Comparison of ex vivo lesion formation for two adjacent radiofrequency applications with very high-power short-duration in various inter-lesion times.

Background/objectives: Very high-power and short-duration (vHPSD) ablation with QDOT MICRO™ facilitates speedy and safe ablation for pulmonary vein isolation. A brief time interval between ablating two neighboring sites with vHPSD may potentially influence the size and geometry of the lesions. This study evaluates lesion formation when delivering adjacent applications using vHPSD at various inter-lesion times (ILTs).

Japanese family physicians' attitudes, difficulties, and perceived significance in managing mental health problems: A qualitative study.

Background: Family physicians (FPs) are expected to identify, diagnose, and treat mental health problems. Despite challenges such as limited time and low confidence in their skill as mental health providers, FPs generally consider mental health as a meaningful part of their profession. However, the role of the FP in mental health services is not clearly established in Japan.

Evolutionary Histories of and .

The genus is widely distributed, primarily in East Asia. is located at the northern limit of this genus distribution, and understanding changes in its distribution is crucial for understanding the evolution of plants in this region, as well as their relationship with geological history and climate change. Moreover, the classification of sect.

The web-based self-reported survey of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and associated factors in Japan.

Aim: While considerable data on the alcohol drinking behavior of the general population are available for the United States and Europe, data from Asian countries are scarce. We attempted to estimate the social backgrounds and other factors associated with high Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores in Japan.

Methods: This web-based survey was conducted in 2023.

Association between microenvironment-related genes and prognosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Background: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare lymphoid malignancy. Systemic profiling of the PCNSL tumor microenvironment (TME) was previously conducted through gene expression analysis. We investigated the prognostic impact of TME on survival to establish novel prognostic biomarkers in PCNSL patients.

Detrimental Effect of Acute Hyperglycemia on the Outcomes of Large Ischemic Region Stroke.

Background: Although endovascular therapy (EVT) is effective for large ischemic region strokes, the impact of hyperglycemia remains unclear.

Methods And Results: We analyzed data from the RESCUE-Japan LIMIT (Recovery by Endovascular Salvage for Cerebral Ultra-Acute Embolism-Japan Large Ischemic Core) trial, which randomized stroke patients with Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score of 3 to 5 to EVT versus medical management. Outcomes were compared among patients with normoglycemia (<140 mg/dL), moderate hyperglycemia (≥140, <180 mg/dL), and severe hyperglycemia (≥180 mg/dL) on admission.

Anti-epileptic drug use and subsequent degenerative dementia occurrence.

Introduction: The use of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) in degenerative dementia (DD) remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the association of early AED administration with subsequent DD occurrence.

Methods: Using a large nationwide database, we enrolled patients newly diagnosed with epilepsy from 2014 to 2019 ( = 104,225), and using propensity score matching, we divided them into treatment (those prescribed AEDs in 2014) and control groups.

Toward a Patient-Centered Care Supporting System: Integration of Multidisciplinary Health Records in Breast Cancer Care.

An important paradigm shift within healthcare is the shift toward patient-centered care (PCC). Multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTM) are considered essential for PCC, despite being considered time-consuming and expensive. Patient-centered information (PCI) is known to improve the quality of care.

Exploration of heterogeneous catalyst for molecular hydrogen ortho-para conversion.

Molecular hydrogen (H) ortho-para conversion (O/P conversion) proceeds slowly at low temperatures accompanying a heat release. Thus, catalysts for accelerating this conversion rate are highly demanded in terms of the storage and utilization of liquid H. The catalysts for this purpose are experimentally screened by examining a broad range of materials covering magnetic, non-magnetic, metallic, and nonmetallic oxides.

Uncoupling endocardial bundles coupled by an epicardial bundle in the left atrium and pulmonary veins.

Uncoupling of the endocardial bundles in the left atrium was suggested during modified posterior wall isolation. Although this fact may not be observed because of the possible bridging conduction by epicardial bundles in humans, partially failed transmural ablation in the atrial roof may have iatrogenically unveiled this fact.

Development of the trainer skill evaluation scale for metacognitive training.

Aim: The purpose of this study is manifold: to develop a trainer skill rating scale for metacognitive training (MCT), to determine the difficulty level of the behavioral checklist, and to examine the reliability and validity of the MCT Trainer Skills Rating Scale.

Method: In Study 1, an MCT trainer skill behavior checklist was developed with expert staff members, and a questionnaire was administered to MCT trainers. Item categorization was identical to that used in previous studies.

Response of stomatal density and size in to contrasting climate conditions: The contributions of genetic and environmental factors.

As plant distribution and performance are determined by both environmental and genetic factors, clarifying the contribution of these two factors is a key for understanding plant adaptation and predicting their distribution under ongoing global warming. is an ideal species for such research because of its wide distribution across diverse environments. Stomatal density and size are crucial traits that plants undergo changes in to adapt to different environments as these traits directly influence plant photosynthesis and transpiration.

Future prospects of high-entropy alloys as next-generation industrial electrode materials.

The rapid advancement of electrochemical processes in industrial applications has increased the demand for high-performance electrode materials. High-entropy alloys (HEAs), a class of multicomponent alloys with unique properties, have emerged as potential electrode materials owing to their enhanced catalytic activity, superior stability, and tunable electronic structures. This review explores contemporary developments in HEA-based electrode materials for industrial applications and identifies their advantages and challenges as compared to conventional commercial electrode materials in industrial aspects.

A new clustering model based on the seminal plasma/serum ratios of multiple trace element concentrations in male patients with subfertility.

Purpose: To investigate whether seminal plasma (SP)/serum ratios of multiple trace elements (TEs) can classify patients with male subfertility.

Methods: SP/serum ratios of 20 TEs (lithium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, rubidium, strontium, molybdenum, cesium, barium, and thallium) were calculated for healthy volunteers ( = 4) and those consulting for male subfertility ( = 245). Volunteer semen samples were collected by split ejaculation into early and subsequent fractions, and SP/serum ratio data were compared between fractions.

Bone mineral density changes around the stem correlate with stress changes after total hip arthroplasty: A study using thermoelastic stress analysis.

Purpose: Thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) was used to evaluate stress changes over the entire surface of a specimen. This study aimed to assess the relationship between femoral stress distribution, analysed using TSA and changes in bone mineral density (BMD) after total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods: Stress changes in the simulated bone before and after taper-wedge stem insertion were measured using the TSA.

Vocal expression of emotions discriminates dementia with Lewy bodies from Alzheimer's disease.

Unlabelled: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), the two most common neurodegenerative dementias, both exhibit altered emotional processing. However, how vocal emotional expressions alter in and differ between DLB and AD remains uninvestigated. We collected voice data during story reading from 152 older adults comprising DLB, AD, and cognitively unimpaired (CU) groups and compared their emotional prosody in terms of valence and arousal dimensions.

Endoscopic assessment of the J pouch in ulcerative colitis: A narrative review.

Patients with ulcerative colitis sometimes need a total colectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis due to medically refractory disease or colitis-associated neoplasia. Up to 50% of patients with ulcerative colitis postoperatively develop pouchitis and the rate of chronic inflammatory pouch conditions requiring pouch excision or diverting ileostomy is reported to be 10%. In order to diagnose and monitor pouchitis, pouchoscopy is essential to assess endoscopic inflammatory findings of the J pouch and to survey neoplasia development, particularly in the remnant distal rectum.

An Alternative Approach to Determining Metabolic Syndrome Component Cutoffs in Children and Adolescents Using Segmental Regression Analysis.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in children and adolescents. Although some diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome exist, further research is needed to determine appropriate age-, sex-, and race-specific cutoffs for each component. Health examinations were conducted in 1,679 children aged 6-15 years in 9 regions of Japan.

Perforating collagenosis.

We show a case of a 69-year-old man with perforating collagenosis, which is a rare dermatosis commonly associated with diabetes mellitus. Papules and plaques with keratotic plugs are distinctive clinical characteristic of perforating collagenosis. Representative clinical images in our article can enhance the understanding of key concepts of perforating collagenous.

Detection of evolutionary conserved and accelerated genomic regions related to adaptation to thermal niches in lizards.

Understanding the genetic basis for adapting to thermal environments is important due to serious effects of global warming on ectothermic species. Various genes associated with thermal adaptation in lizards have been identified mainly focusing on changes in gene expression or the detection of positively selected genes using coding regions. Only a few comprehensive genome-wide analyses have included noncoding regions.