Reliability of the Mini-BESTest and Brief-BESTest for assessing patients with incomplete spinal cord injury.

Study Design: Single institution observational study.

Objectives: To investigate the ceiling and floor effects of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), and Brief-BESTest, as well as to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliabilities and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the Mini-BESTest and Brief-BESTest in patients with acute and subacute incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) classified as AIS D.

Setting: Advanced critical care center of our university hospital.

Efficacy of Mirogabalin for Taxane-associated Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Perioperative Chemotherapy for Early Breast Cancer.

Background/aim: Treatment with taxanes can result in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). We investigated the efficacy and safety of mirogabalin for the treatment of CIPN in patients who had been administered perioperative chemotherapy including taxane-based agents for breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the case of 43 patients with early breast cancer who received a taxane as perioperative chemotherapy and were administered mirogabalin at the diagnosis of CIPN.

Factors associated with proximal femoral fractures in older adults during hospital stay: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Proximal femoral fractures in older adults affect prognosis, quality of life and medical expenses. Therefore, identifying patients with an elevated risk for proximal femoral fractures and implementing preventive measures to mitigate their occurrence are crucial.

Objective: This study aimed to develop an accurate in-hospital fracture prediction model that considers patients' daily conditions and medical procedure status.

Relationship Between Unit Characteristics and Fall Incidence: A Cross-Sectional Survey Using Administrative Data in Japan.

Background: Falls are the most frequent accident experienced by inpatients in hospitals. As falls affect patient outcomes, high fall risk factors should be studied to prevent falls and improve patient safety. However, the relationship between hospital unit characteristics and fall risk has never been assessed.

Utility of human epidermal growth factor 2 heterogeneity as a prognostic factor in triple-negative breast cancer.

In some cases of human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer, HER2 expression is sporadically and strongly upregulated, a condition known as HER2 heterogeneity. We investigated the clinicopathological features of patients with HER2 heterogeneity in triple-negative breast cancers treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Thirty-nine patients with triple-negative breast cancer who had undergone preoperative chemotherapy participated in this study.

Effects of increased physical therapy staffing in the neonatal intensive care unit on oral feeding maturation and neurodevelopment of extremely low birth weight infants.

Background: It remains a matter of debate as to what extent early intervention may facilitate long-term functional outcomes of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We aimed to examine the effect of increasing physical therapy (PT) staff dedicated to the NICU on temporal changes (initiation, duration) of PT interventions and functional outcomes (acquisition of full oral feeding and Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination).

Methods: Extremely low birth weight infants, retrospectively collected from an academic medical center, were allocated to two subgroups, either a baseline period (N = 48) without NICU-dedicated PT staff (non-dedicated group) or a quality improvement period (N = 42) with additional dedicated staff (dedicated group).

Fronto-Cerebellar Diaschisis and Cognitive Dysfunction after Pontine Stroke: A Case Series and Systematic Review.

It is well known that cortical damage may affect cognitive functions, whereas subcortical damage, especially brainstem stroke, would be far less likely to cause cognitive decline, resulting in this condition being overlooked. Few studies have focused on cognitive dysfunction after a pontine stroke. Here, we begin with describing our nine new case reports of in-depth neuropsychological findings from patients with pontine stroke.

Association Between High Expression of Phosphorylated-STMN1 and Mesenchymal Marker Expression and Cancer Stemness in Breast Cancer.

Background/aim: In patients with breast cancer, the expression of stathmin1 (STMN1) has been significantly related to a poor prognosis, cancer aggressiveness, and expression of cancer stem cell markers. The STMN1 protein is closely regulated by phosphorylation in four sites. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the expression of phosphorylated STMN1 (pSTMN1) and clinicopathological findings, including tumor-aggressive biomarkers, in patients with breast cancer.

Regional Variations in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Mortality in Japan: An Ecological Study.

Introduction: As the characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vary across regions and countries, the relationship between regional characteristics, such as the distribution of physicians and hospital beds, and COVID-19 mortality was assessed in the 47 prefectures of Japan.

Methods: This ecological study was based on the number of patients with COVID-19 by prefecture during the seventh wave of COVID-19 in Japan (June-October 2022). COVID-19 mortality was indexed as the number of COVID-19 deaths divided by the number of new COVID-19 cases.

Design of the CHARGE study: A randomized control trial evaluating a novel treatment for Veterans with binge eating disorder and overweight and obesity.

A large number of Veterans experience binge eating and overweight or obesity, which are associated with significant health and psychological consequences. The gold-standard program for the treatment of binge eating, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), results in decreases in binge eating frequency but does not result in significant weight loss. We developed the Regulation of Cues (ROC) program to reduce overeating and binge eating through improvement in sensitivity to appetitive cues and decreased responsivity to external cues, an approach that has never been tested among Veterans.

Derivation of a clinical prediction rule for chronic post-surgical pain after total knee arthroplasty considering biopsychosocial factors: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Biopsychosocial factors are involved in the occurrence of chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to develop a clinical prediction rule (CPR) that considers biopsychosocial factors to predict which patients are more likely to develop CPSP after TKA.

Methods: CPSP after TKA was dichotomized into CPSP and non-CPSP groups using the Likert scale and Minimal clinically important difference, and binomial logistic regression analysis was performed.

Model position sensing method for low fineness ratio models in a magnetic suspension and balance system.

A new model-position-sensing method for the levitation of models with a low fineness ratio (ratio of the longitudinal length to the diameter) in a magnetic suspension and balance system (MSBS) is proposed. MSBS is an ideal model-support device for wind-tunnel testing, which enables the study of flow fields around blunt bodies without flow disturbances introduced by mechanical support devices, with the aerodynamic forces determined from the magnetic forces using a pre-calibrated relationship. The new method allows wind tunnel experiments without mechanical supports with a low fineness ratio model.

The cellular basis of mechanosensation in mammalian tongue.

Mechanosensory neurons that innervate the tongue provide essential information to guide feeding, speech, and social grooming. We use in vivo calcium imaging of mouse trigeminal ganglion neurons to identify functional groups of mechanosensory neurons innervating the anterior tongue. These sensory neurons respond to thermal and mechanical stimulation.

17α-ethinylestradiol modulates endothelial function in ovariectomized rat carotid arteries.

17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), a derivative of 17β-estradiol (E2), is a potent estrogenic substance that is used as the estrogenic component of oral contraceptives (OCPs). However, women who take OCPs have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Since few studies have examined EE2 endothelial effects, we explored the effects of EE2 on endothelial function in ovariectomized and isoflavone-free rats.

Measurement of aerodynamic force and moment acting on a javelin using a magnetic suspension and balance system.

The rules governing the dimensions of the Javelin were substantially changed in 1986. It was considered that this new design guaranteed there was zero pitching moment at 0° angle of attack and that the pitching moment decreased (became negative) with increasing angle of attack. The objective of this study is to investigate if the pitching moment remains always negative (nose-down rotation).

Characteristics of Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer Who Survived more than 10 Years.

Background/aim: Despite advances in the treatment of breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains difficult to cure, and few MBC patients survive 10 years after receiving a breast cancer metastasis diagnosis. We collected the cases of patients with MBC who survived >10 years post-metastasis diagnosis and assessed the patients' characteristics.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 245 consecutive patients diagnosed with MBC between January 2005 and December 2012 at our institution.

Right Unilateral Spatial Neglect Improves with Intrinsic Motivation.

. In the acute phase of stroke, it is well known that the incidence and severity of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) are more significant in the right hemisphere injuries. Still, the detection of USN in left hemisphere injuries has been increasing in recent years.

Fractures within 2 years of an obstetric hospitalization: analysis of nationwide administrative data in Japan.

Introduction: Pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis (PLO) is a condition in which young women develop fractures during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Though PLO is a severely debilitating disease, its pathophysiology and epidemiology have not been clarified and its treatment has not been established. We aimed to identify the incidence and factors associated with fractures occurring within 2 years following an obstetric hospitalization.

Association between Malnutrition Severity and Swallowing Function in Convalescent Rehabilitation Wards: A Multi-Center Cohort Study in Malnourished Patients with Sarcopenic Dysphagia.

Objectives: To evaluate the characteristics of sarcopenic dysphagia (SD) and the prognosis of swallowing function in convalescent rehabilitation hospital patients; and to investigate the association between malnutrition severity and SD.

Design: A prospective, multi-center, cohort study.

Setting: We extracted registry data from the Japanese Sarcopenic Dysphagia Database, focusing on patients admitted to convalescent rehabilitation hospitals.

Cognitive and linguistic dysfunction after thalamic stroke and recovery process: possible mechanism.

Thalamic stroke may result in cognitive and linguistic problems, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Especially, it is still a matter of debate why thalamic aphasia occasionally occurs and then mostly recovers to some degree. We begin with a brief overview of the cognitive dysfunction and aphasia, and then review previous hypotheses of the underlying mechanism.

Tepotinib Improves Prognosis in an Elderly Patient with Poor Performance Status and Exon 14 Skipping Mutation-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Several target therapies for driver gene mutations related with lung cancer growth are clinically effective in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Gefitinib and alectinib have been reported as being effective and safe even in those with poor performance status (PS), but little is known about efficacy and tolerability of other TKIs. An 84-year-old man was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (cT3N2M1c stage IVB).