Publications by authors named "Imai N"

Objectives: To identify the diagnostic criteria for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) related to liver fibrosis and to characterize patients with cryptogenic steatotic liver disease (SLD) (non-MASLD) among those previously diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 511 patients diagnosed with NAFLD via liver biopsy, and the prevalence of MASLD was assessed based on the diagnostic criteria. Patients were divided into those who met the MASLD criteria and those who did not, and the characteristics of advanced fibrosis and associated cardiometabolic factors were evaluated.

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Introduction Medical advances and improved living standards have increased life expectancy, and the percentage of older adults is growing rapidly. The proportion of older adults visiting the emergency department (ED) is also increasing. Frailty is recognized as a significant risk factor for adverse outcomes.

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Background: Fanconi syndrome is a disorder of the proximal tubule that leads to malabsorption of various electrolytes and substances and is a common consequence of drug-induced nephrotoxicity. However, cases of dietary supplement-induced Fanconi syndrome are rare, and detailed reports on the evaluation of renal histology in patients with this syndrome are lacking.

Case Presentation: We present two cases of dietary supplement-induced Fanconi syndrome that was confirmed by kidney biopsy.

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Objectives: This study focused on the presence or absence of vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and examined their impact on systemic treatment outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 362 patients with unresectable HCC who received first-line systemic therapy. The prognostic evaluation was based on the presence of vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastasis at the time of treatment initiation.

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Background: The development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies for solid tumors has attracted considerable attention, yet their clinical efficacy remains limited. Therefore, various efforts have been made to improve the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy. As one promising strategy, incorporating the T-cell receptor (TCR) machinery into CAR structures has been reported to improve the efficacy of CAR-T cells in studies using conventional CARs targeting such as EGFR.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the use of decision markets to choose which social science experiments should be replicated, focusing on outcomes of 41 close replications of MTurk experiments.
  • Researchers found that the highest-ranking studies in the market had an 83% replication success rate, while the lowest-ranking studies had only a 33% success rate.
  • Overall, about 54% of the experiments were successfully replicated, with effect sizes averaging 45% of the original values, indicating that replicability in MTurk experiments is on par with past laboratory replication projects.
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  • Palhinhaea cernua and Dicranopteris linearis are two plant species found in solfatara fields in Kyushu, Japan, but they display different distribution patterns regarding their proximity to fumaroles.
  • The study investigated soil and plant factors that contribute to the higher abundance of P. cernua near fumaroles, finding it adapts better to lower pH and higher soluble aluminum levels compared to D. linearis.
  • Results indicated that P. cernua primarily uses ammonium (NH-N) for nitrogen, making it well-suited for the solfatara environment, while D. linearis relies on nitrate (NO-N) and tends to grow further away from fumaroles where conditions are less extreme
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Background: We have previously shown that static and dynamic resting-state functional connectivity differ between migraineurs with and without photophobia, phonophobia, or osmophobia. Furthermore, some patients with photophobia also experience phonophobia or osmophobia. To investigate the functional connectivity specific to migraineurs with photophobia, we examined the differences in static and dynamic resting-state functional connectivity between patients with and without photophobia, with no phonophobia or osmophobia.

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  • - Migraine affects many people aged 20-50 and has serious social and economic consequences, but its underlying causes are still largely unknown; this review focuses on the role of cortical spreading depolarization (CSD) related to migraine aura and potential therapies.
  • - The article outlines how CSD, which leads to significant neuronal changes, is linked to the visual symptoms of migraines and is also found in other neurological disorders, emphasizing its cellular characteristics and effects on the trigeminal nervous system.
  • - Current treatments include prevention strategies and drugs targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) involved in migraine pain, while new therapies like intranasal insulin-like growth factor 1 and vagus nerve stimulation show promise in reducing
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  • A multicenter study in Japan analyzed the clinical characteristics, headache types, severity, and psychiatric comorbidities of 2,378 patients visiting headache clinics.
  • The predominant headache type among the patients was migraine (78.8%), with tension-type headaches (12.2%) and secondary headaches (5.5%) being less common.
  • Patients with trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias reported the highest levels of headache severity and psychiatric symptoms compared to those with other headache types.
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  • * Analysis of data from over 1 million forest plots and thousands of tree species shows that wood density varies significantly by latitude, being up to 30% denser in tropical forests compared to boreal forests, and is influenced mainly by temperature and soil moisture.
  • * The research also finds that disturbances like human activity and fire alter wood density at local levels, affecting forest carbon stock estimates by up to 21%, emphasizing the importance of understanding environmental impacts on forest ecosystems.
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  • Hypertensive emergencies can lead to serious organ damage, and this study aimed to investigate the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAS) in such cases.
  • The study included 63 patients with severe hypertension and various organ injuries, assessing their blood pressure and aldosterone levels.
  • Results showed that higher aldosterone levels were linked to more organ damage and complications, suggesting that RAS plays a significant role in affecting patient outcomes during hypertensive emergencies.
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Thioesterase superfamily member 2 (Them2), a long-chain fatty acyl-CoA thioesterase that is highly expressed in oxidative tissues, interacts with phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PC-TP) to regulate hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism and to suppress insulin signaling. High-fat diet-fed mice lacking Them2 globally or specifically in skeletal muscle, but not liver, exhibit reduced hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance. Here, we report that the capacity of Them2 in skeletal muscle to promote hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance depends on both its catalytic activity and interaction with PC-TP.

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Migraine is a multifactorial brain disorder characterized by recurrent disabling headaches and their associated features. Several studies have suggested that these features are related to headache impact, pain intensity, and psychiatric conditions. However, differences in the relationship between each associated feature and headache impact, pain intensity, or psychiatric conditions remain unclear.

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Galcanezumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide pathway (CGRP mAb), acts peripherally due to its large size. However, recent studies have suggested that CGRP mAbs may also have a central mode of action. This study aimed to evaluate the central effects of galcanezumab on migraine central sensitization.

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In humans, lymph nodes are the primary site of measles virus (MeV) replication. To understand the immunological events that occur at this site, we infected human lymphoid tissue explants using a pathogenic strain of MeV that expresses GFP. We found that MeV infected 5%-15% of cells across donors.

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Background: Muscle mass and phase angle (PhA) can be measured using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Osteoarthritis of the hip (OAhip) causes decreased muscle mass and PhA in the deformed lower limb. However, previous studies have not accounted for the influence of sex, and thus, the relationship between muscle mass, PhA, and motor function remains unclear.

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Hypercalcemia is a significant complication in cancer patients, primarily caused by parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) and, rarely, by parathyroid hormone (PTH) production from tumors. We report a case of severe hypercalcemia in a woman with uterine cancer who exhibited elevated PTH and PTHrP levels. Surgical intervention revealed dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma.

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Background/aim: The effects of body mass index (BMI) and body composition on the outcomes of systemic treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) remain unclear.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with uHCC treated with lenvatinib (LEN) or atezolizumab+bevacizumab, were classified into high- (≥25 kg/m) and low- (<25 kg/m) BMI groups and evaluated for prognosis. Prognostic impact of body composition was also evaluated.

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A hydrophobic evaporable indano[60] fullerene ketone with low sublimation temperature (CF3-FIDO) was successfully synthesized, providing the fullerene mono-adduct derivative with the lowest sublimation temperature reported to date. The amorphous characteristic of the evaporated film was confirmed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Perovskite solar cells using CF3-FIDO as the electron transport layer (ETL) achieved long-term device stability retaining 60% of their initial PCE after 500 h in air.

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Article Synopsis
  • Manual calf massage and passive ankle motion (CaM) can help prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total hip arthroplasty (THA), but not all patients can use these methods, making elastic bandage (EB) compression a necessary alternative.
  • In a study involving 363 THA patients, CaM was given to 206 patients, while 157 patients received EB, with no significant differences in DVT or PTE incidence between groups.
  • The study concludes that EB can be an effective and wider-ranging method for VTE prevention in THA patients, even those with DVT, and recommends its use for all such patients.
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Favorable short- and mid-term results for hydroxyapatite (HA)-tricalcium phosphate (TCP)-coated total hip arthroplasty (THA) (Trilogy/Zimmer) have been reported in the literature; however, the long-term results beyond 15 years have not been documented. Therefore, this study evaluated the long-term postoperative results, radiological bone changes, and implant fixation of the acetabular component of HA-TCP-coated THA. This is a retrospective cohort study of 212 patients who underwent primary HA-TCP-coated THA (Trilogy/Zimmer) at our institution between 1 October 2002, and 31 March 2008; 166 who were available for follow-up at least 15 years postoperatively were included (capture rate: 78.

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To search for low-energy resonant structures in isospin T=3/2 three-body systems, we have performed the experiments ^{3}H(t,^{3}He)3n and ^{3}He(^{3}He,t)3p at intermediate energies. For the 3n experiment, we have newly developed a thick Ti-^{3}H target that has the largest tritium thickness among targets of this type ever made. The 3n experiment for the first time covered the momentum-transfer region as low as 15  MeV/c, which provides ideal conditions for producing fragile systems.

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