Compatibility of salivary lactate dehydrogenase level using a test kit with the community periodontal index in Japanese adults.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between salivary lactate dehydrogenase (LD) levels, assessed using a test kit, and the community periodontal index (CPI) and to determine the feasibility and reliability of the test kit for screening periodontal disease in adults. The study included 205 patients (58.5% female, median and 25-75 percentiles of age 55.

Osteosynthesis using Scorpion plate for neer type V distal clavicle fracture.

Background: Neer type V distal clavicle fractures are considered the most unstable fracture type and are characterized by the disruption of continuity between the coracoclavicular (C-C) ligaments and proximal or distal bone fragments. However, owing to the rarity of such fractures, there is currently no universally accepted surgical procedure for their treatment. Recently, the scorpion plate, an anatomical, non-locking, pre-contoured plate with two grasping arms to fix the distal or inferior clavicular fragments, was introduced.

Humoral factors in serum as predictors of therapeutic response to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of serum humoral factors in determining the therapeutic responses to biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs), especially TNF inhibitors (TNFis), in patients with RA.

Methods: A cohort of 52 patients with RA who were treated with bDMARDs, including TNFis, abatacept, and tocilizumab, was analyzed. Serum samples were collected at baseline (t1), 5 ± 1 (t2), and 14 ± 2 weeks (t3) after treatment.

Possibility of Vertical Transmission of Spp. in Sika Deer in Japan.

In recent years, the wild deer population in Japan has grown exponentially, causing severe feeding damage to the agricultural and forestry industries. Therefore, the game meat industry is being promoted for effective utilization of hunted animals. Wild animals are not hygienically controlled and can serve as reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms.

Estimation of Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area by Salivary Lactate Dehydrogenase Level Using a Test Kit.

Salivary lactate dehydrogenase (LD) levels are a feasible and useful parameter for screening periodontal diseases. The periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) is useful to clinically assess periodontal diseases. However, PISA is difficult to calculate and PISA-compatible screening kits are required.

Influencing physician distribution through education: a qualitative study on retention in Japan's rural hospitals.

Background: Addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals in rural Japan poses significant challenges. At Sanmu Medical Center, incorporating resident physicians into a general medicine training program has proved effective in retaining them as supervising physicians. This study aims to identify the key factors contributing to the success of such programs.

Crosstalk between bone metastatic cancer cells and sensory nerves in bone metastatic progression.

Although the role of peripheral nerves in cancer progression has been appreciated, little is known regarding cancer/sensory nerve crosstalk and its contribution to bone metastasis and associated pain. In this study, we revealed that the cancer/sensory nerve crosstalk plays a crucial role in bone metastatic progression. We found that (i) periosteal sensory nerves expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are enriched in mice with bone metastasis; (ii) cancer patients with bone metastasis have elevated CGRP serum levels; (iii) bone metastatic patient tumor samples express elevated calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR, a CGRP receptor component); (iv) higher CRLR levels in cancer patients are negatively correlated with recurrence-free survival; (v) CGRP induces cancer cell proliferation through the CRLR/p38/HSP27 pathway; and (vi) blocking sensory neuron-derived CGRP reduces cancer cell proliferation in vitro and bone metastatic progression in vivo.

Clinical impact of airflow obstruction after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Criteria for airflow obstruction (AFO) at one year after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are more stringent than the bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) criteria of the National Institutes of Health. This single-center, retrospective cohort study evaluated the clinical impact of the AFO criteria at any time after transplantation. In 132 patients who underwent allo-HSCT from 2006 to 2016, the 2-year cumulative incidence of AFO was 35.

Relationship of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Oral and Intestinal Microbiota: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

: The incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing worldwide, alongside the epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Based on preliminary reports regarding the potential association of HCC and periodontitis, this study aimed to analyze the involvement of periodontal bacteria as well as the oral and intestinal bacterial flora in MASH-related HCC (MASH-HCC). : Forty-one patients with MASH and nineteen with MASH-HCC participated in the study, completing survey questionnaires, undergoing periodontal examinations, and providing samples of saliva, mouth-rinsed water, feces, and peripheral blood.

Impact of group work on the hidden curriculum that induces students' unprofessional behavior toward faculty.

Background: Hidden curriculum (HC) can limit the effects of professionalism education. However, the research on how HC triggers unprofessional behavior among medical students is scant. Furthermore, there is no established approach for how faculty members may create a context, such as an educational environment and education system, that prevents students' unprofessional behavior.

[A Case of Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection Accompanied with Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm].

An 87-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with left thigh pain, and sciatic nerve pain was diagnosed. A chest CT scan showed bronchiectasis and tree-in buds and an acid-fast stain test of gastric juice was positive; further, M. avium-PCR of sputum and culture results were positive leading to a diagnosis of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infection(NTM).

Recombinant human fibroblast growth factor and autogenous bone for periodontal regeneration: Alone or in combination? A randomized clinical trial.

Aim: To compare the outcomes of therapy using recombinant human fibroblast growth factor (rhFGF)-2 combined with autologous bone grafting (ABG) therapy with those of rhFGF-2 alone and ABG alone in the treatment of periodontal intraosseous defects.

Methods: Periodontal intraosseous defects were randomized to receive rhFGF-2 therapy + ABG, rhFGF-2 therapy alone, or ABG alone. Periodontal examination and periapical radiography were performed preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

A pediatric case of Burkitt's lymphoma with bile duct obstruction requiring surgical biliary reconstruction.

Background: Biliary obstruction due to compression by a B-cell solid tumor occurs rarely. A few reports have described biliary reconstruction surgery for obstructive jaundice caused by Burkitt's lymphoma. However, there are no detailed reports on pediatric cases.

MR imaging findings of massive perivillous fibrin deposition of the placenta: A case report.

Massive perivillous fibrin deposition (MPFD) of the placenta is characterized by the obliteration of the villous trophoblast with extensive deposition of fibrinoid material in the intervillous space. Here, we describe the MRI findings of a case of MPFD. The placenta demonstrates linear and geographical hypointensity on T2-weighted imaging, which is suggested to mainly reflect fibrin deposition.

Effects of Psychological Stress on Spontaneous Itch and Mechanical Alloknesis of Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disease, manifests as an intractable itch. Psychological stress has been suggested to play a role in the onset and worsening of AD symptoms. However, the pathophysiological relationships between psychological stressors and cutaneous manifestations remain unclear.

Efficacy of Subtraction Computed Tomography Arteriography During Preoperative Embolization in Spinal Tumors.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of subtraction computed tomography arteriography (s-CTA) during preoperative embolization in spinal tumors.

Methods: The study analyzed 17 vertebrae in 13 patients who underwent preoperative embolization before spinal fixation surgery for malignant spinal tumors to decrease blood loss at our hospital from 2019 to 2021. Their ages ranged from 56 to 88 years (average, 73.

Experimental Evidence of the Diarrheal Activity of sp. in Sika Deer ().

Recently, the wild deer population has been increasing in Japan, causing serious feeding-related damage to the agricultural and forestry industries. In conjunction with the government's promotion of hunting for population control, the effective utilization of resources and promotion of the game meat industry as a sixth sector of industrialization are desired by local governments. However, several cases in which patients showed intestinal symptoms such as diarrhea due to the consumption of sika deer meat infected with protozoan spp.

Hepatocyte growth factor pretreatment boosts functional recovery after spinal cord injury through human iPSC-derived neural stem/progenitor cell transplantation.

Background: Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cell (hiPSC-NS/PC)-based cell transplantation has emerged as a groundbreaking method for replacing damaged neural cells and stimulating functional recovery, but its efficacy is strongly influenced by the state of the injured spinal microenvironment. This study evaluates the impact of a dual therapeutic intervention utilizing hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and hiPSC-NS/PC transplantation on motor function restoration following spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Severe contusive SCI was induced in immunocompromised rats, followed by continuous administration of recombinant human HGF protein into the subarachnoid space immediately after SCI for two weeks.

Peripherally inserted central catheters can be an alternative to tunneled central venous catheters in chemotherapy for hematological and oncological pediatric patients.

Purpose: Tunneled central venous catheters (TCVs) are commonly used for pediatric chemotherapy. Recently, peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) have been used instead. Although PICC has the advantages of simpler insertion and fewer severe complications, there is little information on the efficacy of PICC compared to TCV in pediatric chemotherapy.