Experience with transesophageal echocardiography for mitral valve plasty in the remote stage after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction via the retrosternal route.

A 69-year-old male patient with mitral valve prolapse was scheduled for mitral valve plasty. Sixteen years earlier, he had undergone right open thoracotomy for esophageal cancer with subtotal esophagectomy, cervicothoraco-abdominal three-region dissection, posterior mediastinal tube reconstruction, and cervical anastomosis. Postoperatively, the patient had a treatment- and recurrence-free course, and an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed 2 years prior revealed no abnormality.

[A CASE OF URACHAL CARCINOMA WITH HIGH FREQUENCY MICROSATELLITE INSTABILITY (MSI-HIGH) TREATED BY PEMBROLIZUMAB].

A 75-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with suspected gastrointestinal perforation and underwent emergency surgery. Bladder perforation was revealed during the surgery, and she was referred to our department. We detected a tumor on the apex of the bladder and performed partial resection of the bladder.

Intra-Abdominal Hypertension-Induced Gastroesophageal Intussusception: A Rare Complication of Transurethral Resection of a Bladder Tumor.

BACKGROUND Gastroesophageal intussusception (GEI) generally develops in patients with risk factors. However, intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) rarely causes sudden GEI in patients without known risk factors. Endoscopic or surgical intervention is generally performed to reduce GEI.

Efficacy of Preoperative Bilateral Thoracic Paravertebral Block in Cardiac Surgery Requiring Full Heparinization: A Propensity-Matched Study.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of preoperative bilateral paravertebral block (PVB) with general anesthesia (GA) in contributing to early extubation and decreasing opioid consumption in cardiac surgery.

Design: A propensity score-matched retrospective study.

Setting: A single tertiary medical center between January 2018 and December 2020.

Measurement and differentiation of banana juice scent using an electronic nose FF-2A.

Background: Banana juice is becoming a popular beverage in Japan and the number of soft-drink stands or shops that take great care and pride in the quality of their products has been increasing. This study aims to measure the scent of banana juice from different brands using the electronic (e-) nose FF-2A in order to identify the characteristics, time-related changes, and the differences among them.

Methods: We standardized the scent value of banana juice measured using FF-2A and determined the absolute value in three different shops.

A low psoas muscle volume is associated with a poor prognosis in penile cancer.

Background: Sarcopenia was initially recognized as a marker representing the nutritional condition or aging. Recently, sarcopenia has been associated with a poor prognosis and postoperative complications. We examined the importance of sarcopenia as a predictive marker of the prognosis in penile cancer.

Light-at-night exposure affects brain development through pineal allopregnanolone-dependent mechanisms.

The molecular mechanisms by which environmental light conditions affect cerebellar development are incompletely understood. We showed that circadian disruption by light-at-night induced Purkinje cell death through pineal allopregnanolone (ALLO) activity during early life in chicks. Light-at-night caused the loss of diurnal variation of pineal ALLO synthesis during early life and led to cerebellar Purkinje cell death, which was suppressed by a daily injection of ALLO.

Preoperative cerebral and renal oxygen saturation and clinical outcomes in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

We examined the predictability of preoperative cerebral and renal rSO values for outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Patients who underwent pediatric cardiac surgery under CPB between September 2015 and September 2017 were enrolled in this study. Patients monitored with both cerebral and renal rSO at the beginning of surgery were included.

Lithium-triggered spontaneous formation of polyiodides in room-temperature ionic liquid-alcohol solutions.

In this study, the effect of alcohol on polyiodide formation in room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) was examined by time evolutions of Raman spectra in the low-frequency region and by color changes of the sample. The RTIL was 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide, [Cmim][I]. Polyiodides develop in [Cmim][I]‑lithium salt-ethanol solutions (Abe et al.

Primary amelanotic malignant melanoma of the male urethra with inguinal lymph node metastasis successfully controlled by nivolumab: A case report.

We report a rare case of primary amelanotic malignant melanoma of the male urethra. A 65-year-old man with a urethral mass was referred to our hospital. A pathological diagnosis of a biopsy specimen revealed malignant melanoma.

Cognitive Function and Brain Atrophy Predict Non-pharmacological Efficacy in Dementia: The Mihama-Kiho Scan Project2.

We aimed to determine whether neuropsychological deficits and brain atrophy could predict the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions. Forty-six participants with mild-to-moderate dementia were monitored for 6 months; 25 underwent an intervention involving physical exercise with music, and 21 performed cognitive stimulation tasks. Participants were categorized into improvement (IMP) and no-IMP subgroups.

Time-dependent change in relapse sites of renal cell carcinoma after curative surgery.

We investigated time-dependent changes in the relapse features of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after curative surgery. Between 1985 and 2015, 1398 patients with RCC (1226 clear cell RCC, 89 papillary RCC, and 53 chromophobe RCC) underwent curative surgery at Yokohama City University Hospital and its affiliated hospitals. We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic factors of patients with relapse after surgery.

The impact of metal complex lipids on viscosity and curvature of hybrid liposomes.

A morphology transformation of hybrid liposomes was shown to occur from spherical vesicles to tubular micelles when increasing the ratio of the metal complex lipid present. Phase transition temperatures increased while viscosities decreased, indicating that the hybrids exhibit stronger interaction between heads but weaker interaction between alkyl chains than occurs in pristine liposomes.

Physical Exercise with Music Reduces Gray and White Matter Loss in the Frontal Cortex of Elderly People: The Mihama-Kiho Scan Project.

Findings from previous studies suggest that physical exercise combined with cognitive training produces more positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people than physical exercise alone. However, the brain plasticity associated with these proposed benefits of combined therapy has not yet been investigated in elderly subjects. We hypothesized that the dual task group would experience greater benefits than the physical exercise alone and non-exercise control groups with regard to both cognitive function and brain plasticity.

Measurement of serum isoform [-2]proPSA derivatives shows superior accuracy to magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in patients with a total prostate-specific antigen level of 2-10 ng/ml.

Objective: More accurate diagnostic procedures for prostate cancer are needed to avoid unnecessary biopsy due to the low specificity of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Recent studies showed that the percentage of serum isoform [-2]proPSA (p2PSA) to free PSA (%p2PSA), the Prostate Health Index (PHI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were more accurate than PSA. The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of %p2PSA, PHI and MRI in discriminating patients with and without prostate cancer.

Physical Exercise with Music Maintains Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Dementia: Mihama-Kiho Project Part 21.

Background: Recent studies suggest that combined non-pharmacological interventions are more beneficial than single interventions for primary and secondary prevention of dementia. We previously reported enhanced effects of physical exercise with music (ExM) on cognitive function in normal elderly people compared to exercise alone.

Objective: To identify if ExM improves cognitive function and activities of daily livings (ADLs) in dementia patients over cognitive stimulation (CS).

Survey of electric bidet toilet use among community dwelling Japanese people and correlates for an itch on the anus.

Objectives: We conducted a survey to investigate the use of bidet toilets among community dwelling Japanese people and explored the correlates for an itch on the anus.

Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among a convenience sample of individuals, who were derived from outpatients and employees of Kameda Medical Center, and students and employees of two technical colleges.

Results: A total of 4,963 respondents were evaluated in this study, 55 % of whom used bidet toilets either before or after defecation, and at least 30 % of bidet users washed the anus before defecation, partly to aid defecation.

Increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with disease-specific mortality in patients with penile cancer.

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple marker of the systemic inflammatory response, has been demonstrated to correlate with patient outcomes for various solid malignancies. We investigated the utility of the pretreatment NLR as a prognosticator in patients who presented with penile cancer.

Methods: A total of 41 patients who underwent complete blood count with differential and subsequent radical penectomy from 1988 to 2014 were analyzed.

A characteristic pattern in the postural sway of unilateral vestibular impaired patients.

The statistical properties of the center of pressure (COP) change over time, and -invariant methods of the COP analysis is not sufficient to monitor the changes. Therefore, dynamic temporal information of the COP signals has been important in assessing the postural stability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristic pattern of time-frequency dynamics during the upright stance in patients with unilateral vestibular dysfunction (UVD).

The effects of physical exercise with music on cognitive function of elderly people: Mihama-Kiho project.

Background: Physical exercise has positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people. It is unknown, however, if combinations of non-pharmaceutical interventions can produce more benefits than single ones. This study aimed to identify if physical exercise combined with music improves cognitive function in normal elderly people more than exercise alone.