Exploring the role of ankle torque fluctuations and intramuscular coherence in gait function among older adults.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ankle joint function and walking performance in older adults by assessing qualitative ankle functions through torque fluctuation analysis and tibialis anterior (TA) intramuscular coherence during isometric dorsiflexion.

Methods: Thirty-eight community-dwelling older adults participated in this study. Ankle torque fluctuations and intramuscular coherence were evaluated during a dorsiflexion task at 30% of maximum voluntary torque (MVT).

Points-Based Health Incentive Program and Subsequent Health and Well-Being in Japan: An Outcome-Wide Approach.

Background: Evidence remains inadequate regarding the benefits of incentive programs promoting healthy activities, particularly among older adults. This longitudinal study examined the associations of participation in the points-based health incentive program with an array of subsequent health and well-being outcomes, including ones the program did not explicitly incentivize, among older adults in Japan.

Participants And Setting: We used three-wave data (2020, 2021, and 2022) from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (n = 2504), a cohort study of functionally independent individuals aged ≥ 65 years.

, gene responsible for Kostmann syndrome, regulates gingival epithelial barrier function via intracellular trafficking of JAM1.

Background: Kostmann syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a mutation of the () gene, and characterized by low number of neutrophils and increased susceptibility to infections. Additionally, Kostmann syndrome is known to be complicated by periodontitis, though the etiological molecular basis remains unclear. We previously reported findings showing that junctional adhesion molecule 1 (JAM1), a tight junction-associated protein, has an important role to maintain epithelial barrier function in gingival tissues, which prevents penetration of bacterial virulence factors, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan (PGN).

A Stability- and Aggregation-Based Method for Heart Rate Estimation Using Photoplethysmographic Signals During Physical Activity.

In recent years, the use of photoplethysmography (PPG)-based heart rate detection has gained considerable attention as a cost-effective alternative to conventional electrocardiography (ECG) for applications in healthcare and fitness tracking. Although deep learning methods have shown promise in heart rate estimation and motion artifact removal from PPG signals recorded during physical activity, their computational requirements and need for extensive training data make them less practical for real-world conditions when ground truth data is unavailable for calibration. This study presents a one-size-fits-all approach for heart rate estimation during physical activity that employs aggregation-based techniques to track heart rate and minimize the effects of motion artifacts, without relying on complex machine learning or deep learning techniques.

Inexpensive thermal containers and insulation materials prevent deterioration of semen parameters for less than 90 minutes.

Male infertility contributes substantially to overall infertility, with temperature changes adversely affecting the sperm quality. During infertility treatments, the exposure of home-collected semen to extreme temperatures during transport deteriorates the semen parameters. This study investigates the effectiveness of thermal containers and insulation materials for preserving semen quality at low temperatures.

Corrigendum to' The association of agricultural and non-agricultural work on the healthy ageing of older adults in Japan: A 6-year longitudinal study from the Japan Gerontological evaluation study'.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.

The association of agricultural and non-agricultural work on the healthy ageing of older adults in Japan: A 6-year longitudinal study from the Japan Gerontological evaluation study.

Objectives: Many studies have examined the impact of employment on health, but few large-scale longitudinal studies specifically investigate the impact of agricultural labor on the health of older adults. This study aims to identify the health effects of employment on older Japanese adults, focusing on agricultural workers.

Methods: This study uses longitudinal data collected by the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) from 2013 to 2019.

SLC37A4, gene responsible for glycogen storage disease type 1b, regulates gingival epithelial barrier function via JAM1 expression.

Solute carrier family 37 member 4 (SLC37A4) is known to regulate glucose-6-phosphate transport from cytoplasm to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum, which serves to maintain glucose homeostasis. Glycogen storage disease type 1b (GSD1b) is caused by a mutation of SLC37A4, leading to a glycogenolysis defect. Although GSD1b cases are known to be complicated by periodontitis, the etiological molecular basis remains unclear.

Empowering Mental Health Monitoring Using a Macro-Micro Personalization Framework for Multimodal-Multitask Learning: Descriptive Study.

Background: The field of mental health technology presently has significant gaps that need addressing, particularly in the domain of daily monitoring and personalized assessments. Current noninvasive devices such as wristbands and smartphones are capable of collecting a wide range of data, which has not yet been fully used for mental health monitoring.

Objective: This study aims to introduce a novel dataset for personalized daily mental health monitoring and a new macro-micro framework.

Combined Method Comprising Low Burden Physiological Measurements with Dry Electrodes and Machine Learning for Classification of Visually Induced Motion Sickness in Remote-Controlled Excavator.

The construction industry is actively developing remote-controlled excavators to address labor shortages and improve work safety. However, visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) remains a concern in the remote operation of construction machinery. To predict the occurrence and severity of VIMS, we developed a prototype system that acquires multiple physiological signals with different mechanisms under a low burden and detects VIMS from the collected data.

Malnutrition defined by global leadership initiative on malnutrition criteria impedes home discharge in acute care hospital admissions.

Background & Aims: Limited evidence exists on the association between malnutrition diagnosis using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria in hospitalized acute care patients and their outcomes; several aspects still require clarification. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between malnutrition, as defined by the GLIM criteria, at the time of acute hospital admission and discharge to home.

Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at a hospital that provides acute care in Japan.

Conditions for improved accuracy of noninvasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy: Focusing on the zona pellucida and early blastocysts.

Purpose: Recently, noninvasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (niPGT-A) using cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid has been developed; however, there are few reports on this and the results are inconsistent. This study was conducted to optimize the cultural environment.

Methods: We used 35 blastocysts that had been discarded after in-vitro fertilization.

Periodontal tissue susceptibility to glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes.

Aim: To assess the direct effect of intensive glycaemic control on periodontal tissues in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-nine patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled and hospitalized to receive a 2-week intensive glycaemic control regimen. We observed and analysed the systemic and oral disease indicators before and after treatment and clarified the indicators related to periodontal inflammation.

Cytomegalovirus DNA Loads in Organs of Congenitally Infected Fetus.

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection poses significant risks to fetal development, particularly affecting the nervous system. This study reports a fetal autopsy case, examining cCMV infection and focusing on CMV DNA measurements in various fetal organs before formalin fixation, a novel approach for comprehensive CMV DNA evaluations in fetal organs affected by cCMV. A 20-week-old male fetus was diagnosed with cCMV following the detection of CMV DNA in ascites obtained via abdominocentesis in utero.

Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention for Stabilizing Sleep Hours of Japanese Workers: Microrandomized Trial.

Background: Sleep disturbance is a major contributor to future health and occupational issues. Mobile health can provide interventions that address adverse health behaviors for individuals in a vulnerable health state in real-world settings (just-in-time adaptive intervention).

Objective: This study aims to identify a subpopulation with vulnerable sleep state in daily life (study 1) and, immediately afterward, to test whether providing mobile health intervention improved habitual sleep behaviors and psychological wellness in real-world settings by conducting a microrandomized trial (study 2).

Daily Associations Between Presenteeism and Health-Related Factors Among Office Workers: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Approach.

Objective: The study examined daily associations between presenteeism and health-related factors among office workers using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

Methods: Diurnal mood and physical symptoms were repeatedly recorded over 2 weeks with EMA. Daily work performance (WP) was also recorded.

Age, sexual abstinence duration, sperm morphology, and motility are predictors of sperm DNA fragmentation.

Purpose: Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has recently received attention as a cause of male infertility. However, SDF cannot be fully assessed using conventional semen parameter evaluations alone. Therefore, the authors aimed to elucidate the relationship between SDF and sperm parameters via computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) to improve treatment strategies in reproductive medicine.

Current Status and Issues of Collaboration Between Physicians and Pharmacists in Fertility Preservation.

This study addresses the critical issue of fertility preservation among young patients with cancer in Japan, recognizing the brief decision-making window and the need for comprehensive support. Pharmacists, well-versed in the side effects of anticancer drugs, can play a vital role in this support process. However, the extent of pharmacists' involvement in fertility preservation remains unclear.

The efficacy of vaginal treatment for non-Lactobacillus dominant endometrial microbiota-A case-control study.

Aim: Reduced Lactobacillus occupancy in the uterine microflora has been associated with implantation failure. This study aimed to evaluate a treatment for improving the uterine microflora.

Methods: This study included patients diagnosed with repeated implantation failure-defined as failure to achieve pregnancy after two or more transfers of viable embryos-who were classified as non-Lactobacillus dominant.

Preoperative Immunonutrition Significantly Reduced Surgical Site Infection After Urinary Diversion for Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Radical cystectomy and ileal conduit have a high incidence of surgical site infection. In this study, we evaluated the effects of preoperative immunonutrition on its incidence following these procedures.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 86 patients who underwent radical cystectomy and ileal conduit at our hospital between 2014 October and 2021 July.

Carboxylated Poly-L-lysine Potentially Reduces Human Sperm DNA Fragmentation after Freeze-Thawing, and Its Function Is Enhanced by Low-Dose Resveratrol.

Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) that occurs during the freezing-thawing of sperm may negatively impact the treatment outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In a previous study, we developed a human sperm cryopreservation reagent containing carboxylated poly-L-lysine (CPLL) that reduced SDF after freeze-thawing compared with clinically popular cryopreservation reagents containing human serum albumin. However, it is unclear whether CPLL reduces SDF, as it differed from the constituents of the commercial cryopreservation reagents used for comparison.

[Detection and Application of Allostatic Load through Internet of Things Measurements].

Allostatic load refers to a vulnerable state of the nervous system caused by chronic or repeated exposure to challenges of daily life (e.g., psychological stressors) and considered to indicate risk of a transition to pathological state.

Small vessel platelet thrombosis in the peripheral nerves in POEMS syndrome.

Introduction/aims: Vascular thrombosis is prevalent among patients with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy M-protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome. The endothelial cells in the endoneurium are often hypertrophied and the lumen is frequently occluded. Consequent local hypoxia may increase vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which induces hypercoagulation and vascular permeability.

Investigation of an efficient method of oocyte retrieval by dual stimulation for patients with cancer.

Purpose: To examine the optimal timing of second ovarian stimulation using the dual stimulation method for good ovarian responders with cancer undergoing oocyte retrieval for fertility preservation.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from 69 patients with cancer who underwent oocyte retrieval for fertility preservation at four Japanese institutions during 2010-2021. Twenty-two patients underwent two oocyte retrievals for fertility preservation.