Detection of Eimeria oocysts in chicken feces using flotation recovery with sucrose or saturated saline solution.

Purpose: Flotation methods are widely used to detect oocysts/cysts of protozoans and eggs of helminths, except trematodes. However, details regarding the concentration and recovery rates of these parasites are poorly understood.

Methods: Using Eimeria tenella oocysts as a model parasite, the present study evaluated three check points: (1) the proportion of parasites that remain floating in flotation solution (sucrose or saturated saline) during centrifugation, (2) the proportion of oocysts that naturally float after addition of flotation solution after centrifugation, and (3) the rate of recovery on cover slips after completion of the flotation protocol.

The Risk of Intravenous Cement Leakage and Short-term Outcomes of Selective Cement-augmented Pedicle Screws: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Study Design: Multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using cement-augmented pedicle screw (CAPS) fixation only for the cephalad and caudal vertebral bodies.

Summary Of Background Data: Pedicle screw fixation is less effective in patients with low-quality bone.

The respective roles of TMPRSS2 and cathepsins for SARS-CoV-2 infection in human respiratory organoids.

Unlabelled: A critical aspect of the mechanism of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the protease-mediated activation of the viral spike (S) protein. The type II transmembrane serine protease TMPRSS2 is crucial for SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung epithelial Calu-3 cells and murine airways. However, the importance of TMPRSS2 needs to be re-examined because the ability to utilize TMPRSS2 is significantly reduced in the Omicron variants that spread globally.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Carbon-Ion Radiation Therapy in Japan: A Japanese National Registry Study.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on carbon-ion radiation therapy (CIRT) in Japan by evaluating patient numbers and treatment trends from 2019 to 2022.

Patients And Methods: Data from 5 CIRT facilities were analyzed, encompassing a total of 13 224 patients treated over the 4-year period. Patient demographics, cancer types, treatment protocols, and adherence to national health insurance coverage were examined.

Does Bone Density Affect Outcomes in Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion? A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Preoperative Hounsfield Units.

: This study aimed to assess whether preoperative Hounsfield unit (HU) values differ in short-term clinical outcomes after lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) surgery. : In a retrospective analysis, 109 patients undergoing LLIF for lumbar degenerative diseases (LDD) were reviewed. Preoperative Computed Tomography (CT) scans measured HU values at the L1-L4 vertebrae, dividing patients into low and high HU groups.

Development of a Tumor Growth-responsive Robust Planning Method for Head and Neck Cancer in Carbon-ion Radiotherapy.

Background/aim: The current study aimed to evaluate a treatment planning method that is robust against tumor growth and to assess its effectiveness in particle therapy for head and neck cancer.

Patients And Methods: The proposed method optimizes dose distribution by replacing the relative stopping power ratio (rSPR) of the clinical target volume (CTV) cavity region with a tumor-equivalent rSPR (Condition 1). The optimized initial treatment plan template was then recalculated using in-room CT images acquired in the same treatment position, and the doses to the tumor and organs at risk were compared with those in the initial treatment plan.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of three surgical options for treating displaced femoral neck fractures in active older patients in Japan: A full economic evaluation.

For older patients with displaced femoral neck fractures, in which primary osteosynthesis is usually not indicated, there are three primary prosthetic options-bipolar hemiarthroplasty (BHA), single-bearing total hip arthroplasty (SB-THA), and dual-mobility THA (DM-THA). However, the optimal choice for managing displaced femoral neck fractures remains controversial. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of BHA, SB-THA, and DM-THA in active older patients with displaced femoral neck fractures.

CD163 Tumor-Associated Macrophage Recruitment Predicts Papillary Thyroid Cancer Recurrence.

Introduction: Skewed immune response plays a pivotal role in tumor progression. Systemic inflammatory responses represented by combined peripheral leukocyte fractions are prognostic predictors of multiple cancers, including thyroid cancer. We previously reported the prognostic significance of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in curatively resected papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).

Internal Jugular Vein Thrombosis as the Initial Presentation of Antiphospholipid Antibody-positive Vascular Behçet Disease: A Clinical Image.

Internal jugular vein (IJV) thrombosis is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition commonly caused by central venous catheter insertion, malignant tumors, and neck infections. A 45-year-old woman with an unremarkable medical history presented with left neck pain. Imaging studies of a suspected mediastinal tumor revealed IJV thrombosis.

APRIL/BAFF upregulation is associated with clonal B-cell expansion in Hunner-type interstitial cystitis.

Hunner-type interstitial cystitis (HIC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the urinary bladder with an unknown etiology. We conducted comprehensive immunogenomic profiling of bladder specimens obtained by biopsy and cystectomy from 37 patients with HIC. Next-generation RNA sequencing demonstrated abundant plasma cell infiltration with frequent light chain restriction in HIC-affected bladder tissue.

The Role of Cage Placement Angle in Optimizing Short-Term Clinical Outcomes in Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Objective: The purpose is to investigate the impact of cage angle on clinical outcomes and indirect decompression efficacy in patients undergoing lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF).

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 87 patients with single-level lumbar degenerative disease who underwent LLIF. Patients were grouped based on the angle of cage placement: minimal (0°-5°), mild (>5° ≤ 15°), and severe (>15°).

Association of rare variants in RNF213 with severe progression of intracranial artery stenosis in quasi-moyamoya disease.

Objective: The genetic basis underlying the pathophysiology of quasi-moyamoya disease (qMMD) is unclear. Herein, the authors aimed to comprehensively analyze genetic variants in qMMD and investigate their association with clinical phenotypes, focusing on RNF213 and other moyamoya angiopathy (MMA)-related genes.

Methods: The authors evaluated 14 consecutive cases of qMMD, whose underlying conditions included autoimmune disease, head irradiation, meningitis/pachymeningitis, and Turner syndrome, and 9 cases of hyperthyroidism-associated MMD (hMMD).

A case of coexistence of multiple vascular anomalies including the absence of a left internal carotid artery, a left vertebral artery arising from the subclavian artery in a high cervical location, and a bovine arch associated with vertebral fusion.

We report a rare 16-year-old male case of Klippel-Feil anomaly associated with fetal alcohol syndrome exhibiting complex congenital vascular anomalies. The congenital vascular anomalies observed were the absence of a left internal carotid artery, a left vertebral artery arising from the subclavian artery in a very high cervical location and a bovine arch. The vascular and vertebral anomalies were evaluated using CT and MRI before cervical surgery.

Evaluation of the detection method by a flotation method using a wire loop for gastrointestinal parasites.

Infections by gastrointestinal parasites are found in a variety of animals worldwide. For the diagnosis of such infections, the flotation method is commonly used to detect parasitic microorganisms, such as oocysts or eggs, in feces. Instead of adding a flotation solution after the final centrifugation step and using a cover slip to collect the parasites, the method using a wire loop for the recovery of the organisms has been reported as one of alternative methods.

Sporangimicins A-D, acylated maltose derivatives from a rare actinomycete of the genus Pseudosporangium.

Sporangimicins A-D (1-4), four anomeric pairs of diacyl disaccharides that represent a new metabolite class, were discovered from the culture extract of an actinomycete Pseudosporangium sp. RD061809. Compounds 1-4 caused peak separation in the HPLC chromatogram and partial duplication of the NMR resonances by anomeric interconversion of a maltose core modified at the two sugar 6-positions with an isobutanoyl and a methyl-branched long-chain dienoyl groups.

Adjuvant Therapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors after Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Mucosal Melanoma of the Head and Neck: A Case-Control Study.

The development of new treatment strategies to improve the prognosis of mucosal malignant melanoma of the head and neck (MMHN) after carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is essential because of the risk of distant metastases. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment to justify its inclusion in the regimen after CIRT. Thirty-four patients who received CIRT as an initial treatment were included in the analysis and stratified into three groups: those who did not receive ICIs (Group A), those who received ICIs after recurrence or metastasis (Group B), and those who received ICIs as adjuvant therapy after CIRT (Group C).

Reliability and validity of estimated angles information assessed using inertial measurement unit-based motion sensors.

Background: Inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based motion sensors are affordable, and their use is appropriate for rehabilitation. However, regarding the accuracy of estimated angle information obtained from this sensor, it is reported that it is likely affected by velocity.

Objective: The present study investigated the reliability and validity of the angle information obtained using IMU-based sensors compared with a three-dimensional (3D) motion analyzer.

Validity of the estimated angular information obtained using an inertial motion capture system during standing trunk forward and backward bending.

Background: Bending the trunk forward and backward while standing are common daily activities and can have various patterns. However, any dysfunction in these movements can considerably affect daily living activities. Consequently, a comprehensive evaluation of spinal motion during these activities and precise identification of any movement abnormalities are important to facilitate an effective rehabilitation.

Pembrolizumab with external radiation therapy effectively controlled TMB-high unresectable recurrent parathyroid cancer: a case report with review of literature.

Parathyroid cancer (PC) is extremely resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT), but hormonally functional by producing excessive parathyroid hormone (PTH), causing remarkable hypercalcemia even in biochemical disease recurrence. Accordingly, management of hypercalcemia by calcimimetics and bisphosphonates has been main treatment for unresectable PC. Here, we report a case of unresectable tumor mutational burden (TMB)-high recurrent PC that has been effectively controlled by pembrolizumab (PEM) with RT.

Preliminary result of combined treatment with scanning carbon-ion radiotherapy and image-guided brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical adenocarcinoma.

Although there is growing evidence of the efficacy of carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for locally advanced cervical adenocarcinoma, reports on combined treatment with CIRT and image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) are scarce. We retrospectively analyzed patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2008) stage II-IVA locally advanced cervical adenocarcinoma who received combined scanning CIRT (sCIRT) and IGBT between April 2019 and March 2022. sCIRT consisted of whole-pelvic irradiation with 36 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) in 12 fractions and subsequent local boost irradiation with 19.

Impact of Osteoporosis on Short-Term Surgical Outcomes in Lumbar Degenerative Disease Patients Undergoing Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Retrospective Analysis.

Objective: This retrospective study assesses the influence of osteoporosis on the short-term clinical outcomes of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) surgery in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases (LDDs), focusing on complications, pain intensity, and quality of life (QOL) improvements. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of osteoporosis on the short-term clinical outcomes following LLIF surgery in LDD patients, with a particular focus on the incidence of cage subsidence (CS) and overall patient well-being postoperatively.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 73 patients who underwent LLIF for LDD.