Clinical characteristics of individuals stratified by the number of answered items on the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale.

The 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25) is a tool to identify locomotive syndrome, however, this tool is associated with the problem of a low complete response rate. We conducted this cross-sectional study of 2,474 community-dwelling residents to investigate the clinical characteristics of individuals who are prone to provide incomplete responses to the GLFS-25 questionnaire. The participants were divided into the following four groups based on the number of the GLFS-25 items they answered: 0 (n=279), 1-21 (n=36), 22-24 (n=273), and 25 (n=1,886).

Risk-adapted stereotactic body radiation therapy delivered in four fractions in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Risk-adapted stereotactic body radiation therapy is preferred over conventional radiotherapy at the authors' institution based on the hypothesis that even with a lower than recommended dose, stereotactic body radiation therapy would yield better local control than conventional radiotherapy. This retrospective study was performed to verify the hypothesis. Data from 34 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, who underwent risk-adapted stereotactic body radiation therapy delivered in 4 fractions between 2012 and 2018, were analyzed.

Clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of infection over a 5-year trend at a university hospital in Japan.

() is known to cause intra-abdominal and anaerobic bloodstream infections. However, clinical insights and information on antimicrobial susceptibility in infections are limited. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of infections.

Three-dimensional spiral-shaping method of microcatheter for paraclinoid aneurysms: assessment using silicone models.

Selecting an appropriate microcatheter tip shape for paraclinoid aneurysms is difficult. Therefore, we devised an original simple and uniform three-dimensional (3D) spiral-shaping method of microcatheter and validated the characteristics and usefulness of this method for coil embolization of paraclinoid aneurysms using patient-specific silicone models. These silicone models were produced based on clinical data from four patients with four paraclinoid aneurysms that underwent endovascular treatment using the 3D spiral-shaping method.

An appendiceal mucocele associated with inverted epithelium and submucosal hyperplasia at the appendiceal root: a rare case report.

A 54-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of abnormal colonoscopic findings, including a submucosal protuberance at the appendiceal root. A biopsy showed no malignant findings. Computed tomography revealed a 20-mm cystic lesion with thick walls at the appendiceal root, suggestive of an appendiceal mucocele.

Impact of vasopressin use for postoperative atrial fibrillation in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Postoperative atrial fibrillation complicates 15-40% of cardiac surgery cases and is associated with various adverse health outcomes including high mortality. Although vasopressin administration decreases postoperative atrial fibrillation in on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, its use in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting has not been investigated. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of vasopressin use in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Advance Care Planning Initiatives in Critical Care Centers in Japan: A Case Report.

This report examines the promotion of advance care planning (ACP) for patients admitted to critical care centers and discharged to home. Emergency transport experience allows patients and their families to realistically discuss her ACP.

Eyelid Spindle Cell Lipoma: Case Report and Review of Three Patients in Literature.

A 39-year-old woman presented a saucer-shaped mass in the left upper eyelid and underwent the extirpation at local anesthesia. Pathologically, collagen fibers, capillaries, small vessels, and CD34-positive spindle cells were dispersed among mature adipose tissues, indicative of spindle cell lipoma. Long-lasting cyst-like eyelid masses would be usually dermoid cysts, and spindle cell lipoma would be listed as a rare pathological diagnosis in differential diagnoses of cyst-like lesions in the upper and lower eyelid.

Circumferential Fiber Augmentation Technique Combined With Transtibial Pullout Repair.

This Technical Note describes a surgical approach that combines circumferential fiber augmentation with transtibial pullout repair for the treatment of medial meniscal posterior root tears. To address the challenge of meniscal extrusion and subsequent joint space narrowing that predisposes to osteoarthritis, this technique uses an artificial ligament to add circumferential collagen fiber reinforcement to improve meniscal extrusion. This integrated approach is designed to address the limitations of conventional tibial pullout repairs by potentially providing better results in preventing meniscal extrusion.

All-Inside Arthroscopic Tie-Grip Suture Repair for Radial Tear in the Midbody of Lateral Meniscus Using an All-Inside Device and Slotted Cannula.

Inside-out repair of meniscal tears is the gold standard surgical approach; however, its use is limited by the need for a posterior incision and neurovascular risk. In this Technical Report, we present details of the all-inside arthroscopic tie-grip approach for repairing a radial tear of the midbody of the lateral meniscus using an all-inside device (TRUESPAN) and a slotted cannula. In contrast to the inside-out approach, this technique helps reduce surgical invasiveness and provides stable fixation as the vertical mattress sutures bundle the circumferential fibers and act as rip stops for the horizontal sutures.

Short-process incudo-stapedioplasty in congenital ear malformation.

Objectives: Although various stapedotomy and stapedectomy techniques exist, anchoring the piston can be challenging. We present a novel surgical approach for treating congenital stapes malformations with an atypical facial nerve trajectory.

Methods: This is a case of a 7-year-old boy presenting with bilateral conductive hearing loss.

Elastic cartilage properties of the tip of the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the histological and ultrastructural features of the elastic cartilage at the tip of the vocal process in the arytenoid cartilage, which is essential for laryngeal biomechanics.

Methods: Five larynges, including the vocal folds and epiglottis, were examined using transmission electron microscopy. The elastic cartilage at the tip of the vocal process was compared to the epiglottic cartilage within the same larynx to elucidate structural differences.

New naphthalene-linked pyrazoline-thiazole hybrids as prominent antilung and antibreast cancer inhibitors.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), pioneer members of the receptor tyrosine kinase subfamily, are frequently mutated and/or overexpressed in several types of human cancers, including nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer, which are leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. EGFR and HER2-focused anti-NSCLC and antibreast cancer studies encouraged us to search for new potential agents. For this purpose, in the current work, naphthalene-linked pyrazoline-thiazole hybrids (- and -) were synthesized and examined for their antiproliferative effects on A549 NSCLC and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.

Association between the proportionality of functional mitral regurgitation and survival after mitral valve operation.

Objective: The concept of proportionate and disproportionate functional mitral regurgitation suggests that transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral repair may benefit patients with a smaller left ventricle relative to a higher regurgitant burden. The clinical relevance of proportionality remains unknown in mitral operations for ischemic mitral regurgitation. We aimed to characterize the association between mitral regurgitation proportionality and outcomes after mitral valve operations.

A five-minute drainage assessment prevents reexploration for bleeding.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the five-minute drainage assessment (FMDA) in preventing reexploration for bleeding following cardiovascular surgery.

Methods: This retrospective review included 1280 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery between January 2017 and August 2021. Patients were divided into control (n = 695) and FMDA (n = 585) groups.

Three-dimensional morphometry of the human thoracic aorta using centerline analysis based on least-squares plane fitting.

Objective: A novel approach to 3-dimensional morphometry of the thoracic aorta was developed by applying centerline analysis based on least-squares plane fitting, and a preliminary study was conducted using computed tomography imaging data.

Methods: We retrospectively compared 3 groups of patients (16 controls without aortic disease, and 16 cases each with acute type B aortic dissection and congenital bicuspid aortic valve). In addition to the standard assessment indices for curvature κ and torsion τ, we conducted coordinate transformation based on the least-squares plane, divided the centerline into 3 representative features (transverse, anterior-posterior, and longitudinal displacements), and analyzed the overall and local displacement in each direction.

HMB/Arg/Gln may improve short-term outcomes after esophagectomy in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer.

Background: The wound healing effects of a specialized amino acid supplement containing calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, L-arginine, and L-glutamine (HMB/Arg/Gln) have been reported. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of HMB/Arg/Gln in the perioperative management of patients with thoracic esophageal cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 131 patients who underwent esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer between January 2016 and November 2023.

Charge Transfer-Induced Weakening of Vibronic Coupling for Single Terrylene Molecules Adsorbed onto Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Fluorescence spectra of single terrylene molecules adsorbed on hexagonal boron nitride flakes were recorded at cryogenic temperatures. The pure electronic transitions of terrylene molecules are spread over a broad energy scale from 570 to 610 nm. Surprisingly, peaks in the vibrationally resolved fluorescence spectrum show intensity variations of ≤20-fold between molecules.

Genome Analysis of Japanese Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Strains Isolated From Kawasaki Disease Patients and Other Sources and Their Phylogenetic Positions in the Global Y. pseudotuberculosis Population.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Ypt) is a gram-negative bacterium that infects both humans and animals primarily through fecal‒oral transmission. While Ypt causes acute gastroenteritis in humans, an association with Kawasaki disease (KD), a disease that primarily affects infants and young children and causes multisystemic vasculitis, has also been suspected. Although KD represents a significant health concern worldwide, the highest annual incidence rate is reported in Japan.

Nicotine dependence based on the tobacco dependence screener among heated tobacco products users in Japan, 2022-2023: The JASTIS study.

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are nicotine-containing products similar to cigarettes and are widely used in Japan. However, there has been insufficient research on nicotine dependence associated with HTP use. This study investigated the association of the types of individuals who smoked with the prevalence of nicotine dependence.

The transition process of perceptions of hygiene care practices among nurses in acute-care wards: A grounded theory study.

Aim: To explore how perceptions of hygiene care practices among nurses in acute-care wards change over their clinical experience.

Methods: Based on symbolic interactionism, we employed a grounded theory methodology to explore interrelationships of meaning arising from actors' perceptions and interactions. Thirty-three nurses working in acute-care wards for >3 years were selected by purposive snowball and theoretical sampling; semi-structured individual interviews were conducted from October 2023 to February 2024.

Well-Defined PtCo@Pt Core-Shell Nanodendrite Electrocatalyst for Highly Durable Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The rational design of efficient electrocatalysts with controllable structure and composition is crucial for enhancing the lifetime and cost-effectiveness of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). PtCo nanocrystals have gained attention due to their exceptional activity, yet suffer from stability issues in acidic media. Herein, an active and highly stable electrocatalyst is developed, namely 3D PtCo@Pt core-shell nanodendrites (NDs), which are formed through the self-assembly of small Pt nanoparticles (≈6 nm).