Creatinine production rate is an integrative indicator to monitor muscle status in critically ill patients.

Background: Both quantitative and qualitative aspects of muscle status significantly impact clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Comprehensive monitoring of baseline muscle status and its changes is crucial for risk stratification and management optimization. However, repeatable and accessible indicators are lacking.

Construction of a prognostic model for gastric cancer based on immune infiltration and microenvironment, and exploration of MEF2C gene function.

Background: Advanced gastric cancer (GC) exhibits a high recurrence rate and a dismal prognosis. Myocyte enhancer factor 2c (MEF2C) was found to contribute to the development of various types of cancer. Therefore, our aim is to develop a prognostic model that predicts the prognosis of GC patients and initially explore the role of MEF2C in immunotherapy for GC.

Area of Residual Tumor Measurement After Preoperative Chemotherapy as an Objective and Quantitative Method for Predicting the Prognosis of Gastric Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Pathological regression grade after chemotherapy evaluated by surgically resected specimens is closely related with prognosis. Since usefulness of measuring the area of the residual tumor (ART) has been reported, this study aimed to evaluate the utility of ART in predicting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC) who received preoperative chemotherapy.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study examined the relationship between ART and survival outcomes.

Slight thermal stress exerts genetic diversity selection at coral (Acropora digitifera) larval stages.

Background: Rising seawater temperatures increasingly threaten coral reefs. The ability of coral larvae to withstand heat is crucial for maintaining reef ecosystems. Although several studies have investigated coral larvae's genetic responses to thermal stress, most relied on pooled sample sequencing, which provides population-level insights but may mask individual genotype variability.

Artificial dural regeneration matrix as a substitute for autologous tissue in indirect bypass in Moyamoya disease: Investigation of a rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

Indirect bypass using autologous tissue is effective in Moyamoya disease, especially among pediatric patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of indirect bypass using DuraGen (absorbable artificial dura mater composed of collagen matrix), as a substitute for autologous tissue in a rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Male Wistar rats were subjected to bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion and divided into three groups: a control group without bypass surgery, a group wherein indirect bypass was performed using the temporalis muscle (encephalo-myo-synangiosis [EMS] group), and a group wherein DuraGen was used (Dura group).

Changes in swallowing response on patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Purpose: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) often causes dysphagia. The risk of dysphagia increases during CRT tends to become more severe after finishing CRT, and persists for a few weeks thereafter. Thus, understanding the changes in swallowing physiology during and immediately after CRT is essential.

Kinetics of reformation of the S state capable of progressing to the S state after the O release by photosystem II.

The active site for water oxidation in photosystem II (PSII) comprises a MnCaO cluster adjacent to a redox-active tyrosine residue (Tyr). During the water-splitting process, the enzyme transitions through five sequential oxidation states (S to S), with O evolution occurring during the STyr· to STyr transition. Chloride also plays a role in this mechanism.

Little influence of the abandoned sac on seroma formation following laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal repair of lateral inguinal hernia.

Background: The impact of completely reducing or transecting a hernia sac on seroma formation in laparoscopic surgery for lateral inguinal hernias remains debated. To date, no studies have compared the incidence of seroma in hernia sacs left untouched versus other surgical approaches. Abandoning the hernia sac involves avoiding manipulation of the inguinal canal, unlike the manipulation required for transection or reduction of the hernia sac.

Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome as paraneoplastic syndrome of Waldenström macroglobulinemia: a case report.

Reports of glomerulonephritis associated with lymphoproliferative disorders are common, but reports of minimal change disease (MCD) accompanying non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are rare. Here, we present a case of a 45-year-old woman diagnosed with primary Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) during MCD treatment. Her kidney biopsy revealed endothelial cell injury in parts of the MCD.

Association of falls with risk of dementia and all-cause mortality: a cohort study of Japanese older adults with a 9-year follow-up.

Objective: Many risk factors affect dementia and all-cause mortality. However, whether falls are a risk factor for dementia and all-cause mortality is unclear. The study examines the association of falls with the risk of dementia and all-cause mortality, and whether dementia mediates the association of falls with all-cause mortality.

Local structure of amorphous sulfur in carbon-sulfur composites for all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries.

All-solid-state (ASS) batteries are a promising solution to achieve carbon neutrality. ASS lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries stand out due to their improved safety, achieved by replacing organic solvents, which are prone to leakage and fire, with solid electrolytes. In addition, these batteries offer the benefits of higher capacity and the absence of rare metals.

Serum laminin γ2 monomer as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: The identification of effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers is critical to improving the outcomes of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We explored the potential of serum levels of laminin γ2 monomer (LG2m) as a biomarker in PDAC.

Methods: This study included two cohorts.

Chronic kidney disease is a major risk factor for mortality in triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy patients.

Triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy (TGCV) is a rare cardiovascular disorder caused by defective intracellular lipolysis of triglyceride, resulting in heart failure and diffuse narrowing atherosclerosis. Recently, the registry of TGCV patients in Japan revealed that the 3-year overall survival rate was 80.1% and the 5-year overall survival rate was 71.

Optimizing the NGS-based discrimination of multiple lung cancers from the perspective of evolution.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers a promising approach for differentiating multiple primary lung cancers (MPLC) from intrapulmonary metastasis (IPM), though panel selection and clonal interpretation remain challenging. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from 80 lung cancer samples were utilized to simulate MPLC and IPM, with various sequenced panels constructed through gene subsampling. Two clonal interpretation approaches primarily applied in clinical practice, MoleA (based on shared mutation comparison) and MoleB (based on probability calculation), were subsequently evaluated.

Effectiveness and safety of hypofractionated gamma knife radiosurgery for large meningiomas and those adjacent to the optic pathway and brainstem: preliminary therapeutic outcomes.

Recent technologic advancements have facilitated the use of hypofractionated Gamma Knife-based radiosurgery (HF-GKRS) to treat large lesions or those in eloquent areas. This study aimed to analyze the preliminary results of HF-GKRS for these meningiomas, and to determine its effectiveness and safety. This single-center retrospective study analyzed data of patients who underwent HF-GKRS for large meningiomas or those in eloquent areas with > 6 months of follow-up.

Triple mosaic variants of PURA in a patient with multiple congenital anomalies.

In monogenic diseases, double mosaic variants of the same gene have rarely been identified. Here, we report the case of triple mosaic variants in PURA, a gene responsible for a neurodevelopmental syndrome (OMIM# 616158). Whole-exome sequencing identified three somatic PURA variants in our case with a similar neurodevelopmental syndrome: NM_005859.

Dynamic switching between brain networks predicts creative ability.

Creativity is hypothesized to arise from a mental state which balances spontaneous thought and cognitive control, corresponding to functional connectivity between the brain's Default Mode (DMN) and Executive Control (ECN) Networks. Here, we conduct a large-scale, multi-center examination of this hypothesis. Employing a meta-analytic network neuroscience approach, we analyze resting-state fMRI and creative task performance across 10 independent samples from Austria, Canada, China, Japan, and the United States (N = 2433)-constituting the largest and most ethnically diverse creativity neuroscience study to date.

Quantifying crowding perception at large events using beacons and surveys.

Given the increasing urban population and frenetic mobility, understanding how individuals perceive crowding at large-scale events is crucial for effective crowd management and safety. This study focuses on Tokyo Big Sight in Japan exhibitions to examine participants' perceptions of peak crowding times, locations, and local density, and compare them with the actual measurements. Our methodology integrated questionnaires with beacon tag data.

A high fraction of inspired oxygen does not mitigate atelectasis-induced lung tissue hypoxia or injury in experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Although alveolar hyperoxia exacerbates lung injury, clinical studies have failed to demonstrate the beneficial effects of lowering the fraction of inspired oxygen (FO) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Atelectasis, which is commonly observed in ARDS, not only leads to hypoxemia but also contributes to lung injury through hypoxia-induced alveolar tissue inflammation. Therefore, it is possible that excessively low FO may enhance hypoxia-induced inflammation in atelectasis, and raising FO to an appropriate level may be a reasonable strategy for its mitigation.

A multi-modal neuroimaging data release for Meige Syndrome and Facial Paralysis Research.

The sharing of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data is of utmost importance in the field, as it enables a deeper understanding of facial nerve-related pathologies. However, there is a significant lack of multi-modal neuroimaging databases specifically focused on these conditions, which hampers our comprehensive knowledge of the neural foundations of facial paralysis. To address this critical gap and propel advancements in this area, we have released the Multimodal Neuroimaging Dataset of Meige Syndrome, Facial Paralysis, and Healthy Controls (MND-MFHC).

Detection of ultrafast electron energization by whistler-mode chorus waves in the magnetosphere of Earth.

Electromagnetic whistler-mode chorus waves are a key driver of variations in energetic electron fluxes in the Earth's magnetosphere through the wave-particle interaction. Traditionally understood as a diffusive process, these interactions account for long-term electron flux variations (> several minutes). However, theories suggest that chorus waves can also cause rapid (< 1 s) electron acceleration and significant flux variations within less than a second through a nonlinear wave-particle interaction.

White light-emitting electrochemical cells based on metal-free TADF emitters.

The attainment of white emission from a light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) is important, since it enables illumination and facile color conversion from devices that can be cost-efficient and sustainable. However, a drawback with current white LECs is that they either employ non-sustainable metals as an emitter constituent or are intrinsically efficiency limited by that the emitter only converts singlet excitons to photons. Organic compounds that emit by thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) can address these issues since they can harvest all excitons for light emission while being metal free.

Schlafen 11 Expression in Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer and Its Association With Clinical Outcomes.

Background: Schlafen 11 (SLFN-11) has been identified as a sensitizer of tumor cells to DNA-damaging agents. However, the relationship between SLFN-11 expression and clinical outcomes in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains unexplored. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the impact of SLFN-11 expression on survival in patients with limited-stage (LS) SCLC.