Effect of low-frequency acupuncture on muscle and fascia stiffness: examination with or without intervention.

Background: Low-frequency acupuncture is used to maintain skeletal muscle flexibility and improve joint range of motion; however, its definite effects are unclear. This study aimed to determine the effects of low-frequency acupuncture on muscle and fascial stiffness and ankle dorsiflexion range of motion.

Methods: The participants included 12 randomly selected healthy adults.

High-fat/high-sucrose diet-induced renal changes in obese diabetic mice: a comparison with db/db and KK-Ay mice.

Many genetic and environmental factors are involved in the development and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and its pathology shows various characteristics. Animal models of DKD play an important role in elucidating its pathogenesis and developing new therapies. In this study, we investigated the pathophysiological features of two DKD animal models: db/db mice (background of hyperglycemia) and KK-Ay mice (background of hyperinsulinemia).

Searching for Asymmetric and Heavily Precessing Binary Black Holes in the Gravitational Wave Data from the LIGO Third Observing Run.

Leveraging the features of the GstLAL pipeline, we present the results of a matched filtering search for asymmetric binary black hole systems with heavily misaligned spins in LIGO and Virgo data taken during the third observing run. Our target systems show strong imprints of precession whereas current searches have nonoptimal sensitivity in detecting them. After measuring the sensitivity improvement brought by our search over standard spin-aligned searches, we report the detection of 30 gravitational wave events already discovered in the latest version of the Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog.

Effects of radial pressure wave irradiation on triceps surae muscle morphology and function.

Background: Radial pressure wave (RPW) has been introduced to sports sites as an alternative tool to massage, and there have been reports of irradiating muscles. This study aimed to clarify the effects of RPW irradiation on muscles, focusing on muscle morphology and muscle/fascial elasticity.

Methods: The participants were 23 healthy, able-bodied participants.

Comparative analysis of vascular closure devices for neuroendovascular procedures using Perclose versus Angioseal.

Background: The common femoral artery is most frequently accessed for neuroendovascular procedures. Occasionally, postoperative hemostasis is difficult to attain. We comparatively analyzed the vascular closure devices, Angioseal and Perclose, and evaluated the puncture-site complications.

Agreement between 2D Visual- and 3D Motion Capture-based Assessment of Foot Strike Pattern.

Background: Foot strike patterns during running are typically categorized into two types: non-rearfoot strike (NRFS) and rearfoot strike (RFS), or as three distinct types: forefoot strike (FFS), midfoot strike (MFS), and RFS, based on which part of the foot lands first. Various methods, including two-dimensional (2D) visual-based methods and three-dimensional (3D) motion capture-based methods utilizing parameters such as the strike index (SI) or strike angle (SA), have been employed to assess these patterns. However, the consistency between the results obtained from each method remains debatable.

Stent Retriever Angioplasty for Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease-Related Medium Vessel Occlusion: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Objective: Stent retriever (SR) angioplasty is an adjunctive technique for acute large vessel occlusion stroke due to underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD-LVO). Prolonged SR deployment maintains blood flow distal to the atherosclerotic lesion until the antiplatelet agent has exerted its effect. Although SR angioplasty for ICAD-LVO has been reported, few reports are available on SR angioplasty for medium vessel occlusion stroke due to underlying ICAD (ICAD-MeVO).

Developmental patterns of athletic performance and physical fitness in youth baseball players: A longitudinal analysis.

This study aimed to evaluate developmental patterns in athletic performance during youth and determine their association with changes in physical fitness. The testing included three athletic performance (i.e.

Effect of Height and Weight on Heel Fat Pad Movements Between Microchamber and Macrochamber Layers in Loading and Unloading.

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the differences in the movement of the superficial microchambers and deep macrochambers of the heel fat pad during loading and unloading movements, and to clarify the influence of height and weight on this movement.

Methods: The subjects were 21 healthy adults. The right foot was placed on an evaluation instrument stand made of polymethylpentene (PMP) resin plate, and the left foot was placed on a scale stand used to adjust the amount of load.

Treatment Outcome of Flow Diverter Device for Medium-Sized Cerebral Aneurysms: A Single-Center Report.

Objective: Flow diverters (FDs), first introduced in Japan in 2015, were initially limited to wide-necked large cerebral aneurysms, which pose a high treatment risk. However, based on the results of the PREMIER study, the indications have expanded since 2020, and the number of treatment cases is increasing in Japan. At our hospital, FD placement with adjunctive coil embolization has been actively performed for medium-sized cerebral aneurysms, as indicated in the PREMIER study; herein, we report the outcomes of this treatment.

[Performance of generative pre-trained transformer-4 on the certification test for mental health management: A factorial design].

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the performance of generative pre-trained transformer-4 (GPT-4) on the Certification Test for Mental Health Management and whether tuned prompts could improve its performance.

Methods: This study used a 3 × 2 factorial design to examine the performance according to test difficulty (courses) and prompt conditions. We prepared 200 multiple-choice questions (600 questions overall) for each course using the Certification Test for Mental Health Management (levels I-III) and essay questions from the level I test for the previous four examinations.

Role of desmoplakin in supporting neuronal activity, neurogenic processes, and emotional-related behaviors in the dentate gyrus.

Desmoplakin (Dsp) is a component of desmosomal cell-cell junctions that interacts with the cadherin complex and cytoskeletal intermediate filaments. In addition to its function as an adhesion component, Dsp is involved in various biological processes, such as gene expression, differentiation, and migration. Dsp is specifically expressed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) in the central nervous system.

Brief Report: Tepotinib as a Treatment Option in Exon 14 Skipping-Positive Lung Cancers-Investigating Discordance Between ArcherMET and the Oncomine Dx Target Test.

Introduction: NSCLC is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Specific genetic alterations, such as exon 14 (ex14) skipping, have been identified in NSCLC, allowing targeted therapy. Tepotinib, a highly selective MET inhibitor, has displayed promise in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Functional Morphologic Changes of the Heel Fat Pad and Plantar Fascia in Patients With Heel Pain During Weightbearing and Nonweightbearing.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the thickness changes of the heel fat pad and the plantar fascia associated with loading and unloading in healthy individuals and patients with heel pain and reveal the differences between them.

Methods: The study included adult male participants with (n = 9) and without (n = 26) heel pain. The participants placed their right foot on an evaluation apparatus with a polymethylpentene resin board (PMP), while their left foot was positioned on a weighing scale used to adjust the loading weight.

Differences in Lumbopelvic Alignment in Adolescent Male Soccer Players With Bilateral and Unilateral Lumbar Bone Stress Injuries: An MRI Evaluation.

Background: Differences in the physical characteristics of bilateral and unilateral lumbar bone stress injuries (BSIs) are unknown.

Purpose: To compare bilateral and unilateral lumbar BSIs in adolescent male soccer players, with a focus on lumbopelvic alignment.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Periprocedural antiplatelet medication assessed by VerifyNow for neuroendovascular treatment: Comparison of prasugrel with clopidogrel.

Objective: The maintenance dose of prasugrel (PRAS) for neuroendovascular treatment requires much research. We report the antiplatelet effect of PRAS measured by VerifyNow P2Y12 reaction units (PRUs) in patients during the perioperative period of neuroendovascular treatment.

Methods: Between January 2017 and January 2023, 230 patients who underwent endovascular treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms or carotid artery stenosis at our institution were retrospectively identified.

Longitudinal changes in youth baseball batting based on body rotation and separation.

Background: Identifying the characteristics of batting mechanics, such as the proper angle and position of each body segment in youth baseball players, is important for proper instructions. This study aimed to identify the age-related changes in batting kinematics including rotational and separational movements of the head, upper trunk, pelvis, and arms, in youth baseball players.

Methods: Over the three seasons, we measured the batting motion of baseball players aged 6- to 12 years using three high-speed cameras.

Dynamic mode decomposition with memory.

This study proposed a numerical method of dynamic mode decomposition with memory (DMDm) to analyze multidimensional time-series data with memory effects. The memory effect is a widely observed phenomenon in physics and engineering and is considered to be the result of interactions between the system and environment. Dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) is a linear operation-based, data-driven method for multidimensional time-series data proposed in 2008.