When Medications Backfire: A Case Report of Rifaximin-Induced Rhabdomyolysis in a Kidney Transplant Patient.

Rhabdomyolysis involves significant skeletal muscle injury and destruction, which can be triggered by trauma, intense physical activity, heat, prolonged immobility, certain medications, and endocrine disorders. Rhabdomyolysis in renal transplants can be more complicated, and the prognosis is not well known, especially in the context of coexisting rejection. We present a case of rifampicin-induced rhabdomyolysis with superimposed acute cellular rejection in a kidney transplant patient.

COVID-19 and renal allograft rejection: insight from controlled and non-controlled studies.

Aim: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), due to their immunosuppressed status, are potentially more susceptible to both the severe effects of COVID-19 and complications in their transplanted organ. The aim of this study is to investigate whether COVID-19 infection increases the risk of rejection in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs).

Methods: This study involved a detailed literature review, conducted using PubMed, with the search being completed by September 7th, 2023.

BK viral infection: A review of management and treatment.

BK viral infection remains to be a challenging post-transplant infection, which can result in kidney dysfunction. The mainstay approach to BK infection is reduction of immunosuppression. Alterations in immunosuppressive regimen with minimization of calcineurin inhibitors, use of mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitors, and leflunomide have been attempted with variable outcomes.

Underwater acoustic sensing using the geometric phase.

We present a sensing modality using the geometric phase of acoustic waves propagating in an underwater environment. We experimentally investigate the effect of scattering by a small subwavelength perturbation on a flat submerged surface. We represent the state of an acoustic field in the unperturbed and perturbed cases as multidimensional vectors.

Intravenous Tranexamic Acid in Percutaneous Kidney Biopsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Tranexamic acid is frequently reported to reduce bleeding-related complications in major surgery and trauma. We aimed to investigate whether tranexamic acid reduced hematoma size after percutaneous kidney biopsy.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, parallel three-group, randomized placebo-controlled trial at a teaching hospital in Japan between January 2016 and July 2018.

Efficacy and Safety of Adding Sitagliptin in Type 2 Diabetes Patients on Insulin: Age-Stratified Comparison at One Year in the ASSIST-K Study.

Background: Sitagliptin, the first dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy and safety as monotherapy and as add-on therapy to oral antidiabetic agents or insulin. However, there have been few reports about sitagliptin in elderly patients. The ASSIST-K observational study was performed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving sitagliptin as add-on therapy to insulin.

Biomagnetic measurement system for supine subjects with expanded sensor array and real-time noise reduction.

A biomagnetic measurement system was developed, suitable for the detection of magnetospinogram (MSG) and magnetocardiogram (MCG) signals from the dorsal surface of supine subjects. It is effective for noninvasively observing the electric activity of the spinal cord and/or heart. These biomagnetic signals are extremely weak, and magnetic flux sensors based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are necessary to detect them.

Factors Predicting Therapeutic Efficacy of Combination Treatment With Sitagliptin and Insulin in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: The ASSIST-K Study.

Background: It is unclear whether dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors decrease hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in a glucose-dependent manner in patients on insulin therapy who have impaired insulin secretion. This study investigated factors influencing the efficacy of sitagliptin when used concomitantly with insulin to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the real-world setting.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 1,004 T2DM patients at 36 Japanese clinics associated with the Diabetes Task Force of the Kanagawa Physicians Association.

Dry phantom for magnetoencephalography -Configuration, calibration, and contribution.

Background: An artificial object that imitates human brain activity is called "phantom" and is used for evaluation of magnetoencephalography (MEG) systems. The accuracy of the phantom itself had not been guaranteed in the previous studies, although role of the phantom is to evaluate the accuracy of MEG measurement. The purposes of this paper are to develop a novel MEG phantom that can be calibrated and to demonstrate the advantages of the calibrated phantoms.

Carotid thromboembolism associated with nephrotic syndrome treated with dabigatran.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) may be complicated by thromboembolism, which occasionally manifests as stroke. Although the optimal, standardized approach to the prophylaxis and management of thromboembolic complications associated with NS has not been established, anticoagulation with heparin and subsequent warfarin is the de facto standard of treatment. Dabigatran, a novel direct thrombin inhibitor, has become a substitute for warfarin and heparin for many indications, including the prophylaxis of stroke associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and postoperative thromboprophylaxis in orthopedic patients.

Safety and efficacy of adding sitagliptin to insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes: the ASSIST-K study.

We retrospectively studied more than 1000 patients with type 2 diabetes attending 36 Japanese clinics to investigate the efficacy and safety of adding sitagliptin to various insulin regimens. We found that the treatment with add-on sitagliptin for 6-months was effective, irrespective of the type or dose of concomitant insulin.

Spinal cord evoked magnetic field measurement using a magnetospinography system equipped with a cryocooler.

We have developed a magnetospinography (MSG) system that detects weak magnetic fields associated with spinal cord neural activity using an array of low-temperature superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)-based magnetic flux sensors. A functional image of the spinal cord can be obtained noninvasively by using this system, and it is effective for precise lesion localization in the diagnosis of spinal cord diseases. The running cost of the developed MSG system mainly depends on liquid helium (LHe) consumption, which is required to maintain the superconducting state of the SQUID sensors.

Micro-Magnetocardiography System With a Single-Chip SQUID Magnetometer Array for QT Analysis and Diagnosis of Myocardial Injury in Small Animals.

Development of drugs requires electrophysiological studies of small animals like mice, rats or guinea pigs. Electrocardiography (ECG) of hirsute animals is time-consuming. We have developed a micro magnetometer array with a 9-channel superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) with a 2.

Relative effects of telmisartan, candesartan and losartan on alleviating arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension complicated by diabetes mellitus: an evaluation using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI).

Using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) as an indicator, we assessed improvement of arterial stiffness in 95 outpatients with hypertension complicated by type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated orally for >or= 12 months with telmisartan 40 mg/day, losartan 50 mg/day or candesartan 8 mg/day. At 1 year, in the telmisartan and losartan groups CAVI did not change whereas in the candesartan group CAVI showed a statistically significant decrease of 2.70%.

[Optimal age for gastric cancer screening in patients with dyspepsia without alarm symptoms].

Objective: To determine the optimal age for screening endoscopy on patients with dyspepsia without alarm symptoms to avoid missing gastric cancer.

Methods: A Cross sectional study was performed (2001-2005). 285 cases of patients with dyspepsia and gastric cancer were found at Arzobispo Loayza National Hospital.

Rate acceleration of organic reaction by immediate solvent evaporation.

Several types of organic reactions were accelerated by immediate evaporation of solvents because of remarkable enhancement of molecule-to-molecule contacts between reactants.

Vascular endothelial growth factor gene expression is correlated with glomerular neovascularization in human diabetic nephropathy.

Background: In diabetic nephropathy (DN) small vessels are frequently observed around the glomerular vascular pole in addition to normal afferent and efferent arterioles; this is regarded as neovascularization . Because vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes vascular generation, the authors investigated the relationship between glomerular VEGF gene expression and structural glomerular changes in the early stage of human DN.

Methods: Kidney specimens were obtained from 18 type 2 DN patients by open renal biopsy.

High expression of PKC-MAPK pathway mRNAs correlates with glomerular lesions in human diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) is a major signaling pathway for transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta to induce extracellular matrix (ECM) production in diabetic nephropathy (DN). PKC also activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which is called the PKC-MAPK pathway. The PKC-MAPK pathway is probably responsible for PKC-related abnormalities in diabetic glomeruli.

Glomerular expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A, -B chain and PDGF receptor-alpha, -beta in human diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Mesangial expansion is thought to be a major cause of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) plays an important role in the production of extracellular matrix proteins in renal diseases. The present study was designed to determine the expression of PDGF and PDF receptor (PDGFR) mRNA in the renal tissues of type 2 diabetic patients with DN.

Glomerular expression of connective tissue growth factor mRNA in various renal diseases.

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a cysteine-rich member of a new family of growth regulators. It is an important factor in the pathogenesis of mesangial matrix accumulation and progressive glomerulosclerosis. The present study was designed to elucidate the role of CTGF in diabetic nephropathy (DN), immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgA-N), membranous nephropathy (MN), and minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS).

Expression of human nephrin mRNA in diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is associated with functional changes in the filtration barrier, and microalbuminuria is a strong predictor of the development of overt DN. Nephrin is a novel podocyte-specific protein which localizes at the slit diaphragm. This study examines the expression of nephrin mRNA in the kidneys of type 2 diabetics with DN.

Trace analysis of explosives in soil: pressurized fluid extraction and gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Soil samples are collected from the former Open Burn/Open Detonation Unit, Makua Military Reservation, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The soil is the Helemano series. The soil samples are fortified with eight explosives for development of the analytical method.