Preparation of Alginate Hydrogel Beads on a Superhydrophobic Surface with Calcium Salt Powder to Enhance the Mechanical Strength and Encapsulation Efficiency of Ingredients.

Calcium alginate hydrogel is one of the most widely used materials for drug-carrier beads used in drug-delivery systems. In this study, we developed a new method to improve the encapsulation efficiency of ingredients, such as medicines, in calcium alginate hydrogel beads. In the gold standard method, the hydrogel beads are prepared in the liquid phase.

Zerumbone modulates the expression of inflammatory mediators and antioxidant enzymes in TNF-α-stimulated human periodontal ligament cells.

Objectives: Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by periodontopathogenic bacteria, and its progression leads to periodontal tissue destruction and tooth loss. Zerumbone is a bioactive substance found in ginger () and is known to have bioactive effects such as anticancer effects, but there have been no attempts to use it for periodontitis treatment. In addition, there have been no reports examining its effects on periodontal tissue component cells.

Sudachitin Reduces Inflammatory Mediator Expression in Toll-Like Receptor 2 Ligand-Stimulated Human Dental Pulp Cells.

Sudachitin, which is a polymethoxy flavonoid derived from the peer of Citrus sudachi, has several biological properties. However, the effect of sudachitin on human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sudachitin could decrease the expression of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and prostaglandin in HDPCs stimulated with Pam3CSK4, a ligand for toll-like receptor (TLR) 2.

[A Case of Mycoplasma genitalium Urethritis Refractory to Treatment].

A 28-year-old man was diagnosed with chlamydial urethritis by his previous doctor and was prescribed minocycline (MINO). The result of a urinary chlamydia polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test later confirmed to be negative. However, the patient visited our hospital because of persistent miction pain.

[Factors associated with cancer risk perception among high school sophomores: an analysis of national survey data based on a cancer education logic model to promote cancer control].

Objective　Using a nationwide survey of cancer education outcomes that contribute to cancer control, this study aimed to determine the short-term outcomes of cancer education associated with students' perceptions of cancer risk.Methods　An online survey was administered to second-year high school students between September and December 2022. The participants were asked about two basic attributes and 33 short-term outcome measures, as shown in the cancer education logic model.

Survival outcomes in non-operative cases of localized extremity sarcoma.

Background: Soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a diverse group of malignancies challenging to treat when surgery is not an option. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival of non-surgical cases in STSs, and to examine the impact of radiation therapy (RT) on survival within this group of cases.

Methods: Utilizing the SEER database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of localized extremity non-small round cell sarcoma diagnosed between 2000 and 2019.

Fatal Exertional Heat Stroke Trends in Secondary School Sports From 1982 Through 2022.

Background: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a leading cause of secondary school sport-related death; however, a longitudinal analysis on observed trends is lacking. Our purpose was to describe EHS deaths in United States secondary school athletes since the 1982/1983 academic year.

Hypothesis: EHS deaths will be primarily represented by football athletes and have a stable or increasing trend across a decade-by-decade analysis.

Quantification of Goldmann Visual Fields During Resolution of Traumatic Optic Neuropathy.

We describe the clinical findings in a Japanese patient with unilateral traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) who underwent steroid pulse therapy followed by optic canal decompression surgery. The optic nerve function was assessed longitudinally and quantitatively by Goldmann visual fields (GVFs). This was accomplished by measuring the area of each isopter and scotoma, and the findings were compared with the visual acuities recorded during the course of the resolution of the TON.

Long-term clinical outcomes after alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in Japan: a retrospective study.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by significant left ventricular wall thickening, often leading to obstructive symptoms. Alcohol septal ablation (ASA) has emerged as an effective treatment for patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) who remain symptomatic despite maximal medical therapy. However, the detailed long-term effects of ASA in Japanese patients with HOCM remain unclear.

A cryptic promoter in the exon of HKR1 drives expression of a truncated form of Hkr1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Hansenula mrakii killer toxin resistant gene 1 (HKR1) is an intronless, single-exon gene that encodes Hkr1, the signaling mucin of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. HKR1 overexpression confers S. cerevisiae cells with resistance to the HM-1 killer toxin produced by the killer yeast Hansenula mrakii (currently known as Cyberlindnera mrakii).

Change in interleukin (IL)-6, 8, and 10 and its association with an increase in core temperature following a 7-mile running race in the warm weather.

The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate if cytokines were increased following a running road-race, and 2) to examine associations between cytokines and hyperthermia. Seventy-seven recreational runners participated in this study which occurred at the 7-mile race in the heat (ambient temperature, 25.0-26.

Novel nerve regeneration assessment method using adult zebrafish with crush spinal cord injury.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio), an alternative to rodents, are widely used in neurological, genetic, and toxicology research. The zebrafish larval spinal cord injury model has been used in neural mechanistic analyses owing to its high regenerative capacity and throughput; however, it also had several limitations in imitating rodents. Therefore, we investigated the use of adult zebrafish as an alternative model to rodents for evaluating nerve regeneration.

CCR7 depletion alleviates bony growth imbalance following physeal injury in mice.

Growth plates are the frequent sites of skeletal injury in children, leading to skeletal growth imbalances. Chemokines, including the receptor CCR7, play a crucial role in stem cell recruitment and cartilage homeostasis, with previous studies linking CCR7 to osteoarthritis progression. However, its role in growth plate cartilage remains unclear.

Atrial Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation Associated With Atrial Standstill.

We report a case of atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation with an atrial standstill in a 71-year-old woman with a history of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). The ECG showed a flat baseline with no AF waves and regular, narrow QRS complexes, whereas the previous ECG demonstrated AF. Echocardiography revealed dilation of the right atrium and the tricuspid annulus with severe regurgitation, but mitral regurgitation was mild.

Evaluating the Alignment of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Recommendations With Clinical Guidelines Focused on Soft Tissue Tumors.

Background: The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly, in oncology, has significantly shifted the paradigms of medical diagnostics and treatment planning. However, the utility of AI, specifically OpenAI's ChatGPT, in soft tissue sarcoma treatment, remains unclear.

Methods: We evaluated ChatGPT's alignment with the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) clinical practice guidelines on the management of soft tissue tumors 2020.

Indication of conservative treatment by antibiotics for uncomplicated and complicated acute appendicitis.

Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common emergency abdominal disease, and recent studies have evaluated conservative treatment using antibiotics for uncomplicated appendicitis. Although the efficacy of conservative treatment for uncomplicated appendicitis is known, its efficacy for complicated appendicitis remains unknown, so are risk factors for the conservative treatment of appendicitis. In our institution, conservative treatment has long been the first choice for most appendicitis cases, except for perforation.

A Multicenter, Single-Arm, Prospective Trial to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Dose-Dense Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin, and Carboplatin (DD-MVACarbo) Chemotherapy for Cisplatin-Ineligible Patients with Advanced Urothelial Cancer: Study Protocol of the CARBUNCLE Trial.

Unresectable, metastatic, advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC) is an aggressive disease and is treated with platinum-containing first-line chemotherapy, followed by immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates. Response to first-line chemotherapy is a vital priority in sequential treatment strategies because a better response to first-line chemotherapy is associated with a better response to subsequent therapies. Gemcitabine plus carboplatin chemotherapy is conventionally recommended for cisplatin-ineligible patients.

Relief of pain in mice by an antibody with high affinity for cell adhesion molecule 1 on nerves.

Aims: Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily and is abundantly expressed on nerve fibers. Recently, the anti-CADM1 ectodomain antibody 3E1 has proven useful as a drug delivery vector for CADM1-expressing cells in vitro. When injected subcutaneously into mice, whether 3E1 accumulates on nerve fibers and serves as an analgesic was examined.

Appendiceal goblet cell adenocarcinoma with perineural invasion extending into the ileocecal lesion.

Background: Appendiceal goblet cell adenocarcinoma (GCA) is a rare subtype of primary appendiceal adenocarcinoma with an incidence of 1-5 per 10,000,000 people per year. Appendiceal tumors are often diagnosed after appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Notably, however, there is currently no standard treatment strategy for GCA, including additional resection.

Depletion of b-series ganglioside prevents limb length discrepancy after growth plate injury.

Introduction: Growth plate damage in long bones often results in progressive skeletal growth imbalance and deformity, leading to significant physical problems. Gangliosides, key glycosphingolipids in cartilage, are notably abundant in articular cartilage and regulate chondrocyte homeostasis. This suggests their significant roles in regulating growth plate cartilage repair.

Radiation therapy improves survival in elderly patients with localized extremity soft tissue sarcoma.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of radiation therapy in enhancing survival outcomes among elderly patients diagnosed with localized extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STSs). Furthermore, it seeks to explore whether the survival benefits conferred by radiation therapy differ according to tumor characteristics and treatment modalities.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify patients aged 80 years and older diagnosed with localized extremity STSs.

Preoperative hemoglobin A1c is associated with postoperative bleeding after vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

We previously reported that a high HbA1c level 3 months before vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage or a large preoperative decrease in the HbA1c level over 3 months tended to increase the risk of rebleeding in diabetic retinopathy patients evaluated between 2010 and 2014. Here, we aimed to confirm these results with an extended study period and an increased number of operated eyes. This study included 121 diabetic patients who were admitted to Osaka University Hospital between 2010 and 2019 and who underwent vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage.

Cardamonin inhibits the expression of inflammatory mediators in TNF-α-stimulated human periodontal ligament cells.

Objective: Periodontis is a chronic inflammatory disease induced by periodontopathogenic bacteria. The excessive immune response caused by persistent bacterial infection leads to alveolar bone resorption and ultimately tooth loss. Cardamonin is a biologically active substance that is found in the Zingiberaceae family, such as Alpinia zerumbet, and is classified as a natural chalcone.

National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Emergency Action Plan Development and Implementation in Sport.

Objective: An emergency action plan (EAP) is a written document detailing the preparations and on-site emergency response of health care professionals and other stakeholders to medical emergencies in the prehospital setting. The EAP is developed to address any type of catastrophic injury response and should not be condition specific. The objective of this National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement is to provide evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations for developing and implementing an EAP for sports settings.

Challenges with two epidural catheters for labor analgesia in a patient with lumbar adhesions: a case report.

Background: The efficacy of neuraxial analgesia varies with spinal canal pathology. Notably, a secondary epidural catheter has been shown to increase neuraxial labor analgesia in women with spinal lesions. Therefore, we present a case in which catheter withdrawal played a critical role in achieving effective labor analgesia in a woman with epidural adhesions after lumbar discectomy who had inadequate analgesia with two epidural catheters.