Influence of light intensity on dentin bond strength of self-etch systems.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of light intensity on dentin bond strengths of four self-etch adhesive systems. The light intensities used to polymerize specimens were controlled at levels of 150, 300, 600, and 900 mW/cm2. The two-step self-etch adhesive systems Imperva Fluoro Bond and Mac Bond II, and the one-step self-etch systems Fluoro Bond Shake-One and One-Up Bond F Plus were used with their corresponding light-cured resins.

Effects of glutaraldehyde exposure on human health.

Glutaraldehyde (GA) is widely used in the industrial, scientific and biomedical fields. Many adverse health effects on humans have been reported in association with biomedical uses of GA, with 2-3.5% aqueous GA solution generally used for cold sterilization and GA exposure ranges of 0.

Potential crosstalk between insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 and epidermal growth factor receptor in progression and metastasis of pancreatic cancer.

The insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 (IGF1R) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are reportedly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. However, the correlation between activated EGFR and IGF1R and their clinicopathological implications still remain unclear. The cellular localization and overexpression of IGF1R and EGFR were investigated immunohistochemically in primary invasive ductal pancreatic carcinomas obtained from 74 patients who underwent radical surgical resection.

Electrically driven deformations of nematic gels.

The electrically driven deformations of side chain nematic networks swollen by nematic solvents (nematic gels) have been investigated. The strains of freely suspended gels between electrodes were measured as a function of field strength (E) . The deformation of the gels composed of a network and solvent with identical signs of dielectric anisotropy (Delta epsilon) is dominated by the electrically induced alignment of the nematogens.

Transforming growth factor beta 2 promotes the formation of the mouse cochleovestibular ganglion in organ culture.

The inner ear structures are derived from the otic vesicle (OV) which is formed by thickening and invagination of the otic placode of the surface ectoderm. A number of neuroblasts, which arise from epithelial cells of the otic vesicle, delaminate and differentiate into neurons of the cochleovestibular ganglion (CVG). We have found that transforming growth factor-BEta2 (Tgfbeta2 ) was expressed in the otic epithelium at the OV stages between Embryonic days (E) 9.

Kinetics of shrinking of polymer gels induced by ultracentrifugal fields.

The kinetics of the shrinking of polymer gels induced by ultracentrifugal fields is investigated. A theory is proposed to describe the diffusion process of polymer networks under centrifugal fields. The initial shrinking rate is proportional to the ratio of the centrifugal force to the frictional force of networks.

Disruption of actin cytoskeleton and anchorage-dependent cell spreading induces apoptotic death of mouse neural crest cells cultured in vitro.

In vertebrate embryos, neural crest cells emigrate out of the neural tube and contribute to the formation of a variety of neural and nonneural tissues. Some neural crest cells undergo apoptotic death during migration, but its biological significance and the underlying mechanism are not well understood. We carried out an in vitro study to examine how the morphology and survival of cranial neural crest (CNC) cells of the mouse embryo are affected when their actin cytoskeleton or anchorage-dependent cell spreading is perturbed.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for atherosclerotic stenoses of intracranial vessels.

To study the efficacy and long-term outcome of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with/without stent placement for intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses, we reviewed our treated cases retrospectively. Between May 1992 and October 2003, PTA with/without stents was performed in 64 intracranial and skull base vessels in 62 patients, including 24 middle cerebral arteries, 16 internal carotid arteries, 13 vertebral arteries, and 11 basilar arteries. PTA was technically successful in 55 vessels (86%).

[Spinal anesthesia for 12 patients receiving home oxygen therapy].

From Jan 2001 to Nov 2003, 12 patients receiving home oxygen therapy (HOT) underwent surgery under spinal anesthesia at Okayama Rosai Hospital. The basic diseases for HOT were emphysema (n=8), interstitial pneumonia (n=1), asthma (n=1) and lung cancer (n=1). Mean FEV1.

[Epidural hematoma after an epidural block in a patient with no coagulopathy].

We report a case of epidural hematoma after a single epidural block. The patient was a 67-year-old woman with sciatica and osteoarthritis of the spine. She had no coagulopathy.

Terminal differentiation of palatal medial edge epithelial cells in vitro is not necessarily dependent on palatal shelf contact and midline epithelial seam formation.

During fusion of the mammalian secondary palate, it has been suggested that palatal medial edge epithelial (MEE) cells disappear by means of apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and epithelial cell migration. However, it is widely believed that MEE cells never differentiate unless palatal shelves make contact and the midline epithelial seam is formed. In order to clarify the potential of MEE cells to differentiate, we cultured single (unpaired) palatal shelves of ICR mouse fetuses by using suspension and static culture methods with two kinds of gas-mixtures.

Were volatile organic compounds the inducing factors for subjective symptoms of employees working in newly constructed hospitals?

This study demonstrated possible relationships between environmental, personal, and occupational factors and changes in the subjective health symptoms of 214 employees after the relocation of a hospital in a region of Japan. Eight indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in at least one of the 19 rooms investigated, and total VOC (TVOC) concentrations in 8 rooms exceeded the advisable value (400 microg/m(3)) established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Formaldehyde was detected in all the investigated rooms, but none of the results exceeded the guideline value (100 microg/m(3)).

Swelling and deswelling kinetics of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gels.

Swelling and deswelling kinetics was investigated for three types of cylindrical poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) gels differing in crosslink density. The temperature dependence curves of the volume of the gel specimens were different from one another. One of the gel specimens was considered as a critical gel showing the continuous volume phase transition.

Kinetic study on the elastic change of vascular endothelial cells on collagen matrices by atomic force microscopy.

The elasticity of vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) was measured with an atomic force microscopy (AFM, Olympus), and analyzed by applying the Hertz model, and those data were compared with ones reported by us previously. The latter elasticity data were measured with AFM Instruments (Seiko) on the basis of the Young's modulus of gelatin gel, which was obtained from the measurement with a tensile tester. The elasticity of HUVEC was concluded to depend on the culture period.

Retreatment of cerebral aneurysms after guglielmi detachable coil embolization.

Of 175 patients with 181 aneurysms initially treated with Guglielmi Detachable Coils (GDC), 25 were retreated. All retreatments except one were performed on previously ruptured aneurysms. Thirteen aneurysms were retreated because of recurrence, and 12 aneurysms were retreated to complete initial insufficient embolization.

Angiographical change of guglielmi detachable coils. Treated cerebral aneurysm in acute stage.

Acute angiographical changes for preventing acute rebleeding on GDC treated cerebral aneurysms were evaluated. From December 2000 to November 2002, 48 total aneurysms in 44 consecutive patients with acute SAH. Acute angiographical evaluations were carried out in 46 aneurysms, including 42 ruptured and 4 unruptured aneurysms.

Programmed cell death is not a necessary prerequisite for fusion of the fetal mouse palate.

It has been widely accepted that programmed cell death (PCD) is an essential event in palatogenesis and that its failure can result in cleft palate, one of the most common birth defects in the human. However, some conflicting results have been reported concerning the timing of cell death occurring in the fusing palate and therefore the role of PCD in palatal fusion is controversial. In order to clarify whether cell death is indispensable for mammalian palatogenesis, we cultivated the palates of day-13 mouse fetuses in vitro and prevented cell death by treating them with the inhibitors of caspases-1 and -3 or with aurintricarboxylic acid which inhibits the activity of caspase-activated DNase.

Palatal shelf movement during palatogenesis: a fate map of the fetal mouse palate cultured in vitro.

Day-13 fetal mouse palates (plug day=day 0) were labeled with carbon particles at various sites of palatal shelves and cultivated in a chemically defined medium for up to 48 h. During the culture period, the bilateral palatal shelves came in contact and fused with each other, which simulated in vivo palatogenesis. The carbon study revealed that at the midpalatal region, the medial edge of the palatal shelf elevated to the horizontal plane, elongated toward the midline, and made contact with the medial edge of the opposing shelf.

[A case of undiagnosed "takotsubo" cardiomyopathy during anesthesia].

"Takotsubo" cardiomyopathy is characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction. We have reported a case of "Takotsubo" cardiomyopathy unrecognized during anesthesia because of no ischemic changes in monitored electrocardiogram (ECG). The patient was an 80-year-old woman undergoing open reduction surgery for fractures of the left tibia and ulna.

Molecular ordering of organic molten salts triggered by single-walled carbon nanotubes.

When mixed with imidazolium ion-based room-temperature ionic liquid, pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes formed gels after being ground. The heavily entangled nanotube bundles were found to untangle within the gel to form much finer bundles. Phase transition and rheological properties suggest that the gels are formed by physical cross-linking of the nanotube bundles, mediated by local molecular ordering of the ionic liquids rather than by entanglement of the nanotubes.

Head and neck extension-fixation with a head frame for exposure of the distal internal carotid artery in carotid endarterectomy--technical note.

Adequate exposure of the distal internal carotid artery (ICA) for carotid endarterectomy may be difficult to achieve because of the position of the mandible and associated soft tissues. A simple yet effective use of a head frame is described to gain several centimeters of exposure of the distal ICA. The patient's head and neck are fixed in an extension position using a radiolucent head frame.

The current state of workers' pneumoconiosis in relationship to dusty working environments in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.

This study involved the examination of 1,006 chest x-ray films of workers from the industries devoted to shipyard welding, stone grinding, and refractory crushing in southern Okayama prefecture. Of the reviewed films, analysis was focused on subjects with a profusion rate of 0/1 as well as pneumoconiotic subjects (exhibiting profusion rates of 1/0 or greater) in order to discover cases in the beginning stages. One-hundred-and-seventy-four films illustrated a profusion rate of 0/1 or greater, and the proportion of this profusion rate was revealed to be highest in shipyard welders.

Interplay between activation of GIRK current and deactivation of Ih modifies temporal integration of excitatory input in CA1 pyramidal cells.

Trains of brief iontophoretic glutamate pulses were delivered onto the apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal cells at variable frequencies (3-100 Hz) to examine how the activation of a G protein-activated, inwardly rectifying K(+) (GIRK) conductance alters the postsynaptic processing of repetitive excitatory input. Application of the GIRK channel agonist baclofen (20 microM) reduced the amplitude of individual glutamate-evoked postsynaptic potentials (GPSPs) and attenuated summation of GPSPs so that higher stimulus intensities were required to fire the cell. Notably, GIRK channel activation not only decreased GPSPs, but also suppressed the subsequent afterhyperpolarization (AHP), which arises from a transient deactivation of the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I(h)).

Obesity and the risk of diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men.

The morbidity of diabetes mellitus is increasing gradually in Japanese populations. It is important to clarify the risk factors of diabetes in Japanese populations in order to take adequate measures against the increasing morbidity of diabetes. In order to evaluate the link between past and concurrent obesity and diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men, we conducted a worksite-based historical cohort study in Okayama, Japan in 1999.