IMJ Award in 2024

      Starting in 2020, we have decided to present highly cited papers with the IMJ Award. Thanks to contributors and readers, the number of submitted papers has been increasing. This year marks the 31st year since the IMJ was first published, and the third time we have presented the IMJ Awards. The award is a step forward from previous years, as it selects papers that are expected to develop in the future and papers that we hope readers will read at least once. In other words, papers submitted in all submission sections, including editorial, review, original, case report, and letter to the editor, are now eligible. After much discussion within the editorial department, we have officially decided to present the IMJ Awards to the following papers. The reasons for the selection are listed below in the order of the issues in which the papers were published.
      The IMJ Award 2024



      Authors: Saud S Alharbi, Hyder Osman Mirghani, Saif Mohammed Alamri, Majed Saeed Alqhatani, Ahmad Hassan Alghamdi, Yousef Saad Alanazi, Hanan Mohammad H AlJammaz, Ghadeer Ali Albalawi, Abdullah Mohammed Alsayed, Eman Mohsen Abutaleb Qisi
      Title: Gender Differences in Quality of Life among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Saudi Arabia
      Publication date: International Medical Journal Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 33- 35 , April 2024
      Reasons for selection: This is a meta-analysis comparing the QOL of male and female patients with type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia. Although there was heterogeneity between the studies, the results were consistent in showing that females have a lower QOL. It is important to note that QOL differs depending on gender even for the same disease, and further research into the sociocultural factors behind this is needed.
      The IMJ Award 2024



      Authors: Takahiko Nagamine
      Title: A Study Protocol Evaluating the Effectiveness of Combination Probiotics in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using a Goal Attainment Scaling
      Publication date: International Medical Journal Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 67 - 69 , June 2024
      Reasons for selection: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disease of unknown cause that is highly prevalent in developed countries. It is a painful disease accompanied by abdominal symptoms, and the mechanism of the pain is classified as nociplastic pain. Nociplastic pain is a type of chronic pain that arises from altered nociception, despite no clear evidence of actual or threatened tissue damage causing the activation of peripheral nociceptors, or evidence for disease or lesion of the somatosensory system causing the pain. It is a relatively new concept in the field of pain management and is still being researched. The gut-brain axis is related, and butyrate-producing bacteria may improve the barrier function and be useful for pain control. This is an excellent paper that is based on theory and proposes a new research methodology.
      The IMJ Award 2024



      Authors: Aleksandra Ołownia, Jakub Orczyk, Halina Piecewicz - Szczęsna
      Title: Vaginal Microbiome and Obstetric Complications: New Perspectives and Challenges
      Publication date: International Medical Journal Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 87 - 91 , August 2024
      Reasons for selection: This review examines the female reproductive tract microbiota and obstetric problems, including preterm birth. The human body has a resident bacterial flora in the oral cavity, intestines, skin, etc., and its role has been investigated. The female reproductive tract bacterial flora also has some significance, and depending on its pattern, it may be related to premature birth, etc. Further research is also needed into its relationship with the intestinal bacterial flora, and the significance of resident bacteria is one of the important themes for the future.
      The IMJ Award 2024



      Authors: Tomoko Yamashita, Tomoko Matsunaga, Tokiko Minoura
      Title: Effects of Participation in Running Events (Run-Tomo) for Older People with Dementia from the Perspective of Running Companions Interviews with Escort Runners
      Publication date: International Medical Journal Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 111 - 116 , August 2024
      Reasons for selection: This paper describes the effects of mutual interaction when healthy people run alongside dementia patients as a way to improve their quality of life. How to care for dementia in society is an important issue. Although events such as dementia cafes are held in local communities, an initiative through running is unique and is expected to develop further in the future.
      The IMJ Award 2024



      Authors: Masashi Ohe
      Title: Japanese Kampo Medicine Containing Ziziphus jujuba May Be Effective against SARS-CoV-2
      Publication date: International Medical Journal Vol. 31, No. 5, pp. 157 - 158 , October 2024
      Reasons for selection: Humanity has experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and felt the everyday threat of viruses. The rapid development of vaccines and antiviral drugs have shown some effectiveness, but as we have moved from pandemics to everyday infectious diseases, more everyday ways of dealing with them have become necessary. The article discusses the potential of commercially available herbal medicines in Japan, which meets modern needs. Although this is not an established method, it was evaluated as a letter paper that is worth considering as one possible method in the future.
      The IMJ Award 2024



      Authors: Osaka Psychiatric Hospitals Association (Yutaka Sawa and Kenji Kuroda are responsible for this report)
      Title: Report of Physical Restraint in the Private Psychiatric Hospitals in Osaka Prefecture
      Publication date: International Medical Journal Vol. 31, No. 6, pp. 178 - 187 , December 2024
      Reasons for selection: This is a challenging paper that investigates the current state of physical restraints in psychiatric hospitals in Osaka, one of Japan's major metropolitan areas, and points out the current legal issues in mental health in Japan from the problems it faces. This research shows that while physical restraints are used in many psychiatric hospitals to ensure patient safety, it requires a great deal of effort, and legal issues related to releasing physical restraints remain unresolved. The paper is commendable for researching issues in the field and making recommendations for the system.