Establishment of a novel method for differentiating into dopaminergic neurons using charged hydrogels.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily affecting the central nervous system and impacting both the motor system and non-motor systems. Although administration of L-DOPA is effective, it is not a fundamental treatment and has side effects such as diurnal fluctuation and dyskinesia, highlighting the need for new treatment methods. There is a growing interest in dopaminergic neuron transplantation as a potential treatment.

A viscoelastic-plastic deformation model of hemisphere-like tip growth in Arabidopsis zygotes.

Plant zygote cells exhibit tip growth, producing a hemisphere-like tip. To understand how this hemisphere-like tip shape is formed, we revisited a viscoelastic-plastic deformation model that enabled us to simultaneously evaluate the shape, stress and strain of Arabidopsis () zygote cells undergoing tip growth. Altering the spatial distribution of cell wall extensibility revealed that cosine-type distribution and growth in a normal direction to the surface create a stable hemisphere-like tip shape.

Influence of Type of Dental Visit on the Incidence of COVID-19 and Related Hospitalisation Among Older People in Japan.

In 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began worldwide. We examined the association between dental visit status and the incidence of COVID-19 and hospitalisation for it among older people based on medical claims data to help reduce COVID-19 severity. The study included 170,232 people who were 75-85 years old in fiscal 2019, with fiscal 2020 and 2021 serving as the follow-up period to ascertain the status of COVID-19.

Soft hydrogel-embedded ceramic skeleton mimicking bone structure sacrificial bond concept.

Bone, consisting of calcium phosphate minerals, rigid collagen fibrils, and acidic proteins, exhibits stiff and tough mechanical properties. On a molecular scale, covalent cross-linking in proteins and ionic interactions within proteins and at the protein-mineral boundary contribute to bone's toughness. In addition, hierarchical structures, like the sponge-like arrangement, are also crucial for the energy dissipation system in bone.

Validity of the self-reported number of teeth in independent older people in Japan.

Background: In questionnaire surveys, questions about self-reported number of teeth (SRNT) are often used as a measure oral health. This study investigated the validity of SRNT in older Japanese people.

Methods: In total, 4984 75- and 80-year-old patients who underwent dental examinations were enrolled.