Prognostic factor of lenvatinib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in real-world conditions-Multicenter analysis.

Background/aim: We assessed suitable factors indicating newly developed lenvatinib (LEN) treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) by investigating real-world clinical features of patients.

Materials/methods: One hundred fifty two u-HCC patients, who receive LEN treatment from March to December 2018, were enrolled. (Child-Pugh score [CPS] 5/6/7/8 = 76/61/13/2, modified albumin-bilirubin grade [mALBI] 1/2a/2b/3 = 53/35/60/4).

Schistosomiasis Diagnosed Using Laparoscopy and Colonoscopy.

Schistosomiasis infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in endemic areas. Developed countries have declared that schistosomiasis has been eradicated; however, residents of these countries may travel and stay in endemic areas and the number of foreign travelers is increasing in the recent years. Thus, schistosomiasis is regarded as an imported infection.

Clinical manifestations and risk factors of community-onset Acinetobacter species pneumonia in Japan; case control study in a single institute in Japan.

To clarify the etiology, patients' characteristics and risk factors for community-onset AP (Acinetobacter species pneumonia), we conducted this case-control study. We reviewed all patients with community-onset AP at our institute from 2010 until 2018. We defined non-AP group as a control.

Extended drip infusion of peripheral parental nutrition containing amino acids might be associated with Bacillus cereus bloodstream infection.

In some Japanese hospitals, patients using infusion bags for parenteral nutrition containing amino acids have developed Bacillus cereus bloodstream infections. We considered that proliferation of contaminated B cereus in the bag during prolonged drip infusion might be one of the causes of infection. This study indicated that 8 h is the maximum appropriate drip infusion time for peripheral parental nutrition containing amino acids to prevent B cereus bloodstream infections.

Infective endocarditis caused by Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis: A case report and review of the literature.

Background: While it has been increasing cases of C. hominis endocarditis in the past decades due to advances of diagnostic methods, the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of IE caused by C. hominis is still unknown.

Efficacy and accuracy of qSOFA and SOFA scores as prognostic tools for community-acquired and healthcare-associated pneumonia.

Background: The Japanese Respiratory Society recently updated its prognostic guidelines for pneumonia, recommending that pneumonia severity be evaluated using the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and quick SOFA (qSOFA) scoring systems in a therapeutic strategy flowchart. However, the efficacy and accuracy of these tools are still unknown.

Methods: All patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) who were admitted to the study institution between 2014 and 2017 were enrolled in this study.

Brevibacterium paucivorans bacteremia: case report and review of the literature.

Background: Brevibacteria are obligate aerobic gram-positive rods that are associated with milk products and are also found on human skin. Brevibacterium has been reported as a rare cause of catheter related blood steam infection mainly in immunocompromised hosts such as malignancies or AIDS patients.

Case Presentation: A 94-year old woman, which had a past history of diabetes mellitus and chronic heart failure, presented with high fever associated with decreased oral intake and appetite loss and was admitted to our institute.

Combination of Resection and Ablative Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Usefulness of Complementary Radiofrequency Ablation.

Aim/background: In HCC patients with multiple tumors in separate segments, monotherapy with surgical resection is often difficult when the estimated residual liver volume after surgery is thought to be inadequate. We evaluated the usefulness of resection combined with low invasive radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treatment of such cases.

Materials/methods: We analyzed 115 HCC patients with countable multiple tumors (≤5) without vascular invasion and/or extrahepatic metastasis, and treated solely with resection (SR group: n = 82), or with both resection and RFA (Comb group: n = 33) from January 2000 to December 2017.

Analysis of major BCR-ABL1 mRNA by digital polymerase chain reaction is useful for prediction of international scale.

Background: Major BCR-ABL1 mRNA in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has generally been analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Application of the international scale (IS) for the quantification of major BCR-ABL1 mRNA has been recommended in several sets of guidelines, including those of the European LeukemiaNet. The aim of this study was to clarify the efficacy of digital PCR technology for the IS of BCR-ABL1 mRNA in the patients with CML by comparing with real-time PCR.

A novel disk-based detection method with superior sensitivity for β-lactamase production in third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Objective: Current phenotypic methods for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC β-lactamase (AmpC), and carbapenemases fail to detect isolates that co-produce other classes of β-lactamases. In this study, we have developed a novel assay (Applied Multiplex Disk Method: AMU-DM) for the phenotypic detection and identification of β-lactamases produced by Enterobacteriaceae.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of the method by comparison with PCR results for 78 Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates that were positive by the ESBL screening test and negative by the ESBL confirmation test.

Clostridioides difficile-related toxic megacolon after Cryptococcus neoformans cellulitis: A complex of two rare infections in an immunocompromised host.

A 76-year-old Japanese woman was admitted due to uncontrolled cellulitis of the right lower leg. She had deep vein thrombosis on the right limb. Moreover, she had a long history of rheumatoid arthritis treated with corticosteroids.

Stimulated hepatic stellate cell promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma due to protein kinase R activation.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were reported to promote the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however its mechanism is uncertain. We previously reported that protein kinase R (PKR) in hepatocytes regulated HCC proliferation. In this study, we focused on the role of PKR in HSCs, and clarified the mechanism of its association with HCC progression.

Pantoea dispersa bacteremia in an immunocompetent patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Pantoea is a Gram-negative, non-encapsulated, non-spore-forming, ubiquitous straight rod which can be isolated from geographical and ecological sources such as plant surfaces, buckwheat seeds, human feces, and the environment. The genus Pantoea is a rare pathogen in a clinical setting, and is divided into 20 different species such as Pantoea agglomerans, Pantoea ananatis, Pantoea deleyi, Pantoea dispersa, Pantoea septica, Pantoea stewartii or Pantoea rwandensis. Pantoea dispersa has been reported to cause other infections, including respiratory infections, neonatal sepsis, and bloodstream infections.

Genome-Scale CRISPR/Cas9 Screening Reveals Squalene Epoxidase as a Susceptibility Factor for Cytotoxicity of Malformin A1.

Malformin A1 (MA1) is a fungus-produced cyclic pentapeptide. MA1 exhibits teratogenicity to plants, fibrinolysis-enhancing activity, and cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. To clarify the cytotoxic mechanism of MA1, we screened for the genes involved in the cytotoxicity of MA1 in monocytoid U937 cells by using a CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-wide knockout library.

A severe case of Streptococcal pyogenes empyema following influenza A infection.

Background: Any immunological mechanisms induced by influenza virus could cause severe secondary bacterial superinfection such as those by Streptococcus pyogenes [group A streptococcus (GAS)], Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus. Over recent years, the frequency of pleural empyema has increased in children with influenza infection. We present a severe case of acute empyema caused by S.

The C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio Is Useful for Predicting Short-Term Survival in Cancer and Noncancer Patients.

Survival predictions by subjective evaluations are important for end-stage patients. However, subjective evaluations based on experience are difficult. Therefore, we investigated whether the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio (CRP/Alb ratio) calculated from the laboratory values of objective evaluations are useful for predicting survival times in end-stage patients.

Impact of albumin-bilirubin grade on survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who received sorafenib: An analysis using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic.

Background And Aim: Albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade was developed as a new method to assess hepatic function. Sorafenib has been confirmed to be effective in improving survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we investigated the impact of ALBI grade versus Child-Pugh classification on survival in HCC patients who received sorafenib.

Antifungal susceptibility trend and analysis of resistance mechanism for Candida species isolated from bloodstream at a Japanese university hospital.

We compared the susceptibility of six commercially available antifungal agents (fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, caspofungin, micafungin, and amphotericin B) against 133 Candida bloodstream isolates between 2008 and 2013 at Aichi Medical University Hospital. C. albicans was the most common isolate, followed by C.

Using ALBI score at the start of sorafenib treatment to predict regorafenib treatment candidates in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Although sorafenib-regorafenib sequential therapy improves the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), many patients abandon sequential therapy due to worsening hepatic reserve function. Thus, it is important to clarify which patients can be treated using regorafenib. The albumin-bilirubin score is a good biomarker for hepatic reserve function.

Destructive Thyroiditis Induced by Lenvatinib in Three Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hypothyroidism is a frequently occurring complication in patients on lenvatinib treatment. However, little is known about lenvatinib-induced thyrotoxicosis and destructive thyroiditis. We herein report the cases of three patients who developed hyperthyroidism during the course of lenvatinib treatment.

Reduction of response time by data placement reflecting co-occurrence structures in structured overlay networks.

We propose a method to accelerate a response of structured overlay networks by reducing the number of hops required to answer multi-queries. In the proposed method, by copying data items to the redundant storage spaces in other storages, a good data placement reflecting co-occurrence structures in the structured overlay network is achieved. We formulate the optimization problem of the data placement in the limited redundant space of the storages as an integer programming.

Antimicrobial activity of solithromycin and levofloxacin against a murine pneumonia mixed-infection model caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and anaerobic bacteria.

Introduction: Solithromycin is a novel fluoroketolide developed to treat pneumonia. But, few studies evaluating its antimicrobial activity against S. pneumoniae in a mixed-infection model with anaerobes are available, while community-acquired pneumonia can involve mixed-infection of Streptococcus pneumoniae and anaerobic bacteria.

Buoyant force-induced continuous floating and sinking of Janus micromotors.

A novel bubble-induced ultrafast floating and sinking of micromotors based on the difference between buoyant force and gravity is proposed. Asymmetric micromotors were prepared by modification with Au and Pt layers for the two faces of glassy carbon beads (GCBs) by the bipolar electrodeposition technique. After the accumulation of enough oxygen bubbles by the decomposition of HO at the Pt layer, the upward net force acting on the micromotor drove its movement to the air/solution interface.

IL-9 Blockade Suppresses Silica-induced Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis in Mice.

Recapitulative animal models of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and related diseases are lacking, which inhibits our ability to fully clarify the pathogenesis of these diseases. Although lung fibrosis in mouse models is often induced by bleomycin, silica-induced lung fibrosis is more sustainable and more progressive. Therefore, in this study, we sought to elucidate the mediator(s) responsible for the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis, through the use of a mouse model of silica-induced lung fibrosis.