Quantitative Comparison of Age-Related Development of Oral Functions During Growing Age.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the age-related development of five major oral functions-tongue pressure, lip pressure, masticatory efficiency, bite force, and occlusal contact area-in subjects aged 5-20 years.

Material And Methods: Ninety-two subjects were divided into four age groups: 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, and 17-20 years. Oral functions were evaluated using standardized methods, including Chew Check Gum for assessing masticatory efficiency, Dental Prescale II for measuring occlusal force and contact area, JMS tongue pressure measuring device for evaluating tongue pressure, and Ripple-Kun for measuring lip pressure.

Eribulin mesylate induces bone mass loss by promoting osteoclastic bone resorption in mice.

Over the past few decades, the clinical outcomes of patients with cancer have significantly improved mostly owing to the development of effective chemotherapeutic treatments. However, chronic health conditions such as bone mass loss and risk of fragility fractures caused by chemotherapy have also emerged as crucial issues in patients treated for cancer. In this study, we aimed to understand the effect of eribulin mesylate (ERI), a microtubule-targeting agent currently used to treat metastatic breast cancer and certain subtypes of advanced sarcomas, on bone metabolism in mice.

Risk assessment of femoral pathological fracture in prostate cancer patients by computed tomography analysis.

Introduction: Prostate cancer often forms osteoblastic lesions that appear as a high-dense shadow upon X-ray. Although the lesions may seem to increase bone strength, pathological fracture occurs in one in four patients with prostate cancer. The aim of this study is to elucidate the factors that may increase the risk of pathological fracture in patients with prostate cancer metastases in the proximal femur by analyzing computed tomography data.

Eribulin induces tumor vascular remodeling through intussusceptive angiogenesis in a sarcoma xenograft model.

Eribulin is a novel microtubule inhibitor that, similar to other types of microtubule inhibitors, induces apoptosis by inhibiting the mitotic division of cells. Besides this direct effect on tumor cells, previous studies have shown that eribulin has the potential to induce tumor vascular remodeling in several different cancers; however, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate whether eribulin is effective against synovial sarcoma, a relatively rare sarcoma that often affects adolescents and young adults, and to histologically investigate the microstructure of tumor vessels after the administration of eribulin.

Trabectedin suppresses osteosarcoma pulmonary metastasis in a mouse tumor xenograft model.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumor that mainly affects adolescents and young adults. Although standard treatment modality can achieve up to 60%-70% 5-year survival rate, there has not been any substantial improvement over the past four decades. Furthermore, those presenting with pulmonary metastatic lesions often undergo a highly unfavorable clinical course.

Serum oxidative stress in patients with pulmonary complex disease.

Background: The mechanism of progressive airway destruction in incurable chronic infection of the lung - termed pulmonary complex (pMAC) disease - is currently unknown. The involvement of oxidative stress in a variety of progressive chronic respiratory diseases has been previously reported. It has been hypothesized that oxidative stress may be involved in the progression of airway destruction in pMAC disease.

Efficacy of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin for the treatment of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a single arm, non-randomized prospective clinical trial.

Background: Coagulation abnormalities are involved in the pathogenesis of acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF). The administration of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhTM), which has both anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant activities, improves outcomes and respiratory function in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Therefore, we conducted a prospective clinical study to examine the effects of rhTM on respiratory function, coagulation markers, and outcomes for patients with AE-IPF.

Avulsion Fracture of the Medial Head of the Gastrocnemius Muscle Associated with Posterior Dislocation of the Knee: A Case Report.

Case: We present an extremely rare case of an avulsion fracture of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle associated with posterior dislocation of the knee. The patient was a fifty-one-year-old man who was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle. The avulsed fragment was reduced and fixed with a screw, which resulted in maintenance of joint reduction despite residual instability due to the multiligamentous injuries.

Change in serum marker of oxidative stress in the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Increased oxidative stress is supposed to be involved in the etiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). It was reported that oxidative stress values measured by a spectrophotometric technique (d-ROMs test) were significantly higher in IPF patients than in controls, and were negatively correlated with Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Carbon Monoxide Diffusing Capacity (DLCO). However, the relationship between progression of IPF over time and change in serum oxidative stress marker remains unclarified.

Mediastinal lymphadenopathy without cervical lymphadenopathy in a case of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease.

A 44-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of persistent high fever. Both CT and PET-CT demonstrated lymph node lesions limited to the mediastinal region without cervical lymphadenopathy. Histology of a mediastinal lymph node obtained by video-assisted thoroscopic excision confirmed the diagnosis of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis.

Questionable resection for carcinoma of the esophagus involving the trachea, bronchus and/or aorta--a comparative and multivariate analysis.

Controversy remains over the comparative efficacy and subsequent prognosis of resections for carcinomas of the esophagus involving the trachea, bronchus, and/or aorta. Results of a multi-variate analysis are reported using clinical data from 103 cases from 1981 to 1987. Based on the survival-rate curves according to the Kaplan-Meier method, resection was superior to non-resection.

Preoperative radiation for carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus involving adjacent organs--a comparative and multivariate analysis of prognosis.

Controversy remains over the comparative efficacy and subsequent prognosis for preoperative radiation for carcinoma of the esophagus involving the trachea, bronchus, and/or aorta. Results of a multi-variate analysis are reported using clinical data from 57 cases from 1981 to 1987. Based on both the survival-rate curves using the Kaplan-Meier method and the adjusted survival-rate curves using Cox's proportional hazards linear model, there was no significant difference in prognosis between patients who received preoperative radiation and those who did not.

Cervico-thoraco-abdominal (3-field) lymph node dissection for carcinoma in the thoracic esophagus.

The efficacy of an extended radical lymph node dissection for carcinoma in the thoracic esophagus is controversial. Results of a multivariate analysis using clinical data from 127 cases collected from 1982 to 1988 are reported. Twenty-seven of these patients underwent an extended radical (cervico-thoraco-abdominal: 3 fields) lymph node dissection which was recently developed in Japan, while others underwent a standard (thoraco-abdominal: 2 fields) lymph node dissection.

[Studies on biological characteristics of undifferentiated carcinoma of the esophagus].

To study the biological characteristics of undifferentiated carcinoma of the esophagus, the nuclear DNA content, the growth fraction using monoclonal antibody Ki-67 (Ki-67), immunohistochemical expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the grade of Leu-7 positive cells infiltrating at the marginal area of the cancerous tissue were measured in 5 cases of undifferentiated carcinoma and 131 cases of squamous cell carcinoma. The following results were obtained. 1) DNA aneuploid was found in 60% of undifferentiated carcinoma, 47% of squamous cell carcinoma.

[Studies on DNA content in ploidy patterns of esophageal cancer].

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the nuclear DNA content of esophageal cancer cells consequent on the process of growth and progression of the cancer. In experimental animal studies, 47 esophageal cancers were induced in male Wistar rats by oral administration of N-amyl-N-methylnitrosamine (AMN) and were analysed in the study of ploidy patterns. The study was also carried out to determine the DNA content in the ploidy patterns in man.

[A case of relapsed pulmonary carcinoma showing an interesting chemotherapeutic course].

A patient with relapsed primary pulmonary carcinoma (T2N0M0 Stage II adenocarcinoma) showing contralateral metastasis after 4 postoperative years was given Carboquone (CQ), Cisplatin (CDDP) and OK-432, and positive therapeutic results were obtained. However, aggravation ensued and so UFT was given in combination with the above chemotherapy, resulting in repeatedly good results. The details of this case of relapsed pulmonary carcinoma, which was resistant to chemotherapy but showed positive therapeutic results with combined use of UFT, are reported.

[Relation between prognosis and the Su-PS skin reaction in patients with non-resected primary lung cancer receiving OK-432].

Chemotherapy and administration of OK-432 were performed concomitantly in 49 cases of inoperable primary lung cancer, and the Su-PS skin reaction was measured. In the group of patients under 60 years of age, the maximum diameter of the reaction after chemotherapy tended to be large, and evaluation of the results showed that the maximum diameter tended to be large in the group showing tumor contraction effects. In a comparison of the prognosis between the group which survived for less than 6 months and that which survived for 6 months or longer, there was no significant difference between them before administration of OK-432, but when the maximum reaction diameter after chemotherapy was compared, that in the group which survived for 6 months or longer was significantly stronger (p less than 0.