Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Quality of Life: Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Survivors.

Background:  We analyzed the correlation between the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) subcategories (sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, sleep medications, and daytime dysfunction) and a comprehensive measure of quality of life (QOL), the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) items, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to determine the components that require intervention to improve QOL.

Methods: A total of 75 patients with recurrent HCC admitted to our hospital between May 2021 and May 2023 were included in this study. The QOL score was used for the SF-36 items, and the sleep disorder score was used for PSQI questionnaires.

Changes in physical function of frail elderly females in the one-year long-term care prevention program.

[Purpose] This study investigated changes in the physical function of frail elderly females who participated in a long-term care prevention project for ≥1 year. [Participants and Methods] There were 125 females included. Measurement items were body mass index, 5-m maximum gait time, 5-m normal gait time, standing on one leg with eyes open, timed up and go test, and grip strength and measured every six months.

Nursing Practice and Care Structure for Children and Their Families in Need of Pediatric Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Japan: A Nationwide Survey.

Many nurses experience difficulties in pediatric palliative care practice. The study aimed to describe the current situation and structure of pediatric palliative and end-of-life care nursing practices for children and their families in Japan. The research subjects were nurses working in hospitals; facilities for persons with severe physical, motor, and intellectual disabilities; and home-visit nursing stations.

Involvement of the mitochondrial retrograde pathway in dihydrosphingosine-induced cytotoxicity in budding yeast.

Sphingoid long-chain bases are essential intermediates of ceramides and complex sphingolipids, and function in the regulation of various signal transduction systems. Previously, we found that, in budding yeast, intracellularly accumulated dihydrosphingosine (DHS) causes mitochondrial reactive-oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cytotoxicity, which is much stronger than phytosphingosine. In this study, we screened for suppressor mutations that confer resistance to DHS, and identified RTG2, which encodes upregulation of the mitochondrial retrograde signaling pathway (RTG pathway).

Utilization of Flexible-Wearable Sensors to Describe the Kinematics of Surgical Proficiency.

Background: Traditional assessment (e.g., checklists, videotaping) for surgical proficiency may lead to subjectivity and does not predict performance in the clinical setting.

Effects of Eplerenone on Blood Pressure and Echocardiographic and Serum Biochemical Variables in Five Healthy Dogs: A Pilot Study.

Eplerenone (EP), an aldosterone antagonist, is reported to produce renal and cardiac protective effects in noncanine species. However, there are no detailed reports available on cardiovascular effects of EP in dogs. This study aimed to determine effect of EP on echocardiographic parameters, blood pressures, and biochemical variables in healthy dogs.

Wilms tumor 1 peptide vaccination combined with temozolomide against newly diagnosed glioblastoma: safety and impact on immunological response.

To investigate the safety of combined Wilms tumor 1 peptide vaccination and temozolomide treatment of glioblastoma, a phase I clinical trial was designed. Seven patients with histological diagnosis of glioblastoma underwent concurrent radiotherapy and temozolomide therapy. Patients first received Wilms tumor 1 peptide vaccination 1 week after the end of combined concurrent radio/temozolomide therapy, and administration was continued once per week for 7 weeks.

Development and validation of a risk stratification score for ventral incisional hernia after abdominal surgery: hernia expectation rates in intra-abdominal surgery (the HERNIA Project).

Background: Ventral incisional hernias (VIH) develop in up to 20% of patients after abdominal surgery. No widely applicable preoperative risk-assessment tool exists. We aimed to develop and validate a risk-assessment tool to predict VIH after abdominal surgery.

Laparoscopic repair reduces incidence of surgical site infections for all ventral hernias.

Background: The role of laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias remains incompletely defined. We hypothesize that laparoscopy, compared to open repair with mesh, decreases surgical site infection (SSI) for all ventral hernia types.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were reviewed to identify studies evaluating outcomes of laparoscopic versus open repair with mesh of ventral hernias and divided into groups (primary or incisional).

Review of stoma site and midline incisional hernias after stoma reversal.

Background: The incidence of incisional hernias after stoma reversal is not well reported. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature reporting data on incisional hernias after stoma reversal. We evaluated both the incidence of stoma site and midline incisional hernias.

Circular closure is associated with the lowest rate of surgical site infection following stoma reversal: a systematic review and multiple treatment meta-analysis.

Aim: Stoma reversal is frequently complicated by surgical site infection (SSI). To reduce SSI, several techniques for skin closure have been studied, with no agreement on which is best. The aim of this study was to identify the skin closure technique associated with the lowest rate of SSI following stoma reversal.

Effect of pravastatin on echocardiographic circulation parameters in dogs.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pravastatin (PS) on hemodynamic parameters in healthy dogs. Five beagle dogs were repeatedly used in each of the 4 groups. One group was not medicated (control).

Therapeutic effect of low-dose imatinib on pulmonary arterial hypertension in dogs.

This was a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of low-dose imatinib therapy for hemodynamic disturbances, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and clinical manifestations caused by chronic heart failure in dogs. Six client-owned dogs with PAH were administered imatinib mesylate orally, 3 mg/kg body weight q24h, for 30 d. Physical examination, blood biochemical tests, radiography, and Doppler echocardiography were performed prior to imatinib administration and again 30 days after administration.

Usefulness of PRESTO magnetic resonance imaging for the differentiation of schwannoma and meningioma in the cerebellopontine angle.

The principles of echo-shifting with a train of observations (PRESTO) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique employs an MR sequence that sensitively detects susceptibility changes in the brain. The effectiveness of PRESTO MR imaging was examined for distinguishing between cerebellopontine angle (CPA) schwannomas and meningiomas in 24 patients with CPA tumors, 12 with vestibular schwannomas, and 12 with meningiomas. Histopathological study of surgical specimens showed that 11 of the 12 schwannomas contained hemosiderin deposits and all had microhemorrhages.

Therapeutic approach to chordoid glioma of the third ventricle.

Chordoid glioma of the third ventricle is considered to be a benign glial tumor located exclusively in the mid-anterior portion of the third ventricle near the hypothalamus and optic nerves, with the histological features of a chordoma and immuno-labeling for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Unfortunately, the clinical outcome of chordoid glioma has been poor, even in patients receiving gross total or partial removal with or without radiotherapy. Three cases of chordoid glioma of the third ventricle were treated with less invasive microsurgery for pathological diagnosis or partial removal without neuro-endocrinological complication, followed by gamma knife radiosurgery using a lower marginal dose for the optic nerves and hypothalamus.

[Steroid responsive anti-Hu-associated paraneoplastic encephalitis with bilateral frontal lobe lesions].

A 46-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of behavioral changes. Her mentality was fluctuating vigorously and neurological examination revealed disorientation and word finding difficulty. MRI demonstrated bilateral frontal and right temporal lesions.

Sarcomatoid variant of urothelial carcinoma: Cytological analysis of three cases.

Sarcomatoid variant of urothelial carcinoma (SV-UC) is characterized by the presence of biphasic malignant neoplastic components exhibiting morphological and/or immunohistochemical evidence of epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation. SV-UC is a rare variant of UC and the cytological features of this tumor have not been well described. In the present study, we analyzed the cytological features of a series of SV-UC cases; 6 voided urine specimens from 3 patients with SV-UC were reviewed.

A method for efficiently generating neurospheres from human-induced pluripotent stem cells using microsphere arrays.

In vitro, human neural stem cells can be selectively expanded from fetal or adult neural tissues as neurospheres consisting of immature neural progenitor cells. Access to human neural tissues is limited, making it difficult to propagate and use primary neural stem or progenitor cells (NSPCs) from human neural tissues (hN-NSPCs). It was recently demonstrated that hN-NSPCs can be differentiated from either human embryonic stem cells (hESC-NSPCs) or human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-NSPCs), and that hESC-NSPCs and hiPSC-NSPCs are adaptable, powerful substitutes for hN-NSPCs in both regenerative medicine and pharmacological or neurotoxicological assays.

Spontaneous regression of pulmonary involvement after smoking reduction and removal of and radiation therapy for Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the sphenoid bone: which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Isolated pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in adults is known to regress spontaneously after smoking cessation alone, but little is known about whether this rationale could also apply in cases of multisystem pulmonary LCH. In particular, pediatric patients with multisystem LCH including involvement in "risk organs" such as lungs often benefit from systemic chemotherapy. Here, we present a 37-year-old man with spontaneous regression of pulmonary lesions in multisystem LCH, achieved solely by smoking reduction following local treatment of bone lesions.

Ascitic fluid due to type II herpes simplex virus infection: report of a case with immunocytochemical confirmation.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is usually observed in the oral cavity and external genitals, and HSV peritonitis is extremely rare. Herein, we report a case of type II HSV peritonitis successfully diagnosed by ascitic cytology. A 66-year-old Japanese man, who had been treated with steroid inhalation for 5 years due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was suspected to have acute cholecystitis.