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Get PDFThe aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of a structured intervention program in emotional and physical states of family caregivers for elderly. This program is a series of five weekly 90minute sessions includingpsycho-education, problem-solving techniques, and relaxation training.Subjects were 56 primary caregivers looking after relatives with dementia or disability at home.Psychological inventories, i.e., Profile of Mood States (POMS) and General Health Questionnaire-30 (GHQ-30) were administered at the period of 4 weeks before, pre-, post-intervention, and 2 months after intervention. They were taken a blood sample to measure natural killer (NK) cell activity at the 4 weeks before, pre-，and post-intervention.In the waiting list control group, there was no change in the POMS, the GHQ-30 and NK cell activity.The scores for depression, anger-hostility, tension-anxiety, confusion (POMS), and general illness, social dysfunction, anxiety and dysphoria, suicidal depression (GHQ-30) at the post-intervention decreased significantly when compared with pre-intervention scores. Moreover, there was persistence of the improvement during two months after intervention. Post-intervention NK cell activity was significantly higher than the pre-intervention. These results indicated that our program was effective in managing the stress of family caregivers.departmental bulletin pape
Get PDFCastability of Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy, CP Ti, and Co-Cr alloy was examined for mesh type and plate type specimens. The casting was carried out with a pressure type casting machine and commercial molding material. The castability of the mesh type specimen was evaluated in terms of the number of cast segments (castability index), and that of the plate type was evaluated by the area of the specimen (casting rate). X-ray images processed by a digital imaging technique were used to identify the casting porosity. The casting rate of the specimens increased with increasing thickness of the specimens. It was concluded that the castability index and the casting rate of Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy was slightly lower than that of CP Ti, and higher than that of Co-Cr alloy, were as Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy showed fewer casting porosities than CP Ti and smaller ones than Co-Cr alloy, which was advantageous for increasing the reliability of the casting properties.departmental bulletin pape
Get PDFPrevious research has shown that rinsing the mouth with milk significantly diminished the pH in dental plaque fluid; however, the degree of saturation with respect to the dental enamel (DS) was not significantly decreased because of an increase in the calcium ion concentration in plaque fluid. The aim of this study was to investigate the cariostatic effect of adding calcium to milk on the DS value of the plaque fluid after rinsing. Plaque samples were collected from 8 Japanese male dental students. Prior to plaque collection, all subjects refrained from practicing oral hygiene for 48 hr and fasted overnight. Supragingival plaque samples were collected from one side of the mouth of each subject, and then collected from the other side, following a 30-second rinse with 15 mL of calcium-enriched milk, which was prepared by adding calcium carbonate to ordinary milk, and a 10-minute waiting period. The samples were cleared by centrifugation, and the plaque fluid was analyzed for inorganic ions and pH, using an ion chromatograph and pH microelectrode, respectively. The calcium ion concentration of the milk was 6.4 mM, which was about 36% higher than that of ordinary milk. The pH decreased significantly (p<5%) from 6.4 to 6.1 following the rinse with calcium enriched milk, as tested by the paired t-test. The decrease in pH might have caused a reduction of the DS value; however, it was compensated for by a significant (p<0.5%) increase in the calcium ion concentration of plaque fluid.departmental bulletin pape
Get PDFThe tongue surface movement of young patients with or without open bite was evaluated by ultrasound images taken on the posterior part of the tongue on the frontal plane to determine whether there is any relationship between the tongue movement and open bite malocclusion in the early mixed dentition period. The standardized reproducible ultrasound images were obtained using ultrasound diagnostic equipment that was fabricated in a cephalostat unit having a probe stabilizer. At the central portion of the tongue, no significant differences were detected in the duration or the momentum of tongue surface movement on a frontal plane was detected between the patients with and without open bite during swallowing. The farther the region was from the central portion, however, the longer the duration and the bigger the momentum of the tongue surface movement was found in the open bite group. Based on this evidence, it is suggested that an open-bite child swallows by using a tongue thrust motion that forms using a large depressed area in the tongue, whereas a normal child without tongue thrust forms a rather narrow groove in the central portion of the tongue when swallowing.departmental bulletin pape
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to evaluate histopathologically the effect on pulp tissue of microleakage in resin composite restorations. Seventy-two class V cavities were prepared on buccal surfaces of monkeys and divided into 3 groups, F, O, and S. Every cavity was etched with 37% phosphoric acid. In group F cavities, each cavity was restored with photo-curable composite without any dentin adhesives. In group O, the cavities were left unfilled. In group S, each cavity was treated with a dentin adhesive system and restored with a restorative composite. After 3, 30, or 90 days, animals were sacrificed and the subjected teeth were immediately removed, then fixed and decalcified. Following sectioning and staining with hematoxylin and eosin or Taylor's modified bacteria staining, each sample was examined with a light microscope. In most teeth with group S cavities, bacterial invasion was not found indicating excellent marginal sealing. The pulpal reaction was much less than that in other groups. In group F as well as in group O, bacteria were frequently observed in the cavity; however, bacteria penetrated into dentinal tubules more in group F than in group O at 30 and 90 days. A correlation between the presence of bacteria and pulpalinflammation was strongly indicated. It was suggested that a leaky restoration was more harmful to the pulp thanan open prepared cavity without restoration.departmental bulletin pape
Get PDFThe central pattern generator (CPG) for masticatory movements has been located in the medial bulbar reticular formation, by using cortically induced rhythmical jaw and tongue movements as a model. To analyze how stationary input from the cortex is transformed into rhythmical output in the neuronal population comprising the CPG, rhythmical neural activities representing rhythmical food ingestive movements were experimentally induced in vitro. Bath-application of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) induced rhythmical activities in the trigeminal (V), facial (VII) and hypoglossal (XII) nerves of in vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparations isolated from newborn rats and mice. This paper will review evidence for the notion that (1) the rhythmical XII nerve activity represents rhythmical sucking movements; (2) the population of neurons critically involved in the rhythm generation of the XII nerve is localized in the ventromedial medulla oblongata on both sides, and can induce rhythmical XII nerve activity on the same side independently of each other; (3) the rhythmical activities in the V,VII, and XII motoneurons are induced by separate CPGs, which are located segmentally at the respective level of the V motor, VII, and XII nuclei. In addition, rhythmical masticatory-like EMG activity of jaw muscles can be induced by repetitive stimulation of the pyramidal tract in the in vitro brainstem isolated from adult mice together with the oral-facial structures. We propose that the in vitro brainstem preparation is a useful tool for longitudinal analysis of postnatal development of the central pattern generation of food ingestive movements, including conversion from sucking to mastication.departmental bulletin pape
Get PDFIn the in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model, astrocytes have been considered to strengthen the barrier function of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). Because the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) does not comprise cells equivalent to astrocytes, we hypothesized that the integrity of the BNB is supported by endoneurial pericytes, the only cells comprising endoneurial microvessels other than peripheral nerve microvascular endothelial cells (PnMECs). To estimate the barrier function of in vitro BBB/BNB models, we measured the transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and permeability for paracellular diffusion of [carboxyl-14C]- inulin across the layers of PnMECs or BMECs co-cultured with pericytes, astrocytes or fibroblasts. When co-cultured with astrocytes, both PnMECs and BMECs showed higher TEER values and significantly lower clearance of inulin. When co-cultured with pericytes, only PnMECs increased the TEER value and lowered the clearance of inulin as effectively as did those co-cultured with astrocytes. Hence, we conclude that endoneurial pericytes may strengthen the BNB function in a PnMEC-specific manner. The TEER values of the PnMEC monolayer challenged by IL-1β, TNFα or VEGF decreased significantly. Based on the present results, the co-culture of PnMECs and pericytes appears to be a useful in vitro BNB model.departmental bulletin pape
Get PDFThe trend of new patients was investigated at the Clinic for Disabled Patients, University Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University for eight years from 1989 to 1996. The purpose of this study was to explore the future role of this specialized clinic. The study revealed the following information: 1.A total of 1,388 new patients, corresponding to 173.5 new patients per year on average, visited the clinic. 2. The percentage of patients aged 30 or more increased. As a result, the mean patient age rose from 40.4 in 1989 to 47.6 in 1996. 3. Referrals accounted for more than 80% of new patients. Medical doctors referred more patients to our clinic than dentists did. 4. While the percentage of disabled patients tended to decrease, the percentage of medically compromised patients increased. 5. The predominant complaint was dental caries. Patients with cardiovascular diseases also complained of gingival bleeding and ill-fitting dentures. The growing percentage of medically compromised patients and the increasing mean age of patients over the eight-year period seems to reflect advances in medical science and the aging society. These tendencies could be more remarkable in the future. Therefore, much closer cooperation between dentists and medical doctors will be required.departmental bulletin pape