Search

Recently, we have been working on enhancing the effectiveness of treatment for acute heart failure (HF) through team-based care. This study was designed to assess the benefits of this initiative by quantifying the prognostic impact on HF patients receiving treatment at our hospital. We identified 1977 consecutive HF patients (mean age 78.3 ± 11.9 years) being discharged from our hospital between February 2015 and December 2018, divided them by admission year, and tracked changes over time, with 2015 as a reference. The postdischarge clinical outcome measures were defined as a composite of all-cause death or rehospitalization for HF, all-cause death, and rehospitalization for HF. The risk of a composite of all-cause death or rehospitalization for HF was lower in 2017 (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval: 0.57 to 0.91; p = 0.005) and 2018 (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval: 0.61 to 0.99; p = 0.045) than in 2015, and that of all-cause death was lower in 2017 (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval: 0.53 to 0.98; p = 0.04) and 2018 (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval: 0.43 to 0.85; p = 0.004) than in 2015, but that of rehospitalization for HF was not significantly different through the study period. The mortality rate decreased at the end of the study period, but the rate of rehospitalization for HF did not. The benefits of team-based care were difficult to evaluate by quantification.

The Japanese conditional and time-limited (CTL) approval framework, a tiered system for regenerative medical products, was initiated in 2014. Here, we compare the dossiers of six regenerative medical products with either direct full approval or CTL approval, and we discuss the regulatory considerations for obtaining approval under the CTL approval framework.

Background Baculovirus vector (BV) is able to transduce foreign genes into mammalian cells efficiently and safely by incorporating a mammalian promoter. In the present study, we tailored the surface proteins expressed by malaria sporozoites to enhance hepatocyte transduction. Sporozoites infect hepatocytes within minutes of initial entry into the blood circulation. Infectivity and hepatocyte-specific selectivity are mediated by the interplay between hepatocytes and sporozoite surface proteins. The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and the thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) bind to the heparan sulfate proteoglycan on the hepatocyte surface and contribute to sporozoite infection and hepatocyte selectivity. Methods BVs displaying an ectodomain consisting of three different CSP variants (full-length, N-terminal and C-terminal) or TRAP on the virus envelope were constructed, and the resulting in vitro hepatocyte transduction efficiency was evaluated. Results We demonstrated improved hepatocyte transduction efficiency in BVs expressing CSP or TRAP ectodomains compared to BVs without malaria surface proteins. In addition, gene transduction efficiencies for BVs displaying CSP or TRAP are higher than those expressing the preS1 antigen of the hepatitis B virus. Conclusions BVs expressing CSP or TRAP in the ectodomain could represent a promising hepatocyte-specific gene delivery methodology. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Baculovirus vector (BV) is able to transduce foreign genes into mammalian cells efficiently and safely by incorporating a mammalian promoter. In the present study, we tailored the surface proteins expressed by malaria sporozoites to enhance hepatocyte transduction. Sporozoites infect hepatocytes within minutes of initial entry into the blood circulation. Infectivity and hepatocyte-specific selectivity are mediated by the interplay between hepatocytes and sporozoite surface proteins. The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and the thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) bind to the heparan sulfate proteoglycan on the hepatocyte surface and contribute to sporozoite infection and hepatocyte selectivity.BVs displaying an ectodomain consisting of three different CSP variants (full-length, N-terminal and C-terminal) or TRAP on the virus envelope were constructed, and the resulting in vitro hepatocyte transduction efficiency was evaluated.We demonstrated improved hepatocyte transduction efficiency in BVs expressing CSP or TRAP ectodomains compared to BVs without malaria surface proteins. In addition, gene transduction efficiencies for BVs displaying CSP or TRAP are higher than those expressing the preS1 antigen of the hepatitis B virus.BVs expressing CSP or TRAP in the ectodomain could represent a promising hepatocyte-specific gene delivery methodology. Copyright © 2016 John WileySons, Ltd.

Although Reynolds showed the transition to turbulence in pipe flow 100 years ago, instability theories based on deterministic continuum mechanics and numerical simulations based on the deterministic Navier-Stokes equation cannot indicate the transition point in closed pipe flow. Our previous computations (Naitoh, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) in a straight and closed pipe using the random number generator have showed the transition in space without applying any stability theories and turbulence models, which suggests the possibility of a stochastic Navier-Stokes equation. The most important point of our approach is a theoretical and philosophical method proposed for determining the stochasticity level, which is deeply related to boundary condition. In this paper, computational analyses performed for the stochastic Navier-Stokes equation with grid systems having high and low resolutions quantitatively reveal the mysterious relation between inlet disturbance and the transition point to turbulence for pipe flows, while consideringsurface roughness of solid walls. Independence of the transition point on grid size implies that stochasticity is dominant rather than numerical discretization. Moreover, a laminarization phenomenon in a straight pipe, including puffs and slugs, are also captured. Finally, we will also show shocktube experiments, which qualitatively clarify the influence of inlet-outlet disturbances on the transition points.

Thermomagnetic writing in amorphous Tb-Fe films prepared by thermal evaporation or rf-sputtering is described. These films have a low Curie temperature (75°C) and large values of coercive force over the wide range of temperature. Spots are thermomagnetically written and erased by using a He-Ne laser in conjunction with external magnetic field, and 1 ∼ 2 micron spots are written stably with low laser power. At this writing, a new property was found, that is, the Kerr contrast of the spots gradually varies with a value of the external magnetic field. Temperature dependences of coercive force and magnetization, spot diameter as a function of writing laser power and the Kerr contrast of spots as a function of external magnetic field are reported.

Homogeneous thin films of CuTCNQ were prepared by vapor-deposition method and were found to be writable and erasable with LD beams. Threshold irradiation time to write spots was 3 to 5 µs with LD power of 16 mW at the wavelength of 810 nm. The readout signal contrast was 27. About fifty write-erase cycles were achieved by applying a ZnS protective layer on the CuTCNQ film.