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Background: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is essential for lung cancer treatment. It is important to collect sufficient tissue specimens, but sometimes we cannot obtain large enough samples for NGS analysis. We investigated the yield of NGS analysis by frozen cytology pellets using an Oncomine Comprehensive Assay or Oncomine Precision Assay. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients with lung cancer who underwent bronchoscopy at Kobe University Hospital and were enrolled in the Lung Cancer Genomic Screening Project for Individualized Medicine. We investigated the amount of extracted DNA and RNA and determined the NGS success rates. We also compared the amount of DNA and RNA by bronchoscopy methods. To create the frozen cytology pellets, we first effectively collected the cells and then quickly centrifuged and cryopreserved them. Results: A total of 132 patients were enrolled in this study between May 2016 and December 2022; of them, 75 were subjected to frozen cytology pellet examinations and 57 were subjected to frozen tissue examinations. The amount of DNA and RNA obtained by frozen cytology pellets was nearly equivalent to frozen tissues. Frozen cytology pellets collected by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration yielded significantly more DNA than those collected by transbronchial biopsy methods. (P < 0.01) In RNA content, cytology pellets were not inferior to frozen tissue. The success rate of NGS analysis with frozen cytology pellet specimens was comparable to the success rate of NGS analysis with frozen tissue specimens. Conclusions: Our study showed that frozen cytology pellets may have equivalent diagnostic value to frozen tissue for NGS analyses. Bronchial cytology specimens are usually used only for cytology, but NGS analysis is possible if enough cells are collected to create pellet specimens. In particular, the frozen cytology pellets obtained by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration yielded sufficient amounts of DNA. Trial registration: This was registered with the University Medical Hospital Information Network in Japan (UMINCTR registration no. UMIN000052050). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the number of patients with heart failure (HF) has been increasing, and there is an urgent need to elucidate the mechanism and establish treatment methods. Although ejection fraction (EF) is one of the most used indices of cardiac function, some HF patients have preserved EF. Therefore, it is important to identify small changes that do not appear in indices such as EF to elucidate the mechanisms of HF and/or cardiac hypertrophy. In this study, we proposed a semi‐automatic method for extracting regions inside the ventricle for analysis. Furthermore, we proposed a data‐driven analysis method and applied it to mice with mild transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in which EF did not change much. We created a model that distinguishes the echo images of mice before and after mild TAC using bag‐of‐features and evaluated the differences in phase and position. After parameter optimization, the best models showed greater than 89% classification performance. In these models, end‐systolic phase and proximity to the ventricular boundary were found to be important in discriminating between the two types of mice. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mortality of necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) in the DPC database was 6.9%. • Older age and lower BMI were high risk factors for mortality in NSTI. • Sex difference and diabetes at admission had no effect on mortality of NSTI. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with mortality among patients with necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) in Japan using inpatient data from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) Database. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a population retrieved from the Japanese DPC inpatient database of patients who underwent surgical operations from 2014 through 2017. The associations between the covariates and mortality were estimated using multivariate logistic regression models. In total, 4597 patients were registered in this study, with an overall mortality rate of 6.9%. Multilevel logistic regression analysis revealed that higher age, lower body mass index (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), pre-existing cancer diagnosis, sepsis at admission, maintenance dialysis, antithrombin III use, and anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) antibiotic use were associated with a high mortality rate among NSTI patients. However, sex, underlying diabetes mellitus, ambulance use at admission, intravenous immunoglobulin use, higher hospital case volume, and frequency of operations were not associated with mortality. This study is the first to report the association of lower BMI, antithrombin III use, and anti-MRSA antibiotic use with a higher mortality rate among NSTI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disorder that involves the skin and mucous membranes. Few reports have described nasal and oropharyngolaryngeal lesions in pemphigus vulgaris using an endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 11 patients with pemphigus vulgaris between 2001 and 2013 with, respect to their symptoms, lesion sites, lesion features, and treatments received. All patients had undergone an endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination. Their mucosa-related symptoms were sore throat, oral pain, odynophagia, gingival bleeding, hoarseness, and epistaxis. The most frequent sites were the oral cavity (gingiva and buccal mucosa), larynx (epiglottis and vocal fold), oropharynx (soft palate), and nasal cavity (nasal septum). Lesions were typically characterized by erosion, erosion with a whitish exudate, and erythematous patches. Thus, our study findings reveal that pemphigus vulgaris involves both the nasal and oropharyngolaryngeal regions. Patients with pemphigus vulgaris should undergo an endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination to determine the range of their lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Small laboratory fish share many anatomical and histological characteristics with other vertebrates, yet can be maintained in large numbers at low cost for lifetime studies. Here we characterize biomarkers associated with normal aging in the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), a species that has been widely used in toxicology studies and has potential utility as a model organism for experimental aging research. Principal Findings: The median lifespan of medaka was approximately 22 months under laboratory conditions. We performed quantitative histological analysis of tissues from age-grouped individuals representing young adults (6 months old), mature adults (16 months old), and adults that had survived beyond the median lifespan (24 months). Livers of 24- month old individuals showed extensive morphologic changes, including spongiosis hepatis, steatosis, ballooning degeneration, inflammation, and nuclear pyknosis. There were also phagolysosomes, vacuoles, and residual bodies in parenchymal cells and congestion of sinusoidal vessels. Livers of aged individuals were characterized by increases in lipofuscin deposits and in the number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells. Some of these degenerative characteristics were seen, to a lesser extent, in the livers of 16-month old individuals, but not in 6-month old individuals. The basal layer of the dermis showed an age-dependent decline in the number of dividing cells and an increase in senescence-associated bgalactosidase. The hearts of aged individuals were characterized by fibrosis and lipofuscin deposition. There was also a loss of pigmented cells from the retinal epithelium. By contrast, age-associated changes were not apparent in skeletal muscle, the ocular lens, or the brain. Significance: The results provide a set of markers that can be used to trace the process of normal tissue aging in medaka and to evaluate the effect of environmental stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benzotriazole UV stabilizers, which are used in a variety of plastic products, were analyzed in marine organisms and sediments collected from the Ariake Sea, Japan. The UV stabilizers, such as UV-320, UV-326, UV-327, and UV-328 were detected in all of the samples analyzed, suggesting the production and use of these compounds in Japan. High concentrations of UV stabilizers were found in clams, oysters, and gastropods collected from the tidal flat, at concentrations on the order of several hundreds of ng/g on a lipid weight (wt.) basis. The higher trophic species, such as hammerhead sharks and coastal birds, accumulated UV stabilizers, with mean concentrations of 190 ng/g and 74 ng/g (lipid wt), respectively. These results indicate that benzotriazole UV stabilizers are persistent and bioaccumulative in the marine food-chains. The benzotriazole UV stabilizers were also detected in coastal and river sediments around the Ariake Sea, at concentrations in the range of 7.9-720 ng/g (dry weight basis). Significant correlations were found between concentrations of UV stabilizers and organic carbon content in sediments, implying adsorption of these compounds to organic matter. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ubiquitous contamination and bioaccumulation of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organohalogen contaminants including PCBs, DDTs, CHLs, HCHs, HCB, PBDEs and HBCDs were determined in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) found stranded at Gogo-shima (n =6, 2003) and collected from Taiji (n =15, 1978–1992) in Japan. All target compounds were significantly detected in all the specimens, indicating ubiquitous contamination of oceanic cetaceans in northwest Pacific Ocean. Examination of body distribution of organohalogens in the six specimens from Gogo-shima showed no significant difference in concentrations among the analyzed tissues, except for brain, which had lower levels possibly due to the existence of blood–brain barrier. For evaluating temporal trends, archived blubber samples of adult male stripped dolphins collected in 1978, 1979, 1986 and 1992 were analyzed. Concentrations of PCBs, DDTs and HCHs did not change significantly during 1978–2003. In contrast, remarkable increasing trends of PBDEs and HBCDs were observed, suggesting growing consumption in Japan and surrounding countries in recent years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We analyzed Hg, Zn and Cu concentrations in the liver and muscle of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) from the coast of Ishigaki Island, Japan. The Hg concentration in the muscle increased proportionally with body length in the tiger sharks, whereas that in the liver increased rapidly after maturity (defined by a length of over 2.7m). Muscle Hg levels were higher than liver concentrations in immature sharks, with the inverse trend observed in mature sharks. Notably, the Zn and Cu concentrations in the liver tended to decrease with increasing body length. This rapid increase in hepatic Hg concentration concurrent with the onset of maturity in sharks may result from the continuous intake of Hg via food and the slower growth of mature sharks. The high concentrations of the essential metals Zn and Cu in immature sharks may be explained by the physiological demands related to rapid growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]