Rate of vertical transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 and effect of maternal vaccination: A prospective cohort study.

Background: We aimed to reveal the transmission rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and clinical features of congenital and neonatal COVID-19 and to disclose the efficacy of maternally transferred antibodies by maternal vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Methods: This multicenter, prospective observational study included a comprehensive testing protocol with appropriate precautions. Mothers and infants were enrolled and classified into an active infection group (mothers with COVID-19 at delivery), a postinfection group (mothers recovered from COVID-19 during pregnancy), and a vaccination group (mothers vaccinated during pregnancy).

Delayed Chest Closure in Adult Living-donor Lobar Lung Transplantation-A Case Report.

Delayed chest closure (DCC) is a useful technique in cases with oversized lung grafts, pulmonary edema, and hemodynamic instability. Anatomically oversized lung grafts are potentially problematic in pediatric living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT), but rarely in an adult LDLLT. We experienced a case of anatomically oversized grafts in the adult LDLLT requiring DCC, although the grafts provided only 57.

Re-irradiation followed by resection for recurrent brain metastases after initial stereotactic radiosurgery: illustrative cases.

Background: The management of recurrent brain metastases after initial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) remains challenging, with high local recurrence rates following salvage surgery. While preoperative SRS has shown promise for newly diagnosed metastases, its application in post-SRS recurrences is largely unexplored.

Observations: The authors treated three patients with recurrent brain metastases using preoperative re-irradiation followed by resection.

A refined method for high-purity isolation of uterine glandular epithelial cells in mouse.

The uterine endometrium consists of luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, and stromal cells, with uterine glands playing a pivotal role in pregnancy success among mammals. Uterine glands secrete essential factors that regulate embryo development and implantation; however, their cellular biology remains poorly understood. This study presents a refined method for isolating three distinct endometrial cell types with high purity, with a specific emphasis on glandular epithelial cells.

Role of Sulcal Hyperintensity and Web/Net Appearance on MRI in Patients With Chronic Subdural Hematoma Presenting With Transient Neurological Deficits.

Background And Objectives: Transient neurological deficits (TNDs) in patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH), such as fluctuating aphasia, hemiparesis, or sensory disturbances, present diagnostic and treatment challenges as their pathophysiology remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between specific MRI findings and TNDs in patients with CSDH and explored their relationship through intraoperative observation.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 72 patients with CSDH who underwent preoperative MRI among 251 CSDH patients treated from January 2020 to December 2023.

Pupil Trend Reflects Suboptimal Alertness Maintenance over 10 s in Vigilance and Working Memory Performance: An Exploratory Study.

Maintaining concentration on demanding cognitive tasks, such as vigilance (VG) and working memory (WM) tasks, is crucial for successful task completion. Previous research suggests that internal concentration maintenance fluctuates, potentially declining to suboptimal states, which can influence trial-by-trial performance in these tasks. However, the timescale of such alertness maintenance, as indicated by slow changes in pupil diameter, has not been thoroughly investigated.

Clazosentan-induced reversible focal brain edema in basal ganglia following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage treatment: illustrative case.

Background: Clazosentan, a selective endothelin A receptor antagonist, effectively prevents cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Although various adverse effects have been reported, there have been no specific case reports of clazosentan-associated focal brain edema. This report highlights a rare complication associated with clazosentan treatment.

Lobar graft evaluation in cadaveric lobar lung redo transplantation after living-donor lobar lung transplantation: a case report.

Background: Lung transplantation is a vital option for patients with end-stage lung disease. However, it faces a significant challenge due to the shortage of compatible donors, which particularly affects individuals with small chest cavities and pediatric patients. The novel approach of cadaveric lobar lung transplantation is a promising solution to alleviate the donor shortage crisis.

Recurrent symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in high-grade astrocytoma with piloid features: illustrative case.

Background: High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features (HGAP) is a novel condition introduced in the 2021 World Health Organization classification. Given that it has been recently classified, reports clarifying its clinical features or diagnostic criteria are lacking, especially in cases of atypical presentation. Herein, the authors present a rare case of HGAP with repeated symptomatic hemorrhages.

Inferotemporal face patches are histo-architectonically distinct.

An interconnected group of cortical regions distributed across the primate inferotemporal cortex forms a network critical for face perception. Understanding the microarchitecture of this face network can refine mechanistic accounts of how individual areas function and interact to support visual perception. To address this, we acquire a unique dataset in macaque monkeys combining fMRI to localize face patches in vivo and then ex vivo histology to resolve their histo-architecture across cortical depths in the same individuals.

Characteristics, Treatment, and Prognosis in Octogenarian and Older Patients With Acute Heart Failure in Japan - Prospective Observational Study on Acute Pharmacotherapy and Prognosis in Management of Acute Heart Failure (POPEYE-AHF Registry).

Background: The number of older people in Japan is increasing more quickly than in other countries; with this aging of society, the number of elderly patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (HF) is also increasing. The treatment and prognosis of acute HF may be changing, but there are insufficient recent data, especially for octogenarian and older patients.

Methods And Results: This study investigated the characteristics and treatment of acute HF patients in Japan.

Risk factors of domino osteoporotic vertebral fractures is severe paraspinal muscle fatty degeneration.

Background Context: Domino osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) involve multiple OVFs occurring simultaneously or sequentially, before healing of the initial OVFs. However, the risk factors and long-term clinical outcomes of domino OVFs are unclear.

Purpose: To identify the risk factors associated with domino OVFs and to assess their impact on patients' quality of life (QOL).

Muscle-derived IL-1β regulates EcSOD expression via the NBR1-p62-Nrf2 pathway in muscle during cancer cachexia.

Oxidative stress contributes to the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function in cancer cachexia. However, this outcome may be mitigated by an improved endogenous antioxidant defence system. Here, using the well-established oxidative stress-inducing muscle atrophy model of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) in 13-week-old male C57BL/6J mice, we demonstrate that extracellular superoxide dismutase (EcSOD) levels increase in the cachexia-prone extensor digitorum longus muscle.

Fungicide Metabolite MS2 Spectral Libraries for Comprehensive Human Biomonitoring.

Fungicides undergo rapid metabolism and are excreted in the urine. There are few methods for screening these ubiquitous compounds, which have a high potential for human exposure. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is a suitable technique to assess fungicide exposures; however, there is a lack of spectral libraries for fungicide annotation and in particular for downstream metabolites.

Thoracic and vertebral deformities in lung transplantation: perioperative complications and long-term prognoses.

Background: Lung transplantation (LTx) is a crucial therapeutic strategy for patients suffering from end-stage respiratory diseases, necessitating precise donor-recipient size matching to ensure optimal graft function. While standard allocation protocols rely on predicted lung capacity based on factors such as sex, age, and height, a subset of patients with respiratory diseases presents an additional challenge - thoracic or vertebral deformities. These deformities can complicate accurate volume predictions and may impact the success of lung transplantation.

Cryopreservation of human kidney organoids.

Recent advances in stem cell research have led to the creation of organoids, miniature replicas of human organs, offering innovative avenues for studying diseases. Kidney organoids, with their ability to replicate complex renal structures, provide a novel platform for investigating kidney diseases and assessing drug efficacy, albeit hindered by labor-intensive generation and batch variations, highlighting the need for tailored cryopreservation methods to enable widespread utilization. Here, we evaluated cryopreservation strategies for kidney organoids by contrasting slow-freezing and vitrification methods.

It Is Necessary to Pay Attention to Where the Pcom Originate from the Aneurysm to Treat with FD.

 With the expansion of indications of flow diverter (FD) for cerebral aneurysms, FD placement for posterior communicating artery (Pcom) aneurysms has been approved. However, it is controversial whether Pcom aneurysms should be treated with FD or not. In this study, we report the outcome of FD treatment for Pcom aneurysms in Japan.

Phosphorylation of Orc6 During Mitosis Regulates DNA Replication and Ribosome Biogenesis.

The human Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) is required not only for the initiation of DNA replication, but is also implicated in diverse cellular functions, including chromatin organization, centrosome biology, and cytokinesis. The smallest subunit of ORC, Orc6, is poorly conserved amongst eukaryotes. Recent studies from our laboratory have suggested that human Orc6 is not required for replication licensing, but is needed for S-phase progression.

COVID-19 pneumonia in lung transplant recipients: understanding risk factors and treatment outcomes in Japan.

Lung transplant (LTx) recipients face a significant risk from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with elevated hospitalization mortality rates even post-vaccination. While severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) typically induces pneumonia in even healthy individuals, it can also infect the transplanted lungs of LTx recipients, potentially leading to graft dysfunction. Despite the prevalence of COVID-19 pneumonia in LTx recipients, data on its characteristics and associated risk factors remain limited.

Trends and Progress in Neuroendovascular Treatment in Japan: Japanese Registry of Neuroendovascular Therapy (JR-NET) 4. Main Report.

We reported the main results of the Japanese Registry of Neuroendovascular Therapy (JR-NET) 4, a nationwide surveillance of therapy (NET) in Japan from January 2015 to December 2019. JR-NET 4 registered consecutive patients who underwent NETs by Japan Society of Neuroendovascular Therapy (JSNET) -certified specialists. The primary endpoint was functional independence (mRS score of 0-2) at 30 days post-NET, with secondary endpoints focusing on technical success and major adverse events within 30 days.

Single Lung Transplantation After Open Window Thoracotomy for Empyema: A Case Report.

A 41-year-old woman with lymphangioleiomyomatosis developed a bronchial anastomotic stenosis after left single lung transplantation (LTx). A part of the hyperinflated right native lung was excised in an attempt to remedy the left lung compression, which appeared to affect the bronchial anastomotic stenosis and ventilation/perfusion mismatch. However, a persistent air leak after the surgery caused empyema and an open window thoracotomy (OWT) was performed.