Differences in disease severity and in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalised for pneumonia with and without intellectual disabilities: A matched-pair retrospective cohort study using nationwide in-patient database.

Background: We examined the association between intellectual disabilities (ID) and pneumonia severity at admission.

Methods: We extracted patients admitted to hospital for pneumonia from July 2010 to March 2018 using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. We measured pneumonia severity using the A-DROP system.

Comparison of Clazosentan and Nimodipine on Vasospasm and Vasospasm-Related Outcomes after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage : A Post-hoc Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Six Randomized Clinical Trials.

Objective: Clazosentan is a recently approved endothelin receptor antagonist indicated for the prevention of vasospasm and related complications following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). To date, no direct, head-to-head comparison between clazosentan and nimodipine has been conducted. In this study, we indirectly assessed the efficacy and safety of these two drugs in preventing vasospasm and its associated outcomes after aSAH.

Acid resistance and bond strength of calcium-containing adhesive on ename.

Introduction And Aims: Marginal sealing by enamel bonding is important to enhance the durability of the restoration and prevent secondary caries after operative procedure. This study aimed to evaluate the enamel acid resistance and bond strength of an experimental calcium-containing adhesive system.

Methods: All materials were provided by Kuraray Noritake Dental, Inc.

Osmoregulation affects elimination of microplastics in fish in freshwater and marine environments.

In recent decades, microplastics (MPs) have emerged as one of the biggest environmental challenges in aquatic environments. Ingestion and toxicity of MPs in seawater (SW) and freshwater (FW) fish have been studied extensively both in field and laboratory settings. However, the basic mechanism of how fish deal with MPs in SW and FW remains unclear, although physiological conditions of fish differ significantly in the two environments.

Development of TAR-200: A novel targeted releasing system designed to provide sustained delivery of gemcitabine for patients with bladder cancer.

Treatment options for recurrent high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (HR NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) are limited, highlighting a need for clinically effective, accessible, and better-tolerated alternatives. In this review we examine the clinical development program of TAR-200, a novel targeted releasing system designed to provide sustained intravesical delivery of gemcitabine to address the needs of patients with NMIBC and of those with MIBC. We describe the concept and design of TAR-200 and the clinical development of this gemcitabine intravesical system in the SunRISe portfolio of studies.

Impact of Fli1 deletion on B cell populations: A focus on age-associated B cells and transcriptional dynamics.

Background: Altered Fli1 expression is associated with various autoimmune diseases, yet its impact on B cells remains unexplored.

Objective: This study investigated the direct effects of Fli1 depletion on B cell populations, focusing on age-associated B cells (ABCs).

Methods: Splenocytes of Fli1 BcKO (Cd19-Cre; Fli1) and Cd19-Cre mice were analyzed flow cytometrically.

Unfolded protein response modulates Tyrosinase levels and melanin production during melanogenesis.

Background: Melanocytes protect the body from ultraviolet radiation by synthesizing melanin. Tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin production, accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during melanin synthesis, potentially causing ER stress. However, regulating ER function for melanin synthesis has been less studied than controlling Tyrosinase activity.

Association between delirium severity and prognosis following Transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Delirium is associated with patient prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, the prognostic impact of subsyndromal delirium, described as an intermediate stage between delirium and normal cognition, is uncertain. The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of delirium severity in patients undergoing TAVI.

Collaboration between dyspnea clinic and primary care physicians to identify heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the community: Results from the Maebashi City HF project.

Background: Despite increasing awareness in general practice, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains under-diagnosed in the community due to diagnostic difficulties. Dedicated dyspnea clinics are responsible for diagnosing HFpEF and efficient referral from primary care physicians is the key to enhance its role.

Methods: This retrospective analysis was performed to assess the effectiveness of a one-year collaborative project between our dyspnea clinic and the Maebashi Medical Association.

Epidemiological analysis of mammary tumors in female dogs in Japan: a study based on Kyushu-Okinawa region.

Canine mammary tumors (CMTs) are common tumors in female dogs (FDs), and at least nearly half of these lesions of malignant. We examined the epidemiology of CMTs in Japan using excisional biopsy cases (n = 7,802) collected from 2005 to 2023 in the Kyushu-Okinawa region. We investigated the prevalence, effects of breed, neutering, and age on CMT and malignant CMT (mCMT) risk through general statistics and multivariate analyses.

Assessing the causal effect of genetically predicted metabolites and metabolic pathways on vitiligo: Evidence from Mendelian randomization and animal experiments.

Vitiligo is a common chronic skin depigmentation disorder that seriously decreases the patients' overall quality of life. Human blood metabolites could contribute to unraveling the underlying biological mechanisms of vitiligo. We used GWAS summary statistics to assess the causal association between genetically predicted 1,400 serum metabolites and vitiligo risk by Mendelian randomization (MR).

A prospective study of the association between lifestyle and the risk of depressive symptoms.

Background: Few studies have prospectively, comprehensively, and by sex, examined the relationship between lifestyle and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to longitudinally examine which lifestyle factors are associated with depressive symptoms in a large cohort of Japanese participants stratified by sex.

Methods: Among 9087 office and community-based residents who attended a health measurement course at the Osaka Medical Center for Health Science and Promotion between 2001 and 2002, 6629 individuals (3962 men and 2667 women) without prior depressive symptoms were followed until the end of March 2012 to observe the associations between lifestyle factors and the development of new depressive symptoms.

Impact of meropenem exposure on fluoroquinolone and carbapenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in inpatients in a Japanese university hospital: Insights into oprD mutations and efflux pump overexpression.

Objectives: In Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, emerging meropenem resistance beyond imipenem resistance has become a problem. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the in vivo acquisition of antimicrobial resistance in fluoroquinolone- and carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical isolates, the underlying molecular mechanisms, and exposure to antimicrobial agents.

Estimated Glucose Disposal Rate predicts the risk of incident Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Objectives: There is a relationship between insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) has been reported as a surrogate marker of insulin resistance. This study aimed to investigate the association between eGDR and the incident MASLD, and compare the ability to predict incident MASLD with other insulin resistance markers.

Methods: Retrospective cohort data from a health check-up program were analyzed.

Inverse dose protraction effects of high-LET radiation: evidence and significance.

Biological effects of ionizing radiation vary with radiation quality, which is often expressed as the amount of energy deposited per unit length, i.e., linear energy transfer (LET).

DNA damage triggers the death of green sea turtle-derived cells at high temperature.

As temperatures rise due to increasingly severe global warming, the effect of high temperatures on wildlife, including green sea turtles, is one of the issues that must be addressed to ensure the conservation of biodiversity. In the current study, we found that green sea turtle cell death due to apoptosis occurred at 37 °C, which suppressed cell proliferation. We also found that high temperature-induced heat stress led to the accumulation of DNA damage in green sea turtle cells.

FilmArray® Effectively Detects All Clades of F41 but Encounters Challenges with Other Adenovirus Species.

The BioFire FilmArray® Gastrointestinal (GI) Panel, a widely used diagnostic tool, is designed to detect the genetic material of 22 common pathogens responsible for gastroenteritis, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It can detect human adenovirus (HAdV) species F, particularly serotypes F40 and F41, which are the major causes of diarrhea and mortality in children. However, its potential shortcomings in detecting other HAdV species limit its effectiveness in broader HAdV detection in clinical settings and outbreak investigations.

Endothelial cell (EC)-specific CTGF/CCN2 Expression Increases EC Reprogramming and Atherosclerosis.

Arterial endothelial cells (ECs) reside in a complex biomechanical environment. ECs sense and respond to wall shear stress. Low and oscillatory wall shear stress is characteristic of disturbed flow and commonly found at arterial bifurcations and around atherosclerotic plaques.

Factors affecting 1-year persistence with vedolizumab for ulcerative colitis: a multicenter, retrospective real-world study.

Background/aims: The objectives of this real-world study were to determine 1-year persistence with vedolizumab in patients with ulcerative colitis and to evaluate factors contributing to loss of response.

Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, observational chart review, patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who received ≥ 1 dose of vedolizumab in clinical practice at 16 tertiary hospitals in Japan (from December 2018 through February 2020) were enrolled.

Results: Persistence with vedolizumab was 64.

Current drug therapy for pleural mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy originating from the pleural lining, with a median overall survival of merely 1 year. This cancer primarily arises from mesothelial cells following exposure to carcinogenic, biopersistent mineral fibers, particularly asbestos. The histological subtypes of mesothelioma are epithelioid (approximately 60%), sarcomatoid (20%), and biphasic (20%), exhibiting epithelioid and sarcomatoid characteristics.