Effects of Nutritional Support with a Leucine-Enriched Essential Amino Acid Supplement on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, and Physical Function in Stroke Patients Undergoing Rehabilitation.

Background/objectives: Dietary protein intake can potentially influence renal function. This study aimed to elucidate the association between dietary protein supplementation and a decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in Japanese stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.

Methods: From July 2017 to June 2021, 60 patients undergoing post-stroke rehabilitation were randomly assigned to a rehabilitation alone or rehabilitation nutrition group, which received 120 g Reha-Time Jelly after each session.

Development of the Arabian-Nubian Shield along the Marsa Alam-Idfu transect, Central-Eastern Desert, Egypt: geochemical implementation of zircon U-Pb geochronology.

The magmatic complex along the Marsa Alam-Idfu transect, Central-Eastern Desert of Egypt, represents the northern segment of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), which developed within the framework of the East African Orogen. The basement rocks of the Arabian-Nubian Shield have been developed through three distinct phases of magmatic activity: the island-arc, the syn-orogenic, and the post-orogenic phases. Transitioning of the magmatic phases from the syn-orogenic to the post-orogenic, identifies changing the tectonic regime from a compressional to an extensional setting.

Binaural hearing aid intervention for a patient with nonserviceable hearing loss after surgery for vestibular schwannoma: A case report.

A vestibular schwannoma is a benign tumor; however, the schwannoma itself and interventions can cause sensorineural hearing loss. Most vestibular schwannomas are unilateral tumors that affect hearing only on one side. Attention has focused on improving the quality of life for patients with unilateral hearing loss and therapeutic interventions to address this issue have been emphasized.

Potential Effects of Ischemic Postconditioning and Changes in Heat Shock Protein 72 in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction without Prodromal Angina.

The effectiveness of ischemic postconditioning (iPoC) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without ischemic preconditioning has not been determined. Therefore, we investigated the impact of iPoC and its potential mechanism related to heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) induction on myocardial salvage in patients with STEMI without prodromal angina (PA).We retrospectively analyzed data from 102 patients with STEMI with successful reperfusion among 323 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Effective cochlear implantation for idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis with bilateral profound hearing loss: A case report.

Rationale: Hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP) is a local or diffuse fibrous thickness of the dura mater of the brain or spinal cord, caused by infection or connective tissue disease. Headache is the most common clinical symptom, followed by various cranial nerve disorders such as visual impairment, diplopia, and hearing loss. HP can be classified into secondary and idiopathic.

Real-world trends in pre-dialysis blood pressure levels of patients undergoing dialysis in Japan using a web-based national database.

The prevalence of hypertension is high among patients undergoing dialysis. We extracted data of patients undergoing dialysis between 2012 and 2020 with recorded pre-dialysis systolic blood pressure (SBP) using a web-based national database in Japan. Following the 2019 Japanese Society of Hypertension guidelines, we classified SBP and assessed its trends over time based on sex, age, diabetes status, and the anti-hypertensive medication use.

Regional variation in pre-dialysis blood pressure and its association with cardiovascular mortality rates in Japanese patients undergoing dialysis.

Adequate blood pressure (BP) management poses a significant challenge in improving the prognosis of patients undergoing dialysis. We aimed to investigate the relationship between pre-dialysis systolic blood pressure (SBP) and underlying disease in Japanese patients undergoing dialysis, based on prefectural location, and assess the association between pre-dialysis SBP and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rate. We extracted the basic information of 336,182 patients who were undergoing dialysis in 2021 from the Web-based Analysis of Dialysis Data Archives database.

NG2-positive pericytes regulate homeostatic maintenance of slow-type skeletal muscle with rapid myonuclear turnover.

Background: Skeletal muscle comprises almost 40% of the human body and is essential for movement, structural support and metabolic homeostasis. Size of multinuclear skeletal muscle is stably maintained under steady conditions with the sporadic fusion of newly produced myocytes to compensate for the muscular turnover caused by daily wear and tear. It is becoming clear that microvascular pericytes (PCs) exhibit myogenic activity.

Anticoagulant therapy and home blood pressure-associated risk for stroke/bleeding events in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: the sub-cohort study of ANAFIE registry.

The benefits of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and warfarin in elderly Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and high home systolic blood pressure (H-SBP) are unclear. This sub-cohort study of the ANAFIE Registry estimated the incidence of clinical outcomes in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy (warfarin and DOACs) stratified by H-SBP levels (<125 mmHg, ≥125-<135 mmHg, ≥135-<145 mmHg and ≥145 mmHg). Of the overall ANAFIE population, 4933 patients who underwent home blood pressure (H-BP) measurements were analyzed; 93% received OACs (DOACs: 3494, 70.

140 years-long sedimentary records of PAHs and CN stable isotopes from Ninomiya River, Japan.

Anthropogenic activities' impacts over 140 years were studied at West Nanao Bay using a variety of geochemical techniques on sedimentary records. The bay is influenced by the Ninomiya River which is fed by a small watershed at which Tatzuruhama Town is located. Sedimentation rate was calculated using Pb-excess and Cs activities.

Intracochlear signal in FIESTA-C and hearings of patients with cerebellopontine angle schwannoma.

Background: Hearing loss in patients with cerebellopontine angle (CPA) schwannoma, is thought to be caused by the damage to the cochlea and the cochlear nerve.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationships between the intracochlear signal in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and hearing in patients with CPA schwannoma.

Material And Method: In 79 patients with CPA schwannoma, we retrospectively examined the signal in the cochlea on the affected side was compared with that on the unaffected side to determine signal degradation in fast imaging reagents steady-state acquisition with cycle phases (FIESTA-C) MRI.

Decadal-centennial-scale solar-linked climate variations and millennial-scale internal oscillations during the Early Cretaceous.

Understanding climate variability and stability under extremely warm 'greenhouse' conditions in the past is essential for future climate predictions. However, information on millennial-scale (and shorter) climate variability during such periods is scarce, owing to a lack of suitable high-resolution, deep-time archives. Here we present a continuous record of decadal- to orbital-scale continental climate variability from annually laminated lacustrine deposits formed during the late Early Cretaceous (123-120 Ma: late Barremian-early Aptian) in southeastern Mongolia.

Ninjurin1 Deletion in NG2-Positive Pericytes Prevents Microvessel Maturation and Delays Wound Healing.

The formation of mature vasculature through angiogenesis is essential for adequate wound healing, such that blood-borne cells, nutrients, and oxygen can be delivered to the remodeling skin area. Neovessel maturation is highly dependent on the coordinated functions of vascular endothelial cells and perivascular cells, namely pericytes (PCs). However, the underlying mechanism for vascular maturation has not been completely elucidated, and its role in wound healing remains unclear.

Home Blood Pressure Can Predict the Risk for Stroke/Bleeding Events in Elderly Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation From the ANAFIE Registry.

Background: Blood pressure (BP) fluctuates significantly in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF); office BP measurements seem insufficient to assess AF patient risk accurately. We hypothesized that home BP could better predict the risk of stroke/systemic embolic events (SEE) and major bleeding in patients with AF than office BP.

Methods: In this prespecified subcohort study of the ANAFIE (All Nippon AF in the Elderly) Registry, we evaluated the impact of home BP on the risk of stroke/SEE, major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage, all-cause death, and net cardiovascular outcome (a composite of stroke/SEE and major bleeding).

Impact of risk factors related to metabolic syndrome on acute myocardial infarction in younger patients.

Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advancements in cardiovascular medicine, myocardial infarction (MI) remains a major cause of adverse outcomes in younger MI patients, i.e., those who are aged 55 years or younger.

Arsenic and uranium contamination of Orog Lake in the Valley of Gobi Lakes, Mongolia: Field evidence of conservative accumulation of U in an alkaline, closed-basin lake during evaporation.

The shrinkage of inland, alkaline, and saline lakes has caused the elevation of arsenic and uranium concentrations in lake water. However, the chemical reactions associated with these enrichments remain unclear. We conducted a five-year study of the water chemistry of Orog Lake (Mongolia) and the chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of the sediment to determine the geochemical behavior of arsenic and uranium during evaporation.

Utility of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Mini-Review.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovasculardisese. Malnutrition has been recognized as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD, including those on chronic dialysis. Current studies showed higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates in patients with CKD and malnutrition.

Meta-analysis of cerebrospinal fluid neuron-specific enolase levels in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy.

Background: This study examined the usefulness of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels as a candidate biomarker of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), PD with dementia (PDD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Methods: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar to find studies that measured CSF NSE levels in AD, PD, DLB, and/or MSA. For each disease, we pooled all available data and performed a meta-analysis, and meta-regression analyses of age and sex were conducted if the main analysis found a significant association.