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Patients with rheumatic disease have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to investigate temporal changes in metabolic syndrome indices and to identify factors influencing metabolic syndrome development. A prospective cohort study design was adopted. The study participants were 68 outpatients with a rheumatic disease at an outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Data on demographics, health-related characteristics, steroid use, serum C-reactive protein levels, and metabolic syndrome indices were collected between December 2017 and March 2021. Temporal changes in body mass indices, serum triglyceride, and cholesterol levels were significant. Body mass indices, diastolic blood pressure, serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and fasting blood glucose levels at time of diagnosis were found to influence metabolic syndrome development. Temporal changes in serum triglyceride, cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose levels were significantly influenced by inflammatory status. The findings demonstrate the importance of controlling inflammatory activities in the context of inhibiting the progression of metabolic syndrome and rheumatic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathology reports of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) biopsies often contain comments of positive or negative margins, with only 1%-2% of the margin evaluated. The negative predictive value (NPV) of biopsy margin status on residual BCC is unknown.Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the NPV of BCC biopsy margin status on the absence of residual BCC in the corresponding excision.Methods: From our institution's archives, we collected BCC biopsies with negative margin readings that had subsequent excisions. For excisions read as negative for residual BCC, the excision blocks were sectioned at 150-μm intervals until exhausted.Results: We collected 143 cases that met criteria; 34 (24%) were found to contain residual BCC in the corresponding excision leading to a NPV of 76%; in 31 of 34 (91%) of these cases, the residual histologic subtype was superficial.Limitations: Our sectioning technique did not evaluate 100% of the excision specimens.Conclusion: Negative margins in a BCC biopsy are a poor predictor of residual disease in the patient. We recommend that clinicians treat these lesions, and that pathologists who comment on margin status of BCC biopsies consider adding a caveat to reflect these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world is now diverse and globalized, the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with speakers of different language and cultural backgrounds has increased. The foreign language education has also placed increased emphasis on learning languages through social activities (e.g., Satō and Kumagai, 2011). The Gaikokugo gakushū no meyasu1 "Foreign Language Education Guidelines" by Tohsaku, Nakano, et al. was published in 2012, and provides new guidelines for language teaching. In this paper, we explore a new way to implement the teaching styles recommended by the Meyasu guidelines into a curriculum, and examine the effectiveness by measuring students' ability to connect with people outside of the classroom through recurrent interactive communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Steam popping frequently occurs during conventional high-power radiofrequency (RF) ablation, increasing the risk of tumor spread. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a low-power RF ablation protocol on the intensity and timing of steam popping in ex vivo bovine liver.Materials and Methods: High-power (maximum 200 W; group 1) and low-power (maximum 70 W; group 2) RF ablation protocols were established. In the first phase, RF ablation was conducted for 12 min. Ablation volume, intensity, and timing of maximal popping sounds and total energy generated for RF ablation were compared between groups 1 and 2. In the second phase, RF ablation was conducted until maximal popping occurred, and ablation zones on histologic specimens were compared.Results: Relative to group 1, maximal popping occurred at significantly delayed timing in group 2 (50 s ± 11 vs 397 s ± 117; P < .001), but without a difference in intensity (ratios vs reference sound of 0.70 ± 0.18 vs 0.83 ± 0.26; P = .138). The ablation volume after 12 min of RF ablation did not differ between groups 1 and 2 (18.46 cm(3) ± 1.35 vs 15.78 cm(3) ± 0.64; P = .086). However, in the histologic specimens obtained when maximal popping occurred, the area of complete coagulative necrosis was significantly larger in group 2 (P < .05).Conclusions: Low-power RF ablation delays steam popping while providing comparable therapeutic effects to high-power RF ablation. Delaying maximal popping may prevent tumor cell dispersion because maximal popping occurs after an adequate ablation zone has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: : This study was conducted to develop a web-based gout self-management program that can be applicable to each gout stage and to evaluate the validity of the developed program. METHODS: : A web-based gout self-management program was developed and evaluated in 5 stages: analysis (needs assessment on 60 gout patients and content analysis through a systematic review of literature and websites), design, development, implementation, and evaluation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: : The gout-related information section was structured with overview, causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, progress, treatments, and complications. The self-management section consisted of diet/nutrition, weight control, alcohol management, exercise, and pain and stress management. The program included bulletin board and expert section to promote bidirectional interactions between program users and providers. Self-assessment tool of gout stages and self-management checklist were provided. Program contents and ease of site navigation (http://goutin.kr) were found to be appropriate and satisfactory to both patient and expert groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]