Purpose: The number of frozen-thawed embryo transfers (FETs) has recently increased, and FET must be completed in the ovulatory (NC-FET) or programmed hormone replacement cycle (HRC-FET). However, the relationship between FET and abnormal placentation is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether the two distinct endometrial preparation protocols affect the incidence of several pathologic conditions caused by abnormal placentation, such as placenta with velamentous umbilical cord insertion (VCI), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfter the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, various information about radiation circulated throughout Japan, leading to diverse perceptions regarding the situation in Fukushima. These perceptions contributed to the social challenges faced by the residents of Fukushima at the time, including prejudice and discrimination. This heightened concern about radiation exposure, particularly among younger generations who were considering marriage or starting families.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate the association between preoperative aqueous humour (AqH) cytokines and mid-term endothelial cell density (ECD) following penetrating keratoplasty (PKP).
Methods: This study analysed a total of 87 eyes of which 54 underwent PKP and 33 eyes underwent cataract surgery. AqH samples were collected at the beginning of surgery.
Proximal gastrectomy (PG) has reemerged as a viable surgical option for managing proximal gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer, particularly for early-stage tumors, offering potential advantages over total gastrectomy (TG). This review examines the evolution of PG, emphasizing surgical techniques and outcomes. Although PG was initially abandoned due to postoperative complications such as reflux esophagitis, advances in reconstruction methods, such as the double-flap technique and double-tract reconstruction, have significantly improved patient quality of life and reduced complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Few clinical studies of atrial fibrillation (AF) have focused on Asian patients; data are lacking on current mapping and ablation strategies in the Asia Pacific region (APAC).
Objective: The HD Mapping Observational Study (NCT04022954) was designed to characterize electroanatomic mapping (EAM) with market-released high-density mapping (HDM) catheters in subjects with AF in APAC.
Methods: Subjects undergoing HDM and indicated for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat AF were prospectively enrolled in APAC.
Objectives: As part of the "Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS)," a national prospective birth cohort study, we examined the association between the maternal work environment and psychological distress during pregnancy in Japan.
Methods: Employing a cross-sectional design, we analyzed data from 42,797 participants, originally collected between 2011 and 2014. Associations between the maternal work environment and psychological distress (Kessler 6) were examined using generalized estimation equation models adjusted for confounding factors.
Objective: We examined the association between the occupations of pregnant women's partners and infant low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PB).
Methods: Birth outcome data were collected from 46,540 participants enrolled in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Participants were recruited from January 2011 to March 2014.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident underscored the critical role of public health nurses (PHNs) in managing evacuees during nuclear emergencies. Despite their importance, PHNs often lack sufficient knowledge and experience, which may make them anxious about this role. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with PHNs' anxiety about accepting evacuees and identify strategies to alleviate this anxiety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe developed an AI system capable of automatically classifying anterior eye images as either normal or indicative of corneal diseases. This study aims to investigate the influence of AI's misleading guidance on ophthalmologists' responses. This cross-sectional study included 30 cases each of infectious and immunological keratitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPyrogens cause shock symptoms when released into the bloodstream. They are classified into two main categories: endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides [LPS]) and non-endotoxin pyrogens. The monocyte activation test (MAT) is an in vitro assay to detect pyrogens in human monocytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecular dynamics simulation of an aqueous solution of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide, LiTFSA, was performed at various concentrations to relate its liquid structure with frequency-dependent shear viscosity. The structure factor exhibited a low- peak that represents a heterogeneous structure composed of water and anion domains, and the lithium ion existed in the water domain due to its strong hydration. The frequency-dependent shear viscosity showed bimodal relaxation, and the relative contribution of the slower mode increased with an increase in the salt concentration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) organoids that simulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) are an effective tool to identify how TME affects PDAC malignancy. We present a protocol for generating a fused pancreatic cancer organoid (FPCO) that partly reproduces the TME, including heterogeneous cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), using patient-derived PDAC cells and human-induced pluripotent cell-derived endothelial and mesenchymal cells. We also describe the procedure for analyzing FPCO characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/objectives: Methods for predicting final mandibular length have been studied for many years. We aimed to estimate the final mandibular length at the end of the growth period by analyzing changes in cervical vertebral morphology using longitudinal lateral cephalograms.
Methods: Longitudinal lateral cephalograms of elementary school students aged 6-15 who did not undergo orthodontic treatment, collected between 1965 and 1973, were used.
The patient was a 21-year-old man with a shadow on a chest roentgenogram taken during a medical checkup. According to blood testing, thoracoabdominal computed tomography, head magnetic resonance imaging, and lung tumor biopsy, we diagnosed a primary retroperitoneal germ cell tumor with multiple lung and brain metastases. Induction chemotherapy (4 courses of Bleomycin, Etoposide and Cisplatin) was started immediately.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is increasingly used as a clinical laboratory test and being applied to cancer treatment; however, standardization and external quality assessments (EQA) have not been fully developed. This study performed cost-effective EQA and proficiency tests (PT) for CGP testing among multiple institutions those belong to the EQA working group of Japan Association for Clinical Laboratory Science (JACLS). This study revealed that preanalytical processes, such as derived nucleic acids (NA) extraction from formalin fixed paraffine embedded (FFPE) samples, are critical.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identifying risk factors for local recurrence (LR) is pivotal in optimizing rectal cancer treatment. Total mesorectal excision (TME) and lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) are the standard treatment for advanced low rectal cancer in Japan. However, large-scale studies to evaluate risk factors for LR are limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Because of the limitations of pharmacological therapy, nonpharmacological therapies including intervention procedures are also important for quality of cancer pain management.
Objective: To clarify the availability of, number performed, barriers to performing, and educational practices of four interventional procedures (celiac plexus neurolysis/splanchnic nerve neurolysis, phenol saddle block, epidural analgesia, and intrathecal analgesia) in designated cancer hospitals.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Myxobacteria, belonging to the phylum Myxococcota, are ubiquitous in soil, marine, and other environments. A recent metagenomic sequencing ana-lysis showed that Myxococcota are predominant in activated sludge systems; however, their metabolic traits remain unclear. In the present study, we exami-ned the potential biological functions of 46 metagenomic bins of Myxococcota reconstructed from activated sludge samples from four municipal sewage treatment plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring gestation, the choroid plexus (ChP) produces protein-rich cerebrospinal fluid and matures prior to brain development. It is assumed that ChP dysfunction has a profound effect on developmental neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the mechanisms linking immature ChP to the onset of ASD remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has become a standard procedure for performing coronary intervention, but its impact on peripheral endovascular therapy (EVT) remains unclear. To assess the usefulness of IVUS during EVT, this study analyzed over 2000 consecutive patients from the TOkyo-taMA peripheral vascular intervention research COmraDE (TOMA-CODE) registry with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in Japan. The primary outcome was chronic limb events (a composite of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (cTLR) and major amputation) during a two-year follow-up period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: At our institute, most pediatric patients undergo epilepsy surgery following a thorough presurgical evaluation without intracranial electroencephalography (EEG). We conducted an initial validation of our noninvasive presurgical strategy by assessing the seizure and developmental outcomes of 135 children.
Methods: All 135 pediatric patients were <15 years old, had undergone curative surgery, and were followed for at least 2 years postoperatively.
Brown adipocytes are characterized by a high abundance of mitochondria, allowing them to consume fatty acids for heat production. Increasing the number of brown adipocytes is considered a promising strategy for combating obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their differentiation remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanostructured Pt-based catalysts have attracted considerable attention for fuel-cell applications. This study introduces a novel one-pot and low-temperature polyol approach for synthesizing support-free, connected nanoparticles with non-Pt metal cores and Pt shells. Unlike conventional heat treatment methods, the developed support-free and Fe-free connected Pd@Pt (Pd@Pt) nanoparticle catalyst possesses a stable nanonetwork structure with a high surface area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To examine the association between maternal plasma cotinine concentrations during pregnancy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) related characteristics in children.
Design: Prospective birth cohort study from the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health.
Setting: Hokkaido, Japan.
We have identified a unique genetic locus for seed shattering in Italian ryegrass that has an exceedingly large effect and shows partial dominance for reduced seed shattering. Genetic improvement of seed retention in forage grasses can contribute to improving their commercial seed production. The objective of this study was to identify the genetic loci responsible for seed shattering in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.
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