Longitudinal Metabolomics Reveals Metabolic Dysregulation Dynamics in Patients with Severe COVID-19.

A dysregulated metabolism has been studied as a key aspect of the COVID-19 pathophysiology, but its longitudinal progression in severe cases remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate metabolic dysregulation over time in patients with severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). In this single-center, prospective, observational study, we obtained 236 serum samples from 118 adult patients on MV in an ICU.

Do the norms of tolerance for child physical abuse modify the intergenerational transmission of physical abuse?

Background: Intergenerational transmission of physical abuse is well-known; however, the potential for contextual effect modification remains unknown.

Objective: We investigated whether the norms of tolerance for child physical abuse modify the intergenerational transmission of physical abuse.

Participants And Setting: Data from the Child Living Standard Survey (grades five and eight) conducted between 2016 and 2018 in three prefectures in Japan was analyzed.

Estimated prevalence and incidence of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in Japan.

Background: The latest guidelines on hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) categorise the disease as either fibrotic or non-fibrotic because of the greater clinical utility of this stratification. However, the prevalence and incidence of fibrotic and non-fibrotic HP are unknown. This study assessed the exact prevalence and incidence of fibrotic and non-fibrotic HP in Japan in 2021.

Stapler-induced vascular injury during uniportal VATS lobectomy: lessons learned from a rare complication case.

Background: Due to advances in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), the majority of lung resections can be performed safely via VATS with low morbidity and mortality. However, pulmonary artery (PA) bleeding often requires emergency conversion to thoracotomy, potentially leading to a life-threatening situation. We report a case of pulmonary artery injury caused by an unexpected stapler-tissue interaction during uniportal VATS lobectomy, highlighting the importance of recognizing and managing such rare complications to improve patient outcomes.

Specific sequelae symptoms of COVID-19 of Omicron variant in comparison with non-COVID-19 patients: a retrospective cohort study in Japan.

Background: The specific long-term sequela of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), also known as long COVID of the Omicron variant remain unclear, due to a lack of cohort studies that include non-COVID patients with cold-like symptoms. The study was conducted to examine specific sequelae symptoms after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which is considered the Omicron variant, compared with patients who were never-infected.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we sent questionnaires in November 2022, targeting those who visited our fever outpatient unit of a single institution from July to September 2022.

Bilateral thoracotomy for horseshoe lung complicated with severe aspergilloma: a case report.

Background: Horseshoe lung is a rare congenital malformation in which the lung protrudes from the mediastinum to the other side. Owing to the high frequency of other fatal cardiovascular complications, it is often diagnosed in childhood and rarely unnoted until adulthood. We report a case of horseshoe lung in an older patient who underwent thoracotomy.

Association of excess visceral fat and severe illness in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Japan: a retrospective cohort study.

Background/objectives: Obesity, defined by body mass index (BMI), is a well-known risk factor for the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Adipose tissue distribution has also been implicated as an important factor in the body's response to infection, and excess visceral fat (VF), which is prevalent in Japanese, may contribute significantly to the severity. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association of obesity and VF with COVID-19 severe illness in Japan.

Applying negative ions and an electric field to countermeasure droplets/aerosol transmission without hindering communication.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown and acryl partitions were adopted as countermeasures against droplets/aerosol infections; however, these countermeasures restrict communication. In this study, a blocking device was developed using negative ions and an electric field. The device blocks mists simulating droplets/aerosol by a maximum of 89% but transmits light and sound, which is important for communication.

Association between socioeconomic status and net survival after primary lung cancer surgery: a tertiary university hospital retrospective observational study in Japan.

Background: Inequalities in opportunities for primary lung cancer surgery due to socioeconomic status exist. We investigated whether socioeconomic inequalities exist in net survival after curative intent surgery at a tertiary university hospital, in Japan.

Methods: Data from the hospital-based cancer registry on primary lung cancer patients who received lung resection between 2010 and 2018 were linked to the surgical dataset.

Effectiveness of remdesivir with corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit: A hospital-based observational study.

The effectiveness of remdesivir on survival in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially in cases treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), is controversial. We investigated the effectiveness of remdesivir with corticosteroids on the survival of COVID-19 patients in a real ICU clinical practice. For laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary hospital in Tokyo (April 2020-November 2021) and who received corticosteroids, the effectiveness of remdesivir for survival, stratified by interval length (within 9 or 10+ days), was retrospectively analyzed using Cox regression model.

Screening and quantification of undeclared PGF analogs in eyelash-enhancing cosmetic serums using LC-MS/MS.

In recent years, cosmetics deemed equivalent to pharmaceutical products containing prostaglandin F (PGF) analogs have been distributed overseas in the form of eyelash serums that can be purchased via the internet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence or absence of PGF analogs in eyelash serums procured in Japan via the internet to elucidate the actual composition. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) measurement system was developed for the determination of 14 PGF analogs in cosmetic serums.

Effects of arm and leg positions on lumbar multifidus muscle activity while on hands and knees or while standing.

Background: The lumbar multifidus (LMF) muscle, which is involved in the mechanical stability of the lumbar spine, reportedly undergoes atrophy in patients with low back pain. Preventing or mitigating low back pain requires strengthening the LMF muscle; however, methods for triggering selective and significant contraction of this muscle have not been fully studied. This study aims to clarify how, in the hands-and-knees or standing position, the position of the arm and leg on one side affects the activity of the lumbar erector spinae (LES) and LMF muscles.

Postoperative Delirium in Lung Cancer Anatomical Resection-Analysis of Risk Factors and Prognosis.

Background: The incidence of postoperative delirium after anatomical lung resection ranges from 5 to 16%. This study aimed to analyze the risk factors and prognosis of postoperative delirium in anatomical lung resection for lung cancer.

Methods: This study included 1351 patients undergoing anatomical lung resection between April 2010 and October 2020.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with SARS-CoV-2 N501Y Variants in General Practitioner Clinic in Japan.

The clinical characteristics of patients with N501Y mutation in SARS-CoV-2 variants (N501YV) is not fully understood, especially in the setting of general practice. In this retrospective cohort study, COVID-19 patients admitted to one general practitioner clinic between 26 March and 26 May 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The characteristics, clinical symptoms and radiological findings before treatment were compared between N501YV and wild-type 501N.

Three host peculiarities of a cycloalkane-based micelle toward large metal-complex guests.

Linear alkanes are essential building blocks for natural and artificial assemblies in water. As compared with typical, linear alkane-based micelles and recent aromatic micelles, we herein develop a cycloalkane-based micelle, consisting of bent amphiphiles with two cyclohexyl frameworks. This uncommon type of micelle, with a spherical core diameter of ~ 2 nm, forms in water in a spontaneous and quantitative manner.

Synthesis of a Black Dye with Absorption Capabilities Across the Visible-to-Near-Infrared Region: A MO-Mixing Approach via Heterometal Coordination of Expanded Porphyrinoid.

An expanded metalloporphyrin-based "black dye" Au-Pd oxohexaphyrin () with absorption capabilities across the visible-to-near-infrared (NIR) range was synthesized. This black dye, , possessed efficient light-harvesting and photostable capabilities, which were indicative of superior photothermal (PT) conversion abilities. Encapsulation of with a micellar nanocapsule resulted in a compound that demonstrated intense photoacoustic (PA) properties in the NIR region in water.

Molecular investigation of the direct anti-tumour effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in a panel of canine cancer cell lines.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been suggested as effective adjunctive anti-tumour agents in human and veterinary medicine. However, the molecular mechanisms associated with their anti-tumour effects and correlations with the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX) and related molecules in tumours remain controversial. The objective of this study was to compare the expression profiles of COX and related molecules with NSAID sensitivity and to explore the molecular mechanisms of anti-tumour effects.

[Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone syndrome caused by neuroendocrine carcinoma of the colon].

A 48-year-old woman with a history of autoimmune hemolytic anemia and taking long-term corticosteroid therapy presented with a 3-month history of general fatigue, abdominal distension, and pigmentation. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed a tumor in the sigmoid colon and multiple metastatic nodules in the liver. A colonoscopy revealed an obstructing mass with the presence of an irregular ulcer in the sigmoid colon.

Age-dependency of the serum oxidative level in the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8.

Systemic oxidative stress is considered to cause aging. In this study, to estimate the oxidative stress level in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8), we evaluated serum reactive oxygen species production and reduction capacity by measurement of Diacron-Reactive Oxygen Metabolites (d-ROM) and Biological Antioxidant Potential (BAP), respectively, with age. SAMP8 showed earlier increase of d-ROM value with age than SAM resistant 1 (SAMR1), the control strain.

Physical and physiological effectiveness of an overall health care program for middle-aged Japanese women with mild obesity: A pilot study.

This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of an overall health care program (OHCP) for middle-aged Japanese women through assessing physical and physiological changes. The OHCP consisted of diet modification with natural alternative foods, walking and stretching exercises, and body massage and cupping treatments. Sixty-seven participants were assigned to one of three groups during a 3-year study period (2011-2013).

An alternative option for "resect and discard" strategy, using magnifying narrow-band imaging: a prospective "proof-of-principle" study.

Background: The "resect and discard" strategy is beneficial for cost savings on screening and surveillance colonoscopy, but it has the risk to discard lesions with advanced histology or small invasive cancer (small advanced lesion; SALs). The aim of this study was to prove the principle of new "resect and discard" strategy with consideration for SALs using magnifying narrow-band imaging (M-NBI).

Methods: Patients undergoing colonoscopy at a tertiary center were involved in this prospective trial.

Proposal of a new 'resect and discard' strategy using magnifying narrow band imaging: pilot study of diagnostic accuracy.

Background And Aim: A 'resect and discard' strategy using non-magnifying narrow band imaging (N-NBI) has been proposed for reducing screening colonoscopy costs, but it does not take into consideration advanced histology and magnifying NBI (M-NBI) that can potentially further improve the 'resect and discard' strategy. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of M-NBI for the new 'resect and discard' strategy with consideration for advanced histology.

Methods: The present study involved 63 patients.

Agaricus brasiliensis KA21 improves circulatory functions in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The present study aimed to clarify the effects of Agaricus brasiliensis KA21 (i.e., Agaricus blazei) mushroom on circulatory function.

Randomized study of two endo-knives for endoscopic submucosal dissection of esophageal cancer.

Objectives: Settings for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of esophageal cancer have not been standardized, and no studies have directly compared ESD devices in humans.

Methods: We conducted a randomized study to compare the performances of two different endo-knives, the Flush knife and Mucosectom, for esophageal ESD in 48 lesions. All procedures were initiated by two endoscopists, who were assisted by senior endoscopists with verbal advice.