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Polyaniline-based atomic switches are material building blocks whose nanoscale structure and resultant neuromorphic character provide a new physical substrate for the development next-generation, nanoarchitectonic-enabled computing systems. Metal ion-doped devices consisting of a Ag/metal ion doped polyaniline/Pt sandwich structure were fabricated using an in situ wet process. The devices exhibited repeatable resistive switching between high (ON) and low (OFF) conductance states in both Ag+ and Cu2+ ion-doped devices. The threshold voltage for switching was>0.8 V and average ON/OFF conductance ratios (30 cycles for 3 samples) were 13 and 16 for Ag+ and Cu2+ devices, respectively. The ON state duration was determined by the decay to an OFF state after pulsed voltages of differing amplitude and frequency. The switching behaviour is analagous to short-term (STM) and long-term (LTM) memories of biological synapses. Memristive behaviour and evidence of quantized conductance were also observed and interpreted in terms of metal filament formation bridging the metal doped polymer layer. The successful realization of these properties within physical material systems indicate polyaniline frameworks as suitable neuromorphic substrates for in materia computing.

Hiromi Asada,1 Yoshimitsu Takahashi,1 Yuka Ono,2 Noriko Kishi,2 Yukinori Matsuo,2 Takashi Mizowaki,2 Takeo Nakayama1 1Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan; 2Department of Radiation Oncology and Image-Applied Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanCorrespondence: Hiromi Asada, Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan, Tel/Fax +81-75-753-9479, Email asada.hiromi.62a@st.kyoto-u.ac.jpPurpose: Patients undergoing radiotherapy often have their skin marked. Previous studies on skin markings examined the durability and physical effects of the markings, but no study has focused on patients’ emotional experiences toward the markings. This study aimed to clarify how patients undergoing radiotherapy feel about skin markings, as well as factors that affect patients’ emotional experiences.Patients and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire and medical records. Participants were patients aged ≥ 20 years undergoing cancer radiotherapy at a designated cancer care hospital. The primary outcome was the level of uncomfortable emotions toward skin markings, and the secondary outcome was the level of favorable ratings on skin markings. To examine factors related to uncomfortable emotions, ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed.Results: Questionnaire forms were distributed to 153 patients, and responses were collected from 132 (86%). Among 108 patients included in the analysis, 56% (59/105, excluding 3 who did not answer this question) responded that they were uncomfortable with skin markings. The proportion of patients who favorably rated skin markings was 63% (59/93, excluding 15 who did not answer this question). No factors were significantly associated with the primary outcome.Conclusion: Many patients accepted skin markings with resignation, as they understood the necessity of the markings in their treatment. Medical staff should understand the emotional experiences of patients toward skin markings and take sufficient care to ensure that they are provided with explanations, including the impact of skin markings on their daily lives, as well as a sense of security that treatment is being performed in a precise manner.Keywords: radiotherapy, marking, emotional experiences, questionnaire survey

Soichiro Hozawa,1 Hiroyuki Ohbayashi,2 Michiko Tsuchiya,3 Yu Hara,4 Laurie A Lee,5 Takashi Nakayama,6 Jun Tamaoki,6 Andrew Fowler,7 Takanobu Nishi6 1Hiroshima Allergy and Respiratory Clinic, Hiroshima, Japan; 2Tohno Chuo Clinic, Gifu, Japan; 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, Rakuwakai Otowa Hospital, Kyoto, Japan; 4Department of Pulmonology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan; 5GSK, Collegeville, PA, USA; 6GSK, Tokyo, Japan; 7GSK, Brentford, Middlesex, UKCorrespondence: Takanobu NishiGlaxoSmithKline K.K., 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052, JapanTel +81-70-4135-5303Fax +81-3-4231-5974Email takanobu.2.nishi@gsk.comPurpose: The pivotal CAPTAIN study reported a favorable safety profile with once-daily inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting muscarinic antagonist/long-acting β2-agonist (ICS/LAMA/LABA) triple combination of fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) in patients with inadequately controlled asthma, some of whom were Japanese. Here, we evaluate the long-term (52 weeks) safety of FF/UMEC/VI in Japanese patients with asthma.Patients and Methods: This was a Phase III, 52-week, multicenter, non-comparator, non-randomized, open-label study (NCT03184987) in Japanese adults receiving maintenance therapy with ICS/LABA, with or without LAMA. At enrollment, patients were allocated to either FF/UMEC/VI 100/62.5/25mcg (Group 1) or 200/62.5/25mcg (Group 2). Patients in Group 1 could have their treatment stepped up to 200/62.5/25mcg at Week 24 if their Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)-7 score was > 0.75. The primary endpoint was the incidence of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs). Secondary endpoints included vital signs, electrocardiogram measurements, and clinical laboratory tests (biochemistry, hematology, urinalysis). Efficacy was assessed as “other” endpoints.Results: A total of 111 Japanese patients were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Overall, 77 (69%) patients reported ≥ 1 AE (Group 1: n=30 [64%]; step-up group: n=7 [78%]; Group 2: n=40 [73%]). SAEs were reported for 1 (2.1%) and 2 (3.6%) patients in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. All SAEs were considered unrelated to study treatment. One AE and one SAE led to study withdrawal: oropharyngeal discomfort (Group 1); eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Group 2). No new safety concerns were identified throughout the 52-week treatment period.Conclusion: In this uncontrolled open-label study, no new safety concerns were observed with long-term (52 weeks) treatment with once-daily FF/UMEC/VI among 111 Japanese patients with asthma.Keywords: asthma, inhalers, Japan, safety, treatment outcome

Yosuke Kameoka,1 Fukuko Kishi,1 Minako Koura,2 Yoshio Yamakawa,1 Rora Nagasawa,1 Fuyu Ito,3 Junichiro Matsuda,2 Osamu Suzuki,2 Toshinori Nakayama,4 Kazuo Suzuki1,3–5 1Department of Research and Development, A-CLIP Institute, Ltd., Chiba, Japan; 2Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan; 3Asia International Institute of Infectious Disease Control, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan; 4Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; 5Department of Immunology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan Background: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitis is a pauci-immune disease with the inflammation of the small blood vessels. The efficacies of antibody drugs for induction therapies of vasculitis vary among cases. Here, we developed a novel clone of a single chain Fv region (ScFv) with vasculitis-specific therapeutic potential.Materials and methods: The clone, termed VasSF, was selected from our Escherichia coli expression library of recombinant human ScFv based on the therapeutic efficacy in an SCG/Kj mouse model of MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis (MAAV), such as improvement of the urinary score and decreased crescent formation in glomeruli, granulomatous in lung, MPO-ANCA biomarkers, the anti-moesin antibody, and some cytokine levels.Results: We identified vasculitis-associated apolipoprotein A-II (VAP2) as a target molecule of the clone and confirmed the independently-established VAP2 antibodies were also therapeutic in SCG/Kj mice. In MAAV, MPO-ANCA and cytokines stimulate neutrophils by facilitating heterodimer formation of VAP2 with apolipoprotein A-I in HDL. Conclusion: VasSF would constitute a novel antibody drug for vasculitis by suppressing the heterodimer formation of the apolipoproteins. Keywords: VasSF, ANCA antibody drug, apolipoprotein, HDL, myeloperoxidase, MPO, SCG/Kj, vasculitis

Vertebrates have achieved great evolutionary success due in large part to the anatomical diversification of their jaw complex, which allows them to inhabit almost every ecological niche. While many studies have focused on mechanisms that pattern the jaw skeleton, much remains to be understood about the origins of novelty and diversity in the closely associated musculature. To address this issue, we focused on parrots, which have acquired two anatomically unique jaw muscles: the ethmomandibular and the pseudomasseter. In parrot embryos, we observe distinct and highly derived expression patterns for Scx, Bmp4, Tgfβ2 and Six2 in neural crest-derived mesenchyme destined to form jaw muscle connective tissues. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis reveals that cell proliferation is more active in the cells within the jaw muscle than in surrounding connective tissue cells. This biased and differentially regulated mode of cell proliferation in cranial musculoskeletal tissues may allow these unusual jaw muscles to extend towards their new attachment sites. We conclude that the alteration of neural crest-derived connective tissue distribution during development may underlie the spatial changes in jaw musculoskeletal architecture found only in parrots. Thus, parrots provide valuable insights into molecular and cellular mechanisms that may generate evolutionary novelties with functionally adaptive significance. © 2012 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Tatsuya Nakayama,1,2 Yuko Kumeda,3 Ryuji Kawahara,4 Takahiro Yamaguchi,4,5 Yoshimasa Yamamoto5 1Center for Global Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan; 2Division of Biomedical Food Research, National Institute of Health Science, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan; 3Center for Microorganism Control, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka, Japan; 4Division of Microbiology, Osaka Institute of Public Health, Osaka, Japan; 5Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan Background: Due to increasing colistin usage, the dissemination of the colistin-resistant gene mcr-1 has been increasingly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether a traveler on a short-term international trip to a developing country could bring mcr-1 back to their home country. Materials and methods: Thirty-four travel events from Japan to Vietnam encompassing 19 travelers were assessed. A fecal specimen was collected from each traveler before and after each travel event and was inoculated on CHROMagar containing cefotaxime (CTX). Three to seven colonies exhibiting the characteristics of Escherichia coli were collected. Susceptibility to antibiotics and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production were determined by the disk diffusion method and the double-disk synergy test, respectively. ESBL-encoding genes were genotyped, and phylogenetic groupings were determined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The presence of mcr-1 was also confirmed by PCR and sequencing. Results: A total of 175 ESBL-producing E. coli isolated before and up to 2 weeks after traveling to Vietnam were analyzed. Genotyping of ESBL-producing isolates showed that blaCTX-M-1/blaTEM (27.7%) and blaCTX-M-9 (45.9%) were the most prevalent genotypes, while the most frequently detected phylogenetic group was D (41.9%) followed by B2 (23.0%). In a significant number of travel events, travelers brought ESBL-producing E. coli back to Japan and three events by three travelers carried mcr-1. ESBL-producing E. coli isolates harboring mcr-1 were identified as those carrying both blaCTX-M-14 or blaCTX-M-55 and mcr-1. Conclusion: Using Vietnam as an example, we have shown that even a short-term trip to some countries may result in ESBL-producing mcr-1-positive E. coli carriage by international travelers. Keywords: traveler, ESBL-producing E. coli, mcr-1, Vietnam, Japan

This research presents a synthesis process of porous α-MoO3 wire from Mo wire and its application as an irradiation target used in the Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR) for the first time. Water was used to extract 99Mo in the porous wire after irradiating, afterward, the result was compared with a previous experiment using α-MoO3 powder. In conclusion, combined with the Kyoto University Reactor (KUR) experiments, hot atoms ehnanced the extraction of 99Mo to water and the effectiveness in the porous wire was compared to that of commercial powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yayoi Nishida,1 Yasuo Takahashi,1 Kotoe Tezuka,1 Keiko Yamazaki,1 Yoichi Yada,2 Tomohiro Nakayama,3,4 Satoshi Asai2 1Division of Genomic Epidemiology and Clinical Trials, Clinical Trials Research Center, 2Division of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, 3Division of Companion Diagnostics, 4Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan Background: Multiple comorbidity is common and increases the complexity of the presentation of patients with COPD. This study was a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between a medical history of 22 disease categories and the presence of airflow limitation (AL) without any history of asthma or bronchiectasis, compatible with COPD. Methods: A total of 11,898 Japanese patients aged ≥40 years, who underwent spirometry tests, comprising patients with AL (n=2,309) or without AL (n=9,589), were evaluated. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the relationship between the presence of AL and each disease. The model was adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and pack-years of smoking. Results: In multivariate analysis, female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52–0.67), age (OR for 10-year age increase: 1.99; CI: 1.90–2.09), BMI (OR for 1 kg/m2 increase: 0.96; CI: 0.95–0.98) and smoking history (

Michiko Yamamoto,1 Hirohisa Doi,1 Ken Yamamoto,2 Kazuhiro Watanabe,2 Tsugumichi Sato,3 Machi Suka,4 Takeo Nakayama,5 Hiroki Sugimori6 1Department of Drug Informatics, Center for Education & Research on Clinical Pharmacy, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Pharmacy Practice, Center for Education & Research on Clinical Pharmacy, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo, Japan; 3Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan; 4Department of Public Health and Environmental Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 5Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public, Kyoto, Japan; 6Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Sports and Health Sciences, Daito Bunka University, Saitama, Japan Background: The safe use of drugs relies on providing accurate drug information to patients. In Japan, patient leaflets called Drug Guide for Patients are officially available; however, their utility has never been verified. This is the first attempt to improve Drug Guide for Patients via user testing in Japan.Purpose: To test and improve communication of drug information to minimize risk for patients via user testing of the current and revised versions of Drug Guide for Patients, and to demonstrate that this method is effective for improving Drug Guide for Patients in Japan.Method: We prepared current and revised versions of the Drug Guide for Patients and performed user testing via semi-structured interviews with consumers to compare these versions for two guides for Mercazole and Strattera. We evenly divided 54 participants into two groups with similar distributions of sex, age, and literacy level to test the differing versions of the Mercazole guide. Another group of 30 participants were divided evenly to test the versions of the Strattera guide. After completing user testing, the participants evaluated both guides in terms of amount of information, readability, usefulness of information, and layout and appearance. Participants were also asked for their opinions on the leaflets.Results: Response rates were 100% for both Mercazole and Strattera. The revised versions of both Guides were superior or equal to the current versions in terms of accessibility and understandability. The revised version of the Mercazole guide showed better ratings for readability, usefulness of information, and layout (p

Tatsuya Nakayama,1 Shuhei Ueda,2 Bui Thi Mai Huong,3 Le Danh Tuyen,3 Chalit Komalamisra,4 Teera Kusolsuk,4 Itaru Hirai,2 Yoshimasa Yamamoto1,5 1Global Collaboration Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; 2Faculty of Medicine, University of The Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan; 3National Institute for Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam; 4Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 5Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Osaka, Japan Abstract: Recent studies have reported a widespread distribution of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria, not only in the nosocomial setting, but also in the community; some local communities in Southeast Asia have been reported to show a high prevalence of ESBL-producing bacteria. However, the details regarding the quantitative/qualitative state of ESBL-producing bacterial spread in Southeast Asia are currently unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the state of ESBL-producing bacterial spread in community residents from the Indochinese peninsula, as a representative region of Southeast Asia. In order to achieve this aim, local community residents in Laos and Vietnam were examined for fecal carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, and the findings were compared with data from a previous study in Thailand which was conducted in the same manner as this study. Between 47.0%–70.2% of the Laotian and Vietnamese residents carried ESBL-producing CTX-M genotype Enterobacteriaceae. The most common sub-genotypes of CTX-M were CTX-M-1 (33.0%–47.5%) and CTX-M-9 (47.5%–64.1%), and these rates were similar among all three countries. Taken together, these results confirmed that ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae are widely disseminated in Indochinese countries, such as Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Keywords: extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), rural residents, Indochinese peninsula, fecal carriage

Mikio Wada,1 Takeo Nakayama,2 Tatsuro Ishizaki,3 Toshihiko Satoh,4 Shunya Ikeda51General Internal Medicine, Fukuchiyama City Hospital, Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Japan; 2Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; 3Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan; 4School of Social Informatics, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan; 5Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International University of Health and Welfare, Ohtawara, Tochigi, JapanBackground: Various types of medical institutions perform treatments for lower respiratory tract infections. However, few studies have assessed and compared practice patterns across different medical institutions in Japan. To assess practice patterns for community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections among patients who needed hospitalization, we examined the use of injection antibiotics and the implementation of bacteriological examinations, and compared these across medical institutions. We then evaluated whether bacteriological examinations were being adequately implemented.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a database of health insurance claims. Subjects were patients ≥16 years old) who received injection antibiotics to treat lower respiratory tract infections, and who were listed among 2004–2007 insurance claims data. For each type of antibiotic, we obtained the dose prescribed, the number of patients treated, and the frequency of bacteriological examinations.Results: A total of 1649 patients were evaluated. The implementation rate of Gram stain and sputum culture was 14% at clinics (

Kohji Hoshina,1 Yuichi Tagami,2 Osamu Mimura,3 Hiroshi Edagawa,4 Masao Matsubara,5 Teiichi Nakayama6 1Hoshina Eye Clinic, Nishinomiya, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe Century Memorial Hospital, Kobe, Japan; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan; 4Edagawa Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan; 5Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Medical Center East, Tokyo, Japan; 6Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan Background: It seemed that visual functions might have some effects on the performance of baseball players. We measured static, kinetic, and dynamic visual acuity (SVA, KVA, and DVA, respectively) of Japanese professional baseball players to ascertain whether there would be any difference in SVA, KVA, and DVA among player groups stratified according to their performance level. Methods: The subjects were 102 male professional baseball players with a mean age of 26 years who were members of a Japanese professional baseball club from 2000 to 2009. They were stratified into three groups according to their performance level: A (players who were on the roster of the top-level team all the time throughout the study period), B (players who were on the roster of the top-level team sometimes but not all the time), and C (players who were never on the roster of the top-level team). They were interviewed for the use of corrective visual aids, and examined for SVA, KVA, and DVA. The measurements of these parameters were compared among groups A, B, and C. We also investigated and analyzed the association of KVA or DVA with player position (pitchers or fielders) and with hand dominance for batting. KVA was compared between the pitchers and the fielders because they each require different playing skills. DVA was compared between the right-handed and the left-handed batters. Results: There was no statistically significant difference among groups A, B, and C. There was a statistically significant difference in KVA between the pitchers and the fielders (t-test; P < 0.05) There was no statistically significant difference in DVA between the right-handed and the left-handed batters. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the examined visual functions among player groups with different performance levels. Keywords: static visual acuity, kinetic visual acuity, dynamic visual acuity, Japanese professional baseball players