Nrf2 induction potency of plant-derived compounds determined using an antioxidant response element luciferase reporter and conventional NAD(P)H-quinone acceptor oxidoreductase 1 activity assay.

Objective: Various plants have been reported to contain compounds that promote the transcriptional activity of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to induce a set of xenobiotic detoxifying enzymes, such as NAD(P)H-quinone acceptor oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), via the antioxidant response element (ARE). While conventional methods for evaluating Nrf2 induction potency include measurement of NQO1 activity, an ARE luciferase reporter assay was recently developed to specifically assess Nrf2 induction potency of compounds of interest. In this study, we compared the abilities of these two assays to evaluate and determine Nrf2 induction potency of plant-derived compounds.

Hypermagnesemia caused by fecal-mass obstruction in stenotic rectal cancer following preoperative administration of magnesium citrate.

Background: Hypermagnesemia is a rare complication, leading to fatal cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. We present severe hypermagnesemia developed in a patient with a rectal stenosis after pretreatment with oral magnesium citrate for rectosigmoid surgery.

Case Presentation: A 78-year-old woman demonstrated consciousness disturbance, muscle weakness, and respiratory depression requiring tracheal intubation after preparation with oral magnesium for rectosigmoid surgery.

Updates on Breast Reconstruction: Surgical Techniques, Challenges, and Future Directions.

The increasing global incidence of breast cancer underscores the significance of breast reconstruction in enhancing patients' quality of life. Breast reconstruction primarily falls into two categories: implant-based techniques and autologous tissue transfers. In this study, we present a comprehensive review of various aspects of implant-based reconstruction, including different types of implants, surgical techniques, and their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Long-term outcomes of S-1 and oxaliplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy with total mesorectal excision and lateral lymph node dissection for rectal cancer.

Purpose: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for rectal cancer is limited by its harmful side effects and its insufficient benefit on lateral lymph node metastases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of S-1 and oxaliplatin with total mesorectal excision (TME) and lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) without radiation for rectal cancer.

Methods: The inclusion criteria were patients with stage II or III rectal cancer located within 10 cm from the anal verge.

Undiagnosed mirror syndrome with maternal hypoxemia onset during an emergency cesarean section: A case report.

Rationale: Mirror syndrome is a rare pregnancy condition in which maternal edema is associated with fetal hydrops. Because of its rarity and overlapping symptoms, this condition is often misdiagnosed as another pregnancy complication.

Patient Concerns: A 28-year-old pregnant Japanese woman presented with sudden 7.

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.

A homozygous structural variant of is frequently associated with achromatopsia in Japanese patients with IRD.

Purpose: Achromatopsia (ACHM) is an early-onset cone dysfunction caused by 5 genes with cone-specific functions (, , , and ) and by , a transcription factor with ubiquitous expression. To improve the relatively low variant detection ratio in these genes in a cohort of exome-sequenced Japanese patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRD), we performed genome sequencing to detect structural variants and intronic variants in patients with ACHM.

Methods: Genome sequencing of 10 ACHM pedigrees was performed after exome sequencing.

Lower serum uric acid levels are associated with depressive symptoms in a Japanese general population: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Uric acid (UA) is a final product of purine metabolism and has neuroprotective effects. It has not been established whether serum UA levels are associated with depressive disorder. Thus, we investigated whether serum UA levels are associated with depressive symptoms in a Japanese general population.

Impact of tumor-treating fields on the survival of Japanese patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

Background: The EF-14 clinical trial demonstrated the safety and efficacy of tumor-treating fields (TTFields) for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. This study aimed to clarify the current status, safety, and efficacy of TTFields in Japanese patients who meet the EF-14 inclusion criteria.

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Optimal arithmetic hip-knee-ankle angle for performing prearthritic/kinematic alignment in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether arithmetic hip-knee-ankle angle (aHKA) can be a surrogate for valgus stress radiography (VSR). Furthermore, we investigated the optimal cutoff values for preoperative radiographic parameters, thereby validating the appropriate inclusion criteria for prearthritic/kinematic unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (prearthritic-UKA).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 123 patients who underwent medial UKA.

Association between NF-E2-related factor 2 polymorphism and age-related hearing loss in the general Japanese population from the Iwaki health promotion project.

Background: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the () gene might be associated with several diseases. In the animal models, NRF2 has been reported to be associated with the age-related hearing loss (ARHL). However, the effect of SNPs on ARHL in the general population has not been reported.

Assessment of factors affecting anterior chamber depth from data obtained from health checkup participants in Japan.

Measurement of anterior chamber depth (ACD), an important marker for the screening of primary angle-closure glaucoma, requires biometry, which is not readily used. This study assessed the relationship between ACD and health check-up data findings from participants with good corrected visual acuity in Japan. Participants underwent ophthalmic, anthropometric, and hematological assessments.

DEPTH2 score was associated with cell proliferation and immune cell infiltrations but not with systemic treatment response in breast cancer.

Intratumoral genomic heterogeneity (ITGH), the existence of genotypic and phenotypic variation within an individual tumor, is known to be a key mechanism in treatment resistance. Deviating gene Expression Profiling Tumor Heterogeneity 2 (DEPTH2) algorithm was developed to estimate ITGH using solely RNA expression data unlike the others that require both DNA- and RNA-expression data. Total of 6,500 breast cancer patients from multiple independent cohorts were analyzed using DEPTH2.

Incidence of Elbow Injury Patterns in Japanese Adolescent Judo Players: Analysis from a Nationwide Insurance Database.

Elbow injuries are common in judo, particularly among adolescents. This study investigated the incidence and patterns of three types of elbow injuries (sprain, dislocation, and fracture-dislocation) among Japanese adolescent judo players (12 to 18 years old) using data from a nationwide insurance database, covering the period from 2010 to 2019. A total of 4614 elbow injuries were recorded, with sprains being the most frequent (67.

The potential effectiveness of tolvaptan in critically ill patients including cardiac and noncardiac populations: a retrospective observational study.

We investigated the potential diuretic effectiveness of the selective arginine vasopressin 2 receptor antagonist tolvaptan in critically ill patients including cardiac and noncardiac populations. This was a single-center retrospective observational study. We analyzed the data of our hospital's critically ill adult patients (n = 473) including noncardiac as well as cardiac populations who had an ICU stay ≥ 4 days in 2019-2020 and who did not undergo renal transplantation or permanent renal replacement therapy before their ICU admission.

Primary resistance to nivolumab plus ipilimumab therapy affects second-line treatment outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI) has a long-term response rate of 30% for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). However, 20% of patients develop primary resistant disease (PRD) to NIVO+IPI and show poor survival outcomes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of PRD as a second-line treatment in patients with mRCC.

Real-world outcomes of avelumab plus axitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in Japan: long-term follow-up from the J-DART2 retrospective study.

Background: Avelumab + axitinib was approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) in Japan in December 2019. We report long-term real-world outcomes with first-line avelumab + axitinib from the J-DART2 study in Japan.

Methods: J-DART2 was a multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective study examining clinical data from patients with curatively unresectable locally advanced or metastatic RCC who started treatment with first-line avelumab + axitinib in Japan between December 2019 and October 2022.

Non-small cell lung cancer with synchronous brain metastases: Identification of prognostic factors in a retrospective multicenter study (HOT 1701).

Background: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with a high incidence of brain metastasis (BM), and the prognosis of patients with NSCLC and BM is poor. This study aimed to identify the prognostic factors and elucidate the survival rates of Japanese patients with NSCLC and BM at initial diagnosis.

Methods: HOT 1701 is a retrospective multicenter study of patients with NSCLC and BM at initial diagnosis.