Efficient predictors for the decline of activities of daily living in patients with hip fracture one year after surgery: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

Background: Previous studies have examined when activities of daily living (ADL) recovery more than six months after surgery can be predicted, and how much accuracy the predictors have.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of ADL decline and evaluate their accuracies one year post-operation for hip-fracture patients.

Methods: We studied patients who underwent hip fracture surgery and were able to walk independently pre-operatively.

Duloxetine Inhibits Microglial P2X4 Receptor Function and Alleviates Neuropathic Pain after Peripheral Nerve Injury.

P2X4 receptors (P2X4R) are a family of ATP-gated non-selective cation channels. We previously demonstrated that activation of P2X4R in spinal microglia is crucial for neuropathic pain, a highly debilitating chronic pain condition, suggesting that P2X4R is a potential therapeutic target for treating neuropathic pain. Thus, the identification of a compound that has a potent inhibitory effect on P2X4R is an important clinical challenge.

Bone marrow-derived cells in the population of spinal microglia after peripheral nerve injury.

Accumulating evidence indicates that peripheral nerve injury (PNI) activates spinal microglia that are necessary for neuropathic pain. Recent studies using bone marrow (BM) chimeric mice have reported that after PNI, circulating BM-derived cells infiltrate into the spinal cord and differentiate into microglia-like cells. This raises the possibility that the population of spinal microglia after PNI may be heterogeneous.

Mechanism for the antibacterial action of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) on Bacillus subtilis.

Catechins are a class of polyphenols and have high anti-bacterial activity against various microorganisms. Here, we report the mechanism for antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, which is highly sensitive to EGCg. Transmission electron microscope analysis revealed that deposits containing EGCg were found throughout the cell envelope from the outermost surface to the outer surface of cytoplasmic membrane.

Quantitative evaluation of toothbrush and arm-joint motion during tooth brushing.

Objectives: It is very difficult for dental professionals to objectively assess tooth brushing skill of patients, because an obvious index to assess the brushing motion of patients has not been established. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate toothbrush and arm-joint motion during tooth brushing.

Materials And Methods: Tooth brushing motion, performed by dental hygienists for 15 s, was captured using a motion-capture system that continuously calculates the three-dimensional coordinates of object's motion relative to the floor.

IRF8 is a transcriptional determinant for microglial motility.

Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, are constitutively mobile cells that undergo rapid directional movement toward sites of tissue disruption. However, transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of microglial motility remain unknown. In the present study, we show that interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF8) regulates microglial motility.

Method for rapid detection and identification of chaetomium and evaluation of resistance to peracetic acid.

In the beverage industry, peracetic acid has been increasingly used as a disinfectant for the filling machinery and environment due to merits of leaving no residue, it is safe for humans, and its antiseptic effect against fungi and endospores of bacteria. Recently, Chaetomium globosum and Chaetomium funicola were reported resistant to peracetic acid; however, little is known concerning the detail of peracetic acid resistance. Therefore, we assessed the peracetic acid resistance of the species of Chaetomium and related genera under identical conditions and made a thorough observation of the microstructure of their ascospores by transmission electron microscopy.