Validity of a newly developed ultraminiature cordless EMG measurement system.

To verify validity of a newly developed ultraminiature EMG measurement system (BMS), the ability of BMS to record masseteric EMG was compared with that of a conventional polygraph system (PG) in the daytime. Effective distance between the transmitter unit and receiver unit of BMS was also examined. Subjects were 12 healthy volunteers. During tapping, maximum clenching, and gum chewing of all subjects, distinct bursts were observed in EMG recorded by BMS as well as PG. RMS values of maximum clenching measured by BMS and PG showed a linear and significant correlation, and there was no significant difference between the data of BMS and PG. When distance between the transmitter unit and receiver unit of BMS was 100 cm or less, no artifact signal was observed. Having obtained these findings suggesting ability for precise measurement in the daytime, we are planning to use BMS in home sleep studies in the next step.     

Chymase participates in chronic dermatitis by inducing eosinophil infiltration

An epicutaneous application of 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to a mouse ear caused a transient skin swelling, and the repetition of the challenge enlarged the contact dermatitis. The repeated challenge with DNFB also induced eosinophil infiltration on the application site. Administration of a chymase inhibitor significantly inhibited the ear swelling as well as eosinophil accumulation. An intradermal injection of human chymase to the mouse ear also elicited transient skin swelling and eosinophil infiltration, both of which were augmented in proportion to the number of injections. Human serum albumin and heat-inactivated chymase failed to induce such skin reactions, suggesting the participation of proteolytic activity of the enzyme. In addition, chymase stimulated eosinophil migration in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Taken together, these observations suggest that mast cell chymase may contribute to development of the DNFB-induced dermatitis, probably by promoting eosinophil infiltration. It is therefore possible that chymase plays a role in pathogenesis of chronic dermatitis such as atopic dermatitis.     

Axillary management based on American college of surgeons oncology group Z0011 criteria makes it possible to omit intraoperative diagnosis of sentinel lymph nodes in early breast cancer patients

The ACOSOG Z0011 trial has resulted in the omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in early breast cancer patients with one or two metastatic sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). There has been increasing interest in the necessity of intraoperative assessment of SLNs in patients treated based on the Z0011 criteria. We evaluated the utility of intraoperative assessment in these eligible patients. A total of 1396 patients were treated following the Z0011 criteria from April 2012 to December 2019. We examined the proportion and clinicopathological features of patients who underwent ALND due to three or more metastatic SLNs and the sensitivity of intraoperative assessment. Only 16 (1.1%) patients had three or more metastatic SLNs diagnosed by intraoperative assessment, and they immediately underwent ALND. Of the clinicopathological factors, high clinical tumor stage (p = 0.002) and high Ki-67 labeling index value (p = 0.056) were more likely to be associated with the presence of three or more metastatic SLNs. The major independent risk factor for three or more metastatic SLNs was high clinical tumor stage (OR 3.94 [95% CI 1.42–11.0]; p = 0.009). Intraoperative assessment had low sensitivity (70.5%) and a high false-negative rate (29.5%) in detecting SLN metastases. The main finding of our study was the small proportion of patients who required ALND due to three or more metastatic SLNs according to the Z0011 criteria. The Z0011 strategy enables intraoperative assessment of SLNs to be omitted in early breast cancer patients.     

Stroma cells: a novel target of herceptin activity.

PURPOSE: Stroma cells play a relevant role in tumor development and progression. We investigated the activity of herceptin (HER), a humanized monoclonal antibody widely used for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing epithelial cancer, toward stroma cell lines L87/4 and L88/5. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We studied the antiproliferative potential of HER and role of human serum in HER activity. We also investigated the ability of HER to alter ancillary functions of L87/4 and L88/5, such as support to long-term hematopoiesis, growth factor production, breast cancer cell adhesion, and proliferation. RESULTS: Flow cytometry showed that HER2 membrane expression in L87/4 and L88/5 stroma cells was intermediate between the expression in HER2-negative/dim MCF-7 breast cancer cells and HER2-bright SK-BC3 breast cancer cells. HER2 gene amplification was not detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization in either stromal cell lines. HER significantly inhibited L87/4 and L88/5 proliferation. Mean ID(50)s were found to be 2000 and 1700 micro g/ml for L87/4 and L88/5, respectively, after 3-day exposure and 800 micro g/ml for both cell lines after 9-day exposure. The presence of 10% human serum in the culture increased HER inhibitory activity. IC(50) of stroma cells was found to be intermediate between HER2-bright breast cancer cells (SK-BC3) and HER2-negative/dim breast cancer cells (MCF-7). The drug did not significantly affect the ability of stroma cells to support long-term hematopoiesis in the cobblestone area forming cell assay. In contrast, in coculture assay, MCF7 cells demonstrated a worse adhesion and growth capability on HER-treated stroma layers when compared with untreated stroma. Moreover, HER significantly reduced vascular endothelial growth factor production by L88/5 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the novel finding that HER may have a relevant activity against stroma cells.     

A case of non-palpating breast cancer with huge lymph node metastasis

We report a case of non-palpating breast cancer with huge lymph node metastasis. The patient was a 58-year-old woman who had a huge tumor at her right armpit. The tumor was 4 cm in diameter. Aspiration biopsy cytology for the tumor was performed. The diagnosis is Class V. Mammography showed an ill-defined mass at her right breast. Ultrasonography revealed a low echoic mass at the C area of her right breast. A core needle biopsy for the breast tumor led to a diagnosis of an invasive ductal carcinoma positive for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, and negative for HER2/neu protein expression. She received 4 cycles of CEF (E: 60 mg/tri-weekly) plus 12 cycles of paclitaxe (l80 mg/weekly). After chemotherapy, she received muscle preserving mastectomy plus axillary lymph nodes dissection. In histopathology, there were no carcinoma cells in resected breast tissue and resected lymph nodes. Therefore, the effect of chemotherapy was diagnosed as a pathological complete response. After operation, she was administered aromatase inhibitor. The patient has been well and remained disease-free during a follow-up period of 6 years.     

Can malocclusion provide clinicians with information for differential diagnosis of temporomandibular joint diseases?: A review

The aim of this literature review was to summarize the clinical characteristics and symptoms of temporomandibular joint diseases, and to discuss the associations between temporomandibular joint diseases and categorization of malocclusion. Electronic literature searches were performed using the PubMed database. The authors established a differential diagnostic method for temporomandibular joint diseases related to malocclusion. A literature search using PubMed yielded 213 texts, of which based on exclusion criteria, 28 were included in this study. Malocclusions were categorized into 5 types. The authors suggested a diagnostic tree of temporomandibular joint diseases based on the types of malocclusion and 4 variables in clinical characteristics and symptoms. Clinicians treating malocclusions must attempt to clarify the cause of the occlusal condition. If caused by temporomandibular joint disease, it is important to make a proper differential diagnosis at first, and not to overlook the causative disease. Further clinical knowledge of associations between temporomandibular joint diseases and malocclusions should be accumulated, and the diagnostic tree should be improved based on new information.     

Effect of level of circular myotomy on oesophageal function in a piglet model

Oesophageal continuity is often difficult to obtain in long-gap oesophageal atresia, and a circular myotomy may be required to achieve oesophageal anastomosis. This study compared the effects of upper and lower segmental circular myotomy on oesophageal stricture formation, oesophageal motility, and the development of gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) in a piglet model. Group I underwent mid-oesophageal resection with upper segment myotomy (14); group II mid-oesophageal resection with lower segment myotomy (8); and group III oesophageal transection and anastomosis without resection (6). Normal motility data were obtained from 8 unmanipulated piglets. The incidence of stricture formation was high in all operated groups. Pseudodiverticula developed in all piglets after proximal myotomy, but not after transection or distal myotomy. Lower oesophageal sphincter pressure and mean amplitude of upper oesophageal contractions were similar after operation in all groups and in controls. GOR (number of reflux episodes/24 h, number of episodes of reflux lasting more than 5 min, and fraction of time pH less than 4.0) was worse after operation compared to controls. Within each group most manometric parameters and GOR worsened with time. We found no evidence that the level of circular myotomy (upper or lower) resulted in any significant difference in stricture rate, oesophageal motility, or severity of GOR. Given the difficulty of performing an upper myotomy in long-gap atresia, where the upper segment is often very short and pseudodiverticulum formation is common, a lower-segment circular myotomy would appear to be a reasonable alternative.     

Genetically Diverse Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1/H5N8) Viruses among Wild Waterfowl and Domestic Poultry,Japan, 2021

Genetic analyses of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 subtype viruses isolated from the Izumi Plain, Japan, revealed cocirculation of 2 genetic groups of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses among migratory waterfowl. Our findings demonstrate that both continuous surveillance and timely information sharing of avian influenza viruses are valuable for rapid risk assessment.     

Tie – an Accessory Fashion Detail or a Symbol?

Aim

The first aim of this study was to establish the frequency of wearing a tie or business neckerchief on different occasions and in relation to age and educational level. The second aim was to establish whether men who frequently wear a tie were attributed certain characteristics more often than men who rarely wear a tie and to establish whether there were differences in the attribution of these characteristics according to sex, age, educational level, and the frequency of wearing a tie.

Method

Data were collected in 2005 by a method of face to face interview on a national representative sample (n = 1007). Participants estimated how often they wore a tie or business neckerchief on 9 different occasions. They also estimated whether each of 14 characteristics was more pronounced in men who frequently wear a tie.

Results

Tie was most frequently worn on festive and formal occasions, such as weddings and festive gatherings, and least frequently on family gatherings and when traveling. On all occasions, tie was more often worn by men of higher educational level and of older and middle age. A relatively small proportion of Croatian citizens based their conclusions on men’s characteristics on the frequency of wearing a tie. Men who frequently wear a tie were relatively most often attributed the characteristics of ambition, politeness, and respectability, with significant differences found between persons who attributed these characteristics according to sex, age, educational level, and the frequency of wearing a tie by the participants themselves.

Conclusion

Wearing a tie or neckerchief is an exception rather than a rule for most of the Croatian population, and is associated only with specific, primarily festive and formal occasions. Such use of the tie suggests that people adapt their style of clothing to the expectations of others and use it as a specific symbol of the occasion.Clothing is a form of non-verbal communication and represents a systematic way of conscious or unconscious information transmission (1). What distinguishes clothing from other forms of non-verbal communication is that it is the first thing we notice when we meet a person for the first time. Clothing can influence our first impression of a person, create stereotypes, and influence our behavior toward that person (2,3). Therefore, we use clothing as a channel of non-verbal communication for self-presentation and impression management (4). Clothing is also important for our self-concept, since it allows us to feel safer, more assertive, more powerful, and more comfortable in a given situation (4,5). Besides that, the clothes we wear are an example of normative social influence (6), ie the influence we conform to in order to be accepted by a desired social group.More systematic investigation on the influence of clothes on interpersonal relations began in the 1970s and by now a large number of studies have confirmed that people form the impressions on other people on the basis of their physical appearance, especially clothes (7). For example, Damhorst (8), in his review, concluded that 94% of the analyzed experimental studies showed an influence of clothes on the impression formation. Research showed that the way a person is dressed influences the conclusions other people make on their traits and characteristics, such as reliability, competence, power/status, or their workplace (9-13). People not only base their conclusions on clothes itself but also on the appropriateness of clothes to the occasion (7). Different roles or social positions and different occupations or work places are often related to different social norms, including the clothing norm (4,14-16). Even when we do not place much importance on social roles, we still use clothing to adapt to the situation because we care about the reactions of others. Also, appropriate clothing facilitates social interaction and helps us feel more comfortable (4,5). People use clothes to demonstrate similarities in values and beliefs with members of their own group, as well as differences from the groups they do not belong to (17-19). The choice of clothes can show our disagreement with certain norms or terminate unwanted social interactions.The greatest part of the research on the influence of clothes on impression formation and management was conducted in business situations and is related to conventional or classic clothing style (14-16,20). These studies have shown that the applicant’s clothing at interview has an influence on whether he or she will get a job, and that classically or conventionally dressed people are more positively evaluated. Classic or conventional clothing includes a suit for both men and women and a tie for men. It has been proven that this style of clothing is associated with competence and authority in both men and women, not only in business situations (15,21-25).According to the available data, 600-700 million people across the world wear a tie every day, and more than two billion Euro is spent on ties every year, which is more than a yearly budget of some smaller states (26). According to Johnson (27), the earliest known version of the tie was found in the mausoleum of the first emperor of China, Shih Huang Ti, who was buried in 210 BC. Tie’s modern history began in the 17th century, when Croatian soldiers fighting in the Thirty Years'' War spread its forerunner, known as the cravat, all over Europe. In his monograph Le grande histoire de la cravate, Francois Chaille confirms and discusses the Croatian origin of the cravat (Figure 1), while the Encyclopćdia Britannica states that the noun “cravat” originated from the words Crabata, Cravata, and Croatian, mentioning the year 1656 as the year of its appearance (26). The French readily accepted the special way of tying a piece of cloth around the neck “a la Croate” and citizens of Paris soon took it to be a symbol of progress (26). During the French revolution, black cravats were worn as a sign of protest against reactionary ideas, and the cravat soon became a symbol of culture and elegance (26). While the French saw the cravat as a decoration and a symbol of progress, for the Croatian it was primarily a symbol of fidelity. According to the popular tradition, wives and girlfriends would give cravats to soldiers as a token of their love, to give them courage and comfort in difficulties and danger. On the other hand, by wearing a cravat, the soldier would show the respect for his beloved. This custom symbolized a man''s loyalty to a woman, as well as established loyalty as a virtue (28). Therefore, through the history, the tie has symbolized loyalty, culture, refinement, style, and elegance; according to Johnson (27) the tie has symbolized social status, occupation/work place, identity, as well as group belonging.Open in a separate windowFigure 1Tie with a traditional Croatian pattern called pleter.In order to examine contemporary symbolical connotations of the tie, we analyzed the frequency of wearing a tie on various occasions among the citizens of Croatia of different age and educational level, as well as the characteristics attributed to men who frequently wear a tie. Since tie is a garment worn usually by men, we analyzed the frequency of wearing a business neckerchief among women.Specific aims of the study were: 1) to establish the frequency of wearing a tie orbusiness neckerchief on different occasions among people of different age and educational levels; 2) to establish whether men who frequently wear a tie were attributed certain characteristics more often than men who wear a tie rarely and to establish whether there were differences in the attribution of these characteristics according to age and educational levels; and 3) to establish whether there are differences between men in the attribution of characteristics to other men who frequently wear a tie with regard to the number of different situations in which men themselves frequently wear a tie.