Sex determination method using the third cervical vertebral body by head and neck CT.

Objectives: This study aimed to measure the volume of the third cervical vertebra using head and neck multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) and establish a sex determination model based on sex differences in volume.

Methods: Head and neck CT images of 85 patients were obtained for dental diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data obtained from head and neck CT were constructed using a three-dimensional image analysis software.

Incidence and risk factors of parasitic myoma after laparoscopic myomectomy using uncontained power morcellation: Retrospective analysis of 87 patients who had a subsequent second laparoscopic surgery.

Aim: Studies on parasitic myomas after laparoscopic morcellation are mainly limited to case reports, and the incidence and risk factors have not yet been well-understood. We aimed to clarify the actual incidence and risk factors of parasitic myoma after laparoscopic myomectomy using uncontained power morcellation by reviewing cases with subsequent laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: This retrospective study included 87 patients who had laparoscopic myomectomy using uncontained power morcellation, followed by subsequent second laparoscopic surgery for gynecological disease between 2008 and 2021.

Repercussions of perineal repair using surgical glue or suture thread on postpartum outcomes: A controlled randomized clinical trial in São Paulo, Brazil.

Introduction: The type of perineal repair can have significant long-term effects on various functions in a woman's postpartum life. The aim was to compare urinary incontinence (UI), women's satisfaction, pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS), and sexual function according to the type of perineal repair (surgical glue or suture thread) during the first eight months after normal childbirth.

Methods: A controlled randomized clinical trial of 133 primiparous women undergoing perineal repair during birth with surgical glue or sutures, evaluated during labor and monitored up to 8 months postpartum, from March 2017 to September 2018, in the city in São Paulo, Bazil.

Tumor thickness as a novel risk factor for lymph node metastasis by superficial squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck.

Narrow-band imaging combined with magnified endoscopy has enabled the detection of superficial squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SSCCHN) that has been resected with minimally invasive treatment, preserving vocalization and swallowing functions. However, risk factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM) must be identified, as some patients with LNM have a poor prognosis. From an initial 599 patients with 700 lesions who underwent trans-oral surgery in 27 Japanese hospitals (a nationwide registration survey), we enrolled 541 patients with 633 SSCCHNs, as indicated by central pathological diagnoses.

Lessons learned from contamination with endotoxin originated from the supplement in the cell culture medium.

Introduction: Endotoxin is a typical pyrogen derived from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. In fabricating cell-based medicinal products, it is necessary to control endotoxin in the process and the products. In the quality control tests of our clinical study, endotoxin concentration in the culture supernatant of autologous oral mucosal epithelial cell sheets exceeded the criterion value.

An algorithm-based technique for counting mitochondria in cells using immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections.

Purpose: Visualizing mitochondria in cancer cells from human pathological specimens may improve our understanding of cancer biology. However, using immunohistochemistry to evaluate mitochondria remains difficult because almost all cells contain mitochondria and the number of mitochondria per cell may have important effects on mitochondrial function. Herein, we established an objective system (Mito-score) for evaluating mitochondria using machine-based processing of hue, saturation, and value color spaces.

Baseline ctDNA gene alterations as a biomarker of survival after panitumumab and chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Certain genetic alterations and right-sided primary tumor location are associated with resistance to anti-epidermal growth factor (EGFR) treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The phase 3 PARADIGM trial (n = 802) demonstrated longer overall survival with first-line anti-EGFR (panitumumab) versus antivascular endothelial growth factor (bevacizumab) plus modified FOLFOX6 in patients with RAS wild-type mCRC with left-sided primary tumors. This prespecified exploratory biomarker analysis of PARADIGM (n = 733) evaluated the association between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) gene alterations and efficacy outcomes, focusing on a broad panel of gene alterations associated with resistance to EGFR inhibition, including KRAS, NRAS, PTEN and extracellular domain EGFR mutations, HER2 and MET amplifications, and ALK, RET and NTRK1 fusions.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a prognostic factor reflecting immune condition of tumor microenvironment in squamous cell lung cancer.

Inflammatory factors in the peripheral blood, such as the C-reactive protein level and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), are prognostic markers in multiple types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the association between inflammatory factors and prognosis based on histological types has not been adequately reported. In addition, the relationship between these factors and the immune condition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is unclear.

Instructional and didactic support tool for teaching-learning Post-Partum Haemorrhage care in simulated settings: Creation and validation.

Objective: To describe the creation and validation process of an instructional, didactic and self-applied support tool for teaching-learning Post-Partum Haemorrhage care in simulated settings.

Background: Students frequently face difficulties performing the actions in the proper sequence in Post-Partum Haemorrhage simulated cases. Even in a controlled environment, anxiety, nervousness and fear of making mistakes are evident, which render the simulated experience highly stressful.

Metabolic Hallmarks for Purine Nucleotide Biosynthesis in Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

Unlabelled: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a poor prognosis, emphasizing the necessity for developing new therapies. The de novo synthesis pathway of purine nucleotides, which is involved in the malignant growth of SCLC, has emerged as a novel therapeutic target. Purine nucleotides are supplied by two pathways: de novo and salvage.

Stray radiation dose reduction using a backscatter shield and a rectangular collimator for a handheld intraoral X-ray unit.

The objective of this study was to study the dose reduction effect on occupational exposure of operators and public exposure other than operators when a backscatter shield and a rectangular collimator are used in conjunction with a handheld intraoral X-ray unit. The occupational exposure was reduced to 40% when the backscatter shield was attached to the cone-tip, to 13% when the rectangular collimator was attached and to 7.7% when the backscatter shield and rectangular collimator were used together.

Fibroblast inhibition by tocilizumab enabled gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel rechallenge for pancreatic cancer.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway inhibition may overcome chemoresistance of metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC). We sought to determine the safety and recommended dose of tocilizumab (TCZ), an IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, and biological correlates of tumor shrinkage in patients with gemcitabine (GEM)/nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PTX)-refractory MPC. This phase 1 study enrolled 10 patients with MPC who had progressed after GEM/nab-PTX.

Discovery of new functions of food proteins and their structural development for multifunctional applications.

Proteins and peptides derived from various food sources are used in a variety of applications, including functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. The three-dimensional structure of proteins provides useful insights into their functions and essential information for the creation of proteins with new functions. In this review, a series of functional conversion technologies based on protein structural information derived from foods traditionally consumed in Japan, such as natto (fermented soybeans) and rice, are introduced.

Assessment of Elastic Laminal Invasion Contributes to an Objective pT3 Subclassification in Colon Cancer.

The extent of tumor spread influences on the clinical outcome, and which determine T stage of colorectal cancer. However, pathologic discrimination between pT3 and pT4a in the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)-TNM stage is subjective, and more objective discrimination method for deeply invasive advanced colon cancer is mandatory for standardized patient management. Peritoneal elastic laminal invasion (ELI) detected using elastic staining may increase the objective discrimination of deeply invasive advanced colon cancer.

Tumor-infiltrating Leukocyte Profiling Defines Three Immune Subtypes of NSCLC with Distinct Signaling Pathways and Genetic Alterations.

Unlabelled: Resistance to immune checkpoint blockade remains challenging in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tumor-infiltrating leukocyte (TIL) quantity, composition, and activation status profoundly influence responsiveness to cancer immunotherapy. This study examined the immune landscape in the NSCLC tumor microenvironment by analyzing TIL profiles of 281 fresh resected NSCLC tissues.

Knockdown of Rab7B, But Not of Rab7A, Which Antagonistically Regulates Oligodendroglial Cell Morphological Differentiation, Recovers Tunicamycin-Induced Defective Differentiation in FBD-102b Cells.

In the central nervous system (CNS), insulative myelin sheaths are generated from the differentiated plasma membranes of oligodendrocytes (oligodendroglial cells) and surround neuronal axons to achieve saltatory conduction. Despite the functional involvement of myelin sheaths in the CNS, the molecular mechanism by which oligodendroglial cells themselves undergo differentiation of plasma membranes remains unclear. It also remains to be explored whether their signaling mechanisms can be applied to treating diseases of the oligodendroglial cells.

Spiritual Experiences of Portuguese Women Who had a Water Birth.

This study aimed to understand the significance of spirituality to Portuguese women who had a water birth. In-depth interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire, were conducted with 24 women who experienced water birth at the hospital or home. Results were analyzed from a narrative interpretation perspective.

Use of surgical glue versus suture to repair perineal tears: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Surgical glue has been used in several body tissues, including perineal repair, and can benefit women.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate surgical glue compared to the polyglactin 910 suture in repairing first- and second-degree perineal tears and episiotomy in vaginal births.

Design: A parallel randomised controlled open trial.

Cervical dilation assessment in simulators compared to a visual tool: A randomized study.

Objective: to verify the correct assessment rate when using direct visual comparison in the cervical dilation measures in hard-consistency cervix simulation models.

Method: an open-label and randomized study conducted with 63 Obstetrics students that were designated either to use direct visual comparison in a dilation guide or not. The students estimated cervical dilation blindly in simulators with different dilations.

Impact of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression on Mismatch Repair Deficiency and Epstein-Barr Virus Status on Survival Outcomes in Patients with Stage II/III Gastric Cancer After Surgery.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of mismatch repair (MMR) status, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status in stage II/III gastric cancer after surgery.

Methods: This study included 679 patients diagnosed with pathological stage II/III gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) or observation between 2007 and 2015. Clinical outcomes were retrospectively reviewed and compared with stratification by AC and other clinicopathological factors.