Clinical Characteristics of Steatotic Liver Disease Categories in a Large Cohort of Japanese Health Checkup Participants.

Background And Aims: The clinical characteristics and risk factors involved in the development of liver fibrosis in the subtypes of steatotic liver disease (SLD) remain unknown. We examined the clinical characteristics of SLD subtypes using a large Japanese cohort.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis (total n = 108,446).

Thallium - poisoner's poison: An overview and review of current knowledge on the toxicological effects and mechanisms.

Thallium (Tl) is one of the most toxic metals and its historic use in homicides has led it to be known as "the poisoner's poison." This review summarizes the methods for identifying Tl and determining its concentrations in biological samples in recently reported poisoning cases, as well as the toxicokinetics, toxicological effects, toxicity mechanisms, and detoxication methods of Tl. Recent findings regarding Tl neurotoxicological pathways and toxicological effects of Tl during pregnancy are also presented.

Prevalence and associated metabolic factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the general population from 2014 to 2018 in Japan: A large-scale multicenter retrospective study.

Aim: The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the recent prevalence and clinical characteristics of NAFLD in Japan.

Methods: This study initially included 410 061 retrospectively enrolled adults from the medical health checkup registry for metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and fatty liver in Japan (MIRACLE-J; UMIN-CTR no.

Regional assessment of medical care provision system by principal component analysis.

Introduction: The Japanese government has promoted policies ensuring standardized medical care across the secondary medical care areas (SMCAs); however, these efforts have not been evaluated, making the current conditions unclear. Multidimensional indicators could identify these differences; thus, this study examined the regional characteristics of the medical care provision system for 21 SMCAs in Hokkaido, Japan, and the changes from 1998 to 2018.

Materials And Methods: This study evaluated the characteristics of SMCAs by principal component analysis using multidimensional data related to the medical care provision system.

Review of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Toxicokinetics, Tissue Distribution for Various Exposure Routes, Toxicological Effects, Toxicity Mechanism in Mammals, and an Approach for Toxicity Reduction.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used as a sunscreen, antibacterial agent, dietary supplement, food additive, and semiconductor material. This review summarizes the biological fate following various exposure routes, toxicological effects, and toxicity mechanism of ZnO NPs in mammals. Furthermore, an approach to reduce the toxicity and biomedical applications of ZnO NPs are discussed.

Status of the Current Treatment Options and Potential Future Targets in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: A Review.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is the most common subtype of mesenchymal tumors in the uterus. This review aims to summarize the current standard therapies and the molecular properties of uLMS for novel molecular-targeted therapies. Although 65% of uLMS cases are diagnosed in stage I, the 5-year overall survival rate is less than 60%.

Comparison of administration of single- and triple-course steroid pulse therapy combined with tonsillectomy for immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a form of chronic glomerulonephritis that can cause end-stage renal disease. Recently, tonsillectomy combined with corticosteroid pulse (TSP) has been shown to be effective for achieving clinical remission and favorable renal outcome in patients with IgAN. However, the standard regimen of corticosteroid use in TSP has not been established.

Validation of a two-step approach combining serum biomarkers and liver stiffness measurement to predict advanced fibrosis.

Background And Aim: The Gut and Obesity in Asia Workgroup recently reported that a two-step approach using fibrosis scores followed by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) could accurately detect patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) having advanced fibrosis in low-risk fibrosis populations. This study aimed to validate the utility of this approach using a Japanese health checkup registry.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included subjects who underwent a health checkup from 2014 to 2019.

The FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase score can stratify the disease severity in a Japanese cohort with fatty liver diseases.

This study aimed to prove that the FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase (FAST) scores can be used to stratify disease severity in a Japanese cohort with fatty liver diseases [metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)]. All the participants (n = 2254) underwent liver stiffness measurements and controlled attenuation parameter assessments. We compared the clinical characteristics of the patients with MAFLD and NAFLD using the FAST scores and explored the independent determinants of FAST scores ≥ 0.

Multiple system atrophy in Hokkaido, Japan: a prospective registry study of natural history and symptom assessment scales followed for 5 years.

Objectives: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a refractory neurodegenerative disease, but novel treatments are anticipated. An accurate natural history of MSA is important for clinical trials, but is insufficient. This regional registry was launched to complement clinical information on MSA.

Improved time in range and postprandial hyperglycemia with canagliflozin in combination with teneligliptin: Secondary analyses of the CALMER study.

Aims/introduction: We recently reported the beneficial effect of the combination of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor on daily glycemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additional favorable effects of combination therapy were explored in this secondary analysis.

Materials And Methods: The CALMER study was a multicenter, open-label, prospective, randomized, parallel-group comparison trial for type 2 diabetes mellitus involving continuous glucose monitoring under meal tolerance tests.

Dermal absorption of gallium antimonide in vitro and pro-inflammatory effects on human dermal fibroblasts.

Gallium antimonide (GaSb) is a group III-V compound semiconductor with a comparatively narrow band gap energy (0.73 eV at 300 K) that allows efficient operation in the near-infrared region. This property may be useful in developing new biomedical instruments such as epidermal optoelectronic devices.

Efficacy and safety of sodium RISedronate for glucocorticoid-induced OsTeoporosis with rheumaTOid arthritis (RISOTTO study): A multicentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: No evidence has shown the efficacy of Sodium Risedronate (Risedronate) for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness and safety of Risedronate for GIO complicated with RA.

Methods: This was a six-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 95 patients with GIO complicated with RA from 19 centers.

Patient characteristics affecting knowledge of the possibility of surgical reconstruction for rheumatoid hand and wrist deformities.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate patient characteristics affecting their knowledge of surgical reconstruction for rheumatoid hand and wrist deformities, and to investigate such characteristics affecting their hope of receiving hand surgery if patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) knew surgical reconstruction options.

Methods: We carried out a questionnaire survey for all patients with RA who came to our outpatient department of rheumatology. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine significant characteristics associated with the knowledge of surgical reconstruction and patients' hope of receiving hand surgery.

Development of a Novel Algorithm to Detect Atrial Fibrillation Using an Automated Blood Pressure Monitor With an Irregular Heartbeat Detector.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF), which contributes to an increased risk of stroke, frequently remains undetected, suggesting an unmet need for easier and more reliable AF screening. The reports on screening AF using an Omron blood pressure (BP) monitor with an irregular heartbeat (IHB) detector show inconsistent results, so the aim of this study was to develop a novel algorithm to accurately diagnose AF with 3 BP measurements using an Omron automated BP monitor with IHB detector.

Methods and results: In total, 303 general cardiac patients were included.

Behavior problems and dysfunctional parenting: Cross-sectional study in Japan.

Background: The Japanese government has established a law encouraging early detection and treatment of developmental disorders in children. Child behavior problems (CBP) tend to be recognized at school as a result of developmental disorders. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with CBP in Japan.

[The Influence for Image Quality of Diffusion Weighted Image by Gradient Coil Systems].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence for image quality of diffusion weighted image (DWI) by gradient coil systems (two single gradient systems and a dual gradient system). We obtained DWIs of a phantom and three volunteer brains, changing gradient coil systems and echo time (TE) from configurable shortest TE to 130 ms. Image quality of DWI was evaluated by signal to noise ratio (SNR), image distortion, susceptibility artifact, and visual evaluation.