Publications by authors named "Kurokawa S"
Background: Neither the actual in vivo tissue temperatures reached with a novel contact force sensing catheter with a mesh-shaped irrigation tip (TactiFlex SE, Abbott) nor the safety profile has been elucidated.
Methods: In a porcine model (n = 8), thermocouples were implanted epicardially in the superior vena cava, right pulmonary vein, and esophagus close to the inferior vena cava following a right thoracotomy. After chest closure, endocardial ablation was conducted near the thermocouples under fluoroscopic guidance.
Background: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) has been gaining worldwide acceptance due to its efficacy and safety. A variable loop circular catheter (VLCC, VARIPULSE, Biosense Webster, Inc.) for PFA, recently launched in Japan, includes a Tissue Proximity Indication (TPI) feature to monitor catheter-tissue contact via impedance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Arterial switch operation (ASO) for dextro-transposition of the great arteries was developed four decades ago, and women with ASO have reached childbearing age. Although over 40% of the pregnant women who received ASO gave birth via cesarean delivery, detailed information about anesthesia management has not been reported. This study aimed to evaluate anesthesia and perioperative outcomes in pregnant women with ASO undergoing cesarean delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a major cause of enteric infectious gastroenteritis and is classified into several genotypes based on its capsid protein amino acid sequence and nucleotide sequence of the polymerase gene. Among these, GII.4 is the major genotype worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Zero-fluoroscopic pulsed field ablation (PFA) is the next step in advancing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF).
Methods: A workflow incorporating a variable-loop circular PFA catheter, intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), and a visualized sheath was applied to 15 paroxysmal AF patients.
Results: It consisted of three steps: (1) positioning a non-magnetic mapping catheter in the coronary sinus after creating a right atrial matrix, (2) transseptal puncture with the sheath advancement to the left atrium under ICE guidance, and (3) PFA confirming catheter-tissue contact with tissue proximity indication.
Reports of hydronephrosis-induced hypertension in pediatric patients are rare. A 7-year-old girl with hypertension was referred to our hospital with left hydronephrosis caused by ureteropelvic junction obstruction of the lower moiety in a partial duplex system. Because the lower moiety was almost nonfunctional, a laparoscopic heminephrectomy was performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To identify the COVID-19 pandemic impact on well-being/mental health, coping strategies, and risk factors in adolescents worldwide.
Method: This study was based on an anonymous online multi-national/multi-language survey in the general population (representative/weighted non-representative samples, 14-17 years of age), measuring change in well-being (World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index [WHO-5]/range = 0-100) and psychopathology (validated composite P-score/range = 0-100), WHO-5 <50 and <29, pre- vs during COVID-19 pandemic (April 26, 2020-June 26, 2022). Coping strategies and 9 a priori- defined individual/cumulative risk factors were measured.
Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death among women and early detection is crucial for its successful treatment. We previously showed that cytological examination combined with genetic analysis using liquid-based cytology (LBC) samples improved the diagnostic sensitivity of EC.
Methods: Among 218 individuals who underwent endometrial screening by LBC, 208 samples were analysed by cancer-panel sequencing.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the effectiveness of catheter ablation in eliminating idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias from different sites in the heart.
- It analyzes data from 58 patients and finds that overall, 72% had successful ablation, with different success rates linked to two specific sites: ECS and endo-EAS.
- Successful ECS ablation is associated with shorter distances to the activation site, while successful endo-EAS ablation is linked to earlier electrical signals and shorter intervals between activation sites.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers developed a new PET tracer, [C]K-2, that allows for the visualization and measurement of AMPAR density in the brains of living human patients, which is important for understanding neurotransmission in psychiatric disorders.
- The study involved 149 patients with various psychiatric disorders (like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and 70 healthy individuals, revealing correlations between AMPAR density and symptom severity.
- The findings highlight unique patterns of AMPAR distribution across different psychiatric disorders, suggesting potential new approaches for diagnosing and treating these conditions based on biological mechanisms.
Article Synopsis
- * Results show that the maxillary anterior segment mostly moves backward with minor upward movement, while soft tissue changes include significant posterior movement in the upper lip and subnasal area, along with increases in the nasolabial angle and nasal height.
- * The findings suggest that the posterior shift of the maxillary segment can effectively reduce upper lip protrusion with minimal impact on nasal shape, indicating that the position of the maxillary teeth is crucial for achieving desired aesthetic outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The COH-FIT study is a large, multi-country survey aimed at identifying factors affecting wellbeing and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, involving a representative sample of 121,066 adults.
- Researchers analyzed both modifiable (like coping strategies and pre-pandemic stress) and non-modifiable factors (such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status), finding significant negative effects on wellbeing and psychopathology scores during the pandemic.
- The study identified 15 modifiable and 9 non-modifiable risk factors, alongside 13 modifiable and 3 non-modifiable protective factors, emphasizing the importance of social support and coping strategies in mental health outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- There is a lack of comprehensive international studies examining multidimensional mental health and wellbeing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly identifying at-risk groups and effective coping strategies.
- The COH-FIT survey, conducted from April 2020 to June 2022 in 30 languages, assessed changes in well-being and psychopathology among over 121,000 participants, revealing significant declines in mental health during the pandemic.
- Key findings indicated that certain demographics, such as young adults and people in low-income countries, were particularly affected, while coping strategies like exercise, internet use, and maintaining social contacts emerged as the most effective for managing stress.
Article Synopsis
- Hemiscrotal agenesis is a rare condition where one side of the scrotum is not developed, often treated surgically with techniques like orchiopexy or scrotoplasty, although there are very few documented cases (only eight).
- A case study of a 6-year-old boy showed increased temperature in the undeveloped side of the scrotum, but his parents opted against surgery, and ultrasound tests showed both testes were normal.
- The findings suggest that the higher temperature in hemiscrotal agenesis without cryptorchidism might not hinder testicular growth in young boys.
Article Synopsis
- A new compound called bromocyclotrisilene has been synthesized, known for its strong air stability and unique structure, through reactions involving 1,2-dibromodisilene.
- The compound features a slightly bent planar structure and retains a reactive Si-Br bond, particularly under reducing conditions.
- Further reactions with lithium metal result in the creation of stable silicon homologues of cyclopropyl radicals, demonstrating intriguing properties of three-membered silicon rings in organic chemistry.
Uterine metastases from extragenital sites are rare. We present a case of a woman who had undergone surgery for small intestinal cancer and subsequently developed metastases in her left ovary and uterus. A nulliparous woman in her 50s underwent laparoscopic partial small bowel resection with lymph node dissection for small intestinal cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identification of infrequent nonpulmonary vein trigger premature atrial contractions (PACs) is challenging. We hypothesized that pace mapping (PM) assessed by correlation scores calculated by an intracardiac pattern matching (ICPM) module was useful for locating PAC origins, and conducted a validation study to assess the accuracy of ICPM-guided PM.
Methods: Analyzed were 30 patients with atrial fibrillation.
Social behavior is divided into four types: altruism, spite, mutualism, and selfishness. The former two are costly to the actor; therefore, from the perspective of natural selection, their existence can be regarded as mysterious. One potential setup which encourages the evolution of altruism and spite is repeated interaction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the feasibility and outcomes of two robotic hysterectomy (da Vinci Xi™ vs. da Vinci SP™) systems without lymph node dissection in patients with early-stage endometrial cancer, and assess the postoperative recurrence rate and overall survival of patients. : A retrospective review of 84 patients who underwent robotic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer (stage 1A) was conducted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNew robot models, such as hinotori, da Vinci SP, and Hugo, have been introduced in Japan. This study examined the surgical outcomes of these models in patients from the initial stages of their introduction to the present day.We retrospectively reviewed 36 patients with endometrial cancer or benign gynecologic disease, who underwent robotic hysterectomy using da Vinci SP, hinotori, or Hugo between March 2023 and March 2024.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) utilizing radiofrequency (RF) applications with a very high-power and short-duration (vHPSD) has shortened the procedure time, the determinants of pulmonary vein (PV) gaps in the first-pass PVI and acute PV reconnections are unclear.
Methods: An extensive encircling PVI was performed with the QDOT MICRO catheter with a vHPSD (90 W-4 s) in 30 patients with AF (19 men, 64 ± 10 years). The association of the PV gap sites (first-pass PVI failure, acute PV reconnections [spontaneous reconnections or dormant conduction provoked by adenosine triphosphate] or both) with the left atrial (LA) wall thickness and LA bipolar voltage on the PVI line and ablation-related parameters were assessed.