Effect of postoperative peripheral nerve blocks on the analgesia nociception index under propofol anesthesia: an observational study.

Purpose: The analgesia nociception index (ANI), also referred to as the high frequency variability index (HFVI), is reported to be an objective measure of nociception. This study investigated changes in ANI after peripheral nerve blocks (PNB) under general anesthesia. Understanding these changes could enhance assessment of PNB efficacy before emergence from general anesthesia.

Comparison of the incidence of proteinuria and changes in eGFR among febuxostat and topiroxostat users.

Background: Febuxostat and topiroxostat are non-purine selective xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitors commonly used for hyperuricaemia treatment in Japan. However, comparative data on the effects of febuxostat and topiroxostat on renal function and proteinuria are limited. This study compared proteinuria incidence and changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among prevalent febuxostat and topiroxostat users.

Alien toxic toads suppress individual growth and phenotypic development of native predatory salamanders.

Alien species can influence populations of native species through individual-level effects such as predation, competition, and poisoning. For alien species that possess strong defensive chemicals, poisoning is one of the most powerful mechanisms of individual-level effects on native biota. Although toxic alien species could potentially negatively affect survival (lethal effects) or life history traits (sub-lethal effects) of native predators via poisoning, previous studies have mainly focused on acute lethal effects.

An evaporite sequence from ancient brine recorded in Bennu samples.

Evaporation or freezing of water-rich fluids with dilute concentrations of dissolved salts can produce brines, as observed in closed basins on Earth and detected by remote sensing on icy bodies in the outer Solar System. The mineralogical evolution of these brines is well understood in regard to terrestrial environments, but poorly constrained for extraterrestrial systems owing to a lack of direct sampling. Here we report the occurrence of salt minerals in samples of the asteroid (101955) Bennu returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission.

Methanol transfer supports metabolic syntrophy between bacteria and archaea.

In subsurface methanogenic ecosystems, the ubiquity of methylated-compound-using archaea-methylotrophic methanogens-implies that methylated compounds have an important role in the ecology and carbon cycling of such habitats. However, the origin of these chemicals remains unclear as there are no known energy metabolisms that generate methylated compounds de novo as a major product. Here we identified an energy metabolism in the subsurface-derived thermophilic anaerobe Zhaonella formicivorans that catalyses the conversion of formate to methanol, thereby producing methanol without requiring methylated compounds as an input.

Pivotal roles of Plasmodium falciparum lysophospholipid acyltransferase 1 in cell cycle progression and cytostome internalization.

The rapid intraerythrocytic replication of Plasmodium falciparum, a deadly species of malaria parasite, requires a quick but constant supply of phospholipids to support marked cell membrane expansion. In the malarial parasite, many enzymes functioning in phospholipid synthesis pathway have not been identified or characterized. Here, we identify P.

East Asian expatriate football players and national team success: Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean players in Europe (2000-2024).

This study investigated the influence of Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean football players' participation in European leagues on their national teams' FIFA rankings from 2000 to 2024. Utilizing data from 22,972 matches featuring 392 players across 36 European leagues and 12 tournaments or cup competitions, survival and conditional process analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between expatriate player counts, appearances, playing time, and FIFA rankings. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between the number of expatriate players, particularly in top-tier leagues, and national team rankings.

Deep learning model based prediction of vehicle CO emissions with eXplainable AI integration for sustainable environment.

The transportation industry contributes significantly to climate change through carbon dioxide ( ) emissions, intensifying global warming and leading to more frequent and severe weather phenomena such as flooding, drought, heat waves, glacier melting, and rising sea levels. This study proposes a comprehensive approach for predicting emissions from vehicles using deep learning techniques enhanced by eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) methods. Utilizing a dataset from the Canadian government's official open data portal, we explored the impact of various vehicle attributes on emissions.

Optimizing dental implant identification using deep learning leveraging artificial data.

This study aims to evaluate the potential enhancement in implant classification performance achieved by incorporating artificially generated images of commercially available products into a deep learning process of dental implant classification using panoramic X-ray images. To supplement an existing dataset of 7,946 in vivo dental implant images, a three-dimensional scanner was employed to create implant surface models. Subsequently, implant surface models were used to generate two-dimensional X-ray images, which were compiled along with original images to create a comprehensive dataset.

Sucrose-preferring gut microbes prevent host obesity by producing exopolysaccharides.

Commensal bacteria affect host health by producing various metabolites from dietary carbohydrates via bacterial glycometabolism; however, the underlying mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we identified Streptococcus salivarius as a unique anti-obesity commensal bacterium. We found that S.

Crescents and CKD progression in diabetic nephropathy.

Objectives: Crescents play important roles in the pathophysiology of patients with biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, their relationship to disease severity and progression has not been fully clarified.

Methods: We assessed 142 participants in a retrospective cohort study of biopsy-proven DN.

Pancreatectomies with vein resection: Two large institutions' experience of East and West.

Background: The effectiveness and preferred reconstruction methods of pancreatectomy associated with vein resection (PAVR) for pancreatic cancer, especially for the extensive portal vein/superior mesenteric vein (PV/SMV) resections (more than 4 cm), are still subjects of debate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of PAVR by analyzing data from two large institutions from different regions.

Methods: From 2008 to 2018, we identified consecutive series of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent PAVR at Karolinska University Hospital (KUH), Sweden, and Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation of Cancer Research (JFCR), Japan.

Current Status and Prospects of Regional Collaborative Pathways for Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Japan - A Nationwide Survey.

Background: Comprehensive management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) requires seamless treatment across institutions, including intensive care centers and local clinics. However, maintaining guideline-directed medical therapy remains challenging. One promising option to improve the situation may be the implementation of regional collaborative clinical pathways.

An Underlying Mechanism for the Altered Hypoglycemic Effects of Nateglinide in Rats with Acute Peripheral Inflammation.

The hypoglycemic effects of nateglinide (NTG) were examined in rats with acute peripheral inflammation (API) induced by carrageenan treatment, and the mechanisms accounting for altered hypoglycemic effects were investigated. NTG was administered through the femoral vein in control and API rats, and its plasma concentration profile was characterized. The time courses of the changes in plasma glucose and insulin levels were also examined.

Experimental and DFT Studies of Intermolecular Interaction-Assisted Oxindole Cyclization Reaction of Di-t-butyl 2-Aminophenyl-2-methyl Malonate.

Density functional theory calculations on the cyclization of di-t-butyl 2-(2-aminophenyl)-2-methyl malonate (1) to t-butyl 3-methyloxindole-3-carboxylate (2) reveal that acetic acid-assisted protonation of the carbonyl oxygen atom reduces the activation Gibbs free energy significantly lower than methanol-assisted pathways. Experimental data confirm that reaction concentration plays a pivotal role in oxindole formation. Experimental results also indicate distinct reaction mechanisms at low and high concentrations.

In-Situ Monitoring of Dissolution and Crystallization Processes of Carbamazepine Using Low-Frequency Raman Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis.

Optimization of the manufacturing process based on scientific evidence is essential for quality control of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Real-time monitoring can ensure the production of stable quality crystals in the crystallization process. Raman spectroscopy is an attractive tool for pharmaceutical quality evaluation and process analytical technology because of its ability to analyze samples non-destructively and rapidly.

Efficacy of asfotase alfa in a patient with adult-onset hypophosphatasia without obvious bone lesions: a case report with review of literature.

The use of asfotase alfa, a bone-targeted recombinant alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme, for the treatment of adult-onset hypophosphatasia (HPP) remains controversial, particularly in patients without evident bone abnormalities. We report the case of a 41-year-old woman with a history of Graves' disease, who presented with progressive joint pain and severe fatigue. Despite the absence of bone lesions, the patient was diagnosed with HPP based on persistently low alkaline phosphatase levels, family history, and a novel heterozygous ALPL variant (p.

Lobectomy Increases Postoperative Pulmonary Artery Enlargement to a Greater Extent than Segmentectomy.

Purpose: The underlying mechanism why segmentectomy has demonstrated the non-inferiority to lobectomy in several randomized trials remains unclear. Computed tomography (CT)-measured pulmonary artery (PA) enlargement reflects PA pressure and predicts the prognosis of certain respiratory diseases. We compared the preoperative and postoperative PA diameter to the ascending aorta diameter (PA/A) ratio, investigating its impact on right ventricular function in lung resection.

Usefulness of Artificial Pneumothorax during Totally Endoscopic Off-Pump Left Atrial Appendage Closure and Surgical Ablation.

Purpose: In totally endoscopic off-pump left atrial appendage (LAA) closure and surgical ablation, securing the operative field is sometimes difficult in some patients because of a narrow working space caused by an elevated diaphragm or ventricles. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a method that facilitates securing the operative field using an artificial pneumothorax.

Methods: We analyzed 71 consecutive patients who underwent totally endoscopic off-pump LAA closure and bilateral pulmonary vein isolation.

Hans's algorithm and MYD88 mutation may affect prognosis of primary central nervous system B-cell lymphoma.

Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas account for 1.9-3% of all brain tumors, with the majority being histologically classified as primary large B-cell lymphoma of the CNS (PCNS-LBCL). PCNS-LBCL is characterized by mature germinal center-exit B cells, and most cases of this phenotype are classified as activated B-cell-like phenotype according to gene expression profiling, or as non-germinal center B-cell-like phenotype (non-GCB type) according to Hans's algorithm.

Patient Journey to Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis Diagnosis - A Japanese Claims Database Study.

Background: Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an under-recognized cause of heart failure (HF) in older adults. Delayed ATTR-CM diagnosis may result in more advanced symptoms. This study describes the journey of Japanese patients with ATTR-CM.

Analytical and Clinical Validation of the Plasma-Based Guardant360 CDx Test for Assessing HER2 (ERBB2) Mutation Status in Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer for Treatment with Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in DESTINY-Lung01/02.

This study demonstrates the analytical and clinical validity of the approved (United States and Japan) plasma-based Guardant360 companion diagnostic (CDx) test for selecting patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2 [ERBB2])-mutated (HER2m) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) treatment. Concordance between the Guardant360 CDx test and the plasma-based AVENIO ctDNA Expanded Kit Assay (AVENIO), as well as the tissue-based clinical trial assays (CTAs) was investigated. Clinical utility was assessed by comparing T-DXd clinical efficacy results of patients in DESTINY-Lung01/02 who tested positive for HER2 mutations using the Guardant360 CDx test to benchmark efficacy results from DESTINY-Lung01/02.

Analytical approaches to evaluate risk factors of multimorbidity: a systematic scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Understanding causal risk factors that contribute to the development of multimorbidity is essential for designing and targeting effective preventive strategies. Despite a large body of research in this field, there has been little critical discussion about the appropriateness of the various analytical approaches used. This proposed scoping review aims to summarise and appraise the analytical approaches used in the published literature that evaluated risk factors of multimorbidity and to provide guidance for researchers conducting analyses in this field.