Publications by authors named "Okuyama M"

Herein, we report a case of pregnancy of a female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) that was subjected to artificial insemination (AI) in water based on its estrous behavior using simple instruments. AI was performed on this female dolphin once or twice daily for 4 days at the detection of estrous behavior, such as floating horizontally and showing reduced responsiveness, likely indicating the appropriate timing for AI. The female was placed in supine a position in the water to position the genital slit above the water surface.

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  • * A study looked at patients with sepsis and divided them into two groups: those with kidney problems (AKI) and those without.
  • * After a blood treatment called cPED, APN levels went up in both groups, suggesting it could be helpful for people with sepsis.
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  • The study aimed to examine bear-related trauma in Japan, focusing on injury patterns, outcomes, and treatment approaches.
  • Conducted in 2023 at Akita University Hospital, it analyzed medical records of 20 patients, revealing most injuries occurred in human habitats, primarily affecting the face.
  • Results showed that the majority of patients required emergency interventions, such as surgery and ICU care, with a notable percentage experiencing significant long-term effects, emphasizing the need for better preventive strategies and treatment protocols.
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are generally considered low-pathogenicity organisms but can occasionally cause severe infections. We report a severe case of infective endocarditis caused by complicated by multifocal mycotic aneurysms in an immunocompetent patient who consumed probiotic drinks daily. He had a history of hypertension and aortic valve regurgitation.

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Background: Direct reinfusion of pericardial blood during cardiac surgery triggers a systemic inflammatory response. Although various inflammatory mediators have been identified as triggers, the role of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) remains poorly understood. Despite guidelines recommending against this practice owing to its harmful effects, it is sometimes used in emergencies.

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We recently found two α-L-glucosidases, which can hydrolyze -nitrophenyl α-L-glucopyranoside (PNP L-Glc) rather than -nitrophenyl α-L-fucopyranoside, in glycoside hydrolase family 29. This study evaluated their substrate specificity for -nitrophenyl α-L-rhamnopyranoside (PNP L-Rha), α-L-quinovopyranoside (PNP L-Qui), and α-L-xylopyranoside (PNP L-Xyl), of which structure is similar to PNP L-Glc. The two α-L-glucosidases had little activity toward PNP L-Rha.

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The presence of an intraperitoneal source of infection, e.g., a liver abscess, can be an obstacle to performing an abdominal aortic surgery with a midline laparotomy because graft infection is one of the most critical complications of aortic surgery.

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Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are leading prebiotics that help keep the gut healthy and aid wellness by stimulating the growth and activity of beneficial intestinal bacteria. The best-studied FOS are inulin-type FOS, mainly oligosaccharides with β-Fruf-(2→1)-Fruf linkages, including 1-kestose [β-Fruf-(2→1)-β-Fruf-(2↔1)-α-Glcp] and nystose [β-Fruf-(2→1)-β-Fruf-(2→1)-β-Fruf-(2↔1)-α-Glcp]. However, the properties of other types of FOS-levan-type FOS with β-Fruf-(2→6)-Fruf linkages and neo-type FOS with β-Fruf-(2→6)-Glcp linkages-remain ambiguous because efficient methods have not been established for their synthesis.

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  • A study in Japan examined pediatric patients aged 0-19 who died from SARS-CoV-2 infection between January and September 2022, identifying 62 cases and analyzing detailed medical information from 53 of those patients.
  • Of the patients with internal causes of death, 15% were infants under 1 year old, 59% had no underlying health conditions, and 88% of those eligible for vaccination had not been vaccinated.
  • Key findings showed that 46% experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, nonrespiratory symptoms were more prevalent than respiratory symptoms, and the primary suspected causes of death were central nervous system and cardiac abnormalities; the study emphasizes close monitoring of pediatric patients in the week following symptom onset
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  • Immunization is crucial for public health, but adverse events following immunization (AEFI) can occur, necessitating effective safety monitoring and relief systems.
  • The article reviews Japan's AEFI monitoring system and its unique compensation system for those affected.
  • It also discusses current challenges in AEFI monitoring and introduces proposed future immunization-related systems in Japan.
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The establishment and maintenance of a pregnancy requires proper interaction between the endocrine and immune systems in the uterus. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how changes in endometrial cytokine levels facilitate reproduction. This study aimed to investigate how representative cytokines sequentially changed in the endometrium and whether conception could be attributed to these changes.

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  • The central nervous system's glial cells are primarily made up of astrocytes, whose impairment is linked to various disorders.
  • Researchers are trying to explore how to analyze astrocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to understand their roles in disease conditions.
  • By modifying differentiation protocols and evaluating functions like cytokine release and calcium influx, the study developed a method to model astrocyte-related diseases, specifically Alexander disease, using iPSC-derived astrocytes.
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Campylobacter spp. is a widely recognized pathogen accountable for acute enteritis, frequently linked to sepsis, primarily attributed to C. jejuni.

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A 59-year-old male dialysis patient with a history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery underwent percutaneous coronary intervention of a right coronary artery with a severely calcified lesion. While debulking calcification using a Rotablator, the driveshaft was suddenly fractured. We attempted to move a child-in-mother catheter closer and across a second floppy wire and we dilated a 2.

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Unlabelled: A 27-year-old Japanese woman with a history of depression and an eating disorder presented to our emergency department with a chief complaint of generalized weakness. Electrocardiography showed prominent QT prolongation with multiple ventricular contractions. Chest X-ray plain computed tomography revealed pulmonary edema.

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Ruminant animals rely on the activities of -glucosidases from residential microbes to convert feed fibers into glucose for further metabolic uses. In this report, we determined the structures of Br2, which is a glycoside hydrolase family 1 -glucosidase from the bovine rumen metagenome. Br2 folds into a classical (/)-TIM barrel domain but displays unique structural features at loop 5→5 and -helix 5, resulting in different positive subsites from those of other GH1 enzymes.

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Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity and is commonly attributed to various etiologies, including portal hypertension and peritoneal diseases. Hyperthyroidism is rarely associated with ascites, which is typically chylous and accompanied by high central venous pressure. We present a unique case of a 57-year-old woman with untreated hyperthyroidism who manifested non-chylous ascites without evidence of high venous pressure.

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A 65-year-old Japanese man without medical history presented with sudden onset lower abdominal pain to our emergency department. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed dissections of the inferior mesenteric artery and left renal artery with false lumen thrombosis without aortic dissection. He was immediately hospitalized, and conservative treatment was administered.

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BACKGROUND Heart failure is caused by coronary artery disease, valvular disease, and arrhythmias and is highly treatable with recent technology. However, the incidence of syphilis is increasing worldwide. This case report describes tertiary cardiovascular syphilis, accompanied by aortic regurgitation, syphilitic aortitis complicated by thrombus of the ascending aorta, and coronary artery occlusion, requiring percutaneous coronary artery intervention.

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Hypercortisolism is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes, including hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. It has been suggested that cardiovascular risk increases with increasing steroid use in patients taking oral steroids as immunosuppressive drugs. Cardiomyopathy is often reported to occur concomitantly in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

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Background: Measuring patient satisfaction is a crucial aspect of medical care. Advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques enable the extraction and analysis of high-level insights from textual data; nonetheless, data obtained from patients are often limited.

Objective: This study aimed to create a model that quantifies patient satisfaction based on diverse patient-written textual data.

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Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a marked increase in the inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-18. Blood purification therapy aimed at controlling cytokines is one treatment option; however, evidence of its effectiveness is needed. Plasma exchange with dialysis (PED) is a blood purification method involving selective plasma exchange with dialysate flowing through the outer hollow fiber of the plasma separator.

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