Relationship between NAFLD and Periodontal Disease from the View of Clinical and Basic Research,and Immunological Response

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease caused by pathogenic oral microorganisms that leads to the destruction of alveolar bone and connective tissues around the teeth. Although many studies have shown that periodontal disease is a risk factor for systemic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and periodontal disease has not yet been clarified. Thus, the purpose of this review was to reveal the relationship between NAFLD and periodontal disease based on epidemiological studies, basic research, and immunology. Many cross-sectional and prospective epidemiological studies have indicated that periodontal disease is a risk factor for NAFLD. An in vivo animal model revealed that infection with periodontopathic bacteria accelerates the progression of NAFLD accompanied by enhanced steatosis. Moreover, the detection of periodontopathic bacteria in the liver may demonstrate that the bacteria have a direct impact on NAFLD. Furthermore, Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide induces inflammation and accumulation of intracellular lipids in hepatocytes. Th17 may be a key molecule for explaining the relationship between periodontal disease and NAFLD. In this review, we attempted to establish that oral health is essential for systemic health, especially in patients with NAFLD.     

Structural changes of micropores in carbons by chemical vapor infiltration of carbon

Chemical vapor infiltration is now being used to produce advanced materials for aerospace applications. It is also applicable to carbons to enhance the resistance against oxidation. In the present study, methane pyrolysis was conducted for several kinds of carbons such as electrode-grade graphite, electrode-grade carbon, coke and activated charcoal. The structural change of micropores (radius < 10 nm) accompanying infiltration and oxidation was investigated because oxidation is considered mainly to occur in such small pores due to their large specific surface area. The change of macropores measured by mercury porosimeter is also shown for comparison with that of fine pores. Pore-size distribution measured by the BET method have shown that the filling mode depends on the pore structure of carbons.     

Amplitude-stabilized frequency-modulated laser diode and its interferometric sensing applications

A direct frequency-modulated (FM) laser diode light source without light power variation is developed. The amplitude variation of the FM laser diode is compensated by means of a feedback system with use of a superluminescent diode as an external light power controller. Output power greater than 1 mW is obtained at the modulation frequency to 5 kHz with a >10 stabilization factor. By use of the amplitude-stabilized FM laser diode, we measured subfringes with high accuracy in FM continuous wave interferometry, increased the dynamic range of the displacement measurement, and improved the stabilization factor in the laser diode feedback interferometer.     

Solubility of butane and isobutane in molten polypropylene and polystyrene

The solubility of butane and isobutane in molten polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) was measured at pressures up to 3 MPa and along four isotherms from 438 to 483 K for PP and from 348 to 473 K for PS. The solubility increased with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature. At 438 K and 2 MPa, the solubilities of butane and isobutane in PP were 0.15 and 0.11 g‐gas/g‐polym, respectively. At 423 K and 2 MPa, the solubilities of butane and isobutane in PS were 0.08 and 0.05 g‐gas/g‐polym, respectively. Solubility could be correlated with the Sanchez‐Lacombe equation of state with temperature‐dependent binary interaction parameters to within 4.4% average relative deviation. Henry's constant for these gases in the PP and PS obtained in this work were used to determine correlation equations along with literature data. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:2083–2089, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Anhydride production as an additional mechanism of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) pyrolysis

Anhydrides production is newly proposed as an additional pyrolysis mechanism of a biopolymer, poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). In spite of many suggestions of multiple degradation mechanisms, simple random chain scission by β‐elimination has been accepted as an exclusive mechanism of the thermal degradation of PHB. However, a wide range of activation energy value of the degradation and the deviation from the random chain scission statistics have suggested the presence of other kinds of mechanism out of the random scission. To confirm other mechanisms out of the random scission, minor pyrolyzates from PHB were characterized with ¹H/¹³C‐NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. As a result, crotonic anhydride and its oligomers were detected as minor products from condensation reactions between carboxyl groups. The anhydrides production must be one reaction out of the conforming process to the random degradation statistics and contribute to the complexity of PHB pyrolysis. An expected thermal degradation pathway of PHB was proposed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation of giant magnetostrictive materials under microgravity condition

In this paper, we investigated the possibility of preparation of TbFe₂ giant magnetostrictive alloys under a microgravity condition using 6 m drop-tube system on basis of a feasibility study by JAMIC drop-tower. The diameters of TbFe₂ alloy droplets varied from 1.1 to 2.1 mm were obtained. The magnetostriction of 1.1 mm droplet shows the highest value of about 1600 ppm at external magnetic field of 15 kOe. The magnetostriction of TbFe₂ droplets increased with decreasing diameter. It was suggested that a cooling rate during free-fall in helium gas atmosphere and oil quenching influenced the magnetostriction of the samples. We concluded that 6 m drop-tube system could be potential the continuous preparation process for high performance TbFe₂ giant magnetostrictive alloys.     

Long-term settlement behavior of soft grounds and secondary compression

Abstract

Settlement–time behaviors in the last stage of consolidation are studied both in the laboratory and in the field. It is shown that the long-term settlement–time curves observed in the field are linear with the logarithm of time and the rate of the long-term settlement are analogous to the rate of secondary compression measured in a laboratory. The finite difference consolidation analyses for cohesive soils exhibiting large amounts of secondary compression during primary consolidation provide fairly good predictions of the settlement–time curves observed in the laboratory and in the field. In this paper, the applicability of the secondary compression model established in the laboratory is examined in in situ conditions. The initial rate of secondary compression used in this paper has a predominant influence on the settlement–time curve with different drainage distances. It is emphasized that the assumption for unknown secondary compression behaviors during the primary consolidation has a predominant influence on the settlement–time curve.     

GluN2B‐Selective N‐Methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) Receptor Antagonists Derived from 3‐Benzazepines: Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of Benzo[7]annulen‐7‐amines

Given their high neuroprotective potential, ligands that block GluN2B‐containing N‐methyl‐D ‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors by interacting with the ifenprodil binding site located on the GluN2B subunit are of great interest for the treatment of various neuronal disorders. In this study, a novel class of GluN2B‐selective NMDA receptor antagonists with the benzo[7]annulene scaffold was prepared and pharmacologically evaluated. The key intermediate, N‐(2‐methoxy‐5‐oxo‐6,7,8,9‐tetrahydro‐5H‐benzo[7]annulen‐7‐yl)acetamide ( 11 ), was obtained by cyclization of 3‐acetamido‐5‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)pentanoic acid ( 10 b ). The final reaction steps comprise hydrolysis of the amide, reduction of the ketone, and reductive alkylation, leading to cis‐ and trans‐configured 7‐(ω‐phenylalkylamino)benzo[7]annulen‐5‐ols. High GluN2B affinity was observed with cis‐configured γ‐amino alcohols substituted with a 3‐phenylpropyl moiety at the amino group. Removal of the benzylic hydroxy moiety led to the most potent GluN2B antagonists of this series: 2‐methoxy‐N‐(3‐phenylpropyl)‐6,7,8,9‐tetrahydro‐5H‐benzo[7]annulen‐7‐amine ( 20 a , K_i=10 nM ) and 2‐methoxy‐N‐methyl‐N‐(3‐phenylpropyl)‐6,7,8,9‐tetrahydro‐5H‐benzo[7]annulen‐7‐amine ( 23 a , K_i=7.9 nM ). The selectivity over related receptors (phencyclidine binding site of the NMDA receptor, σ₁ and σ₂ receptors) was recorded. In a functional assay measuring the cytoprotective activity of the benzo[7]annulenamines, all tested compounds showed potent NMDA receptor antagonistic activity. Cytotoxicity induced via GluN2A subunit‐containing NMDA receptors was not inhibited by the new ligands.