Publications by authors named "Akira Nishimura"

Proline is the most abundant amino acid in wine and beer, largely due to the limited utilization of proline by the yeast during fermentation. Previous studies have shown that the arginine transporter Can1 plays a role in regulating proline utilization by acting as a transceptor, combining the functions of both a transporter and a receptor for basic amino acids. However, the -disrupted strains have exhibited the inhibition of proline utilization under nutrient-rich conditions, indicating that additional factors beyond basic amino acids contribute to the inhibition of proline utilization.

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A 70-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed with a single hepatic mass lesion in his right hepatic lobe during a computed tomography scan. The lesion exhibited consistent enhancement with contrast agents on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and hepatic arterial angiography. While a definitive diagnosis could not be made preoperatively, the lesion was surgically resected due to its slight enlargement over two months, suggesting a potential malignancy.

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Essential amino acids (EAAs) are important for the maintenance of brain functions. Therefore, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that accumulates EAAs would help elderly people ingest appropriate levels of EAAs, which in turn could slow neurodegeneration, extend the healthy lifespan, and improve quality of life. Here, we isolated 2 mutant strains, ETH-80 and ETH-129, that accumulate the EAA methionine.

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  • The study aimed to evaluate if ADC measurements at term equivalent age can help assess significant abnormalities seen in MRI scans of low birth weight infants.* -
  • Researchers analyzed MRI data of 101 low birth weight infants, comparing ADC values in various brain regions between those with and without major abnormalities, finding no overall difference in ADC values.* -
  • Although ADC measurements were not useful for the general low birth weight group, extremely low birth weight infants with major abnormalities exhibited higher ADC values in the cerebellum, suggesting potential maturation issues.*
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  • Myeloid/natural killer (NK) cell precursor acute leukemia (MNKPL) is proposed as a unique leukemia type but lacks international consensus due to its rarity and unclear molecular features.
  • Multi-omics analysis shows that MNKPL is different from other types of leukemia and reveals specific genetic markers, such as NOTCH1 and RUNX3 activation, along with BCL11B downregulation.
  • A case study indicates poor patient outcomes even after treatment, but MNKPL cells are sensitive to the drug L-asparaginase, potentially improving treatment options.
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  • * The study focuses on the -butyltin-oxo cage with bulky tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate anions, which absorb a significant amount of EUV radiation and exhibit distinct behaviors upon irradiation.
  • * Unlike typical tin-oxo cage resists that demonstrate negative-tone behavior, this study finds that the TinPFPB complex can induce positive-tone development upon low-dose EUV exposure, attributed to chemical modifications from the borate anion fragments.
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  • Human adenovirus infection can be deadly for patients who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, but treatments like cidofovir only work for some cases.
  • In a specific patient with immune issues and severe adenovirus infection post-transplant, there was notable T-cell reconstitution and reduction in virus levels after starting cidofovir, even with limited treatment due to kidney issues.
  • The study suggests that improving transplantation techniques, using effective antiviral medications, and enhancing virus-specific T-cell therapies are key strategies to combat systemic adenovirus infections.
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We diagnosed six cases of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection at our hospital between October 2003 and December 2022. During the same period, we diagnosed 402 cases of chronic HCV infection and 636 cases of acute hepatic injury. Acute HCV infection cases accounted for 1.

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The arginine transporter Can1 is a multifunctional protein of the conventional yeast . Apart from facilitating arginine uptake, Can1 plays a pivotal role in regulating proline metabolism and maintaining cellular redox balance. Here, we report a novel function of Can1 in the control of yeast biofilm formation.

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Alemtuzumab is used with reduced-toxicity conditioning (RTC) in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), demonstrating efficacy and feasibility for patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) in Western countries; however, the clinical experience in Asian patients with IEI is limited. We retrospectively analyzed patients with IEI who underwent the first allogeneic HCT with alemtuzumab combined with RTC regimens in Japan. A total of 19 patients were included and followed up for a median of 18 months.

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A female patient was referred to our hospital with complaints of liver injury. She had been treated for immunoglobulin (Ig)A nephropathy using prednisolone and other medications. Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) was suspected, as no evidence of viral infection or autoimmune liver disease was apparent.

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Humans and mammals need to ingest essential amino acids (EAAs) for protein synthesis. In addition to their importance as nutrients, EAAs are involved in brain homeostasis. However, elderly people are unable to efficiently consume EAAs from their daily diet due to reduced appetite and variations in the contents of EAAs in foods.

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A 49-year-old man with abdominal pain was referred to our hospital. Abdominal computed tomography showed an extraluminal tumor near the gastric anterior wall and intra-abdominal fluid collection. A ruptured intra-abdominal tumor was suspected, and emergency abdominal angiography was performed.

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Supersulfides, which are defined as sulfur species with catenated sulfur atoms, are increasingly being investigated in biology. We recently identified pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent biosynthesis of cysteine persulfide (CysSSH) and related supersulfides by cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS). Here, we investigated the physiological role of CysSSH in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) by generating a PLP-binding site mutation K109A in CRS1 (the yeast ortholog of CARS), which decreased the synthesis of CysSSH and related supersulfides and also led to reduced chronological aging, effects that were associated with an increased endoplasmic reticulum stress response and impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics.

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  • Proline is one of the most abundant amino acids in beer and grape must, but yeast doesn't fully consume it during fermentation, unlike other amino acids.
  • Previous research found that arginine, another abundant amino acid, inhibits proline usage in many yeast strains.
  • The study identified 11 yeast strains, including two (UCDFST 40-144 and 68-44), that effectively utilize proline while producing alcohol, indicating potential for unique beer products with lower proline levels.
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  • * Multiomics analysis showed MNKPL is distinct from other leukemia types and suggested that both NK and myeloid cells may originate from shared progenitor cells.
  • * Current treatments for MNKPL are not very effective, but the study found that MNKPL is especially sensitive to the drug l-asparaginase, which aligns with clinical observations of its effectiveness in patients.
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Two patients were incidentally diagnosed with intra-abdominal lymphadenopathy on imaging examinations. Although endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of these areas of lymphadenopathy was performed, their causes remained undetermined. Neither patients had abnormal hepatic enzyme levels at the time lymphadenopathy was detected, but they developed hepatitis 20 months and five months later, respectively.

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  • * Grape must has high proline levels, an amino acid that could be a nitrogen source, but Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cannot use it during wine-making, leading to excess proline that negatively impacts wine quality.
  • * Recent findings on how yeast inhibits proline utilization may help create new yeast strains, enhancing fermentation and improving wine quality and production efficiency.
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  • * Researchers focused on the PKA pathway and identified the transcription factor genes MSN2/4 as key regulators of proline utilization during winemaking.
  • * Deleting the SHY1 gene in yeast improved proline consumption and ethanol production, suggesting that manipulating the PKA-Msn2/4-Shy1 pathway could enhance wine yeast efficiency in reducing proline during fermentation.
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  • - The study aimed to assess the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in various brain structures of newborns during their first two weeks of life and its correlation with outcomes for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
  • - Researchers analyzed data from 56 term neonates, measuring ADC values in 11 different brain regions and evaluating their neurodevelopmental outcomes by age 2, categorizing them into normal, mild disability, and severe disability.
  • - Key findings indicated that the ADC values in the thalamus during the first week are significant predictors of neurological outcomes, while values in the centrum semiovale in the second week can also forecast developmental results.
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Abundant formation of endogenous supersulfides, which include reactive persulfide species and sulfur catenated residues in thiols and proteins (supersulfidation), has been observed. We found here that supersulfides catalyze -nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) metabolism via glutathione-dependent electron transfer from aldehydes by exploiting alcohol dehydrogenase 5 (ADH5). ADH5 is a highly conserved bifunctional enzyme serving as GSNO reductase (GSNOR) that down-regulates NO signaling and formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH) that detoxifies formaldehyde in the form of glutathione hemithioacetal.

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Although most patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been cured since the introduction of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatments, whether patients with psychiatric disorders and chronic HCV infection receive benefits from DAA treatments remain unclear. The efficacy and safety of DAA treatment were compared between patients with and without psychiatric disorders. Data were retrospectively collected from medical records at the Suzuka General Hospital (Japan) between September 2014 and December 2021.

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Purpose: X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is an inborn error of immunity caused by variants in Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK). XLA patients require lifelong immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT). Only few XLA patients are indicated for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) because of severe complications.

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