Publications by authors named "Sei H"

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are porous organic materials constructed hydrogen bonds. HOFs have solubility in specific high-polar organic solvents. Therefore, HOFs can be returned to their components and can be reconstructed, which indicates their high recyclability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major cause of chronic kidney disease. Microalbuminuria is currently the most common non-invasive biomarker for the early diagnosis of DN. However, renal structural damage may have advanced when albuminuria is detected.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Bent ligands with heteroatoms are important in creating supramolecular structures, but typically divalent group 16 elements are favored due to sterics.
  • This study focuses on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) created with dipyridinoarsoles (DPAs), where one MOF type showed dynamic behavior and stable structure while another collapsed upon solvent removal.
  • It also highlights the differences in performance between arsenic-based and phosphorus-based ligands in MOFs, marking the first exploration of how these factors influence the properties of such materials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anion binding and ion pairing of dipyrrolyldiketone Pt complexes as anion-responsive π-electronic molecules resulted in photophysical modulations, as observed in solid-state phosphorescence properties. Modifications to arylpyridine ligands in the Pt complexes significantly impacted the assembling behaviour and photophysical properties of anion-free and anion-binding (ion-pairing) forms. The Pt complexes, in the presence of guest anions and their countercations, formed various anion-binding modes and ion-pairing assembled structures depending on constituents and forms (solutions and crystals).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) therapy is a new standard for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The optimal timing of pegfilgrastim with the DCF regimen to prevent febrile neutropenia (FN) remains controversial. The effectiveness of concomitant pegfilgrastim administration with continuous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion in the DCF regimen was therefore assessed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: We aimed to elucidate the dynamics of deglutition during head rotation by acquiring 320-row area detector computed tomography (320-ADCT) images and analyzing deglutition during head rotation.

Methods: This study included 11 patients experiencing globus pharyngeus. A 320-ADCT was used to acquire images in two types of viscosity (thin and thick), with the head rotated to the left.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * This study investigates the stability of AAILs, particularly tetra-butylphosphonium l-prolinate ([P][Pro]), under oxidative conditions to understand its degradation when exposed to high temperatures and oxygen.
  • * Results show that although [P][Pro] experiences oxidative degradation, membranes made from this degraded AAIL still maintain effective carbon dioxide permeability and selectivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Expression of room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in organic materials requires complicated molecular design and specific intermolecular interactions, and therefore types of RTP materials are restricted. This work presents cage-like sodalite-type porous organic salts (s-POSs) as host materials for luminescent molecules to induce RTP, using tetrasulfonic acid with an adamantane core and triphenylmethylamines that are modified with substituents in the para-positions of benzene rings (TPMA-X). By adding a representative luminescent molecule (pyrene) to a reaction solution during construction of s-POSs, the molecule is incorporated in a facile manner.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Tracheostomy is an important procedure for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Older age and obesity have been reported to be associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 and prolonged intubation, and anticoagulants are often administered in patients with severe COVID-19; these factors are also related to a higher risk of tracheostomy. Cricotracheostomy, a modified procedure for opening the airway through intentional partial cricoid cartilage resection, was recently reported to be useful in cases with low-lying larynx, obesity, stiff neck, and bleeding tendency.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Laryngeal complications have been reported after endotracheal intubation and prone positioning in patients with critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but their association is unclear. In this study, we investigated the rate of laryngeal complications in patients with COVID-19 compared to an alternative condition (control group).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 40 patients who underwent endotracheal intubation for either COVID-19 or an alternative condition (control group).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Although several previous studies have suggested a relationship between sleep and the stress response, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains largely unknown. Here, we show that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a lipid metabolism-related hormone, may play a role in this relationship. In this study, we examined differences in the stress response between FGF21 knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice after social defeat stress (SDS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale lipid bilayer vesicles released by almost all cell types and can be found in biological fluids, such as blood and urine. EVs play an important role in various physiological and pathological processes via cell-cell communication, highlighting their potential applications as diagnostic markers for diseases and therapeutic drug delivery carriers. Although various methods have been developed for the isolation of EVs from biological fluids, most of them exhibit major limitations, including low purity, long processing times, and high cost.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the involvement of the orexin system in predictable chronic mild stress (PCMS) and the effects of suvorexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, on nociceptive behavior in PCMS.

Materials And Methods: Male C57BL/6 J mice were separated into various PCMS groups: a control group with sawdust on the floor of the rearing cage (C), a group with mesh wire on the floor (M), and a group with water just below the mesh wire (W). Activation of lateral hypothalamic orexin neurons was assessed using immunofluorescence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Simple methods, such as the line spread test (LST), are often used to evaluate thickened liquids in clinical settings. Although it is desirable for these simple methods to be rapid, even the LST requires approximately 1 min to complete the evaluation. Herein, we aimed to shorten this time by developing a new simple instrument for evaluating thickened liquids considering the fluid engineering perspective with improved funnel design and evaluation methods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Circadian phase shifts in peripheral clocks induced by changes in feeding rhythm often result in insulin resistance. However, whether the hypothalamic control system for energy metabolism is involved in the feeding rhythm-related development of insulin resistance is unknown. Here, we show the physiological significance and mechanism of the involvement of the agouti-related protein (AgRP) in evening feeding-associated alterations in insulin sensitivity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Even though it has been well documented that stress can lead to the development of sleep disorders and the intensification of pain, their relationships have not been fully understood. The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of predictable chronic mild stress (PCMS) on sleep-wake states and pain threshold, using the PCMS rearing conditions of mesh wire (MW) and water (W) for 21 days. Exposure to PCMS decreased the amount of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep during the dark phase.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mast cells (MCs) exist intracranially and have been reported to affect higher brain functions in rodents. However, the role of MCs in the regulation of emotionality and social behavior is unclear. In the present study, using male mice, we examined the relationship between MCs and social behavior and investigated the underlying mechanisms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a transcription factor that belongs to the nuclear receptor family and plays an important role in regulating gene expression associated with lipid metabolism. PPARα promotes hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis in response to fasting. Because energy metabolism is known to affect sleep regulation, manipulations that change PPARα are likely to affect sleep and other physiological phenotypes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS) has a genetic basis wherein BTBD9 is associated with a higher risk of RLS. Hemodialysis patients also exhibit higher rates of RLS compared with the healthy population. However, little is known about the relationship of BTBD9 and end-stage renal disease to RLS pathophysiology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We aimed to identify the neurotransmitters and brain regions involved in exercise efficiency in mice during continuous complicated exercises. Male C57BL/6J mice practiced treadmill running with intermittent obstacles on a treadmill for 8 days. Oxygen uptake (VO) during treadmill running was measured as exercise efficiency.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Orexin is known as an important neuropeptide in the regulation of energy metabolism. However, the role of orexin in exercise-induced leptin sensitivity in the hypothalamus has been unclear. In this study, we determined the effect of transient treadmill exercise on leptin sensitivity in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) of mice and examined the role of orexin in post-exercise leptin sensitivity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Duodenal changes in functional dyspepsia (FD) might be related to the development of symptoms. However, relationships among low-grade inflammation, Helicobacter pylori infection, and protein expression by tight junctions (TJs) in the duodenum are unclear. We therefore aimed to determine whether duodenal inflammation and genes associated with TJ proteins are associated with FD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: Psychosocial stress is a form of mental stress associated with human relationships that underlies the pathogenesis of mental disorders such as depression. Previous studies have suggested that intake of energy-dense foods, also known as "palatable foods," can relieve psychosocial stress. However, it remains unclear whether the volume of palatable food affects abnormal behavior induced by psychosocial stress.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A case of laryngeal actinomycosis occurred after bone marrow transplantation was reported. The patient was a 14-year-old girl who had a history of bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia 4month before the onset of the disease. She was referred to our hospital complaining persistent sore throat since 2weeks ago.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and regulates fatty acid oxidation. Although PPARα is expressed not only in the peripheral tissues but also in the brain, its role in higher brain function is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of PPARα in the control of behavior, including memory/learning and mood change, using PPARα knockout (KO) mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF