Microtensile Bond Strength of Self-Adhesive Luting Cements to Ceramics

The purpose of this paper was to compare the bond strengths of the self-adhesive luting cements between ceramics and resin cores and examine their relation to the cement thickness. Three self-adhesive luting cements (Smartcem, Maxcem, and G-CEM) and a resin cement (Panavia F 2.0) for control were used in the paper. The thickness of the cements was controlled in approximately 25, 50, 100, or 200 μm. Each 10 specimens were made according to the manufacturers' instructions and stored in water at 37°C. After 24 hours, microtensile bond strength (μTBS) was measured. There were significant differences in cements. Three self-adhesive cements showed significantly lower μTBSs than control that required both etching and priming before cementation (Tukey, P < 0.05). The cement thickness of 50 or 100 μm tended to induce the highest μTBSs for each self-adhesive luting cements though no difference was found

Regulation of gonadotropin secretion and puberty onset by neuromedin U

AbstractNeuromedin U (NMU), an anorexigenic peptide, was originally isolated from porcine spinal cord in 1985. As NMU is abundant in the anterior pituitary gland, we investigated the effects of NMU on gonadotropin secretion. Both NMU and its receptors, NMUR1 and NMUR2, were expressed in the pituitary gland. NMU suppressed LH and FSH releases from rat anterior pituitary cells. Moreover, NMU-deficient mice exhibit an early onset of vaginal opening. The LHβ/FSHβ ratio, which is an index of puberty onset, is high in young NMU-deficient mice. These results indicate that NMU suppresses gonadotropin secretion and regulates the onset of puberty

Incidentally Found Primary Cerebral Malignant Melanoma Associated with Ota Nevus—Wide Dissemination after an Initial Phase of Slow Growth

Primary cerebral malignant melanoma accounts for 1% of all melanomas and for 0.7% of all primary tumours of the central nervous system (CNS). We report an incidentally found primary malignant melanoma in the right temporal lobe of a 76-year-old woman with an Ota nevus on her right eyelid and sclera. The lesion was initially characterised by slow growth, followed by tumoural bleeding and wide leptomeningeal dissemination. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during brain checkup demonstrated an 8-mm mass in the right uncus with high intensity on T1-weighted images. The mass grew slowly over the next two years, but asymptomatic tumoural haemorrhage eventually developed. The patient underwent tumour removal via right frontotemporal craniotomy. Extensive subarachnoid dissemination from the right temporal tumour was found; the pathologic diagnosis was malignant melanoma. Despite adjuvant therapy comprising whole-brain radiation and nivolumab, the patient died of severe leptomeningeal dissemination at 4.5 months after the operation (33 months after the initial MRI study). Our literature review found 46 cases of primary CNS malignant melanoma, predominantly in middle-aged to elderly individuals. The most frequent symptom was headache, followed by visual disturbance, nausea/vomiting, and hemiparesis. Only one other case of primary cerebral malignant melanoma had been found incidentally; 11 previously reported patients manifested congenital nevi (Ota nevus, n = 5; other nevi, n = 6). Six patients suffered tumoural haemorrhage, 4 experienced leptomeningeal dissemination, and 5 developed extracranial metastases. The median survival time of the patients was 31 months

ハンカイ シンケイ ドウテイ ニ NIMシステム オ モチイタ Zenkerケイシツ ノ 1レイ

　Zenker憩室はKillian’s間隙に発生した憩室であり，全消化管憩室の0.1%の頻度と稀である．今回われわれは，術中神経モニタリングシステムであるNIMシステム(NERVE INTEGRITY MONITORING SYSTEM；以下，NIMと略記)をZenker憩室の手術で使用し，反回神経を容易に同定することが可能であったので報告する．　症例は67歳，女性．数年前から咽頭部の違和感を自覚し，２カ月前から増悪したため当院外来を受診した．精査の結果，症状を認めるZenker憩室と診断し，手術を施行した．NIMを使用して反回神経の走行を確認しつつ憩室を同定した．憩室を切除後，二層縫合(Albert-Lembert吻合)して閉鎖した．術中内視鏡検査を施行し，食道に狭窄や漏れがないことを確認した．輪状咽頭筋切開を追加し，甲状腺を縫合部の前面で固定して縫合部を補強した．ドレーンを留置して手術を終了した．術後経過は良好で手術から14日目に退院とし，退院後１ヶ月の時点で症状は改善していることを確認した．　Zenker憩室の手術で反回神経損傷は回避すべき合併症のひとつである．甲状腺手術で使用するNIMはZenker憩室の手術においても反回神経の同定に使用することで，神経損傷のリスクを下げる可能性がある．　Zenker’s diverticulum is a diverticulum that develops in the Killian’s gap. The frequency of its occurrence is 0.1% of all digestive tract diverticulum. The present study reports that the NIM system can be useful during Zenker’s diverticulum surgery for easily identifying recurrent laryngeal nerve.　The present case is of a 67-year-old woman. She was aware of discomfort in her pharyngeal region for several years. She had been aggrieved for the past 2 months, and therefore was admitted to our hospital’s outpatient clinic. Following examination, we diagnosed Zenker’s diverticulum and performed surgery. We identified recurrent laryngeal nerve using NIM. We dissected the diverticulum and sutured in layers and closed. Intraoperative endoscopy was performed to confirm that there was no stenosis or leakage in the esophagus. We performed ring pharyngeal muscle incision. We fixed the thyroid gland in front of the suture to reinforce it. There was no untoward event postoperatively, and the patient was discharged from the hospital on day 14 after the surgery. We confirmed that the symptom had improved at 1 month after discharge.　NIM used in thyroid surgery is also useful in identifying the recurrent laryngeal nerve during Zenker’s diverticula surgery and may help reduce the risk of nerve damage