Preoperative and Postoperative Factors Affecting Patient Satisfaction with Double-Door Laminoplasty for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.

Introduction: Few articles have investigated patient satisfaction with laminoplasty in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) alone, excluding other diseases, such as ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. In this study, we aimed to investigate patient satisfaction after double-door laminoplasty for CSM and determine the preoperative and postoperative factors that affect patient satisfaction.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed cases of laminoplasty for CSM.

Remote visualization of underwater oil using a flash Raman lidar system.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a new, to the best of our knowledge, underwater monitoring system that incorporates Raman spectroscopy based on a flash lidar. We have visualized underwater oil at a 5 m distance by illuminating the area of around 15 cm diameter with an expanding laser beam at 532 nm and detecting the oil and water Raman images. By calibrating the oil Raman image with the water Raman image, the detection limit of liquid oil thickness has been estimated to be about 0.

Increase in Paracellular Leakage of Amino Acids Mediated by Aging-Induced Reduction of Claudin-4 Expression.

Background: Claudins (CLDNs), major components of tight junctions, control paracellular permeabilities of mineral ions and wastes. The absorption of nutrients including glucose and amino acids (AAs) is regulated by intestinal epithelial cells. However, the role of CLDNs is not fully understood.

Building a queer- and trans-inclusive microbiology conference.

Microbiology conferences can be powerful places to build collaborations and exchange ideas, but for queer and transgender (trans) scientists, they can also become sources of alienation and isolation. Many conference organizers would like to create welcoming and inclusive events but feel ill-equipped to make this vision a reality, and a historical lack of representation of queer and trans folks in microbiology means we rarely occupy these key leadership roles ourselves. Looking more broadly, queer and trans scientists are systematically marginalized across scientific fields, leading to disparities in career outcomes, professional networks, and opportunities, as well as the loss of unique scientific perspectives at all levels.

Catastrophic Mid-Flexion Instability After Avulsion Fractures of the Articular Capsule of the Femur and Tibia in a Patient With Posterior-Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

Mid-flexion instability can be caused by patient-related, implant-related, or technique-specific factors and impairs the activities of daily living after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In this study, we report a rare case of a patient with severe mid-flexion instability following tibial and femoral avulsion fractures after posterior-stabilized (PS) TKA for knee osteoarthritis. An 82-year-old female with bilateral knee osteoarthritis underwent staged bilateral TKA with a posterior-stabilized prosthesis.

Evaluation of performance metrics for high energy density rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries.

The demand for practical implementation of rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) has grown owing to their extremely high theoretical energy density. However, the factors determining the performance of cell-level high energy density LOBs remain unclear. In this study, LOBs with a stacked-cell configuration were fabricated and their performance evaluated under different experimental conditions to clarify the unique degradation phenomenon under lean-electrolyte and high areal capacity conditions.

Investigating sagittal spinopelvic alignment and equivalent stress on the femoral head in patients with rapidly destructive coxarthrosis.

Purpose: Rapidly destructive coxarthrosis (RDC) is a rare syndrome of unknown etiology. This study evaluated sagittal spinopelvic alignment (SSPA) in patients with RDC and compared it with that in patients with hip osteoarthritis (HOA). In addition, finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to investigate the distribution of stress on the femoral head in RDC versus HOA.

Are Dental Procedures Associated With Pyogenic Vertebral Osteomyelitis?

Background: Dental procedures can lead to bacteremia and have been considered a potential risk factor for pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO). However, data on the association between dental procedures and PVO are limited.

Questions/purposes: (1) After controlling for relevant confounding variables, are dental procedures associated with an increased risk of PVO? (2) Does antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedures effectively decrease the risk of PVO?

Methods: A case-crossover study was conducted to investigate the association between dental procedures and PVO using a Japanese claims database.

An Extract Containing Nonvolatile Polyphenols Shows Virucidal Activity against SARS-CoV-2 That Is Enhanced in Increased pH Conditions.

Researching the beneficial health properties of wood byproducts can prevent wastage by turning them into valuable resources. In this study, the virucidal activity of two extracts from byproducts, ASE1, and ASE2, against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was investigated. ASE1 is rich in monoterpenoid volatile compounds, whereas ASE2 contains nonvolatile polyphenols.

Efficacy of Life Protection Probably from Newly Isolated Bacteria against Cisplatin-Induced Lethal Toxicity.

Cisplatin may be commonly used in chemotherapy against various solid tumors. However, cisplatin has a limited safety range with serious side effects, which may be one of the dose-restraining reasons for cisplatin. A favorable therapeutic approach is immediately required for ameliorating cisplatin-induced toxicity.

Non-Coding RNAs and Gut Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Cardiac Arrhythmias: The Latest Update.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are indispensable for adjusting gene expression and genetic programming throughout development and for health as well as cardiovascular diseases. Cardiac arrhythmia is a frequent cardiovascular disease that has a complex pathology. Recent studies have shown that ncRNAs are also associated with cardiac arrhythmias.

Integrated Multimodal Omics and Dietary Approaches for the Management of Neurodegeneration.

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, are caused by a combination of multiple events that damage neuronal function. A well-characterized biomarker of neurodegeneration is the accumulation of proteinaceous aggregates in the brain. However, the gradually worsening symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases are unlikely to be solely due to the result of a mutation in a single gene, but rather a multi-step process involving epigenetic changes.

Single-polyp metabolomics reveals biochemical structuring of the coral holobiont at multiple scales.

All biology happens in space, and spatial structuring plays an important role in mediating biological processes at all scales from cells to ecosystems. However, the metabolomic structuring of the coral holobiont has yet to be fully explored. Here, we present a method to detect high-quality metabolomic data from individual coral polyps and apply this method to study the patterning of biochemicals across multiple spatial (~1 mm - ~100 m) and organizational scales (polyp to population).

Short-term effectiveness and safety of rituximab versus cyclophosphamide for life-threatening ANCA-associated vasculitis: a propensity score analysis of the real-world nationwide database.

Objectives: Life-threatening antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) and/or alveolar haemorrhage (AH) has a poor prognosis. Rituximab (RTX) is as effective as cyclophosphamide (CY) in remission induction therapy; however, the effectiveness and safety of RTX have not been established in life-threatening AAV. This study aimed to investigate the short-term effectiveness and safety of RTX in life-threatening AAV with RPGN and/or AH.

Activities of Daily Living, Hypoxemia, and Lymphocytes Score for Predicting Mortality Risk in Patients With Pulmonary TB.

Background: A clinically applicable mortality risk prediction system for pulmonary TB may improve treatment outcomes, but no easy-to-calculate and accurate score has yet been reported. The aim of this study was to construct a simple and objective disease severity score for patients with pulmonary TB.

Research Question: Does a clinical score consisting of simple objective factors predict the mortality risk of patients with pulmonary TB?

Study Design And Methods: The data set from our previous prospective study that recruited patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary TB was used for the development cohort.

Potential tactics with certain gut microbiota for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes an extremely malignant form of primary liver cancer. Intricate connections linking to the immune system might be associated with the pathogenesis of HCC. Meanwhile, immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors has been established to be a favorable therapeutic possibility for advanced HCC.

Frailty and occupational falls among older Japanese workers: An Internet-based cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Occupational falls are a major problem for older workers, especially those in the tertiary industry. Recently, it has been suggested that frailty is associated with occupational falls, but it is unclear whether this holds true for older workers in the tertiary industry. This study examined the relationship between frailty and occupational falls among older workers in the tertiary industry.

Facility staffing associated with potentially avoidable hospitalizations in nursing home residents in Japan: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Wide variations in facility staffing may lead to differences in care, and consequently, adverse outcomes such as hospitalizations. However, few studies focused on types of occupations. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between a wide variety of facility staffing and potentially avoidable hospitalizations of nursing home residents in Japan.

Estimating Patient Satisfaction Through a Language Processing Model: Model Development and Evaluation.

Background: Measuring patient satisfaction is a crucial aspect of medical care. Advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques enable the extraction and analysis of high-level insights from textual data; nonetheless, data obtained from patients are often limited.

Objective: This study aimed to create a model that quantifies patient satisfaction based on diverse patient-written textual data.

Association of Preoperative Rehabilitation With Postoperative Length of Hospital Stay for Elderly Lung Cancer Patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of preoperative rehabilitation on postoperative hospital stay in elderly lung cancer patients following lung resection. This was a retrospective observational study using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Data of patients diagnosed between April 2016 and March 2020 were collected.

Long-term outcomes of whole-pelvis radiation therapy using volumetric modulated arc therapy for high-risk prostate cancer†.

This study investigated the outcomes of whole-pelvis radiation therapy (WPRT) using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for high-risk prostate cancer. We retrospectively analysed 112 patients with high-risk prostate cancer who started WPRT at our hospital between August 2011 and August 2015. The prescribed dose was 78 Gy in 39 fractions to the prostate and 46.

Decreased Elastic Modulus of Knee Articular Cartilage Based on New Macroscopic Methods Accurately Represents Early Histological Findings of Degeneration.

Objective: Ex vivo nanoindentation measurement has reported that elastic modulus decreases as cartilage degenerates, but no method has been established to macroscopically evaluate mechanical properties in vivo. The objective of this study was to evaluate the elastic modulus of knee joint cartilage based on macroscopic methods and to compare it with gross and histological findings of degeneration.

Design: Osteochondral sections were taken from 50 knees with osteoarthritis (average age, 75 years) undergoing total knee arthroplasty.