Postoperative stroke and neurological outcomes in the early phase after revascularization surgeries for moyamoya disease: an age-stratified comparative analysis.

Stroke and neurological outcomes in the early phase following revascularization for moyamoya disease (MMD) may depend on the patient's age. In this study, an age-stratified comparative analysis was performed to clarify this issue. We reviewed 105 MMD patients who underwent 179 revascularization surgeries.

Prognostic value of desmoplastic reaction characterisation in stage II colon cancer: prospective validation in a Phase 3 study (SACURA Trial).

Background: The characterisation of desmoplastic reaction (DR) has emerged as a new, independent prognostic determinant in colorectal cancer. Herein, we report the validation of its prognostic value in a randomised controlled study (SACURA trial).

Methods: The study included 991 stage II colon cancer patients.

STK11 loss drives rapid progression in a breast cancer patient resulting in pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy.

We experienced a case of breast cancer in which liver metastases spread rapidly and the patient died of pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM). PTTM is a fatal cancer-associated respiratory complication disease. To reveal genetic alterations of the clinical course, we performed next generation sequencing of the serial specimens using the Ion AmpliSeqTM Comprehensive Cancer Panel and RNA sequencing for transcriptomic data, followed by gene set analysis.

Reverse Z-effect phenomenon in a basicervical femoral fracture using cephalomedullary nail with two superior antirotation screws: A case report and procedure evaluation.

We present a case of reverse Z-effect phenomenon in a basicervical femoral fracture using a cephalomedullary nail together with two superior antirotation screws and evaluate the procedure. An 86-year-old woman fell in her home and could not stand due to right hip joint pain. X-ray and CT imaging showed a right basicervical femoral fracture (AO/OTA classification; 31B3), and open reduction and internal fixation (OR/IF) was performed with a cephalomedullary nail and two superior antirotation screws (TES Nail, HOMS, Tokyo, Japan).

Maggot debridement therapy in critical limb ischaemia: a case study.

Objective: In critical limb ischaemia (CLI), first-line therapy is revascularisation, but alternative treatment options are needed in certain cases. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is historically considered to be contraindicated in ischaemic ulcers. Wound care in patients with CLI is becoming increasingly diverse with the development of novel revascularisation strategies; therefore, CLI now needs to be reconsidered as an indication for MDT.

Laparoscopic appendectomy during the second trimester of a twin pregnancy.

Acute appendicitis during pregnancy may lead to increased maternal and fetal risks. Laparoscopic appendectomy is commonly performed during pregnancy. Compared with open appendectomy in pregnant women, laparoscopic appendectomy has shown non-inferior safety for pregnancy outcomes and superior safety for surgical outcomes.

The 2020 revised comprehensive diagnostic (RCD) criteria for IgG4-RD.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fascinating clinical entity first reported in this century in Japan, and includes a wide variety of diseases, such as formerly named Mikulicz's disease (MD), autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), interstitial nephritis, prostatitis and retroperitoneal fibrosis. The Japanese IgG4 team organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan has published the first criteria, comprehensive diagnostic (CD) criteria for IgG-RD 2011. Thereafter, IgG4-RD has been accepted widely and many cases have been reported from all over the world.

Association of Tumor PD-L1 Expression with the T790M Mutation and Progression-Free Survival in Patients with EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving EGFR-TKI Therapy.

Background: Among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we compared the progression-free survival (PFS) and proportion of acquisition of T790M mutation of the epidermal growth receptor gene (EGFR) after first-line treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patient groups with and without tumor expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1).

Methods: Data of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor PD-L1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using the 22C3 antibody.

Does complete-staging lymphadenectomy improve survival outcomes in stage I endometrioid epithelial ovarian carcinoma? A multi-institutional retrospective study with propensity score-weighted analysis.

Background: We investigated the prognostic impact of complete-staging lymphadenectomy on patients with clinically apparent Stage I endometrioid epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Methods: We conducted a regional multi-institutional retrospective study between 1986 and 2018. Amongst 4897 patients with malignant ovarian tumours diagnosed under central pathological review, 259 women with Stage I endometrioid epithelial ovarian carcinoma were eligible.

Hypertensive Cardiomyopathy with Congestive Heart Failure in an Infant with Unilateral Wilms Tumor: A Case Report.

Wilms tumor (WT) is the most common malignant kidney tumor in children. High blood pressure is seen in up to 55% of children with WT. However, hypertensive cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure due to WT is remarkably rare, with only several cases reported worldwide.

Gestational Age Dependency of Umbilical Cord Serum IL-6 Levels for Detecting Fetal Inflammation.

Objective: The fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) is characterized by elevated concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in fetal blood, with preterm delivery and morbidity. Umbilical cord serum interleukin-6 (UC-s-IL-6) is an ideal marker for detecting FIRS. However, the effect of gestational age (GA) on UC-s-IL-6 levels has not been reported.

Development and Validation of a Clinical Score to Predict Neurological Outcomes in Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Treated With Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

Importance: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is expected to improve the neurological outcomes of patients with refractory cardiac arrest; however, it is invasive, expensive, and requires substantial human resources. The ability to predict neurological outcomes would assist in patient selection for ECPR.

Objective: To develop and validate a prediction model for neurological outcomes of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with shockable rhythm treated with ECPR.

Neurosurgical versus endovascular treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: a multicenter study of 195 patients.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare the treatment success rates of primary neurosurgical and endovascular treatments in patients with spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs).

Methods: Data from 199 consecutive patients with thoracic and lumbosacral spinal dAVFs were collected from 18 centers. Angiographic and clinical findings, the rate of initial treatment failure or recurrence by procedures, risk factors for treatment failure, complications, and neurological outcomes were statistically analyzed.

Transformation from adenocarcinoma to squamous cell carcinoma associated with long-term administration of EGFR-TKIs.

Although patients with non-small cell lung cancer exhibiting mutations generally respond to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), the majority of patients acquire resistance ~1 year after treatment. T790M mutations, or amplifications and phenotypic transformations contribute to the mechanism of EGFR-TKI resistance. The transformation of small cell lung cancer frequently occurs, although few convert to squamous cell carcinoma associated with the administration of EGFR-TKIs.

A new species of the mud shrimp genus Axianassa Schmitt, 1924 (Decapoda: Gebiidea: Laomediidae) from Japan.

The laomediid mud shrimp genus Axianassa Schmitt, 1924 is currently represented by 12 species worldwide. In this study, a new species of the genus, A. microlepis, is described and illustrated on the basis of two female specimens obtained from Awaji Island, eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, at depth of 8 m.

Orange Leafhopper Feeding Induces Gall Formation Nitrogen Dependently and Regulates Gibberellin Signaling.

Orange leafhopper feeding induces wallaby ear symptoms, namely growth suppression and gall formation characterized by severe swelling of leaf veins, on various Poaceae, thereby leading to low crop yields. Here, we investigated the development of wallaby ear symptoms on rice seedlings due to feeding. After confirming that feeding induces growth suppression and gall formation on rice seedlings, we further demonstrated that gall formation score decreased with decreasing levels of nitrogen in the medium and that feeding induces the expression levels of nitrogen transporter genes.

Assessment of the functional efficacy of root canal treatment with high-frequency waves in rats.

The purpose of this study was to develop a high-frequency wave therapy model in rats and to investigate the influence of high-frequency waves on root canal treatment, which may provide a novel strategy for treating apical periodontitis. Root canal treatments with and without high-frequency wave irradiation were performed on the mandibular first molars of 10-week-old male Wistar rats. The mesial roots were evaluated radiologically, bacteriologically, and immunohistochemically.

Analysis of Clinicopathological Characteristics of Appendiceal Tumors in Japan: A Multicenter Collaborative Retrospective Clinical Study- A Japanese Nationwide Survey.

Background: Appendiceal tumor has recently been treated differently from colorectal cancer. However, obtaining knowledge of this disease is difficult because of its rareness.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of appendiceal tumors in a Japanese cohort.

The Prognostic Relevance of the Number and Location of Positive Lymph Nodes for Ampulla of Vater Carcinoma.

Background: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) has been regarded as one of the prognostic factors in patients with ampulla of Vater carcinoma (AC). However, the consensus about an optimal cutoff value of the number of LNMs and the definition of the regional lymph nodes (RLNs) has not been achieved.

Methods: This study included 114 consecutive patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for AC between January 2002 and March 2019.

The PD-1 expression balance between effector and regulatory T cells predicts the clinical efficacy of PD-1 blockade therapies.

Immune checkpoint blockade has provided a paradigm shift in cancer therapy, but the success of this approach is very variable; therefore, biomarkers predictive of clinical efficacy are urgently required. Here, we show that the frequency of PD-1CD8 T cells relative to that of PD-1 regulatory T (T) cells in the tumor microenvironment can predict the clinical efficacy of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade therapies and is superior to other predictors, including PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression or tumor mutational burden. PD-1 expression by CD8 T cells and T cells negatively impacts effector and immunosuppressive functions, respectively.

Optimal Criteria for G3 (Poorly Differentiated) Stage II Colon Cancer: Prospective Validation in a Randomized Controlled Study (SACURA Trial).

Grade 3 (G3, poorly differentiated) is an important treatment-decision factor in stage II colon cancer, but no unified diagnostic criteria are established. According to previous studies, an intratumoural poorly differentiated area with no glandular formation (POR) that fills the microscopic field of a ×40 objective lens was an essential factor that defined G3. We aimed to prospectively validate this in a randomized controlled study of adjuvant chemotherapy (SACURA trial).

Relationship Between Bone Mineral Density and Risk of Vertebral Fractures with Denosumab Treatment in Japanese Postmenopausal Women and Men with Osteoporosis.

In this post hoc analysis of the Denosumab Fracture Intervention Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial (DIRECT) in Japanese postmenopausal women and men with osteoporosis, we evaluated the relationship between vertebral fracture risk and both bone mineral density (BMD) T-score and percent change after 24 months of denosumab treatment at total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine. Logistic regression analysis was performed and the proportion of treatment effect explained by BMD in vertebral fracture risk was estimated. The results demonstrate that both total hip BMD T-score and change can be strong predictors of subsequent fracture risk, and that total hip BMD change explained 73%, while T-score explained 23%, of the treatment effect.

Expression profile of kalliklectin, a soluble-type mannose receptor, during embryogenesis and early larval development in fugu (Takifugu rubripes).

Kalliklectin is a unique fish-specific lectin, whose sequence is similar to the heavy chain of mammalian plasma kallikrein and coagulation factor XI. In this study, we aimed to evaluate dynamic expression profiles of the lectin gene, during early developmental stages, in fugu, Takifugu rubripes. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that the kalliklectin gene was not expressed until 14 h post-fertilization (hpf), while the mRNA was detected after 30 hpf.

Ipragliflozin-induced improvement of liver steatosis in obese mice may involve sirtuin signaling.

Background: Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are newly developed oral antidiabetic drugs. SGLT2 is primarily expressed in the kidneys and reabsorbs approximately 90% of the glucose filtered by the renal glomeruli. SGLT2 inhibitors lower glucose levels independently of insulin action by facilitating urinary glucose excretion.