Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of FOLFIRI-Based First-Line Regimens for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Using Clinical Decision Analysis.

Objective: Metastatic colorectal cancer with KRAS wild type is treated using a range of drug regimens, including fluorouracil, irinotecan, and Leucovorin(FOLFIRI)plus bevacizumab(Bmab), cetuximab(Cmab), or panitumumab(Pmab). The present study aimed to identify the optimal regimen using a decision analysis method, in combination with clinical and economic evidence.

Method: A simple Markov model with a monthly cycle time was constructed.

Acetylcholine release from striatal cholinergic interneurons is controlled differently depending on the firing pattern.

How is the quantal size in neurotransmitter release adjusted for various firing levels? We explored the possible mechanisms that regulate acetylcholine (ACh) release from cholinergic interneurons using an ultra-mini superfusion system. After preloading [ H]ACh in rat striatal cholinergic interneurons, the release was elicited by electrical stimulation under a condition in which presynaptic cholinergic and dopaminergic feedback was inhibited. [ H]ACh release was reproducible at intervals of more than 10 min; shorter intervals resulted in reduced levels of ACh release.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 Inhibitor Palbociclib for Inoperable or Recurrent Breast Cancer.

Background: Palbociclib and endocrine therapy has been approved to treat hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative inoperable or recurrent breast cancer in Japan. However, this cotherapy imposes an economic burden on both patients and society because of its high cost. In this study, we assessed the cost-effectiveness of cotherapy with palbociclib and fulvestrant compared to fulvestrant monotherapy for inoperable or recurrent breast cancer.

Direct Enhancement Effect of Hippocampal Cholinergic Neurostimulating Peptide on Cholinergic Activity in the Hippocampus.

The cholinergic efferent network from the medial septal nucleus to the hippocampus is crucial for learning and memory. This study aimed to clarify whether hippocampal cholinergic neurostimulating peptide (HCNP) has a rescue function in the cholinergic dysfunction of HCNP precursor protein (HCNP-pp) conditional knockout (cKO). Chemically synthesized HCNP or a vehicle were continuously administered into the cerebral ventricle of HCNP-pp cKO mice and littermate floxed (control) mice for two weeks via osmotic pumps.

Masticatory path pattern and masticatory performance while chewing gummy jelly.

The purpose of this study was to clarify masticatory path pattern and masticatory performance during gummy jelly chewing. A total of 235 healthy adults were asked to chew gummy jelly for 20 s on each side, and the masticatory movement was recorded using a Motion Visi-Trainer (MVT V1). Next, the amount of glucose extraction was measured as a parameter of masticatory performance.

Relationship between age and occlusal force in adults with natural dentition.

This study aimed to clarify the relationship between age and occlusal force in adults with natural dentition. A total of 385 adults (180 males and 205 females) with natural dentition participated in this study. Subjects were asked to perform maximum clenching for approximately 3 s, and the occlusal forces on both sides and habitual chewing side were calculated using a dental prescale.

[Anti-voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) complex/leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 (LGI1) antibody-associated limbic encephalitis mimicking dementia with Lewy bodies in a patient with subacute REM sleep behavior disorder].

A 73-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital owing to abnormal diurnal behavior, sudden brief episodes of impaired awareness, and loud nocturnal sleep talking. Her symptoms had developed gradually over several months and had been treated as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) at another clinic. Video-polysomnography revealed brief sleep talking and gross movements associated with REM sleep without atonia.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of dupilumab among patients with oral corticosteroid-dependent uncontrolled severe asthma in Japan.

Background: Asthma is a common, chronic inflammatory airway disorder, with up to 1,177,000 people receiving asthma treatment in Japan. Dupilumab is a first-in-class, monoclonal antibody for the treatment of atopic diseases, including persistent asthma. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of dupilumab, compared with other biologics, as add-on treatment to background therapy in patients aged ≥12 years with uncontrolled, persistent asthma in Japan.

Oral diadochokinesis and associated oro-facial function in young and old German mother-tongue speakers: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to compare oral diadochokinesis and to test associations with oro-facial functional parameters in healthy young and old German speakers.

Background: Oral diadochokinesis is a key component in the concept of oro-facial hypofunction and relates to tongue and lip motor function but may depend on the linguistic background.

Materials And Methods: Healthy German speakers with a minimum of 20 teeth were recruited to form a young (<60 years) and an older group (≥60 years).

Validation of a novel diagnostic tool for decreased tongue pressure.

Introduction: Reduced tongue pressure may render eating and swallowing difficult. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the tongue training device can also be used as a diagnostic device and whether its sensitivity and specificity are equal to the numerical tongue pressure measuring device.

Material And Methods: The target group is patients aged 70 years and over who are hospitalised for rehabilitation.

Clinical outcomes and costs of conventional and digital complete dentures in a university clinic: A retrospective study.

Statement Of Problem: Scientific data analyzing the clinical outcomes and costs of complete dentures fabricated by using conventional and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) processes are lacking.

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the treatment duration, financial costs, and postdelivery adjustments of CAD-CAM and conventional removable complete dentures.

Material And Methods: Thirty-two edentulous participants (16 women, 16 men; age 35-85 years) who had received either CAD-CAM (n=16) or conventional (n=16) maxillary and mandibular removable complete dentures provided by prosthodontists with a minimum of 2 years of experience were evaluated.

In vitro Activity of Oral Health Care Products on Candida Biofilm Formation.

The activity of mouthwash ingredients used in daily oral care (chlorhexidine digluconate, benzalkonium chloride, povidone iodine solution, tea tree oil) and of nystatin was evaluated not only on planktonic Candida albicans or C. glabrata, but also on the inhibition of biofilm formation. A microbroth dilution technique was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of the substances against two laboratory strains and seven clinical isolates.

Winter-spring temperature pattern is closely related to the onset of cambial reactivation in stems of the evergreen conifer Chamaecyparis pisifera.

Temperature is an important factor for the cambial growth in temperate trees. We investigated the way daily temperatures patterns (maximum, average and minimum) from late winter to early spring affected the timing of cambial reactivation and xylem differentiation in stems of the conifer Chamaecyparis pisifera. When the daily temperatures started to increase earlier from late winter to early spring, cambial reactivation occurred earlier.

Variability in tongue pressure among elderly and young healthy cohorts: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Tongue pressure (TP) is used for the diagnosis of oral hypofunction; however, the impact of several variables on TP is unclear. Therefore, the current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyse the variability in tongue pressure among healthy individuals aged ≥60 years vs <60 years. Secondary outcomes were the influence of gender and the type of measuring device (Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) vs JMS tongue pressure measurement device (JMS)).

Terahertz and mid-infrared spectroscopy of matrix-isolated clusters and matrix-sublimation ice of DO.

We have established an apparatus for terahertz and mid-infrared spectroscopy in an ultrahigh vacuum and have measured absorption spectra of DO clusters trapped in solid Ar. To assign terahertz absorption peaks due to the DO dimer, trimer, and tetramer, the dependence of the spectrum on the annealing temperature and DO dilution was analyzed. The assignment was also examined by ab initio calculations with the use of the "our own N-layered integrated molecular orbital and molecular mechanics" method, where the flexibility of surrounding Ar atoms was systematically incorporated.

Reliability and comparability of methods for assessing oral function: Chewing, tongue pressure and lip force.

Background: Quantitative clinical assessment tests for oral function have become popular in patient assessment; however, their comparability remains unclear.

Objective: To assess the reliability and comparability of pairs of different instruments for measuring maximum tongue pressure (MTP), chewing function (CF) and maximum lip force (MLF), and to analyse the influence of subjects' characteristics on the applied instruments.

Methods: Each pair of instruments, as well as a single device measuring the maximum voluntary bite force (MBF), was assessed across 26 healthy volunteers.

Factors contributing to the ceiling effect of the EQ-5D-5L: an analysis of patients with prostate cancer judged "no-problems".

Purpose: The goal of the present study was to determine factors related to a ceiling effect (CE) on the EQ-5D-5L among Japanese patients with prostate cancer (PC).

Methods: An existent cross-sectional observational study dataset was used. Patients were ≥ 20 years of age and diagnosed with PC.

Spectroscopic determination of interconversion rates among three nuclear spin isomers of methane in crystalline II.

We measured infrared absorption spectra of crystalline II of CH and succeeded in detecting a prominent Q(2) peak in the ν vibrational region by rapid cooling after annealing as well as previously reported rovibrational and librational-vibrational peaks. The integral intensities of the R(0), R(1), and Q(2) peaks were found to show biexponential dependence on time. This clearly demonstrates the interconversion among the three nuclear-spin isomers occupying low-lying rotational levels.

Cost-utility analysis of aprepitant for patients who truly need it in Japan.

Purpose: Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist (NKRA) is recommended to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients who receive highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC or MEC, respectively). We previously reported that aprepitant, an NKRA, was needed to control CINV in 43% and 12% of patients who received HEC and MEC, respectively (Support Care Cancer 23:905-912, 2015). To elucidate the cost-effectiveness of aprepitant in these patients, a cost-utility analysis according to the necessity of aprepitant was performed.

Mesophyll conductance to CO in leaves of Siebold's beech (Fagus crenata) seedlings under elevated ozone.

Ozone is an air pollutant that negatively affects photosynthesis in woody plants. Previous studies suggested that ozone-induced reduction in photosynthetic rates is mainly attributable to a decrease of maximum carboxylation rate (V) and/or maximum electron transport rate (J) estimated from response of net photosynthetic rate (A) to intercellular CO concentration (C) (A/C curve) assuming that mesophyll conductance for CO diffusion (g) is infinite. Although it is known that C-based V and J are potentially influenced by g, its contribution to ozone responses in C-based V and J is still unclear.

Cost-effectiveness of aprepitant in Japanese patients treated with cisplatin-containing highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains a major adverse event in cancer chemotherapy. Although aprepitant is effective in preventing CINV, an increment in financial burden for uniform use of aprepitant is a concern. The aim of the present study was to define the cost-effectiveness of aprepitant from the perspective of the Japanese National Health Insurance system.

Cost-effectiveness of the recommended medical intervention for the treatment of dysmenorrhea and endometriosis in Japan.

Background And Objective: This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of early physician consultation and guideline-based intervention to prevent endometriosis and/or disease progression using oral contraceptive (OC) and progestin compared to follow-up of self-care for dysmenorrhea in Japan.

Methods: A yearly-transmitted Markov model of five major health states with four sub-medical states was constructed. Transition probabilities among health and medical states were derived from Japanese epidemiological patient surveys and converted to appropriate parameters for inputting into the model.

Development of endometrioma after cervical conization.

The association between cervical conization and subsequent development of endometriosis is uncertain. The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence rate of ovarian endometrioma after cervical conization and to determine factors associated with the development of endometrioma. One hundred forty-two patients who underwent cervical conization at the University of Tokyo Hospital between January 2006 and December 2013 were included in the study.

Cervical Cancer Screening With Human Papillomavirus DNA and Cytology in Japan.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the value of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for primary cervical cancer screening in Japan.

Methods: In total, 5065 women who underwent primary screening with cytology and HPV between January 2005 and December 2006 were enrolled. In the baseline phase, these women were stratified by age, and the rates of HPV-positive and abnormal cytology were compared between women younger than and older than 30 years.