Stabilization Mechanism of Roxithromycin Tablets Under Gastric pH Conditions

Macrolide antibiotics are widely used at clinical sites. Clarithromycin (CAM), a 14-membered macrolide antibiotic, was reported to gelate under acidic conditions. Gelation allows oral administration of acid-sensitive CAM without enteric coating by hindering the penetration of gastric fluid into CAM tablets. However, it is unknown whether this phenomenon occurs in other macrolide antibiotics. In this study, we examined the gelation ability of 3 widely used macrolide antibiotics, roxithromycin (RXM), erythromycin A, and azithromycin. The results indicated that not only CAM but also RXM gelated under acidic conditions. Erythromycin A and azithromycin did not gelate under the same conditions. Gelation of RXM delayed the disintegration of the tablet and release of RXM from the tablet. Disintegration and release were also delayed in commercial RXM tablets containing disintegrants. This study showed that 2 of the 4 macrolides gelated, which affects tablet disintegration and dissolution and suggests that this phenomenon might also occur in other macrolides.     

Impressions for complete dentures using new silicone impression materials.

This article describes a convenient technique for making impressions of complete dentures using two newly developed silicone materials. One of these materials, a heavy-bodied silicone material, is used for simultaneous molding of all borders. The material is available in automatic mixing systems, so it can be easily and evenly applied on the tray borders. The material is designed to have a low elasticity after setting so that excess material can be carved or deficient sites corrected with a small mix. The other newly developed material, a light-bodied silicone material, possesses better flow than the usual light-bodied silicones. In addition, since viscosity is controlled and adequate flow is maintained during seating in the mouth, mucosal detail is superior.     

Reinforcement of denture base resin with short-rod glass fiber

The present study investigated the feasibility of a high short-rod fiber content in denture base resins using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) powder with a small particle diameter. The effects of fiber contents on mechanical properties of composite resins were studied. A commercial denture base PMMA powder (AC; average particle size, 150 microm) and an industrial PMMA powder (MB; average particle size, 4 microm) were selected. Short-rod glass fibers were mixed with the two powders at a mass ratio of 0-50%. Flexural strengths and moduli of the mixtures were evaluated by a three-point bending test. The flexural strength of AC composites did not change regardless of fiber content, while that of MB composites increased significantly at fiber contents exceeding 40%. The flexural moduli of AC and MB composites at fiber contents exceeding 20% were significantly greater than those of AC and MB resins without short-rod glass fibers, respectively.     

A study on evaluation methods of masticatory ability for complete denture wearers--correlation between evaluation using a questionnaire and masticatory performance

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between evaluation by a questionnaire on masticatory aspects of 20 foods, and masticatory performance obtained using the sieving method, previously used in many studies. After replacement of upper and lower complete dentures made newly, 28 edentulous patients voluntarily participated in this study. The basal seat area of each patient was scored and divided into two groups, and masticatory ability was evaluated by two methods: using a questionnaire and the sieving method. The following conclusions were drawn from the data: 1. Evaluation of masticatory ability by both methods used in this study were not associated with gender, age, and evaluation of the basal seat area. 2. Evaluation using a questionnaire and masticatory performance showed significant correlation, and Spearman's correlation coefficient was 0.628 (p < 0.001).     

Middle-preserving pancreatectomy with reversed pancreaticogastrostomy: report of a case

Parenchyma-sparing pancreatic resections have been reported increasingly in recent years; however, for multifocal diseases involving the head and the tail of the pancreas, total pancreatectomy is still the preferred procedure. The possible consequence of this procedure is loss of normal pancreatic parenchyma, resulting in insufficiency of pancreatic exocrine and endocrine functions. Various types of limited resection have been introduced for isolated or multiple pancreatic lesions, depending on the location of the tumor. Even for multifocal diseases, if the pancreatic body is spared, a middle-preserving pancreatectomy (MPP) can be performed to assure maximal pancreatic function and uncompromised quality of life. Yet, few papers have introduced the feasibility of MPP for a better outcome. This report describes a new surgical technique for MPP using an alternative approach for the remnant pancreas anastomosis. We used this technique successfully to remove a bifocal neoplasm: adenocarcinoma of the distal bile duct and mucinous cyst adenoma in the tail of the pancreas.     

Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes Suggest that Stony Corals Are Monophyletic but Most Families of Stony Corals Are Not (Order Scleractinia, Class Anthozoa, Phylum Cnidaria)

Modern hard corals (Class Hexacorallia; Order Scleractinia) are widely studied because of their fundamental role in reef building and their superb fossil record extending back to the Triassic. Nevertheless, interpretations of their evolutionary relationships have been in flux for over a decade. Recent analyses undermine the legitimacy of traditional suborders, families and genera, and suggest that a non-skeletal sister clade (Order Corallimorpharia) might be imbedded within the stony corals. However, these studies either sampled a relatively limited array of taxa or assembled trees from heterogeneous data sets. Here we provide a more comprehensive analysis of Scleractinia (127 species, 75 genera, 17 families) and various outgroups, based on two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase I, cytochrome b), with analyses of nuclear genes (ß-tubulin, ribosomal DNA) of a subset of taxa to test unexpected relationships. Eleven of 16 families were found to be polyphyletic. Strikingly, over one third of all families as conventionally defined contain representatives from the highly divergent “robust” and “complex” clades. However, the recent suggestion that corallimorpharians are true corals that have lost their skeletons was not upheld. Relationships were supported not only by mitochondrial and nuclear genes, but also often by morphological characters which had been ignored or never noted previously. The concordance of molecular characters and more carefully examined morphological characters suggests a future of greater taxonomic stability, as well as the potential to trace the evolutionary history of this ecologically important group using fossils.     

Fatal Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in the Felty syndrome: a maltreatment-suspected case

Familial neglect was suspected when an older deceased female was found to have large decubitus ulcers and weight loss. Postmortem examinations including histopathology and bacterial culture revealed systemic Staphylococcus aureus infection as the cause of death. The victim might have exhibited Felty syndrome, which is characterized by complications of splenomegaly and neutropenia in the underlying rheumatoid arthritis. As a result of neutropenia, the affected individual was susceptible to skin ulcer formation and sepsis. The manifestation of pressure ulcers as abuse biomarkers should also be explored from interaction with intrinsic disease factors.