Since the late 20th century, advances in pancreatic islet transplantation have targeted improved glycemic control and fewer hypoglycemic events in patients with type 1 diabetes, and some important milestones have been reached. Following the Edmonton group's success in achieving insulin independence in all transplanted patients with type 1 diabetes, clinical islet transplantation is now performed worldwide. β cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes was established based on the favorable outcomes of a phase 3, prospective, open-label, single-arm, clinical study conducted at 8 centers in North America, in which 42 of 48 patients who underwent islet transplantation from 2008 to 2011 achieved HbA1c < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) at day 365, which was maintained at 2 years in 34 patients. In Japan, a phase 2 multicenter clinical trial of islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes patients is currently ongoing and will end soon, but the interim results have already led to positive changes, with allogeneic islet transplantation being covered by the national health insurance system since April 2020. Current efforts are being made to solve the problem of donor shortage by studying alternative donor sources, such as porcine islets and pancreatic progenitor cells derived from pluripotent stem cells. The results of clinical trials in this area are eagerly awaited. It is hoped that they will contribute to establishing alternative sources for insulin-producing β cells in the near future.

Insomnia is a symptom of physical or mental disorder and refers to decreased sleep time and potentially low quality. There is evidence showing that acupuncture could enhance management of insomnia, and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) is one of the promising acupoints. This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of stimulating single acupoint SP 6 in managing insomnia. The study was registered under PROSPERO CRD42019140855. English and Chinese databases were searched for randomized controlled trials on single acupoint SP 6 stimulation in management of insomnia. Quality of methodology was assessed by two authors independently using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and reporting quality was assessed by the STRICTA checklist. The primary outcome was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and secondary outcomes were improvement in clinical effect and sleep duration assessed by polysomnogram (PSG). The extracted data were pooled and meta-analyzed with RevMan 5.3 software. Four trials involving 288 participants were included in this review. The findings showed that SP 6 stimulation could improve sleep quality (MD -0.30, 95% CI [-0.52, -0.08]), lengthen deep sleep duration (MD 80.46, 95% CI [56.47, 104.45]), rapid eye movement (REM) duration (MD 91.53, 95% CI [68.41, 114.65]), and increase improvement in clinical effect. Quality of reporting and methodology was limited in all included trials. Some limited evidence showed that single acupoint stimulation of SP 6 could improve sleep quality, lengthen deep sleep and REM duration of patients with insomnia. However, the findings in this review should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations.

Following a lot of reports of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) CT images, the feature of FDG-PET/CT imaging of COVID-19 was reported in several articles. Since FDG accumulates in activated inflammatory cells, FDG-PET/CT has huge potential for diagnosing and monitoring of inflammatory disease. However, FDG-PET/CT cannot be routinely used in an emergency setting and is not generally recommended as a first choice for diagnosis of infectious diseases. In this review, we demonstrate FDG-PET/CT imaging features of COVID-19, including our experience and current knowledge, and discuss the value of FDG-PET/CT in terms of estimating the pathologic mechanism.

Approximately 300,000 new cases of melanoma are annually diagnosed in the world. Advanced stage melanomas require sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), sometimes lymph node dissections (LND). The development rate of lower extremity lymphedema ranges from 7.6% to 35.1% after inguinal SLNB, and from 48.8% to 82.5% after inguinal LND. Development rate of upper extremity lymphedema ranges from 4.4% to 14.6% after axillary LND. Lymphedema management has constantly improved but effective evaluation and surgical management such as supermicrosurgical lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) are becoming common as minimally invasive lymphatic surgery. Diagnosis and new classification using indocyanine green lymphography allowing pre-clinical secondary lymphedema stage management are improving effectiveness of supermicrosurgical LVA and vascularized lymph node transfer. Lymphatic transfer with lymph-interpositional-flap can restore lymph flow after large oncologic excision even without performing lymphatic anastomosis. Since lymphatic reconstructive surgery may affect local to systemic dissemination of remnant tumor cells, careful consideration is required to evaluate indication of surgical treatments.

The aim of this study was to profile healthcare professionals (HCPs) who infected with COVID-19 in hospital while working in a COVID-19 hub hospital during the pandemic. A questionnaire was sent to all HCPs from whom nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) were collected. The type of work, work environment, individual characteristics, and modality of infection were analyzed. Working areas were categorized into COVID-free areas (wards and ICUs for patients without COVID-19, medical offices, and hospitality counters) and COVID+ areas (dedicated wards and the ICU for patients with COVID-19). From March 1 to 20, 2020, 302 HCPs were tested: 251 (83.1%) responded to the questionnaire, but 9 were excluded since infection occurred outside the hospital. The remaining 242 subjects included 53 (21.9%) with positive NPS and 189 (78.1%) with negative NPS, significant differences in NPS results were evident depending on the subject's role (p = 0.028). Pairwise post hoc analysis revealed that surgeons had a significantly increased rate of positive NPS (p = 0.001). Of the 189 subjects with negative NPS, 175 (92.6%) worked in COVID-free areas, and 14 (7.4%) in COVID+ areas. Of the 53 subjects with positive NPS, 44 (83.1%) worked in COVID-free areas and 9 (16.9%) worked in COVID+ areas. Medical offices featuring an open space with adjacent desks were identified as areas of higher risk. An apparent cause of infection could not be identified in 21 (39.6%) subjects with positive NPS. Among a total of 251 subjects, 80 (41.5%) of the 193 subjects with negative NPS and 16 (27.6%) of the 58 subjects with positive NPS had been vaccinated against the common flu. In conclusion, the vast majority of subjects with positive NPS came from COVID-free areas. The source of infection could not be identified in a significant portion of subjects with positive NPS. Personnel need better protection, more testing with NPS needs to be performed, and workplace layouts need to be re-thought. Vaccination against the flu seems to provide some protection.

Mechanisms accounting for sex differences in the incidence of adverse events caused by fluoropyrimidine treatments, and histologic differences in efficacy are insufficiently understood. We determined differences between the sexes in terms of the safety of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX)/bevacizumab-versus-l-leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX)/bevacizumab, and the impact of histology on their therapeutic effects, in 512 unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer patients from the SOFT phase III study. Nausea (OR: 2.88, P < 0.001) and vomiting (OR: 3.04, P = 0.005) occurred more frequently in females than males treated with SOX/bevacizumab, while nausea (OR: 2.12, P = 0.006), vomiting (OR: 3.26, P = 0.004), leukopenia (OR: 2.61, P < 0.001), neutropenia (OR: 2.92, P < 0.001), and alopecia (OR: 4.13, P < 0.001) were higher in females on FOLFOX/bevacizumab. Mean relative dose intensities (RDIs) of S-1 during all cycles of SOX/bevacizumab were significantly lower in females (73.9%) than males (81.5%) (P < 0.001), while RDIs of continuous infusion of 5-FU in the FOLFOX/bevacizumab regimen were 75.0% in females and 80.5% in males (P = 0.005). No significant differences in efficacy with regard to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were identified between the sexes for either SOX/bevacizumab or FOLFOX/bevacizumab treatment. Patients with poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma had significantly worse OS (HR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.67-4.44, P < 0.0001) and PFS (HR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.18-3.02, P = 0.0079) than patients with well- or moderately-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Female patients experienced more frequent and severe adverse reactions to SOX/bevacizumab and FOLFOX/bevacizumab and a worse prognosis for poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma were confirmed in this phase III study. This warrants further translational research to identify the responsible mechanisms.

Myanmar has launched an advanced tuberculosis examination policy, which involves specimen exchanges among clinics and referral laboratories. However, with the current paper-based operation, it is difficult to trace information accurately. Therefore, since April 2017, we introduced a pilot operation consisting of an electronic health information system (HIS) that uses QR codes for data sharing in the tuberculosis laboratory at seven facilities. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of introducing the electronic HIS into tuberculosis clinics and laboratories based on staff perception, workload and workflow, and data accuracy, and to clarify its advantages and disadvantages. The analysis was descriptive, and it involved a semi-structured interview for the staff, workflow observations to evaluate the workload and describe the change in workflow, and evaluation of the data accuracy by comparing the numbers yielded by the paper-based and HIS-based reports. The HIS was positively accepted as it improved work efficiency, while the operation still depended on paper-based reports. Parallel data registration using both paper-based and HIS-based reports increased the workload. Data discrepancies were found when comparing the paper-based and HIS-based reports, and these discrepancies were not directly attributed to the HIS introduction but individual factors. Crucial facilitating factors of the HIS were its operability and user-friendliness, because it does not require specific training. The additional workload translates into the need for additional human resources, and the parallel data registration remains a challenge. However, we consider that these challenges could be overcome as coverage of the HIS expands.

Source of fever in chemotherapy patients is often unknown. Fever can also be fatal. No observational studies have determined the incidence of dental focal infection (DFI)-associated fever, despite oral cavity being a potential source of infection. We report the incidence of fever after chemotherapy in patients with hematological malignancies and their association with DFIs in 441 patients visiting our institution during a 6-year period. Dental treatments, including tooth extraction, were performed, and their oral and hematological profiles were monitored after chemotherapy. Fever was evident in 87 (38.5%) of 226 patients (≥ 38˚C) after the first cycle of chemotherapy. Sepsis due to DFIs (n = 4; 4.6%) was evaluated. Chemotherapy was delayed due to DFI in one case. Fever after chemotherapy should be differentiated from oral infections. Our study emphasizes the significance of DFI in patients with fever after chemotherapy and can help in improving the prognosis of patients.

Migraine is a common disease seen in the emergency department (ED). Triptans, which are recommended in therapeutic guidelines for migraine, have some contraindications and possible severe side effects. Metoclopramide, which is commonly used as an antiemetic, also seems to have pain-relieving effects for migraine. In this article, we will introduce a study in progress, which investigates whether metoclopramide 10 mg intravenously (IV) is non-inferior to sumatriptan 3 mg subcutaneously (SQ) as migraine treatment in the ED. This study is a single-center, open-label, cluster-randomized controlled trial of 80 patients with migraine attacks to investigate the non-inferiority of metoclopramide to sumatriptan. The patients will be cluster-randomized monthly into metoclopramide 10 mg IV and sumatriptan 3 mg SQ arms. The primary outcome will be change in Numerical Rating Scale score for headache at 1 h after baseline. In discussion, if our hypothesis is confirmed, metoclopramide can be considered as first-line medication for migraine attacks in ED settings.

The blood supply of peripheral nerves consists of a complex internal vessels' network, feeding external vessels and the interlinking vasa nervorum. Patients with nerve damage may require nerve substitution. While the commonly performed avascular nerve grafts obtain vascularization only from random and slow inosculation into the vasa nervorum, their insufficient revascularization causes loss of the graft's potential due to central necrosis. This gets more relevant with the larger diameter of nerves injured. Examples for neurovascular flaps are the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve vascularized via the superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator (LFCN-SCIP) flap or the iliohypogastric nerve graft vascularized via the superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA). LFCN-SCIP shows a well concealed donor scar site with a maintained vascularization and a minor donor site morbidity. Therefore, the guaranteed axial nerve vascularity in LFCN-SCIP makes it a preferred autologous vascularized nerve therapy for peripheral nerve defects. A further option example is the anterior lateral thigh (ALT) flap with the LFCN.