Publications by authors named "Tohru Kobayashi"
The association between the frequency of eating ready-made meals (RMM) or eating out (EO) during pregnancy and postpartum depression remains unclear. We aimed to explore the association between the frequency of RMM or EO use during pregnancy and the incidence of postpartum depression. This study included 639 community-dwelling pregnant women who were recruited between 2019 and 2022.
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- The study investigates whether oral probiotics, specifically Clostridium butyricum, can reduce the rate of recurrent spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD) among pregnant women with a history of sPTD, with a focus on understanding their potential role in pregnancy maintenance.
- This is a multicenter, nonblinded clinical trial set in Japan, aiming to enroll 345 participants to evaluate various outcomes related to sPTD over a period expected to conclude in March 2025.
- Results from this research will provide insights into the effectiveness of probiotics and potentially influence clinical guidelines and future studies on managing preterm deliveries.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate if angiotensin type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) or ACE inhibitors (ACEis) can help reduce the size of coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients.
- Conducted in Japan, the research involved 209 patients diagnosed with KD and medium to large CAAs, with a significant portion also using ARBs/ACEis.
- Although both groups had similar overall CAA regression rates, those taking ARBs/ACEis showed a higher regression rate for giant CAAs, suggesting potential benefits of these medications, especially in more severe cases.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to identify characteristics of patients with non-refractory Kawasaki disease (KD) who responded well to standard IVIG treatment and explore factors linked to coronary artery (CA) complications.
- A total of 69,735 non-refractory KD patients were studied, with 0.96% developing CA abnormalities, particularly influenced by initial echocardiographic findings and factors like age and gender.
- The research concluded that about 1% of non-refractory KD patients might face CA complications and emphasized the need for timely echocardiographic assessments and early IVIG treatment initiation.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether adding intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (IVMP) to primary adjunctive prednisolone with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) improves treatment resistance and coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) with a high risk of treatment resistance. This multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted at 28 hospitals in Japan from October 2016 to June 2020. For patients predicted to be resistant to treatment based on a Kobayashi score ≥ 5 and total bilirubin ≥ 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis is a protocol for PPROM-AZM Study, phase II, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at a postmenstrual age of 36 weeks (BPD36) is often observed in infants with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (pPROM). A regimen of ampicillin (ABPC) intravenous infusion for 2 days and subsequent amoxicillin (AMPC) oral administration for 5 days plus erythromycin (EM) intravenous infusion for 2 days followed by EM oral administration for 5 days is standard treatment for pPROM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGsdf is not indispensable for male differentiation in the medaka species Oryzias hubbsi.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- - The study explores the function of the Gonadal soma-derived growth factor (Gsdf) gene in sex determination within the medaka fish species, Oryzias hubbsi, which has a ZW sex-determination system.
- - While Gsdf shows male-dominant expression, knockout experiments indicate there’s no sex reversal and that genetic sex determination pathways remain normal without Gsdf, suggesting a different mechanism for sex differentiation in this species.
- - The loss of Gsdf results in germ cell overproliferation and quicker entry into meiosis in testes but lacks the feminizing effects seen in related species, underscoring the complexity and variability of sex determination across different fish species.
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- A new in situ measurement technique for studying metal/metal-oxide mixtures at extreme temperatures (over 2000 K) was developed to enhance nuclear safety engineering.
- The researchers successfully conducted simultaneous XAFS-XRD measurements to track Zr oxidation and the ZrO-YO reaction over a range of temperatures (up to 2519 K), revealing significant chemical shifts.
- The study also explored the temperature effects on local structure dynamics, comparing experimental data with theoretical models, and proposed potential applications for analyzing nuclear fuel materials like UO-Zr.
Article Synopsis
- - This study investigated the link between regular green tea drinking and the risk of sarcopenia (muscle loss) in older Japanese adults using the SARC-F assessment tool, involving 364 participants over 65 years old.
- - Researchers found that 9.3% of participants showed a risk of sarcopenia, with multivariable analysis revealing that consuming at least one cup of green tea daily significantly reduced the odds of sarcopenia compared to those drinking less than one cup weekly (OR = 0.312).
- - The study suggests that habitual green tea consumption may help lower the risk of sarcopenia in older adults, but further longitudinal research is needed to verify these conclusions.
Introduction: A feature of the management of extremely preterm infants in Japan is proactive circulatory management using early routine echocardiography performed by neonatologists.
Methods: This study was a post hoc analysis of the Patent ductus arteriosus and Left Atrial Size Evaluation in preterm infants (PLASE) study, which is a prospective cohort study including preterm infants admitted to 34 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Japan between October 2015 and December 2016. We described the details of the treatment strategy of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) based on early routine echocardiography.
Article Synopsis
- Different cations interact with clay minerals in contrasting ways, forming either outer-sphere or inner-sphere complexes, which significantly affects their environmental behaviors.
- This study is the first to investigate how radium (Ra) adsorbs onto clay minerals using EXAFS, revealing that Ra forms inner-sphere complexes on vermiculite despite its typical hydration preference.
- The research identified key factors influencing these complex formations, emphasizing the role of ionic radius and hydration enthalpy, and connected findings to environmental implications by analyzing core samples that show Ra's fixation by clay minerals.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze obstetric diseases and related medical expenses in Japan from 2015 to 2019, focusing on women aged 15-49 during pregnancy and childbirth.
- It found that while total diagnosed obstetric diseases decreased, the average medical expenses per livebirth increased, especially among older women.
- The most costly issue was "preterm labour without delivery," highlighting a growing concern for rising medical complications and expenses for pregnant women in Japan.
Article Synopsis
- Kawasaki disease is a serious condition mostly affecting young kids, and research is exploring if maternal folic acid levels during pregnancy influence its onset.
- The study used data from a large cohort in Japan, analyzing the effects of folic acid supplementation on the risk of Kawasaki disease in infants.
- Results indicated that infants of mothers with higher folic acid levels had a lower risk of developing Kawasaki disease compared to those with lower levels.
We connected three research fields on Ru extraction, XANES, and DFT calculation and elucidate the sequence of distribution ratio (D) and their reactions. The magnitude order of the distribution ratio, D(Ru), from acids, HCl > HSO > HNO > HClO, by IDOA indicates to extract readily the stable Ru-Cl ions. The XANES signals, which suggests the electrical charge of Ru(III) extracted into the organic phase, supports the ion-pairing extraction of the anionic Ru-Cl complex with an extractant protonated.
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- * The study investigates the role of two Wnt4 genes in the medaka fish, which are linked to Müllerian duct formation in mice, revealing that mutants had short bodies but functional genital ducts, with disruptions in gonad elongation.
- * Findings indicate the medaka genital ducts and mouse Müllerian ducts may share similar developmental processes, while the Wnt4 genes are not essential for determining the sex of gonads in medaka.
Article Synopsis
- A large-scale study in Japan investigated the link between prenatal factors and congenital heart defects (CHD) in children, focusing on maternal characteristics and behaviors.
- Analyzed data from 91,664 single births, the study found that specific factors such as vitamin A supplement use, certain medications, maternal age, and high hemoglobin levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of CHD.
- The findings highlight the importance of various maternal health aspects during pregnancy and their potential influence on heart defects in children.
Article Synopsis
- We studied how uranyl ions (UO) react chemically and deposit using advanced techniques like electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance and X-ray measurements.
- Our proposed mechanism for the deposition involves three stages: first, uranyl ions undergo disproportionation to form uranium (U), second, uranium reacts to create uranium hydroxide deposits, and finally, these deposits convert into uranium oxide.
- The final uranium oxide form tends to have higher electrical resistance compared to the initial hydroxide deposits.
Enchytraeus ohtakai sp. nov. (Enchytraeidae, Clitellata, Oligochaeta) was discovered in the organic matter of a wastewater treatment facility of a plums processing plant in Honshu, Japan.
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- Infants with acute liver failure (ALF) may experience neurological impairment after undergoing liver transplantation (LT), prompting a study to identify risk factors associated with this issue.
- The study analyzed infants under one year old who had ALF and received LT from 2005 to 2016, finding that 31% of those who survived to age six had some degree of neurological impairment.
- Key factors linked to neurological impairment included younger age at the onset of ALF, higher levels of bilirubin, and longer stays in intensive care, suggesting these may be crucial perioperative risk factors.
Article Synopsis
- This study examined whether early and enhanced treatment of atopic dermatitis, covering both affected and unaffected skin with topical corticosteroids, is more effective in preventing hen's egg allergy compared to standard treatment focused only on affected areas.
- The trial involved 650 infants aged 7-13 weeks with atopic dermatitis, who were randomly assigned to receive either enhanced or conventional treatment, and found that enhanced treatment significantly lowered the rate of hen's egg allergy.
- However, while the enhanced treatment was effective in reducing allergy rates (31.4% vs. 41.9%), it also resulted in notable reductions in body weight and height, indicating a need for adjustments in treatment protocols to balance efficacy with safety.
Article Synopsis
- A study on the synthetic progestin levonorgestrel (LNG) in medaka fish revealed that exposure can lead to both masculinization and feminization of embryos, with the effects varying based on concentration levels.
- * At lower concentrations (0.1-10 μg/L), LNG significantly promoted masculinization, while higher doses (100 μg/L) led to a decrease in masculinization and exhibited feminizing effects.
- * The research found that LNG's action is linked to its estrogenic and androgenic properties, highlighting its potential to disrupt endocrine function and suggesting that medaka fish can serve as a suitable alternative model for studying these effects.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines coronary arterial aneurysms (CAAs) in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD), highlighting their impact on patient prognosis and the factors influencing CAA regression.
- Analyzing data from over 1,000 KD patients across 44 institutions in Japan, the research shows that smaller CAAs are more likely to regress over a 10-year period compared to larger ones.
- Key findings indicate that early diagnosis (under age 1), more recent onset of KD (2010-2012), and female sex are linked to higher regression rates for CAAs, which can inform better long-term management strategies for these patients.
Article Synopsis
- Neonates and infants experience significant changes in their skin properties after birth, which are linked to conditions like atopic dermatitis.
- The study measured the skin's water content and other physiological factors in infants at different ages (0, 1, and 6 months), finding that newborns had the lowest water content and thickest stratum corneum.
- This research, the first to use confocal Raman spectroscopy to measure ceramide in infant skin, provides a baseline for future studies on their skin properties over time.
Intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of Kawasaki disease.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev
January 2023
Article Synopsis
- Kawasaki disease (KD) is a serious inflammation of blood vessels primarily affecting children, with symptoms like high fever, chapped lips, and swollen hands that can lead to dangerous complications such as coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs).
- The main treatment for KD is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and aspirin, and there’s a focus on determining the most effective and safe treatment protocols from various studies.
- A review of 31 randomized controlled trials involving 4609 KD patients aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IVIG in preventing cardiac issues, measuring outcomes like CAAs and any adverse effects following treatment.