Clinical efficacy of tolvaptan in acute decompensated heart failure patients with severe aortic stenosis and atrial fibrillation: a sub-analysis from the LOHAS registry.

Background: Severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are risk factors of hemodynamic instability in heart failure (HF) management due to low cardiac output, respectively. Therefore, the treatment of HF due to severe AS complicated with AF is anticipated to be difficult. Tolvaptan, a vasopressin V2 receptor inhibitor, is effective in controlling acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) with hemodynamic stability.

Multi-Institutional Randomized Phase II Trial of Gefitinib for Previously Treated Patients With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of two doses of gefitinib (Iressa [ZD1839]; AstraZeneca, Wilmington, DE), a novel epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with pretreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter phase II trial. Two hundred ten patients with advanced NSCLC who were previously treated with one or two chemotherapy regimens (at least one containing platinum) were randomized to receive either 250-mg or 500-mg oral doses of gefitinib once daily.

Combined online and offline basic life support workshop with infection prevention and control for COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak has made it difficult to hold face-to-face BLS training sessions at university. Even in this limited situation, the effective use of combined online video course and offline training can contribute to gaining participants' confidence in conducting BLS and improving mindset than before.

Characteristic of Uterine Rhabdomyosarcoma by Algorithm of Potential Biomarkers for Uterine Mesenchymal Tumor.

Background/aim: Patients with uterine sarcoma comprise 2-5% of all patients with uterine malignancies; however, the morbidity of uterine sarcoma is low compared with that of other gynecological cancers. For many cases, malignant uterine tumors are diagnosed during follow-up of benign uterine leiomyoma. Of the uterine sarcomas, rhabdomyosarcoma is considered a mixed tumor containing components of epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells.

CSF Tau phosphorylation at Thr205 is associated with loss of white matter integrity in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease.

Background: Hyperphosphorylation of tau leads to conformational changes that destabilize microtubules and hinder axonal transport in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unknown whether white matter (WM) decline due to AD is associated with specific Tau phosphorylation site(s).

Methods: In autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) mutation carriers (MC) and non-carriers (NC) we compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) phosphorylation at tau sites (pT217, pT181, pS202, and pT205) and total tau with WM measures, as derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and cognition.

ARCH Project and the Global Initiatives of Disaster Health Management.

Objective: The prime aim of Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project) is to strengthen the disaster health management (DHM) capacity in the context of personal level, Emergency Medical Team (EMT), and the regional collaboration. The ARCH Project was implemented with reference to international trends of DHM and seeks to contribute to the development of global standards.

Methods: The project established the Project Working Groups that consisted of representatives of ASEAN Member States (AMS) to develop standard operating procedures (SOP) for international EMT (I-EMT) coordination.

Association of Reduced Free T3 to Free T4 Ratio with Lower Serum Creatinine in Japanese Hemodialysis Patients.

Purpose: Low T3 syndrome is defined by a fall in free triiodothyronine (FT3) in spite of normal serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and often normal free thyroxin (FT4). A low FT3/FT4 ratio, a relevant marker for low T3 syndrome, is known as a risk of mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients, as well as low muscle mass in the general population. Because of the local activation of T4 to FT3 in muscle tissue, we examined the association of FT3/FT4 ratio with serum creatinine, a marker of muscle mass and strength in HD patients to investigate the significance of muscle tissue in the development of low T3 syndrome in HD patients.

Creation and provision of a question and answer resource for esophageal cancer based on medical professionals' reports of patients' and families' views and preferences.

Background: In the rapidly-progressing healthcare environment, it is essential to improve treatment quality through continuous clarification of the needs and concerns of esophageal cancer patients and their families. Effective collaboration between information providers and academic associations could help make such clarified information available.

Methods: We analyzed esophageal cancer patients' views and preferences (PVPs) using data that were previously obtained from medical staff in Japan.

Morphological Changes in Faces Depending on Posture.

Facial surgeries are usually performed with the patient in the supine position; however, it is crucial to predict postoperative results in the upright position. This study aimed to clarify the posture-related morphological changes in the facial soft tissue regarding age and sex, using physical measurements to obtain results in specific linear metric measurements of standard facial features. One hundred healthy volunteers were divided into four groups based on age and sex (25 young men, 25 young women, 25 old men, 25 old women).

Effect of Sex on Mortality and Left Ventricular Remodeling After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Background: The effect of sex on mortality is controversial; furthermore, sex differences in left ventricular (LV) remodeling after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remain unknown.

Methods and results: This study included 2,588 patients (1,793 [69.3%] female) enrolled in the Optimized CathEter vAlvular iNtervention (OCEAN)-TAVI Japanese multicenter registry between October 2013 and May 2017.

Residual endogenous insulin secretion in Japanese children with type 1A diabetes.

We investigated serum C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) levels in registered data from a multi-center collaborative nationwide type 1 diabetes study. The CPR levels were obtained from 576 and 409 children during the early registration (2013/2014) and late observation (2016/2017) periods, respectively. The percentages of children with a CPR < 0.

The post-progression survival of patients with recurrent or persistent ovarian clear cell carcinoma: results from a randomized phase III study in JGOG3017/GCIG.

Objective: In this study we sought to investigate the clinical factors that affect post-progression survival (PPS) in patients with recurrent or persistent clear cell carcinoma (CCC). We utilized the JGOG3017/Gynecological Cancer InterGroup data to compare paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TC) and irinotecan plus cisplatin (CPT-P) in the treatment of stages I to IV CCC.

Methods: We enrolled 166 patients with recurrent or persistent CCC and assessed the impact of variables, including platinum sensitivity, treatment arm, crossover chemotherapy, primary stage, residual tumor at primary surgery, performance status, ethnicity, and tumor reduction surgery at recurrence on the median of PPS in patients with recurrent or persistent CCC.

Short-term effects of low-dose tolvaptan in acute decompensated heart failure patients with severe aortic stenosis: The LOHAS registry.

Background: Tolvaptan exerts potent diuretic effects in heart failure patients without hemodynamic instability. Nonetheless, its clinical efficacy for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) due to severe aortic stenosis (AS) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of tolvaptan in ADHF patients with severe AS.

Low prevalence of maternal microchimerism in peripheral blood of Japanese children with type 1 diabetes.

Aim: To clarify the prevalence and degree of maternal microchimerism in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes, as well as its effect on phenotypic variation.

Methods: We studied 153 Japanese children with type 1 diabetes, including 124 children positive for β-cell autoantibodies, and their 71 unaffected siblings. The number of circulating microchimeric cells per 10 host cells was estimated by the use of quantitative-polymerase chain reaction targeting non-transmitted maternal human leukocyte antigen alleles.

Increased diagnosis of autoimmune childhood-onset Japanese type 1 diabetes using a new glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, compared with a previously used glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody radioimmunoassay kit.

Aims/introduction: We compared the results of testing for glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADAb) using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in individuals with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Materials And Methods: Serum specimens were collected from 1,024 Japanese children (426 boys and 598 girls) in 2013. The median age at diagnosis was 7 years (0-18 years).

Diet-Induced Obese Mice and Leptin-Deficient Mice Exhibit Increased Circulating GIP Levels Produced by Different Mechanisms.

As glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) possesses pro-adipogenic action, the suppression of the GIP hypersecretion seen in obesity might represent a novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of obesity. However, the mechanism of GIP hypersecretion remains largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated GIP secretion in two mouse models of obesity: High-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) mice and leptin-deficient mice.

KLF11 variant in a family clinically diagnosed with early childhood-onset type 1B diabetes.

KLF11 is the causative gene for maturity-onset diabetes of the young 7 (MODY7). KLF11 regulates insulin gene expression through binding to the GC box in the promoter. To date, only two KLF11 mutations have been identified in three families with early-onset type 2 diabetes.

Gallium disrupts bacterial iron metabolism and has therapeutic effects in mice and humans with lung infections.

The lack of new antibiotics is among the most critical challenges facing medicine. The problem is particularly acute for Gram-negative bacteria. An unconventional antibiotic strategy is to target bacterial nutrition and metabolism.

A case of complete splenic infarction after laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy.

Background: Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (LSPDP), a newly developed operative procedure, is indicated for benign and low-grade malignant disease of the pancreas. However, few studies have reported on postoperative splenic infarction after LSPDP.

Case Presentation: We report a case of complete splenic infarction and obliteration of the splenic artery and vein after LSPDP.

Protein-altering variants of PTPN2 in childhood-onset Type 1A diabetes.

Aim: To examine the contribution of PTPN2 coding variants to the risk of childhood-onset Type 1A diabetes.

Methods: PTPN2 mutation analysis was carried out for 169 unrelated Japanese people with childhood-onset Type 1A diabetes. We searched for coding variants that were absent or extremely rare in the general population and were scored as damaging by multiple in silico programs.

The incidences of and risk factors for severe retinopathy requiring photocoagulation and albuminuria in Japanese patients with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes.

The aim of this study was to clarify the incidences of and the risk factors for severe retinopathy requiring photocoagulation therapy and albuminuria in Japanese patients with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus. A total of 756 patients from a cohort study by the Japanese Study Group of Insulin Therapy for Childhood and Adolescent Diabetes were included in the study. Patients were registered in 1995 or 2000, and HbAwas measured every 4 months and analyzed in central hospital for an average of 6 years.