Positive association of large alcohol intake per occasion with vision-threatening severe diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema in Japanese men with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Differing from the overall consumption of alcohol, whether consuming large quantities of alcohol per drinking occasion is associated with higher risk of developing severe diabetic retinopathy remains unknown.

Methods: We examined whether the quantity per drinking occasion (QPO), including a large QPO, and the combinations of the frequency of alcohol consumption (FAC) and QPO were associated with higher risk of developing severe diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema (DME) using adjusted Cox models. Severe diabetic retinopathy or DME was designated as a vision-threatening treatment-required diabetic eye disease (TRDED).

Mechanical signaling through membrane tension induces somal translocation during neuronal migration.

Neurons migrate in a saltatory manner by repeating two distinct steps: extension of the leading process and translocation of the cell body. The former step is critical for determining the migratory route in response to extracellular guidance cues. In the latter step, neurons must generate robust forces that translocate the bulky soma against mechanical barriers of the surrounding three-dimensional environment.

Unidirectional reconnection of an inter-atrial epicardial connection with wide right atrial insertion site: a case report.

Background: The epicardial connections (ECs) via intercaval fibres connecting the right-sided pulmonary veins (PVs) and right atrium (RA) can preclude isolation of the right-sided PVs. Such ECs occasionally have a unidirectional conduction property.

Case Summary: A 62-year-old man was referred to our institution for catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).

Decreasing electricity costs of clean room for cell products during non-operation.

Introduction: Cell processing facilities are susceptible to environmental bacteria and must maintain sterile environments to safeguard cell products. This process involves circulating air through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which incurs significant maintenance costs. While cost-reduction strategies have been explored in the semiconductor industry, validations specific to cell processing facilities remain unreported.

Mid-term outcomes of delivery catheter-based and stylet-based right ventricular septal pacing: Follow-up results from a multicenter, prospective, randomized study.

Background: The Mt FUJI study was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial comparing delivery catheter-based and stylet-based right ventricular (RV) lead placement at the RV septum. This study extended the follow-up duration to 1 year after implantation.

Methods: Seventy patients with pacemaker indications for atrioventricular block were randomly assigned to the delivery catheter and stylet groups.

Uncoupling endocardial bundles coupled by an epicardial bundle in the left atrium and pulmonary veins.

Uncoupling of the endocardial bundles in the left atrium was suggested during modified posterior wall isolation. Although this fact may not be observed because of the possible bridging conduction by epicardial bundles in humans, partially failed transmural ablation in the atrial roof may have iatrogenically unveiled this fact.

Universal Click-Chemistry Approach for the DNA Functionalization of Nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology has revolutionized the fabrication of hybrid species with tailored functionalities. A milestone in this field is the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) conjugation of nanoparticles, introduced almost 30 years ago, which typically exploits the affinity between thiol groups and metallic surfaces. Over the last decades, developments in colloidal research have enabled the synthesis of an assortment of nonmetallic structures, such as high-index dielectric nanoparticles, with unique properties not previously accessible with traditional metallic nanoparticles.

Vein of Marshall chemical ablation decreases atrial fibrillation drivers detected by CARTOFINDER.

Introduction: This study sought to elucidate the impact of vein of Marshall (VOM) chemical ablation on atrial fibrillation (AF) drivers by investigating the changes in CARTOFINDER mappings before and after VOM chemical ablation in patients with persistent AF.

Methods: This study included 23 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation for long-persistent AF (>18 months). VOM chemical ablation was performed following pulmonary vein isolation.

Delivery catheter system carries more physiological right ventricular septal pacing than stylet system.

Introduction: The Mt. FUJI multicenter trial demonstrated that a delivery catheter system had a higher rate of successful right ventricular (RV) lead deployment on the RV septum (RVS) than a conventional stylet system. In this subanalysis of the Mt.

Unidirectional conduction characterizing epicardial connections in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias.

Introduction: Electrophysiological characteristics of epicardial connections (ECs) in atria and pulmonary veins (PVs) are unclear despite their important contributions to atrial fibrillation (AF). Unidirectional conduction associated with source-sink mismatch can occur in ECs due to their fine fibers with abrupt changes in orientation. We detailed the prevalence and electrophysiological characteristics of unidirectional conduction in the atria and investigated its association with the clinical manifestation of AF.

Photosensitizing Metasurface Empowered by Enhanced Magnetic Field of Toroidal Dipole Resonance.

Photochemical reaction exploiting an excited triplet state (T ) of a molecule requires two steps for the excitation, i.e., electronic transition from the ground (S ) to singlet excited (S ) states and intersystem crossing to the T  state.

Impact of Interatrial Epicardial Connections on the Dominant Frequency of Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: An epicardial connection (EC) between the right-sided pulmonary venous (RtPV) carina and right atrium (RA) may preclude PV isolation, but its electrophysiological role during atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unknown.

Methods and results: This prospective observational study included 98 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF, subdivided into the EC group (n=17) and non-EC group (n=80) based on observation of RA posterior wall breakthrough during RtPV pacing. Mean left atrial (LA) dominant frequency (mean DF) was defined as the averaged DFs at the right and left PVs and LA appendage.

Inter-atrial epicardial muscular fibers as a possible source of atrial tachyarrhythmias.

Unlabelled: A 22-year-old woman without structural heart disease underwent catheter ablation of frequent premature atrial contractions (PACs). Radiofrequency applications from both the right and left atrium were effective in suppressing or eliminating these PACs. The distance between the right atrial ablation site and the successful ablation site at the right-sided pulmonary venous carina measured 18 mm on the CARTO map, and no cardiac structure, i.

Impact of catheter ablation and subsequent recurrence of atrial fibrillation on glucose status in patients undergoing continuous glucose monitoring.

Although glucose metabolism and atrial fibrillation (AF) have complex interrelationships, the impact of catheter ablation of AF on glucose status has not been well evaluated. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with a FreeStyle Libre Pro (Abbott) was performed for 48 h pre-procedure, during the procedure, and for 72 h post-procedure in 58 non-diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with symptomatic AF and 20 patients with supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias as a control group. All ablation procedures including pulmonary vein isolation were performed successfully.

Usefulness of delivery catheter on accurate right ventricular septal pacing: Mt FUJI trial.

Aims: Although the delivery catheter system for pacemaker-lead implantation is a new alternative to the stylet system, no randomized controlled trial has addressed the difference in right ventricular (RV) lead placement accuracy to the septum between the stylet and the delivery catheter systems. This multicentre prospective randomized controlled trial aimed to prove the efficacy of the delivery catheter system for accurate delivery of RV lead to the septum.

Methods And Results: In this trial, 70 patients (mean age 78 ± 11 years; 30 men) with pacemaker indications of atrioventricular block were randomized to the delivery catheter or the stylet groups.

Posterolateral full-endoscopic debridement and irrigation is effective in treating thoraco-lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis, except in cases with large abscess cavities.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy and poor prognostic factors of posterolateral full-endoscopic debridement and irrigation (PEDI) surgery for thoraco-lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Methods: We included 64 patients (46 men, 18 women; average age: 63.7 years) with thoracic/lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis who had undergone PEDI treatment and were followed up for more than 2 years.

A case of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation with secondary angle closure caused by ciliary body thickening.

Purpose: To describe a case of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP) with secondary angle closure caused by ciliary body thickening accompanied by intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation after mydriasis.

Observations: A 55-year-old woman with a history of ovarian cancer had blurred vision in both eyes. Fundus examination revealed multiple patchy lesions in both eyes and a nevus-like elevated lesion in the right eye.

CHOROIDAL VASCULAR DENSITY IN DIABETIC RETINOPATHY ASSESSED WITH SWEPT-SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY.

Purpose: We aimed to assess choroidal vascularity by diabetic retinopathy (DR) stage using the choroidal vascular density (CVD) obtained from swept-source optical coherence tomography en-face images.

Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study included patients from Niigata City General Hospital and Saiseikai Niigata Hospital between October 2016 and October 2017. Choroidal vascular density was obtained by binarizing swept-source optical coherence tomography en-face images of patients with diabetes and those with DR, patients without DR, and healthy age-matched volunteers.

Conversion to partial isthmus-dependent flutter during cavotricuspid isthmus ablation: The utility of Advisor HD grid in identifying local fragment electrograms.

Unlabelled: Complete block creation by radiofrequency (RF) ablation at the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) is a highly successful procedure for the treatment of typical atrial flutter (AFL). Occasionally, a rare type of AFL, such as lower or upper loop reentry, or partial isthmus-dependent flutter, can coexist with typical right AFL. A 73-year-old man underwent CTI ablation for a clockwise CTI-dependent typical atrial flutter.