Aorta and main pulmonary artery segmentation using stacked U-Net and localization on non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography images.

Background: The contact between the aorta, main pulmonary artery (MPA), main pulmonary vein, vena cava (VC), and esophagus affects segmentation of the aorta and MPA in non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (NCE-CT) images.

Purpose: A two-stage stacked U-Net and localization of the aorta and MPA were developed for the segmentation of the aorta and MPA in NCE-CT images.

Methods: Normal-dose NCE-CT images of 24 subjects with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and low-dose NCE-CT images of 100 subjects without CTEPH were used in this study.

Influence of Pitch on Surface Dose Distribution and Image Noise of Computed Tomography Scans.

This study evaluated the effect of pitch on 256-slice helical computed tomography (CT) scans. Cylindrical water phantoms (CWP) were measured using axial and helical scans with various pitch values. The surface dose distributions of CWP were measured, and reconstructed images were obtained using filtered back-projection (FBP) and iterative model reconstruction (IMR).

The effect of lemborexant for insomnia disorder.

Background: Lemborexant has a low dependence potential, less muscle relaxant effect, and less effect on cognitive function. However, there have been no naturalistic reports in Japan clarifying the effect of lemborexant on insomnia disorder. We retrospectively examined the effectiveness of treatment with lemborexant.

Characteristics of patients who were able to switch from benzodiazepine hypnotics to lemborexant.

Objectives: There is little evidence of insomnia treatment, especially exit strategies for hypnotics. We examined on the characteristics of patients who were able to switch from benzodiazepine hypnotics to lemborexant.

Methods: Insomnia was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale.

Continuation rate for asenapine and brexpiprazole treatment in patients with schizophrenia.

Introduction: The current study sought to compare the treatment continuation rates of asenapine and brexpiprazole while specifically investigating the factors influencing this index and the clinical efficacy of brexpiprazole.

Methods: Retrospective study on patients with schizophrenia who were prescribed either asenapine (n = 73) or brexpiprazole (n = 136), as part of their routine medical care.

Results: The treatment continuation rates for asenapine and brexpiprazole were 19.

Comparisons of the effects of second-generation antipsychotics long-acting injections on treatment retention according to severity of patient condition.

Introduction: There have been no naturalistic reports in Japan clarifying the difference of second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) long-acting injections (LAIs) on treatment retention according to severity of patient condition.

Methods: This study aimed to investigate the difference in treatment retention between SGA LAIs according to severity of patient condition.

Results: This study demonstrated that, although AOM patients had better rates of treatment retention compared to PP and RLAI for mild cases, the reverse was true for moderate to severe cases.

The p53 activator overcomes resistance to ALK inhibitors by regulating p53-target selectivity in ALK-driven neuroblastomas.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is an oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase that is activated by gene amplification and mutation in neuroblastomas. ALK inhibitors can delay the progression of ALK-driven cancers, but are of limited use owing to ALK inhibitor resistance. Here, we show that resistance to ALK inhibitor in ALK-driven neuroblastomas can be attenuated by combination treatment with a p53 activator.

Relationship of annual change in bone mineral density with extent of emphysematous lesions and pulmonary function in patients with COPD.

Background: Osteoporosis is a well-known comorbidity in COPD. It is associated with poor health status and prognosis. Although the exact pathomechanisms are unclear, osteoporosis is suggested to be either a comorbidity due to shared risk factors with COPD or a systematic effect of COPD with a cause-effect relationship.

One patient with schizophrenia showed reduced drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms as a result of an alternative regimen of treatment with paliperidone 3 and 6 mg every other day.

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic disease that requires long-term management with antipsychotics. Antipsychotic drugs are given by tapering their dose, extending the dosing interval, and so on, as part of a treatment strategy to minimize the adverse effects while at the same time maintaining efficacy.

Methods: We report the case of one patient with schizophrenia in whom the clinical symptoms were alleviated after treatment with 6 mg paliperidone.