soluble under acidic conditions, revealing the importance of acetyl groups in maintaining the sheath structure. Equimolar d -glucose, d -glucosamine, and l -fucose were detected in the acid hydrolysate of the sheath by gas liquid chromatography. In addition to these sugars, β-GlcN-(1 → 4)-Glc and unidentified sugar were detected by analyzing the hydrolysate using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy was used to identify a disaccharide composed of 4-deoxy-4-aminorhamnose (perosamine, Rha4N) and fucose. N-Acetyl-perosamine prepared from the disaccharide was polarimetric and exhibited a d -configuration. The previously unidentified disaccharide was found to be α- d -Rhap4N-(1 → 3)- d -Fuc. According to 1H and 13C NMR analyses, the deacetylated sheath-forming polysaccharide was found to h have a main chain of [→ 4)-β- d -GlcpN-(1 → 4)-β- d -Glcp-(1 →]n, to which disaccharide side chains of α- d -Rhap4N-(1 → 3)-α- l -Fucp-(1 → were attached at position 3 of Glc.

Recent studies have proposed that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have direct antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vascular tissue, explaining their cardioprotective effects. However, the molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood. We tested whether n-3 PUFAs showed antioxidant activity through the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master transcriptional factor for antioxidant genes. C57BL/6 or Nrf2(-/-) mice were fed a fish-oil diet for 3 weeks. Fish-oil diet significantly increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the aorta of C57BL/6 mice, but not in the Nrf2(-/-) mice. Furthermore, we observed that 4-hydroxy hexenal (4-HHE), an end-product of n-3 PUFA peroxidation, was significantly increased in the aorta of C57BL/6 mice, accompanied by intra-aortic predominant increase in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) rather than that in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with DHA or EPA. We found that DHA, but not EPA, markedly increased intracellular 4-HHE, and nuclear expression and DNA binding of Nrf2. Both DHA and 4-HHE also increased the expressions of Nrf2 target genes including HO-1, and the siRNA of Nrf2 abolished these effects. Furthermore, DHA prevented oxidant-induced cellular damage or reactive oxygen species production, and these effects were disappeared by an HO-1 inhibitor or the siRNA of Nrf2. Thus, we found protective effects of DHA through Nrf2 activation in vascular tissue, accompanied by intra-vascular increases in 4-HHE, which may explain the mechanism of the cardioprotective effects of DHA.

A sheath-forming sulfa oxidizer, Thiothrix nivea , was mixotrophically cultured in a medium supplemented with acetic acid and sodium disulfide. Its sheath, a microtube-like extracellular supermolecule, was prepared by selectively removing the cells with lysozyme, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and sodium hydroxide. The sheath was not visibly affected by hydrazine treatment, suggesting that it is not a proteinous supermolecule. From the acid hydrolysate of the sheath, glucose and glucosamine were detected in an approximate molar ratio of 1:1. Three other saccharic compounds were detected and recovered by HPLC as fluorescent derivatives prepared by reaction with 4-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis suggested that one of the derivatives was derived from an unidentified deoxypentose. NMR analysis for the other 2 derivatives showed that they were derived from β-1,4-linked disaccharides and tetrasaccharides, which were composed of glucose and glucosamine. The sheath was readily broken down by weak HCl treatment, releasing an unidentified deoxypentose and polymer. Chemical analysis showed the presence of β-1,4-linked d -Glc p and d -GlcN p in the polymer. NMR analysis revealed that the polymer had a repeating unit of →4)- d -Glc p -(β1→4)- d -GlcN p -(β1→. The solid-state 1D- 13 C NMR spectrum of the polymer in N -acetylated form supported this result. The molecular weight of the polymer was estimated to be 8.2 × 10 4 by size exclusion chromatography. Based on these results, the sheath of T. nivea is hypothesized to be assembled from alternately β-1,4-linked glucosaminoglucan grafted with unidentified deoxypentose.

Nuclear findings, including size, shape, chromatin, or nucleoli, affect the cytological diagnosis and were found to have prognostic significance in several studies based on morphometric analysis. In this study, we investigated whether the nucleus area relates to the appearance of p63-positive myoepithelial cells. The nucleus area was analyzed in 101 breast cancers and 14 benign breast lesions using morphometric analysis and immunohistochemistry for p63. Breast cancer patients were classified into two groups; small nucleus group (n = 19) and large nucleus group (n = 82) based on the average nucleus area of ductal cells. The nucleus area was significantly negative correlating with p63-positive myoepithelial cells (P = 0.031), and there was a significant positive correlation with small cells with hyperchromatic nuclei (P = 0.002). Although small cells with hyperchromatic nuclei were similar to myoepithelial cells, there was no significant correlation with the appearance of small cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and p63-positive myoepithelial cells in breast cancer patients (P = 0.189). Although the identification of normal myoepithelial cells is mainly performed by immunostaining for p63, morphometric analysis of the nucleus area also suggests the existence of p63-positive myoepithelial cells. Diagn. Cytopathol.2011;39:172–176. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Objective: Invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast is a distinct variant of breast cancer. In the present study, we analyzed potential immunophenotypic changes in invasive micropapillary carcinoma. Methods: Specimens from 15 patients with invasive micropapillary carcinoma were analyzed using clinicopathological and immunohistochemical methods. We also examined the relationship between clinicopathological factors using the Ki-67 labeling index. Results: Immunohistochemical staining for cytoplasmic p63 expression was seen in four (27%) tumors, and p63 nuclear expression was also observed in four (27%) tumors. Involucrin and 34betaE12 were expressed in the invasive micropapillary carcinoma component of nine (60%) and four (27%) tumors, respectively. Cytokeratin 5/6 was expressed in three (20%) tumors and cytokeratin 14 staining was negative in all tumors. In one tumor (case 3), vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen and cytokeratin 8/18 were co-expressed. Four tumors (27%) were negative for the estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor/HER2. However, 11 out of 15 (73%) tumors were positive for the estrogen receptor. The Ki-67 labeling index was significantly higher in cases with p63 tumor expression than in those without (P , 0.0001), and also higher in cases with lymph node metastasis than in cases without (P ¼ 0.0029). Conclusions: Nuclear expression of p63, involucrin and 34betaE12 were detected indicating squamous differentiation. Cytoplasmic p63 expression was also identified. The fact that the Ki-67 labeling index was significantly higher in such cases may have been associated with the aggressive behavior of these tumors. Our findings suggest that the characteristic morphology of invasive micropapillary carcinomas may be due to immunophenotypical and oncogenic changes.

There are two chemotypes (Type-T and Type-O) of the liverwort Frullania tamarisci subsp. obscura . The former type produces tamariscol, possessing the intense mossy odour, and 5α,7β(H)-eudesm-4α,6α-diol as the major components and the latter type lacks the above two sesquiterpenoids while eudesmanolides are predominant. Type-T is chemically similar to F. tamarisci subsp. asagrayana and F. tamarisci subsp. tamarisci , although the sesquiterpene lactones present are different. Frullania tamarisci subsp. nisquallensis is chemically close to F. tamarisci subsp. asagrayana and F. tamarisci subsp. tamarisci , except for the absence of tamariscol. F. nepalensis produces tamariscol as the minor component, but the sesquiterpene lactone class is different from that of the F. tamarisci complex containing tamariscol.

Fourteen new bibenzyl derivatives have been isolated from the liverwort Radula kojana together with two previously known bis(bibenzyls) and their structures characterized by spectral and chemical evidence. Seven new bibenzyls, 3,5-dihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-, 3-methoxy-5-hydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-, 3-hydroxy-5-methoxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)- and 2-geranyl-3,5-dihydroxybibenzyls, 2,2-dimethyl-7-methoxy-5-(2-phenylethyl)-, 2,2-dimethyl-5-methoxy-7-(2-phenylethyl)- and 2-methyl-2-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-7-methoxy-5-(2-phenylethyl) chromenes have been synthesized from pinosylvin and its dimethyl ether. 3,5-Dihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)- and 2-geranyl-3,5-dihydroxybibenzyls showed 5-lipoxygenase and calmodulin inhibitory activity. Radula kojana belonging to the subgenus Odontoradula is chemically different from species of the subgenera Radula and Cladoradula as it produces chromene derivatives (six-membered) and the latter two genera elaborate dihydrooxepins (seven-membered) and benzofurans with a propenyl group (five-membered). Our chemical results support the modern classification of Radula species.

Nine East Malaysian liverworts have been investigated chemically. Frullania serratta produces eudesmane-, germacrane-, eremophilane and elemane-type sesquiterpenoids and bibenzyls and is classified as chemotype I of the Frullaniaceae. Wiesnerella denudata elaborates not only germacranolides but also cyclic bis(bibenzyls), marchantins A and B. The major components of Trichocolea pluma is prenyl 3,4-dimethoxybenzoates, the chemical markers of the Trichocoleaceae. Mastigophora species are chemically almost identical to those of Herbertus because both genera produce unique isocuparene-type sesquiterpenoids and isocuparene dimers. Chandonathus, Heteroscyphus, Lepidozia, Scapania and Schistochila species produce various types of sesquiterpenoids which have been widely distributed in the other liverworts.

One of the HLA class II genes, HLA-DQA1, was typed from 290 unrelated healthy Japanese using the oligonucleotide typing method. The HLA-DQA1 gene was enzymatically amplified and typed by dot-blot hybridizations with 10 sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes labeled nonradioactively. Using this method, the HLA-DQA1 genotype was theoretically classified into 36 genotypes: 8 homozygous and 28 heterozygous ones. Actually, 26 genotypes were observed in the present study, and the gene frequency of each allele was calculated. The observed numbers were in accordance with the numbers expected under the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The HLA-DQA1 genotype was also determined in aged bloodstains. Since the genotype is polymorphic in the Japanese population and a very small amount of blood is required for determination, this typing is particularly useful for forensic analysis.

Three new cyclopropanochromans, radulanins I, J and K were isolated from the liverwort Radula javanica , along with the previously known three prenyl bibenzyls, radulanins A and H, and 2-geranyl-3,5-dihydroxybibenzyl and a new cuparene-type sesquiterpenoid, (−)-2-(1,2,2-trimethyl)-cyclopentyl-6-methyl-1,4-quinone. The structures of the new compounds were 3-methyl-6-hydroxy-8-(2-phenylethyl)-3,5-cyclopropanochroman, 3-methyl-6-methoxy-8-(2-phenylethyl)-3,5-cyclopropanochroman and 3-methyl-6-hydroxy-7-carboxy-8-(2-phenylethyl)-3,5-cyclopropanochroman from their 1 H and 13 C NMR spectral data.

Three new fusicoccane-type diterpenoids, fusicogigantone A, fusicogigantone B and fusicogigantepoxide, a new dolabellane-type diterpenoid, 18-hydroxy-4,8-dolabelladiene and a new rearranged labdane-type diterpenoid, pleurodiol have been isolated from the ether and the methanol extract of the liverwort Pleurozia gigantea together with the previously known (−)-3,14-clerodadien-13-ol, 14-labden-8,13-diol, ent -kaurene and spathulenol and their structures elucidated by NMR spectral data and chemical correlation. Pleurozia gigantea is a chemically more advanced species than P. acinosa .

This study was conducted to investigate the career history and perceptions about dental hygiene education programs among the alumni (1952-1999 graduates) of the School of Dental Hygiene in Tokyo Medical and Dental University. A questionnaire containing demographic, practice characteristics and views on the programs was mailed to 997 alumni in 1999, and 576 alumni (57.8%) responded. Three hundred and forty-one respondents worked as dental hygienists. The majority who responded were in clinical practice. One hundred and thirty-one of the respondents worked in private clinics, 76 in public health centers, and 72 in clinics in companies. The rate of them who worked in public health centers was much higher than the national average cited in the Statistical Report on Public Health Administration and Services. Two hundred and ninety-one respondents reported inadequate programs. The rate of them who reported inadequate programs was significantly higher in alumni who were working than in alumni who were not. The items cited as insufficiently taught at the school were clinical practice, instrumentation, foreign language, psychology, counseling, and nursing related subjects. Thus, many alumni suggested the need for better programs and continuing education. From these results, it was suggested that dental hygienists need to change their education programs in order to meet the present and future needs of more diversified society. This view was particularly prevalent among alumni who were working. The result showed that dental hygiene educators and dental hygienists urgently need to reconsider the professionalism of their field.

This paper proposes a novel phase retrieval method using active contour models (snakes) for image reconstruction. The proposed method reconstructs a target image from the magnitude of its Fourier transform and the measured area of the image. In general, the measured area is different from the true area where the target image exists. Thus the snake with an area term, which can extract the shape of the concave target image, is utilized to renew the measured area. By processing this renewal iteratively, the area obtained by the snake converges to the true area and as a result the proposed method can accurately reconstruct a target image even when the measured area is different from the true area. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. This method has many applications such as biomedical imaging using X-ray or optical detectors which have lost the phase information.

This paper proposes a novel impulse detection method for the restoration of images corrupted by impulse noise. Conventional impulse detection methods tend to work well for fixed-valued impulse noise but poorly for random-valued impulse noise. The proposed method can accurately detect not only fixed-valued but also random-valued impulse noise by using two different systems. The first system detects impulse noise by considering the differences between the intensity of a target pixel and the output of a median filter. The second system verifies whether the impulse detection results obtained by the first system are correct. By using these systems, the proposed method can accurately detect both types of impulse noise even in highly corrupted images. Furthermore, the proposed method can be effectively used as a preprocessor for noise reduction filtering. Experiments are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

This paper proposes a new noise-detection method for restoration of images corrupted by impulsive noise. The proposed method consists of two stages. In the first stage, the pixels classified according to a new flag image are processed by different noise detectors. They are realized by using two median filters with different sizes of windows. In the second stage, each pixel once detected as an impulse in the first stage is verified by using a new system. According to the above stages, the proposed method can accurately detect the location of the impulsive noise and be effectively used as a preprocessor for noise reduction filtering. Experiments show that the proposed method can effectively detect impulsive noises in noisy images even when they are very highly corrupted.

This paper proposes a new image restoration method based on the iterated function system (IFS). The proposed method can restore images contaminated by impulsive noise according to self-similarity represented by the IFS parameters. Since the IFS is usually used for image coding, it has never been applied to image restoration; and it cannot be utilized for image restoration as it is. In order to adapt the IFS for image restoration, this paper reforms the conventional criterion for the computation of the IFS parameters to suit for image restoration, and as preprocessing we apply an /spl epsiv/-filter in which a median filter is embedded to contaminated images prior to computing the IFS parameters. Some simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method.

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the bactericidal activity of a new antiseptic agent, ozone nano-bubble water (NBW3), against periodontopathogenic bacteria and to assess the cytotoxicity of NBW3 against human oral cells. The bactericidal activities of NBW3 against representative periodontopathogenic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) were evaluated using in vitro time-kill assays. The cytotoxicity of NBW3 was evaluated using three-dimensional human buccal and gingival tissue models. The numbers of colony forming units (CFUs)/mL of P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans exposed to NBW3 dropped to below the lower limit of detection (

Object: The oral multi-kinase inhibitor, Regorafenib, was approved in Japan, 2013. It is the newest molecular target medicine for recurrent colorectal cancer treated by standard chemotherapy and no longer respond to them. One of the most severe side effects of Regorafenib is Hand-Foot Syndrome (HFS). As we have experienced severe HFS, we proposed original patient care checklist. We report the efficacy of this checklist for a patient treated by Regorafenib. Cases: A 72 year-old male with multiple liver metastases for colon cancer has received approved chemotherapy and on progression disease. He referred our hospital to introduce Regorafenib from other hospital. The second case is an 83 year-old male treated for the recurrent rectal cancer on our hospital, and consulted at the cancer board to start the Regorafenib. Result: The first case took Regorafenib standard dosage, but had to stop for the grade 3 HFS at two weeks after administration. We treated him by the skin protection material with intensive steroid treatment. After improvement, the second course started on decreased dosage with self-management manner, stop and restart, depending on his pain level. However, he had to administer to hospital during the third course due to HFS. Therefore, we made a patient care checklist for Regorafenib, and we applied this care checklist for next patient. The second case could be continued successfully, because we could detect symptoms earlier and treat them promptly by the checklist. Considerations: The most important clinical problem of Regorafenib is the skin troubles. Except for them, many side effects occur in a short interval and change patient condition rapidly. If severe HFS were appeared, the treatment should be stopped and it may cause delay for the next treatment. Therefore, the patients should be checked frequently by the established checklist, and treat immediately when occur. We also have to modify the patient care checklist continuously.

A new ent-eudesmane-type sesquiterpene alcohol, ent-8β-hydroxy-eudesma-3,11-diene has been isolated from the liverwort Bazzania spiralis together with ent-β-selinene and its structure characterized by spectral data and chemical correlation. The ether extracts of B. harpago and B. praerupta were examined by TLC, GC and GC-MS to confirm the presence of several known sesquiterpenoids. The present three species are chemically neither closely related to each other nor to the previously examined Bazzania species.

The structure of a new sesquiterpene lactone, nepalensolide A, from the liverwort Frullania nepalensis has been determined by spectroscopic considerations and X-ray analysis. Since the compound does not obey the Samek rule, the conformation has to be considered when we use this rule.