Characteristics associated with career self-reliance behaviors of nurses working in nursing homes in Japan: A cross-sectional study.

Background: With an aging global population, establishing integrated systems for long-term care is challenging in several countries. Adequate and quality service for older adults in nursing homes can improve their quality of life. The career self-reliance of nurses working in nursing homes may affect the quality of life of older adults; this suggests a need for educational support for career self-reliance behavior.

Roxadustat-Induced Central Hypothyroidism Masked by Uremia at the Initiation of Hemodialysis: A Case Report.

Hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) is a novel class of orally administered medications for renal anemia in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Roxadustat, a HIF-PHI, has a structure similar to that of triiodothyronine and may work as an agonist for thyroid hormone receptor-beta in the pituitary gland and/or hypothalamus. Therefore, roxadustat may cause central hypothyroidism due to suppressing thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) release in the pituitary gland and/or thyrotropin-releasing hormone release in the hypothalamus.

A Comparison of Rice Root Microbial Dynamics in Organic and Conventional Paddy Fields.

The assembly of plant root microbiomes is a dynamic process. Understanding the roles of root-associated microbiomes in rice development requires dissecting their assembly throughout the rice life cycle under diverse environments and exploring correlations with soil properties and rice physiology. In this study, we performed amplicon sequencing targeting fungal ITS and the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to characterize and compare bacterial and fungal community dynamics of the rice root endosphere and soil in organic and conventional paddy fields.

The Impact of Ageing on Diaphragm Function and Maximal Inspiratory Pressure: A Cross-Sectional Ultrasound Study.

: The effects of ageing on the diaphragm are unclear. This study examined the association between ageing and diaphragm thickness, thickening fraction (TF), and diaphragm excursion (DE) as assessed by ultrasonography after adjusting for other factors. The relationship between these parameters and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) was also investigated.

Scalable preparation of furanosteroidal viridin, β-viridin and viridiol from Trichoderma virens.

Viridin and viridiol, along with wortmannin, metabolized by filamentous fungus Trichoderma virens, are identical furanosteroids with high-potent inhibitory activity towards phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) that associates the growth of tumor cells. Therefore, structure-activity relationship study (SAR) of these furanosteroids contributes to the development of novel drugs. However, rational supply methods have not been established yet.

[UPFRONT DOCETAXEL WITH ANDROGEN DEPRIVATION THERAPY IN MALES WITH HIGH-VOLUME METASTATIC CASTRATION-SENSITIVE PROSTATE CANCER: RESULTS OF A SINGLE-INSTITUTION SERIES].

(Objective) This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of upfront docetaxel (DTX) treatment and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in male patients with high-volume metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (HV-mCSPC). (Methods) This retrospective study was conducted using the medical records of 30 patients treated for HV-mCSPC by using upfront DTX treatment along with ADT at Atsugi City Hospital between December 2015 and December 2022. The patient characteristics, demographics, oncological outcomes, adverse events, and sequential therapy were evaluated.

Clinical outcomes and treatment patterns of maintenance avelumab in locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a multicenter collaborative study.

Background: The JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) with maintenance avelumab in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma UC (la/mUC) who achieved disease control following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy (1 L-PBC). However, real-world data on eligibility, utilization, and outcomes of maintenance avelumab therapy remain limited.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with la/mUC who received 1 L-PBC.

Untreated and uncontrolled hypertension in Japanese patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Hypertension (HT) is the most attributable and modifiable risk factor for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). However, epidemiological data on blood pressure (BP) control before SICH and its relationship to patient lifestyles are lacking. This study prospectively enrolled patients with acute SICH from six stroke centers in Tochigi, Japan.

Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome System Implementation in Outpatient Cardiovascular Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The integration of patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessments in cardiovascular care has encountered considerable obstacles despite their established clinical relevance.

Objective: To assess the impact of a physician- and patient-friendly electronic PRO (ePRO) monitoring system on the quality of cardiovascular care in clinical practice.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This open-label, multicenter, pilot randomized clinical trial was phase 2 of a multiphase study that was conducted from October 2022 to October 2023 and focused on the implementation and evaluation of an ePRO monitoring system in outpatient clinics in Japan.

Relationship Between Diaphragm Function and Sarcopenia Assessed by Ultrasound: A Cross-Sectional Study.

: The diaphragm is important for respiration, but the effects of age-related muscle loss and sarcopenia on diaphragm function are unclear. We evaluated the associations of sarcopenia and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) with diaphragm function. : This study was conducted at three Japanese hospitals from May 2023 to September 2024.

Pseudogap in electron-doped cuprates: Strong correlation leading to band splitting.

The pseudogap phenomena have been a long-standing mystery of the cuprate high-temperature superconductors. The pseudogap in the electron-doped cuprates has been attributed to band folding due to antiferromagnetic (AFM) long-range order or short-range correlation. We performed an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of the electron-doped cuprates PrLaCeCuO showing spin-glass, disordered AFM behaviors, and superconductivity at low temperatures and, by measurements with fine momentum cuts, found that the gap opens on the unfolded Fermi surface rather than the AFM Brillouin zone boundary.

Barriers to and facilitators of point-of-care ultrasound utilization among physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses in Japan: a comparative study.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a valuable skill for generalist physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), and nurses; however, its utilization remains limited. This study was performed to investigate the current status, barriers, and facilitators of POCUS implementation among physicians, NPs, and nurses in family and hospital medicine in Japan and to identify differences in influencing factors between physicians and NPs/nurses.

Results: A web-based survey was distributed via the mailing lists of four major academic societies in general medicine in Japan-the Japanese Society of Hospital General Medicine, the Japan Primary Care Association, the Japanese Association for Home Care Medicine, and the Japan Society of Nurse Practitioner-from April to June 2024.

Loss of Cpt1a results in elevated glucose-fueled mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and defective hematopoietic stem cells.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) rely on self-renewal to sustain stem cell potential and undergo differentiation to generate mature blood cells. Mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) is essential for HSC maintenance. However, the role of Carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1a (CPT1A), a key enzyme in FAO, remains unclear in HSCs.

An early precursor CD8 T cell that adapts to acute or chronic viral infection.

This study examines the origin and differentiation of stem-like CD8+ T cells that are essential for sustained T cell immunity in chronic viral infections and cancer and also play a key role in PD-1 directed immunotherapy. These PD-1+ TCF-1+ TOX+ stem-like CD8+ T cells, also referred to as precursors of exhausted T cells, have a distinct program that allows them to adapt to chronic antigen stimulation. Using the mouse model of chronic LCMV infection we found that virus specific stem-like CD8+ T cells are generated early (day 5) during chronic infection suggesting that this crucial fate commitment occurs irrespective of infection outcome.

Curative resection of multiple primary neuroendocrine tumors enabled by preoperative imaging: a case report.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NENs) originate from neuroendocrine cells and predominantly occur in the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and pancreas. Although the liver is commonly involved in NEN metastasis, primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs) are rare. Herein, we report a case of a 52-year-old female who presented with slowly enlarging, cystic, multiple PHNETs.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Enhances the Therapeutic Effect of IGF-Trap in Intracerebral Glioma Models.

Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive malignancy with a dismal 5-year survival rate of 5-10%. Current therapeutic options are limited, due in part to drug exclusion by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We have previously shown that high-amplitude repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in rats allowed the delivery across the BBB of an IGF signaling inhibitor-IGF-Trap.

Annual report on National Clinical Database 2021 for gastroenterological surgery in Japan.

Aim: The Japanese National Clinical Database, which covers more than 95% of the surgeries performed in Japan, is the largest nationwide database. This is the 2021 annual report of the Gastroenterological Section of the National Clinical Database, which aims to present the short-term outcomes of cases registered in 2021 and discuss significant changes and insights into gastroenterological surgeries observed over the decade.

Methods: We reviewed the data of patients registered in the National Clinical Database between 2012 and 2021.

Effect of abdominal aortic calcification on long-term outcomes after the first liver resection in very old patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: We previously reported that abdominal aortic calcification is associated with poor overall and recurrence-free survival after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the effect of abdominal aortic calcification on cancer-specific prognosis in very old patients with several comorbidities remains unknown. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the impact of abdominal aortic calcification on the cumulative recurrence rate and recurrence-free survival in patients with HCC aged >80 years.

Robotically assisted mitral valve repair using the butterfly technique in a patient with a narrow chest.

Background: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery for mitral regurgitation is challenging in patients with narrow chests due to limited thoracic space. The butterfly technique can prevent systolic anterior motion in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation and redundant posterior leaflets, but it is difficult to perform via minimally invasive cardiac surgery. Few reports have described mitral valve repair using the butterfly technique or in a narrow chest.

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without chemotherapy for unresectable non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter retrospective observational study.

Introduction: Compared to platinum-based therapies, a combination of ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) has demonstrated improved outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), albeit with higher rates of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This multicenter retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without chemotherapy (NI and NICT) in real-world clinical settings.

Methods: We enrolled 215 treatment-naïve NSCLC patients who received NI or NICT between December 2020 and May 2023 at 14 institutions in Japan.

Plasticized polyvinyl chloride: From material properties to flexible applications.

The development of electroactive polymers (EAPs) affords novel integrated actuation and sensing technologies for intelligent flexible systems, enabling them to achieve remarkable flexibility and intelligence. Among EAPs, plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel stands out as an ideal candidate for next-generation intelligent flexible applications due to its combination of exceptional actuation and sensing properties. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of recent advances in PVC gel actuators and sensors, including fabrication, properties, modeling, and applications.

Combination Treatment with Cryolipolysis and Hyaluronic Acid Fillers for Jawline Enhancement.

Background: Facial contouring procedures are increasingly sought to address aesthetic concerns such as submental fat accumulation and lack of jawline definition. Cryolipolysis and hyaluronic acid (HA) injection have emerged as promising modalities for lower face contouring, targeting fat reduction and jawline enhancement, respectively.

Objective: This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of a combined treatment approach involving cryolipolysis followed by HA injection for addressing lower face contour concerns.

Erratum: Robust Weak Topological Insulator in the Bismuth Halide Bi_{4}Br_{2}I_{2} [Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 086602 (2024)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.

Efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy after curative hepatectomy for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases: a single-center retrospective study.

Background: The survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy after curative hepatectomy for colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases remains controversial. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in improving recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for CRC liver metastases at a tertiary medical center.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological factors in 89 patients (surgery alone, n = 63; adjuvant chemotherapy, n = 26) who underwent curative hepatectomy for CRC liver metastases from January 2010 to December 2022.