Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an advanced technology for accurately understanding anatomy and supporting the successful surgical management of complex congenital heart disease (CHD). We aimed to evaluate whether our super-flexible 3D heart models could facilitate preoperative decision-making and surgical simulation for complex CHD. The super-flexible heart models were fabricated by stereolithography 3D printing of the internal and external contours of the heart from cardiac computed tomography (CT) data, followed by vacuum casting with a polyurethane material similar in elasticity to a child's heart.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is performed widely since it reduces local recurrence. However, there are some disadvantages to LLND, including technical difficulties and association with postoperative urinary dysfunction. Procedures for LARC have also become more minimally invasive: laparoscopic surgery (LS) has become more common, and use of robot-assisted LS (RALS) is increasing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The factors contributing to the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remain unclear. Although the presence of immune complexes (ICs), formed between antibodies and their antigens, has been linked to COVID-19 severity, their role requires further investigation, and the antigens within these ICs are yet to be characterized.
Method: Here, a C1q enzyme-liked immunosorbent assay and immune complexome analysis were used to determine IC concentrations and characterize IC antigens, respectively, in the sera of 64 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, enrolled at seven participating centers in 2020.
Frailty is a growing public health challenge in Japan's rapidly aging population, where 28.8% are aged ≥ 65. While multicomponent interventions have shown potential in preventing frailty, traditional face-to-face programs face accessibility challenges.
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