Search

Introduction: Several randomized controlled trials have compared the effectiveness of favipiravir with that of placebo. However, evidence regarding its effect on nonsevere, early-stage coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains insufficient. Methods: We used the COVID-19 Registry Japan, a nationwide registry of inpatients with COVID-19, for evaluating the effectiveness of favipiravir on patients with nonsevere, early-stage COVID-19. Eligible patients, who did not need supplementary oxygen therapy at admission, were classified according to two regimens (starting favipiravir therapy within 4 days from admission vs. no favipiravir during hospitalization) and were then compared using a three-step method (cloning, censoring, and weighting). The primary outcome was supplementary oxygen requirement during hospitalization, and the secondary outcomes were the need for invasive mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (IMV/ECMO) and overall mortality at 30 days. Results: A total of 7654 cases were analyzed. The “start favipiravir” regimen did not show substantial differences in the primary outcome [hazard ratio 0.825, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.657–1.04, p= 0.098] and both of the secondary outcomes [need for IMV/ECMO and overall 30-day mortality, hazard ratio 1.02 (95% CI 0.649–1.60) and 0.869 (95% CI 0.519–1.46), p= 0.929 and 0.594, respectively]. Conclusions: In this large cohort from a COVID-19 registry, favipiravir was not associated with a positive effect on the clinical outcome on patients with nonsevere, early-stage COVID-19, suggesting that it is not an essential drug for COVID-19 treatment.

Backgrounds: Vascular access (VA) is a lifeline for maintenance hemodialysis patients. Monitoring and surveillance of VA, therefore, play an important role for maintaining VA patency. Surveillance needs special apparatus to estimate the VA function, while, monitoring including physical examination does not usually need such devices but highly skill-dependent and qualitative.Purpose: We report the clinical utility in monitoring and surveillance of VA using a newly developed electronic stethoscope and vascular sound visualization application.Methods: One hundred eight patients participated in the study. The vascular sounds were collected using the electronic stethoscope, converted into digital data, sent wirelessly to a personal computer, and then calculated. The units for the calculated intensity of the vascular sound were decibel [dB]. The intensity, however, was normalized as INDEX values ranging from 0 to 99 for practical use. Correlation between INDEX and the mean flow volume (mFV) and resistance index (RI) of brachial artery measured by Doppler ultrasound sonography were examined for VA surveillance. INDEX was continually measured at each dialysis session in ten patients who underwent the angioplasty for VA monitoring.Results: INDEX significantly correlated with the mFV (coefficient of correlation value = 0.68, p< 0.001) and RI (coefficient of correlation value = −0.51, p< 0.001) of brachial artery. Using the calculated cut-off values, the accuracy of INDEX for the diagnosis of AVF dysfunction ranged from 66% to 82%. INDEX attained the peak just after the angioplasty of culprit lesions and gradually decreased from one patient to another.Conclusion: These results suggest that vascular sound visualization system can be useful in VA monitoring and surveillance for detecting and predicting the access stenosis.

The paper presents the continuity study from the previous work, which designing the graphical user interface (GUI) for a decision support system (DSS) of driving fatigue. As driving fatigue has been recognised as one of the significant contributory factors to road accidents and fatalities in Malaysia, the author developed the DSS that providing analysis, and proving solutions and recommendations to the road users. In other words, the DSS acts as the advisory and decision-maker tool. In designing the GUI for a DSS, the Django based on Python programming language was used by the authors. There are five main GUI that has been designed in this study: admin GUI user profile and driving information GUI, regression model GUI, risk factor analysis GUI and superuser GUI. Further testing and validation of the graphical user interface for the DSS are suggested before it is used commercially.

IMPORTANCE: Classification criteria are the standardized definitions that are used to enroll uniform cohorts for research studies. They emphasize high specificity and are distinct from diagnostic criteria. No universally recognized classification criteria currently exist for discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), which has led to problematic heterogeneity in observational and interventional clinical studies across the field. OBJECTIVE: To create and validate classification criteria for DLE using 12 previously defined candidate criteria items. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: For this diagnostic study, candidate criteria items were prospectively applied by dermatologists and dermatopathologists at clinical visits of patients with DLE or a condition that could be confused for DLE, termed a DLE mimicker, at academic dermatology practices across the United States, Poland, Japan, and South Korea. Data were collected from December 1, 2017, to February 1, 2019, and analyzed from March 1 to September 19, 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Clinical features among these 2 groups were calculated and compared with χ2 or Fisher exact tests. Candidate models were identified using best subsets logistic regression analysis. Improvement tests, fit statistics, and discrimination were considered to choose a final model. RESULTS: Nine sites contributed 215 patients, 15 of whom had missing or incomplete data. The final model for DLE classification criteria includes only clinical variables: atrophic scarring (3 points), location in the conchal bowl (2 points), preference for the head and neck (2 points), dyspigmentation (1 point), follicular hyperkeratosis and/or plugging (1 point), and erythematous to violaceous in color (1 point), with an area under the receiving operating characteristic curve of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.87-0.95). A score of at least 5 points yields a sensitivity of 84.1% and a specificity of 75.9% in the classification of DLE, with increasing scores yielding higher specificity. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings provide the initial validation of classification criteria for DLE for use in observational and clinical trials.

Fluorous properties represented by water-and-oil repellency are perfluoroalkyl (Rf) compound-specific characteristics, which are widely used for surface coating of glass, electronic devices and textiles for preventing water and grease fouling. According to the stratified dipole-arrays (SDA) theory, the minimum Rflength of (CF2)7is theoretically necessary for realizing fluorous properties. Unfortunately, however, production of compounds involving this chemical unit is strictly banned because of concerns of environmental pollution, which is a big dilemma. Here, we show that the fluorous properties can be realized by self-assembled monolayer (SAM) even with a short Rf-containing compound, since the SAM technique makes the best use of the self-aggregation property of the Rfgroups, and it readily makes the molecules immobile.Fluorous properties are realized by the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) technique even with a short Rf-containing compound by considering that the SAM technique makes the best use of the self-aggregation property of the Rfgroups, and it readily makes the molecules immobile.

Countries in the Southeast Asia region have a high prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth, such as roundworm, whipworm, and hookworms [Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus, Ancylostoma ceylanicum]. Recent molecular-based surveys have revealed that A. ceylanicum, a zoonotic hookworm, is likely the second most prevalent hookworm species infecting humans in that part of the world, while others have noted that this infection is an emerging public health risk not only for indigenous people but also for visitors from other countries. We recently encountered four cases of A. ceylanicuminfection in Japanese individuals who returned from Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea. Case 1 was a 25-year-old male who stayed in a rainforest in Malaysia for 4 weeks, where he developed abdominal pain and diarrhea in the third week. Eleven adult worms (five males, six females) were expelled after treatment with pyrantel pamoate and identified as A. ceylanicumbased on morphological characteristics and DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Case 2 was a 26-year-old male who spent 2 years as an overseas cooperation volunteer for agriculture in Papua New Guinea. He did not note any symptoms at that time, though eggs were detected in feces samples at a medical check-up examination after returning. Although collection of adult worms was unsuccessful, DNA analysis of the eggs for cox1 and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-1 and ITS-2 genes demonstrated that they were A. ceylanicum.Case 3 was a 47-year-old male who spent 1 month in a rural village in Lao People’s Democratic Republic and began suffering from watery diarrhea from the third week. A total of nine adult worms (three males, six females) were collected by endoscopic procedures and following treatment with pyrantel pamoate. Morphological examination and molecular analyses of the cox1 gene showed that they were A. ceylanicum.Case 4 was a 27-year-old male who participated in group travel to India for 5 days. Three weeks after returning, he developed abdominal pain and diarrhea. Hookworm eggs were found in feces samples and developed into larvae in culture, which were identified as A. ceylanicumbased on molecular analysis of the cox1 gene.Eosinophilia was observed in all of the cases prior to treatment. A. ceylanicumshould be recognized as an important etiologic pathogen of hookworm diseases in travelers to countries in the Southeast Asia and West Pacific Ocean regions.

Paragonimiasis is one of the foodborn trematodiases and number of the patients was estimated to be about 23 million around the world. To obtain good compliance of people for the surveillance of paragonimiasis, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the diagnosis of paragonimiasis with unconcentrated urine samples was developed. Paragonimus westermaniantigen specific IgG and IgG4 were detected in urine samples from paragonimiasis patients and the levels correlated well with those detected in the paired serum samples. Cross-reactions observed among other trematodiasis and a tuberculosis patient with the antigen specific IgG were much reduced by detecting the antigen specific IgG4; 9.2 % to 2.3 %. The ELISA with urine samples, which are collected safely and easily, will be a useful tool for a mass-screening of paragonimiasis.

Magnesium rechargeable batteries (MRBs) promise to be the next post lithium-ion batteries that can help meet the increasing demand for high-energy, cost-effective, high-safety energy storage devices. Early prototype MRBs that use molybdenum-sulfide cathodes have low terminal voltages, requiring the development of oxide-based cathodes capable of overcoming the sulfide’s low Mg2+conductivity. Here, we fabricate an ultraporous (>500 m2g–1) and ultrasmall (<2.5 nm) cubic spinel MgMn2O4(MMO) by a freeze-dry assisted room-temperature alcohol reduction process. While the as-fabricated MMO exhibits a discharge capacity of 160 mAh g–1, the removal of its surface hydroxy groups by heat-treatment activates it without structural change, improving its discharge capacity to 270 mAh g–1─the theoretical capacity at room temperature. These results are made possible by the ultraporous, ultrasmall particles that stabilize the metastable cubic spinel phase, promoting both the Mg2+insertion/deintercalation in the MMO and the reversible transformation between the cubic spinel and cubic rock-salt phases.

The structure and optical properties of phosphate glasses containing bismuth or niobium oxides for subwavelength structure (SWS) optical elements were studied. The glasses containing a large amount of bismuth and niobium oxides had refractive indexes higher than 1.8 and low deformation temperatures. However, these high refractive index glasses were yellowish due to the electronic transition in trivalent bismuth ions and pentavalent niobium ions. The structure of the glasses was investigated by X-ray, IR, and Raman spectroscopy. NbOx and BiOx formed clusters as the bismuth and niobium oxide content increased. The results showed that the local structure around bismuth and niobium ions was related to the coloration. Based on these results, we developed high refractive index glasses that were used for precision molding to fabricate periodic SWSs. One-dimensional periodic SWSs were fabricated on the glass surface by a precision molding method using a SiC mold on which the reverse of the SWS pattern was carved and a flat SiC mold. One-dimensional SWSs with a high aspect ratio were fabricated on one surface of the glass plate. The niobium phosphate glass plates with the one-dimensional SWS showed phase retardation higher than 1/8l between TE- and TM-polarized beams at 400 nm, demonstrating that a wavelength plate can be fabricated by our precision molding technique.

This study reports the effects of oral Aloe veragel powder (AVGP) containing Aloesterols on skin elasticity and the extracellular matrix in ultraviolet B (UVB)-irradiated hairless mice. Ten-week-old hairless mice were fed diets containing 0.3% AVGP for 8 weeks and irradiated UVB for 6 weeks. Mice treated with AVGP showed significant prevention of the UVB-induced decrease in skin elasticity. To investigate the mechanism underlying this suppression of skin elasticity loss, we measured the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, -9, and -13. AVGP prevented both the UVB-induced increases in MMPs expressions. Moreover, we investigated hyaluronic acid (HA) content of mice dorsal skin and gene expression of HA synthase-2 (Has2). In the results, AVGP oral administration prevented UVB-induced decreasing in skin HA content and Has2expression and attenuates the UVB-induced decrease in serum adiponectin, which promotes Has2expression. These results suggested that AVGP has the ability to prevent the skin photoaging.

Probiotic administration may be a useful method for preventing allergies in infants; however, there have been controversial results about the efficacy. We investigated the effects of bifidobacterial supplementation on the risk of developing allergic diseases in the Japanese population.

It is known that idiopathic chronic urticaria occasionally develops with Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection, but the association between urticaria and H. pyloriremains unknown.

We designed and fabricated an achromatic infrared wave plate. To examine its phase retardation characteristics, the birefringence was calculated using the effective medium theory. A wave plate with a subwavelength grating was fabricated by direct imprint lithography on a low toxic chalcogenide glass (Sb–Ge–Sn–S system) based on calculated results. As a result of imprinting onto chalcogenide glass by a glassy carbon mold, a grating with 1.63 μm depth, a fill factor of 0.7, and a 3 μm period was obtained. The phase retardation of the elements reached around 30° in the 8.5–10.5 μm wavelength range. The fabrication of the infrared wave plate is less costly compared with conventional crystalline wave plates.

How is a long strand of genomic DNA packaged into a mitotic chromosome or nucleus? The nucleosome fiber (beads-on-a-string), in which DNA is wrapped around core histones, has long been assumed to be folded into a 30-nm chromatin fiber, and a further helically folded larger fiber. However, when frozen hydrated human mitotic cells were observed using cryoelectron microscopy, no higher-order structures that included 30-nm chromatin fibers were found. To investigate the bulk structure of mitotic chromosomes further, we performed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), which can detect periodic structures in noncrystalline materials in solution. The results were striking: no structural feature larger than 11 nm was detected, even at a chromosome-diameter scale (~1 μm). We also found a similar scattering pattern in interphase nuclei of HeLa cells in the range up to ~275 nm. Our findings suggest a common structural feature in interphase and mitotic chromatins: compact and irregular folding of nucleosome fibers occurs without a 30-nm chromatin structure.

We fabricated a subwavelength-grating structure on the Y2O3ceramic substrate, which has higher transparency than silicon in the mid-infrared range. After coating a photoresist on this substrate, we formed a grating pattern of 350-nm pitch by the two-beam interference of the He-Cd laser (325-nm wavelength). By using this photoresist grating as a mask, WSi was etched with reactive SF6 ions. The transmittance of the transverse magnetic (TM) polarization was greater than 70% in the 3-7-m wavelength range without antireflection films and the extinction ratio was over 20 dB in the 2.5-5-m wavelength range. In addition, we also fabricated near-infrared wire-grid polarizer consisting of a 230-nm pitch WSi grating on a SiO2substrate. The TM polarization transmittance of the fabricated polarizer exceeded 80% in the 1000-1600-nm wavelength range. The extinction ratio was higher than 20 dB in the 650-1500-nm wavelength range.

An antireflective two-dimensional subwavelength structure and a one-dimensional periodic structure with large phase retardation were fabricated on the glass surfaces by glass-imprint process. Novel low-Tg optical glasses based on bismuth phosphate and bismuth borate systems have been developed for the fabrication of these structures. These glasses had refractive indexes higher than 1.8 and deformation temperatures lower than 500 °C. Antireflective structure optimized by rigorous coupled-wave analysis was fabricated on an SiC mold having a curved surface for lens formation by using electron-beam lithography and dry etching techniques. Reflectivity at the imprinted surface relief decreased to about one-tens as compared with that at the polished surface in the visible region, and had less dependence on incident angle and wavelength. Mold shape has been optimized to fabricate one-dimensional structure with a high aspect ratio. A phase retardation of 0.23 was observed between TE- and TM-polarized beams at 400 nm in the glass plate on both the surfaces of which one-dimensional structures were fabricated.