Okayama University

Preoperative Topical Steroid Use and Trabeculectomy Outcomes

Précis: Preoperative topical steroid use was associated with greater surgical success and thicker, less reflective bleb walls on anterior segment optical coherence tomography 1 year after trabeculectomy. Purpose: To assess the association of preoperative topical steroid administr...

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Japanese Version of the Chronic Kidney Disease Self-Efficacy Scale (CKDSE-J)

Background/Objectives: Self-efficacy is an important determinant of self-care among adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Chronic Kidney Disease Self-Efficacy Scale (CKD-SE) is a disease-specific measure, but its use has not been reported in Japan. This study translated a...

Topological data analysis of China’s stock market risks to detect early warning signals

This study examines the behaviour of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges during the 2015 China stock market crash and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Using topological data analysis (TDA), we investigate whether topological indicators extracted from the Shanghai–Hong Kong (SHHK...

Molecular Insights into Water Solubility in Fluid Carbon Dioxide for CCS Applications

Abstract We estimate the solubility of water as an impurity in fluid CO2 by calculating the chemical potential from intermolecular interactions. The evaluation is conducted across a broad range of temperatures and pressures relevant to CO2 transport and storage. The formation of...

Current Evidence on Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Primary Care: A Scoping Review Protocol

Fatigue, loss of energy, low sexual desire and erectile dysfunction are common in primary care, and late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), defined according to symptoms and low testosterone levels, is one possible explanation. Its symptoms are non-specific, and terminology and diagnostic...

Development of YO-01027-Derived Signal Peptide Peptidase Inhibitors with Reduced γ-Secretase Inhibition

Abstract Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) is an endoplasmic-reticulum intramembrane aspartyl protease required for hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein maturation, but many SPP inhibitors also inhibit γ-secretase. Here, we designed YO-01027-derived dibenzazepinone analogs to retain...

A Bistable UV-Sensitive Opsin from a Reef Building Coral Showing a Switchable and Tunable Regulation of Gs-Signaling by Different Wavelengths of Light

Abstract Cnidarians possess a large number of opsins in their genomes for their various photoreceptive functions. In particular, they uniquely possess Gs-coupled opsins that induce intracellular cAMP accumulation in a light-dependent manner. These Gs-coupled opsins, cnidopsins, a...

Maternal COVID-19 During Pregnancy and Offspring Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background: Maternal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy was common during the pandemic. However, its potential risks for clinically diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum di...

Three-dimensional seismic analysis based on FE modeling using 3-D survey incorporating spatial variability of stiffness

Abstract Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, where a significant portion of disaster-related losses can be attributed to structural collapses. Thus, the inspection of geo-structures related to these earthquakes is important. Although conventional ins...

New quantitative unique continuation result for elliptic equations

We prove a new quantitative unique continuation result for elliptic equations from Cauchy data. We provide a simple and direct proof based only on a Carleman inequality. Similar result for the Stokes equation is also shown.

Molecular Connectivity Controls Electronic Coupling and Charge-Transfer Dynamics at Anthracene–MoS2 Interfaces

Abstract Controlling interfacial charge-transfer (CT) interactions is a central challenge in two-dimensional (2D) organic–inorganic hybrid materials. Here, we show that molecular connectivity strongly governs excited-state evolution at a 2D heterointerface using anthracene (An) d...

The application value of artificial intelligence in medical imaging: foundations, progress, and challenges

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming medical imaging, reshaping the field as it does everyday life. As imaging data grow in complexity and clinical workloads continue to rise, AI has become increasingly essential for improving diagnostic efficiency and pr...

Single-Cell Genomics Uncovers an Unexpectedly Abundant, Phylogenetically Hyperdiverse Patescibacteria (Candidate Phyla Radiation) Community in Agricultural Paddy Soil

Patescibacteria, also known as the Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR), are among the most diverse yet functionally reduced bacterial lineages whose diversity in agricultural soils remains poorly characterized. We applied single-cell genomics to bulk soil from an unfertilized paddy f...

Distributionally Robust Decision-Making under Ambiguity: Case Study of Water Environmental Management

Decision-making under uncertainty is ubiquitous in environmental project planning. Environmental processes such as a streamflow discharge often present a subexponential memory, where the autocorrelation persists for a long time. In addition, optimization problems driven by enviro...

Perioperative Durvalumab for Resectable NSCLC : Updated Outcomes for Japanese Patients in AEGEAN

ABSTRACT In the phase 3 AEGEAN study, perioperative durvalumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved the primary endpoints of event‐free survival (EFS) and pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with resectable NSCLC versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone....

Periodontitis and infertility: a critical narrative review with qualitative synthesis and an author-proposed translational roadmap for preconception periodontal research

Periodontitis is a chronic dysbiotic inflammatory disease that may increase systemic inflammatory burden and expose distant organs to microbial products. Clinical and experimental studies suggest possible associations with reproductive dysfunction, but causality and the effect of...

Risk factors for recurrence after neoadjuvant docetaxel+cisplatin+5-fluorouracil (DCF) followed by surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a single-institution retrospective analysis

The JCOG1109 trial proved the superiority of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) to chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (CF). Concurrently, advances in immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have introduced new perioperative...

The Clinical Characteristics and Management of Dental-Related Foreign Body Accidents: A Retrospective Observational Study

Background: Dental-related foreign body accidents are uncommon but potentially serious iatrogenic complications. Although numerous case reports have been published, comprehensive clinical studies describing their clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes remain limited....

Efficacy and Safety of Switching from Nalfurafine to Difelikefalin in Hemodialysis Patients with Refractory Pruritus

Background: Hemodialysis-associated pruritus is common and can substantially impair quality of life. Given its heterogeneous pathophysiology and variable treatment response, individualized therapeutic strategies are needed. This study investigated the prevalence and severity of p...

Real-World Experience With the Extravascular Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Through 1 Year: The Enlighten Post Approval Registry Study

BACKGROUND: The extravascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator (EV-ICD) was developed to provide defibrillation and antitachycardia pacing therapy without the need for intravascular lead placement. Premarket clinical trials reported EV-ICD safety and efficacy through 3 year...