Publications by authors named "Keita Shimizu"

Article Synopsis
  • Aromatic sensitizers and related substances (SRCs) in the paper industry can contaminate water during recycling, raising concerns for aquatic life due to their similarity to harmful endocrine disruptors.
  • * Research on SRCs, particularly benzyl 2-naphthyl ether (BNE), showed that exposure leads to developmental issues in zebrafish embryos, including physical abnormalities and altered gene expression.
  • * While BNE's effects were partially reduced by an AHR antagonist, it also appears to impact other toxicity pathways, suggesting a need for further investigation into the environmental risks of SRCs.*
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Introduction: There is still no consensus on the length of the non-bearing period required for tibial plateau fractures (TPFs) treated surgically. Several studies showed that full weight bearing immediately postoperatively does not affect fixation or cause joint collapse in patients with TPF. While there are concerns about weight bearing in the elderly due to fragile bone quality, their physical disability often makes it difficult to carry out activities of daily life when weight bearing is not allowed.

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The Bonin Archipelago is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Natural Heritage Site in Japan with a unique ecosystem; however, the invasive rodents preying on endemic species have been a significant concern. The anticoagulant rodenticide, diphacinone, sprayed by the Ministry of the Environment, has succeeded; however, its repeated use leads to rodenticide resistance. This study evaluated the sensitivity by in vivo pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) analysis and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling to diphacinone in black rats (Rattus rattus) captured on the Bonin Archipelago in February 2022.

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Recent advancements on electrohydrodynamic (EHD) soft pumps demonstrate their applicability to various fluid-driven systems such as soft robots, wearable devices, and stretchable electronics. In particular, fiber type EHD pumps reported more recently is a promising pumping element thanks to their versatile fibrous structure. Yet existing EHD fiber pumps are less stretchable and require sophisticated, complex fabrication equipment, implying opportunity for technology advancement.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focuses on tibial plateau fractures (TPF), highlighting that they often involve joint damage and meniscal tears, aiming to assess the surgical treatment rate for lateral meniscal injuries related to TPF.
  • - Researchers analyzed data from 79 patients who underwent surgery for TPF to identify key radiographic factors linked to meniscal injuries, measuring parameters like tibial plateau slope and distance from the fracture line.
  • - Results indicated that 27.7% of TPF patients needed surgical repair for meniscal damage, with larger bone fragments and specific fracture locations being significant predictors of these injuries.
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Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumps are a promising driving source for various fluid-driven systems owing to features such as simple structure and silent operation. The performance of EHD pumps depends on the properties of the working fluid, such as conductivity, viscosity, and permittivity. This implies that the tuning of these parameters in a working fluid can enhance the EHD performance.

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Background: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing has been increasingly recognized as the cause of upper urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. We have been using flomoxef at our department since 2017 as the first-line empiric therapy for children diagnosed with UTIs, and we avoid using carbapenems, which are considered the first-line treatment for ESBL-producing . However, reports on the use of flomoxef for UTIs are limited, especially for pediatric patients.

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Background: Tibial plateau fractures (TPFs) are one of the most challenging intra-articular fractures to treat. Along with reconstruction of the articular surfaces, appropriate alignment of the knee joints must be obtained and maintained after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for TPFs because loss of alignment (LA) is associated with worse clinical outcomes. We aimed to investigate and clarify the risk factors related to LA after ORIF for TPFs.

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Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are one of the promising actuation technologies for soft robotics. This study proposes a fiber-shaped DEA, namely dielectric elastomer fiber actuators (DEFAs). The actuator consisted of a silicone tube filled with the aqueous electrode (sodium chloride solution).

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Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are a promising actuator technology for soft robotics. As a configuration of this technology, stacked DEAs afford a muscle-like contraction that is useful to build soft robotic systems. In stacked DEAs, dielectric and electrode layers are alternately stacked.

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Focusing on intracellular targets, we propose a new cell separation technique based on a nanoneedle array (NNA) device, which allows simultaneous insertion of multiple needles into multiple cells. The device is designed to target and lift ("fish") individual cells from a mixed population of cells on a substrate using an antibody-functionalized NNA. The mechanics underlying this approach were validated by force analysis using an atomic force microscope.

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Facile synthetic methods for condensed polycyclic aromatic compounds via aryne intermediates are reported. The generation of arynes bearing a (3-arylpropargyl)oxy group from the corresponding o-iodoaryl triflate-type precursors efficiently afforded arene-fused oxaacenaphthene derivatives, which were formed through intramolecular [2+4] cycloaddition. Extending the method to the generation of arynes bearing a 1,3-diyne moiety led to a continuous generation of naphthalyne intermediate through the hexadehydro Diels-Alder reaction involving the aryne triple bond.

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Salivary hemoglobin (Hb) for screening of periodontitis is approved under the pharmaceutical affairs law of Japan. Two reagents are commercially available for the modified fecal occult blood test: Saliva Hemo Plus and OC-AUTO S Latex Reagent. We simultaneously measured split specimens from 561 samples by using these two methods and compared the differences and agreement between both methods.

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Objective: We examined whether general dentists can contribute to the detection of patients with undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes by monitoring blood glucose in dental clinics.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 716 patients who visited clinics for dental treatment were enrolled and classified into 3 groups (mild, moderate, and severe) according to Kornman's criteria for periodontitis. The correlations between the casual blood glucose level, presence or absence of the history of diabetes, and/or severity of periodontitis were evaluated.

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The burden of health-care costs relative to gross domestic product in Japan is increasing. A large percentage (7.6% in 2009) of the Japanese gross domestic product has been spent on health care, and this percentage has been increasing annually.

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