Association between daytime sleepiness and quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of daytime sleepiness (DS) and its impact on quality of life (QOL) in outpatients with schizophrenia in the maintenance phase, as well as to identify the factors associated with DS. A total of 191 outpatients with schizophrenia completed a self-administered questionnaire including questions on lifestyle, sleep habits, DS, QOL, and sleep disorders. Insomnia, DS, and QOL were evaluated by the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the MOS 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-8), respectively.

Structural insight into sodium ion pathway in the bacterial flagellar stator from marine .

Many bacteria swim in liquid or swarm on surface using the flagellum rotated by a motor driven by specific ion flow. The motor consists of the rotor and stator, and the stator converts the energy of ion flow to mechanical rotation. However, the ion pathway and the mechanism of stator rotation coupled with specific ion flow are still obscure.

Long-Term Outcomes of the Non-Fenestrated Strategy for Extracardiac Total Cavopulmonary Connection.

Background: The discussion of Fontan fenestration is difficult because many institutions have different strategies over time. In our institute, we performed a non-fenestrated Fontan procedure for single-ventricular physiology as our definitive strategy.

Methods: Between August 1999 and December 2007, 72 consecutive patients with single-ventricle physiology underwent extracardiac total cavopulmonary connection without fenestration as our definitive strategy.

Dissociation of IgM antibodies from red blood cells using ethylenediamine tetraacetate/glycine acid or chloroquine diphosphate.

Background: Ethylenediamine tetraacetate/glycine acid (EGA) and chloroquine diphosphate (CDP) are used in transfusion testing to dissociate IgG antibodies from red blood cells (RBCs). However, the ability of these reagents to dissociate IgM antibodies sensitized to RBCs has not been comprehensively elucidated. We investigated whether EGA and CDP could dissociate cold-reactive antibodies from RBCs and their effect on RBCs after dissociation treatment.

Commutability assessment of new standard reference materials (SRMs) for determining serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D using ligand binding and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assays.

Commutability is where the measurement response for a reference material (RM) is the same as for an individual patient sample with the same concentration of analyte measured using two or more measurement systems. Assessment of commutability is essential when the RM is used in a calibration hierarchy or to ensure that clinical measurements are comparable across different measurement procedures and at different times. The commutability of three new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for determining serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], defined as the sum of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], was assessed through an interlaboratory study.

Janus graphene nanoribbons with localized states on a single zigzag edge.

Topological design of π electrons in zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) leads to a wealth of magnetic quantum phenomena and exotic quantum phases. Symmetric ZGNRs typically show antiferromagnetically coupled spin-ordered edge states. Eliminating cross-edge magnetic coupling in ZGNRs not only enables the realization of a class of ferromagnetic quantum spin chains, enabling the exploration of quantum spin physics and entanglement of multiple qubits in the one-dimensional limit, but also establishes a long-sought-after carbon-based ferromagnetic transport channel, pivotal for ultimate scaling of GNR-based quantum electronics.

[Primary hepatic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma developed in a patient with primary biliary cholangitis].

Primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder confined to the liver, with no evidence of lymphomatous involvement in other organs. Here, we report a case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)-type PHL in a patient with a long history of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and Sjögren's syndrome (SS). A 78-year-old woman presented with epigastralgia and was found to have a solitary liver tumor by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT).

Muon spectroscopy of a 12-phosphatetraphene with extremely efficient radical trapping properties.

This paper describes muon spin spectroscopy studies of 12-phosphatetraphene stabilized by a peri-trifluoromethyl group and a meso-aryl substituent. Even though the prepared solution in tetrahydrofuran (THF) was quite dilute (0.060 M) for transverse-field muon spin rotation (TF-µSR) measurements, the π-extended heavier congener of tetraphene presented a pair of signals due to a muoniated radical from which the muon hyperfine coupling constant (hfc) was determined.

Blood DNA virome associates with autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

Aberrant immune responses to viral pathogens contribute to pathogenesis, but our understanding of pathological immune responses caused by viruses within the human virome, especially at a population scale, remains limited. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing datasets of 6,321 Japanese individuals, including patients with autoimmune diseases (psoriasis vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) or multiple sclerosis) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or healthy controls. We systematically quantified two constituents of the blood DNA virome, endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and anellovirus.

Micromorphological features of brown rotted wood revealed by broad argon ion beam milling.

Brown rot fungi, the major decomposers in the boreal coniferous forests, cause a unique wood decay pattern but many aspects of brown rot decay mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, decayed wood samples were prepared by cultivation of the brown rot fungi Gloeophyllum trabeum and Coniophora puteana on Japanese coniferous wood of Cryptomeria japonica, and the cutting planes were prepared using broad ion beam (BIB) milling, which enables observation of intact wood, in addition to traditional microtome sections. Samples were observed using field-emission SEM revealing that areas inside the end walls of ray parenchyma cells were the first to be degraded.

Association of Preoperative Physical Fitness With Post-Esophagectomy Pneumonia in Older With Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer: An Exploratory Prospective Study.

Backgrounds: Currently, there is a lack of evidence of prehabilitation during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to prevent pneumonia of older patients. This study aimed to investigate the association of preoperative physical fitness after NAC with post-esophagectomy pneumonia in older patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC).

Methods: This single-center exploratory prospective cohort study included 80 patients aged ≥ 65 years with LAEC scheduled for curative esophagectomy after NAC between 2021 and 2023.

Usefulness of the "En face view" method for diagnosing perimembranous ventricular septal defects.

Background: Perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) can be classified as having trabecular, inlet, or outlet extension. The surgical approach used in patch closure depends on the which valve of the tricuspid valve to suture around and the avoidance of the specialized conducting system. This retrospective study evaluated the usefulness of the "En face view" method for classifying perimembranous VSD.

Computed tomography findings of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease subtypes.

This study retrospectively evaluated the computed tomography (CT) findings of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) at a single center and compared the CT findings of iMCD-TAFRO with those of iMCD-non-TAFRO. CT images obtained within 30 days before diagnostic confirmation were reviewed for 20 patients with iMCD (8 men and 12 women, mean age 52.8 ± 12.

Postoperative urinary dysfunction following lateral lymph node dissection for rectal cancer via minimally invasive surgery.

Background: Lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is performed widely since it reduces local recurrence. However, there are some disadvantages to LLND, including technical difficulties and association with postoperative urinary dysfunction. Procedures for LARC have also become more minimally invasive: laparoscopic surgery (LS) has become more common, and use of robot-assisted LS (RALS) is increasing.

One-step warming of vitrified human cleavage and blastocyst stage embryos does not adversely impact embryo survivability and subsequent developmental potential.

Study Question: Does one-step warming (OW), a simplified embryo warming protocol, adversely affect survival and developmental potential in vitrified cleavage or blastocyst stage embryos compared to standard multi-step warming (SW)?

Summary Answer: OW showed no detrimental effects on survival and developmental potential compared to SW in cleavage and blastocyst stage embryos.

What Is Known Already: While standard embryo warming protocols involve a multi-step procedure using a stepwise osmotic solution to avoid a rapid influx of water into the embryo, recent studies suggest that eliminating the stepwise warming process does not reduce embryo survival and embryo transfer outcomes. However, previous reports have focused primarily on pregnancy rates, and a more detailed analysis of the effects of rapid osmotic pressure changes on embryos is necessary to standardize the protocol.

scEGOT: single-cell trajectory inference framework based on entropic Gaussian mixture optimal transport.

Background: Time-series scRNA-seq data have opened a door to elucidate cell differentiation, and in this context, the optimal transport theory has been attracting much attention. However, there remain critical issues in interpretability and computational cost.

Results: We present scEGOT, a comprehensive framework for single-cell trajectory inference, as a generative model with high interpretability and low computational cost.

Day surgery in children: 15-year analysis of unplanned admissions at a Japanese tertiary children's hospital.

Purpose: Unplanned hospital admission following pediatric day surgery is a crucial quality indicator. This study examined the incidence, related risks, interventions, and outcomes of unplanned hospital admission following pediatric day surgery among children in Japan.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study analyzed data of 14,529 pediatric patients under the age of 18 years who underwent day surgery between August 2007 and December 2022.

Long-term efficacy of subclavian vein stenting in a patient on hemodialysis complicated by stasis dermatitis due to subclavian vein stenosis.

Unlabelled: Data about the long-term safety and efficacy of stent implantation for central venous stenosis in patients on dialysis are limited. We report the case of a 66-year-old man on hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease who presented with stasis dermatitis around an arteriovenous shunt with ulceration of the left forearm. Computed tomography angiography showed a tight stenosis of the proximal left subclavian vein and the development of collateral blood vessels around the stenosis.

Redox control in arsenic accumulation with organic matter derived from a varved lacustrine deposit in the Jurassic accretionary complexes.

Oxidation states and distribution of arsenic (As) in annually laminated (varved) lacustrine deposits were analyzed with a seasonal resolution. This deposit was formed in the mid-Holocene landslide-dammed paleolake in the upper reaches of the Ane River, central Japan and the paleolake watershed consists of the Jurassic accretionary complexes (Mino-Tamba belt) including sedimentary and igneous rocks. In the outcrop, centimeter-to-decimeter-scale silty clay layers alternating with laminated layers are well developed.

Observation of Boson Peak of Fragile Baltic Amber Glass by Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy.

Amber is a fragile (in Angell's classification) natural glass that has performed maturation processes over geological time. The terahertz dynamics of Baltic amber that was about 40 million years old were studied by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) in the frequency range of 0.2 and 6.

Five-year analysis of hospital complaints at a Japanese tertiary teaching hospital.

Background: Patient complaint taxonomies strongly support the use of healthcare complaints as a powerful tool to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Hospitals use complaint data at the organizational level to address quality variation across service lines and departments.

Methods: We applied a validated typology method to identify where the complaints occured and gained deeper insights about how they can be more effectively utilized to drive and implement continuous quality and service improvement activities within a tertiary hospital.

Long-term efficacy of drug-coated balloon only angioplasty for IgG4-related coronary artery disease: a case report.

Background: Although coronary artery involvement in patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is rare, emergency revascularization is recommended for managing acute coronary syndrome. However, coronary aneurysm formation and stent migration after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation have been reported for this disease. Thus, new treatment modalities are warranted for the management of coronary artery disease in this vasculitis.

Loss of function in causes DNA methylation signature similar to that in Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

Purpose: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), a contiguous gene syndrome caused by heterozygous deletions of the distal short arm of chromosome 4 that includes , reportedly causes specific DNA methylation signatures in peripheral blood cells. However, the genomic loci responsible for these signatures have not been elucidated. The present study aims to define the loci underlying WHS-related DNA methylation signatures and explore the role of in these signatures.

Mathematical modeling predicts optimal immune checkpoint inhibitor and radiotherapy combinations and timing of administration.

Radiotherapy (RT) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has attracted substantial attention due to its potential to improve outcomes for patients with several types of cancer. However, the optimal administration timepoints and drug combinations remain unclear because the mechanisms underlying RT-induced changes in immune checkpoint molecule expression and interaction with their ligand(s) remain unclear. Herein, we demonstrated the dynamics of lymphocyte-mediated molecular interactions in tissue samples from esophageal cancer patients throughout RT schedules.