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Abstract We aimed to investigate whether ventilator support time influences the occurrence of dysphagia in pediatric trauma patients. This case-series study was conducted in a single pediatric emergency and critical care center from April 2012 to March 2022. Trauma patients aged

Abstract Background Airway management in children with severe burns is difficult because of airway edema and prolonged duration of ventilatory management. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that tracheostomy is beneficial for children. Case presentation A male child aged 1 year and 4 months was injured when he accidentally fell into a bathtub filled with boiling water. Furthermore, 85% of the burnt area, including the face and neck, consisted of second-degree burns; hence, oral tracheal intubation and resuscitative infusion were required. In this case, the patient was safely switched from oral to nasotracheal intubation using a tracheal tube guide and video laryngoscope, without the use of a bronchoscope, and ventilatory management could be continued for 2 weeks. Conclusion Oral to nasal endotracheal tube exchange using a tracheal tube guide and video laryngoscope may be useful not only for pediatric burn patients but also for adult patients who need to be safely switched from oral to nasotracheal intubation.

Recent research has shown that the Default Mode Network (DMN) typically exhibits increased activation during processing of social and personal information but shows deactivation during working memory (WM) tasks. Previously, we reported the Frontal Parietal Network (FPN) and DMN showed coactivation during task preparation whereas the DMN exhibited deactivation during task execution in working memory tasks. Aging research has shown that older adults exhibited decreased functional connectivity in the DMN relative to younger adults. Here, we investigated whether age-related cognitive decline is related to a reduced relationship between the FPN and DMN using a working memory task during the execution period. First, we replicated our previous finding that the FPN and DMN showed coactivation during the preparation period, whereas the DMN showed deactivation during the execution period. The older adults showed reduced DMN activity during task preparation and reduced deactivation during task execution; however, they exhibited a higher magnitude of activation in the FPN than the young individuals during task execution. Functional connectivity analyses showed that the elderly group, compared to the young group, showed weaker correlations within the FPN and the DMN, weaker positive correlations between the FPN and DMN during task preparation, and weaker negative correlations between the FPN and DMN during execution. The results suggest that cognitive decline in the older adults might be related to reduced connectivity within the DMN as well as between the FPN and DMN.

Abstract Background Adenovirus gastroenteritis is a common cause of diarrhea and vomiting in infants, resulting in prerenal acute kidney injury (AKI). However, postrenal AKI due to urinary stones associated with adenovirus gastroenteritis is extremely rare. Here, we describe postrenal AKI due to obstructive ammonium acid urate stones associated with adenovirus gastroenteritis. Case presentation A previously healthy 6-month-old boy had an 11-day history of severe diarrhea and a 5-day history of vomiting. His stool was positive for adenovirus antigens. We initiated fluid replacement therapy. On the second hospital day, he suddenly developed anuria. Abdominal computed tomography revealed bilateral hydronephrosis, left ureteral stones, and right bladder ureteral junction stones. Laboratory data showed that the creatinine level increased to 1.00 mg/dL. We diagnosed postrenal AKI due to obstructive bilateral urinary stones. Urination with stable urine volume resumed spontaneously after hydration. A few stones were found in the urine, which consisted of ammonium acid urate (> 98%). The serum creatinine level improved to 0.25 mg/dL. He was discharged nine days after admission. Conclusions We suggest that adenovirus gastroenteritis be considered in pediatric patients with postrenal AKI due to urinary stones.

Excess sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake are a prominent global issue because of their influence on high blood pressure. Supplementation of potassium induces kaliuresis and natriuresis, which partially explains its antihypertensive effect. Balancing of minerals takes place in the kidney and is controlled by the circadian clock; in fact, various renal functions exhibit circadian rhythms. In our previous research, higher intake of potassium at lunch time was negatively associated with blood pressure, suggesting the importance of timing for sodium and potassium intake. However, the effects of intake timing on urinary excretion remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of 24 h urinary sodium and potassium excretion after acute sodium and potassium load with different timings in mice. Compared to other timings, the middle of the active phase resulted in higher urinary sodium and potassium excretion. In Clock mutant mice, in which the circadian clock is genetically disrupted, urinary excretion differences from intake timings were not observed. Restricted feeding during the inactive phase reversed the excretion timing difference, suggesting that a feeding-induced signal may cause this timing difference. Our results indicate that salt intake timing is important for urinary sodium and potassium excretion and provide new perspectives regarding hypertension prevention.

The plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of a titanium alloy, Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al, was performed to develop mechanical applications by improving the tribological characteristics. The behaviors of micro-arcs, bubbles, and coating growth during the PEO process were investigated under three different operating conditions, constant voltage (CV) operation, constant current operation (CC), and short treatment time (ST) operation, to control the surface structure and function by the PEO process. A low friction coefficient was achieved by CV operation at 500 V and by CC operation at 3.0 kA/m2. The maximum coating thickness of 6.88 μm was achieved by CV operation at 500 V and 60 s. From the observation of micro-arcs, bubbles, and discharge craters by ST operation, the minimum discharge diameter of the micro-arc was 8 μm, and the discharge craters had a discharge pore size of 0.3 μm in diameter in the center with a petal-shaped burr around the discharge pore. During the PEO process, no bubble bursts around the micro-arcs and no backfilling of the discharge pores by the ejected materials were observed. Thus, the discharge pores remain a porous structure in the PEO coating for Ti. The utilization efficiency of the total charge density by CV operation above 300 V was lower than that by the conventional anodization process. The utilization efficiency of total charge density by CC operation was higher than that by the conventional anodization process.

Background: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and has been associated with longevity. Regular breakfast consumers often have a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet and regular physical activity. Methods: We examined the association between breakfast type, chronotype (morningness-eveningness), and physical activity in 3395 Japanese workers using a cross-sectional web survey. Results: Participants who ate Japanese breakfasts showed an early chronotype, while those who ate breakfast cereal exhibited a later chronotype. Physical activity was positively associated with adopting a Japanese breakfast style. Japanese breakfast eaters performed physical activities from 6:00–9:00 compared with other breakfast eaters. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that eating a Japanese breakfast is associated with an earlier chronotype (morningness) and higher physical activity.