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Delirium is a critical challenge in the intensive care unit (ICU) or high care unit (HCU) setting and is associated with poor outcomes. There is not much literature on how many patients in this setting are assessed for delirium and what tools are used. This study investigated the status of delirium assessment tools of patients in the ICU/HCU. We conducted a multicenter prospective observational study among 20 institutions. Data for patients who were admitted to and discharged from the ICU/HCU during a 1-month study period were collected from each institution using a survey sheet. The primary outcome was the usage rate of delirium assessment tools on an institution- and patient-basis. Secondary outcomes were the delirium prevalence assessed by each institution's assessment tool, comparison of delirium prevalence between delirium assessment tools, delirium prevalence at the end of ICH/HCU stay, and the relationship between potential factors related to delirium and the development of delirium. Result showed that 95% of institutions used the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) or the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) to assess delirium in their ICU/HCU, and the remaining one used another assessment scale. The usage rate (at least once during the ICU/HCU stay) of the ICDSC and the CAM-ICU among individual patients were 64.5% and 25.1%, and only 8.2% of enrolled patients were not assessed by any delirium assessment tool. The prevalence of delirium during ICU/HCU stay was 17.9%, and the prevalence of delirium at the end of the ICU/HCU stay was 5.9%. In conclusion, all institutions used delirium assessment tools in the ICU/HCU, and most patients received delirium assessment. The prevalence of delirium was 17.9%, and two-thirds of patients had recovered at discharge from ICU/HCU.Trial registration number: UMIN000037834., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The indigo plant (Polygonum tinctorium Lour) has been used traditionally as a medicinal plant with a variety of biological effects. Of these, polyphenolic ingredients are postulated to contribute to these activities. However, the identification and quantification of polyphenolic compounds in indigo plants have not been conducted comprehensively until now. This study was undertaken to identify the related ingredients by combined instrumental analyses using ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray-ionisation mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after the extracts of plant tissues were fractionated by absorption column chromatography. These analyses allowed the identification of kaempferol, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-glucopyranoside, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and tentative 3,5,4'-trihydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxyflavone. Furthermore, predominant polyphenolic compounds were quantified by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary gas chromatography, revealing the higher proportions of kaempferol, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide and quercetin among them. The results indicate that the indigo plant is a promising source for flavonoids and the related compounds with beneficial medicinal effects.

Introduction: Orthodontic setup models are usually limited to the display of teeth, with no information about the roots. The purpose of this article is to present a method for visualizing the tooth roots in setup models by integrating information from cone-beam computed tomography and a laser scanner. The reproducibility of the integration was evaluated., Methods: The records of 5 patients were used in this study. Three-dimensional digital models were generated from the dental casts. Tooth models were generated from the cone-beam computed tomography slices. The 3-dimensional models were superimposed on the crowns of the teeth in the tooth models and integrated. The integrated 3-dimensional tooth model and 3-dimensional setup model were registered. The reproducibility of the integration was evaluated for each tooth. Unpaired Student t tests were performed on the data between the anterior and posterior teeth, and between the right and left teeth., Results: The discrepancy among the integrated 3-dimensional models at the final positions after we used this technique was 0.025 ± 0.007 mm. There was a significant difference in the distance between the anterior and posterior teeth (P <0.05). However, the average distances between the anterior and posterior teeth were small: 0.023 ± 0.007 and 0.028 ± 0.007 mm, respectively. No significant difference was found between the right and left teeth (P = 0.831)., Conclusions: The methods presented in this study provide a reproducible visualization of tooth roots in virtual setup models by registering accurate crown models to cone-beam computed tomography scans., (Copyright © 2012 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Amelogenin is a major component of developing extracellular enamel matrix proteins and plays a crucial role during the formation of tooth enamel. In addition, amelogenins are suggested to exert biologic functions as signaling molecules through cell-surface receptors. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of recombinant human full-length amelogenin (rh174) on the mineralization of human cementoblasts (HCEMs) and human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLs)., Methods: HCEMs, namely, a cell line immortalized by transfection of human telomerase reverse transcription gene, and HPDLs isolated from human first premolars were cultured and treated with 0 to 1,000 ng/mL rh174. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN), and bone sialoprotein (BSP) were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. The protein levels of OCN and BSP were examined by Western blot analysis. ALP activity and calcium deposition of cell cultures were also determined. Mineralization of cells was evaluated by red dye staining., Results: The treatment of HCEMs with rh174 upregulated the ALP, OCN, and BSP mRNA levels. In addition, the protein levels of OCN and BSP, ALP activity, and calcium deposition were enhanced, resulting in enhanced mineralization. Conversely, there were no significant effects of rh174 on the mineralization of HPDLs., Conclusion: The present study shows that rh174 enhances mineralization accompanied by upregulation of mineralization markers in HCEMs, whereas it has no effect on that in HPDLs, suggesting different effects of amelogenin on PDL and cementum.

Amelogenins are enamel matrix proteins that play a crucial role in enamel formation. Recent studies have revealed that amelogenins also have cell signaling properties. Although amelogenins had been described as specific products of ameloblasts, recent research has demonstrated their expression in bone marrow stromal cells. In this study, we examined the effect of recombinant human full-length amelogenin (rh174) on the proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow and characterized the associated changes in intracellular signaling pathways. MSCs were treated with rh174 ranging in dose from 0 to 1,000 ng/ml. Cell proliferative activity was analyzed by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunoassay. The expression of lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1), a possible amelogenin receptor, in MSCs was analyzed. Anti-LAMP1 antibody was used to block the binding of rh174 to LAMP1. The MAPK-ERK pathway was examined by Cellular Activation of Signaling ELISA (CASE) kit and western blot analysis. A specific MAPK inhibitor, U0126, was used to block ERK activity. It was shown that rh174 increased the proliferation of MSCs and MAPK-ERK activity. The MSC proliferation and MAPK-ERK activity enhanced by rh174 were reduced by the addition of anti-LAMP1 antibody. Additionally, the increased proliferation of MSCs induced by rh174 was inhibited in the presence of U0126. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that rh174 increases the proliferation of MSCs by interaction with LAMP1 through the MAPK-ERK signaling pathway, indicating the possibility of MSC application to tissue regeneration in the orofacial region.

Although ex vivo expanded mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been used in numerous studies, the molecular signature and in vivo distribution status of MSC remain unknown. To address this matter, we identified numerous human MSC-characteristic genes--including nine transcription factor genes--using DNA microarray and real-time RT-PCR analyses: Most of the MSC-characteristic genes were down-regulated 24 h after incubation with osteogenesis-, chondrogenesis- or adipogenesis-induction medium, or 48-72 h after knockdown of the nine transcription factors. Furthermore, knockdowns of ETV1, ETV5, FOXP1, GATA6, HMGA2, SIM2 or SOX11 suppressed the self-renewal capacity of MSC, whereas those of FOXP1, SOX11, ETV1, SIM2 or PRDM16 reduced the osteogenic- and/or adipogenic potential. In addition, immunohistochemistry using antibodies for the MSC characteristic molecules--including GATA6, TRPC4, FLG and TGM2--revealed that MSC-like cells were present near the endosteum and in the interior of bone marrow of adult mice. These findings indicate that MSC synthesize a set of MSC markers in vitro and in vivo, and that MSC-characteristic transcription factors are involved in MSC stemness regulation.

Lewis base-catalyzed 1,3-dithiane addition to electrophiles such as carbonyl compounds and N-substituted aldimines with 2-trimethylsilyl-1,3-dithiane (TMS-dithiane) is described. By the activation of the carbon-silicon bond in the presence of a Lewis base catalyst such as tetrabutylammonium phenoxide (PhONnBu(4)), a 1,3-dithiane addition reaction proceeded smoothly to afford the corresponding adducts in good to high yields under mild conditions. This synthesis is also applied to the reactions of ketones having alpha-protons, and of N-substituted aldimines.

7-Benzoyloxy-3-(2-nitrophenylseleno)-1,5-cyclodecadiyne (13) was prepared from 5-hexyn-1-ol and propargyl bromide via 10-iodo-7-(t-butyldiphenylsiloxy)-5,9-decadiynal (10). The facile cyclization of the acyclic precursor 10 would be rationalized in terms of "bulky group (TBDPSO) assisted conformational control". Oxidation of 13 by NaIO4, followed by thermal treatment gave tetrahydronaphthalene derivative 15, indicating the generation of biradical.

Furanoside derivatives having ethynylene group and related compounds were prepared. The reaction of these functionalized furanosides with oligodeoxy-ribonucleotide (21 mer, 5'-32P-GATAAGCTTGAAT TCATGGCC-3') and subsequent treatment with piperidine resulted in cleavage of the oligonucleotide.