Concerns Regarding Masataka et al.'s "Revisiting the Gateway Drug Hypothesis for Cannabis: A Secondary Analysis of a Nationwide Survey Among Community Users in Japan".

Masataka et al.'s cannabis gateway study misrepresents the 43.8% probability of cannabis users transitioning to illegal drugs as "rare," and misuses regression via the Table 2 Fallacy.

Tracing the possible origins of the clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses from India.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.

Validation of Hounsfield units for preoperative bone mineral density assessment in intertrochanteric femoral fractures.

Background: Hounsfield units (HU) on computed tomography (CT) are strongly correlated with bone mineral density (BMD) and may aid in osteoporosis screening. However, there is no standardized method for assessing bone density in displaced femoral head fractures. This study aimed to measure HU values in the femoral head using preoperative post-fracture CT images of patients with intertrochanteric femoral fractures and investigate whether it correlated with BMD measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Postnatal interaction of size and shape in the human endocranium and brain structures.

The uniqueness of human brain growth and development has been considered promising for its contribution to understanding the origins of the unique human cognitive abilities. Compared with that of chimpanzees, the human endocranium undergoes several characteristic shape changes immediately after birth, which has been termed "endocranial globularization." However, how the brain structures and surrounding neurocranium interact with each other during early development in the context of brain-neurocranium integration remains to be investigated.

Genome-scale prediction of gene ontology from mass fingerprints reveals new metabolic gene functions.

Mass-based fingerprinting can characterize microorganisms; however, expansion of these methods to predict specific gene functions is lacking. Therefore, mass fingerprinting was developed to functionally profile a yeast knockout library. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) fingerprints of 3,238 knockouts were digitized for correlation with gene ontology (GO).

Association of bioimpedance-derived parameters with pulse wave velocity: Phase angle, extracellular to intracellular water ratio, and body cell mass.

This study investigated the association between parameters derived from bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) and arterial stiffness, as measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) pulse wave velocities. Data from 292 Japanese adults were analyzed. BIS was used to assess the phase angle (PhA), extracellular water to intracellular water ratio (ECW/ICW), and body cell mass-to-free fat mass ratio (BCM/FFM).

Evaluating the 1-Minute Sit-to-Stand Test for Predicting Postoperative Complications after Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Lung Lobectomy.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (1-min STST) can be a predictor of postoperative complications following video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lung lobectomy.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 152 patients who underwent VATS lobectomy. Preoperative evaluations included pulmonary function tests, the bendopnea test, and the 1-min STST.

A Case of Acetaminophen-induced Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis with Airway Mucosal Lesions.

A 21-year-old woman had presented to a clinic with a fever 2 days earlier and been prescribed acetaminophen. She subsequently visited the hospital with a skin rash. Laryngeal edema was also observed.

C3 p.Asp1115Asn Variant-associated Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome with Spontaneous Remission Triggered by Influenza and COVID-19.

The clinical manifestations of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) vary depending on the genetic background. A 19-year-old man with the C3 p.Asp1115Asn variant experienced 2 episodes of recurrent aHUS following respiratory tract infections caused by influenza and COVID-19.

Ramosetron as a Supportive Agent to Continue Nintedanib in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease.

Objective Although nintedanib is commonly used to treat interstitial lung disease (ILD), its clinical utility is often limited by adverse gastrointestinal events. Ramosetron, a selective 5-HT receptor antagonist, has shown efficacy in managing irritable bowel syndrome; however, its effects on nintedanib-associated abdominal symptoms remain unclear. This study evaluated the effect of ramosetron on continuation of nintedanib therapy.

Adult-onset Vitamin K-dependent Coagulation Factor Deficiency of Unidentified Etiology.

Symptoms of bleeding caused by vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor deficiency (VKCFD) are rare in adults. We present two Japanese cases of adult-onset VKCFD, in which the cause of vitamin K deficiency remains unknown despite comprehensive evaluation. Both patients showed markedly decreased levels of coagulation factors (F) VII, FIX, FX, FII, protein C (PC), and protein S (PS), along with elevated levels of protein induced by vitamin K absence/antagonist II (PIVKA-II).

Agranulocytosis Following Durvalumab Plus Tremelimumab Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Agranulocytosis is an extremely rare but potentially fatal immune-related adverse event (irAE) induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Its management, particularly following combination therapies such as durvalumab/tremelimumab (Dur/Tre) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is challenging owing to limited data. We herein report a 79-year-old man with HCC who developed severe Dur/Tre-induced agranulocytosis that was refractory to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, high-dose corticosteroids, and intravenous immunoglobulin.

A Case of Spontaneous Vertebral Artery Dissection with Anti-Cardiolipin Antibody Positivity.

A 29-year-old woman with no medical history visited our hospital with a sudden onset of headache. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography of the head and neck demonstrated an occlusion and intramural hematoma in the right vertebral artery. We diagnosed vertebral artery dissection and provided treatment to reduce her headache and control her blood pressure.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus Endocarditis Possibly Originating from a Rectal Ulcer Diagnosed After Recurrent Ischemic Strokes.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus primarily colonizes the lower gastrointestinal tract; however, infections from this site are rarely reported. A 77-year-old man developed an ischemic stroke and fever. Blood cultures showed S.

Treatment with Daratumumab for Immunotactoid Glomerulopathy Associated with Plasma Cell Dyscrasia: A Report of Two Cases.

We herein report two cases of immunotactoid glomerulopathy (ITG) associated with multiple myeloma treated with daratumumab-based regimens. The first patient was an 81-year-old woman with severe renal insufficiency and IgAκ multiple myeloma (MM) that progressed to end-stage renal disease despite administering daratumumab-based therapy. The second patient, a 69-year-old man with smoldering MM, showed a favorable response to daratumumab-based treatment, with a resolution of nephrotic proteinuria.

A Case of Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome Caused by a Treatment Regimen Including Avacopan for Microscopic Polyangiitis.

An 81-year-old man was treated with prednisolone, avacopan, and rituximab for microscopic polyangiitis and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) and vonoprazan for prophylaxis. The liver enzyme levels were elevated 42 days after avacopan administration. Avacopan, SMX/TMP, and vonoprazan treatment were discontinued.

Socioeconomic inequalities in health behaviours pre- and post-COVID-19 among Japanese school-aged adolescents: a nationally representative three-wave repeated cross-sectional survey.

Background: Changes in socioeconomic inequalities in health behaviours following the COVID-19 pandemic remain unknown, particularly among Japanese school-aged adolescents. Therefore, in this study, we examined changes in socioeconomic inequalities in school-aged adolescents' health behaviours, including physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), sleep duration, breakfast consumption, and bowel movement frequency, before and after the pandemic.

Methods: This three-wave repeated cross-sectional study utilised data from the 2019, 2021, and 2023 National Sports-Life Survey of Children and Young People in Japan, analysing data from 766, 725, and 604 participants aged 12-18 years, respectively.

Development of a new alternative method to inhalation exposure: intratracheal instillation studies using molecular dispersion.

Background: Organic chemicals have been known to cause allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis; however, the possibility that they do not cause irreversible pulmonary fibrosis has not been considered. Polyacrylic acid (PAA), an organic chemical, has caused irreversible progressive pulmonary fibrosis in exposed workers, indicating its potential to induce pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Although intratracheal instillation studies are commonly used for evaluating lung pathology, traditional methods face challenges with chemical substances, particularly nanoparticles, which tend to aggregate in suspension and prevent uniform pulmonary distribution.

Therapeutic Efficacy and Drug Metabolism of Griseorhodin A Induced by a Co-culture of Actinomycete Strain TMPU-20A002 and Mycobacterium smegmatis in Silkworm Infection Models.

In screening for antibacterial agents from co-cultures of Mycobacterium smegmatis and microbial resources, such as actinomycetes and fungi, the known hydroxyquinone antibiotic griseorhodin A (1) was isolated from a co-culture of actinomycete strain TMPU-20A002 and M. smegmatis. Compound 1 exhibited antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Using a Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Hydrogel-Modified Bead-Packed Column with an All-Aqueous Mobile Phase without Sample Deproteinization.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is vital for effective optimization of pharmacological treatments. In this study, we engineered a chromatography column that is sensitive to temperature fluctuations, thereby enabling safe and straightforward TDM without relying on organic solvents. Silica beads were modified by applying poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels, using a condensation reaction to modify the initiator, followed by radical polymerization to integrate the PNIPAAm hydrogel.

Combination of Microcrystal Electron Diffraction and Solid-State NMR for the Structural Determination of Indomethacin-Nicotinamide Co-crystals.

The development of analytical techniques applicable to powdered pharmaceutical co-crystals, including those containing excipients, represents a comprehensive strategy for quality control in both drug development and regulatory settings. This study investigates the structural characterization of indomethacin-nicotinamide co-crystals using a combination of microcrystal electron diffraction (microED), solid-state NMR (SSNMR), Raman spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). MicroED analysis revealed the crystal structure of the co-crystal, while SSNMR measurements provided insights into the molecular interactions within the structure.

Synthesis of [1-C]2-Oxoglutaric Acid and C Breath Tests Designed to Assess TCA Cycle Flux.

Several approaches for synthesizing [1-C]2-oxoglutaric acid were attempted, and the synthesis was successfully achieved in 4 steps from trimethylsilyl C-cyanide. The C-breath tests on rats were conducted by orally administering the newly synthesized [1-C]2-oxoglutaric acid, the previously prepared [1'-C]citric acid, and [1-C]acetic acid as a control drug, and the results were compared. The results indicate that [1-C]2-oxoglutaric acid and [1'-C]citric acid may serve as potential substrates for assessing the TCA cycle flux.

Effects of daily post-training, high-concentration CO-water immersion on thermoregulatory function in young male baseball players.

Among the different forms of hydrotherapy, carbon dioxide (CO) water immersion improves peripheral vasodilation and blood flow compared with tap water immersion; however, the heat stress placed on the body through CO water immersion and the appropriate immersion protocols are uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the thermoregulatory responses during CO and tap water immersions. The participants were 10 male college baseball players.