Publications by authors named "Ukai T"

Background: Acetabular fractures are among the most challenging orthopaedic fractures, and a high total hip arthroplasty (THA) conversion rate has been reported in older patients with acetabular fractures. Bone quality is a poor prognostic factor after acetabular fracture fixation and has been assessed using computed tomography (CT). However, the relationship between Hounsfield unit (HU) values measured using CT and early acetabular fracture outcomes remains unknown.

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Aim: To investigate the characteristics and prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atz/Bev) who achieved a complete response (CR) according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST).

Methods: A total of 120 patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) 0 or 1 and Child-Pugh A at the start of Atz/Bev treatment were included. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C was recorded in 59 patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • A 10-year simulation examines how relative humidity, temperature, and wind affect sonic boom loudness from a pseudo-Concorde and a low-boom supersonic aircraft using an acoustic propagation tool.
  • Using the EMAC model and ECMWF data, the study finds seasonal variations in loudness for the N-wave sonic boom, while low-boom aircraft show a broader range of perceived levels, making seasonal patterns unclear.
  • The research reveals that atmospheric conditions significantly influence sonic boom loudness, especially for low-boom aircraft at higher altitudes, with different factors impacting pressure changes at various altitudes.
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Introduction: An association has been reported between political affiliations and vaccination worldwide. In Japan, a significant proportion of the population are non-partisans, and major political parties advocate COVID-19 vaccination. The association between supporting political parties and COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Japan remains unclear.

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This case report discusses two instances of iatrogenically induced pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR TB). In both cases, the patients were initially diagnosed with tuberculosis and hospitalized in university hospitals. Nucleic acid amplification tests identified rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, leading to a deviation from clinical guidelines.

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The management of unstable pelvic ring fractures, typically resulting from high-energy trauma, presents a significant clinical challenge due to the complexity of injuries. While effective in many cases, the traditional stabilization methods are fraught with various complications that can significantly impact patient recovery and quality of life (QOL). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and precision of the anterior subcutaneous internal fixator (INFIX) technique when used with intraoperative computed tomography (CT) navigation, a novel approach intended to mitigate the limitations of conventional treatment modalities.

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Impaired muscle recovery after total hip arthroplasty (THA) may affect gait and activities of daily living. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) can assess body composition and muscle volume, and computed tomography (CT) can assess muscle volume and the fatty degeneration of muscle. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of BIA, and the correlation between preoperative body composition and postoperative muscle volume and degeneration after THA using BIA and CT.

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Background And Objective: The 2019 ATS/ADSA guidelines for adult community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) eliminated healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) and considered it to be a form of CAP. This concept, however, was based on studies with relatively small sample sizes.

Methods: We investigated the risk factors of 30-day mortality, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and infections in patients with pneumonia coming from the community using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, a nationwide discharge database of acute care hospitals.

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Purpose: Oral mucositis (OM) is a side effect associated with cancer treatment. Hangeshashinto (HST), a Kampo medicine, was originally prescribed to treat diarrhea, gastritis, and stomatitis. Several reports have described the effects of HST for OM induced by chemotherapy in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated how social isolation and loneliness relate to being unvaccinated against COVID-19 among a representative group of 22,756 people in Japan.
  • Results showed that socially isolated individuals were 1.48 times more likely to be unvaccinated, while loneliness did not significantly impact vaccination status.
  • The study concluded that reaching out to socially isolated individuals is crucial to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates, as they show lower rates of vaccination despite not having negative views about the vaccine.
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It was previously shown that spherical particles are self-assembled by compounds composed of C-(6,6)CNB-C, where CNB stands for "carbon nanobelt", by mixing two individual solutions of C and (6,6)CNB molecules dissolved in 1,2-dichlorobenzene at room temperature. The particles are monodisperse in water thanks to their high absolute value of the zeta potential in water. In this report, we investigate the effect of thermal treatment of the particles on some changes in the physical properties and structures.

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Background: Evaluation of body composition after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is essential because it can be used to evaluate muscle and functional recovery. Muscle volume and degeneration are evaluated using computed tomography (CT). However, CT evaluation of muscle volume has several limitations, such as radiation exposure and high medical cost.

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Objective: Fluoroscopy is often used in the surgery of unstable pelvic ring fractures, and improved safety in implant placement is an issue. An anterior subcutaneous pelvic fixator (INFIX) combined with a percutaneous screw has been reported to be a minimally invasive and effective surgical technique for unstable pelvic ring injuries. However, although percutaneous screw fixation is minimally invasive, its indications for fracture fixation and fractures with large fragment displacements in the vertical plane remain controversial.

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  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Japan has shown unusual seasonality patterns since 2017, shifting from a typical autumn-winter peak to a summer-autumn pattern, with varied reporting in subsequent years.
  • Researchers developed reference thresholds for detecting the start of RSV epidemics using case data, employing a relative operating characteristic curve analysis.
  • The established case-per-sentinel (CPS) values for major prefectures in Japan could help in early detection of RSV epidemics and support the potential introduction of monoclonal antibodies for prevention.
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Background: Lumbar fusion corrects spinal deformities and improves spinal complications. Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is strongly correlated with spinal mobility, and joint space narrowing of the hip after spinal fusion has gained attention. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of spinal fusion on hip joint space narrowing.

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The risk for people evacuated from Fukushima following the Great East Japan Earthquake of developing cancer from radiation exposure may be lower than that associated with smoking and alcohol drinking. However, the perception of those risks may change risk-related behavior. Therefore, we investigated whether the perceived risk of radiation exposure was associated with the initiation and/or cessation of smoking and of drinking alcohol following the disaster.

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The purpose of this study is to assess how one spouse's behavior change can influence their partner's successful behavior changes in smoking, drinking and physical activity. We used data from 10-wave prospective annual surveys of 9417 married couples (discrete-time person-years = 118,876) aged 50-59 years in the Longitudinal Survey of Middle-aged and Elderly Persons in Japan. A logistic generalized estimating equation model with discrete-time design was used among individuals who smoked at baseline to examine the impact of their spouse's health behaviors (i.

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Background/purpose: Orthodontic tooth movement is achieved by alveolar bone remodeling, and therefore the balance of bone resorption and formation is important. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) plays a crucial role in bone resorption. We previously reported that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is also important in bone resorption during tooth movement.

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Elevated numbers of candida in the oral cavity often lead to oral candidiasis development in patients undergoing radiotherapy for oral or oropharyngeal cancer. This study aimed to verify the effect of miconazole mucoadhesive tablets on suppression of oral candida infection during radiotherapy. For this preliminary interventional study, miconazole mucoadhesive tablets were attached to the oral mucosa for 14 days from when grade 2 oral mucositis appeared in patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer receiving radiotherapy, and the incidence of oral candidiasis was investigated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on karaoke-related COVID-19 outbreaks to identify risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among karaoke participants.
  • It involved a case-control approach, where 81 infected individuals (mostly elderly) were compared with non-infected individuals from the same karaoke bar.
  • Key findings indicated that singing, not wearing a mask, and spending more time in the bar significantly increased infection risks, highlighting that less-ventilated indoor spaces pose a greater threat for virus transmission.
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  • Cancer cells have a hard time changing into pluripotent stem cells because of certain factors that resist this change.
  • In clear cell sarcomas (CCSs), a specific gene called EWS/ATF1 confuses the reprogramming process, making it go towards cancer features instead of stem cell features.
  • By blocking the effects of this gene, scientists found that they could slow down the growth of CCS cells, which could help in finding new treatments for cancer.
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Background: Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) injury after total hip arthroplasty causes patient dissatisfaction. This cadaveric study aimed to assess the risk for LFCN injury after the direct anterior approach (DAA) and anterolateral supine approach (ALS) with a focus on the anatomical variations of the LFCN.

Methods: Thirty-seven hemipelves from 20 formalin-preserved cadavers (10 males and 10 females) were dissected to identify the LFCN, evaluate variations, and measure the distance from the LFCN to each approach.

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  • In 2021, Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases improved its event-based surveillance (EBS) system to monitor infectious diseases from abroad ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  • They used the World Health Organization's and BlueDot's intelligence platforms to enhance the capabilities of their surveillance efforts.
  • During the Games, no major public health threats were identified, but vast information sourced from multiple areas helped assess risks and streamline the surveillance workload despite ongoing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The possibility for an ecologically friendly and simple production of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with Chaga mushroom () (Ch-AuNPs) is presented in this study. Chaga extract's reducing potential was evaluated at varied concentrations and temperatures. The nanoparticles synthesized were all under 20 nm in size, as measured by TEM, which is a commendable result for a spontaneous synthesis method utilizing a biological source.

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