Comparative Analysis of Needleless and Needle-Based Electrospinning Methods for Polyamide 6: A Technical Note.

This study investigates the influence of needleless versus needle-based electrospinning methods on the fiber diameter of polyamide 6 (PA6) nanofibers under comparable conditions, with an emphasis on potential pharmaceutical applications. Additionally, it examines how varying solvent systems impact fiber diameter specifically in needleless electrospinning. In this study, it was found that fibers produced by the needleless method were thicker compared to those produced by the needle-based method, a trend attributable to the specific solution characteristics and parameter settings unique to this study.

Emotional analysis of operating room nurses in acute care hospitals in Japan: insights using ChatGPT.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the emotions of operating room nurses in Japan towards perioperative nursing using generative AI and human analysis, and to identify factors contributing to burnout and turnover.

Methods: A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2023 to February 2024, involving semi-structured interviews with 10 operating room nurses from a national hospital in Japan. Interview transcripts were analyzed using generative AI (ChatGPT-4o) and human researchers for thematic, emotional, and subjectivity analysis.

Investigation of the association between therapeutic effectiveness of anamorelin and Glasgow prognostic score in patients with cancer cachexia: a competing risk analysis.

Anamorelin, a highly selective ghrelin receptor agonist, enhances appetite and increases lean body mass in patients with cancer cachexia. However, the predictors of its therapeutic effectiveness are uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the association between the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), used for classifying the severity of cancer cachexia, the therapeutic effectiveness of anamorelin, and the feasibility of early treatment based on cancer types.

Communication Skills and Illness Perception Among Non-Japanese-Speaking Patients in Japan.

Background: Non-Japanese-speaking patients taking medical treatment in Japan face language barriers and lack of language assistance. Language barriers influence all processes from preventive services to treatment, and insufficient communication can affect patient outcomes. Illness perception, which is related to illness-coping behaviors and self-care behaviors, is an important factor for effective treatment, but no studies have investigated the relationship between communication skills and illness perception among non-Japanese-speaking patients.

Assessment of heterogeneity according to hospital or medical experience factors in outcomes of chemotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer: a post-hoc analysis of JCOG1113.

Background: JCOG1113 is a randomized phase III trial that showed non-inferiority of gemcitabine plus S-1 to gemcitabine plus cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. Assessment of inter-institutional heterogeneity in chemotherapy contributes to confirm generalizability and reliability of the study itself. However, there have been no studies conducted to assess the heterogeneity among participating centers in randomized phase III trials for biliary tract cancer.

A Reflective Terahertz Point Source Meta-Sensor with Asymmetric Meta-Atoms for High-Sensitivity Bio-Sensing.

Biosensors operating in the terahertz (THz) region are gaining substantial interest in biomedical analysis due to their significant potential for high-sensitivity trace-amount solution detection. However, progress in compact, high-sensitivity chips and methods for simple, rapid and trace-level measurements is limited by the spatial resolution of THz waves and their strong absorption in polar solvents. In this work, a compact nonlinear optical crystal (NLOC)-based reflective THz biosensor with a few arrays of asymmetrical meta-atoms was developed.

Efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy for biliary drainage in hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study from Japan.

Background/aims: Biliary obstruction drainage in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with symptom palliation, improved access to chemotherapy, and improved survival. Stent placement and exchange via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography biliary drainage risk traversing the HCC, a hypervascular tumor and causing bleeding. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) potentially prevents procedure-related bleeding.

The Long-Term Cost-Effectiveness of Tirzepatide 5 mg versus Dulaglutide 0.75 mg for the Treatment of People with Type 2 Diabetes in Japan.

Introduction: This analysis aimed to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of tirzepatide 5 mg versus dulaglutide 0.75 mg (both administered once weekly) in people not achieving glycemic control on metformin, based on the results of the head-to-head SURPASS J-mono trial from a Japanese healthcare payer perspective.

Methods: A cost-utility analysis was performed over a 50-year time horizon using an implementation of the UKPDS Outcomes Model 2 developed in Microsoft Excel.

Antiviral peptide targeting P protein oligomerization: proof of concept for mononegaviruses.

In , phosphoproteins (P) are essential polymerase cofactors, forming oligomers and interacting with viral components to facilitate replication. Previous studies have demonstrated that a P-derived peptide (PFr) from the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), containing the oligomerization domain (OD) and C-terminal domain (CTD), effectively inhibits RSV replication. Here, we extend this approach to paramyxoviruses, including HPIV3, MeV and MuV.

Torsion of the wandering spleen with intestinal obstruction.

Wandering spleen is a relatively rare condition and may be complicated by intestinal obstruction or abnormal intestinal rotation. Herein, we report a case where these three conditions appeared concomitantly. An 18-year-old woman with an intellectual disability was admitted to the hospital because of vomiting and fever.

Ocular safety of 222-nm far-ultraviolet-c full-room germicidal irradiation: A 36-month clinical observation.

The ocular safety of 222-nm far-ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation, widely recognized for its germicidal properties, was evaluated in a clinical setting to assess its long-term health effects on the human eye. This prospective observational study involved a 36-month follow-up of physicians working in an ophthalmic examination room equipped with 222-nm UV-C lamps. Initially, a 12-month observation showed no signs of acute or chronic ocular damage.

Rare Case of Fusobacterium necrophorum Bacteremia and Pleural Empyema Originating from a Burn Ulcer in a 16-Year-Old Female Patient.

BACKGROUND Most Fusobacterium necrophorum infections originate in the head and neck region. Infections originating from sites other than the head and neck are rare but are more common in older than in younger adults and have a higher mortality rate than that of infections originating from the head and neck region. CASE REPORT We present the case of a previously healthy 16-year-old female patient who developed bacteremia and pleural effusions with a burn ulcer on the lower leg but had no abnormality in the head and neck region.

Combined quantitative analysis of the nigro-striata system in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease.

Degeneration of the nigrostriatal system occurs in multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD) via distinct pathological mechanisms. Here, we investigated nigrostriatal degeneration in MSA and PD by combining a newly developed method for evaluating the regional accumulation of dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DAT SPECT) and individual voxel-based morphometry adjusting covariates (iVAC). We recruited 17 MSA patients and 13 PD patients, and compared their clinical and imaging indices.

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy of bile excretion after endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy for malignant biliary obstruction: a retrospective study in Japan.

Background/aims: Hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) is used to evaluate bile excretion. This study aimed to evaluate biliary excretion during endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) using HBS.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 78 consecutive patients with malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction, who underwent HBS after EUS-HGS between April 2015 and July 2022.

Clinical Outcomes and Return to Play in Dynamic Anterior Glenohumeral Capsular Ligament Tensioning Procedure for Overhead-throwing Athletes with Traumatic Shoulder Dislocation on the Throwing Side.

Background: Although arthroscopic Bankart repair for shoulder instability after a traumatic shoulder dislocation is a standard procedure, return-to-play rates for overhead-throwing athletes with shoulder instability on the throwing side have been reported to be lower than those in non-overhead athletes or in non-throwing shoulders. A recent technical report showed that the dynamic anterior glenohumeral capsular ligament tensioning (DAGHT) procedure in abducted external rotation, which mimics the late cocking phase of the throwing motion during surgery, may provide optimal tensioning of the anterior glenohumeral ligament. This study compared clinical outcomes and return to play after arthroscopic Bankart repair between DAGHT and a conventional procedure for overhead-throwing athletes with traumatic dislocation on the throwing side.

Urinary titin as an early biomarker of skeletal muscle proteolysis and atrophy in various catabolic conditions.

Skeletal muscle atrophy impairs quality of life and increases the risk of disease, but current methods for assessment of muscle mass have several limitations. We here investigated the urinary concentration of a fragment of the muscle protein titin as a potential biomarker for the early detection of skeletal muscle atrophy. Four mouse models with different atrophy pathways were studied: those of cardiotoxin-induced acute muscle injury, cast-induced muscle immobilization, lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis, and streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Search for the Exclusive W Boson Hadronic Decays W^{±}→π^{±}γ, W^{±}→K^{±}γ and W^{±}→ρ^{±}γ with the ATLAS Detector.

A search for the exclusive hadronic decays W^{±}→π^{±}γ, W^{±}→K^{±}γ, and W^{±}→ρ^{±}γ is performed using up to 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV. If observed, these rare processes would provide a unique test bench for the quantum chromodynamics factorization formalism used to calculate cross sections at colliders. Additionally, at future colliders, these decays could offer a new way to measure the W boson mass through fully reconstructed decay products.

Dynamic Anterior Glenohumeral Capsular Ligament Tensioning During Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization in Overhead-Throwing Athletes.

Although the most common surgical treatment for traumatic anterior shoulder instability is arthroscopic Bankart repair (ABR), which has shown good postoperative results, a potential risk of postoperative external rotation deficit exists. For overhead-throwing athletes, recovery of postoperative range of motion during abduction and external rotation is essential to return to preinjury performance levels. We consider that the key to returning to play after ABR on the dominant side in overhead-throwing athletes is to simultaneously gain anterior stability and mobility of the shoulder.

Impact of CA9 expression in the diagnosis of lymph-node metastases in non-small cell lung cancer based on [18F]FDG PET/CT.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of the global cancer incidence and mortality. It is important to obtain an accurate diagnosis of lymph-node metastasis before surgery to select the therapeutic strategy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) is considered a marker of hypoxia and it has reported that CA9 is associated with tumor invasion and metastasis.

is not necessary for male fertility, but contributes to maintaining sperm morphology.

Selenoprotein P (SeP) is synthesized in the liver and plays a vital role in maintaining selenium homeostasis via transport throughout the body. Previous studies have shown that SeP-deficient mice have severely reduced expression of selenoproteins essential for testicular function, leading to male infertility. We previously reported that the high expression of Ccdc152 in hepatocytes acts as a lncRNA, suppressing SeP expression in the liver.

Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Ultrasonography-Guided Ethanol Injections of Small Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: a prospective, multicenter study.

Background And Study Aims: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided ethanol injection (EI) has recently been introduced as one of the management strategies for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNENs). However, its role as a surgical alternative is unclear. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of EUS-EI in treating small PNENs through a prospective multicentre study.

Development of an estimation formula for preparation time of anesthesia induction and surgery accounting for clinical department factors in optimal surgery schedule management.

Efficient operating room management is essential and requires precise surgery scheduling. We hypothesized that an estimation formula for the preparation time for anesthesia induction and surgery could be developed by incorporating anesthesia and surgical factors, as well as the 'clinical department,' into the formula. This retrospective observational study analyzed 12,528 scheduled surgical cases.

Current status analysis of the prevalence and regional disparities of robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy in Japan using diagnosis procedure combination data.

The introduction of the "da Vinci S HD Surgical System" marked a significant shift towards robotic surgeries in Japan. However, initial high costs and lack of efficacy data posed barriers to its widespread adoption. By 2023, more than 570 da Vinci units were operational in Japan, highlighting the growing acceptance of robotic surgery despite these challenges.