Efferocytosis-Driven M2 Macrophage Impairs Fibrotic Encapsulation and Promotes Echinococcus multilocularis Growth in Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus).

Alveolar echinococcosis, caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, exhibits significant species-dependent susceptibility. This study compared the early hepatic tissue responses to E. multilocularis in highly susceptible cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and laboratory mice (DBA/2 and AKR/N).

Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy and Immediate Breast Reconstruction with da Vinci SP Surgical System: The First Case in Japan.

Introduction: Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) has been increasingly used therapeutically for breast cancer patients in whom the nipple-areolar complex is not involved, being associated with better esthetic results and QOL than skin-sparing mastectomy. Robotic nipple-sparing mastectomies (R-NSM) using da Vinci SP surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) has been reported as a suitable surgical treatment for early breast cancers. We present a patient who underwent R-NSM and IBR, with excellent results.

Monte Carlo-calculated perturbation correction factors in clinical proton beams using PHITS.

Background: Accurate absolute dosimetry is essential for achieving high-precision proton beam therapy. Consequently, a comprehensive characterization of the ionization chamber's response properties is necessary.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the average using Monte Carlo (MC) code PHITS to assess uncertainties among different MC simulation tools.

A retrospective multi-center cohort study investigating safety of sentinel lymph node biopsy for axillary staging in clinical T3-4c breast cancer.

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become a standard procedure for patients with breast cancer (BC) without clinically evident axillary metastasis. However, its role in cT3-4cN0 BC remains underexplored, leading to uncertainty regarding its safety.

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter observational study included patients with cT3-4cN0M0 BC who underwent radical surgery between 2006 and 2016.

Temporal changes in sucrose phantoms for magnetic resonance imaging: effects of preparation temperatures.

This study investigated the effects of preparation temperature and usage period on the relaxation times and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) of sucrose phantoms to enhance imaging reliability. Phantoms were prepared using 10% sucrose solutions at 20, 50, and 80 °C. T1 and T2 relaxation times and ADC were monitored over 80 days using magnetic resonance imaging on a 1.

Contribution of activated complements and CD59 to the pathophysiology of Rasmussen syndrome.

Rasmussen syndrome (RS) is an autoimmune-associated epilepsy with refractory seizures and deteriorating motor and cognitive functions. We expect to unveil complex immunological pathophysiology from the viewpoint of complements to establish newer immunomodulatory treatments. We examined CSF levels of activated complements (iC3b, C5a and soluble membrane attack complex (sMAC)) and CD59 (inhibitor of MAC) using ELISA kits in 36 patients with RS and 44 disease controls (DCs).

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment trends in Japan.

Background: There is no comprehensive report regarding which patient groups were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan having universal health insurance system. To provide the guidance regarding how to act in future pandemics, we investigated the changes in breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The trends of monthly data were calculated in relation to the variables of a total of 291,018 primary BCs registered on the Japanese National Clinical Database between January 2018 and April 2021.

Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery using a modified Grisotti's flap for a patient with central breast cancer in a non-ptotic breast.

The treatment of patients with early breast cancer using breast-conserving surgery (BCS) commonly leads to local control and acceptable cosmetic results. We herein report a useful technique to achieve symmetry of the breast shape and size for a central lesion of the breast. A Japanese patient with early breast cancer located in the central area of the breast was enrolled in this study.

Risk factors for early recurrence in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study in Japan (WJOG15721B).

Background: Patients with early recurrence of hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer have a poor prognosis. We aimed to identify clinical and pathological risk factors for recurrence within three years after surgery of HR+/HER2- breast cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of patients with stage II-III HR+/HER2- breast cancer who received adjuvant endocrine therapy from January 1, 2012 to January 1, 2017 at five institutions.

Phylogenetic characterization of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium in Japan: implications for the enigmatic evolutionary history.

Taenia solium is a tapeworm of the family Taeniidae that causes neurocysticercosis, a serious zoonotic disease in humans. Its life cycle involves pigs and wild boars as intermediate hosts and humans as the sole definitive host. Since poor sanitation and free-roaming pigs contribute to maintaining its life cycle, cysticercosis is endemic in developing countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while local transmission is generally absent in developed countries.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Fasciola gigantica isolated from cattle in Malawi.

Fasciola gigantica is an important trematode that affects the health of animals and humans in tropical and subtropical countries, including Malawi. Information on the genetic diversity and population structure of F. gigantica is important to understanding the parasite`s transmission patterns/ and in monitoring the development of resistance to commonly used anthelmintic agents.

Postal dosimetry audit for scanning proton beam using radiophotoluminescence glass dosimeter: A multicenter pilot study.

Background: Accurate dosimetry is important in radiotherapy, and all equipment used for radiotherapy shoud be audited by an independent external dose audit. Radiophotoluminescence glass dosimeter (RPLD) has excellent characteristics and is widely used for postal dose audit; however, postal dose audit for proton therapy using RPLD has not been established.

Purpose: This study aims to develop a postal dose audit procedure for scanning proton beams using RPLD, estimate uncertainties, and conduct a multicenter pilot study to validate the methodology.

Patterns of intestinal parasite prevalence in brown bears () revealed by a 3-year survey on the Shiretoko peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan.

This study examined the parasite fauna of wild brown bears and differences in the likelihood of parasite detection by season (summer vs autumn), year, and host factors (sex and age class). From June 2022 to November 2024, 334 fecal samples were collected from the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, and examined for parasites using the centrifugal flotation technique. Fecal DNA analysis and data from a long-term field monitoring survey led to the identification of 49 individuals, which were further classified based on sex and age.

Strongyle nematode fauna in three ruminants in upper northern Thailand.

Gastrointestinal parasites, particularly strongyle nematodes, pose a significant threat to the health of ruminants. Due to the technical limitations of microscopic and conventional PCR-based methods, the strongyle parasite fauna has not been well studied even in common livestock animals. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and diversity of strongyle nematodes in three ruminant species in northern Thailand using a nemabiome approach.

SET-binding protein 1 (SETBP1) suppresses cell proliferation in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Background: The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs6507583 at the promoter of SET-binding protein 1 (SETBP1) was implicated in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast carcinogenesis. Here, we evaluated the clinical and biological relevance of SETBP1 expression in ER-positive breast cancer (BC).

Methods: The associations between SETBP1 expression and clinical outcomes in BC patients were analyzed in independent cohorts.

Synergistic Effects of Anti-echinococcosis Drug Candidates Combined With Atovaquone in Culture Assays and Mice With Primary Infections of Echinococcus multilocularis.

Background Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a fatal zoonotic disease distributed mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. At present, its curative treatment relies on surgery, and the development of effective drugs is needed. We previously demonstrated the anti-echinococcal effect of atovaquone (ATV) as a mitochondrial complex III inhibitor in both in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Development of dedicated phantom for end-to-end testing of multiple image-guidance configurations incorporating light-section-based surface guidance system.

Purpose: Radiotherapy devices with multiple image-guidance systems, such as surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT), have been widely used in recent years. However, in the case of SGRT devices using the light-section method, coordinate coincidence evaluation using a phantom for SGRT devices with patterned light projection is not appropriate. Hence, this study aims to develop a dedicated phantom able to evaluate both the detection accuracy and coordinate coincidence of multiple IGRT configurations, including light-section-based SGRT devices.

Innovative Approach to Severe Esthetic Zone Trauma: Integrating Root Submergence With Guided Bone Regeneration.

Objective: Acute traumatic defects in the esthetic zone pose a significant challenge in dental implant rehabilitation, requiring innovative techniques to achieve optimal functional and esthetic outcomes. This article investigates the use of a novel combination of root submergence and guided bone regeneration (GBR) to address these defects. The goal is to evaluate the potential of this integrated approach for achieving predictable bone regeneration and long-term tissue stability.

Retrospective Analysis of the Clinical Usefulness of a Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant in a Single Center.

Objective: Reports demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of strut-adjusted volume implants (SAVI) in Japan are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes of SAVI and whole-breast irradiation (WBI) at a single facility.

Materials And Methods: Data were retrospectively extracted from the medical records of patients treated with SAVI or WBI following partial mastectomy (Bp).

Assessing knowledge about medical physics in language-generative AI with large language model: using the medical physicist exam.

This study aimed to evaluate the performance for answering the Japanese medical physicist examination and providing the benchmark of knowledge about medical physics in language-generative AI with large language model. We used questions from Japan's 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 medical physicist board examinations, which covered various question types, including multiple-choice questions, and mainly focused on general medicine and medical physics. ChatGPT-3.

Case report: infection in a dog showing gastrointestinal signs in Hokkaido, Japan.

is a cestode that causes human alveolar echinococcosis, a lethal zoonotic disease distributed in the northern hemisphere. The life cycle of this parasite is maintained in nature by voles as intermediate hosts and foxes as definitive hosts in Hokkaido, Japan. Although dogs are also susceptible to the parasite, the infection has been considered typically asymptomatic.