A hands-free wearable electrolarynx for communication in tracheostomized mechanically ventilated critically ill patients: a case series.

The electrolarynx facilitates communication for tracheostomized mechanically ventilated patients. However, its effectiveness is often constrained by patient weakness. A hands-free electrolarynx offers a potential solution, enabling speech without the need to hold the device.

Complete Endotracheal Tube Obstruction Due to Highly Viscous Secretions Immediately After Tracheal Intubation: A Case Report.

Obstruction of the endotracheal tube (ETT) from secretions can cause severe respiratory distress and potentially life-threatening complications; therefore, prompt decisions and management are needed. Cases of ETT obstruction have been observed in patients who have been ventilated for extended periods but are rare in patients immediately after endotracheal intubation. Herein, we present a rare case of ETT obstruction after endotracheal intubation.

A surgical case of right ventricular outpouching.

Unlabelled: Outpouching of the heart ventricles, especially of the right ventricle, is rare. Here, we report the case of a 60-year-old male, referred to our institution with an outpouched structure at the right ventricular apex. The patient had no cardiac events.

Early therapeutic efficacy of condoliase chemonucleolysis for lumbar disc herniation.

Background: Low back pain is often caused by lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Treatment of LDH is possible using chemonucleolysis of the nucleus pulposus with condoliase injection. However, onset of the therapeutic effect varies among patients, with improvement from an early stage to 3 months post-injection.

Characterization of a Cancer-Induced Bone Pain Model for Use as a Model of Cancer Cachexia.

Cancer cachexia is a debilitating syndrome characterized by progressive weight loss, muscle wasting, and systemic inflammation. Despite the prevalence and severe consequences of cancer cachexia, effective treatments for this syndrome remain elusive. Therefore, there is a greater need for well-characterized animal models to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Pinhole Descending Aortic Rupture with Systemic Sclerosis and Dermatomyositis: A Case Report.

Thoracic descending aortic perforation with overlap syndrome (systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis) is a rare, unreported vascular pathology. We describe the case of a 75-year-old woman who presented with chest tightness, back pain, and dyspnea. Computed tomography revealed a pinhole rupture in the descending aorta.

Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Spinal Surgery: Patient-Centered Care and Social Contribution.

Background: In recent years, achieving a sustainable society has become an international challenge. The medical field is also being called upon to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, awareness of the SDGs in Japan is low, and relevant efforts in the healthcare sector are particularly lagging behind.

Association between sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor and adverse events in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: Although there is concern about the association of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) use with musculoskeletal pain, hypovolemia, and urinary tract infection in patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), information on these adverse events is insufficient. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess whether SGLT2i increases the risk of urinary tract infection, hypovolemia, and musculoskeletal pain in these patients.

Methods: MEDLINE via PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the ClinicalTrials.

Delayed Trastuzumab-induced Cardiotoxicity Leading to Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

An 81-year-old woman presented to our hospital with dyspnea. She had been treated with trastuzumab for nine years. Chest radiography revealed pleural effusion.

Clinical Case Report: Neonatal Mesenteric Traction Syndrome During Surgery for Congenital Duodenal Stenosis.

Mesenteric traction syndrome (MTS) is a common complication of major abdominal surgery, characterized by flushing, hypotension, and tachycardia. However, its occurrence in neonates has not yet been documented. This report details a neonatal case of MTS that emerged during surgery for congenital duodenal stenosis.

Suppression of gp130 attenuated insulin-mediated signaling and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Oncostatin M receptor (OSMR) subunit gp130 knockdown on insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism-related signaling pathways and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells. siRNA-mediated gp130 knockdown was conducted in C2C12 muscle cells, and insulin was added and incubated for 1 h. The cells were cultivated to analyze the mRNA levels of gp130, phosphorylation of STAT3, and glucose metabolism-regulated signaling pathways, and OSM levels in the culture medium were analyzed.

GDE5/Gpcpd1 activity determines phosphatidylcholine composition in skeletal muscle and regulates contractile force in mice.

Glycerophosphocholine (GPC) is an important precursor for intracellular choline supply in phosphatidylcholine (PC) metabolism. GDE5/Gpcpd1 hydrolyzes GPC into choline and glycerol 3-phosphate; this study aimed to elucidate its physiological function in vivo. Heterozygous whole-body GDE5-deficient mice reveal a significant GPC accumulation across tissues, while homozygous whole-body knockout results in embryonic lethality.

Selective bacteriophages reduce the emergence of resistant bacteria in bacteriophage-antibiotic combination therapy.

O157:H7 is a globally important foodborne pathogen with implications for food safety. Antibiotic treatment for O157 may potentially contribute to the exacerbation of hemolytic uremic syndrome, and the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains necessitates the development of new treatment strategies. In this study, the bactericidal effects and resistance development of antibiotic and bacteriophage monotherapy were compared with those of combination therapy against O157.

flepiMoP: The evolution of a flexible infectious disease modeling pipeline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented demand for projections of disease burden and healthcare utilization under scenarios ranging from unmitigated spread to strict social distancing policies. In response, members of the Johns Hopkins Infectious Disease Dynamics Group developed flepiMoP (formerly called the COVID Scenario Modeling Pipeline), a comprehensive open-source software pipeline designed for creating and simulating compartmental models of infectious disease transmission and inferring parameters through these models. The framework has been used extensively to produce short-term forecasts and longer-term scenario projections of COVID-19 at the state and county level in the US, for COVID-19 in other countries at various geographic scales, and more recently for seasonal influenza.

Knee extension deficit during gait and knee extensor weakness persisting after saucerization and repair of discoid lateral meniscus tears.

Background: Physical function and knee kinematics recovery after discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) tear surgery are essential for a better prognosis. However, these alterations remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate changes in physical function and knee kinematics following saucerization and DLM tear repair.

Truncated GPNMB, a microglial transmembrane protein, serves as a scavenger receptor for oligomeric β-amyloid peptide in primary type 1 microglia.

Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) is up-regulated in one subtype of microglia (MG) surrounding senile plaque depositions of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides. However, whether the microglial GPNMB can recognize the fibrous Aβ peptides as ligands remains unknown. In this study, we report that the truncated form of GPNMB, the antigen for 9F5, serves as a scavenger receptor for oligomeric Aβ (o-Aβ) in rat primary type 1 MG.