Efficacy of a 16 Fr sheath strategy during Impella support to reduce access site bleeding in patients with cardiogenic shock.

Access site bleeding is a complication which may occur during Impella support (Abiomed, Danvers, MA, USA), possibly due to unstable fixation of the device in the groin. Using a large-bore sheath for Impella insertion may reduce this complication. However, the efficacy and safety of this strategy are still unknown.

Procedural Volume and Outcomes of Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: From a Japanese Nationwide Registry.

The impact of procedural volume on transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes in Japan remains uncertain. Japan has carefully introduced TAVR after the establishment of techniques in Western countries and therefore may not exhibit volume-outcome relations after TAVR. Data on transfemoral TAVR was collected from the Japan Transcatheter Valve Therapy (J-TVT) registry between 2018 and 2020.

Hormonal coordination of motor output and internal prediction of sensory consequences in an electric fish.

Steroid hormones remodel neural networks to induce seasonal or developmental changes in behavior. Hormonal changes in behavior likely require coordinated changes in sensorimotor integration. Here, we investigate hormonal effects on a predictive motor signal, termed corollary discharge, that modulates sensory processing in weakly electric mormyrid fish.

Persistence of auditory modulation of wind-induced escape behavior in crickets.

Animals, including insects, change their innate escape behavior triggered by a specific threat stimulus depending on the environmental context to survive adaptively the predators' attack. This indicates that additional inputs from sensory organs of different modalities indicating surrounding conditions could affect the neuronal circuit responsible for the escape behavior. Field crickets, , exhibit an oriented running or jumping escape in response to short air puff detected by the abdominal mechanosensory organ called cerci.

Volume-outcome relationship in complication-related mortality after percutaneous coronary interventions: an analysis on the failure-to-rescue rate in the Japanese Nationwide Registry.

In-hospital mortality following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) varies across institutions with different annual PCI volumes. The failure to rescue (FTR) rate, defined as the mortality rate following PCI-related complications, may account for the volume-outcome relationship. The Japanese Nationwide PCI Registry, a consecutive, nationally mandated registry between 2019 and 2020, was queried.

Sphingomyelin reduces melanogenesis in murine B16 melanoma cells through indirect suppression of tyrosinase.

Growing consumer interest in skin whitening has led to intensive investigations of whitening methods. In this study, we evaluated the effect of sphingomyelin, a component of cell membranes, on melanin production. B16 mouse melanoma cells were treated with lauroyl-sphingomyelin (SM) or its metabolite lauroyl-ceramide (CER) and measured for cell viability, melanin content, and direct and indirect tyrosinase activity.

Effectiveness of high implantation of SAPIEN 3 in preventing pacemaker implantation: A propensity score analysis.

Background: In transcatheter aortic valve implantation, high implantation on the aortic annulus may prevent conduction pathway injury, leading to a decrease in the rate of permanent pacemaker implantation.

Aim: To assess the impact of high implantation of SAPIEN 3 on the prevention of permanent pacemaker implantation.

Methods: Since August 2020, we have performed high implantation by fluoroscopically positioning the lower part of the lucent line at the virtual basal ring line on a coplanar view before valve implantation.

Lrriq1 is an essential factor for fertility by suppressing apoptosis.

Purpose: Leucine-rich repeats and IQ motif containing 1 (LRRIQ1) gene is reportedly associated with plasma inhibin B levels. However, the function of LRRIQ1 remains unknown. In this study, we generated Lrriq1 knockout mice (Lrriq1 mice) and examined the effects of LRRIQ1 on inhibin B and fertility.

A novel "proximal first" Inoue balloon catheter for retrograde aortic valvuloplasty: Initial case report.

The Inoue balloon, invented for percutaneous transseptal mitral commissurotomy for mitral stenosis, is initially dilated in the distal portion and then the proximal portion, forming an hourglass shape that stabilizes the balloon at the mitral valve orifice with a pulling action. The device has been successfully applied to antegrade aortic valvuloplasty; the hourglass shape stabilizes the balloon across the aortic valve without rapid ventricular pacing. Subsequently, an Inoue balloon was developed for retrograde aortic valvuloplasty using the same design as the antegrade balloon.

Computed tomography-based selection of transseptal puncture site for percutaneous left atrial appendage closure.

Background: An inferoposterior transseptal puncture (TSP) is generally recommended for percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) closure. However, the LAA is a highly variable anatomical structure. This may have an impact on the preferred TSP site.

Prophylactic permanent pacemaker strategy in patients with right bundle branch block undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Objectives: To report on the experience with a selective prophylactic permanent pacemaker (PPx-PPM) implantation strategy in patients with pre-existing right bundle branch block (RBBB) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Background: Pre-existing RBBB is an independent predictor for PPM after TAVR and has been linked to increased mortality.

Methods: Hospital patient flow and longer-term clinical endpoints were compared for TAVR patients with pre-existing RBBB treated in a period with and without selective PPx-PPM strategy (2013-2020).

In-hospital outcomes and usage of embolic protection devices in percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary artery bypass grafts: Insights from a Japanese nationwide registry.

Objectives: We evaluated the in-hospital outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for bypass graft vessels (GV-PCI) compared with those of PCI for native vessels (NV-PCI) using data from the Japanese nationwide coronary intervention registry.

Methods: We included PCI patients (N = 748,229) registered between January 2016 and December 2018 from 1,123 centers. We divided patients into three groups: GV-PCI (n = 2,745); NV-PCI with a prior coronary artery bypass graft (pCABG) (n = 23,932); and NV-PCI without pCABG (n = 721,552).

The long-term prognostic factors in hemodialysis patients with acute coronary syndrome: perspectives from sarcopenia and malnutrition.

Hemodialysis (HD) patients tend to have sarcopenia and malnutrition, and both conditions are related to poor prognosis in the cardiovascular disease that often accompanies HD. However, the impact of sarcopenia or malnutrition on the long-term prognosis of HD patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains unclear. We analyzed 1,605 consecutive patients with ACS who had undergone PCI at a single center between January 2009 and December 2014.

Institutional Characteristics and Prognosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction With Cardiogenic Shock in Japan - Analysis From the JROAD/JROAD-DPC Database.

Background: The high mortality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with cardiogenic shock (i.e., Killip class IV AMI) remains a challenge in emergency cardiovascular care.