Temperature-Responsive Zwitterionic Polymers That Undergo UCST-Type Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation under Physiological Ionic Strength.

Associative phase separation (complex coacervation) in liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) involves the separation of multiple substances into concentrated and dilute phases by electrostatic interactions. Simple phase separation (simple coacervation) occurs when the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of a single molecule change dramatically in response to a specific stimulus. Simple coacervation arises from the lower critical solution temperature (LCST)- and upper critical solution temperature (UCST)-type phase separations in aqueous media containing temperature-responsive polymers.

Dipotassium glycyrrhizate prevents oral dysbiosis caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis in an in vitro saliva-derived polymicrobial biofilm model.

Objectives: Oral microbiome dysbiosis prevention is important to avoid the onset and progression of periodontal disease. Dipotassium glycyrrhizate (GK2) is a licorice root extract with anti-inflammatory effects, and its associated mechanisms have been well-reported. However, their effects on the oral microbiome have not been investigated.

F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography following coronary computed tomography angiography in predicting long-term coronary events: a 5-year follow-up study.

Purpose: The predictive value of F-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) in combination with coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) for future coronary events has attracted interest. We evaluated the potential of F-NaF PET/CT following CCTA to predict major coronary events (MACE) during a 5-year follow-up period.

Methods: Forty patients with coronary atherosclerotic lesions detected on CCTA underwent F-NaF PET/CT examination.

The reliability and utility of on-site CT-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) based on fluid structure interactions: comparison with FFR based on computational fluid dynamics, invasive FFR, and resting full-cycle ratio.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) derived off-site by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) (FFR) is obtained by applying the principles of computational fluid dynamics. This study aimed to validate the overall reliability of on-site CCTA-derived FFR based on fluid structure interactions (CT-FFR) and assess its clinical utility compared with FFR, invasive FFR, and resting full-cycle ratio (RFR). We calculated the CT-FFR for 924 coronary vessels in 308 patients who underwent CCTA for clinically suspected coronary artery disease.

Native Myocardial T1 Value in Predicting 1-Year Outcomes in Patients with Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy Experiencing Recent Heart Failure.

The evidence for the clinical implications, especially the short-term utility, of native myocardial T1 value (T1) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) is scant. We investigated the potential of T1 to assess left ventricular (LV) myocardial characteristics and predict 1-year outcomes in patient with NIDCM experiencing recent heart failure (HF).Forty-five patients with NIDCM and HF symptoms within 3 months underwent CMR with cine, non-contrast T1 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).

A longitudinal pilot study to assess temporal changes in coronary arterial F-sodium fluoride uptake.

Purpose: How coronary arterial F-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) uptake on positron emission tomography changes over the long term and what clinical factors impact the changes remain unclear. We sought to investigate the topics in this study.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 15 patients with ≥1 coronary atherosclerotic lesion/s detected on cardiac computed tomography who underwent baseline and follow-up (interval of >3 years) F-NaF positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans.

Arthroscopic Distal Clavicle Resection for an Acromioclavicular Ganglion Cyst with Cuff Tear Arthropathy: A Case Report.

Case: A 77-year-old man with an acromioclavicular joint ganglion cyst with cuff tear arthropathy had a large mass in the left shoulder. Arthroscopic distal clavicle resection successfully relieved his symptoms without loss of shoulder function by enlargement of the bypass between the cyst and subacromial space through the acromioclavicular joint.

Conclusion: Arthroscopic distal clavicle resection can remove a 1-way check valve in a minimally invasive manner.

Relationship between interleukin-1β gene expression in epicardial adipose tissue and coronary atherosclerosis based on computed tomographic analysis.

Background: Anti-inflammatory therapy targeting interleukin (IL)-1β reduced cardiovascular events in a randomized trial. We evaluated the relationship between IL-1β mRNA expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and clinically-assessed coronary atherosclerosis on computed tomography (CT).

Methods: We studied 45 patients before cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], n ​= ​18; non-CABG, n ​= ​27).

Relationship between coronary arterial F-sodium fluoride uptake and epicardial adipose tissue analyzed using computed tomography.

Purpose: F-Sodium fluoride (F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) has the potential to detect high-risk coronary plaques. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) reportedly correlates with coronary atherosclerosis progression. We evaluated the relationship between coronary arterial F-NaF uptake and EAT findings using computed tomography (CT).

Partial left superior pulmonary vein potential elimination by an inferior ganglionated plexus ablation.

Ganglionated plexus (GP) plays an important role in the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). The GP ablation has been found to be effective for AF treatment. In this case, we reported an AF case in which the pulmonary vein (PV) potentials of the anterior region of the left superior PV were eliminated by an inferior right GP ablation.

A Comparison between the Instantaneous Wave-free Ratio and Resting Distal Coronary Artery Pressure/Aortic Pressure and the Fractional Flow Reserve: The Diagnostic Accuracy Can Be Improved by the Use of both Indices.

Objectives The fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an index of the severity of coronary stenosis that has been clinically validated in several studies. The instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) and the resting distal coronary artery pressure/aortic pressure (Pd/Pa) are nonhyperemic pressure-derived indices of the severity of stenosis. This study sought to examine the diagnostic accuracy of the iFR and resting Pd/Pa with respect to hyperemic FFR.

Contrast-induced Hyperemia as an Alternative to Drug-induced Hyperemia in the Evaluation of the Fractional Flow Reserve in Coronary Lesions.

Objective Measuring the fractional flow reserve (FFR) requires the induction of coronary hyperemia, usually with adenosine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), or papaverine. However, adenosine can induce rhythmic complications, and intracoronary boluses of papaverine that prolong the QT interval can cause ventricular tachycardia. Injection of contrast media, which is routinely performed to validate the FFR guidewire placement, also induces hyperemia and may be an alternative method of measuring the FFR.

The Difference between the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of newly progressed coronary lesions in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

Background: Generally, newly progressed coronary lesions (NPCLs) are considered to be composed of lipid-rich plaques. In case of vulnerable plaque rupture, they may quickly become culprit lesions responsible for acute coronary syndromes.

Methods: Between September 2011 and September 2015, 2034 patients underwent scheduled follow-up coronary angiography (CAG) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Tsuchiya General Hospital.

Comparison of everolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents in dialysis patients.

Background: We previously reported that the incidence of 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) was lower than that in the sirolimus-eluting stents in dialysis patients. However, it remains unclear whether there are differences in clinical outcomes between everolimus-eluting stents (EES) and PES.

Methods: Between February 2010 and September 2013, 102 maintenance dialysis patients with 135 lesions treated with EES were compared to 107 maintenance dialysis patients with 147 lesions treated with PES.