Publications by authors named "Kurotani K"

: Internet use positively impacts mental health in older adults, with health literacy (HL) playing a key role. While social networks may complement individual HL, the role of neighborhood relationships in this association, particularly by gender, remains unclear. This study examined how the association between HL and Internet use among older adults was modified by neighborhood relationships.

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Frailty is a growing public health challenge in Japan's rapidly aging population, where 28.8% are aged ≥ 65. While multicomponent interventions have shown potential in preventing frailty, traditional face-to-face programs face accessibility challenges.

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Nicotiana benthamiana has long served as a crucial plant material extensively used in plant physiology research, particularly in the field of plant pathology, because of its high susceptibility to plant viruses. Additionally, it serves as a production platform to test vaccines and other valuable substances. Among its approximately 3.

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PATOL1 contributes to increasing biomass not only by effective stomatal movement but also by root meristematic activity. PATROL1 (PROTON ATPase TRANSLOCATION CONTROL 1), a protein with a MUN domain, is involved in the intercellular trafficking of AHA1 H-ATPase to the plasma membrane in guard cells. This allows for larger stomatal opening and more efficient photosynthesis, leading to increased biomass.

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Introduction: Studies on the relationship between parental and child dietary intakes are limited in Asian populations. Here, we examined parent-child relationships in skin carotenoid levels and vegetable intake in a Japanese community.

Methods: The study participants were 58 children aged 6-15 years and 39 of their guardians (parents) using children's cafeterias.

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This study aimed to determine the association between demographic factors, body size, and fruit and vegetable intake in the general population, focusing on individuals with both low and high skin carotenoid levels. This cross-sectional study was conducted during the 14th National Convention on the Promotion of Food and Nutrition Education (2019) in Yamanashi, Japan (a rural area) and the Open House 2019 at the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health, and Nutrition in Tokyo, Japan (an urban area). Skin carotenoid measurements were conducted, and the participants were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire.

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As loneliness is a risk factor for mental and physical health problems in various age groups, this study aimed to explore the impact of the intergenerational (food and nutrition education) program (IGSP) on loneliness in a Japanese community. This single-arm intervention study conducted between 2022 and 2023 included children (n = 21), guardians (n = 16), university students (n = 3), and older adults (n = 6). The IGSP was a one-day program that included participants making and eating their own bread, butter, and sorbet.

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Plants are exposed to a variety of environmental stress, and starvation of inorganic phosphorus can be a major constraint in crop production. In plants, in response to phosphate deficiency in soil, miR399, a type of microRNA (miRNA), is up-regulated. By detecting miR399, the early diagnosis of phosphorus deficiency stress in plants can be accomplished.

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Promoting subjective well-being is a crucial challenge in aging societies. In 2022, we launched a community-based intervention trial (the Chofu-Digital-Choju Movement). This initiative centered on fostering in-person and online social connections to enhance the subjective well-being of older adults.

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Precise detection of the transcriptional start site (TSS) is a key for characterizing transcriptional regulation of genes and for annotation of newly sequenced genomes. Here, we describe the development of an improved method, designated 'TSS-seq2.' This method is an iterative improvement of TSS-seq, a previously published enzymatic cap-structure conversion method to detect TSSs in base sequences.

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Grafting is a plant propagation technique widely used in agriculture. A recent discovery of the capability of interfamily grafting in has expanded the potential combinations of grafting. In this study, we showed that xylem connection is essential for the achievement of interfamily grafting and investigated the molecular basis of xylem formation at the graft junction.

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Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are critical for plant biological processes. As signaling molecules, ROS regulate plant growth and development through cell expansion, elongation, and programmed cell death. Furthermore, ROS production is induced by microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) treatment and biotic stresses, and contributes to plant resistance to pathogens.

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Maternal underweight and inadequate gestational weight gain (GWG) are problems in Japan. However, increases in food intake aimed at weight gain alone are not sufficient for mother-child health. This study assessed diet quality based on the 3-day dietary records of pregnant women in an urban area of Japan in order to show the importance of evaluating diet quality, using the Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.

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The goal was to summarize studies comparing the accuracy of web-based dietary assessments with those of conventional face-to-face or paper-based assessments using 24-h dietary recall or dietary record methods in the general population. Using two databases, mean differences and correlation coefficients (CCs) for intakes of energy, macronutrients, sodium, vegetables, and fruits were extracted from each study independently by the authors. We also collected information regarding usability from articles reporting this.

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Background: We aimed to clarify whether differences in food group intake according to household income have changed over the last decade in Japanese people aged 20 years or older.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 National Health and Nutrition Surveys in Japan. Food intake was assessed using a 1-day semi-weighed household dietary record.

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Article Synopsis
  • Nicotiana benthamiana is a model plant used in research for studying plant diseases and interactions due to its susceptibility to various viruses and ability to graft with diverse plant families.
  • The genome of N. benthamiana has been challenging to analyze because its previous reference was fragmented, but a new assembly method has produced a more complete genome with 57,583 high-confidence gene sequences.
  • The improved genome assembly allows for better understanding of its complex genetics, particularly in areas like grafting, making N. benthamiana more accessible for future research.
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Cumulative evidence shows that people with lower socioeconomic status (SES) have higher risk of mortality and non-communicable diseases, which are strongly related to diet. A low diet quality may be related to a rise in chronic non-communicable diseases from childhood onward. This literature review summarizes the food assistance for reducing health disparities among children in Japan.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Ensuring proper nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for favorable outcomes, leading to a review of dietary studies among East Asian women.
  • - After analyzing 167 articles, six studies were selected, revealing no significant impact of diet on infant birthweight but highlighting low fat and vitamin E intake as risks for preterm birth.
  • - A diverse, balanced diet including various food groups, especially vegetables, is associated with higher birthweights and reduced preterm birth risks.
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Plasmodesmata are unique channel structures in plants that link the fluid cytoplasm between adjacent cells. Plants have evolved these microchannels to allow trafficking of nutritious substances as well as regulatory factors for intercellular communication. However, tracking the behavior of plasmodesmata in real time is difficult because they are located inside tissues.

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Poor dietary quality is a major contributor to malnutrition and disease burden in Vietnam, necessitating the development of a tool for improving dietary quality. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) have been proposed to do this by providing specific, culturally appropriate and actionable recommendations. We developed the Vietnamese Healthy Eating Index (VHEI) to assess the adherence to the 2016-2020 Vietnamese FBDGs and the dietary quality of the general Vietnamese population.

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Objective This study aimed to understand the situation of the users of food assistance activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to examine the relationship with the changes in socioeconomic conditions.Methods A total of 33,004 (16,065 men and 16,939 men) people aged 20 or older who cooperated with an online survey in February 2021 were included in the analysis. The analysis was conducted by classifying users of one of the following types of food assistance as food assistance users and other users as non-users: eating on site (e.

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The tobacco BY-2 cell line has been used widely as a model system in plant cell biology. BY-2 cells are nearly transparent, which facilitates cell imaging using fluorescent markers. As cultured cells are drifted in the medium, therefore, it was difficult to observe them for a long period.

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Objectives Minor health complaints related to stress, mental health, sleep, and fatigue are closely associated with each other, and their deterioration may cause lifestyle diseases. The health status of people can be predicted through a questionnaire by exploring the relationship between their state of minor health complaints and objective health status indices. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the relationship between a questionnaire on the state of minor health complaints and health status indices among Japanese people who have a high level of stress, which they experience on a daily basis, using epidemiological literature.

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