Case report: a case of masked subclavian artery stenosis in a haemodialysis patient.

Background: Subclavian artery stenosis is generally screened by a left-right brachial systolic blood pressure difference. However, subclavian artery stenoses are often underdiagnosed due to marginally identified symptoms. In dialysis patients, a relative or absolute contradiction of measuring blood pressure in shunt brachial artery may further limit the disease screening.

Intra-host π-π interactions in crown ether complexes revealed by cryogenic ion mobility-mass spectrometry.

Cryogenic ion mobility-mass spectrometry was performed to investigate the relative abundance of conformers of dinaphtho-24-crown-8 (DN24C8) complexes with alkali metal cations M (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs). The "closed" conformers of M(DN24C8) with short distances between two naphthalene rings in the crown ethers were predominantly observed for all complexes at 86 K. The two noncovalent interactions, host-guest and intra-host interactions, were analyzed separately by density functional theory calculations to reveal the origin of the stability of the closed conformers.

Moon-like Facies by Glucocorticoid Is Associated With the Development of Diabetes and Body Image Disturbance.

Context: Moon-like facies (MLF) are a typical side effect of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy; however, its predisposing factors, relationship with GC-induced complications, and effects on body image are not well understood.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the predisposing factors for MLF during GC therapy; its association with GC-induced diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia; and its effects on body image.

Methods: This prospective observational study spanned 24 weeks and targeted patients who received GC therapy at the University of Yamanashi Hospital from June 2020 to August 2022.

Foraging predicts the evolution of warning coloration and mimicry in snakes.

Warning coloration and Batesian mimicry are classic examples of Darwinian evolution, but empirical evolutionary patterns are often paradoxical. We test whether foraging costs predict the evolution of striking coloration by integrating genetic and ecological data for aposematic and mimetic snakes (Elapidae and Dipsadidae). Our phylogenetic comparison on a total of 432 species demonstrated that dramatic changes in coloration were well predicted by foraging strategy.

Surgical outcome comparisons of multifocal IOLs of Lentis Comfort LS-313 MF15 and Tecnis Eyhance DIB00V.

Aim: To compare the surgical outcomes of a multifocal intraocular lens (IOL; Lentis Comfort LS-313 MF15) with those of an enhanced monofocal IOL (Tecnis Eyhance DIB00V).

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent cataract surgery with LS-313 MF15 or Eyhance IOL implantation. Data regarding patient demographics, surgical records, and ophthalmic examination before the cataract surgery and one and three months postoperatively were collected.

A key evolutionary step determining osmoregulatory ability for freshwater colonisation in early life stages of fish.

Colonisation of freshwater habitats by marine animals is a remarkable evolutionary event that has enriched biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. The acquisition of tolerance to hypotonic stress during early life stages is presumed to be essential for their successful freshwater colonisation, but very little empirical evidence has been obtained to support this idea. This study aimed to comprehend the evolutionary changes in osmoregulatory mechanisms that enhance larval freshwater tolerance in amphidromous fishes, which typically spend their larval period in marine (ancestral) habitats and the rest of their life history stages in freshwater (derived) habitats.

Highly Efficient Intramolecular Proton Transfer in -Aminobenzoic Acid by a Single Ammonia Molecule as a Vehicle.

Proton transfer is classified into two mechanisms: the Grotthuss (proton-relay) and vehicle mechanisms. It has been well studied on gas-phase proton transfer by a proton relay involving multiple molecules. However, a vehicle mechanism in which a single molecule transports a proton has rarely been reported.

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty followed by pulmonary endarterectomy: Combination treatment for high-surgical-risk patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Objectives: Our goal was to evaluate the combined effects of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) followed by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) to treat high-surgical-risk patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

Methods: This study included 58 patients with CTEPH who had pulmonary vascular resistance of ≥1000 dyn·s/cm5, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) of ≥45 mmHg or mPAP of 38-44 mmHg with comorbidities. Of these, 21 patients underwent the combined therapy of BPA followed by PEA (BPA group) and 37 underwent direct PEA (non-BPA group).

Clinical features and predictors of non-cardiac death in patients hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction: Insights from the Tokyo CCU network multicentre registry.

Background: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) commonly have multiple comorbidities, and some die in hospitals due to causes other than cardiac complications. However, limited information is available on noncardiac death in patients hospitalised for AMI. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine the incidence, annual trend, clinical characteristics, and predictors of in-hospital non-cardiac death in patients with AMI using the Tokyo Cardiovascular Care Unit (CCU) network registry.

10-Year Temporal Trends of In-Hospital Mortality and Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: The mortality rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has improved dramatically because of reperfusion therapy during the last 40 years; however, recent temporal trends for AMI have not been fully clarified in Japan.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the temporary trend in in-hospital mortality and treatment of AMI for the last decade in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

Methods: We enrolled 30,553 patients from the Tokyo Cardiovascular Care Unit Network Registry, diagnosed with AMI from 2007 to 2016, as part of an ongoing, multicenter, cohort study.

Association of the severity of vascular damage with discordance between the fractional flow reserve and non-hyperemic pressure ratios.

Background: While there is a discordance between fractional flow reserve (FFR) and non-hyperemic pressure ratios (NHPRs) in some cases, the mechanisms underlying these discordances have not yet been fully clarified. We examined whether vascular damage as assessed by measurement of the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a marker of arterial stiffness, or ankle brachial pressure index (ABI), a marker of atherosclerotic arterial stenosis, might be associated with their discordances.

Methods: FFR and NHPRs were measured in 283 consecutive patients (69 ± 10 years old).

Large Conformational Change in the Isomerization of Flexible Crown Ether Observed at Low Temperature.

The dynamic processes of conformational changes of supramolecules are important to understand the motion in synthetic supramolecules. Although a host-guest complex is the most basic supramolecule, a detailed mechanism of its conformational changes has rarely been studied. Here, we observed the large conformational change of a dibenzo-24-crown-8 complex with four guest ions (Ag, Na, K, and NH) at low temperature in the gas phase.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Glycemic Control and Blood Pressure Control in Patients with Diabetes in Japan.

Objective In this study, we investigated whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected glycemic control and blood pressure (BP) control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods DM patients whose HbA1c level was measured regularly before and after the declaration of a state of emergency were included in this study. Some patients were given questionnaires about changes in their lifestyle to determine the factors affecting glycemic control and BP control.