Publications by authors named "Komatsu A"

Rotavirus vaccines carry a small risk of intussusception mainly 1-7 days after vaccination in the United States of America, Europe, Australia, and Latin America where the background rate of intussusception is relatively low. Such risks are undetectable in Africa and India where the background rate is the lowest. Because few studies were carried out in high-background-rate countries such as Japan, we examined how intussusception occurred in infants living in Akita prefecture, Japan, while the vaccines were sold in the private market.

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A 35-year-old primigravida with a history of adenomyosis enucleation was diagnosed with abnormal fetal position at 25 weeks of gestation. The patient presented with normal vital signs and no symptoms. A cardiotocogram and transabdominal ultrasound revealed a healthy fetus, normal amniotic fluid volume, and no intra-abdominal bleeding.

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Here, we present an autopsy case of long-standing myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) in a patient who developed a pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). DM1 is a progressive genetic disorder that affects multiple organs, including the respiratory muscles. Several nationwide registry-based cohort studies have suggested that patients with DM1 have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

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Objective: The incidence rates of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and cancer increase with age, posing challenges to affected individuals and their families. However, there are currently no clear cancer screening guidelines for individuals with cognitive impairment. This study analyzed the impact of carer health literacy on screening behaviors in this population.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study explored the effectiveness of the oral human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine IGMKK16E7 in treating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, showing promising results where some patients experienced a complete histological response.
  • Researchers analyzed cervix-exfoliated cell samples from 42 patients to identify biomarkers that could predict the success of the vaccine, focusing on various gene expressions related to immune response.
  • The key finding was that lower levels of the biomarker CD86 correlated with a higher likelihood of achieving a complete response to the vaccine, with CD86-low patients demonstrating a significantly increased response rate compared to those with higher CD86 levels.
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Chloroplasts accumulate on the cell surface under weak light conditions to efficiently capture light but avoid strong light to minimize photodamage. The blue light receptor phototropin regulates the chloroplast movement in various plant species. In Arabidopsis thaliana, phototropin mediates the light-induced chloroplast movement and positioning via specialized actin filaments on the chloroplasts, chloroplast-actin filaments.

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  • - Marchantia polymorpha, a model plant for bryophytes, demonstrates how RNA silencing helps early land plants cope with high temperatures, through the unique ARGONAUTE1 ortholog gene (MpAGO1) regulated by specific microRNAs (miR11707.1 and miR11707.2).
  • - Analysis revealed that MpAGO1 is less selective for various small RNA species compared to its counterpart in Arabidopsis (AtAGO1), indicating complexities in microRNA species specificity that require further investigation.
  • - The study showed that while MpAGO1 mRNA decreases with temperature changes, the stability of MpAGO1 protein and its miRNAs boosts the activity of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC
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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and other viral infections are possible triggers of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To analyze the causative relationship between EBV infections and RA development, we performed experiment on humanized NOD/Shi-scid/IL-2RγC (hu-NOG) mice reconstituted human immune system components and infected with EBV. In EBV-infected hu-NOG mice, breakdown of knee joint bones was found to be accompanied by the accumulation of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) (RANK) ligand (RANKL), a key factor in osteoclastogenesis, human CD19 and EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER)-bearing cells.

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Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common among people with dementia from the early stages and can appear even in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the prognostic impact of BPSD is unclear. This study examined the association between BPSD and mortality among people with cognitive impairment.

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Introduction: In the context of collective efforts taken in Japan to control the spread of COVID-19, the state of emergency and social distancing have caused a negative impact on the mental health of all residents, including foreign communities in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the level of anxiety and its associated factors among non-Japanese residents residing in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A web-based survey in 13 languages was conducted among non-Japanese residents living in Japan during the COVID-19 situation.

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  • The study aimed to analyze how type 2 diabetes and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels affect mortality in older adults with cognitive impairment.
  • Researchers examined 1,528 patients aged 65 and over, differentiating between those with and without type 2 diabetes, and categorized diabetic patients based on their HbA1c levels.
  • Findings showed that HbA1c levels above or below the recommended range increase mortality risk, while levels within the target range do not, supporting current diabetes management guidelines for older adults.
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Aim: To support informal caregivers, a simple assessment tool capturing the multidimensional nature of caregiving experiences, including negative and positive aspects, is required. We developed a short form of the Japanese version of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA-J), a multidimensional assessment scale for caregiver experiences.

Methods: The internet survey involved 934 Japanese informal caregivers aged 20-79 years (mean age = 58.

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Aim: The study aimed to investigate the association of vitality, as measured using the vitality index (Vix), with the survival outcomes of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.

Methods: We analyzed data from 3731 patients in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology - Life Stories of Individuals with Dementia cohort from July 2010 to September 2018. The main focus was to correlate Vix scores with the time from the initial visit to death.

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Increasing number of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have received biologic treatment during the last decade. The association between endoscopic healing (EH) and biologic treatment failure remains understudied. Medical information of UC patients who started biologic treatment was retrospectively collected.

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Background: The decision-making of older adults and people with dementia is attracting more attention among healthcare professionals. While cognitive impairment has been examined as a factor related to decision-making, it can also be assumed that involvement in decision-making leads to the maintenance of cognitive function. This study examined the association of the decision-making process with the onset of cognitive impairment.

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Most research on justice perceptions stems from high-income contexts, even though most youth grow up in contexts of inequality and injustice. This study examines the development of justice perceptions in 659 Brazilian adolescents (51.3% male; 45.

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Objectives: to analyze the associations between bullying participation profiles (victims, bullies, and bully-victims) and the risk for eating disorders in adolescents.

Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted with 491 students, aged 10 to 18 years. Data were collected through the application of the Peer Victimization and Aggression Scale and the Eating Attitudes Test, and were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Spearman correlation.

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  • A clinical trial tested an oral vaccine, IGMKK16E7, derived from lacticaseibacillus to treat patients with HPV-16-positive cervical lesions, aiming to promote local immune responses as opposed to systemic ones.
  • Results showed that among high-dose recipients, 31.7% experienced complete regression of lesions compared to only 12.5% in the placebo group, indicating potential effectiveness of the vaccine.
  • The study found no significant difference in adverse effects between high-dose and placebo groups, suggesting that IGMKK16E7 is safe while leading to promising immune responses against HPV-16.
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  • The study aimed to assess how nursing and medical students manage their cardiovascular health and related risk factors.
  • A survey of 413 students revealed that 73.3% considered themselves healthy, but identified significant risks for cardiovascular diseases among those who were sedentary, irregularly active, or highly stressed.
  • The findings suggest that proactive health measures among students are crucial, as neglecting their health could negatively impact their future professional duties.
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  • A predictive model for all-cause mortality was developed to study risk factors among cognitively impaired individuals in a Japanese memory clinic cohort from 2010-2018.
  • The study included 2,610 patients aged 65 and older, with 544 (20.8%) deaths over an average follow-up of 4.1 years; nine key predictors of mortality were identified.
  • The model demonstrated strong accuracy for predicting 1-5 year mortality and can be effectively used for patients with mild cognitive impairment and various stages of dementia.
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Overcoming dementia stigma is a global challenge. Contact and education on dementia may be promising approaches for reducing public stigma; however, the current evidence is insufficient. This study examined the moderating factors associated with the public stigma against dementia, focusing on experiences of interacting with and learning about people with dementia.

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Characterizing phenotypes is a fundamental aspect of biological sciences, although it can be challenging due to various factors. For instance, the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha is a model system for plant biology and exhibits morphological variability, making it difficult to identify and quantify distinct phenotypic features using objective measures. To address this issue, we utilized a deep-learning-based image classifier that can handle plant images directly without manual extraction of phenotypic features and analyzed pictures of M.

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Background: The number of patients with prolonged critical illness (PCI) has been increasing in many countries, and the adrenal gland plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis during PCI. Chronic disease burden is reportedly associated with shorter telomere lengths in human tissues. Telomere shortening in human somatic cells is largely dependent on cell divisions, and critically short telomeres lead to cellular dysfunction and aging.

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