Factors associated with activated clotting time following heparin administration in pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass: A retrospective study.

Introduction: The recently recommended activated clotting time (ACT) to be maintained at the initiation of and during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is ≥480 s. However, the post-unfractionated heparin (UFH) administration ACT occasionally does not exceed 480 s. Therefore, in this study, we retrospectively evaluated the factors influencing post-heparin administration ACT before initiating CPB.

Investigation of brain volume changes associated with aging: Results from the fourth research on osteoarthritis/osteoporosis against disability survey.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of aging on brain volume among community residents in Japan, focusing on trends over time and specific brain structures.

Methods: We analyzed data from the fourth survey (2015-2016) of the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis Against Disability project, encompassing 2146 community residents from Japan's mountainous and coastal regions. A total of 1755 participants (81.

Development of decision-aid of goal-setting for patients with distal radius fracture: Aid for decision-making in occupation choice for distal radius fracture.

Background: Patients with distal radius fractures (DRFs) encounter significant difficulties and challenges in their daily lives due to their medical condition and a lack of strategies for modifying activities. Occupation-based interventions have emerged as promising strategies to improve occupational performance and participation outcomes, addressing these challenges.

Purpose: This study aims to develop the aid for decision-making in occupation choice for distal radius fracture (ADOC-DRF), a novel decision-aid tool designed to facilitate patient-centered and occupation-based goal-setting by offering illustrations tailored to the postsurgical recovery period and prescribed activity loads.

Prognostic significance of body mass index in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving first-line therapies.

Objectives: Higher body mass index (BMI) is reportedly associated with improved prognosis of patients with various cancers. However, it is unclear whether this phenomenon, also known as the obesity paradox, applies to metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We aimed to determine the prognostic significance of BMI in patients with mRCC receiving first-line therapies.

Comparison of Manual and Mechanical Ventilation During Intensive Care Unit Transport Following Cardiac Surgery: Impact on Oxygenation, Ventilation, and Hemodynamic Stability.

Objectives: Following cardiac surgery, patients often require ventilatory support during transport to the intensive care unit (ICU). Manual ventilation using a bag valve mask (BVM) is commonly employed; however, mechanical ventilation may sometimes be preferred due to concerns regarding oxygenation, ventilation, and hemodynamic stability. The decision between manual and mechanical ventilation is typically based on clinical experience and surgical factors, as there is no established consensus or robust clinical evidence to guide this choice.

Neural correlates of age-related hearing loss: An MRI and FDG-PET study.

Aim: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a common problem among older adults and contributes to adverse health outcomes such as cognitive impairment. However, the neural mechanisms underlying ARHL remain unclear. We aimed to reveal the structural and metabolic (i.

Successful Treatment of Methotrexate-associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder with the Pola-R-CHP Regimen.

Methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (MTX-LPD) constitutes a subset of lymphoid proliferations and lymphomas that are associated with immune deficiency and dysregulation. The clinical management of MTX-LPDs is contingent on their histopathological subtypes. Polatuzumab vedotin is a novel therapeutic approach that is particularly beneficial for selecting patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL); however, DLBCL-type MTX-LPD is still treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) because of the exclusion of MTX-LPD from clinical trials.

Bioavailability of Anthocyanin Cyanidin-3-Glucoside from Black Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Extract after Co-Administration with Allyl Isothiocyanate in Rats.

Black rice (BR) is beneficial for the health of animals and humans. Herein, we investigated the pharmacokinetics of cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), a major anthocyanin constituent of BR, in male rats. After its intravenous administration, C3G was rapidly distributed throughout the body and disappeared from the plasma.

Anti-Obesity Effects of a Combination of Whole-Body Vibration Stimulus and Dietary D-Allulose on Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) has gained attention as a light-resistance exercise and can increase energy metabolism. The rare sugar D-allulose has anti-obesity effects that are mediated by the suppression of hepatic lipogenesis. In this study, we examined the anti-obesity effects of a combination of WBV and dietary D-allulose in rats fed a high-fat diet.

Forsythia viridissima Leaf Extract Inhibits Trabecular Bone Mineral Loss in Rats Induced by a Low-Calcium Diet.

The Forsythia has been used in herbal medicine, and the leaf is also expected to contain various putative bioactive substances. In this study, we investigated the effects of Forsythia viridissima leaf extract (FLE) on bone metabolism. The anti-osteoporotic effect of FLE was determined in male rats fed a low-calcium diet.

Ameliorative Effect of Raspberry Ketone on Hypothalamic Inflammation in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of raspberry ketone on hypothalamic inflammation and its mechanism. Mouse microglia cells (BV2 cells) were cultured in vitro with palmitic acid (100 μM) to induce inflammation model and then incubated with raspberry ketone (5, 20, 50 μM) alone or raspberry ketone (50 μM) and the specific inhibitor of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), genipin (10 μM), to test the role of UCP2 in raspberry ketone regulatory of inflammation. Meanwhile, C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet containing raspberry ketone (0.

Effect of Mixed Solid Food and Water Intake on Blood Glucose Level and Energy Metabolism.

Carbohydrate-rich solid foods, such as bread, pasta, and steamed rice, are applied for test meals in studies examining digestion and absorption of food related to glucose metabolism and sports science. Such research must consider that drinking water is sometimes better as it avoids the risk of choking or aspiration. However, the water increases test meal volume and dilutes glucose concentration, which may influence the digestion and absorption of ingested foods, as well as energy metabolism.

Fructo-Oligosaccharides Enhance the Expression of Genes Related to Focal Adhesion- and Inflammation-Pathways in Small Intestinal Absorptive Caco-2 Cells.

Recently, we demonstrated, using mRNA microarray analysis, that fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), which are indigestible carbohydrates, enhanced the expression of several inflammation-related genes, such as CLEC7A, CCL2, ITGA2, and F3, by ≥4-fold in Caco-2 cells, a model of human intestinal absorptive cells, independently of intestinal bacteria (Harasawa A et al., Nutrition, 112140, 2023). However, whether FOS enhances the expression of genes in other pathways, particularly the non-inflammatory pathways, in Caco-2 cells has not been investigated.

Effects of Japanese Diet on Post-Exercise Glycogen Recovery in Mice Skeletal Muscle and Liver.

The diet consumed by most Japanese people, which contains high amounts of carbohydrate and low levels of fat compared with the Western-style diet (WD), has been considered an effective diet for promoting glycogen recovery after exercise. However, there is no direct evidence to support this general belief, because no studies have examined the effect of whole, actually cooked Japanese-style diet (JD) on post-exercise glycogen replenishment. In this study, we comparatively examined the effects of a cooked typical JD and WD on glycogen accumulation in mouse skeletal muscle and liver after acute exercise.

Paternal Zinc Deficiency and Its Transgenerational Effects on Zinc Transporters in Drosophila.

The nutritional status of fathers plays a significant role in influencing the growth, metabolism, and susceptibility to diseases in their offspring. Paternal zinc deficiency can lead to developmental programming effects on the offspring's zinc homeostasis. This study investigated the effects of paternal zinc deficiency on the zinc homeostasis of offspring in a Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) model.

Influence of Chronic Mental Stress on Taste and Pungency Due to End-of-Semester Examination.

Mental stress is a known risk factor for lifestyle-related diseases. Previously, we reported that short-term stress sharpens the sense of taste and dulls the sense of pungency, but in this study, we examined the effects of chronic mental stress on taste and pungency by comparing normal days with end-of-semester examination days. Furthermore, the relationship between pungency measured on the tongue and the corresponding skin current value causing forearm pain was investigated.

Anticancer potentialsof chaga and notoginseng against dog bladder cancer organoids.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a common form of BC in dogs. Adjuvant chemotherapy administration is commonly applied in MIBC cases, but patients sometimes experience treatment failure and recurrence. Therefore, supplements with anticancer properties, such as traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), are required, and they have been widely used in Japanese human medicine and may be useful in veterinary medicine.

Organizing Pneumonia Associated with Pneumocystis jirovecii in a Patient Receiving Dose-Dense Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Case Report.

In patients not infected by HIV, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is characterized by rapid disease progression, difficulty in confirming the diagnosis, and poor prognosis. PCP has also been reported in immunocompromised patients receiving chemotherapy, most often for hematologic tumors, although some patients receiving treatment for breast cancer have been affected. Dose-dense chemotherapy (DDC) which is performed with shorter dosing intervals than standard chemotherapy and is now widely used in clinical practice.

Improvement in Atrial Fibrillation Detection by Pulse Checking of Patients with Non-Cardioembolic Stroke in Rehabilitation Hospitals: The ESCORT Study.

Background: Rehabilitation therapists are sometimes unaware of the possibility of undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) and the importance of AF detection. Thus, we aimed to increase awareness among rehabilitation therapists of the importance of AF detection at rehabilitation hospitals during regular pulse checks of patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods: In this multicenter prospective observational study, we enrolled patients with noncardiac stroke.

Masticatory performance indicates the development of psychological frailty: A 6-year prospective cohort study by the SONIC study group.

Purpose: Although the association between oral health and physical frailty is well established, psychological frailty has not been investigated. Therefore, this prospective cohort study was conducted to examine the association between masticatory performance and psychological frailty in older community-dwelling Japanese individuals.

Methods: The participants included 498 older adults who completed baseline and 3- and 6-year follow-up surveys.

Finite element analysis of stress distribution in cantilever resin-bonded zirconia fixed dental prosthesis and periodontal tissue with alveolar bone loss.

Purpose: To compare the stress distribution in loaded zirconia resin-bonded fixed dental prostheses (RBFDPs) and periodontal tissue using finite element analysis, considering reduced alveolar bone levels and the number of retainers.

Methods: A human skull was micro-CT scanned. Three framework designs were tested: a 2-unit RBFDP using the maxillary left central incisor (#21) as an abutment, another using a canine (#23), and a 3-unit RBFDP using both #21 and #23.

[Effect of Concomitant Metformin Use on Hematologic Adverse Events in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Pemetrexed-Based Chemotherapy: A Study Using a Japanese Claims Database].

Pemetrexed is a folate analog inhibitor for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Prophylactic supplementation with vitamin B and folic acid reduces hematotoxicity associated with pemetrexed. Metformin, the antidiabetic agent, has been associated with the potential side effect of vitamin B deficiency.

[Roles of Trophoblast Differentiation, Cell Fusion, and Microvilli Formation in Placentation and Prospects for a Model for Their Assessment].

The placenta, which acts as an interface between fetal and maternal circulations, is an indispensable organ for fetal growth in mammalian pregnancy. It mediates the transportation of nutrients, the exchange of gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, and the excretion of waste products between the fetus and mother. The surface of placental villi is covered by two layers of mononuclear undifferentiated cytotrophoblasts (CT) and multinucleated syncytiotrophoblasts (ST).