Predictive factors of fibrotic interstitial lung abnormality on high-resolution computed tomography scans: a prospective observational study.

Background: Fibrotic types of interstitial lung abnormalities seen on high-resolution computed tomography scans, characterised by traction bronchiolectasis/bronchiectasis with or without honeycombing, are predictors of progression and poor prognostic factors of interstitial lung abnormalities. There are no reports on the clinical characteristics of fibrotic interstitial lung abnormalities on high-resolution computed tomography scans. Therefore, we aimed to examine these clinical characteristics and clarify the predictive factors of fibrotic interstitial lung abnormalities on high-resolution computed tomography scans.

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the ACE tool for assessing evidence-based medicine competencies in medical practitioners and students: An evaluation in an online setting.

Introduction Evidence-based medicine (EBM) competency is crucial for healthcare professionals; however, validated tools to assess EBM skills in Japanese are scarce. This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the Assessing Competency in EBM (ACE) tool. Methods We translated the ACE tool into Japanese, following international standards, and distributed it online to 99 healthcare professionals and students.

Ultrasonography for confirmation of gastric tube placement.

Background: Gastric tubes are commonly used for the administration of drugs and tube feeding for people who are unable to swallow. Feeding via a tube misplaced in the trachea can result in severe pneumonia. Therefore, the confirmation of tube placement in the stomach after tube insertion is important.

Rapid Forehead Ossification due to a Subperiosteal Hematoma in a Patient With Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Rapid ossification due to a subperiosteal hematoma in extremities has occasionally been documented in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1, but it has not been reported in the maxillofacial region. The authors present the first case of a subperiosteal hematoma in the forehead. A 36-year-old man presented with a rapidly swelling firm, fixed, 8×10 cm forehead mass.

Algorithms Identifying Patients With Acute Exacerbation of Interstitial Pneumonia and Acute Interstitial Lung Diseases Developed Using Japanese Administrative Data.

Background: We aimed to develop algorithms to identify patients with acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia and acute interstitial lung diseases using Japanese administrative data.

Methods: This single-center validation study examined diagnostic algorithm accuracies. We included patients >18 years old with at least one claim that was a candidate for acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia, acute interstitial lung diseases, and pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage who were admitted to our hospital between January 2016 and December 2021.

Prognostic Factors for Discharge Directly Home in Patients With Thoracoscopic Surgery for Empyema: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a widely recommended treatment for empyema in advanced stages. However, only a few studies have evaluated prognostic factors among patients with empyema who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Furthermore, no studies have evaluated predictors of direct discharge home.

Rapid Visual Detection of Methicillin-Resistant in Human Clinical Samples via Closed LAMP Assay Targeting and Genes.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly methicillin-resistant (MRSA), poses a significant global health threat as these bacteria increasingly become resistant to the most available therapeutic options. Thus, developing an efficient approach to rapidly screen MRSA directly from clinical specimens has become vital. In this study, we establish a closed-tube loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method incorporating hydroxy-naphthol blue (HNB) colorimetric dye assay to directly detect MRSA from clinical samples based on the presence of and genes.

Multiple angiosarcomas of both breasts: a case report.

Background: Primary angiosarcomas of the breast are rare and highly aggressive. We herein report a rare case of multiple angiosarcomas detected concurrently in both breasts.

Case Presentation: A 49-year-old woman visited a doctor after noticing a lump in her right breast.

Systemic steroid therapy for pneumonic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation: A retrospective cohort study.

The effectiveness of systemic steroid therapy on mortality in patients with pneumonic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation is unclear. We evaluated the association between systemic steroid therapy and 30-day mortality after adjusting for known confounders, using data from the Health, Clinic, and Education Information Evaluation Institute in Japan, which longitudinally followed up patients in the same hospital. We selected patients aged ≥40 years admitted for pneumonic COPD exacerbation.

Prognostic impact of adjuvant endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-negative T1a/bN0M0 breast cancer.

Purpose: Mammography screening has increased the detection of subcentimeter breast cancers. The prognosis for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative T1a/bN0M0 breast cancers is excellent; however, the necessity of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) is uncertain.

Methods: We evaluated the effectiveness of adjuvant ET in patients with ER-positive and HER2-negative T1a/bN0M0 breast cancer who underwent surgery from 2008 to 2012.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the breast: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Few reports of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the breast have been published worldwide. Furthermore, primary anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive IMT of the breast is extremely rare. To date, only six patients with ALK-positive IMT have been reported in the literature.

Effectiveness of Immediate Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Empyema: A Multicentre, Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Because of limitations in previous randomised controlled trials and observational studies, the effectiveness of immediate video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for patients with empyema in real-world settings remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether immediate VATS improves clinical outcomes in patients with empyema.

Methods: This multicentre retrospective cohort study included 744 patients with physician-diagnosed empyema from six hospitals between 2006 and 2021.

An open competition involving thousands of competitors failed to construct useful abstract classifiers for new diagnostic test accuracy systematic reviews.

There are currently no abstract classifiers, which can be used for new diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) systematic reviews to select primary DTA study abstracts from database searches. Our goal was to develop machine-learning-based abstract classifiers for new DTA systematic reviews through an open competition. We prepared a dataset of abstracts obtained through database searches from 11 reviews in different clinical areas.

Prognostic Value of Computed Tomography in Empyema: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Chest computed tomography is performed in patients with empyema for various reasons. However, its predictive ability for patient outcomes in empyema has not been evaluated. To evaluate the predictive ability of computed tomography findings (pleural thickness, loculation, interlobar pleural effusion, lung abscess, and bronchopleural fistula) for 90-day mortality in empyema.

Skeletal muscle atrophy and short-term mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an observational cohort study.

Background: Skeletal muscle atrophy, a common complication of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and its presence upon diagnosis can indicate a poor prognosis. Patients with IPF frequently experience acute exacerbations (AE), which is associated with a high mortality rate. However, the association between skeletal muscle atrophy and short-term mortality remains unknown.

The ROX index (Index combining the respiratory rate with oxygenation) is a prognostic factor for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: There is no existing reliable and practical method for predicting the prognosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Objective: We aimed to clarify the association between the ROX index, which is calculated as the ratio of peripheral oxygen saturation divided by the fraction of inspired oxygen to the respiratory rate, and the prognosis of patients with ARDS under ventilator support.

Methods: In this single-center retrospective cohort study from prospectively collected database, eligible patients were categorized into three groups based on ROX tertiles.

LSD1 defines the fiber type-selective responsiveness to environmental stress in skeletal muscle.

Skeletal muscle exhibits remarkable plasticity in response to environmental cues, with stress-dependent effects on the fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers. Although stress-induced gene expression underlies environmental adaptation, it is unclear how transcriptional and epigenetic factors regulate fiber type-specific responses in the muscle. Here, we show that flavin-dependent lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) differentially controls responses to glucocorticoid and exercise in postnatal skeletal muscle.