Naldemedine for the management of opioid-induced constipation in patients with cancer pain: A narrative review.

The prevalence of chronic pain in patients with cancer ranges from 23% to 36%. Opioids are effective in relieving severe pain; however, they also cause side effects, such as physical dependence, tolerance, sedation, and hyperalgesia. The prevalence of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) increases with a rise in the duration of opioid analgesic use.

Association of the expression of 5-FU biomarkers with aging and prognosis in elderly patients with lung cancer treated with S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy: Follow-up results of the Setouchi Lung Cancer Group Study 1201.

Managing elderly patients presents several challenges because of age-related declines; however, age should not be the sole determinant for adjuvant treatment decisions in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Moreover, age may affect the expression of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) biomarkers. The present study assessed: i) The effect of age on the expression levels of 5-FU biomarkers by analyzing a public database; and ii) the ability of these biomarkers to predict clinical outcomes in elderly patients with NSCLC who underwent complete resection in the Setouchi Lung Cancer Group Study 1201 (SCLG1201) followed by S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy.

Compassionate use of tezepelumab in near fatal asthma: A case report and review of the literature.

A 38-year-old man with near fatal asthma requiring intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) was transferred to our hospital. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) was initiated due to hypotension and mediastinal emphysema secondary to barotrauma. Since high-dose systemic corticosteroid therapy failed to relieve the severe bronchospasm, a single dose of tezepelumab was administered on a compassionate basis.

Dyskeratosis Congenita Complicated by Pulmonary Fibrosis and Myelodysplastic Syndrome with a Germline Mutation of the DKC1 Gene and a Somatic Mutation of the U2AF1 Gene in Leukocytes.

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare genetic disorder that is caused by abnormal telomere shortening. We herein report the case of a 40-year-old man with classic DC characterized by a mucocutaneous triad complicated by pulmonary fibrosis and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The telomere length of lymphocytes was extremely short (-3.

Digital twin brain simulator for real-time consciousness monitoring and virtual intervention using primate electrocorticogram data.

At the forefront of bridging computational brain modeling with personalized medicine, this study introduces a novel, real-time, electrocorticogram (ECoG) simulator, based on the digital twin brain concept. Utilizing advanced data assimilation techniques, specifically a Variational Bayesian Recurrent Neural Network model with hierarchical latent units, the simulator dynamically predicts ECoG signals reflecting real-time brain latent states. By assimilating broad ECoG signals from macaque monkeys across awake and anesthetized conditions, the model successfully updated its latent states in real-time, enhancing precision of ECoG signal simulations.

Spatial accuracy of dose delivery significantly impacts the planning target volume margin in linear accelerator-based intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery.

The impact of three-dimensional (3D) dose delivery accuracy of C-arm linacs on the planning target volume (PTV) margin was evaluated for non-coplanar intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). A multi-institutional 3D starshot test using beams from seven directions was conducted at 22 clinics using Varian and Elekta linacs with X-ray CT-based polymer gel dosimeters. Variability in dose delivery accuracy was observed, with the distance between the imaging isocenter and each beam exceeding 1 mm at one institution for Varian and nine institutions for Elekta.

Second- and third-degree kinship analysis by NGS-based SNP genotyping and evaluation of 2045-SNP performance on limited or degraded DNA.

We developed a novel next-generation sequencing-based single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping method for second- and third-degree kinship analysis, and designed 1144- and 2045-SNP panels using one (Set A) and two sets (Sets A and B) of primers. These SNP loci were analyzed in 120 Japanese individuals, and likelihood ratios (LRs) for kinship discrimination were calculated to evaluate the effect of number of SNP loci in simulated analysis. Likelihood evaluation was performed using DNA profiles from two individuals, namely, the unknown and one reference relative.

Effect of Acetonitrile on the Conformation of Bovine Serum Albumin.

The use of organic solvents in drug delivery systems (DDSs) either to produce albumin nanoparticles or to manipulate the binding of target molecules to albumin, a promising nanocarrier material, presents challenges due to the conformational changes induced in the protein. In this study, we investigated the alterations in the conformation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) caused by acetonitrile (ACN) in aqueous solution by using a combination of spectroscopic analysis and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Ultraviolet (UV) absorption, fluorescence, and infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy were used to analyze the BSA conformation in the solutions containing 0-60 vol % ACN.

Highly circularly polarized monochromatic high harmonic pulses via a reflective phase retarder at 27.9 eV.

A circularly polarized (CP) single-order high harmonic pulse light source, operating at a photon energy of 27.9 eV, is developed. The production of CP harmonic pulses with a degree of polarization exceeding 99% is achieved by utilizing a high-throughput phase retarder composed of SiC mirrors.

Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis.

To control the COVID-19 epidemic, the Japanese government and the local governments have repeatedly implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) throughout 2020-2022. Using Bayesian state-space mediation models, we examined the effect of repeated NPIs on infection spread mitigation, mediated by human mobility changes in each prefecture during three epidemic phases: from April 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021; from March 1, 2021 to December 16, 2021; and from December 17, 2021 to December 31, 2022. In the first phase, controlling downtown populations at nighttime was effective in mitigating the infection spread in almost all prefectures.

Recent developments in the field of radiotherapy for the management of lung cancer.

Lung cancer has a poor prognosis, and further improvements in outcomes are needed. Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of unresectable lung cancer, and there have been recent developments in the field of radiotherapy for the management of lung cancer. However, to date, there have been few reviews on the improvement in treatment outcomes associated with high precision radiotherapy for lung cancer.

Calibration for endoscopic 3D shape measurement with cone beam projection.

We demonstrate a calibration method for endoscopic three-dimensional shape measurement with cone beam projection. In this method, changes in the shape of the optical sectioning profiles are quantified and fitted while scanning a calibration board in the depth direction, using a cubic function. In accuracy tests using a flat plate and a ring reference gauge, the proposed method obtains an accuracy of 0.

Impact of Polypharmacy and Risk Factors for Exacerbation of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Patients with Urological Conditions: A Retrospective Study in a Japanese Municipal Hospital.

Polypharmacy exacerbates lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Japan exhibits a higher prevalence of concomitant medication use in drug therapy than other countries. Previous age- and sex-specific reports exist; however, none include patients of all ages.

Simultaneous detection of polarization states and wavefront by an angular variant micro-retarder-lens array.

We have demonstrated simultaneous detection of the polarization states and wavefront of light using a 7 × 7 array of angular variant micro-retarder-lenses. Manipulating the angular variant polarization with our optical element allows us to determine the two-dimensional distribution of polarization states. We have also proposed a calibration method for polarization measurements using our micro-retarder-lens array, allowing accurate detection of polarization states with an ellipticity of ± 0.

DNA methylation-based age estimation and quantification of the degradation levels of bisulfite-converted DNA.

DNA methylation modifications are known to influence epigenetic phenomena and have been a focus of forensic science research for some time. Degraded DNA after bisulfite treatment is widely used in DNA methylation analysis. In this study, we analyzed methylation levels at 12 CpG sites of four selected genomic regions by pyrosequencing after bisulfite treatment.

Message framing effects on attitude and intention toward social participation in old age.

Background: Message framing is frequently used to advocate health perceptions and behaviors. The effects of message framing on various health behaviors have been examined; however, its effects on social participation, a key determinant of healthy aging, are unclear. This study investigated the effects of message framing on older adults' attitudes and intentions toward social participation.

Diaphragm Dysfunction and ICU-Acquired Weakness in Septic Shock Patients with or without Mechanical Ventilation: A Pilot Prospective Observational Study.

Sepsis is a risk factor for diaphragm dysfunction and ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW); however, the impact of mechanical ventilation (MV) on these relationships has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to compare the incidence of diaphragm dysfunction and ICU-AW in patients with septic shock, with and without MV. We conducted a single-center prospective observational study that included consecutive patients diagnosed with septic shock admitted to the ICU between March 2021 and February 2022.

Risk of exposure of patients' family members to lenalidomide at home.

Objectives: Lenalidomide, a hazardous drug, has strict distribution controls. However, the risk of contamination with lenalidomide when patients take the drug has not been studied and the risk of drug exposure to people in the patient's living environment is unknown. Thus, we investigated the amount of lenalidomide that could be dispersed during the period between removal of the capsule and returning the used blister packages, and we considered the conditions under which lenalidomide could be dispersed and countermeasures.

Prenylated-coumarins from Gmelina arborea and evaluation for neurotrophic activity.

A MeOH extract of the stem of Gmelina arborea Roxb. ex Sm. (Lamiaceae) exhibited neurite outgrowth-promoting activity in NGF-mediated PC12 cells.

[Effectiveness of letter and telephone reminders for specific health guidance use: A randomized controlled trial for those intending to use health guidance in a large city].

Objectives　Medical insurers have applied a reminder (i.e., recall) system to improve the implementation rate of specific health guidance.