Lyme neuroborreliosis in Japan: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato as a cause of meningitis of previously undetermined etiology in hospitalized patients outside of the island of Hokkaido, 2010-2021.

Background And Purpose: Clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis (LB), caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), include erythema migrans, Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), carditis, and arthritis. LB is a notifiable disease in Japan with <30 surveillance-reported LB cases annually, predominately from Hokkaido Prefecture. However, LB, including LNB, may be under-diagnosed in Japan since diagnostic tests are not readily available.

Predictive Value of Preoperative Peak Oxygen Uptake for Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Lung Cancer Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Single-center Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: The relationship between preoperative peak oxygen uptake/weight (VO2/W) and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) in lobectomies, including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, remains unclear. Traditional pulmonary function tests are often unreliable in this group, necessitating alternative predictive methods. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the predictive value of preoperative peak VO2/W for PPC and explore factors related to PPC in lung cancer patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Enhanced diaphragm excursion and exercise tolerance in COPD patients through inspiratory muscle training after standardised pulmonary rehabilitation: randomised controlled trial.

Objective: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is used to improve inspiratory muscle strength in patients with COPD. However, the effect of IMT on diaphragmatic function has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of IMT on maximum diaphragmatic excursion (DE) using ultrasonography in patients with COPD.

A Retrospective Cohort Study of a Newly Proposed Criteria for Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Background/objectives: Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder traditionally diagnosed based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria in 1998. Recently, Hermann et al. proposed updated diagnostic criteria incorporating advanced biomarkers to enhance early detection of sCJD.

Inspiratory Muscle Training Before Esophagectomy Increases Diaphragmatic Excursion: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has preventive effects against postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after upper abdominal surgery. However, its impact on diaphragmatic function has not been evaluated. This study investigated the effect of preoperative IMT on diaphragmatic excursion (DE) and prevention of PPCs for patients with esophageal cancer.