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The purpose of this study was to explore whether height loss is associated with future falls and whether the combination of height loss and fall experience is associated with future falls.In this prospective observational study, a total of 765 individuals (354 men, 411 women) agreed to join the study. Baseline data on demographics, comorbidities, physical performance, and previous falls were assessed. Height loss was calculated as the difference between the self-reported height at a younger age and the current height and was divided into two groups: 2 cm and ≥ 2 cm. Approximately 15 months after the baseline evaluation, follow-up questionnaires were used to assess the fall history. Participants were classified as either "non-fallers" or "fallers." Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between falls and each factor and to obtain adjusted odds ratio estimates.The follow-up questionnaire was returned by 668 participants, 74 of whom (11.1%) fell at least once during the observation period. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that height loss of 2 cm was a significant predictor of future falls, even after adjusting for other factors. Additionally, the combination of height loss and previous falls was a risk factor for falls.We suggest that height loss of ≥ 2 cm is a predictor of future falls in older adults, and the combination of height loss and fall experiences may be a useful screening tool for determining fall risk.

Adherence to oral nutritional supplements (ONS) to prevent weight loss after gastrectomy is problematic. The present study evaluated the impact of super energy-dense ONS (SED ONS; 4 kcal/mL) on glycemic change and energy intake after gastrectomy.Gastrectomy patients were placed on continuous glucose monitoring for a 3-day observation period after food intake had been stabilized postoperatively. In addition, they were given 0, 200, and 400 kcal/day of SED ONS on Days 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The primary outcome was the area under the curve glucose 70 mg/dL (AUC 70). The secondary outcomes were other indices of glucose fluctuation and the amount of food and SED ONS intake.Seventeen patients were enrolled. The AUC 70 did not differ significantly with or without SED ONS over the observation period. SED ONS did not cause postprandial hypoglycemia and prevented nocturnal hypoglycemia. The mean dietary intake did not change significantly during the observation period, and the total energy intake increased significantly according to the amount of SED ONS provided.SED ONS after gastrectomy increased the total energy intake without dietary reduction and it did not result in hypoglycemia.

Purpose The Nathanson liver retractor (NLR) and the snake liver retractor (SLR) are commonly used in bariatric surgery and their use is associated with some disadvantages. We developed an L-shaped liver retractor (LLR) and herein evaluated its efficacy and safety. Methods The present retrospective study enrolled patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy in our department between June 2014 and December 2020. The patients were divided into three groups according to the liver retractor used (LLR, SLR or NLR) for a comparative analysis of the efficacy and safety of the devices. The procedural time (PT) of each retractor type, defined as the time from retractor insertion to liver fixation, was compared. Results In total, 140 patients successfully underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The LLR, SLR and NLR were used in 37, 91, and 12 of these patients, respectively. The PT for the LLR was the shortest. AST/ALT elevation was significantly more frequent in the NLR group than in the SLR group and tended to be less frequent in the LLR group in comparison to the NLR group (p = 0.09). The length of hospital stay in the NLR group was significantly longer in comparison to the LLR group. Conclusion Our study suggested that the LLR was superior to the conventional liver retractors used in sleeve gastrectomy.

Limited data exist on the prevalence and prognosis of isolated posterior ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), revealed with a posterior chest lead. Furthermore, the utility of a synthesized-V7-9 lead in the diagnosis of STEMI is unclear; therefore, we aimed to evaluate its usefulness. We enrolled 142 consecutive patients with STEMI with the culprit lesion on the left circumflex artery (STEMI-LCx) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between January 2009 and December 2019. We retrospectively checked the ST-segment change of both standard 12-lead and synthesized-V7-9 lead in all patients with STEMI-LCx. Based on electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, isolated posterior STEMI that was only revealed in synthesized-V7-9 lead was classified as "STEMI-LCx-synV7-9" and the remaining as "STEMI-LCx-12ECG." The prevalence of STEMI-LCx-synV7-9 in patients with STEMI-LCx was assessed. The incidence of all-cause death, cardiac death, and mechanical complications within 30 days, 3 months, and 1 year was also assessed according to each STEMI-LCx. STEMI-LCx-synV7-9 and STEMI-LCx-12ECG occurred in 10 (7.0%) and 132 (93.0%) patients, respectively. No significant difference was found in patients' characteristics between the two groups. The patients with STEMI-LCx-synV7-9 had significantly higher incidences of cardiac death within 3 months and 1 year (30.0% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.031, 30.0% vs. 7.6%, P = 0.050, respectively) and mechanical complications in each follow-up period (20.0% vs. 1.5%, P = 0.025) than those with STEMI-LCx-12ECG. STEMI-LCx-synV7-9 was observed in 7.0% of the patients with STEMI-LCx. Our findings suggest that the synthesized-V7-9 lead helps diagnose isolated posterior STEMI and might improve prognosis in patients with STEMI-LCx.

Low body mass index (BMI) is a predictor of adverse events in patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Western countries. Because the average BMI of Asians is significantly lower than that of the Western population, the appropriate cut-off BMI value and its role in long-term mortality are unclear in Asian patients. Between January 2006 and December 2017, 1215 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute STEMI and were alive at discharge (mean age, 67.7 years; male, 75.4%) were evaluated. The cut-off BMI value, which could predict all-cause mortality within 10 years, was detected using a survival classification and regression tree (CART) model. The causes of death according to the BMI value were evaluated in each group. Based on the CART model, the patients were divided into three groups (BMI 20 kg/m2: 1052 patients). The BMI decreased with age; with an increased BMI, patients with dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and smoking habit increased. During the study period (median, 4.9 years), 194 patients (26.8%) died (cardiac death, 59 patients; non-cardiac death, 135 patients). All-cause mortality was more frequent as the BMI decreased (BMI 20 kg/m2; 22.8%; log-rank p

Background In accordance with previous reports on the utility of polyethylene glycolic acid (PGA) felt and fibrin glue for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), we usually perform distal pancreatectomy (DP) with a PGA felt reinforcement stapler when dissecting the pancreas and cover the stump with PGA felt and fibrin glue (the PPF method). In this study, we retrospectively analyzed our DP cases to compare the risk factors for POPF and the postoperative course of patients receiving the PPF method of treatment versus that of those receiving conventional treatment. Methods A total of 127 DP procedures performed in our department between January 2008 and June 2021 were retrospectively analysed. Results In the PPF method, grade B/C POPF rate tended to decrease, and POPF rate showed a significant decrease. The duration of drainage and the length of postoperative hospitalisation were also significantly shorter with the PPF method. The risk of grade B/C POPF significantly decreased with the PPF method if the pancreas was thick (> 13.5 mm) or the patients were obese. Conclusions The PPF method is useful for POPF in DP and is particularly effective when a thick pancreas or obese patient is involved. Removing the drainage tube early in the PPF method may lead to early discharge.

Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS2°P) is a contemporary risk scoring system for secondary prevention based on nine clinical factors. However, this scoring system has not been validated in other populations. The aim of this study was to validate the TRS2°P in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a nationwide registry cohort. Among 3283 consecutive patients with AMI enrolled in the Japanese registry of acute Myocardial INfarction diagnosed by Universal dEfiniTion (J-MINUET), a total of 2611 patients who underwent primary PCI were included in this study. The performance of the TRS2°P to predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) composed of all-cause death, non-fatal MI, and non-fatal stroke up to 3 years in the present cohort was evaluated. The TRS2°P had modest discriminative performance in this J-MINUET cohort with a c-statistic of 0.63, similar to that in the derived cohort (TRA2°P-TIMI50, c-statistic 0.67). A strong graded relationship between the TRS2°P and 3-year cardiovascular event rates was also observed in the J-MINUET cohort. Age ≥ 75 years, Killip ≥ 2, prior stroke, peripheral artery disease, anemia, and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction were identified as independent factors for the incidence of MACE. The TRS2°P modestly predicted secondary cardiovascular events among patients with AMI treated by primary PCI in a nationwide cohort of Japan. Further studies are needed to develop a novel risk score better predicting secondary cardiovascular events.

Backgrounds:Optimal concentration of ustekinumab (UST) predicting endoscopic remission has not been fully investigated in Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to identify the optimal UST trough levels predicting clinical, laboratory and endoscopic remission in CD patients., Methods:Twenty-eight patients with CD were enrolled and investigated (27 patients by enteroscopy and 1 by colonoscopy). The endoscopic activity was assessed using the scoring system that applied the Rutgeerts score to observed intestine. Serum UST trough levels and anti-UST antibodies (AUAs) levels were determined by in-house immunoassays., Results:Endoscopic activity was negatively correlated with serum UST trough levels (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (ρ) = - 0.66, P = 0.0001) and serum albumin levels (ρ = - 0.60, P = 0.0007). The endoscopic activity was positively and significantly correlated with CRP (ρ = 0.59, P = 0.0009) and ESR (ρ = 0.44, P = 0.033). There was no significant association between the endoscopic score and AUA levels and/or Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI). Serum UST trough levels and albumin levels were significantly higher in the endoscopic remission group (scores of 0 and 1) than in the non-endoscopic remission group (UST trough, mean 3.3 vs. 1.8 μg/mL). No significant difference was observed in AUAs between the endoscopic remission and non-remission groups. Receiver operation curve (ROC) analysis revealed that the optimal cutoff value of UST trough levels predicting normal CRP and serum albumin levels was 1.7 μg/mL for each, and the optimal cutoff value predicting endoscopic remission was 2.0 μg/mL (AUC: 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-0.96)., Conclusion:Achievement of endoscopic remission requires higher UST trough levels than required for normalization of CRP and serum albumin levels.

Background Prepancreatic portal vein (PPV) is a congenital anatomical variant of the portal vein (PV). PPVs are extremely rare and generally classified into two categories, prepancreatic preduodenal portal vein and prepancreatic postduodenal portal vein (PPPV). Prepancreatic preduodenal portal veins are rare, with approximately 100 reported cases globally; PPPVs are even more atypical, with less than 20 documented cases globally. Despite the extremely low occurrence, PPPV knowledge and recognition are important, especially for hepatobiliary-pancreatic (HBP) surgeries, such as pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for patients of a PPPV. Here, we report a case of PPPV and a literature review. Case presentation A 73-year-old-male with ampullary carcinoma underwent PD at our hospital. Preoperative enhanced CT revealed an abnormal L-shaped PV, identified as a PPPV. Both the PPPV and the postpancreatic “normal” superior mesenteric vein (SMV) divaricated from the SMV at the caudal side of the pancreas. A splenic vein and inferior mesenchymal vein flowed into the postpancreatic “normal” PV, which encircled the common bile duct and potentially flowed into the liver, forming a cavernous transformation at the hilar plate. During surgery, we attempted to isolate the PV from the pancreas and common bile duct. However, it was difficult to isolate from the pancreas. The PPPV was so fragile that bleeding from the PPPV became uncontrollable. To remove the tumor, we resected the PPPV and reconstructed a “normal” PV as an autogenous graft. To maintain intraoperative hepatic blood flow and avoid small bowel congestion, an antithrombogenic bypass catheter was placed between the SMV and umbilical vein during reconstruction. After surgery, several complications occurred, such as PV thrombosis and hyperammonemia. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 45. Conclusions PPPV is a rare vascular variant but is easily diagnosed preoperatively due to its distinct shape on CT imaging. However, isolating the PPPV from the pancreas and bile duct is incredibly difficult and potentially associated with increased operative risks and postoperative complications. PV resection rather than isolation is a potential solution to reduce the risk of hemorrhage, even in the absence of invasion.

Background Anorectal malignant melanoma (ARMM) has an extremely poor prognosis, and there is no report of resection of liver metastases so far. We report herein a rare case of postoperative laparoscopic partial hepatic S7 resection for rectal malignant melanoma. Case presentation A 51-year-old female patient with a diagnosis of an ARMM underwent a laparoscopic rectal amputation. Eleven months later, computed tomography (CT) revealed a 14-mm nodule in liver segment 7 (S7), which was diagnosed as a hepatic recurrence of the ARMM. Because no other recurrences were found, a laparoscopic partial resection of S7 was performed. Pathological analysis found intracellular melanin deposition, and immunostaining was S-100 (+), HMB-45 (+), and SOX-10 (+). Based on these findings, a liver metastasis of malignant melanoma was diagnosed. The patient is alive 7 months after the second surgery and has so far experienced no recurrences. Conclusion We reported an extremely rare case of a laparoscopic resection of a liver metastasis following surgery for ARMM.

Although chronic total occlusion (CTO) in non-infarct-related arteries (non-IRAs) negatively affects long-term mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who are undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the prognostic impact of successful CTO-PCI has not been completely addressed. Among 1855 consecutive patients with AMI who underwent primary PCI, those who were treated for CTO with either PCI or medical therapy were included. We evaluated the association between recanalization of CTO and long-term cardiac mortality. Of the 172 included patients, 88 underwent CTO-PCI, and the procedures were successful in 65 patients. Thus, the successfully recanalized CTO (SR-CTO) group included 65 patients; and the no recanalized CTO (NR-CTO) group, 107 patients. During the follow-up, 72 patients died, and of whom 56 (77.8%) died because of cardiac causes. The cumulative 10-year, 30-day, and 30-day to 10-year incidences of cardiac mortality were lower in the SR-CTO group than in the NR-CTO group (19.0% vs. 51.9% p = 0.004; 4.6% vs. 14.0%, p = 0.05; 15.0% vs. 44.1%, p = 0.003, respectively). After adjusting for confounding factors, the benefits of SR-CTO for the 10-year cardiac mortality remained significant compared with those of NR-CTO (hazard ratio 0.37; 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.75; p = 0.004). In conclusion, patients with SR-CTO in non-IRAs after AMI was associated with reduced long-term cardiac mortality compared with those with NR-CTO.

It is known that incidence and short-term mortality rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) tend to be higher in the cold season. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of onset-season with patient characteristics and long-term prognosis of AMI. This was a prospective, multicenter, Japanese investigation of 3,283 patients with AMI who were hospitalized within 48 h of symptom onset between July 2012 and March 2014. Patients were divided into 3 seasonal groups according to admission date: cold season group (December–March), hot season group (June–September), and moderate season group (April, May, October, and November). We identified 1356 patients (41.3%) admitted during the cold season, 901 (27.4%) during the hot season, and 1026 (31.3%) during the moderate season. We investigated the seasonal effect on patient characteristics and clinical outcomes. Baseline characteristics of each seasonal group were comparable, with the exception of age, Killip class, and conduction disturbances. The rates of higher Killip class and complete atrioventricular block were significantly higher in the cold season group. The 3-year cumulative survival free from major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rate was the lowest in the cold season (67.1%), showing a significant difference, followed by the moderate (70.0%) and hot seasons (72.9%) (p

There are no previous reports describing the fecal fungal microbiome of a Japanese population using advanced molecular techniques. In this study, we performed a molecular analysis on the fungal microbial community of a healthy Japanese population and patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Fecal samples were obtained from 18 patients with inactive ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 18), Crohn’s disease (CD, n = 20) and healthy volunteers (n = 20). Bacterial and fungal microbiome was analyzed by sequencing of 16S rRNA and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, respectively. 16S rRNA sequencing of the bacterial microbiome revealed that the α-diversity indicated by the Chao-1 and Shannon indices was significantly lower in CD patients compared to healthy controls and/or UC patients. Principal coordinate (PCo) analysis of the bacterial community revealed significant structural differences in microbiome among healthy controls, UC and CD patients (PERMANOVA P = 0.0001). ITS sequencing of the fungal microbiome indicated no significant differences in α-diversity between healthy controls and IBD patients. However, the overall structure of the fungal microbial community of CD patients was significantly different from those of healthy controls and UC patients (PERMANOVA = 0.03). At the genus level, the genus Saccharomyces was dominant and this was followed by the genus Sarocladium in healthy controls. The abundance of the genus Candida was significantly higher in CD patients than healthy controls and/or UC patients. The fecal fungal microbiome of a Japanese population differed considerably from that of a Western population. We identified fungal dysbiosis in Japanese patients with IBD.

Previous studies have demonstrated that use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with lower incidence of death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. Recently, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged as an alternative intravascular imaging device with better resolution. The aim of this study was to investigate frequency and prognostic impact of IVUS or OCT-guided PCI during urgent revascularization for acute myocardial infarction diagnosed by the universal definition. A total of 2788 patients who underwent urgent PCI were selected from a multicenter, Japanese registry of acute myocardial infarction diagnosed by universal definition (J-MINUET). Frequency, clinical characteristics and prognostic impact of the IVUS-, or OCT- guided PCI were investigated. Clinical endpoint was in-hospital death. Angiography-, IVUS-, and OCT-guided urgent PCI were performed in 689 (24.7%), 1947 (69.8%), and 152 (5.5%) patients. In-hospital death in each group was 10.4%, 5.1%, and 3.3%, respectively (P

The ratio of serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to arachidonic acid (AA) is significantly associated with long-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, it has not been conclusively demonstrated that higher serum EPA/AA ratio fares better clinical outcomes in the early phase of AMI. The Japanese registry of acute Myocardial INfarction diagnosed by Universal dEfiniTion (J-MINUET) is a prospective multicenter registry conducted in 28 Japanese medical institutions between July 2012 and March 2014. We enrolled 3,283 consecutive AMI patients who were admitted to participating institutions within 48 h of symptom onset. A serum EPA/AA ratio was available for 629 of these patients. The endpoints were in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as a composite of all cause death, cardiac failure, ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or ventricular fibrillation (VF) and bleeding during hospitalization. Although similar rates of in-hospital mortality, cardiac failure, bleeding, and MACE were found in the lower serum EPA/AA group and higher serum EPA/AA group, the incidence of VT/VF during hospitalization was significantly higher in the low ratio group (p = 0.008). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that an EPA/AA ratio

This study was designed to examine deviation of the bronchus by postural change from supine to lateral position during spontaneous respiration. Fifteen healthy volunteers [13 men and 2 women, mean age: 34 years (range 26-42)] participated. Chest radiograms (anterior-posterior) were acquired in the order of supine, left lateral, and right lateral position. The bilateral bronchus angles and secondary carina angles were measured in the acquired images, and the angles were compared between the supine and lateral positions to evaluate deviation of the bronchus in the lateral position. The left secondary carina angle in the supine position was 61.3° ± 4.0° and it significantly increased to 65.5° ± 6.0° in the left lateral position (P = 0.001), but no significant difference was noted in the left bronchus angle between the supine and left lateral positions (P = 0.158). The curvature of left main bronchus, which we defined more than 5° increase in secondary carina angle, was observed in a half of the male participants during left lateral position. We should be aware of these anatomical changes due to the surgical posture as a possible cause for ventilation failure during one-lung ventilation.

Precipitation polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and methylene-bisacrylamide (MB) was carried out in alcohols. Large, bulky and porous particles were formed by the polymerization. On the contrary, copolymerization of AAm and MB with a certain amount of methacrylic acid (MAc) resulted in the formation of fine monodisperse hydrogel microspheres. This was attributed to the contribution of MAc units to the stabilization of the particles formed at the initial stage of polymerization and the enhancement of swelling of the particles by monomer and alcohol.