Sonographic size of newborn testis

Purpose : It is essential to determine normative data of testicular size and penile length in newborn infants in order to assess the development during the fetal period. In this study, we evaluated testicular volumes using ultrasonography and also measured penile lengths in Japanese newborn infants. We also examined the associations of the development of these organs with factors including placental weight and anthropometric data. Methods : One hundred and fifteen full-term male newborn infants were recruited for this study. Testicular size was measured by ultrasonography. Results : Mean testicular volumes were 187.4 mm3 in the right testis and 185.4 mm3 in the left testis, and there was no significant difference between the right and left testicular volumes. Right and left testicular volumes showed positive and significant correlations with body lengths and weights. Testicular volumes in the right and left sides were not significantly associated with penile lengths. In 4 groups according to gestational weeks, testicular volume increased significantly with advance of gestational weeks in the left testis. Conclusion : We determined testicular volumes using ultrasonography in Japanese newborn infants. We believe that the results for newborn infants provide important information for assessment of the development of fetal testicular volume

Change in tongue pressure and the related factors after esophagectomy: a short-term, longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia is a prominent symptom after esophagectomy and may cause aspiration pneumonia. Swallowing evaluation after esophagectomy can predict and help control the incidence of postoperative pneumonia. The aim of this study was to clarify whether the change in tongue pressure was associated with any related factor and postoperative dysphagia/pneumonia in patients with esophageal cancer after esophagectomy. METHODS: Fifty-nine inpatients (41 males and 18 females; 33-77 years old) who underwent esophagectomy participated in this study. Measurement of tongue pressure and the repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) was performed before esophagectomy (baseline) and at 2 weeks postoperatively. The general data were collected from patients' medical records, including sex, age, type of cancer, cancer stage, location of cancer, operative approach, history of previous chemotherapy, surgical duration, amount of bleeding during surgery, incidences of postoperative complications, intubation period, period between surgery and initiation of oral alimentation, and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, blood chemical analysis, and lifestyle. RESULTS: Tongue pressure decreased significantly after esophagectomy (p = 0.011). The decrease of tongue pressure was significantly associated with length of ICU stay and preoperative tongue pressure on multiple regression analysis (p  CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in tongue pressure was significantly associated with the length of ICU stay, preoperative tongue pressure, and the incidence of dysphagia and pneumonia among inpatient after esophagectomy

Association of dental occlusal support with the Prognostic Nutritional Index in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy

Background The Prognostic Nutritional Index is useful for predicting surgical risk and overall survival based on preoperative immunological and nutritional status in patients undergoing digestive organ cancer surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the Prognostic Nutritional Index and dental status in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy. Methods This retrospective case–control study included 73 patients who underwent resection of esophageal cancer (69 males, 4 females; age 36–83). General and dental status were evaluated. The Prognostic Nutritional Index was calculated based on the serum albumin concentration and the total lymphocyte count, and subjects were divided into two groups based on index scores: a higher group, characterized by scores ≥ 45 (n = 54); and a lower group, characterized by scores Results Total protein, C-reactive protein, the number of sound and total decayed, missing and filled teeth, and the rate of patients with poor dental occlusal support showed significant differences between the lower and higher Prognostic Nutritional Index groups (p  Conclusion Dental status, especially dental occlusal support and the number of sound teeth, showed a positive relationship with the Prognostic Nutritional Index in esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy

コロナ禍における医学教育への取り組み

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed medical student clinical practice and limited hospital clinical practice. In order to make student training more meaningful, we have introduced medical education using a laparoscopic simulator. We conducted a student questionnaire on the usefulness of this training and evaluated the degree of understanding. For students who were able to practice at the hospital, they practiced using a laparoscopic simulator（Lap Mentor™）. A questionnaire survey was conducted on the presence or absence of interest in surgery. Student understanding of laparoscopic surgery improved 100％. 91％ understood the surgical procedure, 91％ improved technique and 97％ understood pelvic anatomy. In the training at Lap Mentor™, medical students were able to experience surgery while viewing images of the inside of the pelvis, which served as a means to increase their interest in surgery and obstetrics and gynecology

Androgen’s effects in female

The metabolic effects of androgens and their underlying mechanisms in females have been revealed by recent studies. An excess of androgens can have adverse effects on feeding behavior and metabolic functions and induce metabolic disorders / diseases, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, in women and experimental animals of reproductive age. Interestingly, these effects of androgens are not observed in ovariectomized animals, indicating that their effects might be dependent on the estrogen milieu. Central and peripheral mechanisms, such as alterations in the activity of hypothalamic factors, reductions in energy expenditure, skeletal muscle insulin resistance, and β-cell dysfunction, might be related to these androgens’ effects

幼小連携のカリキュラムについての一考察 : 小学1年生の「体育」「音楽」の授業観察を通して

本研究では、入学まもない小学1年生の「体育」「音楽」の授業観察や担任による子どもの行動への気づきを通して、子どもたちの「とまどい」や「つまずき」はどのようなものがあるのかを明らかにし、学びの芽生えの軸における一貫したカリキュラムについて検討するものである。 授業観察の結果や、担任による子どもの行動への気づきから、様々な子どもの「とまどい」や「つまずき」があることが明らかになったが、教師はすでに適切な取り組みをしていた。しかしながら、それらの子どもたちの「つまずき」は 1学期が終わっても、そのまま継続しているものもあるため、子どもにとって高すぎる「段差」であるのか、それとも、時間が経てば乗り越えられるのかどうかは明らかではない。 今後も授業観察を通して、子どもたちがその「段差」を乗り越えていけるのかどうか、さらには、幼児期の体育・音楽などの楽しい遊びが小学校の教科における知的好奇心として学習に組み替えられるにはどのような課題があるのかについて検討していきたいと考えている。The purpose of this study is to investigate what puzzlement or stumbling the 1st graders of elementary school would feel. Then, we will discuss the consistent curriculum focusing on the encouragement of children\u27s learning. From the results of class observations and the class teachers\u27 notice on their 1st graders\u27 behaviors, it was revealed that the children felt various puzzlement or stumbling, although the teachers had already taken proper actions for it. However, since some of the children\u27s problems (or "barriers") continue after the 1st term, it remained uncertain whether the problems were too hard for the children to overcome or solvable with the passage of time. In the future, we will continue to explore if the children will be able to overcome the problems by observing their classes in the next term

Familiarity perception call elicited under restricted sensory cues in peer-social interactions of the domestic chick.

Social cognitive mechanisms are central to understanding developmental abnormalities, such as autistic spectrum disorder. Peer relations besides parent-infant or pair-bonding interactions are pivotal social relationships that are especially well developed in humans. Cognition of familiarity forms the basis of peer socialization. Domestic chick (Gallus gallus) studies have contributed to our understanding of the developmental process in sensory-motor cognition but many processes remain unknown. In this report, we used chicks, as they are precocial birds, and we could therefore focus on peer interaction without having to consider parenting. The subject chick behavior towards familiar and unfamiliar reference peers was video-recorded, where the subject and the reference were separated by either an opaque or transparent wall. Spectrogram and behavior correlation analyses based on principal component analysis, revealed that chicks elicited an intermediate contact call and a morphologically different distress call, more frequently towards familiar versus unfamiliar chicks in acoustic only conditions. When both visual and acoustic cues were present, subject chicks exhibited approaching and floor pecking behavior, while eliciting joyful (pleasant) calls, irrespective of whether reference peers were familiar or unfamiliar. Our result showed that chicks recognized familiarity using acoustic cues and expressed cognition through modified distress calls. These finding suggests that peer affiliation may be established by acoustic recognition, independent of visual face recognition, and that eventually, both forms of recognition are integrated, with modulation of acoustic recognition

Difficulty in diagnosis of black pigmentation in the peritoneal cavity : A case report

The occurrence of black pigmentation in the peritoneal cavity is rare, and its rapid clinical diagnosis may be difficult. Here, we report a case with pigmented peritoneal deposits diagnosed via a histopathological examination at postoperative period. A 74-year-old woman was diagnosed with stage 2 pelvic organ prolapse on the POP-Q system, and planned to undergo a laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy. She had an obstetric history of two uncomplicated vaginal births, and a medical history of colon cancer. During the surgery, variously sized, irregularly shaped and partially swollen black pigments were observed mainly in the small pelvic cavity. Because malignant melanoma dissemination was suspected by macroscopic findings, sampling tissues were submitted to the rapid histopathological examination with frozen sections. However, the histopathological examination could not rule out malignancy because of the presence of cell nests similar to melanocytes with large nucleoli. Thereafter, to prevent the spread of the suspected cancer cells, the surgical procedure was switched to a vaginal approach. No malignant lesions were observed in a whole-body examination performed after the operation. Additionally, immunohistochemistry showed no evidence of malignancy or atypia in black pigmented tissues. When we checked the colon cancer operation records and pictures at 5 years ago, it was revealed that the black pigments were markings painted during this surgery. The present case serves as a reminder for differential diagnosis of black pigments in the abdominal cavity

Pregnancy in a transgender man

Many transgender men receive testosterone therapy to achieve virilization. The therapy is often mistaken for having a contraceptive effect because it causes amenorrhea. However, some treated patients become pregnant, which is not well known. A 25-year-old transgender man who had received testosterone for 3 years had an unplanned pregnancy during discontinuation of treatment. He was unaware of his pregnancy, resumed testosterone, and continued treatment until pregnancy was confirmed. His female child was exposed to androgens during the fetal period; thus, careful, long-term observation was required. He developed insomnia and depression during the postpartum, and giving birth made it difficult for him to change his family register to male. Transgender men can become pregnant through sexual intercourse with biological men, even during hormone replacement therapy, so correct contraception is necessary to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Transgender sex education is important to increase awareness of this issue among individuals and medical professionals