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High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) can be effective in treating type 1 respiratory failure by reducing the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this study was to assess the reduction of disease severity and safety of HFNC treatment in patients with severe COVID-19. We retrospectively observed 513 consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2021. We included patients with severe COVID-19 who received HFNC for their deteriorating respiratory status. HFNC success was defined as improvement in respiratory status after HFNC and transfer to conventional oxygen therapy, while HFNC failure was defined as transfer to non‐invasive positive pressure ventilation or ventilator, or death after HFNC. Predictive factors associated with failure to prevent severe disease were identified. Thirty-eight patients received HFNC. Twenty-five (65.8%) patients were classified in the HFNC success group. In the univariate analysis, age, history of chronic kidney disease (CKD), non-respiratory sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) ≥ 1, oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (SpO(2)/FiO(2)) before HFNC ≤ 169.2, were significant predictors of HFNC failure. Multivariate analysis revealed that SpO(2)/FiO(2) value before HFNC ≤ 169.2 was an independent predictor of HFNC failure. No apparent nosocomial infection occurred during the study period. Appropriate use of HFNC for acute respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 can reduce the severity of severe disease without causing nosocomial infection. Age, history of CKD, non-respiratory SOFA before HFNC ≤ 1, and SpO(2)/FiO(2) before HFNC ≤ 169.2 were associated with HFNC failure.

Background The current gold standard in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) diagnostics is the real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples. Alternatively, nasal swab (NS) or saliva swab (SS) specimens are used, although available data on test accuracy are limited. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of NPS/NS/SS samples for this purpose. Methods Ten patients were included after being tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in NPS samples according to the National Institute of Infectious Disease guidelines. In comparison with this conventional diagnostic method, NPS/NS/SS samples were tested using the cobas 6800 systems RT-PCR device. To investigate the usefulness of the cobas method and the difference among sample types, the agreement and sensitivity were calculated. Five to six samples were collected over a total period of 5–6 d from each patient. Results Fifty-seven sets of NPS/NS/SS samples were collected, of which 40 tested positive for COVID-19 by the conventional method. Overall, the concordance rates using the conventional method were 86.0%/70.2%/54.4% for NPS/NS/SS samples (cobas); however, for samples collected up to and including on Day 9 after disease onset (22 negative and one positive specimens), the corresponding rates were 95.7%/87.0%/65.2%. The overall sensitivity estimates were 100.0%/67.5%/37.5% for NPS/NS/SS samples (cobas). For samples up to 9 d after onset, the corresponding values were 100.0%/86.4%/63.6%. Conclusions NS samples are more reliable than SS samples and can be an alternative to NPS samples. They can be a useful diagnostic method in the future.

This case presents a 47-year-old woman who underwent Bochdalek hernia repair. The patient was diagnosed with a Bochdalek hernia when she was 35, but she did not present with any significant symptoms. After two deliveries, weight gain, and sleep apnea, her condition progressed and became complicated

The active layer of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) is typically a blend of p- and n-type semiconductors, and the arrangement of these materials largely affects the device performance. We have recently proposed a unique deposition technique in which α-diketone-type photoprecursors are solution-deposited and then subjected to in-situ photoreaction to form acene-based semiconductors, as an effective means for controlling the morphology and vertical composition profile in organic molecular blends. However, the applicability of this “photoprecursor approach” has been limited to p-type materials so far, restricting the flexibility in designing photovoltaic layers. Herein, we report α-diketone-type photoprecursors of two fullerene-anthracene conjugates which have been designed to serve as n-type material in OPVs. The new α-diketones, named N601DK and N602DK, are successfully applied to the photoprecursor approach, affording smooth thin films of the corresponding photoreaction products N601 and N602. The n-type materials thus produced are evaluated in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) OPVs and found to show good photovoltaic response. Especially, N601 performs as well as PC61BM, a fullerene-based benchmark n-type material. These results will serve as a basis for further improvement of OPVs through optimization of the molecular arrangement in solution-processed photovoltaic layers.

Dihedral-angle-controlled 2,2′-bithiophenes with terminal ferrocenyl groups were designed and prepared as long π-conjugated systems. Electrochemical and spectroscopic studies were carried out to ev...

Novel dihedral-angle-controlled 2,2′-bithiophenes with terminal ferrocenyl groups have been designed and prepared. The electrochemical and spectroscopic properties indicated that the interaction be...