Detection of Abnormal Changes on the Dorsal Tongue Surface Using Deep Learning.

Background and Objective: The tongue mucosa often changes due to various local and systemic diseases or conditions. This study aimed to investigate whether deep learning can help detect abnormal regions on the dorsal tongue surface in patients and healthy adults. Materials and Methods: The study collected 175 clinical photographic images of the dorsal tongue surface, which were divided into 7782 cropped images classified into normal, abnormal, and non-tongue regions and trained using the VGG16 deep learning model. The 80 photographic images of the entire dorsal tongue surface were used for the segmentation of abnormal regions using point mapping segmentation. Results: The F1-scores of the abnormal and normal classes were 0.960 (precision: 0.935, recall: 0.986) and 0.968 (precision: 0.987, recall: 0.950), respectively, in the prediction of the VGG16 model. As a result of evaluation using point mapping segmentation, the average F1-scores were 0.727 (precision: 0.717, recall: 0.737) and 0.645 (precision: 0.650, recall: 0.641), the average intersection of union was 0.695 and 0.590, and the average precision was 0.940 and 0.890, respectively, for abnormal and normal classes. Conclusions: The deep learning algorithm used in this study can accurately determine abnormal areas on the dorsal tongue surface, which can assist in diagnosing specific diseases or conditions of the tongue mucosa.

Surface electromyography for evaluating patients with oromandibular dystonia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate myoelectric signals of dystonic activities in oromandibular dystonia (OMD) subjects using surface electromyography (EMG). METHODS: Twelve OMD subjects were included in this study. Resting myoelectric activities of the superficial masseter, anterior temporalis, and anterior belly of the digastric muscle on both sides were monitored, and dystonic muscle contractions were recorded using surface EMG. Myoelectric signal amplitude, the type of muscle contraction, and contraction rate for phasic activities were evaluated. RESULTS: Surface EMG revealed that eight subjects had dystonic muscle activities in the phasic contraction pattern, three subjects had a tonic contraction pattern, and one subject had a mixed pattern. Synchronous contraction of dystonic muscles was frequently observed. Many of the monitored muscles showed high resting amplitudes. CONCLUSION: Surface EMG detects abnormal muscle activities related to oromandibular dystonia. Surface EMG can serve as an objective method for diagnosing oromandibular dystonia.

Raphanus sativus L. seed extracts induce apoptosis and reduce migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma KB and KBCD133+cells by downregulation of ß-catenin.

Although, oral cancer therapies have been developed for decades, patient survival rates have not changed. Side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy reduce quality of life of patients and it remains difficult to treat oral cancers due to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that cause recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, we search for natural products that affect oral cancer cells including oral cancer stem cells. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer effects of Raphanus sativus L. seed (RSLS) extracts on oral squamous cell carcinoma KB cells and CSC-like KBCD133+ cells. CD133 plays an important role in CSCs and physically binds to ß-catenin to activate the ß-catenin signaling targets. Therefore, a natural extract that can inhibit ß-catenin act in may be effective anticancer drug acquiring CSC. Of the natural product extract candidates, RSLS extracts induced apoptosis in KB and KBCD133+ cells and inhibited nuclear translocation of ß-catenin cell migration and invasion rates. Treatment of RSLS extracts resulted in increases of Axin and it leds to reductions of ß-catenin in KB and KBCD133+ cells. Hence, the result suggests that RSLS are potential candidate for anticancer drug against oral cancer cells and CSCs.AbbreviationsCSCcancer stem cellsOSCCsquamous cell carcinoma cellsRSLSRaphanus sativus L. seed.

The Protective Role of Feruloylserotonin in LPS-Induced HaCaT Cells.

Epidermal inflammation is caused by various bacterial infectious diseases that impair the skin health. Feruloylserotonin (FS) belongs to the hydroxycinnamic acid amides of serotonin, which mainly exists in safflower seeds and has been proven to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Human epidermis mainly comprises keratinocytes whose inflammation causes skin problems. This study investigated the protective effects of FS on the keratinocyte with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced human HaCaT cells and elucidated its underlying mechanisms of action. The mechanism was investigated by analyzing cell viability, PGE2 levels, cell apoptosis, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) translocation, and TLR4/NF-κB pathway. The anti-inflammatory effects of FS were assessed by inhibiting the inflammation via down-regulating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Additionally, FS promoted Nrf2 translocation to the nucleus, indicating that FS showed anti-oxidative activities. Furthermore, the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of FS were found to benefit each other, but were independent. Thus, FS can be used as a component to manage epidermal inflammation due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.

Diagnostic accuracy and reliability of panoramic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) radiography to detect bony lesions in patients with TMJ osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The value of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) projections of panoramic radiography for diagnosing TMJ osteoarthritis is not completely elucidated. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of panoramic TMJ radiography to detect bony lesions in patients with TMJ osteoarthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 55 TMJs of 44 subjects who were diagnosed with TMJ osteoarthritis. They underwent panoramic radiography (PanRad), lateral (LatTMJ) and frontal (FrnTMJ) projection panoramic TMJ radiography, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). All images were examined by two observers for flattening, erosion, and osteophytes on the condylar head and articular eminence of the TMJ. RESULTS: For detecting flattening lesions on the mandibular condyle, the sensitivities of PanRad, LatTMJ, and FrnTMJ were less than 67% and the combination of LatTMJ and FrnTMJ (ComTMJ) had the highest sensitivity for both observers (67.6% and 79.7%, respectively). For erosion lesions, the sensitivity of ComTMJ for observer 1 was the highest, at 84.3%, whereas the specificity of ComTMJ was the lowest, at 37.5%. The sensitivities of all four methods for observer 2 were less than 54% and the specificities ranged from 75.0% to 100%. The overall diagnostic accuracy was highest for ComTMJ (64.3%), followed by LatTMJ (59.5%). The intraobserver reliability was good for one observer and excellent for the other, and the interobserver reliability was fair or moderate. CONCLUSION: Panoramic TMJ radiography demonstrated limited diagnostic accuracy and acceptable reliability in detecting bony lesions of the TMJ, although it was better than conventional panoramic radiography.

Repeatability of measurements of surface electromyographic variables during maximum voluntary contraction of temporalis and masseter muscles in normal adults.

This study evaluated the intraexaminer repeatability of measurements of surface electromyography (EMG) variables and functional indices of the myoelectric signals from the masseter and temporalis muscles bilaterally in 15 healthy men. The test was repeated on two different days without templates. The resting muscle activity was recorded once, and two kinds of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) tasks were performed and recorded three times. The two MVC tasks involved clenching the teeth and biting down on two cotton rolls bilaterally with the posterior teeth. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of amplitude was >88% and that of frequency was >95% during the two MVC tasks but not under resting conditions. The ICC of the asymmetry and activity indices during the two MVC tasks was >76%. A Bland-Altman analysis revealed no significant difference in amplitude or frequency or in the two indices between the two days during the MVC tasks. In conclusion, the measurements of surface EMG variables and the indices obtained according to the study protocol were highly repeatable in healthy men. Additional studies using templates and intraexaminer measurement errors are warranted in both men and women for complete validation of these findings.

Characterization of a submandibular gland sialolith: micromorphology, crystalline structure, and chemical compositions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the mechanism of mineralization and growth of a sialolith by analyzing its micromorphology, crystalline structure, and chemical compositions. STUDY DESIGN: A sialolith was removed along with submandibular salivary gland from a patient. After cross-cutting and polishing the sialolith, its morphology, chemical compositions, crystalline structure, and chemical states were analyzed by using optical camera, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, and transmittance electron microscopy. RESULTS: The sialolith had a core composed of organic material, such as lipid compounds, and the surrounding mineralized shell structure mostly consisted of hydroxyapatite. In the transition zone between the organic core and mineralized shell layers, inorganic layers were arranged alternately with organic layers. Congregated globular structures were calcified with hydroxyapatite and whitlockite crystallites. Analysis of crystalline structures and chemical compositions suggested that calcium phosphate minerals containing magnesium, such as whitlockite, were developed in the initial stage and gradually transformed into crystallites composed of hydroxyapatite during the growth of crystallites. CONCLUSIONS: Sialolith with an organic core grew as inorganic materials were deposited and calcified in alternate layers. The mineralization process might include the initial whitlockite development and successive transformation into more stable hydroxyapatite.

The concentration of desflurane preventing spectral entropy change during surgical stimulation: A prospective randomized trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the concentration of desflurane necessary to blunt changes in spectral entropy during surgical incision when two different target-controlled effect-site concentrations of remifentanil (1 and 3ng/ml) were infused. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled study. SETTING: Operating room of a university hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Forty-two patients undergoing general anesthesia for elective surgery were enrolled and randomly allocated to the R1 (1ng/ml of remifentanil, n=21) or R3 (3ng/ml of remifentanil, n=21) group. After at least a 10-min administration of target-controlled remifentanil concentration and predetermined end-tidal desflurane following endotracheal intubation, changes in spectral entropy in response to surgical incision were evaluated. MEASUREMENTS: Concentration of desflurane necessary to blunt changes in spectral entropy during surgical incision for each group was determined using Dixon's up-and-down method. Hemodynamic variables including mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured. MAIN RESULTS: Concentration of desflurane necessary to blunt changes in spectral entropy during surgical incision in 50% of patients (EC50) was 4.1% (95% CI: 3.5-4.7%) for the R1 group and 3.4% (95% CI: 3.0-3.8%) for the R3 group (P=0.033). Additionally, the calculated EC95 values using the logistic regression analysis for the R1 and R3 groups were 5.8% (95% CI: 5.0-10.8%) and 5.1% (95% CI: 4.3-10.6%), respectively. MAPs and HRs were significantly higher in the R1 than in the R3 group after surgical incision. CONCLUSIONS: Desflurane 4.1% with remifentanil 1ng/ml and desflurane 3.4% with remifentanil 3ng/ml significantly blunt the change in spectral entropy after surgical incision in 50% of patients.

Large-scale freestanding nanometer-thick graphite pellicles for mass production of nanodevices beyond 10 nm.

Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) has received much attention in the semiconductor industry as a promising candidate to extend dimensional scaling beyond 10 nm. We present a new pellicle material, nanometer-thick graphite film (NGF), which shows an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) transmission of 92% at a thickness of 18 nm. The maximum temperature induced by laser irradiation (λ = 800 nm) of 9.9 W cm(-2) was 267 °C, due to the high thermal conductivity of the NGF. The freestanding NGF was found to be chemically stable during annealing at 500 °C in a hydrogen environment. A 50 × 50 mm large area freestanding NGF was fabricated using the wet and dry transfer (WaDT) method. The NGF can be used as an EUVL pellicle for the mass production of nanodevices beyond 10 nm.

Weekend experiences and subjective well-being of retired older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To examine how involvement in activities is related to subjective well-being (SWB) among older adults in particular during weekends. To explore the situational and behavioral factors such as day of week, type of activities, and social context and their impact on subjective well being of older adults. METHODS: The experience sampling method (ESM) was used with retired older adults. RESULTS: Participants reported lower levels of SWB on the weekend. They experienced higher levels of SWB when they were engaged in active leisure on the weekend. Social contexts were significant predictors of older adults' SWB on the weekend. CONCLUSION: These findings extend the body of knowledge that involvement in active leisure and socializing with friends improve SWB of older adults.

Potentiation of bacterial killing activity of zinc chloride by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate.

Zinc has antimicrobial activity and zinc salts including zinc chloride (ZnCl(2)) have been used for the control of oral malodor. In this study, we hypothesized that pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a zinc ionophore, may enhance antimicrobial efficacy of ZnCl(2). The bactericidal effectiveness of ZnCl(2) alone (0.5-8 mM) or in combination with PDTC (1 or 10 microM) was evaluated by in vitro short (1 h) time-killing assays against Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Only a slight viability decrease was observed with ZnCl(2) or PDTC alone after 1-h incubation. By contrast, combination of ZnCl(2) and PDTC could achieve a more than 100-fold viability reduction compared with ZnCl(2) or PDTC alone in F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis. Therefore, PDTC greatly enhanced the bactericidal activity of ZnCl(2) against the oral malodor-producing bacteria. These results suggest that use of PDTC may be useful for enhancing bactericidal activity of antimalodor regimens of zinc salts.

Inhibitory effects of somatostatin on the substantia gelatinosa neurons of trigeminal subnucleus caudalis via somatostatin type 2 receptors in juvenile mice.

The substantia gelatinosa (SG) of the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) receives many thin-myelinated Adelta-fiber and unmyelinated C primary afferent fibers and has been implicated in the processing of nociceptive information. Somatostatin (SST) is a neuromodulator in the brain and spinal cord. A number of studies have demonstrated that SST can play a key role in pain modulation at the spinal cord level. However, there is little information available on functional SST receptor expression in the SG neurons of the Vc in mice. This study examined the direct membrane effects of SST and SST receptor type 2 agonist, seglitide (SEG) on the SG neurons of Vc in gramicidin perforated current clamp mode. In addition, SSTR2 mRNA expression was detected on the SG neurons using single cell RT-PCR in juvenile mice. Most SG neurons (37/68, 54%) were hyperpolarized after a bath application of SST. When SST was applied in stages, the second responses (83% of the first response) were less intense than those after the first application suggesting that SSTRs are desensitized by repeated application. The SST-induced hyperpolarizing response was maintained in the presence of TTX (Na(+) channel blocker), AP-5 (NMDA receptor antagonist), CNQX (non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist), picrotoxin (GABA(A) receptor antagonist) and strychnine (glycine receptor antagonist), respectively, suggesting that SST has direct effects on the postsynaptic SG neurons. SSTR2 mRNA was detected in 11 out of 28 (39%) SG neurons tested. The SST-induced hyperpolarizing effects were mimicked by SEG, a SSTR2 agonist. These results suggest that functional SSTR2 receptors are expressed on the SG neurons of Vc in juvenile mice and can be a potential target for modulating orofacial pain.

Inhibitory effect of Weissella cibaria isolates on the production of volatile sulphur compounds.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to characterize the inhibitory effects of Weissella cibaria isolates on volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) production both in vitro and in vivo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We isolated and identified three hydrogen peroxide-generating lactobacilli from children's saliva, and assessed their inhibitory effects on VSC production and Fusobacterium nucleatum proliferation. Clinical studies were conducted with 46 subjects in order to measure the VSC of their mouth air. RESULTS: These lactobacilli were identified as W. cibaria. These isolates inhibited the production of VSC by F. nucleatum (p<0.05). The concentration of F. nucleatum was decreased by 5-log cycles as a result of exposure to the W. cibaria strains (p<0.05), whereas the catalase-treated W. cibaria cultures exerted no evident inhibitory effects on F. nucleatum replication. In the clinical studies, gargling with one isolate resulted in a significant reduction in the levels of H2S and CH3SH by approximately 48.2% (p<0.01) and 59.4% (p<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that W. cibaria isolates possess the ability to inhibit VSC production under both in vitro and in vivo conditions, demonstrating that they bear the potential for development into novel probiotics for use in the oral cavity.

Mechanisms of Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression in endothelial cells.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is expressed in vascular endothelial cells of inflamed gingival tissues and plays an important role in periodontal pathogenesis. Endothelial cells produce high levels of MCP-1 in response to Porphyromonas gingivalis, an important periodontal pathogen. The present study investigated the mechanisms involved in MCP-1 production by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) following infection with P. gingivalis. In contrast to P. gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus only weakly stimulated MCP-1 production while Treponema denticola could not induce MCP-1 in HUVEC. The MCP-1 production was independent of endogenous interleukin (IL)-1alpha as IL-1 receptor antagonist treatment did not reduce MCP-1 production by P. gingivalis. Meanwhile, antioxidant treatment and inhibition of NAD(P)H oxidase significantly reduced MCP-1 production. Pharmacological inhibition of p38 mitogen-associated protein (MAP) kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) or activator protein-1 (AP-1) also substantially attenuated P. gingivalis-induced MCP-1 expression by HUVEC. Indeed, activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 was observed in P. gingivalis-infected HUVEC. These results suggest that MCP-1 expression is upregulated in P. gingivalis-infected endothelial cells via reactive oxygen species, p38 MAP kinase, JNK, NF-kappaB, and AP-1.

LY294002 inhibits monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression through a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-independent mechanism.

The effects of LY294002 (LY29) and wortmannin (WM), inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression by human umbilical vein endothelial cells were investigated. Complete inhibition of interleukin (IL)-1beta-induced Akt phosphorylation occurred at 50 microM LY29 or 100 nM WM. At these concentrations, LY29, but not WM, significantly inhibited constitutive and IL-1beta-induced MCP-1 expression at both protein and mRNA levels. LY303511 (LY30), an inactive analogue of LY29, also inhibited MCP-1 expression. LY29 and LY30 inhibited activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). These results suggest that LY29 inhibits MCP-1 expression at least in part via suppression of NF-kappaB, independent of PI3K, and the structure of LY29 and LY30 may be a novel template for development of new anti-inflammatory drugs.