Caries and Its Association with Infant Feeding and Oral Health-related Behavior in 18-month and 3-year-old Japanese Children.

The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental caries and its association with infant feeding and oral health-related behavior in Japanese children between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. A total of 387 infants were initially examined at the age of 18 months (or 19 months in some cases) and then again at 3 years (or at 3 years 1 month in some cases). The primary objective was to identify factors contributing to the prevalence of caries in children aged 18 months.

Photoperiodic changes in hippocampal neurogenesis and plasma metabolomic profiles in relation to depression-like behavior in mice.

Photoperiod alters affective behaviors and brain neuroplasticity in several mammalian species. We addressed whether neurogenesis and signaling pathways of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a key modulator of neuroplasticity, are regulated by photoperiod in C57BL/6 J mice, a putative model of seasonal affective disorder. We also examined the effects of photoperiod on plasma metabolomic profiles in relation to depression-like behavior to understand a possible linkage between peripheral metabolism and behavior.

Development of Jaw and Deciduous Teeth in Japanese Children -Comparing Size of Crown and Alveolar Area between Today and 40 Years Ago.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate change in the size of the jaw and deciduous teeth in Japanese children over the past 40 years by performing measurements on plaster models of the dental arch obtained from children born between 2007 and 2009 (2000s group) and children born between 1968 and 1974 (70s) group. A total of 61 children were enrolled in the 2000s group, comprising 25 boys (average age, 4 years 5 months) and 36 girls (average age, 4 years 4 months), and 93 children in the 70s group, comprising 45 boys (4 years 6 months) and 48 girls (4 years 4 months). The mesiodistal width of the crown, dental arch width, dental arch length, dental arch height, and available arch length in these groups were measured using a 3D measurement system and the sums of the mesiodistal width of the crown and tooth size-arch length discrepancies calculated.

Alveolar Growth in Japanese Infants : A Comparison between Now and 40 Years ago.

To investigate differences in alveolar growth during the primary dentition period among different age groups, dental arch width, length, and height were measured in 93 dental arch plaster models obtained from 4-year-olds born between 1968 and 1974, 88 from 5-year-olds born between 1968 and 1974 (70s group), 61 from 4-year-olds born between 2007 and 2009, and 56 from 5-year-olds born between 2006 and 2008 (2000s group). A comparison was also performed to determine whether there was any difference in change between 4 and 5 years of age. The results showed age- and sex-dependent differences in growth patterns in primary dental arch width, length, and height.

Glutathione Peroxidase-Like Activity of Amino-Substituted Water-Soluble Cyclic Selenides: A Shift of the Major Catalytic Cycle in Methanol.

We previously reported that water-soluble cyclic selenides can mimic the antioxidative function of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in water through a simple catalytic cycle, in which the selenide (>Se) is oxidized by H₂O₂ to the selenoxide (>Se=O) and the selenoxide is reduced by a thiol back to the selenide. In methanol, however, the GPx-like activity could not be explained by this simple scenario. To look into the reasons for the unusual behaviors in methanol, monoamino-substituted cyclic selenides with a variable ring size were synthesized, and the intermediates of the catalytic cycle were characterized by means of Se-NMR and LC-MS spectroscopies.

Changes in photoperiod alter Glut4 expression in skeletal muscle of C57BL/6J mice.

Seasonal changes in photoperiod influence body weight and metabolism in mice. Here, we examined the effect of changes in photoperiod on the expression of glucose transporter genes in the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of C57BL/6J mice. Glut4 expression was lower in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice exposed to a short-duration day (SD) than those to a long-duration day (LD), with accompanying changes in GLUT4 protein levels.

Exposure of C57BL/6J mice to long photoperiod during early life stages increases body weight and alters plasma metabolomic profiles in adulthood.

Perinatal photoperiod is an important regulator of physiological phenotype in adulthood. In this study, we demonstrated that postnatal (0-4 weeks old) exposure of C57BL/6J mice to long photoperiod induced persistent increase in body weight until adulthood, compared with the mice maintained under short photoperiod. The expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ, a gene involved in fatty acid metabolism, was decreased in 10-week-old mice exposed to long photoperiod during 0-4 or 4-8 weeks of age.

Diminished antigen-specific IgG1 and interleukin-6 production and acetylcholinesterase expression in combined M1 and M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor knockout mice.

Immunological activation of T cells enhances synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh) and transcription of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), M5 muscarinic ACh receptor (mAChR) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Stimulation of mAChRs on T and B cells causes oscillating Ca(2+)-signaling and up-regulation of c-fos expression; moreover, M1 mAChRs play a crucial role in the differentiation of CD8(+) T cells into cytolytic T lymphocytes. Collectively, these findings suggest that immune cell function is regulated by its own cholinergic system.