The safety and feasibility of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy: A multicenter retrospective assessment of 425 patients in Japan.

Background/purpose: The Japanese public health insurance system has recently covered robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD). This study aimed to review the results of RPD during the introductory period and elucidate its safety and feasibility in Japan.

Methods: Consecutive data of 425 patients who underwent RPD were retrospectively collected from 10 high-volume centers in Japan between April 2020 and September 2022.

Activities of the Research Group for Comprehensive Research of Gene Mutation-related Rare and Intractable Diseases of the Skin within the Project for Research on Intractable Diseases of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan.

The Hashimoto Research Group for Comprehensive Research of Gene Mutation-related Rare and Intractable Diseases of the Skin is a contributor to the Project for Research on Intractable Diseases of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan. Our research group performs clinical research on 23 rare intractable genetic skin diseases that are classified into eight disease groups. Among the 23 diseases, 17 are mainly studied by our research group, and 6 diseases are studied in collaboration with other research groups.

Gene expression profiles in human dental pulp stem cells treated short-term with lipopolysaccharides before and after osteoinduction.

Objectives: Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are essential for reparative dentinogenesis following damage or infection. DPSCs surrounding the blood vessels in the central region of the dental pulp actively proliferate after tooth injury and differentiate into new odontoblast-like cells or odontoblasts to form reparative dentin. However, the signaling pathways involved in undifferentiated and osteodifferentiated DPSCs under inflammatory conditions remain unclear.

Understanding stress-induced transmission of peripherally derived factors into the brain and responses in non-neuronal cells.

Stress is a significant cause of mental disorders, for which effective treatments remain limited due to an insufficient understanding of its pathogenic mechanisms. Recent research has increasingly focused on non-neuronal cells to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying psychopathology. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on how non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system, including microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, respond to peripherally derived stress-related factors and how these responses contribute to the development of mental disorders.

Efficacy and Safety of Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate in the Management of Hyperkalemia in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced and Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction and Chronic Kidney Disease Treated with Spironolactone: Rationale for and Design of the REGISTA-K Trial.

Background: To evaluate whether sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) enables the up-titration of spironolactone without increasing the risk of hyper- and hypokalemia in patients with heart failure with reduced and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF and HFmrEF) and moderate/severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) who developed hyperkalemia during treatment with suboptimal spironolactone dose.

Methods: The REGISTA-K is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial that examined the efficacy and safety of SZC in up-titrating spironolactone without the occurrence of hyperkalemia or hypokalemia. A total of 266 patients with HFrEF and HFmrEF and hyperkalemia will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either SZC or placebo after treating hyperkalemia with SZC at 25 sites in Japan.

Unveiling the resource potential of space debris: A forecast of valuable metals to 2050.

The proliferation of space debris poses a significant challenge in modern space exploration, with potential repercussions for the future space environment and activities. Various research and technological developments have addressed these concerns, including estimating the number of space debris orbiting the Earth and its efficient removal. This paper proposes a novel resource-oriented perspective on space debris and focuses on the composition and resource potential of space debris.

Real-world status of multimodal treatment of Stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer in Japan: Results from the SOLUTION study, a non-interventional, multicenter cohort study.

Objectives: There is limited consensus on resectability criteria for Stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We examined the patient characteristics, N2 status, treatment decisions, and clinical outcomes according to the treatment modality for Stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC in Japan.

Materials And Methods: Patients with Stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC in Japan were consecutively registered in the SOLUTION study between 2013 and 2014.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Predicting Transarterial Chemoembolization Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Background: Major society guidelines recommend transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as the standard of care for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, predicting treatment response remains challenging.

Aims: As artificial intelligence (AI) may predict therapeutic responses, this systematic review aims to assess the performance and effectiveness of radiomics and AI-based models in predicting TACE outcomes in patients with HCC.

Perceptions, attitudes, and management of obesity in East Asians vs global: A pooled analysis of the ACTION IO survey.

Objective: This ACTION-IO sub-analysis compared attitudes of people with obesity (PwO) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) between South Korea/Japan and global.

Methods: Responses from overall (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 kg/m) and higher BMI (30.0-34.

Added Value of Shaking Chills for Predicting Bacteremia in Patients with Suspected Infection.

Background: Detailed grading of chills is more useful for diagnosing bacteremia than simply classifying the presence or absence of chills. However, its value added to other clinical information has not been evaluated.

Objective: To evaluate the value of adding chills grading to other clinical information compared to simply noting the presence or absence of chills for predicting bacteremia in patients with suspected infection.

Kidney Function, Kidney Function Decline, and the Risk of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: The Stockholm CREAtinine Measurements (SCREAM) Project.

Objective: Low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) increases the risk of arterial diseases, possibly including abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). This study explored the relationship between eGFR (2008 CKD-EPI equation), annual eGFR decline, and subsequent risk of developing AAA in a large, community based sample.

Methods: This was an observational study using complete healthcare records of Stockholm residents free from AAA who underwent routine creatinine testing during 2011 - 2021.

Safety assessment of cyanoacrylate closure for treatment of varicose veins in a large-scale national survey in Japan.

Objective: Cyanoacrylate closure (CAC) is a minimally invasive technique for treating axial venous reflux. However, the incidence of serious adverse events (AEs) related to CAC is concerning. With an increasing number of patients undergoing CAC and insufficient safety data in Japan, this study aimed to investigate the safety profile of CAC, focusing on the types and incidence of AEs.

Extrasinusoidal macrophages are a distinct subset of immunologically active dural macrophages.

Although macrophages in the meningeal compartments of the central nervous system (CNS) have been comprehensively characterized under steady state, studying their contribution to physiological and pathological processes has been hindered by the lack of specific targeting tools in vivo. Recent findings have shown that the dural sinus and its adjacent lymphatic vessels act as a neuroimmune interface. However, the cellular and functional heterogeneity of extrasinusoidal dural macrophages outside this immune hub is not fully understood.

Visualization of four-dimensional X-ray absorption fine structure data using a virtual reality system.

X-ray spectromicroscopy is extensively utilized for nondestructive mapping of chemical states in materials. However, understanding and analyzing the geometric and topological aspects of such data pose challenges due to their representation in 4D space, encompassing (x, y, z) coordinates along with the energy (E) axis and often extending to 5D space with the inclusion of time (t) or reaction degree. In this study, we addressed this challenge by developing a new approach and introducing a device named `4D-XASView', specifically designed for visualizing X-ray absorption fine structures (XAFS) data in 4D (comprising 3D space and energy), through a multi-projection system, within the virtual reality (VR) environment.

Impact of the distance of spread through air spaces in non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: Spread through air spaces (STAS) is considered a poor prognostic factor in patients with resected non-small lung cell cancer; however, the clinical significance of STAS extent remains unclear. We hypothesized that the further the tumour cells spread from the tumour edge, the worse the prognosis becomes.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the data of 642 patients with completely resected pathological stage I-III non-small lung cell cancer between 2008 and 2018.

Population-specific reference panel improves imputation quality for genome-wide association studies conducted on the Japanese population.

To improve imputation quality for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted on the Japanese population, we developed and evaluated four Japanese population-specific reference panels. These panels were constructed through the augmentation of the 1000 Genomes Project (1KG) panel using Japanese whole genome sequencing (WGS) data, with sample sizes ranging from 1 K to 7 K individuals enrolled through the Biobank Japan (BBJ) project, and sequencing depths ranging from 3× to 30×. Among these panels, an augmented reference panel comprising 7472 WGS samples of mixed depth (1KG+7K) exhibit the greatest improvement in imputation quality relative to the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) reference panel.

Preventable diagnostic errors of lower gastrointestinal perforation: a secondary analysis of a large-scale multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Lower gastrointestinal perforation (LGP) is an acute abdominal condition associated with a high mortality rate. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial. Nevertheless, a diagnostic delay has been estimated to occur in approximately one-third of the cases, and the factors contributing to this delay are yet to be clearly understood.

International trends in biliary tract cancer-related mortality, 2000-2022: An observational study of the World Health Organization mortality database.

Background Aims: Biliary tract cancers (BTCs), including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA), gallbladder cancer (GBC), and ampullary cancer, exhibit poor prognosis. This study examined temporal trends in mortality due to BTCs and their major subtypes at international, regional, and national levels.

Approach Results: This observational study used the World Health Organization mortality database.

Impact of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder on maternal antenatal depression.

In this study, we aimed to determine the association of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) with maternal antenatal depression. This cross-sectional, online questionnaire-based observational study included 212 pregnant women between gestational ages 24 weeks and 28 weeks 6 days. PMS and PMDD were measured using the PMDD Scale, and maternal antenatal depression was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

A new species of Gosline, 1951 (Actinopterygii, Ophichthidae) from Taiwan.

A unique species of the flappy-snake eel genus, , is described based on a single specimen (270 mm in total length) collected from Dong-gang, southwestern Taiwan. The new species possesses several characters that are distinct from the only other species in the genus, . can be easily distinguished from by having two papillae inside of nasal tube (vs three in ), 25 branchiostegal rays (vs 29), the dorsal-fin origin positioned behind the tip of the pectoral fin (vs not behind, usually above mid-pectoral fin), and the absence of the maxillary teeth (vs present).

Description of a new uniformly brown estuarine moray eel (Anguilliformes, Muraenidae) from the Central Indo-Pacific Ocean.

A new estuarine moray eel, , is described based on 14 specimens from Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, southern Indonesia, and Fiji. It is a small-bodied, slender, uniformly dark-brown moray separated from congeners within the species complex. The new species can be distinguished from congeners by the anteriorly positioned small eyes (5.