Microbial alpha diversity in the intestine negatively correlated with disease duration in patients with Meniere's disease.

Ménière's disease (MD) is characterized by loss of balance and hearing disorders. Although there is known to be endolymphatic hydrops involved in the pathological process, the pathogenesis of the disease is still largely unclear. Approximately half of patients with MD suffer from depressive symptoms and high levels of several stress hormones were observed in MD and depression, simultaneously.

Sensory regulation of meal sorting in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Meal sorting in mosquitoes is a phenomenon whereby ingested blood and sugar meals are directed to different destinations in the alimentary canal. We undertake a systematic analysis and show that entry of blood in the midgut is influenced by blood components, temperature, and feeding mode, while sugar solutions are directed to the crop in a dose-dependent manner. Sweet and nutritive sugars, like sucrose and maltose, enter the crop more efficiently compared to non-sweet or non-nutritive sugars.

Initial experience of a novel surgical assist robot "Saroa" featuring tactile feedback and a roll-clutch system in radical prostatectomy.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Saroa Surgical Robot System in robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP). We enrolled 60 patients who underwent RARP using either the Saroa (n = 9) or da Vinci Xi (n = 51) systems at Jikei University Kashiwa Hospital from January 2022 to March 2024. We compared preoperative characteristics, perioperative outcomes, complications, and postoperative urinary continence at three months between the two groups.

Effect of heart rate on B-type natriuretic peptide in sinus rhythm.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels accurately reflect the degree of cardiac overload in heart failure. Considering cardiac morphology and intracardiac pressure, including the left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), is essential for cardiac overload assessment. These indexes influence plasma BNP levels, and high heart rate is likely associated with cardiac morphology.

Peritoneal Dissemination and Malignant Ascites in Duodenal Cancer Successfully Treated With Adoptive Cell Therapy Using WT1- and MUC1-Pulsed Dendritic Cells and Activated T Cells With No Adverse Effects: A Case Report.

A satisfactory treatment for the dissemination of duodenal cancer has not yet been established. We describe a case of peritoneal dissemination and malignant ascites in duodenal cancer that was successfully treated with adoptive cell therapy with no adverse effects. A 72-year-old Japanese male patient with primary duodenal cancer with distal lymph node metastases received chemotherapy with S-1, an oral pyrimidine fluoridederived agent, and oxaliplatin after gastrojejunal bypass, which resulted in tumor shrinkage; however, peritoneal dissemination developed.

Dissociative Identity Disorder Cotreated With Zinc and L-carnosine: A Case Report.

Little is known about the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in dissociative identity disorder (DID). Zinc is essential for proper brain function. Its deficiency can lead to mental health symptoms, possibly contributing to dissociation.

Non-adrenergic vasopressors for vasodilatory shock or perioperative vasoplegia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Excessive exposure to adrenergic vasopressors may be harmful. Non-adrenergic vasopressors may spare adrenergic agents and potentially improve outcomes. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy of non-adrenergic vasopressors in adult patients receiving vasopressor therapy for vasodilatory shock or perioperative vasoplegia.

Efficacy of the Triple-Dose Prophylactic Vitamin K Regimen in Healthy Neonates and Evaluation of the Utility of Vitamin K Deficiency Screening.

Background: In Japan, three doses of vitamin K are administered to neonates as prophylactic regimens against vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of this prophylactic vitamin K regimen using the hepaplastin test (HPT) performed one, two weeks, and one month after birth. The secondary aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of HPT screening in healthy neonates.

Late-Onset Ocular Hypotensive Effect of Ripasudil on Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Purpose: We evaluated the late-onset ocular hypotensive effect of ripasudil after long-term administration in real-world clinical data and investigated its associated factors in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Patients And Methods: We reviewed the clinical patients with POAG who newly started ripasudil without changes of treatment. Enrolled eyes were assigned to two groups: positive group with the late-onset effect and negative group.

Quantitative analysis of I-iomazenil single-photon emission computed tomography findings from patients with infantile epileptic spasm syndrome.

Purpose: This study aimed to elucidate the distribution of intracranial gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in patients with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) of normal brain MRI findings using I-iomazenil single-photon emission computed tomography (IMZ-SPECT).

Methods: This retrospective study compared IMZ-SPECT images from 20 patients with IESS of unknown etiology with normal brain MRI (unknown IESS group) and 23 patients with developmentally normal epilepsy of the same age (developmentally normal group). A three-dimensional stereotactic region of interest (ROI) template was used to divide the brain into 24 segments (left and right callosomarginal, precentral, central, parietal, angular, temporal, posterior cerebral, pericallosal, lenticular nucleus, thalamus, hippocampus, and cerebellum), and the mean accumulation of I-iomazenil in each ROI was calculated.

Effective combination of corticosteroid and cyclosporine A for immunoglobulin A nephropathy with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis features: a case report.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide with heterogeneous histopathological phenotypes. Although IgAN with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)-like features has been reported in children and adults, treatment strategies for this rare IgAN subtype have not been established. Here, we present the case of a 56-year-old man with no history of kidney disease who initially presented with nephrotic syndrome.

Structural MRI study of Pareidolia and Visual Hallucinations in Drug-Naïve Parkinson's disease.

Visual hallucinations (VH) and pareidolia, a type of minor hallucination, share common underlying mechanisms. However, the similarities and differences in their brain regions remain poorly understood in Parkinson's disease (PD). A total of 104 drug-naïve PD patients underwent structural MRI and were assessed for pareidolia using the Noise Pareidolia Test (NPT) were enrolled.

Magnetic resonance imaging features of uterine adenosarcoma: case series and systematic review.

Objectives: To comprehensively summarize the characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of uterine adenosarcoma through a systematic review and case series analysis.

Methods: A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases on June 3, 2024. In total, 25 cases from 23 articles were selected, and five cases from the authors' institution were included.

The role of sonic hedgehog signaling in the oropharyngeal epithelium during jaw development.

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is expressed in the oropharyngeal epithelium, including the frontonasal ectodermal zone (FEZ), which is defined as the boundary between Shh and Fgf8 expression domains in the frontonasal epithelium. To investigate the role of SHH signaling from the oropharyngeal epithelium, we generated mice in which Shh expression is specifically deleted in the oropharyngeal epithelium (Isl1-Cre; Shh). In the mutant mouse, Shh expression was excised in the oropharyngeal epithelium as well as FEZ and ventral forebrain, consistent with the expression pattern of Isl1.

Efficacy of Donepezil for Fatigue and Psychological Symptoms in Post-COVID-19 Condition: Study Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Trial.

Background: Approximately 30% of coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 patients develop fatigue and psychological symptoms. We previously demonstrated the efficacy of donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that is widely used to treat dementia, in basic research.

Methods: This is a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled, phase II clinical trial in which 120 patients with COVID-19 will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a donepezil or placebo group.

Hounsfield unit to serum pentosidine ratio predicts screw loosening after lumbar interbody fusion.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify whether the ratio of the vertebral Hounsfield unit to serum pentosidine (H/P ratio), which reflects bone density and quality, can predict screw loosening after spinal fusion surgery.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted in 35 patients (mean age 71 ± 10.4 years, 18 men) who underwent spinal interbody fusion for lumbar spine disease between June 2020 and February 2022.

Feasibility and Safety of Double-Wire Technique for Microcatheter Navigation Beyond Tortuous Internal Carotid Siphon: A Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Background: Severe vessel tortuosity may prevent a microcatheter from reaching a distal vessel. However, the double-wire technique (DWT) may facilitate the procedure. The present study evaluated the feasibility and safety of guiding a 0.

Nodular-bronchiectatic pattern in pulmonary nocardiosis: Immune status and treatment outcomes in a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Pulmonary nocardiosis is a rare opportunistic infection, with approximately 15 % of patients being immunocompetent. The isolation rate of Nocardia spp. has recently increased, indicating rising clinical concern.

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the ACE tool for assessing evidence-based medicine competencies in medical practitioners and students: An evaluation in an online setting.

Introduction Evidence-based medicine (EBM) competency is crucial for healthcare professionals; however, validated tools to assess EBM skills in Japanese are scarce. This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the Assessing Competency in EBM (ACE) tool. Methods We translated the ACE tool into Japanese, following international standards, and distributed it online to 99 healthcare professionals and students.

Autistic trait severity in early schizophrenia: Role in subjective quality of life and social functioning.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a cardinal feature in patients with schizophrenia and leads to poor social functioning. Recently, the treatment of schizophrenia has evolved to include the goal of improving quality of life (QoL). However, most of the factors influencing subjective QoL are unknown.

Determining pulmonary artery diameter on CT scans as basis for performing transthoracic echocardiography to screen for pulmonary hypertension in patients with pulmonary artery enlargement.

Background: The current guidelines recommend patient stratification based on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to identify individuals with potential pulmonary hypertension (PH). We validated the relationship between PH and the pulmonary artery diameter (PAD) on computed tomography (CT) with peak tricuspid regurgitant velocity (TRV) measured by TTE for referral of patients with suspected PH for TTE screening.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of CT-based PAD of 2356 patients who underwent TTE from February 2, 2013 to December 25, 2019 at our institution.