Frontiers of Collaboration between Primary Care and Specialists in the Management of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Review.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the most common liver disease. It has a rapidly growing patient population owing to the increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Patients with MASLD are primarily treated by family physicians when fibrosis is absent or mild and by gastroenterologists/hepatologists when fibrosis is more advanced.

Yokukansankachimpihange Is Useful to Treat Behavioral/Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.

Yokukansankachimpihange is a Japanese herbal medicine reported to benefit anxiety and sleep disorders, and it has recently been introduced to treat behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. There are no multicenter studies of its effectiveness regarding dementia in Japan, and this study's main objective was to clarify the effects of Yokukansankachimpihange on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in a sample of patients from multiple healthcare centers. Nine facilities affiliated with Osaka Association of Psychiatric Clinics participated in November 2013 through April 2015 and provided 32 Alzheimer's disease patients to whom Yokukansankachimpihange was orally administered for 8 weeks.

Positioning of Bristol Stool Form Scale type 3 in constipation treatment satisfaction: A multicenter study in Japan.

Background And Aim: Many patients are not satisfied with chronic constipation (CC) treatments. The aim of this study was to identify factors linked to CC treatment satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Methods: Our study population included patients who received CC treatment at a clinic or hospital.

Factors associated with poor therapeutic response in outpatients with irritable bowel syndrome: a multicenter study in Japan.

Background: Some patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show poor response to treatment. However, risk factors associated with poor therapeutic response have not been determined.

Methods: This multicenter trial evaluated consecutive outpatients with IBS undergoing treatment for more than 1 month.

New therapy using omega-3-Acid ethyl esters for decubitus ulcers and stasis dermatitis: a case report.

Introduction: In daily practice, it is common to experience difficulty in treating decubitus ulcers (pressure ulcers, also known as decubitus ulcers) and stasis dermatitis of the lower limbs. We hereby report that omega-3-acid ethyl esters were remarkably effective when administered to cases of refractory pressure ulcers and stasis dermatitis for the purpose of improving the blood flow and promoting blood circulation.

Case Presentation: Case 1: A 21-year-old Japanese female with lower-body paralysis.

Detection and quantification of male-specific fetal DNA in the serum of pregnant cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).

Because of their developmental similarities to humans, nonhuman primates are often used as a model to study fetal development for potential clinical applications in humans. The detection of fetal DNA in maternal plasma or serum offers a source of fetal genetic material for prenatal diagnosis. However, no such data have been reported for cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), an important model in biomedical research.

Aggregated chromosomes transfer in human oocytes.

Germinal-vesicle (GV) transfer, spindle-chromosome complex transfer in metaphase-II oocytes and two pronuclei transfer have been evaluated as possible treatments for patients who have mitochondrial diseases. However, GV transfers often lead to heteroplasmy while the other two methods are frequently associated with aneuploidy. The present study used a new method based on the transfer of aggregated chromosomes, which occurs in human oocytes, before the metaphase spindle is established.

The redox state of recombinant human serum albumin and its optimal concentration for mouse embryo culture.

Albumin has multiple physiological functions in embryo culture, such as a chelator of heavy metals, free radical scavenger, pH and osmotic regulator, a stabilizer, growth factor carrier, a surfactant, and a nutrient. However, the commercially available human serum albumin (HSA) products may not be completely safe since they could be contaminated with viruses and prions. Recombinant human serum albumin (rHSA) has been reported to be as efficient as commercial HSA for fertilization and embryo development.

The influence of the redox state of follicular fluid albumin on the viability of aspirated human oocytes.

A number of reports have suggested that the oxidative state of human albumin in serum and in some body fluids is associated with cell damage. However there are no reports on the redox state of human follicular fluid (FF) and its influence on oocyte viability. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the redox state of FF and serum on oocyte viability.

Symmetrical division of mouse oocytes during meiotic maturation can lead to the development of twin embryos that amalgamate to form a chimeric hermaphrodite.

Background: Gentle compression of mouse oocytes during meiosis-1 prevented the usual extrusion of a small polar body and resulted in the symmetrical division of the ooplasm into two cells of similar size within the zona pellucida. The purpose of our study was to determine whether such cells, equivalent to two small oocytes, were capable of embryonic development and would result in birth following transfer to the uterus.

Methods: IVF of the 2-celled oocytes was performed and the twin intra-zonal embryos were observed.

Suspected idiopathic sclerosing orbital inflammation presenting as immunoglobulin G4-related disease: a case report.

Introduction: Idiopathic sclerosing orbital inflammation is a rare and ill-defined heterogeneous entity, and a distinct subset of orbital inflammation. Recently, attention has been focused on immunoglobulin G4-related disease complicated with fibrotic changes in some other organs with high serum immunoglobulin G4 levels. This report presents a case of suspected idiopathic sclerosing orbital inflammation complicated with high serum immunoglobulin G4 levels.

Effective therapy using voglibose for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in a patient with insufficient dietary and exercise therapy: exploring other treatment possibilities.

A 56-year-old Japanese female with a 10-year history of thyroiditis presented to our institution. The laboratory data and clinical findings suggested that the patient had complicated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with autoimmune hepatitis according to the criteria by the application of the International Autoimmune Hepatitis score. The patient could not manage by herself so dietary- and exercise-based treatment was difficult.

SAPHO syndrome with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy for bladder cancer.

The authors describe a case of SAPHO syndrome with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy for bladder cancer. The patient had undergone transurethral resection (TUR) and was treated with BCG immunotherapy following TUR. Two years after treatment for bladder cancer, the patient had palmoplantar pustulosis, and in the past 1 month suffered from pain localised to the anterior chest wall.

A new category for chronic sclerosing sialadenitis as an IgG4 related syndrome.

This report presents three cases of IgG4 related sclerosing disease complicated with chronic sclerosing sialadenitis. The clinical, radiographic and pathologic findings later suggested that the patients had chronic sclerosing sialadenitis. The submandibular gland tumour regressed in two patients.

Association of spindle midzone particles with polo-like kinase 1 during meiosis in mouse and human oocytes.

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) has been reported to localize to the spindle midzone during meiosis in mouse oocytes. However, it has not been reported in human oocytes. In this study, the interaction of the meiotic structures and chromosome segregation in mouse and human oocytes were studied by time-lapse differential interference contrast microscopy.

A case of IgG4-related sclerosing disease complicated by sclerosing cholangitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis and orbital pseudotumour.

We present a case of IgG4-related sclerosing disease complicated by sclerosing cholangitis (SC), idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF) and orbital pseudotumour (OPT). Clinical, radiographic and pathological findings later suggested that the patient had SC complicated by IRF. The patient's SC and IRF were well controlled for the first 10 years of the follow-up period; OPT developed in the tenth year.

Experience of sexual violence among sexually experienced Japanese teenage girls and influencing factors.

The aim of the present study was to identify influencing factors for sexual violence in sexually experienced teenage girls. Eighty sexually experienced teenage girls aged between 14 and 19 attending obstetrics and gynecology clinics in suburban Tokyo were selected as subjects. After completing a simple questionnaire on sexual behavior and lifestyle the subjects were interviewed using a semistructured interview technique.

[Effects of electromagnetic fields on health].

The World Health Organization published a monograph "Environmental Health Criteria-Extremely Low-frequency Electromagnetic Fields" in 2007 as a conclusion of the international project which started in 1996, and issued guidelines and recommendations on the measures to protect people exposed to the electromagnetic fields from high voltage power lines and electric appliances. The International Agency for Research on Cancer labeled the low frequency electromagnetic fields into the category "2B" meaning possibly carcinogenic to humans mainly based on epidemiologic studies worldwide which indicated an increased risk of childhood leukemia without any concrete evidence from animal and cell biology studies. The results of such epidemiologic study carried out in Japan are described here together with summary comments on the Environmental Health Criteria.

Damage of embryo development caused by peroxidized mineral oil and its association with albumin in culture.

Objectives: To examine the effect of free radicals from peroxidized oil and the role of albumin on the passage of radicals.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Clinical IVF laboratory and university department.

A phase of chromosome aggregation during meiosis in human oocytes.

A higher rate of chromosomal abnormality occurs in human oocytes compared with other animal oocytes. In this study, chromosome movement has been successfully observed during first and second meiosis using a time-lapse culture system and a differential interference contrast inverted microscope. In human oocytes, a specific sequence of early maturation changes was observed.

Timed IVM followed by ICSI in a patient with immature ovarian oocytes.

A complete failure of meiotic maturation occasionally occurs following human chorionic gonadotrophin administration during IVF-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. ICSI on day 1 is commonly used to allow maturation in culture. However, if the oocytes become mature in the evening soon after their recovery but ICSI is delayed until the next day, then subsequent ageing of matured oocytes may be unfavourable for fertilization and development.

The relationship between pregnancy outcome and smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters in MII human oocytes.

Background: During ICSI, we occasionally observe pronucleus sized translucent vacuoles. We investigated why these vacuoles occur and determined the effect on pregnancy outcome.

Methods: Translucent vacuole-positive oocytes and the corresponding cohort were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and histochemical staining with DiI and ER-Tracker.

Low-dose flecainide infusion followed by oral pilsicainide is highly effective and safe for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous infusion of low-dose flecainide (50 mg) followed by oral pilsicainide (50 mg t.i.d.

Tubulointerstitial nephritis by Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein or egg white component.

Experimental tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) was induced in Wistar rats and New Zealand white rabbits by direct intrarenal inoculation of Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) or egg white component (egg white A). After five immunizations of THG or egg white A with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), direct intrarenal inoculation of THG or egg white A also induced more severe TIN in the inoculated kidney. By the 7th day, in 1 of the animals with immunizations and then intrarenal inoculation of THG, the inoculated kidney was swollen and appeared necrotic.