Aspirin versus Clopidogrel monotherapy beyond 1 month after complex percutaneous coronary intervention: A pre-specified subgroup analysis of the STOPDAPT-3 trial.

Aims: There were no previous studies comparing aspirin versus P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy following short dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: We conducted a prespecified subgroup analysis based on complex PCI in the 1-year results of the STOPDAPT-3 trial, which randomly compared 1-month DAPT followed by aspirin monotherapy (aspirin group) to 1-month prasugrel monotherapy followed by clopidogrel monotherapy (clopidogrel group). The main analysis in the present study was the 30-day landmark analysis.

Substantial Impact of Later-Life Depression Among Community Older Adults on the Family Caregivers' Burden in the Home Care Setting of Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

: Depression is a common geriatric problem globally. It is particularly burdensome in low- and middle-income countries, where care for older people mainly relies on the family in the absence of long-term care facilities. This study aimed to assess the level of caregivers' burden among family caregivers who are taking care of older persons with depression in the home care setting within the communities of Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

The Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of -Associated Hearing Loss in 15,684 Hearing Loss Patients.

belongs to the unconventional myosin superfamily, and the myosin IIIa protein localizes on the tip of the stereocilia of vestibular and cochlear hair cells. Deficiencies in have been reported to cause the deformation of hair cells into abnormally long stereocilia with an increase in spacing. is a rare causative gene of autosomal recessive sensorineural hearing loss (DFNB30), with only 13 cases reported to date.

Evaluating the Diagnostic Value of Lymphocyte Subsets in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Peripheral Blood Across Various Diffuse Interstitial Lung Disease Subtypes.

Diffuse interstitial lung diseases (ILD) include conditions with identifiable causes such as chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP), sarcoidosis (SAR), chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP), and connective tissue disease-associated interstitial pneumonia (CTD), as well as idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) of unknown origin. In non-IIP diffuse lung diseases, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid appearance is diagnostic. This study examines lymphocyte subsets in BAL fluid and peripheral blood of 56 patients with diffuse ILD, excluding idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), who underwent BAL for diagnostic purposes.

NADH Reductive Stress and Its Correlation with Disease Severity in Leigh Syndrome: A Pilot Study Using Patient Fibroblasts and a Mouse Model.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a critical cofactor in mitochondrial energy production. The NADH/NAD ratio, reflecting the balance between NADH (reduced) and NADoxidized, is a key marker for the severity of mitochondrial diseases. We recently developed a streamlined LC-MS/MS method for the precise measurement of NADH and NAD.

Comparison of BCG Tokyo172 Strain Induction Therapy Between Low Dose and Standard Dose for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Intravesical Instillation of BCG Tokyo172 Strain.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify factors that predict recurrence by comparing low-dose and standard-dose Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) induction therapy in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Methods: A total of 273 consecutive NMIBC patients who received low-dose (40 mg) or standard-dose (80 mg) BCG intravesical instillation therapy between January 2004 and December 2023 were analyzed. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test.

Effect of Body-Weight-Based Resistance Training on Balance Ability and Fear of Falling in Community-Dwelling Older Japanese Women.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week body-weight-based resistance training program on balance ability and fear of falling in community-dwelling older women.

Methods: Twenty-three older women were assigned to either an intervention group that performed the low-load resistance training with slow movement using the body weight (LRT group; = 12) or a control group (CON group; = 11). The LRT group participated in the exercise session twice weekly for 12 weeks, while the CON group maintained their daily routine.

Rapid human oogonia-like cell specification via transcription factor-directed differentiation.

The generation of germline cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represents a milestone toward in vitro gametogenesis. Methods to recapitulate germline development beyond primordial germ cells in vitro have relied on long-term cell culture, such as 3-dimensional organoid co-culture for ~four months. Using a pipeline with highly parallelized screening, this study identifies combinations of TFs that directly and rapidly convert hiPSCs to induced oogonia-like cells (iOLCs).

Real-world effectiveness of mepolizumab in Japanese asthma patients with diverse backgrounds: Improvements in rhinosinusitis imaging (J-Real-Mepo).

Background: Although randomized controlled trials (RCT) have demonstrated the efficacy of mepolizumab for asthma, they have excluded certain patient subgroups. To bridge the gap between RCT and real-world practice, the effectiveness of mepolizumab in a diverse population, including those potentially excluded from RCT, was assessed. Its effects on imaging findings and symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with asthma were also assessed.

KDIGO 2025 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation, management, and treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD): executive summary.

The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2025 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation, Management, and Treatment of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) represents the first KDIGO guideline on this subject. Its scope includes nomenclature, diagnosis, prognosis, and prevalence; kidney manifestations; chronic kidney disease (CKD) management and progression, kidney failure, and kidney replacement therapy; therapies to delay progression of kidney disease; polycystic liver disease; intracranial aneurysms and other extrarenal manifestations; lifestyle and psychosocial aspects; pregnancy and reproductive issues; pediatric issues; and approaches to the management of people with ADPKD. The guideline has been developed with patient partners, clinicians, and researchers around the world, with the goal to generate a useful resource for healthcare providers and patients by providing actionable recommendations.

Effects of Acute Phase Intensive Exercise Training in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

Background: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) leads to hospitalizations and functional decline in older adults. Although cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is effective for stable heart failure, its impact on ADHF patients, particularly those without frailty, is unclear.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of early in-hospital CR for patients hospitalized with ADHF who are not frail.

Clinical and genetic spectrum of patients with IRF2BPL syndrome.

Interferon regulatory factor 2 binding protein-like (IRF2BPL) is a single-exon gene that is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues, including the brain. IRF2BPL encodes a transcription factor with two zinc-finger domains that potentially downregulate WNT signaling in the nervous system. Pathogenic IRF2BPL variants have been reported to cause developmental delay, seizures, myoclonus epilepsies, autistic spectrum disorder, and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Comparative evaluation of ACetic - MEthanol high salt dissociation approach for single-cell transcriptomics of frozen human tissues.

Current dissociation methods for solid tissues in scRNA-seq studies do not guarantee intact single-cell isolation, especially for sensitive and complex human endocrine tissues. Most studies rely on enzymatic dissociation of fresh samples or nuclei isolation from frozen samples. Dissociating whole intact cells from fresh-frozen samples, commonly collected by biobanks, remains a challenge.

Preoperative pembrolizumab‑induced hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient with breast cancer: A case report.

Recently, the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibody pembrolizumab, a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), has been used in preoperative systemic chemotherapy for hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor 2-negative breast cancer, also known as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Chemotherapy with pembrolizumab has demonstrated clinical activity in terms of pathologic complete response and event-free survival. Despite their efficacy, the current understanding of the full spectrum of side effects associated with relatively new ICIs remains incomplete.

Sound levels in the operating theatre resulting from hammering during cementless total hip arthroplasty.

Background: Although hearing loss in orthopaedic surgeons from exposure to hammering sounds have been previously reported, there are no reports on the noise environment during total hip arthroplasty (THA) in Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate the sound level generated by cementless THA in Japan, and to discuss the broader sound environment within this space.

Methods: 94 cementless THAs (94 patients with informed consent) performed by four surgeons were included.

Aneurysmal rupture in microscopic polyangiitis: a case-based review.

Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) affects small and medium vessel, which sometimes leads to arterial aneurysms. In English database, only 15 reports refer to ruptured aneurysms in MPA. We experienced a fatal case with MPA who developed multiple visceral aneurysms, resulting in rupture of the hepatic aneurysm.

Novel Frostbite Cooling Device for Real-time Assessment and Prevention of Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects 29%-68% of patients undergoing anticancer treatments within the first month. Traditional cryotherapy methods, such as frozen gloves, can pose risks. This study evaluates the cool-water electric circulation seat (CECS), which maintains a constant 15°C, as a safer alternative.

Modified approach to external oblique intercostal block: a proof-of-concept pilot case series and anatomical evaluation.

Background: Regional anesthesia techniques that provide analgesia to the entire lateral abdomen are limited. We present a modified external oblique intercostal block for complete lateral abdominal analgesia with a single injection.

Case: We performed a modified version of the external oblique intercostal block unilaterally at the tenth rib along the mid-axillary line in three patients undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (two single injections, one catheter placement) and tested the technique on a cadaver with 20 ml of dye bilaterally.

An At-labeled alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone peptide analog for targeted alpha therapy of metastatic melanoma.

Purpose: Patients who develop metastatic melanoma have a very poor prognosis, and new treatments are needed to improve the response rates. Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) is a promising target for radionuclide therapy of metastatic melanoma, and alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) peptide analogs show high affinities to MC1Rs. Because targeted alpha therapy (TAT) can be a desirable treatment for metastatic melanoma, this study aimed to develop an At-labeled α-MSH peptide analog for TAT of metastatic melanoma.

Coronary Artery Calcification on Chest Computed Tomography as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Adverse Events in Patients With COVID-19 - A Multicenter Retrospective Study in Japan.

Background: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) detected through chest computed tomography (CT) strongly predicts cardiovascular events in asymptomatic individuals undergoing primary prevention. Few studies with limited sample sizes have investigated the predictive value of CAC for cardiovascular complications in COVID-19. This study examined the impact of CAC on cardiovascular complications using a large-scale COVID-19 database.

A single-arm, phase II study of sotorasib plus carboplatin/pemetrexed in advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer patients with KRAS G12C mutation (WJOG14821L, SCARLET).

Background: The efficacy and safety of sotorasib plus platinum-doublet chemotherapy in KRAS G12C-mutated non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (non-Sq NSCLC) were previously reported with limited follow-up period.

Method: SCARLET was a single-arm phase II study of chemotherapy-naïve patients with KRAS G12C-mutated non-Sq NSCLC. Participants received sotorasib 960 mg daily plus four cycles of carboplatin (area under the curve, 5)/pemetrexed 500 mg/m, followed by sotorasib/pemetrexed until disease progression.

Urinary odor molecules in the Otassha Study can distinguish patients with sarcopenia: A pilot study.

Aim: To identify sarcopenia markers in urinary odor.

Methods: We performed solid-phase microextraction from the headspace and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of urinary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 71 healthy individuals and 68 patients diagnosed with sarcopenia according to the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. The mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) of 10 VOCs with a significant difference in the total ion chromatogram of 220 VOCs detected in this study were compared by U-test.