[Evaluation of the Distribution of Spatial Scattered Radiation Dose in Bedside Dynamic Chest Radiography].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of spatial scattered radiation during mobile dynamic chest radiography and to develop protective measures.

Methods: We measured the spatial scattered radiation, assuming both mobile chest radiography and mobile dynamic chest radiography. We placed the chest phantom on a stretcher.

Analysis of Germline and Somatic Mutation in Patients With Developmental Odontogenic Cysts Using Targeted Gene Panel.

Background: Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a partial manifestation of Gorlin syndrome (GS), resulting from the abnormal activation of the hedgehog signaling pathway. OKC predominantly occurs in young adults and is mostly asymptomatic at the time of initial diagnosis. As OKC is asymptomatic, GS can be challenging to diagnose in certain instances.

Correction: Modulation of subjective peripheral sensation, F-waves, and somatosensory evoked potentials in response to unilateral pinch task measured on the contractile and non-contractile sides.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Introduction and evaluation of size-specific DLP for radiation dose estimation in CT examinations.

The increased utilization of computed tomography (CT) has raised concerns about patient radiation exposure. Effective dose (ED), which requires precise estimation, is crucial for assessing and managing these risks. Traditional ED estimation methods, which are based on the dose-length product (DLP), often lack accuracy due to variations in patient size and anatomy.

Comparison of radiation-shielding curtains for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography staff.

Occupational radiation exposure to the eye lens of medical staff during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) should be kept low so as not to exceed annual dose limits. Dose should be low to avoid tissue reactions and minimizing stochastic effects. It is known that the head and neck of the staff are exposed to more scattered radiation in an over-couch tube system than in a C-arm system (under-couch tube).

[Usefulness of Copper Filter Addition and Potential for Dose Reduction in Hip-joint Radiography].

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated image quality and radiation dose reduction when a Copper (Cu) filter was added to hip joint X-ray imaging.

Methods: We measured effective energy without (0 mm) and with (0.1/0.

Environmental DNA Reveals the Impact of Submarine Groundwater Discharge on the Spatial Variability of Coastal Fish Diversity.

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has recently been recognized as an influential factor in coastal ecosystems; however, little research has been conducted on its effects on coastal fish diversity. To investigate the relationship between SGD and fish diversity, we conducted a survey at the coastal island scale using the environmental DNA (eDNA) method. Our findings indicate that fish species richness and functional richness peak at stations with high SGD.

The impact of alternate-day fasting on the salivary gland stem cell compartments in non-obese diabetic mice with newly established Sjögren's syndrome.

Intermittent fasting exerts a profound beneficial influence on a spectrum of diseases through various mechanisms including regulation of immune responses, elimination of senescent- and pathogenic cells and improvement of stem cell-based tissue regeneration in a disease- and tissue-dependent manner. Our previous study demonstrated that alternate-day fasting (ADF) led to alleviation of xerostomia and sialadenitis in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, a well-defined model of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). This present study delved into the previously unexplored impacts of ADF in this disease setting and revealed that ADF increases the proportion of salivary gland stem cells (SGSCs), defined as the EpCAM cell population among the lineage marker negative submandibular gland (SMG) cells.

Activation of STING in pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts exerts an antitumor effect by enhancing tumor immunity.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a high mortality rate; therefore, the development of effective treatments is a priority. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway enhances tumor immunity by inducing the production of type 1 interferon (IFN) and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and promoting the infiltration of cytotoxic T cells. To assess the function of STING on pancreatic tumorigenesis, Ptf1a LSL-Kras p53 mice (KPC mice) and Ptf1a LSL-Kras p53/STING mice (KPCS mice) were generated.

Endogenous IL-22 contributes to the pathogenesis of salivary gland dysfunction in the non-obese diabetic model of Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjӧgren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease primarily targeting the salivary and lacrimal glands. Our previous investigations have shown that administration of interleukin-22 (IL-22), an IL-10 family cytokine known for its complex and context-dependent effects on tissues, either protective- or detrimental, to salivary glands leads to hypofunction and pathological changes of salivary glands in C57BL/6 mice and in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, the latter being a commonly used model of Sjӧgren's syndrome. This study aims to delineate the pathophysiological roles of endogenously produced IL-22 in the development of salivary gland pathologies and dysfunction associated with Sjӧgren's disease in the NOD mouse model.

Comprehensive analysis of transcription factors involved in odontoblast differentiation mechanism.

Primary cultured odontoblasts rapidly lose their tissue-specific phenotype. To identify transcription factors (TF) that are important for the maintenance of the odontoblast phenotype, primary cultures of C57BL/6 J mouse dental mesenchymal cells (DMC) were isolated, and expression of TF and odontoblast marker genes in cells immediately after isolation and 2 days after culture were comprehensively evaluated and compared using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). The expression of odontoblast markers in mouse dental mesenchymal cells decreased rapidly after isolation.

Polysaccharides from a Fermented Beverage Induce Nitric Oxide and Cytokines in Murine Macrophage Cell Line.

Super Ohtaka, a fermented beverage of plant extracts, is prepared from approximately 50 kinds of fruits and vegetables. Natural fermentation is mainly performed by lactic acid bacteria ( spp.) and yeast ( spp.

Relationship Between Frequency of Remote Visitation and Postpartum Depression in Mothers of Hospitalized Neonates During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: To explore the relationship between symptoms of postpartum depression and the number of remote visitations among mothers of infants in the NICU.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: NICU in a medical university in Iwate, Japan.

Evaluation of Phosphorus Enrichment in Groundwater by Legacy Phosphorus in Orchard Soils with High Phosphorus Adsorption Capacity Using Phosphate Oxygen Isotope Analysis.

Long-term phosphorus (P) fertilization results in P accumulation in agricultural soil and increases the risk of P leaching into water bodies. However, evaluating P leaching into groundwater is challenging, especially in clay soil with a high P sorption capacity. This study examined whether the combination of PO oxygen isotope (δO) analysis and the P saturation ratio (PSR) was useful to identify P enrichment mechanisms in groundwater.

[Effect of Gonadal Protection on Image Quality in Frontal Hip Radiography].

Purpose: In recent years, there has been a growing movement in Western countries toward the abolition of gonadal protection during radiography. The reasons for this recommendation are that there are few reports of increased risk of genetic effects, that the ovarian dose is not due to direct X-rays but due to internally scattered X-rays that cannot be shielded, and that the presence of gonadal protection may adversely affect the automatic exposure control mechanism and may mask important findings. In addition, the gonadal protection is a large high absorber of X-rays, and its presence in the irradiation field may have some effect on image quality, but the effect of the gonadal protection on image quality has not been clarified.

Risk assessment of metachronous gastric cancer after endoscopic submucosal dissection based on endoscopic intestinal metaplasia.

Background And Aim: The incidence of metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) after endoscopic treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) is high, but a method of risk assessment for MGC based on endoscopic findings has not been established. In this study, we focused on endoscopic intestinal metaplasia (IM) and investigated the risk for MGC after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for EGC.

Methods: This retrospective observational study involved patients who underwent curative ESD for EGC from April 2015 to January 2021.

Fundamental study on diagnostic reference level quantities for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography using a C-arm fluoroscopy system.

The diagnostic reference level (DRL) is an effective tool for optimising protection in medical exposures to patients. However regarding air kerma at the patient entrance reference point (), one of the DRL quantities for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), manufacturers use a variety of the International Electrotechnical Commission and their own specific definitions of the reference point. The research question for this study was whetheris appropriate as a DRL quantity for ERCP.

Spatial and temporal dynamics and fluxes estimation of manganese fractions in sediments from the Pearl River Estuary, southern China.

Sequential extraction was used to study the historical dynamics and fluxes of the chemical fractions of manganese (Mn) in sediments collected from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), southern China. Results revealed that the proportion of Mn associated with different fractions decreased in the order of acid-soluble fraction (F1) > reducible fraction (F2) > residual fraction (F4) > oxidizable fraction (F3). F1 (47%) was the dominant Mn fraction, indicating the strong bioavailability of Mn to aquatic organisms in the PRE.

Mechanical stress-induced FGF-2 promotes proliferation and consequently induces osteoblast differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells.

Mechanical stimuli serve as crucial regulators of bone mass, promoting bone formation. However, the molecular mechanisms governing how mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) respond to mechanical cues during their differentiation into osteogenic cells remain elusive. In this study, we found that cyclic stretching enhances MSC proliferation but does not increase the expression of osteoblast-related genes.

[Relative Error between Organ Doses and Size-specific Dose Estimates for a Specific Location When the Mean CTDI Value Is Used for Calculation].

Size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs) are dose indices that account for differences in body shape in computed tomography (CT) scans, allowing the evaluation of approximate absorbed doses in any cross section that could not be obtained with the volume CT dose index (CTDI). When using automatic exposure control (AEC), CTDI is modulated in the body axis direction, but the value displayed after the examination is the mean CTDI for the entire scan, and it is expected that the SSDE value will change depending on which value is used in the calculation. In this study, using a human body phantom, we examined the influence of whether the mean CTDI or the modulation value for each slice is used to calculate the SSDE on local organ dose evaluation.

Evaluation of radiation dose and image quality for dental cone-beam computed tomography in pediatric patients.

Children are sensitive to radiation; therefore, it is necessary to reduce radiation dose as much as possible in pediatric patients. In addition, it is crucial to investigate the optimal imaging conditions as they considerably affect the radiation dose. In this study, we investigated the effect of different imaging conditions on image quality and optimized the imaging conditions for dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examinations to diagnose ectopic eruptions and impacted teeth in children.