Explore the vast range of titles available.

A vast number of mass flow controllers (MFCs) are used in semiconductor industry. For the stable supply, an efficient production method of MFC is required. The gain tuning of the proportional-integral (PI) control to realize a setting flow rate is essential for efficient mass production. The gains are tuned to meet the specifications required for evaluation indices of response time and overshoot amount in a step response waveform. The tuning is complicated especially for the case of pressure-based MFCs. In this paper, we propose a simple method for the PI gain tuning using the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and the direct inverse analysis applicable to the pressure-based MFCs’ production. The relationship between the gains and evaluation indices for a standard unit of the MFC is modeled as the GMM. The direct inverse analysis calculates the difference between the standard and a test unit. Under the assumption that the difference can be compensated by a simple shift, gains likely to meet the specifications for the test unit are searched. We applied the method to seven test units. The result showed that the gains of all the test units were tuned within only a few iterations whose numbers were much less than the conventional manual tuning method, and there was no untunable unit.

Background Frailty likely results in impaired functioning, and frail individuals requiring long-term care have recently attracted the attention of researchers. In the oral health field, the number of elderly individuals who require intervention for retaining occlusion has been increasing, as has the number of remaining teeth and required prosthetic treatment. Additionally, the number of elderly with reduced masticatory function has also been increasing, and frailty is a suspected factor. Aims The aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between frailty and masticatory function decline. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods A total of 747 participants (total mean age 73.6 ± 5.8 years old) underwent a comprehensive examination at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. Three masticatory functions were evaluated: maximum occlusal force, mixing ability, and self-reported chewing ability. Frailty was determined using all 25 questions of the Basic checklist developed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, following the method reported by Satake et al. Results Binomial logistic analysis clarified the relationship between frailty and evaluation of each of the three masticatory functions. Significant correlations of pre-frailty or frailty with maximum occlusal force, mixing ability, and subjective chewing ability were observed. Conclusion All three masticatory functions (maximum occlusal force, mixing ability, and self-reported chewing ability) were associated with pre-frailty or frailty in community-dwelling Japanese elderly.

Oral hypofunction, resulting from a combined decrease in multiple oral functions, may affect systemic-condition deterioration; however, few studies have examined the association between oral hypofunction and general health among older adults. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. We included 878 adults (268 men and 610 women, mean age 76.5 ± 8.3 years). Tongue coating index, oral moisture, occlusal force, oral diadochokinesis (/pa/,/ta/,/ka/), tongue pressure, mas-ticatory function, and swallowing function were evaluated as indicators of oral hypofunction. Grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass index were measured as diagnostic sarcopenia parameters. The association between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia was examined via logistic regression using sarcopenia as the dependent variable. Oral hypofunction prevalence was 50.5% overall, 40.3% in men, and 54.9% in women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 18.6% overall, 9.7% in men, and 22.5% in women. A logistic regression showed oral hypofunction, age, body mass index, higher-level functional capacity, and serum albumin level were significantly associated with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia occurred at an increased frequency in patients diagnosed with oral hypofunction (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–2.47); accordingly, oral hypofunction appears to be significantly associated with sarcopenia.

Human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) are widely used in regenerative medicine due to their accessibility and high proliferative capacity. Platelet lysate (PL) has recently emerged as a promising alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS), offering superior cell expansion potential; however, the molecular basis for its efficacy remains insufficiently elucidated. In this study, we performed RNA sequencing to compare hASCs cultured with PL or FBS, revealing a significant upregulation of genes related to stress response and cell proliferation under PL conditions. These findings were validated by RT–qPCR and supported by functional assays demonstrating enhanced cellular resilience to oxidative and genotoxic stress, reduced doxorubicin-induced senescence, and improved antiapoptotic properties. In a murine wound model, PL-treated wounds showed accelerated healing, characterized by thicker dermis-like tissue formation and increased angiogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis further revealed elevated expression of chk1, a DNA damage response kinase encoded by CHEK1, which plays a central role in maintaining genomic integrity during stress-induced repair. Collectively, these results highlight PL not only as a viable substitute for FBS in hASC expansion but also as a bioactive supplement that enhances regenerative efficacy by promoting proliferation, stress resistance, and antiaging functions.

Introduction We describe a case of an adrenal cavernous hemangioma that was surgically resected because of tumor growth and intratumoral hemorrhage. Case presentation A 73‐year‐old woman presented with an enlarged adrenal tumor and intratumoral hemorrhage during the follow‐up of an incidental adrenal tumor. A computed tomography showed that the left adrenal tumor had grown from 23 to 44 mm over 1 year. Blood tests revealed a normal metabolic profile. Paragangliomas and metastatic tumors were suspected on imaging. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed to prevent tumor rupture due to further bleeding. No adhesions or bleeding were observed around the tumor during surgery. Pathological diagnosis was adrenal cavernous hemangioma. Conclusion Adrenal cavernous hemangioma is difficult to distinguish preoperatively from other adrenal tumors, including malignant tumors. The intraoperative findings of this case suggest that laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe treatment option for relatively small adrenal cavernous hemangioma.

Background Epididymal injuries without ipsilateral injuries of the testicles are rare. We report a case of a solitary right epididymal injury complicated by left testicular rupture. Case Presentation A 21‐year‐old man experienced scrotal trauma caused by a motorcycle accident. Bilateral swelling and tenderness of the scrotum were observed. Ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a ruptured left testicle; therefore, surgery was performed. During surgery, the left testicle was excised because it was completely ruptured, and the right testicle and epididymis were evaluated to identify the cause of swelling of the right scrotum. The right testis was not injured; however, the right epididymis was lacerated. Subsequently, the lacerated right epididymis was repaired using sutures. A semen analysis performed at 1, 4, and 7 months after surgery revealed the absence of sperm in the semen. Conclusion Epididymal injuries should be considered as differential diagnoses for scrotal trauma. As epididymal injuries are often overlooked, cases of scrotal trauma should be examined with epididymal injuries in consideration.

Objectives Undernutrition is associated with frailty, one of the common reasons for seeking long‐term care. In older adults, nutritional status is known to be associated with oral function; however, it is not yet known if there is a similar association in middle‐aged adults. The present study determined the association between nutritional status and oral function in middle‐aged adults. Material and methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 117 outpatients aged 40–64 years who underwent dental check‐up at a private dental clinic. Factors associated with oral function, including oral moisture, number of teeth present, oral diadochokinesis, tongue pressure, lip‐seal strength, and masticatory performance, were evaluated. Body mass index (BMI), fat‐free mass index (FFMI), and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) were analyzed as nutritional statuses. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between nutritional statuses and other variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed, with adjustment for age and sex, using BMI, FFMI, or SMI as response variables and oral moisture, maximum tongue pressure, lip‐seal strength, oral diadochokinetic rate, and masticatory performance as explanatory variables. Results All nutritional statuses showed significant correlation with maximum tongue pressure and lip‐seal strength. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that BMI was associated with maximum tongue pressure and lip‐seal strength, whereas FFMI and SMI showed significant association with sex, maximum tongue pressure, and lip‐seal strength. Conclusions In middle‐aged outpatients at a regional dental clinic, lip‐seal strength and tongue pressure were positively associated with BMI, FFMI, and SMI.

Objectives Lip‐seal strength, which represents the muscle strength of the lips, appears to chiefly contribute to mastication and pronunciation. However, the functional characteristics of lip‐seal strength in adults are still undefined. The present study aimed to understand not only the distribution of lip‐seal strength in adult men and women but also the effect of age on this strength and identify oral motor functions correlated with lip‐seal strength. Materials and methods The subjects included 339 participants (men: 170, age 39.2 ± 18.2 years; women: 169, age 43.1 ± 19.7 years). Oral motor function was evaluated for lip‐seal strength, oral diadochokinesis (ODK), tongue pressure, occlusal force, and masticatory performance. Statistical analyses included the Shapiro–Wilk, Mann–Whitney U, and Jonckheere–Terpstra tests, in addition to the Spearman's correlation analysis and curvilinear regression analysis. Results Lip‐seal strength did not have a normal distribution (p < 0.001). The mean ± standard deviation and median (first quartile, third quartile) of lip‐seal strength were 11.2 ± 3.4 and 10.9 (8.7, 13.2)N for the whole sample, 12.3 ± 3.4 and 11.9 (9.4, 14.4)N for men, and 10.2 ± 3.0 and 9.9 (8.0, 12.0)N for women. A significant difference was observed in lip‐seal strength between men and women (p < 0.001). Oral motor functions showed a marked correlation with lip‐seal strength, including tongue pressure, occlusal force, and masticatory performance and ODK (/pa/ and /ta/), tongue pressure, and masticatory ability in men and women, respectively. In women, lip‐seal strength declined with increase in age. Conclusions Lip‐seal strength was non‐normally distributed in both men and women, and lip‐seal strength was affected by age only in women. Lip‐seal strength and multiple oral motor functions were significantly correlated. Because the indicators of perioral muscle strength and performance were correlated with lip‐seal strength, lip‐seal strength may also partially reflect the condition of the perioral muscles.

Objectives Chewing increases frontal lobe activity, resulting in improved memory, learning ability, and response reaction time. This study aimed to assess the effects of elastic oral appliance chewing on the activities and functions of the frontal lobe. Methods The study participants were 15 healthy men with full dentulous (mean age, 27.4 ± 4.1 years). A prospective crossover design was used to assess frontal lobe activities and functions. Changes in frontal lobe activities were measured with near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). At baseline, the participants were assessed in the resting state. Changes in channels #7, representing right frontal lobe activities by NIRS, and #10, representing left frontal lobe activities, during the first and second chewing periods in a total of two periods were evaluated. Frontal lobe functions were measured using the Trail Making Test Part A (TMT‐A) in the resting state and after elastic oral appliance or gum chewing. These values were compared with each period. Results Elastic oral appliance chewing caused significant differences between the baseline and first chewing periods for channel #7 (p = .032) and significant differences between the baseline and second chewing periods for channels #7 and #10 (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively) using NIRS. Moreover, significant differences were found in the TMT‐A results between the resting state and elastic oral appliance chewing (p = .04). Conclusions Elastic oral appliance chewing improves frontal lobe activities to a level similar to that obtained with gum chewing.

The computable urban economic (CUE) model is a tool for analyzing real urban economies and evaluating urban polices in practice. The CUE model can output a set of variables which describe a real urban economy: a distribution of locators or activities including households and firms, a distribution of land use including residential, commercial, manufacturing, business, agricultural and other types and a distribution of land price/rent and building price/rent. The CUE model, working with transport models consistent with microeconomic theory, can also output a distribution of passenger trips aggregated by OD, mode and path, and a distribution of freight cargo as well. Urban models that belong to the CUE model family have been developed and applied since the late 1980s. This paper first presents a general form of the CUE model, describing its mathematical forms and theoretical features. Then, the paper introduces several models in the CUE model family developed in Japan and shows that a CUE model constructed on the basis of the general form comprises the existing models. The paper compares the models with each other from the viewpoints of experiences of application, and mathematical function form, and provides clear insight into the relationship between the models.