Publications by authors named "Sagara M"

Aims/introduction: In patients with diabetes, obesity is an aggravating factor for glycemic control and its vascular complications. However, the psychological and behavioral characteristics of those patients with obesity have not been fully clarified. This study investigated eating and coping behavior, personality traits, quality of life (QOL), and depression status in patients with diabetes with or without obesity.

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Myasthenia gravis (MG), primarily caused by acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies, is a chronic autoimmune disorder causing severe muscle weakness and fatigability. In particular, seronegative MG constitutes 10%-15% of MG cases and presents diagnostic challenges especially in early-onset female patients who often show severe disease and resistance to immunosuppressive therapy. Furthermore, the immunopathology of seronegative MG remains unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate how neonatal respiratory support affects lung function in very low birth weight children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) as they reach school age.
  • Researchers reviewed data from 78 BPD children who had their lung function assessed at ages 8-9, finding that 31% exhibited abnormalities in lung function, correlated with the type of respiratory support they received.
  • Key findings included that antenatal steroid use reduced the risk of lung function abnormalities, while needing positive-pressure support at 37 weeks of postmenstrual age was linked to a higher risk of abnormal lung function.
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Objective: Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and also is associated with a high risk of lethal arrhythmias and sudden death in people with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an index of cardiac autonomic function. To investigate the relationship between HRV and arterial stiffness evaluated by the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a relatively new marker for arterial stiffness and a predictor of cardiovascular disease, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

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Plant polyphenols have various health effects. Genistein, which is abundant in soybeans, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which is abundant in green tea, are major flavonoids, a subclass group of polyphenols. Several epidemiological studies have shown that these flavonoids have beneficial effects against cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

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The glucosinolate-myrosinase defense system (GMDS), characteristic of Brassicales, is involved in plant defense. Previous single-cell transcriptomic analyses have reported the expression profiles of multiple GMDS-related cell types (i.e.

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Since stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) develop hypertension and stroke without exception, the prevention or reduction of risk by various nutrients was tested on blood pressure and the mortality caused by stroke and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In addition to sodium (Na) accelerating hypertension and stroke and potassium (K) counteracting the adverse effect of Na, taurine (Tau), rich in seafood, and magnesium (Mg) contained in soy, nuts, grains, etc., were proven to reduce stroke and CVD and improve survival.

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Tactile sensing has attracted significant attention as a tactile quantitative evaluation method because the tactile sensation is an important factor while evaluating consumer products. Although the human tactile perception mechanism has nonlinearity, previous studies have often developed linear regression models. In contrast, this study proposes a nonlinear tactile estimation model that can estimate sensory evaluation scores from physical measurements.

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To investigate the association of the Japanese diet with risks for lifestyle-related diseases, the biomarkers of seafood and soybean consumption, taurine (T) and soy isoflavones (I), and others were analyzed in 24-hour urine (24U) samples collected from participants of the Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison (CARDIAC) Study coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO). The data of T and I normalized for creatinine content in 24U were divided into five quintiles, T1 to T5, and I1 to I5. The total data of the collected samples were divided into 25 groups, which were obtained by 5 (T1-T5) × 5 (I1-I5) according to 24U excretions of T and I corresponding to the intake of seafood and soybeans from the least to the highest, respectively.

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A better baseline renal function is associated with a better response to sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Low serum adiponectin is associated with visceral fat accumulation and hepatic steatosis. We investigated the relationship between baseline serum adiponectin and glycemic response to dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore the connection between serum soluble dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (sDDP-4) levels and liver fibrosis in type 2 diabetes patients by using liver stiffness measurements (LSM) and FAST scores through transient elastography.
  • In the cross-sectional analysis of 115 type 2 diabetes patients, significant results showed that higher serum sDPP-4 levels were linked with elevated liver enzymes, CAP, LSM, and FAST scores, indicating more severe liver fibrosis.
  • Ultimately, the findings suggest that increased serum sDDP-4 is closely associated with liver fibrosis severity and is significantly higher in patients with LSM indicative of probable cirrhosis, highlighting a potential biomarker for liver
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Background/aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly refractory to current standard therapies. Oncolytic virotherapy has recently gathered attention as a new treatment candidate for refractory cancers.

Materials And Methods: We previously developed a new Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) virotherapy targeting lung cancers, and demonstrated that miRNA target sequence insertion into CVB3 reduced its pathogenicity, retaining its original oncolytic activity.

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  • - A single genetic change in the ARMC5 gene can lead to primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH) and Cushing's syndrome when the second copy of the gene is altered later, known as the second hit.
  • - A case study of a 65-year-old woman with PBMAH revealed she had a specific genetic alteration in ARMC5 and also developed meningioma due to a loss of the unaffected gene copy.
  • - The findings suggest that mutations in ARMC5 might increase the risk of both PBMAH and meningioma through a two-hit genetic mechanism, although this connection needs further confirmation.
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Background: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) rapidly inactivates incretin hormones and several chemokines, thus influencing chemokine function. There have recently been several reports that DPP-4 inhibitor therapy is associated with an increased risk of bullous pemphigoid (BP), an autoimmune skin disease. Previous studies have demonstrated an increase of CCL11/Eotaxin, a DPP-4 substrate, in serum and blister fluid from patients with BP.

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In this Letter, we present a photonic digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) technique based on blue-chirp spectral slicing using a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Because the gain change in an SOA leads to a refractive-index change based on the change in intensity of the input data signal, the probe signals experience a dynamic frequency shift to a shorter-wavelength side called a blue-chirp. After passing through the SOA, the probe signals corresponding to the logic level of the input digital signal are extracted by filtering only the blue-chirp component of the probe signals using rectangular-shape filters.

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The extract of Tabebuia avellanedae has been used as a folk medicine, and the various biological activities of T. avellanedae have been extensively studied. However, few studies have reported which natural products play a role in their biological effects.

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Article Synopsis
  • Oncolytic virotherapies, like coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), show promise in treating cancer by targeting tumors while avoiding normal cells; the challenge has been CVB3’s non-specific toxicity to healthy cells.* -
  • Researchers improved CVB3’s safety by inserting microRNA target sequences that specifically respond to miR-34a/c, which is more prevalent in normal cells, preventing viral replication in these tissues.* -
  • The resulting double-miR-34a targeting virus (53a-CVB) was found to be minimally toxic to normal cells while effectively attacking cancer cells in mice, marking a significant advancement for safer anti-cancer treatments.*
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Levels of isoflavones, biomarkers of soy intake, in 24-hour urine (24U) were inversely related to coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in the World Health Organization's Cardiovascular Disease and Alimentary Comparison Study. Considering 24 U isoflavone levels were highest and CHD mortality was lowest in the Japanese, who maintained the world's longest life expectancy, the association of regular soy intake with cardiometabolic risk was investigated in Japanese adults (20-49 years old) and elderly (50-79 years old). In multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and drug treatments, mean 24 U isoflavone excretion was significantly inversely associated with insulin resistance in the elderly and significantly associated with blood folate and potassium in the elderly, but also positively associated with 24 U salt in the elderly.

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This article introduces the first accident of internal contamination with plutonium (Pu) or americium (Am) in Japan for which treatment was carried out. An accident of internal contamination with Pu and Am occurred at a Pu research facility at Oarai-town of Ibaraki prefecture in Japan. A plastic bag containing these radionuclides ruptured when five workers were inspecting a storage container in a hood.

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Background: Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy has become the mainstay of therapy for Crohn's disease (CD). However, post-therapy, the recurrence rate is still high. The aim of this study was to dissect the molecular mechanism for recurrence of CD treated with anti-TNFα therapy and investigate novel therapeutic options that could induce complete remission.

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Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) is a key master regulator of the differentiation and activation of IL-17 producing CD4 Th17, CD8 Tc17 and IL-17/IFN-γ co-producing cells (Th1/17 cells). These cells play critical roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. Thus, RORγt is an attractive target for the treatment of these diseases.

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Patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) have an increased risk of atherosclerosis and vascular mortality. Evidence suggests that endothelial dysfunction is involved in all stages of atherogenesis. This study examined the effect of growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy on diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) and endothelial function in Japanese patients with GHD, using peripheral arterial tonometry.

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Article Synopsis
  • The original publication of the paper had inaccuracies in the display of Figure 2.
  • These errors were significant enough that they needed to be acknowledged.
  • A correction will be necessary to clarify the correct information in Figure 2.
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