Characteristics of In Vivo Lesion Formation With a Temperature-Controlled Diamond-Tip Radiofrequency Ablation Catheter in the Ventricle: A Preclinical Model.

Background: Power-controlled radiofrequency ablation with irrigated-tip catheters has been the norm for ventricular ablation for almost 2 decades. New catheter technology has recently integrated more accurate tissue temperature sensing enabling temperature-controlled irrigated ablation. We aimed to investigate the in vivo ablation parameters and lesion formation characteristics in ventricular myocardium using a novel temperature-controlled radiofrequency catheter.

Small molecules and heat treatments reverse vernalization via epigenetic modification in Arabidopsis.

Monocarpic plants flower only once and then produce seeds. Many monocarpic plants require a cold treatment known as vernalization before they flower. This requirement delays flowering until the plant senses warm temperatures in the spring.

A surgical case of right ventricular outpouching.

Unlabelled: Outpouching of the heart ventricles, especially of the right ventricle, is rare. Here, we report the case of a 60-year-old male, referred to our institution with an outpouched structure at the right ventricular apex. The patient had no cardiac events.

Workflow of the zero-fluoro pulsed field ablation.

Background: Zero-fluoroscopic pulsed field ablation (PFA) is the next step in advancing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: A workflow incorporating a variable-loop circular PFA catheter, intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), and a visualized sheath was applied to 15 paroxysmal AF patients.

Results: It consisted of three steps: (1) positioning a non-magnetic mapping catheter in the coronary sinus after creating a right atrial matrix, (2) transseptal puncture with the sheath advancement to the left atrium under ICE guidance, and (3) PFA confirming catheter-tissue contact with tissue proximity indication.

Anti-Tr/DNER Antibody-associated Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndrome Presenting Limbic Encephalitis with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report.

An 82-year-old man presented with acute progressive disturbance of consciousness. We suspected autoimmune limbic encephalitis because of abnormal magnetic resonance imaging findings in the bilateral temporal lobes and cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis. The patient tested positive for anti-Tr/Delta/Notch-like epidermal growth factor-related receptor (DNER) antibodies, and a tissue biopsy revealed complications of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

[A Case of Laparoscopic Surgery for Malignant Lymphoma of the Small Intestine with Bowel Obstruction].

An 80-year-old woman presented to our hospital complaining of nausea and abdominal distention. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed wall thickening of the small intestine, a dilated oral intestinal tract, swollen intra-abdominal lymph nodes, and splenomegaly. Moreover, the soluble interleukin-2 receptor level was increased at 2,120 U/mL.

Possible Efficacy of Vaginal Progesterone on Asymptomatic Women with a Short Cervix after 24 Weeks of Gestation: A Historical Cohort Study in Japan.

Introduction: Few studies have explored the preventive efficacy of vaginal progesterone (VD) treatment for preterm delivery (PTD) in Japanese clinical practice. In this study, the efficacy of the VD treatment in pregnant women with a short cervix (sCX) diagnosed after 24 weeks is evaluated, focusing on perinatal outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective historical cohort study.

Local calcium chloride infusion after pulsed field ablation enhances acute efficacy of cardiac electroporation.

Introduction: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has emerged as an innovative therapy for cardiac arrhythmias. Drawing parallels with PFA's application in solid tumors, calcium chloride (CaCl) as an adjuvant therapy, known as calcium electroporation, may amplify PFA's apoptotic effects. We propose that PFA in the atrium could enhance calcium uptake through PFA-created pores, thereby increasing ablation efficacy even at reduced power levels by exploiting PFA's permeabilization effects.

Characteristics of Intracranial Kinetic Loads When Sports-Related Concussion Occurs in Men's Rhythmic Gymnastics.

This study aimed to clarify the differences between the previously reported mechanisms of sports-related concussion (SRC) injuries without a loss of consciousness in contact and collision sports and the mechanisms of SRC injuries in our cases. Based on two videos of SRC injuries occurring during a men's rhythmic gymnastics competition (three people were injured), the risk of SRC occurrence was estimated from various parameters using a multibody analysis and eight brain injury evaluation criteria. In the present study, the three SRC impacts that occurred in men's rhythmic gymnastics showed significant characteristics in duration compared to previously reported cases in the contact sports.

Epidemiology of Sports-Related Concussion in Japanese University Soccer Players.

In recent years, sports-related concussion (SRC) in soccer has been extensively researched worldwide. However, there have been no reports of large-scale SRC studies among soccer players in Japan. The purpose of this study is to investigate the epidemiology of SRC among university soccer players in Japan.

The Significance of Off-Season Tailor-Made Baseline Measurements in the Assessment of Post-Concussion in University Athletes.

This study aimed to investigate the significance of baseline measurements for amateur team athletes playing contact and collision team sports with a specific focus on the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) to improve concussion management. Symptoms of sports-related concussions (SRCs) can be diverse and long-lasting and include cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and vestibular dysfunction. Therefore, comprehensive baseline data are essential to preventing recurrent concussions and secondary injuries.

Pediatric Device Innovation: An Analysis of Food and Drug Administration Authorizations Over Time.

Background: Despite a tremendous increase in the number of orthopaedic devices authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), novel devices designed specifically for the pediatric population remain sparse.

PRMT5-mediated methylation of STAT3 is required for lung cancer stem cell maintenance and tumour growth.

STAT3 is constitutively activated in many cancer types, including lung cancer, and can induce cancer cell proliferation and cancer stem cell (CSC) maintenance. STAT3 is activated by tyrosine kinases, such as JAK and SRC, but the mechanism by which STAT3 maintains its activated state in cancer cells remains unclear. Here, we show that PRMT5 directly methylates STAT3 and enhances its activated tyrosine phosphorylation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.

A case of pancreatic PEComa with prominent inflammatory cell infiltration: the inflammatory subtype is a distinct histologic group of PEComa.

Background: PEComa is a mesenchymal tumor that can occur in various organs including the uterus and soft tissues. PEComas are composed of perivascular epithelioid cells, and angiomyolipoma (AML), clear cell sugar tumor (CCST), and lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM) are considered lesions of the same lineage as tumors of the PEComa family. Histologically, a common PEComa shows solid or sheet-like proliferation of epithelioid cells.

Sero and Carriage Epidemiology of Pertussis in Urban and Rural Regions in Vietnam.

The underestimation of the pertussis burden prompted our study to investigate the prevalence of recent pertussis infection, its associated factors, and antibody titer changes in the same individuals in Vietnam. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Nha Trang in 2017 and Quang Ngai in 2019, representing high- and low-vaccine-coverage areas, respectively. Serum anti-pertussis toxin immunoglobulin-G (anti-PT IgG) ≥ 62.

Whole-genome comparison of two same-genotype macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis isolates collected in Japan.

The emergence of macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis (MRBP) is a significant problem because it reduces treatment options for pertussis and exacerbates the severity and spread of the disease. MRBP has been widely prevalent in mainland China since the 2010s and has been sporadically detected in other Asian countries. In Japan, two MRBP clinical strains were first isolated in Tokyo and Osaka between June and July 2018.

Clinical implication of the patient's disease awareness and adherence to medications in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation.

Background: The effects of the patient's disease awareness on the management of postablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) are unknown.

Methods: One hundred thirty-three AF patients undergoing an initial ablation were given a disease awareness questionnaire with a score of 16 points (8 points about AF in general and 8 points about oral anticoagulants) for the Jessa Atrial Fibrillation Knowledge Questionnaire (JAKQ) before and 1-year-after ablation. We divided them into the poor disease awareness group and good disease awareness group according to the median value (75%) of the total JAKQ score about AF in general, and compared the baseline patient characteristics and the 1-year changes in the JAKQ score, medication adherence, blood pressure, laboratory data, echocardiographic parameters, and AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence rate between the two groups.

[A Case of Gastric Cancer with Pulmonary Carcinomatous Lymphangitis and Disseminated Carcinomatosis of the Bone Marrow Responding to S-1 plus Cisplatin Chemotherapy].

A 63-year-old man was admitted to a hospital owing to shortness of breath. He was diagnosed as having gastric cancer with pulmonary carcinomatous lymphangitis(PCL)and disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow(DCBM). Regarding tumor markers, carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)levels increased to 332 ng/ mL and 921 U/mL, respectively.

Impaired humoral immunity following COVID-19 vaccination in HTLV-1 carriers.

Background: Whether human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) carriers can develop sufficient humoral immunity after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is unknown.

Methods: To investigate humoral immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in HTLV-1 carriers, a multicenter, prospective observational cohort study was conducted at five institutions in southwestern Japan, an endemic area for HTLV-1. HTLV-1 carriers and HTLV-1-negative controls were enrolled for this study from January to December 2022.

Strain identity of Bordetella pertussis isolates from household members based on whole-genome sequencing.

We evaluated the genetic diversity of Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of pertussis, within households by whole-genome sequencing. In pairwise comparisons of 23 isolates collected from 11 households, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis revealed extremely low SNP diversity (≤1 SNP) between isolate pairs: no SNPs were detected in 10 households and one SNP was obtained in the remaining household. This SNP was uncommon for B.