Changes in the Percentage of Patients Treated for Cancer Before and After the SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Objectives: After the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, a state of emergency was imposed to stop the spread of infection, resulting in restrictions on routine medical examinations. As a result, there has been a decline in cancer screening and detection. However, it is uncertain how many more cancer cases among routine outpatients have been detected recently.

Efficacy of Unsupervised YouTube Dance Exercise for Patients With Hypertension: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: High blood pressure (BP) is linked to unhealthy lifestyles, and its treatment includes medications and exercise therapy. Many previous studies have evaluated the effects of exercise on BP improvement; however, exercise requires securing a location, time, and staff, which can be challenging in clinical settings. The antihypertensive effects of dance exercise for patients with hypertension have already been verified, and it has been found that adherence and dropout rates are better compared to other forms of exercise.

Initial decrease in the lipoprotein(a) level is a novel prognostic biomarker in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases; however, its role in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains unclear.

Aim: To investigate the hypothesis that the Lp(a) levels are altered by various conditions during the acute phase of ACS, resulting in subsequent cardiovascular events.

Methods: From September 2009 to May 2016, 377 patients with ACS who underwent emergent coronary angiography, and 249 who completed ≥ 1000 d of follow-up were enrolled.

Third Report of the Japan Diabetes Society (JDS)/Japanese Cancer Association (JCA) Joint Committee on diabetes and cancer: summary of the results of a questionnaire survey of oncologists and diabetologists-secondary publication.

The Japan Diabetes Society (JDS) and the Japan Cancer Association (JCA) launched a joint committee and published their "First Joint Committee Report on Diabetes and Cancer" in 2013, compiling recommendations for physicians and healthcare providers as well as for the general population. In 2016, the "Second Joint Committee Report on Diabetes and Cancer" summarized the current evidence on glycemic control and cancer risk in patients with diabetes. The current "Third Joint Committee Report on Diabetes and Cancer", for which the joint committee also enlisted the assistance of the Japanese Society of Clinical Oncology (JSCO) and the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO), reports on the results from the questionnaire survey, "Diabetes Management in Patients Receiving Cancer Therapy," which targeted oncologists responsible for cancer management and diabetologists in charge of glycemic control in cancer patients.

Integrated environmental, lifestyle, and epigenetic risk prediction of primary gastric neoplasia using the longitudinally monitored cohorts.

Background: DNA methylation accumulates in non-malignant gastric mucosa after exposure to pathogens. To elucidate how environmental, methylation, and lifestyle factors interplay to influence primary gastric neoplasia (GN) risk, we analyzed longitudinally monitored cohorts in Japan and Singapore.

Methods: Asymptomatic subjects who underwent a gastric mucosal biopsy on the health check-up were enrolled.

Thrombotic Microangiopathy after a 15-year Treatment with Interferon Beta-1b in a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

A 54-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis treated with interferon-β (IFN-β)-1b for 15 years presented with sustained hypertension (240/124 mmHg) and retinal bleeding. She had proteinuria, anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated serum creatinine levels, and haptoglobin depletion. Intravenous nicardipine stabilized her blood pressure, but her renal function and platelet count deteriorated.

Roles considered important for hospitalist and non-hospitalist generalist practice in Japan: a survey study.

Background: An increased focus on quality and patient safety has led to the evolution of hospitalists. The number of hospitalists covering ward and outpatient care is on the rise in Japan. However, it is unclear what roles hospital workers themselves consider important in their practice.

Evaluation of a Medical Interview-Assistance System Using Artificial Intelligence for Resident Physicians Interviewing Simulated Patients: A Crossover, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Medical interviews are expected to undergo a major transformation through the use of artificial intelligence. However, artificial intelligence-based systems that support medical interviews are not yet widespread in Japan, and their usefulness is unclear. A randomized, controlled trial to determine the usefulness of a commercial medical interview support system using a question flow chart-type application based on a Bayesian model was conducted.

The circulating furin-cleaved/mature PCSK9 ratio has a potential prognostic significance in statin-naïve patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Background And Aims: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) circulates as mature and furin-cleaved forms, but their biological functions are uncertain. We investigated whether their levels associate with prognosis in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: We enrolled 160 statin-naïve patients with acute STEMI and followed for 3 years.

A Case of Myopericarditis After the Second Dose of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in a Patient With a History of Myopericarditis.

Vaccination is important for the prevention of coronavirus-induced disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and to protect persons with a high risk for complications. There have been reports of myopericarditis following COVID-19 vaccination, especially in adolescent males and young adults. Breakthrough infections, such as the Delta or Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, have raised great concern about the necessity for repeated doses of the vaccine.

Artificial intelligence for distinguishment of hammering sound in total hip arthroplasty.

Recent studies have focused on hammering sound analysis during insertion of the cementless stem to decrease complications in total hip arthroplasty. However, the nature of the hammering sound is complex to analyse and varies widely owing to numerous possible variables. Therefore, we performed a preliminary feasibility study that aimed to clarify the accuracy of a prediction model using a machine learning algorithm to identify the final rasping hammering sound recorded during surgery.

A pilot study examining the efficacy of hochuekkito for improving quality of life in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Background: The prognosis of Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms is relatively favorable, but the quality of life can be severely affected by myeloproliferative neoplasm-related symptoms such as fatigue, pruritus, night sweats, bone pain, fever and weight loss. In this study, we administered hochuekkito, a traditional herbal medicine, to patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms and investigated whether there was a reduction in myeloproliferative neoplasm-related symptoms.

Methods: We conducted a randomized parallel-group pilot study.

Large-Scale Observational Study on the Current Status and Challenges of General Medicine in Japan: Job Description and Required Skills.

Purpose: To identify the current ambiguous status of general medicine (GM) and assess current problems and weaknesses for further development of GM.

Patients And Methods: This study adopted an observational design. GM practitioners were selected from the mailing lists of two primary professional associations for Japanese GM doctors.

Analysis of antiretroviral therapy switch rate and switching pattern for people living with HIV from a national database in Japan.

To report the status of switch rates and time-to-switch of antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens by evaluating anchor drug classes and common switching patterns in Japanese people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PLWH). This cross-sectional cohort study extracted data of 28,089 PLWH from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB), which contains data representing the entire population of Japan. PLWH with first prescription records of ART administered between January 2011 and March 2019 were identified (n = 16,069).

Comorbidities and co-medications among 28 089 people living with HIV: A nationwide cohort study from 2009 to 2019 in Japan.

Objectives: Comorbidities are associated with a high burden of disease in people living with HIV (PLWH). The objective was to investigate the prevalence of chronic comorbidities and use of co-medications in PLWH in Japan.

Methods: This study retrospectively analysed clinical information from PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) between April 2009 and March 2019.

Using Mobile Phone Data to Estimate the Relationship between Population Flow and Influenza Infection Pathways.

This study aimed to analyze population flow using global positioning system (GPS) location data and evaluate influenza infection pathways by determining the relationship between population flow and the number of drugs sold at pharmacies. Neural collective graphical models (NCGMs; Iwata and Shimizu 2019) were applied for 25 cell areas, each measuring 10 × 10 km, in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Hyogo prefectures to estimate population flow. An NCGM uses a neural network to incorporate the spatiotemporal dependency issue and reduce the estimated parameters.

The Small GTPase Arf6 Functions as a Membrane Tether in a Chemically-Defined Reconstitution System.

Arf-family small GTPases are essential protein components for membrane trafficking in all eukaryotic endomembrane systems, particularly during the formation of membrane-bound, coat protein complex-coated transport carriers. In addition to their roles in the transport carrier formation, a number of Arf-family GTPases have been reported to physically associate with coiled-coil tethering proteins and multisubunit tethering complexes, which are responsible for membrane tethering, a process of the initial contact between transport carriers and their target subcellular compartments. Nevertheless, whether and how indeed Arf GTPases are involved in the tethering process remain unclear.

Relationship between time-varying status of reflux esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori and progression to long-segment Barrett's esophagus: time-dependent Cox proportional-hazards analysis.

Background: Reflux esophagitis (RE) and absence of Helicobacter pylori (non-H. pylori) are considered to be associated with the progression to long-segment Barrett's esophagus (LSBE). However, it is difficult to assess this association because RE and H.

Conventional versus Rapid Glucocorticoid Tapering in Severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients: A Non-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) have long played a central role in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but these drugs have many adverse effects. We will determine whether rapid weekly GC tapering is non-inferior to conventional biweekly tapering in patients with severe SLE. This is a randomized, open-label, multicenter controlled trial.

Pneumococcal vaccination reduces in-hospital mortality, length of stay and medical expenditure in hospitalized elderly patients.

Pneumococcal vaccination has been shown to reduce occurrence of invasive pneumococcal diseases in elderly patients. In this study, we investigated the real-world efficacy of pneumococcal vaccination implemented in elderly individuals in Japan. We reviewed the in-patient database of Juntendo University Hospital and selected elderly patients (≥65 years-old) who had received in-patient care in the general medicine department during 2014-2018.