Publications by authors named "Kuwahara N"

The biological properties of isofetamid, a new fungicide, were examined using pot tests in a greenhouse. In addition, we investigated the practical effects of isofetamid in field trials. In greenhouse pot tests, isofetamid exhibited high preventive efficacy against cucumber gray mold, powdery mildew, Corynespora leaf spot, and stem rot even at low concentrations.

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Objectives: Cyclosporine A promotes gingival fibrosis by enhancing the proliferation of gingival fibroblasts, leading to gingival overgrowth. The population of gingival fibroblasts is regulated by cell cycle machinery, which balances cell growth and inhibition. Cells that detect DNA damage pause at the G1/S checkpoint to repair the damage instead of progressing to the S phase.

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  • The study examined the prevalence and characteristics of long COVID among patients hospitalized during the first three waves of COVID-19 in Japan.
  • Significant differences were found in patients' baseline health and outcomes, with those hospitalized in the first wave showing a higher incidence of long COVID symptoms, particularly dyspnoea.
  • The findings highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring and support for long COVID in patients, especially for those affected during the initial wave of the pandemic.
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Gingival overgrowth caused by cyclosporine A is due to increased fibroblast proliferation in gingival tissues. Cell cycle system balances proliferation and anti-proliferation of gingival fibroblasts and plays a role in the maintenance of its population in gingival tissues. When cells detect and respond to abnormalities (e.

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  • This study investigates how modified chair designs can create a safer and more effective environment for elderly individuals during unsupervised resistance training.
  • By involving 19 participants, the research measured the impact of these modified chairs on physical stability, comparing them to regular chairs used in chair-based exercise training.
  • Results showed that modified chairs significantly improved stability and user experience, but an automatic system is necessary to ensure proper exercise execution, achieving a high accuracy rate of 97.68% for movement recognition.
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  • * Even when applied after infection, it curbs lesion growth and sporulation, showcasing its versatility in both preventative and curative treatments.
  • * The chemical alters the fungus's physical characteristics, leading to abnormal structures and disrupting the normal localization of essential components for fungal growth, though it doesn't affect tubulin orientation.
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The fungicidal properties of a new fungicide, isofetamid, were examined to assess its antifungal spectrum, mode of action, and effects on the infection process of . Additionally, we investigated its fungicidal activity against isolates of resistant to existing fungicides. In mycelial growth inhibition tests, isofetamid exhibited excellent fungicidal activity against ascomycetes but showed no activity against basidiomycetes and oomycetes.

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Antibody responses, involving B cells, CD4 + T cells, and macrophages, are implicated in autoimmune diseases and organ transplant rejection. We have previously shown that inhibiting FROUNT with disulfiram (DSF) suppresses macrophage activation and migration, effectively treating inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of DSF in antibody-producing reactions.

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Background: Heart failure (HF) causes extracardiac organ congestion, including in the hepatic portal system. Reducing venous congestion is essential for HF treatment, but evaluating venous congestion is sometimes difficult in patients with chronic HF. The portal vein (PV) flow pattern can be influenced by right atrial pressure.

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With the rising numbers of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-a sequelae of COVID-19-has become a major problem. Different sexes and age groups develop different long COVID symptoms, and the risk factors for long COVID remain unclear. Therefore, we performed subgroup analyses of patients with COVID-19, classifying them into different groups.

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  • * Data from 1200 enrolled patients showed a decline in symptoms over time, from 93.9% during hospitalization to 33.0% at 12 months, with those experience long COVID symptoms reporting lower quality of life and higher anxiety and depression.
  • * Identified risk factors for long COVID included being female, middle-aged, requiring oxygen, and being in critical condition during hospitalization, providing valuable insights for future research in Japan.
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Background: Recent developments in mass spectrometry (MS) have revealed target antigens for membranous nephropathy (MN), including phospholipase A2 receptor and exostosin 1/exostosin 2 (EXT1/2). EXT1/2 are known antigens of autoimmune disease-related MN, especially membranous lupus nephritis. We describe the case of an elderly man who developed nephrotic syndrome followed by progressive renal dysfunction.

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  • The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of baricitinib in COVID-19 patients, specifically its role in reducing the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and identifying which patient groups benefit most.
  • Conducted by the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, it included 3309 patients across 70 hospitals, comparing those on baricitinib to matched controls.
  • Results showed that baricitinib significantly lowered the need for invasive ventilation (9% vs. 18.8%) and was especially beneficial for patients requiring oxygen support or those with severe symptoms, despite similar ICU admission and mortality rates between groups.
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  • A study analyzed the rates and impact of respiratory bacterial infections in Japanese patients hospitalized with COVID-19, finding that 7.5% of patients experienced such infections.
  • The most common causes of these infections included Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, with more severe outcomes linked to hospital-acquired infections and pre-existing health conditions.
  • The research highlights the importance of monitoring and assessing bacterial complications in COVID-19 patients, as these infections can significantly increase mortality rates.
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  • The study examined the impact of non-respiratory bacterial and fungal infections on hospitalized COVID-19 patients, focusing on the types of infections, their causative organisms, and their effects on mortality rates.
  • Out of 1914 patients, 4.2% developed non-respiratory bacterial infections, predominantly bacteremia, which was linked to a higher risk of death, particularly in patients with certain predisposing factors.
  • The findings highlight the need for effective medical strategies to manage secondary infections in COVID-19 patients, especially those at a greater risk, such as older individuals and those admitted to intensive care.
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Reminiscence and conversation between older adults and younger volunteers using past photographs are very effective in improving the emotional state of older adults and alleviating depression. However, we need to evaluate the emotional state of the older adult while conversing on the past photographs. While electroencephalogram (EEG) has a significantly stronger association with emotion than other physiological signals, the challenge is to eliminate muscle artifacts in the EEG during speech as well as to reduce the number of dry electrodes to improve user comfort while maintaining high emotion recognition accuracy.

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Activated monocytes/macrophages promote glomerular injury, including crescent formation, in anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) glomerulonephritis. Disulfiram, an alcohol-aversion drug, inhibits monocyte/macrophage migration by inhibiting FROUNT, a cytosolic protein that enhances chemokine receptor signaling. Our study found that disulfiram at a human equivalent dose successfully blocked albuminuria and crescent formation with podocyte loss, and later stage kidney fibrotic lesions, in a rat model of anti-GBM glomerulonephritis.

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  • * Researchers analyzed RNA-seq data from 465 blood samples, uncovering 1169 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and 1549 splice QTLs (sQTLs) linked to COVID-19 severity, including immune-related expressions.
  • * The study highlights the impact of disease severity on gene expression, identifying specific eQTLs that interact with COVID-19 phenotypes, and provides an extensive resource for understanding gene regulation in response to the virus.
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  • Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 2,393 COVID-19 patients and 3,289 controls in Japan, identifying a specific genetic variant (rs60200309-A) on chromosome 5 linked to severe cases in individuals under 65.
  • The variant is more common in East Asians and associated with reduced expression of the DOCK2 gene, which was found to be lower in severe COVID-19 cases, particularly in non-classical monocytes.
  • Additionally, inhibiting DOCK2 in hamsters worsened pneumonia symptoms, indicating its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target for severe COVID-19.
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Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine tumor with dismal prognosis. Recently, molecular subtypes of SCLC have been defined by the expression status of ASCL1, NEUROD1, YAP1, and POU2F3 transcription regulators. ASCL1 is essential for neuroendocrine differentiation and is expressed in the majority of SCLC.

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Objective: To determine whether the proportion of sport-related concussion (SRC) cases among student athletes that resulted in a relapse of their symptoms due to premature return to play (RTP) or premature return to learn (RTL) has changed compared with a prior (2006 to 2011) study.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of electronic medical record charts from a 5-year period (2011 to 2016) compared with previous data.

Setting: A sport and exercise medicine physician's office-based practice in Ontario.

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Objective: To identify barriers to and facilitators of return to learning (RTL) for female secondary school students following a sport-related concussion (SRC), and to identify critical junctures on the injury-to-recovery continuum that can be targeted to enhance the RTL process.

Design: A grounded theory approach using in-depth qualitative interviews.

Setting: Secondary schools within the York Region District School Board in Ontario.

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Cryptorchidism is one of the most common abnormalities of male sexual development, and is characterized by the failure of the testis to descend into the scrotum. Despite extensive studies of cryptorchidism over the past century, the mechanisms for temperature-induced germ-cell loss are not well understood. All of the main cell types in the testis are believed to be affected by the elevated testis temperature induced by cryptorchidism.

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Numerous communication support systems based on reminiscence therapy have been developed. However, when using communication support systems, the emotional assessment of older people is generally conducted using verbal feedback or questionnaires. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using Electroencephalography (EEG) signals for automatic emotion recognition during RT for older people.

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Androgens are synthesized in the brain, gonads, and adrenal glands, in both sexes, exerting physiologically important effects on the structure and function of the central nervous system. These effects may contribute to the incidence and progression of neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease, which occur at different rates in males and females. This review briefly summarizes the current state of knowledge with respect to the neuroplastic effects of androgens, with particular emphasis on the hippocampus, which has been the focus of much of the research in this field.

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