Publications by authors named "Satoko Tajirika"

Article Synopsis
  • Students with developmental disabilities, particularly those with ASD and ADHD, experience anxiety about transitioning from high school to college environments.
  • This study surveyed first-year Japanese university students to assess the prevalence of ASD and ADHD, finding that 8.58% exhibited tendencies for these conditions.
  • Mental health assessments indicated that students with ASD and ADHD showed significantly higher risks for various psychological symptoms compared to controls, suggesting a need for targeted support during their transition to university.
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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigated the link between serum uric acid (UA) levels and new-onset hypertension (HTN) in university students aged 18 to 20 in Gifu, Japan, over 12 years.
  • Out of nearly 2,900 normotensive students, 75 (2.6%) developed HTN after four years, showing higher UA levels at both initial and follow-up visits compared to those who remained HTN-free.
  • The findings indicate that elevated UA levels are a significant independent risk factor for developing HTN in young adults, with increases correlating to a higher likelihood of new-onset hypertension.
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Introduction: Young adults are hesitant to receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination owing to concerns regarding adverse events despite the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Gifu University students receiving the mRNA-1273 vaccine and boosters to elucidate the real incidence of adverse events and factors that prevent them. We examined the adverse events and identified potential risk factors through a self-administered questionnaire on the participants' physical condition after COVID-19 vaccination.

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Aims: The application of indices in the context of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains unexplored. We aimed to validate the ability of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fatty liver index (FLI), and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) to identify MASLD during health checkups.

Methods: We recruited 627 participants and utilized their health checkup data and ultrasound to assess the potential of using ALT, FLI, and HSI as indices for MASLD; this was indicated by the area under the curve (AUC) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) model.

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This study compared the effects of academic year, college department, and undergraduate or graduate status on Japanese students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021-2023, an online survey was conducted using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Systems-Japanese (CCAPS-Japanese) to evaluate students' mental health; 9395 undergraduate students (4623 female, 4772 male) and 1169 graduate students (380 female, 789 male) responded. Undergraduate students in medicine had lower levels of depression, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety than those in other departments.

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This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence and characteristics of steatotic liver disease (SLD) based on a recently introduced nomenclature in the Japanese health checkup population. SLD was evaluated using liver ultrasonography, and participants were categorized into metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction and alcohol associated steatotic liver disease (MetALD), alcohol-associated/related liver disease (ALD), and cryptogenic SLD groups. The prevalence and characteristics of the SLD subclasses were assessed, and subgroup analyses were conducted for the non-obese (body mass index [BMI] ≤ 25 kg/m) and lean (BMI ≤ 23 kg/m) populations.

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This study aimed to reveal the relationship between eating behavior and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in young adults and suggest a questionnaire for eating behavior assessment. We included 322 male graduate students at Gifu University. Diagnoses of NAFLD and MASLD were based on the presence of hepatic steatosis on ultrasonography.

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Acetaminophen causes volume-dependent hepatotoxicity; however, hepatotoxicity may also occur with acetaminophen administered at normal doses. We encountered a case of allergic liver damage in a 17-year-old girl receiving acetaminophen at a regular dose. The patient was diagnosed using the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) and the diagnostic scale of the Digestive Disease Week Japan 2004 workshop.

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The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of body composition on the risk of portopulmonary hypertension using computed tomography (CT) in patients with liver cirrhosis. We retrospectively included 148 patients with cirrhosis treated at our hospital between March 2012 and December 2020. POPH high-risk was defined as main pulmonary artery diameter (mPA-D) ≥ 29 mm or mPA-D to ascending aorta diameter ratio ≥ 1.

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We aimed to assess metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) prevalence in young male adults and the role of health checkups in disease screening. We recruited 313 male graduate students at Gifu University in April 2022. With hepatic steatosis diagnosed by ultrasonography, MAFLD and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were diagnosed based on health checkup data, and ALD was diagnosed with alcohol consumption > 30 g/day.

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This study aimed to investigate the differences in mental health during COVID-19, specifically among second-, third-, and fourth-year Japanese university students (n = 2,157; n = 2,000; and n = 2,284; respectively). A one-way MANOVA was conducted to assess the association between year of enrollment (academic years 2020, 2021, and 2022) and each of the eight subscales of the counseling Center Assessment Psychological Symptoms-Japanese. For second-year students, depression and generalized anxiety mean scores were higher in 2021 than those in 2020 and 2022.

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Aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) are global concerns. The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship between body composition and NAFLD and MAFLD in male young adults.

Methods: We recruited 335 male graduate students from Gifu University who underwent a health checkup in April 2022.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to create a simple screening model for covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) using blood biochemical parameters in patients with liver cirrhosis.
  • A total of 439 patients were analyzed, resulting in a scoring system (sCHE score) based on hypoalbuminemia and hyperammonemia, which effectively identified the likelihood of CHE.
  • The findings indicated that an sCHE score of 1 or higher significantly correlated with the presence of CHE and also helped predict the development of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) in patients over a median follow-up period.
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