Publications by authors named "Oura M"

Article Synopsis
  • The article describes the creation of the first ultrasound system for continuous monitoring of brain tissue pulsations (BTPs) using transcranial Doppler (TCD) technology.
  • A lightweight, wearable probe called Transcranial Tissue Doppler (TCTD) was developed to measure tissue motion and was tested successfully with existing TCD hardware.
  • The new system, Brain Tissue Velocimetry (Brain TV), can capture BTP data in real-time alongside other vital physiological measurements and shows potential for clinical assessment in healthy and stroke patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Multiple myeloma (MM) cells and osteoclasts (OCs) activate with each other to cause drug resistance. Human Th1-like Vγ9Vδ2 (γδ) T cells, important effectors against tumors, can be expanded and activated ex vivo by the aminobisphosphonate zoledronic acid in combination with IL-2. We previously reported that the expanded γδ T cells effectively targeted and killed OCs as well as MM cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent successes in the cultivation of DPANN archaea with their hosts have demonstrated an episymbiotic lifestyle, whereas the lifestyle of DPANN archaea in natural habitats is largely unknown. A free-living lifestyle is speculated in oxygen-deprived fluids circulated through rock media, where apparent hosts of DPANN archaea are lacking. Alternatively, DPANN archaea may be detached from their hosts and/or rock surfaces.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Bone marrow tests revealed he had myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm, which later transitioned into acute myeloid leukemia six months later, despite a temporary improvement after stopping tocilizumab.
  • * After receiving unrelated bone marrow stem cell transplantation and chemotherapy, he achieved complete remission, with both his leukemia and joint pain improving post-treatment, highlighting the risks of malignancies in JIA patients on immunosuppressive therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Soluble B-cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) is overexpressed on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. We investigated whether sBCMA levels correlated with other myeloma tumor volume indicators and its utility in monitoring oligo-secretory/non-secretory (O-S/Non-S) MM. In 115 patients with newly diagnosed MM, sBCMA was compared with M-protein levels, bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and total diffusion volume (tDV; estimated by whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging) at diagnosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: This study investigated the muscle fat fraction (FF) and muscle-related parameters before and after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods: Fat and water signals were derived from the in-phase and out-of-phase MR signal intensities of the pelvis and thigh using the two-point Dixon technique. They were analysed using Synapse Vincent, and muscle quality was evaluated using the FF.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Tests showed that a radionuclide was leaking into her abdominal cavity, indicating a problem with her lymphatic vessels.
  • * Treatment with lymphangiography using Lipiodol successfully resolved the chylous ascites, suggesting this method can diagnose and treat lymphatic vessel injuries in similar cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is integral in treating hematologic malignancies but carries risks of severe toxicities due to prolonged MTX exposure. However, knowledge of delayed MTX excretion is primarily derived from pediatric and adolescent cohorts, with the reported predictors being presented as rough dichotomous values. This study aimed to identify risk factors for delayed MTX excretion exclusively in adult patients with hematologic malignancies and develop a more applicable predictive nomogram based on continuous clinical and laboratory variables.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hexavalent iridium (Ir) oxide is predicted to be more active and stable than any other iridium oxide for the oxygen evolution reaction in acid; however, its experimental realization remains challenging. In this work, we report the synthesis, characterization, and application of atomically dispersed Ir oxide (Ir-) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. The Ir- was synthesized by oxidatively substituting the ligands of potassium hexachloroiridate(IV) (KIrCl) with manganese oxide (MnO).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Various opportunistic infections develop during immunodeficiency due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The treatment options for malignant lymphoma (ML) and toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) are completely different; therefore, their discrimination is critical. A 25-year-old female of foreign nationality had been experiencing headaches for several weeks and suddenly developed convulsions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

As multiple myeloma (MM) progresses, immune effector cells decrease in number and function and become exhausted. This remains an insurmountable clinical issue that must be addressed by development of novel modalities to revitalize anti-MM immunity. Human Vγ9Vδ2 T (Vδ2 γδ T) cells serve as the first line of defense against pathogens as well as tumors and can be expanded ex vivo from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) upon treatment with amino-bisphosphonates in combination with IL-2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In order to elucidate the relationship between pretreatment radiomic parameters and the proportions of various tumor-infiltrating (TI) cells, we retrospectively analyzed the association of total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) and TI cells on biopsied tumor lesions in 171 patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The surface markers of TI cells were analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry using a dissected single-cell suspension. In examining the correlation between TI cells and positron-emission tomography-derived parameters (maximum standardized uptake value [SUVmax], total metabolic tumor volume [TMTV], and total lesion glycolysis), intratumoral cell types minimally influenced the results, except for a weak negative correlation between CD4+ cells and SUVmax (R=-0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study investigated whether baseline or alteration in muscle mass affects complications during chemotherapy or overall survival (OS) in haematological malignancies.

Methods: Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) was evaluated by bioimpedance analysis before and after chemotherapy in patients with haematological malignancies, and the association between muscle mass and clinical data was retrospectively analysed.

Results: Exactly 104 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 62.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese outline target values for macronutrients like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates but lack specific reference values for amino acids (AAs) and fatty acids (FAs).
  • The study evaluated AAs and FAs based on the Food Exchange Lists-Dietary Guidance for Persons with Diabetes, using 15 daily meal patterns with varying carbohydrate percentages and energy levels to analyze their nutritional composition.
  • Findings indicated that while no significant differences in AAs were found across different carbohydrate levels, there were notable variations in FA profiles, highlighting the need to assess diets using both AAs and FAs for better nutritional quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Hyperthermia, a treatment that involves raising body temperature, shows promise when combined with carfilzomib for treating multiple myeloma (MM), which currently has no cure.
  • The study found that mild hyperthermia at 43℃ could lead to the death of MM cells over time and enhance the effectiveness of carfilzomib, especially in cells that usually resist this drug.
  • The combination works by reducing certain protective proteins in MM cells and preventing the recovery of a key enzyme after carfilzomib treatment, indicating a potential new strategy for tackling drug-resistant forms of this cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Resistance to proteasome inhibitors (PIs) has emerged as an important clinical issue. We investigated the mechanisms underlying multiple myeloma (MM) cell resistance to PIs. To mimic their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) profiles, MM cells were treated with bortezomib and carfilzomib for 1 h at concentrations up to 400 and 1,000 nM, respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We aimed to improve prognostic predictors in patients with transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma (TIE-MM) by combining baseline circulating clonal tumor cells (CTCs) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) findings. The factors associated with prognosis were retrospectively investigated in 126 patients with TIE-MM who underwent CTC quantification by multiparameter flow cytometry and PET/CT at the initial presentation. The total lesion glycolysis (TLG) level was calculated using the Metavol software.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Hyperammonemia is a serious adverse effect of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) administration. Hemodialysis can be used for its management, but detailed data on the concentrations and removal rate of 5FU and its metabolites during hemodialysis remain unclear. Here, we present two cases of hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease who received concurrent 5FU infusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL) remains incurable. The NF-κB and interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) signalling pathways are among the critical survival pathways for the progression of ATL. TGF-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), an IκB kinase-activating kinase, triggers the activation of NF-κB.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The precise mechanism and determinants of brain tissue pulsations (BTPs) are poorly understood, and the impact of blood pressure (BP) on BTPs is relatively unexplored. This study aimed to explore the relationship between BP parameters (mean arterial pressure [MAP] and pulse pressure [PP]) and BTP amplitude, using a transcranial tissue Doppler prototype.

Methods: A phantom brain model generating arterial-induced BTPs was developed to observe BP changes in the absence of confounding variables and cerebral autoregulation feedback processes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Fluoropyrimidines are anticancer drugs and can cause hyperammonemia both intravenously and orally. Renal dysfunction may interact with fluoropyrimidine to cause hyperammonemia. We performed quantitative analyses of hyperammonemia using a spontaneous report database to examine the frequency of intravenously and orally administered fluoropyrimidine, the reported frequency of fluoropyrimidine-related regimens, and fluoropyrimidine's interactions with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF