Regulation of dynamic spatiotemporal inflammation by nanomaterials in spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common clinical condition of the central nervous system that can lead to sensory and motor impairment below the injury level or permanent loss of function in severe cases. Dynamic spatiotemporal neuroinflammation is vital to neurological recovery, which is collectively constituted by the dynamic changes in a series of inflammatory cells, including microglia, neutrophils, and astrocytes, among others. Immunomodulatory nanomaterials can readily improve the therapeutic effects and simultaneously overcome various drawbacks associated with treatment, such as the off-target side effects and loss of bioactivity of immune agents during circulation.

Enhancement of the Cytokine Adsorption Capacity of Octacalcium Phosphate by Interaction-Controlled Glycosaminoglycan Modification to Promote Osteoblastic Differentiation.

This study was designed to investigate how the strength of the interaction between octacalcium phosphate (OCP) and modified chondroitin-A sulfate (CS-A), a glycosaminoglycan, regulates the adsorption-desorption of cytokines and subsequently affects the osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro. The utilization of cytokines produced by cells, such as macrophages, stimulated by the hydrolysis of OCP, is expected to enhance the bone regeneration capacity of the OCP. CS-Na was used to modify CS-A on the OCP immobilized with the amino group through electrostatic interactions.

Binding of a potential antibacterial drug, mangiferin, to serine hydroxymethyltransferase from Enterococcus faecium.

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) plays a critical role in the 1C metabolism pathway. This pathway is involved in the synthesis of many amino and nucleic acids, and SHMT is considered a target for drugs through folate metabolism, especially for cancer and malaria. A detailed analysis of the interactions between SHMTs and drugs will greatly contribute to the development of new drugs.

Is Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Associated With Increased Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Minor Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Under General Anesthesia?

Background: Whether postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) contributes to increased postoperative pain (POP) remains unclear, although POP is reported to cause PONV.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether PONV following minor oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) under general anesthesia increases POP.

Study Design, Setting, Sample: The researchers implemented a retrospective cohort study.

Changes in Personal Behaviors During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Three-Year Longitudinal Study in Japan.

Few longitudinal studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal behaviors. This study investigated changes in four social behaviors among the Japanese public during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, using four-wave longitudinal data (2020-2023) from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS). In total, 8622 respondents continuously participated in the surveys.

Regulation of Stromal Cells by Sex Steroid Hormones in the Breast Cancer Microenvironment.

Breast cancer is a prevalent hormone-dependent malignancy, and estrogens/estrogen receptor (ER) signaling are pivotal therapeutic targets in ER-positive breast cancers, where endocrine therapy has significantly improved treatment efficacy. However, the emergence of both de novo and acquired resistance to these therapies continues to pose challenges. Additionally, androgens are produced locally in breast carcinoma tissues by androgen-producing enzymes, and the androgen receptor (AR) is commonly expressed in breast cancer cells.

Impact of Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter-2 Inhibitors on Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension.

Patients with borderline pulmonary hypertension (PH) often experience shortness of breath or exacerbation of PH during exercise, known as exercise-induced PH. However, the pathogenesis of exercise-induced post-capillary PH (post-EIPH) and its treatment strategies remain unclear. Recent guidelines and consensus documents have highlighted the benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

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.

The importance of microvascular invasion in patients with non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm.

Background/objectives: The oncological importance of lymphatic, microvascular, and perineural invasions and their association with outcomes in patients with non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (NF-PanNEN) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of these factors in the prognosis of patients with NF-PanNEN.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 115 patients who underwent curative resection and were pathologically and clinically diagnosed with NF-PanNEN.

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.

Effect of Low-dose Administration of Carperitide for Acute Heart Failure: the LASCAR-AHF trial.

Background: The effects of low-dose carperitide on long-term clinical outcomes of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) have not yet been fully elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low-dose intravenous carperitide on the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with AHF.

Methods: In this multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial, 247 patients with AHF received low-dose carperitide intravenously with standard treatment or a matching standard treatment for 72 h from November 2014 to March 2021 across nine sites in Japan.

Real-world data of first-line treatment with pembrolizumab for NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression in elderly patients: a subgroup analysis of HOT/NJLCG2001.

Background: In the first-line treatment of elderly patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (tumor proportion score ≥ 50%), this study aimed to determine whether pembrolizumab monotherapy (MONO) or pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy (COMB) should be selected.

Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter study (sub-analysis of the HOT/NJLCG2001 trial) of 299 patients with NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression who received MONO or COMB as the first-line treatment between December 2018 and January 2020. We selected patients aged 75 years and older and assessed the clinical efficacy and toxicity.

Effects of hypothetical low versus moderate-to-high intensity weight management regimens on knee replacements.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a hypothetical biennial weight management regimen in reducing the necessity for knee replacement (KR) surgery among middle-aged and older adults with or at a higher risk for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort in the US, comprising community-dwelling adults aged 45-79 years at high risk for or with symptomatic knee OA who underwent baseline assessments from September 2008 to December 2010 were used. Subsequent evaluations were conducted at 12, 24, and 96 months.

Drug-induced liver injury related to avacopan therapy.

Objectives: The efficacy of avacopan as remission induction therapy for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is well-established. However, concerns regarding liver injury post-avacopan treatment remain, especially in Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate drug-induced liver injury (DILI) associated with avacopan treatment.

The Association between Perinatal Complications and Adverse Childhood Experiences: Findings from a Nationwide Online Survey.

Objective:  This study aimed to evaluate the association between maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) levels and the risk of perinatal complications.

Study Design:  This is a retrospective cohort study of 5,693 mother-child pairs born between 2019 and 2021, who completed questionnaires on maternal ACE scores and perinatal complications such as preterm birth, low birth weight infants, pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and premature rupture of membrane (PROM). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression according to the three ACE score groups after adjusting for confounding factors such as maternal age, child's sex, household income, and maternal education.

Nicaraven enhances the cytotoxicity of X-ray irradiation in cancer cells with homologous recombination deficiency.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is involved in the repair of DNA single-strand breaks. PARP inhibitors are cytotoxic to cancer cells with homologous recombination (HR) deficiency through a synthetic lethality mechanism. Nicaraven is a hydroxyl radical scavenger that has been investigated for the treatment of organ ischemia such as brain infarction.

Anisotropic patterns of nanospikes induces anti-biofouling and mechano-bactericidal effects of titanium nanosurfaces with electrical cue.

Anti-microbial nanopatterns have attracted considerable attention; however, its principle is not yet fully understood, particularly for inorganic nanopatterns. Titanium nanosurfaces with dense and anisotropically patterned nanospikes regulate biological functions with multiple physical stimulations, which may be because of the nanopattern-induced alternation of surface physical properties. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial capability of titanium nanosurfaces and their mechanisms.

CT scoring system for differentiating of sinonasal inverted papilloma and squamous cell carcinoma arising from inverted papilloma.

Objective: To distinguish squamous cell carcinoma in inverted papilloma (IP-SCC) from IP, the utility of CT scoring system was investigated.

Methods: We extracted cases histopathologically diagnosed with IP and IP-SCC of the sinonasal cavity from June 2004 to May 2021. Preoperative unenhanced CT images were used to evaluate the presence or absence of bone destruction and erosion: Score 1 = positive for bone destruction and/or erosion; Score 0 = negative for bone destruction and erosion.

Clinical course of masticatory function recovery following endoscopic-assisted open reduction and internal fixation in patients with unilateral mandibular condyle fracture.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical course of masticatory function recovery following an endoscopic-assisted open reduction and internal fixation (EAORIF) procedure. Patients with a unilateral mandibular condylar fracture who underwent EAORIF for therapeutic purposes were evaluated, with comparisons made between those who underwent the procedure for base or neck fractures. At each time point analyzed after treatment, the occlusal contact area and maximum bite force in patients with a base fracture were greater, although the differences between the groups were not significant.