Evaluation of travel time to colorectal cancer care and survival: a cohort study using cancer registry data in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

Background: Cancer care in Japan faces a major challenge in maintaining equity in access and efficiency. Care is provided on the basis of catchment area, referred to as a secondary medical area (SMA); at least one designated cancer care hospital (DCCH) is placed in every SMA. We aimed to evaluate travel time and net survival by SMA among patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

Association Between Alcohol Use Patterns and Insomnia Symptoms or Poor Sleep Quality Among Adult Women: An Internet Cross-Sectional Survey in Japan.

It is unclear whether patterns of alcohol consumption are associated with sleep disturbance. We aimed to investigate the relationship between comprehensive alcohol-related factors and insomnia symptoms, as well as sleep quality, among adult women in Japan. Responses to an online cross-sectional survey were gathered from 12,000 women.

Temporal changes in regional variations in cancer survival rates in Osaka, Japan (1997-2015).

The variation in survival rates among patients with cancer based on residential areas has become a significant concern globally. Japan's Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs (BPPCCP), implemented in 2007, aimed to reduce this variation by designating cancer care hospitals in each cancer medical area (CMA) where patients resided. From the Osaka Cancer Registry data, we extracted 407,489 patients aged 15-74 years with cancer who received treatment in Osaka Prefecture between 1997 and 2015 and analyzed regional variations in survival rates for each patient's residential CMA before and after the implementation of the BPPCCP.

Rice yield and energy balance in an agrivoltaic system established in Shonai plain, northern Japan.

An agrivoltaic system (AVS), wherein crops and electricity are simultaneously produced on the same agricultural land, contributes to renewable energy production and food security. AVS is expected to expand energy production in rural areas; however, its energy balance has not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, the energy balance of an AVS established in 2021 in the paddy fields on Shonai Plain was determined.

Assisted reproductive technology in Japan: A summary report for 2022 by the Ethics Committee of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Purpose: This descriptive analysis evaluated the 2022 assisted reproductive technology (ART) data collected by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology registry.

Methods And Results: In 2022 (cutoff date 30 November 2023), 634 of 635 registered ART facilities participated; 602 implemented ART treatment, with 543 630 registered cycles and 77 206 neonates (9.1% and 10.

Clinical impact of endogenous luteinizing hormone in frozen-thawed embryo transfer during hormone replacement cycle without gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog coadministration: Effects on pregnancy outcomes.

Purpose: To assess the correlation between serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels preceding luteal replacement initiation and outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles during hormone replacement therapy (HRT) without co-administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 490 FET cycles performed between March 2018 and May 2023. Patients were categorized into quartiles based on their serum LH levels preceding luteal replacement.

Transcription Factor 21 Regulates Cardiac Myofibroblast Formation and Fibrosis.

Background: TCF21 (transcription factor 21) is a bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) protein required for the developmental specification of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) from epicardial progenitor cells that surround the embryonic heart. In the adult heart, TCF21 is expressed in tissue-resident fibroblasts and is downregulated in response to injury or stimuli leading to myofibroblast differentiation. These findings led to the hypothesis that TCF21 regulates fibroblast differentiation in the adult mammalian heart to affect fibrosis.

Clinical and microbiological effectiveness of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light disinfection in a neonatal intensive care unit in Japan.

Background: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common causative agent of serious healthcare-related infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). In adult ICUs, pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection of environmental surfaces, along with alcohol-based hand hygiene and terminal cleaning, has been demonstrated to reduce the MRSA acquisition rate.

Aim: To explore the impact of PX-UV use in NICUs on reducing MRSA transmission.

Obstetric outcomes of transabdominal cerclage: A retrospective observational study in Japan.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the obstetric outcomes of transabdominal cerclage (TAC) in Japan.

Methods: Questionnaires on TAC were sent to 183 institutions performing high-quality perinatal management in Japan. As a first-step questionnaire, we asked whether TAC was performed between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2022.

The morphology of internal elastic lamina corrugations in arteries under physiological conditions.

Background: In elastic and resistance arteries, an elastin-rich membrane, the Internal Elastic Lamina (IEL), separates the tunica intima from the underlying tunica media. The IEL often appears wrinkled or corrugated in histological images. These corrugations are sometimes ascribed to vessel contraction ex vivo, and to fixation artifacts, and therefore regarded as not physiologically relevant.

Pharmacologic, Surgical, and Device-Based Cardiac Neuromodulation.

The cardiac autonomic nervous system plays a key role in maintaining normal cardiac physiology, and once disrupted, it worsens the cardiac disease states. Neuromodulation therapies have been emerging as new treatment options, and various techniques have been introduced to mitigate autonomic nervous imbalances to help cardiac patients with their disease conditions and symptoms. In this review article, we discuss various neuromodulation techniques used in clinical settings to treat cardiac diseases.

Comparing the Memory Effects of 50-Hz Low-Frequency and 10-kHz High-Frequency Thoracic Spinal Cord Stimulation on Spinal Neural Network in a Myocardial Infarction Porcine Model.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of cessation of both conventional low-frequency (50 Hz) and high-frequency (10 kHz) spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on the cardiospinal neural network activity in pigs with myocardial infarction (MI). The objective is to provide an insight into the memory effect of SCS.

Materials And Methods: In nine Yorkshire pigs, chronic MI was created by delivering microspheres to the left circumflex coronary artery.

Associations of Nutrients and Dietary Preferences with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Infertility.

This review examines associations of nutrients and dietary preferences with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), miscarriage, and infertility. Research articles, reviews, and meta-analyses of RPL and infertility that focused on nutrition, meals, and lifestyle were reviewed, and associations of nutrients and dietary preferences with pregnancy are discussed in relation to recent research findings. Studies related to RPL were given the highest priority, followed by those dealing with miscarriage and infertility.

Feasibility of Predicting Surgical Duration in Endometriosis Using Numerical Multi-Scoring System of Endometriosis (NMS-E).

Background: Endometriosis is a multifaceted gynecological condition that poses diagnostic challenges and affects a significant number of women worldwide, leading to pain, infertility, and a reduction in patient quality of life (QoL). Traditional diagnostic methods, such as the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine (r-ASRM) classification, have limitations, particularly in preoperative settings. The Numerical Multi-Scoring System of Endometriosis (NMS-E) has been proposed to address these shortcomings by providing a comprehensive preoperative diagnostic tool that integrates findings from pelvic examinations and transvaginal ultrasonography.

Randomized Trial for Evaluation in Secondary Prevention Efficacy of Combination Therapy-Statin and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (RESPECT-EPA).

Background: Low plasma levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are associated with cardiovascular events. This trial aimed to assess the clinical benefits of icosapent ethyl in patients with coronary artery disease, a low EPA/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio, and statin treatment.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded end-point study, patients with stable coronary artery disease and a low EPA/AA ratio (<0.

Analgesic effects of oral Yokukansan on acute postoperative pain and involvement of the serotonin nervous system: a mouse model study.

Background: Yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo), has been widely used to treat neurosis, dementia, and chronic pain. Previous in vitro studies have suggested that Yokukansan acts as a partial agonist of the 5-HT receptor, resulting in amelioration of chronic pain through inhibition of nociceptive neuronal activity. However, its effectiveness for treating postoperative pain remains unknown, although its analgesic mechanism of action has been suggested to involve serotonin and glutamatergic neurotransmission.

[STATE-OF-THE-ART OF GLOBAL START-UP INVESTMENT FOR ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 2022].

Background: In 2022, the "New Capitalism Grand Design and Implementation Plan" was adopted in Japan, emphasizing the promotion and environmental development of startups. Given this context, an investigation into the startup and investment landscape in the allergy sector, both domestically and internationally, becomes imperative.

Methods: We analyzed 156 allergy-related startups from Japan, the US, and Europe from 2010 to 2021.

Association between multimorbidity and utilization of medical and long-term care among older adults in a rural mountainous area in Japan.

Objective: With the accelerated population aging, multimorbidity has become an important healthcare issue. However, few studies have examined multimorbidity and its impact on the use of medical and long-term care services in Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between multimorbidity and the use of medical and long-term care services among older adults living in the depopulated mountainous areas of Japan.

Spatial and Economic Proximity of Cigarette Sales to School Children in Mongolia.

Background: The Western Pacific Region has the highest rate of cigarette smoking in the world. In this region, Mongolia has ratified the WHO FCTC treaty and, as part of treaty implementation, has monitored school tobacco use in children using the 2014 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) and 2019 GYTS. Our objective was to examine the spatial and economic factors associated with cigarette use in schoolchildren of Mongolia.

Risk of thoracic soft tissue sarcoma after breast cancer radiotherapy: a population-based cohort study in Osaka, Japan.

Postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer reportedly increases the risk of thoracic soft tissue sarcomas, particularly angiosarcomas; however, the risk in the Japanese population remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the incidence of thoracic soft tissue sarcoma among patients with breast cancer in Japan and determine its association with radiotherapy. This retrospective cohort study used data from the population-based cancer registry of the Osaka Prefecture.

Ventricular arrhythmia inducibility in porcine infarct model after stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Background: Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) is the primary mechanism of sudden death in patients with structural heart disease. Cardiac stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivered to the scar in the left ventricle significantly reduces the burden of VA.

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of SBRT on scar morphology and VA inducibility in a porcine infarct model.

Prognostic impact of coexisting cardiovascular disease in patients with cancer: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: The incidence of malignancy and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing worldwide. However, it is not entirely clear how the coexistence of CVD at the time of cancer diagnosis affects the overall survival of patients with cancer.

Methods And Results: We used the cancer registries and administrative claims data of patients diagnosed with cancer at 36 designated cancer care hospitals in Osaka, Japan, from 2010 to 2015.