Background: Identifying dysmorphic red blood cells (RBCs) is critical for diagnosing glomerular diseases, as distinguishing glomerular from non-glomerular hematuria may reduce reliance on invasive diagnostics such as kidney biopsy. We aimed to enhance urinary RBC morphological classification by employing machine learning (ML) to analyze UF-5000 scattergram data. Methods: RBCs in urine samples (N = 185) were classified as dysmorphic or isomorphic based on microscopic findings. UF-5000 scattergrams were quantified to generate 20 statistical features and used to train a ML model in DataRobot (v9.1) with an automated pipeline, five-fold cross-validation, and LogLoss-based selection. Performance was evaluated in an independent cohort (N = 1,093). Accuracy was defined as concordance with microscopy findings. Areas under ROC curves (AUROCs) and diagnostic metrics are reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Among conventional UF-5000 parameters, the small RBC/total RBC ratio was the strongest predictor (AUROC 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–0.99). Scattergram-derived features indicated that RBC size-related parameters were crucial for identifying dysmorphic RBCs. The ML model alone demonstrated superior accuracy over UF-5000 RBC-Info alone (concordance 95.2% vs. 92.1%; AUROC 0.95 [0.94–0.97] vs. 0.92 [0.91–0.94]). Logical (OR/ AND) combinations of the ML model with RBC-Info outperformed RBC-Info alone (OR: concordance 92.7%, AUROC 0.93 [0.92–0.95]; AND: concordance 94.6%, AUROC 0.94 [0.93–0.96]). Conclusions A scattergram-based ML model improves the accuracy and reliability of urinary RBC morphological classification based on UF-5000 scattergrams and may help reduce reliance on invasive diagnostics. Prospective, multicenter studies should validate generalizability and assess integration into routine workflows.

A woman in her 60s was being treated for diabetes and hypertension but had impaired activities of daily living (ADL) due to severe obesity (150 kg). She was transported to the emergency department because of disturbance of consciousness in August 201X. Imaging findings showed decreased permeability of the whole right lung field. She was intubated and started on ceftriaxone plus levofloxacin for severe infection with respiratory failure. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was detected in blood cultures, leading to a diagnosis of sepsis due to a large pressure ulcer on the posterior aspect of the thigh. We switched levofloxacin to clindamycin and continued medical treatment, and she was extubated on the 10th day of illness. However, type 2 respiratory failure was prolonged because of alveolar hypoventilation due to obesity and she required noninvasive positive pressure ventilation. Also, she had difficulty getting out of bed due to obesity, disuse syndrome, and pressure ulcer. Cooperation among staff from many professions, including respiratory nursing, intensive care nursing, wound, ostomy and continence nursing, physical therapy, and nutrition management, led to improvement of ADL and weight loss (to 109 kg), allowing her to be transferred out of the intensive care unit.

Background/Aims: 5-Aminosalicylic acid (ASA) causes intolerance reactions in some patients. This study was performed to examine the prognosis of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 5-ASA intolerance, and to evaluate the potential interaction between 5-ASA intolerance and the intestinal microbiota. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with UC who visited participating hospitals. The primary endpoint was to compare the incidence of hospitalization within 12 months between the 5-ASA intolerance group and the 5-ASA tolerance group. The secondary endpoint was to compare the risk of adverse clinical outcomes after the start of biologics between the 2 groups. We also assessed the correlation between 5-ASA intolerance and microbial change in an independently recruited cohort of patients with UC. Results: Of 793 patients, 59 (7.4%) were assigned to the 5-ASA intolerance group and 734 (92.5%) were assigned to the 5-ASA tolerance group. The admission rate and incidence of corticosteroid use were significantly higher in the intolerance than tolerance group (P< 0.001). In 108 patients undergoing treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor biologics, 5-ASA intolerance increased the incidence of additional induction therapy after starting biologics (P< 0.001). The 5-ASA intolerance group had a greater abundance of bacteria in the genera Faecalibacterium, Streptococcus, and Clostridium than the 5-ASA tolerance group (P< 0.05). Conclusions In patients with UC, 5-ASA intolerance is associated with a risk of adverse clinical outcomes and dysbiosis. Bacterial therapeutic optimization of 5-ASA administration may be important for improving the prognosis of patients with UC.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been reported as a safe and effective therapy in patients with refractory and recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). FMT has also been reported as a promising therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Both, CDI and UC, are believed to be caused by dysbiosis, such as altered compositions or decreased diversity of the intestinal microbiota. This report describes a patient with UC in remission with a second recurrent episode of CDI, who was treated with FMT. A single FMT performed via colonoscopy completely resolved the patient's diarrhea and eradicated C. difficile bacteriologically without any severe complications. Molecular biological analysis of the patient's fecal microbiota showed that FMT could dramatically change the altered composition of intestinal microbiota and restore its diversity. Despite the restoration of the intestinal microbiota, FMT could not prevent a relapse of UC in this patient. However, it improved the intestinal symptoms of CDI and could prevent further recurrences of CDI.
Clostridium difficile ; Clostridium ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colonoscopy ; Diarrhea ; Dysbiosis ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Microbiota ; Recurrence ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent developments in analytical techniques including next-generation sequencing have clarified the correlation between intestinal microbiota and inflammatory bowel disease. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is proposed as a potential approach to resolving their dysbiosis; however, its safety and efficacy have not been confirmed. This single-arm, open-label, non-randomized study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of FMT for Japanese patients with UC as the first registered clinical trial in Japan. METHODS: We enrolled 10 patients with active UC despite medical therapy. The donors were the patients' relatives and were carefully screened for infectious diseases. Fecal material was administered via colonoscopy, and the primary endpoint was the presence or absence of serious adverse events related to FMT. The secondary endpoint was a change in partial Mayo score at 12 weeks post-FMT. Scores ≤2 were considered a clinical response. Fecal samples were collected to follow changes in gut microbiota, while extracted complementary DNA were analyzed by a next-generation sequencer. We obtained written informed consent from all patients and donors. This study was approved by our Institutional Review Board and is registered in the University hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN 000012814). RESULTS: Five patients with moderate disease and five with severe disease were enrolled. No severe adverse effects were observed. One patient achieved clinical response; however, none of the patients' microbiota diversity recovered to the donor levels. CONCLUSIONS: The use of single FMT for UC was safe; however, we failed to show its clinical efficacy and potential to change the intestinal microbiota.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Colonoscopy ; Communicable Diseases ; DNA, Complementary ; Dysbiosis ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome* ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Information Services ; Informed Consent ; Japan ; Microbiota ; Tissue Donors ; Treatment Outcome ; Ulcer*

Background: Although community-based training is included in medical undergraduate education in Japan, little assessment of the outcomes of community-based education programs has been performed. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of a community-based education program using a mixed method.
Methods: The study design utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed method). The subjects (n = 278) were fifth-grade medical students who were involved in the program from 2008 to 2010 inclusive. We collected two types of data: a six-item pre-and-post questionnaire (quantitative) and an open-ended questionnaire (qualitative) to evaluate the impressions this experience left on the students.
Results: Pre-and-post questionnaires were completed by 263 (95%) of 278 subjects; on all items, the scores of the post- data were significantly higher than that of pre- data (P < 0.001). From the responses given by 139 respondents (total 181, 77%) in the open-ended questionnaire survey, 10 themes were extracted: 1. Inter-professional cooperation; 2. Role and cooperation among university hospitals, community hospitals, clinics, and welfare facilities; 3. Patient-centered medicine; 4. Trust-based relationships; 5. Competency in general medicine; 6. Professionalism; 7. Medical management; 8. Communication; 9. Common diseases; and 10. Long-term care.
Conclusions: We found that medical students gained four major perspectives from their experiences: Inter-professional cooperation, trust based relationships, roles of community hospitals and clinics, and patient-centered medicine, respectively. Our findings suggest this program contributed significantly to their understanding of community medicine.

Edaravone is an agent developed as a free radical scavenger, and is useful in functional recovery of the brain after cerebral infarction. However, to the best of our knowledge no experimental studies have been made regarding the effect of edaravone on cerebral protection during aortic arch surgery. We investigated the pharmacological effect of edaravone experimentally, through selective cerebral perfusion under deep hypothermia. Twelve adult dogs (body weight 14.8±2.0 kg) were used, and selective cerebral perfusion was performed under hypothermic circulatory arrest of 20°C for 120 min at 5 mg/kg/min, which was half the usual flow volume of cerebral perfusion. Group E (n=6) received 3 mg/kg edaravone for 30 min at the start of both selective cerebral perfusion and rewarming of the body, while Group C (n=6) received no drugs. Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) was measured, and so were blood pressure, body temperature, pH level, oxygen partial pressure, and blood flow in the cerebral tissue. Histopathological investigations were also performed. In Group E, complete SEP recovery was observed in all dogs, while in Group C, complete SEP recovery was observed in only 2 dogs (33%) (p=0.014). A statistically significant difference was also observed in cerebral tissue pressure (p=0.014), but not in pH level, oxygen partial pressure, or cerebral tissue blood flow. On histopathological investigation, Group C demonstrated reduced staining of Nissl granules in neurons of the cerebral cortex, and many of them presented the appearance of acute circulatory impairment while Group E demonstrated no reduction in staining of Nissl granules. In the present experimental study of selective cerebral perfusion under deep hypothermia below the safety threshold flow, edaravone was effective in cerebral protection.

We performed combination therapy with modified oxaliplatin/l-LV/5-FU (mFOLFOX) in a patient with recurrent colorectal cancer who had peritonitis carcinomatosis. In this patient, mFOLFOX therapy resulted in disappearance of ascites and a decrease in carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and improved quality of life (QOL) of the patient. This 62-year-old man was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer and metastatic cancer of the liver. Right hemicolectomy and right hepatic lobectomy were performed. We had started to treat with TS-1 in ambulatory care, however, he had peritonitis carcinomatosis with massive ascite reservoir on CT and peritoneal dissemination after a half year postoperatively. Furthermore, his ECOG Performance Status (PS) was rated as level 3. Therefore, we performed puncture of ascites and palliative mFOLFOX6 therapy. After ten courses, ascites and abdominal induration had disappeared and PS recovered to level 1. At present, CPT-11/l-LV/5-FU (FOLFIRI) are being administered for peripheral neuropathy and metastatic tumor associated with mFOLFOX6. The patient is spending his daily life satisfactory after FOLFIRI without abdominal swelling or ascites, and thus mFOLFOX6 may be an option for palliative therapy against massive ascites in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The usefulness of palliative mFOLFOX6 therapy for patients with massive ascites should be evaluated in a well-designed clinical trial.Palliat Care Res 2008; 3(2): 316-320

Detection of the coronary artery is usually an easy procedure in the coronary artery surgery. However in cases with an intra-muscular and/or intra-fat coronary artery, it requires special skill and experience. Dissection of epicardial adipose tissue and/or muscle along the epicardial groove is a common procedure to reach such coronary artery in conventional CABG (C-CABG). Recently, off-pump CABG (OPCAB) has become a standard operation, and detection of such a coronary artery is difficult under the beating heart. Then conversion to the C-CABG becomes necessary to avoid ventricular rupture. We report a new procedure to easily detect such a coronary artery in OPCAB, using an ultrasonic Fowmeter used in neurosurgery. Because the tip of the probe is small (2mm in diameter) and flexible, its handling is quite similar to that of the micro-blade knife. Furthermore, audiable Doppler flow sound allows detection and dissection of the coronary artery without looking away from the operative field to check the coronary flow. In our case, use of the instrument enabled us to detect the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery which was very deep in adipose tissue. Therefore, application of this ultrasound instrument is beneficial in OPCAB with an intra-muscular and/or intra-fat coronary artery.

We investigated the effects on medical education of early exposure of undergraduate students to a summer camp for children with asthma. An objective evaluation by the editorial staff found final improvements in the following areas (in descending order of frequency): learning of basic medical behavior (91% of students); cooperative attitude of medical staff in general treatment with the patient and the patient's family (88%); understanding of childhood growth and development (80%); knowledge of childhood asthma (69%); and mastery of basic techniques for therapy and examination (41%). The differences in the ratio of improvement (%) before and after visiting the camp, were (in descending order of frequency): cooperative attitude of medical care staff in general medical treatment with the patient and the patient's family (47%); understanding of childhood growth and development (45%); knowledge of childhood asthma (38%); learning of basic medical manner (34%); and mastery of basic techniques for therapy and examination (25%). These findings suggest that a summer camp is useful for exposing undergraduate medical students to children with asthma and is effective for helping them understand patients and family-oriented pediatric medicine.