Health Utility of Pain Response Versus Nonresponse to Palliative Radiation Therapy for Symptomatic Bone Metastases: Analyses Based on Real-World Data from 26 Centers.

Utility values of responders and nonresponders are essential inputs in cost-effectiveness studies of radiation therapy for painful bone metastases but, to our knowledge, they have not been reported separately. We sought to determine the utility values of responders and nonresponders using data from a prospective observational study on bone metastases. The original prospective observational study was conducted at 26 centers in Japan.

Canine induced pluripotent stem cells can be successfully maintained in weekend-free culture systems.

Canine induced pluripotent stem cells (ciPSCs) can provide useful insights into novel therapies in both veterinary and medical fields. However, limited accessibility to the present culture medium and requirement of considerable time, effort, and cost for routine ciPSC maintenance restrict advancement in ciPSC research. In addition, it is unknown whether ciPSC culture conditions influence differentiation propensity.

[A MULTICENTER CLINICAL SURVEY ABOUT THE PREVALENCE OF JAPANESE CYPRESS POLLINOSIS AND THE EFFICACY OF SUBLINGUAL IMMUNOTHERAPY WITH JAPANESE CEDAR POLLEN EXTRACT DURING JAPANESE CYPRESS POLLEN DISPERSAL PERIOD].

Background: Little is known whether sublingual immunotherapy using Japanese cedar pollen extract (cedar SLIT) is effective for not only Japanese cedar pollinosis but also Japanese cypress pollinosis. We investigated the prevalence rate of Japanese cypress pollinosis, efficacy of cedar SLIT on cypress pollinosis and patients' wish to receive cypress SLIT.

Methods: We investigated a multi-center (31 institutions), cross-sectional survey using a self-administrated questionnaire with four questions for patients received cedar SLIT aged from 5 to 69 years old.

Factors associated with quality of life in patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases: a secondary cross-sectional analysis of data from a prospective multicenter observational study.

Objective: To identify factors significantly associated with quality of life (QOL) and determine if these associations are strong enough to predict certain aspects of QOL without measuring them.

Methods: We conducted an exploratory secondary analysis of baseline data of 224 patients (enrolled between December 2020 and March 2021) from a previously published prospective observational study on radiotherapy for bone metastases at 26 centres. Using univariable linear regression, we assessed the association between patient/treatment factors and QOL scale scores as measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL Questionnaire Core 15-Palliative (QLQ-C15-PAL) and the EORTC QOL Questionnaire Bone Metastases module (QLQ-BM22).

Roles of Fast Neutrino-Flavor Conversion on the Neutrino-Heating Mechanism of Core-Collapse Supernova.

One of the greatest uncertainties in any modeling of the inner engine of core-collapse supernova (CCSN) is neutrino-flavor conversions driven by neutrino self-interactions. We carry out large-scale numerical simulations of a multienergy, multiangle, three-flavor framework and general relativistic quantum kinetic neutrino transport in spherical symmetry with an essential set of neutrino-matter interactions under a realistic fluid profile of CCSN. Our result suggests that the neutrino heating in the gain region is reduced by ∼40% due to fast neutrino-flavor conversion (FFC).

Income and Employment of Patients at the Start of and During Follow-up After Palliative Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastasis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand the income and employment status of patients at the start of and during follow-up after palliative radiation therapy for bone metastasis.

Methods And Materials: From December 2020 to March 2021, a prospective multi-institutional observational study was conducted to investigate income and employment of patients at the start of administration of radiation therapy for bone metastasis and at 2 and 6 months after treatment. Of 333 patients referred to radiation therapy for bone metastasis, 101 were not registered, mainly because of their poor general condition, and another 8 were excluded from the follow-up analysis owing to ineligibility.

[Retroperitoneal Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma with No Recurrence after 5 Years of Postoperative Radiation Therapy --A Case Report-].

A 49-year-old woman presented to our hospital with right lower back pain and epigastric pressure. A computed tomographic scan showed a 12×7×20 cm retroperitoneal mass comprising fatty components and contrast areas around the right kidney. Based on the results, a right retroperitoneal liposarcoma was suspected.

Time-Dependent and Quasisteady Features of Fast Neutrino-Flavor Conversion.

Despite the theoretical indication that fast neutrino-flavor conversion (FFC) ubiquitously occurs iin core-collapse supernovae and binary neutron star mergers, the lack of global simulations has been the greatest obstacle to study their astrophysical consequences. In this Letter, we present large-scale (50 km) simulations of FFC in spherical symmetry by using a novel approach. We effectively rescale the oscillation scale of FFC by reducing the number of injected neutrinos in the simulation box, and then extrapolate back to the case of the target density of neutrinos with a convergence study.

Liquid biopsy for detecting epidermal growth factor receptor mutation among patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with afatinib: a multicenter prospective study.

Background: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of liquid biopsy in detecting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations at diagnosis, disease progression, and intermediate stages.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, observational study included 30 patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with afatinib, harboring a major EGFR mutation confirmed by tumor tissue biopsy. We collected blood samples for liquid biopsy at diagnosis, intermediate stage, and progressive disease.

Quality Indicators in Palliative Radiation Oncology: Development and Pilot Testing.

Purpose: A quality indicator (QI) is a valuable tool to evaluate the quality of health care systems. In palliative radiation oncology, only a few related QIs have been developed to date. In this study, we sought to develop and pilot test QIs that assess the quality of care in palliative radiation therapy.

Palliative brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy for dysphagia from esophageal cancer: a nationwide survey in Japan.

Background: International guidelines recommend brachytherapy for patients with dysphagia from esophageal cancer, whereas brachytherapy is infrequently used to palliate dysphagia in some countries. To clarify the availability of palliative treatment for dysphagia from esophageal cancer and explain why brachytherapy is not routinely performed are unknown, this study investigated the use of brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy for dysphagia from esophageal cancer.

Methods: Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group members completed a survey and selected the treatment that they would recommend for hypothetical cases of dysphagia from esophageal cancer.

Practice patterns for postoperative radiation therapy in patients with metastases to the long bones: a survey of the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group.

Evidence regarding postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) for metastases to the long bones is lacking. Characterizing the current practice patterns and identifying factors that influence dose-fractionation schedules are essential for future clinical trials. An internet-based survey of the palliative RT subgroup of the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group was performed in 2017 to collect data regarding PORT prescription practices and dose-fractionation schedules.

Systematic review of first-line chemotherapy for chemo-naïve extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: network meta-analysis.

Background: Our goal was to organize the data from randomized controlled trials that evaluated first-line chemotherapy for chemo-naïve extensive disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC).

Methods: The protocol following PRISMA methodology was submitted as PROSPERO 154049. We included individually randomized trials comparing two or more chemotherapy regimens as the first-line treatment for chemo-naïve ED-SCLC regardless of the age, sex, performance status, co-morbidities, and organ functions written in the English language since 2000.

Mapping of a New Deformation Region around ^{62}Ti.

We performed the first direct mass measurements of neutron-rich scandium, titanium, and vanadium isotopes around the neutron number 40 at the RIKEN RI Beam Factory using the time-of-flight magnetic-rigidity technique. The atomic mass excesses of ^{58-60}Sc, ^{60-62}Ti, and ^{62-64}V were measured for the first time. The experimental results show that the two-neutron separation energies in the vicinity of ^{62}Ti increase compared to neighboring nuclei.

A phase II study of palliative radiotherapy combined with zoledronic acid hydrate for metastatic bone tumour from renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Palliative radiotherapy is the standard of care for bone metastases. However, skeletal-related events, defined as a pathologic fracture, paraplegia, surgery or radiotherapy for local recurrence, or severe pain in previously irradiated bone with radio-resistant histology type still present high incidence. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether zoledronic acid hydrate and palliative radiotherapy could prevent local skeletal-related events.

Safety profile and immunological response of dual sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite tablet and Japanese cedar pollen tablet.

Background: There have been no studies of dual administration of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) tablets for perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis. This trial (JapicCTI-184014) was conducted to investigate the safety profile and immunological response during dual therapy with SQ house dust mite (HDM) and Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) SLIT tablets.

Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, randomized trial of 109 Japanese patients with coexisting HDM and JCP allergic rhinitis who had positive tests for HDM- and JCP specific IgE (≥0.

Microdeletions excluding YWHAE and PAFAH1B1 cause a unique leukoencephalopathy: further delineation of the 17p13.3 microdeletion spectrum.

Purpose: Brain malformations caused by 17p13.3 deletions include lissencephaly with deletions of the larger Miller-Dieker syndrome region or smaller deletions of only PAFAH1B1, white matter changes, and a distinct syndrome due to deletions including YWHAE and CRK but sparing PAFAH1B1. We sought to understand the significance of 17p13.

Magic Nature of Neutrons in ^{54}Ca: First Mass Measurements of ^{55-57}Ca.

We perform the first direct mass measurements of neutron-rich calcium isotopes beyond neutron number 34 at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory by using the time-of-flight magnetic-rigidity technique. The atomic mass excesses of ^{55-57}Ca are determined for the first time to be -18650(160), -13510(250), and -7370(990)  keV, respectively. We examine the emergence of neutron magicity at N=34 based on the new atomic masses.

Diagnostic exome sequencing identifies haploinsufficiency and chromosome 20 uniparental disomy in a patient with developmental anomalies.

Clinical diagnostic exome sequencing (DES) is currently infrequently used for detecting uniparental disomy (UPD). We present a patient with a dual diagnosis of haploinsufficiency as well as UPD of chromosome 20, both identified through DES. We therefore recommend routine UPD analysis during DES to identify this genetic aberration.

The Platelet Count Can Predict In-hospital Death in HIV-negative Smear-positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Inpatients.

Objective This retrospective cohort study investigated whether the three components of the blood cell count have prognostic implications in HIV-negative Japanese adult inpatients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods We reviewed patients who were treated by the isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol regimen or by the isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol regimen. The association between the patient data on admission and the survival outcome was evaluated.

A Recurrent De Novo Nonsense Variant in ZSWIM6 Results in Severe Intellectual Disability without Frontonasal or Limb Malformations.

A recurrent de novo missense variant within the C-terminal Sin3-like domain of ZSWIM6 was previously reported to cause acromelic frontonasal dysostosis (AFND), an autosomal-dominant severe frontonasal and limb malformation syndrome, associated with neurocognitive and motor delay, via a proposed gain-of-function effect. We present detailed phenotypic information on seven unrelated individuals with a recurrent de novo nonsense variant (c.2737C>T [p.