Impact of Angiographically Detected Residual Trabeculation After Left Atrial Appendage Closure Using the WATCHMAN Device: Insight From the OCEAN-LAAC Registry.

Background: Research on the impact of angiographically detected residual trabeculation after left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is limited.

Objectives: To investigate the incidence, characteristics, and clinical implications of angiographically detected residual trabeculation after LAAC using the WATCHMAN device.

Methods: We analyzed 1350 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing LAAC using the WATCHMAN device from the OCEAN-LAAC registry, which is a prospective ongoing, multicenter Japanese registry.

A case of simultaneous pancreatoduodenectomy and living donor liver transplantation for biliary cancer complicated with congenital biliary dilatation.

Background: In patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction complicated by congenital biliary dilatation, the pancreatic enzyme flows back into the bile, leading to bile duct carcinogenesis. Although the biliary tract resection and reconstruction is well documented to decrease the rate of malignancy, cancer occurrence has been reported in the residual intrahepatic or intrapancreatic bile duct, even after resection. We report a case of multiple biliary tract cancers in the liver complicated by congenital biliary dilatation, whose tumor lesions were resected en bloc without disconnecting the biliary tract by simultaneous pancreatoduodenectomy and living donor liver transplantation.

Gallbladder Follicular Lymphoma Mimicking Gallbladder Cancer.

Background/aim: Enlarged polypoid gallbladder lesions should first be evaluated to rule out gallbladder cancer. Gallbladder lymphoma rarely develops, and gallbladder follicular lymphoma is seldom observed.

Case Report: The case of a 70-year-old man with an enlarged polypoid gallbladder lesion and stable-sized multiple enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes is reported.

Rapid test for hepatitis B core-related antigen to identify people living with hepatitis B having high viral load in Cameroon.

This study presents a retrospective assessment of the diagnostic performance of the newly developed hepatitis B core-related antigen rapid diagnostic test (HBcrAg-RDT) in detecting plasma samples with elevated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels (≥200,000 IU/ml) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Samples were collected consecutively from treatment-naïve adults living with HBV between January 1, 2021, and June 30, 2023. Analyzing 146 samples from participants with a median age of 36 years, the HBcrAg-RDT exhibited a sensitivity of 97.

Left ventricular papillary muscle rupture due to acute myocardial infarction after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Introduction: Mitral regurgitation is a potential complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Here, we report a case of severe acute mitral regurgitation caused by papillary muscle rupture occurring 16 days after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Presentation Of Case: An 82-year-old woman with severe AS was referred to our hospital.

Insight into groundwater quality change before and after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.

The Kumamoto Earthquake is named after the Kumamoto Prefecture where the series of earthquakes occurred in the city located on the island of Kyushu, in southwest Japan. In this area, 100 % of the population depends on groundwater for drinking water; hence, groundwater is an extremely important lifeline for people. The effect of earthquakes on the water quality of groundwater has been suggested based on monitoring data measured by public agencies once or twice a year.

Comparison of outcomes between surgery and chemoradiotherapy after endoscopic resection for pT1a-MM with lymphovascular invasion or pT1b esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Japanese multicenter propensity score-matched study.

Background: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) or pT1b is noncurative after endoscopic resection (ER) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and therefore surgery or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is recommended. However, there has been debate regarding which treatment has better outcomes and whether individual risks should be considered.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective study conducted at 65 hospitals in Japan.

Less frequent skin ulcers among patients with Werner syndrome treated with pioglitazone: findings from the Japanese Werner Syndrome Registry.

Background And Aim: Werner syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive, adult-onset, progeroid syndrome caused by mutations. As refractory skin ulcers significantly affect the quality of life of patients with WS, this study identified ulcer risk factors and assessed prevention methods.

Methods: We analyzed the data of 51 patients with WS enrolled in the Japanese Werner Syndrome Registry between 2016 and 2022.

Establishment of primary and immortalized fibroblasts reveals resistance to cytotoxic agents and loss of necroptosis-inducing ability in long-lived Damaraland mole-rats.

The Damaraland mole-rat (DMR; Fukomys damarensis) is a long-lived (~ 20 years) Bathyergid rodent that diverged 26 million years ago from its close relative, the naked mole-rat (NMR). While the properties of NMR cultured fibroblasts have been extensively studied and have revealed several unusual features of this cancer-resistant, long-lived species, comparative DMR studies are extremely limited. We optimized conditions for successfully culturing primary DMR skin fibroblasts and also established immortalized DMR cells using simian virus 40 early region expression.

[Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Fatty Liver Disease].

Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease, particularly nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD), are significant health issues in current society. These conditions are linked to lifestyle changes such as overeating and lack of exercise, and their prevalence is increasing. Obesity is defined using body mass index(BMI), with a BMI of 25 kg/m or higher considered obese in Japan due to the higher health risks in this population.

Association between the COVID-19 pandemic and short-term outcomes after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in facilities with and without board-certified esophageal surgeons: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment procedures. We speculated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, sufficient medical resources were maintained in board-certified hospitals, resulting in favorable short-term outcomes, whereas hospital functions in non-board-certified hospitals declined, leading to mortality increase. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on short-term outcomes after esophagectomy, based on the scale of the facilities.

Onychomycosis caused by Aspergillus species belonging to section Circumdati.

We encountered two cases of onychomycosis caused by Aspergillus (A.) subramanianii and A. sclerotiorum.

[Development of Image Database for Kiken-yochi Training (KYT) in Radiology Practice].

Kiken-yochi Training (KYT) has been introduced in many hospitals as medical safety education in many departments, with the exception of radiology. KYT is also not used in the contents of medical safety lectures in the education of students for radiological technologists. One of the reasons for this is that the images for KYT (KYT images) cannot be created at each hospital or easily obtained on the website.

[Methods of Coronary Anastomosis].

In recent years, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been performed for left main trunk lesions and severe three-vessel lesions, which were previously considered indications for coronary artery bypass grafting( CABG). As a result, more patients with poorer general conditions or vascular characteristics are being considered for CABG. In the current era of PCI, surgeons are required to achieve high bypass graft patency and to perform anastomosis according to the coronary artery lesion and the characteristics of the bypass graft.

Fibrillin-1 G234D mutation in the hybrid1 domain causes tight skin associated with dysregulated elastogenesis and increased collagen cross-linking in mice.

Fibrillin-1, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein encoded by the FBN1 gene, serves as a microfibril scaffold crucial for elastic fiber formation and homeostasis in pliable tissue such as the skin. Aside from causing Marfan syndrome, some mutations in FBN1 result in scleroderma, marked by hardened and thicker skin which limits joint mobility. Here, we describe a tight skin phenotype in the Fbn1 mice carrying a corresponding variant of FBN1 in the hybrid1 domain that was identified in a patient with familial aortic dissection.

Feasibility assessment of Japan's fertilizer reduction target: A meta-analysis and its implications for nitrogen waste.

Reducing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer (SNF) use is critical for mitigating environmental nitrogen (N) pollution caused by excessive reactive nitrogen and lowering the cost of chemical N fertilizer inputs in agricultural management. In response, Japan has set a national target to reduce chemical fertilizer inputs, with a goal of 30% reduction in SNF use. To assess the feasibility of this target, we collected ca.

Severity and prognosis of COVID-19 complicated by autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Background: The prognosis of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was poor although its survival rate has been improved after the occurrence of the Omicron strain. Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (APAP), a lung disease caused by macrophage dysfunction induced by anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-neutralizing autoantibodies, is characterized by the deposition of proteinaceous material in the alveolar spaces. The clinical course of COVID-19 in patients with APAP remains unclear and this study aimed to clarify it.

Clinical benefits of partial splenic embolization for cancer patients.

Partial splenic embolization (PSE) has developed as an alternative to surgical splenectomy, mainly to improve hypersplenism and esophagogastric varices in cirrhotic patients. We proposed the novel concept that splenic infarction volume, rather than the splenic infarction ratio, is essential for patients receiving PSE. A splenic infarction volume between 388 and 540 mL is suitable for a sufficient increase in platelet count and less severe PSE-related complications.

Peri-procedural outcome according to VARC-3 criteria and hemodynamic mid-term follow-up after Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement for failed aortic bioprosthesis.

Despite the widespread adoption of valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (VIV-TAVR) for patients with failed aortic bioprosthesis, the effectiveness of this treatment for Japanese patients frequently associated with small aortic annuli remains unclear. From December-2011 to October-2022, 41 consecutive patients undergoing VIV-TAVR were enrolled in this study. The endpoints were technical success, device success, early safety, and two-year mortality according to implanted surgical valve size (small valves: 19-mm and 21-mm, n = 23; large valves: 23-mm and 25-mm, n = 18).

Impact of deep learning reconstruction on radiation dose reduction and cancer risk in CT examinations: a real-world clinical analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate the extent to which the implementation of deep learning reconstruction (DLR) may reduce the risk of radiation-induced cancer from CT examinations, utilizing real-world clinical data.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed scan data of adult patients who underwent body CT during two periods relative to DLR implementation at our facility: a 12-month pre-DLR phase (n = 5553) using hybrid iterative reconstruction and a 12-month post-DLR phase (n = 5494) with routine CT reconstruction transitioning to DLR. To ensure comparability between two groups, we employed propensity score matching 1:1 based on age, sex, and body mass index.

Effect of tafamidis therapy on physical function in patients with wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

Background: Tafamidis is used as disease-modifying treatment for patients with wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTRwt CA). However, the effects of tafamidis on exercise tolerance are unclear.

Methods: This single-center, prospective, observational study aimed to assess the effect of tafamidis on exercise tolerance in 36 patients with ATTRwt CA.

Safety and immunogenicity of the ChAdOx1-MVA-vectored conserved mosaic HIVconsvX candidate T-cell vaccines in HIV-CORE 005.2, an open-label, dose-escalation, first-in-human, phase 1 trial in adults living without HIV-1 in the UK.

Background: An HIV-1 vaccine is long overdue. Although vaccine research focuses on the induction of broadly neutralising antibodies, challenging infections such as HIV-1 could require parallel induction of protective T cells. It is important to recognise that not all T cells contribute to protection equally.