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Type 1 recombinant enterovirus G (EV-G), which carries the papain-like cysteine protease (PLCP) gene of torovirus between its 2C/3A regions, and type 2 recombinant EV-G, which carries the torovirus PLCP gene with its flanking regions having non-EV-G sequences in place of the viral structural genes, have been detected in pig farms in several countries. In a previous study, we collected 222 fecal samples from 77 pig farms from 2104 to 2016 and detected one type 2 recombinant EV-G genome by metagenomics sequencing. In this study, we reanalyzed the metagenomic data and detected 11 type 2 recombinant EV-G genomes. In addition, we discovered new type 2 recombinant EV-G genomes of the two strains from two pig farms samples in 2018 and 2019. Thus, we identified the genomes of 13 novel type 2 recombinant EV-Gs isolated from several pig farms in Japan. Type 2 recombinant EV-G has previously been detected only in neonatal piglets. The present findings suggest that type 2 recombinant EV-G replicates in weaning piglets and sows. The detection of type 1 recombinant EV-Gs and type 2 recombinant EV-Gs at 3-year and 2-year intervals, respectively, from the same pig farm suggests that the viruses were persistently infecting or circulating in these farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Many patients with coronavirus disease 2019 require mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy. However, the timing and indications for tracheostomy are controversial. This study assessed 11 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who underwent tracheostomy with clinical information and retrospective analyses. Methods: A single-center retrospective observational study was performed on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who underwent tracheostomy between 2020 and 2021. Results: Failure to wean was the most common indication for tracheostomy, followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation decannulation and the need for secretion management. After tracheostomy, six patients (54.5%) were liberated from the ventilator. The time from intubation to tracheostomy (21.1 ± 9.14 days) was correlated with the duration of ventilator dependency (36.83 ± 20.45 days, r2 = 0.792, p = 0.018). The mean Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was significantly lower in the ventilator-liberated group (23 ± 2.77) than in the non-ventilator-liberated group (31 ± 6.13, p = 0.0292). Furthermore, patients with Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores of < 27 points achieved ventilator liberation and a long-term survival (p = 0.0006). Conclusions: This study describes the outcomes of a cohort of patients who underwent tracheostomy after intubation for coronavirus disease 2019. The Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II score predicted whether or not the patient could achieve ventilator liberation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) for battery electric vehicles has been actively studied because it can enhance their cruising range and reduce their charging time. An SS type WPT circuit is simpler and more efficient than a WPT circuit with a filter, such as an LCC type WPT circuit. By contrast, the leakage magnetic field generated by the harmonic current is a problem that needs to be addressed. The leakage magnetic field is limited by the Radio Act and the Ordinance for Regulating Radio Equipment in Japan. This study aims to reduce the leakage magnetic field generated by the harmonic current using a high‐frequency switching technology. The inverter and rectifier are operated using pulse width modulation (PWM) with a high carrier frequency. The effectiveness of the proposed method was experimentally verified using a GaN inverter and rectifier. As a result, the proposed method can drastically reduce the leakage magnetic field, especially, the magnetic field generated by the current harmonics of order greater than five. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine adenoviruses (PAdVs) are distributed in pig populations and classified into five immunologically distinct serotypes (PAdV-1 to 5). In this study, a PAdV was isolated from a fecal sample of wild boar for the first time. Whole-genome analysis revealed that this strain (Ino5) has sequence homology (approximately > 93%) throughout the genome with the PAdV-5 strain HNF-70 that was isolated from a pig in Japan in 1987, except for the hexon, E3 612R, and fiber coding regions. Two possible recombination breakpoints were detected in the hexon and E3 612R regions, which were found to have reduced GC content. Structural prediction analysis showed that a part of the hexon protein corresponding to the tower region of Ino5 had structural differences when compared with HNF-70, suggesting antigenic heterogeneity between these strains. PAdVs were detected in 1.77% (2/113) and 12% (12/100) of the fecal samples from wild boars and pigs collected in Japan by PCR, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of the hexon and fiber genes revealed that some samples showed different grouping in the hexon and fiber genes, suggesting that these viruses have recombination events. These findings suggest that the PAdV-5 has evolved with homologous recombination events in the same manner as human adenoviruses among not only pig populations, but also wild boars in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Many stroke patients cannot urinate independently due to motor and cognitive dysfunctions. This study examined whether a continuous continence self‐management program during acute and convalescent phases is associated with independence in voiding behavior. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among stroke patients registered in the Council of Kaga Local Stroke Network, Japan, from 2015 to 2019. In the intervention group (n = 941), a multidisciplinary continence care team and ward nurses provided continence care in the acute phase and shared the information with the staff in the convalescent ward. The control group (n = 579) received traditional voiding care from ward nurses. The primary and secondary outcomes were independence in voiding behavior at discharge from the convalescent ward and length of hospital stay, respectively. Results: At discharge from the convalescent wards, the proportion of patients who voided at the toilet or bedside commode was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (76.3% vs. 62.4%, p < 0.001). The continuous continence self‐management program was associated with independence in voiding behavior (adjusted odds ratio: 1.801, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.102, 2.942]; p = 0.019) and length of hospital stay (β: −0.178, 95% CI: [−14.320, −7.607]; p < 0.001) after adjusting for other variables. Conclusions: The program was associated with increasing independent voiding behavior and shortened the length of hospital stay, suggesting the importance of promoting treatments for lower urinary tract symptoms and rehabilitation by a multidisciplinary continence care team for stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the 1-year outcomes of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated with supervised physical therapy or unsupervised exercise. Design: A single-center randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation, blinded assessor and intention-to-treat analysis. Setting: Spine care center. Subjects: A total of 86 patients presenting with symptoms of neurogenic claudication caused by lumbar spinal stenosis. Interventions: The physical therapy group received supervised physical therapy sessions twice a week for 6 weeks and home exercise program. The home exercise group received 6-week home exercise program only. Main measures: The primary outcome was symptom severity on the Zurich claudication questionnaire at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included physical function, pain, health-related quality of life and the surgery rate after 1 year. Results: At 1 year, more patients in the physical therapy group than in the home exercise group achieved minimum clinically important differences in Zurich claudication questionnaire symptom severity (60.5% vs 32.6%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.3, [95% CI [1.5–12.3], P = 0.01); Zurich claudication questionnaire physical function (55.8% vs 32.6%; AOR 3.0 [1.1–8.1], P = 0.03); SF-36 bodily pain (48.8% vs 25.6%; AOR 2.8 [1.1–7.3], P = 0.03), and SF-36 general health (20.9% vs 7.0%; AOR 6.1 [1.1–33.0], P = 0.04). The surgery rate at 1 year was lower in the physical therapy than in the home exercise group (7.0% vs 23.3%; AOR 0.2 [0.04–0.9] P = 0.04). Conclusions: Supervised physical therapy produced greater improvements in symptom severity and physical function than unsupervised exercise and was associated with lower likelihood of receiving surgery within 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bidirectional muographic measurements were conducted at the Imashirozuka burial mound, Japan. The mound was built in the beginning of the 6th century as a megalithic tomb and later collapsed after a landslide caused by the 1596 Fushimi earthquake, one of the largest earthquakes that has occurred in Japan over the last few centuries. The measurements were conducted in order to find evidence of this past disaster recorded in this historical heritage site. As a result, the vertical low-density regions were found at the top of the mound. These regions were interpreted as large-scale vertical cracks that caused the translational collapse process behind the rotational landslide that was already found in prior trench-survey-based works. These results indicate that there was an intrinsic problem with the stability of the basic foundation of the Imashirozuka mound before the 1596 Fushimi earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the major specifications and characteristics of the Ku-band high-speed scanning Doppler radar for volcano observation (KuRAD) introduced to Kagoshima University in March 2017 as well as the results of a test observation at Sakurajima. KuRAD is a Doppler radar for research with a wavelength of approximately 2 cm and uses a 45 cm diameter Luneberg lens antenna as a transmitting and receiving antenna to observe the development of a volcanic eruption column immediately following eruption at a maximum rotation speed of 40 rpm. The maximum transmitter power is 9.6 W and the maximum observational range is 20 km. Observed data includes radar reflectivity factor, Doppler velocity, and Doppler spectrum width. Another feature of KuRAD is an obtained radio station license for observation of a total of seven active volcanos in Kyushu. To assess the basic performance of KuRAD, we carried out test observations of volcanic eruptions at Sakurajima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan and collected a total of 87 eruptions (20 of which are explosive eruptions and 7 of which had 3,000 m or higher eruptive smoke from vents). From the eruption data of Showa vent on May 2, 2017, it was confirmed that KuRAD could monitor the three-dimensional internal structure of a volcanic eruption column immediately following eruption. Eruption data from Minamidake of Sakurajima on March 5, 2018, showed that KuRAD successfully observed the eruptive smoke reaching a height of 4,000 m, although the eruptive smoke was covered with clouds and could not be detected by optical instruments of the Japan Meteorological Agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, the population of people over the age of 65 is 25.0% in Japan. This means that Japan has already become a super-aging society. In such society, the number of elderly people living alone has been also increased. For such people, a fall accident is serious because it can lead to serious injury or death. Researches and services to monitor behaviours of such people have been proposed. For example, by monitoring the status of use of home appliances, something unusual happened to them can be predicted. However, such systems cannot recognize the detailed behaviours like fall. Surveillance cameras have been introduced only outside the house because of the privacy issues. In this paper, we propose a mobile robot to detect human fall and report it to their observers. The mobile robot consists of a household mobile robot (Yujin Robot's Kobuki), a sensor (Microsoft's Kinect), and a computer (PC) to detect a human and control the robot. For simplicity of the robot and accurate fall detection, the sensor is installed on the robot to follow the target harmoniously. Thus, the sensor can move around with the robot to minimize blind area. The results of our experiments show that improvement of up to 80% in fall detection rate compared to a conventional monitoring technique using position-fixed sensors. Finally, we discuss the capabilities and future works of the robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of microblogging services represented by Twitter evidently stirred a popular trend of personal update sharing from all over the world. Furthermore, the recent mobile device and wireless network technologies are greatly expanding the connectivity between people over the social networking sites. Regarding the shared buzzes over the sites as a crowd-sourced database reflecting a various kind of real-world events, we are able to conduct a variety of social analytics using the crowd power in much easier ways. In this paper, we propose a geo-social event detection method by finding out unusually crowded places based on the conception of social networking sites as a social event detector. In order to detect unusual statuses of a region, we previously construct geographical regularities deduced from geo-tagged microblogs. Especially, we utilize a large number of geo-tagged Twitter messages which are collected by means of our own tweets acquisition method in terms of geographic relevancy. By comparing to those regularities, we decide if there are any unusual events happening in monitoring geographical areas. Finally, we describe the experimental results to evaluate the proposed unusuality detection method on the basis of geographical regularities which are computed from a large number of real geo-tagged tweet dataset around Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of Echinococcus multilocularisinfections in pet dogs in Japan from 1997 to 2007 was conducted by testing for coproantigen reactivity, fecal taeniid eggs, and egg DNA. In Hokkaido, the only island where E. multilocularisis endemic in Japan, 18 of 4768 dogs (0.4) excreted taeniid eggs that were positive for E. multilocularisDNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Most of the dogs testing positive for egg DNA were kept free-range, but three dogs had been kept inside their owners' houses. In addition, 15 dogs were suspected to be infected based on the results of a coproantigen test. One dog, which was transported from Hokkaido to Honshu, the main island of Japan, was excreting taeniid eggs that were positive for E. multilocularisDNA by PCR. These results suggest the importance of proper pet management in disease prevention, even for dogs kept indoors, and they point out a possible means by which the parasite may be introduced into non-endemic areas through transport of infected dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We summarize the results from a series of investigations of Japanese style acupuncture and moxibustion therapies on symptoms of the common cold that have been conducted (FTLE 1999-03, supported by the Foundation for Training and Licensure Examination in Anma-Massage- Acupressure, Acupuncture and Moxibustion). We also discuss the various interventions and concerns that we faced during these investigations. The subjects were students and teachers. The pilot study (FTLE1999) of a two arm (real and non-treatment control) RCT at a Japanese acupuncture school showed that manual acupuncture to a specific needling point at the throat clearly reduced symptoms of the common cold. The first multicenter (five centers) RCT (FTLE 2000) revealed a significant reduction in cold symptoms, by general linear model analysis (between groups, P = 0.024). To reduce the technical variation, we employed indirect moxibustion to the neck points as a uniform intervention in the next project (FTLE 2001) without statistically significant results. Then we elongated the periods of treatment from 2 to a maximum of 12 weeks (FTLE 2002) with different interventions accompanied by 4 weeks follow-up. The results were still not statistically significant. As the final project, we tried to develop a new experimental design for individualized intervention by conducting n-of-1 trials using elderly subjects in a health care center but without detecting a clear effect. In conclusion, the safety of Japanese acupuncture or moxibustion was sufficiently demonstrated; however, a series of clinical trials could not offer convincing evidence to recommend the use of Japanese style acupuncture or moxibustion for preventing the common cold. Further studies are required as the present trials had several limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose in this paper a time-dependent link scheme for hypermedia. The management of the links accompanying updates in hypermedia is a major subject; in particular, it is an important problem in hypermedia dealing with content which depends on time. This scheme will realize the dynamic creation and expiration functions of links as well as the automatic link control function. We have packaged a prototype system called Mille-feuille using the proposed time-dependent link scheme and have confirmed the scheme's validity. This scheme can also be realized by using the extensible markup language (XML). © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 32(14): 54–66, 2001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one approach to exploring whether the mitochondrial DNA 5178 adenine/cytosine (mt5178 A/C) polymorphism is associated with atherosclerosis, we genotyped 461 healthy Japanese individuals and studied the relationship of mt5178 A/C genotypes to serum lipid levels. Blood specimens were obtained after at least a 12-h fasting period from the subjects. The mt5178 A/C was genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The relative frequency of mt5178 A was 41.6% (192/461) and of mt5178 C was 58.4% (269/461). After adjustments for age and body mass index, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration in males carrying mt5178 A was significantly higher than that in males carrying mt5178 C (P=0.026). The tryglyceride (TG) concentration in females carrying mt5178 A was significantly lower than that in females carrying mt5178 C (P=0.012). This difference in the TG level between the two genotypes was more evident in postmenopausal females than in premenopausal females. Mt5178 A seems to have an antiatherogenic effect. This is the first genetic epidemiological report on the association of mt5178 A/C polymorphism with serum lipid levels in the Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of wheelchair cushions used by 218 paraplegic patients who lived independent lives were surveyed to clarify the present state of wheelchair cushioning for pressure sore prevention in Japan. Out of 586 cushions surveyed, 91.0% were ready-made and the rest were custom-made. The outstanding popularity of polyurethane foam ready-made cushions (76.3%) suggested that insufficient consideration was taken in the selection of cushions. Custom-made cushions displayed unique modifications to relieve contact pressure or to stabilize sitting posture, which should be systematically provided for all patients. The variety of cushion types and the frequent dissatisfaction with cushions seen in patients with current pressure sores suggested a strong demand for the effective prescription of cushions. Furthermore, 30% of all cushions had had an excessively prolonged use, indicating insufficient follow-up. A medical system including deliberate prescription and regular follow-up of wheelchair cushions should be established for the effective prevention of pressure sores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional survey was done to clarify the incidence of pressure sores in 218 self-supported Japanese paraplegic patients and to determine effective measures for prevention. The majority of patients (85.7%) had previous pressure sores, and 46.3% had undergone multiple surgeries. Some patients (17.9%) were still suffering from persistent sores which commonly developed at the ischial tuberosities, suggesting insufficiency of self-care practice during wheelchair activities. Sensory disturbance over the seating surface, urinary incontinence, and general complications were seen in 85.8%, 49.5%, and 18.8% of total subjects, respectively. They were seen as risk factors for pressure sores, but only urinary incontinence clearly increased the current pressure sore prevalence. Nevertheless, both self-care practice and sports activities, seen in 85.3% and 36.2% of total subjects, respectively, contributed to greatly reduce the incidence. A patient education system including acquisition of basic knowledge and proper technique should be established to promote effective prevention of pressure sores in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have reported that overweightness and obesity are associated with higher complication rates in lumbar spine surgery. However, little is known about the effect of obesity on postoperative complications in adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery, especially in the elderly. This study aimed to examine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on surgical outcomes and postoperative complications in elderly ASD patients undergoing surgical correction in Japan.Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, observational study of 234 consecutive patients diagnosed with ASD who underwent corrective surgery. Patients were divided into two groups according to BMI, BMI <25 (153 patients, mean age 71.9 years) and BMI ≥ 25 (overweight/obese, 81 patients, mean age 73.3 years). Radiographic results and perioperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results: Surgical complications occurred in approximately 20% of patients in each group; complications did not significantly differ between the two groups. A greater proportion of patients in the BMI ≥ 25 group experienced mechanical failure and DJK, although the difference was not significant. Preoperative mean lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI) minus LL, sacral slope (SS) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were similar in the BMI < 25 and BMI ≥ 25 groups. However, the BMI ≥25 group had lower mean LL (p = 0.015) and higher PI minus LL (p = 0.09) postoperatively. The BMI ≥25 groups also had significantly smaller LL (p = 0.026), smaller SS (p = 0.049) and higher SVA (p = 0.041) at the final follow-up, compared to the BMI < 25 group.Conclusions: In the present study, no difference in medical or surgical complications after ASD surgery was found between overweight/obese patients (BMI ≥ 25) and those with BMI < 25. However, correction of LL and SVA was smaller in patients with overweight/obese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Professor Wolfgang J. Mommsen, Director of German Historical Institute in London, England, and his work in social science. In Japan, he is known foremost as a scholar of sociologist Max Weber studies. In particular his masterpiece, "Max Weber and German Politics, 1890-1920," provided a major sensation to Weber studies. Its impact shocked not only German scholars, but scholars worldwide, including Japanese. Mommsen not only vigorously gathered unknown or unopened pieces of material on this subject, but also analyzed those pieces in accordance with Weber's multi-faceted academic achievements, and provided a synthesized view. It is an essential nautical chart for the next generation who launch into the exploration of the vast ocean of Weber's political thinking. He visited many universities including Tokyo and Kyoto in the 1980s and 1990s, and gave so many impressive lectures on Max Weber and on the situations and tasks of modern German history. Japanese scholars were inspired and motivated by his lectures.