Hot Water Extract of the Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes) Fruiting Body Activates Myeloid Dendritic Cells through A Dectin-1-Mediated Pathway.

The traditional use of Cordyceps militaris, an entomopathogenic fungus, in East Asian medicine has been well documented. Our previous study revealed that the fruiting body powder of C. militaris, referred to as Ryukyu-kaso, contains 1,3-β-glucan and stimulates bone marrow-derived dendritic cells via a dectin-1-dependent pathway.

Assessment of individual external exposure doses based on environmental radiation in areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident.

Assessing individual external exposure doses from ambient dose equivalents is valuable for predictive and retrospective purposes when personal dosimeters are impractical. This study developed a model to assess individual external exposure doses from ambient dose equivalents, considering daily life patterns (location and time spent in various places), and evaluated parameters associated with individual external exposure doses, such as the reduction effects of radiation due to buildings and vehicles. The model parameters were evaluated using the robust datasets of environmental radiation measured in areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident.

Cordyceps militaris fruit body activates myeloid dendritic cells via a Dectin-1-mediated pathway.

Cordyceps militaris, an entomopathogenic fungus, has been traditionally used in East Asian medicine. Recent research indicates that the fruit bodies of C. militaris are rich in bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides and nucleosides, which may offer health benefits.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A Retrospective Study of 44 Patients.

Purpose: To investigate the preliminary treatment outcomes of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included patients with refractory CP/CPPS who underwent TAE between April 2022 and February 2023. All patients had persistent pelvic pain for at least 3 months, a total score of at least 15 on the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), and lacked evidence of infection.

Clinical results of ultrasound-guided intra-arterial embolization targeting abnormal neovessels for plantar fasciitis: 66 cases with up to 4 years of follow-up.

Background: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is the most common cause of chronic heel pain, affecting young and older patients.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with PF refractory to conservative treatment who underwent intra-arterial embolization of abnormal neovessels. All patients received temporary embolic material through a needle percutaneously inserted into the posterior tibial artery.

Clinical reasoning for performance of transesophageal echocardiography in veterans with bacteremia.

This study examined physicians' reasoning about obtaining transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in cases of bacteremia (SAB). In 221 cases of SAB over 5 years, the most common reasons for not performing TEE were clinical response to antibiotics, negative TTE results, and the expectation that TEE would not change management.

Socioeconomic inequalities in toothbrushing behaviours in young children: a children's lifestyle survey in a representative population of A city, Okinawa prefecture, Japan.

Purpose: We have less understanding of which socioeconomic status (SES) indicators may be reflective of latent socioeconomic inequalities in toothbrushing behaviours, especially finishing-toothbrushing by parents in young children. The aim of this study was to reveal the socioeconomic inequalities in children's toothbrushing and finishing-toothbrushing by parents and if it varies by SES indicators.

Methods: We used data from 'Survey on Children's Life' conducted by A city of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Effects of Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin and CA125 Level Variability Analysis in Platinum-refractory/resistant Recurrent Ovarian Cancer.

Background/aim: Ovarian cancer is a disease with significant impact, because more than half of cases exhibit recurrence despite platinum therapy. The choice of drug for cases of recurrence remains controversial, but the current option is pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the use of PLD in patients with ovarian cancer refractory or resistant to platinum-based therapy at our Department.

Mixed tumour of the skin of the lower lip: A case report and review of the literature.

Mixed tumour of the skin or chondroid syringoma (CS) is a rare and mostly benign neoplasm of the sweat glands. Although CS is frequently located on varied parts of the head and neck region, the lower lip is a rarely reported site. The present report describes a case of CS of the lower lip in a 58-year-old male as an expository case to further emphasise the need for proper diagnosis, appropriate treatment and prognostic evaluation.

Patterns of recurrence after low-dose postoperative radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Postoperative chemoradiotherapy is recommended for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with positive margins or extracapsular extension at high risk of recurrence. However, high-dose radiotherapy in the head and neck region often causes severe acute and late radiation-related adversities. In our institution, the radiation dose has been relatively lower than that used in Western countries to reduce radiation-related toxicities.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the anterior lingual salivary gland: A rare case report.

Mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) are rare head and neck malignant tumours that were originally considered to be benign. It has been estimated that ~20% of MECs in the major salivary glands, such as the parotid gland, and 50% in the several minor salivary glands found in the oral cavity, are malignant. The diagnosis of MECs is mainly based on ancillary and immunohistochemistry testing.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Suburethral Vaginal Mucosal Necrosis after Interstitial Irradiation for Recurrent Cervical Cancer.

Patients with gynecological malignancies can develop radiation injuries, such as cystitis, proctitis, and soft tissue necrosis which have approved indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). A 76-year-old Japanese woman with vaginal recurrence of cervical cancer was treated with the high-dose rate interstitial brachytherapy. Twenty-one months after the irradiation, she developed radiation necrosis on the external urethral opening.

A high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia derived from a complete hydatidiform mole with coexisting fetus identified by short tandem repeats analysis: A case report.

A complete hydatidiform mole coexisting with a fetus (CHMCF) is a rare form of twin pregnancy. High-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) can occur after a CHMCF pregnancy, although the frequency is low. In cases of GTN, the clinical diagnosis and that based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) scoring system can differ.

Co-expression of low-risk HPV E6/E7 and EBV LMP-1 leads to precancerous lesions by DNA damage.

Background: Low-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), such as types 6 and 11, is considered non-oncogenic, but these types have been detected in oral cancer tissue samples, suggesting their possible involvement in oral carcinogenesis. Because double infection of high-risk HPV and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known to be involved in oral carcinogenesis, we hypothesized that low-risk HPV and EBV co-infection can transform the oral cells. To verify our hypothesis, we evaluated the transformation activity of cell lines expressing both low-risk HPV E6/E7 and EBV LMP-1.

Nodal-based radiomics analysis for identifying cervical lymph node metastasis at levels I and II in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma using contrast-enhanced computed tomography.

Objective: Discriminating metastatic from benign cervical lymph nodes (LNs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients using pretreatment computed tomography (CT) has been controversial. This study aimed to investigate whether CT-based texture analysis with machine learning can accurately identify cervical lymph node metastasis in OSCC patients.

Methods: Twenty-three patients (with 201 cervical LNs [150 benign, 51 metastatic] at levels I-V) who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT and subsequent cervical neck dissection were enrolled.

Deep Learning for the Preoperative Diagnosis of Metastatic Cervical Lymph Nodes on Contrast-Enhanced Computed ToMography in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

We investigated the value of deep learning (DL) in differentiating between benign and metastatic cervical lymph nodes (LNs) using pretreatment contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). This retrospective study analyzed 86 metastatic and 234 benign (non-metastatic) cervical LNs at levels I-V in 39 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who underwent preoperative CT and neck dissection. LNs were randomly divided into training (70%), validation (10%), and test (20%) sets.

Fruit Body Extract Decreases Testosterone Catabolism and Testosterone-Stimulated Prostate Hypertrophy.

The androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are essential for a variety of systemic functions in mature males. Alteration of these hormones results in late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The fruit bodies of fungi of the genus have been regarded as folk medicine or health food with tonic and antifatigue effects.

A case of nasal septal perforation caused by bevacizumab for advanced cervical cancer.

Nasal septal perforation caused by bevacizumab is rarely reported in other cancers such as ovarian cancer and breast cancer, but it has not been reported in cervical cancer. A 48-year-old woman with a medical history of chronic allergic rhinitis was diagnosed stage 4B (T2bN1M0) cervical cancer and paclitaxel and carboplatin along with bevacizumab (triweekly) were administered. After eight courses of chemotherapy, nasal septal perforation was noted.

Torsade de pointes induced by intravenous amiodarone therapy accompanied by marked augmentation of the transmural dispersion of repolarization in a patient with tachycardia-induced-cardiomyopathy.

We report a 77-year-old human on renal dialysis for end-stage renal disease with heart failure and atrial fibrillation (AF) complicated by a high ventricular frequency. The underlying disease was thought as tachycardia-induced-cardiomyopathy. Intravenous infusion of amiodarone was initiated, and direct current cardioversion succeeded in converting AF to sinus rhythm.

Long-term Outcomes of Cervical Adenocarcinoma Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Using Paclitaxel and Cisplatin.

Background/aim: We retrospectively analyzed the locally advanced adenocarcinoma (AC)/adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) of the uterine cervix treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy using cisplatin plus paclitaxel (TP-CCRT).

Patients And Methods: Thirty patients with stage IB-IVA AC/ASC were treated with whole pelvis external beam radiotherapy. A high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy was delivered once per week at a fractional dose of 6 Gy.

A case of oral cancer with preoperative transcatheter aortic valve implantation for aortic stenosis: A case report.

Aortic valve stenosis [or aortic stenosis, (AS)] is a risk factor in non-cardiac surgery. Guidelines from the European Heart Association recommended that AS treatment should be applied prior to non-cardiac surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a method of minimally invasive AS treatment.

Hysterectomy for Recurrent/Residual Cervical Cancer Following Definitive Radiotherapy.

Background/aim: Radical hysterectomy has been used for local recurrent or persistent (LR) cervical cancer after radiotherapy (RT), but the rate of serious complications is high and tolerance is low. This study determined the efficacy, safety, and prognostic factors of adjuvant simple hysterectomy in LR cervical cancer post-RT.

Patients And Methods: A total of 21 patients who underwent hysterectomy for LR cervical cancer post-RT in our Department between May 2007 and September 2018 were included in the study.