Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Predicting Transarterial Chemoembolization Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Background: Major society guidelines recommend transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as the standard of care for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, predicting treatment response remains challenging.

Aims: As artificial intelligence (AI) may predict therapeutic responses, this systematic review aims to assess the performance and effectiveness of radiomics and AI-based models in predicting TACE outcomes in patients with HCC.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative disease during remission after induction therapy with dasatinib in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a case report.

Dasatinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been reported to have immunomodulatory effects. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphoproliferative disorders (EBV-LPD) occur in immunocompromised patients, such as those receiving methotrexate or other immunosuppressive drugs or after allogenic transplantation. EBV-LPD is also reported to be a rare side effect in patients receiving long-term dasatinib or imatinib.

Number of medical facilities within driving distance of residence and influenza vaccination status in Japan: A cross-sectional study.

Vaccine hesitancy primarily consists of confidence, complacency, and convenience, including geographical accessibility. However, few studies in developed countries have focused on the association between geographical accessibility to vaccination services and vaccination status and previous studies have shown conflicting results. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the association between the number of medical facilities within a 15-minute driving distance from the place of residence and influenza vaccination status, using a large nationwide internet survey in Japan ( = 27,440).

Preventable diagnostic errors of lower gastrointestinal perforation: a secondary analysis of a large-scale multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Lower gastrointestinal perforation (LGP) is an acute abdominal condition associated with a high mortality rate. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial. Nevertheless, a diagnostic delay has been estimated to occur in approximately one-third of the cases, and the factors contributing to this delay are yet to be clearly understood.

Morel-Lavallée Lesion: An Easily Missed Closed Debridement Injury in Blunt Trauma.

Morel-Lavallée lesion (MLL) is a closed soft tissue injury following trauma that is often missed. If not treated appropriately, they can lead to infection and is difficult to treat. High-energy trauma with shear forces should be treated with MLL in mind.

Predictive Analytics in Heart Failure Risk, Readmission, and Mortality Prediction: A Review.

Heart failure is a leading cause of death among people worldwide. The cost of treatment can be prohibitive, and early prediction of heart failure would reduce treatment costs to patients and hospitals. Improved readmission prediction would also greatly help hospitals, allowing them to manage their treatment programs and budgets better.

Effect of changes in skin properties due to diabetes mellitus on the titration period of transdermal fentanyl: single-center retrospective study and diabetic animal model study.

Background: In the dose titration of transdermal fentanyl to prevent unrelieved pain, it is important to consider not only dose adjustment, but also the titration period, which is influenced by the time required to reach the steady state. Many patients with cancer pain experience comorbidities that might affect the skin properties and influence transdermal absorption. We hypothesized that skin changes due to diabetes mellitus (DM) would affect the titration period of transdermal fentanyl.

Effects of Pemafibrate on LDL-C and Related Lipid Markers in Patients with MASLD: A Sub-Analysis of the PEMA-FL Study.

Aim: In the PEMA-FL study in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), pemafibrate was shown to significantly decrease low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. We aimed to investigate the mechanisms of pemafibrate-induced LDL-C reduction in patients with MASLD by conducting an additional sub-analysis of the PEMA-FL study.

Methods: The PEMA-FL study randomized 118 patients with MASLD to receive pemafibrate or placebo for 72 weeks.

Rapidly Worsening Infective Endocarditis With Severe Mitral Stenosis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) rarely results in mitral stenosis (MS), but MS in patients with IE can be life-threatening. We present a case of prosthetic MS secondary to IE. A 69-year-old Japanese man underwent mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve 2 years previously.

IFN-α treatment may enable discontinuation of TKIs in NK cell-licensed patients with CML-CP.

The magnitude of the natural killer (NK) cell response contributes to the achievement of treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and is regulated by the interaction between killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) on NK cells and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on target cells. The abundant combination between and through genetic polymorphisms determines the functional diversity of NK cells. We previously reported that status is associated with achievement of TFR by reflecting NK cell potential.

Optical Attenuation Coefficient-Based En Face Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging for the Reliable Assessment of the Ellipsoid Zone.

This study used optical attenuation coefficient (OAC)-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) en face images to assess the ellipsoid zone (EZ) in the foveal region. This retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study of 41 healthy volunteers and 34 patients with retinal diseases included imaging data acquired using a prototype swept-source OCT system. EZ en face images were generated from OCT raster scan volumes based on OAC, followed by denoising and binarization to quantify the percentage of EZ structural normality or abnormality relative to the total imaging area.

Analysis of CD1a-Positive Monocyte-Derived Cells in the Regional Lymph Nodes of Patients with Gallbladder Cancer.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are known to be major antigen-presenting cells, and lymph nodes (LNs) play an important role in DC-mediated immune response. CD1a is known as a marker of monocyte-derived DCs. The present study focused on the infiltration of CD1a-positive DCs (CD1a-DCs) into regional LNs in 70 cases of gallbladder cancer (GBC).

In vivo functional significance of direct physical interaction between Period and Cryptochrome in mammalian circadian rhythm generation.

In the current model, the auto-negative feedback action of Period (Per) and Cryptochrome (Cry) on their own transcription is the hallmark mechanism driving cell-autonomous circadian rhythms. Although this model likely makes sense even if Per and Cry undertake this action in a mutually independent manner, many studies have suggested the functional significance of direct physical interaction between Per and Cry. However, even though the interaction is a biochemical process that pertains to the fundamentals of the circadian oscillator, its in vivo contribution to circadian rhythm generation remains undefined.

Clinical practice guidelines for management of disseminated intravascular coagulation in Japan 2024. Part 1: sepsis.

The Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (JSTH) published the first-ever disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) guidelines in 2009. Fifteen years later, the JSTH developed new guidelines covering DIC associated with various underlying conditions. These guidelines were developed in accordance with the GRADE system to determine the strength of the recommendations and certainty of the evidence.

[Rupture without Bleeding Secondary to Endotension After Thoracic Endovasular Aneurysm Repair:Report of a Case].

We report a rare case of rupture without bleeding secondary to endotension after thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair. An 82-year-old woman had undergone multiple thoracic endovascular aortic repairs for a distal arch aneurysm. Due to the aneurysm enlargement, stent graft was eventually placed from the ascending aorta to just above the celiac artery after axillo-axillo-common carotid artery bypass.

[Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm in a Patient with an Axillo-bifemoral Bypass].

We report an extremely rare case of thoracoabdominal replacement after left axillo-bifemoral artery bypass surgery. The patient was a 33-year-old man who had undergone left axillo-bifemoral artery bypass surgery after total arch replacement due to lower extremity ischemia by stenosis of the elephant trunk graft 10 years previously. He was admitted to the emergency department with back pain.

Clinical practice guidelines for management of disseminated intravascular coagulation in Japan 2024. Part 2: hematologic malignancy.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) associated with hematologic malignancies, particularly acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), is characterized by marked fibrinolytic activation, which leads to severe bleeding complications. Therefore, appropriate diagnosis and management of DIC are crucial for preventing bleeding-related mortality. However, to date, no clinical guidelines have specifically addressed hematologic malignancy-associated DIC.

Accuracy of type IV collagen 7S versus Enhanced Liver Fibrosis score for diagnosing fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: Various noninvasive tests can be used to identify high-risk groups of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease/steatohepatitis (MASLD). In this study, we compared the diagnostic performance of serum type 4 collagen 7S (COL4-7S) and the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) score for detecting fibrosis in patients with MASLD.

Methods: Among 1368 patients with MASLD who underwent liver biopsy, 794 with values for both serum COL4-7S and the ELF score were enrolled in this multicenter study.

Impact of tumor-treating fields on the survival of Japanese patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

Background: The EF-14 clinical trial demonstrated the safety and efficacy of tumor-treating fields (TTFields) for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. This study aimed to clarify the current status, safety, and efficacy of TTFields in Japanese patients who meet the EF-14 inclusion criteria.

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Detoxification of hydrogen sulfide by synthetic heme model compounds.

Hydrogen sulfide is a lethal toxic gas that disrupts cellular respiration in the mitochondrial system. Currently, no antidote is available for the clinical treatment of hydrogen sulfide poisoning. In this study, we investigated the function of iron(III)porphyrin complexes as hydrogen sulfide scavengers in water and evaluated their potential use as therapeutic agents for hydrogen sulfide poisoning.

Possible Biological Heterogeneity of Airway Mucus Plugs in a Patient with Asthma.

Background: The presence of mucus plugs in the airway is a severe phenotype in patients with asthma; however, the mechanisms and specific treatments are not fully understood.

Purpose: To clarify the efficacy of biologics and the mechanisms for mucus plug in patients with asthma.

Patients And Methods: A 79-year-old Japanese asthmatic woman with high blood eosinophil and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) was pointed massive mucus plugs in airway on chest CT imaging.

Utility of Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer as an excellent biomarker for the prediction of liver fibrosis, activity, and hepatocellular carcinoma onset: an expert review.

Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) is a liver fibrosis biomarker that originated in Japan and has been covered by health insurance for 10 years. M2BPGi is useful not only for liver fibrosis stage prediction but also for assessment of the degree of liver inflammation and prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma development. The usefulness of M2BPGi for assessing disease progression in patients with various chronic liver diseases has been demonstrated over the past decade in a large number of patients.

A comprehensive exploration of human communal media interaction and its evolving impact on psychological health across demographics and time.

This work presents a comprehensive literature review and real-world survey analysis examining the intricate relationship between communal media and psychological concerns within human-computer interaction (HCI). By systematically categorizing research from 1995 to 2023, we observe a significant increase in studies, reflecting the growing recognition of communal media's impact on psychological well-being. Our review delves into various HCI aspects, including demographic effects, emotional sentiment analysis, online social networking, and communal media use intensity.

Effect of hypofibrinolysis on clinical outcomes of patients with septic disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Background: This study investigated the utility of thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in assessing hypofibrinolysis among septic patients, specifically the association of hypofibrinolysis, as determined by ROTEM, with septic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), organ dysfunction, and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective analysis included adult septic patients admitted to Saga University Hospital from 2013 to 2017, with available ROTEM data. Hypofibrinolysis was assessed using the lysis index at 60 min (LI60) in extrinsic thromboelastometry (EXTEM).