Publications by authors named "SEKIGUCHI M"

Background: Sleep is a conserved physiological phenomenon across species. It is mainly controlled by two processes: a circadian clock that regulates the timing of sleep and a homeostat that regulates the sleep drive. Even cnidarians, such as Hydra and jellyfish, which lack a brain, display sleep-like states.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The root of Valeriana fauriei Briq. (VF) is a folk medicine registered in the Japanese Pharmacopeia 18th Edition. Valeriana plants have been utilized as sedatives and antidepressants in Europe, but only a few pharmacological reports have focused on VF.

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After corrective surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), patients can return to sports activities without restrictions. While there have been many reports of long-term disc degeneration between adjacent segments after posterior corrective fusion, the effects of sports activities on adjacent segments after corrective fusion surgery are not well understood. Particularly, cases of acquired spondylolysis after long fusion surgeries for scoliosis are rare.

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Purpose: Worsening sagittal alignment of the spine, particularly kyphosis, may cause difficulty in assuming a supine position, restricting sleeping posture and movement and potentially leading to sleep disturbances. However, no studies have explored the relationship between sagittal spinal alignment and sleep disturbance. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between sagittal spinal alignment and sleep disturbance.

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  • The study examined the types of bacteria found on finger skin before and after cleaning with ethanol, and compared them to the bacteria on smartphone touchscreens.
  • The results showed that the bacteria levels on smartphones were low, similar to the levels found on fingers after they were disinfected with ethanol.
  • Ethanol disinfection significantly decreased the number of bacteria on the fingers, reducing it to about 1/13 of the original amount.
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  • The study focuses on understanding the circadian clock's role in regulating daily biological processes by creating a detailed connectivity map of the Drosophila (fruit fly) brain.
  • Researchers found that the Drosophila circadian network has around 240 neurons, more than previously thought, and discovered new pathways for light input to these clock neurons.
  • They also investigated how the clock influences behaviors like feeding and reproduction through both direct and indirect connections, highlighting the importance of peptidergic signaling among clock neurons in enhancing network interconnectivity.
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Purpose: Investigating the status and challenges associated with radiological technologists acting as assistants during angiography and interventional radiology (IVR) through task shift/share.

Methods: The survey period was from August 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023. A 10-item questionnaire survey was conducted nationwide, targeting 676 hospitals equipped with angiography facilities.

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Amyloid polypeptide aggregation is considered one of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), and the number of affected patients increases as the population ages. Amyloid β (Aβ) found in the brain of patients with AD and human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) found in the pancreas of patients with T2D are thought to be cytotoxic during the aggregation process, especially the low-molecular-weight oligomers that are aggregation intermediates. In this study, meroterpenoids isolated and structurally determined from the brown alga Sargassum macrocarpum were evaluated for their ability to inhibit hIAPP aggregation.

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  • Researchers created a new Alzheimer’s disease (AD) model mouse using human tau protein to better understand microglial states related to tau pathology, which hasn't been thoroughly studied yet.
  • The study found that microglia associated with disease increased after tau accumulation, suggesting a shift from age-related microglia to a disease-associated profile in the brains of these model mice.
  • Advanced techniques like single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics were employed to highlight how tau propagation affects microglial behavior, paving the way for deeper insights into tau-related changes in the AD brain.
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Imidazole dipeptides (IDPs) are found in the skeletal muscles and brains of various animals, and they exhibit unique functions like antioxidant and antiaging properties. Despite their importance, the metabolic mechanisms and physiological roles of IDPs remain unclear. Herein, we propose a method for the simultaneous analysis of IDPs, their constituent amino acids, and taurine, which are difficult to separate using conventional labeling reagents or columns, using liquid chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometry with PBr column and our highly sensitive labeling reagent, 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-l-valine-,-dimethylethylenediamineamide (l-FDVDA).

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  • A new technique called underwater injection EMR (UI-EMR) was developed to improve the removal of submucosal tissue in T1 colorectal cancer (T1-CRC) while ensuring adequate margins.
  • A study involving 135 patients showed that UI-EMR achieved a high success rate in resection, with en bloc success in 94.1% of cases and minimal adverse events.
  • The method also resulted in sufficient vertical margins for all evaluated T1-CRCs, suggesting it could be a favorable option for treating small non-pedunculated colorectal polyps that are concerning for T1-CRC.
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Background: Locomotive syndrome (LS) presents symptoms related to decreased mobility due to musculoskeletal disorders. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a significant public health concern linked to age-related musculoskeletal issues and is among the conditions contributing to LS. Age-related lower extremity muscle weakness exacerbates knee pain in KOA, but the impact of LS on knee pain is not clear, prompting the present investigation.

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A previous epidemiological study in Northern Europe showed that the A673T mutation (Icelandic mutation) in the amyloid precursor protein gene () can protect against Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the effect of the A673T mutation on APP processing has been investigated primarily in vitro, its in vivo impact has not been evaluated. This is mainly because most existing AD mouse models carry the Swedish mutation.

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Background And Aim: The risk of colorectal cancer among fecal immunochemistry test-positive individuals who had undergone previous colonoscopies remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the differences in the risk of colorectal cancer among fecal immunochemistry test-positive individuals according to the timing of their previous colonoscopies.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted in Japan as a subgroup analysis of the J-SCOUT study (UMIN000040690), which integrated and analyzed a database comprising all colonoscopies performed at participating Japanese institutions between 2010 and 2020.

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Aim: This study examined the relationship between postpartum hair loss and psychological symptoms.

Methods: This questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study included postpartum women who had delivered at two facilities and completed the questionnaire 10-18 months after delivery. Study protocols were sent by mail in two parts.

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Nasal respiratory disorders are linked to craniofacial anomalies and systemic dysfunctions. However, the implications of nasal respiratory disorders on brain development and their subsequent impact on brain functionalization remain largely unknown. Here, we describe that nasal obstruction from postnatal developmental stages in mice precipitates deficits in cerebellum-associated behaviors and compromised refinement and maturation of neural circuits in the cerebellum.

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  • Researchers are exploring ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer's by inhibiting the aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) proteins.
  • They discovered seven new compounds called sargasilides from a type of brown algae in Japan and studied their effects on Aβ aggregation.
  • Sargasilide B showed the most promising results, with structural features like olefin arrangement and side chain length affecting the compounds' effectiveness.
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Purpose: Decreased physical function with increasing life expectancy is a public health concern worldwide. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is considered one of the primary illnesses causing decreased physical function. Depression affects decreased physical function and is closely related to knee pain in KOA.

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Introduction: Computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) methods have gained prominence in early orthotic provision. This study introduces an innovative approach using compact three-dimensional (3D) printers and computed tomography data to generate segmented body models for traditional Damen corset orthoses. The goals included evaluating the comfort and fit of orthoses and assessing the effectiveness of our approach for prosthetic companies with limited financial resources.

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  • - The amyloid β peptide (Aβ3pE-42), linked to Alzheimer's disease, is known to accumulate in the brain, and a therapeutic antibody called donanemab has shown promise in clinical trials for treating it.
  • - Research indicates that Aβ3pE-42 is more stable than other variants and its accumulation is influenced by a deficiency in neprilysin, an enzyme that typically breaks down Aβ, which leads to its selective deposition in mouse models.
  • - The study suggests that treatments targeting Aβ3pE-42 may be more successful if administered prior to its accumulation in the brain, highlighting the importance of timing in anti-Aβ therapies.
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  • * A total of 82,005 colonoscopy cases were analyzed, revealing 71 identified colorectal NENs, which corresponds to a detection rate of 0.087%. Most cases were small lesions in the rectum.
  • * Findings suggest that the detection rate of colorectal NENs during colonoscopy is higher than previously anticipated, indicating the importance of thorough screening.
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Objective: Osteoarthritis is linked to dementia, but no longitudinal studies have established this connection. This prospective cohort study from the Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcome in Aizu Cohort Study (LOHAS) aimed to determine if knee osteoarthritis (KOA) independently predicts dementia in adults aged 65 and above.

Methods: Participants were classified by the Kellgren-Laurence scale into no/minimal KOA (grades 0 and I) and definitive KOA (grade II or higher).

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  • Health economic evaluation is crucial for efficiently allocating healthcare resources, particularly in Japan, where a cost-effectiveness evaluation system for drugs was introduced in 2019 but not yet fully applied to medical procedures.
  • Cancer care presents unique challenges for health economic evaluation due to the invasive nature of surgical treatments, which can lead to variable complications and costs, highlighting the need for collaboration with medical affairs.
  • Quality of life (QOL) surveys are essential for assessing the impacts of surgical treatments on patients, yet there is a lack of large-scale studies in Japan, especially for cancer patients, signaling a need for future research in this area.
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  • Previous studies have shown that the Vertebral Bone Quality (VBQ) score can help predict fractures, but they often didn't take a long-term view or focus on community populations.
  • The research conducted in Fukushima, Japan involved 130 participants whose spinal MRIs from 2004 were analyzed to track new vertebral fractures (NVFs) over 11 years.
  • The findings revealed that the VBQ score, along with factors like age and existing fractures, effectively predicted NVFs, culminating in a prediction model with strong accuracy for long-term assessments.
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