The 'Japanese paradox' of total hip arthroplasty: where are we going?

Introduction: There is a worldwide trend toward 'revisiting' cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA). In Japan, however, cemented THAs accounts for 11%, and the percentage of cemented hemiarthroplasty is estimated to be less than 10%. This review was designed to reconsider the option of cemented THA and to encourage policy changes in Japan to support the best possible care for patients.

Impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic on the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children in Yamanashi, Japan.

It has been hypothesized that the biopsychosocial stress associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, in combination with the immunological effects of SARS-CoV-2 and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, may contribute to the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children. In this study, we documented the incidences of T1D in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, from 1986 to 2018, and expanded the analysis to include cases from 2019 to 2022 to evaluate the potential influence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on T1D incidence. The COVID-19 pandemic period was defined as 2020 to 2022.

Myasthenia Gravis Complicated by M-proteinemia and Demyelinating Neuropathy: A Report of Two Cases.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of voluntary muscles. Here, we present two cases of early-onset MG, complicated with M-proteinemia and demyelinating neuropathy. Case one was diagnosed with MG at age 29, received tacrolimus post-thymectomy, and developed M-proteinemia and demyelinating neuropathies at age 66 before being diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma.

Characterization of breast cancer tumors in older patients who show de novo resistance to endocrine therapy.

The standard treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in good general condition is curative surgery followed by endocrine therapy. However, for older patients, endocrine therapy alone is sometimes chosen instead of curative surgery due to health conditions or personal preference, though this is not yet a standard approach. It is crucial to develop elderly-specific treatment strategies, potentially establishing endocrine therapy alone as a standard option.

D-loop mutations in mitochondrial DNA are a risk factor for chemotherapy resistance in esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer is a highly aggressive disease, and acquired resistance to chemotherapy remains a significant hurdle in its treatment. mtDNA, crucial for cellular energy production, is prone to mutations at a higher rate than nuclear DNA. These mutations can accumulate and disrupt cellular function; however, mtDNA mutations induced by chemotherapy in esophageal cancer remain unexplored.

Extensive methylation analysis of circulating tumor DNA in plasma of patients with gastric cancer.

DNA methylation is known to be involved in tumor progression. This is the first study to perform an extensive methylation analysis of plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using targeted bisulfite sequencing in gastric cancer (GC) patients to evaluate the usefulness of ctDNA methylation as a new biomarker. Sixteen patients who received chemotherapy for recurrent GC were included.

Health Utility of Pain Response Versus Nonresponse to Palliative Radiation Therapy for Symptomatic Bone Metastases: Analyses Based on Real-World Data from 26 Centers.

Utility values of responders and nonresponders are essential inputs in cost-effectiveness studies of radiation therapy for painful bone metastases but, to our knowledge, they have not been reported separately. We sought to determine the utility values of responders and nonresponders using data from a prospective observational study on bone metastases. The original prospective observational study was conducted at 26 centers in Japan.

In vivo hyperphosphorylation of tau is associated with synaptic loss and behavioral abnormalities in the absence of tau seeds.

Tau pathology is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. However, the sequence of events and the form of tau that confers toxicity are still unclear, due in large part to the lack of physiological models of tauopathy initiation and progression in which to test hypotheses. We have developed a series of targeted mice expressing frontotemporal-dementia-causing mutations in the humanized MAPT gene to investigate the earliest stages of tauopathy.

Molecular tag for promoting -glycan maturation in the cargo receptor-mediated secretion pathway.

MCFD2 and ERGIC-53 form a cargo receptor complex that plays a crucial role in transporting specific glycoproteins, including blood coagulation factor VIII, from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. We have demonstrated that MCFD2 recognizes a 10-amino-acid sequence in factor VIII, thereby facilitating its efficient transport. Moreover, the secretion of biopharmaceutical recombinant glycoproteins, such as erythropoietin, can be enhanced by tagging them with this sequence, which we have termed the "passport sequence" (PS).

Selective Inhibitory Effect of Hesperetin on the Automaticity of the Guinea Pig Pulmonary Vein Myocardium.

The effect of a citrus-derived flavonoid, hesperetin, on the automaticity and contraction of isolated guinea pig myocardium was examined. Hesperetin inhibited the rate of ectopic action potential firing of the pulmonary vein myocardium; the slope of the diastolic depolarization was decreased with minimum change in the action potential waveform. The effect was dependent on the concentration; the EC value for firing rate was 56.

Improved prognosis of de novo metastatic prostate cancer after an introduction of life-prolonging agents for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: In Japan, since 2014, new treatments such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and cabazitaxel have become applicable for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), leading to dramatic changes in treatment options.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of recent advancements in treatment options on the overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) in Japan.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2450 Japanese men diagnosed with de novo mCSPC between 2008 and 2018.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to Assess Infection Complications During the Acute Phase of Acute Pancreatitis.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) severity is correlated with systemic infection incidence in the acute phase, and it is important to assess inflammation during the disease course and to recognize infection at an early stage. As in sepsis, inflammation in AP impairs tissue oxygen metabolism and disrupts microcirculation. We performed a vascular occlusion test (VOT) via near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which noninvasively monitors local oxygen in peripheral tissues, to evaluate tissue oxygen metabolism and blood circulation during the acute AP phase.

Trends in the growing impact of group A Streptococcus infection on public health after COVID-19 pandemic: a multicentral observational study in Okayama, Japan.

Purpose: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection has been surging worldwide. We aimed to compare the disease burden between notified cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) and unreported GAS infections.

Methods: This is a multicentral observational study, retrospectively performed at seven hospitals in Okayama prefecture in Japan from January 2022, to June 2024.

Concise Total Synthesis of Complanadine A Enabled by Pyrrole-to-Pyridine Molecular Editing.

alkaloid complanadine A, isolated by Kobayashi et al. in 2000, is a complex and unsymmetrical dimer of lycodine. Biologically, it is a novel and promising lead compound for the development of new treatment for neurodegenerative disorders and persistent pain management.

Aging and cell expansion enhance microRNA diversity in small extracellular vesicles produced from human adipose-derived stem cells.

Unlabelled: Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and their small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) hold significant potential for regenerative medicine due to their tissue repair capabilities. The microRNA (miRNA) content in sEVs varies depending on ASC status; however, the effects of aging and cell passage on miRNA profiles remain unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of donor age and cell expansion on ASC characteristics and transcriptome using ASCs obtained from three young and three old donors.

Tough and circular glass fiber composites a tailored dynamic boronic ester interface.

Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are valued for their strength and cost-effectiveness. However, traditional GFRPs often face challenges for end-of-life recycling due to their non-depolymerizable thermoset matrices, and long-term performance due to inadequate interfacial adhesion, which can lead to fiber-matrix delamination. Here, we have designed dynamic fiber-matrix interfaces to allow tough and closed-loop recyclable GFRPs by utilizing a vitrimer, derived from upcycled polystyrene--poly(ethylene--butylene)--polystyrene (SEBS) with boronic ester (S-Bpin) and amine-based diol crosslinker.

Identification and phenotypic characterization of neoantigen-specific cytotoxic CD4+ T cells in endometrial cancer.

Tumor-reactive CD4+ T cells often accumulate in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in human cancer, but their functions and roles in antitumor responses remain elusive. Here, we investigated the immunopeptidome of HLA class II-positive (HLA-II+) endometrial cancer with an inflamed TME using a proteogenomic approach. We identified HLA-II neoantigens, one of which induced polyclonal CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) responses.

Smoking, alcohol consumption, and risk of recurrent falls in community-dwelling Japanese people aged 40-74 years: The Murakami cohort study.

Aim: Evidence is lacking regarding associations between smoking/drinking and falls. This study aimed to determine longitudinal associations between smoking, alcohol consumption, and fall risk in middle-aged and older people.

Methods: Participants of this cohort study were 7542 community-dwelling Japanese people aged 40-74 years.

Visualization of radial nerve activity at the upper arm using magnetoneurography.

Objective: To evaluate the function of the radial nerve in the upper arm using Magnetoneurography (MNG).

Methods: Eight asymptomatic male volunteers (age 25-63 years) and one 67-year-old female patient with radial nerve palsy were included. The radial nerve was electrically stimulated in the right wrist, and the evoked magnetic field was recorded using a 132-channel bio-magnetometer system with a superconducting quantum interference device positioned below the upper arm.

CD45RO-Positive Memory T-Cell Density in the Tumoral Core and Invasive Margin Predict Long-Term Survival in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: The association between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor immunity has long been recognized. Among T-cell types, CD45RO-positive memory T cells (CD45RO) are reported to correlate with survival in several cancer types, but clinical evidence is lacking in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods: In surgical specimens from 162 preoperatively untreated patients, immunohistochemistry for CD45RO was performed to evaluate the density of CD45RO in the tumor core (CT) and invasive margin (IM) using an auto-count method.

Association of Indoor Environment with the Intention to Enter Nursing Homes among Older Adults with Functional Limitations in Japan.

Objectives: The indoor environment refers to the conditions within a building, including thermal comfort, air quality, lighting, and noise levels. However, the association between the indoor environment and the intention to enter nursing homes among older adults with functional limitations remains unclear. Therefore, this study examined the association of indoor environmental factors with intention to enter nursing homes within this population.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of photon radiotherapy versus proton beam therapy for pediatric intracranial ependymoma: TRP-ependymoma 2024.

Introduction: Proton beam therapy (PBT) may reduce the number of adverse events in treatment of patients with pediatric cancer. However, it is difficult to evaluate whether the actual therapeutic effect is truly equivalent to that of photon radiotherapy. To compare photon radiotherapy and PBT, a meta-analysis and systematic review were performed.

Clinicopathological characteristics of Japanese patients with breast cancer and MET exon 14 skipping alterations.

Aims: In non-small cell lung cancer, alterations in mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) have been recognized as novel therapeutic targets. In particular, the MET exon 14 skipping mutation (METex14s) is a rare oncogenic driver. Targeted therapy with MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors has recently been approved for this mutation.

Gearing Effects on -9-Anth-PyBidine-Cu(OAc)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Direct Haloimidation Reactions of Alkylidenemalononitriles.

A newly developed -9-anthranylmethyl bis(imidazolidine)pyridine (-9-Anth-PyBidine)-Cu(OAc) complex catalyzed asymmetric haloimidation reactions of alkylidenemalononitriles with -bromosuccinimide and -chlorosuccinimide, employing the succinimide moiety directly as a copper-bound nucleophile. The anthranyl substituent showed a gearing effect that produced a well-organized asymmetric sphere involving the -H proton of the imidazolidine ring in the ligand. The gearing effect afforded hydrogen bonding-assisted copper-catalyzed haloimidation reactions with high enantioselectivity.