Bias in deep learning-based image quality assessments of T2-weighted imaging in prostate MRI.

Objectives: To determine whether deep learning (DL)-based image quality (IQ) assessment of T2-weighted images (T2WI) could be biased by the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa).

Methods: In this three-center retrospective study, five abdominal radiologists categorized IQ of 2,105 transverse T2WI series into optimal, mild, moderate, and severe degradation. An IQ classification model was developed using 1,719 series (development set).

[A Case of Lower Rectal GIST with Anorectal Preservation by Laparoscopic Low Anterior Resection after Imatinib Mesylate Neoadjuvant Therapy].

A 60-year-old man was diagnosed with a rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST). Endoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor in the lower rectum near the dentate line. CT and MRI findings showed that the tumor was compressing the prostate and seminal vesicles.

Ferulic acid suppresses Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilm formation via the inhibition of autoinducer-2 production and receptor activity.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of ferulic acid against periodontal pathogenic bacteria.

Design: The cytotoxicity of ferulic acid was examined using the MTT assay on the human oral epithelial cell line Ca9-22. To determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration, Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277, Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 25586, Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans JP2, and Streptococcus mitis ATCC 903 were treated with ferulic acid.

The crucial role of intercellular calcium wave propagation triggered by influenza A virus in promoting infection.

Background: Influenza A viruses (IAVs) initially infect a few host cells before spreading to neighboring cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this dissemination remain unclear. We have previously demonstrated that intracellular Ca plays a crucial role in facilitating IAV infection.

Association Between Liver Fibrosis Assessed by the Aspartate Aminotransferase-To-Platelet Ratio Index and Outcomes of Esophageal Cancer Surgery.

Background: Although liver cirrhosis is widely recognized as a risk factor for postoperative complications following esophagectomy, the impact of liver fibrosis other than overt cirrhosis on surgical outcomes remains unclear. We investigated the association between the preoperative aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), a useful indicator of liver fibrosis, and surgical outcomes following esophagectomy.

Methods: A total of 516 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were retrospectively reviewed and divided into high (≥ 0.

ENO1 Dysfunction-Mediated Glycolytic Attenuation Exacerbates Oxidative Stress-Induced Retinal Ganglion Cell Death via Altered ATP Synthesis Pathway.

Purpose: The effects of enolase dysfunction-mediated glycolytic attenuation on oxidative stress-induced retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death were investigated.

Methods: Retinal expression of Enolase (ENO) 1 and 2 was detected using immunohistochemistry. Exogenous genes were introduced into mouse RGCs using viral vectors, and into the rat-derived retinal progenitor cell line R28 using lipofection.

Suppression of USP2 in mouse skeletal muscle: a model of oxidative stress in muscle tissue.

Emerging evidence indicates that oxidative stress in skeletal muscle is a prerequisite for sarcopenia in diabetic patients. In this study, we show that ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) 2 mitigates the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mature muscle cells. Treatment with ML364, a canonical USP2 inhibitor, robustly increased mitochondrial ROS in mouse C2C12 myotubes and caused an accompanying increase in the glutathione disulfide (GSSG)/glutathione (GSH) ratio.

Reduced plasma oxytocin levels in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: We explored the role of oxytocin in glaucoma by measuring the blood levels of oxytocin in glaucoma patients, comparing them to normal control subjects, and examining its association with clinical parameters.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Material And Methods: After obtaining informed consent from 181 glaucoma patients and 44 age-matched control participants, we collected blood samples in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes and centrifuged them at 2000 g for 25 minutes at 4 °C.

Rare Capnocytophaga sputigena bacteremia in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Capnocytophaga sputigena, a species of bacteria resident in the human oral cavity, can rarely cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. The present case concerns a 40-year-old man with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, diagnosed in 2001, who underwent two hematopoietic stem cell transplants and had experienced relapses and remissions over nearly a 20-year period. Because his acute lymphoblastic leukemia was refractory, he was no longer receiving active treatment and was instead managed with supportive care.

The transcriptional repressors IAA5 and IAA29 participate in DNA damage-induced stem cell death in Arabidopsis roots.

Plants generate organs continuously during postembryonic development. Thus, their ability to preserve stem cells in changing environments is crucial for their survival. Genotoxic stress threatens genome stability in all somatic cells.

RORγt Inhibition Reduces Protumor Inflammation and Decreases Tumor Growth in Experimental Models of Lung Cancer.

The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor C (RORC) gene encodes two isoforms, RORγ and RORγt, which function as transcription factors in different cell types. RORγt is expressed in specific immune cells involved in inflammatory responses, whereas RORγ is found in parenchymal cells, in which it participates in metabolism and circadian rhythm regulation. Although the roles of RORγt in CD4+ Th17 lymphocytes and RORγ in certain cancer cell types are increasingly recognized, their relative contributions to lung cancer development remain unclear.

Questionnaire survey of patient families and dental school students regarding non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate (NCL/P) is a congenital craniofacial anomaly with significant psychosocial and economic impacts. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of NCL/P and access to specialized care are not well documented. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of NCL/P among families of affected children and dental school students in Ethiopia and explore their perceptions and attitudes toward NCL/P.

A multicenter Phase II study of mFOLFOX6 plus nivolumab for gastric cancer with severe peritoneal metastases: WJOG16322G.

Advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients with severe peritoneal metastases (SPM), characterized by massive ascites and/or inadequate oral intake, have a poor prognosis with the median overall survival of around 7 months, even when treated with fluorouracil/l-leucovorin plus oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6), despite being a treatment options for these patients demonstrated in the WJOG10517G study. However, these patients were excluded from pivotal Phase III trials, including the CheckMate 649 study, which demonstrated the benefit of adding nivolumab to mFOLFOX6, due to tumor-related complications. Given the lack of data on the efficacy and safety of combining nivolumab with mFOLFOX6 for AGC patients with SPM, we initiated a Phase II study to evaluate this combination.

Localization of PSMA-avid lesions on PSMA PET-CT on prostate MRI in patients with PI-RADS 3.

Purpose: To localize PSMA-avid lesions identified by PSMA PET-CT on separately performed prostate MRI and evaluate imaging findings on fused PET-CT/MRI.

Methods: Patients without prior history of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa: Gleason score [GS] 3 + 4 or higher) who had (1) PI-RADS 3 on prostate MRI between 2021 and 2023, (2) MRI/US fusion targeted biopsy for PI-RADS 3 lesion(s) and systemic biopsy, and (3) subsequent PSMA PET-CT were identified. PSMA PET-CT images were fused onto prostate MRI.

Landscape Analysis of CLDN18 Expression and Isoform Distribution in Solid Tumors: Insights From MONSTAR-SCREEN-2 Study.

Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2), a tight junction protein isoform, is an emerging therapeutic target in oncology.

Study protocol: The effect of a low-carbohydrate enteral nutrition formula on postoperative hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients with esophageal cancer: A randomized exploratory phase II trial (ENLICHE study).

Background: Postoperative hyperglycemia in diabetic patients is a widely known risk factor for postoperative infectious complications (PICs) after esophagectomy; however, the significance of glycemic control in non-diabetic patients is less clear. In diabetic patients, early postoperative management of esophagectomy favors low-carbohydrate enteral nutrition (EN) over standard EN to suppress the risk of glycemic spike. Our single-center, randomized phase II trial seeks to test the hypothesis that low-carbohydrate EN can suppress hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients who undergo esophagectomy.

Improved image quality and reduced acquisition time in prostate T2-weighted spin-echo MRI using a modified PI-RADS-adherent sequence.

Background: Prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) v2.1 guidelines for magnetic resonance imaging acquisition define a standard of 0.40 mm × 0.

Latent Tubulointerstitial Nephritis with IgM-positive Plasma Cells Uncovered in a Case of IgA Nephropathy and Primary Biliary Cholangitis: Clinical and Histological Insights.

Patients with anti-mitochondrial antibody positivity rarely develop tubulointerstitial nephritis with IgM-positive plasma cells (IgMPC-TIN). A previous report observed elevated serum IgM and urinary β2 microglobulin levels in all cases of IgMPC-TIN. This case involved IgA nephropathy with latent coexisting IgMPC-TIN; however, no such changes were observed.

Patients with periodontitis exhibit persistent dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and distinct serum metabolome.

Objectives: Animal studies suggest that periodontopathic bacteria induce gut dysbiosis and related pathology, possibly connecting periodontitis to non-oral diseases. However, the effects on the gut ecosystem in periodontitis patients are not fully understood.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the salivary and gut microbiota using 16S rRNA sequencing in periodontitis patients before and after treatment, comparing them to healthy participants.

Microbiome Landscape and Association with Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Advanced Solid Tumors: A SCRUM-Japan MONSTAR-SCREEN Study.

Unlabelled: Although the gut microbiome is associated with cancer development and progression, little is known about the effects of the gut microbiome landscape and the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) across cancer types. We investigated the association between the microbiome, clinical features, and ICI efficacy across cancer types in a large nationwide screening project for solid tumors. Among 2,180 patients with advanced solid tumors enrolled in the SCRUM-Japan MONSTAR-SCREEN between October 2019 and September 2021, in the chemotherapy-naïve cohort (n = 817), a high prevalence of oral bacteria was observed in patients using proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and those with upper gastrointestinal cancers, particularly postoperative patients with gastric or pancreatic cancer.

Deep learning for quality assessment of axial T2-weighted prostate MRI: a tool to reduce unnecessary rescanning.

Background: T2-weighted images are a critical component of prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and it would be useful to automatically assess image quality (IQ) on a patient-specific basis without radiologist oversight.

Methods: This retrospective study comprised 1,412 axial T2-weighted prostate scans. Four experienced uroradiologists graded IQ using a 0-to-3 scale (0 = uninterpretable; 1 = marginally interpretable; 2 = adequately diagnostic; 3 = more than adequately diagnostic), binarized into nondiagnostic (IQ0 or IQ1), requiring rescanning, and diagnostic (IQ2 or IQ3), not requiring rescanning.

Benefits of Combining Circulating Tumor DNA With Tissue and Longitudinal Circulating Tumor DNA Genotyping in Advanced Solid Tumors: SCRUM-Japan MONSTAR-SCREEN-1 Study.

Purpose: The utility of capturing heterogeneity by circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) genotyping combined with tissue analysis or applying it in a sequential manner remains uncertain.

Methods: We assessed the clinical value of ctDNA genotyping using data from 2,187 patients with advanced solid tumors enrolled in SCRUM-Japan MONSTAR-SCREEN-1, a nationwide cancer genome screening project, which examined ctDNA from longitudinally collected blood samples and tumor tissue samples (UMIN 000036749).

Results: Among 667 patients with both baseline ctDNA and tissue genotyping results, 51 (7.

SUPPRESOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 promotes early onset of endoreplication upon DNA double-strand breaks by inducing CCS52A1 expression in Arabidopsis roots.

Living organisms are constantly at the risk of DNA damage caused by factors such as DNA replication errors, reactive oxygen species, and UV radiation. In plants, DNA damage activates the NAC-type transcription factor SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 (SOG1) that governs DNA damage responses such as cell cycle arrest, stem cell death, and early onset of endoreplication. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the early induction of endoreplication onset in response to DNA damage remain elusive.