Publications by authors named "Nakai A"

Background: Despite advances in treatment, the incidence of postoperative complications following pancreatectomy remains high, leading to frequent hospital readmissions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative exercise tolerance and the likelihood of unplanned readmission in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included 88 patients who underwent pancreatectomy at a single institution between July 2019 and September 2022 and focused on patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

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The acquisition of chopstick skills is considered essential for child development and etiquette in many Asian cultures. However, a decline in chopstick education has been observed in Japan, and the underlying causes of this phenomenon remain elusive. This study aims to investigate children's chopstick skills and develop an objective method to evaluate them using a hand posture estimation model.

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Objectives: In addition to an aging population, the number of single-person households is increasing in semi-mountainous areas. The nutritional status of older adults living alone has also been studied as they are prone to undernutrition. In this study, we aimed to develop a risk prediction model and a simple assessment sheet for screening undernutrition using factors related to food environment accessibility among older adults living alone in semi-mountainous areas.

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This study aimed to assess long-term changes in pregnancy and birth outcomes after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture. This is the final report on perinatal outcomes of the Prefectural Health Survey, which ended after a 10-year observation period. Questionnaires based on a pregnancy and birth survey conducted by the Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey were sent to women who had received maternal and child health handbooks from municipal officers in Fukushima Prefecture.

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Article Synopsis
  • Advances in treatment have improved outcomes for pregnancies complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but maternal mortality remains high compared to other cardiovascular issues.
  • A review of six PAH-related maternal deaths from 2010 to 2022 revealed that most women were diagnosed with PAH after pregnancy, leading to delayed treatment.
  • Right heart failure was the leading cause of death, emphasizing the critical need for early diagnosis and timely administration of pulmonary vasodilators for better maternal health outcomes.
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Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) presents motor skill delays in early childhood and has been associated with later maladaptation, necessitating early intervention. However, research on the potential risk factors, particularly in preschool-aged children, remains scarce.

Aims: We aimed to explore the association between small for gestational age (SGA) and other factors and motor coordination problems in 5-6-year-olds from the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health Cohort.

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Heat shock response is characterized by the induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) or molecular chaperones that maintain protein homeostasis. Heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) plays a central role in heat shock response in mammalian cells. To investigate the impact of the heat shock response mechanism on steroidogenesis, we generated MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells deficient in HSF1 using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.

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The free base form of doubly meso-α linked N-confused porphyrin (NCP) tape 3 was successfully synthesized via Ir(I) mediated intramolecular coupling. The following silver complexation afforded the Ag(III) complex of doubly meso-α linked NCP tape 4. While 3 exhibited 38π aromatic characters, 4 exhibited not only 18π aromatic NCP-type characteristics but also a decent antiaromatic contribution of 12π pyrrolo[2,3-f]indole segment, as probed by NMR spectra, absorption spectra, and DFT calculations.

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Background: Since the 1920s, motor development has been a strong research theme, focusing on infants' acquisition of motor skills, such as turning over and crawling. In the 1980s, a dynamic systems approach began emphasizing children's own motivation, which helped explain individual differences in the emergence of motor skills. However, few studies have examined factors contributing to individual differences in early motor development.

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Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are transcriptional factors that function as strong regulators of oxygen homeostasis and cellular metabolisms. The maintenance of cellular oxygen levels is critical as either insufficient or excessive oxygen affects development and physiologic and pathologic conditions. In the eye, retinas have a high metabolic demand for oxygen.

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The heat shock response (HSR) is a universal mechanism of cellular adaptation to elevated temperatures and is regulated by heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) or HSF3 in vertebrate endotherms, such as humans, mice, and chickens. We here showed that HSF1 and HSF3 from egg-laying mammals (monotremes), with a low homeothermic capacity, equally possess a potential to maximally induce the HSR, whereas either HSF1 or HSF3 from birds have this potential. Therefore, we focused on cellular adaptation to daily temperature fluctuations and found that HSF1 was required for the proliferation and survival of human cells under daily temperature fluctuations.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates whether oral probiotics, specifically Clostridium butyricum, can reduce the rate of recurrent spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD) among pregnant women with a history of sPTD, with a focus on understanding their potential role in pregnancy maintenance.
  • This is a multicenter, nonblinded clinical trial set in Japan, aiming to enroll 345 participants to evaluate various outcomes related to sPTD over a period expected to conclude in March 2025.
  • Results from this research will provide insights into the effectiveness of probiotics and potentially influence clinical guidelines and future studies on managing preterm deliveries.
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Motor skills have been linked to executive functions (EFs) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). However, the traits of other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, remain overlooked. Therefore, this study explored the association between motor skills, occupational performance, and mental health in older kindergarten children with DCD and other NDDs.

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Introduction: Estimated continuous cardiac output (esCCO) is a novel technology that enables non-invasive and continuous monitoring of cardiac output. We compared the concordance in accuracies among esCCO measurements in the shunt limb and non-shunt limb.

Methods: In this single-center prospective observational study, we include Japanese patients who underwent dialysis at our center between April 27, 2021, and February 28, 2023.

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Ni porphyrin (P) and Ni 5,15-diazaporphyrin (DAP) hybrid tapes were synthesized by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of - or β-borylated P with β-brominated DAP followed by intramolecular oxidative fusion reactions. -β doubly linked hybrid tapes were synthesized by oxidation of singly linked precursors with DDQ-FeCl. Synthesis of triply linked hybrid tapes was achieved by oxidation with DDQ-FeCl-AgOTf with suppression of peripheral β-chlorination.

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It is recommended that health promotion activities in the community focus on residents' strengths. Hence, this study explored the community strengths perceived by older adults living alone in a semi-mountainous rural region of Japan. A qualitative, descriptive approach was used.

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Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with oocyte maturation inhibition, and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) partially reduces their harmful effects. Mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin ligase 1 (Mul1) localizes to the mitochondrial outer membrane. We found that female Mul1-deficient mice are infertile, and their oocytes contain high ROS concentrations.

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Article Synopsis
  • Efficient B cell migration in lymphoid organs is crucial for humoral immune responses and is directed by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that respond to chemokines.
  • The process involves phosphorylation of GPCRs by specific kinases, which influences β-arrestin-mediated signaling outcomes.
  • Recent research highlights the role of the COMMD3/8 complex in recruiting these kinases to chemoattractant receptors, indicating its potential as a therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases.
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Background: Cancer has been identified as a risk factor for severe illness and mortality in coronavirus disease (COVID-19), underscoring the importance of recommending COVID-19 vaccinations to patients with cancer. However, few reports have focused on the vaccination status and the incidence of adverse events among patients with cancer. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the vaccination status, incidence of adverse events, concerns, and anxiety related to COVID-19 vaccination among patients with cancer.

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The AP-2 transcription factors are crucial for regulating sleep in both vertebrate and invertebrate animals. In mice, loss of function of the transcription factor AP-2β (TFAP2B) reduces non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. When and where TFAP2B functions, however, is unclear.

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As a super-aging society, health promotion activities in local Japanese communities are increasingly essential. Developing the health-promotion programs must include the perspective of older people residing in these communities and what they believe to be their regional strengths. This study aimed to clarify the elements of regional strengths perceived by older people living in local Japanese communities from the literature review.

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Aim: This study aimed to investigate the current status of progestogen treatment for pregnant women at a high risk for preterm birth (PTB) in childbirth healthcare facilities in Japan.

Methods: A web-based nationwide questionnaire survey regarding progestogen use for prevention of PTB was conducted among childbirth healthcare facilities from 2019 to 2021.

Results: Valid responses were obtained from 528 facilities (25.

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Background: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy via intravitreal injection is an effective treatment for patients with abnormal ocular neovascularization, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). However, prolonged and frequent anti-VEGF treatment is associated with a risk of local and systemic adverse events, including geographic atrophy, cerebrovascular disease, and death. Furthermore, some patients do not adequately respond to anti-VEGF therapy.

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