Effects of a liquid diet on the temporomandibular joint of growing rats

The aim of the present study was to clarify the effects of a liquid diet on the temporomandibular joint [TMJ] in growing rats. Materials and Twenty-four male Wistar rats were weaned at 21 days and divided into control and experimental groups [12 in each group]. Control rats were fed a solid diet and experimental rats were fed a liquid diet from 1 to 8 weeks. After injection with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine [BrdU], the animals were perfused and the heads were removed. Serial coronal sections of the TMJ were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, or BrdU immunohistochemistry was done [12 rats in each group]. Three dimensions and the thicknesses of the cartilage layers of the TMJ were measured, and cell proliferation in the TMJ was examined. After 4 weeks, the height and width of the mandibular fossa and the width and length of the mandibular condyle were smaller in the experimental groups than in the control groups. The cartilage layer in these areas was also thinner at 4 weeks. The BrdU levels in the intermediate zone of the mandibular fossa [at 4 weeks] and the mandibular condyle [at 1 and 4 weeks] were lower in the experimental groups than in the controls. These findings suggest that the growth of the mandibular fossa and mandibular condyle of rats was inhibited by the low proliferative activity of intermediate zone cells induced by liquid feeding

Cooperation Between Hospital Pharmacy Department and Insurance Pharmacy in Outpatient Chemotherapy / 日本農村医学会雑誌

  Recently, the diversification of chemotherapy has brought about an increase in the number of outpatients who receive prescription drugs at insurance pharmacies after the intravenous infusion of anticancer agents at hospitals. The problem is that insurance pharmacies do not have ample knowledge of treatment plans and disease stages, and the presence or absence of cancer notification. Moreover, medication regimens, including washout, periods, have become so complicated that patient compliance rates have shown a tendency to decline gradually.<br>  Such being the circumstances, we have come to think that it would be better to enter into partnership with the dispensary of Senboku Kumiai General Hospital for sharing information in order to give the patients more beneficial medication instructions.<br>  For a start, we met with the hospital pharmacists, exchanged necessary information and ideas, got acquainted with chemotherapy regimens, and shared the tools of medication teaching. Through the participation in the guidance given by hospital pharmacists to outpatients who began to receive chemotherapy, and lectures on chemotherapy and medication by physicians and hospital pharmacists of the general hospital, we have become able to offer more appropriate counsel to the outpatients. Furthermore, we created a channel between the dispensary and Senboku Chozai Pharmacy for feedback and for asking questions about not only the conditions of the patients but also the presence or absence of cancer notification.<br>  We believe that our efforts have contributed toward increasing the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy.

Statistics on Putpatients with Senile Psychiatric Disorders (1960-74) With Special Reference to a Study on the Prevalence Rate and the Initial Diagnosis Findings / 日本農村医学会雑誌

With respect to statistics on out patients with senile psychiatric disorders, a few reports have thus far been made available by university hospitals in major urban areas but none from any rural general hospitals. This study is an attempt to grasp the real status of senile psychiatric disorders as observed in outpatient clinics.<BR>1) There have been signs for a yearly rise in the prevalence rate of senile psychiatric diseases, and there is the possibility of diagnosing new patients at a rate of one to six aged people (60 years of age and over).<BR>2) Of all the patients, 45% came directly to our hospital, whereas 55% either were referrals from other clinics or came to the hospital after their consultation with other clinics. Of the latter group, 55% were referred by other departments of the hospital, 38% by outside physicians in our district, and 7% by local administrative offices. This finding appears to suggest that the incidence of hypertension and other somatic complications is high among aged people and also that phsychiatric disorders may sometimes manifest due to somatic disorders.<BR>3) A check of the prevalence by month reveals that the prevalence is highest in March, high from spring to summer, lowest in autumn and low in winter. In this respect, there exists a difference between the organic diseases and the functional diseases. In the former group, the prevalence is concentrated in spring and summer, whereas in the latter, the prevalence remains high from spring to early summer, low in summer and transiently becomes high in early autumn.<BR>4) By sex, the prevalence rate is 52% for males and 48% for females. By age, the prevalence decreases with age and takes a sharp downturn after the age of 75.<BR>By type of disease, senile organic diseases (Group A) account for 54.4%, functional diseases (Group B) 40.0%, and other organic diseases (Group C) 14.5%. Group A increases with age among males, whereas it is concentratedly high among males of 75 years of age and over. Group C is significantly greater among males.<BR>5) A check of the trend of each disease group in the past 15 years indicates that there have been signs for a rise for each group but the rises are significant particularly for Groups B and C. In the latter half period, the percentage of Group B is greater than that of Group A. Against this background, there seems to be a rise in the incidence of psychiatric diseases among rural females.<BR>6) The hospitalization rate stood at 17.5%. By sex, the rate was 20% for males and 15% for females. By type of disease, the ratio stood at 21% for Group C, 17% for Group A and 16% for Group B.<BR>By place of residence, differences between the towns and the villages (27% for the towns and 9% for the villages) were observed in Group A of females, suggesting that many females in the towns are placed in the circumstances where difficult problems tend to crop up with respect to their matrimony or their sharing the same house with other members of their families. As regards clinical symptoms, it was found that there are many patients with severe auxiliary symptoms, such as delirium, hallucination and paranoid symptoms, in addition to advanced dementia.