Effect of a Reduced PCV10 Dose Schedule on Pneumococcal Carriage in Vietnam.

Background: After pneumococcal disease and colonization have been controlled through vaccination campaigns, a reduced pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) schedule may be sufficient to sustain that control at reduced costs.

Methods: We investigated whether a single primary dose and booster dose (1p+1) of the 10-valent PCV (PCV10) would be noninferior to alternative dose schedules in sustaining control of carriage of pneumococcal serotypes included in the vaccine. In Nha Trang, Vietnam, an area in which PCV had not been used previously, a PCV10 catch-up campaign was conducted in which the vaccine was offered to children younger than 3 years of age, after which a cluster-randomized trial was conducted in which children received PCV10 at 2, 3, and 4 months of age (3p+0 group); at 2, 4, and 12 months of age (2p+1 group); at 2 and 12 months of age (1p+1 group); or at 12 months of age (0p+1 group).

The Apparent Lack of the Risk of Intussusception Immediately After Rotavirus Vaccination Among Japanese Infants.

Rotavirus vaccines carry a small risk of intussusception mainly 1-7 days after vaccination in the United States of America, Europe, Australia, and Latin America where the background rate of intussusception is relatively low. Such risks are undetectable in Africa and India where the background rate is the lowest. Because few studies were carried out in high-background-rate countries such as Japan, we examined how intussusception occurred in infants living in Akita prefecture, Japan, while the vaccines were sold in the private market.

Recent Advances in Pathogenesis, Diagnostic Imaging, and Treatment of Sjögren's Syndrome.

It is our pleasure to present the Special Issue "Diagnosis and Treatment of Sjögren's Syndrome" to the readers of the [...

Relationship Between Tooth Loss Due to Chronic Periodontitis and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms.

: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and tooth loss due to chronic periodontitis. : A total of 232 patients aged 40 years or older with LUTS were evaluated. The number of remaining teeth and the severity of LUTS were assessed using the overactive bladder symptom score, international prostate symptom score, and urodynamic tests.

Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease with a Corneal Disorder: A Case Report.

: Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the formation of intranuclear inclusions in cells. Adult-type NIID usually develops in elderly patients with various clinical manifestations and is sometimes accompanied by ocular symptoms. A case of adult-onset NIID with early and unique manifestations, including a progressive corneal defect and retinal changes, which are concerning at a young age, is reported.

Impaired Development of Collagen Antibody-Induced Arthritis in Rab44-Deficient Mice.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by immune cell-mediated joint inflammation and subsequent osteoclast-dependent bone destruction. Collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) is a useful mouse model for examining the inflammatory mechanisms in human RA. Previously, we identified the novel gene Rab44, which is a member of the large Rab GTPase family and is highly expressed in immune-related cells and osteoclasts.

The C/C Genotype of rs1231760 in Is a Risk Factor for the Progression of -Positive Atrophic Gastritis by Increasing Expression.

Background: Chronic gastritis caused by () infection can progress to gastric cancer through atrophic gastritis (AG). The risk of gastric cancer increases with the progression of AG. Therefore, investigating the risk factors for the progression of AG is important.

Factors Related to the Growth of Oral Bacteria After Surgery: An Observational Study of 54 Patients Undergoing Oncologic or Cardiac Surgery.

Introduction Postoperative complications, such as surgical site infection and postoperative pneumonia, may be caused by oral bacteria. This study aimed to clarify the factors related to the bacterial count in the saliva of postoperative patients so as to standardize oral management methods before and after surgery. Methods This prospective observational study enrolled 54 patients who underwent major oncologic or cardiac surgery.

Effectiveness of a community-based intervention package in maternal health service utilization: A cross-sectional quasi-experimental study in rural Ghana.

Background: We examined the effectiveness of a community-based intervention package that targeted pregnant women for increasing utilization of maternal health services. The intervention package was implemented in Suhum Municipality, Ghana, from March 2019 to April 2022. The package consisted of: (i) maternal health education by female and male peers; (ii) training existing health workers on maternal health; and (iii) strengthening the local community health management committees.

Association Between Asian Flush and Satisfaction of Sleep via Alcohol Consumption Status in a Sample of Japanese Participants.

Background: The reddening of the face and neck following alcohol consumption is known as Asian flush. Although genetic factors related to Asian flush have been reported to be inversely associated with duration of sleep, no study has reported an association between Asian flush and sleep satisfaction.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 3823 Japanese people, aged 20 to 64 years was conducted.

Effect of Oral Application of Povidone-Iodine on the Amount of Viable Bacteria Entering the Lower Respiratory Tract in Intubated Patients With Oral Cancer: A Preliminary Study.

One of the causes of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the aspiration of fluid-containing pathogenic bacteria into the lower respiratory tract. The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral povidone-iodine (PV-I) application reduces bacterial counts in the fluid on the cuff of an endotracheal intubation tube. Patients intubated and managed with tracheostomy for oral cancer surgery were divided into two groups.

A case report of an individual with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease characterized by prolonged isolated thalamic lesions and rare MM2-cortical-type pathology.

Background: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) is essential for diagnosing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Thalamic lesions are rarely detected by DWI in sporadic CJD (sCJD) cases with methionine homozygosity at polymorphic codon 129 (129MM) of the prion protein (PrP) gene. Here, we describe an unusual sCJD case, characterized by prolonged isolated thalamic diffusion hyperintensities and atypical brain pathology, in combination with the 129MM genotype.

Identification of nanaomycin A and its analogs by a newly established screening method for functional inhibitors of the type IX secretion system in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, is a key pathogen in chronic periodontitis. P. gingivalis has a type IX secretion system (T9SS) that secretes highly hydrolytic proteinases called gingipains for obtaining peptides as an energy source.

Development of a novel multiplex digital PCR-based method for the detection of HTLV-1 proviral deletion.

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), a retrovirus, integrates into host DNA and causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) in some individuals. Two types of defective proviruses, Type 1 and Type 2, are often observed in ATL cells. Here, we developed a 3-plex digital PCR (dPCR) method to detect HTLV-1 proviral deletions by comparing the ratios of copy numbers quantified using specific primer-probes for the LTR, pol, and pX regions.

Quantitation of Vaporized γ-Aminobutyric Acid in Cigarette Smoke Extract From e-Cigarettes by the Combination of HPLC-Fluorescence Detection and Derivatization With DBD-F.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which has attracted much attention as a bioactive ingredient, is used in functional foods. Recently, electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) products for inhaling vaporized GABA have become commercially available. In this study, we developed a high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence method for detecting GABA derivatized with 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-F) in cigarette smoke extract (CSE).

Nelarabine-combined chemotherapy improves outcome of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia but shows more severe neurotoxicity: JALSG T-ALL213-O.

We investigated the effectiveness and safety of nelarabine (NEL)-combined chemotherapy for newly diagnosed adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients. We conducted a phase II trial, T-ALL213-O, where adult T-ALL patients aged 25 to 64 were treated by a regimen based on that used in our previous study, ALL202-O. The main modifications from ALL202-O to T-ALL213-O were as follows: (1) NEL-combined chemotherapy, instead of consolidation (C)1, was used for non-complete remission (CR) patients after induction therapy (IND)1 as IND2; (2) NEL treatments were inserted into C3 and C5 on day 29.

Mitigation of polystyrene microplastic-induced hepatotoxicity in human hepatobiliary organoids through bile extraction.

Background & Aims: Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) are pervasive in our daily life and can be ingested by the human body through bioaccumulation, causing organ damage, especially liver damage. However, the effect of PS-MPs bioaccumulation on human hepatotoxicity and their metabolism remains unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated that PS-MPs cause lipid and bile acid metabolism disorders.

Comparison of Hemodynamic Effects of Remimazolam and Midazolam During Anesthesia Induction in Patients Undergoing Cardiovascular Surgery: A Single-Center Retrospective and Exploratory Study.

Introduction: Patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery may experience hemodynamic instability during the induction of general anesthesia, and anesthetic agents with minimal hemodynamic effects should be administered. Midazolam, a classic benzodiazepine anesthetic, is known to have relatively weak circulatory depression during anesthesia induction compared to other sedatives. On the other hand, remimazolam, a newly approved short-acting benzodiazepine anesthetic, is expected to have fewer circulatory depressant effects.

Image-based Re-evaluation of the JCOG0911 Study Focusing on Tumor Volume and Survival, Disease Progression Diagnosis, and Radiomic Prognostication for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.

Purpose: To re-evaluate images recovered from JCOG0911, a randomized phase 2 trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (nGBM) conducted by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) Brain Tumor Study Group.

Methods: The correlation between tumor volumes and survival was evaluated, followed by progression-free survival (PFS) analysis by independent central review based on Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria using MRI recovered from 118 nGBM patients enrolled in the JCOG0911 trial. A radiomic analysis was also performed to identify radiomic features predictive of nGBM prognosis.

Quantifying the Reversibility of Clofazimine-induced Pigmentation in a Patient with Mycobacterium abscessus Pulmonary Disease.

A 45-year-old woman with Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease was treated with multidrug therapy, including clofazimine, at Fukujuji Hospital. Six months after clofazimine initiation, the treatment was discontinued at the patient's request due to hyperpigmentation. Pigmentation is a critical side effect of clofazimine.

Stress-experienced monocytes/macrophages lose anti-inflammatory function via β-adrenergic receptor in skin allergic inflammation.

Background: Psychological stress can exacerbate the development of allergies; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. IgE-mediated cutaneous allergic inflammation (IgE-CAI) is a basophil-dependent skin allergy with eosinophil infiltration at inflammatory sites. Its resolution involves anti-inflammatory programmed death ligand 2 (PD-L2)-positive macrophages.

Effect of endoscopic surgical skill qualification system for laparoscopic rectal surgery: Japanese multicenter analysis.

Background: Laparoscopic rectal surgery is often technically difficult. The Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System (ESSQS) was established in Japan as an objective measure of skill for laparoscopic surgeons. However, the advantages of the ESSQS qualification for laparoscopic rectal surgery have been limited.