Scoping Review of Virtual Reality (VR)-Based Disaster Mitigation Education.

This study explored the use of virtual reality (VR) in disaster preparedness education, focusing on VR scenarios, disaster types, and user interactivity to identify gaps in existing research. A scoping review methodology, based on the Arksey and O'Malley framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, was used, and the protocols were registered in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000052800). The review included PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in the Cochrane Library, and Ichushi-Web of the Japan Medical Abstract Society, with data up to January 31, 2024.

EFA6A, an Exchange Factor for Arf6, Regulates NGF-Dependent TrkA Recycling From Early Endosomes and Neurite Outgrowth in PC12 Cells.

Endosomal trafficking of TrkA is a critical process for nerve growth factor (NGF)-dependent neuronal cell survival and differentiation. The small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) is implicated in NGF-dependent processes in PC12 cells through endosomal trafficking and actin cytoskeleton reorganization. However, the regulatory mechanism for Arf6 in NGF signaling is largely unknown.

Is tooth conservation possible in odontogenic sinusitis? Prospective evaluation of affected teeth condition-based protocol.

Background: Affected tooth conservation is an often-overlooked problem in odontogenic sinusitis (ODS) treatment. Treatable dental conditions are improperly managed with extractions imposing an unnecessary health burden on patients. Furthermore, no down-to-earth protocols have been proposed for the clinical management of these patients.

Opportunities for Interactive Communication in Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Patients: A Video-Based Observational Study.

Background: Mechanically ventilated critically ill patients need the opportunity to communicate their physical and psychosocial concerns to nurses. However, these patients face the unique problem of lacking even the opportunity to communicate.

Aims: The study aimed to describe the characteristics of communication opportunities for critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.

Benefits of amplification for unaided speech discrimination in age-related hearing loss with flat type audiogram.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate whether hearing aid use can induce improvement as acclimatization effect in unaided speech perception in patients with age-related hearing loss.

Methods: Fifty ears in 41 patients (age range: 65-91 years) diagnosed as age-related hearing loss were enrolled in this study. They used hearing aids for more than 8 hours per day.

Physiological and Pathological Roles of the Cytohesin Family in Neurons.

The cytohesin proteins, consisting of four closely related members (cytohesins-1, -2, -3, and -4), are a subfamily of the Sec7 domain-containing guanine nucleotide exchange factors for ADP ribosylation factors (Arfs), which are critical regulators of membrane trafficking and actin cytoskeleton remodeling. Recent advances in molecular biological techniques and the development of a specific pharmacological inhibitor for cytohesins, SecinH3, have revealed the functional involvement of the cytohesin-Arf pathway in diverse neuronal functions from the formation of axons and dendrites, axonal pathfinding, and synaptic vesicle recycling, to pathophysiological processes including chronic pain and neurotoxicity induced by proteins related to neurodegenerative disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Here, we review the physiological and pathological roles of the cytohesin-Arf pathway in neurons and discuss the future directions of this research field.

Surgical technique for superselective neck dissection under local anesthesia in recurrent head and neck cancer.

The aim of this paper is to describe a safe and effective surgical technique for neck dissection under local anesthesia. An increasing number of patients cannot undergo general anesthesia due to systemic complication arising from old age. Moreover, the long-term survival of patients with recurrent or metastatic cancer due to advances in chemotherapy has increased the necessity of neck dissection under local anesthesia.

[The Safety of Bladder Irrigation with Solution G Prepared with Tap Water].

This study investigated the safety of bladder irrigation in patients with indwelling bladder catheter using Solution G prepared with tap water. Solution G was prepared using tap water and stored in a refrigerator for 1 week. The bacterial count range in the solution was estimated to be between 0 and 10 colony forming units/ml.

A Case of Acquired Factor V Inhibitor Following Nivolumab Administration.

Acquired factor V inhibitor (AFVI) is a very rare disease. We presented herein a case of hypopharyngeal cancer in which AFVI developed after nivolumab administration. Blood test findings two weeks after the first dose of nivolumab showed a significant prolongation of prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), indicating a marked abnormality in the coagulation function.

How Is Global Warming Affecting Fruit Tree Blooming? "Flowering (Dormancy) Disorder" in Japanese Pear () as a Case Study.

Recent climate change has resulted in warmer temperatures. Warmer temperatures from autumn to spring has negatively affected dormancy progression, cold (de)acclimation, and cold tolerance in various temperate fruit trees. In Japan, a physiological disorder known as flowering disorder, which is an erratic flowering and bud break disorder, has recently emerged as a serious problem in the production of the pome fruit tree, Japanese (Asian) pear ( Nakai).

Patch testing with the Japanese baseline series 2015: A 4-year experience.

Background: The Japanese baseline series (JBS), established in 1994, was updated in 2008 and 2015. The JBS 2015 is a modification of the thin-layer rapid-use epicutaneous (TRUE) test (SmartPractice Denmark, Hillerød, Denmark). No nationwide studies concerning the TRUE test have previously been reported.

Effect of universal varicella vaccination and behavioral changes against coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the incidence of herpes zoster.

Background: Since 2014, universal varicella vaccination has reduced the varicella and herpes zoster (HZ) incidence in vaccine recipients and increased the incidence in the child-rearing generation until 2017.

Objective: This study aimed to understand the future epidemiologic trends of HZ after the disappearance of varicella epidemics and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: The Miyazaki Dermatologist Society has been monitoring and analyzing the incidence of HZ patients after universal vaccination since 1997.

The relationship between dental metal allergy, periodontitis, and palmoplantar pustulosis: An observational study.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dental metal allergy, periodontitis, and palmoplantar pustulosis among patients from a dental metal allergy clinic over a period of 8 years.

Methods: This study included 436 patients who visited our dental metal allergy clinic between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2016. Diagnoses of skin diseases, periodontal records, dental metal series patch test results, and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) data were obtained from medical records.

Carotid artery ligation via sternotomy as a palliative surgery: Case report of advanced intramediastinal malignant soft tissue tumor.

Under extreme conditions and in palliative settings, shared decision making with the patient is vital; narrative decisions beyond evidence could be considered. If there is a chance of symptom palliation, extended surgery should not be avoided merely because of the limited life expectancy.

Cytohesin-2 mediates group I metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent mechanical allodynia through the activation of ADP ribosylation factor 6 in the spinal cord.

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), mGluR1 and mGluR5, in the spinal cord are implicated in nociceptive transmission and plasticity through G protein-mediated second messenger cascades leading to the activation of various protein kinases such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In this study, we demonstrated that cytohesin-2, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for ADP ribosylation factors (Arfs), is abundantly expressed in subsets of excitatory interneurons and projection neurons in the superficial dorsal horn. Cytohesin-2 is enriched in the perisynapse on the postsynaptic membrane of dorsal horn neurons and forms a protein complex with mGluR5 in the spinal cord.

Olfactory Preservation in Craniofacial Resection of Tumor Invading Hemianterior Skull Base: Operative Video.

In traditional craniofacial resection of tumors invading the anterior skull base, the bilateral olfactory apparatus is resected. Recently, transnasal endoscopy has been used for olfactory preservation in resections of unilateral low-grade malignancies. However, for tumors that invade the orbita or for high-grade malignancies, the transnasal endoscopic skull base surgery has been controversial.

Rhododendrol-induced leukoderma update II: Pathophysiology, mechanisms, risk evaluation, and possible mechanism-based treatments in comparison with vitiligo.

A small proportion of individuals utilizing cosmetics containing rhododendrol developed leukoderma with various pathological conditions, in some cases indistinguishable from vitiligo. In this review, we investigate and evaluate the major considerations for developing rhododendrol-induced leukoderma based on data from original or review articles published in the literature to provide a wide range of information regarding the pathophysiology, mechanisms, risk evaluation, and possible mechanism-based treatments. We compile and discuss the latest information, including data related to the cytotoxicity of rhododendrol, cytoprotective functions, and involvement of the immune system, and consider the possibility of novel treatments based on the differences between individual patients and on the mechanism underlying the onset of the condition.

Rhododendrol-induced leukoderma update I: Clinical findings and treatment.

Individuals who used skin-whitening cosmetics (quasi-drugs) containing 2% rhododendrol-containing agents, developed leukoderma at a higher frequency than those who have used other skin-whitening cosmetics. The Rhododenol Research Team (RD-Team) was formed and commissioned by Kanebo Cosmetics Inc. to conduct research in treatments of rhododendrol-induced leukoderma (RDL), to evaluate effective treatment options from a medical standpoint, and provide information to a wide range of people.

Multicenter 1-month follow-up study of the patch-test reaction to the gold sodium thiosulfate of the TRUE Test and its association with piercings and dental metal history.

Background: There is controversy over late and long-lasting reactions to gold sodium thiosulfate (GST).

Objectives: To study the GST patch-test reaction by observing the application site after 1 month, and to clarify the relevance of GST sensitization by piercings and dental metals.

Patients: A retrospective analysis was performed on 746 patients (143 male; 603 female) who were patch tested using GST of the TRUE Test.

Full-coverage TP53 deep sequencing of recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma facilitates prognostic assessment after recurrence.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate whether the accumulation of TP53 mutations is associated with clinical outcome by comparing full-coverage TP53 deep sequencing of the initial and recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Materials And Methods: Medical records and surgical specimens of 400 patients with HNSCC surgically treated with curative intent, of which 95 patients developed local or locoregional recurrence, were reviewed. Of these patients, 63 were eligible for genomic analysis.

Uniform infection screening allowed safe head and neck surgery during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a uniform infection screening protocol could be used to safely perform head and neck cancer surgery during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and clarify how surgical treatment changed compared with the pre-pandemic period.

Materials And Methods: During the unprecedented coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Tokyo, we continued providing head and neck cancer care, guided by our own uniform screening protocol. In this study, medical records of 208 patients with head and neck malignancy, who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital during the first and second wave of pandemic for each 2-month period (first wave: 30 March 2020-30 May 2020, second wave: 14 July 2020-14 September 2020) and the 2-month pre-pandemic period (30 October 2019-30 December 2020), were analysed.

Resilience Factors Contributing to Mental Health Among People Affected by the Fukushima Disaster: Development of Fukushima Resilience Scale.

The aims of the present study were to develop and validate a psychological resilience scale reflecting the specificity of the Fukushima disaster, and to examine the effects of this scale on mental health. The Fukushima Resilience Scale was developed based on data obtained from semi-structured interviews with seven people who had lived in the affected area of Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the disaster. The reliability and validity of the scale were then examined in cross-sectional studies conducted on 500 evacuees through an epidemiological mail survey.