Transmission of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus to Human from Nonindigenous Tick Host, Japan.

We report a human case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection transmitted by a tick, confirmed by viral identification. Haemaphysalis aborensis, a tick species not native to Japan that has been observed to transmit the virus to humans, is now recognized as a potential vector of this virus in Japan.

Green upgrading of SPring-8 to produce stable, ultrabrilliant hard X-ray beams.

SPring-8-II is a major upgrade project of SPring-8 that was inaugurated in October 1997 as a third-generation synchrotron radiation light source. This upgrade project aims to achieve three goals simultaneously: achievement of excellent light source performance, refurbishment of aged systems, and significant reduction in power consumption for the entire facility. A small emittance of 50 pm rad will be achieved by (1) replacing the existing double-bend lattice structure with a five-bend achromat one, (2) lowering the stored beam energy from 8 to 6 GeV, (3) increasing the horizontal damping partition number from 1 to 1.3, and (4) enhancing horizontal radiation damping by installing damping wigglers in long straight sections. The use of short-period in-vacuum undulators allows ultrabrilliant X-rays to be provided while keeping a high-energy spectral range even at the reduced electron-beam energy of 6 GeV. To reduce power consumption, the dedicated, aged injector system has been shut down and the high-performance linear accelerator of SACLA, a compact X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facility, is used as the injector of the ring in a time-shared manner. This allows the simultaneous operation of XFEL experiments at SACLA and full/top-up injection of the electron beam into the ring. This paper overviews the concept of the SPring-8-II project, the system design of the light source and the details of the accelerator component design.

[Recurrent Breast Cancer with Pulmonary Lymphangitis Carcinomatosis Case Responding to Trastuzumab Deruxtecan].

Pulmonary lymphangitis carcinomatosis is generally characterized by resistance to chemotherapy and is associated with a poor prognosis. Herein, we present a case of pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis from recurrent breast cancer that responded well to trastuzumab deruxtecan(T-DXd). The patient was a 40-year-old woman with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer. At the age of 31, she had undergone a left mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. She received adjuvant chemotherapy(5-fluorouracil-epirubicin-cyclophosphamide, docetaxel, and trastuzumab)followed by endocrine therapy(tamoxifen and LH-RHa). Three years after the surgery, pulmonary and bone metastases were detected and she was treated with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and capecitabine. Liver metastases were detected, and she was treated with trastuzumab emtansine. Nine years after surgery, the patient developed dyspnea and was diagnosed with lymphangitis carcinomatosis. After initiating T-DXd, dyspnea rapidly improved, and ground glass opacity on CT scan disappeared. She responded well to the treatment, with prolonged, stable disease for 1 year and 2 months. Thus, T-DXd may be effective against pulmonary lymphangitis carcinomatosis, which is generally characterized by resistance to chemotherapy.

Long-term use of foscarnet is associated with an increased incidence of acute kidney injury in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Foscarnet is an important drug for the treatment of cytomegalovirus infection in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Foscarnet is often discontinued because of the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). Thus, the identification of factors leading to the development of AKI is beneficial. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of AKI and the factors influencing AKI development in HSCT patients treated with foscarnet. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study. Patients who underwent HSCT and received foscarnet at the Department of Hematology, Osaka City University Hospital, were identified from medical records. The patients were classified into AKI and non-AKI groups, and the risk factors associated with AKI were evaluated. For continuous variables, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to calculate the optimal cutoff value. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (47 cases) were assigned to the AKI (51.1%, 24/47) and non-AKI groups (48.9%, 23/47). The AKI group had a significantly longer foscarnet administration period than the non-AKI group (p = 0.049). The appropriate cutoff value for the foscarnet administration period using the ROC curve was 27 days. The incidence of AKI was significantly higher in cases who received foscarnet for more than 27 days (11/14, 78.6%) compared to those who received less than 27 days (13/33, 39.4%) (odds ratio: 5.64, 95% confidence interval 1.32-24.2, p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: The incidence of AKI was 51.1% in HSCT patients treated with foscarnet, and foscarnet administration for more than 27 days may be associated with the incidence of AKI.

Absent right superior vena cava with persistent left superior vena cava in a patient with COVID-19.

Vascular injury associated with cannulation during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) induction is a rare but life-threatening complication. The presence of abnormal vascular anatomy increases the risk of vascular injury and should be recognized before cannulation. We report the case of a patient with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) who was expected to undergo ECMO. By performing computed tomography (CT), we identified the absence of right superior vena cava (RSVC) with a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) that could have caused serious complications associated with ECMO cannulation. PLSVC is observed in less than 0.5% of the general population; however, the combination of PLSVC and an absent RSVC in visceroatrial situs solitus is extremely rare. Attempting cannulation for Veno-venous (VV)-ECMO from the right (or left) internal jugular vein to the right atrium may cause serious complications. Cannulation may fail or lead to complications even in patients with inferior vena cava malformations. Although these vascular abnormalities are rare, it is possible to avoid iatrogenic vascular injury by identifying their presence in advance. Since anatomical variations in the vessels from the deep chest and abdominal cavity cannot be visualized using chest radiography and ultrasonography, we recommend CT, if possible, for patients with severe respiratory failure, including those with COVID-19, who may be considered for VV-ECMO induction.

Adaptive feedforward control of closed orbit distortion caused by fast helicity-switching undulators.

A new correction algorithm for closed orbit distortion based on an adaptive feedforward control (AFC) has been developed. At SPring-8, two helicity-switching twin-helical undulators (THUs) had been implemented with conventional feedforward corrections. However, the validity of these corrections turned out to be expiring due to unforeseen variation in the error magnetic fields with time. The developed AFC system has been applied to the THUs dynamically updating the feedforward table without stopping the helicity switching amid user experiments. The error sources in the two THUs are successfully resolved and corrected even while the two THUs are switching simultaneously with the same repetition period. The actual operation of the new AFC system enables us to keep the orbit variations suppressed with an accuracy at the sub-micrometre level in a transparent way for light source users.

Safety profile of the concomitant use of foscarnet and aerosolized pentamidine in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.

BACKGROUND: Concomitant use of foscarnet and intravenous pentamidine can very frequently cause severe hypocalcemia. However, it is unknown whether aerosolized pentamidine has a similar adverse interaction with foscarnet. The present study was aimed at examining the safety profile of concomitantly used foscarnet and aerosolized pentamidine in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. METHODS: Data from allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell recipients who had been administered foscarnet therapy for over 7 days were analyzed. We compared electrolyte abnormalities and serum creatinine level between patients who received aerosolized pentamidine concomitantly and those who did not. RESULTS: A total of 84 consecutive patients and 135 episodes of foscarnet therapy between May 2011 and April 2016 were evaluable. Of these 135 episodes, 25 episodes of therapy included concurrent therapy with 300 mg dose of aerosolized pentamidine once a month (pentamidine group) and 110 episodes did not (non-pentamidine group). The incident rates of grade 3/4 hypocalcemia did not significantly differ between the pentamidine and non-pentamidine groups (P = .207; 0/25 [0%] vs 10/110 [9.1%], respectively). In addition, we observed no significant difference in the incident rates of grade 3/4 serum creatinine increase between the two groups (P = 1.00; 0/25 [0%] vs 4/110 [3.6%], respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the drug interactions between foscarnet and aerosolized pentamidine may not be clinically significant.

The role of mental disease on the association between multimorbidity and medical expenditure.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is the presence of two or more chronic diseases and is associated with increased adverse outcomes, including hospitalization, mortality and frequency of use of medical institutions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe multimorbidity patterns, determine whether multimorbidity was associated with high medical expenditure, and determine whether mental diseases had an interaction effect on this association. METHODS: We conducted a claims data-based observational study. Data were obtained for 7526 individuals aged 0-75 years from a medical claims data set for Goto, Japan, over a 12-month period (2016-17). Annual medical expenditure was divided into quintiles; the fifth quintile represented high medical expenditure. Multimorbidity status was defined as the occurrence of two or more health conditions from 17 specified conditions. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for high medical expenditure were calculated by number of comorbidities. RESULTS: In total, 5423 (72.1%) participants had multimorbidity. Multimorbidity was significantly associated with high medical expenditure, even after adjustment for age, sex and income category (OR: 10.36, 95% CI: 7.57-14.19; P < 0.001). Mental diseases had a significant interaction effect on the association between multimorbidity and high medical expenditure (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Multimorbidity is associated with high medical expenditure in Japan. Mental diseases may contribute to increased medical costs.

[A Case Report of a Difficult to Diagnose, Extremely Well-Differentiated Stomach Adenocarcinoma Diagnosed by Biopsy].

A Japanese man in his 60s presented with complaints of epigastric pain and weight loss. A gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed multiple gastric ulcers and an irregular mound located on the wall of the lower gastric body along the greater curvature, which was suspected to be cancerous. A biopsy revealed that it was a Group 2 tumor even though the biopsy was repeated 4 times. He was referred to our hospital and 3 biopsies were performed. The final result classified the tumor as Group 4. The patient underwent surgery and the pathological examination revealed an extremely well-differentiated adenocarcinoma( EWDA). An EWDA is characterized by a well-formed mucinous gland with little or no nuclear atypia, which makes preoperative biopsy diagnosis difficult.

Software for the data analysis of the arrival-timing monitor at SACLA.

X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses from SPring-8 Ångstrom Compact free-electron LAser (SACLA) with a temporal duration of <10 fs have provided a variety of benefits in scientific research. In a previous study, an arrival-timing monitor was developed to improve the temporal resolution in pump-probe experiments at beamline 3 by rearranging data in the order of the arrival-timing jitter between the XFEL and the synchronized optical laser pulses. This paper presents Timing Monitor Analyzer (TMA), a software package by which users can conveniently obtain arrival-timing data in the analysis environment at SACLA. The package is composed of offline tools that pull stored data from cache storage, and online tools that pull data from a data-handling server in semi-real time during beam time. Users can select the most suitable tool for their purpose, and share the results through a network connection between the offline and online analysis environments.

[A Case of Esophageal Carcinoma with Large Intramural Metastasis to the Stomach].

We report a rare case of esophageal carcinoma with gastric wall metastasis. A 73-year-old man with dysphagia underwent endoscopy and upper GI series and chest-abdominal computed tomography, revealing esophageal carcinoma and gastric cancer, which was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma by biopsy. The esophageal carcinoma was located in the lower thoracic esophagus(Lt). Total gastrectomy was performed. The resected specimen showed a type 3 tumor measuring 7×7 cm in the anterior wall of the stomach. Pathologically, the depth of invasion of the stomach was SE. He died 3 months after the operation. Esophageal carcinoma with gastric intramural metastasis is very rare and has a dismal prognosis. We report a rare case of esophageal carcinoma with large intramural metastasis to the stomach.

[Two-Stage Radical Resection of a Case of Colon Cancer with Abdominal Wall Invasion and Cholangiocarcinoma].

A woman in her 50s was admitted to our hospital with fever and lower abdominal swelling. Abdominal CT/MRI examinations revealed irregular thickening of the transverse colon wall, which was attached to a subcutaneous abscess. An abdominal wall mass, a patent urachus, and a tumor in the 5th segment of the liver were also noted. Colonoscopy revealed type 2 advanced transverse colon cancer. The solitary, sessile tumor was observed at the apex of the bladder under cystoscopy, suggesting the formation of the urachal carcinoma. Transcutaneous liver biopsy obtained from the liver tumor indicated adenocarcinoma, which was morphologically different from the existing transverse colon cancer. Right hemicolectomy with resection of the umbilicus, abdominal wall, urachus, and part of the bladder wall was performed. Diagnosis of the transverse colon cancer invading the abdominal wall and bladder was confirmed by histopathological examination. Hepatectomy was performed in the next surgery, and the tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Both the transverse colon cancer and the intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were radically resected. Radical surgical diagnostic resection may be valuable in cases of multicentric cancers of unknown primary origin, if radical resection of each individual tumor is required.

[A Case of Triple Negative Spindle Cell Carcinoma of the Breast and Improved Quality of Life Following Irinotecan Chemotherapy].

We report a case of triple negative spindle cell carcinoma of the breast, responsive to irinotecan chemotherapy. A 49-year old woman who had a tumor in the chest wall with a skin ulcer visited our hospital. After being diagnosed with triple negative spindle cell carcinoma of the breast, she underwent surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiation at the other hospital. Fourteen months after the surgery, she developed an ipsilateral breast tumor as a result of local recurrence. Since eribulin and paclitaxel plus bevacizumab chemotherapies were not effective, she was transferred to our hospital, and we administered irinotecan as third-line chemotherapy. Skin lesions and effusion were reduced and her quality of life improved for 4 months.

[A Case of Unresectable Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Resulted in R0 Surgery after Chemotherapy].

A 67-year-old man visited our hospital for jaundice. Abdominal dynamic CT showed the hypovascular tumor at the head of the pancreas that surrounded superior mesenteric artery(SMA)at an angle of 220 degree. No metastasis in lymph nodes and other organs was observed. We diagnosed the tumor unresectable locally advanced(UR-LA)pancreatic cancer. Chemotherapy was administered with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel(GEM+nab-PTX)and achieved partial response. Regression in size and in range around SMA to an angle of 150 was observed. We assessed it possible to resect the tumor curatively, and performed subtotal stomach preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy and dissection of the plexus around the SMA, resulted in R0 surgery. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered, and no recurrence was observed up to present, more than a year. It is suggested that GEM+nab-PTX can be effective as the primary therapy against UR-LA pancreatic cancer.

Web-based cognitive behavioral relapse prevention program with tailored feedback for people with methamphetamine and other drug use problems: protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Despite the effectiveness of psychosocial programs for recovery from drug use problems, there have been challenges in implementation of treatment. Internet-based and computerized approaches have been known to be effective in treatment dissemination. The study purpose is to assess the effects of a web-based psychosocial relapse prevention program with a multicenter randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Recruitment began in January 2015 for outpatient participants diagnosed with drug abuse or dependence who have used a primary abused drug in the past year at psychiatric hospitals and a clinic. Participants are randomized either to a web-based relapse prevention program or a self-monitoring group. The intervention is a web-based relapse prevention program named "e-SMARPP" that consists of six relapse prevention program modules with tailored feedback from health care professionals and 8 weeks of self-monitoring. The content is adapted from a face-to-face relapse prevention program which is based on cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational enhancement. The primary outcomes are relapse risk assessed by the Stimulant Relapse Risk Scale (baseline, 2-, 5- and 8-month) and the longest duration of consecutive abstinent days from primary abused drug during the intervention. Secondary outcomes will include motivation to change, self-efficacy for drug use and craving, abstinent days in the past 28 or 56 days, quality of life, sense of coherence, cost of substance use, medical cost, retention of treatment and use of self-help group. Completion, usability and satisfaction of the program will be also assessed to explore feasibility. This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of The University of Tokyo and each recruiting hospital and clinic. DISCUSSION: To our knowledge, this study is the first clinical trial to assess the effects of a web-based therapeutic program for drug users in Japan. If successful, this program is a promising approach for drug user treatment in Japan, where the stigma toward drug users is strong. The results are also useful for researchers who want to know about programs for various substances, including methamphetamine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network clinical trial registry: UMIN000016075 (Date of registration: January 5, 2015).

[Recurrent Gastric Carcinoma(Endocrine Cell Type)Successfully Treated with Multidisciplinary Therapy - A Case Report].

A 62-year-old woman was diagnosed with carcinoma of the stomach at another hospital. Distal gastrectomy with D2 dissection was performed and she was referred to our hospital. Histopathological and immunopathological examinations showed the tumor to be composed of adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient was followed until 4 months after the operation when an abdominal computed tomographic(CT)scan showed a metastatic tumor at S2 and S5/6 of the liver. No other organ metastases were found, and a hepatectomy was performed. The primary tumor of the stomach consisted of adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma; however, the resected metastatic liver tumor consisted of only neuroendocrine carcinoma. Liver and lung metastases appeared 2 months after the operation, and we started chemotherapy with VP-16 and cisplatin. After 8 courses of treatment, the lung metastases showed a CR, and the liver metastasis was SD. She is alive without lung metastases 9 months after the hepatectomy.

[A Case of Rectal Cancer Successfully Treated with Surgery and Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Metachronous Lung Metastases].

A 64-year-old woman underwent polypectomy for a rectal polyp(Isp). Pathological findings were invasion of the submucosa( 3,500 mm diameter), and she underwent anterior resection for rectal cancer(RS, pT1b, pN0, cM0, Stage I )without adjuvant chemotherapy. Lung masses were found in her right(8mm)and left lung(7mm). The tumors enlarged during the 4 month follow-up period. We decided to perform left partial pneumonectomy. The tumor was diagnosed as a lung metastasis from colon cancer by pathology. Because the right tumor was located towards the center, performing right pneumonectomy would have been quite invasive and we feared occult metastases. We decided to apply SRT(50 Gy)to the right tumor. The tumor shrunk and became a scar after treatment. There were no complications such as radiation pneumonitis. The patient was in good health without any recurrence for 12 months after SRT. Surgical resection is an optimal method to control lung metastasis from colon cancer if the lesion is operable. However, in the case of a tumor centrally located, surgical resection may cause deterioration of lung function. There are also cases with contraindications for surgery due to co-morbidities. In addition, there is no consensus on observation periods to exclude occult metastases. SRT can be an effective treatment for lung metastases from colon cancer when there are bilateral lung metastases and no metastases outside the lungs.

Data acquisition system for X-ray free-electron laser experiments at SACLA.

A data acquisition system for X-ray free-electron laser experiments at SACLA has been developed. The system has been designed for reliable shot-to-shot data storage with a high data stream greater than 4 Gbps and massive data analysis. Configuration of the system and examples of prompt data analysis during experiments are presented. Upgrade plans for the system to extend flexibility are described.

Sources of perceived social support associated with reduced psychological distress at 1 year after the Great East Japan Earthquake: Nationwide cross-sectional survey in 2012.

AIM: Lack of social support has been associated with a higher level of psychological distress after disasters, but its relative associations with sources of support such as neighbors, friends, family, and others, are underreported. The present study assessed the associations of social support with psychological distress according to support source among the general population 1 year after the Great East Japan Earthquake. METHODS: An online survey was completed by a Japanese national sample of 10 469 participants in 2012, from which 8777 were analyzed. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), and the associations between social support from family, friends, or neighbors and psychological distress score were estimated using a proportional odds model. This model was separately fitted for house-damage certification from the disaster (573 participants were certified, 8204 were uncertified). RESULTS: Prevalence of K6 ≥ 13 points was 8.4% for house-damage certified and 9.0% for uncertified participants. K6 ≥ 5 points was observed among 49.9% of the house-damaged certified group and in 47.7% of the uncertified group. Lack of support from family, friends, and neighbors was similarly associated with higher K6 score among house-damage certified and uncertified participants. Similar patterns were observed from participants who received house-damage certificates and those who did not experience damage to their homes. CONCLUSION: Enhancing perceived sources of social support among the general population, not limited to people with house damage, can be an effective way to reduce psychological distress following a disaster.

Patients with infusion-related reactions on fixed-dose rituximab treatment have higher body surface area than those without infusion-related reactions in adults with frequently relapsing minimal change nephrotic syndrome: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Infusion-related reactions (IRRs) are major side effects of rituximab administration. Male sex, high body weight, body surface area (BSA), and body mass index are predictive markers of rituximab-induced IRRs. However, as rituximab was not administered at a fixed dosage in a previous study, whether a higher dosage or factors associated with a larger physique are more strongly associated with rituximab-induced IRRs is unknown. MAIN BODY: Thirteen adults with frequently relapsing minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) who received an initial rituximab dose of 500 mg between September 2015 and November 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Data on IRRs were collected from medical records. The incidence of rituximab-induced IRRs was 38.5% (5/13). The IRR group had a significantly higher BSA than the non-IRR group (median, 1.86 vs. 1.48 m2; p = 0.045). Additionally, rituximab dosage normalized by BSA in the IRR group was significantly lower than that in the non-IRR group (median, 268.8 vs. 337.9 mg/m2; p = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that adults with frequently relapsing MCNS who experienced IRRs tend to have a higher BSA, even with fixed-dose rituximab treatment. Therefore, when patients with higher BSA receive rituximab treatment, clinicians should be careful about monitoring patient condition whether the dosage is fixed or not.