Microiontophoretic Application of Dynorphin in Dental Pain: Excitatory or Inhibitory Effects.

Background: The tooth exhibits increased sensitivity to noxious stimuli due to the dense innervation of thin myelinated Aδ fibers and unmyelinated C fibers within the dental pulp. While prior research has identified dynorphin expression in layers I-II of the dorsal horn across the spinal cord in various pain models, its functional role in trigeminal nociception, including tooth pain, remains underexplored. This study examines the potential role of dynorphin in the nociceptive processing of dental stimuli.

A randomised non-inferiority trial investigating antibiotic adjustments based on blood culture in acute cholangitis.

Objectives: This study evaluated the adequacy of using blood cultures alone for antibiotic therapy in mild-to-moderate acute cholangitis after adequate biliary drainage.

Methods: A prospective, multi-centre, non-inferiority, randomised trial was conducted from August 2015 to September 2023 across 12 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to groups.

Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers Treated with Gemcitabine-Based Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Study.

Historically, the standard of care for advanced biliary tract cancers (aBTCs) was gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GemCis). Immunotherapy plus GemCis is now recommended as a first-line treatment for aBTCs. Whether patients can tolerate eight cycles of GemCis in clinical practice, as per the Advanced Biliary Cancer (ABC)-02 study, remains to be assessed.

How to Provide Additional Oversight to Ensure That Remote Patient Monitoring for People With Diabetes is Being Used and Billed Appropriately.

An Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on September 19, 2024, highlighted the need for additional oversight of remote patient monitoring (RPM), which is covered by Medicare. OIG noted that Medicare claims frequently lack crucial information that would facilitate proper oversight. While Medicare has published guidelines for reimbursement according to RPM billing codes, greater clarity is needed to avoid inadvertent improper billing practices.

Parents' perceptions of risk and protective factors for problematic sexual behaviour in young Korean individuals with developmental disabilities.

Background: Limited data exist on problematic sexual behaviour (PSB) in youth with developmental disabilities in South Korea.

Method: Sixty-one parents of children with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder (aged 13-30) reported children's PSB and emotional, behavioural, cognitive, and interpersonal factors. The frequency of PSB in children with developmental disabilities was verified, and various factors' effects on PSB were examined through multiple linear regression analysis.