Social Life and Communication Skills of School-Age Children with Congenital Hearing Loss Who Received Cochlear Implants at an Advanced Age.

Introduction: Despite improved hearing, children who receive cochlear implants (CIs) at a later age encounter difficulties in adapting to society, exposing them to psychological and social risks. This study contributes to the conceptualisation of preventive interventions in schools to address potential issues so that these children can play a more active role in society.

Methods: A total of 52 children (aged 3-12 years) who received CIs at 30 months of age were assessed using the Asahide-Shiki Social Adaptive skills test, which evaluates children's social skills on four domains: (A) language, (B) everyday life, (C) social life, (D) communication.

Vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury in underweight patients: a propensity score matching analysis.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of being underweight on the incidence of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) using propensity score matching analysis.

Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of patients who received vancomycin and had their serum concentration measured at Kitasato University Hospital between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020. Patients were divided into underweight and non-underweight groups based on body mass index (BMI), and propensity score matching analysis was used to evaluate whether underweight affected the incidence of acute kidney injury.

Identification of Patients Who Require Two-Point Blood Sampling for the Peak and Trough Values Rather Than One-Point Blood Sampling for the Trough Value for the Evaluation of AUC of Vancomycin Using Bayesian Estimation.

Objectives: It is recommended to adjust the dose of vancomycin (VCM) with a target area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 400-600 μg·h/mL. Factors that affect the deviation between AUCs are estimated from the trough value alone and the trough and peak values using practical AUC-guided therapeutic drug monitoring (PAT) for vancomycin. In this study, factors that affect AUC were evaluated.

A randomized sham-controlled trial of transcranial and intranasal photobiomodulation in Japanese patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease: a protocol.

Introduction: Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a novel strategy for cognitive enhancement by improving brain metabolism and blood flow. It is potentially beneficial for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We present a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PBM.

Association of conventional cigarette smoking, heated tobacco product use, and dual use with hearing loss: A working population-based study.

Introduction: Although conventional cigarette smoking has been linked to an increased risk of hearing loss, the association between heated tobacco products (HTPs) and hearing loss is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between cigarette and HTP use and hearing loss.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the data of 7769 employees from five companies (Study I) and 34404 employees from a large company (Study II), all participants in the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study.

Metabolomic profiling of the nutritional components of chicory leaves following heat processing.

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.; witloof) is a crisp bitter leafy vegetable, popularly used in western cuisine in salads and soups (leaves) and as an alternative to coffee (roasted roots). In this study, we explored the effect of heat processing under various temperatures and for different durations on the nutritional composition of chicory leaves using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and principal component analysis (PCA).

Risk Factors for Non-Adherence to Pharmacist or Non-Pharmacist Explanations on Preoperative Medication Discontinuation: A Retrospective Japanese Study.

Purpose: The risk factors for non-adherence to pharmacist or non-pharmacist explanations of preoperative medication discontinuation are unknown. The primary outcome of this study was to determine whether the final explainer's occupation was a risk factor for non-adherence. The secondary outcomes were to determine the risk factors for non-adherence after limiting the departments or adjusting for age.

Efficacy of the bleeding risk scoring system for optimal prophylactic anticoagulation therapy of venous thromboembolism in trauma patients: a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study.

Background: We developed a bleeding risk scoring system (BRSS) using prophylactic anticoagulation therapy to comprehensively assess the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in trauma patients. This study evaluated the usefulness of this system in trauma patients, with a focus on minimizing the rate of bleeding events associated with prophylactic anticoagulation therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of BRSS in trauma patients who received prophylactic anticoagulation therapy for VTE at the Kitasato University Hospital Emergency and Critical Care Center between April 1, 2015, and August 31, 2020.

Flowchart for predicting achieving the target area under the concentration-time curve of vancomycin in critically ill Japanese patients: A multicenter retrospective study.

Introduction: In therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of vancomycin (VCM), the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) is related to the clinical efficacy and toxicity. Therefore, herein, we examined the factors associated with achieving the target AUC at follow-up and developed a decision flowchart for achieving the target AUC in critically ill patients.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted at eight hospitals.

The association between living alone and depressive symptoms and the role of pet ownership among Japanese workers.

Background: Living alone has been positively associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms. We examined how a combination of living alone and pet ownership relates to depressive symptoms.

Methods: As part of the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study, we conducted a survey on health-related lifestyles, including living arrangements and pet ownership, among 12,763 employees of five companies in 2018-2021.

MEK5-ERK5 Axis Promotes Self-renewal and Tumorigenicity of Glioma Stem Cells.

Unlabelled: Glioma stem cells (GSC) promote the malignancy of glioblastoma (GBM), the most lethal brain tumor. ERK5 belongs to the MAPK family. Here, we demonstrated that MAPK kinase 5 (MEK5)-ERK5-STAT3 pathway plays an essential role in maintaining GSC stemness and tumorigenicity by integrating genetic and pharmacologic manipulation and RNA sequencing analysis of clinical specimens.

Heated tobacco product use and abnormal glucose metabolism: a working population-based study.

Aims: We aimed to assess the cross-sectional association of heated tobacco product (HTP) use with prediabetes and diabetes.

Methods: The present analysis included 8950 workers from 5 companies (Study I) and 31,341 workers from another large company (Study II), who participated in the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study. The participants were divided into five groups: never smokers, past smokers, exclusive HTP users, dual users of cigarettes and HTPs, and exclusive cigarette smokers.

Heated tobacco products and circulating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.

We aimed to assess the association between heated tobacco product (HTP) use and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration. Our study included 12,268 workers from five companies (Study I) and 36,503 workers from another large company (Study II). Participants were categorized into five groups: never smokers, past smokers, exclusive HTP users, dual users of cigarettes and HTPs, and exclusive cigarette smokers.

Conditional inactivation of the L-type amino acid transporter LAT1 in chondrocytes models idiopathic scoliosis in mice.

Scoliosis, usually diagnosed in childhood and early adolescence, is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), encoded by solute carrier transporter 7a5 (Slc7a5), plays a crucial role in amino acid sensing and signaling in specific cell types. We previously demonstrated the pivotal role of LAT1 on bone homeostasis in mice, and the expression of LAT1/SLC7A5 in vertebral cartilage of pediatric scoliosis patients; however, its role in chondrocytes on spinal homeostasis and implications regarding the underlying mechanisms during the onset and progression of scoliosis, remain unknown.

Risk Factors for Non-Adherence to Medications That Affect Surgery: A Retrospective Study in Japan.

Purpose: Data on risk factors for non-adherence to doctors' and pharmacists' instructions to discontinue medications prior to surgery are lacking. This study aimed to identify characteristics and risk factors for such non-adherent patients.

Patients And Methods: Data (including patient age, sex, prescription medications, comorbidities, presence of roommate at home, and number of days between receiving instruction and surgery) of 887 patients who used medications affecting surgery at a university hospital from April 2017 to March 2020 were retrospectively evaluated.

Internal Validation of a Risk Scoring System for Venous Thromboembolism After Total hip or Knee Arthroplasty.

We developed a computerized clinical decision support system (CCDSS) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment. We aimed to demonstrate its relevance and evaluate associations between risk level and VTE incidence in patients undergoing total hip/knee arthroplasty. In this case-control study, VTE was confirmed using ultrasonography/computed tomography angiography in 1098 adults at a tertiary care hospital over five years (2013-2018).

Erk5 in Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulates Bone Homeostasis by Preventing Osteogenesis in Adulthood.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (Erk5) belongs to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. Previously, we demonstrated that Erk5 directly phosphorylates Smad-specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 2 (Smurf2) at Thr249 (Smurf2Thr249) to activate its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Although we have clarified the importance of Erk5 in embryonic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on skeletogenesis, its role in adult bone marrow (BM)-MSCs on bone homeostasis remains unknown.

Venous thromboembolism risk factors and usefulness of a risk scoring system in lower limb orthopedic surgery: A case-control study in Japan.

We previously developed a computerized clinical decision support system based on national consensus guidelines and previous studies. This system was used to assess the risk of venous thromboembolism. In this study, we examined the risk factors for venous thromboembolism in patients who underwent lower limb orthopedic surgery using our risk scoring system, to investigate the association between the total risk score and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism.

Efficient Degradation of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) with Thermobifida fusca Cutinase Exhibiting Improved Catalytic Activity Generated using Mutagenesis and Additive-based Approaches.

Cutinases are promising agents for poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bio-recycling because of their ability to produce the PET monomer terephthalic acid with high efficiency under mild reaction conditions. In this study, we found that the low-crystallinity PET (lcPET) hydrolysis activity of thermostable cutinase from Thermobifida fusca (TfCut2), was increased by the addition of cationic surfactant that attracts enzymes near the lcPET film surface via electrostatic interactions. This approach was applicable to the mutant TfCut2 G62A/F209A, which was designed based on a sequence comparison with PETase from Ideonella sakaiensis.

Effect of circadian rhythm type on serum lipid levels in shift workers: A 5-year cohort study.

We investigated how differences in circadian rhythm type affect the health of workers engaged in shift work. Employees, who were newly hired in a steel company between 2007 and 2011, received the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) survey. The target participants were 153 male shift workers who were not being treated with any antihyperlipidemic drugs and underwent periodic physical examinations including blood tests at least twice.

Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) is not a major mediator of platelet aggregation, thrombogenesis, haemostasis, and antiplatelet effect of prasugrel in rats.

Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) is a member of actin regulatory proteins implicated in platelet adhesion. In addition, phosphorylation of VASP is utilised for the assessment of platelet reactivity in patients treated with P2Y receptor antagonists, a class of antiplatelet agents. However, the role of VASP in platelet aggregation, thrombogenesis, haemostasis, and the antiplatelet effect of P2Y receptor antagonists remains unclear.

Absolute Structures of Wedelolide Derivatives and Structure-Activity Relationships of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibitory ent-Kaurene Diterpenes from Aerial Parts of Wedelia spp. Collected in Indonesia and Japan.

Two sesquiterpene lactones with the (9R)-eudesman-9,12-olide framework, wedelolides I and J, have been isolated together with five eudesmanolide sesquiterpenes and twelve ent-kaurene diterpenes from the aerial parts of Indonesian Wedelia prostrata. The absolute configurations of wedelolides I and J, proposed in the previous communication, were proven by comparing their experimental Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) spectra with the calculated ECD spectrum of wedelolide I. The phytochemical study on the aerial parts of Okinawan Wedelia chinensis led to the isolation of three other eudesmanolide sesquiterpenes in addition to the three sesquiterpenes and eleven diterpenes isolated from the Indonesian W.

Induction of Diabetes Abolishes the Antithrombotic Effect of Clopidogrel in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice.

Patients with acute coronary syndrome with diabetes mellitus (DM) exhibit an impaired platelet inhibitory response to clopidogrel which is only partially understood. DM was induced by the administration of streptozotocin (STZ) to 9-week-old mice. The antithrombotic effects of clopidogrel (10 mg/kg/d, orally × 5 days) were determined using a FeCl -induced thrombosis model employing wild-type (WT), apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient, and diabetic apoE-deficient mice at 21 weeks.

Glutathione peroxidase 3 is a protective factor against acetaminophen‑induced hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a widely available antipyretic and analgesic; however, overdose of the drug inflicts severe damage to the liver. It is well established that the hepatotoxicity of APAP is initiated by formation of a reactive metabolite, N‑acetyl‑p‑benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), which can be detoxified by conjugation with reduced glutathione (GSH), a typical antioxidant. We recently found that the blood mRNA expression level of glutathione peroxidase 3 (Gpx3), which catalyzes the oxidation of GSH, is associated with the extent of APAP‑induced hepatotoxicity in mice.