Diagnostic Ability of Risk Models in the Field of Ischemic Stroke for Predicting Atherosclerotic Outcomes in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Aims: Several risk-scoring models, including the Fukuoka Stroke Risk Score, Essen Stroke Risk Score, and Stroke Prognosis Instrument II, have been developed to predict recurrent cerebrovascular events in patients with ischemic stroke. As myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke are both atherosclerotic diseases, these scoring models in the field of cerebrovascular disease may be applicable and useful for risk stratification in patients with acute MI. We therefore evaluated the diagnostic ability and clinical applicability of these stroke risk scores in predicting atherosclerotic events after acute MI.

Arketamine alleviates cognitive impairments and demyelination in mice with postoperative cognitive dysfunction via TGF-β1 activation.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is characterized by a decline in cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and executive abilities, following surgery, with no effective therapeutic drugs currently available. Arketamine, the (R)-enantiomer of ketamine, has shown promise in mitigating cognitive deficits in animal models. In this study, we investigated whether arketamine could ameliorate cognitive deficits in a mouse model of POCD, with a focus on the role of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in its effects.

Effects of Interpersonal Stress and Maladaptive Metacognitive Beliefs on Paranoid Ideation Among Japanese University Students.

Introduction: Paranoid ideation, a crucial component of psychotic-like experiences, tends to increase between early and late adolescence, even in the general population, and it negatively affects overall mental health and social adjustment. Japanese adolescents experience high levels of interpersonal stress. However, few studies have examined the relationship between paranoid ideation and interpersonal stress.

How are the Barthel Index and care need levels associated in residents of nursing homes in Japan?

This study examined the relationship between Long-Term Care Insurance care need levels and Barthel Index scores in Japanese nursing home residents. Findings show a strong correlation (r = -0.68), comparable to community-dwelling individuals, yet certain care need levels exhibited large score variability.

One-step warming of vitrified human cleavage and blastocyst stage embryos does not adversely impact embryo survivability and subsequent developmental potential.

Study Question: Does one-step warming (OW), a simplified embryo warming protocol, adversely affect survival and developmental potential in vitrified cleavage or blastocyst stage embryos compared to standard multi-step warming (SW)?

Summary Answer: OW showed no detrimental effects on survival and developmental potential compared to SW in cleavage and blastocyst stage embryos.

What Is Known Already: While standard embryo warming protocols involve a multi-step procedure using a stepwise osmotic solution to avoid a rapid influx of water into the embryo, recent studies suggest that eliminating the stepwise warming process does not reduce embryo survival and embryo transfer outcomes. However, previous reports have focused primarily on pregnancy rates, and a more detailed analysis of the effects of rapid osmotic pressure changes on embryos is necessary to standardize the protocol.

Three-year seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antibody among children, parental awareness, and contributors of infection: a single-school cohort study in Chiba, Japan.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children is often asymptomatic, posing challenges in detecting infections. Additionally, factors contributing to infection remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate trends in anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid antibody seroprevalence, the relationship between seroprevalence and parental perception of child infection, and factors related to COVID-19 in children.

Impact of Underdosing of Direct Oral Anticoagulants on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Underdoses of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are sometimes prescribed due to bleeding risk concerns in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the prevalence of DOAC underdosing and its impact on clinical outcomes in AF patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: This multicenter observational cohort study enrolled patients with AF on DOAC undergoing PCI between January 2015 and March 2021 at 15 institutions across Japan.

Brucella anthropi bacteremia: persistent bacteremia with minimal symptoms.

Brucella anthropi, an aerobic, glucose-nonfermenting gram-negative rod, is predominantly an opportunistic pathogen affecting immunosuppressed patients. This case report describes a 27-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed persistent B. anthropi bacteremia following a pregnancy termination.

Knowledge mapping and emerging trends in cognitive impairment associated with chronic pain: A 2000-2024 bibliometric study.

Chronic pain is commonly recognized as a distressing symptom or a standalone disease, with over half of those affected experiencing cognitive impairment, which significantly impacts their quality of life. Despite a recent surge in literature on cognitive impairment associated with chronic pain, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis in this field has yet to be conducted. In this study, we performed a bibliometric analysis on this topic.

Isotopes unveil overestimation of nutrient-driven oxygen deficit in the tidal rivers of Pearl River Delta during the wet season.

A low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in summer has been observed in river-estuary systems worldwide. Many studies have caused our stereotype that biochemical oxygen depletion was higher in summer than in winter; however, there was no direct evidence particularly in the tidal river with complex hydrological and biochemical processes. This study employed natural-abundance and labeled isotopes to quantify seasonal apportionment of biochemical oxygen depletion.

Causative diseases of bloody sputum and hemoptysis in respiratory clinics in Japan.

Background: No previous studies have compared respiratory clinics and respiratory specialized facilities regarding causative diseases for bloody sputum and hemoptysis in Japan.

Methods: We retrospectively compared causative diseases for bloody sputum and hemoptysis between 3 respiratory clinics (clinic group) and 7 departments of respiratory medicine at hospitals (hospital group) in Japan.

Results: We collected data from 231 patients (median age, 51 years; age range, 24-96 years; 109 men (47.

Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on the gut microbiota and metabolites in the small intestine, cecum, and colon of male rats.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; Ecstasy) is a widely abused recreational drug that has also gained interest for potential clinical applications in mental health. With the growing recognition of gut microbiota's role in mental health, this study examined whether repeated oral MDMA administration could affect gut microbiota in the small intestine, cecum, and colon of male rats. Repeated oral MDMA administration (10 mg/kg/day for 14 days) caused significant changes in the gut microbiota across these regions, with distinct effects observed in each.

Voluntary blinks and eye-widenings, but not spontaneous blinks, facilitate perceptual alternation during continuous flash suppression.

The fact that blinks occur more often than necessary for ocular lubrication has led to the proposal that blinks are involved in altering some aspects of visual cognition. Previous studies have suggested that blinking can modulate the alternation of different visual interpretations of the same stimulus, that is, perceptual alternation in multistable perception. This study investigated whether and how different types of blinks, spontaneous and voluntary, interact with perceptual alternation in a multistable perception paradigm called continuous flash suppression.

Comparing moderate-severe and severe mitral regurgitation in transcatheter aortic valve replacement on 1-year survival: insights from a Japanese Nationwide Registry.

This study aims to compare 1-year outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) between patients with moderate-severe MR and severe MR preoperatively using the Japan Transcatheter Valve Therapy (J-TVT) registry. Patients undergoing TAVR for aortic stenosis between August 2013 and December 2019 with preoperative mitral regurgitation of moderate-severe (group MR3) or severe (group MR4) were included. Patients with a history of valve surgery and dialysis patients were excluded.

SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced immune thrombocytopenia in a patient with orthotopic heart transplantation: A case report and literature review.

Unlabelled: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet counts with increased risk of bleeding. In particular, ITP induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been increasingly reported. Since immunosuppressive regimens in organ transplantation are often the primary cause of increased risk of infection, ITP following solid organ transplantation has occasionally been observed.

Impact of zero-positive end-expiratory pressure on blood transfusion rates in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Bleeding are common in cardiac surgery, with significant impacts on transfusion-related complications and patient prognosis. This study aimed to determine the differences in perioperative blood loss, transfusion rates, and the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) with and without the use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OPCAB).

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 106 adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery without cardiopulmonary bypass from January 2018 to March 2022.

Neonatal gut microbiota and risk of developing food sensitization and allergy.

Background: Food sensitization (FS) develops in early infancy and is a risk factor for subsequent food allergy (FA). Recent evidence suggests relationships of gut microbiota with FS and FA. However, little is known about the role of neonatal gut microbiota in the pathobiology of these manifestations.

Factors associated with stiff knee gait in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Stiff knee gait (SKG) is a common gait pattern in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), characterized by reduced knee flexion excursion during gait. SKG can accelerate KOA progression; however, its underlying mechanisms and associated factors remain unclear. This study aimed to provide preliminary evidence on SKG-associated factors in patients with KOA.