Antihypertensive and Vasorelaxant Effects of Citric Acid and Lemon Juice in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats: In Vivo and Ex Vivo Studies.

Hypertension is a key risk factor for heart, brain, and kidney disease development. Fruit consumption has been associated with a decrease in blood pressure. Lemon juice, which contains antihypertensive compounds, may exert antihypertensive effects.

Swallow-related Brain Activity in Post-total Laryngectomy Patients: A Case Series Study.

Background: Total laryngectomy is a surgical procedure to completely remove the hyoid bone, larynx, and associated muscles as a curative treatment for laryngeal cancer. This leads to insufficient swallowing function with compensative movements of the residual tongue to propel the food bolus to the pharynx and esophagus. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms of compensative swallowing after total laryngectomy remain unclear.

The Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Chemotherapy for cT3N0M0 Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: The Impact of Tumor Location.

Purpose: Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) can be divided into renal pelvis tumor (RPT) and ureteral tumor (UT) based on the tumor origin. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin (NAC-GC) in terms of the pathological outcomes and oncological prognoses in patients with UTUC. We also compared its efficacy between RPT and UT.

Timing of Elective Cesarean Section and Neonatal Outcomes in Term Singleton Deliveries: A Single-Center Experience.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the timing of elective cesarean sections at 37 to 41 weeks from a tertiary hospital in Japan. The primary outcome was the rate of adverse neonatal outcomes, especially focusing on neonates delivered at 38 weeks of gestation.

Study Design: The study population was drawn from singleton pregnancies delivered following planned cesarean birth at the Fukuda Hospital from 2012 to 2019.

Renal pathology in adult and paediatric population of Japan: review of the Japan renal biopsy registry database from 2007 to 2017.

Background: The Japan Renal Biopsy Registry (J-RBR), a nationwide, web-based, registry system, started in 2007. This study aimed to summarise the epidemiology of biopsy-diagnosed kidney disease in Japan over 10 years.

Methods: We analysed the J-RBR database, from 2007 to 2017.

The prognostic impact of a high number of peritumoral alveolar macrophages in neuroendocrine carcinoma in the lung.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are resident macrophages in the lungs; however, whether the number of AMs plays a role in the lung neuroendocrine tumor (NET) prognosis remains unclear. We counted the number of AMs located around the tumor (peritumoral alveolar macrophages [pAMs]) and the number of AMs located apart from the tumor (distant macrophages; dAMs). In 73 cases of neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC: small cell lung carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma), the group that contained higher pAMs (≥86/μm ) revealed shorter recurrent-free survival (RFS) than those with lower pAMs (<86/μm ) (p = 0.

Effect of long-term carnosine/anserine supplementation on iron regulation after a prolonged running session.

Purpose: Exercise-induced hemolysis, which is caused by metabolic and/or mechanical stress during exercise, is considered a potential factor for upregulating hepcidin. Intramuscular carnosine has multiple effects including antioxidant activity. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether long-term carnosine/anserine supplementation modulates exercise-induced hemolysis and subsequent hepcidin elevation.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging for monitoring the efficacy of near-infrared photoimmunotherapy.

Background: Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a promising cancer therapy combining NIR-light irradiation with an antibody and IR700DX, a light-sensitive substance, to destroy tumours. However, homogeneous irradiation is difficult because the light varies depending on the distance and tissue environment. Therefore, markers that indicate sufficient irradiation are necessary.

Improvement of patient care using cancer genomic profiling: SCRUM-/CIRCULATE-Japan experience.

We launched SCRUM-Japan platform for the cancer genome profiling (CGP) test screening followed by the enrollment to genomically-matched clinical trials in 2015. More than 30,000 tissue-based and 10,000 liquid-based CGP tests have already been performed for enrolling to a total of 127 industry-/investigator-initiated registration trials, which resulted in regulatory approvals of 12 new agents with 14 indications in Japan. Using the clinical-genomic database, a new driver gene was recently discovered with dramatic response by genomically-matched agent.

Antimicrobial resistance and genotyping of isolated from the ear canals of dogs in Japan.

The strong bond between dogs and their owners creates a close association that could result in the transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from canines to humans, potentially leading to the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes. , a common causative agent of persistent ear infections in dogs, is often resistant to multiple antibiotics. Assessing the antimicrobial resistance profile and genotype of is crucial for the appropriate use of veterinary pharmaceuticals.

Clinicogenomic Features and Targetable Mutations in NSCLCs Harboring BRAF Non-V600E Mutations: A Multi-Institutional Genomic Screening Study (LC-SCRUM-Asia).

Introduction: BRAF non-V600E mutations occur in 1% to 2% of NSCLCs. Because of their rarity, the clinical backgrounds and outcomes of cytotoxic chemotherapy or immunotherapy remain unclear, and no targeted therapies are approved for BRAF non-V600E-mutant NSCLC.

Methods: In this multi-institutional prospective lung cancer genomic screening project (LC-SCRUM-Asia), we evaluated the clinicogenomic characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of BRAF non-V600E-mutant NSCLC.

Preoperative fluorescent clip marking vs. India ink tattooing for tumor identification during colorectal surgery.

Purpose: Identifying tumor location is important in colorectal tumor resection. Preoperative endoscopic India ink marking is a widespread practice, but local injection of ink is an unstable procedure. Although it is often invisible, the ink may be sprayed into the peritoneal cavity and contaminate the surgical field.

Retrospective evaluation of the improvement in the urinary status-related quality of life after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients who report improvement in quality of life (QOL) related to urinary status after undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for localized prostate cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients who underwent RARP between May 2010 and May 2021 at our institution and were preoperatively unsatisfied with their urinary status. Patients were grouped as Group 1 (improved patients: "satisfied" with urinary status based on international prostate symptom score QOL [IPSS-QOL] = 0-2 at 12 months after RARP) and Group 2 (unimproved group: "unsatisfied"-IPSS-QOL 3-6).

Brigatinib in Japanese patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: Final results of the phase 2 J-ALTA trial.

The phase 2, single-arm, multicenter, open-label J-ALTA study evaluated the efficacy and safety of brigatinib in Japanese patients with advanced ALK+ non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One expansion cohort of J-ALTA enrolled patients previously treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs); the main cohort included patients with prior alectinib ± crizotinib. The second expansion cohort enrolled patients with TKI-naive ALK+ NSCLC.

Detailed analysis of tachycardia cycle length aids diagnosis of the mechanism and location of atrial tachycardias.

Aims: Although the mechanism of an atrial tachycardia (AT) can usually be elucidated using modern high-resolution mapping systems, it would be helpful if the AT mechanism and circuit could be predicted before initiating mapping.

Objective: We examined if the information gathered from the cycle length (CL) of the tachycardia can help predict the AT-mechanism and its localization.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-eight activation maps of ATs including eight focal-ATs, 94 macroreentrant-ATs, and 36 localized-ATs in 95 patients were retrospectively reviewed.

Biomarker analysis of the phase II JO25567 study comparing erlotinib with or without bevacizumab in first-line advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as erlotinib, are standard-of-care for patients with mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but most patients progress within 1 year. Previously, we demonstrated that erlotinib plus bevacizumab (EB) improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with -positive non-squamous NSCLC in the randomized JO25567 study. To understand this effect, we conducted comprehensive exploratory biomarker analyses.