Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical treatment for thoracic malignant tumor cases in Japan: a national clinical database analysis.

Objective: Surgical care has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the pandemic on lung cancer and mediastinal tumor surgery.

Methods: Changes in the number of surgical procedures for lung cancer and mediastinal tumors were analyzed using the National Clinical Database of Japan.

Exploring the association of social isolation and loneliness on the experience of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization in the Japanese population: the JACSIS study.

Purpose: Social isolation and loneliness have been long-standing public health concerns, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated these issues. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the associations of social isolation and loneliness during the pandemic with experience of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization in the Japanese population.

Methods: Data were sourced from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS), a large-scale, web-based national survey of individuals aged 15-79.

Splicing junction-based classifier for the detection of abnormal constitutive activation of the KEAP1-NRF2 system.

The KEAP1-NRF2 system plays a crucial role in responding to oxidative and electrophilic stress. Its dysregulation can cause the overexpression of downstream genes, a known cancer hallmark. Understanding and detecting abnormal KEAP1-NRF2 activity is essential for understanding disease mechanisms and identifying therapeutic targets.

Inappropriate diet and hygiene status affect the progression of diabetic kidney disease by causing dysbiosis.

Objective: Although the effects of an unhealthy diet on the risks of diabetes and its renal complications are well understood, the effects of hygiene status have not been fully elucidated.

Research Methods And Procedures: We created four groups of mice according to the diet fed (standard [SD] or high-fat [HFD]) and their living environment (conventional [CV] or specific pathogen-free [SPF]), and characterized the extent of their kidney pathology, their gut microbiota, and their fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations.

Results: The body masses and glycated hemoglobin levels of the HFD and CV groups were significantly higher than those of the SD and SPF groups, respectively.

Evaluating clinical importance of sensitization to Ara h 6 quantitively in Japanese children.

Background: The clinical importance of sensitization to 6 (Ara h 6) in Japanese children remains unelucidated. We aimed to quantitatively evaluate the clinical importance of sensitization to Ara h 6 in managing peanut allergy in Japanese children.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of children with or without symptoms induced by an oral food challenge or home dosing of up to 3 g of peanuts.

Neuronal substance P-driven MRGPRX2-dependent mast cell degranulation products differentially promote vascular permeability.

Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor b2 (Mrgprb2) binding to its cationic endogenous and exogenous ligands induces mast cell degranulation and promotes inflammation in mice. However, the physiological roles of its human homologue MRGPRX2 remain unclear. Here we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which MRGPRX2 regulates vascular permeability, and generated MRGPRX2 knock-in (MRGPRX2-KI) and Mrgprb2 knockout (Mrgprb2-KO) mice.

Spatially resolved gene expression profiling of tumor microenvironment reveals key steps of lung adenocarcinoma development.

The interaction of tumor cells and their microenvironment is thought to be a key factor in tumor development. We present spatial RNA profiles obtained from 30 lung adenocarcinoma patients at the non-invasive and later invasive stages. We use spatial transcriptome sequencing data in conjunction with in situ RNA profiling to conduct higher resolution analyses.

Evaluation of a Computer-Based Morphological Analysis Method for Free-Text Responses in the General Medicine In-Training Examination: Algorithm Validation Study.

Background: The General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) tests clinical knowledge in a 2-year postgraduate residency program in Japan. In the academic year 2021, as a domain of medical safety, the GM-ITE included questions regarding the diagnosis from medical history and physical findings through video viewing and the skills in presenting a case. Examinees watched a video or audio recording of a patient examination and provided free-text responses.

Pregnancy with mixed connective tissue disease: Exploration of factors influencing live birth outcomes.

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) predominantly affects women in their reproductive age (30-40 years). This study is aimed to analyze a case series of MCTD-complicated pregnancies. The study design utilized a combined case-series and case-control approach.

Association between iron intake and excessive daytime sleepiness in the community-dwelling Japanese: the Toon Health Study.

Purpose: Brain iron deficiency is known to cause dopaminergic dysfunction in people with restless legs syndrome. Considering the role that dopamine plays in the wake-promoting system, we speculated that iron deficiency may contribute to the development of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Therefore, we conducted the present study to examine the association between iron intake and EDS in the general population.

Optimizing the planning process in computed tomography-based image-guided adaptive brachytherapy for cervical cancer using a spreadsheet-based daily dose management system.

This study developed a system to reduce the treatment planning time for cervical cancer brachytherapy. An in-house Excel spreadsheet was developed to streamline dosimetric evaluation by combining external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy doses, while also displaying daily dose constraints, a novel feature of the system. This system was validated in 46 consecutive patients who underwent intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy using several applicators and required more complex dose calculation procedures than intracavitary brachytherapy alone.

Lateral Planar Imaging of Tc-pyrophosphate Scintigraphy in Patients with Suspected Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis.

: Lateral planar Tc-pyrophosphate (PYP) imaging is recommended as a standardized acquisition method because it helps separate extracardiac uptake from the myocardium. We evaluated its discriminatory performance in detecting myocardial PYP uptake, using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as a reference standard. : We retrospectively evaluated 170 patients who underwent PYP imaging for suspected transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

Extramacular paracentral acute middle maculopathy-like retinal ischemia after vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane.

Purpose: To describe two cases of extramacular paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM)-like retinal ischemia after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for epiretinal membrane (ERM).

Observations: Case 1 involved a 78-year-old woman with a history of hyperlipidemia and preoperative visual acuity (VA) of 20/20. Case 2 involved a 72-year-old man with a history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and preoperative VA of 20/32.

Effectiveness of benralizumab in the Tokyo Asthma Study (TOAST): A real-world prospective interventional trial.

Background: Biologics are integral in the management of severe asthma. As the effectiveness of the anti-IL-5 receptor antibody benralizumab in Japan remains elusive, this study aimed to assess its real-world effectiveness in Japanese patients with severe asthma.

Methods: This prospective, interventional, single-arm clinical trial was conducted across ten facilities in Japan between September 2020 and July 2022.