Publications by authors named "OKUMA K"

A multiomic study of the structural characteristics of type A and B influenza viruses by means of highly spectrally resolved Raman spectroscopy is presented. Three virus strains, A H1N1, A H3N2, and B98, were selected because of their known structural variety and because they have co-circulated with variable relative prevalence within the human population since the re-emergence of the H1N1 subtype in 1977. Raman signatures of protein side chains tyrosine, tryptophan, and histidine revealed unequivocal and consistent differences for pH characteristics at the virion surface, while different conformations of two C-S bond configurations in and methionine rotamers provided distinct low-wavenumber fingerprints for different virus lineages/subtypes.

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Aim: The risk of lymph node metastasis after endoscopic resection of high-risk T1 colorectal cancer prompts additional resection. However, age and comorbidities are considered in decision-making and some surgeons opt for observation. We compared the long-term outcomes of these approaches with the aim of clarifying the need for additional resection.

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Background: To analyze in a prospective study the long-term safety and efficacy of 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) for Japanese women with early breast cancer.

Methods: Breast cancer patients with pathological tumor size ≤ 3 cm, age ≥ 20 years, lumpectomy with at least a 5 mm margin, and ≤ 3 positive axillary nodes were eligible. APBI was delivered by 3D-CRT at a dose of 38.

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This study aimed to test the effectiveness of Raman spectroscopy in the characterization of the degrees of physiological stress and virulence in clinical swab samples collected from patients affected by oral candidiasis. Raman experiments were conducted on a series of eight isolates, both in an as-collected state and after biofilm purification followed by 3 days of culture. The outputs were matched to optical microscopy observations and the results of conventional chromogenic medium assays.

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Background And Purpose: Definitive radiotherapy for patients with scalp angiosarcoma has a poor prognosis, often resulting in severe skin adverse events. Additionally, malignant melanoma is known for its radioresistant nature. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) may address these challenges due to the high uptake capacity of boron drugs in these cancer types.

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  • The study investigates cancer cachexia's impact on physical function and daily activities in palliative cancer patients undergoing rehabilitation, emphasizing the need for tailored rehab programs based on cachexia severity.
  • A total of 135 patients were classified into categories based on the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), with 86% showing varying degrees of cachexia.
  • Findings suggest that mGPS and activities of daily living (ADL) assessments are important indicators of survival outcomes, highlighting their potential in improving patient prognosis.
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The observation of side-chain peaks of aromatic amino acids is the prerequisite for a high-resolution three-dimensional structure determination of proteins by NMR. However, it becomes difficult with increasing molecular size due to an increased transverse relaxation and the control of the relaxation pathway is needed to achieve the observation. We demonstrated that even for the large molecular size of 82 kDa Malate synthase G (MSG), the aromatic C-H (CH) peaks of Tryptophan (Trp) and Phenylalanine (Phe) residues can be observed with high quality using a systematic stable isotope labeling scheme, Stereo-Array Isotope Labeling (SAIL) method.

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  • STLV-1 is a retrovirus similar to HTLV-1 that causes adult T-cell leukemia and is highly prevalent in Japanese macaques, yet its molecular epidemiology hasn't been fully studied.
  • A study analyzed the complete genome sequences of STLV-1 from 68 JMs across 5 different troops, revealing high genome similarity within troops and low nucleotide diversity overall.
  • The findings suggest that the high homogeneity of STLV-1 genomes in JMs is partly due to the absence of G-to-A hypermutation, which is often seen in HTLV-1 in humans and African primates.
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  • The study evaluated how the introduction of durvalumab impacted the duration and tapering of corticosteroid therapy in patients with pneumonitis following chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer.
  • It analyzed medical records of 235 patients, revealing that those treated with durvalumab had longer corticosteroid therapy durations (17 weeks) and more frequent pneumonitis relapses compared to those who weren't (7 weeks and fewer relapses).
  • The findings suggest durvalumab complicates corticosteroid management for pneumonitis, providing insights for better patient care and clinical practice.
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Background: To protect the rectum and bladder from high dose exposure, the Japanese guidelines for managing uterine cervical carcinoma recommend pelvic irradiation with central shielding (CS). Conversely, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) and the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) guidelines recommend delivering ≥85 Gy to high-risk clinical target volume D (CTV D). In this study, we investigated whether a gel spacer can enable the safe delivery of the ESTRO/ABS-recommended doses to the target while observing dose constraints for the OARs without using CS in external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

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Ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EPHA2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed in a variety of cancers, including breast cancer. EPHA2 expression may be causally related to tumorigenesis; therefore, it is important to understand how expression is regulated. We previously reported that EPHA2 antisense RNA (EPHA2-AS), a natural antisense transcript, is an important modulator of EPHA2 mRNA levels and hence production of EPHA2 protein.

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[Purpose] The prognostic factors for patients with acute stroke who received usual care (mobilization ≥48 h after admission) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic factors that predict functional outcomes using evaluations performed immediately after onset in patients with acute cerebral infarction who received usual care from admission until discharge. [Participants and Methods] Participants with acute cerebral infarction admitted to five acute care hospitals in Tokyo and Saitama, Japan and prescribed physical therapy were included.

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This study investigates the neutralizing activity against the XBB1.5 variant and the ancestral strain in a population post-bivalent vaccination using a pseudo virus assay validated with authentic virus assay. While bivalent booster vaccination and past infections enhanced neutralization against the XBB 1.

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  • The study evaluated the effectiveness of hands-on training (HoT) and surveys on 3D image-guided brachytherapy (3D-IGBT) and hybrid brachytherapy (HBT) for cervical cancer among 29 healthcare professionals in Japan.
  • Participants completed questionnaires before and after the training, revealing key concerns like applicator insertion, human resource shortages, and pain management; feedback led to adjustments in the HoT content.
  • Post-training, a significant reduction in anxiety was noted across all professions, with an average satisfaction score of 9.52 out of 10, indicating that the tailored HoT was successful in addressing participants' concerns.
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Endoscopic resection (ER) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is evaluated pathologically, and additional treatment is recommended for cases resulting in non-curative resection, defined as pMM with lymphovascular invasion (LVI), pSM, or positive vertical margin. This study aimed to assess long-term outcomes and risk factors for recurrence in patients with ESCC treated with non-curative ER followed by additional chemoradiotherapy (CRT). We retrospectively reviewed the clinical courses of patients who underwent non-curative ER followed by additional CRT for ESCCs between August 2007 and December 2017.

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  • * A 73-year-old woman with cervical cancer received targeted radiation treatment, where traditional methods fell short due to the proximity of her sigmoid colon, necessitating the injection of hydrogel into the meso-sigmoid.
  • * Results showed that using the hydrogel spacer successfully decreased the radiation dose to the sigmoid colon while still effectively targeting the high-risk areas of cancer, suggesting it as a viable technique for similar cases.
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Background: Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) has a poor prognosis, although recent treatments, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapy, have improved the prognosis. However, these systemic therapies have been reported to be less efficient for Asian patients. We investigated the survival of Asian patients with MBM and the effectiveness of systemic therapies.

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  • Radiation therapy can cause late adverse events due to difficulties in adhering to dose constraints for normal tissue, with spacers potentially reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues during gynecologic brachytherapy.
  • Variability in tissue resistance affects the placement of spacers, with different tissues offering unique characteristics that can be utilized in surgical procedures, such as pelvic organ prolapse surgery and radical hysterectomies.
  • Effective spacer injection can improve patient safety and therapy effectiveness, requiring precision and proper anatomical understanding during administration.
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  • The World Health Organization estimates that 5-10 million people are infected with HTLV-1, but this number could be low due to limited data.
  • Reliable data exists for only about 1.5 billion people worldwide, leaving many infections potentially undetected.
  • The study evaluates a new rapid test, Espline HTLV-I/II, which could enhance our ability to quickly and easily identify HTLV-1 infections without needing expensive lab equipment.
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Raman spectroscopy was applied to study the structural differences between herpes simplex virus Type I (HSV-1) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Raman spectra were first collected with statistical validity on clusters of the respective virions and analyzed according to principal component analysis (PCA). Then, average spectra were computed and a machine-learning approach applied to deconvolute them into sub-band components in order to perform comparative analyses.

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  • This study presents the first case of using a linear accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) system to treat a patient with cutaneous malignant melanoma in a clinical trial that started in November 2019.
  • A patient with a localized melanoma who opted out of surgery and chemotherapy received BNCT after being administered boronophenylalanine (BPA), leading to a gradual improvement in their condition over 12 months.
  • While the patient experienced some mild side effects, there were no serious adverse events, indicating that accelerator-based BNCT could be a promising new treatment option for this type of cancer.
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The latest RNA genomic mutation of SARS-CoV-2 virus, termed the Omicron variant, has generated a stream of highly contagious and antibody-resistant strains, which in turn led to classifying Omicron as a variant of concern. We systematically collected Raman spectra from six Omicron subvariants available in Japan (i.e.

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  • The study focused on tracking the movements of the uterus during radiation treatment in patients with cervical cancer, using MR imaging to analyze changes in uterus and cervix positioning as well as bladder and rectal volume effects.
  • Findings indicated that the uterus moved more than the cervix and was more closely linked to bladder movements, which could affect treatment dosage.
  • The research underlines the importance of adjusting treatment plans in real-time for moving organs, suggesting that personalized planning is necessary to ensure effective radiation delivery, though this can lead to longer treatment times.
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  • Stem cell therapy, particularly human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs), shows potential in regenerative medicine and is easily harvested for applications in plastic surgery, including fat grafting and wound healing.
  • Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), rich in growth factors like PDGF, enhances hASC proliferation, adhesion, and migration by activating key signaling pathways such as AKT and ERK1/2.
  • PRP treatment proves to be more effective than PDGF alone in promoting hASC movement and adhesion, leading to improved cell growth and therapeutic outcomes.
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