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.

Pattern dynamics of the nonreciprocal Swift-Hohenberg model.

We investigate the pattern dynamics of the one-dimensional nonreciprocal Swift-Hohenberg model. Characteristic spatiotemporal patterns such as disordered, aligned, swap, chiral-swap, and chiral phases emerge depending on the parameters. We classify the characteristic spatiotemporal patterns obtained in numerical simulation by focusing on the spatiotemporal Fourier spectrum of the order parameters.

Heterogeneity-provoked pulse generation in coupled excitable elements.

Pulse generation in a spatially extended system is studied numerically. Using an array of coupled excitable oscillators, pulse generation is achieved by introducing a parametric heterogeneity between the two partitions of the array. The profile of the propagating pulses can be regulated using the parameter mismatch between these two partitions.

Efficacy and safety of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: a single-center, single-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising therapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This clinical trial aims to evaluate the influence of taVNS on autonomic functions, rectal sensation, and acetylcholine (Ach) levels and to explore potential mechanisms involving gut microbiota and metabolic profiles.

Methods: This study was a single-center, single-blind, randomized controlled trial executed at the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Anhui, China.

Improved prognosis of de novo metastatic prostate cancer after an introduction of life-prolonging agents for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: In Japan, since 2014, new treatments such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and cabazitaxel have become applicable for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), leading to dramatic changes in treatment options.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of recent advancements in treatment options on the overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) in Japan.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2450 Japanese men diagnosed with de novo mCSPC between 2008 and 2018.

Taiso practice and risk of functional disability and dementia among older adults in Japan: The JAGES cohort study.

Background: Taiso is a Japanese term encompassing meanings akin to calisthenics. Taiso is a widely used exercise program in Japan but whether it prevents functional disability and dementia remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the association between practicing Taiso, especially focusing on the well-known Radio-Taiso, and functional disability and dementia in older adults in Japan.

Street View Image-Based Road Marking Inspection System Using Computer Vision and Deep Learning Techniques.

Road markings are vital to the infrastructure of roads, conveying extensive guidance and information to drivers and autonomous vehicles. However, road markings will inevitably wear out over time and impact traffic safety. At the same time, the inspection and maintenance of road markings is an enormous burden on human and economic resources.

Transcriptome Analysis of Fibroblasts in Hypoxia-Induced Vascular Remodeling: Functional Roles of CD26/DPP4.

In hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (PH), pulmonary vascular remodeling is characterized by the emergence of activated adventitial fibroblasts, leading to medial smooth muscle hyperplasia. Previous studies have suggested that CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) plays a crucial role in the pathobiological processes in lung diseases. However, its role in pulmonary fibroblasts in hypoxic PH remains unknown.

A practice-oriented genome-profiling study for acute myeloid leukemia using the novel HANDLE system: HM-screen-JAPAN02.

HM-SCREEN-Japan is a multicenter collaborative project in Japan to evaluate the clinical utility of a cancer genome panel in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The HM-SCREEN-JAPAN02 study used the Amoy Myeloid Panel with the HANDLE system, which enables efficient and rapid sequencing, as the genomic testing kit. The Amoy Myeloid Panel targets 53 genes with established clinical significance or high prevalence.

FEM simulation of breast deformation with semi-fluid representation.

Purpose: In image-guided surgery for breast cancer, the representation of the breast deformation between planning and surgery plays a key role. The breast deforms significantly and behaves as a fluid with some constraints. Concretely, the deep fat layer in the breast deforms fluidly due to its incomplete fixation to the chest wall, while the anchoring structures by fascia avoid excessive deformation.

Residency Program Directors' Perspectives on Overtime Duty Hours and Professional Development Time in Japan.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the perspectives of residency program directors in Japan regarding overtime duty hours and the balance between clinical training and self-improvement activities. This study explores the impact of work-hour regulations on resident well-being and training quality, contributing to global discourse on medical education reform.

Participants And Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 701 residency training hospitals across Japan to investigate their readiness for new duty-hour limits under the Medical Care Act, which categorizes working hours into Level A (960 hours/year), Level B (1440 hours/year), and Level C-1 (1920 hours/year).

Efficacy and safety of applying oxidized regenerated cellulose sheets to the parietal pleura of open chest wounds in thoracic surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: According to a large-scale clinical trial in Japan, segmentectomy for small peripheral non-small cell lung cancer has an advantage over lobectomy in terms of overall survival, while it could also increase the incidence of local recurrence. In ipsilateral reoperations, intrathoracic adhesions from a previous surgery increase the risk of lung injury and bleeding, which may result in intraoperative and postoperative complications. The ability of oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) sheets to prevent postoperative adhesions has been demonstrated in the abdomen, and the same effect is expected in the thoracic region.

Loco-regional relapse pattern and timing after segmentectomy in patients with c-IA non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Segmentectomy has been recognized as the standard procedure for small peripheral lung cancer; however, it has been shown that loco-regional relapse is more common with segmentectomy than with lobectomy. This study aims to investigate the long-term outcomes and loco-regional relapse patterns in patients with clinical stage IA (c-IA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after segmentectomy and compare them with those after lobectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively compared the long-term outcomes of 115 patients who underwent segmentectomy for c-IA NSCLC with those of 292 patients who underwent lobectomy between January 2008 and December 2015.

A Case of Pott's Disease Complicated by Tuberculous Meningitis and Psoas Abscess Diagnosed by Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Drainage.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by (MTB). Disseminated TB can cause various types of complications. Extrapulmonary TB includes TB meningitis, abdominal TB, skeletal TB, Pott's disease (spine), scrofula, and genitourinary TB.

Effect of Mixing Erythritol and Its Fluorine Analogues to Suppress Supercooling.

Erythritol is a latent heat storage material suitable for the utilization of unused heat in the medium temperature range of 100-250 °C. However, the supercooling characteristic of sugar alcohols reduces the energy utilization efficiency. In this study, erythritol and its fluorine analogues are mixed to suppress supercooling.

Tsukamurella conjunctivitidis peritonitis diagnosed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in a patient undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis remains a serious and life-threatening complication in patients undergoing PD. Majority of peritonitis cases are caused by bacteria, with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus being the most common cause. Tsukamurella species are obligate aerobic gram-positive bacilli found in various environments; however, peritonitis caused by Tsukamurella species in association with PD is rare, with few reports of infections caused by T.

Long-term outcome of chemoimmunotherapy for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer according to key clinical trial eligibility: 3-year outcomes from a prospective cohort study.

Background: Chemoimmunotherapy is the standard first-line treatment for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC); however, its real-world long-term outcomes associated with patient backgrounds are still unclear. We explored this association using an updated large real-world prospective cohort with a minimum follow-up of 3 years.

Methods: This prospective cohort study, conducted across 32 hospitals, enrolled patients with ES-SCLC receiving carboplatin, etoposide, and atezolizumab between September 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020.

Exploring the Allelic Diversity of the Self-Incompatibility Gene Across Natural Populations in Petunia (Solanaceae).

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a genetic mechanism to prevent self-fertilization and thereby promote outcrossing in hermaphroditic plant species through discrimination of self and nonself-pollen by pistils. In many SI systems, recognition between pollen and pistils is controlled by a single multiallelic locus (called the S-locus), in which multiple alleles (called S-alleles) are segregating. Because of the extreme level of polymorphism of the S-locus, identification of S-alleles has been a major issue in many SI studies for decades.

Cerebellar contribution to emotion regulation and its association with medial frontal GABA level.

Distancing involves changing perspectives to alter the psychological distance from stimuli that elicit emotional reactions as a tactic to regulate emotions. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging, this study aimed to examine 1) whether the neural correlates of emotion upregulation via distancing differ across emotional valence (i.e.

Microbiome depletion by broad-spectrum antibiotics does not influence demyelination and remyelination in cuprizone-treated mice.

Demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) is a feature of various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut-brain axis may play a crucial role in CNS demyelination. The cuprizone (CPZ) model, which involves the administration of CPZ-containing food pellets, is commonly used to study the effects of different compounds on CNS demyelination and subsequent remyelination.