Publications by authors named "Yuasa H"

The Gram-negative bacterium is a serious shrimp pathogen. Here, we present the genome sequence of TUMSAT-2019, which was isolated from a kuruma shrimp () that originated from a shrimp farm in Okinawa Prefecture. The assembly totaled 5.

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Melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A4, a cancer testis antigen, presents a promising target for chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in refractory solid tumors, including breast cancer (BC). However, the lack of highly specific Abs against MAGE-A4 is a major challenge for the development of MAGE-A4-targeted immunotherapies. This study aimed to validate the specificity of a novel MAGE-A4 Ab (E701U) and examine MAGE-A4 expression in clinical BC samples.

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  • The absorption of essential nutrients, particularly those not easily produced by the body, is vital for maintaining balance and health within the body.
  • Various membrane transporters facilitate this process, with citrate, an important compound from the Krebs cycle, being absorbed in the small intestine via specific transporters like NaDC1.
  • Research identified SLC35G1 as a key transporter at the basolateral membrane for citrate absorption, revealing that its function is significantly affected by chloride ions, marking an important step in understanding how the body absorbs this nutrient.
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  • Osteochondromas are benign growths typically found in the long bones' metaphyseal region, with a very low risk of turning malignant, although cases of transformation to osteosarcoma are rare.
  • A 66-year-old woman experienced abdominal pain leading to the discovery of osteosarcoma derived from osteochondromas in her right iliac bone; after chemotherapy and surgical removal, pathology confirmed the diagnosis.
  • Three years post-surgery, the patient showed no signs of cancer recurrence or metastasis and regained the ability to walk unaided, but ongoing monitoring is advised.
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In geriatrics and dementia care, early diagnosis is crucial. We developed a dementia screening model using drawing features from clock drawing tests (CDT) and investigated the features contributing to the discrimination of dementia and its screening performance. This study included 129 older adults attending a dementia outpatient clinic.

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Nitrobiphenyl photosensitizer (NBP)-peptide nucleic acids (PNA) conjugates were synthesized to develop a tool for photo-knockdown of target DNAs. The presence of NBP hardly hindered duplex formation with the complementary single strand DNA as demonstrated by the comparison of T values and CD spectra with those for standard PNA/DNA duplexes. However, the photooxidation of guanines in NBP-PNA/DNAs was significantly less effective than those of corresponding NBP-DNA/DNA.

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  • Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an enzyme that breaks down tryptophan, becoming active only when its iron is in the ferrous state and binding oxygen.
  • Ascorbate (Asc) and methylene blue (MB) are often used in experiments to enhance IDO activity, but recent studies show that Asc can significantly disrupt the measurement of IDO's enzymatic function.
  • In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, Asc not only accelerates the enzyme's autoxidation but also acts as a competitive inhibitor against its three IDO variants, highlighting a balance between maintaining enzyme activity with tryptophan and potential inactivation by Asc.
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  • Etrasimod is a once-daily oral medication aimed at treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC), and a phase 3 trial was conducted in Japan to assess its effectiveness and safety.
  • The trial included patients who previously completed a 12-week induction phase and continued treatment with either etrasimod or placebo for 40 weeks, evaluating outcomes at 12 and 52 weeks.
  • Results showed that a higher percentage of patients on etrasimod achieved clinical remission compared to those on placebo, with no new safety concerns reported throughout the study.
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Cirrhosis, which represents the end stage of liver fibrosis, remains a life-threatening condition without effective treatment. Therefore, prevention of the progression of liver fibrosis through lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise is crucial. The functional food AHCC, a standardized extract of cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia produced by Amino Up Co.

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Purpose: This network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to identify effective initial conservative treatment strategies for patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD).

Study Selection: RCTs comparing treatment options for TMD published between January 2000 and July 2021 were retrieved from the databases of PubMed and Embase via a comprehensive electronic search. Patients diagnosed with myalgia (muscle pain) or arthralgia (joint pain) according to pain-related Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) and the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) were eligible for inclusion.

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Extracellular hydrolysis of the phosphate esters of B vitamins (B1, B2, and B6) is crucial for their cellular uptake and metabolism. Although a few zinc-dependent enzymes have been implicated in these processes, their exact mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. This study investigated the potential involvement of phosphate group hydrolyzing enzymes in the hydrolysis of B vitamin phosphate esters.

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Objective: In living tissue, it has been difficult to make microscopic-level observations without damaging the tissue.

Summary Background Data: We have invented a novel intravital fluorescent observation method (IFOM) for real-time tissue observation, combining multi-photon laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM) with curcumin vital staining (CVS-IFOM). The aim of this study was to use CVS-IFOM to analyze the enteric nervous system (ENS) in mice and human patients with hypoganglionosis and Hirschsprung disease.

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Organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2/SLC22A2) is predominantly localized on the basolateral membranes of renal tubular epithelial cells and plays a crucial role in the renal secretion of various cationic drugs. Although variations in substrate selectivity among renal organic cation transport systems across species have been reported, the characteristics of OCT2 remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that atenolol, a β1-selective adrenergic antagonist, is transported almost exclusively by human OCT2, contrasting with OCT2s from other selected species.

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The transcarotid approach was introduced in Japan in April 2024 as an alternative approach for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Because carotid artery blood flow is reduced on one side during the procedure, there is a risk of intraoperative brain stroke. Therefore, it is crucial to check for cerebral complications immediately after the procedure.

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Introduction: The prevalence of smoking, including heated tobacco products (HTPs), among Japanese dentists was reported to be 16.5%, significantly higher than that among Japanese physicians and United States dentists. However, large-scale studies on smoking cessation implementation based on dentists' smoking status and perceptions since the introduction of HTPs are lacking.

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This study aimed to analyze post-coronectomy complications, chronological root survival rate (success rate) using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and postoperative radiographic signs for root extraction. A total of 555 mandibular third molar coronectomies were clinically and radiologically evaluated (mean follow-up period, 27.2 months; range, 1 month to 10.

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Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is the recommended curative treatment for pure native aortic regurgitation (AR). However, some patients are not suitable for SAVR due to comorbidities or frailty. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been reported to offer a better prognosis than medical therapy in AR patients; thus, the use of TAVR for AR may increase in the future.

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Background: Prompt histopathological diagnosis with accuracy is required for soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) which are still challenging. In addition, the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) along with the development of pathology slides digitization may empower the demand for the prediction of behavior of STSs. In this article, we explored the application of deep learning for prediction of prognosis from histopathological images in patients with STS.

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The stepwise addition of monosaccharides to N-glycans attached to client proteins to generate a repertoire of mature proteins involves a concerted action of many glycosidases and glycosyltransferases. Here, we report that Golgi α-mannosidase II (GMII), a pivotal enzyme catalyzing the first step in the conversion of hybrid- to complex-type N-glycans, is activated by Zn supplied by the early secretory compartment-resident ZNT5-ZNT6 heterodimers (ZNT5-6) and ZNT7 homodimers (ZNT7). Loss of ZNT5-6 and ZNT7 function results in marked accumulation of hybrid-type and complex/hybrid glycans with concomitant reduction of complex- and high-mannose-type glycans.

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A 65-year-old woman presented with fever and abnormal behavior. Magnetic resonance imaging showed swelling of the left medial temporal lobe and an intracranial extra-axial occipital tumor. While her neurological symptoms improved after the administration of corticosteroid therapy under the suspicion of autoimmune encephalitis, the occipital tumor unexpectedly shrank, and the diagnosis of a solitary plasmacytoma was confirmed by biopsy.

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Tryptophan indole-lyase (TIL), a pyridoxal-5-phosphate-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the hydrolysis of L-tryptophan (L-Trp) to indole and ammonium pyruvate. TIL is widely distributed among bacteria and bacterial TILs consist of a D2-symmetric homotetramer. On the other hand, TIL genes are also present in several metazoans.

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Our recent study revealed that SLC49A4, known as disrupted in renal carcinoma 2, is a H-coupled lysosomal exporter for pyridoxine (vitamin B6), a cationic compound, and involved in the regulation of its lysosomal and cellular levels. We here examined a possibility that this transporter might also transport cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) that are known to undergo lysosomal trapping, using pyrilamine, an H-antagonist, as a model CAD and the COS-7 cell line as a model cell system for transient introduction of human SLC49A4 and a recombinant SLC49A4 protein (SLC49A4-AA), in which the N-terminal dileucine motif involved in lysosomal localization was removed by replacing with dialanine for redirected localization to the plasma membrane. The introduction of SLC49A4 into COS-7 cells induced a significant decrease in the accumulation of pyrilamine in the intracellular compartments in the cells treated with digitonin for permeabilization of plasma membranes, suggesting its operation for lysosomal pyrilamine export.

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