Neural correlates of age-related hearing loss: An MRI and FDG-PET study.

Aim: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a common problem among older adults and contributes to adverse health outcomes such as cognitive impairment. However, the neural mechanisms underlying ARHL remain unclear. We aimed to reveal the structural and metabolic (i.

A Case of Primary Lung Adenocarcinoma With Recurrent Brain Metastasis due to Transformation to Small Cell Carcinoma During Adjuvant Atezolizumab Therapy.

Histologic transformation from non-small cell to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a resistance mechanism to immune checkpoint inhibitors. We report herein a case of lung adenocarcinoma who developed liver and brain metastases during adjuvant atezolizumab therapy. The patient underwent a craniotomy to resect a brain metastasis, which was pathologically diagnosed as SCLC.

The relationship between intravenous olfactory test and taste disorder in patients with olfactory disorder.

Background: The intravenous olfactory test (alinamin test [AT]) is a retronasal olfactory assessment and may evaluate the flavour disorder; however, studies assessing whether AT accurately determines the severity of taste disorders are lacking. Our study aims to evaluate the relationship between AT and subjective taste disorders in the patiensts with olfactory disorder.

Methods: Between April 2019 and March 2020, 228 patients visited our smell clinic reporting olfactory disorders.

Effect of hypofibrinolysis on clinical outcomes of patients with septic disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Background: This study investigated the utility of thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in assessing hypofibrinolysis among septic patients, specifically the association of hypofibrinolysis, as determined by ROTEM, with septic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), organ dysfunction, and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective analysis included adult septic patients admitted to Saga University Hospital from 2013 to 2017, with available ROTEM data. Hypofibrinolysis was assessed using the lysis index at 60 min (LI60) in extrinsic thromboelastometry (EXTEM).

Evaluation of Difference in Emergency Care Quality by Years of Physician Experience at the Emergency Department.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of emergency medicine training credentials and years of medical experience on various clinical parameters in emergency medicine practice.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Juntendo University Nerima Hospital between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020. All patients who were transported by ambulance, were examined by emergency physicians, and underwent computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the emergency department were included.

Comparing the Ground Reaction Forces, Toe Clearances, and Stride Lengths of Young and Older Adults Using a Novel Shoe Sensor System.

In this study, we developed a lightweight shoe sensor system equipped with four high-capacity, compact triaxial force sensors and an inertial measurement unit. Remarkably, this system enabled measurements of localized three-directional ground reaction forces (GRFs) at each sensor position (heel, first and fifth metatarsal heads, and toe) and estimations of stride length and toe clearance during walking. Compared to conventional optical motion analysis systems, the developed sensor system provided relatively accurate results for stride length and minimum toe clearance.

Increased risk of falls in older adults with hearing loss and slow gait: results from the Otassha Study.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and impaired gait both independently heighten the risk of accidental falls among older adults. However, the combined impact of these factors remains unclear. We analyzed the data of 786 community-dwelling Japanese older adults.

Cysteine-Persulfide Sulfane Sulfur-Ligated Zn Complex of Sulfur-Carrying SufU in the SufCDSUB System for Fe-S Cluster Biosynthesis.

SufU, a component of the SufCDSUB Fe-S cluster biosynthetic system, serves as a Zn-dependent sulfur-carrying protein that delivers inorganic sulfur in the form of cysteine persulfide from SufS to SufBCD. To understand this sulfur delivery mechanism, we studied the X-ray crystal structure of SufU and its sulfur-carrying state (persulfurated SufU) and performed functional analysis of the conserved amino acid residues around the Zn sites. Interestingly, sulfur-carrying SufU with Cys41-persulfide (Cys41-S-S) exhibited a unique Zn coordination structure, in which electrophilic S is ligated to Zn and nucleophilic/anionic S is bound to distally conserved Arg125.

Discovery of a Microbial Carrier with High Adsorption Affinity for Syntrophic Long-Chain Fatty Acid-Degrading Microorganisms.

Long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) degradation primarily involves several species of and hydrogenotrophic methanogens, constituting the rate-limiting step in anaerobic digestion. It is crucial to augment their abundance to enhance LCFA degradation. Utilizing microbial carriers presents an effective strategy to maintain the microorganisms on the surface and prevent their washout from the digester.

Application of PLGA-PEG-PLGA Nanoparticles to Percutaneous Immunotherapy for Food Allergy.

Compared with oral or injection administration, percutaneous immunotherapy presents a promising treatment modality for food allergies, providing low invasiveness and safety. This study investigated the efficacy of percutaneous immunotherapy using hen egg lysozyme (HEL)-loaded PLGA-PEG-PLGA nanoparticles (NPs), as an antigen model protein derived from egg white, compared with that of HEL-loaded chitosan hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride (CS)-modified PLGA NPs used in previous research. The intradermal retention of HEL in excised mouse skin was measured using Franz cells, which revealed a 2.

HeXEHRS: FHIR-Based Cloud EHR Services to Support Healthcare in Depopulated Areas Driven by Digital Twin.

HeXEHRS is a FHIR-based cloud EHR service designed to support healthcare in depopulated areas, powered by digital twin technology. Its core functionalities encompass standard EHR tasks including data exchange for healthcare processes. In the first year of this national project, we present the design and define the functionalities of the system.

Preference for solitude paradox: The psychological influence of social isolation despite preference.

Background: Although a preference for solitude (PS) may mitigate the negative effects of social isolation (SI) owing to the enjoyment of time alone, its impact on mental health and its underlying factors remain unclear.

Methods: An Internet survey was conducted with 9000 individuals aged 20-79 years in September 2023 and the analyses were performed across three generations. SI was defined as contact with non-cohabitating family members or relatives and friends/neighbors less than once a week.

Incidence of pulmonary vein stenosis in two types of cryoballoon systems.

Background: Currently, two types of cryoballoon (CB) systems are available for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Since the POLARx (Boston Scientific) is softer during freezing than the Arctic Front Advance Pro (AFA-Pro; Medtronic), it tends to go more deeply into the pulmonary vein (PV), risking PV stenosis.

Methods: Ninety-one patients underwent initial CB ablation for paroxysmal AF (AFA-Pro 56; POLARx 35).

Perinatal nicotine vaping exposure induces pro-myofibroblastic phenotype in rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Perinatal nicotine exposure via tobacco smoking results in increased proclivity to chronic lung disease (CLD); however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We previously demonstrated that in addition to nicotine's direct effects on the developing lung, there are also adverse molecular alterations in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which are vital to lung injury repair. Whether perinatal nicotine exposure via electronic-cigarette (e-cig) vaping also adversely affects BMSCs is unknown.

Dietary exposure experiments on the migration of chemical pollutants from microplastics to bivalves.

Plastics can contain two types of organic contaminants; absorbed from ambient water, and already contained as additives. To investigate the bioaccumulation of these substances, we conducted two types of exposure experiments using mussels and polyethylene microplastics with absorbed PCBs and containing four types of additives (BDE209, DBDPE, UV327 and UV234). After dietary exposure for 15 days, significantly higher concentrations of total PCBs, UV327 and UV234 were detected in the gonad of exposed groups than in the control groups, respectively.

Fluorescence Quenching Effect of a Highly Active Nitroxyl Radical on 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin and Glutathione Sensing.

Nitroxyl radical compounds, such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO), are stable radical compounds with a variety of unique characteristics, including fluorescence quenching. In this study, we investigated the fluorescence quenching effect of nortropine N-oxyl (NNO), which is a highly active nitroxyl radical that is more active than TEMPO in oxidation catalysis. The fluorescence intensity of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC) was quenched by NNO and TEMPO to 5% and 95% of the initial fluorescence intensity, respectively, indicating highly efficient quenching by NNO.

The association between hyperuricemia and atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation.

Background: Hyperuricemia (HU) has been reported to be associated with a high incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the relationship between HUA and recurrent AF after catheter ablation (CA) is unclear.

Methods: Four hundred consecutive AF patients (paroxysmal/persistent AF [PAF/PsAF]: 200/200) who underwent the initial CA were retrospectively enrolled.

Circular metagenome-assembled genome of Cloacimonadota recovered from anaerobic digestion sludge.

This study reports a circular metagenome-assembled genome (cMAG) of Cloacimonadota recovered from a mesophilic full-scale food waste treatment plant. The cMAG spans 2,298,113 bp, with 980× coverage and 1 contig.

Analysis of Fatty Acid Composition and Volatile Profile of Powder from Edible Crickets () Reared on Apple By-Products.

Edible crickets have recently been used as a new alternative protein source with high nutritional value. The nutritional and flavor-related value of edible crickets varies greatly depending on the species, growth conditions and processing conditions. However, few studies have investigated the effects of the diet fed to crickets during their growth phase on flavor.

[A Case of Consciousness Disorder Due to Hyperammonemia Induced by Modified FOLFOX6 for Multiple Liver Metastasis from Rectal Cancer].

A 74-year-old man underwent laparoscopic-assisted high anterior resection with D3 lymph node dissection for rectal cancer, which was simultaneously accompanied by multiple liver metastases. The patient received mFOLFOX6 therapy for liver metastases 1 month after the surgery. Anorexia, nausea, and vomiting appeared on the second day of treatment.