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Background: Major depression is one of the most debilitating diseases in terms of quality of life. Less than half of patients suffering from depression can achieve remission after adequate antidepressant treatment. Another promising treatment option is cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). However, the need for experienced therapists and substantive dedicated time prevent CBT from being widely disseminated. In the present study, we aim to examine the effectiveness of switching antidepressants and starting a smartphone-based CBT program at the same time, in comparison to switching antidepressants only, among patients still suffering from depression after adequate antidepressant treatment.Methods/design: A multi-center randomized trial is currently being conducted since September 2014. The smartphone-based CBT program, named the "Kokoro-App," for major depression has been developed and its feasibility has been confirmed in a previous open study. The program consists of an introduction, 6 sessions and an epilogue, and is expected to be completed within 9 weeks by patients. In the present trial, 164 patients with DSM-5 major depressive disorder and still suffering from depressive symptoms after adequate antidepressant treatment for more than 4 weeks will be allocated to the Kokoro-App plus switching antidepressant group or the switching antidepressant alone group. The participants allocated to the latter group will receive full components of the Kokoro-App after 9 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in the total score on the Patient Health Questionnaire through the 9 weeks of the program, as assessed at week 0, 1, 5 and 9 via telephone by blinded raters. The secondary outcomes include the change in the total score of the Beck Depression Inventory-II, change in side effects as assessed by the Frequency, Intensity and Burden of Side Effects Rating, and treatment satisfaction.Discussion: An effective and reachable intervention may not only lead to healthier mental status among depressed patients, but also to reduced social burden from this illness. This paper outlines the background and methods of a trial that evaluates the possible additive value of a smartphone-based CBT program for treatment-resistant depression.Trial Registration: UMIN-CTR: UMIN000013693 (registered on 1 June 2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Soave procedure (SO) is performed most commonly for Hirschsprung disease. SO reduces the risk of injury to the pelvic structures; however, a residual aganglionic muscle cuff could interfere with bowel movement and lead to obstructive enterocolitis. The Swenson procedure is considered ideal in terms of peristalsis. Currently, laparoscopic surgery provides better visualization and facilitates precise dissection, possibly leading to feasible performance of the laparoscopic modified Swenson procedure (SW). We present our operative technique and the efficacy of the SW compared with that of SO.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 16 and 27 patients who underwent SW and SO, respectively, between 2012 and 2017.Results: Operative time, blood loss, length of stay, and frequency of bowel movements showed no significant difference between the two groups. In the SW group, temporary dysuria occurred in one patient, postoperative enterocolitis in two, wound infection in one, and severe perianal excoriation in four, whereas in the SO group, obstructive symptoms occurred in three patients, small-bowel obstruction in one, and severe perianal excoriation in three. The complications and outcomes were comparable between both groups.Conclusion: Laparoscopic SW was safe and feasible for the short-term follow-up outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) reduce influenza symptoms but clear evidence of relationships between viral titer reduction and symptom alleviation is lacking. This open-label, randomized study evaluated differences in viral dynamics between NAIs, and relationships between viral dynamics and influenza symptoms (trial registration number: UMIN000012670).Methods: Patients (n = 123) aged 4-12 years with influenza A virus infection were randomized to intravenous peramivir, oral oseltamivir, inhaled zanamivir, or inhaled laninamivir. Patients received regular viral assessments of nasal discharge, at least until rapid antigen tests were negative. Time to virus clearance, based on influenza virus titer, was the primary endpoint.Results: Peramivir recipients had a significantly shorter time to virus clearance than oseltamivir recipients (adjusted p = 0.035). Comparisons between the peramivir group and other NAI groups were not significant. There were no significant inter-group differences in other clinical efficacy endpoints (time to resolution of fever, time to alleviation of symptoms). However, the peramivir group showed a smaller numerical proportion of relapses with fever or positive virus than the other groups.Conclusions: The time to virus clearance was significantly shorter with peramivir than with oseltamivir. Although no clear relationship between virus dynamics and symptoms was observed, ongoing studies should clarify the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and practice pattern of patients with dry eye disease (DED) in eye clinics across Japan.Methods: A multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with DED who visited eye clinics in Japan. Subjective symptoms, patient's background, ocular surface features, and tear function were evaluated. Main outcome measures were tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer I value, kerato-conjunctival staining score, and dry eye symptom questionnaire score.Results: Initially, 463 subjects were enrolled, and 449 cases (63 male and 386 female; mean age, 62.6 ± 15.7 years) were included in the final analysis. Overall, 94.9% of patients had a shortened TBUT (≤5 s), and 54.6% had an aqueous tear deficiency (Schirmer I value ≤5 mm). The most prevalent subtype of dry eye was aqueous-deficient dry eye, which was present in 35.0% of all patients, followed by short-BUT-type dry eye, which was seen in 26.7%.Conclusion: The two most common DED subtypes were aqueous-deficient and short-BUT-type dry eye. Shortened TBUT is the most common feature of dry eye, regardless of subtype. The current treatment choice mainly consisted of hyaluronic acid, two novel mucin secretagogues, diquafosol and rebamipide, and steroidal eye drops.Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network: UMIN (registries no. UMIN 000015890).Funding: Japan Dry Eye Society, Tokyo, Japan, and Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Bocavirus (HBoV) as a newly discovered parvovirus has been commonly detected in respiratory tract infections. However, its role in acute otitis media (AOM) has not been well studied. We examined HBoV in Japanese children with AOM and evaluated the virus prevalence together with clinical manifestations and bacterial findings. Overall, 222 nasopharyngeal swabs and 176 middle ear fluids (MEF) samples were collected from 222 children with AOM (median age, 19 months) between May 2006 and April 2007. HBoV detection was performed by PCR and bacterial isolation by standard culture methods. HBoV was found in the nasopharyngeal aspirates of 14 children (6.3%) and in the MEF of six children (2.7%). When HBoV detection results were evaluated with clinical characteristics of children, resolution time of AOM was significantly longer (p=0.04), and rate of fever symptom was also higher in HBoV-positive group (p=0.04). Furthermore, we found positive correlation between detection of HBoV and Streptococcus pneumoniae in the MEF (p=0.004). Nevertheless, nasopharyngeal proportion of S. pneumoniae was similar between virus positive and negative groups. Furthermore, S. pneumoniae was detected as a single pathogen in all MEF of HBoV-positive cases but one, while it presents mixed with other pathogenic bacteria in nasopharynx. In conclusion, HBoV may worsen the clinical symptoms and prolong the clinical outcome of AOM in pediatric population. Finally, HBoV may prime the secondary bacterial infection in the middle ear in favor of S. pneumoniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]