Publications by authors named "Obayashi M"

Bovine lactoferrin (bLF) is a 77 kDa glycoprotein that is abundant in bovine breast milk and exerts various bioactive functions, including antibacterial and antiviral functions. Few studies have explored bLF activity against parasites. We found that bLF affects hemozoin synthesis by binding to heme, inhibiting heme iron polymerization necessary for Plasmodium berghei ANKA survival in infected erythrocytes, and also binds to hemozoin, causing it to disassemble.

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Background/aim: A few case reports of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms caused by amantadine intoxication have been published, detailing various types of symptoms and differing times to onset. We encountered a patient who developed CNS symptoms with amantadine. This prompted us to investigate the types, time to onset, and outcome of CNS adverse reactions to amantadine by analyzing data from a pharmacovigilance database.

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Background: We report a case of anaphylaxis induced by natto (fermented soybeans) allergy that occurred following dermal sensitization from a jellyfish sting.

Case Presentation: A 49-year-old male presented to the emergency room complaining of an acute onset of erythema with pruritis that appeared while he was surfing. Given that his heart rate dropped to ~ 40 bpm without a decline in blood pressure or oxygen saturation, we suspected anaphylaxis and administered 0.

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  • The study investigated whether a collaborative nursing care delivery system (4 nurses for 2 patients) could reduce patient safety events (PSEs) compared to a traditional system (1 nurse for 2 patients).
  • Conducted in Japan, the study compared outcomes for 561 patients in the traditional system with 401 patients in the collaborative system, including critical analyses of patient demographics.
  • Results indicated no significant difference in PSEs between the two groups, but the collaborative system showed a statistically significant decrease in occurrences of PSEs, suggesting its potential benefits in intensive care settings.
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  • * A retrospective analysis of 248 VLBWIs suggested that factors such as gestational age, birth weight, and enteral nutrition impact citrulline levels over time, indicating that these levels change as infants mature.
  • * Citrulline levels appear to reflect a shift from catabolism (breaking down) to synthesis (building up) that occurs as fetal growth progresses and after birth, positioning citrulline as a potential indicator for assessing intestinal health.
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Adolescent cannabis use increases the risk for cognitive impairments and psychiatric disorders. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (Cnr1) is expressed not only in neurons and astrocytes, but also in microglia, which shape synaptic connections during adolescence. However, the role of microglia in mediating the adverse cognitive effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, is not fully understood.

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Background: Small bowel cancer (SBC) is a rare malignancy that is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Palliative chemotherapy is the standard treatment for patients with metastatic SBC. The relevant literature on conversion surgery in patients who have responded favorably to chemotherapy is limited.

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Adolescent cannabis use increases the risk for cognitive impairments and psychiatric disorders. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (Cnr1) is expressed not only in neurons and astrocytes, but also in microglia, which shape synaptic connections during adolescence. Nonetheless, until now, the role of microglia in mediating the adverse cognitive effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, has been unexplored.

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  • - The intestinal immune system interacts with beneficial gut bacteria to keep a healthy balance, but stress can disrupt this balance and negatively affect brain function.
  • - Researchers found that a specific type of immune cell (γδ T cells) in the colon affects how individuals respond to chronic social stress, especially through a receptor called dectin-1.
  • - Reduced levels of certain beneficial bacteria, like Lactobacillus, lead to stress-related behavior changes, similar to those observed in people with depression, indicating a link between gut health and mental health.
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  • Pvs25, a protein from Plasmodium vivax, is being studied for use in a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine, but its expression is challenging due to its complex structure.
  • Researchers successfully expressed Pvs25 in silkworms, producing it in a form that did not require extensive purification, unlike other systems.
  • The Pvs25 protein from silkworms induced strong immune responses in mice and accurately targeted malaria parasites, highlighting its potential as a vaccine candidate.
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Introduction: The augmentation index (AIx) or central systolic blood pressure (SBP), measured by radial applanation tonometry, has been reported to be independently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in Japanese hypertensive patients. Cuff-based oscillometric measurement of the AIx using Mobil-O-Graph® showed a low or moderate agreement with the AIx measurement with other devices.

Methods: The AIx measured using the Mobil-O-Graph was validated against the tonometric measurements of the radial AIx measured using HEM-9000AI in 110 normotensive healthy individuals (age, 21-76 years; 50 men).

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This paper reports a case in which the patient has survived for 5 years and 6 months after recurrence of colorectal cancer by chemotherapy, and especially in regorafenib as fourth-line therapy has obtained stable disease(SD)for 2 years and 6 months. A man in his 70s underwent left hemicolectomy in the diagnosis of descending colon cancer. Four years and 4 months after the operation, abdominal CT revealed paraaortic lymph node metastasis.

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Background: Pancreatic juice is constantly activated by contaminated bile in patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). Here, we report a case of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for a patient with PBM and sphincterotomized papilla, resulting in fatal pancreatic fistula.

Case Presentation: A 79-year-old man was diagnosed with pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and common bile duct stones.

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We investigated the seismological structure beneath the equatorial Melanesian region, where is tectonically unique because an immense oceanic plateau, a volcanic chain and subduction zones meet. We conducted a multi-frequency P-wave tomography using data collected from an approximately 2-year-long seismic experiment around the Ontong Java Plateau (OJP). High-velocity anomalies were revealed beneath the center of the OJP at a depth of ~ 150 km, the middle-eastern edge of the OJP at depths of 200-300 km, and in the mantle transition zone beneath and around the OJP; low-velocity anomalies were observed along the Caroline volcanic island chain above 450 km depth.

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Background: The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC) is a risk-stratification reporting system that was introduced in 2018. The objective of this multi-institutional study was to evaluate the utility of the MSRSGC in Japan.

Methods: In total, 1608 fine-needle aspiration samples with matching histologic diagnoses were retrieved from 12 large institutions in Japan.

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Although there are a number of clinically effective treatments for depression, many patients exhibit treatment resistance. Recent clinical and preclinical studies reveal that peripheral and brain immune changes and inflammation are involved in the pathophysiology of depression. This 'Inflamed Brain' research provides critical clues for understanding of disease pathophysiology and many candidate molecules that are potentially useful for identifying novel drug targets for the treatment of depression.

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Background: The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is a tool to measure balance, however, no studies have shown its reliability between novice and expert raters.

Research Question: What is the inter-rater reliability of BESS measurements when performed by novice raters compared to experts, and does completion of a focused, online training module increase the inter-rater reliability among novice raters?

Methods: In this reliability study, 5 novice volunteers were asked to independently rate BESS tests from 50 random prerecorded BESS videos of normal healthy subjects aged 5-14. Novice raters regraded the same 50 videos after receiving a formal training.

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A 48-year-old man had convulsions, and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) showed diffuse constriction of the cerebral arteries. He was suspected of having primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) and treated with steroid for three days. The MRA abnormality disappeared after a week.

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A 85-year-old man was admitted due to vomiting. Abdominal CT showed the remarkable expansion of the stomach and the stenotic lesion in the third portion of the duodenum. Duodenal endoscopy showed a circular tumor of the third potion of the duodenum, and biopsy disclosed tubular adenocarcinoma.

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A 75-year-old man with a chief complaint of abdominal pain visited our hospital and was diagnosed with Stage Ⅳ gallbladder carcinoma that infiltrated the transverse colon with distant lymph node metastases. He received gemcitabine plus cisplatin chemotherapy, which led the primary lesion to shrink. However, transverse colon obstruction occurred, and semi- urgent right hemicolectomy and extended cholecystectomy were performed.

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Background: Therapy targeting programmed death-1 or programmed death-1 ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) has been developed for various solid malignant tumors, such as melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but this approach has little effect in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) is a rare pancreatic malignancy having unique morphology and is considered a variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although UCOGC has been reported to have better prognosis than conventional PDAC, the optimal treatment for UCOGC with distant metastases has not been determined.

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Background: Leakage of Ca from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is a critical contributing factor to heart failure pathophysiology. Therefore, reducing SR Ca leaks may provide significant additive benefits when used in combination with conventional therapies. Dantrolene, a drug routinely used to treat malignant hyperthermia, also stabilizes the cardiac isoform of the release channel (RyR2), thus decreasing SR Ca leaks.

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