Publications by authors named "Kurokawa H"

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of medial opening low tibial osteotomy (LTO) on lower limb alignment, including the knee joint, 1 year after low tibial osteotomy.

Methods: This study included 20 legs of 20 patients (mean age, 66.8 ± 5.

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We investigated stress fiber formation induced by photodynamic therapy (PDT) with porphylipoprotein (PLP) by observing actin filaments by super-resolution confocal microscopy and measuring the cellular elastic modulus by atomic force microscopy. We identified different intracellular mechanisms of stress fiber formation between RGM1 epithelial cells, which were derived from rat gastric mucosa, and RGK1 cells, which were cancer-like mutants of RGM1. Our findings show that when PLP is used as a photosensitizer in PDT, it selectively induces necrosis in tumors with minimal impact on the surrounding normal tissues, as it is less likely to cause blood flow obstruction.

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This study investigates how the cavity depth of restorations influences the color adjustment potential of universal shade bulk-fill resin composites. Standard cavities, with diameters of 4 mm and depths of either 2 or 4 mm, were created at the center of artificial teeth occlusal surfaces. A structural-colored bulk-fill resin composite and two pigment-incorporated universal shade bulk-fill resin composites were used.

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  • - The study examines the relationship between tree maturation size and reproduction, finding that larger tree species tend to start reproducing at a smaller size than expected, challenging previous assumptions.
  • - Researchers analyzed seed production data from 486 tree species across different climates, revealing that maturation size increases with maximum size but not in a straightforward manner.
  • - The results indicate that this trend is particularly pronounced in colder climates, highlighting the importance of understanding maturation size to better predict how forests will respond to climate change and disturbances.
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  • * Reconstruction methods after resection include tibiocalcaneal fusion, frozen autograft, and talar prosthesis, with the latter being preferred for better ankle movement and fewer complications.
  • * This report details a surgical technique for en bloc resection and reconstruction of a malignant talar tumor, using both anterior and lateral surgical approaches followed by a talar prosthesis.
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The amounts of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) become higher by strenuous exercises which consume larger amounts of oxygen in active muscles. Since these ROS directly injured muscles, the high ROS concentration involves muscle fatigue. Thus, an immediate ROS scavenging system in the muscle is desired.

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  • Iron-based 1111-type superconductors are known for their high critical temperatures and current densities, but traditional methods to increase current density (J) are limited.
  • Researchers improved J in SmFeAsOH films by increasing carrier density via high electron doping, which significantly reduced penetration depth and coherence length.
  • This innovative approach led to a remarkable increase in J to 415 MA/cm, comparable to cuprate superconductors, and demonstrated successful application across other iron-based superconductors as well.
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Objective: The color matching of single-shade resin composites after in-office whitening was investigated.

Materials And Methods: Four single-shade resin composites were used. A total of 35% hydrogen peroxide was used as the whitening agent.

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  • This study investigates the effectiveness of MRI navigation surgery, including lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LLND), after chemoradiotherapy for patients with middle to low rectal cancer.
  • The analysis included 43 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical surgery post-CRT, showing a 100% local pelvic recurrence-free survival rate compared to 85.1% in a previous patient group not using MRI navigation.
  • The findings suggest that using MRI guidance can enhance local control and maintain better functional outcomes for rectal cancer patients post-treatment.
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  • Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective treatment for several types of cancer, but how porphyrins accumulate specifically in tumors is still unclear.
  • Researchers found that the drug indomethacin (IND) enhances the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells, which in turn increases the expression of a protein called heme carrier protein 1 (HCP1) that aids in transporting porphyrins.
  • Tests on glioma cells and rat brain tumor models showed that pretreatment with IND significantly boosts the accumulation of porphyrins in tumor cells, leading to potential improvements in PDT effectiveness without harming normal brain tissue.
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The coherent control of the orbital state is crucial for realizing the extremely-low power manipulation of the color centers in diamonds. Herein, a neutrally-charged nitrogen-vacancy center, NV, is proposed as an ideal system for orbital control using electric fields. The electric susceptibility in the ground state of NV is estimated, and found to be comparable to that in the excited state of NV.

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  • Esaxerenone's effectiveness and safety were evaluated in patients with uncontrolled hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, primarily focusing on its impact while they were also taking other medications.
  • The 24-week study involved 60 patients, revealing significant decreases in morning and bedtime blood pressure and left ventricular mass index, along with mild adverse events.
  • Results suggest that esaxerenone is both effective in lowering blood pressure and safe for hypertensive patients with cardiac issues, indicating its potential as a beneficial treatment option.
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Radiation therapy is a lower invasive local treatment than surgery and is selected as a primary treatment for solid tumors. However, when some cancer cells obtain radiotherapy tolerance, cytotoxicity of radiotherapy for cancer cells is attenuated. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive cancer therapy combined with photosensitizers and laser irradiation with an appropriate wavelength.

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  • Total talar replacement is a reconstructive surgical procedure aimed at treating severe osteonecrosis of the talus, using a custom-made alumina ceramic implant to restore mobility after injuries or various diseases.* -
  • The surgery involves removing the damaged talus through a series of osteotomies and ligament dissections before implanting the new talar prosthesis, ensuring proper fit and stability.* -
  • Alumina ceramic implants are favored over stainless steel due to their better compatibility with articular cartilage and ability to maintain ankle mobility post-surgery, according to studies involving animal models.*
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Amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites may have seeded the origin of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere. Recently, the return samples from a C-type asteroid Ryugu were found to contain amino acids with a similar distribution to Ivuna-type CI chondrites, suggesting the potential of amino acid abundances as molecular descriptors of parent body geochemistry. However, the chemical mechanisms responsible for the amino acid distributions remain to be elucidated particularly at low temperatures (<50°C).

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Background: The surgical treatment of periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF) can be technically demanding and it is associated with high rates of complications and repeat surgery. However, repeat surgery is uncommon and few studies have examined survival and the functional prognosis following reoperation after the surgical treatment of PFF. We aimed to estimate the rate of reoperation for any reason, to determine the survival rate after reoperation for PFF, and to identify predictors associated with reoperation after PFF surgery in a multicenter (TRON group) study.

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Although StayGold is a bright and highly photostable fluorescent protein, its propensity for obligate dimer formation may hinder applications in molecular fusion and membrane targeting. To attain monovalent as well as bright and photostable labeling, we engineered tandem dimers of StayGold to promote dispersibility. On the basis of the crystal structure of this fluorescent protein, we disrupted the dimerization to generate a monomeric variant that offers improved photostability and brightness compared to StayGold.

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Polphylipoprotein (PLP) is a recently developed nanoparticle with high biocompatibility and tumor selectivity, and which has demonstrated unprecedentedly high performance photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photodynamic diagnosis. On the basis of these discoveries, PLP is anticipated to have a very high potential for PDT. However, the mechanism by which PLP kills cancer cells effectively has not been sufficiently clarified.

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Background: Recovering normal hindfoot alignment and correcting deformity of the ankle joint following total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) in osteoarthritis (OA) is essential for improving clinical outcomes and increasing long-term survival. We aim to evaluate hindfoot alignment following standard TAA compared to TAA with a total talar prosthesis ("combined TAA") in varus-type OA patients.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between 2010 and 2022.

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An 80-year-old man with surgical history of colon cancer was referred to our department for surgical treatment for multiple metastatic lung tumors in the left upper lobe. The patient had been showing complete atelectasis of the left lower lung lobe one year prior to the consultation. Six months after wedge resections for the pulmonary metastases, the left lower lobe was re-expanded, showing bronchiectasis with rudimentary pulmonary artery branches.

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Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a great potential anti-tumor therapy owing to its non-invasiveness and high spatiotemporal selectivity. However, systemically administered photosensitizers diffuse in the skin and the eyes for a long duration, which cause phototoxicity to bright light and sunlight. Therefore, following PDT, patients must avoid exposure of to light and sunlight to avoid this phototoxicity.

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β-glucan has been shown to be effective for several diseases such as immune regulation and blood pressure suppression. Seaweed contains a β-1,3/1,6-glucan called laminaran. The present commercial source of β-glucan is black yeast; however, a fermentation process using organic carbon substrates makes production unsustainable, whereas macroalgae provide a sustainable alternative with the use of CO and seawater as growth substrates.

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Introduction: Vasculitis does not usually induce glandular tissue lesions. Herein, we present a case of vasculitis with a distribution similar to that of immunoglobulin-G4-related disease (IgG4-RD), including that of the submandibular and lacrimal glands, and periaortitis.

Case Report: A 70-year-old man presented with shortness of breath.

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This study aimed to determine the influence of surface roughness of the color adjustment potential restoration of universal resin composites. A structural colored resin composite (Omnichroma, OC) and a pigment-employed universal shade resin composite (Beautifil Unishade, BU) were used. Each resin composite was placed in a cavity to determine its ability to match the color of artificial teeth.

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