Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the ACE tool for assessing evidence-based medicine competencies in medical practitioners and students: An evaluation in an online setting.

Introduction Evidence-based medicine (EBM) competency is crucial for healthcare professionals; however, validated tools to assess EBM skills in Japanese are scarce. This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the Assessing Competency in EBM (ACE) tool. Methods We translated the ACE tool into Japanese, following international standards, and distributed it online to 99 healthcare professionals and students.

Spermatic RXFP2 expression levels and seminal INSL3 concentrations among beef bull ejaculates with different levels of sperm morphological normality.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) receptor (RXFP2) expression levels on spermatozoa and INSL3 concentrations in the seminal plasma of fresh semen from beef bulls with different levels of sperm morphological normality. Ejaculates (n = 44) were collected from 21 yearling Japanese Black beef bulls and categorized into three groups based on the levels of sperm morphological normality: High (normal morphology ≥ 80%; n = 23), Mid (< 80% & ≥ 65%; n = 10) and Low (< 65%; n = 11). Immunofluorescence was used to determine the localization and expression levels of RXFP2 in spermatozoa.

Development of Machine-learning Model to Predict Anticoagulant Use and Type in Geriatric Traumatic Brain Injury Using Coagulation Parameters.

This study aimed to investigate the patterns of anticoagulation therapy and coagulation parameters and to develop a prediction model to predict the type of anticoagulation therapy in geriatric patients with traumatic brain injury. A retrospective analysis was performed using the nationwide neurotrauma database of Japan. Elderly patients (≥65 years) with traumatic brain injury.

A 25-year clonal resurrection in adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma relapse.

Here, we report a rare case of relapsed adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) with evidence of clonal relapse 26 years after initial diagnosis. The patient had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma-type ATL 26 years prior and did not receive further ATL treatment for approximately 26 years after achieving complete remission. We used nested PCR to identify the amplification of ATL clone-specific accumulation sites in DNA from hematoxylin and eosin-stained specimens from the patient.

Mitochondrial tRNA modifications: functions, diseases caused by their loss, and treatment strategies.

Mitochondrial tRNA (mt-tRNA) modifications play pivotal roles in decoding and sustaining tRNA stability, thereby enabling synthesis of essential respiratory complex proteins in mitochondria. Consequently, loss of human mt-tRNA modifications caused by mutations in the mitochondrial or nuclear genome can cause life-threatening mitochondrial diseases such as encephalopathy and cardiomyopathy. In this article, we first provide a comprehensive overview of the functions of mt-tRNA modifications, the responsible modification enzymes, and the diseases caused by loss of mt-tRNA modifications.

Changes in systolic blood pressure during hospitalisation and bleeding events after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Hypertension is a risk factor for bleeding events and is included in the HAS-BLED (Hypertension, Abnormal renal/liver function, Stroke, Bleeding history or predisposition, Labile INR, Elderly, Drugs/Alcohol concomitantly)score. However, the effects of blood pressure (BP) and changes in BP on bleeding events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain poorly understood. This study is aimed to investigate the relationship between systolic BP (SBP) changes during hospitalisation and bleeding events in patients undergoing PCI.

Deciphering hematopoietic stem cell development: key signaling pathways and mechanisms.

Most blood cells derive from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), originating from endothelial cells. The induction of HSCs from endothelial cells occurs during mid-gestation, and research has revealed multiple steps in this induction process. Hemogenic endothelial cells emerge within the endothelium, transition to hematopoietic cells (pre-HSCs), and subsequently mature into functional HSCs.

Substance P- and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1-derived Tetrapeptides for Neurotrophic Keratopathy Related to Leprosy: A Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Neurotrophic keratopathy is part of the leprosy sequelae and causes progressive deterioration of visual acuity. Although leprosy is bacteriologically curable, there is currently no efficient treatment. Eye drops containing tetrapeptides, phenylalanine-glycine-leucine-methionine-amide (FGLM-NH) and serine-serine-serine-arginine (SSSR), derived from substance P and insulin-like growth factor 1, are clinically efficacious in the treatment of corneal epithelial disorders caused by neurotrophic keratopathy.

Quasi-One-Dimensional Spin Dynamics in a Molecular Spin Liquid System.

The molecular triangular lattice system, β^{'}-EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2}, is considered as a candidate material for the quantum spin liquid state, although ongoing debates arise from recent controversial results. Here, the results of electron spin resonance and muon-spin relaxation measurements on β^{'}-EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2} are presented. Both results indicate characteristic behaviors related to quasi-one-dimensional spin dynamics, whereas the direction of anisotropy found in electron spin resonance is in contradiction with previous theories.

Targeting Non-Apoptotic Pathways with the Cell Permeable TAT-Conjugated NOTCH1 RAM Fragment for Leukemia and Lymphoma Cells.

Targeting nonapoptotic cell death offers a promising strategy for overcoming apoptosis resistance in cancer. In this study, we developed Tat-Ram13, a 25-mer peptide that fuses the NOTCH1 intracellular domain fragment RAM13 with a cell-penetrating HIV-1 TAT, for the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with aberrant NOTCH1 mutation. Tat-Ram13 significantly downregulated NOTCH1-target genes in T-ALL cell lines.

Profound gastric mucosal changes and severe rebound acid hypersecretion after long-term Vonoprazan use: A case report.

Vonoprazan is a novel acid blocker with greater potency than proton pump inhibitors. A Japanese study reported no significant safety concerns over 5 years of Vonoprazan use; however, elevated serum gastrin and increased parietal cell and foveolar hyperplasia were observed, and long-term safety data beyond 5 years are limited. We report a case that used Vonoprazan for 6 years, complicated by significant gastric epithelial changes during treatment and acute duodenal mucosal lesions following its discontinuation.

Performance Evaluation of GPT-4o and o1-Preview Using the Certification Examination for the Japanese 'Operations Chief of Radiography With X-rays'.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of large language models (LLMs) to comprehend the safety management, protection methods, and proper handling of X-rays according to laws and regulations. We evaluated the performance of GPT-4o (OpenAI, San Francisco, CA, USA) and o1-preview (OpenAI) using questions from the 'Operations Chief of Radiography With X-rays' certification examination in Japan. Methods This study engaged GPT-4o and o1-preview in responding to questions from this Japanese certification examination for 'Operations Chief of Radiography With X-rays'.

Improving survival models in healthcare: a novel matching approach.

We present, to our knowledge, the first methodological study aimed at enhancing the prognostic power of Cox regression models, widely used in survival analysis, through optimized data selection. Our approach employs a novel two-stage mechanism: by framing the prognostic stratum matching problem intuitively, we select prognostically representative patient observations to create a more balanced training set. This enables the model to assign equal attention to distinct prognostic subgroups.

Effect of the IL-6 trans-signaling pathway in the absence or presence of TGF-β2 on Schlemm's canal endothelial cells.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is regulated through the balance of production and drainage of aqueous humor. The main route of aqueous-humor outflow comprises the trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm's canal (SC). We reported that IL-6 trans-signaling can inhibit TGF-β signaling in TM cells and may affect regulation of IOP.

Impact of neurovascular bundle preservation on biochemical recurrence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate functional and oncological outcomes in patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral nerve-sparing (NS) robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for high-risk prostate cancer.

Methods: The cohort comprised 2683 patients with clinical stage T1-4, N0M0 high-risk prostate cancer who underwent RARP in Japanese tertiary care centers from August 2011 to April 2023. High risk was defined using the European Association of Urology risk stratification criteria.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 gene-deficiency attenuates the inhibitory effect of 5,6-dihydroxy-8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z-eicosatetraenoic acid on vascular permeability in mice.

We investigated whether an anti-inflammatory lipid metabolite named 5,6-DiHETE reduces vascular permeability by inhibiting TRPV4 channels in vivo. In wild-type (WT) mice, histamine-induced dye extravasation was reduced by pre-administration of 5,6-DiHETE. In TRPV4-deficient mice, extravasation and histamine-induced edema were already reduced, and 5,6-DiHETE had no additional effect.

Orally administrated acetate inhibits atherosclerosis progression through AMPK activation via GPR43 in plaque macrophages.

Background And Aims: Oral administration of acetic acid, a short-chain fatty acid, has been shown to efficiently reduce obesity and insulin resistance in both experimental animals and humans. The anti-atherosclerotic effect of acetate is expected owing to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress characteristics; however, this remains to be fully understood.

Methods: For 12 weeks, apolipoprotein E-deficient mice were administered 0.

Revamping Pace Distribution: A Case Study on Elevating the Men's 400 m Track and Field Japanese National Record After 32 Years.

Chiba, Y, Sato, K, Yoshimoto, T, Ohnuma, H, Yamanaka, R, Takahashi, K, Kobayashi, K, Matsubayashi, T, and Takai, Y. Revamping pace distribution: A case study on elevating the men's 400 m track and field Japanese national record after 32 years. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-Many studies have investigated the 400-m sprint, and the optimal pacing strategy is subject to debate.

Therapeutic targeting potential of the protein lysine and arginine methyltransferases to reverse cancer chemoresistance.

Cancer treatments have continued to improve tremendously over the past decade, but therapy resistance is still a common, major factor encountered by patients diagnosed with cancer. Chemoresistance arises due to various circumstances and among these causes, increasing evidence has shown that enzymes referred to as protein methyltransferases (PMTs) play a significant role in the development of chemoresistance in various cancers. These enzymes are responsible for the methylation of different amino acids, particularly lysine and arginine, via protein lysine methyltransferases (PKMTs) and protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), respectively.