Association between the dietary inflammatory index and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Background: Limited research exists on the association between preconception pro-inflammatory diets and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and this relationship remains poorly understood.

Objective: To investigate the association between preconception dietary inflammatory potential, as measured by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and adverse pregnancy outcomes in nulliparous individuals.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the data from the Nulliparous Outcomes Study: Mothers-to-be (nuMoM2b).

Considerations and Literature Review for Treating Subarachnoid Hemorrhage due to Blood Blister-Like Aneurysms.

Objective: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to blood blister-like aneurysm (BBA) is rare but very risky during treatment. Moreover, there is no established treatment method. In this study, we performed endovascular treatment (EVT) as the first-line treatment on patients with SAH during the subacute phase, and cases were analyzed in this series.

Three-Dimensional Bio-Printed Tubular Tissue Using Dermal Fibroblast Cells as a New Tissue-Engineered Vascular Graft for Venous Replacement.

The current study was a preliminary evaluation of the feasibility and biologic features of three-dimensionally bio-printed tissue-engineered (3D bio-printed) vascular grafts comprising dermal fibroblast spheroids for venous replacement in rats and swine. The scaffold-free tubular tissue was made by the 3D bio-printer with normal human dermal fibroblasts. The tubular tissues were implanted into the infrarenal inferior vena cava of 4 male F344-rnu/rnu athymic nude rats and the short-term patency and histologic features were analyzed.

Telemedicine for Pregnant Women on a Japanese Remote Island: A Two-year Report.

Introduction: Remote antenatal checkups were conducted on the northernmost island of Japan to reduce the burden of hospital visits among pregnant women. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness and safety of remote antenatal checkups for pregnant women living on a remote island.

Methods: This observational study included singleton pregnancies on Rebun Island between October 2020 and September 2022.

Nationwide trends in and regional factors associated with minimally invasive hysterectomy for benign indications in Japan.

Objective: To examine the prevalence trends of minimally invasive hysterectomy for benign indications in Japan and investigate regional disparities.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort and ecological study using "The National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) Open Data".

Setting: Nationwide Japan.

Antimicrobial effect of oral care gel containing hinokitiol and 4-isopropyl-3-methylphenol against intraoral pathogenic microorganisms.

Objective: Deterioration of oral hygiene is closely related to an increase in severity and mortality of corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19), and also contributes to the development of various diseases such as aspiration pneumonia or Alzheimer's. Oral care is attracting high interest in Japan, which has entered a super-aging society. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether commercially available Hinora® (HO), an oral care gel containing hinokitiol and 4-isopropyl-3-methylphenol (IPMP), has biofilm formation inhibitory and antimicrobial activities against various intraoral pathogen microorganisms.

A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Association between Dental Health Conditions and University Personality Inventory Scores among University Students: A Single-Center Study in Japan.

This study examined the association between dental health conditions and scores on the University Personality Inventory (UPI) among university students in Japan. Participants were freshmen at Yamagata University between 2010 and 2019. Dental check-ups, including dental caries, periodontal disease, malocclusion, and temporomandibular disorders (TMD), and mental health screening using the UPI were performed; 12,433 students were included in the final analysis.

[Construction of Pre-clinical Practice and Survey of Consciousness for Pharmacy Students with Hearing Disability].

Various types of pre-learning-including pre-learning for practical training-provide pharmacy students with practical training and sufficient knowledge, skills, and attitudes for practical work. Opportunities in the medical field, including for pharmacists, have been greatly expanded for students with a hearing disability, and we have responded with appropriate training for such students. In this study, we report on the results of an evaluation of a survey on the preparatory training conducted by the students and the changes in their consciousness, such as in their level of understanding, knowledge, and self-confidence.

Slow photoionization via higher excited states of N,N-dimethylaniline in ethanol solution probed by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy under two-pulse two-photon excitation.

Photoionization dynamics of N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) from highly electronically excited states in ethanol solution was investigated by means of femtosecond two-pulse two-photon excitation transient absorption (2PE-TA) spectroscopy. The first pump pulse prepares the lowest singlet excited state (S state) of DMA, and the second one excites the S state into higher excited states. In the case with the second pulse at 500 nm, the ionization took place via a rapid channel (<100 fs) and a slow one with the time constant of ∼10 ps.

Levels of major and trace metals in the scalp hair of Crohn's disease patients: correlations among transition metals.

Concentrations of 16 metals in the scalp hair of male Crohn's disease (CD) patients (n = 28) were compared to those of male control subjects (n = 25). The majority of patients (n = 20) took an anti-inflammatory agent (mesalazine), and several patients underwent colectomy. A low concentration of serum ferritin was observed in approximately 50% of CD patients due to Fe-deficiency anemia.

Acute Ischemic Stroke due to Internal Carotid Artery Dissection in a 10-Year-Old Child.

A 10-year-old girl was transferred to our hospital with left hemiparesis. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed a signal lesion in the right posterior limb of the internal capsule and magnetic resonance angiography showed poor visualization of the right internal carotid artery (ICA), and a defect area was present in a part of the supraclinoid portion of the right ICA. Based on the clinical and radiological findings, the patient was diagnosed with ischemic stroke due to right ICA dissection (ICAD).

Biotin Regulates Colonization and Growth of Candida albicans in the Catheter Lumen During Nutrient Infusions.

Bacterial and fungal catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) cause high fever and blindness due to fungal endophthalmitis. Candidal CRBSI have a particularly high mortality rate and needs attention. In this study, we examined the effect of biotin on the colonization and growth of Candida albicans in the lumen of the catheter used for nutrient infusions.

Predictors of Very Poor Outcome after Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion.

Prognosis for patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) remains poor. Successful revascularization is a main predictor of favorable clinical outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy for BAO. However, even if mechanical thrombectomy is successful, some patients have a poor clinical outcome, including vegetative state and mortality.

Bactericidal and Antiproliferative Effects of Peripheral Parenteral Nutrition Solutions with Sodium Bisulfite on Pathogenic Microorganisms in Catheter Lumens.

Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) due to pathogenic microorganisms pose a major threat to patients requiring parenteral nutrition (PN). Additives contained in medicines and foods have antiproliferative and bacteriostatic effects on pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, PN solutions containing additives may also have an antibacterial effect.

Hospital-pharmacy cooperative training and drug-taking compliance in outpatients with chronic pain: a case-control study.

Chronic pain is a common symptom that is suffered by 20% of the overall population in Japan. Although pharmacotherapy is critical for the treatment of chronic pain, there are no reports on the pharmacies. In the present study, we examined the effect of hospital-community pharmacy cooperative training on improving drug-taking compliance, pain relief, anxiety, insomnia, and motor function in patients with chronic pain.

Effectiveness of Low-Dose Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator before Stent Retriever or Aspiration Mechanical Thrombectomy.

Purpose: To determine whether thrombolysis with a lower dose of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator before mechanical thrombectomy is beneficial for functional outcomes compared with mechanical thrombectomy alone.

Materials And Methods: Data for 100 Japanese patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy between July 2014 and November 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were divided into groups according to whether they received intravenous thrombolysis before mechanical thrombectomy, and outcomes were compared.

Mapping versatile QTL for soybean downy mildew resistance.

Three versatile QTL for soybean downy mildew resistance in Japan were detected using five RIL populations and confirmed using recombinant fixed pairs or a backcrossed line. Downy mildew reduces soybean seed quality and size. It is a problem in Japan, where 90% of soybean grown is used as food.

Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and selenium concentration in the scalp hair of Crohn's disease patients who ingested the elemental diet Elental.

Rationale: Elental is an elemental diet widely used as a nutritional supplement for Crohn's disease (CD) patients in Japan. Elental contains amino acids as nitrogen sources and does not contain selenium (Se), and the δ C and δ N values of Elental are markedly higher and lower, respectively, than those of a normal diet.

Methods: We compared the δ C and δ N values and Se concentration in the scalp hair of CD patients with those of control subjects who ate a regular diet, and estimated the amount of Elental ingested as a supplement.

Severe Vasospasm of the Middle Cerebral Artery after Mechanical Thrombectomy Due to Infective Endocarditis: An Autopsy Case.

Untreated infective endocarditis (IE) often produces infective emboli in major cerebral arteries. We describe a case of middle cerebral artery occlusion due to IE, which caused severe vasospasm and reocclusion after mechanical thrombectomy (MT). We present the pathologic findings of the occluded middle cerebral artery and investigate the precautions to be taken while performing MT due to IE.

Correlations between mercury concentration, and stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen of amino acids in scalp hair from whale meat eaters and heavy fish eaters.

Rationale: As mercury (Hg) accumulation in marine animals generally increases with increased trophic level (δ N values) through the food web, predators accumulate higher levels of Hg. The main source of human Hg intake is the consumption of fish and other marine animals, and Hg concentration in scalp hair is the preferred marker for evaluating consumption of marine animals. Difference in δ N values between trophic and source amino acids of human consumers could enable us to estimate the trophic level of the consumer without knowing the bulk δ N value of their prey.

Nutritional assessment using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in the scalp hair of geriatric patients who received enteral and parenteral nutrition formulas.

Background & Aims: The δC and δN values in the scalp hair of geriatric patients in Japan who received the enteral or parenteral nutrition formula were measured to assess nutritional status.

Methods: The relations among δC, δN, calorie intake, BMI, albumin concentration, total cholesterol (T-CHO) and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) in the patients were investigated. Furthermore, the enrichment of δC and δN from the nutrients to the hair was investigated.

Relationships among Mercury Concentration, and Stable Isotope Ratios of Carbon and Nitrogen in the Scalp Hair of Residents from Seven Countries: Effects of Marine Fish and C4 Plants Consumption.

We analyzed the Hg concentration, and δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values in the scalp hair of residents from seven countries; Vietnam, New Zealand, Spain, the USA, South Korea, Brazil and Japan. Relationships among the data in each country and among the seven countries were then examined. The highest Hg concentration as well as the highest or higher δ¹⁵N value in each country was found in the hair of a heavy marine fish-eater, whereas the lowest Hg concentration and δ¹⁵N value were found in the hair of a vegetarian or non (marginal)-fish eater.

The exacerbating roles of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) in the development of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and the preventive effects of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) against pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), an important transcription factor that regulates the inflammatory reaction during the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, in the development of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin (BLM) in mice. An intratracheal injection of BLM transiently increased the expression of CHOP mRNA and protein in an early phase (days 1 and 3) in mice lungs. BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis was significantly attenuated in Chop gene deficient (Chop KO) mice, compared with wild-type (WT) mice.