Publications by authors named "Y Minai"

Article Synopsis
  • Maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted infant behavioral development, leading to increased crying and sleep disruption.
  • A study involving 433 mothers at 6 months and 344 at 12 months revealed a significant correlation between maternal stress levels and infant regulatory problems like fussiness and sleep issues.
  • The results suggest that mothers with higher perceived stress reported more trouble settling their infants and that these early issues may pose risks for emotional and behavioral problems later in childhood.
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Understanding ecosystem dynamics of radionuclides is necessary to ensure effective management for food safety. The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on March 11, 2011 released large amounts of radiocesium (Cs and Cs) and contaminated the environment across eastern Japan. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the temporal dynamics of Cs in the aquatic ecosystem of Lake Onuma on Mt.

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The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident has resulted in the contamination of the environment in Gunma Prefecture with radioisotope cesium (radio-Cs, Cs and Cs). Concentrations of radio-Cs >500Bqkg were found in wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis) in Lake Onuma at the top of Mount (Mt.) Akagi in August 2011.

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Macrophages induce the innate immunity by recognizing pathogens through Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which sense pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), which is an essential adaptor molecule for most TLRs, mediates the induction of inflammatory cytokines through nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) shows immunotoxic effects by interrupting inflammatory mediators produced by activated macrophages.

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The present study evaluated the immunotoxicity of citrinin (CIT), a mycotoxin produced by several Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Monascus species. Because nitric oxide (NO), a pro-inflammatory mediator, plays an important role in the protection from pathogens, we addressed the effect of CIT on NO production by a mouse macrophage-like cell line RAW264 activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS-induced NO release from RAW264 cells was inhibited by CIT.

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