Characterizing the neurocognitive profiles of children with moyamoya disease using the Das Naglieri cognitive assessment system.

Although cognitive impairment is well-documented in children with moyamoya disease (MMD), selective decline in specific neurocognitive domains remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to characterize the neurocognitive profile of children with MMD using the Das Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). We analyzed the neurocognitive data of 30 children (median age, 7 years) with MMD who were assessed with the CAS and the WISC-IV before surgery.

A single-nucleotide-polymorphism in the 5'-flanking region of gene as a predictive marker candidate for platinum-based therapy of esophageal carcinoma.

Background: Platinum derivatives are important treatment options for patients with esophageal carcinoma (EC), and a predictive marker for platinum-based therapy is needed for precision medicine.

Patients And Methods: This study contained two cohorts consisting of EC patients treated using platinum-based chemoradiation therapy (CRT) as the first-line and another external cohort of nationwide clinicogenomic data from the BioBank Japan (BBJ).

Results: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) of therapeutic outcomes, refractory disease or not, following platinum-based CRT as first-line in 94 patients in the first cohort suggested the association of 89 SNPs using  < 0.

Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyethylamino- and Pyridyl-Substituted 2-Vinyl Chromone Derivatives for Detection of Cerebral Abnormal Prion Protein Deposits.

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the deposition of abnormal prion protein aggregates (PrP) in the brain. In this study, we developed hydroxyethylamino-substituted styrylchromone (SC) and 2-(2-(pyridin-3-yl)vinyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (VPC) derivatives for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of PrP deposits in the brain. The binding affinity of these compounds was evaluated using recombinant mouse prion protein (rMoPrP) aggregates, which resulted in the inhibition constant (K) value of 61.

Artificial intelligence (AI) models for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of liver tumors and comparison of diagnostic accuracies between AI and human experts.

Background: Ultrasonography (US) is widely used for the diagnosis of liver tumors. However, the accuracy of the diagnosis largely depends on the visual perception of humans. Hence, we aimed to construct artificial intelligence (AI) models for the diagnosis of liver tumors in US.

Current Concepts of Neural Stem/Progenitor Cell Therapy for Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.

Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that results in major neurological deficits and social burden. It continues to be managed symptomatically, and no real therapeutic strategies have been devised for its treatment. Neural stem/neural progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) being used for the treatment of chronic SCI in experimental SCI models can not only replace the lost cells and remyelinate axons in the injury site but also support their growth and provide neuroprotective factors.

Greater Trochanteric Fracture with Lesser Trochanter Extension: A Report of 2 Cases and CT-Based Finite Element Analysis.

Case: Two patients (aged 71 and 82 years) presented with a greater trochanteric fracture with lesser trochanter extension. These cases were successfully treated by prophylactic osteosynthesis to prevent secondary intertrochanteric/cervical fracture and to facilitate an early return to daily life. We also clarified the mechanical strength of the area that escaped bone fracture using the patient-specific computed tomography-based finite element method (CT/FEM).

Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Refractory Atypical Tremor after Encephalitis of Unknown Etiology: A Case Report.

Tremor associated with encephalitis is usually transient and rarely becomes chronic and refractory. Treatment for such tremor using deep brain stimulation (DBS) has not yet been reported. We report an uncommon case of chronic tremor after encephalitis of unknown etiology and its outcome treated with thalamic DBS.

Clinical Significance of the Duality of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors has been approved as a first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), indicating a critical role of ICIs in the treatment of HCC. However, 20% of patients do not respond effectively to ICIs; mutations in the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway are known to contribute to primary resistance to ICIs. From this point of view, non-invasive detection of Wnt/β-catenin activation should be informative for the management of advanced HCC.

Value of artificial intelligence with novel tumor tracking technology in the diagnosis of gastric submucosal tumors by contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography.

Background And Aim: Contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography (CH-EUS) is useful for the diagnosis of lesions inside and outside the digestive tract. This study evaluated the value of artificial intelligence (AI) in the diagnosis of gastric submucosal tumors by CH-EUS.

Methods: This retrospective study included 53 patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and leiomyomas, all of whom underwent CH-EUS between June 2015 and February 2020.

Late Occurrence of the Tubo-Ovarian Abscess after Appendectomy for Perforated Appendicitis in a Virginal Adolescent Girl.

Background: Tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) is generally seen in sexually active women. It is rarely reported in virginal adolescent girls.

Case: A 12-year-old virginal girl was referred to us for repeated fever and right lower abdominal pain.

Higher Enhancement Intrahepatic Nodules on the Hepatobiliary Phase of Gd-EOB-DTPA-Enhanced MRI as a Poor Responsive Marker of Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Monotherapy for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are promising agents for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the establishment of noninvasive measure that could predict the response to ICIs is challenging. This study aimed to evaluate tumor responses to ICIs using the hepatobiliary phase of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which was shown to reflect Wnt/β-catenin activating mutation.

Early Antibiotic Exposure Is Not Detrimental to Therapeutic Effect from Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background And Rationale: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is an expanding therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Antibiotics (ATB) taken prior to or early during ICI therapy can impact immunotherapy efficacy across indications; however, the effect of ATB is undefined in HCC.

Methods: In a large international cohort of 450 ICI recipients from Europe, North America, and Asia, we categorized patients according to timing of ATB focusing on exposure within -30 to +30 days from ICI (early immunotherapy period [EIOP]).

Clinicopathologic Appearance of Advanced Ketoacidosis With Basal Vacuolation in Renal Tubules.

Context.—: Basal vacuolization (BV) in renal tubules is a histopathologic hallmark of advanced ketoacidosis that enables us to retrospectively diagnose these cases.

Objective.

Study of Sharing Patient Information by Nurses Between Inpatient and Outpatient Wards in Japan.

Shortening hospital stays increases communication needs between nurses in inpatient and outpatient wards. Smooth information sharing is required to reduce the workload of nurses and improve the quality of patient care. However, electronic medical records (EMR) system does not have sufficient functions to support information sharing between wards, because EMR has been developed mainly for recording.

Objective Response Predicts Survival in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Systemic Therapies.

Purpose: Because of the increased number of sequential treatments used for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there is a need for surrogate endpoints of overall survival (OS). We analyze whether objective response (OR) is an independent predictor and surrogate endpoint of OS.

Patients And Methods: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCT) in advanced HCC published between 2010 and 2020 was conducted to explore OS surrogacy of OR by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and modified RECIST (mRECIST).

Lead Optimization of Influenza Virus RNA Polymerase Inhibitors Targeting PA-PB1 Interaction.

Influenza viruses are responsible for contagious respiratory illnesses in humans and cause seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics worldwide. Previously, we identified a quinolinone derivative , which inhibited the influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) by targeting PA-PB1 interaction. This paper reports the structure optimization of , which resulted in the identification of 3-((dibenzylamino)methyl)quinolinone derivatives with more potent anti-influenza virus activity.

rs9459874 and rs1012656 in CCR6/FGFR1OP confer susceptibility to primary biliary cholangitis.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic autoimmune liver disease that appears to be strongly influenced by genetic factors. Recently, an international meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified CC-Motif Chemokine Receptor-6 (CCR6) and FGFR1 Oncogene-Partner (FGFR1OP) as PBC-susceptibility genes. However, the lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CCR6/FGFR1OP showed low linkage disequilibrium with each other in East Asian and European populations.

Radiological factors associated with the severity of corticospinal tract dysfunctions for cervical spondylotic myelopathy: An analysis of the central motor conduction time and kinematic CT myelography.

Patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) often exhibit symptoms in clinical practice, particularly the elderly, whose lower extremity functions are more likely to deteriorate; however, the underlying mechanisms currently remain unclear. The present study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the neurological severity of CSM based on an electrophysiological examination and radiological findings. Eighty-six patients with CSM were examined using kinematic CT myelography.

Accumulation of Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations in the Background Liver and Emergence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide. We analyzed 16 surgically resected HCC cases in which the background liver was pathologically diagnosed as NAFLD. Specimens with Brunt classification grade 3 or higher were assigned as the fibrotic progression group ( = 8), and those with grade 1 or lower were classified as the non-fibrosis progression group ( = 8).

Current Perspectives on the Immunosuppressive Niche and Role of Fibrosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Development of Antitumor Immunity.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the mainstay of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, they are ineffective in some cases. Previous studies have reported that genetic alterations in oncogenic pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin are the important triggers in HCC for primary refractoriness.

A Case Report of a Rare Heterozygous Variant in the Gene Associated With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Complete Atrioventricular Block.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the primary cause of sudden cardiac death in children and adolescents. Patients with HCM frequently have ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, although complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) is very rare. We report a case of HCM with CAVB in an 8-year-old girl who underwent transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement after resuscitation.