Development of a perceived nutrition care competencies scale for Japanese dietetic students: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: There are currently few appropriate instruments for assessing nutrition care competencies in clinical practice. This study aimed to develop a perceived nutrition care competencies (PNCC) scale for dietetic students and test its validity. Factors that influence PNCC scores were examined through a cross-sectional study.

Tiotropium for refractory cough in asthma via cough reflex sensitivity: A randomized, parallel, open-label trial.

Background: We previously reported in an uncontrolled study that tiotropium alleviated chronic cough in asthma refractory to inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists (ICS/LABA) by modulating capsaicin cough reflex sensitivity (C-CRS).

Objective: We sought to determine the antitussive effects of tiotropium for refractory cough in asthma in a randomized, parallel, open-label trial.

Methods: A total of 58 patients with asthma having chronic cough refractory to ICS/LABA were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to add tiotropium 5 μg (39 patients) or theophylline 400 mg (19 patients) for 4 weeks.

An autopsy case of immune-related severe colitis due to long-term use of nivolumab in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been developed as cornerstones of cancer therapy, but the growing use of ICIs has induced immune-related adverse effects (irAEs). Immune-related colitis, which is one of the most common irAEs, generally occurs 2-4 months after ICI treatment initiation and can be life threatening. Therefore, early diagnosis and appropriate management are required.

Genetic variations in the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCC10 are associated with neutropenia in Japanese patients with lung cancer treated with nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel.

ABCC10/MRP7, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, has been implicated in the extracellular transport of taxanes. Our group reported that the ABCC10 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), rs2125739, influences docetaxel cytotoxicity in lung cancer cell lines as well as its side effects in clinical practice. In this study, we investigated whether the rs2125739 variant could affect paclitaxel (PTX) cytotoxicity in lung cancer cell lines.

High-Pressure Synthesis of Superconducting SnS Using a Diamond Anvil Cell with a Boron-Doped Diamond Heater.

High-pressure techniques open exploration of functional materials in broad research fields. An established diamond anvil cell with a boron-doped diamond heater and transport measurement terminals has performed the high-pressure synthesis of a cubic SnS superconductor. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy reveal that the SnS phase is stable in the pressure range of > 5 GPa in a decompression process.

Pretreatment Alveolar Nitric Oxide Levels Predict Improvement of Pulmonary Function 1 Year Following Anti-Asthma Treatments in Patients with Inhaled Corticosteroid-Naïve Asthma.

Introduction: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are fundamental agents to subside airway inflammation and improve forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) among asthmatics. Alveolar concentrations of nitric oxide (CANO), as well as the classical fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO50), are associated with the pathophysiology of asthma. However, the association between pretreatment CANO levels and response to anti-asthma treatments, including ICS, remains unknown.

Crystal Growth and High-Pressure Effects of Bi-Based Superconducting Whiskers.

Three growth methods were tested for producing high-transition temperature superconducting BiSrCa Cu O whiskers, employing different ways to focus a compressive stress and size effect of the precursors. First, thermographic imaging was used to investigate thermal stress from temperature distribution in the precursors during growth annealing. To enhance thermal stress in the precursors, a thermal cycling method and a Ag-paste coating method were proposed and found to significantly accelerate the whisker growth.

Usefulness of lactate dehydrogenase in differentiating abnormal cervical lymphadenopathy.

Background: Cervical lymphadenopathy is commonly seen in general practice, and its etiology is diverse. Establishing the diagnostic strategy for lymphadenopathy would be desirable to avoid overlooking neoplasms or other critical conditions. This study aims to identify the useful laboratory parameters for cervical lymphadenopathy that require clinical observation or intervention.

Effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for Japanese children and adolescents in community settings: a multisite randomized controlled trial.

Background: Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) is an efficacious treatment model for children and adolescents with trauma-related disorders. However, few studies have been conducted in community settings, and there have been no randomized controlled trials in Asian countries.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of TF-CBT in regular community settings in Japan through comparison with a waitlist with minimal services control condition.

Value of TTF-1 expression in non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer for assessing docetaxel monotherapy after chemotherapy failure.

Docetaxel is one of the standard second/third-line treatments for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following a failed response to prior cytotoxic chemotherapy. The predictive biomarker for the effectiveness of docetaxel therapy remains undetermined. However, thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) is known to be a good prognostic factor for a variety of chemotherapies.

The impact of budesonide inhalation suspension for asthma hospitalization: In terms of length of stay, recovery time from symptoms, and hospitalization costs.

Background: Hospitalization is a major cause of medical expenditure for asthma. Budesonide inhalation suspension (BIS) may assist in reducing asthma-related symptoms in severe asthma exacerbation. However, its effectiveness for hospitalized patients remains poorly known.

Crystal Growth, Structural Analysis, and Pressure-Induced Superconductivity in a AgInSe Single Crystal Explored by a Data-Driven Approach.

A high-throughput first-principles calculation-assisted data-driven approach based on an inorganic materials database named AtomWork was performed to explore new superconducting materials. Specific band structures of a small band gap and flat band at band edges were used in a screening procedure. Among the candidates studied, we focused on AgInSe, which shows a high density of state at the Fermi level.

Data-driven exploration of new pressure-induced superconductivity in PbBiTe.

Candidate compounds for new thermoelectric and superconducting materials, which have narrow band gap and flat bands near band edges, were exhaustively searched by the high-throughput first-principles calculation from an inorganic materials database named AtomWork. We focused on PbBiTe which has the similar electronic band structure and the same crystal structure with those of a pressure-induced superconductor SnBiSe explored by the same data-driven approach. The PbBiTe was successfully synthesized as single crystals using a melt and slow cooling method.

Feasibility and psychometric properties of the UCLA PTSD reaction index for DSM-5 in japanese youth: A multi-site study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-5 (PTSD-RI-5) among Japanese youth. This is the first study to explore psychometrics of the DSM-5 version of the PTSD-RI-5, as well as the first multisite study of an Asian population. This article presents psychometric characteristics of the PTSD-RI-5 derived from a sample of Japanese children and adolescents (N = 318).

CBP501 suppresses macrophage induced cancer stem cell like features and metastases.

CBP501 is an anti-cancer drug candidate which has been shown to increase cis-diamminedichloro-platinum (II) (CDDP) uptake into cancer cell through calmodulin (CaM) inhibition. However, the effects of CBP501 on the cells in the tumor microenvironment have not been addressed. Here, we investigated new aspects of the potential anti-tumor mechanism of action of CBP501 by examining its effects on the macrophages.

A role of the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-S1P receptor 2 pathway in epithelial defense against cancer (EDAC).

At the initial step of carcinogenesis, transformation occurs in single cells within epithelia, where the newly emerging transformed cells are surrounded by normal epithelial cells. A recent study revealed that normal epithelial cells have an ability to sense and actively eliminate the neighboring transformed cells, a process named epithelial defense against cancer (EDAC). However, the molecular mechanism of this tumor-suppressive activity is largely unknown.

Feasibility of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for traumatized children in Japan: a Pilot Study.

Background: Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat children who have experienced traumatic events and suffer from trauma-related disorders. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in several randomized controlled studies. However, most of these studies have been performed in the United States, with few studies conducted in Asian countries.