Publications by authors named "Mukai K"

Formic acid (HCOOH) is one of the essential molecules for CO utilization including methanol synthesis and hydrogen carriers. In this study, we have investigated the chemical processes of hydrogen and HCOOH on a dilute-alloy Pd-Cu(111) surface using high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The present Pd-Cu(111) surface was prepared at 500 K, and the observed core-level shifts of Pd 3d indicate that Pd atoms were located at the surface and subsurface sites: 335.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) plays an important role in the diagnosis of pancreatobiliary diseases. However, an appropriate sedation method for EUS has not been established. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the safety and complications of sedation with pentazocine or pethidine hydrochloride for outpatient diagnostic EUS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the skeletal muscle transcriptomic response unique to rest duration during high-intensity interval exercise. Thoroughbred horses performed three 1-min bouts of exercise at their maximal oxygen uptake (10.7-12.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 70-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed with a single hepatic mass lesion in his right hepatic lobe during a computed tomography scan. The lesion exhibited consistent enhancement with contrast agents on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and hepatic arterial angiography. While a definitive diagnosis could not be made preoperatively, the lesion was surgically resected due to its slight enlargement over two months, suggesting a potential malignancy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Superdense phase between graphite and Li metal, Li, has been significant in the research on both lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and graphite intercalated compounds (GICs). However, a detailed method for synthesizing Li remains unknown owing to the limited information regarding Li and difficulties in distinguishing Li from Li. Thus, we performed in situ X-ray diffraction measurements on samples with the nominal composition of Li under high pressures and temperatures of up to 10 GPa and 400 , respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Treatment strategies for preventing liver fibrosis have not yet been established. Letrozole, widely used for breast cancer, has recently been reported to suppress liver fibrosis in murine models. Therefore, we aimed to validate the suppressive effects of letrozole on liver fibrosis in the clinical setting.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

There are differences in the responsiveness to differential diagnostic tests for Cushing's disease (CD), corticotroph tumor size, and the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) 5 expression in corticotroph tumors between CD patients. The differences in SSTR5 expression are particularly significant for identifying therapeutic targets for CD. However, prospective predictors of SSTR5 expression remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The infra-red video bolometer (IRVB) is a diagnostic equipped with an infra-red camera that measures the total radiated power in thousands of lines of sight within a large field of view. Recently validated in MAST-U [Fderici et al., Rev.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Myxedema coma is a severe and rare complication of hypothyroidism resulting in various body system failures, including neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular issues.
  • From 2010 to 2022, our hospital treated three cases of myxedema coma, which showed similar characteristics to past reports, but all were negative for thyroid autoantibodies, with one case revealing end-stage thyroiditis during autopsy.
  • A review of cases from 1999 to 2022 indicated that many instances of myxedema coma were linked to seronegative primary hypothyroidism, particularly notable in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Recent advancements in targeted protein degradation, particularly utilizing Lysosome-Targeting Chimeras (LYTACs), enable effective clearance of extracellular proteins through unique mechanisms involving the mannose 6-phosphate receptor (M6PR).
  • A novel method has been developed to create site-specific antibody-mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) conjugates using a synthetic M6P glycan called bisM6P combined with an engineered antibody devoid of effector functions, allowing for selective targeting.
  • This M6P-conjugated antibody successfully internalizes and degrades target proteins like human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in cancer and immune cells, through the endo-
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cortisol-producing adrenal adenomas consist of a mixture of lipid-rich clear and lipid-poor compact cells in varying proportions. Most adenomas are mainly composed of lipid-rich clear cells and typically exhibit low computed tomography (CT) attenuation values, high uptake on I-adosterol scintigraphy, and mild accumulation on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT. However, adenomas predominantly composed of lipid-poor compact cells are rare, with limited evidence regarding their imaging characteristics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Protection of horse welfare during transport is crucial. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of head and neck restraint on behavior and airway bacteria.

Methods: In a randomized crossover study, six healthy Thoroughbreds were transported by road for 22 h in an individual bay with tight head restraint (50 cm short-rope) or loose head restraint (95 cm long-rope).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study evaluates the effectiveness of different modern wound dressings (hydrocolloid, film, form, and gauze) on wound healing in both healthy (C57BL/6J) and diabetic (db/db) mice.
  • All wild-type mice healed by day 14, but db/db mice showed incomplete healing, particularly in form and gauze groups where the wounds remained dry.
  • Hydrocolloid and film dressings were found to be the most suitable for managing both acute and chronic diabetic wounds, suggesting their use based on specific healing needs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Antiapoptotic protein, including Mcl-1, expression is frequently observed in pancreatic cancer. Gemcitabine plus nabpaclitaxel (GnP) is the standard chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC); however, predictive markers for its efficacy remain unestablished. This study evaluated the association between GnP's therapeutic effects and Mcl-1 expression in tissue samples obtained using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for pancreatic tumor or percutaneous ultrasound-guided biopsy for metastatic liver tumor.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I mediates long-term activities that determine cell fate, including cell proliferation and differentiation. This study aimed to characterize the mechanisms by which IGF-I determines cell fate from the aspect of IGF-I signaling dynamics. In L6 myoblasts, myogenic differentiation proceeded under low IGF-I levels, whereas proliferation was enhanced under high levels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A new type of large area sensor for infrared imaging bolometers has been developed. It replaces the thin and fragile free-standing metal foils, which typically have been used, with a multi-layer coated sapphire (or diamond) substrate. Sapphire is transparent to mid-infrared wavelengths, is robust against transients, and can be thick enough to even be the vacuum window.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: Nursing care activities conducted at night tend to disturb their sleep, but to our knowledge, no nocturnal care protocols for pressure injury prevention have been established. This scoping review aimed to map the nocturnal care for pressure injury prevention and propose nocturnal care recommendations that have a reduced impact on the patient's care environment.

Methods: Literature databases were searched and two independent researchers screened the articles according to the inclusion criteria and extracted the data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Long-term exposure to BAC resulted in significant changes in testis structure, gene expression related to reproduction, and reduced sperm viability, while ovaries showed minimal changes.
  • * BAC exposure led to a significant decrease in the reproductive performance of medaka, including lower fecundity and fertilization rates, underscoring the negative effects of BAC on aquatic ecosystems and the need for further research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * An abscopal effect, where treatment effects occur in non-irradiated areas, can be linked to radiation-induced immune responses, but its clinical significance in immunotherapy is still unclear due to limited cases.
  • * A case study showed that after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), the combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab led to a complete response in a patient with advanced HCC, highlighting the potential of combining these therapies post-radiotherapy for improving treatment outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the detection of gBRCA mutations in pancreatic cancer patients and the effectiveness of olaparib maintenance therapy for those mutations.
  • Out of 84 patients tested, 11.9% had gBRCA mutations, with a higher mutation rate found in individuals with a family history of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC).
  • Most patients who received olaparib after platinum-based chemotherapy showed positive responses, with a median treatment duration of 17.5 months for chemotherapy and 11 months for olaparib maintenance therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF