Learning curve of consolers and bedside surgeons fused robotic-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy: insights from the initial 100 cases.

Purpose: This study examined the learning curve of segmentectomy using the "fused surgery" approach.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 100 patients who underwent segmentectomy via fused robot-assisted thoracoscopy at our institution between September 2020 and February 2024. The learning curve was evaluated using the cumulative sum of the operative times in all cases and was analyzed separately for simple and complex segmentectomies.

Loss of a single Zn finger, but not that of two Zn fingers, of GATA3 drives skin inflammation.

Transcription factor GATA3 is essential for the developmental processes of T cells. Recently, the silencer of a cytokine IFNγ gene was identified, the inhibitory activity of which requires GATA3. GATA3 has 2 Zn fingers and the commonly used GATA3 deficient mice lack both fingers (D2).

Comprehensive microRNA analyses using vitreous humor of ocular sarcoidosis.

Purpose: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs which have attracted attention as biomarkers in a variety of diseases. However, extensive unbiased analysis of miRNA in vitreous humor of sarcoidosis patients has not been reported. In the present study, we comprehensively analyzed the dysregulated miRNAs in ocular sarcoidosis to search for potential biomarkers.

Association of olfactory and cognitive function test scores with hippocampal and amygdalar grey matter volume: a cross-sectional study.

Few population-based studies including younger adults have examined the potential of olfactory function tests to capture the degree of atrophy in memory-associated brain regions, which cannot be adequately explained by cognitive function tests screening for cognitive impairment. This population-based study investigated associations between high-resolution olfactory test data with few odours and grey matter volumes (GMVs) of the left and right hippocampi, amygdala, parahippocampi, and olfactory cortex, while accounting for differences in cognitive decline, in 1444 participants (aged 31-91 years). Regression analyses included intracranial volume (ICV)-normalised GMVs of eight memory-related regions as objective variables and age, sex, education duration, smoking history, olfaction test score, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Japanese version (MoCA-J) score as explanatory variables.

Liver-specific DICER1 syndrome model mice develop cystic liver tumors with defective primary cilia.

DICER1 syndrome is a tumor predisposition syndrome caused by familial genetic mutations in DICER1. Pathogenic variants of DICER1 have been discovered in many rare cancers, including cystic liver tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying liver lesions induced by these variants remain unclear.

Criteria for storage of cord blood units at Japan's largest cord blood bank.

Background And Objectives: In Japan, cord blood transplantations exceed those done with adult-sourced unrelated stem cells. This study analyses cord blood (CB) storage criteria to maintain high-quality CB units.

Materials And Methods: The Kanto-Koshinetsu Cord Blood Bank received 29,795 units from 2014 to 2021, mostly >60 mL, and 5486 (18.

Clinical Implementation and Initial Validation of Respiratory-Gated Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Thoracoabdominal Tumors Under Abdominal Compression Using an Anzai Laser-Based Gating Device With Visual Guidance on an Elekta Linear Accelerator.

We have clinically implemented gated stereotactic body radiotherapy under abdominal compression using an Anzai laser-based gating device with visual guidance in combination with an Elekta linear accelerator. To ensure accuracy, we configured the gating window for each patient by correlating the respiratory curve from the laser sensor and the tumor positions from the 4D computed tomography (CT) images reconstructed with the aid of the respiratory curve. This allowed us to define a patient-specific gating window to keep the tumor displacement below 5 mm from the end-expiration, assuming the reproducibility of the tumor trajectories and the laser-based body surface measurements.

Quantitative Evaluation of Right Ventricular Workload Based on the Stroke Work Index in Patients after Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction.

The evaluation of right ventricular workload is sometimes complicated in patients after right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction (RVOTR) because both stenotic and regurgitation lesions are involved. In this study, we modified the right ventricular stroke work index (RVSWI) and evaluated the relationship between the modified RVSWI (mRVSWI) and patient prognosis after RVOTR.We enrolled 69 patients who underwent RVOTR (the RVOTR group), including those who needed early reoperation (early reoperation subgroup) and those who did not (follow-up subgroup), and 13 age-matched control participants (control group).

Efficacy of interstitial photodynamic therapy using talaporfin sodium and a semiconductor laser for a mouse allograft glioma model.

To investigate the therapeutic potential of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for malignant gliomas arising in unresectable sites, we investigated the effect of tumor tissue damage by interstitial PDT (i-PDT) using talaporfin sodium (TPS) in a mouse glioma model in which C6 glioma cells were implanted subcutaneously. A kinetic study of TPS demonstrated that a dose of 10 mg/kg and 90 min after administration was appropriate dose and timing for i-PDT. Performing i-PDT using a small-diameter plastic optical fiber demonstrated that an irradiation energy density of 100 J/cm or higher was required to achieve therapeutic effects over the entire tumor tissue.

Successful treatment of fulminant myocarditis due to COVID-19 in a 5-year-old girl.

Unlabelled: Reports of acute myocarditis are increasing due to the worldwide spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We report a case of a 5-year-old girl with fulminant myocarditis caused by COVID-19, who was successfully treated with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). The unvaccinated patient had developed fever 1 week before attending our hospital and was "presumptive positive" for COVID-19 based on the surrounding infectious situation.

Possible Regulation of P-Glycoprotein Function by Adrenergic Agonists II: Study with Isolated Rat Jejunal Sheets and Caco-2 Cell monolayers.

To clarify the regulation of drug absorption by the enteric nervous system, we investigated how adrenergic agonists (adrenaline (ADR), clonidine (CLO), dobutamine (DOB)) and dibutyryl cAMP (DBcAMP) affected P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function by utilizing isolated rat jejunal sheets and Caco-2 cell monolayers. ADR and CLO significantly decreased the secretory transport (P) of rhodamine-123 and tended to decrease the transport via P-gp (P) and passive transport (P). In contrast, DBcAMP significantly increased and DOB tended to increase P and both tended to increase Pand P.

Electrospray mass spectrometry method to prevent the reduction of hexavalent to pentavalent chromium.

Rationale: Electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is one of the most effective methods for assessing the state of metals in solution. For ions with a redox potential close to ~0.55 V, such as Cr , reduction of the metal in solution occurs in the ESI-MS system.

Development of a mobile laboratory system in hydrogen fuel cell buses and evaluation of the performance for COVID-19 RT-PCR testing.

We designed and developed two new types of hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) buses (motorcoach and minibus) with a mobile laboratory system. Feasibility studies have been performed for mobile laboratory testing, particularly for the laboratory performance of COVID-19 RT-PCR (PCR). We evaluated the driving range capability, PCR sample size capacity, turnaround time (TAT), and analytical performance for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Association Between Olfactory Test Data with Multiple Levels of Odor Intensity and Suspected Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Olfactory function decline has recently been reported to be associated with a risk of cognitive impairment. Few population-based studies have included younger adults when examining the association between olfactory test data with multiple odor intensities and suspected cognitive impairment.

Objective: We investigated the association between high-resolution olfactory test data with fewer odors and suspected cognitive impairments.

Vascular access interventional therapy of early arteriovenous fistula occlusion leading to long-term patency: A case report.

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are frequently used for hemodialysis access, but approximately 15%-20% of AVFs fail to mature within 3 months of their creation. Vascular access interventional therapy (VAIVT) is typically performed for treating an immature AVF. However, it should be performed 4-6 weeks or later after AVF creation.

Selection of Cord Blood Unit by CD34 Cell and GM-CFU Numbers and Allele-Level HLA Matching in Single Cord Blood Transplantation.

In Japan, only single-unit cord blood transplantations (CBTs) are typically performed, and their number has increased over the last 23 years, with ongoing improvement in results. In most cases, CBTs with multiple HLA mismatches are used, owing to a low HLA barrier, and lower engraftment rate is a problem that must be overcome. Here, as part of an effort to improve guidelines for the selection and processing of CB units for transplantation, we sought to assess the present status of CBT in Japan and to elucidate factors contributing to the favorable outcomes, focusing in particular on selection by cell components of CB unit and HLA allele matching.

Smooth muscle differentiation of coronary intima in autopsy tissues after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Background: In coronary atherosclerotic disease, the proliferation of intimal smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is regarded as beneficial with respect to stable and unstable plaques, but is thought detrimental in discussions on coronary stent restenosis. To resolve this discrepancy, we focused on the quality, not quantity, of intimal SMCs in coronary atherosclerotic disease.

Methods: Autopsied coronary artery specimens from seven patients implanted with bare metal stents (BMS), three with paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES), and 10 with sirolimus (rapamycin)-eluting stents (SES) were immunostained for SMC markers.

Predictive factors for the success of trial without catheter for men with urinary retention.

Objective: To investigate the trial of spontaneous urination without catheter (TWOC) outcomes for men with acute urinary retention, determine successful TWOC predictors, and evaluate the impact of add-on medication therapy on TWOC.

Methods: This retrospective study included men with acute urinary retention and post-void residual (PVR) >250 mL who underwent TWOC between July 2009 and July 2019. Patients were divided into a medicated group who received alpha1 blocker on urinary retention diagnosis and a naïve group who did not.

Association between Genetic Variation in the Bitter Taste Receptor and Propylthiouracil Bitter Taste Thresholds among Adults Living in Japan Using the Modified 2AFC Procedure with the Quest Method.

Individual taste sensitivity influences food preferences, nutritional control, and health, and differs greatly between individuals. The purpose of this study was to establish a method of measuring and quantifying an individual's taste sensitivity and to evaluate the relationship between taste variation and genetic polymorphisms in humans using agonist specificities of the bitter taste receptor gene, , with the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). We precisely detected the threshold of PROP bitter perception by conducting the modified two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) procedure with the Bayesian staircase procedure of the QUEST method and examined genetic variation in in a Japanese population.

Efficacy of On-line Hemodiafiltration for Rhabdomyolysis Presenting with Acute Kidney Injury Due to Unexpected Drug Abuse.

Myoglobin is a well-known cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) due to rhabdomyolysis. However, whether or not removing serum myoglobin by on-line hemodiafiltration (OHDF) improves the kidney function remains unclear. We herein report a patient with a history of methamphetamine abuse who developed AKI due to rhabdomyolysis.

Parkin coregulates glutathione metabolism in adult mammalian brain.

We recently discovered that the expression of PRKN, a young-onset Parkinson disease-linked gene, confers redox homeostasis. To further examine the protective effects of parkin in an oxidative stress model, we first combined the loss of prkn with Sod2 haploinsufficiency in mice. Although adult prkn//Sod2 animals did not develop dopamine cell loss in the S.

Age-dependent sex difference of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in TSOD and db/db mice.

According to previous clinical studies, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is higher in men than women only during the reproductive age. Animal models of NAFLD that reflect sex differences in humans have not been established. In this study, we examined sex differences in the hepatic lesions of Tsumura Suzuki obese diabetes (TSOD) and db/db mice, which are representative genetic models of NAFLD.