Proposal to synonymize Neoplagioporus Shimazu, 1990 with Urorchis Ozaki, 1927; taxonomic revision and the description of Urorchis takahaya n. sp.

Urorchis Ozaki, 1927 and Neoplagioporus Shimazu, 1990 (Digenea: Opecoelidae: Sphaerostomatinae) comprise species parasitic in freshwater fishes of eastern Asia, although the status of these genera is questionable. We revised these genera, primarily using evidence from a molecular phylogeny based on nuclear ribosomal DNA, including new sequences of four known and one new species. Urorchis was part of the clade of Neoplagioporus species, rendering the genus Neoplagioporus paraphyletic.

Potential Bias Models With Bayesian Shrinkage Priors for Dynamic Borrowing of Multiple Historical Control Data.

When multiple historical controls are available, it is necessary to consider the conflicts between current and historical controls and the relationships among historical controls. One of the assumptions concerning the relationships between the parameters of interest of current and historical controls is known as the "Potential biases." Within the "Potential biases" assumption, the differences between the parameters of interest of the current control and of each historical control are defined as "potential bias parameters.

geessbin: an R package for analyzing small-sample binary data using modified generalized estimating equations with bias-adjusted covariance estimators.

Background: The generalized estimating equation (GEE) method is widely used for analyzing longitudinal and clustered data. Although the GEE estimate for regression coefficients and sandwich covariance estimate are consistent regardless of the choice of covariance structure, they are generally biased for small sample sizes. Various researchers have proposed modified GEE methods and covariance estimators to handle small-sample bias.

Small sample adjustment for inference without assuming orthogonality in a mixed model for repeated measures analysis.

The mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM) analysis is sometimes used as a primary statistical analysis for a longitudinal randomized clinical trial. When the MMRM analysis is implemented in ordinary statistical software, the standard error of the treatment effect is estimated by assuming orthogonality between the fixed effects and covariance parameters, based on the characteristics of the normal distribution. However, orthogonality does not hold unless the normality assumption of the error distribution holds, and/or the missing data are derived from the missing completely at random structure.

Risk of postoperative pneumonia after extubation with the positive pressure versus normal pressure technique: a single-center retrospective observational study.

Purpose: A normal pressure extubation technique (no lung inflation before extubation), proposed by the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists to prevent droplet infection during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, could theoretically increase postoperative pneumonia incidence compared with a positive pressure extubation technique (lung inflation before extubation). However, the normal pressure extubation technique has not been adequately evaluated. This study compared postoperative pneumonia incidence between positive and normal pressure extubation techniques using a dataset from the University of Tsukuba Hospital.

Effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention to promote physical activity among Japanese remote workers: a pilot open-label randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Remote work (ie, teleworking) may adversely affect physical activity (PA) among workers, but no strategies have been effectively implemented to address this issue. We aimed to test whether a multicomponent intervention program could promote the PA of remote workers.

Methods: This study was an 8-week pilot open-label randomized controlled trial.

The Effectiveness of Leukocyte-Poor Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Symptomatic Mild to Moderate Osteoarthritis of the Knee With Joint Effusion or Bone Marrow Lesions in a Japanese Population: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been proposed for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA); however, their effectiveness in Japanese patients remains unclear.

Purpose: To investigate whether 3 intra-articular injections of leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) improve symptoms and joint function in symptomatic Japanese patients with mild to moderate knee OA.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Preoperative albumin-bilirubin score and liver resection percentage determine postoperative liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy.

Background: The success of liver resection relies on the ability of the remnant liver to regenerate. Most of the knowledge regarding the pathophysiological basis of liver regeneration comes from rodent studies, and data on humans are scarce. Additionally, there is limited knowledge about the preoperative factors that influence postoperative regeneration.

Effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on coagulation factors II, VII and X in a primate model: an exploratory pilot study.

Objectives: The use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in cardiac surgery is a major risk factor for postoperative bleeding. We hypothesized that consumptive coagulopathy and haemodilution influence the coagulation factors; therefore, we aimed to estimate the activity profiles of coagulation factors II, VII and X during CPB circulation.

Methods: A 120-min bypass was surgically established in cynomolgus monkeys (n = 7).

Molecular phylogenetic position and the life cycle of Phyllodistomum cyprini Feng et Wang, 1995 in Japan, with a note of a larval Phyllodistomum sp. from unionid mussels in North America.

A gorgoderid species, Phyllodistomum cyprini Feng et Wang, 1995 obtained from ureters of common carp, Cyprinus carpio in Japan is described both morphologically and molecularly. Its larval stage is a macrocercous cercaria found in a unionid mussel, Nodularia nipponensis first described by Urabe et al. (2015).

Long-term efficacy and safety of early alogliptin initiation in subjects with type 2 diabetes: an extension of the SPEAD-A study.

We previously reported in the study of preventive effects of alogliptin on diabetic atherosclerosis (SPEAD-A) that alogliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, attenuated the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes and no history of cardiovascular disease. This extension study of the SPEAD-A trial investigated whether early alogliptin initiation improved long-term cardiovascular outcomes. The SPEAD-A trial randomized 341 subjects with type 2 diabetes to either alogliptin or conventional treatment to investigate the effects of alogliptin on atherosclerosis.

MEF2C/p300-mediated epigenetic remodeling promotes the maturation of induced cardiomyocytes.

Cardiac transcription factors (TFs) directly reprogram fibroblasts into induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs), where MEF2C acts as a pioneer factor with GATA4 and TBX5 (GT). However, the generation of functional and mature iCMs is inefficient, and the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain largely unknown. Here, we found that the overexpression of transcriptionally activated MEF2C via fusion of the powerful MYOD transactivation domain combined with GT increased the generation of beating iCMs by 30-fold.

Relationship between changes in pulmonary function and patient-reported outcomes of lung cancer surgery.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between changes in pulmonary function (PF) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of lung cancer surgery.

Methods: We recruited 262 patients who underwent lung resection for lung cancer, to evaluate the PROs, using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ)-C30 and the Lung Cancer 13-question supplement (LC13). The patients underwent PF tests and PRO assessments preoperatively (Pre) and 1 year after surgery (Y1).

A comparison of bias-adjusted generalized estimating equations for sparse binary data in small-sample longitudinal studies.

Using a generalized estimating equation (GEE) can lead to a bias in regression coefficients for a small sample or sparse data. The bias-corrected GEE (BCGEE) and penalized GEE (PGEE) were proposed to resolve the small-sample bias. Moreover, the standard sandwich covariance estimator leads to a bias of standard error for small samples; several modified covariance estimators have been proposed to address this issue.

Prediction of early graft function after living donor kidney transplantation by quantifying the "nephron mass" using CT-volumetric software.

Early renal function after living-donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) depends on the "nephron mass" in the renal graft. In this study, as a possible donor-recipient size mismatch parameter that directly reflects the "nephron mass," the cortex to recipient weight ratio (CRWR) was calculated by CT-volumetric software, and its ability to predict early graft function was examined. One hundred patients who underwent LDKT were enrolled.

A Smartphone Healthcare Application, , to Promote Weight Loss: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Mobile applications are increasingly used in healthcare. We have developed a smartphone healthcare application, , that can register daily diet, exercise, mood, and sleep quality, calculate dietary intake, and provide advice using artificial intelligence technology. This 3-month randomized controlled trial tested the hypothesis that could promote body weight reduction in Japanese adults with overweight or obesity.