Clinical practice pattern of Pneumocystis pneumonia prophylaxis in systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study from lupus registry of nationwide institutions (LUNA).

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is an opportunistic infection in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, such as glucocorticoid (GC) medication, for systemic autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Despite the confirmed effectiveness of PCP prophylaxis, its clinical administration, especially in conjunction with GC dosage, remains unclear. We aimed to describe the clinical practice of PCP prophylaxis in association with SLE in Japan, evaluate the relationship between GC dosage and PCP prophylaxis, and explore the practice patterns associated with PCP prophylaxis.

Postsynaptic competition between calcineurin and PKA regulates mammalian sleep-wake cycles.

The phosphorylation of synaptic proteins is a significant biochemical reaction that controls the sleep-wake cycle in mammals. Protein phosphorylation in vivo is reversibly regulated by kinases and phosphatases. In this study, we investigate a pair of kinases and phosphatases that reciprocally regulate sleep duration.

Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair for severe heart failure in a young woman with polymyositis: A case report.

Unlabelled: Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are chronic inflammatory muscle disorders characterized by muscle weakness and fatigue. They are histopathologically defined by inflammatory cell infiltrates in the skeletal muscle. In a recent meta-analysis, the incidence of cardiovascular complications in patients with PM/DM ranged from 9 to 72 %, with heart failure being the most commonly reported heart disease.

The urgent need for clear and concise regulations on exosome-based interventions.

Turner and colleagues recently argued that countries with unclear laws and regulations regarding stem cells, exosomes, and other regenerative medicine products should develop and enforce more comprehensive regulatory structures. We fully agree with this opinion and discuss that failure to do so may lead to troubling predicaments, such as the Japanese cases, where patients are at risk of serious complications or even death.

Factors related to parents' perceptions of oral health for children with Down syndrome in Japan.

Aims: To evaluate the perceptions of parents on general health, oral health, and dental care for children with Down syndrome (DS), and to investigate factors related to parents' perceptions of oral health.

Methods And Results: An online questionnaire survey was conducted of parents of children with DS. Forty-three percent and 81% of the parents rated their child's oral health and general health as good, respectively.

Effects of website-based risk communication of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields on general public.

Background: Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) are utilized in communications and appliances and are indispensable in daily life. However, some people have concerns about the adverse health effects of RF-EMFs; therefore, effective risk communication (RC) is needed in this field.

Objective: In this study, we investigate public attitudes towards RF-EMFs and examine the impact of RC via a website on these attitudes and objective knowledge.

Reliability and validity of knee valgus angle calculation at single-leg drop landing by posture estimation using machine learning.

Background: The consensus on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention involves the suppression of dynamic knee valgus (DKV). The gold standard for evaluating the DKV includes three-dimensional motion analysis systems; however, these are expensive and cannot be used to evaluate all athletes. Markerless motion-capture systems and joint angle calculations using posture estimation have been reported.

Incidence of Postoperative Diabetes Mellitus After Roux-en-Y Reconstruction for Gastric Cancer: Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study.

Background: Sleeve gastrectomy is an effective surgical option for morbid obesity, and it improves glucose homeostasis. In patients with gastric cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), gastrectomy, including total gastrectomy, is beneficial for glycemic control.

Objective: This study aims to clarify the effects of gastrectomy and different reconstructive techniques on the incidence of postoperative DM in patients with gastric cancer.

The Multicenter STudy On a Precise algorithm for diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, STOP-HFPEF study: study protocol and design.

This study aims to develop a new heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) diagnostic algorithm tailored to Asian populations, addressing limitations of current diagnostic models. Existing HFpEF diagnostic algorithms primarily target patients with dyspnea and metabolic comorbidities, such as obesity, which are more prevalent in Western populations. However, in Asian countries, HFpEF cases are less frequently associated with obesity, leading to less prominent dyspnea and more noticeable symptoms such as fatigue.

Molecular tools to capture active neural circuits.

To understand how neurons and neural circuits function during behaviors, it is essential to record neuronal activity in the brain . Among the various technologies developed for recording neuronal activity, molecular tools that induce gene expression in an activity-dependent manner have attracted particular attention for their ability to clarify the causal relationships between neuronal activity and behavior. In this review, we summarize recently developed activity-dependent gene expression tools and their potential contributions to the study of neural circuits.

Predictors of Hypotension After Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitor Administration in Patients with Heart Failure.

Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI) are effective against heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction, but hypotension is a significant complication. Predictors of ARNI-associated hypotension remain unclear. This study aimed to determine predictors of hypotension after administering an ARNI to patients with HF accompanied by ARNI.

Quantification of full and empty particles of adeno-associated virus vectors via a novel dual fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay.

The adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector is one of the most advanced platforms for gene therapy because of its low immunogenicity and non-pathogenicity. The concentrations of both AAV vector empty particles, which do not contain DNA and do not show any efficacy, and AAV vector full particles (FPs), which contain DNA, are important quality attributes. In this study, a dual fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (dFLISA), which uses two fluorescent dyes to quantify capsid and genome titers in a single analysis, was established.

Electromagnetic field exposure monitoring of commercial 28-GHz band 5G base stations in Tokyo, Japan.

Fifth generation (5G) wireless communication is being rolled out around the world. In this work, the latest radio frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure measurement results on commercial 28-GHz band 5G base stations (BSs) deployed in the urban area of Tokyo, Japan, are presented. The measurements were conducted under realistic traffic conditions with a 5G smartphone and using both omnidirectional and horn antennas.

Impact of osteoporotic risk in men undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a report from the LAPLACE-TAVI registry.

Low body weight and advanced age are among the best predictors of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool (OST) values are calculated by a simple formula [(body weight in kilograms - age in years) × 0.2] to identify patients at increased risk of osteoporosis.

Outcomes in Nonmetastatic Hormone Receptor-Positive HER2-Negative Pure Mucinous Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: Although considered a favorable subtype, pure mucinous breast cancer (PMBC) can recur, and evidence for adjuvant therapy is limited. We aimed to compare outcomes of nonmetastatic PMBC with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) to address these uncertainties.

Methods: Individual patient-level data from 6 centers on stage I-III hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative PMBC, IDC, and ILC were used to analyze recurrence-free interval (RFI), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS), and to identify prognostic factors for PMBC.

Predictive Factors for Extracapsular Extension of Prostate Cancer to Select the Candidates for Nerve-sparing Radical Prostatectomy.

Nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (NSRP) for prostate cancer (PC) enables better postoperative recovery of continence and potency but may increase the risk of positive surgical margins. This study aimed to investigate preoperative predictive factors for extracapsular extension (ECE) of PC to select patients for NSRP. We retrospectively evaluated 288 patients with PC (576 lobes) diagnosed with 12-core transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) who underwent laparoscopic or robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at our institution.