Salivary Effects of Facial Vibrotactile Stimulation in Patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome and Poor Salivation

We examined the effect of vibrotactile apparatus in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome and others with reduced salivation in comparison to normal subjects. The most effective salivation in normal subjects was produced by 89 Hz vibrotactile stimulation with 9.8 μm amplitude on the parotid or submandibular glands vibrotactile stimuli. First, we examined by measuring the weight of dental cotton rolls positioned at the opening of the secretory duct for total salivation 3 min during resting, and then after 5-min intervals, the weights were measured every 3 min of vibrotactile stimulation on salivary glands. Furthermore, we measured facial temperature around vibrators after 2 min of vibration. We investigated 10 poor salivation patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (8 patients) defined by examinations (contrast study or scintigraphic test) and others (2 patients). About 50% of patients with poor salivation gained recognition for good results, although they had periods of short-term (3 months) and long-term effects (6–7 years) during recuperation. Furthermore, facial skin temperatures on both sides of parotid glands were decreased in Sjogren’s syndrome after vibration, although their temperatures were increased following recovery. Although the mechanism is not clear, we think that vibrotactile stimulation gives activation to salivary glands under the rising facial temperature

Safety of uterine fundal pressure maneuver during second stage of labor in a tertiary perinatal medical center: A retrospective observational study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the conformity of the indications and implementation status of uterine fundal pressure maneuver (UPFM) and to examine its safety according to the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) guidelines. Materials and methods: We selected all the patients (n = 265) who were treated with UFPM between January 2015 and March 2017. We first evaluated the conformity of the indications and implementation status of UFPM concerning the guidelines for obstetrical practice in Japan, 2017. Second, we retrospectively examined maternal and fetal adverse events (AEs) to determine the safety of UFPM. Results: In total, 265 patients underwent UFPM; of all the UFPM-assisted deliveries, 189 patients (72%) were evaluated for conformity. Of these 189 patients, 181 (95.7%) were confirmed to be compliant. Laceration of the birth canal was the most frequently occurring maternal AE, followed by cervical laceration. No cases of uterine rupture, severe AEs leading to an extended hospital stay, and maternal deaths were observed. Although fetal AEs requiring admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were recorded for 33 patients (12.5%), all newborns developed normally without sequela. Conclusion: The findings of this study may support the validity of the 2017 guidelines. Because it is difficult to find evidence of the safety of use of UFPM, it is essential to accumulate experiences and results learned in clinical practice to build a consensus in the future using the current 2017 guidelines as a standard as done in the current study. Keywords: Kristeller maneuver, Maternal outcome, Neonatal outcome, The second stage of labor, Uterine fundal pressur

Bulletin of Wind Disasters in Kyushu due to Typhoon SHANSHAN(0613)

Typhoon Shanshan(0613) hit Nagasaki Prefecture of Kyushu on September 17, 2006. Residential houses, public facilities, agricultural facilities and so on suffered severe damage. Typhoon Shanshan moved on the almost same paths of Typhoon Songda(0418) and Typhoon Mireille(9119) that caused serious damage to agricultural-products such as apples in Tohoku district. The authors report the outlines of the wind information and the structural damage in Kyushu area based on NeWMeK data, and the roof damage of a community center is focused. The slate-covered roofs of Iiduka Municipal Cultural Center, called Cosmoscommon, were blown, and the wind debris hit the adjoining Iiduka City Library. It is important not to produce wind debris causing secondary disasters. In Japan, we often use public facilities as local headquarters or as tentative evacuation shelters in an emergency, such as a natural disaster, and so it is necessary to improve the performance of the roofs of the public facilities to handle strong wind load

2006年台風13号による九州での風災害について(速報)

Typhoon Shanshan(0613) hit Nagasaki Prefecture of Kyushu on September 17, 2006. Residential houses, public facilities, agricultural facilities and so on suffered severe damage. Typhoon Shanshan moved on the almost same paths of Typhoon Songda(0418) and Typhoon Mireille(9119) that caused serious damage to agricultural-products such as apples in Tohoku district. The authors report the outlines of the wind information and the structural damage in Kyushu area based on NeWMeK data, and the roof damage of a community center is focused. The slate-covered roofs of Iiduka Municipal Cultural Center, called Cosmoscommon, were blown, and the wind debris hit the adjoining Iiduka City Library. It is important not to produce wind debris causing secondary disasters. In Japan, we often use public facilities as local headquarters or as tentative evacuation shelters in an emergency, such as a natural disaster, and so it is necessary to improve the performance of the roofs of the public facilities to handle strong wind load