Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Am Chem Soc 2021 Apr 22. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.

Hydrogen (H) can drastically change the physical properties of solids by the doping of host materials with minimum perturbation to the lattice because of its small size, quantum nature, and a variety of charged states from -1 (hydride, H) to +1 (proton, H). While the H-doping amount is limited under equilibrium conditions, H ion irradiation at low temperature is a promising method for introducing a large amount of hydrogen into any material. Although the application of this method offers the potential for exploring unforeseen fascinating properties, the effects of nonequilibrium H doping at very low temperature below 10 K are largely underexplored and are not well understood. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 22. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, China.

The rational design of a hollow heterostructure promotes the development of highly durable anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Herein, carbon-confined MoO/Sn/NC@NC heterostructured nanotubes evolving from MoO nanorods have been successfully synthesized for the first time. In the growth of the Mo/Sn precursor, a peculiar microstructure evolution occurs from solid rods to hollow tubes through a solid-liquid reaction. Read More

Circ J 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Hayama Heart Center.

Background: SATAKE HotBallooncatheter (HBC) is a radiofrequency balloon catheter for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), and was approved for use in Japan to treat drug-resistant paroxysmal AF in 2015. Post-marketing surveillance study was conducted by Toray Industries, Inc. to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HBC treatment in patients with paroxysmal AF in a real-world setting. Read More

Trop Med Health 2021 Apr 21;49(1):32. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan.

Background: Aedes aegypti, which is widely distributed in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), is the primary vector of arboviral diseases. Chemical insecticides have been intensively used to eliminate mosquito-borne diseases, resulting in the development of insecticide resistance. However, little is known about the insecticide resistance of mosquito populations in Lao PDR and the mechanisms responsible for it, which have important implications for vector management programs. Read More

Thromb Haemost 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

National Cancer Center Research Institute, Immune Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is used clinically because it has higher binding specificity for insoluble fibrin (IF) than urokinase (UK), but even pro-tPA has catalytic activity in places other than IF. UK has the advantage that it is specifically activated on IF, but it binds IF weakly. Previously, we established a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that recognizes a pit structure formed only in IF. Read More

PLoS Genet 2021 Apr 21;17(4):e1009492. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

IGBMC (Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology), Illkirch, France.

Nuclear receptors are ligand-activated transcription factors that modulate gene regulatory networks from embryonic development to adult physiology and thus represent major targets for clinical interventions in many diseases. Most nuclear receptors function either as homodimers or as heterodimers. The dimerization is crucial for gene regulation by nuclear receptors, by extending the repertoire of binding sites in the promoters or the enhancers of target genes via combinatorial interactions. Read More

Int J Surg Case Rep 2021 Apr 10;82:105883. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.

Introduction: Neurofibromatosis is a disease that causes various abnormalities such as neurofibroma, mainly in the skin and nerves. The common sites in the oral cavity are the palate, gingiva, tongue, buccal mucosa, and lips but, occurrence in the mandible is rare.

Presentation Of Case: A 26-year-old woman was referred to our clinic because of percussion pain. Read More

Dentomaxillofac Radiol 2021 Apr 20:20200603. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Pathology, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.

Objectives: Salivary duct carcinoma is an aggressive tumour commonly showing local invasion and/or nerve palsy. However, their CT/MRI findings, especially, regarding T2WI, and the diffusion-weighted-image (DWI), were not well known. In this study, we correlated the CT/MRI appearance and the pathological findings containing the nerve invasion cases such as a facial nerve. Read More

Ther Innov Regul Sci 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Division of Biostatistics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.

Background: Risk-based monitoring (RBM) is a slow uptake in some trial sponsors. There are three main reasons for this. First, there is the fear of making large investments into advanced RBM technology solutions. Read More

Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture 852-8523, Japan.

Tomioka Town is located within a 20-km radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Radiation dose rates due to radiocesium in residents' living spaces were evaluated from the measurements of ambient dose rates and environmental samples after returning home. The mean ambient dose rates were 0. Read More

J Hum Genet 2021 Apr 20. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Skeletal ciliopathies are a heterogenous group of disorders with overlapping clinical and radiographic features including bone dysplasia and internal abnormalities. To date, pathogenic variants in at least 30 genes, coding for different structural cilia proteins, are reported to cause skeletal ciliopathies. Here, we summarize genetic and phenotypic features of 34 affected individuals from 29 families with skeletal ciliopathies. Read More

J Cardiol 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Cardiology, Tokai University Hospital, Isehara, Japan.

Background: This analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of high bleeding risk (HBR) on adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1695 patients in the MODEL U-SES study, which was a multicenter, open-label, prospective observational study evaluating safety of 3-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after Ultimaster stent (Terumo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) implantation at 65 sites in Japan. Patients were divided into 2 groups (HBR/Non-HBR) according to modified Academic Research Consortium-HBR criteria. Read More

Harmful Algae 2021 Feb 2;102:101776. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines and Malaysia are two of the most affected by Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Using long-term observations of HAB events, we determined if these are increasing in frequency and duration, and expanding across space in each country. Blooms of Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (PST)-producing species in the Philippines did increase in frequency and duration during the early to mid-1990s, but have stabilized since then. Read More

F1000Res 2020 17;9:1477. Epub 2020 Dec 17.

Department of Bacteriology, Osaka Dental University, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1121, Japan.

Oral microbiota has been linked to both health and diseases. Specifically, tongue-coating microbiota has been implicated in aspiration pneumonia and halitosis. Approaches altering one's oral microbiota have the potential to improve oral health and prevent diseases. Read More

World Neurosurg 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.

Objective: In transsphenoidal resection of pituitary tumors, even dedicated instruments sometimes cannot readily reach the surgical fields and they interfere with the endoscope and other instruments, making instrumental manipulations difficult and often ineffective. To solve these problems, we invented a bendable ring curette to further improve maneuverability and accessibility.

Methods: The newly developed ring curette has a tip (14 mm long) that can bend spanning a range of 90 degrees. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Basic Science, School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.

The exploration of composition-structure-function relationship in proton-conducting solids remains a challenge in materials chemistry. Polyoxometalate-based compounds have been long considered as candidates for proton conductors; however, their low structural stability and a large decrease in conductivity under reduced relative humidity (RH) have limited their applications. To overcome such limitations, the hybridization of polyoxometalates with proton-conducting polymers has emerged as a promising method. Read More

Regen Ther 2021 Jun 25;17:38-50. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research (IAMR), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Intratumoral heterogeneity is tightly associated with the failure of anticancer treatment modalities including conventional chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and molecularly targeted therapy. Such heterogeneity is generated in an evolutionary manner not only as a result of genetic alterations but also by the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are proposed to exist at the top of a tumor cell hierarchy and are undifferentiated tumor cells that manifest enhanced tumorigenic and metastatic potential, self-renewal capacity, and therapeutic resistance. Read More

Struct Dyn 2021 Mar 7;8(2):024501. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark.

Ultrafast, light-induced dynamics in copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS) photovoltaic nanoparticles are investigated through a combination of optical and x-ray transient absorption spectroscopy. Laser-pump, x-ray-probe spectroscopy on a colloidal CZTS nanoparticle ink yields element-specificity, which reveals a rapid photo-induced shift of electron density away from Cu-sites, affecting the molecular orbital occupation and structure of CZTS. We observe the formation of a stable charge-separated and thermally excited structure, which persists for nanoseconds and involves an increased charge density at the Zn sites. Read More

Front Genet 2021 31;12:663572. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Computer Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.

Motivation: DNA N4-methylcytosine (4mC) and N6-methyladenine (6mA) are two important DNA modifications and play crucial roles in a variety of biological processes. Accurate identification of the modifications is essential to better understand their biological functions and mechanisms. However, existing methods to identify 4mA or 6mC sites are all single tasks, which demonstrates that they can identify only a certain modification in one species. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2021 Mar 24. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate changes in autonomic activities and systemic circulation generated by surgical manipulation or electrical stimulation to the human brain stem.

Methods: We constructed a system that simultaneously recorded microsurgical field videos and heart rate variability (HRV) that represent autonomic activities. In 20 brain stem surgeries recorded, HRV features and sites of surgical manipulation were analyzed in 19 hypertensive epochs, defined as the periods with transient increases in the blood pressure. Read More

RNA Biol 2021 Apr 18. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

harbors two redundant RNA-binding proteins RsmA/RsmN (RsmA/N), which play a critical role in balancing acute and chronic infections. However, binding sites on target transcripts and the overall impact on the physiology remains unclear. In this study, we applied UV crosslinking immunoprecipitation followed by RNA-sequencing (UV CLIP-seq) to detect RsmA/N binding sites at single-nucleotide resolution and mapped more than 500 binding sites to approximately 400 genes directly bound by RsmA/N in . Read More

J Environ Radioact 2021 Apr 15;233:106617. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Environmental Radionuclides Research Group, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), 4-9-1Anagawa, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.

Various radionuclides including fission products and heavy nuclides were released into the environment during the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident. The dissolution followed by migration of deposited radionuclides of Cs, Sr and U on soils could take place to the local environment. Therefore, it is necessary to determine sorption-desorption coefficients of U in soil-water system around the FDNPS from a migration viewpoint. Read More

J Environ Manage 2021 Apr 15;290:112618. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.

China's surface mining greatly supported the rapid socio-economic development; however, there was a scarcity in the systematic understanding of national changes in surface mining changes and associated ecosystem services (ESs) losses, which inevitably affected human well-being and limited sustainable ecosystem management and policy optimization. In this study, we quantified the areal changes in surface mining based on the ChinaCover database and performed further analysis of ES loss from expanded surface mining using multidimensional geospatial data from 1990 to 2015, including MODIS products, meteorological records, and statistical datasets. Our observations reveal that China's surface mining was estimated to be 4746 km in 2015 and that Inner Mongolia had the largest surface mining area (28%). Read More

Sci Total Environ 2021 Mar 31;783:146838. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted extensive attention due to their low density, adjustable structure, functionalization, and good stability. This paper systematically and comprehensively describes to qualitatively and quantitatively the progress, trends, and hotspots of COFs in the environmental and energy fields from the perspective of bibliometrics. Herein, based on the Web of Science database, a total of 2589 articles from 2005 to October 6, 2020, were collected. Read More

Scand J Med Sci Sports 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Graduate School of Engineering and Science, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Saitama, Japan.

Limited information is available on site-specific features of muscle stiffness and aponeurosis strain of the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) during contractions. Therefore, understanding of the mechanics and etiology of hamstring strain injuries remains difficult. As a first step to gain further insight into them, the present study aimed to identify whether active muscle stiffness and proximal aponeurosis strain during contractions are varied along the long-axis of the BFlh. Read More

Exp Cell Res 2021 Apr 13:112600. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Japan; Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Japan. Electronic address:

The mechanism that mediates the interaction between the contractile ring and the plasma membrane during cytokinesis remains elusive. We previously found that ERM (Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin) proteins, which usually mediate cellular pole contraction, become over-accumulated at the cell equator and support furrow ingression upon the loss of other actin-membrane associated proteins, anillin and supervillin. In this study, we addressed the molecular basis of the exchangeability between ezrin and other actin-membrane associated proteins in mediating cortical contraction during cytokinesis. Read More

PLoS One 2021 16;16(4):e0250452. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Center of Natural History, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

The Elbe is one of the longest European rivers and features a large, turbid and well-mixed estuary, which runs through the inner city of Hamburg. The Elbe has been closely monitored using classical catch techniques in the past. Here we tested a COI-based eDNA approach for assessing the biodiversity within the Elbe. Read More

Mil Med 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Infectious Diseases Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.

Introduction: Leptospirosis and rickettsial diseases are global zoonotic diseases. In severe infection cases, mortality can range from 10% to 30%. Currently most epidemiological data available are based on outbreak investigations and hospital-based studies from endemic countries. Read More

J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2021 Apr 15;50(1):25. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.

Background: Salivary gland choristoma (SGCh) is a rare benign tumor reported in several unusual sites, such as the gastrointestinal tract, the optic nerve, and the internal auditory canal, but never reported in the inner ear.

Case Presentation: An 8-year-old girl with a history of left profound congenital hearing loss presented to us with ipsilateral progressive severe facial nerve palsy (House-Brackmann Grade VI). The left tympanic membrane was swollen with a pulsatile tumor. Read More

PLoS One 2021 15;16(4):e0249571. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan.

Quantitative taxonomic compositions of nematode communities help to assess soil environments due to their rich abundance and various feeding habitats. DNA metabarcoding by the 18S ribosomal RNA gene (SSU) regions were preferentially used for analyses of soil nematode communities, but the optimal regions for high-throughput amplicon sequencing have not previously been well investigated. In this work, we performed Illumina-based amplicon sequencing of four SSU regions (regions 1-4) to identify suitable regions for nematode metabarcoding using the taxonomic structures of nematodes from uncultivated field, copse, and cultivated house garden soils. Read More