Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Taniguchi, Shin Yamazaki, Shoji F. Nakayama, Makiko Sekiyama, Takehiro Michikawa, Tomohiko Isobe, Miyuki Iwai-Shimada, Yayoi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Nitta, Mari Oba, Michihiro Kamijima
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal exposure to metallic elements and infant weight trajectory. The results showed that higher maternal levels of lead and selenium were associated with poor weight trajectory, while higher levels of mercury were associated with decreased weight trajectory, and higher levels of manganese were associated with increased weight trajectory.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karolina Kot, Natalia Lanocha-Arendarczyk, Patrycja Kupnicka, Slawomir Szymanski, Witold Malinowski, Elzbieta Kalisinska, Dariusz Chlubek, Danuta Kosik-Bogacka
Summary: The study of maternal and cord blood concentrations of various elements showed similarities in calcium, lead, and strontium levels, with higher levels of iron and potassium in cord blood. Copper, sodium, and zinc concentrations were lower in cord︿ likely due to limited transplacental transfer. High associations were found between copper levels in cord blood and newborn anthropometric parameters. Overall, the study suggests that the values obtained are within normal range for healthy pregnant women in Poland.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Pierre Desaunay, Charles Dolladille, Basile Chretien, Lea-Gabrielle Eude, Sophie Fedrizzi, Ceneric Alexandre, Gisele Apter, Joachim Alexandre, Fabian Guenole
Summary: This study found significant associations between neonatal hypotonia and fetal exposure to clomipramine, venlafaxine, and imipramine. Reports from the French database suggested prolonged fetal exposure as a contributing factor. In utero exposure to antidepressants may be associated with neonatal hypotonia.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ralley E. Prentice, Sally J. Bell, Claudia A. Nold-Petry, Marcel F. Nold, Rimma Goldberg
Summary: The effects of in utero exposure to inflammatory bowel disease pharmacotherapies and maternal inflammatory activity on the development of the neonatal immune system remain unclear, and further research is needed to determine appropriate antenatal care strategies for IBD.
NATURE REVIEWS GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nichole Nidey, Katherine Bowers, Lili Ding, Hong Ji, Robert T. Ammerman, Kimberly Yolton, E. Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, Alonzo T. Folger
Summary: This study investigated the effects of in-utero exposure to maternal smoking on DNA methylation of AVPR1a gene in infants. The findings suggest that infants with in-utero exposure to maternal smoking have reduced DNA methylation at AVPR1a CpG sites.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hesam Movassagh, Yuliya Halchenko, Vanitha Sampath, Unni C. Nygaard, Brian Jackson, David Robbins, Zhigang Li, Kari C. Nadeau, Margaret R. Karagas
Summary: The study found that gestational exposure to mercury concentrations may alter the frequency of cord blood T cells and placental gene expression, potentially leading to immunotoxic effects.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liqin Hu, Hong Mei, Xiaonan Cai, Feiyan Xiang, Na Li, Zhen Huang, Zhengrong Duan, Pan Yang, Han Xiao
Summary: This study found that higher maternal and cord plasma PFAS concentrations are associated with increased neonatal TSH levels. The associations were observed mainly between twin pairs, and genetic and familial factors also contribute to these associations.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Paola E. Pena-Garcia, Jessica Morales-Ortiz, Jean Marrero-Polanco, Ariana Virgillio, Barry A. Finette, Anthony V. Washington, Elizabeth A. Bonney
Summary: Insufficient TLT-1 expression may be associated with increased fetal inflammatory responses in preterm birth. Further study of TLT-1 is warranted to understand its role in the link between bleeding, inflammation and preterm birth, and its potential as a biomarker in human pregnancy.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chaochen Ma, Miyuki Iwai-Shimada, Shoji F. Nakayama, Tomohiko Isobe, Yayoi Kobayashi, Nozomi Tatsuta, Yu Taniguchi, Makiko Sekiyama, Takehiro Michikawa, Shin Yamazaki, Michihiro Kamijima
Summary: Prenatal cadmium exposure was negatively associated with neurodevelopment in boys, in children whose mothers smoked, and in children born to mothers with gestational diabetes. Further studies in other populations are needed to confirm our findings.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jianhao Sun, Baohong Mao, Zhenzhen Wu, Xinjuan Jiao, Yanxia Wang, Yongli Lu, Xuejing Ma, Xiaohui Liu, Xiaoying Xu, Hongmei Cui, Xiaojuan Lin, Bin Yi, Jie Qiu, Qing Liu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between prenatal titanium exposure and the risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in offspring. The results showed that higher concentrations of titanium in maternal blood were associated with an increased risk of CHDs, as well as multiple CHDs, atrial septal defects, and patent ductus arteriosus. Higher concentrations of titanium in umbilical cord blood were also associated with an increased risk of CHDs and different heart defects. Therefore, titanium exposure may cross the placental barrier and contribute to the occurrence of CHDs.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Iben K. Greiber, Jakob H. Viuff, Lone Storgaard, Mona A. Karlsen, Ojvind Lidegaard, Anders P. Mikkelsen, Lene Mellemkjaer, Cristel S. Hjortshoj
Summary: Overall, children exposed to maternal cancer in utero did not show a higher risk of mortality or severe morbidity. Additionally, fetal exposure to chemotherapy was not associated with adverse health outcomes in childhood.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Michael J. Nash, Evgenia Dobrinskikh, Sean A. Newsom, Ilhem Messaoudi, Rachel C. Janssen, Kjersti M. Aagaard, Carrie E. McCurdy, Maureen Gannon, Paul Kievit, Jacob E. Friedman, Stephanie R. Wesolowski
Summary: Maternal exposure to a Western-style diet during pregnancy can lead to early signs of fibrogenesis in the fetal liver, which can be halted by alleviating oxidative stress in the fetal liver caused by maternal Western-style diet.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Cyrielle Holuka, Myriam P. Merz, Nathalie Grova, Jonathan D. Turner
Summary: Maternal stress pre-pregnancy and exposure to stress in utero have long-term negative effects on the developing fetus, which may be transmitted through changes in fetal epigenetic markers. The mother's prior life experience and changes in her external environment can affect the in utero environment she provides and can be observed in changes to her epigenome. Assessing the maternal epigenome can serve as a proxy for evaluating the developmental environment in utero, determining the child's epigenome and lifelong health trajectory. The maternal origin of placental decidua makes it an ideal sample for assessing the in utero environment in the context of the mother's prior life experience, mediating maternal exposure to infant phenotype.
MEDICAL HYPOTHESES
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Qi Chu, Ying Li, Xueli Wang
Summary: In this study, concentrations of heavy metals in crayfish samples from 24 provinces in China were analyzed. Two different models were used to assess health risks and estimate the target hazard quotient. The results showed that all heavy metal concentrations were below safety limits and the Bayesian approach provided a better understanding of the population exposed to potential risks.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hsiao-Lin Hwa, Fu-Shiang Peng, Te-Tien Ting, Huei-Wen Chen, Hsiang-Yu Chan, Da-Peng Yang, Pau-Chung Chen, Yun-Ning Kuo, Pai-Shan Chen
Summary: This study investigates the association between prenatal exposure to phthalates and birth outcomes in infants. The results suggest that certain phthalate metabolites are correlated with anogenital index and head circumference in male and female infants.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Hironobu Yanagie, Masashi Yanagawa, Tsuyoshi Higuchi, Ryouji Mizumachi, Mitsuteru Fujihara, Yasuyuki Morishita, Yuriko Sakurai, Kikue Mouri, Novriana Dewi, Yasumasa Nonaka, Atsuko Shinohara, Takehisa Matsukawa, Ayano Kubota, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Minoru Suzuki, Shin-ichiro Masunaga, Yohinori Sakurai, Hiroki Tanaka, Koji Ono, Haruo Yamauchi, Minoru Ono, Jun Nakajima, Shushi Higashi, Hiroyuki Takahashi
APPLIED RADIATION AND ISOTOPES
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew Kataba, Shouta M. M. Nakayama, Hokuto Nakata, Haruya Toyomaki, Yared B. Yohannes, John Yabe, Kaampwe Muzandu, Golden Zyambo, Ayano Kubota, Takehisa Matsukawa, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Mayumi Ishizuka
Summary: The study found that the crown of rat incisors accumulated more lead than the root, and levels of lead in the blood were positively correlated with lead content in the incisors. In wild rats, lead accumulation in the incisor crown decreased with distance from the abandoned lead-zinc mine, and Pb-T was strongly correlated with blood lead levels. Laser ablation ICP-MS mapping revealed a homogenous distribution of lead in the incisor, with higher intensity localized in the tip of the incisor crown. These findings suggest that lead content in the crown incisor may reflect the rat's environmental habitat and serve as an indicator of lead exposure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mohsen Vigeh, Masud Yunesian, Takehise Matsukawa, Mansour Shamsipour, Maryam Zare Jeddi, Noushin Rastkari, Mohammad Sadegh Hassanvand, Mamak Shariat, Homa Kashani, Reihaneh Pirjani, Mohammad Effatpanah, Mahboobeh Shirazi, Ghazal Shariatpanahi, Katsumi Ohtani, Kazuhito Yokoyama
Summary: High-level toxic metal exposure has become rare in recent years, but it is still unclear whether relatively lower exposure may adversely affect the human reproductive system. The study found that, except for antimony, other toxic metals did not show a significant impact on the risk of spontaneous abortion (SA) at relatively low levels. It is recommended that women planning pregnancy and during early gestation should avoid exposure to these toxic metals to prevent adverse effects.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ryouta Torimoto, Chihiro Ishii, Hiroshi Sato, Keisuke Saito, Yukiko Watanabe, Kohei Ogasawara, Ayano Kubota, Takehisa Matsukawa, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Atsushi Kobayashi, Takashi Kimura, Shouta M. M. Nakayama, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Mayumi Ishizuka
Summary: Lead localization in organs of experimentally lead-exposed ducks and kites was investigated using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Lead accumulation was diffuse in the liver, renal cortex, and brain in both species, with differences observed in lead distribution patterns between the two avian species; copper distribution in the brain was also altered in lead-exposed ducks.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Megumi Oya, Satoru Sugimoto, Keisuke Sasai, Kazuhito Yokoyama
Summary: This study implemented 3D-CNN for CTV segmentation in whole breast irradiation, achieving DSC >= 0.85 on left, right, and both-sided breast cancer datasets with 3D-UNet. Grad-CAM heatmaps indicated the focus of 3D-UNet in decision-making, highlighting the regions from target-side breast tissue to the opposite-side breast.
RADIOLOGICAL PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hiroaki Itoh, Kouji H. Harada, Yoshio Kasuga, Shiro Yokoyama, Hiroshi Onuma, Hideki Nishimura, Ritsu Kusama, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Jing Zhu, Mariko Harada Sassa, Shoichiro Tsugane, Motoki Iwasaki
Summary: The study did not find an overall association between serum PFAS concentrations and an increased risk of breast cancer; instead, many inverse associations between serum PFAS concentrations and breast cancer risk were discovered.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Eisei Tanaka, Takehisa Matsukawa, Yasuo Kuroki, Minoru Suzuki, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Takafumi Hirata
Summary: Laser ablation-ICP-mass spectrometer (LA-ICPMS) is a principal analytical technique for mapping analysis of major to trace elements in various samples. This study demonstrates the use of a small volume cell and offset laser ablation protocol to improve spatial resolution. The combination of these techniques allows for faster washout time and smaller laser ablation areas, resulting in improved elemental imaging resolution.
ANALYTICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kazuhito Yokoyama, Akinori Nakata, Yuto Kannari, Frank Nickel, Nicole Deci, Andreas Krause, Jan Dettmers
Summary: The study found that flexible working time is associated with negative work-related consequences such as increased burnout, working hours, self-endangering work behavior, workaholism, and job demands, but also with positive factors such as improved work engagement. Path analysis revealed that burnout is caused by workaholism both directly and via self-endangering work behavior, and by low job decision latitude, and is reduced by work engagement. Similarly, poor health is caused by workaholism via self-endangering work behavior, and reduced by work engagement. Therefore, self-endangering work behavior plays a key role in the adverse health consequences of flexible working time.
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Go Muto, Akinori Nakata, Dong-Uk Park, Kazuhito Yokoyama
Article
Psychiatry
Tomomi Imano, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Hiroaki Itoh, Eri Shoji, Keiko Asano
Summary: This study developed the Japanese version of the Depression Literacy Scale (D-Lit-J) and examined its validity and reliability. The results showed that the D-Lit-J demonstrated credible known-group validity, with good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miho Kuroda, Yuki Kawakubo, Yoko Kamio, Hidenori Yamasue, Toshiaki Kono, Maiko Nonaka, Natsumi Matsuda, Muneko Kataoka, Akio Wakabayashi, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Yukiko Kano, Hitoshi Kuwabara
Summary: Previous studies have shown the clinical effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in improving emotion regulation in children with autism. This pilot study aimed to explore the clinical utility of a group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy program in improving emotion regulation in autistic adults. The results demonstrated preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the therapy program, supporting further evaluation in larger clinical trials.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hiroaki Itoh, Kouji H. Harada, Yoshio Kasuga, Shiro Yokoyama, Hiroshi Onuma, Hideki Nishimura, Ritsu Kusama, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Jing Zhu, Mariko Harada Sassa, Teruhiko Yoshida, Shoichiro Tsugane, Motoki Iwasaki
Summary: This study investigated the association between PFASs and global DNA methylation levels in leukocytes. It found that 13 PFASs were significantly associated with increased global DNA methylation levels in leukocytes, with an increase of 1.45%-3.96% per log10-unit increase of PFAS concentration.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Shuntaro Ando, Hideto Suzuki, Takehisa Matsukawa, Satoshi Usami, Hisanori Muramatsu, Tatsushige Fukunaga, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Yuji Okazaki, Atsushi Nishida
Summary: This study demonstrates that even micro-dose lithium is associated with suicide death.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Mohsen Vigeh, Leyla Sahebi, Kazuhito Yokoyama
Summary: This study suggests that increasing maternal blood lead levels could potentially reduce birth weight. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid lead exposure as much as possible.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Orthopedics
Seiya Ishii, Yasuhiro Homma, Takehisa Matsukawa, Tomonori Baba, Ayano Kubota, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Kazuo Kaneko, Muneaki Ishijima
Summary: This case study highlights the potential factors leading to stem dissociation, including the combination of a large femoral head diameter, a high risk for galvanic corrosion with cobalt-chromium head, and a low Young's modulus alloy stem. Such a combination should be avoided to prevent similar complications in total hip arthroplasty.