Aged garlic extract enhances the production of β‑defensin 4 via activation of the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway in mouse gingiva.

Periodontal disease is recognized as a chronic multifactorial inflammatory condition initiated by dysbiosis within subgingival plaque biofilms. Antimicrobial peptides exhibit a wide spectrum of antimicrobial action, and thus, provide one of the first lines of host defense against oral pathogens. Aged garlic extract (AGE) is effective for preventing the progression of periodontal disease.

Special Series on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Performances in Five Asian Countries: Summary of Findings, Clinical Implications, and Future Directions.

Introduction: This special series of exploratory studies compared WAIS-IV performances in five Asian countries: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, and Indonesia with the U.S. The studies examined cognitive profiles across age groups to develop hypotheses on how culture can impact cognition.

Indonesian WAIS-IV Cultural Research.

Objective: This study examined regional differences between Indonesians on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Indonesia (WAIS-IV ID) and, in comparison, to the US. Three hypotheses were examined: a) Java will demonstrate stronger WAIS-IV ID performances than non-Java (NJ) samples. b) WAIS-IV ID performances will be correlated with educational attainment.

Japanese Performance Profile on the WAIS-IV and Purported Cultural Influences.

Objective: The present exploratory study aimed to examine the potential impact of culture on cognitive skills and intelligence by comparing the Japanese Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV) (JW) subtests, IQs, and index scores to those of the U.S. WAIS-IV (USW).

Examination of factors related to the performance index of patients with cardiovascular disease in a convalescent rehabilitation hospital.

Unlabelled: Fujii D, Morisawa T, Yamamoto S, Matsuo T, Nyuba K, Maehata M, Iwaki H, Iwata K, Saitoh M, Endo M, Takahashi T. Examination of factors related to the performance index of patients with cardiovascular disease in a convalescent rehabilitation hospital. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2024; 15: 63-70.

Optimal vaccine allocation strategy: Theory and application to the early stage of COVID-19 in Japan.

In this paper, we construct an age-structured epidemic model to analyze the optimal vaccine allocation strategy in an epidemic. We focus on two topics: the first one is the optimal vaccination interval between the first and second doses, and the second one is the optimal vaccine allocation ratio between young and elderly people. On the first topic, we show that the optimal interval tends to become longer as the relative efficacy of the first dose to the second dose (RE) increases.

Heterogeneous risk attitudes and waves of infection.

Many countries have experienced multiple waves of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. We propose a novel but parsimonious extension of the SIR model, a CSIR model, that can endogenously generate waves. In the model, cautious individuals take appropriate prevention measures against the virus and are not exposed to infection risk.

Effect of in-patient cardiac rehabilitation at rehabilitation hospital for cardiology patients: two-center trial.

The effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with cardiovascular disease requiring continuous CR from an acute care hospital to a convalescent rehabilitation hospital is unknown. Therefore, we compared the effect of CR in a rehabilitation hospital for patients with cardiovascular disease with that of those who underwent cardiovascular surgery. Sixty-nine consecutive patients were admitted to two rehabilitation hospitals for CR.

Sociodemographic, cultural, linguistic, and test selection considerations for clinical neuropsychological assessment with Japanese and Japanese-American patients in the United States.

Japanese-Americans are the sixth largest Asian ethnicity in the United States and represent a highly heterogeneous population. Despite representing a large and diverse group, relatively little attention has been paid to clinical best practices for working with this population in the West, particularly for Japanese speakers and (first-generation in the United States). This paper offers guidance for providing competent neuropsychological services to Japanese-Americans.

Cutting the Chain of Discrimination during COVID-19 Pandemic by Health Literacy.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in discrimination against patients and healthcare workers in the beginning. As more information about COVID-19 prevention became available, discrimination toward the patients and healthcare workers gradually reduced. Instead, people wearing masks in the general public were heavily discriminated when mask-wearing was recommended only for healthcare workers.

Incorporating Intersectionality in Neuropsychology: Moving the Discipline Forward.

Objective: Intersectionality is the interface between a person's identities in relation to social systems and institutional discrimination. The concept has generated much interest in psychology for understanding societal inequities and providing culturally informed services to minoritized patients but has yet to be incorporated in clinical neuropsychology. This omission is unfortunate as it is argued that appreciating the impact of institutional discrimination on minoritized groups can enhance our understanding of brain organization and functioning and bolster access to competent neuropsychological services to minoritized patients.

Social support as a bridge: A rapid realist review of migrant inclusion in the Japanese response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Government policy to address the COVID-19 pandemic has been complex with profound impacts on vulnerable minorities like international migrants. In Japan migrants are an important and growing community but their consideration in health policy is rare. We conducted a rapid realist review about 'what works' for the equitable inclusion of migrants during the pandemic as a case study for other public health emergencies.

Assessment of a Biosafety Device to Control Contamination by Airborne Transmission during Orthodontic/Dental Procedures.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, dental professionals have faced high risk of airborne contamination between dentists, staff, and patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an individual biosafety capsule in dentistry (IBCD) on reducing the dispersion of droplets and aerosols during orthodontic treatment and evaluate the clinician and patient's perception of using the IBCD. For the part of the study, aerosol quantification was performed with and without the IBCD, using a nonpathogenic bacterial strain and viral strain in the reservoir and high-speed dental handpiece.

Photobiomodulation stimulates surrounding bone formation and increases stability of titanium alloy miniscrews in ovariectomized rats.

The number of older individuals (> 60 years) treated in orthodontic dental practice is constantly growing, and osteoporosis is a common disease within this age range. Orthodontic treatment for this group tends to be challenging, often requiring the use of mini-implants. Mini-implants are important accessories in orthodontic treatment that provide solutions to complex cases.

Safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines in Japan.

The assessment of the efficacy and safety of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in actual practice is extremely important, and monitoring efforts are being implemented worldwide. In Japan, a joint council in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is held every two to three weeks to summarise information on the adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, with careful assessment of individual case safety reports and comparison with background incidence rates. In 2021, the joint council mainly reviewed anaphylaxis, death, myocarditis/pericarditis, and thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

Spatial distribution of live gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism in various parts of human large intestine.

Gut microbiomics is based on analysis of both live and dead cells in the stool. However, to understand the ecology of gut microbiota and their symbiotic relationships with hosts, spatial distribution of live bacteria must be examined. Here, we analyzed the live composition of luminal microbiota (LM) and mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) in the ascending and descending colons and the rectums of 10 healthy adults and compared it with the total composition.

Selective induction of human gut-associated acetogenic/butyrogenic microbiota based on specific microbial colonization of indigestible starch granules.

Prediction of individualized responses is one of biggest challenges in dietary intervention to modulate human gut microbiota. Bacterial interspecies competition for dietary factors should underlie the inter-subject heterogeneity of microbial responses. Microscale localization of bacterial species around intestinal food structures could provide direct evidence for understanding this, however, little information is currently available.

Critical roles of a housekeeping sortase of probiotic in bacterium-host cell crosstalk.

YIT 10347 (BF-1) is adhesive . Here we studied the molecular aspects of the BF-1 adhesion process. We identified and characterized non-adhesive mutants and found that a class E housekeeping sortase was critical for the adhesion to mucin.

What matters to psychology trainees when making decisions about internship and postdoctoral training sites: Differences between racial/ethnic minority and White VA trainees.

It is projected that by 2045, racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. will become the majority.

Antimicrobial activity of probiotics against oral pathogens around orthodontic mini-implants: an in vitro study.

Objective: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of five types of non-industrialized and industrialized probiotics on biofilms formed around orthodontic mini-implants. The null hypothesis tested was: there is no difference in the antimicrobial effect between the five types of probiotics tested around orthodontic mini-implants.

Methods: For the experiment, 120 mini-implants were immersed for seven days in Staphylococcus aureus solution for biofilm formation, and were subsequently plated in culture medium containing probiotics.

COVID-19 and output in Japan.

We build a tractable SIR-macro-model with time-varying parameters and use it to explore various policy questions such as when to lift the state of emergency (SOE). An earlier departure from the SOE results in smaller output loss and more deaths in the short run. However, if the SOE is lifted too early, the number of new cases will surge and another SOE may need to be issued in the future, possibly resulting in both larger output loss and more deaths.