Association Between Early Mobilization and Postoperative Pneumonia Following Robot-assisted Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy in Patients with Thoracic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: The objective of this study was to confirm that early mobilization (EM) could reduce pneumonia in patients undergoing robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) for thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC).

Methods: Postoperative pneumonia was defined as physician-diagnosed pneumonia using the Esophagectomy Complications Consensus Group definition of pneumonia with a Clavien-Dindo classification grade II-V on postoperative day (POD) 3-5. EM was defined as achieving an ICU Mobility Scale (IMS) ≥7 by POD 2.

A Clinical Prediction Rule for Predicting the Health-related Quality of Life after 5 Months in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis Undergoing Conservative Treatment.

Objective: This study aimed to derive a clinical prediction rule (CPR) that can predict changes in health-related quality of life at 5 months for patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) undergoing conservative treatment.

Methods: Patients with KOA receiving physical therapy and exercise therapy at an outpatient clinic were included in this study. The basic characteristics, medical information, and motor function test results were recorded at baseline.

Differential Stress Responses to Rice Blast Fungal Infection Associated with the Vegetative Growth Phase in Rice.

During vegetative growth, plants undergo various morphological and physiological changes in the transition from the juvenile phase to the adult phase. In terms of stress resistance, it has been suggested that plants gain or reinforce disease resistance during the process of maturation, which is recognized as adult plant resistance or age-related resistance. While much knowledge has been obtained about changes in disease resistance as growth stages progress, knowledge about changes in plant responses to pathogens with progressing age in plants is limited.

Efficacy and Safety of Static Stretching and Daily Walking on the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in a Patient With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Proliferative Retinopathy, and Lower-Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Case Report.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of the lower extremities are serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aerobic exercise has been shown to be primarily effective for glycemic control and gait disturbance owing to PAD. However, the safety and efficacy of exercise therapy in patients with PDR remain unclear.

Psychometric properties of the Assessment of Positive Occupation 15 for individuals with physical illness.

Objectives: The Assessment of Positive Occupation 15 (APO-15) is a scale initially developed to evaluate participation in well-being-promoting occupations among individuals with mental illness. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the APO-15 for individuals with physical illness, focusing on its validity, reliability, and interpretability.

Methods: We evaluated the psychometric properties of the APO-15 using a sample of 1,259 individuals with physical illness living at home, in hospitals, and in nursing homes.

Immediate effect of ischemic loading on quadriceps muscle output by using a pneumatic cuff.

Introduction: Transient ischemic conditioning (TIC) is a technique that involves short periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion, which may enhance muscle strength by increasing blood flow and improving energy supply to muscle fibers. This study aims to investigate the effect of TIC on quadriceps strength and examine its potential as a warm-up exercise in rehabilitation.

Methods: Fifteen healthy male participants underwent TIC on the quadriceps.

Spinal articulation exercise using an exercise ball enhances dynamic postural control.

Purpose: We hypothesized that exercises that selectively utilize local muscles responsible for segmental movements of the spine might promote local muscle activity and dynamic postural balance. In this study, we examined the effects of selective local muscle exercises (spinal articulation exercise) on dynamic postural control in healthy subjects.

Methods: The effects of spinal articulation exercise were examined using a deflated exercise ball for the postural sway in healthy students who were assigned to an exercise or control group.

Effects of Air Pressure and Holding Time on Muscle Blood Flow Promotion in Pneumatic Squeeze Hold.

Introduction This study aimed to investigate the effects of air pressure and holding time on the promotion of muscle blood flow using a squeeze-hold technique with a pneumatic cuff in healthy college students. Methods Subjects (n = 12) were placed in the prone position, and a pneumatic cuff was secured around the left lower leg. The cuff was inflated to predetermined pressures (50, 100, and 200 mmHg) to squeeze the lower leg muscles.

Spatial Analysis of Gene Expression by In Situ Hybridization.

The analysis of the spatial expression patterns of genes is important for deciphering their functions. In situ hybridization provides insight into gene expression patterns at the cellular level. Here we describe a procedure for performing in situ hybridization on sections of paraffin-embedded tissue, including synthesis of labeled RNA probes, hybridization of the probes with target mRNAs, and immunological detection of the signals.

Preparation and Sectioning of Paraffin-Embedded Tissue for Histology and Histochemistry.

Cutting thin sections of plant tissues enables observation of internal structures and inner cell layers, and it facilitates various histochemical staining methods. Paraffin embedding gives the tissues a uniform stiffness that is sufficient for sectioning with a microtome. Here, we describe the procedures for preparation of paraffin-embedded tissues and the techniques for sectioning with a microtome.

Habitual intake of carbonated drinks is associated with subjective difficulty in swallowing in community-dwelling older adults: a survey-based cross-sectional study.

Carbonated drinks have been reported to increase muscle activity during swallowing compared with water. Older adults who habitually consume carbonated drinks may use their swallowing-related muscles to a greater extent, thereby preserving their swallowing function. This study investigated the relationship between habitual carbonated drink intake, amount of carbonated drink consumed, and subjective difficulty in swallowing in community-dwelling older adults.

A heterocyclic compound inhibits viral release by inducing cell surface BST2/Tetherin/CD317/HM1.24.

The introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has greatly improved the quality of life of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals. Nonetheless, the ever-present desire to seek out a full remedy for HIV-1 infections makes the discovery of novel antiviral medication compelling. Owing to this, a new late-stage inhibitor, Lenacapavir/Sunlenca, an HIV multi-phase suppressor, was clinically authorized in 2022.

Potential Role of APOBEC3 Family Proteins in SARS-CoV-2 Replication.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has acquired multiple mutations since its emergence. Analyses of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes from infected patients exhibit a bias toward C-to-U mutations, which are suggested to be caused by the apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme polypeptide-like 3 (APOBEC3, A3) cytosine deaminase proteins. However, the role of A3 enzymes in SARS-CoV-2 replication remains unclear.

Dynamics of Matricellular Protein Levels in Blood Predict Recovery in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Tuberculosis Coinfection.

Chronic immune activation in tuberculosis (TB) associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (HIV/TB) modifies their clinical course. We prospectively measured osteopontin (OPN), full-length galectin-9 (FL-Gal9), and total-Gal9 (T-Gal9) levels in 32 patients with HIV/TB coinfection treated with anti-tuberculosis and antiretroviral therapies over 6-18 months to determine the amelioration of inflammatory conditions in response to the therapies. We observed a significant time-dependent decrease in FL-Gal9 in both pulmonary TB (PTB, n = 20) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB, n = 12) patients.

Neonatal Isolation Increases the Susceptibility to Learned Helplessness through the Aberrant Neuronal Activity in the Ventral Pallidum of Rats.

Objective: : Environmental deprivation, a type of childhood maltreatment, has been reported to constrain the cognitive developmental processes such as associative learning and implicit learning, which may lead to functional and morphological changes in the ventral pallidum (VP) and pessimism, a well-known cognitive feature of major depression. We examined whether neonatal isolation (NI) could influence the incidence of learned helplessness (LH) in a rat model mimicking the pessimism, and the number of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2)-expressing VP cells and Penk-expressing VP cells.

Methods: : The number of escape failures from foot-shocks in the LH test was measured to examine stress-induced depression-like behavior in rats.

Long-term mental health and resilience of the first responders in Japanese ground self-defense forces engaging body recovery after the great east Japan earthquake.

Handling human remains is extremely difficult and stressful task, and it can contribute to the development of stress-related mental health problems. To prevent disaster from the development of mental disorders in first responders, it will be important to elucidate factors sustaining psychological well-being following the events requiring handling of human remains. Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF) first responders (n = 146), involved in human remains recovery after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) participated.

Exercise May Increase Oxidative Stress in the Sciatic Nerve in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) affects approximately half of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), contributing to falls and fractures. Oxidative stress, which is linked to DM-induced hyperglycemia, has been implicated in the onset of DPN. Although exercise is recommended for patients with DM, its effect on DPN remains unclear.

The elevation of plasma galectin-9 levels in patients with psoriasis and its associations with inflammatory and immune checkpoint molecules in skin tissues.

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder that mainly affects the skin, with an estimated global prevalence of 2-3%. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin capable of promoting or suppressing the progression of infectious and immune-mediated diseases. Here, we determined if the expression of Gal-9 is observed in psoriasis.

Antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of fractionated crude lectins from boiled kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).

In this study, we investigated the biological profile of lectins isolated from raw and boiled Japanese red Kintoki beans (red kidney beans [RKB]; Phaseolus vulgaris). Lectins in beans showing agglutination activity were retained after heating. Raw and boiled RKB lectins were fractionated using carboxymethyl- and diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose, respectively.