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Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an infection mediated by ticks and has been reported to have a high mortality rate in Japan. At our hospital, we reported three cases of SFTS with relatively positive outcomes. We reviewed reports of SFTS cases in Japan to clarify the current state of the disease in Japan, the treatment provided, and its outcome. The Ichushi Web was searched for literature using the following terms as keywords: "SFTS" or "severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome". Overall, 174 cases were collected and reviewed. The mean age of patients was 70.69 years old, and the mortality rate was 35%. The dead group was significantly older ( p < 0.001) than the alive group, had a significantly shorter period from symptom onset to hospital admission, and experienced significantly more hemorrhage-related and neurological symptoms. Further, the most frequently provided treatment methods were adrenocorticosteroids, antibiotics, and conservative treatment. The low recognition rate of SFTS in Japan might lead to a misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis and treatment, especially in mild to moderate cases. Medical professionals and citizens who live in areas inhabited by ticks need to be informed about SFTS to appropriately diagnose and manage SFTS cases in Japan in the future.

Excessive intake of trans-fatty acids increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Much attention is drawn to the consumption of trans-fatty acids worldwide, and regulations for trans-fatty acids are instituted in several countries. Precise and convenient methods for determination of trans-fatty acid level are required, but there is no standard method using capillary Gas Chromatography in Japan. Therefore, for the new standard method, collaborative studies were carried out. The results were as follows: 1) Heptadecanoate (C17:0 free fatty acid) was chosen for internal standard substance. 2) Two Gas Chromatography columns, SP2560 (100 m) column (100% cyanopropyl polysiloxane liquid phase) and TC-70 (60 m) column (70% cyanopropyl polysilphenylene-siloxane liquid phase), were examined in the collaborative studies. We measured the edible oil samples containing 2-45 g/100 g of trans-fatty acids, and trans-fatty acid contents were quantitatively the same with both columns. The range of reproducibility coefficient of variation were below 10%. 3) Fats and oils sampled were soybean, rapeseed, palm, palm kernel, beef tallow, pork fat and their hydrogenated forms, for which good peak resolution was achieved. From the above results, the technique evaluated in the present study was considered to be suitable for determination of the content of trans-fatty acids in fats and oils exclusive of fish oil and milk fat.