Publications by authors named "Kuwata H"

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) mouthwash in reducing denture plaque and its impact on the microbial composition of denture plaque. Materials and methods A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial included 29 participants with maxillary complete dentures. Participants used either CPC or a placebo mouthwash for one week each in a crossover design.

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Streptococcus oralis is a commensal oral bacterium that acts as an opportunistic pathogen, causing systemic diseases, such as infective endocarditis and aspiration pneumonia. However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying its transition from commensal to pathogenic state remain unclear. In this study, to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying virulence expression, we identified and characterized the cell surface-associated ecto-5'-nucleotidase (Nt5e) in S.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores how periodontal inflammation affects both salivary gland function and the oral microbiome, highlighting the significance of these factors in overall health.
  • In an experimental model with mice, researchers noticed changes in immune cell activity in the salivary glands and alterations in the oral microbiome following induced periodontitis.
  • The findings emphasize a strong connection between oral bacteria, immune responses in salivary glands, and how inflammation can disrupt oral health, providing insights into maintaining oral homeostasis.
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Aims: Imeglimin is a new oral anti-diabetic drug with a similar structure to that of metformin; however, unlike metformin, clinical trials indicate that imeglimin elicits its glucose-lowering effect mainly by enhancement of insulin secretion. The comparative effects of the two drugs on incretin secretion remains to be elucidated.

Materials And Methods: A single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes who were drug-naïve or were on a single oral hypoglycaemic agent (OHA).

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  • Aerosol samples were collected weekly in Hirosaki to study the concentrations of atmospheric 7Be and 210Pb, with total suspended particles ranging from 0.14 to 1.19 mg m-3 and an average of 0.29 mg m-3.
  • Both radionuclide activity concentrations showed similar trends and were measured to be between 0.46 to 4.94 mBq m-3 for 7Be and 0.26 to 1.29 mBq m-3 for 210Pb, suggesting they are influenced by the same environmental factors.
  • The study found that precipitation significantly affects radionuclide deposition, with factors like raindrop and snowflake characteristics playing a crucial role
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The combustion process of the organically bound tritium (OBT) analysis method is difficult and requires sophisticated techniques. For ease, safety, and reproducibility a semi-automatic combustion system was developed. An arbitrary combustion program that prevents sudden ignition was devised and combustion tests were conducted.

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This study aimed at understanding the background concentration level of tritium in precipitation in southern Japan, where precipitation samples were collected monthly in 2022 in Okinawa and Kagoshima. Tritium concentration in monthly precipitation collected in Okinawa since 2014 ranged from 0.05 to 0.

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Article Synopsis
  • The article investigates tritium levels in monthly rainfall in Hiroshima City for 2021, showing fluctuations between 0.16 to 0.78 Bq L-1.
  • It also examines stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes and ionic species to better understand precipitation characteristics and compares these trends with historical data from other areas in Japan.
  • The findings indicate that while overall precipitation characteristics are similar to other regions, Hiroshima's tritium levels differ from expected patterns, suggesting potential influences from continental sources.
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The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident created large stockpiles of tritium containing cooling water, which is to be gradually released into the Pacific Ocean, gaining attention from surrounding countries, environmental groups, and local residents concerned with the possibility of increasing tritium concentrations in the water and food cycle. Establishing baseline concentration levels and monitoring tritium immission values are important for assuring public safety, providing data for scientific research and risk communication. Tritium concentrations in the environment are very low; therefore, tritium measurements require enrichment in order to estimate the radiation exposure from drinking water intake and provide information on the water cycle.

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Purpose: Since 2014, an educational activity on radiation and health in northern Japan has been carried out by young scientists, the so-called 'Educational Symposium on Radiation and Health (ESRAH)'. Close cooperation has been continued in preparing for any possible emergency response to radiation accidents because several facilities, e.g.

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a rich source of dietary bioactive compounds such as rosmarinic acid and carnosol with a large repertoire of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. In the present study, we investigated rosemary as a potential new therapeutic agent for cognitive function and other symptoms of aging.

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Evaluation of insulin secretory capacity is essential to understand the pathophysiologic condition of individuals with diabetes and assess the efficacy of drugs used in the treatment of this disease. The 1-mg i.v.

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Objectives: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by life-threateningorgan dysfunction resulting from a dysregulated host response to infection. Prostacyclin (PGI) is a bioactive lipid produced by PGI synthase (PGIS) and is known to play important roles in inflammatory reactions as well as cardiovascular regulation. However, little is known about the roles of PGIS and PGI in systemic inflammatory responses such as septic shock.

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Exposure to high-dose radiation causes life-threatening intestinal damage. Histopathology is the most accurate method of judging the extent of intestinal damage following death. However, it is difficult to predict the extent of intestinal damage.

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Background: Internal carotid artery stenosis is primarily attributed to atherosclerosis in the carotid artery bifurcation. Previous studies have detected oral bacteria in atherosclerotic lesions, suggesting an association between oral bacteria and atherosclerosis. In this study, we compared the bacterial flora of the atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery and dental plaque of patients with internal carotid artery stenosis using 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) metagenomic sequencing.

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Objectives: Klebsiella spp., an opportunistic infectious organism, is commensal in the nasal and oral cavities of humans. Recently, it has been reported that oral Klebsiella spp.

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This article discusses tritium concentrations in monthly precipitation in part of the Difficult-to-Return Zone in Namie Town during 2012-2021. The tritium concentrations, which were measured with a low background liquid scintillation counter after carrying out an enrichment procedure, fluctuated seasonally from 0.10 ± 0.

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Adipocytes play a key role in energy storage and homeostasis. Although the role of transcription factors in adipocyte differentiation is known, the effect of endogenous metabolites of low molecular weight remains unclear. Here, we analyzed time-dependent changes in the levels of these metabolites throughout adipocyte differentiation, using metabolome analysis, and demonstrated that there is a positive correlation between cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (cADPR) and Pparγ mRNA expression used as a marker of differentiation.

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Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4) converts free highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) into their acyl-CoA esters and is important for HUFA utilization. HUFA-containing phospholipids produced via ACSL4-dependent reactions are involved in pathophysiological events such as inflammatory responses and ferroptosis as a source for lipid mediators and/or a target of oxidative stress, respectively. However, the in vivo role of ACSL4 in inflammatory responses is not fully understood.

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Article Synopsis
  • Roxadustat, a new type of drug for treating anemia in chronic kidney disease, has a unique structure and may affect thyroid function, but its impact is not well-studied.
  • The study compared the effects of roxadustat and daprodustat on thyroid hormones in 26 CKD patients with anemia, measuring changes in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels before and after treatment.
  • Results showed that roxadustat significantly decreased TSH and FT4 levels, while daprodustat did not cause any notable changes in these thyroid hormones.
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Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSL) 4 converts polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) into their acyl-CoAs and plays an important role in maintaining PUFA-containing membrane phospholipids. Here we demonstrated decreases in various kinds of PUFA-containing phospholipid species in ACSL4-deficient murine lung. We then examined the effects of ACSL4 gene deletion on lung injury by treating mice with two pulmonary toxic chemicals: paraquat (PQ) and methotrexate (MTX).

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Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic diterpene widely distributed in herbal plants, rosemary and sage. Although its medicinal properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective effects, have been well-documented, its relevant biochemical processes and molecular targets have not been fully explored yet. In the present study, we conducted an untargeted whole-genome transcriptomics analysis to investigate CA-induced early biological and molecular events in human amniotic epithelial stem cells (hAESCs) with the aim of exploring its multiple tissue-specific functionalities and potential molecular targets.

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Objectives: Bacteria derived from the oral cavity enter the bloodstream and cause the onset of various systemic diseases, including heart valve disease. However, information on the oral bacteria involved in aortic stenosis is limited.

Materials And Methods: We comprehensively analyzed the microbiota in aortic valve tissues collected from aortic stenosis patients using metagenomic sequencing and investigated the relationships between the valve microbiota, the oral microbiota, and oral cavity conditions.

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We synthesized Li and Na monocarborate salts with minimal protic impurities and reassessed their electrochemical windows. Na salts display higher efficiency for metal deposition/stripping and are more oxidatively stable than Li salts. This strong cation effect is rationalized in terms of differences in charge density between Li and Na cations.

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Objectives: Commensal bacteria in the host body play a fundamental role in the differentiation and maintenance of the immune system. Studies on intestinal immunity have revealed that, under steady-state conditions, microflora have an important role in the maintenance of health. However, the role of oral commensal bacteria on the oral immune system is still unclear.

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