Viscosity measurements in pulsed magnetic fields by using a quartz-crystal microbalance

Viscosity measurements in combination with pulsed magnetic fields are developed by use of a quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM). When the QCM is immersed in liquid, the resonant frequency, f₀, and the quality factor, Q, of the QCM change depending on (ρη)^0.5, where ρ is the mass density and η the viscosity. During the magnetic-field pulse, f₀ and Q of the QCM are simultaneously measured by a ringdown technique. The typical resolution of (ρη)^0.5 is 0.5%. As a benchmark, the viscosity of liquid oxygen is measured up to 55 T.

Subjective Evaluation of Denture Adhesives: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION

Many reports show that denture adhesives improve the retention and stability of dentures. However, few randomized controlled trials have examined the effects of denture adhesives.

OBJECTIVE

This 10-center randomized controlled trial with parallel groups involving 200 edentulous patients wearing complete dentures aimed to evaluate the effects of short-term use of cream and powder denture adhesives.

METHODS

Patients were allocated into 2 cream- and powder-type adhesive groups and 1 control group. Intervention groups were treated with the 2 adhesives (1 each), and the control group received saline solution. Adhesive or control was applied to the denture-mucosal surface for 4 d, and data at baseline and after day 4 of intervention (i.e., 8 meals) were obtained. Patient satisfaction was evaluated with a 100-mm visual analog scale. Oral health-related quality of life was measured with the Japanese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients. Perceived chewing ability was evaluated by a questionnaire regarding ease of chewing and swallowing food. Between-group comparisons were performed with Kruskal-Wallis tests with the Mann-Whitney U test adjusted by Bonferroni correction. Within-group comparisons of pre- and postintervention measurements were performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Intention-to-treat analysis was also performed.

RESULTS

Between-group comparisons showed no significant differences for general satisfaction or Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients. However, significant differences in satisfaction with various denture functions with cream- and powder-type adhesives were seen in pre- and postintervention comparisons (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed for perceived chewing ability of hard foods (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that although denture adhesives do not invariably improve denture function, they do affect subjective evaluations and possibly chewing of hard foods. Therefore, the effects of denture adhesive use are insufficient to resolve any fundamental dissatisfaction with dentures ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01712802 ).

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT

The results of this study suggest that denture adhesives should be applied under certain conditions; however, an appropriate diagnosis is important before application. These practice-based data provide information to establish evidence-based guidelines for applying denture adhesives.

Phonon Magnetochiral Effect

The magnetochiral effect (MCE) of phonons, a nonreciprocal acoustic propagation arising due to symmetry principles, is demonstrated in the chiral-lattice ferrimagnet Cu_{2}OSeO_{3}. Our high-resolution ultrasound experiments reveal that the sound velocity differs for parallel and antiparallel propagation with respect to the external magnetic field. The sign of the nonreciprocity depends on the chirality of the crystal in accordance with the selection rule of the MCE. The nonreciprocity is enhanced below the magnetic ordering temperature and at higher ultrasound frequencies, which is quantitatively explained by a proposed magnon-phonon hybridization mechanism.

Search for K_{L}→π^{0}νν[over ¯] and K_{L}→π^{0}X^{0} Decays at the J-PARC KOTO Experiment

A search for the rare decay K_{L}→π^{0}νν[over ¯] was performed. With the data collected in 2015, corresponding to 2.2×10^{19} protons on target, a single event sensitivity of (1.30±0.01_{stat}±0.14_{syst})×10^{-9} was achieved and no candidate events were observed. We set an upper limit of 3.0×10^{-9} for the branching fraction of K_{L}→π^{0}νν[over ¯] at the 90% confidence level (C.L.), which improved the previous limit by almost an order of magnitude. An upper limit for K_{L}→π^{0}X^{0} was also set as 2.4×10^{-9} at the 90% C.L., where X^{0} is an invisible boson with a mass of 135  MeV/c^{2}.

Diagnostic features of acquired dermal melanocytosis of the face and extremities

Acquired dermal melanocytosis of the face and extremities (ADMFE) is an unusual form of acquired dermal melanocytosis (ADM). In this paper, we report a case of ADMFE and review the published literature. Our review highlights several clinical differences between ADMFE and ADM: (i) more frequent involvement of the nasal alae in ADMFE than in ADM, (ii) less frequent involvement of the cheeks in ADMFE than in ADM, (iii) limbs affected in all cases of ADMFE but in few cases of ADM, and (iv) frequent involvement of conjunctiva and/or gingiva in ADMFE but very rare involvement in ADM. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that ADMFE is clinically distinct from the classic form of ADM, and gaining an understanding of its phenotype will enable accurate diagnosis and early intervention by Q-switched laser therapy, which should benefit those patients with disease-related cosmetic issues.

Transverse Fractures of the Spinous Process of the 7th Cervical Vertebra in RDT Patients: An AI Related Disease?

Transverse fractures of the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra were noted in 2 patients and of the 1st thoracic vertebra in 1 patient on maintenance hemodialysis. Two patients with aluminum (AI)- and/or iron-related bone disease complained of bone pain, relieved by deferoxamine therapy. In all three cases, the bone fractures had occurred suddenly while the patients were going about their daily work.

These observations indicate that AI- or iron-related bone disease with secondary hyperparathyroidism can induce bone fracture by only slight stress in patients maintained on hemodialysis.

Entrainment and Annihilation of Reentrant Excitation in a Periodically Stimulated Ring of Excitable Media

Excitable media, such as nerve, heart and the Belousov-Zhabo- tinsky reaction, exhibit a large excursion from equilibrium in response to a small but finite perturbation. Assuming a one-dimensional ring geometry of sufficient length, excitable media support a periodic wave of circulation. As in the periodic stimulation of oscillations in ordinary differential equations, the effects of periodic stimuli of the periodically circulating wave can be described by a one-dimensional Poincaré map. Depending on the period and intensity of the stimulus as well as its initial phase, either entrainment or termination of the original circulating wave is observed. These phenomena are directly related to clinical observations concerning periodic stimulation of a class of cardiac arrhythmias caused by reentrant wave propagation in the human heart.

Bonhoeffer-van der Pol Oscillator Model of the Sino-Atrial Node: A Possible Mechanism of Heart Rate Regulation

A Bonhoeffer-van der Pol equation with a stable limit cycle is proposed as a model of the pacemaker in the sino-atrial node to exptain heart rate regulation. Standard tools, such as the phase transition curve in nonlinear dynamic system theory, are used to analyze the model and results are compared with other studies on experiments with dogs.

Reconstructing Bifurcation Diagrams of Dynamical Systems Using Measured Time Series

We present an algorithm for reconstructing the bifurcation structure of a dynamical system from time series. The method consists in finding a parameterized predictor function whose bifurcation structure is similar to that of the given system. Nonlinear autoregressive (NAR) models with polynomial terms are employed as predictor functions. The appropriate terms in the NAR models are obtained using a fast orthogonal search scheme. This scheme eliminates the problem of multiparameter optimization and makes the approach robust to noise. The algorithm is applied to the reconstruction of the bifurcation diagram (BD) of a neuron model from the simulated membrane potential waveforms. The reconstructed BD captures the different behaviors of the given system. Moreover, the algorithm also works well even for a limited number of time series.