Endoscopic third ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus accompanied by dural arteriovenous fistulae: a case report and literature review.

A 54-year-old man presented with gait disturbances, urinary incontinence, and headache for 6 months. Head computed tomography indicated several high-density mass lesions in the quadrigeminal cistern, causing occlusive hydrocephalus. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulae (AVF).

Real-world Outcomes of Durvalumab Consolidation in Elderly Patients With Unresectable NSCLC Following CCRT With Daily Low-dose Carboplatin.

Background/aim: The clinical benefits of durvalumab consolidation therapy following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with daily low-dose carboplatin in elderly patients with unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear.

Patients And Methods: This was a single-institution retrospective cohort study. We analyzed the medical records of consecutive patients diagnosed with NSCLC who received CCRT with daily low-dose carboplatin from April 2014 to March 2021.

The relationship between muscle sympathetic nerve activity and serum fatty acid binding protein 4 at rest and during isometric handgrip exercise.

Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) is highly expressed in adipocytes. Lipolysis, caused by an elevated adrenergic input, has been suggested to contribute to elevated serum FABP4 levels in patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between the serum FABP4 and efferent sympathetic nerve activity remains poorly understood.

Population-specific reference panel improves imputation quality for genome-wide association studies conducted on the Japanese population.

To improve imputation quality for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted on the Japanese population, we developed and evaluated four Japanese population-specific reference panels. These panels were constructed through the augmentation of the 1000 Genomes Project (1KG) panel using Japanese whole genome sequencing (WGS) data, with sample sizes ranging from 1 K to 7 K individuals enrolled through the Biobank Japan (BBJ) project, and sequencing depths ranging from 3× to 30×. Among these panels, an augmented reference panel comprising 7472 WGS samples of mixed depth (1KG+7K) exhibit the greatest improvement in imputation quality relative to the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) reference panel.

Refractory phenotype of -sensitized asthma with bronchiectasis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Background: Sensitization to mucus plugs, and bacterial colonization may coexist and relate to a refractory phenotype during follow-up in asthma with bronchiectasis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA).

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the features of -sensitized refractory asthma with bronchiectasis and determine the refractory phenotype in this population and ABPA.

Methods: This study included cases of the oldest available -specific IgE data and chest computed tomography images from a nationwide survey of refractory asthma with bronchiectasis.

Update of prognosis and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a real-world setting: a 5-year follow-up analysis of a multi-institutional registry.

Background: We conducted a prospective observational study to elucidate the long-term prognosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in clinical practice in Japan in the mid-2010s.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 29 facilities. Data from 427 patients clinically diagnosed with COPD, enrolled between September 2013 and April 2016, were analyzed.

Difference in structural changes of surfactant aggregates near solid surface under shear flow versus those in the bulk.

In water, the nonionic surfactant pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E5) forms multi-lamellar vesicles upon application of shear, attributed to buckling instability of the surfactant layers. In the standard setup for applying shear, a pair of solid substrates is moved in opposite directions, and a non-slip condition at the solid surface is assumed. Based on theoretical predictions, the effective viscosity of the fluid surrounding the membrane is modified in this process, and this confinement may affect membrane fluctuation.

Serum Derivatives-Reactive Oxygen Metabolite Levels as a Marker of Clinical Conditions in Patients with Bronchial Asthma, COPD, or Asthma-COPD Overlap: A Prospective Study.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma (BA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), but its relevance has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to measure the levels of oxidative stress and investigate its clinical significance in patients with BA, COPD, or ACO. We recruited 214 patients between June 2020 and May 2023 (109 patients with BA, 63 with COPD, and 42 with ACO).

Clinical Evaluation of Acute Exacerbation of Interstitial Lung Disease in a Single Tertiary Center: Perspectives before and after the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

Acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a major challenge. This study aimed to retrospectively investigate occurrences of AEs in patients with ILDs, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), non-IPF (iNSIP: idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia), and connective tissue disease (CTD)-associated ILDs (CTD-ILDs), at a single tertiary center before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to clarify the seasonal and regional trends of AEs of ILDs, assess the roles of viral and bacterial infections, and identify key prognostic factors for patient outcomes.

Single droplet or bubble and its stability: Kinetic theory and dynamical system approaches.

Steady solutions of a single droplet or bubble in the van der Waals fluid are investigated on the basis of the kinetic model equation that has been recently proposed by Miyauchi et al. [Gas Dynamics with Applications in Industry and Life Sciences (Springer, Cham, 2023), pp. 19-39].

Unveiling crucial amino acid residues in the red clover necrotic mosaic virus movement protein for dynamic subcellular localization and viral cell-to-cell movement.

Emerging evidence suggests that the localization of viral movement proteins (MPs) to both plasmodesmata (PD) and viral replication complexes (VRCs) is the key to viral cell-to-cell movement. However, the molecular mechanism that establishes the subcellular localization of MPs is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the PD localization pathway of red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) MP and the functional regions of MP that are crucial for MP localization to PD and VRCs.

Genomic insights into molecular profiling of thymic carcinoma: a narrative review.

Background And Objective: Thymic carcinoma is an exceptionally rare cancer, with an annual incidence of just 0.15-0.29 per 100,000 people.

PCDHGC3 hypermethylation as a potential biomarker of intestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) encompass tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells in various organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, adrenal gland, and paraganglia. Despite advancements, accurately predicting the aggressiveness of gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) NENs based solely on pathological data remains challenging, thereby limiting optimal clinical management. Our previous research unveiled a crucial link between hypermethylation of the protocadherin PCDHGC3 gene and neuroendocrine tumors originating from the paraganglia and adrenal medulla.

Association of IL-33 in modeling type-2 airway inflammation and pulmonary emphysema in mice.

We developed pulmonary emphysema and a type 2 airway inflammation overlap mouse model. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) interleukin 13 (IL-13), IL-4, and IL-5 levels in the overlap model were higher than in the pulmonary emphysema model and lower than in the type 2 airway inflammation model, but IL-33 level in the lung was higher than in other models. IL-33 and interferon-γ (IFNγ) in lungs may control the severity of a type 2 airway inflammation in lung.

Galectin-10 in serum extracellular vesicles reflects asthma pathophysiology.

Background: Novel biomarkers (BMs) are urgently needed for bronchial asthma (BA) with various phenotypes and endotypes.

Objective: We sought to identify novel BMs reflecting tissue pathology from serum extracellular vesicles (EVs).

Methods: We performed data-independent acquisition of serum EVs from 4 healthy controls, 4 noneosinophilic asthma (NEA) patients, and 4 eosinophilic asthma (EA) patients to identify novel BMs for BA.

Effects of Fe Ions, Ultraviolet Irradiation, and Heating on Microscopic Structures of Black Lacquer Films.

The chemical reaction between Fe and lacquer has been used to create the black color in lacquer coatings since ancient times. Here, the effects of Fe ion addition, UV irradiation, and heating on the microscopic structures of black lacquer films were investigated by using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The EXAFS result indicated that heating and UV irradiation made the coordination structure of Fe in the lacquer nonuniform, and that heating caused the greatest nonuniformity.

An Autopsy Case of COVID-19 with New Diffuse Pulmonary Ossification.

We present the case of a 61-year-old man who developed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and died during treatment for relapsing polychondritis. The patient was intubated and treated with steroid pulse therapy, remdecivir, antibacterial agents, baricitinib, and tocilizumab. However, his respiratory condition worsened, and he died 108 days after disease onset.

Balloon Dilatation for Bronchoscope Delivery in a Swine Model: A Novel Technique for Ultra-Peripheral Lung Field Access and Accurate Biopsy.

Introduction: In transbronchial biopsy of peripheral pulmonary lesions, the bronchoscope can reach only a limited depth due to the progressive narrowing of bronchi, which may reduce the diagnostic rate. This study examined the balloon dilatation for bronchoscope delivery (BDBD) technique, employing a novel balloon device to enhance bronchoscopy into the peripheral lung areas.

Methods: Anaesthetised swine served as our primary model.

Impact of Cough Severity on the Diagnostic Yield of Endobronchial Ultrasonography Transbronchial Biopsy with Guide Sheath: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Bronchoscopy is an invasive procedure, and patient coughing during examination has been reported to cause patient distress. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between cough severity and diagnostic yield of endobronchial ultrasonography with guide sheath transbronchial biopsy (EBUS-GS-TBB). Data of patients who underwent bronchoscopy at Kyorin University Hospital between April 2019 and March 2022 were retrospectively evaluated.