A phase I/II study of adoptive immunotherapy using donor liver graft-derived NK cell-enriched immune cells to prevent severe infection after liver transplantation.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are significant postoperative complications associated with high mortality rates after liver transplantation (LT). Natural killer (NK) cells, which are key components of the innate immune system, have demonstrated potential to combat both infections and cancer. The use of activated NK cells to mitigate post-LT infections, particularly BSIs, has attracted considerable interest.

The association of agricultural and non-agricultural work on the healthy ageing of older adults in Japan: A 6-year longitudinal study from the Japan Gerontological evaluation study.

Objectives: Many studies have examined the impact of employment on health, but few large-scale longitudinal studies specifically investigate the impact of agricultural labor on the health of older adults. This study aims to identify the health effects of employment on older Japanese adults, focusing on agricultural workers.

Methods: This study uses longitudinal data collected by the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) from 2013 to 2019.

Neonatal acute liver failure cases with echovirus 11 infections, Japan, August to November 2024.

In 2022-23, several European countries reported paediatric acute liver failure (ALF) with enterovirus infection. In August-November 2024, three neonatal cases of ALF with echovirus 11 (E11) were reported in Tokyo, Japan. All neonates developed irreversible multiple-organ failure and died.

Adolescent thoracic scoliosis due to giant ganglioneuroma: a two-case report and literature review.

Ganglioneuromas are rare benign tumors that arise from the sympathetic nervous system. The presentation of tumors is variable and associated with adolescent thoracic scoliosis. Herein, we present two case reports and a review of literature.

The steatosis-associated fibrosis estimator score is a useful indicator of recurrence and survival after initial curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aims: Liver fibrosis predisposes patients to liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Various markers, which can be calculated easily from serum parameters, have been reported to predict liver fibrosis accurately. This study investigated the prognostic factors, including blood-based markers for liver fibrosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following initial curative hepatectomy.

Effect of abdominal aortic calcification on long-term outcomes after the first liver resection in very old patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: We previously reported that abdominal aortic calcification is associated with poor overall and recurrence-free survival after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the effect of abdominal aortic calcification on cancer-specific prognosis in very old patients with several comorbidities remains unknown. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the impact of abdominal aortic calcification on the cumulative recurrence rate and recurrence-free survival in patients with HCC aged >80 years.

Adult-onset hypophosphatasia diagnosed after consecutive tooth loss during orthodontic treatment: a case report.

Background: Adult hypophosphatasia is an uncommon inherited disorder of mineral homeostasis affecting bone. It arises from mutations within the Alkaline Phosphatase, Biomineralization Associated (ALPL) gene, which encodes tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase. Because of its low prevalence and non-specific clinical manifestations, underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis are frequent, particularly in Asian populations.

Development of a sensitive disease-screening model using comprehensive circulating microRNA profiles in dogs: A pilot study.

In the veterinary field, the utility of disease-identification models that use comprehensive circulating microRNA (miRNA) profiles produced through measurements based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) remains unproven. To integrate NGS technology with automated machine learning (autoML) to create a comprehensive circulating miRNA profile and to assess the clinical utility of a disease-screening model derived from this profile. The study involved dogs diagnosed with or being treated for various diseases, including tumors, across multiple veterinary clinics ( = 254), and healthy dogs without apparent diseases ( = 91).

Male patients with adult spinal deformity: sex differences in demographics, radiography, and complications.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate sex-related differences in demographics, radiography, and perioperative complications in adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgeries.

Methods: This retrospective cohort, single-center study enrolled patients who underwent long-instrumented fusion from the thoracic spine to the ilium for ASD, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. The incidence of preoperative comorbidities, perioperative complications, and postoperative mechanical complications was analyzed.

Taiso practice and risk of functional disability and dementia among older adults in Japan: The JAGES cohort study.

Background: Taiso is a Japanese term encompassing meanings akin to calisthenics. Taiso is a widely used exercise program in Japan but whether it prevents functional disability and dementia remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the association between practicing Taiso, especially focusing on the well-known Radio-Taiso, and functional disability and dementia in older adults in Japan.

Residual T1 tilt could lead to poor self-image for patients with Lenke type 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the clinical impact and risk factors for residual T1 tilt in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of patients with AIS and Lenke type 1 curves who underwent posterior fusion.

Messenger App-Based Information Provision for Promoting Social Participation to Enhance Well-Being Among Community-Dwelling Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Engaging in social activities, interacting with peers, and participating in community events may promote health and well-being. Recently, interventions leveraging information and communications technology have emerged as potent tools for promoting social connections and well-being. Particularly, messenger apps have become an integral part of our daily lives, facilitating communication, information dissemination, and social interaction.

Mapping spatial memory in teleosts: a new Frontier in neural logging techniques.

Recent advancements in microelectromechanical system technology have significantly enhanced our ability to monitor neuronal activity in free-swimming fish without disrupting their natural movement, thereby greatly improving the capabilities of neural logging using "neurologger" technology. In this review, we compiled the findings from studies applying neurologgers to teleost fish, emphasizing the discovery of various spatial-cognition cells in regions of the telencephalon analogous to the mammalian hippocampus that are deeply involved in spatial navigation. We detailed how different fish species, such as goldfish and salmonids, correlate their neural activity with environmental boundaries, head direction, speed, and other navigational cues for spatial memory and navigation strategies.

Association of PIRCHE-II score with anti-donor T-cell response and risk of de novo donor-specific antibody production in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: De novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSAs) affect long-term outcomes of kidney transplantation (KT). A higher Predicted Indirectly ReCognizable Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Epitopes (PIRCHE-II) score correlates with various clinical outcomes, including dnDSA formation. However, a detailed analysis of the relationship between the PIRCHE-II score and anti-donor T-cell response is lacking.

Promoting Social Participation in the Primary Care Field: An Ecological Study on the Potential Reduction of Multimorbidity Prevalence.

Background: No municipal-level study has elucidated the social determinants associated with multimorbidity prevalence (MP).

Objective: This article aimed to determine the differences in MP among municipalities and investigate factors associated with such differences through an ecological study of data obtained from a nationwide survey. This article focused on social participation and household income, which are associated with single chronic diseases, such as hypertension.

Serviced Housing for Older People and Prevention of Functional Decline: A One-year Follow-up Study in Japan.

Serviced Housing for Older People (SHOP) is a community-based housing model in Japan that provides barrier-free apartments and support services for residents. Whether the SHOP model has positive effects on residents' health remains unclear. This follow-up study examines the association between living in SHOPs and functional decline.

Efficacy of Chemonucleolysis with Condoliase in Patients Aged under 20 Years.

Introduction: Chemonucleolysis with condoliase is a minimally invasive treatment option for lumbar disk herniation (LDH). However, studies reporting the efficacy of condoliase in patients aged <20 years are scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of condoliase therapy for LDH in the aforementioned population.

Association between internet use and annual health checkups among older Japanese adults: propensity score-matched analysis, Japan gerontological evaluation study cross-sectional study 2016.

Background: The integration of the Internet into daily life has potential implications for public health, especially in promoting preventive healthcare measures like annual health checkups. This study explores the association between Internet use and the likelihood of participating in these checkups among older Japanese citizens.

Methods: Participants aged 65 and older were randomly selected from 37 municipalities in Japan, ensuring they required no long-term care.

Polymorphisms in genes involved in regulating follicular helper T cell differentiation predict de novo donor-specific antibody formation after liver transplantation.

Background: De novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSAs) significantly affect the long-term outcomes of liver transplantation (LT), highlighting the importance of risk prediction. Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells have been implicated in dnDSA formation after transplantation. Considering the influence of immune response gene polymorphisms on transplantation outcomes, we investigated the association between polymorphisms in Tfh cell-related genes and dnDSA formation after LT.