Experiences of romantic relationships and desires to marry and have children among youth in a low-fertility society.

Introduction: This study aims to explore experiences of romantic relationships and to examine determinants of desires to marry and have children in the future among Japanese university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students of A University, located in the capital city of a Japanese prefecture, using an anonymous self-administered and structured questionnaire developed by an online survey software. Results: A total of 815 respondents with complete data were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Over 80% of males and females expressed the desire to marry and have children in the future. It was found that for both female and male respondents, the "desire to marry" was associated with currently being in a romantic relationship or having experience of sexual intercourse. On the contrary, the "desire to have children" was associated with currently being in a romantic relationship or having experience of sexual intercourse only among male respondents, and no significant association was observed among female respondents. Conclusion: "Currently being in a romantic relationship" and "having experience of sexual intercourse" were associated with wanting to marry and have children in the future among male university students. This suggests that these may be important factors in providing a positive perception regarding having children when they attain childbearing age

Knowledge, experience, and potential risks of dating violence among Japanese university students: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Domestic Violence Prevention Act came into effect in Japan in 2001, but covers only marriage partner violence and post-divorce partner violence, and does not recognize intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study was performed to determine the experience of harassment, both toward and from an intimate partner, and recognition of harassment as IPV among Japanese university students.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A self-administered questionnaire survey regarding the experience of harassment involving an intimate partner was conducted as a cross-sectional study among freshman students in a prefectural capital city in Japan.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 274 students participated in the present study. About half of the subjects (both male and female students) had experience of at least one episode of harassment toward or had been the recipient of harassment from an intimate partner. However, the study participants did not recognize verbal harassment, controlling activities of an intimate partner, and unprotected sexual intercourse as violence. Experience of attending a lecture/seminar about domestic violence and dating violence did not contribute to appropriate help-seeking behavior.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>An educational program regarding harassment and violence prevention and appropriate help-seeking behavior should be provided in early adolescence to avoid IPV among youth.</p

Evaluation of Behavior and Expression of Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Ligand in Dorsal Root Ganglia after Sciatic Nerve Compression and Application of Nucleus Pulposus in Rats

Study DesignExperimental animal study.PurposeTo evaluate pain-related behavior and changes in nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), receptor activator of NF-kB (RANK), and ligand (RANKL) in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after combined sciatic nerve compression and nucleus pulposus (NP) application in rats.Overview of LiteratureThe pathological mechanisms underlying pain from lumbar-disc herniation have not been fully elucidated. RANKL are transcriptional regulators of inflammatory cytokines. Our aim was to evaluate pain-related behavior and RANKL expression in DRG after sciatic-nerve compression and application of NP in rats.MethodsMechanical hyperalgesia and RANKL expression were assessed in three groups of rats: NP+sciatic nerve compression (2 seconds), sham-operated, and controls (n=20 each). Mechanical hyperalgesia was measured every other day for 3 weeks using von Frey filaments. RANKL expression in L5 DRGs was examined at five and ten days after surgery using immunohistochemistry.ResultsMechanical hyperalgesia was observed over the 12-day observation period in the NP+nerve compression group, but not in the control and sham-operated animal groups (p<0.05). RANKL immunoreactivity was seen in the nuclei of L5 DRG neurons, and its expression was significantly upregulated in NP+nerve compression rats compared with control and sham-operated rats (p<0.01).ConclusionsThe exposure of sciatic nerves to mechanical compression and NP produces pain-related behavior and up-regulation of RANKL in DRG neurons. RANKL may play an important role in mediating pain after sciatic nerve injury with exposure to NP

Pre-operative virtual planning followed by fabrication of patient-specific guiding instruments for mandibular deformity after fibula free flap reconstruction

Corrective osteotomy for secondary mandibular reconstruction is complex, and it is extremely difficult to achieve desirable three-dimensional positioning. The authors present a case for repositioning the mandibular segments of mandibular deformity after fibula free flap reconstruction using computer-assisted surgical simulation and patient-specific guiding instruments. A 69-year-old man developed severe mandibular deviation after segmental mandibulectomy and reconstruction with fibula free flap for basal cell carcinoma of the mental region. A virtual osteotomy was performed between the mandible and fibula on a 3D virtual model using simulation software. The proximal mandibular segments were placed in the ideal position using a 3D virtual model. The original contour of the mandible before the primary resection was used as a reference for repositioning. Patient-specific guiding instruments were fabricated for the pre-osteotomy and intraoperative positioning of the osteotomized mandible, enabling bone fragments to be repositioned and fixed using the pre-operative plan. Post-operative CT showed that the mandibular segments were precisely repositioned. In this case, virtual planning and patient-specific guiding instruments were useful in corrective surgery for mandibular deformity after fibula free flap reconstruction