Social factors affecting home-based end-of-life care for patients with cancer and primary caregivers.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the social factors of patients and caregivers, including those related to their wishes for home-based end-of-life care that influence its fulfillment.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using the dataset (home-based end-of-life care N = 625, hospital end-of-life care N = 7603) Comprehensive patient-based survey conducted by The Study on Quality Evaluation of Hospice and Palliative Care by Bereaved Caregivers (J-HOPE 4) and multivariate analysis (multiple logistic regression) to explore the impact of social factors of patients and caregivers on the fulfillment of home-based end-of-life care. The explanatory variables included 11 social factors of patients, such as age and sex, and 18 social factors of primary caregivers.

[Advance Care Planning(ACP)from the Perspective of Homecare Physician].

In Japan, the practice of advance care planning(ACP)for cancer patients may differ from Western countries due to cultural differences and the significant role of family in decision-making. Healthcare providers must consider the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of care when engaging in ACP, respecting patient autonomy and individual values. Effective communication skills and an understanding of behavioral economics are essential for navigating these discussions, particularly in the home care setting where family caregivers face unique challenges.

Correction: Risk factors and pharmacotherapy for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in paclitaxel-treated female cancer survivors: A retrospective study in Japan.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

TusDCB, a sulfur transferase complex involved in tRNA modification, contributes to UPEC pathogenicity.

tRNA modifications play a crucial role in ensuring accurate codon recognition and optimizing translation levels. While the significance of these modifications in eukaryotic cells for maintaining cellular homeostasis and physiological functions is well-established, their physiological roles in bacterial cells, particularly in pathogenesis, remain relatively unexplored. The TusDCB protein complex, conserved in γ-proteobacteria like Escherichia coli, is involved in sulfur modification of specific tRNAs.

Inactivation of and Genes Reduces GlpT Expression and Susceptibility to Fosfomycin in .

Fosfomycin is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli. In recent years, quinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria have been increasing. Because fosfomycin is effective against many of these drug-resistant bacteria, the clinical importance of fosfomycin is increasing.

Combination of Amoxicillin 3000 mg and Probenecid Versus 1500 mg Amoxicillin Monotherapy for Treating Syphilis in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: An Open-Label, Randomized, Controlled, Non-Inferiority Trial.

Background: Amoxicillin plus probenecid is an alternative to intramuscular benzathine penicillin G for treating syphilis in the United Kingdom. Low-dose amoxicillin is an alternative treatment option used in Japan.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial between 31 August 2018, and 3 February 2022, to compare 1500 mg low-dose amoxicillin monotherapy with the combination of 3000 mg amoxicillin and probenecid (non-inferiority margin 10%).

First description of a clinical glutamine-dependent Escherichia coli with a missense mutation in the glnA.

Introduction: Small-colony variants (SCVs) of bacteria are subpopulations with a small colony size, low growth rate, and atypical colony morphology. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively elucidate the characteristics and underlying mechanism of the development of a glutamine-dependent SCV of E. coli, GU-92, isolated from the blood of a patient with pyelonephritis.

Effect of paracentesis on the survival of patients with terminal cancer and ascites: a propensity score-weighted analysis of the East Asian Collaborative Cross-cultural Study to Elucidate the Dying Process.

Purpose: Paracentesis is among the most widely utilized treatments for malignant ascites (MA). However, paracentesis in patients with MA has the potential to be associated with life-shortening effects. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether paracentesis affected the duration of survival in such patients.

Serological Screening of Immunoglobulin G against SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid and Spike Protein before and after Two Vaccine Doses among Healthcare Workers in Japan.

This study sought to evaluate the effects of two vaccine doses and the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers. We measured immunoglobulin G antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike protein among healthcare workers at Gunma University Hospital. In March 2021, prior to BNT-162b2 vaccination, two of 771 participants were seropositive for nucleocapsid and spike protein, whereas 768 were seronegative.

Risk factors and pharmacotherapy for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in paclitaxel-treated female cancer survivors: A retrospective study in Japan.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a dose-limiting adverse reaction in cancer patients treated with several cytotoxic anticancer agents including paclitaxel. Duloxetine, an antidepressant known as a serotonin-noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor, is the only agent that has moderate evidence for the use to treat painful CIPN. The present retrospective cohort study aimed to analyze risk factors for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN), and investigate ongoing prescription drug use for PIPN in Japan.

The Usefulness of the Armchair Sign for the Diagnosis of Psychosomatic-Prone Myofascial Pain Syndrome in Patients with Incurable Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of a Prospective Multicenter Observational Clinical Study.

Because psychosomatic diseases are pathological conditions, it is difficult to identify their degrees. The armchair sign is a test used to assess voluntary muscle relaxation. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the armchair sign for the diagnosis of psychosomatic-prone myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) in patients with incurable cancer.

Risk factors of sudden unexpected death in patients with advanced cancer near the end of life.

Background: The definition of sudden unexpected death (SUD) in patients with advanced cancer near the end of life (EOL) was unclear.

Methods: This study was conducted as a single-center retrospective analysis. We analyzed 1,282 patients who died of advanced cancer from August 2011 to August 2019 retrospectively.

Konjac Glucomannan Attenuated Triglyceride Metabolism during Rice Gruel Tolerance Test.

In a recent study, we showed that konjac glucomannan (KGM) inhibits rice gruel-induced postprandial increases in plasma glucose and insulin levels. To extend this research, we investigated the effects of KGM addition to rice gruel on pre- and postprandial concentrations of circulating lipoprotein lipase (LPL), glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored high-density lipoprotein-binding protein 1 (GPIHBP1), hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL), free fatty acids (FFA), and triglycerides (TG). A total of 13 Japanese men, without diabetes, dyslipidemia, or gastrointestinal diseases, interchangeably ingested rice gruel containing no KGM (0%G), rice gruel supplemented with 0.

Fecal Microbiota Perspective for Evaluation of Prebiotic Potential of Bamboo Hemicellulose Hydrolysate in Mice: A Preliminary Study.

Bamboo hemicellulose hydrolysate (BHH) may possess antihypercholesterolemic activity; however, this activity requires further comprehensive study to assess the prebiotic mechanisms of BHH in vivo. Here, we used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to preliminarily investigate the correlations between BHH and the fecal microbiomes of three groups of mice fed either a normal diet, a high-fat diet, or a high-fat diet supplemented with 5% BHH for 5 weeks. Alpha diversity (within community) was nonsignificant for all groups; however, beta diversity analysis among communities showed that 5% BHH suppressed the significant changes induced by the high-fat diet.

Estrogen decline is a risk factor for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy: Clinical evidence supported by a preclinical study.

We performed clinical retrospective study in female cancer patients and fundamental experiments in mice, in order to clarify risk factors for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). In the clinical study, 131 of 189 female outpatients with cancer undergoing paclitaxel-based chemotherapy met inclusion criteria. Breast cancer survivors (n = 40) showed significantly higher overall PIPN (grades 1-4) incidence than non-breast cancer survivors (n = 91).

Effects of molecular targeting agents and immune-checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced cancer who are near the end of life.

Background: In recent years, the use of both molecular targeting agents (MTAs) and immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) tend to occupy important positions in systemic anticancer therapy (SACT). The objective of this study is to describe the predictors of SACT include both MTAs and ICIs near the end of life (EOL) and the effect on EOL care in patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: We analyzed all patients who died of advanced cancer from August 2016 to August 2019, and we analyzed the survival time of patients who underwent anticancer agents excluded due to the loss of information about the last administration of SACT.

Glucomannan Inhibits Rice Gruel-Induced Increases in Plasma Glucose and Insulin Levels.

Objective: Given the association between diabetes suppression and inhibition of diet-induced elevation in glucose and insulin, we investigated the effects of adding glucomannan to rice gruel on pre- and postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations.

Methods: A total of 25 Japanese subjects without a history of diabetes or gastrointestinal disease (all males; aged 37-60 years; body mass index 20.4-31.

The Functional Palliative Prognostic Index: a scoring system for functional prognostication of patients with advanced cancer.

Purpose: For appropriate advance care planning, functional prognostication is necessary. However, there are no studies of functional prognostication in patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to develop a functional prognostic scoring system for patients with advanced cancer.

HMGB1 and its membrane receptors as therapeutic targets in an intravesical substance P-induced bladder pain syndrome mouse model.

HMGB1, a nuclear protein, once released to the extracellular space, promotes somatic and visceral pain signals. We thus analyzed the role of HMGB1 in an intravesical substance P-induced bladder pain syndrome (BPS) mouse model. Intravesical administration of substance P caused referred hyperalgesia/allodynia in the lower abdomen and hindpaw without producing severe urothelial damage, which was prevented by an anti-HMGB1-neutralizing antibody, thrombomodulin α capable of inactivating HMGB1 and antagonists of RAGE or CXCR4.

Daily intake of polyamine-rich prevents osteoclastic activation and bone loss in ovariectomized mice.

An imbalance in the sophisticated regulation between bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts leads to the pathogenesis and etiology of certain metabolic bone diseases including osteoporosis. Certain polyamines are related to the pathophysiology of some disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, infectious disease, cancer, and aging. Recently, we demonstrated that oral intake of polyamines (spermidine and spermine) prevented bone loss through preferential disturbance of osteoclastic activation in ovariectomy-induced mouse model of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

A combination of routine laboratory findings and vital signs can predict survival of advanced cancer patients without physician evaluation: a fractional polynomial model.

Introduction: There have been no reports about predicting survival of patients with advanced cancer constructed entirely with objective variables. We aimed to develop a prognostic model based on laboratory findings and vital signs using a fractional polynomial (FP) model.

Methods: A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted at 58 specialist palliative care services in Japan from September 2012 to April 2014.

Prognostic factors in patients who received end-of-life chemotherapy for advanced cancer.

Background: Clinical efficacy of aggressive end-of-life (EOL) chemotherapy remains unclear.

Method: Medical records of patients with advanced cancer between August 2011 and August 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint was to identify prognostic factors at the last administration of chemotherapy.

Dietary supplementation with alkylresorcinols prevents muscle atrophy through a shift of energy supply.

It has been reported that phytoextracts that contain alkylresorcinols (ARs) protect against severe myofibrillar degeneration found in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. In this study, we examined the effect of dietary ARs derived from wheat bran extracts on muscle atrophy in denervated mice. The mice were divided into the following four groups: (1) sham-operated (control) mice fed with normal diet (S-ND), (2) denervated mice fed with normal diet (D-ND), (3) control mice fed with ARs-supplemented diet (S-AR) and (4) denervated mice fed with ARs-supplemented diet (D-AR).