Reconstructing the experienced temperature during the larval oceanic migration of anguillid eels from otolith stable oxygen isotopes.

Migration routes and the depth patterns of anguillid eel larvae migrating long distances from spawning grounds in the ocean remain poorly understood. We used otolith stable isotope analysis to study the oceanic migrations of anguillid eels by reconstructing experienced water temperature histories of larvae. The otolith stable oxygen isotopes (δO) of recruited Anguilla japonica glass eels were analyzed to assess the relationship with the experienced water temperature of the early larval stage in laboratory experiments.

Lymph-node ratio as a risk factor for recurrence following neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background And Purpose: It remains unclear whether the lymph-node ratio (LNR) is a relevant factor for the risk of recurrence following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF), which is a new standard of care for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of LNR as a risk factor for recurrence.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 75 patients who underwent nCT-DCF followed by curative surgery for resectable ESCC.

Crosstalk between prolactin, insulin-like growth factors, and thyroid hormones in feather growth regulation in neonatal chick wings.

The elongation of primary feathers in neonatal chicks is delayed by the late-feathering K gene located on the Z chromosome. We recently found that the K gene slows feather growth by reducing the number of functional prolactin (PRL) receptor (PRLR) dimers. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which PRL promotes feather elongation.

Predictive factors for failure of neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil therapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Recently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy comprising docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil showed promising efficacy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, some patients do not achieve curative resection despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy using these drugs. This study aimed to clarify the pretherapeutic characteristics of these patients.

Haptiknit: Distributed stiffness knitting for wearable haptics.

Haptic devices typically rely on rigid actuators and bulky power supply systems, limiting wearability. Soft materials improve comfort, but careful distribution of stiffness is required to ground actuation forces and enable load transfer to the skin. We present Haptiknit, an approach in which soft, wearable, knit textiles with embedded pneumatic actuators enable programmable haptic display.

Prediction of Seizure Outcome Using Combinations of Four Noninvasive Presurgical Modalities in Magnetic Resonance Imaging-negative Focal Intractable Epilepsy.

In focal epilepsy cases, precise identification and resection of the epileptogenic zone increase the likelihood of achieving a seizure-free outcome. Nevertheless, localizing the source of epilepsy in magnetic resonance imaging-negative epilepsy cases presents significant challenges for clinicians. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic efficacy and impact on the seizure outcome by using 4 noninvasive modalities, including scalp video electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography, and iomazenil single-photon emission computed tomography, in a cohort of patients with magnetic resonance imaging-negative focal epilepsy who underwent resective surgery.

Emergent Hysteroscopic Removal of Retained Products of Conception Following Laparoscopic Temporary Uterine Artery Ligation.

Here, we describe two cases of retained products of conception (RPOC) that were successfully managed with hysteroscopic resection after laparoscopic temporary uterine artery ligation. Both patients were diagnosed with RPOC after early miscarriages. Case 1 was urgently admitted due to massive bleeding and underwent surgery following a blood transfusion.

Usefulness of Apple Watch Electrocardiograms for Identifying the Origin of Premature Ventricular Contractions.

Background: The Apple Watch (AW) can record single-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) and has been investigated for arrhythmia detection. In this study we evaluated its accuracy in identifying the origin of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) vs. standard 12-lead ECGs.

Early Postoperative Serum Lactate Levels Predict Anastomotic Leakage After Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a major complication after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and the significance of elevated postoperative lactate levels in the occurrence of AL is unclear.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated 583 patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Serum lactate levels were measured immediately after esophagectomy and in the morning on postoperative days (POD) 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Risk factors for wound dehiscence after surgery for epilepsy.

Objective: Wound dehiscence following craniotomy is a complication for which patients are subjected to additional procedures to achieve wound closure. During surgery for epilepsy, a craniotomy is performed at various sites to cure or palliate seizures in patients with intractable epilepsy. Collaborations between medicine and engineering have provided many surgical devices and materials for various stages of craniotomy, from skin incision to wound closure.

Comparison between tip-detection method and retrograde approach for chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The tip-detection method and the retrograde approach have been acknowledged as a second-line strategies for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) when conventional antegrade wiring strategies are ineffective. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy between both strategies for complex CTO PCI.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 170 consecutive CTO PCI cases and separated them into 295 adopted strategies.

CVIT expert consensus document on primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in 2024.

Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) has significantly contributed to reducing the mortality of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) even in cardiogenic shock and is now the standard of care in most of Japanese institutions. The Task Force on Primary PCI of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics (CVIT) proposed an expert consensus document for the management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) focusing on procedural aspects of primary PCI in 2018 and updated in 2022. Recently, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published the guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndrome in 2023.

Hemodynamic effect of supra-annular implantation of SAPIEN 3 balloon expandable valve.

The hemodynamic impact of the implantation depth for balloon-expandable valves is under-investigated, especially with higher implantation techniques. We assessed the hemodynamic performance of supra-annular SAPIEN 3 valve implantation. This retrospective study involved consecutive patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using the SAPIEN 3.

Surgical Rhizarthrosis Treatment: Trapezius Resection Arthroplasty Associated with Tendon Interposition versus the Kuhns Technique.

 This study aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical and functional outcomes of two surgical procedures performed in patients with severe grade III and IV rhizarthrosis.  We evaluated 39 patients who underwent two surgical techniques for rhizarthrosis treatment: trapeziectomy using the Kuhns technique or tendon interposition, with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months. The primary outcome assessment used the specific Trapeziometacarpal Arthrosis Symptoms and Disability (TASD) questionnaire, and the secondary outcome evaluation employed the shortened version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire and the visual analog scale (VAS).

Validation of the cutoff values for the number of metastatic lymph nodes for esophageal cancer staging: a multi-institutional analysis of 655 patients in Japan.

Background: The number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) is an important prognostic factor for esophageal cancer, and N staging is important for prognostic stratification. The optimal cutoff values for clinical (cN) and pathologic N (pN) staging should be reconsidered following advances in neoadjuvant therapy.

Methods: The study included 655 patients who underwent esophagectomy between January 2014 and December 2016 in four high-volume centers in Japan.

Long-term survival of a patient with gastric cancer with bone marrow metastasis receiving S-1 plus oxaliplatin beyond three years: a case report and literature review.

Background: Bone marrow metastasis (BMM) of gastric cancer (GC), which is the most common cause of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) among solid tumors, has a poor prognosis. Studies on prognostic improvement beyond one year in patients with GC with BMM are limited. This is the first report of a patient who survived over three years after 30 months of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) therapy for GC with BMM.

Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in patients with a history of total pharyngolaryngectomy: a Japanese nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Background: Second primary esophageal cancer often develops in patients with head and neck cancer, and esophagectomy in patients with a history of total pharyngolaryngectomy (TPL) is challenging. However, the clinical outcomes of these patients have yet to be examined in a multicenter setting.

Methods: We evaluated the surgical outcomes of a nationwide cohort of 62 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with a history of TPL.

Adult cardiomyocytes-derived EVs for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis.

Cardiac fibrosis is a common pathological feature of cardiovascular diseases that arises from the hyperactivation of fibroblasts and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, leading to impaired cardiac function and potentially heart failure or arrhythmia. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cardiomyocytes (CMs) regulate various physiological functions essential for myocardial homeostasis, which are disrupted in cardiac disease. Therefore, healthy CM-derived EVs represent a promising cell-free therapy for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis.