Comprehensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Following Acute Myocardial Infarction Improves Clinical Outcomes Regardless of Exercise Capacity.

Background: Reduced exercise capacity is a prognostic indicator of adverse outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in this population. This study aimed to clarify the efficacy of comprehensive CR in patients with AMI and reduced exercise capacity.

Post-treatment Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio Is a Prognostic Factor in Head and Neck Cancers Treated With Nivolumab.

Background/aim: Inflammation and nutrition-based biomarkers, such as the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), have prognostic value for several types of malignancies. Markers that precisely reflect the prognosis of patients with head and neck cancers (HNCs) treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors remain unclear. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of hematological markers before and after treatment with nivolumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic HNC (RM-HNC).

A Spatial Transcriptome Reveals Changes in Tumor and Tumor Microenvironment in Oral Cancer with Acquired Resistance to Immunotherapy.

Although anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody therapy improves the prognosis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), some patients exhibit disease progression even after showing a good response to the treatment initially because of acquired resistance. Here, we aimed to reveal the dynamic changes in the tumor and tumor microenvironment (TME) in a 77-year-old man diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma who developed acquired resistance after the administration of nivolumab using spatial transcriptomics. The results showed that, before immunotherapy, the activated pathways in the tumor area were mainly related to the cancer immune system, including antigen processing cross-presentation, interferon-gamma signaling, and the innate immune system.

Utility of Cardiac Rehabilitation for Long-Term Outcomes in Patients with Hospital-Acquired Functional Decline after Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Study.

Hospital-acquired functional decline is an important outcome that affects the long-term prognosis of patients after cardiac surgery. Phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for outpatients is expected to improve prognosis; however, this is not clear in patients with hospital-acquired functional decline after cardiac surgery. Therefore, this study evaluated whether phase II CR improved the long-term prognosis of patients with hospital-acquired functional decline after cardiac surgery.

Exploring the Frailty Components Related to Hospitalization-Associated Disability in Older Patients After Cardiac Surgery Using a Comprehensive Frailty Assessment.

Background: We investigated the components of frailty associated with hospitalization-associated disability (HAD) after cardiac surgery.

Methods and results: This retrospective, observational study evaluated 1,446 older patients after elective cardiac surgery at the Sakakibara Heart Institute. We examined the association between HAD and 7 domains of frailty assessed by the Kihon Checklist.

Prognostic significance of pre- and post-treatment hematological biomarkers in patients with head and neck cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy.

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of hematological biomarkers measured before and after treatment in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). This study reviewed 124 patients with HNC who received chemoradiotherapy. Hematological biomarkers assessed before and after treatment were investigated.

Factors Related to Hospitalisation-Associated Disability in Patients after Surgery for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A Retrospective Study.

The in-hospital mortality rate among patients after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) has improved chronologically. However, the relationship between the incidence of hospitalisation-associated disability (HAD) and acute cardiac rehabilitation in patients after surgery for ATAAD has not been reported. Therefore, this study evaluated factors related to HAD in patients after surgery for ATAAD.

Perioperative management of a patient with a giant thyroglossal duct cyst: a case report.

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDC) are the most common type of congenital neck masses, which generally present in young adults. We present a rare case of a giant TGDC in a 77-year-old patient who required atypical perioperative management. The patient presented with a large soft mass on his anterior neck.

Associations of body mass index and hospital-acquired disability with post-discharge mortality in older patients with acute heart failure.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of hospital-acquired disability (HAD) on all-cause mortality after discharge according to the body mass index (BMI) in older patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

Methods: We included 408 patients aged ≥ 65 years who were hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure and had undergone an acute phase of cardiac rehabilitation at the Sakakibara Heart Institute between April 2013 and September 2015 (median age: 82 years, interquartile range (IQR): 76-86; 52% male). Patients were divided into three groups based on BMI at hospital admission: underweight (< 18.

Physical function examination at intensive care unit as predictive indicators for hospitalization-associated disability in patients after cardiovascular surgery.

Background: Following cardiovascular surgery, patients are at high risk of requiring systemic management in the intensive care unit (ICU), resulting in hospitalization-associated disability (HAD). Predicting the risk of HAD during the postoperative course is important to prevent susceptibility to cardiovascular events. Assessment of physical function during the ICU stay may be useful as a prediction index but has not been established.

Psoas Muscle Volume and Attenuation are Better Predictors than Muscle Area for Hospital Readmission in Older Patients after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the psoas muscle volume (PMV) and its muscle attenuation (MA) are associated with hospital readmission after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Method: We included 113 older patients with aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI at Sakakibara Heart Institute (mean age 85 ± 5 years, 69% women). We measured PMV and psoas muscle area (PMA) as well as total muscle area (TMA) at the third lumbar vertebra using preoperative computed tomography (CT) images.

Hospitalization-Associated Disability After Cardiac Surgery in Elderly Patients - Exploring the Risk Factors Using Machine Learning Algorithms.

Hospitalization-associated disability (HAD) is associated with prolonged functional decline and increased mortality after discharge. Therefore, we examined the incidence and risk factors associated with HAD in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery in Japan. We retrospectively examined 2,262 elderly patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery at Sakakibara Heart Institute.

Prognostic impact of hospital-acquired disability in elderly patients with heart failure.

Aims: Functional decline is associated with worse outcomes in patients with elderly heart failure (HF), but little is known about the prognostic impact of hospital-acquired disability (HAD) during hospital stay after acute HF. The present study examines the prognostic significance of HAD in the prediction of all-cause mortality in elderly patients who admitted for acute HF.

Methods And Results: This retrospective study was performed in 1941 elderly patients aged ≥65 years or older from the cardiovascular physiotherapy for acute HF patients in the Tokyo metropolitan area registry and excluded those who died in hospital.

Comparative analysis using the draft genome sequence of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) for exploring the candidate genes involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis.

Genome characterization of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica cv. "Hitoezaki"), which produces pharmaceutically important benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), was carried out using the draft genome sequence. The numbers of tRNA and rRNA genes were close to those of the other plant species tested, whereas the frequency of repetitive sequences was distinct from those species.

Over- and Under-sampling Approach for Extremely Imbalanced and Small Minority Data Problem in Health Record Analysis.

A considerable amount of health record (HR) data has been stored due to recent advances in the digitalization of medical systems. However, it is not always easy to analyze HR data, particularly when the number of persons with a target disease is too small in comparison with the population. This situation is called the imbalanced data problem.

Mining of the Uncharacterized Cytochrome P450 Genes Involved in Alkaloid Biosynthesis in California Poppy Using a Draft Genome Sequence.

Land plants produce specialized low molecular weight metabolites to adapt to various environmental stressors, such as UV radiation, pathogen infection, wounding and animal feeding damage. Due to the large variety of stresses, plants produce various chemicals, particularly plant species-specific alkaloids, through specialized biosynthetic pathways. In this study, using a draft genome sequence and querying known biosynthetic cytochrome P450 (P450) enzyme-encoding genes, we characterized the P450 genes involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) biosynthesis in California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), as P450s are key enzymes involved in the diversification of specialized metabolism.

Unraveling Additional O-Methylation Steps in Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Biosynthesis in California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica).

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), a member of the Papaveraceae family, produces many biologically active benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), such as sanguinarine, macarpine and chelerythrine. Sanguinarine biosynthesis has been elucidated at the molecular level, and its biosynthetic genes have been isolated and used in synthetic biology approaches to produce BIAs in vitro. However, several genes involved in the biosynthesis of macarpine and chelerythrine have not yet been characterized.

Efficient microbial production of stylopine using a Pichia pastoris expression system.

Stylopine is a protoberberine-type alkaloid that has potential biological activities. Based on the successful microbial production of (S)-reticuline, we attempted to produce stylopine from (S)-reticuline by the reaction of berberine bridge enzyme, cheilanthifoline synthase (CYP719A5), and stylopine synthase (CYP719A2). Biosynthetic enzyme expression was examined in a methanol-utilizing yeast (Pichia pastoris), and both a "consolidated" system with all genes expressed in one cell and a "co-culture" system with three cell lines that each express a single gene were examined.

Impact of chronic kidney disease and anemia on physical function in patients with chronic heart failure.

Objective: The aim of this study was to confirm the effects of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and anemia on physical function and to clarify whether the interaction between CKD and anemia has an additive effect.

Design: Eligible subjects were chronic heart failure (HF) patients who were discharged between March 2007 and August 2009. A total of 102 chronic HF patients (33% females; mean age: 68 ± 14 years) were enrolled in the present study.

Simple analytic method of diaminopimelate epimerase activity.

A simple method to analyze diaminopimelate epimerase activity has been devised which uses thin-layer chromatography and chiral column chromatography for preparation of pure diaminopimelate isomers and detection of products, respectively.