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Enarodustat (JTZ-951) is a hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor that has been approved and marketed in Japan for patients with anemia with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The pharmacometric approach was applied to assess the relationship between plasma concentrations of enarodustat and hemoglobin (Hb) levels, and to provide information regarding the optimal use of enarodustat in clinical practice by simulations based on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model that was developed. The PK/PD data of enarodusat obtained from phase 2 and phase 3 studies in Japanese patients with CKD were well described by the models: a 1-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination for PK, and a semimechanistic model based on transit compartment model for PD. Although several factors were identified as statistically significant covariates on the PK/PD of enarodustat, model-based simulations showed that none of them had clinically relevant impacts on the treatment effect (ie, Hb levels) of enarodustat. Hence, enarodustat treatment provides the stable Hb control with the initial dose (hemodialysis-dependent CKD: 4 mg/day, non-dialysis-dependent CKD: 2 mg/day) and maintenance dose (1-8 mg/day) to the patients with varied demographic characteristics.

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and the body’s primary barrier to external pathogens; however, the early epidermal immune response remains to be mechanistically understood. We show that the chemokine CXCL14, produced by epidermal keratinocytes, exhibits robust circadian fluctuations and initiates innate immunity. Clearance of the skin pathogen Staphylococcus aureus in nocturnal mice was associated with CXCL14 expression, which was high during subjective daytime and low at night. In contrast, in marmosets, a diurnal primate, circadian CXCL14 expression was reversed. Rhythmically expressed CXCL14 binds to S. aureus DNA and induces inflammatory cytokine production by activating Toll-like receptor (TLR)9-dependent innate pathways in dendritic cells and macrophages underneath the epidermis. CXCL14 also promoted phagocytosis by macrophages in a TLR9-independent manner. These data indicate that circadian production of the epidermal chemokine CXCL14 rhythmically suppresses skin bacterial proliferation in mammals by activating the innate immune system., 体内時計は夜間に自然免疫を発動 --皮膚ケモカインによる自然免疫機構--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-06-16., Biological clocks set for skin immunity. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-06-21.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the cardiovascular function and prevalence of valvular diseases in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Methods: Twenty-eight OI children (mean age: 9.9±6.0 years) underwent echocardiography. Heart function, heart dimensions, and valvular complications were assessed calculating standard deviation (SD) scores referring to body surface area, and compared retrospectively in clinical types according to Sillence’s classification and with height SD scores. Results: Of the 28 OI children, 17 (61%) were complicated with valvular diseases. The mean height SD scores was lower in more severe clinical types (pConclusions: Valvular dysfunction is a frequent complication of OI patients, even in childhood. Aortic root enlargement and hypertrophic IVS appeared to be negatively impacted by the disease. Thus, careful echocardiographic follow-up during childhood, especially for patients with severe short stature, should be performed.

A 72-year-old Japanese female patient presented with an asymptomatic, white-colored, smooth-surfaced, firm papule 3 mm in diameter involving the mucosa on the posterior part of the right maxilla. An excisional biopsy specimen was diagnosed as an oral focal submucous elastofibromatous lesion. A review of the literature revealed very few documented cases of oral mucosal lesions characterized by accumulation of degenerated elastic fibers. Various oral lesions have histopathological features similar to those observed in cutaneous diseases, and the present case was a focal submucous elastofibromatous lesion in the alveolar mucosa.

HighlightsA small, automatically guided electric robot boat was developed to control the growth of aquatic plants in lakes.The robot boat was able to mow without becoming entangled with aquatic plants due to the paddle propulsion mechanism.The average speed was 0.41 m s-1, and the lateral deviation from the set path was 9.4 cm.The growth restraint effect was confirmed using aerial images collected by a drone.Abstract. At present, aquatic plants are becoming a problem in various lakes. Aquatic weeds that grow to high densities cause decreases in the oxygen concentration in the water, accumulation of sludge, and adverse effects on water use facilities and fisheries. Although there are large machines for cutting and harvesting aquatic plants, their use is limited due to their high cost, large size, and heavy weight. On the other hand, manual cutting is very labor intensive and inefficient. Therefore, in this research, we developed a labor-saving and low-cost robot boat to mow aquatic plants. This robot boat is automatically controlled by a real-time kinematic global navigational satellite system (RTK-GNSS) and is characterized by its small size, light weight, excellent portability, and low energy consumption. In addition, a paddle mechanism that replaces a conventional propeller was introduced as a propulsion mechanism to prevent entanglement of water plants and enable long-term automatic navigation. Mowing lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) in Lake Izunuma, Miyagi prefecture, Japan, confirmed that mowing could be properly conducted with a lateral deviation of 9.4 cm, average speed of 0.41 m s-1, and average power consumption of 518 W even when lotus was at its densest growth. If the cutting width of the robot boat was 1.2 m and the sidelap width was 0.3 m, the theoretical field work rate would be 0.133 ha h-1. Images captured by a drone confirmed that cutting with the robot boat was effective in suppressing the growth of lotus. It was found that the effect of suppressing growth was maximized by mowing at the time when the stopping leaves appeared in the late growth stage of lotus. Keywords: Autonomous navigation, Lotus, Moving baseline, Robot operation system, RTK-GNSS, Virtual private network.

Knowledge of the development and maintenance processes of double warm cores in tropical cyclones is important for full understanding of the dynamics of storm intensity changes. During its mature stage, Typhoon Lan (2017) had a clear double warm-core structure, which was observed by dropsondes. In this study, to investigate the intensification and maintenance of the double warm-core structure, a numerical simulation of the storm is performed with a cloud-resolving model and verified by dropsonde and satellite observations. A potential temperature budget and backward trajectories are diagnosed to examine intensification and maintenance processes in the simulated eye. The budget analysis indicates that, during the most rapidly intensifying stage, a double warm core is enhanced by axisymmetric subsidence warming in the eye. In the mature stage, upper-core warming is mostly canceled by ventilation due to vertical wind shear, but the lower core continues to warm by asymmetric advection, possibly associated with dynamical instability in the eyewall. The results raise a topic of interest: it is difficult to fully explain the axisymmetric subsidence warming process during the most rapidly intensifying stage by the dynamical response in an axisymmetric balanced vortex. The back-trajectory analysis indicates that the air mass associated with the subsidence is partly induced by inward acceleration in subgradient regions (unbalanced processes) in the eyewall.

Sc-doped AlN with the wurtzite structure has excellent performance as a piezoelectric material. The phase stability of the (Al, Sc)N wurtzite phase is very important in designing highly functional piezoelectric materials. In this work, we assessed the thermodynamic parameters of the Al–Sc–N ternary system by incorporating the results of first-principles calculations into the calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) method. The calculated Sc–N binary and Al–Sc–N ternary phase diagrams were consistent with the reported experimental results, where the (Al, Sc)N wurtzite phase exhibited phase separation. Because Sc-doped AlN is normally deposited on a substrate, we also evaluated the stability of the (Al, Sc)N wurtzite phase by considering the strain energy generated between the substrate and the thin film. It was found that the tendency to phase separation can be suppressed by decreasing the thickness of the thin film, which is qualitatively consistent with experimental reports.

Objectives This study aimed to clarify the importance of dental support for eating problems of infants, young children and disabled children, based on a questionnaire survey administered to dentists and guardians. Materials and methods The respondents consisted of 1001 dentists, pediatric dentistry administrators randomly selected by each prefectural or municipal dental association, and 1031 guardians of preschoolers who attended kindergartens or children's day-care centers. Answers were received from 712 dentists and 844 guardians. We compared answers to question No. 16 for dentists and questions No. 23 & 26 for guardians. Furthermore, we compared free comments to question No. 16 for dentists and answers to No. 27 for guardians. Question No. 27 for dentists and question No. 21 for guardians similarly asked about children's eating problems, and we thus next compared the tendencies noted in answers to these questions. In addition, a componential analysis was conducted for free text answers to question No. 31 for dentists and question No. 34 for guardians to qualitatively examine “free comments to children's eating problems”. Free comments were statistically analyzed using a text-mining approach in IBM SPSS Text Analytics for Surveys. Results The results revealed that guardians had more concerns about the following issues (relative to dentists): “vegetables” (23-fold) and “picky eating/fad eating/biased eating” (eight-fold). Issues of more concern to dentists (relative to guardians) were “mastication/chewing” (two-fold) and “dental caries/decay” (1.3-fold). Conclusions This study suggested that guardian's anxieties regarding children's eating problems have variable background factors.

Many algorithms to detect copy number variations (CNVs) using exome sequencing (ES) data have been reported and evaluated on their sensitivity and specificity, reproducibility, and precision. However, operational optimization of such algorithms for a better performance has not been fully addressed. ES of 1199 samples including 763 patients with different disease profiles was performed. ES data were analyzed to detect CNVs by both the eXome Hidden Markov Model (XHMM) and modified Nord's method. To efficiently detect rare CNVs, we aimed to decrease sequencing biases by analyzing, at the same time, the data of all unrelated samples sequenced in the same flow cell as a batch, and to eliminate sex effects of X-linked CNVs by analyzing female and male sequences separately. We also applied several filtering steps for more efficient CNV selection. The average number of CNVs detected in one sample was

To investigate the prevalence and background of children with medical complexity (CMC) and its secular trend in Japan.CMC were defined as patients under the age of 20 years requiring medical care and devices. The patients were enrolled using the national health insurance claims data of three hospitals and two rehabilitation centers in Tottori Prefecture. The study period was divided into three periods: Period 1, 2007-2010; Period 2, 2011-2014; and Period 3, 2015-2018.A total of 378 CMC were enrolled. The prevalence of CMC was 1.88 per 1000 population among subjects aged20 years in 2018, and it increased by approximately 1.9 times during the study period. The number of CMC who presented with severe motor and intellectual disabilities did not change from Period 1 to Period 3. Meanwhile, the number of CMC who had relatively preserved motor and intellectual abilities increased from 58 to 98. The proportion of CMC who required respiratory management and oxygen therapy increased by 1.3 and 1.8 times, respectively. By contrast, the proportion of CMC who need tube feeding decreased significantly between periods 1 and 3 (P 0.05).The prevalence of CMC increased almost twice during the 12-year study period; however, the increase in the number of patients with relatively preserved motor and intellectual abilities was pronounced. This study showed that the need for medical care and devices differed based on the underlying disorders and severity of CMC; therefore, individualized medical, welfare, and administrative services and education about the various types of CMC must be provided.

We report a rare case of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the buccal mucosa with multiple distant metastases developing 6 months after resection. Because of its rarity and the multitude of organs involved by metastases, the treatment strategy was challenging and could not be standardized. A 61-year-old woman was referred to our institution in November 2016 for the diagnosis and treatment of a left buccal lesion. Biopsy revealed SCC. On the basis of the clinical diagnosis of buccal mucosal cancer (cT3N2bM0), intraoral tumor resection with neck dissection was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. However, 6 months later, regional recurrence in the left nasopharyngeal mucosa occurred. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed abnormal accumulations of fluorodeoxyglucose in the left lung, hilar lymph nodes, liver, adrenal glands, retroperitoneal lymph nodes, left clavicle, left scapula, ribs, thoracolumbar spine, sacrum, ilia, and femurs. Biopsy of the left ilium revealed SCC. These findings were compatible with multiple distant metastases from the oral SCC. To suppress the growth of distant metastases, platinum-fluorouracil chemotherapy plus cetuximab were administered, with responses in the nasopharynx and soft tissues only. Nivolumab was added to suppress the bone metastases; however, 7 days after administration, the patient died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Evaluation of the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers including E-cadherin in the invasion front of oral SCC revealed normal results.

Herein, an enhanced electroluminescence (EL) performance of solution-processed silicon quantum dot light-emitting diodes (Si-QLEDs) is demonstrated. We prepared colloidal inks of silicon quantum do...

Etelcalcetide (Parsabiv®, AMG 416/ONO-5163) is a novel allosteric modulator for the calcium-sensing receptor approved for hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism of uremia. Etelcalcetide reduced parathyroid hormone levels in hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism of uremia in clinical studies. However, its direct effect on parathyroid hormone secretion in human parathyroid cells remains unknown. This study aimed to determine if etelcalcetide suppresses parathyroid hormone secretion by human parathyroid cells in vitro. We prepared primary cell cultures from human parathyroid tissue and determined calcium-sensing receptor expression levels by immunohistochemistry. Pathyroid tumors were removed from fourteen patients with primary hyperparathyrodism. Parathyroid tissue was dispersed with collagenase, resuspended in culture medium, incubated for 2 h with etelcalcetide and Ca2+, and the medium was then collected. Final etelcalcetide concentrations in the medium were 0.005–50 µmol/L. Levels of human parathyroid hormone in the medium were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In eight of the fourteen parathyroid cell cultures, extracellular Ca2+ reduced parathyroid hormone levels. In four of the eight parathyroid cell cultures which responded extracellular Ca2+, etelcalcetide reduced hormone secretion with the 50% effective concentrations of 0.57, 20.8, 0.42, and 0.57 µmol/L. Expression levels of the calcium-sensing receptor were significantly lower in primary hyperparathyroidism patient-derived parathyroid tissues compared with controls. This is the first report that etelcalcetide directly reduced parathyroid hormone secretion from the primary cultured human parathyroid cells from patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. To verify this conclusion, further studies are needed using secondary hyperparathyroidism patient-derived parathyroid cells.

Objectives Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a skeletal dysplasia characterized by recurrent fractures due to congenital bone fragility. The only bisphosphonate approved for OI in Japan is pamidronate (PAM). To investigate whether monthly intravenous alendronate (ALN) infusions can maintain bone strength in OI children following cyclical PAM treatment. Methods A prospective and non-inferiority study was conducted. Eight school-age OI patients aged 8.5±2.0 years who were treated with cyclical PAM for 6.0±2.3 years were enrolled and switched to monthly intravenous ALN (0.030 mg/kg/month). Changes in L1-4 bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores, fracture rates, and bone turnover markers for 12 months were analyzed. Results Average BMD Z-scores were −3.0±1.9, −2.9±2.0, and −2.2±2.0 in 12 months before enrollment, at enrollment, and after 12 months of ALN treatment, respectively. BMD Z-scores increased significantly during treatment with both PAM and ALN (p=0.012), and the effect of ALN was not inferior to that of PAM (p=0.67). There was no change in fracture rates (p=0.86) and bone turnover markers during the 12 months before and after enrollment. Additionally, ALN showed no remarkable side effects. Conclusions Our results suggest that monthly intravenous ALN can maintain bone strength after primary usage of cyclical PAM. We concluded that monthly intravenous ALN as a maintenance treatment following cyclical PAM administration can be an option for OI children.

Objective Some cases of peripheral facial paralysis are resistant to treatment, thus, a non-recovery model of facial paralysis is needed to develop new treatment strategies for this condition. The purpose of the current study was to develop an animal model of which facial palsy was severe and prolonged. Methods Ten 8-week-old female Hartley guinea pigs weighing between 400 and 500 g were used for the animal model. The vertical segment of the facial canal was accessed via the otic bulla, without removing the bony wall of the facial canal. The canal was then frozen for 5 s using freeze spray. Facial movements, electroneurography (ENoG), histology, and changes in temperature were evaluated. Results All animals exhibited complete facial paralysis immediately after the procedure and recovered gradually, however, not all of them had recovered completely 15 weeks after freezing. The ENoG values one week after freezing for all animals (10/10) were 0%. Histological examination one week after freezing revealed that most of the vertically placed myelinated nerve fibers which had been frozen were remarkably affected and denatured. The number of vertically placed myelinated nerve fibers increased 15 weeks after freezing, but the nerve fibers were smaller than normal nerve fibers and were distorted in shape. Conclusion Complete facial paralysis was induced in Hartley guinea pigs by freezing the facial canal. The behavioral, ENoG, and histopathological data suggest that the facial paralysis was severe and prolonged. This model may assist in developing novel treatment for severe facial palsy and facilitate basic research on facial nerve regeneration.

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome is a rare genetic disease, characterised by severe intellectual disability, distinctive dysmorphic features, epilepsy and distinctive breathing abnormalities during wakefulness. Here, we describe the case of a 22-year-old woman with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome who presented with intractable generalised tonic seizures from the age of 11 years, which increased in frequency with age and onset of menstruation despite usage of some anticonvulsant drugs. From the age of 16 years, polysomnography and video-EEG led to the detection of frequent epileptic apnoea during sleep. Although the frequency of generalised tonic seizure clusters was reduced by treatment with phenobarbital and potassium bromide, epileptic apnoea persisted. Furthermore, frequent epileptic apnoea observed in our patient was regarded as a factor for aspiration and deterioration of respiratory function. This study indicates that patients with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome require close monitoring for epileptic apnoea. Moreover, long-term EEG and respiratory monitoring are necessary to distinguish epileptic apnoea from other respiratory disorders in patients with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.

The mass of residual tumors has previously been estimated using time-series records of the position of surgical instruments acquired from neurosurgical navigation systems (navigation log). This method has been shown to be useful for rapid evaluation of residual tumors during resection. However, quantitative analysis of the method’s reliability has not been sufficiently reported. The effect of poor log coverage is dominant in previous studies, in that it did not highlight other disturbance factors, such as intraoperative brain shift. We analyzed 25 patients with a high log-acquisition rate that was calculated by dividing the log-available time by the instrument-use time. We estimated the region of resection using the trajectory of surgical instrument that was extracted from the navigation log. We then calculated the residual tumor region and measured its volume as log-estimation residual tumor volume (RTV). We evaluated the correlation between the log-estimation RTV and the RTV in the post-resection magnetic resonance (MR) image. We also evaluated the accuracy of detecting the residual tumor mass using the estimated residual tumor region. The log-estimation RTV and the RTV in the post-resection MR image were significantly correlated (correlation coefficient = 0.960; P

Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) is used in various clinical settings. The introduction of CAS has improved accuracy and safety by reducing the duration of surgery. An 86-year-old man was referred to our hospital for treatment of a mandibular fracture. Considering his advanced age, it was desirable that the surgery duration should be as short as possible. Virtual surgical planning was performed with computer software based on the preoperative computed tomography (CT) data. Mandibular segments were reconstructed as an ideal configuration of the patient’s mandible. Finally, a 3-dimensional (3-D) life-size model of the patient’s mandible was constructed with a 3-D printer based on the simulation data using a rapid prototyping method. A titanium reconstruction plate was bent to adapt to the simulated mandibular model preoperatively. During surgery, the prepared plate was fitted to the mandible with minor adaptations. The surgery was completed uneventfully. CAS was effective in forming the ideal configuration of the mandible with reduced operating time and less blood loss. Therefore, this method is useful for the treatment of fractures of the atrophic mandible.

We quantified influences of Confucianism on gender inequality in present-day Vietnam. We used the number (or density) of the most successful test takers in the Vietnamese imperial examinations (1075–1919) in a given district as a proxy for mastering the subject of Confucianism. Using an instrumental variable approach, we considered possible impacts on sex ratio and educational attainment of women relative to men, based on test score and population census data. We found that Confucianism has a long lasting impact on gender inequality. The results also suggested that women tended to try harder, perhaps as a countermeasure against discrimination.

This study investigated how the legacies of Vietnamese elites continue to affect top-ranked politicians in Vietnam. We therefore compared a list of elites who passed the imperial examination (1075–1919) at the national level with a list of currently active Vietnamese topranked politicians (1930–2020) by matching their home districts. We used the average distance from each district to imperial test venues as instrumental variables for estimating possible connections at the district level. Results showed strong and persistent imperial legacies based on these home districts. This suggests the existence of persistent transmissions via informal institutions and channels of home favoritism.

We investigated the impact of individuals who passed the Vietnamese imperial examinations (1075–1919) on the present-day quantity and quality of education in their home districts. We layered the 2009 Population and Housing Census and the 2009 National Entrance Exams to University (NEEU) test scores on the geographical distribution of imperial test takers' home districts. We constructed a novel instrumental variable representing the average distance between the examinees' home districts and the corresponding imperial examination venues.We found a persistent legacy in the average years of schooling, literacy rate, school attendance rate, NEEU test scores, and primary school dropout rate.

Epidemiological information regarding the relationship between hypertension, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetes and hearing impairment (HI) has been controversial. The present cross-sectional study investigated this issue in Japan. The subjects were 371 men and 639 women aged 36‒84 years. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or current use of antihypertensive medication. Dyslipidemia was defined as a serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration ≥140 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration40 mg/dL, triglyceride concentration ≥150 mg/dL, or current use of cholesterol-lowering medication. Diabetes was defined as a fasting plasma glucose level ≥126 mg/dL, hemoglobin A1c level ≥6.5%, or current use of diabetic medication. HI was defined as present when subjects did not respond to a pure-tone average of25 dB HL in the better hearing ear. Adjustments were made for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, household income, and education. The prevalence of HI was 31.5% in men and 20.8% in women. In men, hypertension, but not dyslipidemia or diabetes, was independently positively associated with HI: the adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) was 1.52 (95% CI: 1.07‒2.16). Having at least two cardiovascular risk factors among hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes was independently positively related to HI: the adjusted PR was 1.82 (95% CI: 1.11‒2.99, P for trend = 0.02). Such positive associations were not found in women. Hypertension and having at least two cardiovascular risk factors may be positively associated with HI in men only.

Based on the “winner-loser” scheme, we examine the possible impacts of enterprise zones (EZs) on local Vietnamese households between 2002 and 2008, using differences-indifferences approach and a panel-event study. We layer four waves of household surveys using a census of EZs in 2007, based on the same commune identity for our household and individual analyses. Within five years of EZ establishment, we find they are associated with higher household incomes, an increase in private property prices, and an increase in working hours.However, we do not find a significant impact on household living expenditure or school attendance/working probabilities among members aged between 7 and 17 years. Neither do we find a significant impact on health outcomes.

Aims/Introduction Sulfonylurea‐related hypoglycemia increases the risk of cardiovascular sequela, such as cardiac arrhythmia. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and the duration of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients treated with sulfonylureas. Materials and Methods Glucose levels in the enrolled patients (n = 300) were investigated with a professional continuous glucose monitoring device in the outpatient setting at six diabetes centers in Japan. Results A total of 269 participants completed the study. The duration of hypoglycemia with glucose values of 10% of the time in daily life (6.8 ± 5.6 min/h). The duration of hypoglycemia with glucose values of, The mean 24‐h glucose profiles over 24 h according to glycated hemoglobin level. The nadir of glucose levels was apparent between 03.00 and 05.00 hours irrespective of glycated hemoglobin level.

We examine whether the probability of having a boy aged below 5 years in households and communes is associated with religious individuals in Vietnam using data from the 1999 Population and Housing Census (on 76 million people) and 2007 Establishment Census (on religious establishments). Our results show low probability of having a boy aged below 5 years among religious households. Moreover, using Vietnam’s 1955–1974 North-South division that resulted in different religious developments, we apply a commune-level instrumental-variable approach. From this analysis, we find a higher serious follower ratio associated with a lower boy ratio within communes and certain non-believer communities.

This study aimed to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of conventional visual inspection (CVI), endoscopic white light imaging (WLI), and narrow-band imaging (NBI) and to examine the diagnostic accuracy of intraepithelial papillary capillary loops (IPCL) for the detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This cross-sectional study included 60 participants with oral mucosal diseases suspected of having oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) or OSCC. The patients underwent CVI, WLI, NBI, and incisional biopsy. Images were evaluated to assess the lesion size, color, texture, and IPCL. Oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral leukoplakia lesions were observed in larger areas with NBI than with WLI; 75.0% were associated with low-grade (Type 0–II) IPCL. Various types of oral leukoplakia were seen; however, all OSCC cases showed high-grade (Type III–IV) IPCL. The diagnostic accuracy of high-grade IPCL for OSCC showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 100%, 80.9%, 59.1%, 100%, and 85.0%, respectively. A non-homogeneous lesion with high-grade IPCL strongly suggested malignancy. Overall, our results indicate that WLI and NBI are powerful tools for detecting precancerous and cancerous lesions using IPCL. However, NBI is influenced by mucosal thickness; therefore, image interpretation is important for accurate diagnosis.

Background Subcutaneous emphysema is an uncommon incident in dental treatments. This study was designed to investigate the subcutaneous emphysema cases occurred in dental treatments. Methods Eleven patients were diagnosed as a subcutaneous emphysema in our hospital from 2011 to 2021. These patients were evaluated for age, sex, medical history, origin tooth, dental procedure, cause, range, healing period, duration of antibiotic, and complication. And it was analyzed statistically whether the age, range, or dental procedure had influences for healing period. Results The average age was 48.0 ± 20.0 years. The incidence of subcutaneous emphysema was not related to age but was more common in females. Of the 11 patients, 4 had subcutaneous emphysema that had spread to the chest. It seemed that surgical procedure using an air turbine, or a handpiece is at greatest risk of subcutaneous emphysema. The average healing period, and duration of antibiotics was 8.18 ± 1.78 days, and 10.09 ± 4.30 days, respectively. The statistical results showed a significant difference in the healing period between presence and absence of some medical history. Conclusions This study suggests that subcutaneous emphysema is more frequent in surgical procedures using an air turbine or a handpiece, and that the presence or absence of some diseases affects the healing period.

Female sex workers (FSWs) are at considerable risk of developing mental disorders due to the potential for violence associated with their work. However, few studies have comprehensively investigated the types of violence and their impact on the mental health of FSWs. Using data collected from 403 FSWs in Yangon, Myanmar, we investigated how various types of violence perpetrated by clients, employers, and partners affect the severity of mental disorders (anxiety and depression) among FSWs. Our results indicate that economic violence perpetrated by clients and threats of violence from partners induce severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, sexual and economic violence perpetrated by employers results in severe symptoms of anxiety.

Pseudogout is a disease characterized by calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition. Involvement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is rare. We herein report a case of tophaceous pseudogout of the TMJ with cranial extension. An 83-year-old woman was referred to our institution for treatment of right TMJ pain. The patient’s medical and family histories were unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass of about 35 mm in diameter compressing the bottom of the right temporal lobe of the brain. Based on a clinical diagnosis of a right TMJ tumour, biopsy was performed under general anaesthesia. The histopathological diagnosis was pseudogout. Considering the risk of surgically induced brain damage, the patient’s advanced age and her relatively good quality of life, the treatment plan simply involved the observation of the lesion. Fourteen months after biopsy, the patient’s activities of daily living remained unchanged and she had no TMJ pain.

Despite recent advances in treatment, the prognosis of oral cancer remains poor, and prevention of recurrence and metastasis is critical. Olaparib is a PARP1 inhibitor that blocks polyADP-ribosylation, which is involved in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) characteristic of tumor recurrence. We explored the potential of olaparib in inhibiting cancer invasion in oral carcinoma using three oral cancer cell lines, HSC-2, Ca9-22, and SAS. Olaparib treatment markedly reduced their proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion. Furthermore, qRT-PCR revealed that olaparib inhibited the mRNA expression of markers associated with tumorigenesis and EMT, notably Ki67, Vimentin, β-catenin, MMP2, MMP9, p53, and integrin α2 and β1, while E-Cadherin was upregulated. In vivo analysis of tumor xenografts generated by injection of HSC-2 cells into the masseter muscles of mice demonstrated significant inhibition of tumorigenesis and bone invasion by olaparib compared with the control. This was associated with reduced expression of proteins involved in osteoclastogenesis, RANK and RANKL. Moreover, SNAIL and PARP1 were downregulated, while E-cadherin was increased, indicating the effect of olaparib on proteins associated with EMT in this model. Taken together, these findings confirm the effects of olaparib on EMT and bone invasion in oral carcinoma and suggest a new therapeutic strategy for this disease.

An 81-year-old woman presented with bleeding from a soft elastic bulge on the right buccal mucosa. Her medical history included hypertension, chronic renal failure, hysterectomy and a goiter operation. Certain investigations, such as blood tests, which confirmed the minimum hemoglobin level of 5.3 g/dl, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were conducted. MRI revealed features confirming the presence of a tumor involving the right buccal mucosa with high signal in T2-enhanced image. Considering the provisional diagnosis and image findings, the tumor mass was excised and histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen confirmed the diagnosis of a canalicular adenoma. Under the diagnosis of various clinical departments, the anemic state of the patient might be chiefly attributed to the bleeding from the tumor. Herein, we report a rare case of a canalicular adenoma in the right buccal mucosa with anemia due to bleeding from the tumor.

Ferroelectricity in thin films of HfO2 has been the subject of extensive studies in materials science as well as device applications. The emergence of ferroelectricity is attributable to the orthorhombic phase ( Pca21) of HfO2, stabilized in the films by metal-element doping, strains from substrates and electrode films, and oxygen deficiency. Recently, ferroelectricity has been reported in nanolaminates of HfO2 with other oxides such as ZrO2 and Al2O3, implying that nanolaminates are another effective way to bring about ferroelectricity in HfO2. However, the mechanism of orthorhombic phase stabilization in nanolaminates is not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrated that ferroelectricity emerges in nanolaminates consisting of undoped HfO2 and perovskite SrHfO3 deposited on Sn-doped In2O3 bottom electrodes, when the thickness of HfO2 layers was ≥6 nm. For nanolaminates in which the thickness of the HfO2 layers was ≤5 nm, ferroelectricity was remarkably suppressed due to Sr-incorporation into the HfO2 layers at the interface. In those nanolaminates, the crystal orientations of HfO2 grains were well aligned throughout the HfO2 layers, indicating that the HfO2 layers grew in a pseudo-coherent manner. This study aids to understand the stabilization of the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase in nanolaminates in terms of their structural properties.