Evaluation of Treatment Outcomes Using dNLR and GNRI in Combination Therapy With Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the clinical utility of the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) in predicting treatment outcomes for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing combination therapy with atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atez/Bev).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 310 patients. The dNLR, NLR, and GNRI were calculated, and their impact on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed.

Usefulness of Mesh Reinforcement in Pubic Fixation Urethral Sling Surgery for Urinary Incontinence After Radical Prostatectomy.

Objectives: In our institution, a unique sling technique is performed for urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. However, in cases of severe urinary incontinence or in the medium to long term, the therapeutic effect may be insufficient. Therefore, a urethral sling technique that provides stronger compression of the bulbar urethra was developed, and its effectiveness was compared with the conventional technique.

A machine learning model to predict neurological deterioration after mild traumatic brain injury in older adults.

Objective: Neurological deterioration after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been recognized as a poor prognostic factor. Early detection of neurological deterioration would allow appropriate monitoring and timely therapeutic interventions to improve patient outcomes. In this study, we developed a machine learning model to predict the occurrence of neurological deterioration after mild TBI using information obtained on admission.

A Case of IgA Nephropathy in a Patient With Sarcoidosis: Confirmation of Glomerular Galactose-Deficient IgA1 Deposition.

A 63-year-old Japanese housewife was admitted to our hospital because of hematuria and proteinuria lasting for 3 months. At the age of 59 years, she was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis at another hospital, and she received oral glucocorticoid therapy for 1 year. Her serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels were elevated.

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is associated with poor sleep quality: Tamagawa cross-sectional study on the relationship between lifestyle and atrial fibrillation (TAMAGAWA-AF study).

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is reduced in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data regarding the association between sleep quality, one of the major components of QOL, and AF are insufficient. This cross-sectional study aimed to elucidate whether sleep quality is reduced in patients with AF.

First-line pembrolizumab-axitinib versus sunitinib in metastatic RCC: subgroup analysis of patients enrolled in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-426 in Eastern Asia.

Background: The phase 3 open-label KEYNOTE-426 study demonstrated that first-line pembrolizumab plus axitinib improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) versus sunitinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in a global population. This subgroup analysis investigated the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab-axitinib versus sunitinib in patients enrolled in KEYNOTE-426 in East Asia (Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan).

Methods: Adults with clear cell mRCC were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks with oral axitinib 5 mg twice daily or oral sunitinib 50 mg once daily (4 weeks on/2 weeks off).

Exploring the subtle and novel renal pathological changes in diabetic nephropathy using clustering analysis with deep learning.

To decrease the number of chronic kidney disease (CKD), early diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease is required. We performed invariant information clustering (IIC)-based clustering on glomerular images obtained from nephrectomized kidneys of patients with and without diabetes. We also used visualizing techniques (gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) and generative adversarial networks (GAN)) to identify the novel and early pathological changes on light microscopy in diabetic nephropathy.

Treatment of facial reactive B-cell rich lymphoid proliferation with dapsone.

Reactive B-cell rich lymphoid proliferation (rB-LP), once called pseudolymphoma, is a benign lymphoproliferative disorder, which is histologically characterized by dense dermal infiltrate forming reactive germinal centers with tingible body macrophages. The disease frequently involves the face, scalp, and ear lobes. Treatment includes topical or intralesional steroids, surgical resection, ultraviolet therapy, laser treatment, and radiation therapy.

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine improves right ventricular systolic function in experimental pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) often leads to right ventricle (RV) failure, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite advancements in PH management, progression to RV maladaptation and subsequent failure remain a clinical challenge. This study explored the effect of paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), on RV function in a rat model of PH, hypothesizing that it improves RV function by inhibiting G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) and altering myofilament protein phosphorylation.

Association of In-Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation on Hospital-Associated Disability for Octogenarian Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction - An Insight From the JROAD-DPC Database.

Background: This study aimed to determine the status of in-hospital cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and hospital-associated disability (HAD) for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) aged >80 years.

Methods And Results: This study involved the Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Diseases and the Diagnosis Procedure Combination databases, and included patients who were hospitalized with AMI from April 2014 to March 2021. Patients were categorized by the daily amount of CR: NA, not applicable; Low, 20-30 min; Moderate, 30-40 min; and High, >40 min.

Proline enhances the hepatic induction of lipogenic gene expression in male hepatic fasn reporter mice.

Hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) is increased by both carbohydrate intake and protein consumption. In hepatic fat synthesis, a key role is played by the induction of the hepatic expression of lipogenic genes, including Fasn, Scd1, and Srebf1. Regarding carbohydrate intake, increased blood glucose and insulin levels promote the expression of hepatic lipogenic genes.

Preclinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of AAV8-TNAP-D10 in Alpl-/- and AlplPrx1/Prx1 mouse models for the treatment of early and late-onset hypophosphatasia.

We previously documented successful resolution of skeletal and dental disease in the infantile and late-onset murine models of hypophosphatasia (HPP), with a single injection of an adeno-associated serotype 8 vector encoding mineral-targeted TNAP (AAV8-TNAP-D10). Here, we conducted dosing studies in both HPP mouse models. A single escalating dose from 4x108 up to 4x1010 (vg/b) was intramuscularly injected into 4-day-old Alpl-/- mice (an infantile HPP model) and a single dose from 4x106 up to 4x109 (vg/b) was administered to 8-week-old AlplPrx1/Prx1 mice (a late-onset HPP model).

A national survey of career development according to gender and subspecialties among cardiologists in Japan.

Background: Training opportunities, work satisfaction, and the factors that influence them according to gender and subspecialties are understudied among Japanese cardiologists.

Methods: We investigated the career development of Japanese cardiologists with an e-mail questionnaire. Feelings of inequality in training opportunities, work dissatisfaction, and reasons were assessed by examining the cardiologists' gender and invasiveness of subspecialties.

Ruptured distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm presenting with acute subdural hematoma without subarachnoid hemorrhage.

We report a case of distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) aneurysm presenting with subdural hematoma (SDH) without subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A patient in his fifties presented with headache. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging revealed SDH in the interhemispheric fissure and left frontotemporal region.

A Case with Left Hemiplegia after Cerebral Infarction with Improved Walking Ability Through Robot-assisted Gait Training Combined with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Foot Drop.

Unlabelled: Yamaguchi A, Kanazawa Y, Hirano S, Aoyagi Y. A Case with Left Hemiplegia after Cerebral Infarction with Improved Walking Ability Through Robot-assisted Gait Training Combined with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Foot Drop. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2024; 15: 88-93.

Prediction of cccDNA dynamics in hepatitis B patients by a combination of serum surrogate markers.

Quantification of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is a key for evaluating an elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in infected patients. However, quantifying cccDNA requires invasive methods such as a liver biopsy, which makes it impractical to access the dynamics of cccDNA in patients. Although HBV RNA and HBV core-related antigens (HBcrAg) have been proposed as surrogate markers for evaluating cccDNA activity, they do not necessarily estimate the amount of cccDNA.

Intravenous branched-chain amino acid administration for the acute treatment of hepatic encephalopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a severe complication of acute hepatic failure requiring urgent critical care management. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine have been investigated as potential treatments to improve outcomes in patients with acute HE. However, the effectiveness of BCAA administration during the acute phase remains unclear.

Carboplatin in combination with etoposide for advanced small cell lung cancer complicated with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia: a single-arm phase II study.

Background: Acute exacerbation (AEx) of interstitial pneumonia is the most common lethal adverse event related to the pharmacological treatment of patients with lung cancer complicated with interstitial pneumonia. Although small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is linked to poor prognosis, it exhibits good response to chemotherapy. Few previous research studies have investigated the safety and efficacy of treatment for advanced SCLC complicated with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP).

Deletion of IRS-1 leads to growth failure and insulin resistance with downregulation of liver and muscle insulin signaling in rats.

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and IRS-2 are major molecules that transduce signals from insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptors. The physiological functions of these proteins have been intensively investigated in mice, while little is known in other animals. Our previous study showed that the disruption of IRS-2 impairs body growth but not glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity in rats, which led us to hypothesize that IRS-1 plays more pivotal roles in insulin functions than IRS-2.

Q241R mutation of Braf causes neurological abnormalities in a mouse model of cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome, independent of developmental malformations.

Constitutively active mutants of BRAF cause cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome, characterized by growth and developmental defects, cardiac malformations, facial features, cutaneous manifestations, and mental retardation. An animal model of human CFC syndrome, the systemic BrafQ241R/+ mutant mouse, has been reported to exhibit multiple CFC syndrome-like phenotypes. In this study, we analyzed the effects of Braf mutations on neural function, separately from their effects on developmental processes.