Publications by authors named "Takashima Y"

Alkali antimonide semiconductor photocathodes are promising candidates for high-brightness electron sources for advanced accelerators, including free-electron lasers (FEL), due to their high quantum efficiency (QE), low emittance, and high temporal resolution. Two challenges with these photocathodes are (1) the lack of a universal deposition recipe to achieve crystal stoichiometries and (2) their high susceptibility to vacuum contamination, which restricts their operation pressure to ultrahigh vacuums and leads to a short lifetime and low extraction charge. To resolve these issues, it is essential to understand the elemental compositions of deposited photocathodes and correlate them to robustness.

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Background: Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-high) tumors comprise ~15% of sporadic colorectal cancers (CRC) and are associated with elevated T cell infiltration. However, the universality of this response across T cell subtypes with distinct functions is unknown.

Methods: Including 1,236 CRC tumors from three observational studies, we conducted T cell profiling using a customized 9-plex (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RA, CD45RO, FOXP3, KRT, MKI67, and DAPI) multispectral immunofluorescence assay.

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The selection of plant genotypes characterized by wellness and stable growth under drought-stress conditions amid ongoing climate change is an important challenge in forest tree breeding. The introduction of molecular markers will enable efficient selection of breeding materials that are resistant to drought stress in forest trees as well as in crop species. Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica, the most dominant forest species in Japan, grows well on mesic sites and is characterized by intraspecific variation in its drought-stress response.

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  • Piroplasmas, like Babesia and Theileria, are protozoan parasites transmitted by ticks to warm-blooded animals, with some species capable of causing zoonotic infections in humans.
  • This study collected wild rodents and ticks near Gifu City, Japan, from 2021 to 2023, using a technique called nested-PCR to identify specific piroplasma gene sequences.
  • Results showed that B. microti was present in field mice, and related piroplasmas potentially harmful to humans were also found in ticks, indicating the distribution of these pathogens in the area.
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Most fungi form zygospores as sexual reproductive structures. When two colonies of compatible strains meet, zygospores are formed in the area where the colonies meet. The structure and development of zygospores have been studied for a long time by light microscopy and electron microscopy.

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Growth hormone (GH) is an essential factor in enhancing the productivity of animals. In ruminants, L-aspartate (L-Asp) stimulates the secretion of GH; however, the effect of D-Asp on GH remains unknown. Here, we examined the effect of D-Asp on GH secretion in wethers.

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  • - Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a biodegradable material suitable for packaging, but its biodegradation can cause instability during use.
  • - Blending PCL with cyclic polyphenylene sulfide (7U) creates rotaxane structures that improve the toughness of the material without compromising its strength.
  • - The presence of 7U enhances PCL's stability against enzymatic degradation, leading to a longer life span for biodegradable PCL products.
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The anatomical dimensions and the shape of the pelvis influence surgical difficulty for rectal cancer. Compared to conventional laparoscopic surgery, robot-assisted surgery is expected to improve surgical outcomes due to the multi-joint movement of its surgical instruments. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of pelvic anatomical indicators on short-term outcomes of patients with rectal cancer.

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Purpose: Opioid-induced constipation is the most frequent and non-self-limiting adverse effect of opioid analgesia, reducing adherence and interfering with pain relief. This clinical trial aimed to clarify the preventive effect of naldemedine versus placebo for constipation in patients with cancer starting regularly dosed strong opioids therapy.

Methods: This multicenter, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, confirmatory trial was conducted between July 2021 and May 2023 at four academic hospitals in Japan (Japan Registry of Clinical Trials identifier: jRCTs031200397).

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  • Japan faced measles outbreaks primarily among young children who received only one dose of the measles-containing vaccine (MCV), prompting the introduction of a second dose in 2006.
  • A resurgence of measles between 2007-2008 highlighted the immunity gap among teenagers, who often missed the second dose.
  • To address this, a nationwide supplementary immunization program was implemented from 2008 to 2013, successfully vaccinating students in junior high and high school, ultimately leading to the verification of measles elimination in Japan by 2015.
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  • Pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and the combination therapies have emerged as first-line treatments for advanced esophageal cancer, although their efficacy on primary tumors was previously unclear.
  • In a study of 23 patients experiencing esophageal dysphagia, significant improvement in swallowing was noted in 82.6%, with a median time to improvement of about 26 days.
  • While 10 patients experienced immune-related adverse events, the treatments provided high response rates and prolonged survival, indicating promising effectiveness against primary tumors.
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Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are promising delivery systems with the ability to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) in diseased tissues and intracellular sites of action. However, delivery to non-hepatic tissues via systemic administration remains challenging. Antibody modification of LNPs is a hopeful approach for improving their selectivity to target tissues.

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  • The study focuses on Toxoplasma gondii type I strains, which are highly lethal to laboratory mice, and questions whether resistant rodent populations can exist in the wild.
  • Researchers hypothesized that wild mice in various global regions, particularly in Japan, could harbor type I strains without showing symptoms.
  • Genetic analysis of mice from Gifu and Okinawa Prefectures revealed diverse Irgb2 gene sequences, indicating that resistant mouse populations may be present in Japan, alongside known resistant populations in South Asia.
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Background & Aims: Epidemiologic evidence for dietary influence on colorectal cancer (CRC) risk through the gut microbiome remains limited.

Methods: Leveraging 307 men and 212 women with stool metagenomes and dietary data, we characterized and validated a sex-specific dietary pattern associated with the CRC-related gut microbial signature (CRC Microbial Dietary Score [CMDS]). We evaluated the associations of CMDS with CRC risk according to Fusobacterium nucleatum, pksEscherichia coli, and enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis status in tumor tissue using Cox proportional hazards regression in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2018), Nurses' Health Study (1984-2020), and Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2019).

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The Western Pacific Region's pursuit of measles elimination has seen significant progress and setbacks. Mongolia and Cambodia were the first two middle-income countries in the Western Pacific to be verified as having eliminated measles by the Western Pacific Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, in March 2014 and 2015, respectively. However, both countries experienced large-scale or prolonged importation-related measles outbreaks shortly afterwards, leading to the re-establishment of endemic transmission.

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Measles is the most contagious communicable disease, causing an estimated 5.5 million cases and more than 30,000 deaths in the Western Pacific Region (WPR) during 2000. Rubella infection in a pregnant woman can be devastating for the foetus, resulting in congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in 90% of rubella infections in early pregnancy.

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Evidence indicates that combinations of anti-EGFR antibodies and KRAS p.G12C (c.34G>T) inhibitors can be an effective treatment strategy for advanced colorectal cancer.

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  • - A new prognostic model was developed to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) for patients with de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) using data from 1,092 Japanese patients treated between 2014 and 2020.
  • - Key factors for predicting CSS included disease severity, liver metastasis, certain lab results, and primary tumor characteristics, leading to significant differences in 5-year CSS rates among low-risk (86%) and high-risk (22%) groups.
  • - This model displayed high accuracy and reproducibility, and it may help tailor treatment approaches for patients with mHSPC, especially in determining the intensity of therapies needed.
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Mongolia experienced a nationwide measles outbreak during 1 March 2015-31 December 2016, with 49,077 cases reported to the WHO; many were among vaccinated young adults, suggesting a possible role of vaccine failure. Advanced laboratory methods, coupled with detailed epidemiological investigations, can help classify cases as vaccine failure, failure to vaccinate, or both. In this report, we conducted a study of cases to identify risk factors for breakthrough infection for a subset of laboratory-confirmed measles cases.

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Mermithidae is a family of nematodes that parasitize a wide range of invertebrates worldwide. Herein, we report nematodes that were unexpectedly found in three of 486 adult stable flies () captured from three farms (F1, F2, and F3) in different regions of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. We aimed to characterize these nematodes both at the morphological and molecular level.

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  • Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread protozoan pathogen with different clonal types seen across various continents, while South/Central America has more genetically diverse strains.
  • A study compared genome data from Japanese and Chinese T. gondii strains using a new software called POPSICLE and included non-viable strains that were revived for analysis.
  • Results revealed genetic mixing between different haplogroups, indicating complex ancestral relationships between Far East Asian and American T. gondii strains, which enhances our understanding of its spread and evolution.
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The "construction of a community-based comprehensive care system for mental disorders" has been promoted in Japan. However, nurses in psychiatric hospitals do not intervene with community resources and support networks in Japan. This study aimed to determine the care information required by home visit nurses from psychiatric hospital nurses.

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  • - The study aimed to investigate whether having an appendectomy reduces the long-term risk of colorectal cancer, particularly for tumors associated with the bacterial species Fusobacterium nucleatum, which is linked to colorectal tumor development.
  • - Using data from extensive cohort studies, researchers found that 2811 cases of colorectal cancer were recorded, with appendectomy appearing to lower the incidence of F. nucleatum-positive cancers (hazard ratio of 0.53) but not F. nucleatum-negative cancers (hazard ratio of 0.98).
  • - The findings suggest that while appendectomy may reduce the risk of developing certain types of colorectal cancer (specifically F. nucleatum-positive ones), it does not significantly impact the risk for other types,
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  • Scientists found that using a special protein called H1FOO-DD helps improve how well human cells can be turned into pluripotent stem cells, which can become any type of cell in the body.
  • This method makes sure the new stem cells are more similar to each other and better at becoming different types of cells when needed.
  • The research shows that a certain protein, FKBP1A, is important for this process to work effectively.
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Acrylic adhesive sheets have been used for many applications, from popular seal materials to high-end electrical devices. One of the basic and critical design features of adhesives is effective covalent cross-linking for superior adhesive properties. On the other hand, covalent cross-linking prevents reuse or recycling of the adhesive.

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