Publications by authors named "Kuwano Y"

Understanding the viability of ingested probiotics within the gastrointestinal tract is essential for evaluating their efficacy and deciphering their mechanisms of action. Detecting Bifidobacterium longum subspecies longum BB536 is particularly challenging owing to its indistinguishability from the naturally abundant B. longum species in the human gut.

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Probiotics, particularly those native to the gut microbiota, have a profound influence on the gut environment. In this study, we conducted a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group comparison trial to investigate the effects of BB536 ( BB536) on the fecal microbiota and metabolite compositions in healthy individuals. We compared the effects of fermented milk produced solely with and (placebo group) and fermented milk supplemented with BB536 (BY group).

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Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2Z is caused by MORC2 mutations and presents with axonal neuropathy. MORC2 mutations can also manifest as developmental delay, impaired growth, dysmorphic facies, and axonal neuropathy (DIGFAN). We report a patient exhibiting an intermediate phenotype between these diseases associated with a novel MORC2 variant.

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A 64-year-old woman presented with a fist-sized, severely painful lesion with scales, crusts, pustules, erythema with subcutaneous abscess, and hair loss on the left temporal region. Direct microscopic examination revealed a large number of spores around the hair, which indicated ectothrix hair invasion, and some hyphae were also found. Histopathological examination showed significant inflammatory cell infiltration from the dermis to the subcutaneous tissues and into the hair follicles, destruction of the hair follicles with granulomatous reactions, and fungal masses along the hair within the hair follicles.

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Increasing populations of large herbivores have caused environmental damage around the world, and it is necessary to improve population management strategies. Culling is a traditional management method. Antlerless deer proportions, consisting of adult female deer and fawn in Cervidae in wildlife statistics, are directly related to population increases; thus, the culling-based removal of individuals from habitats and the removal of these antlerless individuals by game hunting and nuisance control might be effective approaches for reducing population sizes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a benign tumor in infants that usually resolves by age one, but severe cases can lead to complications if untreated; propranolol (PPL) is the main treatment option.* -
  • A study in Japan found that the incidence of severe hypoglycemia from PPL is 0.54%, which is notably higher in infants over one year old and often occurs in the early morning after periods of fasting or poor feeding.* -
  • To minimize the risk of hypoglycemia, health guidelines recommend starting PPL treatment by 6 months and advise caregivers against giving it on an empty stomach or during times of inadequate nutrition.*
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Circular RNAs (circRNAs) comprise a large class of endogenous non-coding RNA with covalently closed loops and have independent functions as linear transcripts transcribed from identical genes. circRNAs are generated by a "back-splicing" process regulated by regulatory elements in cis and associating proteins in trans. Many studies have shown that circRNAs play important roles in multiple processes, including splicing, transcription, chromatin modification, miRNA sponges, and protein decoys.

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Prevotella bivia (P. bivia) is an anaerobic Gram-negative rod usually inhabiting in the urogenital system, and sometimes in the intra-oral space, whose infection to other parts of body is extremely rare. In this report, we describe a rare case of a recurrent infectious abscess due to P.

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The population dynamics of mosquitoes in temperate regions are not as well understood as those in tropical and subtropical regions, despite concerns that vector-borne diseases may be prevalent in future climates. Aedes albopictus, a vector mosquito in temperate regions, undergoes egg diapause while overwintering. To assess the prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases in the future, this study aimed to simulate and predict mosquito population dynamics under estimated future climatic conditions.

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Lamin A/C proteins, major components of the nuclear lamina, are encoded by the LMNA gene. These proteins have multiple cellular functions, including DNA transcription and replication, chromatin organization, regulation of the cell cycle, and apoptosis. Mutations in LMNA are associated with a variety of diseases called laminopathies.

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Ultraconserved regions (UCRs) are 481 genomic sequences with 100% identity across humans, rats, and mice. Increasing evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs transcribed from UCRs are involved in various diseases, especially cancers. The human transformer 2β gene (TRA2B) encodes a UCR (uc.

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Fosravuconazole L-lysine ethanolate (F-RVCZ), a ravuconazole prodrug, is a newly available agent with high expectations for efficacy in the treatment of onychomycosis. However, clinical data regarding the efficacy of F-RVCZ are limited because the drug was launched only in Japan in 2018. Therefore, we analyzed the outcome of F-RVCZ therapy in the treatment of onychomycosis at outpatient dermatology clinics in Japan.

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Few studies have examined sensory quality changes during the storage of pasteurized drinking yogurt (PDY), and the cause of off-flavor development is unclear. Off-flavors generated during 90-d ambient storage (25 °C) of PDY from reconstituted skim milk were investigated by sensory evaluation, volatile component analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-olfactometry. Rancid off-flavor was induced by increased fatty acid concentration due to fat decomposition by heat-stable lipase.

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Nannizzia gypsea is a geophilic dermatophyte, previously known as Microsporum gypseum before renaming under the new taxonomy. This organism is distributed all over the world and is considered to be involved in keratin degradation in the soil. Generally, human infection involves direct contact with fertile soil.

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Acquisition of cell migration capacity is an early and essential process in cancer development. The aim of this study was to identify microRNA gene expression networks that induced high migration capacity. Using colon cancer HCT116 cells subcloned by transwell-based migrated cell selection, microRNA array analysis was performed to examine the microRNA expression profile.

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Many clinicians prefer to treat onychomycosis systemically. However, systemic therapy may not be suitable for all onychomycosis patients due to drug interactions, side effects of oral medications, or comorbidities. Two topical agents (efinaconazole 10% in 2014 and luliconazole 5% in 2016) have recently been approved for treatment of onychomycosis in Japan.

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Short-term administration of CP2305 improves stress-associated symptoms and clinical symptoms in healthy young adults and in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, respectively. We evaluated the efficacy and health benefits of the long-term use of a tablet containing heat-inactivated, washed CP2305 (CP2305) in healthy young adults. Sixty Japanese medical students (41 men and 19 women) preparing for the national examination for medical practitioners ingested CP2305-containing or placebo tablets once daily for 24 weeks.

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The human TRA2B gene consists of 10 exons and 9 introns and produces 5 splice isoforms (TRA2β1 to TRA2β5). TRA2B exon 2 encodes multiple premature termination codons. TRA2β1 lacks exon 2 and is translated into a functional transformer 2β (Tra2β) protein, whereas TRA2β4 contains 10 exons and works as a functional RNA.

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Background: Homeobox A5 (HOXA5), a member of the HOX family, plays an important role in tumor development and morphogenesis, although opposite effects on tumorigenesis have been observed, depending on the tissue type. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of a novel transcript from the HOXA6-HOXA5 locus in colon cancer tumorigenesis.

Methods: Human colon cancer cell lines were analyzed using next generation sequencing-based targeted mRNA capture.

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