Publications by authors named "Shinichi Namba"

We report the findings of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of endometriosis consisting of a large portion (31%) of non-European samples across 14 biobanks worldwide as part of the Global Biobank Meta-Analysis Initiative (GBMI). We identified 45 significant loci using a wide phenotype definition, seven of which are previously unreported and detected first genome-wide significant locus ( ) among only African-ancestry. Our narrow phenotypes and surgically confirmed case definitions for endometriosis analyses replicated the known loci near , , and .

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The tripartite ancestral structure is a recently proposed model for the genetic origin of modern Japanese, comprising indigenous Jomon hunter-gatherers and two additional continental ancestors from Northeast Asia and East Asia. To investigate the impact of the tripartite structure on genetic and phenotypic variation today, we conducted biobank-scale analyses by merging Biobank Japan (BBJ; n = 171,287) with ancient Japanese and Eurasian genomes (n = 22). We demonstrate the applicability of the tripartite model to Japanese populations throughout the archipelago, with an extremely strong correlation between Jomon ancestry and genomic variation among individuals.

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  • - The study presents a continuous water-window (WW) x-ray source operated for 120 minutes using a regenerative liquid bismuth jet with a diameter of 35-40 µm, injected into a vacuum.
  • - Photon emissions were recorded at various peak wavelengths, with significant outputs at 4.1 nm and 4.3 nm from n=4-n=4 transitions, and at 2.8 nm from n=4-n=5 transitions, yielding a total photon emission rate in the range of 2.3-4.4 nm.
  • - The findings indicate that the continuous operation of the liquid bismuth jet could enhance future extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and x-ray microscopy technologies
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  • The study investigates how genetic factors regulate protein expression using protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs) and highlights differences from traditional mRNA expression studies (eQTLs).
  • Analyzing data from over 4,000 samples, researchers found that fine-mapped pQTLs are linked to missense variants and show distinct mechanisms from eQTLs, indicating different regulatory influences.
  • The research reveals a negative correlation between ABO gene mRNA and protein levels due to genetic linkage, showcasing the complexities in the relationship between these expression types.
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Background: Although polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are expected to be helpful in precision medicine, it remains unclear whether high-PRS groups are more likely to benefit from preventive interventions for diseases. Recent methodological advancements enable us to predict treatment effects at the individual level.

Methods: We employed causal forest to explore the relationship between PRSs and individual risk of diseases associated with certain environmental factors.

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  • Researchers created a tool called scLinaX to measure gene expression from the inactivated X chromosome using single-cell RNA sequencing data.
  • Their analysis found that lymphocytes (a type of immune cell) show a stronger escape from X chromosome inactivation compared to myeloid cells (another type of immune cell).
  • The study revealed significant differences in XCI escape across various tissues and cell types, emphasizing the complex relationship between genetics and phenotype in different sexes.
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  • Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is a major contributor to stroke and dementia, and currently lacks specific treatments, prompting a study using Mendelian randomization to identify protein associations.
  • The research combined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma data with genetic studies to identify 49 proteins linked to cSVD, highlighting 16 that appeared in both fluids and showing connections to immune response and extracellular matrix pathways.
  • Notably, many identified proteins were associated with stroke and dementia, with some already having known drug targets, paving the way for potential new biomarkers and therapies for cSVD.
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  • Type 2 diabetes (T2D) exhibits varying sensitivity to body mass index (BMI), and research was conducted to optimize disease predictions by stratifying data based on BMI from over 195,000 individuals.
  • The study found that T2D heritability was higher in low-BMI individuals compared to those with high-BMI, and polygenic predictions for low-BMI groups were significantly more accurate than predictions for unstratified populations.
  • Additionally, low-BMI cases of T2D showed increased rates of complications, and a combination of BMI stratification and cross-population methods resulted in over 37% improvement in prediction accuracy, with findings validated in additional cohorts.
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Background And Aims: The European Association for the Study of the Liver introduced a clinical pathway (EASL CP) for screening significant/advanced fibrosis in people at risk of steatotic liver disease (SLD). We assessed the performance of the first-step FIB4 EASL CP in the general population across different SLD risk groups (MASLD, Met-ALD and ALD) and various age classes.

Methods: We analysed a total of 3372 individuals at risk of SLD from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES17-18), projected to 152.

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Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, shows disparity in prevalence and manifestations across ancestries. We perform meta-analysis across 15 biobanks (of the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative) (n = 1,487,441: cases = 26,848) and merge with previous multi-ancestry studies, with the combined dataset representing the largest and most diverse POAG study to date (n = 1,478,037: cases = 46,325) and identify 17 novel significant loci, 5 of which were ancestry specific. Gene-enrichment and transcriptome-wide association analyses implicate vascular and cancer genes, a fifth of which are primary ciliary related.

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  • Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex disease influenced by various genetic factors and molecular mechanisms that vary by cell type and ancestry.
  • In a large study involving over 2.5 million individuals, researchers identified 1,289 significant genetic associations linked to T2D, including 145 new loci not previously reported.
  • The study categorized T2D signals into eight distinct clusters based on their connections to cardiometabolic traits and showed that these genetic profiles are linked to vascular complications, emphasizing the role of obesity-related processes across different ancestry groups.
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  • A study investigated the genetic factors influencing alcohol consumption in 175,672 Japanese individuals, focusing on a specific genetic variant (rs671) associated with drinking behavior.
  • The analysis found significant genetic interactions, identifying three key genetic locations in individuals with one variant (wild-type homozygotes) and six in those with two variants (heterozygotes), with some linked to esophageal cancer risk.
  • The research highlights how genetic makeup can shape alcohol consumption patterns and potentially increase the risk of alcohol-related diseases in different ancestral groups.
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Objective: Extracting immunological and clinical heterogeneity across autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) is essential towards personalised medicine.

Methods: We conducted large-scale and cohort-wide immunophenotyping of 46 peripheral immune cells using Human Immunology Protocol of comprehensive 8-colour flow cytometric analysis. Dataset consisted of >1000 Japanese patients of 11 AIRDs with deep clinical information registered at the FLOW study, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

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We studied Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) emission characteristics of the 13.5 nm wavelength from CO laser-irradiated pre-formed tin plasmas using 2D radiation hydrodynamic simulations. Our results indicate that when a CO laser irradiates pre-formed tin plasma, the heated plasma expands towards the surrounding plasma, steepening the density at the ablation front and lowering the density near the laser axis due to the transverse motion of the plasma.

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  • - Atopic dermatitis (AD) is not just a local skin issue but a complex systemic disease, showing varying clinical presentations and molecular profiles based on patient data.
  • - Researchers analyzed RNA-sequencing data from both skin and blood samples of 115 AD patients and 14 healthy controls to identify specific molecular features linked to different clinical manifestations, like erythema and papulation.
  • - By using a regression model on longitudinal data from 30 AD patients, they discovered three distinct patient clusters relating to clinical severity and treatment history, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach in understanding and monitoring AD.
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Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been mostly conducted in populations of European ancestry, which currently limits the transferability of their findings to other populations. Here, we show, through theory, simulations and applications to real data, that adjustment of GWAS analyses for polygenic scores (PGSs) increases the statistical power for discovery across all ancestries. We applied this method to analyze seven traits available in three large biobanks with participants of East Asian ancestry (n = 340,000 in total) and report 139 additional associations across traits.

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Optimal laser irradiation conditions for water-window (WW) x-ray emission (2.3-4.4 nm) from an Au plasma are investigated to develop a laboratory-scale WW x-ray source.

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  • Integrating genomic data from 13 different cancers involving over 627,000 participants reveals shared genetic factors, identifying ten cancer risk variants and establishing positive genetic correlations, particularly between breast and prostate cancer.
  • The study utilized a pan-cancer and cross-population genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis to enhance statistical power and identify new significant genetic loci related to these cancers.
  • The findings suggest that focusing on genetically correlated cancers can provide deeper insights into cancer development and potentially improve understanding of carcinogenesis.
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Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heterogeneous disease that develops through diverse pathophysiological processes. To characterise the genetic contribution to these processes across ancestry groups, we aggregate genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from 2,535,601 individuals (39.7% non-European ancestry), including 428,452 T2D cases.

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Asthma is a complex disease that varies widely in prevalence across populations. The extent to which genetic variation contributes to these disparities is unclear, as the genetics underlying asthma have been investigated primarily in populations of European descent. As part of the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative, we conducted a large-scale genome-wide association study of asthma (153,763 cases and 1,647,022 controls) via meta-analysis across 22 biobanks spanning multiple ancestries.

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  • Genomics-driven drug discovery is crucial for developing new treatments, but there's a lack of structure in the drug discovery process, particularly for cross-population studies.
  • The study introduces a guideline based on methodologies used in the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative (GBMI) and applies it to 13 common diseases, focusing on identifying drug targets.
  • By integrating three methodologies, the research provides a list of candidate drugs for repositioning, particularly targeting conditions like venous thromboembolism and gout, while emphasizing factors essential for successful drug discovery using cross-population data.
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