Lycium Radicis Cortex (LRC), derived from the root bark of Lycium chinense Mill., has traditionally been used in East Asian medicine to mitigate heat in the blood and consumptive fever. This study investigates LRC’s effects on skeletal muscle in aged mice subjected to forced exercise and examines the protective properties of its primary constituents, kukoamines A (KA) and B (KB), against dexamethasone (DEX)-induced muscle atrophy. Sixteen-month-old male C57BL/6 mice underwent regular swimming and received oral LRC supplementation for 8 weeks. The effects of KA and KB on muscle atrophy were further explored using C2C12 myotubes treated with DEX. LRC administration significantly enhanced muscle mass, strength, and endurance, while reducing plasma lactate and creatinine levels compared to the control group. LRC also upregulated mRNA expression of MyoD, myogenin, MHC, Akt, and mTOR, and downregulated myostatin, FoxO3a, MuRF1, and atrogin-1 in gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Furthermore, KA and KB alleviated DEX-induced muscle atrophy in C2C12 myotubes by reducing proteolysis and ROS production, enhancing SOD activity, and improving mitochondrial function. Taken together, LRC may be a useful supplement in exercise-based muscle strengthening and amelioration of muscle disorders, and KA and KB have shown potential as preventive and therapeutic agents for muscle atrophy, indirectly suggesting that the efficacy of LRC is attributed to KA and KB.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease, affecting approximately 0.5% to 2% of the global population. OLP can lead to long-term oral pain, reduced quality of life, with the potential for malignant transformation. Current treatment strategies focus on symptom management and reducing the risk of malignancy. Treatment of OLP is challenging and varies from patient to patient, especially in those who do not respond to corticosteroids. The effectiveness and safety of second-line and third-line treatment options in such cases are continually compared and evaluated, and recently, the application of Janus kinase inhibitors, micro ribonucleic acids, and mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies is being assessed. As a result, the ability of clinicians to select the most appropriate treatment modalities for each patient remains crucial. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of recent treatment modalities and key considerations to assist clinicians in selecting effective and safe treatment strategies for OLP.

The swallowing reflex is modulated by multiple sensory inputs, such as bolus volume, viscosity, and taste. The interactions among different types of sensory information have been extensively studied. However, the influence of oral temperature on bolus volume perception has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of temperature on volume perception sensitivity in healthy individuals. Five volumes (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 mL) of distilled water were estimated at three different temperatures, 4℃ (cold), 21℃ (room temperature), and 45℃ (warm), using a visual analogue scale. There were no significant differences in the sensitivity of oral volume perception across temperatures. These findings suggest that the ability to perceive bolus volume remains stable under temperature variation.

This study investigates whether personality characteristics and learning behaviors can predict medical students’ academic achievement in Korea, specifically in terms of successfully completing medical school without delays or achieving a high grade point average (GPA) in their final year. In May 2018, 316 medical students took the Multi-Dimensional Learning Strategy Test, 2nd edition, which provided data on their personality and learning behavioral characteristics. Their final year’s GPA and any delays in completing medical school were ascertained by reviewing all electronic academic records of each semester they had been enrolled. The combination of personality and learning behavioral characteristics was significantly associated with completing medical school without delays, even after adjusting for sex and admission path. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for completing medical school without delays were 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83–2.78) and 3.64 (95% CI, 1.70–7.82) for “others” and “both high” categories, respectively, when compared with the “both low” category. For 235 students who completed medical school without delays, their learning behavioral characteristics (scores) were significantly associated with their final year’s GPA even after adjusting for sex, admission path, and personality characteristics (scores) as determined by the multiple linear regression analysis. This study suggests that individual personality and learning behavior characteristics are predictors of medical students’ academic achievement. Therefore, interventions such as personalized counseling programs should be provided in consideration of such student characteristics.

Halitosis is defined as a nasty odor emanating through the mouth and is primarily related to the enhanced concentration of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). VSC measurements have been commonly used for experimental comparison and clinical diagnosis. As quantitative methods for comparative analyses of oral malodor, gas chromatography devices have been most commonly used to quickly and easily determine the concentration of several gas components of VSCs, which are agents primarily responsible for halitosis. The concentrations of VSCs fluctuate dynamically depending on contributing factors, including various oral/systemic conditions, intake of medicine and food/drink, oral hygiene, and even routine daily activities. Therefore, the exact analysis of VSCs requires the appropriate standardization of not only exact measurement techniques but also participant conditioning with scientific considerations. Thus, this paper describes the experimental standardizations commonly recommended in previous literature and their scientific background.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess changes in maximal bite force and left-right bite force differences after stabilization splint use in patients with bruxism. Methods: A total of 22 patients with bruxism (11 males, 11 females) participated in this study. Participants were instructed to use a mandibular stabilization splint nightly during sleep. Maximal bite force was measured using Dental Prescale II prior to stabilization splint use, then at one week, two weeks, and monthly intervals up to six months. Results: No significant changes in maximum bite force were observed over the 6-month period following stabilization splint use. A significant reduction in maximal bite force was observed between the baseline measurement and one week after stabilization splint use (p<0.001). A subsequent increase was observed between one and two weeks (p=0.002), while no significant changes were found in the later time points up to six months. Throughout the observation period, differences in maximal bite force between the left and right sides were also not significant. The left-right bite force difference also decreases temporarily but returned to baseline levels in subsequent measurements. No significant differences in bite force changes were observed based on age or sex. Conclusions The use of stabilization splint in patients with bruxism initially reduced maximal bite force, with forces gradually returning to baseline over time. Additionally, the temporary reduction in left-right bite force difference suggests an adaptive response to stabilization splint use.

Purpose: Previous studies have reported that presarcopenia negatively affects rectal cancer treatment. However, most studies have analyzed patients including majority of open surgery, and the association between presarcopenia and clinical outcomes after laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of presarcopenia on the clinical and oncological outcomes after laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery. Methods: Three hundred and one patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery between December 2009 and May 2016 were enrolled. Body composition was assessed using computed tomography by measuring the muscle and fat areas at the third lumbar (L3) vertebra. The L3 skeletal muscle area was used to calculate the skeletal muscle index and evaluate presarcopenia. Results: Presarcopenia was more common in older ( ≥ 70 years, P = 0.008) or female patients (P = 0.045). Patients with presarcopenia had decreased skeletal muscle area (P < 0.001), lower hemoglobin level (P = 0.034), longer time to first flatus (P < 0.001), and more frequent surgical site infection (P = 0.001). However, survival rates were not significantly different between those with and without presarcopenia. Conclusion Computed tomography-assessed presarcopenia was associated with delayed functional recovery and increased surgical site infection, although it was not revealed as a prognostic factor for oncological outcomes.

Background: AML is a heterogeneous disease, and despite intensive therapy, recurrence is still high in AML patients who achieve the criterion for cytomorphologic remission (residual tumor burden [measurable residual disease, MRD]<5%). This study aimed to develop a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel to detect MRD in AML patients and validate its performance. Methods: We designed an error-corrected, targeted MRD-NGS panel without using physical molecular barcodes, including 24 genes. Fifty-four bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from 23 AML patients were sequenced using the panel. The panel design was validated using reference material, and accuracy was assessed using droplet digital PCR. Results: Dilution tests showed excellent linearity and a strong correlation between expected and observed clonal frequencies (R>0.99). The test reproducibly detected MRD in three dilution series samples, with a sensitivity of 0.25% for single-nucleotide variants. More than half of samples from patients with morphologic remission after one month of chemotherapy had detectable mutations. NGS-MRD positivity for samples collected after one month of chemotherapy tended to be associated with poor overall survival and progression-free survival. Conclusions Our highly sensitive and accurate NGS-MRD panel can be readily used to monitor most AML patients in clinical practice, including patients without gene rearrangement. In addition, this NGS-MRD panel may allow the detection of newly emerging clones during clinical relapse, leading to more reliable prognoses of AML.

Background and Objectives: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with lateral neck lymph node metastasis is known as a major risk factor for tumor recurrence after surgical treatment. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for loco-regional recurrence in patients with PTC with lateral neck lymph node metastasis, which has a high risk of recurrence.Subjects and Method This study involved 319 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy, central lymph node (LN) and lateral LN dissection due to PTC. The patients’ demographics and pathological factors, including lymph node metastasis were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate, multivariate and C-index with variable selection analyses were performed to identify factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: A mean follow-up of 101 months, 35 (10.9%) patients had a loco-regional recurrence. In multivariate analysis according to loco-regional recurrence, patients with a primary tumor of more than 4 cm, multifocality, vascular invasion, and bilateral lateral cervical metastasis were associated with worse RFS. In the variable selection analysis, lateral lymph node metastasis ratio was also statistically significant. Conclusion PTC with lateral neck lymph node metastasis included tumors larger than 4 cm. Multifocality, vascular invasion, high lateral lymph node metastasis ratio and bilateral neck lymph node metastasis are predictive factors of loco-regional recurrence, and these risk factors should be carefully followed-up after surgery.

Dental sleep medicine is an up-and-coming discipline of dentistry, more specifically an offshoot of oral medicine. It traditionally focuses on sleep-related breathing disorders, such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. However, everyday practice shows that also other sleep disorders touch on dentistry, including orofacial pain, xerostomia, and bruxism. Therefore, a new definition has been formulated for dental sleep medicine as following; ‘Dental sleep medicine is the discipline concerned with the study of the oral and maxillofacial causes and consequences of sleep-related problems’. It is this article’s aim to further introduce the emerging discipline of dental sleep medicine to all professionals working in sleep medicine. This article briefly describes the different dental sleep disorders with special focus on the more remarkable associations between orofacial pain and sleep.