Publications by authors named "Machi Suka"

Nutritional zinc (Zn) deficiency could impair immune function and affect bowel conditions. However, the mechanism by which Zn deficiency affects the immune function of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) remains unclear. We investigated how Zn deficiency affects the function of GALT and level of secretory IgA (sIgA), a key component of the intestinal immune barrier, its underlying mechanisms, and whether Zn deficiency induces bacterial translocation to the liver.

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Little is known about the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in dissociative identity disorder (DID). Zinc is essential for proper brain function. Its deficiency can lead to mental health symptoms, possibly contributing to dissociation.

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Purpose: To determine the current incidence and impact of chemotherapy-associated food aversions in a variety of cancer types.

Methods: Cancer patients aged 18 years and older who received chemotherapy infusions at the outpatient chemotherapy unit of a university hospital between May 2022 and April 2023 were included in the study (n = 243). To monitor the occurrence of food aversions, participants were asked to complete a food preference questionnaire each time they visited the outpatient chemotherapy unit.

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Objectives: Endoscopic closures of mucosal defects following endoscopic resection can be challenging and time-consuming. The novel through-the-scope suture device has demonstrated acceptable closure times, but its learning curve is still unknown. This study aims to evaluate the number of cases required to achieve competency in this device.

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Background: There is a lack of evidence regarding the trajectories of type 2 diabetes until the first clinic visit, including the untreated period after diagnosis.

Objective: We aimed to determine the real-world history of type 2 diabetes until the first clinic visit, including the untreated duration, and to assess the effective timing of the therapeutic intervention.

Methods: A total of 23,622 nondiabetic Japanese workers with a mean (SD) age of 38.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study aimed to create a new treatment for unresectable advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (UR-PDAC) using a combination of a WT1 peptide vaccine and multiagent chemotherapy, focusing on patient safety and immune responses.
  • Nine patients with various stages of UR-PDAC participated in the trial, receiving chemotherapy followed by a dendritic cell vaccine designed to enhance immune response against the cancer.
  • Results showed that those with long-term immune responses from the vaccine had significantly better clinical outcomes, with several patients eligible for successful surgeries, and those responding positively were alive for at least 4.5 years post-treatment.
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Extracellular hydrolysis of the phosphate esters of B vitamins (B1, B2, and B6) is crucial for their cellular uptake and metabolism. Although a few zinc-dependent enzymes have been implicated in these processes, their exact mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. This study investigated the potential involvement of phosphate group hydrolyzing enzymes in the hydrolysis of B vitamin phosphate esters.

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Background This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of older adults using cochlear implants (CIs) by focusing on how individual characteristics and speech perception are related to generic QOL ratings and utilizing the Health Utilities Index Mark III (HUI3) for assessment. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted with 19 participants aged ≥60 years, who were within one to five years post-implant activation. Data were obtained through self-administered questionnaires, including the HUI3 for generic QOL assessment and disease-specific indexes.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated how neurological symptoms impact the quality of life (QoL) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) using a comprehensive national database in Japan from 2015 to 2019.
  • - Analysis of data from 187 NF2 patients revealed that 31% to 55% experienced moderate to severe QoL impairment, with spinal dysfunction linked to deterioration across all QoL aspects, while speech issues and hemiparesis were tied to physical health-related QoL components.
  • - Key findings indicate that spinal dysfunction, along with facial nerve palsy and age between 25-64, significantly correlates with anxiety and depression, suggesting the need for targeted interventions for these
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Objectives: This study examined the association between cooperative work climate and business owners' attitudes toward work climate and help-seeking intentions for balancing medical treatment and job (BTJ) by occupation among employees of small companies.

Methods: In January 2024, we conducted an online survey of 1,800 full-time employees aged 20-64 years with no work restrictions due to illness working in small companies. After participants were provided a leaflet regarding BTJ, they were asked to indicate their intention to seek help in an imaginary situation where they had been diagnosed with cancer.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Three expert endoscopists reviewed images from both methods, with the primary focus on how consistently each method diagnosed SCC through kappa values, which measure the agreement between observers.
  • * Results showed that UTE had a comparable accuracy (87.2%) and agreement (0.74) to ME (86.0% accuracy, 0.84 agreement), indicating that UTE is a reliable tool for diagnosing SSCC without significant differences in performance when compared to ME. *
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Background: The essential trace element zinc is important in stabilizing pancreatic insulin secretion. Zinc not only influences the synthesis of insulin but also affects its activity. Insulin not only exerts a hypoglycemic effect but also regulates glucose and lipid metabolisms in insulin target organs.

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Background: Public health professionals have prepared and distributed many messages and materials to convince the public to adopt healthy behaviors or reduce risky behaviors. However, health promotion materials do not always have the desired effect due to a lack of ability to engage target audience. This study examined the effectiveness of humor appeal (i.

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Background: This study examined the association between dermatological, neurological, and bone manifestations of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with NF1 using a nationwide database of all patients who newly claimed for medical expense subsidies in Japan from 2015 to 2019.

Methods: The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare provided the "National Database of Designated Intractable Diseases of Japan" containing clinical and personal records ("Medical Certificates of Designated Intractable Diseases") of all patients with NF1 following approval of the study protocol. To examine the association between the severity of symptoms and QoL, multinominal logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusted for potential confounders.

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In a Japanese chemical factory, lung diseases such as pneumoconiosis have been reported among workers handling cross-linked water-soluble acrylic acid polymers (CWAAP). Our previous study reported that a single intratracheal administration of CWAAP induces acute inflammation and fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of multiple intratracheal administrations of CWAAP on inflammatory responses and pulmonary fibrosis along with inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissues (iBALT) formation, which is involved in allergic inflammation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI) improves the visibility of gastric neoplasms compared to traditional white light imaging (WLI), using both conventional and newly developed endoscopes.
  • A study involved patients with gastric neoplasms, where endoscopists scored the visibility of these neoplasms under different imaging modalities, revealing TXI provided significantly better visibility than WLI.
  • Overall, using the newer endoscopes led to better visibility scores across all imaging types, highlighting TXI's effectiveness without any specific factors affecting its benefits.
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Background: This study aimed to examine population-based characteristics of non-fatal self-harm in an urban area during pre- and peri-pandemic periods of COVID-19 by sex, age, and severity of self-harm, using pre-hospital medical emergency records.

Methods: We used a registry of all pre-hospital medical records of self-harm cases that occurred in Kawasaki City, Japan, between January 2018 and December 2021. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Poisson regression models with the log-transformed population by year, sex, age group, and ward as an offset term.

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Background: Students and workers have been subjected to increased levels of psychological distress due to the quarantine policy and containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This scoping review aimed to present an overview of published evidence regarding formal and informal help-seeking intentions/behaviors for non-mental health-related issues as well as mental health-related issues among students and workers during the pandemic.

Methods: In June 2022, we searched MEDLINE, APA PsycNet, and CINAHL for articles reporting the state of help-seeking intentions/behaviors among students and workers during the pandemic.

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Article Synopsis
  • Involuntary non-regular employment is a widespread issue that negatively impacts employees’ mental health, with findings from a study in Japan involving 1566 participants.
  • The study identified that those in involuntary non-regular jobs experienced more mental health problems, like fatigue, anxiety, and depression, particularly among women and men with lower income.
  • There is an urgent need for policy changes to promote job stability and mental health support for those in non-regular employment to address these significant health concerns.
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Background/aim: Surgical resection is recommended for nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NF-pNENs). However, metastasis is rare in patients with small lesions with histological grade 1 (G1); thus, observation is an optional treatment approach for small NF-pNENs. Texture analysis (TA) is an imaging analysis mode for quantification of heterogeneity by extracting quantitative parameters from images.

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Background: For patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), maintaining an independent state of living is important. The present study aimed to examine the loss of social independence (i.e.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the metastasis rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) that invades the muscularis mucosae, focusing on how lymphovascular invasion (LVI) impacts this rate based on immunohistochemical (IHC) staining.
  • - Out of 104 analyzed patients with pT1a-MM ESCC, the positive rate for LVI was 43.3%, and while those without LVI had a 5.1% metastasis rate, those with LVI receiving additional therapy faced a 20.8% rate, while those without additional therapy had a 0% rate.
  • - The study found that lesion size of 25 mm or more was the only significant
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To characterize the clinical features of long COVID, 286 patients who received care in our outpatient clinic for long COVID from May to December 2021 were surveyed. The recovery periods of each symptom and the key factors contributing to early recovery were statistically analysed. The median age of the patients was 35.

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Background And Aims: The need for mastering standard imaging techniques for convex EUS in the biliopancreatic regions has been increasing; however, large variations in the aptitude for achieving EUS competency hinder expert development. Therefore, we investigated the factors influencing the achievement of expert competency in EUS using a new assessment tool for multiple imaging items.

Methods: Between January 2018 and February 2022, 3277 consecutive EUS procedures conducted by 5 beginners (EUS procedures <250), 7 intermediate trainees (250-749), and 2 experts (≥750) were prospectively evaluated.

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