Preventive effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on the exacerbation of concanavalin A-induced liver injury aggravated by a short-term high-fat diet.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis is an advanced stage of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and is associated with progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Although early intervention is crucial, studies focusing on the early stages of MASLD are limited. Patients with MASLD are expected to have an imbalance of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

Pharmacological study of the safety, efficacy, and potential of M201-A on paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.

Conversion and prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) are essential requirements for its treatment. Abnormal leakage of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum via the ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) during diastole is considered a major cause of AF. Although catheter ablation has made it possible to stop persistent AF, it does not address recurrence.

An Aspirin-Free Strategy for Patients Undergoing Staged Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - A Subgroup Analysis of the STOPDAPT-3 Trial.

Background: No previous studies have evaluated the effect of an aspirin-free strategy for patients undergoing staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: We conducted a post hoc subgroup analysis in patients undergoing staged PCI within 1 month in STOPDAPT-3 (n=6,002), which randomly compared prasugrel monotherapy with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients with acute coronary syndrome or high bleeding risk. The co-primary endpoints were major bleeding (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5) and cardiovascular events (a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, or stroke) at 1 month.

Aspirin vs Clopidogrel 1 Month After Acute Coronary Syndrome With High-Bleeding Risk or ST-Segment Elevation.

Background: High bleeding risk (HBR) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) subtypes (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] and non-ST-segment elevation ACS [NSTE-ACS]) might be key determinants of appropriate antiplatelet strategies.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aspirin versus clopidogrel within 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ACS, on the basis of HBR or non-HBR and STEMI or NSTE-ACS.

Methods: Patients with ACS in the STOPDAPT-3 (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy-3) trial were included.

Aspirin-Free Strategy for PCI in Patients With High Bleeding Risk With or Without Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Subgroup Analysis From the STOPDAPT-3 Trial.

Background: The effects of the aspirin-free strategy on bleeding and cardiovascular events were unknown in patients with high bleeding risk (HBR), with or without acute coronary syndrome (ACS), undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods: We conducted a subgroup analysis stratified by ACS among patients with HBR in the STOPDAPT-3 trial (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy-3), which randomly compared no-aspirin (prasugrel monotherapy) with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients with ACS and HBR.

Results: There were 3258 patients with HBR, including 1803 ACS and 1455 non-ACS patients.

Pathological significance of intranuclear structures in liver biopsy samples.

Aim: Glycogenated nuclei (GN) are glycogen deposits within the nuclei and are a frequent pathological finding in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between GN and two morphologically distinct types of intranuclear lipid droplets in liver biopsy specimens and to explore their respective pathological significance.

Methods: We analyzed 135 liver biopsy specimens.

Gut microbes associated with functional cure of chronic hepatitis B.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is prevalent worldwide and is difficult to eradicate. Current treatment strategies for chronic hepatitis B ultimately seek to achieve functional cure (FC); however, the factors contributing to FC remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the gut microbiota profiles of patients with chronic hepatitis B who achieved FC.

Aspirin vs. clopidogrel monotherapy beyond 1 month after complex percutaneous coronary intervention: a pre-specified subgroup analysis of the STOPDAPT-3 trial.

Aims: There were no previous studies comparing aspirin vs. P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy following short dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: We conducted a pre-specified subgroup analysis based on complex PCI in the 1-year results of the STOPDAPT-3 (ShorT and OPtimal Duration of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy-3) trial, which randomly compared 1-month DAPT followed by aspirin monotherapy (aspirin group) with 1-month prasugrel monotherapy followed by clopidogrel monotherapy (clopidogrel group).

A Proposal for a Simple Subclassification of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Systemic Treatment.

Objectives: This study focused on the presence or absence of vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and examined their impact on systemic treatment outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 362 patients with unresectable HCC who received first-line systemic therapy. The prognostic evaluation was based on the presence of vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastasis at the time of treatment initiation.

Dynamically patterning x-ray beam by a femtosecond optical laser.

Modern science and technology have greatly benefitted from our ability to precisely manipulate light waves, in both their spatial and temporal degrees of freedom. In the x-ray region, however, spatial control has been virtually static mainly due to stringent requirements for realizing high-performance optical elements. The lack of dynamic spatial control of x-ray beam has prevented researchers from realizing more sophisticated use of the wave field, which has rapidly advanced in the optical region in the past decades.

Characteristics of Fresh Lumbar Spondylolysis Occurring below the Age of 9 Years.

Introduction: This study aimed to compare two groups (9 years or younger [U-9] and 10 years or older [O-10]) of patients with fresh lumbar spondylolysis and elucidate their characteristics.

Methods: This study enrolled 51 elementary school students diagnosed with fresh lumbar spondylolysis through magnetic resonance imaging between March 2015 and March 2022. Study 1 included 10 and 46 patients in the early- and late-grade groups, respectively.

An aspirin-free strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with diabetes: a pre-specified subgroup analysis of the STOPDAPT-3 trial.

Aims: Safety of aspirin-free strategy immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes was unknown.

Methods And Results: We conducted the prespecified subgroup analysis on diabetes in the STOPDAPT-3 trial, which randomly compared prasugrel (3.75 mg/day) monotherapy (2984 patients) to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with prasugrel and aspirin (2982 patients) in patients with acute coronary syndrome or high bleeding risk.

Green upgrading of SPring-8 to produce stable, ultrabrilliant hard X-ray beams.

SPring-8-II is a major upgrade project of SPring-8 that was inaugurated in October 1997 as a third-generation synchrotron radiation light source. This upgrade project aims to achieve three goals simultaneously: achievement of excellent light source performance, refurbishment of aged systems, and significant reduction in power consumption for the entire facility. A small emittance of 50 pm rad will be achieved by (1) replacing the existing double-bend lattice structure with a five-bend achromat one, (2) lowering the stored beam energy from 8 to 6 GeV, (3) increasing the horizontal damping partition number from 1 to 1.

Association between the High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Efflux Capacity and the Long-term Prognosis in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-analysis.

Aim: We aimed to determine whether baseline high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) at the time of coronary angiography (CAG) could serve as a prognostic marker for future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: The MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Embase databases were used for data collection. As of April 2024, 2,871 studies have been identified.

An Aspirin-Free Strategy for Immediate Treatment Following Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: There was no study evaluating the effects of an aspirin-free strategy in patients undergoing complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Objectives: The authors aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an aspirin-free strategy in patients undergoing complex PCI.

Methods: We conducted the prespecified subgroup analysis based on complex PCI in the STOPDAPT-3 (ShorT and OPtimal duration of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy after everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent-3), which randomly compared low-dose prasugrel (3.

A Revised Classification of Primary Iron Overload Syndromes.

Background And Aims: The clinical introduction of hepcidin25 (Hep25) has led to a more detailed understanding of its relationship with ferroportin (FP) and divalent metal transporter1 in primary iron overload syndromes (PIOSs). In 2012, we proposed a classification of PIOSs based on the Hep25/FP system, which consists of prehepatic aceruloplasminemia, hepatic hemochromatosis (HC), and posthepatic FP disease (FP-D). However, in consideration of accumulated evidence on PIOSs, we aimed to renew the classification.