Proactive Symptom Monitoring by Pharmacists Using a Cancer Patient Support App in Out-patient Oral Multi-kinase Inhibitor Therapy: Feasibility Study of a Small Patient Population.

Background/aim: Measures to control adverse events (AEs) in the use of oral multi-kinase inhibitors (OMI) are important for the continuation of treatment.

Patients And Methods: In this study, oncology pharmacists monitored symptoms of patients receiving outpatient therapy with OMIs in real-time using a smartphone Web app for the early detection/early treatment of AEs. This feasibility study evaluated the effects of using the app in 10 patients compared with data from 10 patients who did not use the app.

Differences in working memory function are associated with motor imagery-induced changes in spinal motor nerve excitability and subsequent motor skill changes.

Verification of the effectiveness of motor imagery (MI) has mainly focused on the method of implementing MI, and few studies have assessed individual factors. This study examined the individual differences in MI effects from the viewpoint of the multiple components of working memory. Forty-six healthy subjects (mean age 20.

Distribution and propagation of stress and strain in cube honeycombs as trabecular bone substitutes: Finite element model analysis.

For designing trabecular (Tb) bone substitutes suffering from osteoporosis, finite element model (FEM) simulations were conducted on honeycombs (HCs) of 8 × 8 × 1 (2D) and 8 × 8 × 8 (3D) assemblies of cube cellular units consisting of 0.9 mm long Nylon® 66 (PA, Young's modulus E: 2.83 GPa) and polyethylene (PE, E: 1.

Proximal cementation of a collarless polished tapered hip stem: biomechanical analysis using a validated finite element model.

Total hip replacement (THR) with cemented stem is a common procedure for patients with hip osteoarthritis. When primary THR fails, removal of the cement is problematic and poses challenges during revision surgeries. The possibility of proximal partial cementing of the hip stem was explored to mitigate the problem.

Adjacent vertebral fractures in the lumbar and thoracic spine after balloon kyphoplasty: A finite element analysis.

The purpose of the present study was to mechanically verify after vertebral augmentation (AVA) scores using a finite element method (FEM) with accurate material constants of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) cement. Representative cases with AVA scores of 1 (case 1), 3 (case 2), and 5 (case 3) among patients with vertebral body fractures who underwent BKP were analyzed. A FEM model consisting of 5 vertebral bodies was created, including the injured vertebral body in each case.

Potential risks associated with laparoscopic gastrostomy in patients with the COL4A1 variant: Two case reports.

The COL4A1 (collagen Type 4 alpha1) pathogenic variant is associated with porencephaly and schizencephaly and accounts for approximately 20% of these patients. This gene variant leads to systemic microvasculopathy, which manifests as brain, ocular, renal, and muscular disorders. However, only a few patients with surgical interventions have been reported and the potential surgical risks are unknown.

Mechanical evaluation of revision surgery for femoral shaft nonunion initially treated with intramedullary nailing: Exchange nailing versus augmentation plating.

Introduction: Exchange nailing (EN) or augmentation plating (AP) has been employed to treat nonunions after intramedullary nailing for femoral shaft fractures. Although instability is a factor in hypertrophic nonunion, mechanical evaluations have been limited because the contribution of the callus to fracture site stability varies with healing. Our previous study illustrated the potential for evaluation using a finite element analysis (FEA) that incorporates callus material properties.

Application of new waveform analysis methods reflecting F-wave diversity -classification of F-wave diversity according to differences in the derived muscles.

Background: The F wave waveforms show diversity according to the number and size of re-firing cells, but there is still no analytical method that reflects this feature. We previously reported that five classifications of F waves are obtained from the ulnar nerve. However, the diversity of F waves derived from the lower extremities may not be similar.

[Survey on Attitudes toward Career Visions for Hospital Pharmacists].

This study aimed to clarify diverse values toward career visions for hospital pharmacists. A self-administered online questionnaire survey was delivered to live and on-demand release attendees at a symposium about sustainable career paths for pharmacists at the 32nd annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences between September 23rd and November 14th, 2022. Correspondence analyses of text mining were conducted to assess the association between the participants' perspectives on career visions and their backgrounds consisting of sex and generation.

Liver-Spleen Volume Ratio as a Predictor of Native Liver Survival in Patients with Biliary Atresia.

Background: The appropriate timing of liver transplantation (LT) in patients with biliary atresia (BA) who survived with their native livers until adolescence remains controversial. The liver-spleen volume ratio (LSR) has been reported to be efficacious in predicting the prognosis of chronic liver disease. We investigated whether LSR could predict long-term native liver prognosis and serve as an indication for LT in patients with BA.

Osteoconductivity and neurotoxicity of silver-containing hydroxyapatite coating cage for spinal interbody fusion in rats.

Background: The use of spinal instrumentation is an established risk factor for postoperative infection. To address this problem, we prepared silver-containing hydroxyapatite coating, consisting of highly osteoconductive hydroxyapatite interfused with silver. The technology has been adopted for total hip arthroplasty.

The Importance of F-Wave Patterns in a Patient with Cerebrovascular Disease Characterized by a Markedly Increased Tone of the Thenar Muscles.

F-waves are used to measure the excitability of spinal motor nerve function. This study aimed to investigate the F-wave patterns in a patient with cerebrovascular disease who had no voluntary movement of the hand, particularly the thumb, caused by a considerably increased tone of the thenar muscles. A patient with right hemiplegia caused by left cerebral hemorrhage (putamen) showed a considerably increased tone of the thumb flexors and no voluntary movements.

Evaluation of bone healing process after intramedullary nailing for femoral shaft fracture by quantitative computed tomography-based finite element analysis.

Background: There is no proven method for quantitative evaluation of bone healing progress or decision to remove the nail after intramedullary nailing for femoral shaft fractures. Finite element analysis has become commonly utilized in bone analysis, but it may also be used to evaluate callus. The goal of this study was to use quantitative CT-based finite element analysis to assess the bone healing process and predict bone strength with the nail removed.

A comprehensive review on facemask manufacturing, testing, and its environmental impacts.

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is currently the biggest threat to human lives due to its rapid transmission rate causing severe damage to human health and economy. The transmission of viral diseases can be minimized at its early stages with proper planning and preventive practices. The use of facemask has proved to be most effective measure to curb the spread of virus along with social distancing and good hygiene practices.

Analysis for Predictors of Failure of Orthodontic Mini-implant Using Patient-Specific Finite Element Models.

In this study, we analyzed the clinical factors and mechanical parameters for predicting orthodontic mini-implant (OMI) failure in the mandible, which has different properties from the maxilla. A patient-specific finite element analysis was applied to 32 OMIs (6 failures and 26 successes) implanted between the mandibular second premolars and first molars used for anchorage. The peak stress and strain parameters were calculated for each sample.

Differences in motor imagery strategy change behavioral outcome.

Kinesthetic motor imagery (KMI) involves imagining the feeling and experience of movements. We examined the effects of KMI, number visualizing, and KMI with number visualizing on the excitability of spinal motor neurons and a behavioral outcome measure in a pinch force task. Healthy participants (13 men and 8 women; mean age: 24.

A case of successful slide tracheoplasty for long-segment congenital tracheal stenosis in a neonate with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia and Fallot's tetralogy.

Background: Congenital tracheal stenosis (CTS) is a rare and life-threatening airway disorder, which is often associated with cardiac malformations. Among them, neonatal symptomatic CTS with cardiac malformations has an extremely poor prognosis. In contrast to cardiac malformation, congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has rarely been associated with CTS.

A new waveform analysis method reflecting the diversity of F-wave Waveforms-Waveform types in healthy subjects based on the combined use of the additive averaging method and histograms.

Background: F-waves, which are an indicator of the excitability of spinal cord anterior horn cells, are characterized by diverse waveforms. However, no analytical method has yet been development that fully reflects the diversity of such waveforms. The present study examined whether or not the change in the amplitude by the additive averaging process reflects the dispersion of the peak.

Improvement of Mechanical Strength of Tissue Engineering Scaffold Due to the Temperature Control of Polymer Blend Solution.

Polymeric scaffolds made of PCL/PLCL (ratio 1:3, respectively) blends have been developed by using the Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) process. A new additional technique has been introduced in this study by applying pre-heat treatment to the blend solution before the TIPS process. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of the pre-heat treatment on mechanical properties.

Pera orange (Citrus sinensis) and Moro orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) juices attenuate left ventricular dysfunction and oxidative stress and improve myocardial energy metabolism in acute doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Objectives: Doxorubicin is a highly effective chemotherapeutic agent for treating several types of cancer; however, it can induce cardiotoxicity. We evaluated the influence of Pera and Moro orange juices on cardiac remodeling induced by acute administration of doxorubicin in rats.

Methods: We allocated 120 male Wistar rats into six groups: control (C), Pera orange juice (PO), Moro orange juice (MO), doxorubicin (D), doxorubicin + Pera orange juice (DPO), and doxorubicin + Moro orange juice (DMO).

Risk assessment of vertebral compressive fracture using bone mass index and strength predicted by computed tomography image based finite element analysis.

Background: A main purpose of osteoporosis diagnosis is to evaluate the bone fracture risk. Some bone mass indices evaluated using bone mineral density has been utilized clinically to assess the degree of osteoporosis. On the other hand, Computed tomography image based finite element analysis has been developed to evaluate bone strength of vertebral bodies.

Precision pinch force control via brain and spinal motor neuron excitability during motor imagery.

This study presents a novel approach for identifying neural substrates underlying the beneficial effects of motor imagery. For motor imagery, participants were instructed to imagine contraction of the left thenar muscle at 50 % maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The participants then performed isometric contractions of the thumb and index finger at 50 % MVC as accurately as possible after motor imagery and without motor imagery.