Prognostic relevance of lymph node metastasis in pancreaticoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma: Rational extent and number-based nodal classification for regional lymphadenectomy.

Background: We investigated the rational extent of regional lymphadenectomy and evaluated the prognostic impact of number-based regional nodal classification in patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma.

Methods: This study included 191 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. The nos.

The Relationship Between the Positive Drain Tip Cultures and the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection After Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery.

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a significant complication following pediatric cardiovascular surgery. Although drain tip cultures (DTC) are sometimes used postoperatively to predict SSIs, their diagnostic value in pediatric cardiovascular surgery remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of DTC for predicting SSIs in pediatric cardiovascular surgery patients.

Hydrogel coils in intracranial aneurysm treatment: a multicenter, prospective, randomized open-label trial.

Objective: Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of hydrogel-coated coils (HGCs) to achieve the composite endpoint of decreased recanalization rates and greater safety. Herein, the authors aimed to assess the true ability of second-generation HGCs to prevent recanalization.

Methods: This randomized controlled study, the HYBRID (Hydrocoil Versus Bare Platinum Coil in Recanalization Imaging Data) trial, comparing HGCs with bare platinum coils (BPCs), was conducted in 43 Japanese institutions.

Actionable Gene Alterations Identified in Patients With Malignant Melanoma by Targeted Sequencing in Japan.

Purpose: Precision medicine plays an important role in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Despite its high incidence in White patients, advanced melanoma is rare in Asian countries, hampering prospective clinical trials targeting the Asian population. This retrospective study aimed to elucidate the real-world molecular diagnoses and outcomes of Japanese patients with melanoma using comprehensive genome profiling (CGP).

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 and Tumor Microenvironment Analysis in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Amplified Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Exploratory Analysis of Phase II TRIUMPH Trial.

Purpose: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapies have shown promise in treating -amplified metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Identifying optimal biomarkers for treatment decisions remains challenging. This study explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in predicting treatment responses to trastuzumab plus pertuzumab (TP) in patients with -amplified mCRC from the phase II TRIUMPH trial.

Design and fabrication of customized brain slice matrices using CAD and 3D printing technology.

This study presents a novel method for creating customized brain slice matrices using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing technology. Brain Slice Matrices are essential jigs for the reproducible preparation of brain tissue sections in neuroscience research. Our approach leverages the advantages of 3D printing, including design flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and rapid prototyping, to produce custom-made brain matrices based on specific morphometric measurements.

Retrospective evaluation of a novel ultrasound-based imaging analysis software for predicting radiofrequency ablation areas.

Objective: This study aimed to introduce and evaluate a novel software-based system, BioTrace, designed for real-time monitoring of thermal ablation tissue damage during image-guided radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: BioTrace utilizes a proprietary algorithm to analyze the temporo-spatial behavior of thermal gas bubble activity during ablation, as seen in conventional B-mode ultrasound imaging. Its predictive accuracy was assessed by comparing the ablation zones it predicted with those annotated by radiologists using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) 24 hours post-treatment, considered the gold standard.

Microscopic evidence for nanoparticle-mediated growth of native gold in sulfide deposits at the Higashi-Aogashima Knoll Caldera hydrothermal field.

Gold (or electrum) in hydrothermal fluid precipitates directly from gold sulfide complex and/or partly via suspended nanoparticles. The hydrothermal fluid contains "invisible gold" that is atomically dispersed in sulfide minerals or as nanoparticles with a size of less than 10 nm. However, the contribution of these gold nanoparticles to the formation of native gold and its alloy with silver (electrum) remains unclear.

The effects of lowering barometric pressure on pain behavior and the stress hormone in mice with neuropathic pain.

Background: Lowering barometric pressure (LP) can exacerbate neuropathic pain. However, animal studies in this field are limited to a few conditions. Furthermore, although sympathetic involvement has been reported as a possible mechanism, whether the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis remains unknown.

Comparative cardiovascular safety of romosozumab versus bisphosphonates in Japanese patients with osteoporosis: a new-user, active comparator design with instrumental variable analyses.

This study analyzed the association of romosozumab, a human monoclonal antibody with bone-forming and bone resorption-inhibiting effects, and bisphosphonates with the development of cardiovascular disease among patients with osteoporosis. A new-user design was employed to address selection bias, and instrumental variable analysis was used to address confounding by indication. Japanese patients aged ≥40 years, diagnosed with osteoporosis or experienced a fragility fracture, were admitted to medical facilities covered by a commercial administrative claims database, and newly prescribed romosozumab or bisphosphonates after the commercialization of romosozumab in Japan (March 4, 2019) were included based on verification of a 180-day washout period.

A comparative developmental study of the avian syrinx: Insights into the homology of the sound-producing muscles in birds.

The anatomical innovation of sound-producing organs, which gives rise to a wide variety of sound signals, is one of the most fundamental factors leading to the explosive speciation of modern birds. Despite being a key clue to resolving the homology of sound-controlling muscles among birds, only few studies have explored the embryonic development of syringeal muscles. Using serial histological sections and immunohistochemistry, we described the three-dimensional anatomy and development of the cartilage, muscle, and innervation pattern of the tracheobronchi in three avian species: domestic fowls, cockatiels, and zebra finches.

Protocol for cell image-based spatiotemporal proteomics in budding yeast.

The eukaryotic cell division cycle is a highly conserved process, featuring fluctuations in protein localization and abundance required for key cell cycle transitions. Here, we present a protocol for the spatiotemporal analysis of the proteome during the budding yeast cell division cycle using live-cell imaging. We describe steps for strain construction, cell cultivation, microscopy, and image analysis.

Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein in combination with C-reactive protein for predicting endoscopic activity in Crohn's disease: a single-centre, cross-sectional study.

Background And Objective: Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) is a novel biomarker for Crohn's disease (CD). The utility of combination use of LRG and C-reactive protein (CRP) has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of LRG in combination with CRP to predict endoscopic activity.

Risk scoring system for evaluating pathological upstaging after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: A multicenter study in Japan.

Objectives: Accurate preoperative staging of upper tract urothelial carcinoma is often difficult. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the preoperative factors associated with pathological upstaging in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma undergoing radical nephroureterectomy and to develop a risk-scoring system to assess pathological upstaging.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 386 patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma who underwent radical nephroureterectomy at Tottori University Hospital and affiliated hospitals between January 2015 and December 2021.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Trends in Self-Measured Blood Pressure and Derived Indices: The BOSHI Study.

In this study, we aimed to reveal the trends of self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) and SMBP-derived indices during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The Babies and Their Parents Longitudinal Observation in Suzuki Memorial Hospital in the Intrauterine Period (BOSHI) Study is a prospective cohort study in Japan. Participants were instructed to measure SMBP daily during pregnancy and for 1 month after delivery.

Post-hoc analysis of the tofogliflozin post-marketing surveillance study (J-STEP/LT): Tofogliflozin improves liver function in type 2 diabetes patients regardless of BMI.

Aims/introduction: Patients with type 2 diabetes are at high risk of developing steatotic liver disease (SLD). Weight loss has proven effective in treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in obese patients with type 2 diabetes, with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors showing promising results. However, lean MASLD is more prevalent in Japan, necessitating alternative approaches to body weight reduction.

Potential of non-Western medicines in chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer.

This editorial explores the potential integration of non-Western medicine into radiotherapy for cervical cancer. While radiotherapy remains a radical treatment for cervical cancer, its associated toxicity and decline in quality of life can significantly impact patients' lives. Currently, most treatments are supportive, with no specific treatment options available in Western medicine.

The role of beta band phase resetting in audio-visual temporal order judgment.

Unlabelled: The integration of auditory and visual stimuli is essential for effective language processing and social perception. The present study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying audio-visual (A-V) integration by investigating the temporal dynamics of multisensory regions in the human brain. Specifically, we evaluated inter-trial coherence (ITC), a neural index indicative of phase resetting, through scalp electroencephalography (EEG) while participants performed a temporal-order judgment task that involved auditory (beep, A) and visual (flash, V) stimuli.

KLASS (Korean Laparoendoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study Group) trials: a 20-year great journey in advancing surgical clinical research for gastric cancer.

The Korean Laparoendoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study Group (KLASS) trial series represents a comprehensive body of surgical clinical trials and studies focused on laparoscopic techniques in the treatment of gastric cancer. These trials, conducted and overseen by the KLASS, began with KLASS 01 in 2006 and have progressed to their 14th series as of December 2024. To date, approximately 36 papers, including pivotal publications, have been featured in high-impact journals, significantly advancing the field of gastric cancer treatment.

Bifurcating Method for Subcutaneous Indwelling of Nonabsorbable Threads.

Subcutaneous indwelling of nonabsorbable threads for tissue fixation and tension reduction is often used in plastic surgery and is applied in breast reduction surgery, umbilicoplasty, and in frontalis muscle lifting for congenital ptosis. However, in a few cases, exposure of the indwelling thread necessitates its removal. Exposure of the indwelling threads mostly occurs due to exposure of the knots.

promotes cell apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in osteosarcoma via the modulation of CDCA8/ATF3 by targeting NUSAP1.

Background: () is associated with a variety of malignancies. However, the role of in osteosarcoma and its underlying mechanism are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to explore the role and the mechanism of in osteosarcoma.

The impact of induced stress on reactive and proactive control in depression.

Background: Depression, a widespread mental health issue, is often marked by impaired cognitive control, particularly in managing proactive and reactive processes. The Dual Mechanisms of Control (DMC) framework differentiates between these two modes of cognitive control: proactive control involves sustained goal maintenance, while reactive control is more stimulus-driven and transient. Stress, known to exacerbate cognitive dysfunction in depression, may influence the balance between these control processes, though the specific effects remain poorly understood.

Endoscopic diagnosis and management of eosinophilic esophagitis.

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease, and its incidence and prevalence have recently increased. Eosinophilic esophagitis has not become a rare disease; thus, knowledge for diagnosing it is needed in current clinical practice. The adequate management of endoscopic procedures is particularly important for the diagnosis and evaluation of inflammatory activity and therapeutic responses.

Usefulness and safety of remimazolam in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: A comparative study between elderly and non-elderly patients.

Objectives: In gastroenterology, sedation demand is increasing, although elderly patients are more prone to experiencing adverse events. Remimazolam, a novel ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine, may reduce recovery time after endoscopic procedures.

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of the investigator-initiated trial, which investigated the efficacy and safety of remimazolam in gastrointestinal endoscopy (REM-IICT JP01).

Post-endoscopic sphincterotomy delayed bleeding occurs in patients with just 1-day interruption of direct oral anticoagulants or hemodialysis.

Objective: Endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST), especially when anticoagulants are used, carries a significant risk of delayed bleeding. However, the relationship between the use of antithrombotic agents, including direct oral anticoagulants, and post-EST bleeding remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for post-EST delayed bleeding when antithrombotic agents were administered according to the guidelines.