Yokukansan (TJ-54) in patients undergoing surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yokukansan (TJ-54) in patients undergoing surgery.

Methods: Efficacy was assessed by the onset of delirium, delirium rating scales, anxiety evaluated by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) score, and safety was assessed by any reported adverse events.

Results: Six studies were included.

Distinctive features of lipoprotein profiles in stroke patients.

Classes of lipoproteins solubilize lipids in the blood, and their profiles are important for preventing atherosclerotic diseases. These can be identified by gel filtration HPLC, which has been analyzed in a manner that yields the same values as the de facto standard method, i.e.

[Refractory esophageal stricture of esophageal mucous membrane pemphigoid after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from her brother was performed on a 41-year-old lady with no prior history of pemphigoid to treat recurrent AML. On day 59 following transplantation, she experienced esophageal stenosis. During immunosuppressive therapy for graft vs.

Incorporation of Plant-Based Diet Surpasses Current Standards in Therapeutic Outcomes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

There has been no study of the therapeutic effect of a plant-based diet (PBD) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) except for our studies in Japan. In this review, we describe the rationale for the requirement of PBD in IBD and the outcomes of our modality incorporating PBD together with a literature review. The biggest problem in current therapy for IBD is the lack of a widely appreciated ubiquitous environmental factor in IBD.

Vonoprazan poses no additional risk of developing Clostridioides difficile infection compared to proton pump inhibitors.

Background And Aim: The use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been repeatedly reported as a trigger of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), a leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea. However, only a few studies have reported on the association between vonoprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker providing potent acid suppression, and CDI, with no studies having been conducted in a clinical setting. We therefore evaluated the association between various classes of acid suppressants and CDI with special attention paid to differences in the magnitudes of association between PPIs and vonoprazan.

Prediction of Low-intensity Physical Activity in Stable Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Objective: To develop an equation of the predicted amount of low-intensity physical activity (LPA) by analyzing clinical parameters in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed the assessments of clinical parameters evaluated every 6 months from the start of pulmonary rehabilitation in 53 outpatients with stable COPD (age 77 ± 6 yrs; 46 men; body mass index 21.8 ± 4.

A Follow-up Report on the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Cancer during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Akita Prefecture, Japan in 2021.

We recently reported the decrease in the number of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer diagnoses in 2020 due to disturbance of the healthcare system by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, using a hospital-based cancer registration system in Akita prefecture, Japan. In this study, we extended the research by showing the latest data (2021) on the number of cancers and examinations. Information on the occurrence and stage of esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers was collected from the same database.

Association of health literacy with short-term postoperative outcomes in older adult patients with abdominal tumors undergoing surgery and perioperative rehabilitation program: A prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Low health literacy (HL) is associated with poor surgical outcomes in patients with abdominal tumors, despite enhanced recovery programs. However, the relationship between HL and postoperative outcomes, including health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical functions, has been unclear in patients with abdominal tumors receiving perioperative rehabilitation programs (PRPs). Our objective was to identify associations of HL with postoperative functional and general outcomes in patients with abdominal tumors undergoing surgery and PRPs, controlling for critical covariates.

Treatment strategy after noncurative endoscopic resection for early gastric cancers in patients aged ≥ 85 years: a multicenter retrospective study in a highly aged area of Japan.

Background: The guidelines recommend additional gastrectomy after noncurative endoscopic resection for early gastric cancers (EGCs). However, no additional treatment might be acceptable in some patients aged ≥ 85 years. We aimed to identify this patient group using the data in a highly aged area.

Respiratory sarcopenia: A position paper by four professional organizations.

We defined respiratory sarcopenia as a coexistence of respiratory muscle weakness and decreased respiratory muscle mass. Although respiratory muscle function is indispensable for life support, its evaluation has not been included in the regular assessment of respiratory function or adequately evaluated in clinical practice. Considering this situation, we prepared a position paper outlining basic knowledge, diagnostic and assessment methods, mechanisms, involvement in respiratory diseases, intervention and treatment methods, and future perspectives on respiratory sarcopenia, and summarized the current consensus on respiratory sarcopenia.

Human lipoproteins comprise at least 12 different classes that are lognormally distributed.

This study presents the results of HPLC, a gentler and rapid separation method in comparison with the conventional ultracentrifugation, for 55 human serum samples. The elution patterns were analysed parametrically, and the attribute of each class was confirmed biochemically. Human samples contained 12 classes of lipoproteins, each of which may consist primarily of proteins.

Nature and Clinical Outcomes of Acute Hemorrhagic Rectal Ulcer.

Acute hemorrhagic rectal ulcer (AHRU) is a relatively rare disease that can lead to massive hematochezia. Although AHRU is a potentially life-threatening disease, its characteristics and clinical course are not fully understood. In this study, the clinical features were compared between AHRU and lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) from other causes (non-AHRU).

Relationship between clozapine exposure and the onset of appendicitis in schizophrenia patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Clozapine may cause serious side effects despite benefits in patients with schizophrenia. Thus, an accurate understanding of the side-effect profile of clozapine is extremely important in the management of its administration to patients with schizophrenia. Our aim was to validate the relationship between clozapine exposure and appendicitis onset in patients with schizophrenia.

Gait-related self-efficacy is directly associated with daily step counts in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: In addition to physical factors, psychological factors such as self-efficacy (SE) reportedly affect physical activity (PA) levels in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, the relationship between PA and SE for walking tasks in patients with knee OA remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect pathways of SE for walking tasks and the influence of previously reported factors on PA level in individuals with knee OA.

The relationship between changes in elbow valgus laxity and forearm flexor strength during repetitive pitching.

This study examined the changes in the medial elbow joint space width and forearm flexor strength due to repetitive pitching and analysed the relationships among these factors. Thirty-one collegiate baseball players pitched seven sets of 15 pitches each. The medial elbow joint space width, grip strength, and forearm flexor strengths were measured before pitching and after each set.

Aphasia with No Apparent Paralysis in Progressive Stroke of the Anterior Choroidal Artery.

Some anterior choroidal artery (AChA) infarctions in the posterior limbs of the internal capsule (plIC) have been reported to cause aphasia, typically with apparent paralysis. We herein report an 84-year-old woman with AChA infarction. Although her dysarthria remained mild with no apparent paralysis, we overlooked progression to branch atheromatous disease-related infarct with exacerbation of her anomia, which delayed the initiation of more intense therapy.

Relapse-Free Course in Nearly Half of Crohn's Disease Patients With Infliximab and Plant-Based Diet as First-Line Therapy: A Single-Group Trial.

Introduction Incorporation of a plant-based diet was effective in both induction and short-term relapse prevention in Crohn's disease. Ten-year long-term relapse-free rates in Crohn's disease are around 10% to 23%. Objective We investigated whether infliximab and plant-based diet as first-line therapy enhance the long-term relapse-free rate in patients with Crohn's disease.

Objective physical activity level is associated with rectus femoris muscle echo-intensity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: Skeletal muscle dysfunction is one of the major extrapulmonary complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some studies have reported a relationship between physical activity (PA) level and skeletal muscle quality assessed by echo-intensity (EI) in healthy individuals but not in patients with COPD.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between PA level and both skeletal muscle EI and skeletal muscle mass in patients with COPD.